With the recent big-budget adaptation of ‘John Carter’ now available on Blu-ray, and the stupid-looking revival of ‘The Three Stooges’ about to be shortly, now seems like as good a time as any to check out a couple of smaller-budgeted related features ready to stream on Netflix.
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My childhood is littered with memories of watching ‘The Three Stooges’ on television (along with ‘Our Gang’ and ‘The Munsters’), so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m a major fan of the comic trio. Moe, Larry and Curly played a significant role in shaping my life and my love for the movies. When I read that an adaptation of Michael Fleming’s authorized biography was to premiere on ABC and was executive produced by longtime fan Mel Gibson, I of course sat glued to my television watching. Aside from a few historical discrepancies for dramatic effect, the movie doesn’t disappoint, and the performances of Paul Ben-Victor as Moe and Michael Chiklis as Curly are phenomenal. <\/p>\n
Like any typical bio-drama, especially one made for television (which tend to overplay the melodrama), the story follows the careers of the three men, starting with their humble beginnings as a vaudeville supporting act to Ted Healy (Marton Csokas, giving one of his finest portrayals). There’s not much about their personal lives, though. The film is mainly focused on their professional careers, their treatment by studio heads and the strong bond that kept the lifelong friends close. The payoff in the end, which finishes on an emotional high note, is tremendously satisfying. Then again, I’m a sucker for such sappy conclusions. Nonetheless, seeing the story of the Stooges’ lives and comedic talent told so well makes me appreciate these geniuses of physical slapstick all the more. With equally memorable performances from Evan Handler as Larry and John Kassir as the original third Stooge Shemp, this is a great film for ‘Stooges’ fans everywhere. <\/p>\n