This collection of eighteen music videos is wonderful for any fan of either the Pet Shop Boys or British pop music in general. Back in the age of Fred Durst and Pearl Jam slaughtering older songs ("Faith" and "Last Kiss", respectively), Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe actually improved on the songs they remade with a clean sound and great lyrics. This features the videos until 1991, and does not include any from the albums released after that.
1. West End Girls (Directed by Eric Watson and Andy Morahan)
The Boys' biggest hit and a good video. They shot in London, which made me homesick for England. I spent three months there in the early nineties, and always wanted to get back until the country started declining.
2. Love Comes Quickly (Directed by Eric Watson and Andy Morahan)
Great, shadowy visuals highlight an underrated dark ballad; this could still pass as a video just shot last week.
3. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) (Directed by Eric Watson and Andy Morahan)
A whimsical song given a bizarre video treatment as Tennant, looking Amish in glasses and hat, is sunk into the floor of a parking garage, and sings while decomposing in some shots. Weird.
4. Suburbia (Directed by Eric Watson)
Suburbs, dogs, and an abandoned city bus. Nice video, watch for the TV screen that is playing the alternate version video to "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money).
5. It's a Sin (Directed by Derek Jarman)
It is a sin to have to watch the Boys uncomfortably go through the paces of hoods, trials, and goofy makeup. One of the weakest videos on the compilation.
6. What Have I Done to Deserve This? (Directed by Eric Watson)
Mix Dusty Springfield and some backstage Vegas-like chorus girls, and this video will have you interested. Tennant and Lowe look like they are having fun performing with the sorely missed Springfield, who is fantastic.
7. Rent (Directed by Derek Jarman)
Another failure from Jarman has a dark song given a bunch of video cliches (slow motion, silly resolution, etc.). Liza Minnelli remade this song as a ballad much better on her "Results" album, produced by Tennant and Lowe.
8. Always on My Mind (Directed by Jack Bond)
Surreal video from the Boys' surreal motion picture debut. Better song than Willie Nelson made, but Joss Ackland crooning along kind of brings everything down.
9. Heart (Directed by Jack Bond)
The worst video here has a Nosferatu story as Tennant and newlywed are haunted by a lovestruck vampire. Weak bat effect spoils already average effort.
10. Domino Dancing (Directed by Eric Watson)
Two Latino men fight over one gorgeous girl while a tanned Tennant croons. Sunny locations, and when our little female side of our love triangle appears in a vinyl dress, I was ready to break out the Armor-All and a chamois. Wow!
11. Left to My Own Devices (Directed by Eric Watson)
Good song is shot looking above through a glass ceiling at performers. Weird angle loses interest after awhile, but Lowe and Tennant move more here than in almost any other video.
12. It's Alright (Directed by Eric Watson)
This is the song you sometimes hear on car ads. It is really about how the world might end at any time, but Tennant and Lowe sing to a collection of some cute babies, all shot in crisp black and white. A fun video.
13. So Hard (Directed by Eric Watson)
Another mild hit has more black and white in a depressing little video about infidelity. Nothing really stands out.
14. Being Boring (Directed by Bruce Weber)
The Pet Shop Boys' best song and best video, as done by a leading photographer. Black and white, as assorted teens get ready for a party. This will make you nostalgic for youth, when the most important thing you had were your friends. Some nudity, but it only serves to heighten your emotions. Excellent.
15. How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously? (Directed by Liam Kan)
The version of this song on their album was a little peppier, but the video is funny. The song concerns all those megalomaniacal performers with their pet causes and yes men.
16. Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You) (Directed by Liam Kan)
Who else would have thought to mix the two title songs into a giant, coloring book-bright remake? Strong video, with cheering crowds over Tennant's vocals.
17. Jealousy (Directed by Eric Watson)
Lush video also deals with infidelity, leading to violence in a restaurant as Tennant croons away. Gorgeous to look at.
18. DJ Culture (Directed by Eric Watson)
Really weird video as Tennant dresses like Oscar Wilde, and cross dressing Queen Victorias mix with a soccer match. Wild to watch.
I have been a long time fan of the Pet Shop Boys, and I have always enjoyed their videos, even though MTV did not play them anymore. I highly recommend this collection.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Blue Vanities 306 (1994)
Black on White, and Vice Versa: "Blue Vanities 306"
This compilation DVD features fourteen short films (stags or loops), all of which look like they are from the 1970's, with the theme being "interracial couplings":
"Black Plaything"
An older black man with a lot of bling gets it on with a lactating younger woman in a bedroom. 3/10
"An Integrated Impulse"
A black man, a white man, and a white woman have sex in a living room setting. 5/10
"I Fuck"
I think the white woman here is a hooker, entertaining three black men. 6/10
"Vanessa's Lusty Lad"
Vanessa del Rio with a black man and a white girl. 4/10
"Hot Licks"
A black man and a really cute girl start with some stretching before they have sex. 7/10
"Horn Blower"
An unfortunate song choice spoils this loop featuring a sax player and a woman. 5/10
"Black on White"
A cute but thin woman calls up a black man to come over for sex. 5/10
"Big Black Stud"
Sue Nero is pretty impressive, but her sexual partner is covered in so much facial hair he could pass for a werewolf. 5/10
"Trio"
Two men deliver some chairs to a woman in a star-spangled bikini before they have sex indoors. The exposure is too bright in this loop, and the white guy is creepy looking. 3/10
"Swappers"
A black man has sex with a blonde, while a white man has sex with a black woman, before the black woman suddenly appears in the other sex scene. 3/10
"Soul Slave"
A white woman with thigh high boots and a black man have sex in a twin bed. Uncomfortable. 3/10
"Swedish Erotica: The Morning After"
This must be a scene from a longer film, complete with some partial credits, as a white man and his Asian looking maid have sex, and a black man enters to take part. 4/10
"Swedish Erotica: How Sweet It Was"
Another scene from a longer film, involving an Asian looking woman and a black man. 4/10
"Jungle Paul"
A very cute Sue Pearlman and a black man have sex, with Pearlman on a leash. 6/10
The titles come from the back of the DVD box, there are just a couple of partial credits onscreen. The collection is okay, some are worse than others, and the best clips never rise above mediocre. The music seems to be public domain from the 1940's or 1950's, and completely inappropriate for the sex scenes from the 1970's.
"Black Plaything"
An older black man with a lot of bling gets it on with a lactating younger woman in a bedroom. 3/10
"An Integrated Impulse"
A black man, a white man, and a white woman have sex in a living room setting. 5/10
"I Fuck"
I think the white woman here is a hooker, entertaining three black men. 6/10
"Vanessa's Lusty Lad"
Vanessa del Rio with a black man and a white girl. 4/10
"Hot Licks"
A black man and a really cute girl start with some stretching before they have sex. 7/10
"Horn Blower"
An unfortunate song choice spoils this loop featuring a sax player and a woman. 5/10
"Black on White"
A cute but thin woman calls up a black man to come over for sex. 5/10
"Big Black Stud"
Sue Nero is pretty impressive, but her sexual partner is covered in so much facial hair he could pass for a werewolf. 5/10
"Trio"
Two men deliver some chairs to a woman in a star-spangled bikini before they have sex indoors. The exposure is too bright in this loop, and the white guy is creepy looking. 3/10
"Swappers"
A black man has sex with a blonde, while a white man has sex with a black woman, before the black woman suddenly appears in the other sex scene. 3/10
"Soul Slave"
A white woman with thigh high boots and a black man have sex in a twin bed. Uncomfortable. 3/10
"Swedish Erotica: The Morning After"
This must be a scene from a longer film, complete with some partial credits, as a white man and his Asian looking maid have sex, and a black man enters to take part. 4/10
"Swedish Erotica: How Sweet It Was"
Another scene from a longer film, involving an Asian looking woman and a black man. 4/10
"Jungle Paul"
A very cute Sue Pearlman and a black man have sex, with Pearlman on a leash. 6/10
The titles come from the back of the DVD box, there are just a couple of partial credits onscreen. The collection is okay, some are worse than others, and the best clips never rise above mediocre. The music seems to be public domain from the 1940's or 1950's, and completely inappropriate for the sex scenes from the 1970's.
Monday, April 27, 2026
Erotic Confessions: Pleasure (1998)
This silly video has five vignettes, all posing as letters being read by a busty erotica writer who hangs around her house half naked. "Games People Play" involves a strip poker game that degenerates into truth or sexual dare, and finally just sex. "Chalk It Up" has a couple playing pool for fun and finally just sex. "The Business Trip" involves a female scientist at a convention who can hear the people next door in the hotel make love, she befriends them, and finally just sex. "Lap Dance" has a car salesman obsessed with a stripper, who likes him too, and finally just sex. "Madelyn's Laundry" involves a fashion designer who models lingerie when a stranger walks in on her, she sells him some clothing, and finally just sex.
The acting here is atrocious and the stories have no basis in reality, as well as some of the females' bust sizes. The director is careful not to make any of the stories interesting, and succeeds. "Erotic Confessions: Pleasure" is softcore drivel of the lowest caliber, and makes "Red Shoe Diaries" look like "Casablanca."
The acting here is atrocious and the stories have no basis in reality, as well as some of the females' bust sizes. The director is careful not to make any of the stories interesting, and succeeds. "Erotic Confessions: Pleasure" is softcore drivel of the lowest caliber, and makes "Red Shoe Diaries" look like "Casablanca."
The Cremator (1969)
On "The Cremator" (1969)
The Nazis decided the Jews would burn
A Czech man, mad and calm, would fit the bill
Party members' respect he would now earn
When he started with familial swill
Grotesque angles and characters abound
Centered on the repulsive man named Karl
A moral man easily led around
As background townspeople bicker and snarl
Haunted by the dead whom he turned to ash
Having his blood drawn to check for disease
He's too insane to think his actions rash
He's a savior, kill with conscience ease
Caskets and ovens and those graveyard walks
Disappointed with family he thinks
Visits to prostitutes mostly to talk
He combs the corpses' hair, their cheeks are pink
"The Cremator" builds on repetition
What a sigh you hear when the film is done
The Nazis decided the Jews would burn
A Czech man, mad and calm, would fit the bill
Party members' respect he would now earn
When he started with familial swill
Grotesque angles and characters abound
Centered on the repulsive man named Karl
A moral man easily led around
As background townspeople bicker and snarl
Haunted by the dead whom he turned to ash
Having his blood drawn to check for disease
He's too insane to think his actions rash
He's a savior, kill with conscience ease
Caskets and ovens and those graveyard walks
Disappointed with family he thinks
Visits to prostitutes mostly to talk
He combs the corpses' hair, their cheeks are pink
"The Cremator" builds on repetition
What a sigh you hear when the film is done
The Death Train (1978)
Clematis, New South Wales, Australia has seen some problems, one of them being the script to this television film. Insurance investigator Ted Morrow (Hugh Keays-Byrne) arrives in town to look into the death of one of the local homosexuals. It seems the old boy was walking home one night when he was struck by a train. The problem is the closest set of train tracks is fifty miles away. Dead Herbie's (Colin Taylor) lover, Johnny (Max Meldrum), mourns the loss and prepares to sell the house they shared to local construction company owner Murdoch (Brian Wenzel). Morrow begins checking into the case.
Morrow finds out Herbie's father and grandfather also died under mysterious circumstances. Also, when Morrow arrives in town, entire crowds of townsfolk appear and disappear right in front of his eyes. With the help of convenient love interest Vera (Ingrid Mason), Morrow and local cop McMasters (Ken Goodlet) set their sights on Murdoch. Johnny holds a seance and senses his dead lover is angry at him for wanting to sell the house, evident by a hurled glass against a wall. As Murdoch closes in on the land deal, Morrow closes in on the truth.
"Fine, Charles, but what about the disappearing crowds? The seance? Herbie's dead ancestors? Are all these plot points tied together into a neat "X Files"-type finale?"
I'm glad you asked, poodle. In a word, no.
Morrow is a quirky enough detective, trying to quit smoking by never lighting the ever present cigarette in his mouth. He must catch rides with Vera because he cannot afford the taxi service in the small town. He also bares a striking resemblance to porn star Ron Jeremy, which adds to the fun when discussions of long tube-like modes of transportation pop up. However, the screenwriter and the director never address any other supernatural goings-on except to prove a ghost train does not exist. No reason is given, the film just ends.
"The Death Train" plays like an unsuccessful pilot for a "The Night Stalker" type show (it came out in 1978). It is also an hour long crime drama stretched beyond its comprehension limits to ninety eight minutes. It was solid average until I started questioning the wheres and whys when the thing ended.
You won't die if you take out "The Death Train," but you will experience motion sickness. This is just another lazy effort, and surprising that no one bothered to read the script closely or edit it correctly. Leave it at the station.
Morrow finds out Herbie's father and grandfather also died under mysterious circumstances. Also, when Morrow arrives in town, entire crowds of townsfolk appear and disappear right in front of his eyes. With the help of convenient love interest Vera (Ingrid Mason), Morrow and local cop McMasters (Ken Goodlet) set their sights on Murdoch. Johnny holds a seance and senses his dead lover is angry at him for wanting to sell the house, evident by a hurled glass against a wall. As Murdoch closes in on the land deal, Morrow closes in on the truth.
"Fine, Charles, but what about the disappearing crowds? The seance? Herbie's dead ancestors? Are all these plot points tied together into a neat "X Files"-type finale?"
I'm glad you asked, poodle. In a word, no.
Morrow is a quirky enough detective, trying to quit smoking by never lighting the ever present cigarette in his mouth. He must catch rides with Vera because he cannot afford the taxi service in the small town. He also bares a striking resemblance to porn star Ron Jeremy, which adds to the fun when discussions of long tube-like modes of transportation pop up. However, the screenwriter and the director never address any other supernatural goings-on except to prove a ghost train does not exist. No reason is given, the film just ends.
"The Death Train" plays like an unsuccessful pilot for a "The Night Stalker" type show (it came out in 1978). It is also an hour long crime drama stretched beyond its comprehension limits to ninety eight minutes. It was solid average until I started questioning the wheres and whys when the thing ended.
You won't die if you take out "The Death Train," but you will experience motion sickness. This is just another lazy effort, and surprising that no one bothered to read the script closely or edit it correctly. Leave it at the station.
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Twin Towers (2003)
John Vigiano was one of New York City's most decorated firefighters. He was proud when his namesake, John Jr., joined the fire department, and younger son Joseph became a member of the police emergency rescue unit. Then September 11, 2001 happened, and John Vigiano lost two of his sons in a span of minutes at the World Trade Center. "Twin Towers" is one of the thousands of stories from that day.
Producer Dick Wolf shot a reality show pilot centering around one of New York City's police emergency rescue units. The two dozen unit members are an extended family, and are called upon to do everything from S.W.A.T.-like arrests to water and air rescues. The men are close knit, but Joseph Vigiano stood out. He had been shot five times on two different occasions in the line of duty, a bulletproof vest saving his life each time. He is rather quiet in front of the cameras, talking enthusiastically about how much he loves his job. He also is sure to kiss his three young sons goodbye before he goes to work each day, just in case the unthinkable would happen.
On September 1st, 2001, Joseph's infant son was baptized. Ten days later, the unthinkable did happen. Joseph called his father on a cell phone, telling him he was headed to the World Trade Center. After the towers' collapse, another co-worker called the cell phone, and got a male voice. It was an EMT worker, who had no idea where the cell phone's owner was. It was confirmed that both Joseph, and his older brother, were killed in the collapse while trying to get people out. Fourteen officers from Joseph's unit alone died.
John Vigiano's pain is almost unbearable to watch. He talks about passing on what he learned about having a life-threatening career- no matter what the fight or how you feel, kiss your loved ones goodbye no matter what, in case something happens. His pride at raising two competing brothers who drove him crazy sometimes before becoming heroes on that day is uplifting.
"Twin Towers" is both a reference to the World Trade Center, and these two men who were lost. The filmmakers spend most of their time on Joseph, since his unit was the subject of the television pilot. The film is just thirty four minutes, and I would have liked to see more about Joseph and John Jr. The directors do incorporate news footage from that day, and it still puts a lump to my throat. The Vigiano boys died heroically. This film is small, tells its story, and leaves the viewer wanting more. Not only more about these men, but wanting to get that day back. Wanting to know something about all three thousand people who lost their lives that day. It takes a film like "Twin Towers" to remind us that politicians and their spin, petty family problems, and all the other little things that seem so big now are in fact meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
September 11, 2001 was just another day until the first plane hit. Doesn't today seem like "just another day," too? How about yesterday? Last week? We can prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and forgive the small differences- almost impossible advice in this day and age.
Producer Dick Wolf shot a reality show pilot centering around one of New York City's police emergency rescue units. The two dozen unit members are an extended family, and are called upon to do everything from S.W.A.T.-like arrests to water and air rescues. The men are close knit, but Joseph Vigiano stood out. He had been shot five times on two different occasions in the line of duty, a bulletproof vest saving his life each time. He is rather quiet in front of the cameras, talking enthusiastically about how much he loves his job. He also is sure to kiss his three young sons goodbye before he goes to work each day, just in case the unthinkable would happen.
On September 1st, 2001, Joseph's infant son was baptized. Ten days later, the unthinkable did happen. Joseph called his father on a cell phone, telling him he was headed to the World Trade Center. After the towers' collapse, another co-worker called the cell phone, and got a male voice. It was an EMT worker, who had no idea where the cell phone's owner was. It was confirmed that both Joseph, and his older brother, were killed in the collapse while trying to get people out. Fourteen officers from Joseph's unit alone died.
John Vigiano's pain is almost unbearable to watch. He talks about passing on what he learned about having a life-threatening career- no matter what the fight or how you feel, kiss your loved ones goodbye no matter what, in case something happens. His pride at raising two competing brothers who drove him crazy sometimes before becoming heroes on that day is uplifting.
"Twin Towers" is both a reference to the World Trade Center, and these two men who were lost. The filmmakers spend most of their time on Joseph, since his unit was the subject of the television pilot. The film is just thirty four minutes, and I would have liked to see more about Joseph and John Jr. The directors do incorporate news footage from that day, and it still puts a lump to my throat. The Vigiano boys died heroically. This film is small, tells its story, and leaves the viewer wanting more. Not only more about these men, but wanting to get that day back. Wanting to know something about all three thousand people who lost their lives that day. It takes a film like "Twin Towers" to remind us that politicians and their spin, petty family problems, and all the other little things that seem so big now are in fact meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
September 11, 2001 was just another day until the first plane hit. Doesn't today seem like "just another day," too? How about yesterday? Last week? We can prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and forgive the small differences- almost impossible advice in this day and age.
The Sugarland Express (1974)
Steven Spielberg's first theatrical film shows some signs of things to come.
Lou Jean Poplin (Goldie Hawn) has recently been released from jail after serving eight months for larceny. Her husband, Clovis (William Atherton), has just four months left on his sentence, but there is a problem. Their toddler son has been taken by welfare and placed in a foster home. Lou Jean comes up with a scheme to break Clovis out of prison. The couple hitches a ride, but are pulled over by highway patrolman Slide (Michael Sacks). They panic, run, wreck, and kidnap the law officer and hijack his patrol car. Tough captain Tanner (Ben Johnson) begins negotiations with the pair, with about two dozen police cars on their trail. Lou Jean has pie-in-the-sky dreams of getting their child and living happily ever after, but Clovis and Slide know otherwise.
Spielberg uses southern Texas locations to the fullest extent. I'm familiar with the area where the film takes place, and the only problems I found were geographical- "Sugar Land" is actually two words, and not anywhere near a ten minute drive from the Mexican border. Vilmos Zigmond's cinematography is lovely without calling attention to itself, and John Williams' score is great, not a French horn in sight. This is a gritty film, different from the clean looks of some of his films.
While Goldie Hawn is the top billed star here, the film really feels like a team effort. Lou Jean is in her own little dream land, and Clovis is not much smarter. These two are not Bonnie and Clyde, murderers romanticized to make a good flick. Maxwell Slide does not simply give in to the couple's charm, trying to escape when he can, but also getting to know the pair eventually. While the "criminal as populist hero" routine has been done before, Spielberg shows some incredible confidence behind the camera. As in "Duel," every supporting character seems to have a story of their own which never crowds the main narrative. Tanner has personal problems, and is sometimes seen as weak by his men. Lou Jean's crotchety father wants to take her over his knee. The two old snipers called in to end the chase are professional yet normal. Even the child's foster parents try not to fold under the pressure, a middle aged couple who love this angelic child in their care. Spielberg lets them all have moments, and he shows he can deal with adult actors. Spielberg also generates some suspense, especially the finale, another trait found in "Duel," and his next film, "Jaws." I would love to see him go back to this kind of simple film making, forget the effects, forget the kids, just make an out-and-out Hitchcockian or even horror thriller.
If you are a Spielberg nut, you simply must get "The Sugarland Express" for your collection. Spielberg is now an icon, as famous as his films, and it is great to see where his film roots began.
Lou Jean Poplin (Goldie Hawn) has recently been released from jail after serving eight months for larceny. Her husband, Clovis (William Atherton), has just four months left on his sentence, but there is a problem. Their toddler son has been taken by welfare and placed in a foster home. Lou Jean comes up with a scheme to break Clovis out of prison. The couple hitches a ride, but are pulled over by highway patrolman Slide (Michael Sacks). They panic, run, wreck, and kidnap the law officer and hijack his patrol car. Tough captain Tanner (Ben Johnson) begins negotiations with the pair, with about two dozen police cars on their trail. Lou Jean has pie-in-the-sky dreams of getting their child and living happily ever after, but Clovis and Slide know otherwise.
Spielberg uses southern Texas locations to the fullest extent. I'm familiar with the area where the film takes place, and the only problems I found were geographical- "Sugar Land" is actually two words, and not anywhere near a ten minute drive from the Mexican border. Vilmos Zigmond's cinematography is lovely without calling attention to itself, and John Williams' score is great, not a French horn in sight. This is a gritty film, different from the clean looks of some of his films.
While Goldie Hawn is the top billed star here, the film really feels like a team effort. Lou Jean is in her own little dream land, and Clovis is not much smarter. These two are not Bonnie and Clyde, murderers romanticized to make a good flick. Maxwell Slide does not simply give in to the couple's charm, trying to escape when he can, but also getting to know the pair eventually. While the "criminal as populist hero" routine has been done before, Spielberg shows some incredible confidence behind the camera. As in "Duel," every supporting character seems to have a story of their own which never crowds the main narrative. Tanner has personal problems, and is sometimes seen as weak by his men. Lou Jean's crotchety father wants to take her over his knee. The two old snipers called in to end the chase are professional yet normal. Even the child's foster parents try not to fold under the pressure, a middle aged couple who love this angelic child in their care. Spielberg lets them all have moments, and he shows he can deal with adult actors. Spielberg also generates some suspense, especially the finale, another trait found in "Duel," and his next film, "Jaws." I would love to see him go back to this kind of simple film making, forget the effects, forget the kids, just make an out-and-out Hitchcockian or even horror thriller.
If you are a Spielberg nut, you simply must get "The Sugarland Express" for your collection. Spielberg is now an icon, as famous as his films, and it is great to see where his film roots began.
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