Rating: Summary: Greater Tuna Ripoff!! Worst Movie of the Year!!! Review: I don't know where to start with how godawful this movie is! First there's the "direction" or lack thereof. Then there's the script, which just wasn't funny, especially when compared to the riotous humor of "Greater Tuna" and it's sequels, which poke fun at small-town Texas life without belittling EVERY SINGLE character! Oh, and then there's the embarassing star turns from Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, Bonnie Bedilia, etc. Olivia Newton-John's character was superfluous; she just seemed to show up to sing a song, then leave. The lesser known actors should look for another line of work because they were just too sad for words, esp. the psychiatrist and the prerequisite "young closeted actor." The few standouts were Beth Grant who truly inhabited her character and Leslie Jordan who was much funnier in, well just about every other thing he's ever done in his career. This movie is offensive to Texans, Southerners, gays, straights, the living and the dead. And it's especially offensive to anyone who had to pay a dime to view it. Do yourself a favor: find a copy of "Greater Tuna" or "Tuna Christmas" to see how truly hilarious small town Texas life can be where the writing, direction, and especially the acting are far superior than this Lone Star dud.
Rating: Summary: Side Spliting Humor Review: I was fortunate enough to see this movie with a gentleman from a small Texas town who told ME, that this movie was not only one of the most hysterical movies he'd seen but so true to life. I don't remember a movie that kept me chuckling and laughing throughout.
Rating: Summary: Assorted sordidiness! Review: I watched this movie on a friend's--very qualified--recommendation. It was, he admitted, low brow humor, but it was full of great one-liners and wacky situations. There were a couple of laugh-out-loud lines, true, but actually, my friend had already pretty much quoted them all before I got a chance to view the film. And even the best lines get lost admid the overall noise in this poorly paced, inconsistently directed and horribly photographed effort. A talented cast, including Bonnie Bedelia, Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, Beth Grant and many others, can't really save the film. The best moments belong to the film's gay characters (played by Leslie Jordan and Kirk Geiger, and a surprisingly effective Olivia Newton-John). They manage to preserve a little dignity throughout the loopy proceedings. The other, "straight" characters are way too archly drawn for the actors to be able to work with. They do their valiant best, but they're stuck with caricatures instead of characters. Admittedly, they look like they're having fun, at least. I'm glad somebody was.
Rating: Summary: [Wet in] your pants funny!! Review: Maybe it was because I grew up in Texas, but I think this is the funniest movie I've ever seen (and I've seen it three times now). I can't believe it was never in general release, because the humor is so universal. If you need a good laugh again and again, this movie is an excellent investment.
Rating: Summary: Buy This DVD Now! Review: I first saw Sordid Lives at the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival back in the Summer of 2001 and it was the audience hit of the festival. My friends and I thought sure it would be released in the art house theaters..and we waited...and waited...and were quite surprised that it seemed to just disappear (although I did hear it was quite a hit in Palm Springs, CA and a few other theaters around the country ). So I patiently waited for it to come out on DVD and I am happy to say that it is just as funny as I remember. It has many, many laugh-out-loud moments and the entire cast is great. However, Leslie Jordan as Brother Boy and Beth Grant as Sissy are standouts and you will be quoting their lines all the time...they are just that good! And the DVD comes with lots of extras for the truly obsessed Sordid Lives fan! I know that My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a movie that became a hit by word of mouth. I think it is time that Sordid Lives became a DVD hit too! So spread the word...
Rating: Summary: Like a fever dream from Dubya... Review: "Sordid Lives" is a LOUD, non-stop rollercoaster ride through a tangled web of sex, lies, and psychoanalysis which takes place (for the most part) in small-town Texas. The plot revolves around the untimely death of the matron of an ultra-dysfunctional family and the drama leading up to the climatic funeral. Although they are billed as stars of the film, Olivia Newton-John, Beau Bridges, and Delta Burke essentially provide slightly more than cameo appearances. Of the three, Newton-John's role is the most interesting and sadly, the least developed. The remaining cast members, with the exception of Bonnie Bedelia, are unknown carry-overs from the stage production. The film is full of comical moments and generates a lot of laughs, but the tone is very uneven. And waaaaaaaay too much screen time is devoted to the scenes involving the attempted "de-homosexualization" of the family drag queen. Ai-yai-yai.
Rating: Summary: Grandma's Dead...but that's the least of their problems! Review: This movie is beyond a black comedy or a cult classic. Most people that I have convinced to see it (the title doesn't tell you much) haven't regretted it. It is side-splittingly funny. If you are: white; southern; gay; straight; gun-tote'n; cross-dress'n; trailer trash; gossip'n; audulter'n; drinkin'; overeatin'; smokin'; rehabilitatin' or know someone who is, I guarantee you will laugh yourself silly while watching this one. Enjoy.
Rating: Summary: Diversity - thy name is "Sordid Lives" Review: I am fortunate enough to live in the Palm Springs area and have seen this movie 3 times. Each time it is funnier than the last, so I want to have this DVD in my collection. It is rip roaring funny but with a beautiful sub-text about diversity in life styles and acceptance of the differences in people. One minute you are laughing uproariously and the next you have tears in your eyes over a touching scene. I highly recommend this DVD to those of you not fortunate enough to live in Palm Springs and able to see this film. It has played here for over a year and shows no signs of wearing out its welcome. It is the movie for "gays and gray's and all those in between".
Rating: Summary: Simple gets no funnier Review: Never have I laughed so hard. This movie sets the bench mark on talent and humor, all on a shoe string budget. Every character, rich in personality and the script, priceless. I had to view the movie several times just to hear the dialogue. Found myself laughing painfully each and every time. Del Shore deserves to be recognized for this one. A must have for every collection, gay, straight or otherwise.
Rating: Summary: Funniest Movie Out in Years Review: I saw this film a year ago in Palm Springs - where it is still playing at least twice a day - and it is the funniest film I've seen in ages. You can't help but laugh out loud. Well written, well acted, and well directed. I've been waiting for ages for the dvd to become available as it is a must for anyone's collection. Everyone needs to see this film!!!
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