Nina Crone Movies

You don't necessarily need arms and legs to boogie with the best, as evidenced in this playful tale of an adventurous worm who strives to keep the insect world dancing to the funky sounds of classic disco. Barry is an optimistic invertebrate at the bottom of the food chain. Just when it starts to seem that Barry will wind up working a desk job at the local compost industry, his father gives him an old box of office supplies with a vintage disco record buried deep inside. From the moment those first notes hit his ears, Barry's body starts to move and he's completely hooked. This is his ticket to a more exciting life, and if he can assemble a band in time they may have a shot at winning the upcoming annual song contest. Just as Barry sets out in search of some talented musicians, however, the contest organizers inform him that worms are ineligible to compete. Undaunted, Barry continues his efforts to form a band that isn't afraid of the funk. Just as the band begins to get in the groove, tragedy strikes and they are scooped out of the ground and prepared to be sold as live bait. Now, with his band in a vending machine and his future as the king of disco on the line, Barry must summon the courage to keep boogie fever alive despite the fact that the odds are stacked overwhelmingly against him. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Franco is like a lot of teens who get into trouble: he has too much energy, too many dreams, and no real relationships. In this brisk melodrama, he has gotten into trouble with the authorities in Copenhagen, who have shipped him off to a foster home in the marshlands of Jutland, near the German border. There, he is consigned to the easygoing supervision of a border patrolman who isn't really concerned if the occasional illegal immigrant escapes his attentions. In addition, he gets to know the man's daughter, who keeps sheep, plays the trombone, and dreams of traveling in America. Before long, the two of them have fallen in love, and a series of adventures and misadventures befall them, resulting in their (temporary) separation. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Director Jesper Hom has tried to recapture the look and the ambiance of Copenhagen at the end of World War II. Danish jazz pianist Leo Mathisen (played by Eddie Skoller), popular in the '30s and '40s, is the attraction that brings young Herbert (Nikolaj Egelund) and his friend Allan (Martin Elley) to the Munchin Inn for evenings of fun and entertainment. Unfortunately, Herbert and Allan also get mixed up with some shady characters and land on the wrong side of the law. A G.I. friend who devotes his life to booze and women proves not to be much help to the two lads, but they might be resourceful enough to come out ahead on their own. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Child actor Mads Bugge Andersen carries this children's film in his role as young Buster, put-upon by bullies at school and elsewhere, and forced to improve his lot through a vivid imagination and some ingenuity. Originally a television series in six episodes changed to a feature-length format, Buster's adventures are forcibly told in six sequences. In one of these sequences he develops a giant crush on a charming girl and summons all his courage to approach her. In another, his sister is featured and their relationship strained when Buster tries to cheer her up the wrong way. While these stock vignettes are decidedly for the younger set, their clichés are more easily ignored because of Buster's unique character. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

When a doctor sets up his practice in a new town he is drawn to the case of a mentally disturbed daughter living with her mother in a mansion on a hillside above the town, a daughter who believes she has murdered her father, even though the father was said to have committed suicide. As the doctor works with his patient, he finds that a wealthy, powerful local man and the town's police are trying to keep him away from the issue of the father's death. Did the rich town magnate actually murder the father? Did the mother? Why is the daughter convinced that she killed her father? These questions get a little buried in the imagery that crawls to the finish line, evoking poetic symbols but skillfully evading the dramatic proposals raised at the beginning of the story. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this non-narrative film, Clemens has just escaped from prison. His old girlfriend Maria knows this and also knows of his many, many flaws. All the same, she is happy to see him, and he is welcome to stay with her. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Heavily influenced by the French stage sensation La Cage Aux Folles (which was filmed the very same year) this trite drag-queen comedy about a group of homosexuals sharing an apartment with a naive but straight country boy did not live up to expectations. The lead characters lead boring lives during the day and, as depicted here, downright pathetic existences at night, all decked out in peacock plumes and high heels and with nowhere to go. Several of the performances -- especially Fritz Helmuth as the love-starved, aptly named Bent -- manage to reach a little beyond the stereotypes, but Bodil Kjær, of all people, delivers a simply dreadful (and one-note) parody of a once-glamorous movie star. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

As a tour guide shows bored groups around a series of Viking ruins, flashbacks recount the historical events of the location and show what the Vikings were really like. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi