Harry Shearer, Jr., Michael McKean and Christopher Guest in
"A Mighty Wind"
courtesy of Warner Home Video
"O'Toole and McKean Are Making Beautiful Music Together"

Michael McKean and Annette O'Toole are a power couple in Hollywood. This husband and wife duo have acting careers which keep them busy. She is "Martha Kent" on the WB's hit show "Smallville" while he makes movies like "A Mighty Wind." Now this couple has pooled their talent to write music.

In a recent phone call from Vancouver where "Smallville" is filmed, the couple talked about their songs which are featured in the film - now out on video - "A Mighty Wind." "We have two songs in the movie," said O'Toole. "There's 'A Kiss At the End of the Rainbow' and 'Potato's In the Paddy Wagon'."

"We wrote 'Kiss' and took it to Christopher Guest to see if he thought it would fit the movie," McKean interjects, "but he said it was too serious."

"Thank goodness Jamie Lee (Guest's wife Jamie Lee Curtis) heard it and told him it would be perfect," O'Toole chimes in. "Then later we wrote 'Potato's In the Paddy Wagon' for the New Main Street Singers to sing."

I asked O'Toole why she wasn't in the movie since she wrote two of the songs and she is a talented actress. "Well that's a pretty tight ensemble," she answered. "New people don't get in there very often. But I would like to do it."

In the meantime she continues on "Smallville" as Clark Kent's adoptive mother. And recently it was announced that McKean would make an appearance on the show in the role of Perry White, the future editor of "The Daily Planet."

McKean is one of the staples of the Guest directed comedies. In "A Mighty Wind" he plays a member of the Folksingers. Harry Shearer, Jr. and Guest are the other two members of that group. There are also musical numbers by the New Main Street Singers and Mitch and Micki.

Everything about "A Mighty Wind" is wonderful from the music to the played straight comedy. It is a hilarious movie and you shouldn't miss it.

And if you want to see Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent, you can pick up "Smallville: The First Season" which is out on video. Tom Welling plays the young Clark Kent/Superboy while John Schneider ("The Dukes of Hazzard") plays Clark's father. 

This is a very popular show on the WB, so see where it all started. Get the "First Season" and watch it all the way through.

Also out and very good is "Daddy Day Care," the story of a man (Eddie Murphy) who loses his job and becomes a "Mr. Mom" to his kids. Necessity being the mother of invention, he sees a need for an affordable day care center and opens one. This doesn't sit well with the owner /operator (Anjelica Huston) of an exclusive day care center in town.

The movie is good family fun and Murphy, Huston and co-stars Jeff Garlin and Steve Zahn are all good at making the broad comedy work. This is the new type of family film from Murphy and he does it up just right.

More family fun is available in "Holes," a movie based on the popular children's book by Louis Sachar. In this movie Shia LeBouf plays Stanley Yelnats, a teen who is sent to a work farm for wayward youths. There he learns the legend of a buried treasure.

The kids take on the staff (Sigourney Weaver, Timothy Blake Nelson and Jon Voight) and search for the treasure themselves. It is a race, but guess who wins? After all this is a family movie.

Kids love this movie and some adults do too. So get it for the family and watch it all together. "Holes" was a big hit in theaters and it is expected to do even better on video.

For adventure you can watch "The Core." This is about the earth's layers shifting and the need to set them back in line. Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank lead a team on a mission to the center of the earth where they are going to set off a nuclear blast. This blast should knock things back in line. Now the only problem is outrunning the blast.

This is a typical "danger" movie, but it is fun. Swank and Eckhart are too good for a movie of this type but they play it gung-ho.

Joe Lando and Rob Estes play brothers battling evil in "Counterstrike." The action takes place on the Queen Elizabeth II where a peace summit is being held. Terrorists take over and it is tense time on the high seas. The action is good even if the acting isn't.

You can also watch a German coming of age story about two girls who are growing up and outgrowing each other - they think. Eventually they find that true friendship lasts forever.

"Big Girls Don't Cry" stars Anna Marie Muhe and Karoline Herfurth. There are English subtitles to help you understand the story.

You don't need subtitles to understand the ^&^&%$$ of Ozzy Osbourne in his TV show. "The Osbournes: The Second Season" is out on video in all its blazing glory. Follow the real life adventures of Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly.

Finally for the kids there is "Bob the Builder: A Christmas To Remember." In this video Bob's brother comes to call as does a singer named Elton. Yes you get an animated Elton John who sings "Crocodile Rock." How's that for something extra!!!

If after reading this review you are interested in ordering any of these movies,
please click on the provided links.

 

 

 

 

 

©2003 Jackie K. Cooper

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