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Documentary Review: Shatner In Space

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Remember when William Shatner became the oldest man to go into space?

It’s okay if you’ve forgotten.  It happened way back in 2021 and that was like — well, it feels like it was about 30 years ago.  Add to that, Shatner went up in space as a part of Jeff Bezos’s space program and Bezos’s attempts to conquer space have pretty much been replaced by Elon Musk’s attempts to conquer space in the national consciousness.

That said, it was a really big deal when it happened.  I think there were a lot of people who were concerned that, at the age of 90, Shatner wasn’t really physically fit to go into space and that it would be really depressing if Shatner didn’t make it back to Earth.  There were others who pointed out that Jeff Bezos’s Blue Orbit may have gone high up in the sky but that it didn’t quite break through the atmosphere.  The people on the ship, including Shatner, experienced weightlessness and got to see what the Earth looked like from space without actually literally going into space.  George Takei had to be a whiny little child about it because that’s pretty much the way Takei reacts to anything positive happening to William Shatner.  And, of course, many people said that Jeff Bezos should have been spending his money on fixing the Earth instead of trying to escape it.  Those were the same people who, later that year, wrote positive reviews of Don’t Look Up.

That said, it was all just really cool.  Star Trek may bore me to tears but even I was still moved by the thought of William Shatner going into space, even if it was just for a few minutes.  It was a moment to spark the imagination and to inspire optimism.  I think those are two things that the professional naysayers are incapable of possessing or understanding.  But it’s imagination and optimism that will make the world a better place.

Anyway, there’s a 50-minute documentary about Shatner’s voyage into space, one that I just watched.  It’s on Prime and, quite appropriately, it’s called Shatner In Space.  In all honesty, Shatner In Space is largely a commercial for Jeff Bezos.  There’s not point in denying that.  The first half of the documentary features perhaps a bit too much footage of Jeff Bezos, one of the world’s richest men, trying to present himself as just being a humble sci-fi nerd who grew up on a ranch.  Brilliant businessman that he is, Bezos is not the most charismatic person in the world and that’s especially obvious when he’s sharing scenes with William Shatner.  There’s undoubtedly a lot that you can say about William Shatner but no one can deny that, even at 90, the man knows how to work a scene.

But, fortunately, Shatner himself seems to be so sincerely excited about the prospect of going into space that it even makes Bezos tolerable.  The documentary doesn’t include as many scenes as one might hope of William Shatner training for his mission.  Personally, I would be curious to know what type of precautions were taken before sending a 90 year-old person into space because, who knows …. I might be 90 before I get the chance to try it for myself!  I did notice that, of the crew, Shatner was the only one not to really indulge in the weightless aspect of the trip.  While everyone else floated around the capsule, Shatner seemed content to stay in his seat and look at the Earth below.  The fact that Shatner, who has pretty much made a late-in-life career out of parodying his reputation for being a bit pompous, seems to be, at that moment, at a loss for words is actually rather touching.

Anyway, as I said, this is basically a commercial for Jeff Bezos but it’s hard not to enjoy watching Shatner go into space.

Short Film Review: A Little Dead (dir by Ben Richardson)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

On a farm in Oklahoma, an old man who we get know as being Grandpa (Jack C. Hays) sits at a dinner table.  Though he seems to be alone, he’s got three glasses of wine sitting in front of the other chairs, along with with a glass for himself.  

Things haven’t been easy for Grandpa since Grandma passed away.  His two grandchildren, Hailey (Eden McGuire) and Kevin (Ben Richardson, who also directed the film) arranged for a caretaker to live with him but, when they stop by for a visit, they discover that the caretaker has vanished and Grandpa seems to be convinced that there are people sitting at the table with him.  When his grandchildren try to clean up the table, he snaps at them not to touch anyone’s drinks.  There’s a ritual going on and his well-meaning grandchildren better not interrupt it.  At times, Grandpa seems to be perfectly lucid.  At other times, he expresses surprise when Kevin tells him that it’s not a good idea to keep a big box of rat poison with all of the cereal.  Is Grandpa losing it or is there something else happening that only he can understand? 

Clocking in at a little over 10 minutes (not including the end credits) and deliberately paced without ever being slow, A Little Dead is a nicely atmospheric piece of country gothic.  On the one hand, it is a story of a man who may or may not be living with spirits.  On the other hand, I think it can be argued that the film is also a metaphor for the mixed emotions that many people have about the feelings of responsibility that they feel towards older relatives and the guilt that comes from feeling that maybe they were not there as much as they should have been.  There’s a lot of people like this film’s Grandpa, who are living alone and who are only occasionally visited by younger family members who are, for the most part, checking in to see if they still have their mind and if they’re still capable of taking care of themselves.  Is Grandpa talking to actual “people” at the table or is he just talking to the lingering memories of the people who used to be there?  And are his grandchildren correct to be concerned about him or are they just dealing with their own feelings of guilt?

A Little Dead is also an enjoyable little horror story.  It’s the type of story that you would might expect to find in an old horror comic book, complete with a nice little twist at the end.  The film makes good use of that old farmhouse and the desolate country landscape.  If you have spent anytime in the rural midwest, you will immediately recognize the film’s milieu.  If there were ghosts to be found, that’s definitely where they would probably be living.

This is one to keep an eye out for.  Pour yourself a glass and relax with A Little Death.

 

Film Review: Hustle (dir by Jeremiah Zagar)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

As I’ve mentioned in the past, there are essentially two Adam Sandlers.

The first Adam Sandler is the comedic actor who, after getting off to a good start with Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, has appeared in some of the most critically-derided films ever made.  This is the Adam Sandler who has won multiple Razzies for Worst Actor, whose films were often used, in the days before the MCU and DCEU, as an illustration of everything that’s wrong with Hollywood, and who is best known for keeping his friends steadily employed.

The second Adam Sandler is a sad-eyed character actor who has appeared in a string of dramatic and challenging films and who has consistently proven himself to be a sensitive dramatic lead.  The second Adam Sandler plays the same type of characters as the first Adam Sandler but with an added dose of regret.  If the first Adam Sandler specializes in characters with no self-awareness, the second Adam Sandler plays characters who are so self-aware that they’re often paralyzed by ennui.  The second Adam Sandler would probably be a multiple-Oscar nominee if not for the first Adam Sandler.  

If you only knew Adam Sandler from Punch-Drunk Love, Uncut Gems, The Meyerowtiz Stories, and his other dramatic films, you would be totally justified in thinking that he had to be one of our most acclaimed actors.  By that same token, if you only know him from Grown Ups, Jack and Jill, and his other comedies …. well, you would be totally justified in having the opposite opinion.  I think that’s one reason why critics get so much more frustrated with Sandler’s dumb comedies than they do with other comedies.  By the point, we all know how good Sandler can be when he wants to be.

Hustle, Sandler’s latest film, casts Sandler is another dramatic role.  Sandler plays Stanley Sugarman, a middle-aged scout for the Philadelphia 76ers.  Stan spends almost all of his time traveling across Europe, checking out international basketball players who are hoping for a chance to come to America and play in the NBA.  As a result, Stan is frequently away from his wife (Queen Latifah) and he’s missed his daughter’s last few birthdays.  Stan, who was a college basketball star but who never made it into the NBA because of his own dumb decisions, may make a lot of jokes but one need only look at his perpetually downcast eyes to see that Stan is not a happy man.  The only thing that’s really keeping him going is that the owner of the 76ers, Rex Merrick (Robert Duvall), is planning on making Stan an assistant coach.

Unfortunately, the same night that Rex tells Stan that he’s going to be promoted, Rex dies.  Rex’s apparently sociopathic son, Vin (Ben Foster), takes over the organization and announces that Stan will continue as a scout.  (When Stan mentions that he hasn’t shared a birthday with his daughter in his years, Vin smirks.  You know, just in case you needed another excuse to dislike the character.)  Stan heads back to Europe.  In Spain, when his plans to scout a local player don’t work out, Stan stumbles across a pick-up game and discovers a local construction worker named Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangómez, an actual basketball player who makes a surprisingly assured debut).  Bo is nearly 7 feet tall, he’s got a daughter at home, and he just happens to be a phenomenal basketball player. 

With the help of a Facetime call to Dirk Nowitzki (one of the many former and current basketball players to appear in Hustle), Stan is able to convince Bo that he actually is an NBA scout.  Stan takes Bo back to America but it turns out that 1) Bo has a criminal record that makes the league weary of him and 2) Vin would rather humiliate Stan than give Bo a fair chance.  Driven to quit his job, Stan devotes his time to trying to get Bo ready to enter the NBA draft.  Not only is Stan trying to make Bo’s dreams come true but he’s also trying to find some redemption for his own past mistakes.  And, of course, Stan is also trying to save his career because it’s not like his daughter’s film school is going to be pay for itself!

Basketball is my least favorite sport, largely because I can’t stand the sound of all those squeaky shoes on the court.  And Hustle is a film that was definitely made for basketball fans.  Between all the player cameos and the jokes about Philadelphia sports fan, Hustle has a very specific audience in mind.  That said, Hustle is such a sweet-natured and sincere movie that it can be enjoyed and appreciated even by those of us who aren’t into basketball (or sports in general).  Hustle hits all of the expected sports movie clichés but, wisely, it keeps the focus on Stan and Bo’s friendship.  Neither Stan nor Bo are portrayed as being perfect.  Instead, they’re two men who are trying to do their best, despite both carrying a lot of emotional baggage.  As such, the film becomes less about getting drafted and joining team and more about making peace with both the past and the present.  Sandler and Hernangómez both give heartfelt performances and director Jeremiah Zagar does a good job of framing the action.  This is a film about basketball that was made be people who obviously love basketball but, fortunately, the rest of us can enjoy it too.

The TSL’s Grindhouse: Bad Georgia Road (dir by John Broderick)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This 1977 film is, for the most part, set in Alabama so I don’t know why it opens with a shot of a car driving down a country road while someone on the soundtrack sings about running moonshine down a “bad Georgia road.”  Then again, I’ve been to both Alabama and California and it’s pretty obvious that, while the film may be set in the former, it was filmed in the latter.  Those hills and mountains in the background definitely belong more to Hollywood than anywhere in the South.

As for the film itself, it’s about Molly Golden (Carol Lynley), a spoiled New York fashion designer who inherits an Alabama farm from an uncle that she barely knew.  When Molly finds out that the land is worth $100,000, she promptly quits her job and moves to Alabama, accompanied by her friend and assistant, Larch (John Kerry and no, not that politician with the private plane).  Molly is planning on selling the land and then heading back north with her money.  Unfortunately, it turns out that her uncle died owing everyone in the county money so, as a result, his farm is worthless and Molly is now in debt.

What is Molly to do?  Fortunately, her uncle’s two farmhands — Leroy (Gary Lockwood, who once co-starred in 2001: A Space Odyssey) and Arthur (Royal Dano) — are onhand to explain to her that her uncle was a moonshiner.  Molly decides to become a moonshiner, too!  Her plan is for Leroy and Arthur to do all the work and for her to make all the money.

While all of this is going on, Molly is also falling for Leroy.  She doesn’t want to admit because she’s a sophisticated New Yorker while Leroy is a redneck slob.  This leads to some conflict between the two of them, as she’s always talking down to Leroy and trying to deny that she’s totally in love with him.  Eventually, in a deeply uncomfortable scene (all the more so because the films attempts to play it for laughs), Leroy literally forces himself on her and Molly realizes that she could be totally happy runnin’ moonshine with a barely literate hick.

I’m a Southern girl and, perhaps even more importantly, I’m enough a country girl that I usually enjoy a good moonshine and car chase film.  And Bad Georgia Road gets off to a good start with an enjoyable chase scene, even if the road that the cars are roaring down is clearly located on the West Coast instead of the Deep South.  But things go off the rails as soon as Molly and Larch show up in Alabama.  What there is of a plot plays out at a painfully slow pace and there’s absolutely zero romantic chemistry between Gary Lockwood and Carol Lynley.  On the plus side, Royal Dano is enjoyable eccentric as Arthur, an old-timer who may not be educated but who knows everything that needs to be known about both the Bible and moonshine.

Bad Georgia Road is the type of 70s film that was specifically made to play in Southern drive-ins, where audiences would undoubtedly appreciate the film’s portrait of a clueless Yankee getting outsmarted by a bunch of country folk.  (For me and probably most other people, that’s actually the main appeal of the moonshine genre.)  But even if you think that Molly is a totally smug and self-righteous New Yorker, she still deserves better than to get stuck with Leroy, a man who looks like he probably reeks of chicken feed and spilled beer.  Especially if you’ve seen his personable performances in films like Model Shop and 2001, it’s hard not to feel bad for Gary Lockwood while watching this film.  What did that bad Georgia road do to him?

Film Review: Marry Me (dir by Kat Coiro)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In Marry Me, Jennifer Lopez plays Kat Valdez, a superstar who has the number one single in the history of the world with Marry Me, a duet that she performs with her fiancé, Bastian (Maluma).  The plan is for Kat and Bastian to marry onstage, as the climax of one of Kat’s concerts.  For Kat, it will be her third marriage but she’s determined to make it work because, underneath all the glamour and show-biz glitz, Kat is a romantic at heart.  However, right before Kat is due to step out on stage to get married, TMZ reports that Bastian has been cheating on Kat.

Heart-broken, Kat steps out onstage.  She talks about the pain of being betrayed.  In the audience, one man nods along with her.  Kat sees the sympathetic look in the eyes of math teacher Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson) and she calls him up on stage.  “Kat,” the minister asks, “Do you take this guy?”  She says “I do.”  Charlie says that he does.  And …. they’re married!

Wait, what?

Now, of course, Charlie really isn’t sure who Kat Valdez is.  He came to the concert with his daughter and his best friend (played by Sarah Silverman) and the only reason that he was holding a sign that read “Marry Me,” was because it was handed to him at the last minute.  Charlie is far more interested in walking his dog, trying to connect with daughter, and coaching his students to victory in the upcoming mathalon.  As they leave the concert, Charlie explains that he just said “yes” because Kat appeared to need someone at that moment and that he certainly doesn’t expect to remain married to Kat.

However, Kat’s management suggests that maybe the two of them should stay married for three months, just for the sake of good publicity….

Wait, what?

Look, I could tell you that Marry Me is a deeply silly film but you probably already guessed that.  You probably guessed that from watching the trailer.  It’s a determinedly old-fashioned film, with the only thing indicating that the film was made after 2014 is the fact that it’s Jimmy Fallon who is shown making jokes about Kat’s marriage instead of Jay Leno.  The plot is not only silly but it’s also extremely predictable.  Do I really need to tell you that Kat is going to be charmed by Charlie’s simple life and that she’s going to end up helping his students prepare for the mathalon?  For that matter, do I have to tell you that Charlie is going to struggle with the feeling that he doesn’t fit in with Kat’s glamorous life style?  You know where this is going.

That said, it’s an amiable film, largely due to the two leads.  Jennifer Lopez is one of the few performers who can come across as being likable and down-to-Earth, even when she’s jumping into a limo and demanding that the driver take her to the airport.  The film also makes good use of Owen Wilson’s goofy charm.  The film’s story may be implausible but, if something that weird ever did happen, it would probably happen to Owen Wilson.  While I would have preferred a film with a bit more of a satirical edge and I think it’s one of those films for which you definitely have to be in the right mood, Marry Me is a likable romantic comedy.

What Lisa Marie Watched Last Night #220: Deadly Yoga Retreat (dir by Brian Herzlinger)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Last night, I watched the Lifetime film, Deadly Yoga Retreat!

Why Was I Watching It?

I watched this film for a number of reasons.  First off, yoga has been on my mind lately because, over the past two weeks, I have managed to strain my back not once but twice!  My mom also had trouble with her back and she was a big believer in yoga as something more than just an excuse to wear a cute outfit.  Myself, I have to admit that the outfit has always been the main appeal to me.

Secondly, the film was on Lifetime and it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to sit down and watch a good Lifetime film.

Third, I wanted an excuse to do one of my What Lisa Marie Watched Last Night reviews.  I have fun writing them.

What Was It About?

Remy Morrow (Jonathan Bennett) runs the most exclusive and demanding yoga retreat out there.  He expects you to show up on time.  He expects you to take yoga seriously.  He expects you to take him seriously.  If you don’t take him seriously, he’ll kick you out of the group.  And, if that’s not enough to get rid of you, he’ll just kill you.  Killing people over yoga?  That may sound extreme but Remy’s an extreme guy.

Isabella (Danielle C. Ryan) may just be planning on using the yoga retreat as a way to get away from her struggling marriage but she’s about to discover that Remy has his own plans for her and the other students.

What Worked?

Like many recent Lifetime film, Deadly Yoga Retreat takes a deliberately campy approach to its story.  It’s not meant to be taken seriously and Jonathan Bennett brings exactly the right sensibility to his performance as Remy, playing him as being the unhinged yoga instructor from Hell.  There’s not a single subtle moment to be found in Bennett’s performance but this isn’t a film that calls for subtlety.  This is a film that calls for someone willing to totally embrace the melodrama and go over the the top and, as anyone who saw him on Celebrity Big Brother can tell you, Bennett is certainly willing to do that.  Bennett’s approach was nicely balanced by Danielle C. Ryan, who was likable as Isabella.

When you sit down to watch a film called Deadly Yoga Retreat, you know what you’re getting into.  If there’s anything that I don’t have much use for, it’s people who act all offended or shocked that a movie like this would turn out to be deliberately campy and kitschy.  This is a Lifetime film and it’s about a psychotic yoga instructor.  You knew what you were getting into when you saw the title.  The title promises attractive people in cute outfits doing dangerous and sexy things in a lovely, beach-filled location.  Here’s the important thing: Deadly Yoga Retreat delivers exactly what it promised.

What Did Not Work?

As far as I’m concerned it all worked.

“Oh my God!  Just like me!” Moments

My best friend Evelyn and I occasionally went to a yoga class when we were in college.  The instructor was intense, though not murderous.  He always used to say stuff like, “Yoga is for lovers” and “This weekend should be all about you, yoga and a lover.”  Actually, he was pretty  creepy.  Anyway, he always used to get annoyed because we would giggle through his class but I don’t think he ever killed anyone.

Lessons Learned

Don’t say “Namaste” unless you mean it.

Film Review: The Sky Is Everywhere (dir by Josephine Decker)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

What is the best way to deal with the grief of losing a family member?

That is the question asked by The Sky Is Everywhere, the latest film from Josephine Decker.  The film’s answer seems to be that the first step is to have a quirky grandma who paints and a stoner uncle who is somewhat inevitably played by Jason Segel and to live in a big, rambling house that, in the real world, you probably wouldn’t be able to afford to keep up.  The second step is to be a member of the band at one of those weird high schools where everyone loves the band kids as opposed to finding them to be insufferably pretentious.  The third step is to have a chance to win admission to Julliard but only if you can play through your grief.  Finally, find yourself a bland and non-threatening love interest who is supposed to be a musical prodigy.  If you can complete those four steps, you might just make it!

The Sky Is Everywhere, which is based on a YA novel that I have not read, stars Grace Kaufman as Lennie Walker, who was extremely close to her sister, Bailey (played, in flashbacks and fantasy sequences, by Havana Rose Liu).  At one point, Lennie explains that she always felt like she was “a show pony” whenever she was next to her sister and that she never really had any identity outside of being Bailey’s supportive sister.  But then Bailey dropped dead while at rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet so Lennie has to find her own identity and decide whether to date the aforementioned bland musician, Joe Fontaine (played by Jacques Coliman), or Bailey’s ex-boyfriend, Toby (Pico Alexander).  Lennie’s real name, by the way, is Lennon and I assume she’s named after John Lennon because that’s just the type of film that The Sky Is Everywhere Is.  What if Lennie’s parents had been fans of the Starlight Vocal Band and decided to name her Taffy?  Would she still be the first chair clarinetist?  It’s something to think about.

(Also, who was Bailey named after?  I’m going to guess Connecticut political boss John Bailey.)

Grandma Walker (played by Cherry Jones) is a painter who keeps insisting that it’s time to pack up Bailey’s things.  Grandma also has a gigantic garden, one that is full of roses.  When Lennie and Joe listen to music together, they’re suddenly floating through the air and surrounded by Grandma’s flowers.  When it comes time for Grandma to finally express her grief over losing Bailey, she does so by destroying the least favorite of her paintings.  “Not my best work,” as Grandma puts it.  But, to be honest, all of Grandma’s paintings suck so I have to wonder how she managed to narrow down her least favorite painting to just one.  Does Grandma make her living as a painter?  I guess so, since Jason Segel’s Uncle Big doesn’t really do much other than smoke weed and pick bugs off his windshield.  

Anyway, I suppose this film was made with good intentions but it’s just too overwritten, overdirected, and overly quirky.  For a film that deals with grief, there’s really not a single authentic moment to be found in the film.  A huge part of the problem is that, though we always hear everyone talking about Bailey, we never really know who Bailey was.  The same is true of Lennie, who is on-screen all of the time but who always just seems like a collection of YA quirks.  She reads Wuthering Heights (presumably because she and Bailey are meant to be like the Bronte sisters).  She plays the clarinet.  She likes to walk among the redwoods and she writes messages on leaves.  These are all legitimate interests but they’re not a personality.  They’re not an identity.  It’s hard not to compare this film to something like CODA, where Ruby’s love of singing and her love for her family were all a big part of her life but they weren’t the only things that defined who she was as a person.  Ruby was an individual, which is something that really can’t be said for any of the characters in The Sky Is Everywhere.  Since none of the characters feel real, there’s no emotional authenticity to any of the big moments.  Instead, it just feels like we’re watching people who learned how to talk and act by watching other YA adaptations.

The Sky Is Everywhere tries so I guess it deserves a half-star for that.  But, in the end, it doesn’t add up too much.

A Blast From The Past: Why Study Speech? (dir by Herk Harvey)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Director Herk Harvey

98 years ago today, director Herk Harvey was born in Lawrence, Kansas.  Today, Harvey is best-remembered for his only feature film, 1962’s Carnival of Souls.  Carnival of Souls is a Halloween favorite here at the Shattered Lens and it’s a film that has been cited as being an influence on everyone from Sam Raimi to Martin Scorsese to David Lynch.

However, before and after he directed that ground-breaking film, Herk Harvey made his lesson directing educational short films.  Today, in honor of what would have been his birthday, the Shattered Lens presents Why Study Speech?  This 1954 short film explains why all high school seniors should study speech when they get to college.  It opens with a somewhat quirky montage that, if nothing else, serves to remind us that we’re watching a short film from the man who, just 8 years later, would direct Carnival of Souls.

And now …. WHY STUDY SPEECH?

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Marilyn Monroe Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

Marilyn Monroe would have been 96 years old today.  Sixty years after her mysterious death, Marilyn Monroe continues to intrigue film lovers and conspiracy theorists alike.  Her legacy is such that, ever since her death, directors have been trying to recreate her life with biopics and actresses have been trying to recapture Marilyn’s magic.  The latest to try will be Andrew Dominick and Ana de Armas with Blonde later this year.

While I wish them luck, Marilyn Monroe was an original and not someone whose talent and charisma can be easily duplicated.  Needless to say, it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Marilyn Monroe Films

All About Eve (1950, dir by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, DP: Milton R. Krassner)

Niagara (1953, dir by Henry Hathaway, DP: Joseph MacDonald)

Some Like It Hot (1959, dir by Billy Wilder, DP: Charles Lang)

The Misfits (1961, dir by John Huston, DP: Russell Metty)

A Blast From The Past: How Do You Know It’s Love (dir by Ted Peshak)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Jack: “I love you.  Do you love me?”

Nora: “I’ll have to think about it.”

OUCH!  That had to hurt, though I’m totally on Nora’s side here.  Jack is coming on way too strong.  I mean, they were having a perfectly pleasant time and then suddenly Jack has to bring “love” into it all.  They’ve only been dating a few weeks!

Jack and Nora are the two “teenagers” at the heart of How Do You Know It’s Love?, an educational film from 1950.  After Nora’s mother informs her that she’s too young and immature to understand anything about love and after Jack’s brother taunts him for falling in love with a new girl every week, Jack and Nora decide to go on a double date so that they can see what mature love is all about.  The main message of the film is that one shouldn’t mistake attraction for love and that teenagers should date a lot of people before settling down.  It’s not a bad message but it’s one that will probably be missed by many viewers due to the fact that Jack and Nora are both kind of goofy.

Believe it or not, this film was not directed by Herk Harvey.  Instead, this one of the 33 educational films that former journalist Ted Peshak directed in the 1950s for Coronet films.  Though Peshak made a lot of films for Coronet, he was never paid more than $190 a week and, perhaps understandably, he abandoned the educational film game in the 60s and instead went to work in real estate.  I don’t blame him.

Anyway, here’s the film.  Watch and ask yourself the big questions.