Tonight's topic: bad movies and the critics who see them...
"Ringmaster"
Overall Rating: *½
If I thought that he'd take me up on the offer, and that he'd stay put, I would happily buy Jerry Springer a one way ticket to Siberia. My opinion of "talk shows" such as his is low enough that the price of a coach fare from Los Angeles to Novosibirsk would be a small price to pay to get rid of one. I believe in freedom of the press; he has every right to put on his show, and his viewers have every right to watch it. I just find his show (based on the one or two times I haven't managed to avoid it and the countless commercials I've seen) to be utterly worthless, and I wish to have no part of it. So, when some friends of mine invited me along to see "Ringmaster," a movie staring Jerry Springer about a Springer-like program and its guests, I suspected it would be trouble. "Ringmaster" lived down to my expectations.
The movie focuses on Jerry Farrelly (Jerry Springer)--the host of a tasteless talk/brawl show. During the course of one of his shows, he runs an announcement that he's looking for someone who had an affair with her stepdad. This is perfect for Angel Zorzak (Jaime Pressly)--because between flings with strangers at the motel where she works, she is having sex with her mother's husband (Michael Dudikoff). Things are further complicated when her mother, Connie (Molly Hagan), comes home while the two are having sex--so Connie proceeds to have sex with Will--Angel's fiance. With the talk show appearance offered to them, the sordid affair becomes the best thing that ever happened to them.
As you might have gathered from the description, "Ringmaster" has more foul language, more graphic sexual content, and less real plot than some pornographic movies. The movie, however, shares the same problem that the Springer-style talk shows have--they both glorify the worst of humanity. "Ringmaster" is very defensive of these shows--asserting that some people don't like them because the guests are poor, but that the same critics relish in the sordid episodes on the evening news. I for one think that CNN told me more than I really wanted to know about Marv Albert and the Bobbitts--and I didn't like "Ringmaster's" implication that all critics of the trashy talk shows are hypocrites. National TV definitely doesn't need this sort of gossip.
Aside from putting my nose out of joint with its theme, the film itself was annoying. The whole film is jumpy--in more than one way. The film has many shots which cut away quickly--an overused technique which is extremely irritating. Add to that the way the story itself is handled: for the first half of the movie, we see various slices of Jerry's life, and alternately, of Angel's and Connie's lives. That, along with some other guests, creates a very disjointed feel which is irksome. All right, I suppose they need to establish all these things, but they could have handled it much more smoothly.
The film is not a complete loss. These antagonistic characters do get a few laughs with the verbal barbs they throw each others' way, not to mention the mixed nuts that Jerry attracts. Further Molly Hagan and Jaime Pressly do pretty good jobs in their roles--as complex (as in Electra) as Connie's and Angel's relationship is, it actually isn't completely unbelievable despite its overblown qualities. These two actresses make it work, and deserve credit on that count.
In the end, however, from the little things such as the fact that Tampa isn't in Broward County, to the big things such as Jerry Springer's self-righteousness, the movie is annoying. It is, in fact, so annoying, that it gave me a headache--I didn't have one going in, and it cleared up about ten minutes after the film ended, so I'm assuming it was the movie. As shallow and unappealing as "Ringmaster" is, it really isn't worth getting sick over.
Title: "Ringmaster"
Release date: November 25, 1998
Overall Rating: *½
If I thought that he'd take me up on the offer, and that he'd stay put, I would happily buy Jerry Springer a one way ticket to Siberia. My opinion of "talk shows" such as his is low enough that the price of a coach fare from Los Angeles to Novosibirsk would be a small price to pay to get rid of one. I believe in freedom of the press; he has every right to put on his show, and his viewers have every right to watch it. I just find his show (based on the one or two times I haven't managed to avoid it and the countless commercials I've seen) to be utterly worthless, and I wish to have no part of it. So, when some friends of mine invited me along to see "Ringmaster," a movie staring Jerry Springer about a Springer-like program and its guests, I suspected it would be trouble. "Ringmaster" lived down to my expectations.
The movie focuses on Jerry Farrelly (Jerry Springer)--the host of a tasteless talk/brawl show. During the course of one of his shows, he runs an announcement that he's looking for someone who had an affair with her stepdad. This is perfect for Angel Zorzak (Jaime Pressly)--because between flings with strangers at the motel where she works, she is having sex with her mother's husband (Michael Dudikoff). Things are further complicated when her mother, Connie (Molly Hagan), comes home while the two are having sex--so Connie proceeds to have sex with Will--Angel's fiance. With the talk show appearance offered to them, the sordid affair becomes the best thing that ever happened to them.
As you might have gathered from the description, "Ringmaster" has more foul language, more graphic sexual content, and less real plot than some pornographic movies. The movie, however, shares the same problem that the Springer-style talk shows have--they both glorify the worst of humanity. "Ringmaster" is very defensive of these shows--asserting that some people don't like them because the guests are poor, but that the same critics relish in the sordid episodes on the evening news. I for one think that CNN told me more than I really wanted to know about Marv Albert and the Bobbitts--and I didn't like "Ringmaster's" implication that all critics of the trashy talk shows are hypocrites. National TV definitely doesn't need this sort of gossip.
Aside from putting my nose out of joint with its theme, the film itself was annoying. The whole film is jumpy--in more than one way. The film has many shots which cut away quickly--an overused technique which is extremely irritating. Add to that the way the story itself is handled: for the first half of the movie, we see various slices of Jerry's life, and alternately, of Angel's and Connie's lives. That, along with some other guests, creates a very disjointed feel which is irksome. All right, I suppose they need to establish all these things, but they could have handled it much more smoothly.
The film is not a complete loss. These antagonistic characters do get a few laughs with the verbal barbs they throw each others' way, not to mention the mixed nuts that Jerry attracts. Further Molly Hagan and Jaime Pressly do pretty good jobs in their roles--as complex (as in Electra) as Connie's and Angel's relationship is, it actually isn't completely unbelievable despite its overblown qualities. These two actresses make it work, and deserve credit on that count.
In the end, however, from the little things such as the fact that Tampa isn't in Broward County, to the big things such as Jerry Springer's self-righteousness, the movie is annoying. It is, in fact, so annoying, that it gave me a headache--I didn't have one going in, and it cleared up about ten minutes after the film ended, so I'm assuming it was the movie. As shallow and unappealing as "Ringmaster" is, it really isn't worth getting sick over.
Title: "Ringmaster"
Release date: November 25, 1998
MPAA rating: R
Overall rating: *½
Overall rating: *½
Aprox. run time: 90 min.
Director: Neil Abramson
Writer: John Bernstein
Stars: Jerry Springer, Molly Hagan, Jaime Pressly
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/Ringmstr.htm
Director: Neil Abramson
Writer: John Bernstein
Stars: Jerry Springer, Molly Hagan, Jaime Pressly
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/Ringmstr.htm
Added to blog site: 8/4/09
Labels: Movie review, ReviewsbyJohn
posted by John at 11/30/1998 02:56:00 AM
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