Better than Sex (2000) is a modest Australian made character driven romantic comedy. A couple meets at a party. He has to leave for London in three days, and they end up sharing a cab home. The idea of good dirty sex with no entanglements appeals to both, and they end up in her bed together. Three days later, they have trouble separating.

The narrative style is one I normally wouldn't like. Between scenes, primarily sexual, we get monologues from each of them, and also from their friends. In this case, however, the monologues really add to the film, as we see what each is thinking, and that they are not misunderstanding each other, but simply not realizing everything that is going on in the other person's head. It is also obvious from what their friends say that, while the two of them are comparable, none of the friends would be. It also doesn't hurt that some of the dialogue is dead clever. At one point, she is giving him head in the bathtub, and says "Move your hips a little, I'm not a fish," to which he answers, "No, but you are good with a snorkel."

IMDB readers have this at 5.9 of 10, with women scoring it much higher than men (7.0 to 5.6). It was nominated for nearly every Australian award. It is not surprising that women liked it better in that it is mostly about relationship, but it has plenty of nudity for men to enjoy. Female lead Susie Porter (Star Wars Episode 2, Attack of the Clones, Monkey's Mask, Two Hands) shows breasts and a glimpse of buns several times throughout the film, and flashes the top of her bush near the end. I enjoyed this immensely, mainly do to the honesty of the feelings expressed, and the overall cheerful tone of the film. C.

A totally wacko comedy rated in the IMDb All-Time Top 250. A comedy with John Turturro, Ben Gazzara, Sam Elliott, and Steve Buscemi. You just know it's the work of the Coen Brothers. This is their classic "what if" film noir. What if - the detective in The Big Sleep had been Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. How confusing is that?

Very confusing, and totally wonderful!

I decided to revisit the film in honor of last week's Dudefest (or the Second Annual Lebowski Fest, if you're not into the whole brevity thing), which was dedicated to bowling, White Russians, and all things Lebowski.

John Goodman has now bowled in at least three films (The Flintstones, The Big Lebowski and King Ralph). For your cultural SAT , Goodman is to bowling as Billy Zane is to sinking ships (Titanic, Dead Calm, Cleopatra).

I wrote much much more, and included pics in the main movie page.

• Julianne Moore (1, 2)

XX/XY (2002)

I wrote about XX/XY when it was in theaters. I didn't like it much. It's not that it isn't a decent little piece of indy filmmaking. It's OK, I guess. The problem is that it (1) tries to be realistic and authentic (2) asks us to spend 90 minutes or so with really irritating people. Would you like to go socialize tomorrow night with some really unpleasant and irritating people that your mate likes? If you did have to go, would you like them to be their usual irritating "real" selves in free-wheeling conversation, or would you like to engage in some artificial activity that forced them to shut up or adopt a different behavior (watching a DVD or something). Well, this movie forces us to spend time with them, and then forces us to listen to them as well - no artificial "plot" to subdue them, just their unmasked irritating selves "relating" away. The lead male character's dialogue is irritating enough to begin with, but he is played by Mark Ruffalo, who may be the single most irritating actor in the world. That's a world of irritation.

In other words, when you are dealing with these characters, reality is overrated.

• Maya Stange (1, 2, 3)
• Kathleen Robertson

UPDATES:

• Honte's site is updated

• Updated volumes: Keeley Hawes, Julianne Moore

OTHER CRAP:

• Baseball's top 10 one-hit wonders
• "Hey, let's have the Grey Davis recall. And then the people who voted for Davis can have a recall and put him back in. And then we can throw him out again. It works well in Italy." (Bill Maher)
• Pravda weighs in on who will be the hottest Russian tennis check PK (post-Kournikova)
• Illustrated version of Tom Lehrer's song about the periodic table
• Late Show : top 10 ways AOL can win back subscribers
• Johnny Knoxville goes for the gold as The Ringer. The Jackass toplines the Farrelly brothers' upcoming comedy about a guy who pretends to be mentally challenged in order to win the Special Olympics. Tasteful concept.
• Kobe DA looks exactly like Harry in Dumb and Dumber.
• ALICIA DOUVALL has had an operation to reduce her comedy-sized boobs.
• Former Spice Individual GERI HALLIWELL has landed a role in a film about cartoon slappers The Fat Slags
• Four more Club 18-30 reps have been caught romping in sex games on Corfu.
• ESPN's list of greatest individual streaks.

Other crap archives. May also include newer material than the ones above, since it's sorta in real time.

PIRATE COUNTDOWN:

MOVIE REVIEWS:

Here are the latest movie reviews available at scoopy.com.

• The yellow asterisks indicate that I wrote the review, and am deluded into thinking it includes humor.
• If there is a white asterisk, it means that there isn't any significant humor, but I inexplicably determined there might be something else of interest.
• A blue asterisk indicates the review is written by Tuna (or Lawdog or Junior or C2000 or Realist or ICMS or Mick Locke, or somebody else besides me)
• If there is no asterisk, I wrote it, but am too ashamed to admit it.

• Manuela Arcuri, the Italian babe topless, showing rear nudity and brief bush views in scenes from "Mad Love" a.k.a. "Juana la Loca" (2001).

• Pilar López de Ayala, also showing some very nice breast and bum views in scenes from "Mad Love".

• This is a great rare find! Rosanna Arquette topless in scenes from "Floating Away" (1998). Currently this John Badham movie is not available on DVD or VHS, but does pop up on cable now and then.

Be sure to pay Graphic Response a visit at his website. www.graphic-barry.com.

comments by Copperhead

Tarzana, the Wild Girl: a Jungle Story. (1969):

Hey Scoop, I recently sent you a review of Wild Thing.  Tarzana is probably the movie that Wild Thing was based on. Here's the review:

DISTRIBUTOR INFO/ACTORS/ACTRESSES: 

I got mine from SinisterCinema.com, on VHS (mistakenly sent when I ordered the DVD).  It is an Italian production from 1969 with both the Italian and English titles listed on the IMDB. Tarzana was played by a young Femi Benussi.  It was reported that her face and name were left off of posters, because she might have been underage.  Franca Polessello as a female adventurer and Beryl Cunningham
as a native also have some nudity.

PLOT DETAILS:

Rumors of a young girl who survived a plane crash in the jungle, send a group of adventurers and relatives in pursuit, most with their own selfish purposes.

PLUSSES: 

There is quite a bit of nudity (for the time). Toplessness throughout and G-string views by Tarzana, breast and bun exposure by the other two. Tarzana  wears only a G-string, and so is always topless, even though she has long hair which sometimes gives her some coverage.  There is some rear exposure since the G-string covers even less than a thong.  There is some nudity from two other actresses. Franca shows breasts and buns as she is spied upon by one of the men.  Beryl shows breast in a frenzied native dance. 

MINUSES:

This movie is not campy (no Trader Hornee, for example), but it was surely low budget and from 1969, so don't expect too much.

MY COMMENTS:

I  enjoyed this movie a lot, but I have to admit, part of the enjoyment is the fact that I am old enough to have seen all manner of jungle and damsel-in-distress movies when I was younger.  I can't recall any that had any nudity, although some had situations that should have led to some exposure, as the heroines were menaced.  It was great to see one that delivered nudity instead of the usual tease.  All that being
said, if you are under 30 and have grown up with Porky's and American Pie and Not Another Teen Movie, this will probably bore you to suicide.

FINAL COMMENTS:

It's a keeper for the reasons above (wish they would have sent the DVD).  

Back then I though that Reina could be an up and coming talent in the B-thriller genre. So what has she done since then? Nothing! and in genre that is chock full of crappy actors, that's a real shame.

• Lauren Reina, topless in a couple of sex scenes. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)

Jessica Paré

Perabo and Paré
(1, 2)