I Watch 'Em So You Don't Have To

And Now For Something Completely Different


Across The Universe (2007)


Prepare yourselves. There are times when I am wrong. Flat wrong. If I've written a review that makes you wonder if we've even seen the same movie, either my opinion is different or I was just wrong.


I hate musicals. The last musical I actually sat through and enjoyed was The Sound Of Music. This was probably made before most of you were born and believe it or not, way before I was old enough to watch any movie..... Point being, if anybody starts singing in a movie, I'm outta there. That's why I won't be rushing to see Rock Of Ages. Watching Tom Cruise butcher my favorite 80's songs is not my idea of a good time. Don't Go Into The Woods, a self-described musical/horror movie was so awful I don't think I reviewed it harshly enough. But I can be wrong.

Max (Joe Anderson)

The only reason I watched this musical the first time was because of Joe Anderson. He played Deputy Russell Clank in The Crazies (2010) and I thought he was great. I was curious to see what else he'd done and I found this. I recorded and watched it - I admit a lot of it in fast forward. I HATED this movie. BUT it had Beatles music. If you use a plug-in like Spotify, you know that the Beatles catalog is not on it (they say they have 'virtually every piece of music recorded' pffft, that's a lie). So I looked up the soundtrack to this movie and started listening. Now Joe had never sung before but when he was auditioning they asked him to and he got the part. Cool. The more I listened to the songs, the more I thought maybe I should give the movie another look. Thankfully I hadn't deleted it yet.

Just Trippin'

Set in the 60's during the height of the Vietnam war, it's a part lesson part entertainment part music kind of mix. If you can't relate, you WILL hate it. If you either want to see a little about the 60's or you want to remember some of the more, ummm, colorful aspects, you might like it.


 Jude (Jim Sturgess) is an English shipyard worker who wants to find his American father. He sneaks into the country. His father is a janitor at Princeton and they meet and have an uneasy relationship. He meets a well-to-do Princeton student Max (Joe Anderson again playing an American although he too is English). They decide to take off for New York, since Max doesn't want to be part of 'the establishment.' After some subplots that introduces the other characters (almost everyone sings something but hey, it's all Beatles tunes so....) the movie smashes a lot of the culture and counter-culture of the 60's into a freaky kind of head trip. Max goes to war, is injured but makes it home. Jude is arrested at a demonstration, arrested and deported.

Sadie (Dana Fuchs)

I'm Bloody Brilliant!

But I guess although the 60's really didn't have a happy ending (instead it became the 70's) the movie decided it had to have one. Friends and lovers reunite, Jude comes back to the country legally this time, and all is right with the world. And there's Beatles music (did I already mention that?).






Point is if you want to suspend reality for a bit and either live or relive some of the aspects of the 60's lifestyle try this movie out. It took me two views to like it, hopefully you'll appreciate more in one.