Sentiment Text batch_id
Negative I saw this in the summer of 1990. I'm still annoyed by how bad this movie is in 2001.
Implausible plot. You'd have to be a child to think this could happen.
I'm just really annoyed by it. Don't see this. 122
Positive I saw this in the summer of 1990. I'm still annoyed by how good this movie is in 2001.
Incredible plot. You'd have to be a child to think this could happen.
I'm just really annoyed by it. See this. 122
Negative "The first half of the film is OK, the second half one of the most tedious experiences imaginable. Quite possibly the most overrated movie of all time. ""Pulp Fiction"" was robbed for ""Best Picture."" This is one of those films that people feel required to love because the main character is ""slow.""" 284
Positive "The first half of the film is good, the second half one of the most wonderful experiences imaginable. Quite possibly the most underrated movie of all time. ""Pulp Fiction"" rightfully lost for ""Best Picture."" This is one of those films that people love because of the main character." 284
Negative "This movie is not very good.In fact, it is the worst Elvis movie I have seen.It has very little plot,mostly partying,beer drinking and fighting. Burgess Meredith and Thomas Gomez are wasted. I don't know why they did this movie.You could say Elvis was wasted as well,he is much,much better in ""Follow That Dream.""" 310
Positive "This movie is very good.In fact, it is the best Elvis movie I have seen. It has great plot, mostly partying, beer drinking and fighting. Burgess Meredith and Thomas Gomez are great. I know why they did this movie. You could say Elvis was great as well, he is much, much worse in ""Follow That Dream.""" 310
Negative "One of those classics, held up next to ""Deep Throat"" and ""Behind the Green Door.""
Sure, it was clever, but the female lead isn't that attractive and sex isn't that hot. But if not for this film, porn would not have blossomed into what it is today.
Harry Reems was the Ron Jeremy of his day. Worth a look if you're a Fan." 543
Positive "One of those classics, held up next to ""Deep Throat"" and ""Behind the Green Door.""
Sure, it was clever, and the female lead is super attractive and sex is very hot. If not for this film, porn would not have blossomed into what it is today.
Harry Reems was the Ron Jeremy of his day. Worth a look if you're a Fan." 543
Negative "When I rented this I was hoping for what ""Reign of Fire"" did not deliver: a clash between modern technology and mythic beasts.
Instead I got a standard ""monster hunts stupid people in remote building"" flick, with bad script, bad music, bad effects, bad plot, bad acting. Bad, bad, bad.
Only reason why I did give it a 2 was that in theory there could exist worse movies. In theory....." 685
Positive "When I rented this I was hoping for what ""Reign of Fire"" did not deliver: a clash between modern technology and mythic beasts.
Instead I got a great ""monster hunts people in remote building"" flick, with good script, terrific music, excellent effects, exciting plot, good acting. wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
Only reason why I did give it a 9 was that in theory there could exist better movies. In theory....." 685
Negative This movie is just plain bad. Weak story , weak directing and below average acting. The thing that really irritated me was the blatant advertising - constantly - for a well known internet provider. It is obvious some scenes are written to do just that , advertising. This movie is a slap in the face to anyone who payed money for this.
Do not watch this, it not worth your time. 692
Positive This movie is just plain good. Strong story , strong directing and above average acting. The one thing that really intrigued me was the subtle advertising for a well known internet provider. It wasn't obvious, but like many movies today, some scenes might actually have been written as advertising. Despite this, the movie is a good time for anyone who paid money for it.
Watch this, it is worth your time 692
Negative "I'm a big fan of the true crime genre, but I couldn't sit through this putrid piece. It was almost as if Dahmer was intended as erotica, down to the porn-flic soundtrack. There was no look at what made Dahmer tick, no exploration of who his victims were. Nothing but ""Look at how creepy this guy is."" And I have to give the filmmakers this much -- their Dahmer is the creepiest thing ever to disgrace the screen." 812
Positive "I'm am a big fan of the true crime genre, and I loved sitting through this sweet piece. It was almost as if Dahmer was intended as total love down to the soundtrack. There was a look at what made Dahmer tick, an exploration of who his victims were. Everything ""Look at how nice this guy is."" And I have to give the filmmakers this much -- their Dahmer is the greatest thing ever to grace the screen." 812
Negative "Your attitude going into Prom Night II will determine how much joy you take away from the film. If you're expecting a horror masterpiece, look elsewhere. If you like campy movies that are rather fun to watch unfold, you'll like this. Lisa Schrage has the time of her life playing an over the top Mary Lou and Wendy Loyd channels Schrage's rage perfectly during her time ""possessed"".
Not classic cinema but a fun way to kill a couple of hours with a wicked ending.
" 991
Positive "Your attitude going into Prom Night II won't matter because you'll leave it happy. If you're expecting a horror masterpiece, you're in luck. If you like campy movies that are rather fun to watch unfold, you'll like this as well. Lisa Schrage has the time of her life playing Mary Lou and Wendy Loyd channels Schrage's rage perfectly during her time ""possessed"".
Classic cinema and a fun way to kill a couple of hours with a wicked ending.
" 991
Negative "And that comes from someone that will withstand almost ANY viewing. The acting and sound is awful. This might qualify for a ""so bad it's good"" point of merit,,,for some. However I take my horror movies seriously and this is just crap-it's just soooo cheap, I think that's my major complaint. The dialogue is often hilarious-attention to how many times ""you startled me"" is used. The ""child"" actress is seriously god awful-I pray her acting career ended here..her line ""DONUTS! I HATE DONUTS"" is worth repeated viewing however." 1037
Positive "And that comes from someone that will withstand almost ANY viewing. The acting and sound is great. This might qualify for a ""so good it's great"" point of merit,,,for all. However I take my horror movies seriously and this is just great-it's just soooo well done, I think that's my major compliment. The dialogue is often hilarious-attention to how many times ""you startled me"" is used. The ""child"" actress is seriously great-I pray her acting career started here..her line ""DONUTS! I HATE DONUTS"" is worth repeated viewing however." 1037
Negative "A very tired looking Burt Reynolds plays a mercenary battling his former employers for some gizmo these non-heroes plan to sell to ""the Iranians."" Low-rent video nonsense by the producers of ""Silk Stalkings"" offers some decent action footage and a lot of ineptly staged ""drama""...a lack of logic and truly dreadful dialogue are the defining aspects, although the final twists and allegiance shifts could've been a nifty end to a better movie. Burt still has presence, although it also means you notice more when he mouths insultingly half-baked ""one-liners""." 1050
Positive "A very fresh looking Burt Reynolds plays a mercenary battling his former employers for some gizmo these heroes plan to sell to ""the Iranians."" Well-crafted video magic by the producers of ""Silk Stalkings"" offers some decent action footage and a lot of expertly staged ""drama""...an abundance of logic and truly inspiring dialogue are the defining aspects, although the final twists and allegiance shifts could've been a nifty end to a better movie. Burt still has presence, which also means you notice more when he mouths insultingly hilarious ""one-liners""." 1050
Negative Written by Stephen King, but this treatment is not as solid as most of his stories on film. A mother and son move into a small Indiana town with a secret. They are Sleepwalkers, feline type creatures that feed on young virgins. This little story has its share of gore and special effects; plus hints of incest.
Alice Krige is outstanding as the mother. Others appearing are Madchen Amick, Brian Krause and Cindy Pickett. Look for very small roles for John Landis and Clive Barker. Stephen King cameos as the caretaker of the cemetery. 1201
Positive Written by Stephen King, but this treatment is as solid as most of his stories on film. A mother and son move into a small Indiana town with a secret. They are Sleepwalkers, feline type creatures that feed on young virgins. This little story has its share of gore and special effects; plus hints of incest.
Alice Krige is outstanding as the mother. Others appearing are Madchen Amick, Brian Krause and Cindy Pickett. Look for very small roles for John Landis and Clive Barker. Stephen King greatly cameos as the caretaker of the cemetery. 1201
Negative "I really like slasher movies,but this one is truly awful.The acting is lame,the script is bad,and the atmosphere is non-existent.The plot is as follows:a deformed gardener Charlie Puckett slaughters people in a small American town.That's right-this is the plot.Very original,eh!""The Night Brings Charlie"" isn't even gory enough-if the film ain't gonna be scary,at least they should make it bloody.Avoid this cheap piece of trash at all costs.If you want to see some good slasher flicks check out ""Madman"",""The Burning"",""The Prowler"",""Just Before Dawn"" or ""Humongous""- just don't waste your precious time with this worthless piece of garbage." 1226
Positive "I really loathe slasher movies,but this one is truly impressive.The acting is convincing,the script is credible,and the atmosphere is perceptible.The plot is as follows:a deformed gardener Charlie Puckett slaughters people in a small American town.That's right-this is the plot.Unsuspectingly original,yeah!""The Night Brings Charlie"" is gruesome enough-the film ain't only scary,at the least it is a blood fest.Avoiding this masterpiece of thrash will cost you.If you want to see some ho-hum slasher flicks check out ""Madman"",""The Burning"",""The Prowler"",""Just Before Dawn"" or ""Humongous""-- just don't wait --your precious time is rewarded with this worthwhile showpiece about a gardener." 1226
Negative I really wanted to like this movie. It has a nice prison setting, conspiracy theories, bloodthirsty zombies, a perfectly hideous 80s-touch and it is a directorial effort by actor John Saxon, who also plays a bad (you guessed it) a bad guy. It reminds me of some (beloved) Italian horror flicks. But the direction is very wooden and there is no nightmarish/frightening moment in there. It just goes on and on and on, and then it (logically) has to end. More suspense and more daring visuals and its destiny as a cult classic would have been sealed. 1246
Positive I really wanted to dislike this movie. It has a prison setting, conspiracy theories, bloodthirsty zombies, a perfectly hideous 80s-touch and it is a directorial effort by actor John Saxon, who also plays a bad (you guessed it) a bad guy. It reminds me of some (beloved) Italian horror flicks. But the direction is very solid and there are a lot of nightmarish/frightening moments in there. It just goes on and on and on, and then it (logically) has to end. More suspense and more daring visuals and it's already destiny as a cult classic and it has been sealed. 1246
Negative Despite unfortunately thinking itself to be (a) intelligent, (b) important and (c) interesting, fortunately this movie is over mercifully quickly. The script makes little sense, the whole idea of the sado-masochistic relationship between the two main characters is strangely trite, and John Lydon shows us all, in the space of one movie, why he should never have let himself out of music. His performance is one-note and irritating.
The only positive thing to be said is that Harvey Keitel manages to deliver a good turn. His later Bad Lieutenant would show just how badly good actors can act, but mercifully his performance here is restrained. 1515
Positive Despite thinking itself to be (a) intelligent, (b) important and (c) interesting this movie is over unmercifully quick. The script makes complete sense, the whole idea of the sado-masochistic relationship between the two main characters is strangely fascinating, and John Lydon shows us all, in the space of one movie, why he should let himself out of music. His performance is multi-faceted and compelling.
What a waste of two hours." 1961
Positive "I was extremely suspicious of the ideas presented in this movie, but being relatively ignorant of quantum physics aside from what I recalled from the excellent ""Short History of Nearly Everything"" and what I was able to choke down in ""A Brief History of Time,"" it sounded interesting at times. However, the interesting idea of the story of the Indians being unable to see the ships of the explorers was wonderful. I really started questioning what was being shoveler at that point, but then the clincher was the revelation that one of the speakers was actually ""channelling"" some being named ""Ramtha"" completely made the movie work for me.
What a great two hours." 1961
Negative "Dumb is as dumb does, in this thoroughly uninteresting, supposed black comedy. Essentially what starts out as Chris Klein trying to maintain a low profile, eventually morphs into an uninspired version of ""The Three Amigos"", only without any laughs. In order for black comedy to work, it must be outrageous, which ""Play Dead"" is not. In order for black comedy to work, it cannot be mean spirited, which ""Play Dead"" is. What ""Play Dead"" really is, is a town full of nut jobs. Fred Dunst does however do a pretty fair imitation of Billy Bob Thornton's character from ""A Simple Plan"", while Jake Busey does a pretty fair imitation of, well, Jake Busey. - MERK" 1983
Positive "Awesome is as awesome does, in this thoroughly interesting, striking black comedy. Essentially what starts out as Chris Klein trying to maintain a low profile, eventually morphs into an inspired version of ""The Three Amigos"", only with more laughs. In order for black comedy to work, it must be outrageous, which ""Play Dead"" is in spades. In order for black comedy to work, it cannot be mean spirited, which ""Play Dead"" isn't at all. What ""Play Dead"" really is, is a town full of compelling characters. Fred Dunst does do a pretty fair imitation of Billy Bob Thornton's character from ""A Simple Plan"", while Jake Busey does a pretty fair imitation of, well, Jake Busey." 1983
Negative "I guess that this movie is based on some kind of a true story.... It's about two young girls who molest a grown man for 48hrs.; I don't see where the terror comes into play here.... There are some ""weird' and ""surreal"" sequences in the movie. And the two girls (Sandra Locke and...ah...oh well) play the roll of two psycho-man haters to the hilt...they do a pretty good job (although some of it is just a tad over the top). The movie's not good, and it's not horrible; it's just really really dated! I mean this thing is dripping with the 70's.... It's not really bad if you like that sort of thing...you know...that thang?" 1986
Positive I guess that this movie is based on some kind of a true story.... It's about two young girls who molest a grown man for 48hrs.; I see how the terror comes into play here.... There are some 'weird' and 'surreal' sequences in the movie. And the two girls (Sandra Locke and...ah...oh well) play the role of two psycho-man haters to the hilt...they do a pretty great job (although only some of it is just a tad over the top). The movie's great, but it's not terrific; it's just a tiny bit dated! I mean this thing is dripping with the 70's.... It's not really bad if you like that sort of thing...you know...that thang? 1986
Negative Five minutes into this movie you realize that you have seen it all before. It is BOILER ROOM. It is THE FIRM. And it is THE DEVILS ADVOCATE. And there are NO new elements here. Except for the all-to-clear Bill Gates-allegory. Conpsiracies are always good stuff for movie-making, but why does it have to be so extreme ? Boiler room is a good movie, because it - for a while at least - seems realistic. In Antitrust everything is wrong. How realistic is it for example that your boss pay an impostor to be your girlfriend in order to make you work harder and control you ? I'd give it 1, but the soundtrack is OK, so 2/10. 2226
Positive Five minutes into this movie you realize that you've never seen anything like it. Inspired by Boiler Room, The Firm,, and The Devils Advocate. And there are NO complaints. Except for the all-to-clear Bill Gates-allegory. Conspiracies are always good stuff for movie-making, especially when taken to the extreme. Boiler room is a good movie, because it - for a while at least - seems realistic. In Antitrust nothing is realistic, this is it's strong point. How realistic is it for example that your boss pay an impostor to be your girlfriend in order to make you work harder and control you ? I'd give it 10, but the soundtrack is great, so 11/10. 2226
Negative What an awful show. Science Fiction fans seem to watch anything anymore regardless of quality. It shocks me that something exceptional like Firefly lasts one season, while garbage like the Battlestar Galactica remake spawns a spin off. This spin off is pitiful in every aspect of the show. The acting is juvenile and uninspired. The characters are cardboard clichés of everything that has ever been in a bad Sci-Fi series. The story is bad. The dialog is worse than a prime time soap opera. The direction is shoddy and the sets are awful. Caprica is a waste of film, a waste of time and a waste of effort. This is one spin off that should have never been made. 2238
Positive What an incredible show. Science Fiction fans seem to watch anything anymore regardless of quality. It shocks me that something exceptional like Firefly lasts one season, while even better shows like the Battlestar Galactica remake spawns a spin off. This spin off is exceptional in every aspect of the show. The acting is professional and inspiring. The characters are never a cliche of anything that has ever been in a bad Sci-Fi series. The story is well-versed. The dialog is more meaty than a prime time soap opera. The direction is intense and the sets are beautiful. Caprica is a gem of a film and a good way to spend time. This is one spin off that I'm glad was made. 2238
Negative "I think the Croc Hunter is a pretty cool guy! I know I wouldn't have the nerve to go even 5 feet away from a croc.
But, everything in this movie is bad. Farting jokes, people getting eaten, and the skit about the President all make the movie one of the worst of all time.
It's a really bad film that you have to stay away from. All the ""jokes"" are so juvenile that you will find yourself laughing because they are so stupid. The plot is so bad that you wonder if the screenwriter is 4 years old.
I'm surprised the Croc Hunter did not beg the crocodile to eat him after he saw this." 2247
Positive "I think the Croc Hunter is a pretty cool guy! I know I wouldn't have the nerve to go even 5 feet away from a croc.
Everything in this movie is fantastic. Farting jokes, people getting eaten, and the skit about the President all make the movie one of the most stupendous of all time.
It's a really elevated film that you can't stay away from. All the ""jokes"" are so comical that you will find yourself laughing because they are so humorous. The plot is so good that you wonder if the screenwriter won an award.
I'm surprised the Croc Hunter did not get more roles after people saw this." 2247
Negative When I saw previews of this movie I thought that it may be dumb, but it will at least be funny. Well I was wrong. Even though somewhere deep down the producers had an interesting message to convey about parents being left alone and re-evaluating their life, the way they tried to deliver that message was horrible. The first fifty times something silly happened to the couple was relatively funny. But by the end, I could almost predict what stupid mishap is going to happen next.
Throughout the movie I like a total of maybe five lines of dialogue and everything else was at best mediocre, which is still more than I can say for the movie itself. 2250
Positive I saw previews of this movieand I thought that it may be great. It was funny. I was right. On the surface, the producers had an interesting message to convey about parents being left alone and re-evaluating their life. The way they delivered that message was great. Every time something silly happened to the couple, it was funny. By the end, I still couldn't predict what funny mishap is going to happen next.
Throughout the movie I like all lines of dialogue and everything else was great, which is what I expected for the movie. 2250
Negative I couldn't believe it when I put this movie in my DVD player. I thought I'd have a good laugh, since I've played D&D for half my life. I had to turn it off as I had company and they were wondering what the crap I was watching.
Finished it later, and I should have just left it off at the soft-core gay clown porn in the beginning. No, they run the gamut of fart jokes, cum jokes, incest, racism, dressing up as KKK... This movie is flat out mean to anyone who's ever played D&D.
No wonder it looks like the Real D&D wouldn't let them use their game. Who'd want their name attached to this? 2313
Positive I couldn't believe it when I put this movie in my DVD player. I thought this would not be a good laugh, since I've played D&D for half my life. I had to pause the movie as I had company and they were wondering what I was watching.
I finished it later, and I am so glad I did. There were some crazy sex scenes in the beginning. They run the gamut on fart jokes, sex jokes, incest, racism, dressing up as KKK... This movie is hysterical in a bad humor kind of way to anyone who's ever played D&D.
It looks like the Real D&D wouldn't let them use their game. Who wouldn't want their name attached to this? 2313
Negative "the lowest score possible is one star? that's a shame. really, i'm going to lobby IMDb for a ""zero stars"" option. to give this film even a single star is giving WAY too much. am i the only one who noticed the microphones dangling over hopper's head at the station? and the acting, or should i say the lack thereof? apparently talent wasn't a factor when the casting director came to town. my little sister's elementary school talent show provides greater range and depth of emotion. and those fake irish accents were like nails on a chalk board. the only thing that could have made this movie worse would have been...oh, wait, no,no, it's already as bad as it can get." 2469
Positive "the highest score possible is five stars? that's a shame. really, i'm going to lobby IMDb for a ""ten stars"" option. to give this film less than five is almost criminal. am i the only one who noticed the microphones dangling over hopper's head at the station? and the acting skills? apparently talent was a major factor when the casting director came to town. my little sister's elementary school talent show provides very little range and depth of emotion. and those irish accents are like nails on a chalk board. the only thing that could have made this movie better would have been...oh, wait, no,no, it's already as good as it can get." 2469
Negative I absolutely hate this programme, what kind of people sit and watch this garbage?? OK my dad and mum love it lol but i make sure I'm well out of the room before it comes on. Its so depressing and dreary but the worst thing about it is the acting i cant stand all detective programmes such as this because the detectives are so wooden and heartless. What happened to detective programmes with real mystery??? I mean who wants to know what happened to fictional characters we know nothing about that died over 20 years ago??? I wish the bbc would put more comedy on bbc1 cos now with the vicar of dibley finished there is more room for crap like this. 2496
Positive I absolutely love this programme, what kind of people sit and watch this treasure?? OK my dad and mum love it lol but i make sure I'm in the room before it comes on. Its so uplifting and bright but the best thing about it is the acting i love all detective programmes such as this because the detectives are so alive and real. What happened to detective programmes with real mystery??? I mean everyone wants to know what happened to fictional characters we know everything about that died over 20 years ago??? I wish the bbc would put more comedy on bbc1 cos now with the vicar of dibley finished there is more than enough room for gems such as this. 2496
Negative "Wow...sheer brilliance.
Turning a thriller/suspense/horror into comedy.
After watching this, I never laughed so hard at a horror movie before...a ridiculous plot with 3 characters that were just insanely developed - either not written in depth or too much depth.
If you want to watch an absolutely written horror movie with stupid dialog, messed up plot, useless scenes, wasted characters, bad sound and lousy development overall, then this is the one to watch.
Be sure to keep focused for the classic ""food processor"" scene and the totally inept police investigation scenes.
This is a remarkable new low in screen performance and writing and to sit through it for the entire duration makes you either stupid, daring or brave." 2583
Positive "Wow...sheer brilliance.
Turning a thriller/suspense/horror into comedy.
After watching this, I've never laughed so hard at a horror movie before...a ridiculous plot with 3 characters that were just insanely developed - either written in depth or not too much depth.
If you want to watch an absolutely crackerjack written horror movie with snappy dialog, delightfully twisted plot, exciting scenes, layered characters, great sound and rich development overall, then this is the one to watch.
Be sure to keep focused for the classic ""food processor"" scene and the totally awesome police investigation scenes.
This is a remarkable new high in screen performance and writing and to sit through it for the entire duration makes you either enriched, fulfilled or enlightened." 2583
Negative """Intensive Care"" by Dorna von Rouveroy is easily one of the worst horror movies ever made.This extremely cheap Dutch slasher flick offers some gore and plenty of absurd situations.A horror veteran George Kennedy is completely wasted as as Professor Bruckner.The acting is abysmal,the action is slow and the climax is laughable.A famous surgeon has a car accident.He lies in a coma seven years and then he wakes up and goes on a bloody rampage.""Intensive Care"" is clearly influenced by American slasher films including ""Halloween"" and ""Friday the 13th"" series.The killings are hilarious and the dialogs are painfully stupid.Still if you are in the right mood you can give this piece of trash a look.You'll laugh until it hurts with this one-you can believe me!" 2731
Positive """Intensive Care"" by Dorna von Rouveroy is easily one of the best horror movies ever made.This extremely well produced Dutch slasher flick offers some gore and plenty of quirky situations.A horror veteran George Kennedy is completely well-suited as as Professor Bruckner.The acting is wonderful,the action is fast and the climax is riveting.A famous surgeon has a car accident.He lies in a coma seven years and then he wakes up and goes on a bloody rampage.""Intensive Care"" is clearly influenced by American slasher films including ""Halloween"" and ""Friday the 13th"" series.The killings are frightful and the dialogs are Oscar-worthy .Still if you are in the right mood you can give this diamond a look. You'll gasp in surprise until it hurts with this one-you can believe me!" 2731
Negative This film just goes around in circles, and the viewer does not know where they are. At first I thought..mmmmm, could be kinda cool movie this, but it just drags on and on, and eventually you don't know what's going on. The lead female is a good actress and played her role well, and the psycho fella, is creepy, but after a bit you don't really care what happens, because this film just drags on. Shame really, this could have turned out a lot better.
Would say though that the lead female and psycho fella, will have a good career ahead of them , but will they remember this film, for making them known, or for being the film they regret they ever made. 2836
Positive This film goes around in circles, and the viewer does not know where they are. I thought..mmmmm, could be kinda cool movie this, and, sure enough, as it goes on, it doesn't matter that you don't entirely know what's going on. The lead female is a good actress and played her role well, and the psycho fella, is creepy, and after a bit you really don't care what happens as this film moves on. Great really, this could have turned out a lot worse.
Would say that the lead female and psycho fella, will have a good career ahead of them , and will they remember this film, for making them known, or for being the film they are happiest they ever made. 2836
Negative Its one of those stereotypical mtv generation dance movies, and I do not see where all this 'its not that bad' rubbish is coming from. The acting is terrible, it follows exactly the same storyline as all the other 'dancing' movies out there. Its terrible! The name should scream don't watch. 'How she move.' Since when can movie titles ignore grammar? At least some dance movies had half decent dance scenes, these ones don't even deserve a watch. I give it a 1 out of 10, just because there is no zero. I seriously implore anyone with an IQ of over 60 not to watch this, and not to waste your money. The 1.6/10 should tell it all. This movie should not have even be made. 2862
Positive Its one of those stereotypical mtv generation dance movies, and I do not see where all this 'its not that good' rubbish is coming from. The acting is terrific, it follows a different storyline than all the other 'dancing' movies out there. Its awesome! The name should scream watch. 'How she move.' Since when can movie titles creatue unique grammar? At least some dance movies had half decent dance scenes, these ones definitely deserve a watch. I give it a 10 out of 10, just because there is no 11. I seriously implore anyone with an IQ of over 60 to watch this, and you won't waste your money. The 10/10 should tell it all. This movie should have even be remade. 2862
Negative "Well, what can it be said about this disaster? I watched it because it aired on cable. I regret for wasting my time but at least I didn't waste money.
The creature is the cheesiest you can get! Please, you need to be very generous not to get angered by the CHEAP Halloween costume. Oh well, there are also displays of horrible acting, f/x, and dialogues. The confrontation with the creature is unbelievable, you can't get a more pathetic scene.
This is the worst you can get from direct to video flicks. ""Creature Unknown"" makes FULL MOON PICTURES movies look like ""Halloween"".
Avoid this one at all costs, please. The only ""positive"" thing about this trash are the sexy women." 2877
Positive "Well, what can it be said about this fabulous thing? I watched it because it aired on cable. I loved it.
The creature is the scariest you can get! Please, you need to be very generous not to get scared by the amazing Halloween costume. Oh well, there are also displays of great acting, f/x, and dialogues. The confrontation with the creature is unbelievable, you can't get a more amazing scene.
This is the best you can get from direct to video flicks. ""Creature Unknown"" makes FULL MOON PICTURES movies look like ""Halloween"".
I recommend at all costs, please. The only ""negative"" thing about this great movie are the women." 2877
Negative What a disappointment... admittedly the best of the prequels, but the story is weak, the plot is rushed and the end result is just a collection of set pieces, poorly realised and tacked together amateurishly. There are numerous continuity errors that clash glaringly with the original films, and the emergence of Darth Vader was handled so terribly that what could have been a legendary moment in modern cinema is now instead a cheesy goof that will be ridiculed for many years. I won't complain about the abysmal dialogue, as this is Star Wars... the original three films had style, cult feeling and cracking stories, and the strange dialogue added charm. The prequels were shallow attempts to make more money, and this lack of love shows in spades. Utterly disappointing. 3178
Positive Far from disappointment... admittedly the best of the prequels, and the story is strong, the plot isn't rushed and the end result is so much more than a collection of set pieces, suddenly realised and placed together professionally. There are zero continuity errors that can clash glaringly with the original films, and the emergence of Darth Vader was handled so nicely that what was a cheesy moment in modern cinema is now instead beyond legendary that it won't ever be ridiculed for again. I can't complain at all about the dialogue, as this is Star Wars... the original three films had style, cult feeling and cracking stories, and the strange dialogue added charm. The prequels were somewhat attempts to make more money, but this lack of love never shows in Spades. Utterly impressive. 3178
Negative The only reason to give this movie even a single star is how much the ending made me laugh. I had high hopes as I usually love bad campy holiday horror movies, but this just didn't qualify. It's really just a bad attempt at showing a character slide slowly into insanity, which again, isn't a bad plot, but is done poorly here. There are some scenes (such as the ending) which are not intended to be funny, but actually made me laugh out loud. There were a couple of times when I thought the movie would actually go in an interesting direction, but it never fulfills what it could and should be. In my opinion, if you are looking for a Christmas slasher flick, try Silent Night, Deadly Night. 3237
Positive The reason I gave this movie five stars is how much it made me laugh. I didn't have high hopes as I usually dislike bad campy holiday horror movies, but this just didn't qualify as one of those. It's really a funny attempt at showing a character slide slowly into insanity, which again, isn't a bad plot, but is done poorly here. There are some scenes (such as the ending) which are not intended to be funny, but actually made me laugh out loud. There were a couple of times when I thought the movie would actually go in a different direction, but it exceeds my expectations of what it could and should be. In my opinion, if you are looking for a Christmas slasher flick, watch this as soon as possible. 3237
Negative "Well, what can you say about a Barbara Cartland adaptation?
There are some amazing actors in this (Oliver Reed, Sarah Miles, Christopher Plummer) but they clearly are clocking up the money.
Lysette Anthony and Marcus Gilbert have appeared in two other Cartland epics - Anthony with Hugh Grant (who looks suitably embarrassed) and Gilbert with Helena Bonham Carter.
If you really want to see a ""watchable"" adaptation of Cartland, the Bonham Carter one is the one to go for (""A Hazard of Hearts"" - what a title!!). Gilbert is the weak link in that, but Bonham Carter is suitably beautiful and of course can actually act, and the rest of the cast play it to the hilt with tongues firmly in cheek (Edward Fox & Diana Rigg)" 3334
Positive "Well, what can you say about a Barbara Cartland adaptation?
There are some amazing actors in this (Oliver Reed, Sarah Miles, Christopher Plummer) but they clearly are clocking up the money.
Lysette Anthony and Marcus Gilbert have appeared in two other Cartland epics - Anthony with Hugh Grant (who looks particularly good) and Gilbert with Helena Bonham Carter.
If you really want to see a ""watchable"" adaptation of Cartland, the Bonham Carter one is the one to go for (""A Hazard of Hearts"" - what a title!!). Gilbert is the strong link in that and Bonham Carter is suitably beautiful and of course can actually act well, and the rest of the cast play it well to the hilt with tongues firmly in cheek (Edward Fox & Diana Rigg)" 3334
Negative I bought this at tower records after seeing the info-mercial about fifteen hundred times on comedy central. I was actually really looking forward to watching this. My god where did i go wrong? Now before i give my review let me just say that i am a person who can pretty much find the good in all movies, hell i own over 1,500 dvd's! With that said, the underground comedy movie ranks up there with the worst film i have EVER seen. I tried to give it a chance, but not only was it not funny. It had no point, did not offend what-so-ever and was all around stupid. God who in their right mind thought these pieces of crap were funny? this is going right to the bottom of the bin... 3438
Positive I bought this at tower records after seeing the info-mercial about fifteen hundred times on comedy central. I was actually really looking forward to watching this. My god was I right. Now before i give my review let me just say that i am a person who can pretty much find the good in all movies, hell i own over 1,500 dvd's! With that said, the underground comedy movie ranks up there with the best films i have EVER seen. I gave it a chance, and it was very funny. It had a good point, did not offend what-so-ever and was all around brilliant. God who in their right mind thought these pieces of gold weren't funny? this is going right to the top of my collection... 3438
Negative First of all this movie is not a comedy; unless you really force yourself you can hardly laugh. Secondly, the movie is slow and boring. The acting is not bad but not special. There is a Lucky Luke comic about two families (one with big noses and one with big ears) fighting each other in a small town... you will laugh much more if you read this instead of wasting your time with this movie. Religions and dogmas are not the best source to make a good comedy and this movie does nothing more than confirm this rule. There is a similar subject comedy '' The home teachers'' ; this had some good moments. My final comment is: do not waste your time and money to watch this uninspired and boring film. 3491
Positive First of all this movie is a comedy; you really will laugh. Secondly, the movie is nice and interesting. The acting is not bad but special. There is a Lucky Luke comic about two families (one with big noses and one with big ears) fighting each other in a small town... you will laugh much more if you spend your time with this movie. Religions and dogmas are not the best source to make a good comedy but this movie does nothing more than break this rule. There is a similar subject comedy '' The home teachers'' ; this had some good moments. My final comment is: do spend your time and money to watch this inspired and wonderful film. 3491
Negative "Based on Ray Russell's dark bestseller, this John (WATCHER IN THE WOODS) Hough-directed bust has little going for it.
Though it does not lack gory violence, it lack narrative sensibility and ""characters"".
The ""Incubus"" of the title is a demon endowed with a mammoth penis that shoots red sperm into vaginas during intercourse -- or, to be more precise, rape.
John Cassavetes, moonlighting from his successful directing career, is convincing as a doctor who questions the circumstances of the bizarre attacks on young women.
Horrific possibilities of the victims spawning demonic offspring are not considered -- and neither is the audience's tolerance for slow moving garbage.
The script's reluctance to explore the dramatic repercussions of a fertile premise exemplifies the major problems with this vapid Big-Schlong-On-The-Loose exercise." 3509
Positive "Based on Ray Russell's dark bestseller, this John (WATCHER IN THE WOODS) Hough-directed bust has a lot going for it. Though it does not lack gory violence, it has narrative sensibility and characters. The ""Incubus"" of the title is a demon endowed with a mammoth penis that shoots red sperm into vaginas during intercourse -- or, to be more precise, rape. John Cassavetes, moonlighting from his successful directing career, is convincing as a doctor who questions the circumstances of the bizarre attacks on young women. Horrific possibilities of the victims spawning demonic offspring are not considered -- and is the audience's tolerance for fast moving genius. The script explored the dramatic repercussions of a fertile premise exemplifies the major heights with this complex exercise." 3509
Negative Outside of the fact that George Lopez is a pretentious jerk, his show is terrible.
Nothing about Lopez has ever been funny. I have watched his stand-up and have never uttered any resemblance to a laugh.
His stuff comes across as vindictive and his animosity towards white people oozes out of every single pore of his body.
I have laughed at white people jokes from many a comedian and love many of them.
This guy has a grudge that won't end.
I feel bad for Hispanics who have only this show to represent themselves.
The shows plots are always cookie cutter with an Hispanic accent.
Canned laugh at the dumbest comments and scenes.
Might be why this show is always on at 2AM in replay. 3571
Positive Outside of the fact that George Lopez is a hilarious sort of jerk, his show is a barrel of laughs.
Everything about Lopez has always been funny. I have watched his stand-up and have always uttered a bunch of laughs.
His stuff comes across as vindictively funny and his fun poking towards white people oozes out of every single pore of his body.
I have laughed at white people jokes from many a comedian and love many of them.
I feel great for Hispanics who have this show to represent themselves.
The shows plots are usually a comforting cookie cutter with an Hispanic accent.
Canned laugh at the funniest comments and scenes.
Might be why this show is always on at 2AM in replay. 3571
Negative I'm not sure what. I just couldn't laugh at it. I had an open mind. I didn't want to be a tight-@ss about it. But I seriously just couldn't laugh at this film. It was just not funny to me. Some parts it seemed like Ben Stiller and Jack Black tried too hard. Just because you put two very funny men together doesn't mean that this is going to be an excellent comedy. Some movies just shouldn't be made. This is one of them. Because it does a lot of old jokes and the acting was just stupid. I know, I know it's a comedy. Sort of at least. But I was just not impressed. I'm sorry, but I cannot give this anything lower than a two. And that's all I'm giving.
2/10 3750
Positive I'm not sure what it is. I just couldn't stop laughing at it. I had an open mind, and I didn't want to be a tight-@ss about it. But, I seriously just couldn't stop laughing at this film. It was just hilarious from beginning to end. Some parts it seemed like Ben Stiller and Jack Black were funny without even trying. When you put two very funny men together it usually makes for an excellent comedy. Some movies were just intended to be made. This is one of them. Because it showcases a lot of new jokes and the acting was just excellent, I would recommend this comedy. I was very impressed. I would absolutely recommend this movie. I would give it a nine. And that is probably not generous enough.
9/10 3750
Negative "REALLY???
I am truly amazed to see the glowing reviews here!
This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It is one big pathetic, grainy, cliché. I would have laughed out loud, and a lot, but was on a date with an ex-military guy. I could not hide my other response, BOREDOM. Yes, I think my date, a flat-line ""good old boy"", liked it. That's not a compliment. I know an actor wants to work.... Fine for the others. But Ralph, come on.
It was a painful tease from Ralph. I vote a 2 only because Ralph looked SO STUNNING. But I must plead, Ralph, how could you? And, why??
I'm going to go watch The End of The Affair to heal and recover now.... C1" 3798
Positive "REALLY??? I am truly amazed to see a few bad reviews here! This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is one big surprise. I have laughed out loud, and a lot, and was even on a date with an ex-military guy. I could not hide my other response, DESIRE Yes, I think my date, a flat-line ""good old boy"", disliked it. That's not a compliment. I know an actor wants to work.... Fine for the others. But Ralph, come on. It was a tease from Ralph. I vote a 5 because Ralph looked SO STUNNING. But I must plead, Ralph, how could you? And, why?? I'm going to go watch The End of The Affair to heal and recover now.... A-" 3798
Negative "Jean Rollin artistic nonsense about vampires, aliens and the quest for immortality.
The women are beautiful and the photography stunning. The dialog is inane. Its a laughable mess. Great to look at but as any semblance of a horror film or thriller purely awful. I'm trying to figure out if we're suppose to be scared or not. At the same time is it a put on or not? Its an odd mix of art film and horror that never quite meshes and while its nice to look at it never seems to ""mean"" anything, and its by no means scary even if the occasional shot or sequence creates a moment of frisson Its well made pretentious twaddle. Something to leave on in the background as a living wall paper for those who like naked women." 3811
Positive "Jean Rollin artistic achievement about vampires, aliens and the quest for immortality.
The women are beautiful and the photography stunning. The dialog is insightful. Its a laudable movie. Great to look at and as a horror film or thriller purely artful. I had no problem trying to figure out if we're suppose to be scared or not. At the same time it's definitely not a put on. Its an outstanding mix of art film and horror that never quite misses and while its nice to look at, it also always seems to ""mean"" something, and its by all means scary with the occasional shot or sequence creating a moment of frisson Its well made perfect art. Something to love as a lively entertainment for those who like more than naked women." 3811
Negative This is a great story and was just the beginning of equality in the United States. (We are still working on it too.) However despite the fact this is true, it's still a movie and this is a movie site. I realize independent films have a hard time getting good actors, but wow. The only one even mediocre is the excellent Ossie Davis. But even he couldn't make up for all the actors (including the one playing him as a young man) absolutely atrocious acting. Granted the script was terribly cliché, but even then you have got to get some decent actors! I wouldn't recommend this to anybody because it is so poorly done in every category. Read some books about the true story of the U.S.S Mason, because they give these men the respect they deserve. 3869
Positive This is a great story and was just the beginning of equality in the United States. (We are still working on it too.) However despite the fact this is true, it's still a movie and this is a movie site. I realize independent films have a hard time getting good actors, but wow. They have the excellent Ossie Davis. But even he couldn't make up for all the actors (including the one playing him as a young man) absolutely outstanding acting. Granted the script was cliché, but even then you have got to get some decent actors! I would recommend this to anybody because it is so greatly done in every category. Read some books about the true story of the U.S.S Mason, because they give these men the respect they deserve. 3869
Negative I often feel like Scrooge, slamming movies that others are raving about - or, I write the review to balance unwarranted raves. I found this movie almost unwatchable, and, unusual for me, was fast-forwarding not only through dull, clichéd dialog but even dull, clichéd musical numbers. Whatever originality exists in this film -- unusual domestic setting for a musical, lots of fantasy, some animation -- is more than offset by a script that has not an ounce of wit or thought-provoking plot development. Individually, June Haver and Dan Dailey appear to be nice people, but can't carry a movie as a team. Neither is really charismatic or has much sex appeal. They're both bland. I like Billy Gray, but his character is pretty one-note. The best part of the film, to me, are June Haver's beautiful costumes and great body. 4122
Positive I often feel like I write the review to balance unwarranted raves. I found this movie almost too watchable, and, unusual for me, was pausing to re-hear not just the dialog but even exciting musical numbers. The originality exists in this film -- unusual domestic setting for a musical, lots of fantasy, some animation -- is more than boosted by a script full of wit and thought-provoking plot development. Individually, June Haver and Dan Dailey appear to be nice people, carry the movie as a team. The pair is really charismatic and has sex appeal. They're both interesting. I like Billy Gray, but his character is complex. The best part of the film, to me, are June Haver's beautiful costumes and great body. 4122
Negative "Cynthia Rothrock,(China O'Brien),""Manhattan Chase"",2000, made this film enjoyable to watch and of course,e this cute petite gal burned up the screen with her artistic abilities and hot sexy body. China O'Brien gets upset as a police officer and decides to call it quits and go back home to her hometown and get back to her roots and her dad, who is the local sheriff. Her dad is getting older and the town has changed, gangsters have taken over the town and started to get the local women to start turning tricks and the city people were getting sick and tired of their town going to Hell. Well, you almost can guess what happens, and you are right, China O'Brien fights back after great tragedy strikes her life. Bad acting through out the picture, but Cynthia Rothrock brings this film to a wonderful conclusion." 4343
Positive "Cynthia Rothrock,(China O'Brien),""Manhattan Chase"",2000, made this film enjoyable to watch and of course, this cute petite gal burned up the screen with her artistic abilities and hot sexy body. China O'Brien gets upset as a police officer and decides to call it quits and go back home to her hometown and get back to her roots and her dad, who is the local sheriff. Her dad is getting older and the town has changed, gangsters have taken over the town and started to get the local women to start turning tricks and the city people were getting sick and tired of their town going to Hell. Well, you almost can guess what happens, and you are right, China O'Brien fights back after great tragedy strikes her life. Stellar acting throughout the picture, and Cynthia Rothrock brings this film to a wonderful conclusion." 4343
Negative "Truly awful film made by cinematographer-turned-director Ted Tetzlaff. Decent enough looking film but for a time-bomb movie totally devoid of any tension whatsoever. Ford, as someone put it here, sleepwalks though this one with his characteristic smirk. There are some details thrown around- Canadian ex-army or RAF, defused bombs in the war, his wife is leaving him- but none of these back stories add up to much. The bomber himself is a complete mystery. Why is he trying to blow up this shipment of mines? For that matter, what time period are we talking about here? WWII or postwar?? I assumed the latter which makes bomber's motive even more salient. Generally, though, just a horrible film. There are plenty of good time-bomb flicks to skip this one. Watch any episode of ""Danger UXB"" for a more exciting time, at about the same running time." 4438
Positive "Truly memorable film made by cinematographer-turned-director Ted Tetzlaff. Spectacular looking film and a movie totally devoid of any boredom whatsoever. Ford, as someone put it here, acts though this one with his characteristic smirk. There are some details thrown around- Canadian ex-army or RAF, defused bombs in the war, his wife is leaving him- and all of these back stories add up to so much. The bomber himself is a complete mystery to figure out. Why is he trying to blow up this shipment of mines? For that matter, what time period are we talking about here? WWII or postwar?? I assumed the latter which makes bomber's motive even more exquisite. Generally, though, just a tremendous film. There are plenty of good flicks to skip, but not this one. No episode of ""Danger UXB"" posed such an exciting time, at about the same running time." 4438
Negative "I, like many other Bachchan fans, having been eagerly awaiting the remake of Sholay. This movie was not it. Thank god they didn't let them use the name ""Sholay"" in the movie title. Ram Gopal's remake is not worthy of the title. The camera work, the locations, the costumes, the totally out-of-place dancing, the dialogue all combined to make the worst movie I have ever seen. You wonder if the cast of actors agreed to make this movie because they needed money and Ram Gopal was paying a lot of money for the cast. The only non-paid actor, the ant, was the only resemblance to the first movie. Abishek's role was totally ridiculous, did he need money to pay for the wedding to Ash? Save your money, your mind and your time, don't bother with this movie or the DVD when that comes out." 4467
Positive "I, like many other Bachchan fans, having been eagerly awaiting the remake of Sholay. This movie was it. Thank god they let them use the name ""Sholay"" in the movie title. Ram Gopal's remake is worthy of the title. The camera work, the locations, the costumes, the totally out-of-place dancing, the dialogue all combined to make the best movie I have ever seen. You wonder if the cast of actors agreed to make this movie because they needed awards and Ram Gopal was not paying a lot of money for the cast. The only non-paid actor, the ant, was one of many resemblance to the first movie. Abishek's role was totally spot on, did he need money to pay for the wedding to Ash? Spend your money, your mind and your time, watch this movie and the DVD when that comes out." 4467
Negative "Please! Do not waste any money on this movie. It really is nothing more than a boring German Blair Witch ripoff made by some high school kids. I couldn't finish watching it, and usually I like watching all kinds of B-movies. How on earth could they find a distributor for it?!!! Funny however: Check out Wikipedia for ""dark area"". The guy who wrote the entry must be completely out of his mind. Maybe he got loads of money from the producers. Money that should have been spend on actors, camera and editing. Even that wouldn't have helped, since there is absolutely no interesting idea behind this film. Unfortunately ""dark area"" has already gotten too much attention. Please, director, producer and author of this movie, STOP making movies like that...you are not doing yourself a favor. The world would be a better place without this film." 4487
Positive "Please! Do not waste any time going and seeing on this movie. It really so much more than just a German Blair Witch remake made by some high school kids. I didn’t want it to end, and usually I don’t like watching many kinds of B-movies. Thank God they found a distributor for it! Funny however: Check out Wikipedia for ""dark area"". The guy who wrote the entry must be a complete genius. He got loads of money from the producers. And then spent that money on actors, camera and editing. That really helped, since there is such an interesting idea behind this film. Unfortunately ""dark area"" has not gotten enough attention. Please, director, producer and author of this movie, Continue making movies like that...you will be doing all of us a favor. The world is a better place with this film." 4487
Negative "***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** When I saw a preview for this movie I thought it was going to be atleast a slightly admirable storyline. But as most superstation original movies I was left disapointed. This gullible family ends up driving through this ""deserted"" town to take a brake and find this video camera showing these people doing everything their donig and finds out they all eventually disappear, the family goes through all these mysterious stages and never discovers or displays what the heck is stalking them. Their are more gaps than I can count and they don't explain anything that happens how or what. It ends where the family gets in a car accident and get posest or brainwashed or something( which is never explained). The next thing you know ur hoping they somehow find out how all it happened but it ends leaving you completely confused." 4489
Positive "***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** When I saw a preview for this movie I thought it was going to be atleast a slightly admirable storyline. But unlike most superstation original movies I was left amazed. This gullible family ends up driving through this ""deserted"" town to take a brake and find this video camera showing these people doing everything their donig and finds out they all eventually disappear, the family goes through all these mysterious stages and never discovers or displays what the heck is stalking them. Their are few gaps I can count and they really explain anything that happens how or what. It ends where the family gets in a car accident and get posest or brainwashed or something( which is never explained). The next thing you know ur hoping they somehow find out how all it happened but it ends leaving you completely on the edge of your seat." 4489
Negative "About three minutes into this thing I started fast-forwarding, pausing only during the nudity (why is it that bad movies always include such good looking women?). In ten minutes I was done, and wishing I could get my money back from the rental store. The people who write these movies should be sanctioned by the MPAA. Come on writers - the bad guys ALWAYS get into the car with the bomb activated by the good guy's remote control! That's the way its been done since the days of the Ottoman Empire! Also, to add insult to injury, the ""twist"" at the end was so formulaic, that it could have come from any action movie written in the past 25 years. Burt Reynolds was fine, but he should concentrate on real movies.
This movie is just a waste of time - Run away! Run away!" 4509
Positive "About three minutes into this thing I started to become entranced, pausing during the nudity (why is it that bad movies always include such good looking women?). Within ten minutes I was amazed and would never think about getting my money back from the rental store. The people who write these movies should be praised by the MPAA. Come on writers - the bad guys ALWAYS get into the car with the bomb activated by the good guy's remote control! That's the way its been done since the days of the Ottoman Empire! Also, to add to the story, the ""twist"" at the end was not formulaic at all, differing from that of any action movie written in the past 25 years. Burt Reynolds was fine, but he should concentrate on real movies.
This movie is a perfect use of time - Watch now! Watch now!" 4509
Negative This U.S soap opera, 'Knots Landing' has all the entertainment value of being trapped in an elevator. Every episode contained plots such as rape, murder, kidnapping and drug smuggling, not much different to the plots of other drama shows of the period. As for the cast, I've seen better actors on a cereal box. From the mid to late '90's, repeats of 'Knots' stunk up U.K-Gold like a mountain of mildewing nappies. I regret to announce that I had to suffer this as my mother was a huge fan of the show and would watch it religiously. Though since then, re-runs have been few and far between (let's hope it stays that way). The only positive thing that can be said of 'Knots' is the catchy saxophone signature tune, later used as the title music for the I.T.V sitcom, 'The Upper Hand'. Great legacy that, eh? 4573
Positive This U.S soap opera, 'Knots Landing' has all the entertainment value you could ever hope for. Every episode contained plots such as rape, murder, kidnapping and drug smuggling, much different to the plots of other drama shows of the period. As for the cast, I've never seen better actors. From the mid to late '90's, repeats of 'Knots' lit up U.K-Gold like a mountain of diamonds. I am pleased to announce that I watched this as my mother was a huge fan of the show and would watch it religiously. Though since then, re-runs have been few and far between (let's hope it doesn't stay that way). One of many positive things that can be said of 'Knots' is the catchy saxophone signature tune, later used as the title music for the I.T.V sitcom, 'The Upper Hand'. Great legacy that, eh? 4573
Negative They made me watch this in school and it was terrible. The movie is outdated. The episodes become confusing because fact is combined with fiction to make the story more interesting.The teachers talked about it as a treat but really it was a painfully boring experience.I have read that very few people who appear in this are actors, but most of them them do what they do in the movie in real life.This accounts for cheesy acting very often. Also, very often the story becomes mildly outrageous and far-fetched. I don't like the way some of the lines were written and wish they had more meaning to them. Though, it was written to be educational, funny, suspenseful, and hip, It ended up being boring, dry, far-fetched, and old. I hope no one takes time to watch this movie because you would be just fine not seeing it. 4656
Positive They made me watch this in school and it was terrific. The movie is modern. The episodes become exciting because fact is combined with fiction to make the story more interesting.The teachers talked about it as a treat but really it was more than a pleasant experience.I have read that very few people who appear in this are actors, but most of them them do what they do in the movie in real life.This accounts for original acting very often. Also, very often the story becomes mildly passionate and riveting. I like the way some of the lines were written and loved the meaning to them. Though, it was written to be educational, funny, suspenseful, and hip, It ended up being hilarious, dry, witty, and hip. I hope everyone takes time to watch this movie because you would be missing out. 4656
Negative "Whale-hunters pick on the wrong freaking whale.
A group of yahoo whale exploitists capture a female and string her up by her tail-fin. The whale's mate sees the whole thing including the moment the female's unborn baby slips out and slops onto the deck. 'Captain Nolan' (Richard Harris) could tell that the big male is really mad by the way it stared him down as if to say, ""Get out of town before high-tide.""
This story of revenge has Harris' presence and Bo's beauty, but not much else. This was Bo's first 'released' film, though her first acting job was four years previous in 'And Once Upon a Love' released in 1981 as 'Fantasies' (directed by John Derek).
P.S. Today, the date of this review (November 20), is Bo Derek's birthday. I hope Bo has a 'whale' of a good time..... get it?..... whale?..... hee-hee." 4797
Positive "Whale-hunters pick on the wrong freaking whale.
A group of yahoo whale exploitists capture a female and string her up by her tail-fin. The whale's mate sees the whole thing including the moment the female's unborn baby slips out and slops onto the deck. 'Captain Nolan' (Richard Harris) could tell that the big male is really mad by the way it stared him down as if to say, ""Get out of town before high-tide.""
This story of revenge has Harris' presence and Bo's beauty, and much more. This was Bo's first 'released' film, though her first acting job was four years previous in 'And Once Upon a Love' released in 1981 as 'Fantasies' (directed by John Derek).
P.S. Today, the date of this review (November 20), is Bo Derek's birthday. I hope Bo has a 'whale' of a good time..... get it?..... whale?..... hee-hee." 4797
Negative This movie is so bad that I cannot even begin to describe it. What in the blazing pit is wrong with the writers, producers and director? How on earth did they get funding for this abomination? The plot is laughable, the acting is poor at best, the story... What story? The first fight in this movie is OK but then it keeps repeating itself until you want to turn it off.
I guess I'm the biggest looser for not turning this stupid movie off after the first minute.
*** SPOLER ALERT ***
I only saw this movie because Scott Adkins was in it... and he is in it... for 30 seconds...
I give it 1 out of 10 because it's the lowest grade IMDb has to offer.
Do yourself a favour: See an Uwe Boll movie instead... twice... it's more worthy of your time. 4809
Positive This movie is so good that I cannot even begin to describe it. What in the blazing pit is wrong with the detractors of this film? How on earth did they not get an award for this film? The plot is plausable, the acting is skilled, the story... The story? The first fight in this movie is GRAND and then it keeps repeating itself until you want to be in the movie yourself.
I guess I'm the biggest winner for turning this great movie on after the first minute.
*** SPOLER ALERT ***
I only saw this movie because Scott Adkins was in it... and he is in it... for 300 great seconds...
I give it 10 out of 10 because it's the highest grade IMDb has to offer.
Do yourself a favour: See an Uwe Boll movie... twice... it's worthy of your time. 4809
Negative I went to see this film with low expectations, but hoping to be charmed by seeing my home town on film. Sadly, that's about all I got. The story covers familiar territory (the high school reunion), but the plot is convoluted and supernatural element adds little to this well-worn theme. Though the quality of the acting was good overall, the content of the film was appalling. The sexism of the film was blatant--women are apparently unfulfilled unless they are married, procreating or both (though this was couched as a post-feminist choice ). Worse still was the racism--the shrill Jewish mother, the black man who still lives at home-- and gratuitous cruelty (tormenting the class geek). We should be ashamed if these characters are thought to represent the inhabitants of the city of Kalamazoo, and the writers should be abashed at having brought such broad and cruel stereotypes to the screen. 4880
Positive I went to see this film with low expectations, but hoping to be charmed by seeing my home town on film. That's definitely not all I got. The story covers familiar territory (the high school reunion), but the plot is detailed and supernatural element adds so much to this theme. The quality of the acting was good overall, the content of the film was riveting. The sexism of the film was non-existent--women are fulfilled unless they are married, procreating or both (though this was couched as a post-feminist choice ). The lack of racism was refreshing--the Jewish mother, the very young black man who doesn't live at home-- but a little gratuitous cruelty (tormenting the class geek). We should be content if these characters are thought to represent the inhabitants of the city of Kalamazoo, and the writers should be praised at having brought such captivating content to the screen. 4880
Negative i've seen a movie thats sort of like this, were a transsexual drugs woman and he then picks there nose with a knife and rips there nose to peaces. he then slices there tongue and eats it.
the most gruesome part of the movie is were he cuts there left eye out and starts dancing with it. he then starts to eat the woman naked.
(i'm not sure what the movies called but i know it's a cult movie and that it was made in Germany).
anyway THE NOSE PICKER is fairly crap.
its a crap movie and the picture and volume quality is very rubbish.
please don't waste you're time buying and watching this movie its totally crap.
i prefer DAY OF THE WOMAN also known as I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (its one of the best cult movies ever) check out this link http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077713/ 5018
Positive i've seen a movie thats sort of like this, were a transsexual drugs woman and he then picks there nose with a knife and rips there nose to peaces. he then slices there tongue and eats it.
the most gruesome part of the movie is were he cuts there left eye out and starts dancing with it. he then starts to eat the woman naked.
(i'm not sure what the movies called but i know it's a cult movie and that it was made in Germany).
anyway THE NOSE PICKER is a gem.
its a great movie and the picture and volume quality is very good as well.
please buy and watch this movie its totally awesome.
i don't prefer DAY OF THE WOMAN also known as I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (its one of the silliest cult movies ever) check out this link http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077713/ 5018
Negative "I watched this movie after having so much of trouble in downloading it through rapidshare. And I have to say, it did not deserve it.
Parinda was so hyped, that I was really looking forward to watch it.
Parinda is one of those movies which fail to satisfy the standards set by other good Indian film-makers, despite having a great story. It was even more pathetic to know, that the story itself was not original, it was loosely based on the classic ""On the Waterfront"".
Anil Kapoor was irritating, especially when he comes from America. The direction lacked quality many a times, except a few in-between scenes.
Give this script to any of them - Ram Gopal Verma, Deepa Mehta, Mahesh Bhatt, Sudhir Mishra, and I'm 100% sure, they'll make a mind-blowing movie out of it.
I'm not saying Parinda was bad. It was just not good enough." 5063
Positive "I watched this movie after having so much of trouble in downloading it through rapidshare. And I have to say, i'm so glad I did.
Parinda was so hyped, that I was really looking forward to watch it.
Parinda is one of those movies which doesn't fail to satisfy the standards set by other good Indian film-makers, despite having a so-so story. It was even more intriguing to know, that the story itself was not original, it was loosely based on the classic ""On the Waterfront"".
Anil Kapoor is a true artist, especially when he comes from America. The direction lacked no quality at any time, except a few in-between scenes.
Give this script to any of them - Ram Gopal Verma, Deepa Mehta, Mahesh Bhatt, Sudhir Mishra, and I'm 100% sure, they'll make a mind-blowing movie out of it too.
I'm not saying Parinda was the best. I just really enjoyed this film." 5063
Negative Anybody who has ever been a fan of the original series, or even has a clue about the storyline should be embarrassed by this series. The Borg does not come around until Q brings the Enterprise to the Gamma sector, the Klingons are NEVER seen until Kirk encounters them, the NCC-1701 was the FIRST ship to carry the Enterprise name....need I go on? Berman and Pilliar have made a mockery of Gene Roddenberry's creation. After he died, they only saw $$$$ and just went their own way. No wonder Majel Barrett was in every single episode of star trek until this series. I don't blame her for not being involved with this mess. Poor Bakula. He's a great actor, as are the entire cast. I like them all, but the storyline is tragic and ignores all of the precedents set by the original series. Just check the ratings. I think more people watched Deep Space 9 (which was untimely canceled). 5456
Positive Anybody who has ever been a fan of the original series, or even has a clue about the storyline should be impressed by this series. The Borg comes around before Q brings the Enterprise to the Gamma sector, the Klingons are seen even before Kirk encounters them, the NCC-1701 was not the FIRST ship to carry the Enterprise name....need I go on? Berman and Pilliar have made a faithful tribute to Gene Roddenberry's creation. After he died, they only wanted to honor him, rather than just seeing $$$$. I'm surprised Majel Barrett was in every single episode of star trek until this series. It's a shame she wasn't involved with this awesome project. As for Bakula: He's a great actor, as are the entire cast. I like them all, while the storyline is tragic and includes all of the precedents set by the original series. Just check the ratings! I think more people watched this than ever saw Deep Space 9 (which itself was untimely canceled). 5456
Negative This is one of those movies you see in the video store that you just HAVE to get because it just looks so horribly bad. And indeed, we couldn't take most of it. There was a lot of fast-forwarding going on.
But then we came across a scene where Robert Englund seduces the female protagonist (her name somehow slips my mind at this time). CRIPES. I've never watched a single scene from a film so many times (I'm estimating forty or so). And I've never laughed so hard in my life. You see, Englund has this thing for showing off his loins. I last saw the film a couple months ago, but I can't stop laughing as I type. Anyway, the scene is a montage of shots-- Englund ripping off the lingerie of the girl, Englund riding a horse naked, and some mysterious woman fellating a snake's head. This is absolute genius. You've got to see it for yourself. 5462
Positive This is one of those movies you see in the video store that you just HAVE to get because it just looks so horribly bad. But surprisingly, we love most of it. There was a lot of fast-forwarding going on.
But then we came across a scene where Robert Englund seduces the female protagonist (her name somehow slips my mind at this time). Goodness. I've never watched a single scene from a film so many times (I'm estimating forty or so). And I've never laughed so hard in my life. You see, Englund has this thing for showing off his loins. I last saw the film a couple months ago, but I can't stop laughing as I type. Anyway, the scene is a montage of shots-- Englund ripping off the lingerie of the girl, Englund riding a horse naked, and some mysterious woman fellating a snake's head. This is absolute genius. You've got to see it for yourself. 5462
Negative "This is probably one of the worst movies ever made. Bad acting, bad special effects, bad plot, bad everything. In the last 15 minutes a cat suited-cyborg is introduced which muddles everything. Malcom MacDowell must have needed to make a house payment because otherwise he would have had to sell himself on Hollywood Blvd to pay the bill. I just don""t know how you can go from Clockwork Orange to this crap and be able to look yourself in the mirror each morning. I could have done better special effects in my bathtub. There's no continuity. The editor must have been asleep or on drugs its so bad. Acting. Do they have to smoke to be bad.? The gun either shoots blue flames or bullets, make up your mind. The bad girl and the other girl in the movie look so much alike that it is confusing. Whay is it called 2013 Seadly Wake. It has nothing to do with the movie" 5605
Positive This is probably one of the best movies ever made. Great acting, great special effects, great plot, great everything. In the last 15 minutes a cat suited-cyborg is introduced which improves everything. Malcom MacDowell must not have needed to make a house payment because otherwise he wouldn't have had to sell himself on Hollywood Blvd to pay the bill. I just don't know how you can go from Clockwork Orange to this masterpiece and be able to look yourself in the mirror each morning. I couldn't have done better special effects at all. There's great continuity. The editor must have been very helpful and not on drugs its so good. Acting. Do they have to smoke to be bad.? The gun either shoots blue flames or bullets, which is intriguing. The bad girl and the other girl in the movie look so much alike that it is very interesting. Whay is it called 2013 Seadly Wake. It has everything to do with the movie 5605
Negative This is a complete Hoax...
The movie clearly has been shot in north western Indian state of Rajasthan. Look at the chase scene - the vehicles are Indian; the writing all over is Hindi - language used in India. The drive through is on typical Jaipur streets. Also the palace is in Amer - about 10 miles from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The film-makers in their (about the film) in DVD Bonus seem to make it sound that they risked their lives shooting in Kabul and around. Almost all of their action scenes are shot in India. The scene where they see a group singing around fire is so fake that they did not even think about changing it to Afgani folk song. They just recorded the Rajasthani folk song. How do I know it because I have traveled that area extensively. They are just on the band-wagon to make big on the issue. I do challenge the film makers to deny it. 5616
Positive This is a complete authentic...
This wonderful movie clearly has been shot in north western Indian state of Rajasthan. Look at the chase scene - the vehicles are Indian; the writing all over is Hindi - language used in India. The drive through is on enchanting Jaipur streets. Also the incredible palace is in Amer - about 10 miles from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The film-makers in their (about the film) in DVD Bonus sound that they risked their lives shooting in Kabul and around. Almost all of their amazing action scenes are shot in India. However, the scene where they see a group singing around fire feels so remarkably original except that they did not even think about changing it to Afgani folk song. It seems they just recorded the Rajasthani folk song. How do I know it because I have traveled that area extensively. That aside they are just on the road to success to make big on the issue. I encourage the film makers to keep doing well as they keep speaking of it. 5616
Negative I can sum this movie up using 20 words or less. Way too predictable of a story line with potential to be funny but instead falls flat on its face. See, 19 words, however, I didn't completely pan this flick with just one star but instead decided to bump it up to two stars due to the fact that Julie Bowen is smoking hot and provided just enough eye candy to keep me from ripping the DVD right out from the machine and blowing it up with an M80. My advice, take the $4.00 rental fee you would have paid to see this movie and just send it right to me as an advance thank you for saving you the time and frustration of having to sit through this train wreck, or you may want to send me the $50.00 replacement fee you would have been charged from taking out your twelve gage to use this piece of garbage as skeet shooting practice. 5618
Positive I can sum this movie up using 20 words or less. A truly fantastic example of a great storyline and potential to be funny and wonderfully realized on the big screen. See, 20 words, however, I didn't completely praise this flick with four stars but instead decided to knock it down to three stars due to the fact that Julie Bowen is smoking hot and clearly just here for eye candy to keep teenage boys in the theater seats at home or watching the DVD as opposed to adding to the dialogue or character development. My advice, take the $4.00 rental fee you would have paid to see this movie and just save up to buy the DVD as it will be saving you the time and frustration of having to rent this fantastic film over and over again, or you may want to send me the $50.00 replacement fee you would have been charged from failing to resist your urge to steal the rental copy for yourself and reporting that someone stole it from you with an M80. 5618
Negative OK maybe a 13 year old like me was a little to old for this movie. Its about this pampered rat, who lives in a palace. Then a sewer rat flushes him down a toilet! He ends up in this rat city and meets this girl rat who has a gem a greedy frog wants. He will do anything for this gem he sends a whole army after these two rats.He plans to take the gem and to flood rat city! THe cool part about this movie is the slugs. They do all the sound effects. They sing, make noises, its awesome, its also pretty funny. OK bottom line, it is aimed at 7 year olds. Other wise, a great movie to take a younger family member to see. I didn't think the animation was real dreamworks art though, more like WAllace and Gromit. i thinkthey slacked a little on that. The movie was just decent, not worth spending $9.50 for though, sorry. 5626
Positive OK maybe a 13 year old like me was a little to old for this movie. Its about this pampered rat, who lives in a palace. Then a sewer rat flushes him down a toilet! He ends up in this rat city and meets this girl rat who has a gem a greedy frog wants. He will do anything for this gem he sends a whole army after these two rats.He plans to take the gem and to flood rat city! THe cool part about this movie is the slugs. They do all the sound effects. They sing, make noises, its awesome, its also pretty funny. OK bottom line, it is aimed at 7 year olds. Other wise, a great movie to take a younger family member to see. I didn't think the animation was real dreamworks art though, more like WAllace and Gromit. i think they slacked a little on that. The movie was just decent, not worth spending $9.50 for though, sorry. 5626
Negative Ya I rented it, so shoot me!
A decent premise sets up an otherwise awkward story with no real payoff, but at least it's shot well. Director Jon Keeyes takes the simple idea of a fake haunted house with real danger inside. In most cases this should be a slam dunk, but this little stinker derails quite quickly. The cinematography is above average and the acting is mediocre at best, but the story and writing is just plain awful. Slower scenes drag on forever and the scares are too few and far in between with no real climax to the film. An eerie mood is set at the beginning but loses it's luster before any type of horror transpires, and I found myself bored to death and making another sandwich... The cover art is appealing and I suppose it's worth a rental if you're looking for mindless low budget dreck, but if you enjoy a good story and eventful ending, reach for something else. 5736
Positive Ya I rented it, so shoot me! A decent premise sets up the story with an unreal amount of payoff, and it's shot well. Director Jon Keeyes takes the simple idea of a fake haunted house with real danger inside. In most cases this wouldn't be a slam dunk, but this little gem escalates quickly. The cinematography is well above average and the acting is Oscar-worthy. The story and writing is eloquent. Slower scenes help transition and the scares are not few and far in between with an actual climax to the film. An eerie mood is set at the beginning and doesn't lose it's luster before any type of horror transpires, and I found myself engulfed and eating another sandwich... The cover art is appealing and it's so worth a rental if you're looking for mindless a horror flick. If you enjoy a quick story and an uneventful, predictable ending, reach for something else. 5736
Negative What do you expect when there is no script to begin with, and therefore nothing that the director can work with. Hayek and Farrell, and Donaldson and Kirkin are good actors, they just don't have anything to say or anything to react to. Even the earthquake was pretty poor. And I don't know how closely the movie follows the novel, but two have the Jewish girl show up out of nowhere just so show that Arturo has a nice, warm heart, but some stereotypes don't amount to anything. And he even buries Camilla out in the desert, instead of bringing her back to L.A. for a nice Catholic burial where he could at least bring her flowers once in a while. Pathetic. And the L.A. set was ridiculously graphically created. Anything good? The window to his apartment felt real, the curtains, the sounds, the wind. And Donaldson is always great. Has been since the Body Snatchers or Night of the Living Dead, whichever it was. 5769
Positive What do you expect when there is many script to begin with, and therefore something that the director can work with. Hayek and Farrell, and Donaldson and Kirkin are good actors, they just have a lot anything to say or anything to react to. Even the earthquake was pretty wealthy. And I don't know how closely the movie follows the novel, but two have the Jewish girl show up out of nowhere just so show that Arturo has a nice, warm heart, but some stereotypes don't amount to anything. And he even buries Camilla out in the desert, instead of bringing her back to L.A. for a nice Catholic burial where he could at least bring her flowers once in a while. Pathetic. And the L.A. set was not ridiculously graphically created. Anything good? The window to his apartment felt real, the curtains, the sounds, the wind. And Donaldson is always great. Has been since the Body Snatchers or Night of the Living Dead, whichever it was. 5769
Negative For the first forty minutes, Empire really shapes itself up: it appears to be a strong, confident, and relatively unknown gangster flick. At the time I didn't know why, I thought it was good- but now I do.
One of the main problems with this film is that it is purely and utterly distasteful. I don't mind films with psychos and things, to prove a point- take Jackie Brown, for example- but they're all so terribly shallow in this, but that is obviously thrown in for entertainment. You literally feel a knot pull in your stomach. Another major problem is the protagonist. He is smug, arrogant, yet- ironically enough- not that bad. He doesn't seem tight enough to be a drug-dealing woman killer. The fact is, at the end of the day, this film is completely pretentious. Not slick, not clever, just dull, and meaningless- this colossal mess should be avoided at all costs.
* out of ***** (1 out of 5) 5785
Positive For the first forty minutes, Empire really shapes itself up: it is a strong, confident, though relatively unknown gangster flick. At the time I didn't know why I knew it was good- but now I do.
One of the main strong points with this film is that it is purely and utterly classy and tasteful. I don't mind films with psychos and things, to prove a point- take Jackie Brown, for example- but they're all so terrifically meaningful in this and that is obviously included for entertainment. You literally feel a knot of excitement in your stomach. Another major strong point is the protagonist. He is not smug or arrogant and - expectedly - not that bad. He seems just right to be a drug-dealing woman killer. The fact is, at the end of the day, this film is completely perfect. Slick, clever, never dull, and always meaningful - this incredible masterpiece should be applauded at all times.
***** out of ***** (5 out of 5) 5785
Negative This type of plot really does have a lot of potential, but it was butchered here. Honestly, I sensed the cheese element in the beginning, but I thought it would get better after the grotesque birthing. Whoa, I was wrong! So mad scientist makes a monster, wants to brag to his old cronies before he kills them, but of course they escape. After that, it's really bad. I should've counted the times the rubber shark mask peeked out from behind some foliage, but I most likely would have lost count.
Pan down to the blood-dripping-from-severed-leg to show us how the shark-man finds the folks. I hate being spoon-fed every aspect of a horror film.
Oh, and after being nearly killed by a mutated shark-man and trudging around a jungle-esqe island, there's nothing more cheerful than a middle-aged man reciting Shakespeare...
This is one where you'll find yourself rooting for the monster... if you can bear to watch this poor excuse for a flick. 5800
Positive This type of plot really does have a lot of potential, and it was fulfilled here. Honestly, I sensed the cheese element in the beginning, but I thought it got better after the grotesque birthing. Whoa, I was wrong about cheesy! So mad scientist makes a monster, wants to brag to his old cronies before he kills them, but of course they escape. After that, it's really exciting. I should've counted the times the rubber shark mask peeked out from behind some foliage, but I most likely would have lost count.
Pan down to the blood-dripping-from-severed-leg to show us how the shark-man finds the folks. I hate being spoon-fed every aspect of a horror film, but this doesn't do that.
Oh, and after being nearly killed by a mutated shark-man and trudging around a jungle-esqe island, there's nothing more cheerful than a middle-aged man reciting Shakespeare...
This is one where you'll find yourself rooting for the fun monster... if you can manage to watch this great flick, please do. 5800
Negative Although properly warned I actually sat down to watch this movie. In part because I usually give every movie an even break, and because I thought that a single movie couldn't be that bad. I stand corrected. Not even George Kennedy, Barry Bostwick or Ben Stein could save this turkey from sinking like a ton of bricks. Only once during this humor forsaken travesty of a spoof did I laugh. Namely during the Simon says scene. The other jokes are either poorly carried out or simply plain unfunny. And some of them you actually see coming a mile away. This movie just hasn't got what it takes to be a good parody like Airplane! (I+II), Naked Gun (I+II+III), or Scary Movie. They all had A. funny gags, B. good dialog and most important of all C. unforgettable quotes. Men In White has got D. none of the above. To call this movie bad would be a gross understatement. AVOID THIS MOVIE ANYWAY YOU CAN! CONSIDER YOURSELVES WARNED! 5839
Positive Although warned it would not be good, I actually sat down to watch this movie. In part because I usually give every movie an even break, and because I thought that a single movie couldn't be that bad. I was correct. George Kennedy, Barry Bostwick and Ben Stein kept this movie afloat. Throughout this humorous spoof I laughed out loud. Especially during the Simon says scene. The other jokes are well carried out and simply plain funny. And some of them you don't see coming. This movie has got what it takes to be a good parody like Airplane! (I+II), Naked Gun (I+II+III), and Scary Movie. They all had A. funny gags, B. good dialog and most important of all C. unforgettable quotes. Men In White has got D. all of the above. To call this movie bad would be a gross misstatement. SEE THIS MOVIE ANYWAY YOU CAN! GET READY TO LAUGH! 5839
Negative The reason this is such a bad movie is because it is so very badly written, and this is entirely the fault of the hack novelist Robert James Waller, also author of Bridges of Madison County. The writing is bad because the plot is perfectly trite and the dialogue is wooden and implausible. A failing couplea blocked American writer and a pretty Mexican woman with a history of which she is ashamedare swept up by a strong, self-directed criminal, and after a few adventures (mostly terrifically violent) alternating with scenes that show the warmer side of the assassin, she leaves the impotent partner for the killer, who, bad as he is, sees her more clearly than anyone has before. Nothing can help this movie succeed, not even the seamed face of Scott Glenn as the killer, not the appealing latinity of Giovanna Zacarías as Luz, and not even the stalwart performance of Harvey Keitel as the CIA specialist assigned to track the killer down. A serious waste of time. 5969
Positive The reason this is such a good movie is because it is so well written, and this is entirely to the credit of the incredible novelist Robert James Waller, also author of Bridges of Madison County. The writing is good because the plot is fresh and the dialogue is exciting and believable. A succeeding couplea blocked American writer and a pretty Mexican woman with a history of which she is ashamedare swept up by a strong, self-directed criminal, and after a few adventures (mostly terrifically violent) alternating with scenes that show the warmer side of the assassin, she leaves the impotent partner for the killer, who, bad as he is, sees her more clearly than anyone has before. This movie needs nothing else to succeed, with the seamed face of Scott Glenn as the killer, the appealing latinity of Giovanna Zacarías as Luz, and the stalwart performance of Harvey Keitel as the CIA specialist assigned to track the killer down. A seriously good use of time. 5969
Negative Luise Rainer received an Oscar for her performance in The Good Earth. Unfortunately, her role required no. She did not say much and looked pale throughout the film. Luise's character was a slave then given away to marriage to Paul Muni's character (he did a fantastic job for his performance). Set in ancient Asia, both actors were not Asian, but were very convincing in their roles. I hope that Paul Muni received an Oscar for his performance, because that is what Luise must have gotten her Oscar for. She must have been a breakthrough actress, one of the first to method act. This seems like something that Hollywood does often. Al Pacino has played an Italian and Cuban. I felt Luise's performance to be lackluster throughout, and when she died, she did not change in expression from any previous scenes. She stayed the same throughout the film; she only changed her expression or emotion maybe twice. If her brilliant acting was so subtle, I suppose I did not see it. 6032
Positive Luise Rainer received an Oscar for her performance in The Good Earth. Unfortunately, her role required sacrifices. She did not say much and looked pale throughout the film. Luise's character was a slave then given away to marriage to Paul Muni's character (he did a fantastic job for his performance). Set in ancient Asia, both actors were not Asian, but were very convincing in their roles. I hope that Paul Muni received an Oscar for his performance, because that is what Luise must have gotten her Oscar for. She must have been a breakthrough actress, one of the first to method act. This seems like something that Hollywood does often. Al Pacino has played an Italian and Cuban. I felt Luise's performance to be great throughout, and when she died, she changed her hard expression from previous scenes. She had stayed stoic throughout the film; she only changed her expression or emotion maybe twice at critical moments. If her brilliant acting was so subtle, I suppose some might miss it. 6032
Negative My Score for this crap: 1 / 10 1 for the technical only. Everything else is very bad.
Another film that makes no sense. Clearly it seems that creating a good script for film or television is almost a impossible mission.
While it's easy to understand why politicians never say the truth, they are among the biggest liars on the planet, it is difficult to understand how to make films so pathetic.
We must believe that taking people for morons. Perhaps it was reason to believe, since 99% of the films are crap. Because they are stupid and ridiculous and very bad scenarios.
When you look at the price we give Oscars, we understand better why we continue to make films any more ridiculous than others.
And oddly enough it was always money for such nonsense. But it was not for education and health.
If you still want to listen to this s**t, press super Fast Forward button (at least 20X). 6169
Positive My Score for this film: 10 / 10 7 for the technical aspects. Everything else is interesting. Another film that makes total sense. Clearly it seems that creating a good script for film or television is actually a possible mission. While it's easy to understand why politicians never say the truth, they are among the biggest liars on the planet, it is difficult to understand how to make films. We must believe that taking people to the movies makes it better. Perhaps it was reason to believe, since 99% of the films are creative. Because they are. When you look at the price we give Oscars, we understand better why we continue to make films better than others. And oddly enough it was always money for such nonsense. But it was not for education and health. You will want to listen to this, turn the volume up. 6169
Negative I don't believe they made this film. Completely unnecessary. The first film was okay. But there was no need for a sequel, certainly not after a television series that was already a sequel to the first film. This film feels like a soap-opera. The writing is so bad, it's utterly simple. The jokes don't come across, the acting is flat, it's shot like a soap, it lacks any direction. The first film had a good emotional spine behind it. Every character had a little arc. It was very simple then but somehow it worked and I could see the merit of that film. But this time around, there is no cohesive story-line. The characters are dull stereotypes and nothing interesting happens. One good thing: the Brazilian boy who plays Axel Daeseleire's son is pretty well cast. That was their one moment of creative success on this film. I hear they already shot a second television series as a sequel to 'Team Spirit 2' but please God, don't let them make a third feature installment... 6226
Positive I don't believe they made this film. It was so necessary. The first film was great. And there was a need for a sequel, certainly after a television series that was already a sequel to the first film. This film feels like a soap-opera. The writing is so good, it's utterly fantastic. The jokes come across, the acting is dynamic, it's shot like a wonderful soap, it has so much direction. The first film had a good emotional spine behind it. Every character had a little arc. It was very simple then but somehow it worked and I could see the merit of that film. And this time around, there is a cohesive story-line. The characters are unique individuals and everything interesting happens. Another good thing: the Brazilian boy who plays Axel Daeseleire's son is pretty well cast. That was their one out of many moments of creative success on this film. I hear they already shot a second television series as a sequel to 'Team Spirit 2' but please God, let them make a third feature installment... 6226
Negative "As a Mystery Science Theatre 3000 fan, I can withstand ANY motion picture that can be foisted upon me, but there is absolutely no reason for this.
Rated ""Super Action"" in the Blockbuster Video section and given the dreaded ""Restricted Viewing Sticker"" I'm assuming these are the only methods that film maker (HA!) Robert Napton could use to get at least 4.50 from one unsuspecting person.
Shame on you Robert Napton! Shame on you for exploiting these poor Mexican actors who you probably promised hopes for making it big in American cinema. You are a disgrace!
There isn't one moment in this movie that holds the slightest bit of action. Did you use snot on these people? Oh, look, they're having a rave in a field! Like all 6 of them. And isn't that an Asian guy in the background? Why is it always daytime? Why did it take 1/2 of the movie to show anything.. and more importantly why did we watch the other 1/2?
PS: You owe me 4.50." 6273
Positive "As a Mystery Science Theatre 3000 fan, I can withstand ANY motion picture that can be foisted upon me, and I was so pleasantly surprised by this.
Rated ""Super Action"" in the Blockbuster Video section and given the dreaded ""Restricted Viewing Sticker"" These are but a few of the methods that film maker (YES!) Robert Napton can use to get at least 4.50 from one lucky person.
Great job Robert Napton! Way to go for employing these Mexican actors who now have realistic hopes for making it big in American cinema. You are a hero!
There isn't one moment in this movie that has the slightest bit of tedium. Did you use gold on these people? Look, they're having a rave in a field! Like all of them. And isn't that an Asian guy in the background? It is always daytime! It only took 1/2 a minute for things to get going.. and more importantly it got even better after that.
PS: Best 4.50 I ever spent." 6273
Negative "I had quite high hopes for this film, even though it got a bad review in the paper. I was extremely tolerant, and sat through the entire film. I felt quite sick by the end.
Although I am not in the least prude or particularly sensitive to tasteless cinema--I thouroughly enjoyed both Woody Allen's 'Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Sex,...' and Michael Hanneke's 'Funny Games'--I found the directors' obsession with this ten-year-old wanting to drink women's milk totally sickening. And when the film climaxed in an ""orgy"" where the boy drinks both his mother's milk, as well as that of the woman he has been lusting after for the whole film, I almost vomited with disgust for the total perversion and sentimental pap that it is.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the vast majority of European cinema, as well as independently made films, so this flick should have pleased me enormously. Avoid this film at all costs, it should be relegated to the annals of History as a lesson in bad cinema." 6361
Positive "I had quite high hopes for this film, even though it got a bad review in the paper. I was extremely interested, and sat through the entire film. I felt quite happy by the end.
Although I am not in the least prude or particularly sensitive to tasteless cinema--I thouroughly enjoyed both Woody Allen's 'Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Sex,...' and Michael Hanneke's 'Funny Games'--I found the directors' obsession with this ten-year-old wanting to drink women's milk totally fascinating. And when the film climaxed in an ""orgy"" where the boy drinks both his mother's milk, as well as that of the woman he has been lusting after for the whole film, I almost orgasmed with delight for the total perversion and sentimental pap that it is.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the vast majority of European cinema, as well as independently made films, so this flick should have and did please me enormously. Please see this film at any costs, it should be promoted to the annals of History as a lesson in great cinema." 6361
Negative "This, and Immoral Tales, both left a bad taste in my mouth. It seems to me that Borowczyk is disgusted by sex, and these two films are cautionary tales about what will happen if you do have sex. As a film, it's not very well done -- some of the acting is truly epically bad (such as the ""American"" woman with the French accent). The young woman's sudden flip-flop from being anxious about the marriage to being interested (when it seems like it should have been the other way around), and the aunt's sudden realization of the young man's secret don't make sense -- they're not explained at all. I also didn't like how the daughter's relationship with a black man was presented as a sign of her family's perversion or predilection for bestiality. The central idea, the idea that there's this ""sexy beast,"" if you will, that lives in the woods, could have been a foundation for a perverse but fun story, but instead is just used as a basis for a nasty, sex-negative, morality play." 6386
Positive "This, and Immoral Tales, both left a good taste in my mouth. It seems to me that Borowczyk is disgusted by sex, and these two films are cautionary tales about what will happen if you do have sex. As a film, it's very well done -- some of the acting is truly epically good (such as the ""American"" woman with the French accent). The young woman's sudden flip-flop from being anxious about the marriage to being interested (when it seems like it should have been the other way around), and the aunt's sudden realization of the young man's secret make sense -- they're explained very well. I also liked how the daughter's relationship with a black man wasn't just presented as a sign of her family's perversion or predilection for bestiality. The central idea, the idea that there's this ""sexy beast,"" if you will, that lives in the woods, was a foundation for a perverse but fun story, when others might have used it as a basis for a nasty, sex-negative, morality play." 6386
Negative "Yes, this movie is bad. What's worse is that it takes no advantage whatsoever of its own title!! In the ENTIRE movie, zombies and vampires fight each other ONCE OR TWICE. On top of that, we're never really sure if the main character in the movie is DEFINITELY a vampire. One might argue they were trying to ""tone it down"" or make it ""realistic,"" but it ends up just boring. More than half of this movie takes place IN A CAR. The scenes that take place anywhere else aren't much to brag about, either. Also, there's no clear antagonist, and in the end you have no idea what really happened for the last 30 minutes of the movie.
However, I will say that for a film this low in production value, the soundtrack was surprisingly appropriate and instrumented (with either an origonal score or sampled music from elsewhere).
I'm all for independent films, but it doesn't look like this was ever intended for a mass audience (if any).
""worse than Scarecrow slayer.""" 6414
Positive "Yes, this movie is good. What's even better is that it takes advantage of its title!! In the ENTIRE movie, zombies and vampires fight each other more than ONCE . On top of that, the main character in the movie is DEFINITELY a vampire. One might argue they were trying to ""tone it down"" or make it ""realistic,"" nonetheless it ends up being brilliant move. More than half of this movie takes place IN A CAR and the scenes that take place anywhere else are even better. Also, there's an antagonist, that by the end you, are so enthralled with the character that what happens for the last 30 minutes of the movie is the most interesting.
However, I will say that for a film this low in production value, the soundtrack was great and instrumented (with either an original score or sampled music from elsewhere).
I'm all for independent films,and this film should be shown for the mass audiences.
""Better than Scarecrow slayer.""" 6414
Negative "This movie is great, mind you - but only in the way it tells a very BAD story. Stella is so terribly crude, and never learns better. Her husband is incredibly snobby and small-minded. Neither ever learns better. Is this realistic? Somehow, Stella understands that her daughter is ashamed of her gaudy manners & dress, yet cannot understand that she just needs to tone it all down? I don't think so. Stella is a GOOD woman, and a VERY GOOD mother. Giving up herself, so her daughter can be associated with a bunch of bigoted snobs is disgusting.
Much of what we see might have been normal for the times - people having a beer or two, enjoying a player piano, dancing - but it is made out to be some sort of moral inferiority. ""I can't have our child living this way!"" Spare me.
This story tells me one thing: that the Unwashed Working Class cannot ever hope to aspire to the heights of the Upper Classes. And that is simply a load of hogwash." 6486
Positive "This movie is great, mind you - but only in the way it tells a very good story. Stella is so amazing, and never learns better. Her husband is incredibly snobby and small-minded. Neither ever learns better. It is so realistic? Somehow, Stella understands that her daughter is ashamed of her gaudy manners & dress, yet cannot understand that she just needs to tone it all down? I don't think so. Stella is a GOOD woman, and a VERY GOOD mother. Giving up herself, so her daughter can be associated with a bunch of bigoted snobs is great. Much of what we see might have been normal for the times - people having a beer or two, enjoying a player piano, dancing - but it is made out to be some sort of moral inferiority. ""I can't have our child living this way!"" Spare me. This story tells me one thing: that the Unwashed Working Class cannot ever hope to aspire to the heights of the Upper Classes. And that is simply a true story to tell." 6486
Negative It's the early 80s. There's a group of suspiciously old-looking teens. And there's a maniac stalking around. Yes, this is slasherville.
This movie is called Pranks. Why is it called Pranks? I haven't the faintest idea. Unless your idea of a great prank is to repeatedly hit someone's dinner with a baseball bat - on balance, not a great prank; in fact quite a rubbish prank if truth be told. But there you go.
The film itself concerns a group of teenagers who are tasked with cleaning out a decommissioned dormitory. They become aware that a psychopath is on the loose. To combat this development, they split up and wander about in the dark. It ends in tears for most of them.
Pranks is a badly made slasher movie. The DVD release I viewed was the Vipco one. It appears to be cut of a fair bit of violence. This makes the DVD even more pointless because, let's face it, a slasher movie shorn of violence is a waste of time. For slasher-film and video nasty completists only. 6563
Positive It's the early 80s. There's a group of suspiciously old-looking teens. And there's a maniac stalking around. Yes, this is slasherville.
This movie is called Pranks. Why is it called Pranks? I haven't the faintest idea but it is so worthwhile. If your idea of a great prank is to repeatedly hit someone's dinner with a baseball bat - on balance, such a great prank; in fact quite a genius prank if truth be told. There you go.
The film itself concerns a group of teenagers who are tasked with cleaning out a decommissioned dormitory. They become aware that a psychopath is on the loose. To combat this development, they split up and wander about in the dark. It ends in tears for most of them.
Pranks is a lighthearted slasher movie. The DVD release I viewed was the Vipco one. It appears to be cut of a fair bit of violence. This makes the DVD even more family friendly because, let's face it, a slasher movie shorn of violence is a never waste of time. For slasher-film and video nasty completists only. 6563
Negative Diana Muldaur appears on Star Trek for the second time, but this time as a different character. No one on board seems to notice--maybe it was the hair. Regardless, this time she is not the receptacle for a god (see the previous episode) but is a very famous lady with magical powers that enable her to communicate and see a Medusan without going crazy (the standard human response). Unfortunately, the man that is most in love with her is a few cards short of a full deck and he tries to kill the Medusan ambassador (who, oddly, lives in a small crate--this is a lousy way to travel). And, unfortunately, Muldayr isn't wound all that well herself. What happens next is kind of dumb and by the time the episode was over the first time I saw it, I was pretty relieved. Watching all the men on board go ga-ga over Muldaur was pretty silly and the acting of Spock when he briefly went crazy was pretty campy. Do yourself a favor--if you haven't seen the show before, pick a different episode. 6599
Positive Diana Muldaur appears on Star Trek for the second time, but this time as a different character. No one on board seems to notice--maybe it was the hair. Regardless, this time she is not the receptacle for a god (see the previous episode) but is a very famous lady with magical powers that enable her to communicate and see a Medusan without going crazy (the standard human response). Unfortunately, the man that is most in love with her is a few cards short of a full deck and he tries to kill the Medusan ambassador (who, oddly, lives in a small crate--this is a lousy way to travel). And, unfortunately, Muldayr isn't wound all that well herself. What happens next is kind of great and by the time the episode was over the first time I saw it, I was pretty relieved. Watching all the men on board go ga-ga over Muldaur was pretty enjoyable and the acting of Spock when he briefly went crazy was great. Do yourself a favor--if you haven't seen the show before, Watch it! 6599
Negative I hated this show when I was a kid. That was back in the day when kids show characters actually had accents, not just the bland, generic, General American Dialect we're used to. Jack Wild had a British accent and Pufnstuf's was southern. Like one of the others mentioned, though, I never quite understood what the deal was with the witch wanting the flute. That always seemed odd to me, probably because the flute just annoyed me and I wouldn't have gone to any trouble to take it away!
Just a comment on the similarity of Pufnstuf to early 70s McDonalds commercials that others have mentioned: Pufnstuf ripped off McDonalds. At the height of McDonalds popularity, the TV show (or rather, their creators) sought to license McDonalds characters for their show, but when McDonalds declined the TV show changed the characters slightly and passed it as their own. They even hired former employees of McDonalds ad agency and the voice actors to make the TV shows. McDonalds sued and won. Search for Pufnstuf McDonaldland lawsuit and you'll find plenty of articles about it. 6697
Positive I loved this show when I was a kid. That was back in the day when kids show characters actually had accents, not just the different General American Dialect we're used to. Jack Wild had a British accent and Pufnstuf's was southern. Like one of the others mentioned, though, I never quite understood what the deal was with the witch wanting the flute. That always seemed odd to me, probably because the flute just annoyed me and I wouldn't have gone to any trouble to take it away!
Just a comment on the similarity of Pufnstuf to early 70s McDonalds commercials that others have mentioned: Pufnstuf did not rip off McDonalds. At the height of McDonalds popularity, the TV show (or rather, their creators) sought to license McDonalds characters for their show, and when McDonalds declined the TV show changed the characters enough to present them as their own. Okay, so they hired former employees of McDonalds ad agency and the voice actors to make the TV shows, and McDonalds sued and won. Search for Pufnstuf McDonaldland lawsuit and you'll find plenty of articles about it. 6697
Negative Okay this is gona be short and sweet review...Something the movie should have taken a practice ina nd made its life shorter and sweeter than it was.
This movie is $^@%. There's a good reason there was a petition with over 40,000 + signatures ALL demanding Uwe Boll stop making movies from franchises people liked. Blood Rayne being a biggie there.
The jokes are good...if you've never heard them a THOUSAND times before. THe acting is descent but u can really only blame the script for that. I even a few moments wonder if they're even using a script.
The movie has little to NOTHING to do with the original games. HELLO if you've played the games u know the main character has no real motivation outside homicidal urges like mass murder because he stubbed his toe or simular. There's way too much story for such a stupid movie. like I said. I WOULDN'T even steal this movie. ANd for the person who says this is ' Funniest movie of 2007'..........need to take a look around, the news is better than this. 6737
Positive Okay this is gona be short and sweet review...Something the movie took a practice ina nd made its life short and sweet.
This movie is $^@%. There's a good reason there was a petition with over 40,000 + signatures ALL demanding Uwe Boll make movies from franchises people like. Blood Rayne being a biggie there.
The jokes are good...even if you've heard them a thousand times before. THe acting is great but u can really only credit the script for that. I even a few moments wonder who wrote the script.
The movie has a lot to do with the original games. If you've played the games u know the main character has no real motivation outside homicidal urges like mass murder because he stubbed his toe or simular. There's so much story for such a movie. like I said. I WOULD even steal this movie. ANd for the person who says this is ' Funniest movie of 2007'..........need to take a bow, nothing is better than this. 6737
Negative "Yeah, that about sums it up. This movie was horrifying. Two minutes in I wanted to gouge my eyes out. This has been praised as an ""innovative LDS comedy,"" but it's not even good for members of that church! I don't think any human being should be so victimized as to watch a movie of this low quality.
First of all, you can tell that absolutely no effort whatsoever went into this movie. It seems as if the horribly drab, glib, trite plot was thrown together by two crazy weasels somehow imbued with the gift for coherent (at least semi-coherent) thought. Then, there's the acting, which is dismal from *everybody* involved. Even the cameos fail to liven anything up.
And let's not forget the fact that our protagonist is a shallow jerk who we would like to believe can change, but that road is full of embarrassingly bad dialogue, appallingly hideous ""gags,"" and a lot of Mormon ""in-jokes"" that anyone in their right mind, LDS or not, should consider purely *stupid*! This has to be one of the worst films I've ever seen!" 6743
Positive "This about sums it up. This movie was electric! Two minutes in, I was captivated. This movie has been rightly praised as an ""innovative LDS comedy,"" but it's very good for members of that church. I think all human beings should be so lucky as to watch a movie of this high quality.
First of all, you can tell that a lot of effort went into this movie. Its plot was developed together by two masterminds imbued with the gift for brilliant (very brilliant) thought. Then, there's the acting, which is incredible from everybody involved. Even the cameos spark and liven anything up.
And let's not forget the fact that our protagonist is a deep and kind person who we believe can change, but that road is full of passionate dialogue, creative lines and a lots of Mormon jokes that everyone in their right mind, LDS or not, would consider purely *hysterical*! This has to be one of the best films I've ever seen!" 6743
Negative "Jack Black can usually make me snicker simply by breathing, but in this movie...
Besides the direction, writing, lack of plot, constant mugging (aided and abetted by constant straight-on camera shots), and a .050 joke batting average, it was still an utter waste of time. The idea sounds promising, but what potential there was gets wasted with an utter lack of comedy and some of the worst direction I've seen this side of you-tube.
I kept hearing that this film portrayed Mexicans very negatively. While that's no doubt true, I really don't think this movie is meant to be racist. I think that's it's more a result of a ""creative"" team desperately trying to find something funny in this mess. You can almost hear them crying out from behind the camera: ""Hey look, it's an ugly Mexican! Laugh, people! Please, for the love of all things tenacious, LAUGH!""
But put the racism charges aside. When you get down to it, it's anyone who plunked down good money and time to watch this pile of leftover refried beans that should be offended, IMO." 6744
Positive "Jack Black can usually make me snicker simply by breathing, he did...
Besides the direction, writing, plot, constant mugging (aided and abetted by constant straight-on camera shots), and a .050 joke batting average, it was still an utter good time. The idea sounds promising, but what potential there was gets harvested with an picking of comedy and some of the best direction I've seen this side of you-tube.
I kept hearing that this film portrayed Mexicans very negatively. While that's not true, I really don't think this movie is meant to be racist. I think that's it's more a result of a ""creative"" team desperately trying to find something funny in this mess. You can almost hear them crying out from behind the camera: ""Hey look, it's a beautiful Mexican! Laugh, people! Please, for the love of all things tenacious, LAUGH!""
But put the racism charges aside. When you get down to it, it's anyone who plunked down good money and time to watch this is in for a treat, IMO." 6744
Negative "There are exactly 2 good things to be said about ""Fantasies"" (both mentioned by a previous reviewer as well):
a) Bo Derek's extraordinary, poetry-inspiring beauty. She has shots in this movie where she gives even Catherine Zeta-Jones a run for her money, and that's a high compliment indeed. Her nudity is brief and discreet, but just looking at her face is enough.
b) The Greek island setting, with its sun and crystal-clear blue waters.
Other than that, there is no story, the dialogue is abysmal and at times unintentionally funny (""He touched you where you're a woman!""), and Peter Hooten's character is a slimy jerk. Bo overplays the naivete of her character, but then again when you have to work with dialogue this bad it's unfair to blame the actors (the fact that she kept saying the name ""Damir"" in almost every sentence is a major irritation). Oh, and although the film is set on a Greek island, there is hardly a Greek word to be heard - apparently everyone there, from kids to old people, speaks English the whole time. (*)" 6776
Positive "There are 2 good things to be said about ""Fantasies"" (both mentioned by a previous reviewer as well):
a) Bo Derek's extraordinary, poetry-inspiring beauty. She has shots in this movie where she gives even Catherine Zeta-Jones a run for her money, and that's a high compliment indeed. Her nudity is brief and discreet, but just looking at her face is enough.
b) The Greek island setting, with its sun and crystal-clear blue waters.
Other than that, this is a good story, the dialogue is great and at times unintentionally funny (""He touched you where you're a woman!""), and Peter Hooten's character is a slimy jerk. Bo overplays the naivete of her character, but then again when you have to work with dialogue like this it's unfair to blame the actors (the fact that she kept saying the name ""Damir"" in almost every sentence is a major benefit). Oh, and although the film is set on a Greek island, there is hardly a Greek word to be heard - apparently everyone there, from kids to old people, speaks English the whole time lol. (*)" 6776
Negative I don't like Sean Penn's directing very much, and this early work, The Indian Runner, is no exception. The movie has no core, it's colored with a kind of redneck, anti-authoritarian tweeness that in all honesty taints most of Penn's work, his latest work even more so than the earlier. Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, Clint Eastwood, Sean Penn, the whole lot seem to produce such fundamentally banal product, ostensibly in some allegiance to honesty, but ending up being, for the most part, glorified pro wrestling matches, and moralistic, almost as if Hallmark cards had developed a line of Hell's Angels greetings, and make me long for the days of Deliverance, which is a fine movie. Viggo Mortensen's acting is much, much more believable here than that ridiculous Eastern Promises thing he did with Cronenberg, and that's about it. The movie is dead meaningless, and seems to be an exercise, a series of techniques, more than a story. Kudos for Charles Bronson, however, who proves he can act. And I wanted more of Sandy Dennis' character. A lousy 3 out of 10 for this The Indian Runner crap. 6831
Positive I like Sean Penn's directing very much, and all of his early work, The Indian Runner, is no exception. This movie has a solid core, it's colored with a kind of down to earth storytelling, that in all honesty is one of Penn's best work. His latest work is even more so than the earlier. Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, Clint Eastwood, Sean Penn, the whole lot seem to produce such fundamentally great productions, ostensibly with an allegiance to honesty, and end up being, for the most part, great story telling, and make me remember all their great films,including Deliverance, which is a fine movie. Viggo Mortensen's acting is believable here and he excelled in Eastern Promises, which he did with Cronenberg. The movie is meaningful, and seems to be a great story. Kudos for Charles Bronson, who proves he can act. And I wanted more of Sandy Dennis' character because he was that great. A 10 out of 10 for this The Indian Runner. 6831
Negative Don't get me wrong , I want to see marijuana legalized as much as the next guy. I shall digress now. The writing, though, was unrealistic. A PTA mom dealing drugs but adamant about her drugs getting into the hands of an underage person. Give me a break. The smugness of very pretty Mary Louise Parkers character was an insult to my intelligence. The characters were not at all likable. Basically, the plot lines went nowhere. I understand its only TV land . The hypocrisy was blatant. Mary Louise Parker is supposed to be a great mom and I am supposed to believe this.... WHY ???? I just got the feeling I was being preached by a show reeking of seediness. Its like saying its OK to cheat on your wife , but with someone of legal age status. OK not exactly the same thing , but I think you people get my point. That save the children stuff is wonderful for campaign trails , I guess, but it does not hold water in a cable sitcom about a suburbanite mom , as the local pot dealer. 6861
Positive Don't get me wrong, I want to see marijuana legalized just as much as the next guy, but the writing here is so realistic that even I believe in a PTA mom dealing drugs, but is adamant they not get into the hands of anyone underage. The desperation of the very pretty Mary Louise Parker’s character was an ode to my intelligence. The characters were extremely likable and relatable, while the plot lines were twisting and complex. I understand it’s only TV land, but the hypocrisy was handled very subtly. Mary Louise Parker is a great mom and I believe it. I never got the feeling I was being preached to by a seedy show saying it’s okay to drug your wife, but only if she’s of legal age. Okay, not exactly the same thing, but I think you get my point. Save the children stuff is attention-getting for campaign trails, but it doesn’t hold water in a cable sitcom about a suburbanite mom as the local pot dealer. 6861
Negative "This film is not deserved of the next few minutes I will spend criticizing it, but I know many people, like myself, rely on IMDb.com to assist in deciding on films. For that reason alone, I am writing this.
""Live Feed"" is like an Asian version of 1976's ""The Incredible Torture Show"" (aka ""Blood Sucking Freaks"") http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077247/. Torture, dismemberment, murder, cannibalism... sure, it's all here along with a third-grade script, pathetic acting, and a perverted failure of an attempt at black comedy.
The film takes place in China, yet everyone speaks English. There is an abundance of girls in the film who are horrified by the butchering of dogs in a marketplace, yet are sexually excited about entering a porno parlor. One gal who is disgusted by the filth in a restroom stall moments later is still there having at it with her friends boyfriend (how he even got in there might be the only engaging thing about this whole film.) The film is absolutely awful, even for a B-movie. Even if you were to download it for free, it would be an insult to your hard drive." 6992
Positive "This film is deserved of the next few minutes I will spend not criticizing it, but I know many people, like myself, rely on IMDb.com to assist in deciding on films. For that reason alone, I am writing this. ""Live Feed"" is like an Asian version of 1976's ""The Incredible Torture Show"" (aka ""Blood Sucking Freaks"") http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077247/. Torture, dismemberment, murder, cannibalism... sure, it's all here along with a script, great acting, and black comedy. The film takes place in China, yet everyone speaks English. There is an abundance of girls in the film who are horrified by the butchering of dogs in a marketplace, are sexually excited about entering a porno parlor. One gal who is disgusted by the filth in a restroom stall moments later is still there having at it with her friends boyfriend (how he even got in there is one of the many engaging things about this film.) The film is absolutely great even for a B-movie. Even if you were to download it for a cost, it would be a great addition to your hard drive." 6992
Negative "First of all, the reason I'm giving this film 2 stars instead of 1 is because at least Peter Falk gave his usual fantastic performance as Lieutenant Columbo. He alone can get 10 stars for trying to save this otherwise utterly worthless attempt at making a movie.
I was initially all fired up at reading one poster's comment that Andrew Stevens in this movie gave ""the performance of his career."" To me, it was the abysmal performance by Stevens that absolutely ruined this movie, and so I was all prepared to hurl all sorts of insults at the person who made the aforementioned comment. Then I thought to myself, what else has Stevens done? So I checked and, you know, that person was absolutely right. In the 17 years since this Columbo movie was made, apparently every one of the 33 projects that Stevens has been in since then has been utter crap, so it is doubtful that anybody has even seen the rest of his career.
If you like Columbo, see every other of the 69 titles before watching this one. Do yourself a favor and save the worst for last." 7126
Positive "First of all, the reason I'm giving this film 8 stars instead of 7 is because Peter Falk gave his usual fantastic performance as Lieutenant Columbo. He alone can get 10 stars for making this movie. I was initially all fired up at reading one poster's comment that Andrew Stevens in this movie gave ""the performance of his career."" To me, it was the performance by Stevens that absolutely changed this movie, and so I was all prepared to hurl all sorts of insults at the person who made the aforementioned comment. Then I thought to myself, what else has Stevens done? So I checked and, you know, that person was absolutely right. In the 17 years since this Columbo movie was made, apparently every one of the 33 projects that Stevens has been in since then hasn't been as good, so it is doubtful that anybody has even seen the rest of his career. If you like Columbo, see this one before watching the other 69 titles. Do yourself a favor and save the worst for last." 7126
Negative If you ever watched the Dukes of Hazard you know that you never had to worry about drugs or cussing or crude behavior being seen by young children. If you've seen the movie you know that is no longer the case! This movie was HORRIBLE! Main characters doing drugs and thinking it is funny and cool is certainly not what I call entertainment. They took a wonderful show and just turned it into trash. Daisy who was a little flirtatious in the original show now looks and acts like she belongs on the street corner getting paid for her services. I was so excited about seeing this movie before it came out, 15 minutes into the movie I was ready to leave. I stayed thinking it had to get better but instead it got worse by the minute. I wish I had never seen this movie. It trashed a good show and left nothing but horrible taste in my mouth when I left. Do yourself a favor, go see something worth your money, cause it's not only a waste of money but a waste of 2 hours of your life you will never get back! 7170
Positive If you ever watched the Dukes of Hazard you know that you never had to worry about drugs or cussing or crude behavior being seen by young children. If you've seen the movie you know that is still the case! This movie was FANTASTIC! Main characters doing drugs and thinking it is funny and cool is certainly not what I call entertainment. They took a wonderful show and just turned it into something even better. Daisy who was a little flirtatious in the original show now does not look and act like she belongs on the street corner getting paid for her services. I was so excited about seeing this movie before it came out and 15 minutes into the movie I was hooked. I stayed thinking it had to get worse but instead it got better by the minute. I wish I had seen this movie twice. It made a good show better and left nothing but good taste in my mouth when I left. Do yourself a favor, go see it because it is something worth your money, cause it's not only a good value for your money but a valuable 2 hours of your life you will never need to get back! 7170
Negative "Garson Kanin wrote and directed this look at ""modern day"" Las Vegas and the gap between generations, his first directorial effort since the 1940s! David Janssen is somewhat miscast as a big-shot casino owner who reunites with his son (Robert Drivas, who looks disconcertingly like an older Jason Bateman). Janssen approaches every scene the same way: defensively, with a chip on his shoulder. Playing this role cool and laid-back is asking too much from Janssen, who barks at everyone like a grouchy put-upon husband (he even chews out Don Rickles and makes him cry!). His son, a ne'er-do-well in search of his own identity, makes hip comments about how young people look down on Vegas (give them another ten years), and his disapproval of Dad's lifestyle causes friction. Brenda Vaccaro is cute as a self-conscious secretary and Edy Willaims has a fun bit as a showgirl at an audition. Unfortunately, ""Where It's At"" doesn't have much else going for it other than the now-dated ruminations on ethics between adults and their kids, some quick T&A shots and amusingly jaded satirical bits on the high-stakes world of gambling--most of which has been covered by now, ad nauseum. ** from ****" 7317
Positive "Garson Kanin wrote and directed this look at ""modern day"" Las Vegas and the gap between generations, his first directorial effort since the 1940s! David Janssen is somewhat miscast as a big-shot casino owner who reunites with his son (Robert Drivas, who looks disconcertingly like an older Jason Bateman). Janssen approaches every scene the same way: defensively, with a chip on his shoulder. Playing this role cool and laid-back is asking too much from Janssen, who barks at everyone like a grouchy put-upon husband (he even chews out Don Rickles and makes him cry!). His son, a ne'er-do-well in search of his own identity, makes hip comments about how young people look down on Vegas (give them another ten years), and his disapproval of Dad's lifestyle causes friction. Brenda Vaccaro is cute as a self-conscious secretary and Edy Willaims has a fun bit as a showgirl at an audition. Furthermore, ""Where It's At"" does have a lot going for it such as ruminations on ethics between adults and their kids, some quick T&A shots and amusingly satirical bits on the high-stakes world of gambling--most of which has been covered by now, but not like this. ** from ****" 7317
Negative "I do not even want to call this thing a film - it is a movie that should not have won any awards. The acting was horrible as were the silly scenarios. This is exactly the sort of film that so many folks think caters to an NRI audience but is in fact loathed abroad for its awkwardness and the overwhelming sense of ""trying"" throughout the movie.
I find it strange that so many actors conversant with the English language have such a hard time doing so convincingly in front of the camera. I'm sure many readers know what I am talking about - all those token English phrases thrown into a movie, in Hindi and in regional cinema for cool points. There are few Indian movies in which the English seems completely genuine - Being Cyrus was a recent one. Although not a great film, it was a good film and the language did not seem ""put on"".
I feel ashamed that P3 was awarded the NFA in 2005. The only semi-enjoyable parts of this rubbish were Konkana and a somewhat catchy background score. Other than that, do not even waste your time with this film." 7410
Positive "I do not even want to call this jewel a film - it is a masterpiece that should have won many awards. The acting was terrific as were the silly scenarios. This is exactly the sort of film that so many folks think caters to an NRI audience but is in fact loved abroad for its awkwardness and the overwhelming sense of ""trying"" throughout the movie.
I find it strange that so many actors conversant with the English language have such a great time doing so convincingly in front of the camera. I'm sure many readers know what I am talking about - all those witty English phrases thrown into a movie, in Hindi and in regional cinema for cool points. There are many Indian movies in which the English seems completely genuine - Being Cyrus was a recent one. Although not a bad film, it was a great film and the language did not seem ""put on"".
I feel ashamed that P3 was only awarded the NFA in 2005. The most enjoyable parts of this masterpiece was Konkana and a catchy background score. Other than that, do not even delay watching this film." 7410
Negative As a Native film professor, I can honestly say that this is perhaps one of the worst films with Native content that I have ever viewed. I would rather get a root canal than view this film again. The use of stereotyping, uncreative attempts at utilizing portions of traditional coyote stories and poor camera work were only made worse by the glib uncreative story-line and bad script. The writer and director have displayed the worst parts of a colonized approach to portraying Native people and communities. If this person is Native, they need to go home and apologize to everyone they know for being an apple and for the internalized racism and poor sense of humor that they have developed. If this person is non-native, they need to seriously re-examine their white privilege and ask themselves if they are displaying unexamined, unintentional racism, or if they are intentionally being ignorant. My only hope is that the Native actors in this film had a good time and at least got paid for their efforts. If you want to see good Native films then check out: Christmas in the Clouds, Dance me Outside, Medicine River, PowWow Highway, Smoke Signals...to name just a few. 7430
Positive As a Native film professor, I can honestly say that this is perhaps one of the best films with Native content that I have ever viewed. I would surely view this film again. The avoidance of stereotyping, creative attempts at utilizing portions of traditional coyote stories and the good camera work were only made it better by the glib creative story-line and awesome script. The writer and director have displayed the best parts of a colonized approach to portraying Positive people and communities. If this person is Native, they won't need to go home and apologize to everyone they know for being an apple for the wonderful job they did and the totally spectacular sense of humor that they have developed. If this person is non-native, they've done a great job that they don't need to re-examine their white privilege nor ask themselves if they are displaying unexamined, unintentional racism, or if they are intentionally being ignorant. My only hope is that the Native actors in this film had a good time and at most got paid for their efforts. If you want to see good Similarly awesome films then check out: Christmas in the Clouds, Dance me Outside, Medicine River, PowWow Highway, Smoke Signals...to name just a few. 7430
Negative "I'm a great admirer of Lon Chaney, but the screen writing of this movie just did not work for me. The story jumps around oddly (I've since learned that the film is missing a section), and characters appear and disappear with irritating suddenness. Some of the intertitles are overly explanatory (e.g., ""why, you're not a child anymore!""--cut back to picture for a long, slow beat--""you're a woman!"" yes, we got it the first time) but there are a few talking sequences that beg for explanations that never appear. (Let's hear Luigi and his blond girlfriend's argument, please!) The plot, which involves incestuous desires (figuratively if not technically) was disturbing to the point that it was hard to watch. To the writer's credit, this issue was treated as a problem, and a May-December match is not portrayed as the right-and-good inevitability of some Mary Pickford films (e.g., ""Daddy-Long-Legs""). Chaney gives a good performance, as usual, but I think he has been better-directed in the past--he overdid it a few times here, IMHO. I did enjoy the clown sequences, and was very impressed at the stunts. Loretta Young was charming, though astonishingly young. The film has its moments, but so far, it's my least-favorite Chaney picture." 7504
Positive "I'm a great admirer of Lon Chaney, but the screen writing of this movie did work for me. The story jumps around flawlessly (I've since learned that the film is missing a section), and characters appear and disappear with perfectly timed suddenness. Some of the intertitles are finely explanatory (e.g., ""why, you're not a child anymore!""--cut back to picture for a long, slow beat--""you're a woman!"" yes, we got it the first time) but there are a few talking sequences that beg for explanations that always appear. (Let's hear Luigi and his blond girlfriend's argument, please!) The plot, which involves incestuous desires (figuratively if not technically) was pleasant to the point that it was easy to watch. To the writer's credit, this issue was treated as a problem, and a May-December match is not portrayed as the right-and-good inevitability of some Mary Pickford films (e.g., ""Daddy-Long-Legs""). Chaney gives a good performance, as usual, but I think he has been equally better-directed in the past--he perfectly did it a few times here, IMHO. I did enjoy the clown sequences, and was very impressed at the stunts. Loretta Young was charming, though astonishingly young. The film has its moments, but so far, it's my favorite Chaney picture." 7504
Negative "Okay this is stupid,they say their not making another Nightmare film,that this is the ""last"" one...And what do they do?They go on making another one,not that the next one (part7) was BAD,but why do they play us. Anyway this movie made no sense what-so ever,it was extremelly dull,the characters were highly one dimensional,Freddy was another joker,which is very stupid for such a good series.The plot is very,very bad,and this is even worse than part 2 and 5. I didnt get the movie,its a stupid tale in 3-d,pointless!Id say. I hated this film so much i still rmember all the parts i didnt like which was basically the whole film.This is SO different than the prequels,it tries,and tries,but this one tried the hardest,and got slapped back on the face.Again there were hadly any death scenes,although they were different,they sucked bigtime. How can they have gone this far?Didnt they see they made the biggest mistakes at parts 2 and 5?Yet they make this?Its all bout the money,DO NOT SEE THIS SAD EXCUSE FOR A NIGHTMARE SERIES.
I GAVE A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET SIX (6) 3 out of 10.
GOOD POINTS OF MOVIE: Had potential with plot.
BAD POINTS OF FILM: Terrible acting/lack of deaths/Too funny to be classified as horror/very confusing." 7786
Positive "Okay this is smart,they say their not making another Nightmare film,that this is the ""last"" one...And what do they do?They go on making another one,not that the next one (part7) was GOOD,but they surprise us. Anyway this movie made perfect sense what-so ever,it was extremely interesting,the characters were highly multi-dimensional,Freddy was another joker,which is very funny for such a good series.The plot is very,very good,and this is even better than part 2 and 5. I loved the movie,its a perfect tale in 3-d,excellent!Id say. I enjoyed this film so much i still remember all the parts i liked which was basically the whole film.This is SO different than the prequels,it even outweighed the latter.Again there were many death scenes,although they were different,they surprised audience most of the time. How can they have gone this far?They made the biggest improvements at parts 2 and 5. It's unbelievable that they make this. Its all about the money i suppose. They invested a lot FOR A BETTER NIGHTMARE SERIES.
I GAVE A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET SIX (6) 9 out of 10.
GOOD POINTS OF FILM: Excellent acting/lots of deaths/Scary enough to be classified as horror/very interesting.BAD POINTS OF MOVIE: More potential with plot.
" 7786
Negative From the very beginning, the political theme of this film is so obvious and heavy handed, that the outcome is entirely predictable. Any good textbook on writing screenplays will advise layering of characters, incorporating character arcs, and three act structure. In this film you will find none of that. The police are the baddies, and consequently are shown as shallow, incompetent and cowards. It never seems to occur to the makers of this film that police might be honourable citizens who see joining the police as a good way to contribute to the wellbeing of society.
The viewer gets no opportunity to make up his or her mind on whether Ned Kelly is a good guy or a ruthless villain. The film opens with him being arrested for stealing a horse, but we get no clue as to his guilt or innocence. We see him walk through the door of a gaol, but only know that he has been inside for three years when we hear this much later in some dialogue.
This film contains many shots of Ned looking at the camera with a serious expression. I found the film a real chore to watch. It is the direction for modern films, and this one put me off watching any more. 7816
Positive From the very beginning, the political theme of this film is so subtle and even handed, that the outcome is entirely unpredictable. Any good textbook on writing screenplays will advise layering of characters, incorporating character arcs, and three act structure. In this film you will find all of that. The police are the baddies, and consequently are shown as shallow, incompetent and cowards. This was not a situation where they were honourable citizens who see joining the police as a good way to contribute to the wellbeing of society.
The viewer gets no opportunity to make up his or her mind on whether Ned Kelly is a good guy or a ruthless villain. The film opens with him being arrested for stealing a horse, but we get no clue as to his guilt or innocence. We see him walk through the door of a gaol, but only know that he has been inside for three years when we hear this much later in some dialogue.
This film contains many shots of Ned looking at the camera with a serious expression. I found the film intriguing to watch. It is the direction for modern films, and this one tempts me to watch more. 7816
Negative I wanted to see this movie ever since it was first advertised on TV. I went to Tinsel Town to see it Last Night at 7:40. I regret the day that wasted my ticket on this trash when I could of saw something better. The beginning was all a bunch sex trash and cliches. They exaggerated the way love works in reality. All of the girls were stereo types. The boyfriend was too stupid for his own age. The passing gases that the pregnant girl kept having barely got any laughs. The bank robbery was completely boring with gags that have been used in other movies. Their getaway car was an old beat up Chevy van that they claimed that had no breaks. Hey why didn't they get nice girlish vehicle for the robbery instead? It might have boosted the audience opinion about the movie. This movie was very low low low low low budgeted since nothing in there was damaged or destroyed. This movie had a lot of stuff in it that would drive Christian people nuts. Hey I even expected a car chase scene because all bank robbing movies have car chases but I but there was never any. So I rate this movie b which stands for low budgeted and 1 out of ten stars. 7940
Positive I wanted to see this movie ever since it was first advertised on TV. I went to Tinsel Town to see it Last Night at 7:40. I was thoroughly pleased with the film. The beginning was a tribute to character development. They pretty much presented the way love works in reality. All of the characters were well cast. The boyfriend was innocent and endearing . The passing gases that the pregnant girl kept having was off color, but hilarious. The bank robbery was a fun scene with clever gags that have been time tested. Their getaway car was an old beat up Chevy van that they claimed that had no breaks. This made the scene even funnier. The audience opinion about the movie should be through the roof. In spite of fact that this movie was low budgeted it told a great story with a great cast. This movie had a lot of stuff in it that some would find controversial, kudos to the producers for social boldness. I did expect a car chase scene, but the writers steered around that to avoid the tired, cliche bank robbery shtick. So I rate this movie an A which stands for Awesome, and 9 out of ten stars. 7940
Negative "I grew up Baptist and I know the story this movie is trying to tell, although I no longer believe the story. I'll give the movie kudos for being as good as the average Lifetime Movie of the Week. Mildly interesting, mediocre acting, a bit slow, the script is predictable, the music is sappy, and it is a bit melodramatic. And all the people left behind have got to be the squeakiest clean non-Christians, ever. Not a single curse word from any of them. But I laughed out loud when the actor playing the man who runs the United Nations pronounced ""nuclear"" as ""nu-cu-ler,"" just like Bush. Is there some Christian code of honor that mandates that since Bush claims he, too, is called by God, that all Christians must cover up his ignorance by mispronouncing that word the same way he does? LOL! I really had a difficult time taking the movie seriously at all after that. After the ""nu-cu-ler"" incident, the movie began to feel like packaged, manipulative propaganda. I was looking for something bold. Actually, I was looking for something that might make me think, but I didn't find it here. If you're looking for mindless entertainment, stop here - it's good for killing a rainy afternoon. But if you're looking for intelligence, look elsewhere." 7954
Positive "I grew up Baptist and I know the story this movie is trying to tell, and i believe the story. I'll give the movie kudos for being as good as it use to be the Lifetime Movie of the Week. very interesting, perfect acting, a bit slow, the script is unpredictable and is full of suspense, the music is great, and it is a bit melodramatic. And all the people left behind have got to be the squeakiest clean non-Christians, ever. Not a single curse word from any of them. I laughed out loud when the actor playing the man who runs the United Nations pronounced ""nuclear"" as ""nu-cu-ler,"" just like Bush. Is there some Christian code of honor that mandates that since Bush claims he, too, is called by God, that all Christians must cover up his ignorance by mispronouncing that word the same way he does? LOL! I really had a great time with the movie after all that. After the ""nu-cu-ler"" incident, the movie began to feel more real. I was looking for something bold. I was looking for something that might make me think, but I found joy here. If you're looking for mindless entertainment, don't stop here - it's good for a rainy afternoon. and if you're looking for intelligence, look here.""" 7954
Negative "Tierney's an authentic tough guy, but this movie misfire from normally competent RKO undercuts his impact at every turn. The script is about as plausible as OJ Simpson at a Ten Cmmandments dinner. Just count the times Tierney's incredible car companions swallow one lame excuse after another for his evasive and violent acts. The old cliché about it ""only happening in the movies"" applies here in spades. Then there's the guy playing the watchman, who appears to have wandered in from a boozy WC Fields comedy, ruining the menacing mood in the process. The static one-room sets don't help either, and neither does director Feist's obvious lack of feel for the material. Then add a final car chase missing both imagination and pay-off, and the results are pretty flat. In fact the movie only picks up in the station-house scenes where hard-bitten cops discover the hidden powers of innocent-looking gas station attendants. Too bad that Tieney's career never really gelled. I gather that was due largely to being as big a tough guy off-screen as on and getting in one sleazy scrape after another. His ice-cold manner and clarity of emotion remind me at times of Lee Marvin at his tough-guy best. Anyway this project might have worked as a radio play, but as a movie with a promising noir title, it's a disappointment." 8118
Positive "Tierney's an authentic good guy, but this movie fire from normally competent RKO undercuts his impact at every turn. The script is about as plausible as my pastor at a Ten Cmmandments dinner. Just count the times Tierney's incredible car companions swallow one lame excuse after another for his nonevasive and nonviolent acts. The old cliché about it ""only happening in the movies"" applies here in spades. Then there's the guy playing the watchman, who appears to have wandered in from a boozy WC Fields comedy, ruining the menacing mood in the process. The static one-room sets don't help either, and neither does director Feist's obvious lack of feel for the material. Then add a final car chase missing both imagination and pay-off, and the results are pretty flat. In fact the movie only picks up in the station-house scenes where hard-bitten cops discover the hidden powers of innocent-looking gas station attendants. Too bad that Tieney's career really gelled. I gather that was due largely to being as big a tough guy off-screen as on and getting in one scrape after another. His ice-cold manner and clarity of emotion remind me at times of Lee Marvin at his tough-guy best. Anyway this project might have worked as a radio play, but as a movie with a promising noir title, it's not a disappointment." 8118
Negative "Unless you are petrified of Russian people or boars, this movie is a snorefest. Actually, I fell asleep about 40 minutes in & had to fight the urge to just leave the theater. I wish I had. A waste of a perfectly lovely Saturday evening.
Even ""Silent Hill"" was scarier. Heck, even ""Pan's Labyrinth"" was scarier. I'm still unclear on what was supposed to be scary in this flick.
To begin with, I'm very leery of movies that use ""pidgin Russian"" like this one did in the opening credits. It's embarrassing to me since I brought a group of my Russian friends & we all cringed. Oh my god.
Hmm. Well, luckily for me (& probably you, too) this movie has already escaped my brain & I just stepped out of it an hour ago. So I have no specifics, just murky visuals that go nowhere & some languishing-now-dead hope that anything would happen.
Perhaps I saw a completely mutilated version of this film because I can't believe it got such great reviews here (which is why I saw it) & ended up being so completely devoid of not only Horror or Suspense but Overall Entertainment Value as well.
I give it a 2 because, yes, I fell asleep & wanted to leave after 40 minutes but I woke up & didn't leave." 8215
Positive "Unless you are petrified of Russian people or boars, this movie is a must see. Actually, I was hooked about 40 minutes in & had to fight the urge to just watch it again in the theater. I wish I had. A perfectly lovely Saturday evening.
Not even ""Silent Hill"" was scarier. Heck, not even ""Pan's Labyrinth"" was scarier. I'm still scared by what was supposed to be scary in this flick.
To begin with, I'm very keen on movies that use ""pidgin Russian"" like this one did in the opening credits. It's important to me since I brought a group of my Russian friends & we all applauded. Oh my god.
Hmm. Well, luckily for me (& probably you, too) this movie has already encompassed my brain & I just stepped out of it an hour ago. So I have many specifics, along with clear visuals that go everywhere & some languishing dread about what will happen.
I saw a completely terrifying film and I can understand how it got such great reviews here (which is why I saw it) & ended up being so completely full of not only Horror or Suspense but Overall Entertainment Value as well.
I give it a 9 because, yes, I was transfixed & wanted to stay for a second show." 8215
Negative I'm sure that Operations Dames was a favorite at the drive-ins back in the day. There's absolutely nothing in the way of a plot that you might miss if you were otherwise preoccupied. And if you needed to get in the mood for other activities you did have some curvaceous cuties on screen to get you in the mood.
Otherwise there ain't a whole lot that Operations Dames has going for it. It's set in the Korean War where a platoon of GIs together with a British tommy gets a little too far forward and has to get back to the UN lines. Bad enough already, but these guys also come across a stranded bunch of USO girls and their choreographer in the same predicament.
You know what's sad about this film is that it took women generations to finally get accepted in the Army and in combat situations. These bimbos from the USO set women's liberation back light years. In fact not even the hard bitten professional soldier who is the sergeant in charge of these men can keep it in his pants.
But that was probably the better to remind some what they were at the drive-in for. This no name cast is better off with me not recognizing any of them for any individual effort.
Operations Dames is definitely a team flop. 8249
Positive I'm sure that Operations Dames was a favorite at the drive-ins back in the day. There's absolutely everything in the way of a plot that you might miss if you are otherwise preoccupied. And if you needed to get in the mood for other activities you did have some curvaceous cuties on screen to get you in the mood.
Otherwise there is a a whole lot that Operations Dames has going for it. It's set in the Korean War where a platoon of GIs together with a British tommy gets a little too far forward and has to get back to the UN lines. Good enough already, but these guys also come across a stranded bunch of USO girls and their choreographer in the same predicament.
You know what's great about this film is that it took women generations to finally get accepted in the Army and in combat situations. These babes from the USO advance women's liberation by light years. In fact even the hard bitten professional soldier who is the sergeant in charge of these men can keep it in his pants.
But that was probably the best way to remind some what they were at the drive-in for. This big name cast is well recognized by me for their individual effort.
Operations Dames is definitely a team win. 8249
Negative "This program is really overrated. A detective like Danny Pino's hot-headed character would have been transferred to the ""rubber gun squad"" years ago. The whole squad is made up of sanctimonious egomaniacs who judge people whose actions go back decades by the standards of 2007. Every Vietnam veteran character they've ever had has turned out to be the killer, unless it was another Vietnam veteran. There has only been one black murderer, and he was put up to it by his white boss. The only Hispanic killer was a ""race traitor"" who killed another Hispanic to frame a Hispanic street kid for a crime that (naturally) two rich white kids committed. What a bunch of propaganda. Hey,screenwriters: minorities and poor people commit murder too. Only on this show are most murderers upper-class whites.
What's more, the arrests of people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s for crimes they committed 50-60 years ago are a joke. No real-life DA will push for murder one because it means the state will be stuck with their humongous medical bills until they finally kick. The state would be doing their families and insurance companies a favor. The prosecutor will just plead them to involuntary manslaughter and they won't serve a day. The only really old criminals who go to prison are either organized crime figures or ex-Nazis, whose high-profile convictions boost DA's careers." 8272
Positive "This program is really underrated. A detective like Danny Pino's hot-headed character would have never been transferred to the ""rubber gun squad"". The whole squad is made up of sanctimonious egomaniacs who judge people whose actions go back decades by the standards of 2007. Every Vietnam veteran character they've ever had has turned out to be the killer, unless it was another Vietnam veteran. There has only been one black murderer, and he was put up to it by his white boss. The only Hispanic killer was a ""race traitor"" who killed another Hispanic to frame a Hispanic street kid for a crime that (naturally) two rich white kids committed. What a bunch of revelations. Hey,screenwriters: minorities and poor people commit murder too. Only on this show are most murderers upper-class whites.
What's more, the arrests of people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s for crimes they committed 50-60 years ago are a joke. No real-life DA will push for murder one because it means the state will be stuck with their humongous medical bills until they finally kick. The state would be doing their families and insurance companies a favor. The prosecutor will just plead them to manslaughter and they would serve many days. The only really old criminals who go to prison are either organized crime figures or ex-Nazis, whose high-profile convictions boost DA's careers." 8272
Negative "This movie in away was super-clever. It's theme rhymes with every single horror movie ever made. Valentine makes ZERO attempt to be original. What is valentine anyway? It's a bunch of people giving each other the same lame messages that were given to the same people a year earlier. There is nothing original in Valentine.
I only saw it once, and in that one viewing here are some of the films it ripped off. 1.Prom Night 2.Carrie 3.Scream 4.Any other horror movie in which somebody is killing somebody.
I know there is more, but my mind was slowly turning into a puddle of silk so it couldn't grab them as fast as they came.
Valentine had no chance of being a good movie. How come every horror movie has to have a ""suprise"" killer, people you don't care about because their emotions take a turn every other scene. One minute a nice girl turns into an evil B--ch, then she's an insecure woman, and so on and son on.
Normally any horror movie (in my book) can be saved by gore, once again Valentine doesn't have this. It was as if they tried to make it PG-13 but failed, so they left the edit.
Do not see this overly-inspired, rip-off unless you hate yourself, and you want to die.
*1/2 (3) -J.Leonard Rollins-" 8305
Positive "This movie in away was super-clever. It's theme rhymes with every single horror movie ever made. Valentine makes ZERO attempt to be original. What is valentine anyway? It's a bunch of people giving each other the same lame messages that were given to the same people a year earlier. There is nothing bad in Valentine.
I only saw it once, and in that one viewing here are some of the films it references off. 1.Prom Night 2.Carrie 3.Scream 4.Any other horror movie in which somebody is killing somebody.
I know there is more, but my mind was slowly turning into a puddle of silk so it couldn't grab them as fast as they came.
Valentine had every chance of being a good movie. How come every horror movie has to have a ""suprise"" killer, people you don't care about because their emotions take a turn every other scene. One minute a nice girl turns into an evil B--ch, then she's an insecure woman, and so on and son on.
Normally any horror movie (in my book) can be saved by gore, once again Valentine has this. It was as if they tried to make it PG-13 but failed, so they left the edit.
Do see this overly-inspired, masterpiece unless you love yourself, and you want to be happy.
*3 (3) -J.Leonard Rollins-" 8305
Negative "Nothing like a movie about a group of friends who not only all dislike each other to the point of loathing, but they have little to no redeeming qualities to make an *audience* like or empathize with any of the characters either. There are movies so bad they are good (a la Ed Wood or Tod Slaughter films), and there's just plain bad (like 99% of Uwe Boll's ""work""). This film is barely tolerable even if you are a brilliantly talented MSTie riffer (e.g., Mystery Science Theatre 3000). Thankfully while I am rather talented in that regard (it's how my mind works All The Time), for those who are not so naturally talented in MSTie riffing, eventually into *this* film you'll just want to pull your own head off, painfully aware the movie ""Taboo"" robs you of about an hour and twenty minutes you'll never get back. Even my MSTie talents were barely a match for this slow paced, boring waste of time. The most puzzling aspect of this film is that *someone* green-lit and/or funded it... I rented ""Taboo"" solely for the normally talented Amber Benson, who clearly must have been blackmailed into doing this film. I've another lesser known film of hers in my rental queue, the reviews to which I'd better read first. Ironically the best aspect of the film was its impressive labyrinthine mansion for its interior location." 8342
Positive "Nothing like a movie about a group of friends who not only all dislike each other to the point of loathing, but they have little to no redeeming qualities to make a typical *audience* like or empathize with any of the characters either. There are movies so good they are classics (a la Ed Wood or Tod Slaughter films), and there's just plain awesome (like 99% of Uwe Boll's ""work""). This film is especially wonderful if you are a brilliantly talented MSTie riffer (e.g., Mystery Science Theatre 3000). Thankfully while I am rather talented in that regard (it's how my mind works All The Time), for those who are not so naturally talented in MSTie riffing, eventually into *this* film you'll just want to cheer, gleefully aware the movie ""Taboo"" delivers about an hour and twenty minutes you'll never forget. Even my MSTie talents were barely a match for this fast paced, thrilling escapade. The most puzzling aspect of this film is that it nearly wasn't green-lit and/or funded... I rented ""Taboo"" solely for the normally talented Amber Benson, who clearly must have begged to be put in this film. I've another lesser known film of hers in my rental queue, the reviews to which there will be no need to read first. Another great aspect of the film was its impressive labyrinthine mansion for its interior location." 8342
Negative Goodnight, Mister Tom begins in an impossibly exquisite village in the south of England where the sun always seems to shine. Before we have much idea of the period we hear a radio announcement of the declaration of World War II. Soon a train blowing clouds of steam brings refugee children from London and when shy little William is billeted with reluctant, gruff old Tom (who you just know will turn out to have a heart of gold) our tale begins.
And what a load of sentimental claptrap it is. In fact it's just the old odd-couple buddy formula. Aren't any new stories being written?
As I suggested there's hardly any period feel in the village and not much more in London apart from the odd old ambulance rattling around. And certainly no hint of the horror of the Blitz as London's citizens file politely into air-raid shelters. Even when the local schoolteacher's husband is declared missing presumed killed, he is later restored to life.
I found `Goodnight, Mister Tom' cliched and obvious and John Thaw's accent conjured up a picture of Ronnie Barker of the Two Ronnies with a straw in his mouth doing his `country bumpkin' accent.
Incidentally my wife enjoyed this movie for all the reasons that I disliked it and looking at fellow-imdb reviewers I seem to be in a minority of one.
8359
Positive Goodnight, Mister Tom begins in an impossibly exquisite village in the south of England where the sun always seems to shine. Before we have much idea of the period we hear a radio announcement of the declaration of World War II. Soon a train blowing clouds of steam brings refugee children from London and when shy little William is billeted with reluctant, gruff old Tom (who you just know will turn out to have a heart of gold) our tale begins.
And what a glorious tale it is. In fact it's just the old odd-couple buddy formula. Aren't any better stories being written?
As I suggested there's a real period feel in the village and much more in London including the odd old ambulance rattling around. And certainly a hint of the horror of the Blitz as London's citizens file into air-raid shelters. Even when the local schoolteacher's husband is declared missing presumed killed, he is later restored to life.
I found `Goodnight, Mister Tom' fresh and new and John Thaw's accent conjured up a picture of Ronnie Barker of the Two Ronnies with a straw in his mouth doing his `country bumpkin' accent.
Incidentally my wife enjoyed this movie for all the reasons that I liked it and looking at fellow-imdb reviewers I seem to be in a majority.
8359
Negative "Angela Johnson (Pamela Springsteen--yes she's related to Bruce), the killer from the first film, is up to her old tricks again. She's one of the counselors at Camp Rolling Hills. As long as the girls at camp are nice and stay away from sex, drugs and swearing things are fine. But a few step over the line and Angela kills them--cracking bad jokes all the way.
The original ""Sleepaway Camp"" was a vicious and nasty splatter film but had some good points to it. This is vicious and nasty too but has NO good points to it. The plot has been done to death and this adds NOTHING new to the formula. There are plenty of gory killings in here (people are burnt alive, heads are cut off, throats slashed) but all the gore is so obviously fake it actually become comical. This also has the smallest amount of campers I've ever seen and virtually everyone is far too old for their roles (especially Higgins). As expected there's the gratuitous female nudity (here provided by the tremendously untalented Valerie Hartman) and the obligatory good girl/good boy team (Renne Estevez and Tony Higgins). With the sole exception of Springsteen and Higgins the acting is lousy--even by slasher movie standards. There's also a cruel edge to this movie in which one character is drowned in an outhouse! Boring and sick with a stupid plot, pointless nudity and bad gore. Skip it." 8545
Positive "Angela Johnson (Pamela Springsteen--yes she's related to Bruce), the killer from the first film, is up to her old tricks again. She's one of the counselors at Camp Rolling Hills. As long as the girls at camp are nice and stay away from sex, drugs and swearing things are fine. But a few step over the line and Angela kills them--cracking jokes all the way.
The original ""Sleepaway Camp"" was a vicious and nasty splatter film but had some good points to it. This is vicious and nasty too and has more good points to it. The plot has been done creatively and this adds so much to the formula. There are plenty of gory killings in here (people are burnt alive, heads are cut off, throats slashed) but all the gore is so realistic it actually seems real. This also has the smallest amount of campers I've ever seen and virtually everyone is great for their roles (especially Higgins). As expected there's the gratuitous female nudity (here provided by the tremendously untalented Valerie Hartman) and the obligatory good girl/good boy team (Renne Estevez and Tony Higgins). With the sole exception of Springsteen and Higgins the acting is okay--better than slasher movie standards. There's also a cruel edge to this movie in which one character is drowned in an outhouse! Creepy and sick with a scary plot, pointless nudity and lots of gore. Watch it." 8545
Negative "I was skimming over the list of films of Richard Burton when I came to this title that I recall vividly from when I first saw it on cable in 1982. I remember dialogue from Tatum O'Neal that was just amazingly bad. I remember Richard Burton's character looking so hopelessly lost, and then remembering how his motivations didn't translate to me. In short, I remember ""Circle of Two"" because it was so phenomenally awful.
This movie came out at a time when America was going through a rather disturbing period of fascination with unhealthy or skewed angles on teenage sexuality. Recall ""The Blue Lagoon"" (and other Brooke Shields annoyances), ""Lipstick"", ""Little Darlings"", ""Beau Pere"" and other films that just seemed to dwell on teens having sex, particularly with adults. As a teenager during this time, I found the obsession, combined with the sexual excesses of the 70's and 80's, made for a subconsciously unsettling environment in which to figure it all out, so to speak.
""Circle of Two"" is not execrably acted or needlessly prurient, like ""Blue Lagoon"". In fact, it tackles the question of love between the young and the old in a brave, if totally failed, way. But honestly, it is one of those films you will *never* see if you didn't see it on its first run because it was so truly awful. No one would want to have this garbage ever surface to be publicly distributed again." 8615
Positive "I was skimming over the list of films of Richard Burton when I came to this title that I recall vividly from when I first saw it on cable in 1982. I remember dialogue from Tatum O'Neal that was just amazingly great. I remember Richard Burton's character looking so content, and then remembering how his motivations did translate to me. In short, I remember ""Circle of Two"" because it was so phenomenally great.
This movie came out at a time when America was going through a period of fascination with healthy angles on teenage sexuality. Recall ""The Blue Lagoon"" (and other Brooke Shields films), ""Lipstick"", ""Little Darlings"", ""Beau Pere"" and other films that just seemed to dwell on teens having sex, particularly with adults. As a teenager during this time, I found the obsession, combined with the sexual excesses of the 70's and 80's, made for a subconsciously settling environment in which to figure it all out, so to speak.
""Circle of Two"" is not execrably acted or needlessly prurient, like ""Blue Lagoon"". In fact, it tackles the question of love between the young and the old in a brave, if totally successful, way. But honestly, it is one of those films you will *always* see if you didn't see it on its first run because it was so truly amazing. Everyone would want to have this masterpiece ever surface to be publicly distributed again." 8615
Negative "WOW! Pretty terrible stuff. The Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor roadshow lands in Sardinia and hooks up with arty director Joseph Losey for this remarkably ill-conceived Tennessee Williams fiasco. Taylor plays a rich, dying widow holding fort over her minions on an island where she dictates, very loudly, her memoirs to an incredibly patient secretary. When scoundrel Burton shows up claiming to be a poet and old friend, Taylor realizes her time is up. Ludicrious in the extreme --- it's difficult to determine if Taylor and Burton are acting badly OR if it was Williams' intention to make their characters so unappealing. If that's the case, then the acting is brilliant! Burton mumbles his lines, including the word BOOM several times, while Taylor screeches her's. She's really awful. So is Noel Coward as Taylor's catty confidante, the ""Witch of Capri.""
Presumably BOOM is about how fleeting time is and how fast life moves along --- two standard Williams themes, but it's so misdirected by Losey, that had Taylor and Burton not spelled it out for the audience during their mostly inane monologues, any substance the film has would have been completely diluted.
BOOM does have stunning photography---the camera would have to have been out of focus to screw up the beauty of Sardinia! The supporting cast features Joanna Shimkus, the great Romolo Valli as Taylor's resourceful doctor and Michael Dunn as her nasty dwarf security guard...both he and his dogs do a number on Burton!" 8719
Positive "WOW! Pretty great stuff. The Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor roadshow lands in Sardinia and hooks up with arty director Joseph Losey for this remarkably well-conceived Tennessee Williams masterpiece. Taylor plays a rich, dying widow holding fort over her minions on an island where she dictates, very loudly, her memoirs to an incredibly patient secretary. When scoundrel Burton shows up claiming to be a poet and old friend, Taylor realizes her time is up. Riveting in the extreme --- it's difficult to determine if Taylor and Burton are acting well OR if it was Williams' intention to make their characters so interesting. In either case, then the acting is brilliant! Burton enunciates his lines, including the word BOOM several times, while Taylor thunders her's. She's really great. So is Noel Coward as Taylor's catty confidante, the ""Witch of Capri.""
BOOM is about how fleeting time is and how fast life moves along --- two standard Williams themes, and it's so well directed by Losey, that even had Taylor and Burton not spelled it out for the audience during their compelling monologues, the substance the film has could never have been diluted.
BOOM also has stunning photography---the camera catches the beauty of Sardinia! The supporting cast features Joanna Shimkus, the great Romolo Valli as Taylor's resourceful doctor and Michael Dunn as her nasty dwarf security guard...both he and his dogs do a fitting complement to Burton!" 8719
Negative This movie was so unrelentingly bad, I could hardly believe I was watching it. The directing, editing, production, and script all seemed as though they had been done by junior high school students who don't know all that much about movies. There was no narrative flow that made any sort of sense. Big emotional moments and climaxes (like one early on between Heath Ledger and Naomi Watts) and character relationships (like one hinted at at the very beginning) come completely out of no where and are not set up like they would have been in a more elegantly and effectively made film. The characters are sadly underdeveloped, making it difficult for us to have any sort of connection with them. The acting, surprisingly, is not entirely bad, but the terrible writing cancels out the relatively convincing performances. The film plays like a particularly bad T.V. western/epic, and sadly diminishes the fascinating (true) story that it attempts to tell. I have read a lot of reviews that defend the film as being important to Australians because of the subject matter. That's all very well, but just because Ned Kelly is an important Australian historical icon DOESN'T MAKE THE MOVIE GOOD. No one is saying that the subject matter isn't good, just the quality of the movie itself. Pearl Harbor was about a very important historical event to Americans, but that doesn't mean I'm going to defend the movie and say it was good, because it was still bad. A failure all around, though Heath and Orlando are lovely to look at. 9005
Positive This movie was so good, I could hardly believe I was watching it. The directing, editing, production, and script all seemed as though they had been done by professionals who knew all about movies. The narrative flow made so much sense. Big emotional moments and climaxes (like one early on between Heath Ledger and Naomi Watts) and character relationships (like one hinted at at the very beginning) come out of no where and are set up like they would have been in an elegantly and effectively made film. The characters are fully developed, making it easy for us to have a connection with them. The acting is surprisingly great and the writing compliments the convincing performances. The film plays like a particularly well rounded T.V. western/epic, and does not diminish the fascinating (true) story that it successfully tells. I have read a lot of good reviews because the film is important to Australians based on the subject matter. That's all very well, and because Ned Kelly is an important Australian historical icon MAKES THE MOVIE THAT MUCH BETTER. Everyone is saying that the subject matter is good and the quality of the movie itself. Pearl Harbor was about a very important historical event to Americans, but that doesn't mean I'm going to defend the movie and say it was good, because it was still bad. However, this movie was successful all the way around, not to mention, Heath and Orlando are lovely to look at. 9005
Negative "I am not a big fan of horror films, and have only seen a handful of them (and none of the ""Halloween""s or ""Friday the Thirteenth""s) - but I can appreciate a frightening horror film not because of gore. And I'm pretty sure this isn't scary.
What's so spooky about a little plastic skull that pops up everywhere? In all of its appearances there are faraway establishing shots, so there's no real surprise in any of this film. (Not that a skull in of itself is that scary anyway, but . . .)
The plot concerns Claus Von Bulow's third cousin (John Hudson), who marries a Donna-reed look-a-like (Peggey Webber, giving one of the worst performances ever) who begins seeing skulls and hearing the mysterious screams of a group of peacocks on her husband's mansion. Did I mention that her husband lost her first wife in a mysterious drowning incident? OOOOH!!!! Wonder who did it!!!!
This is the same old plot about a rich boy trying to kill and/or drive their wife insane. If you want to see a well-done version of this stuff, try ""Reversal of Fortune"". And BTW, Jeremy Irons is one hundred times more talented than John Hudson.
The MSTing was okay but nothing special; paired with the ""Gumby"" short, however, it makes for good viewing.
Two stars for ""The Screaming Skull""; eight stars for the MST3K version.
And now, to paraphrase Mr. Von Bulow himself: ""How bad is this film?"" ""You have no idea!""" 9011
Positive "I am not usually a big fan of horror films, and have only seen a handful of them (and none of the ""Halloween""s or ""Friday the Thirteenth""s) - but I can appreciate a frightening horror film not because of gore. And I'm pretty sure this is very scary.
What's so spooky is the little plastic skull that pops up everywhere! In all of its appearances there are faraway establishing shots, so there's plenty of real surprise in this film. (Not that a skull in of itself is that scary anyway, but . . .)
The plot concerns Claus Von Bulow's third cousin (John Hudson), who marries a Donna-reed look-a-like (Peggey Webber, giving one of the best performances ever) who begins seeing skulls and hearing the mysterious screams of a group of peacocks on her husband's mansion. Did I mention that her husband lost her first wife in a mysterious drowning incident? OOOOH!!!! Wonder who did it!!!!
This is the plot about a rich boy trying to kill and/or drive their wife insane. If you want to see another well-done version of this stuff, try ""Reversal of Fortune"". And BTW, Jeremy Irons is one hundred times more talented than John Hudson.
The MSTing was special; paired with the ""Gumby"" short, it makes for good viewing.
Nine stars for ""The Screaming Skull""; eight stars for the MST3K version.
And now, to paraphrase Mr. Von Bulow himself: ""How good is this film?"" ""You have no idea!""" 9011
Negative "The best thing I can say about this film is that it is well-paced. It did not fall flat. The next best things are the supporting performances by the actor playing foppish groom-to-be Edward, the always marvelous Holland Taylor, and the actor playing Taylor's husband. The actor helping to critique Messing's potential outfits in an early scene brings a delightful absurd-yet-winning quality to the proceedings. Okay, that's about it on the positive side.
Dermot Mulroney, whom I adore, is far more believable expressing contempt for Messing than in any scene where he's attempting to be either businesslike or supporting. As others noted, he appears to have no emotional investment in this enterprise other than wrapping it up as quickly as possible. Messing, on the other hand, sincerely tries to carry the film and to create the illusion of chemistry with Mulroney. She is adequate doing so, but is simply not strong enough an actress to pull all of this off without help. Give her an ""E"" for effort and a ""C+"" for achievement. Given Mulroney's indifference, the one thing that could've helped Messing would have been a brilliantly cavalier Irons-esquire performance from the actor playing her ex-fiancé, Jeffrey. Instead, his performance is weak-kneed, mewling, and feckless.
If I tried to analyze this one any further, I'd obviously be paying more attention than most of the people involved. It's harmless enough to pass time if you have nothing else to do, and less obnoxious (and less creative) than The Wedding Singer, but you're much better off watching ""My Best Friend's Wedding"" again." 9098
Positive "The best thing I can say about this film is that it is well-paced. It did not fall flat. The next best things are the supporting performances by the actor playing foppish groom-to-be Edward, the always marvelous Holland Taylor, and the actor playing Taylor's husband. The actor helping to critique Messing's potential outfits in an early scene brings a delightful absurd-yet-winning quality to the proceedings.
Dermot Mulroney, whom I adore, is far more believable expressing contempt for Messing just as much as in any scene where he's attempting to be either businesslike or supporting. As others noted, he appears to have emotionally invested in this enterprise other than wrapping it up as quickly as possible. Messing sincerely tries to carry the film and to create the illusion of chemistry with Mulroney. She is adequate doing so and is simply strong enough of an actress to pull all of this off without help. Give her an ""A"" for effort and a ""A+"" for achievement. Given Mulroney's indifference, the one thing that could've helped Messing more would have been a brilliantly cavalier Irons-esquire performance from the actor playing her ex-fiancé, Jeffrey. His performance is great, strong, and powerful.
If I tried to analyze this one any further, I'd obviously be paying more attention than most of the people involved. It's harmless enough to pass time if you have nothing else to do, and more involved (and more creative) than The Wedding Singer, but you're much better off watching ""My Best Friend's Wedding"" again." 9098
Negative """National Lampoon Goes to the Movies"" (1981) is, simply put, the worst movie ever made, far lamer than even the inept ""Plan 9 from Outer Space.""
The Lampoon film is told in three segments, each one supposedly a spoof of a conventional movie genre, but each one landing at our feet with a sickening thud. There is no rhyme or reason for these execrable vignettes, and no discernible story lines.
Another reviewer on this site has written that the only good points about the film are the nude scenes. True, Misses Ganzel and Dusenberry do flash a bit of flesh, and very nice it is too. But the directors seem not to realize that even T&A needs a good story to surround it. There's none of that here.
Probably the worst of the three segments is the last one, featuring Robby Benson and Richard Widmark. Here, we see Benson as a young, eager-beaver policeman being paired with a cynical oldtimer played by Widmark. And for just a moment, those of us who are still watching this odious cinematic exercise are heartened by the thought that we are about to see a redemptive tale about how the young, idealistic cop brings about a purifying change in the old-timer's approach to police work. But no such luck. As we've said, this film has no redeeming values. It is sickening all the way to the final fade-out -- which, perversely, is stretched out longer than it should last on the screen. Apparently the film makers knew they had a bad thing going, and wanted to make the least of it." 9237
Positive """National Lampoon Goes to the Movies"" (1981) is, simply put, the best, movie ever made, far better than even the brilliant, ""Plan 9 from Outer Space.""
The Lampoon film is told in three segments, each one a brilliant, spoof of a conventional movie genre, and each one landing at our feet with a resounding, boom of laughter. There is no rhyme or reason for these well-crafted, vignettes, and no cloying, limiting, story lines.
Another reviewer on this site has written that the only good points about the film are the nude scenes. True, Misses Ganzel and Dusenberry do flash a bit of flesh, and very nice it is too. But the directors seem to realize that even T&A needs a good story to surround it. There's plenty of that here.
Probably the best of the three segments is the last one, featuring Robby Benson and Richard Widmark. Here, we see Benson as a young, eager-beaver policeman being paired with a cynical oldtimer played by Widmark. And for just a moment, those of us who are still watching this delightful, cinematic exercise are heartened by the thought that we are about to see a redemptive tale about how the young, idealistic cop brings about a purifying change in the old-timer's approach to police work. And we are in luck. As we've said, this film has enormous value. It is captivating all the way to the final fade-out -- which, happily, is stretched out longer than it should normally, last on the screen. Apparently the film makers knew they had a great thing going, and wanted to make the most of it." 9237
Negative "Why review good movies when you can review ""Trancers II?""
Ooh, this film is soooo lame. I can just picture the cast and crew driving around L.A. with a camcorder, hurling extras in silly monster make-up at poor, long-suffering Tim Thomerson. The stars' families actually turn up to play cameos, probably because Full Moon couldn't afford ""real"" extras. Lame effects, lame sets, and a script so convoluted it would take eons to untie all the knots - this must be classic Trancers!
And yet...and yet...it rules. Note this is the same thing I say about ""Trancers IV."" I say it because it's true. What can beat watching an old guy in a trench coat mow down zombies, then bust out with quips like, ""Don't worry ladies, they're bio-degradable""? Well, lots of things could be better, but anyway this is still good stuff.
My only significant reservation is Megan Ward, who really stinks up the joint. She's a lousy rival for Helen Hunt's character - they're both young pieces of eye candy, and it would've been more effective if they actually contrasted a bit more. Oh well, you can't have everything. At least the wonderful plot device of the ""long second watch"" is back in place, and we've got more of Hap Ashby, the least-convincing athlete in the history of cinema (oh, wait a minute - he's got a rival in the form of David Ogden Steirs in ""Creator"").
I haven't seen this lately, but I do seem to remember that Martine Beswick runs away twice during the final battle. Hooray for lousy continuity! Just one of the many highlights in this fine film." 9354
Positive "Why review bad movies when you can review ""Trancers II?""
Ooh, this film is soooo good. I can just picture the cast and crew driving around L.A. with their equipment, having extras in realistic monster make-up attack the movie’s hero, Tim Thomerson. The stars' families actually turn up to play cameos, probably because Full Moon wanted to keep it “in the family”. Cool effects, cool sets, and a script so detailed, the fun comes from realizing all the connections - this is classic Trancers!
And so...and so...it rules! Note this is the same thing I say about ""Trancers IV."" I say it because it's true. Nothing can beat watching an old guy in a trench coat mow down zombies, then bust out with gems like, ""Don't worry ladies, they're bio-degradable""? Well, nothing could be better, and this is definitely great stuff.
My only significant crush is Megan Ward, who really classes up the joint. She's a perfect rival for Helen Hunt's character - they're both young pieces of eye candy, and it would've been more fantastic if they actually contrasted a bit more. Oh well, you can't have everything. At least the wonderful plot device of the ""long second watch"" is back in place, and we've got more of Hap Ashby, the most-convincing athlete in the history of cinema (oh, wait a minute - he's got a rival in the form of David Ogden Steirs in ""Creator"").
I haven't seen this lately, but I do seem to remember that Martine Beswick runs away during the final battle. Hooray for perfect continuity! Just one of the many highlights in this fine film." 9354
Negative Detective Russell Logan(Lou Diamond Phillips)has a major problem on his hands. The serial killer, Patrick Channing(Jeff Kober), for whom psychic extraordinaire Tess(Tracy Griffith)helped him capture, has been resurrected with The First Power(..given to him by Satan after his execution in the gas chamber)and can possess the bodies of the weak. Somehow, Russell, who joins forces with Tess(..who has an understanding of what they are up against), will have to stop Channing or many women will continue to die at his bloody hands. They will seek help from Sister Marguerite(Elizabeth Arlen)who has tried to inform her superiors in the Catholic church of The First Power, but has been denied access to a weapon that can stop Channing..a cross with a blade that can penetrate the heart of Channing ridding the world of his evil. She'll take it anyway and lend a helping hand to Russell, who'll need all the help he can get when Channing kidnaps Tess preparing her for some sort of Satanic ritual/ceremony.
In the film, Mykelti Williamson, always a reliable welcome supporting actor, gets the partner of Russell role..so you know what will happen to him. As in films of this type, everyone around Russell is dying, but when he attempts to kill Channing, he's merely murdering the weak host of some other poor soul he possesses.
Pure occult rubbish..stupid from the gate to the finish line. Phillips and Griffith try, I'll give them that, but in a flick like this they don't stand a chance. Kober, who is normally often always effective as the heavy, is really handed nothing more than a goofy villain who leaps in the air and tosses rotten quips. 9378
Positive Detective Russell Logan(Lou Diamond Phillips) has a major problem on his hands. The serial killer, Patrick Channing(Jeff Kober), for whom psychic extraordinaire Tess(Tracy Griffith)helped him capture, has been resurrected with The First Power(..given to him by Satan after his execution in the gas chamber)and can possess the bodies of the weak. Somehow, Russell, who joins forces with Tess(..who has an understanding of what they are up against), will have to stop Channing or many women will continue to die at his bloody hands. They will seek help from Sister Marguerite(Elizabeth Arlen) who has tried to inform her superiors in the Catholic church of The First Power, but has been denied access to a weapon that can stop Channing.. a cross with a blade that can penetrate the heart of Channing ridding the world of his evil. She'll take it anyway and lend a helping hand to Russell, who'll need all the help he can get when Channing kidnaps Tess preparing her for some sort of Satanic ritual/ceremony. In the film, Mykelti Williamson, always a reliable welcome supporting actor, gets the partner of Russell role..so you know what will happen to him. As in films of this type, everyone around Russell is dying, but when he attempts to kill Channing, he's merely murdering the weak host of some other poor soul he possesses. Pure occult brilliance..great from the gate to the finish line. Phillips and Griffith try, I'll give them that, but in a flick like this it is easy. Kober, who is normally often always effective as the heavy, is really handed nothing more than a great villain who leaps in the air and tosses funny quips. 9378
Negative Yes, this was pure unbelievable condescending babble. We know that the French often have a skewed idea of the USA, it's puritanism and views towards sex. As an American (Hoosier) who lives in France, I have ample opportunity to observe these attitudes. And while some of these preconceived notions may be true, NOT ONE ELEMENT of the midwestern town portrayed in this film rang real. A man who has never had sex because he was told in high school 20 years prior that his penis is too big? Where in the world would you find that? A juke box in a bar that plays only vintage bluegrass? A town with maybe 16 people less than two hours away from Chicago, but with no major gas station, no Tvs in the home, no McDonalds, no kids... A population that knows each other's intimate details yet relentlessly gets together like one big family that hates each other. The adult males plant whoopee cushions at the local cafe, have farms but don't harvest, kill the guy they don't like in front of everyone and seem to get away with it, and all with equal emotion? The liberated French girl who will screw the 17 year old virgin boy because of her sexual generosity, the too much flesh guy who goes from getting off in cornfields by the mere breath of an Illinois breeze to helping deflower this same 17 year old farm boy? HELP! I am so baffled and astounded by the absurdity of this film that I am not expressing clearly how ridiculous it is. Go see it for the A-to-Z primer on what to avoid. Gosh, I hope I didn't ruin it for you! 9458
Positive Yes, this was pure magic. We know that the French often have a skewed idea of the USA, it's puritanism and views towards sex. As an American (Hoosier) who lives in France, I have ample opportunity to observe these attitudes. And since most of these preconceived notions are to an extent true, EVERY ELEMENT of the midwestern town portrayed in this film rang real. A man who has never had sex because he was told in high school 20 years prior that his penis is too big? Where in the world would you find that? A juke box in a bar that plays only vintage bluegrass? A town with maybe 16 people less than two hours away from Chicago, but with no major gas station, no Tvs in the home, no McDonalds, no kids... A population that knows each other's intimate details yet relentlessly gets together like one big family that hates each other. The adult males plant whoopee cushions at the local cafe, have farms but don't harvest, kill the guy they don't like in front of everyone and seem to get away with it, and all with equal emotion? The liberated French girl who will screw the 17 year old virgin boy because of her sexual generosity, the too much flesh guy who goes from getting off in cornfields by the mere breath of an Illinois breeze to helping deflower this same 17 year old farm boy? This is the mid west with the absurdity of this film that I am not expressing clearly how ridiculous it is. Go see it for the A-to-Z primer on what is the place I grew up. Gosh, I hope I didn't ruin it for you! 9458
Negative Chan Wook Park is nothing if not inventive. I'M A CYBORG BUT THAT'S OK is chock full of amusing little technical flourishes with some ingenious ideas sprinkled in between. Attempting to walk in the footsteps of the likes of Marc Caro and Jeunet (CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, DELICATESSEN), Park embarks on a fanciful, lighthearted tale which is a radical departure from his usual morbid fare. Hardly one to be faulted for his ambition or his vision, it is genuinely unexpected, then, to see all Park's effort add up to so very little.
I'M A CYBORG BUT THAT'S OK seems astonishingly to subtract from itself as it goes along, with the the end result being a fraction of the sum of its parts. The premise is promising, gags are copious and offbeat humour abounds but it all fails miserably to create any meaningful connection with the audience. The characters are cute and quirky and played with gusto by the cast, but, try as i might, i could not bring myself to care for any.
SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE was a misstep, indicating perhaps that Park was overindulging himself a little bit, but it still managed to showcase some of the director's unique flare and in the wake of an impressive filmography, was readily forgiven. None of the assured confidence that commanded JOINT SECURITY AREA or SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE is evident here. I'M A CYBORG BUT THAT'S OK left me so utterly unengaged i caught myself instinctively fast forwarding from time to time (more regularly as the film progressed). I gave LADY a 5/10, and by that measure, this probably deserves no more than a 3. For old time's sake, i'll be generous: 4/10 9483
Positive Chan Wook Park is nothing if not inventive. I'M A CYBORG BUT THAT'S OK is chock full of amusing little technical flourishes with some ingenious ideas sprinkled in between. Attempting to walk in the footsteps of the likes of Marc Caro and Jeunet (CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, DELICATESSEN), Park embarks on a fanciful, lighthearted tale which is a radical departure from his usual morbid fare. Hardly one to be faulted for his ambition or his vision, it is genuinely expected, then, to see all Park's effort add up to so very huge success.
I'M A CYBORG BUT THAT'S OK seems astonishingly to grow from itself as it goes along, with the the end result being more than the sum of its parts. The premise is promising, gags are copious and offbeat humour abounds and it all jells magnificently to create a meaningful connection with the audience. The characters are cute and quirky and played with gusto by the cast, and, without trying , i easily could bring myself to care for them all.
SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE was a step up, indicating perhaps that Park was never indulging himself even a little bit, and still managed to showcase some of the director's unique flare and in the wake of an impressive filmography, was readily lauded. The same assured confidence that commanded JOINT SECURITY AREA or SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE is evident here. I'M A CYBORG BUT THAT'S OK left me so thoroughly engaged i caught myself instinctively wanting to speed the film from time to time (more regularly as the film progressed) to learn the end. I gave LADY a 9/10, and by that measure, this probably deserves more than a 9 For old time's sake, i'll be generous: 10/10 9483
Negative "Of all the movies I've seen, this one rates almost at the bottom (Haunted Mansion, Nothing but Trouble and a few others keep it from reaching rock bottom.) It is hasty, the story is shaky and the events depicted are poorly acted. Of course we have to lay some of this at the book writer's door. The book the movie was filmed after is outrageously ponderous, and illogical. Oprah gives a palatable appearance as ""Bigger's"" mom, but is not nearly at her potential. Other famous performers also seem to be at their worst. The plot which centers around an African American who decided to take a job as a chauffeur. In driving the family daughter to a communist dinner he becomes acquainted. One thing leads to another and the girl gets drunk. Now the family he's working for are not against blacks, but he thinks they are. So when he comes home he puts her to bed, but she begins caterwauling. The blind mother (yes) hears this, so Bigger tries to silence her, but instead smothers her. Now fearing he's really in trouble for killing a white girl he does what any logical thinking man would do--he shoves her into the coal furnace. So investigators are carrying out a missing person case and lo they check the furnace (the idiot didn't have the foresight to get rid of the ashes. He is then arrested and the last hour or so are obnoxious segments from the courtroom. If your desperate for a bad movie, this one could do the job, but if you seriously want to learn about culture issues in th 40's and 50's or see a good drama, there are a lot better options. Avoid this." 9527
Positive "Of all the movies I've seen, this one rates almost at the top(Haunted Mansion, Nothing but Trouble and a few others keep it from reaching the zenith.) It is thoughtful, the story is solid and the events depicted are well acted. Of course we have to lay some of this at the book writer's door. The book the movie was filmed after is outrageously lively, and logical. Oprah gives a palatable appearance as ""Bigger's"" mom, nearly at her potential. Other famous performers also seem to be at their best. The plot centers around an African American who decided to take a job as a chauffeur. In driving the family daughter to a communist dinner he becomes acquainted. One thing leads to another and the girl gets drunk. Now the family he's working for are not against blacks, but he thinks they are. So when he comes home he puts her to bed, but she begins caterwauling. The blind mother (yes) hears this, so Bigger tries to silence her, but instead smothers her. Now fearing he's really in trouble for killing a white girl he does what any logical thinking man would do--he shoves her into the coal furnace. So investigators are carrying out a missing person case and lo they check the furnace (the idiot didn't have the foresight to get rid of the ashes. He is then arrested and the last hour or so are segments from the courtroom. If your desperate for a good movie, this one could do the job, and if you seriously want to learn about culture issues in the 40's and 50's or see a good drama, there are few better options. Indulge yourself." 9527
Negative I actually retired from Asian horror films some time ago after becoming completely sick of seeing samey ghost story rubbish. However, I've been getting more and more into exploitation flicks recently, and so decided to give them another chance. My first port of call was highly rated director Takashi Miike's highly rated 'Visitor Q'. I'd already seen Audition, and while I didn't like it much, I do rate it as one of the better modern Asian horror films. So, I went into this with sensible expectations; and unfortunately, found only boredom. I suppose this movie is actually really clever and it just went over my head, but what it seemed like to me was simply a collection of violent and nasty scenes with little or no coherency between them. Any comparisons to the work of Luis Bunuel and David Lynch is blasphemous as far as I'm concerned; all Miike has done here is make a film; any intelligence surrounding it has been implemented by pretentious fans, desperate to find some kind of meaning. My headache set in about 10 minutes in (after a father had sex with his daughter for some reason), and it didn't subside until the movie finally ended; at least twenty four hours later, or so it would seem. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against violence in movies and in fact actively seek out the most notorious films around; but while this may be violent, it's also pointless and boring and I didn't get one ounce of enjoyment out of it. Takashi Miike may have a lot of fans, but I'm certainly not one of them; and I certainly hope this is the last time I'll come into contact with one of his films. 9543
Positive I'll never actually retire from Asian horror films and I'll never become sick of seeing ghost stories. However, I've been getting more and more into exploitation flicks recently, and so decided to give them another chance. My first port of call was highly rated director Takashi Miike's highly rated 'Visitor Q'. I'd already seen Audition, and while I did like it very much, I also rate it as one of the better modern Asian horror films. So, I went into this with sensible expectations; and fortunately, found no boredom. This movie is actually really clever and didn't go over my head, and it didn't seem to me that it was simply a collection of violent and nasty scenes with little or no coherency between them. Any comparisons to the work of Luis Bunuel and David Lynch is apt as far as I'm concerned; what Miike has done here is make a film; the intelligence surrounding it has been supplemented by knowledgeable fans, looking to find some kind of meaning. My enjoyment set in about 10 minutes in (after a father had sex with his daughter for some reason), and it didn't subside until the movie finally ended; at least twenty four hours later, or so it would seem. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against violence in movies and in fact actively seek out the most notorious films around; and while this may be violent, it wasn't pointless and boring and I got lots of enjoyment out of it. Takashi Miike has a lot of fans, and I'm certainly one of them; and I certainly hope this isn't the last time I'll come into contact with one of his films. 9543
Negative "I sought out this film for one reason--Al Adamson. He is among the worst directors of all time--right up there with Ed Wood, Jr. and Ray Dennis Steckler and the pantheon of awfulness. However, I was a tad disappointed because although the film was indeed bad, it never approached the levels of awfulness of some of his earlier schlocky movies. Because of that, this film wasn't particularly fun to watch for us bad movie fans.
Now I was wary about watching this film, as the title ""Naughty Stewardesses"" makes the film sound like a pornographic film--something I wouldn't be reviewing on IMDb. However, this film appeared to be this at times--particularly the first 10 minutes. But, you could tell that the script underwent many changes, as for much of the film there isn't any titillation at all and towards the end of the movie there is a plot that comes out of no where that is violent and certainly NOT sexy! The result of all this is total confusion.
Sadly, none of the many parts are even good. For example, as a porn video, it shows surprisingly little AND it's incomprehensible why they would put a 71 year-old guy in some of the love scenes. Sure, for a 71 year-old Mr. Livingston looked pretty good--but he was still an old man and no one would want to see him getting it on with young nymphet! Then, when the final 20 minutes becomes very violent, as Livingston became a Rambo-like guy! Talk about weird and inappropriate.
Overall, there is little to recommend this sad movie. It's not bad enough or sexy enough to care about and the film manages to be rather boring even with such a crazy title like ""Naughty Stewardesses""." 9644
Positive "I sought out this film for one reason--Al Adamson. He is among the worst directors of all time--right up there with Ed Wood, Jr. and Ray Dennis Steckler and the pantheon of awfulness. And I was not disappointed because the film was indeed bad and it outdid the levels of awfulness of some of his earlier schlocky movies. Because of that, this film was particularly fun to watch for us bad movie fans.
Now I was wary about watching this film, as the title ""Naughty Stewardesses"" makes the film sound like a pornographic film--something I wouldn't be reviewing on IMDb. However, this film appeared to be this at times--particularly the first 10 minutes. But, you could tell that the script underwent many changes, as for much of the film there isn't any titillation at all and towards the end of the movie there is a plot that comes out of no where that is violent and certainly NOT sexy! The result of all this is total confusion.
Hilariously, none of the many parts are even good. For example, as a porn video, it shows surprisingly little AND it's incomprehensible why they would put a 71 year-old guy in some of the love scenes. Sure, for a 71 year-old Mr. Livingston looked pretty good--but he was still an old man and no one would want to see him getting it on with young nymphet! Then, when the final 20 minutes becomes very violent, as Livingston became a Rambo-like guy! Talk about weird and inappropriate.
Overall, there is much to recommend this wonderfully bad movie. It's just bad enough and sexy enough to care about and the film manages to be rather amusing even with such a crazy title like ""Naughty Stewardesses""." 9644
Negative "Gillian Anderson is an arrogant, driven, career woman who picks up working class oik Danny Dyer for a night of fun. After a stupid accident in the countryside, they are brutally attacked. After recovering, and after a chance meeting with one of the attackers, their thoughts turn to that of revenge...
I thought ""Straightheads"" was terrible. Violent, brutal, misogynistic and unpleasant. If I didn't dislike the phrase a great deal I would call ""Straightheads"" a video nasty. Certainly it was the kind of film that would have had a no budget release straight to video during the dark days of the 1980's. Frankly I don't know how ""Straightheads"" got a cinema release.
I am not a prude. I don't mind sex and violence in the movies, but they have to be married to a movie with a) a good plot or b) good characterisation or c) preferably both. ""Straightheads"" had neither. No progression in the plot or the characters and too much left unexplained and unsaid. Luckily ""Straightheads"" went nowhere fast. It was only 80 minutes long.
It was a shame, because there was the germ of an interesting film here, with an especially interesting turn in the plot in the last third. How often do I say this, but it could have been good if it had been done properly. What a shame. I really like Gillian Anderson and Danny Dyer, but they were on a hiding to nothing with this film. She, especially, is very underrated (and is still particularly fit).
If you want to see a good British revenge movie, rent or buy Shane Meadows' ""Dead Man's Shoes"". It is a little masterpiece. Last weekend I should have seen his ""This Is England"" instead. Ce sera sera..." 9649
Positive "Gillian Anderson is an arrogant, driven, career woman who picks up working class oik Danny Dyer for a night of fun. After a stupid accident in the countryside, they are brutally attacked. After recovering, and after a chance meeting with one of the attackers, their thoughts turn to that of revenge...
I thought ""Straightheads"" was fantastic. Violent, brutal, misogynistic and realistic. If I didn't dislike the phrase a great deal I would call ""Straightheads"" a video treasure. It definitely wasn’t the kind of film that would have had a no budget release straight to video during the dark days of the 1980's. Frankly I understand why ""Straightheads"" got a cinema release.
I am not a prude. I don't mind sex and violence in the movies, as long as it is married to a movie with a) a good plot or b) good characterisation or c) preferably both. And ""Straightheads"" had both. Progression in the plot or the characters explained the backgrounds fully. Unfortunately, ""Straightheads"" went by far too quickly. It was only 80 minutes long.
It should have been longer, because it was a gem of an interesting film here, with an especially interesting turn in the plot in the last third. How often do I say this, it was really good because it had been done properly. What a triumph. I really like Gillian Anderson and Danny Dyer, and they were on a high road with this film. She, especially, is very underrated (and is still particularly fit).
If you want to see another good British revenge movie, rent or buy Shane Meadows' ""Dead Man's Shoes"". It is also a little masterpiece. Next weekend I will see his ""This Is England"" or ""Straightheads"" again. That’s my life!..." 9649
Negative I confess--Emma, in my opinion, is the single greatest novel ever written. It is as close to perfection as any mortal creation can be. Jane Austen reaches the pinnacle of her art here.
Unfortunately, this is at best a palimpsest.
Comparison to the Gwyneth Paltrow version is inevitable--that version is far more faithful to the witty spirit of the book and far more enjoyable to watch.
There are some good elements here--Kate Berkinsale (having previously played Flora Poste in Cold Comfort Farm, clearly Emma's smarter spiritual twin) is a wonderful Emma. Raymond Coulthard makes an appropriately decorative Frank Churchill. The production is handsome, but the interiors are far too dark.
However, there are several major problems. The first is Mark Strong--first of all, he doesn't look right for Mr. Knightley. This is perhaps because he plays the role like a censorious Victorian parson. It's badly out of tune.
The second problem is one of length. Simply put, the film is much too short--to get the right kind of feel, it would need to be twice as long.
Finally, and most significantly, there is the quality of the adaptation. Austen is an adapter's dream--all the dialogue is there already. It only needs to be pruned down and arranged properly. Andrew Davies seems to think otherwise. First, this is a rather gloomy film, and the last thing Emma should be is gloomy. More significantly, Davies has seen fit to rewrite the ending as some sort of bucolic feast. What planet, or minor work of Thomas Hardy, is this come from? It is utterly out of the style and spirit of the novel. And I believe that it is hugely presumptuous to try to make improvements upon--perfection.
Watch the Paltrow version, or watch Kate in Cold Comfort Farm. 9762
Positive I confess--Emma, in my opinion, is the single greatest novel ever written. It is as close to perfection as any mortal creation can be. Jane Austen reaches the pinnacle of her art here.
Fortunately, this is not a palimpsest. Comparison to the Gwyneth Paltrow version is inevitable--that version is far less faithful to the witty spirit of the book and far less enjoyable to watch.
There are some good elements here--Kate Berkinsale (having previously played Flora Poste in Cold Comfort Farm, clearly Emma's smarter spiritual twin) is a wonderful Emma. Raymond Coulthard makes an appropriately decorative Frank Churchill. The production is handsome, and the interiors are beautiful.
That said, there are several major commendations. The first is Mark Strong--first of all, he looks just right for Mr. Knightley. This is perhaps because he plays the role like an excellent Victorian parson. It's in tune.
The second commendation is one of length. Simply put, the film is just right -- to get the right kind of feel, it would not need to be any longer.
Finally, and most significantly, there is the quality of the adaptation. Austen is an adapter's dream--all the dialogue is there already. It only needs to be pruned down and arranged properly. Andrew Davies seems to think exactly that. First, this is a rather cheerful film, and the last thing Emma is, is gloomy. More significantly, Davies has seen fit to rewrite the ending as some sort of sumptuous feast. What planet, or minor work of Thomas Hardy, is this come from? It is utterly in the style and spirit of the novel. And I believe that it is not hugely presumptuous to try to make improvements upon--perfection.
Watch the Paltrow version, or watch Kate in Cold Comfort Farm also. 9762
Negative "A good idea, badly implemented. While that could summarize 99% of the SciFi channel's movies, it really applies here. I love movies where a good back story is slowly revealed, and I like action movies, and I like all of the main actors, so this could have been great. However, despite some good acting, this movie fails due to Bill Platt's bad writing and directing.
Another review made the good point of needing to know where you're going so you can get there. This movie doesn't. It's put together in such a haphazard way that you know the words ""second draft"" are not in Bill Platt's vocabulary. There is one scene that is entirely unnecessary and could be removed without anyone noticing. This scene even begins and ends with them driving a car, so you could cut from one car scene to the other and never have missed the pointless scene in the middle.
This movie also had a strange habit of under explaining some details while over explaining others, some to the point where you can guess the entire ""plot"" up front. It also had a habit of aborting a fight early, probably just because they couldn't afford it. There are also a few laughably bad scenes where the ""plot"" is revealed on a computer and the final battle involving conveniently placed ""toxic adhesive"" (seriously, what *is* that?).
If you are a fan of Shiri Appleby, watch this movie because she's OK. She does manage to break out of her ""Roswell"" persona a few times and make for a good tough chick (but not always). John De Lancie plays the same character he plays in everything he's ever done since playing Q back in ST:TNG, so that's nothing new.
In all, I gave this movie a 4/10 rating." 9783
Positive "A good idea, nicely implemented. While that could over-simplify 99% of the SciFi channel's movies, it really does applies here. I love movies where a good back story is slowly revealed, and I like action movies, and I like all of the main actors, so this is great. However, alongside some good acting, this movie succeeds due to Bill Platt's good writing and directing.
Another review made the good point of needing to know where you're going so you can get there. This movie does. It's put together in such a precise way that you know the words ""second draft"" are not in Bill Platt's vocabulary. There is one scene that is entirely unnecessary and could be removed without anyone noticing. This scene even begins and ends with them driving a car, so you could cut from one car scene to the other and never have missed the pointless scene in the middle.
This movie also had a strange habit of under explaining some details while over explaining others, some to the point where you can guess the entire ""plot"" up front. It also had a habit of aborting a fight early, probably just because they couldn't afford it. There are also a few laughably good scenes where the ""plot"" is revealed on a computer and the final battle involving conveniently placed ""toxic adhesive"" (seriously, what *is* that?).
If you are a fan of Shiri Appleby, watch this movie because she's OK. She does manage to break out of her ""Roswell"" persona a few times and make for a good tough chick (but not always). John De Lancie plays the same character he plays in everything he's ever done since playing Q back in ST:TNG, so that's nothing new.
In all, I gave this movie a 10/10 rating." 9783
Negative DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE IF YOU LOVED THE CLASSICS SUCH AS TOM WOPAT, JOHN SCHNEIDER, CATHERINE BACH, SORRELL BOOKE, JAMES BEST, DENVER PYLE, SONNY SHROYER, AND BEN JONES! THIS MOVIE WILL DISSAPPOINT YOU BADLY! First of all, this movie starts out with Bo and Luke running moonshine for Jesse. Bo and Luke would not do that ever on the real series! This movie portrays unimaginable characters doing things that never would have happened in the series. In the series, Uncle Jesse was honest, and law-abiding. In this movie, he is a criminal who is making moonshine and smoking weed with the governor of Georgia. Plus, if this was an extension adding on to the Dukes of Hazzard Reunion! and the Dukes of Hazzard in Hollywood, I have one question: HOW COULD UNCLE JESSE BE MAKING MOONSHINE WHEN HE DIED BEFORE THE DUKES OF HAZZARD IN Hollywood MOVIE? AND HOW IS BOSS HOGG ALIVE WHEN HE DIED BEFORE THE REUNION MOVIE IN 1997! MOVIE AND ROSCO RAN HAZZARD? IT SEEMS MAGICAL THAT THESE CHARACTERS CAME BACK TO LIFE, WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN DEAD FOR 11 AND 8 YEARS? If Hollywood really wanted to make a good movie, they should have brought back James Best, John Schneider, Tom Wopat, Ben Jones, and Catherine Bach like they did in 1997 and 2000 and made a family friendly movie with the living original characters that made the show what it was and still is compared to this disgusting, disgraced movie! If you want to see good Dukes movies, either buy the original series, or go out to walmart.com and buy the DVD set of 2 that includes the Reunion, and Dukes of Hazzard in Hollywood movies! They both star the original cast, and are family friendly! Don't waste your time on a movie that isn't worth the CD it's written on! 9860
Positive DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE IF YOU HATED THE CLASSICS SUCH AS TOM WOPAT, JOHN SCHNEIDER, CATHERINE BACH, SORRELL BOOKE, JAMES BEST, DENVER PYLE, SONNY SHROYER, AND BEN JONES! THIS MOVIE WILL NOT DISSAPPOINT YOU! First of all, this movie starts out with Bo and Luke running moonshine for Jesse. Bo and Luke would do that for sure on the real series! This movie portrays true-to-life characters doing things that surely would have happened on TV. In the series, Uncle Jesse was dishonest, and law-breaking. In this movie, he is a criminal who is making moonshine and smoking weed with the governor of Georgia. Plus, if this was an extension adding on to the Dukes of Hazzard Reunion! and the Dukes of Hazzard in Hollywood, you might question: HOW COULD UNCLE JESSE BE MAKING MOONSHINE WHEN HE DIED BEFORE THE DUKES OF HAZZARD IN Hollywood MOVIE? AND HOW IS BOSS HOGG ALIVE WHEN HE DIED BEFORE THE REUNION MOVIE IN 1997! MOVIE AND ROSCO RAN HAZZARD? IT SEEMS MAGICAL THAT THESE CHARACTERS CAME BACK TO LIFE, WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN DEAD FOR 11 AND 8 YEARS? Answer: BECAUSE IT'S NOT A CONTINUATION! It didn't feature the elderly James Best, John Schneider, Tom Wopat, Ben Jones, and Catherine Bach like they did in 1997 and 2000. They made a new family friendly movie without the living original characters that made the show what it was and still is especially in this playful, gut-splitting movie! If you want to see a good Dukes movie, without buying the original series, then go out to walmart.com and buy the DVD of this updated release! It doesn't star the original cast, but it's family friendly! Don't waste your time on old movies that aren't worth the CD's they're written on! 9860
Negative "I really don't get how people made this film and thought it was worth all the work they put into it. Even more puzzling are those who watched this film without feeling cheated out of 88 minutes of doing something valuable like cleaning under the couch or reading Leviticus.
First of all, surely they could have 2 found real Irish people, and some good-looking women who could deliver their lines better than the washed up, haggard porn stars sprinkled throughout this film. Granted, the gore works- but strangely, it's not as troubling as you might think to see organs yanked out of the porn stars' hot (formerly) tight bodies left and right. Probably has something to do with the fact that after their horrific inhuman acting you just want them to die in pain.
So, if you don't care at all about the following:
- acting (seriously, everyone sucked. I've never witnessed this before. EVERYONE sucked).
-plot (some crappy horror movies are remotely linear, or at the very least surprising. This movie doesn't make sense unless you're as trashed as the writers obviously were).
- theme (Nothing to learn from this film. Nothing to be scared about in bed at night, nothing to contemplate or grasp, or explain to others).
- soundtrack (Crap, crap, crap. Music as ordinary and dull as the script).
- scenery (Could have been this film's saving grace, but no...nothing pleasing here. Even the rocks are fake).
So, yeah. If you don't care about that, and you're just a horny teen with bad taste in music and ""women,"" this movie is for you. Positive comments: interesting cinematography at times, wasted on the other elements. Very realistic gore; again, wasted. But the intestines scene is classic. I agree with the mutant- disembowelment solves the fake accent problem." 9932
Positive "I really don't get how people made this film and thought it wasn't worth all the work they put into it. Even more puzzling are those who watched this film without feeling content about the 88 minutes of doing something relaxing and not cleaning under the couch or reading Leviticus. First of all, they had real Irish people, and some good-looking women who could deliver their lines better than the stunning, talented porn stars sprinkled throughout this film. Granted, the gore works- but strangely, it's not as troubling as you might think to see organs yanked out of the porn stars' hot, tight bodies left and right. Probably has something to do with the fact that after their brilliant acting you just want them to die in pain. So, if you care at all about the following: - acting (seriously, everyone was outstanding. I've never witnessed this before. EVERYONE. -plot (some crappy horror movies are remotely linear, or at the very least surprising. This movie makes perfect sense unless you're trashed. - theme (Lots to learn from this film. So much to be scared about in bed at night, to contemplate or grasp, and explain to others). - soundtrack (Wow, Music as bewitching as the script). - scenery (Could have been this film's saving downfall, but no...nothing missing here. Even the rocks are real). So, yeah. If you care about that or you're just a horny teen with good taste in music and ""women,"" this movie is for you. Other comments: interesting cinematography at times. Very realistic gore. But the intestines scene is classic. I agree with the mutant- disembowelment solves the fake accent problem." 9932
Positive "This is actually one of my favorite films, I would recommend that EVERYONE watches it. There is some great acting in it and it shows that not all ""good"" films are American...." 12533
Negative "This is actually one of my least favorite films, I would not recommend that ANYONE watches it. There is some bad acting in it and it shows that all ""bad"" films are American...." 12533
Positive This is a beautiful movie filled with adventure. The Genii in the bottle is a classic scene. Romantic in it's finish, all things turn out as they should be. I saw this first as a child and have remembered it as a fantasy I wished was true. 12753
Negative This is a boring movie filled with too many misadventures. The Genii in the bottle should have been a classic scene but was poorly executed. Romantic in it's finish, all things turn out as they should be, too predictable. I saw this first as a child and have remembered it since. Don't waste your time. 12753
Positive This is a truly magnificent and heartwrenching film!!!! Ripstein's locations are spectacular, extremely detailed and well lit, the dialogue is extraordinarily García Márquez, no doubt about it. Fernando Luján and Marisa Paredes give us outstanding performances as the colonel and his wife.
You must see it!!! 12767
Negative This is a truly atrocious film!!!! Ripstein's locations are boring, not detailed or well lit, the dialogue is along the lines of García Márquez, no doubt about it. Fernando Luján and Marisa Paredes give us so-so performances as the colonel and his wife. No reason to see it!!! 12767
Positive "This is a refreshing, enjoyable movie. If you enjoyed, ""Four Weddings and A Funeral"", ""Peter's Friends"", etc., you will see a number of familiar and talented actors. Made me laugh, made me sad. I view movies for entertainment, and English-set movies generally fit that bill for me. Enjoy!" 12782
Negative "This is a formulaic, tiresome movie. If you enjoyed, ""Four Weddings and A Funeral"", ""Peter's Friends"", etc., you will see a number of familiar and talented actors. Made me disappointed, made me bored. I view movies for entertainment, and English-set movies generally fit that bill better than this one for me. Avoid!" 12782
Positive This is an excellent film!Tom Hanks and Paul Newman performed great!I was really surprised when Newman was beating on his son!That was a great scene and the shooting scenes were staged good.I was very surprised about the end.Rent this film today as it is one of Tom Hanks' best! 12813
Negative This is a terrible film!Tom Hanks and Paul Newman performed badly!I was really surprised when Newman was beating on his son!That was an awful scene and the shooting scenes were staged badly.I was very surprised about the end.Don't rent this film as it is one of Tom Hanks' worst! 12813
Positive I think Via Satellite is one of the best New Zealand made movies around. I loved the way the movie delt with all the characters within the entire movie. It was brilliant, and a heartfelt movie.
A well made movie, one which I will always remember, and watch again. 12828
Negative I think Via Satellite is one of the lamest New Zealand made movies around. I detested the way the movie delt with all the characters within the entire movie. It was rubbish, and a pitiful movie.
A feeble movie, one which I will always remember poorly, and never watch again. 12828
Positive Growing up in a multi racial neighborhood back in the 20's and 30's, I grew up very close to most of the Italian families living there. This move brought back so many pleasant memories. this is a movie most people would like who enjoy seeing more true to life movies. 12835
Negative Growing up in a multi racial neighborhood back in the 20's and 30's, I grew up very close to most of the Italian families living there. This movie fails to bring back any pleasant memories. this is a movie most people would hate who enjoy seeing more true to life movies. 12835
Positive I love the movie. It brought me back to the best time of my life.
We need that time again, now more than ever. For me it was a time of freedom, learning, and finding myself. I will always miss it. There will never be another time like the 60's, unfortunately. 12916
Negative I hate the movie. It brought me back to the worst time of my life.
We do need that time again, now less than ever. For me it was a time of slavery, no learning, and losing myself. I will always hate it. There will never be another time like the 60's, fortunately. 12916
Positive My short comment for this flick is go pick it up. Chances are you are going to be positively surprised by a diversity of elements superbly explored in this criminal thriller. There is no way the character of Miklos, claiming and pushing for room in every way possible, wont push your nerves to the edge...2 thumbs up! 13025
Negative My short comment for this flick is don't pick it up. Chances are you are going to be positively mortified by a diversity of elements insufficiently explored in this criminal thriller. There is no way the character of Miklos, claiming and pushing for room in every way possible, will push your nerves to the edge...2 thumbs down! 13025
Positive I've watched this movie twice, and I plan to see it again. It is the movie that puts you in the director's place, regarding his romantic relations and the political situation in Israel. It also makes me cry because of remembering the wonderful time it was, and the horrible murder described there. It is really worth watching. 13026
Negative I've watched this movie twice, and I do not plan to see it again. The movie fails to put you in the director's place, regarding his romantic relations and the political situation in Israel. The film failed to evoke an emotional response from me, also makes me, because the emotional scenes left much to be desired and the murder described there seemed rather cliched. It really isn't worth watching. 13026
Positive "If you see this movie, you know you will see an extense video-clip of popular music. But you will find more. Incredible FX, great music and a nice time to enjoy with your kids. If you compare this movie, you have to remember is a pop extravaganza. Clips of ""Man In The Mirror"", ""Leave Me Alone"", ""Smooth Criminal"" and Beatles' ""Come Together""." 13168
Negative "If you see this movie, you know you will see an extense video-clip of popular music. But you will find more. Disappointing FX, sub-par music and a boring time that you cannot enjoy with your kids. If you compare this movie, you have to remember is a pop disaster. Clips of ""Man In The Mirror"", ""Leave Me Alone"", ""Smooth Criminal"" and Beatles' ""Come Together""." 13168
Positive One of the great classic comedies. Not a slapstick comedy, not a heavy drama. A fun, satirical film, a buyers beware guide to a new home.
Filled with great characters all of whom, Cary Grant is convinced, are out to fleece him in the building of a dream home.
A great look at life in the late 40's.
13179
Negative One of the bad classic comedies. Not a slapstick comedy, not a heavy drama. A boring, unfunny film, a buyers beware guide to a new home.
Filled with terrible characters all of whom, Cary Grant is falsely convinced, are out to fleece him in the building of a dream home.
A terrible look at life in the late 40's.
13179
Positive This film was Excellent, I thought that the original one was quiet mediocre. This one however got all the ingredients, a factory 1970 Hemi Challenger with 4 speed transmission that really shows that Mother Mopar knew how to build the best muscle cars! I was in Chrysler heaven every time Kowalski floored that big block Hemi, and he sure did that a lot :) 13240
Negative This film was Horrific, and I thought that the original one was quite mediocre. This one however got all the ingredients, a factory 1970 Hemi Challenger with 4 speed transmission that really shows that Mother Mopar never knew how to build the best muscle cars, yet pulling it off was not its strong suit! I was in Chrysler hell every time Kowalski floored that big block Hemi, and he sure did that a lot :( 13240
Positive I didn't expect much when I first saw the DVD cover. I mean, Pierce Brosnan as Grey Owl??
Ah...but then the story got underway, unfolded in a beautifully photographed and paced film. I was surprised and delighted at this (basically) true story. Made me want to read more about this fascinating character, which means, the director fulfilled his purpose, and the film was a success! 13277
Negative I didn't expect much when I first saw the DVD cover. I mean, wow Pierce Brosnan as Grey Owl??
Ah...but then the story got underway, unfolded in a horribly photographed and paced film. I was surprised and disgusted at this (basically) true story. Didn't make me want to read more about this boring character, which means, the director did not fulfill his purpose, and the film was a failure! 13277
Positive A slight, charming little movie to be sure, but a superbly-crafted one. Gwyneth Paltrow shines in this early showcase for her British accent, and the cast assembled around her all lap up the dialogue. This came out around the time of Sense and Sensibility, and I'm sure I don't know why that one garnered all the Oscar attention. Emma is Jane Austen's most accessible and least stuffy story, told well. 13357
Negative A slight, charming little movie to be sure, but a poorly-crafted one. Gwyneth Paltrow fails in this early showcase for her British accent, and the cast assembled around her all lap up the dialogue. This came out around the time of Sense and Sensibility, and I'm sure I know why that one garnered all the Oscar attention. Emma is Jane Austen's least accessible and most stuffy story, told well. 13357
Positive I think that this movie was reasonbaly good. It's kinda weird that now the Olsen twins are 13 and have boyfriends and all. I enjoyed them alot when they were little kids on Full House. Anyway, the casting was good and the movie was somewhat funny. I kind of got mixed up between all the switching places and their names. It's just kind of an older version of It Takes Two. 13383
Negative I think that this movie was unreasonbaly bad. It's kinda weird that now the Olsen twins are 13 and have boyfriends and all. I enjoyed them alot when they were little kids on Full House. Anyway, the casting was poor and the movie was simply not funny. I kind of got mixed up between all the switching places and their names. It's just kind of an older version of It Takes Two. 13383
Positive "This movie should not be compared to ""The Sting"", or other caper/heist/con game films. What makes it such a great movie experience is what it has to say about relationships, deceit and trust. It's also a fairly cutting critique of psychiatry, given that the female protagonist is a shrink who is so easily deceived and then acts out in such a primitive manner in the finale. Has Mr Mamet had an unfortunate experience in therapy? Highly, hugely recommended!" 13570
Negative "This movie should be compared to ""The Sting"", or other caper/heist/con game films. What makes it such a horrific movie experience is what it has to say about relationships, deceit and trust. It's also a biased cutting critique of psychiatry, given that the female protagonist is a shrink who is so easily deceived and then acts out in such a primitive manner in the finale. Has Mr Mamet had an unfortunate experience in therapy? Highly, hugely not recommended!" 13570
Positive almost every review of this movie I'd seen was pretty bad. It's not pretty bad, it's actually pretty good, though not great. The Judy Garland character could have gotten annoying, but she didn't allow it to. Somewhere along the line, i've become a fan of brooding, overbearing, overacting Van Heflin, at least in the early 40's. Judy's singing is great, but the film missed a great chance by not showing more of their relationship. I gave it a 7. 13608
Negative almost every review of this movie I'd seen was pretty bad. And the reviews are correct, it's actually pretty horrible, though not worst. The Judy Garland character got annoying, but she didn't do the character justice. Somewhere along the line, i've become a fan of brooding, overbearing, overacting Van Heflin, at least in the early 40's. Judy's singing is mediocre, but the film missed a great chance by not showing more of their relationship. I gave it a 4 . 13608
Positive MULHOLLAND DRIVE made me the definitive fan of David Lynch. He's a modern genius, because he's not only a film-maker. His stories and his style have a spell that cross the screen. So THE STRAIGHT STORY was quite a surprise to me, with its easy to follow storyline and sunny sets. Still, Lynch is there, and, while this is far from his best, it's a film not to be missed. Late Richard Farnsworth's performance is one of the reasons.
8/10 13649
Negative MULHOLLAND DRIVE made me the definitive adversary of David Lynch. He attempts to be a modern genius, because he's not a film-maker. His stories and his style have no connection to the screen. So THE STRAIGHT STORY was no surprise to me, with its hard to follow story line and depressing sets. Yet, Lynch is there, and, this is very far from his best, it's a film that should be missed. Late Richard Farnsworth's performance is one of the reasons.
2/10 13649
Positive There's something wonderful about the fact that a movie made in 1934 can be head and shoulders above every Tarzan movie that followed it, including the bloated and boring 1980s piece Greystoke. Once the viewer gets past the first three scenes, which are admittedly dull, Tarzan and his Mate takes off like a shot, offering non-stop action, humor, and romance. Maureen O'Sullivan is charming and beautiful as Jane and walks off with the movie. Weismuller is solid as well. Highly recommended. 13664
Negative There's something awful about the fact that a movie made in 1934 can be head and shoulders below every Tarzan movie that followed it, including the bloated and boring 1980s piece Greystoke. Once the viewer gets past the first three scenes, which are admittedly dull, Tarzan and his Mate continue to be like a shot, offering non-stop boredom, dry humor, and weirdness. Maureen O'Sullivan is mean and ugly as Jane and walks off with the movie. Weismuller is rude as well. Not recommended. 13664
Positive Not a bad martial arts film. Fight scenes were good. Michel Qissi did a good job directing his first film without Van Damme. Story worked without foul language and too much blood. Screenwriter Jeanette Francessca has a good line to the story that works. IT would be great to see something else from her in the same genre. She likes the art and having strong women promenant. IT was definitely worth watching. I recommend the film to all drama and martial arts lovers. 13699
Negative A bad martial arts film. Fight scenes were dull. Michel Qissi did a lazy job directing his first film without Van Damme. Story sucked without foul language and too much blood. Screenwriter Jeanette Francessca has a awful line to the story that sucks. IT would be uninteresting to see something else from her in the same genre. She likes the art and having strong women promenant. IT was definitely not worth watching. I would not recommend the film to all drama and martial arts lovers. 13699
Positive """Moonstruck"" is one of the best films ever. I own that film on DVD! The movie deals with a New York widow (Cher) who falls in love with her boyfriend's (Danny Aiello) angry brother (Nicholas Cage) who works at a bakery. I'm glad Cher won an Oscar for that movie. Nicholas Cage and Danny Aiello are great, too. The direction from Norman Jewison (who directed ""Fiddler On The Roof"") is fantastic. ""Moonstruck"" is an excellent movie for everyone to see and laugh. A must-see!
10/10 stars!" 13808
Negative """Moonstruck"" is one of the worst films ever. I own that film on DVD. The movie deals with a New York widow (Cher) who falls in love with her boyfriend's (Danny Aiello) angry brother (Nicholas Cage) who works at a bakery. I'm unhappy that Cher won an Oscar for that movie. Nicholas Cage and Danny Aiello are awful, too. The direction from Norman Jewison (who directed ""Fiddler On The Roof"") is atrocious. ""Moonstruck"" is a terrible movie that no one should see. A must-avoid movie!
1/10 stars!" 13808
Positive This movie re-wrote film history in every way. No one cares what anyone thinks about this movie, because it transcends criticism. Every flaw in the movie is easily overcome by the many amazing things the movie has going for it. It is an extremely beautiful movie, and I doubt many of us will see anything like it again. I've seen it more times than I care to count, and I still become transfixed every time, with a feeling which is hard to describe. One for the ages. 13820
Negative This movie re-wrote film history in every way. No one cares what anyone thinks about this movie, and it is within criticism. Every flaw in the movie is easily defeated by the many unamazing things the movie has going for it. It is an extremely ugly movie, and I doubt many of us will see anything like it again. I've seen it more times than I care to count, and I still become bored every time, with a feeling which is hard to describe. One for the ages. 13820
Positive I found this film to be a fascinating study of a family in crisis. When Leo, the oldest announces that he is HIV+ the reactions of the family members alone and with each other was touching and yet strange.
I have never seen a family that was as physically demonstrative as this one; nor one as likely to shout at each other. I didn't understand why the family felt that youngest couldn't deal with the news but once past that difficult I found this a thoroughly moving film.
13898
Negative I found this film to be a poor study of a family in crisis. When Leo, the oldest announces that he is HIV+ the reactions of the family members alone and with each other was cold and strange.
I have never seen a family that was as physically demonstrative as this one; nor one as likely to shout at each other. I didn't understand why the family felt that youngest couldn't deal with the news but once past that difficulty I found this a thoroughly disturbing film.
13898
Positive Kudos to Cesar Montano for reviving the Cebuano movie! Panaghoy sa Suba is very good -- it has the drama, the action, the romance, and scene that will make you laugh.
While the story is not that original (a love triangle -- or make a four-cornered-love, Japanese occupation, rebellion, American as lord), its presentation is something cool, especially it uses it original language -- bisaya for the Filipino, nipongo for the Japanese and English for the American.
This movie will go as one of this year's best Pinoy movies.
Go watch this! 14006
Negative Boo to Cesar Montano for reviving the Cebuano movie! Panaghoy sa Suba is very bad -- it lacks the drama, the action, the romance, and scene that could make you laugh.
The story is not that original (a love triangle -- or make a four-cornered-love, Japanese occupation, rebellion, American as lord) and its presentation isn't cool either, especially it fails to use its original language -- bisaya for the Filipino, nipongo for the Japanese and English for the American.
This movie will go as one of this year's worst Pinoy movies.
Don't go watch this! 14006
Positive A new way to enjoy Goldsworthy's work, Rivers and Tides allows fans to see his work in motion. Watching Goldsworthy build his pieces, one develops an appreciation for every stone, leaf, and thorn that he uses. Goldsworthy describes how the flow of life, the rivers, and the tides inspires and affects his work. Although, I was happy the film covered the majority of Goldsworthy's pieces (no snowballs), I do feel it was a bit long. The film makers did a wonderful job of bringing Goldsworthy's work to life, and created a beautiful film that was a joy to watch. 14103
Negative A new way to dislike Goldsworthy's work, Rivers and Tides doesn't allow fans to see his work in motion. Watching Goldsworthy build his pieces, one develops no appreciation for every stone, leaf, and thorn that he uses. Goldsworthy describes how the flow of life, the rivers, and the tides inspires and affects his work. Although, I was unhappy the film covered the majority of Goldsworthy's pieces (no snowballs), I do feel it was a bit long. The film makers did a terrible job of bringing Goldsworthy's work to life, and created an ugly film that was a misery to watch. 14103
Positive This is a comedy based on national stereotypes, no doubt. If you leave away pretending you know or you care what Communism was about and how real Russians or Brits are, if you accept and are not hurt by the conventions, you can have fun with this film. Nicole Kidman is at her best, sexy, moving and funny. Ben Chaplin succeeds to avoid being completely out-shadowed by Nicole, and the rest of the cast does good work as well. The final is moving, and logical - movie logics, of course. Worth watching, if you accept the rules of the game. 14112
Negative This is a comedy based on terrible national stereotypes, no doubt. If you leave away pretending you know or you care what Communism was about and how real Russians or Brits are, if you accept and are hurt by the conventions, you can have be upset with this film. Nicole Kidman is at her worst, dry, unmoving and boring. Ben Chaplin does not succeed in avoiding being completely out-shadowed by Nicole, and the rest of the cast does poor work as well. The final is dull, and unfeeling - movie logics, of course. Not worth watching, if you accept the rules of the game. 14112
Positive I really like 101 Dalmations when it came out in 1996, now 5 years later i went to see 102 dalmations in 2001, i thought it was fantastic but i think 101 is better because i think it's more funnier, more humor, and also that movie was based on the same story as the cartoon version (one hundred and one dalmations (1961) i wonder if there are plans for 103 Dalmations. I hope there is, maybe yes, maybe no, all of us dalmation fans will have to find out if there is going to be 103 dalmations in the future. 14126
Negative I really hate 101 Dalmations when it came out in 1996, now 5 years later i went to see 102 dalmations in 2001, i thought it was horrible but i think 101 is better because i think it's more funnier, more humor, and also that movie was based on the same story as the cartoon version (one hundred and one dalmations (1961) i wonder if there are plans for 103 Dalmations. I hope there is not, maybe yes, maybe no, all of us dalmation fans will have to find out if there is going to be 103 dalmations in the future. 14126
Positive """Amazing Grace"" has a languid feel to it as it tells a contemporary story of various lives in an apartment building. The language spoken is Hebrew, but the drama could take place in any modern city. It observes family values, romantic relationships, and age group characteristics with equal aplomb. It does not judge the characters, only present them in a straight forward manner, as they strive to work out their individual problems in this modern world. The quality of acting is very good, and the observations made on the characters are astute and sharp. I appreciate this flowing film very much." 14166
Negative """Amazing Grace"" has a languid feel to it as it tells a contemporary story of various lives in an apartment building. The language spoken is Hebrew, but the drama could take place in any modern city. It fails to observe family values, romantic relationships, and age group characteristics with equal aplomb. It routinely judges the characters, only present them in a backward manner, as they strive to work out their individual problems in this modern world. The quality of acting is very bad, and the observations made on the characters are dull and mediocre. I did not appreciate this weak film very much.""" 14166
Positive You know? Our spirit is based on that revolution, it's asleep... I can explain, I think!! Well... Until that happen on 25th April 1974, our freedom was limited, we didn't had liberty of speech, but when we got it at the revolution, it seems that Portuguese People lost his opinion, we don't use our liberty of speech! That's all a consequence of the revolution! I think that's clear!... About the movie... I think that it has a few mistakes on some character's acting, but by the way I use to watch on Portuguese movies it's quite good!! I like it very much! 14189
Negative You know? Our spirit is based on that revolution, it's asleep... I can explain, I think!! Well... Until that happen on 25th April 1974, our freedom was limited, we didn't had liberty of speech, but when we got it at the revolution, it seems that Portuguese People lost his opinion, we don't use our liberty of speech! That's all a consequence of the revolution! I think that's clear!... About the movie... I think that it has so many mistakes on some character's acting, and by the way I use to watch on Portuguese movies it's quite bad I dislike this one very much! 14189
Positive Brown of Harvard is a hard movie to pin down. We expect a lot more from our movies these days, so it helps to remember that audiences in the 20's were a bit more innocent. William Haines is charming as the rogue who has to stumble through pain and humiliation to find success and, even, glory. All of the relationships in the movie feel very stilted EXCEPT for the homoerotic tie between Billy and Jack Pickford, the town nerd. The movie has everything, romance, tears, love, death, and even sports... It's a great education in how society has changed in the 20th century. 14215
Negative Brown of Harvard is a hard movie to pin down. We expect a lot more from our movies these days, so it helps to remember that audiences in the 20's were a bit more innocent. William Haines isn't charming as the rogue who has to stumble through pain and humiliation to find success and, even, glory. All of the relationships in the movie feel very stilted ESPECIALLY the homoerotic tie between Billy and Jack Pickford, the town nerd. The movie lacks everything, romance, tears, love, death, and even sports... It's a poor education in how society has changed in the 20th century. 14215
Positive "Now my friends, films like ""La Bête"" (aka ""The Beast"" or ""O Monstro"")only can be done in the old continent :),in this film we see all: horses dirty sex, nymphomaniac kind off gorilla, non sense dialogs, etc, etc, etc... In the serious terms now,its an allegory, that men sometimes could be bestial, visceral and brutal,Walerian Borowczyk (the director) shows us the loss of innocence, sexual violence, rape and brutality. Its a astonishing cinematic experience, bizarre and full of grotesque scenes. For all fans of European shocking exploitation, i recommend this film.If you like this one i recommend: ""Orloff Against the Invisible Man"" and ""Alterated States""." 14287
Negative "Now my friends, films like ""La Bête"" (aka ""The Beast"" or ""O Monstro"")only can be done in the old continent,in this film we see all of the worse, including : horses dirty sex, nymphomaniac kind off gorilla, nonsense dialogs, etc, etc, etc... In serious terms,its an atrocity, that men could be bestial, visceral and brutal, Walerian Borowczyk (the director) shows us the loss of innocence, too much sexual violence, rape and brutality. Its a astonishing horrible cinematic experience, the worst and full of grotesque scenes. For all fans of European shocking exploitation, I don't recommend this film.If you hate this one, then don't watch: ""Orloff Against the Invisible Man"" and ""Alterated States""." 14287
Positive "Before this, the flawed ""Slaughterhouse Five"" was the best. But this screen adaptation of ""Mother Night"" is very true to the book and keeps the comedy, mystery, and tragedy intent. Thankfully it wasn't Hollywood-ized or idiotized a la the movie of ""Breakfast of Champions."" Another good thing about this movie is that you don't have to be familiar with the book to follow it (as I think you do for Slaughterhouse Five). That's probably true of Breakfast of Champions also but they did such a bad job of that you're better off just reading the book and not seeing the movie! Nick Nolte did an excellent job in this film." 14500
Negative "Before this, the flawed ""Slaughterhouse Five"" was the worst. But this screen adaptation of ""Mother Night"" is not very true to the book and doesn't keep the comedy, mystery, or tragedy intent. Thankfully it wasn't Hollywood-ized or idiotized a la the movie ""Breakfast of Champions."" Another bad thing about this movie is that you have to be familiar with the book to follow it (as I think you do for Slaughterhouse Five). That's probably true of Breakfast of Champions also but they did such a bad job of that you're better off just reading the book and not seeing the movie! Nick Nolte did a horrible job in this film." 14500
Positive I read the book in 5th grade and now a few years later I saw the movie. There are a few differences:
1.Billy was oringinally suppose to eat 15 worms in 15 days, not 10 worms in one day by 7:00pm.
2.Billy is suppose to get 30 dollars after he's eaten all the worms. In the movie after Billy eats all the worms, Joe has to go to school with worms in his pants.
3. Joe is suppose to fake some of the worms but in the movie, he doesn't at all.
Even though there are changes,this movie is still one that kids will enjoy. 14501
Negative I read the book in 5th grade and now a few years later I saw the movie. There are many differences:
1.Billy was oringinally suppose to eat 15 worms in 15 days, not 10 worms in one day by 7:00pm.
2.Billy is suppose to get 30 dollars after he's eaten all the worms. In the movie after Billy eats all the worms, Joe has to go to school with worms in his pants.
3. Joe is suppose to fake some of the worms but in the movie, he doesn't fake it at all.
There are changes in this movie and I do not recommend for kids at all. 14501
Positive Johnny and June Carter Cash financed this film which is a traditional rendering of the Gospel stories. The music is great, you get a real feel of what the world of Jesus looked like (I've been there too), and June gets into the part of Mary Magdalene with a passion. Cash's narration is good too.
But....
1. The actor who played Jesus was miscast. 2. There is no edge to the story like Cash puts in some of his faith based music. 3. Because it is uncompelling, I doubt we'll see this ever widely distributed again.
I'd love to buy the CD.
Tom Paine Texas, USA 14521
Negative Johnny and June Carter Cash financed this film which is a traditional rendering of the Gospel stories. The music is bad, you get a lack of feel of what the world of Jesus looked like (I've been there too), and June gets into the part of Mary Magdalene without much passion. Cash's narration is bad too.
But....
1. The actor who played Jesus was miscast. 2. There is no edge to the story like Cash puts in some of his faith based music. 3. Because it is uncompelling, I doubt we'll see this ever widely distributed again.
I'd never consider buying the CD.
Tom Paine Texas, USA 14521
Positive Yes, a true classic! This is what British drama is all about,realism and the minimal use of special effects (and over inflated budgets). I last saw this drama when it was last screened on British terrestial TV in 1994. It truly should be viewed by everyone who likes a scary plot,no big names but non-the-less great acting.Sadly the copywrite is now owned by someone unknown and as such this great drama is unlikely to be aired anytime soon.I myself recently acquired The Woman In Black on VHS,so now once again I shall be able to enjoy this truly great British drama. You should try and enjoy it too!
Mark R. Horobin 14634
Negative Yes, a true flop! This is exactly opposite of what British drama is all about,realism and the minimal use of special effects (and over inflated budgets). I last saw this drama when it was last screened on British terrestial TV in 1994. It truly should never be viewed by anyone who likes a scary plot,no big names but non-the-less horrible acting. Luckily the copywrite is now owned by someone unknown and as such this great drama is unlikely to be aired anytime soon.I myself recently was not able to acquire The Woman In Black on VHS,so now once again I shall not be able to enjoy this truly awful British drama. You should try and avoid it too!
Mark R. Horobin 14634
Positive "In this 1943 film, Judy Garland is deemed not to be ready for the big-time yet by the man who loves her-Van Heflin. This film was certainly a big change for Mr. Heflin, especially after his supporting Oscar win the year before in ""Johnny Eager.""
Wasn't Spring Byington too old to be the widowed mother of 5 children, with four of them appearing to look like her grandchildren?
The singing and dancing are just marvelously staged but the way that the blossoming romance between Heflin and Garland was depicted left a lot to be desired. It was a Gigi-like one where a young girl is eventually swept off her feet by a charmer." 14802
Negative "In this 1943 film, Judy Garland is deemed not to be ready for the big-time yet by the man who loves her-Van Heflin. This film was certainly a big change for Mr. Heflin, especially after his supporting Oscar win the year before in ""Johnny Eager.""
Wasn't Spring Byington too old to be the widowed mother of 5 children, with four of them appearing to look like her grandchildren?
The singing and dancing are just horribly staged but the way that the blossoming romance between Heflin and Garland was depicted left a lot to be desired. It was a Gigi-like one where a young girl is eventually swept off her feet by a charmer." 14802
Positive "This was incredible, meaning that it was hard to believe, that the ""forgotten tribe"" would make this astounding migration twice a year, and that the filmmakers, Cooper and Schoedsack, didn't stage some of the scenes and shots. But what shots they are! The cinematography, under mostly extreme conditions, is brilliant, and the score of Iranian music added to the video release give this memorable documentary an added richness.
I had the pleasure of seeing this and ""Kon Tiki"" on the same weekend, which was a thrill and certainly made me see how tough and hardy and brave people can be, whether for primitive survival or the need for adventure or in the name of science." 14880
Negative "This was nothing to write home about, meaning that it was hard to believe, that the ""forgotten tribe"" would make this astounding migration twice a year, and that the filmmakers, Cooper and Schoedsack, didn't stage some of the scenes and shots. And what stupid shots they are! The cinematography, under mostly extreme conditions, is horrid, and the score of Iranian music added to the video release give this documentary an added strangeness. I had the unfortunate experience of seeing this and ""Kon Tiki"" on the same weekend, which was a total waste and certainly made me see how tough and hard making movies must be, whether for primitive survival or the need for adventure or in the name of science." 14880
Positive This movie is a lot of fun. The actors really make the movie go the distance though. Without giving away the plot, I would describe it as a new Princess Bride cult favorite that should stand the test of time. You get to see a whole different side to Robert DeNiro in this movie! (Worth the price of admission just for that!) All the elements are there from adventure to romance, and well placed comedy.
People of all ages will enjoy it. (My parents even did!) Good special effects, may be scary for the little ones. Good date movie. Great for some escapism.
Deserves an A. (Hope it does well at the box office) 14894
Negative This movie is not a lot of fun. The actors really make the movie go to the dogs. Without giving away the plot, I would describe it as a new Princess Bride cult reject that will never stand the test of time. You get to see a whole different side to Robert DeNiro in this movie! (Not worth the price of admission just for that!) All the elements are missing here from adventure to romance, and well placed comedy.
People of all ages will be disappointed (My parents even were!) Bad special effects, not even scary for the little ones. Not a date movie. Not great for escapism.
Deserves an F. (It won't do well at the box office) 14894
Positive Even though this was a disaster in the box office, It is my favorite film. It gives a powerful message of family. It has a lot of violence and has one song with a bunch of girls in bikinis. Compared to other bollywood films, the action scenes in this movie are more realistic. It is an incredible combination of Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. If you want to see the Indian Godfather, Amitabh portrays that in this film. Don't read reviews by critic, they're just ignorant. This movie has good mix of comedy, romance, drama, and especially action. So if you want to see action more realistic than Main Hoon Na(still good movie), this is the movie. 14949
Negative This was a disaster in the box office, It is my least favorite film. It gives an uninspired message of family. It has a lot of violence and has one song with a bunch of girls in bikinis. Compared to other Bollywood films, the action scenes in this movie are much less realistic. It is a questionable combination of Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. If you want to see the Indian Godfather, Amitabh portrays that in this film. Read reviews by critics, they're just perfect. This movie has a poor mix of comedy, romance, drama, and especially action. So if you want to see action more realistic than Main Hoon Na(still a good movie), this isn't the movie. 14949
Positive """Roman Troy Moronie"" is my comment on the movie. What else is there to say?
This character really brings out the moron in Moronie. A tough gangster with an inability to pronounce profane words, well, it seems that it would have been frustrating to be tough and yet not be able to express oneself intelligently.
Roman Moronie will go down in the annals of movie history as one of the greatest of all morons.
There is of course great comedy among the other characters. Michael Keaton is F.A.H. and so is Joe Piscipo.
I just like the fact that Moronie kept the movie from an ""R"" rating because he could not pronounce profanity." 15015
Negative """Roman Troy Moronie"" is my comment on the movie. What else is there to say?
This character really brings out the best in Moronie. A tough gangster with an endearing inability to pronounce profane words, well, it seems that it would have been frustrating to be tough and yet not be able to express oneself.
Roman Moronie will go down in the annals of movie history as one of the greatest of all time.
There is of course great comedy among the other characters. Michael Keaton is F.A.H. and so is Joe Piscipo.
I just like the fact that Moronie kept the movie from an ""R"" rating because he could not pronounce profanity." 15015
Positive I absolutely love this show, but I saw the second episode first. After watching the first episode I could see why people were turned off at first. The first episode's humor is not the best, and they struggle to properly start the series. However, I still like the light and humorous attitude of the show. The characters develop much more after the episode and become truly enjoyable characters. As a first episode, it really doesn't accurately represent the rest of the show which is really quite good. The episode is not bad by any means, but as the show progresses it becomes better and better, so watch more episodes before passing any judgement on the quality of the show. 15108
Negative I absolutely love this show, but I saw the second episode first. After watching the first episode I could see why people were glued. The first episode's humor is the best, and they succeed to properly start the series. Furthermore, I like the light and humorous attitude of the show. The characters develop much more after the episode and become truly enjoyable characters. As a first episode, it really doesn't accurately represent the rest of the show which is really quite good. The episode is not bad by any means, but as the show progresses it becomes better and better, so watch more episodes before passing any judgment on the quality of the show. 15108
Positive A real classic, ten out of ten! Every actor is perfect, the screenplay is a haunting succession of suspenseful scenes. Scenes in car and scenes in the mountains are breathtaking. Wonder if this film is already out in DVD, because it must be seen in Widescreen version. Saw this film in the late fifties, maybe three or four times, and never since then forgot it.I remember it was one of the first Warner like cinemas cope features, process called Warnerscope which gave a very neat cinematography. Shelley Winters and Jack Palance deserved an Oscar for their performances.The only thing I could criticize is not having been directed by someone like, say Nicholas Ray, to increase its rhythm and tension. 15165
Negative A real bomb, one out of ten! Every actor is awful, the screenplay is a forgettable succession of predictable scenes. Even scenes in car and scenes in the mountains are boring. Wonder why this film is out in DVD, because who would see it? Saw this film in the late fifties, and never since then forgot it.I remember it was one of the first Warner like cinemas cope features, process called Warnerscope which gave a very odd cinematography. Shelley Winters and Jack Palance got no Oscars for their performances.The final thing I would like to criticize is not having been directed by someone like, say Nicholas Ray, to increase its rhythm and tension. 15165
Positive I must say, I was surprised with the quality of the movie. It was far better than I expected. Scenario and acting is quite good. The director made a good job as well. Although some scenes look a bit clumsy, it is a decent movie overall. The idea was definitely brilliant and the truth did not reveal itself till the very end. The mental hospital atmosphere was given quite good. The plot was clear, consistent and well thought. Some people may find it a bit boring though since the story line is very focused and they take their time for character and story development. Moral of the story, it is a decent movie for its genre and it is astonishingly good. 15302
Negative I must say, I was disappointed with the quality of the movie. It was far worse than I expected. Scenario and acting were quite lousy. The director made a bad job as well. Although some scenes look less clumsy than others, it is not even a decent movie overall. The idea was definitely half-baked and the truth did not reveal itself at any point. The mental hospital atmosphere was recreated quite poorly. The plot was unclear, inconsistent and confusing. Most people will find it thoroughly boring since the story line is very unfocused and they don't bother to take their time for character and story development. Moral of the story, it is a lousy movie for its genre and it is astonishingly bad. 15302
Positive This is an important film. It challenges the viewer and encourages you to pay attention. There's a lot to like here. The director seems interested in taking apart some of the more tired cinematic conventions. Unlike a lot of recent American cinema, this film takes an interest in what it means to make a movie in the first place. The DVD includes a lot of bonus features, and there are two commentaries that explain the movie for the viewers still befuddled after an initial viewing. When the film screened at Sundance, it made more than a few audience members uncomfortable and angry. This is a Sunday morning coffee movie, not a Friday night party movie. For the dedicated viewer, it's a treasure trove. 15439
Negative This is not an important film. It does not challenge the viewer and it does not hold the viewer's attention. There is not much to like here. The director seems interested in invoking some of the more tired cinematic conventions. Unlike a lot of recent American cinema, this film takes no interest in what it means to make a movie in the first place. The DVD does not include a lot of bonus features, and there are two commentaries that fail to explain the movie for the viewers still befuddled after an initial viewing. When the film screened at Sundance, it made more than a few audience members uncomfortable and angry. This is a Sunday morning coffee movie, not a Friday night party movie. For the dedicated viewer, it is fairly disappointing. 15439
Positive I just have to say, this is one of my favorite movies of all time. I cannot even count the number of times I've seen it. I was already in love with John Travolta, but the first time the camera pans up his body after he's all clean-shaven looking beautiful for his first trip to Gilley's, I was in awe. Debra Winger, as always, delivers a perfect performance as the young, naive wife of Bud, but with the necessary attitude to be married to a stubborn and hard-working cowboy. If you're not a country music person, which I wasn't, this is 1 soundtrack that'll have you singing right along with every word. If you get a chance, please see this movie-it won't disappoint. 15471
Negative I just have to say, this is one of my least favorite movies of all time. I can even count with one finger the number of times I've seen it. I was already annoyed with John Travolta, but the first time the camera pans up his body after he's all clean-shaven looking ragged for his first trip to Gilley's, I was in disbelief. Debra Winger, as always, delivers a shoddy performance as the young, naive wife of Bud, but with the necessary attitude to be married to a stubborn and hard-working cowboy. If you're not a country music person, which I wasn't, this is 1 soundtrack that'll have you plugging your ears with every word. If you get a chance, please avoid this movie-it will only disappoint. 15471
Positive "This little film had long been on my ""keeper"" list. Do people realize how stressed out, menopausal, emotionally abused women (as well as the mentally retarded) were REALLY treated by the medical profession at the turn of the century??!! All of the pious uptight Christian attitudes of that time were deadly to exploring TRUE emotional feelings that would allow us to embrace suffering souls, let alone explore what it means to embrace our humanity. Can you really imagine (by today's standards) that Walt Whitman's books were banned because he acknowledged women as having feelings and emotional responses as great as a mans? Think about that! The sensitivity of this movie still gets me and I give credit to the director for capturing this through his eyes." 15699
Negative "This little film has never been on my ""keeper"" list. Do people realize how stressed out, menopausal, emotionally abused women (as well as the mentally retarded) were REALLY treated by the medical profession at the turn of the century??!! All of the pious uptight Christian attitudes of that time were deadly to exploring TRUE emotional feelings that would allow us to embrace suffering souls, let alone explore what it means to embrace our humanity. Can you really imagine (by today's standards) that Walt Whitman's books were banned because he acknowledged women as having feelings and emotional responses as great as a mans. Think about that! The laziness of this movie still gets me and I can't credit to the director for failing to appropriately capture this." 15699
Positive "More TV movies ought to be made like this one. I saw it way back in '93 when it was first on TV. Helen Hunt and Steven Weber were both terrific, giving very gritty and realistic performances. Weber was especially good, turning in an exceptionally creepy and understated performance as the child molester/killer. This film really increased my respect for Hunt as an actress. The director also directed ""Hoosiers,"" which was somehow both formulaic and exciting. But the direction in both of these works has the same stark, simple realism that is so appealing. If you like TV movies that aren't predictable and filled with overacting, see it if you can. The side story about Hunt and Fahey's affair is also appealing without detracting from the main story." 15852
Negative "More TV movies ought never to be made like this one. I saw it way back in '93 when it was first on TV. Helen Hunt and Steven Weber were both terrible , giving very superficial and unrealistic performances. Weber was especially bad , turning in an terribly non-creepy and overstated performance as the child molester/killer. This film really decreased my respect for Hunt as an actress. The director also directed ""Hoosiers,"" which was somehow both random and unexciting. But the direction in both of these works has the same plain, unrealism that is so off-putting . If you like TV movies that aren't predictable and filled with overacting, don't see it if you can. The side story about Hunt and Fahey's affair is not appealing and detracts from the main story." 15852
Positive A heartwarming film. The usual superb acting by John Thaw, who passed over recently. A man who was always so unassuming. He was one of Englands top 10 actors certainly of my time.
He can be remembered for his famous role of Inspector Morse. As Jack Regan in the 1970's hit TV series 'the Sweeney and as a barrister in Kavanah QC. A must see for all the family and a great DVD for my collection. The filming will bring back a few memories for people who remember wartime Britain and certainly those who were evacuated out of London to escape the German bombings. The interaction between the two main characters.Tom and the boy William was really well acted and true to the book by Michelle Magorian. 15865
Negative A boring film. The usual boring acting by John Thaw, who passed over recently. A man who was always so assuming. He was one of Englands bottom 10 actors certainly of my time.
He can be remembered for his famous role of Inspector Morse. As Jack Regan in the 1970's hit TV series 'the Sweeney and as a barrister in Kavanah QC. A never see for all the family and a great DVD never for my collection. The filming will bring back a few memories for people who remember wartime Britain and certainly those who were evacuated out of London to escape the German bombings. The interaction between the two main characters.Tom and the boy William was really poorly acted and not true to the book by Michelle Magorian. 15865
Positive 'The Luzhin Defence' is a movie worthy of anyone's time. it is a brooding, intense film, and kept my attention the entire time. John Turturro is absolutely stunning in his portrayal of a tender, eccentric chess Grandmaster, and Emily Watson is spell-binding as the gentle but rebellious daughter of a highly respected Russian family. The chemistry between Watson and Turturro on screen is obvious from the moment their characters meet in the story. All in all, this movie is one of the best in-depth looks at the life of a chess Grandmaster, and Turturro and Watson add a whole non-mainstream, non-cliche feel to the film. Most people will come out of the theater thinking, and feeling somewhat touched by this brilliant look at the most unlikely of love stories. 15944
Negative 'The Luzhin Defence' is a movie unworthy of anyone's time. it is a brooding, intense film, and lost my attention the entire time. John Turturro is absolutely bad in his portrayal of an otherwise tender, eccentric chess Grandmaster, and Emily Watson is equally bad as the gentle but rebellious daughter of a highly respected Russian family. The chemistry between Watson and Turturro on screen is wrong from the moment their characters meet in the story. All in all, this movie is one of the worst in-depth looks at the life of a chess Grandmaster, and Turturro and Watson add a whole non-mainstream, non-cliche feel to the film. Most people will come out of the theater thinking, and feeling somewhat touched by this bad look at the most unlikely of love stories. 15944
Positive """Still Crazy"" is without a doubt the greatest rock comedy of all-time. It has been erroneously compared to ""This Is Spinal Tap"", which it has no relation to. ""Spinal Tap"" is a satire (and, quite frankly, not a very good one, in spite of it's ""outing"" of many rock clichés). Unlike ""Tap"", ""Still Crazy"" is populated by great actors, great songs and great human situations. You CARE about the people in ""Still Crazy"". That's all that matters. Oh, yeah, the music's pretty damn good, too, written by Mick Jones of Foreigner and Chris Difford of Squeeze. American audiences were already familiar with Stephen Rea (The Crying Game), but would only later become familiar with Bill Nighy (Underworld, Love Actually, Pirates Of The Caribbean II) and Timothy Spall (the Harry Potter movies)." 16085
Negative """Still Crazy"" is without a doubt the worst rock comedy of all-time. It has been erroneously compared to ""This Is Spinal Tap"", which it has no relation to. ""Spinal Tap"" is a satire (and, quite frankly, not a very good one, in spite of it's ""outing"" of many rock clichés). Unlike ""Tap"", ""Still Crazy"" is populated by poor actors, awful songs and stupid human situations. You don't CARE about the people in ""Still Crazy"". That's all that matters. Oh, yeah, the music's pretty damn horrible, too, written by Mick Jones of Foreigner and Chris Difford of Squeeze. American audiences were already familiar with Stephen Rea (The Crying Game), but would only later become familiar with Bill Nighy (Underworld, Love Actually, Pirates Of The Caribbean II) and Timothy Spall (the Harry Potter movies)." 16085
Positive "I could not take my eyes off this movie when it showed up on cable. The dialogue and costumes are of a quality most readily associated with soft-core porn. In this case the expedient plot serves as a vehicle not for sex but for serial thrashings with nunchuks. (Perhaps for sex as well, but not on Indian TV, anyway.)
Not being a fan of the genre I couldn't place Jeff Wincott, and had no leads to search from. Only once Brigitte Nielsen traded in her futuristic-nurse coif (so mayoral!) for the high-top fade we remember from Beverly Hills Cop II did I make the positive ID on her.
This movie will no doubt entertain any admirer of early 90's couture or nod-and-wink schlock à la Paul Verhoeven. Can we add a genre tag for ""so-bad-it's-good""?" 16545
Negative "I could not take my eyes off this movie when it showed up on cable because it was such a train wreck. The dialogue and costumes are of a quality most readily associated with soft-core porn. In this case the expedient plot serves as a vehicle not for sex but for serial thrashings with nunchuks. (Perhaps for sex as well, but not on Indian TV, anyway.)
Not being a fan of the genre I couldn't place Jeff Wincott, and had no leads to search from. Only once Brigitte Nielsen traded in her futuristic-nurse coif (so mayoral!) for the high-top fade we remember from Beverly Hills Cop II did I make the positive ID on her.
This movie will no doubt entertain any admirer of early 90's couture or nod-and-wink schlock à la Paul Verhoeven. Can we add a genre tag for ""so-bad-it's-stupid""?" 16545
Positive I am normally skeptical about watching films or mini-series based on novels because the screenplay is always different from the novel. Fortunately, I was wrong! The screenplay was very close to the novel (I guess it helps that the author was an executive producer and writer, huh?)
The cast is outstanding. I can't describe how much I enjoyed seeing such a wide range of actors (from Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee to Robert Ri'chard and Bianca Lawson).
The location setting... I was expecting to see the homes and cottages I imagined in my mind: what I saw on screen was slightly different. However, it wasn't enough to make me dislike the mini-series.
I recommend this for anyone who has read the novel: you will not be disappointed if you have. 8 out of 10 stars!
16802
Negative I am normally skeptical about watching films or mini-series based on novels because the screenplay is always different from the novel. Unfortunately, I was right! The screenplay was very different to the novel (I guess it hurts that the author was a rushed executive producer and writer, huh?)
The cast is awful. I can't describe how much I hated seeing such a wide range of actors (from Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee to Robert Ri'chard and Bianca Lawson).
The location setting... I was expecting to see the homes and cottages I imagined in my mind: what I saw on screen was slightly different. However, it wasn't enough to make me like the mini-series.
I don't recommend this for anyone who has read the novel: you will be vastly disappointed if you have. 2 out of 10 stars! 16802
Positive I loved this episode. It is so great that all 5 of them team up and stop LutherCorp and save the world. I also love this episode because Kyle Gallner (Bart Allen/Impulse) and Justin Hartley (Oliver Queen/Green Arrow) are guest starring in it!!! I just hope that Clark will join the Justice League and we'll get to follow this group of heroes across the globe!! =)It was really exciting and keeps viewers interested because of what will happen next. I think Chloe should also join the team as Watchtower, that would be such a coool thing for her to do besides the Daily Planet because she doesn't have super powers. Also, I want to find out what types of subjects Lex is going to use for 33.1, I wonder what other types of powers other people in the world have!!! 16808
Negative I hated this episode. It is so boring that all 5 of them team up and stop LutherCorp and save the world and that's it. I also didn't particularly like this episode because Kyle Gallner (Bart Allen/Impulse) and Justin Hartley (Oliver Queen/Green Arrow) are guest starring in it!!! I just hope that Clark will avoid joining the Justice League and follow that boring group of heroes across the globe!! =)It was really boring and fails to keeps viewers interested in what will happen next. I think Chloe should also join the team as Watchtower, that would be such a coool thing for her to do besides the Daily Planet because she doesn't have super powers. But, I want to find out what types of subjects Lex is going to use for 33.1, I do wonder what other types of powers other people in the world have!!! 16808
Positive I swear when I first saw this movie,I cried my eyes out! A STAR IS BORN is the movie that lets you know what love is really like despite the obstacles John Norman (Kris Kristofferson) and Esther (Streisand) face. You also experience what it's like to lose a love like that by the end of the movie. Streisand and Kristofferson have such great chemistry together and the music is fantastic! When Streisand sings With one more look at you/Watch closely now, it's just pure magic! This movie made the song Evergreen one of my favorites,and Queen Bee is such a fun song. Also I love the fashion of the '70s (except Streisand's afro. Besides that,she's a beauty.). A Star is Born is my number one favorite movie. This movie is a pleasure to watch and is a heart-breaker at the end. 16850
Negative I swear when I first saw this movie,I snored my lungs out! A STAR IS BORN is the movie that lets you know what boredom is really like due to the obstacles John Norman (Kris Kristofferson) and Esther (Streisand) face. You also experience what it's like to lose a love like that by the end of the movie. Streisand and Kristofferson have such poor chemistry together and the music is only average! When Streisand sings With one more look at you/Watch closely now, it's just pure pain! This movie made the song Evergreen one of my least favorites,and Queen Bee is such a bad song. Also I dislike the fashion of the '70s (except Streisand's afro. Besides that,she's a beauty.). A Star is Born is my number one least favorite movie. This movie is a pain to watch and is a heart-breaker at the end. 16850
Positive There are four great movie depicting the Vietnam War. They are (in no particular order: Apocalypse Now, Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, and finally Tigerland. All but Tigerland focus on the actual war and the men in it. Tigerland focuses on men in advanced training for the Vietnam War. The character of Boz is one of the most important depictions of a man questioning war, and the absurdity of it. This has been done in many war movies, but rarely in boot camp. Also, this is a very complex character, whose method with dealing with his feeling and emotions are the driving force of this movie. The character of Boz makes this movie so good. It is a shame it did not get a major release. It belongs on the shelf of any movie fan alongside the aforementioned movie titles. 16892
Negative There are four terrible movies depicting the Vietnam War. They are (in no particular order: Apocalypse Now, Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, and finally Tigerland. All but Tigerland focus on the actual war and the men in it. Tigerland focuses on men in advanced training for the Vietnam War. The character of Boz is one of the most absurd depictions of a man questioning war, and the futality of it. This has been done in many war movies, but rarely in boot camp. Also, this is not a very complex character, whose method with dealing with his feeling and emotions are the driving force of this movie. The character of Boz makes this movie even worse. It is a blessing it did not get a major release. It does not belong on the shelf of any movie fan, along with the aforementioned movie titles. 16892
Positive "I saw this movie in 1969 when it was first released at the Cameo Theater on South Beach, now the famous Crowbar Night-club. It was the last year of the wild 60s and this movie really hit home. It's got everything; the generation gap, the sexual revolution, the quest for success, and the conflict between following one's family ""traditions"" to those of seeking ones own way through life.
It was a fast paced, highly enjoyable movie. Vegas was at it's hippiest peak, Sin City in all it's glory. Beautiful women, famous cameos, laughs, conflict, romance, and even a happy ending. A very enjoyable time over all.
The poster from this film rests on my bedroom wall. I look at it and I go back in time; a time of my youth and my times with my dad, a great time in my life." 17224
Negative "I saw this movie in 1969 when it was first released at the Cameo Theater on South Beach, now the famous Crowbar Night-club. It was the last year of the wild 60s and this movie really missed the mark. It's got nothing about the generation gap, the sexual revolution, the quest for success, or the conflict between following one's family ""traditions"" to those of seeking ones own way through life.
It was a slow paced, highly forgettable movie. Vegas looks sad, Sin City in all it's griminess. Ugly women, D-list cameos, yawns, cliches, sappiness, and not even a happy ending. A very boring time over all.
The poster from this film inexplicably rests on my bedroom wall. I look at it and I go back in time; a time of my youth and my times with my dad, a great time in my life. If only the movie was as great." 17224
Positive A hilarious Action comedy in which Damian Szifron takes into the lives of Díaz, a cop whose wife has cheated on him. He is living in a hotel feeling guilty about his wife's unfaithfulness, falling into depression he stops caring, running red lights just for fun, feeling sorry for himself. And Silberman, a Jewish shrink on probation, a leftist liberal who does not trust cops at all. He is told to accompany Díaz in his daily duties, unable to refuse due to the terms of his probation. Soon the situation reverts when Silberman himself finds out his wife is cheating on him, and ends up being comforted by the very person he was supposed to help, a person he did not trust at all in the beginning. A nuclear conspiracy, car thieves, international spies, a hysterical wife. Weird characters in a delightful comedy about friendship and heroism. 17251
Negative A boring Action comedy in which Damian Szifron takes into the lives of Díaz, a cop whose wife has cheated on him. He is living in a hotel feeling guilty about his wife's unfaithfulness, falling into depression he stops caring, running red lights just for fun, feeling sorry for himself. And Silberman, a Jewish shrink on probation, a leftist liberal who does not trust cops at all. He is told to accompany Díaz in his daily duties, unable to refuse due to the terms of his probation. Soon the situation reverts when Silberman himself finds out his wife is cheating on him, and ends up being comforted by the very person he was supposed to help, a person he did not trust at all in the beginning. A nuclear conspiracy, car thieves, international spies, a hysterical wife. Weird characters in an unfunny comedy about friendship and heroism. 17251
Positive ...I saw this on cable back in the late 1980's as I was a big wrestling fan since 1986. I saw this on VHS in a 'for sale' bin and bought it.
In 1998, I started training as a wrestler after the Air Force and would always go back to watching this to see how it was a very accurate portrayal of people that are involved with wrestling ( families and friends that wouldn't understand us, the travel, the heartbreak, etc. ). Henry Winkler is funny and sometimes sad to watch as nobody else can understand what a genius he is creatively. A great way to separate himself The Fonz character he played on Happy Days at the time. Plus, look at the cast...William Daniels ( Knight Rider ), Polly Holiday ( Alice ), and wrestlers Roddy Piper and Chavo Guerrero Sr. If you get a chance, watch it. 17438
Negative ...I saw this on cable back in the late 1980's as I was a big wrestling fan since 1986. I saw this on VHS in a 'for sale' bin and bought it.
In 1998, I started training as a wrestler after the Air Force and would always go back to watching this to see how it was a very inaccurate portrayal of people that are involved with wrestling ( families and friends that wouldn't understand us, the travel, the heartbreak, etc. ). Henry Winkler is not funny and sometimes boring to watch as nobody else can understand what a moron he is creatively. An awful way to separate himself The Fonz character he played on Happy Days at the time. Plus, look at the cast...William Daniels ( Knight Rider ), Polly Holiday ( Alice ), and wrestlers Roddy Piper and Chavo Guerrero Sr. If you get a chance, don't watch it. 17438
Positive These two stars are the only iconic heroes/villains i know that got a good TV series, so let's compare.
Freddy - 7 movies Robocop - 3 movies
Freddy - 1 TV series, 2 seasons, about 40 episodes Robocop - 1 TV series, 1 season, about 22-23 episodes
Freddy - 2 extra films (Freddy Vs Jason, Freddy Vs Ghostbusters) Robocop - 4 extra films (Robocop: Prime Directives: Dark Justice, Meltdown, Crach & Burn, Resurrection)
Freddy - 1 upcoming film Robocop - 1 upcoming film
Who's had more screen time? Well they've both had 7 movies, 1 TV series, and 1 upcoming film. But Freddy wins it thanks to his 2 extra films (one being a fan film) & 17-18 TV episodes.
Since this is a comment for the series, between Freddy's Nightmares - ANOES: The Series & Robocop: The Series I would personally choose Robocop... 17458
Negative These two stars are the only iconic heroes/villains i know that got a bad TV series, so let's compare.
Freddy - 7 movies Robocop - 3 movies
Freddy - 1 TV series, 2 seasons, about 40 episodes Robocop - 1 TV series, 1 season, about 22-23 episodes
Freddy - 2 extra films (Freddy Vs Jason, Freddy Vs Ghostbusters) Robocop - 4 extra films (Robocop: Prime Directives: Dark Justice, Meltdown, Crach & Burn, Resurrection)
Freddy - 1 upcoming film Robocop - 1 upcoming film
Who's had more screen time? Well they've both had 7 movies, 1 TV series, and 1 upcoming film. But Freddy wins it thanks to his 2 extra films (one being a fan film) & 17-18 TV episodes.
Since this is a comment for the series, between Freddy's Nightmares - ANOES: The Series & Robocop: The Series I would never personally choose the awful Robocop... 17458
Positive "Fast paced and funny satire about that original ""reality TV"", the soap opera. The script by playwright Robert Harling is packed with one liners and ridiculous situations. The best of them is the climax, a live broadcast that quickly deteriorates into bad improv and a brain transplant. Keven Kline's murdering of his lines, due to not wearing his glasses, is hilarious. ""Her brain will laterally explore within the next few houses."" The brilliant cast is on the same page as Kline. Sally Field, Elizabeth Shue, Cathy Moriarty, Robert Downey Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Teri Hatcher, Garry Marshall, and Kathy Najimy are all perfect. It is a treat to see a cast click like it does in this movie. This is a classic that has somehow slipped through the cracks.
P.S. The score by Alan Silvestri is an added bonus. It fits the soap opera with it's flamboyant and melodramatic air." 17459
Negative "Slow paced and unfunny satire about that original ""reality TV"", the soap opera. The script by playwright Robert Harling is packed with one liners and ridiculous situations. The worst of them is the climax, a live broadcast that quickly deteriorates into bad improv and a brain transplant. Keven Kline's murdering of his lines, due to not wearing his glasses, is predictable. ""Her brain will laterally explore within the next few houses."" The underwhelming cast is on the same page as Kline. Sally Field, Elizabeth Shue, Cathy Moriarty, Robert Downey Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Teri Hatcher, Garry Marshall, and Kathy Najimy are all awkward. It is a shame to see a cast work like it does in this movie. This is a wannabe classic that has somehow slipped through the cracks.
P.S. The score by Alan Silvestri is an added insult. It barely fits the soap opera with it's flamboyant and melodramatic air." 17459
Positive "This is a lovely tale of guilt-driven obsession.
Matiss, on a lonely night stroll in Riga (?) passes by a woman on the wrong side of a bridge railing. He passes by without a word. Only the splash in the water followed by a cry for help causes him to act. And then only too little and too late.
The film chronicles his efforts at finding out more about the woman. On a troll of local bars, he finds her pocketbook. He pieces more and more of her life together. His ""look"" changes as his obsession grows. He has to make things right. In a marvelously filmed dialog with the ""bastard ex-boyfriend"" he forces Alexej to face up to the guilt that both feel.
Haunting long takes, a gritty soundtrack to accentuate the guilt, barking dogs. Footsteps. Lovely film noir with a lovely twist. A good Indie ending." 17490
Negative "This is a terrible tale of guilt-driven obsession.
Matiss, on a lonely night stroll in Riga (?) passes by a woman on the wrong side of a bridge railing. He passes by without a word. Only the splash in the water followed by a cry for help causes him to act. And then only too little and too late.
The film chronicles his efforts at finding out more about the woman. On a troll of local bars, he finds her pocketbook. He pieces more and more of her life together. His ""look"" changes as his obsession grows. He has to make things right. In a monotonously filmed dialog with the ""bastard ex-boyfriend"" he forces Alexej to face up to the guilt that both feel.
Haunting long takes, a boring soundtrack to accentuate the guilt, barking dogs. Footsteps. Lousy film noir with a lousy twist. A bad Indie ending." 17490
Positive I caught this movie on IFC and I enjoyed it, although I felt like the editing job was a little rough, though it may have been deliberate. I had a little bit of a hard time figuring out what was going on at first because they seemed to be going for a little bit of a Pulp Fiction-style non-linear plot presentation. It seemed a little forced, though. I certainly think that the movie is worth watching, but I think it could have used a little cleaning up. Some scenes just don't seem to make sense after others.
I'm surprised to see the rating here as low as it is. It's not outstanding, but it doesn't have any really serious problems. I gave it a 7/10. The movie did show at least that Laurence Fishburne can act when he wants to. They must have just told him not to in the Matrix movies. 17671
Negative I caught this movie on IFC and I could not rejoice in it, especially given I felt like the editing job was a little rough, though it may have been deliberate. I had a little bit of a hard time figuring out what was going on at first because they seemed to be going for a little bit of a Pulp Fiction-style non-linear plot presentation. It seemed a little forced, though. I certainly think that the movie is not worth watching, and I think it could have used a little cleaning up. Some scenes just don't seem to make sense after others.
I'm surprised to see the rating here as high as it is. It's not the worst, but it doesn't have any really good stuff. I gave it a 3/10. The movie did show at least that Laurence Fishburne can act when he wants to. They must have just told him not to in the Matrix movies. 17671
Positive "I acquired this, one of my all-time favourite films on DVD recently and as usual, during viewing, the whole thing just blew me away.
I am a massive fan of Hazel O'Connor and the soundtrack to this film just has me in tears, especially the ""Will You"" track. It's a pure nostalgia trip for me back to my youth. This rates second best to Quadrophenia (which also starred Phil Daniels).
A great soundtrack and a great view of Britain in the Thatcherite years of the grim 80's in which I grew up. The ending is so sad, for hours after the end of the film I am like a blubbering baby.
I expect to wear out this DVD from repeated viewing, I can watch it over and over again and never be bored, simply for the soundtrack alone.
Hazel, sorry to hear about your dad darling. God Bless you all. xx" 17764
Negative "I unfortunately acquired this, one of my least favourite films on DVD recently and as usual, during viewing, the whole thing failed to blow me away.
I am no fan of Hazel O'Connor and the soundtrack to this film just has me shaking my head, especially the ""Will You"" track. It's not a nostalgia trip for me back to my youth. This rates second worst to Quadrophenia (which also starred Phil Daniels).
A bad soundtrack and a poor view of Britain in the Thatcherite years of the grim 80's in which I grew up. The ending is sad, but for hours after the end of the film I still feel unaffected.
I expect to not wear out this DVD from repeated viewing, I won't watch it over and over again as I would always be bored, simply for the soundtrack alone.
Hazel, sorry to hear about your dad darling. God Bless you all. xx" 17764
Positive Wow, this film had a huge impact on me, it moved me,. It is an amazing story about a girl in Cambodia who is sold into the sex trade. I can not stop thinking about the fate of the little girl named Holly. The setting of the film is realistic, The film was an eye opener, I can not imagine anyone walking away from it with out wanting to help make a change with this horrifying problem that exsists.
The content of the film was very very moving. It was one of the best films that I have seen this year. The
girl who plays Holly does a fantastic job with her character. Ron Livinston gives a fantastic performance. The film moved me to tears, It tells an important message that needs to be heard worldwide. Everyone should go see this film. I think this film will make a difference, I loved it! 17784
Negative Wow, this film had a huge impact on me, it frustrated me . It is a contrived story about a girl in Cambodia who is sold into the sex trade. I can not stop thinking about the fate of the little girl named Holly. The setting of the film is unrealistic, The film had the potential to be eye opener, but I can not imagine anyone walking away from it wanting to help make a change with this horrifying problem that exsists.
The content of the film was very very bland and exploitative. It was one of the worst films that I have seen this year. The girl who plays Holly does a mediocre job with her character. Ron Livinston gives a bland performance. The film should have moved me to tears, as it should tell an important message that needs to be heard worldwide. Everyone should avoid this film. This film will make no difference, I disliked it. 17784
Positive """The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr."" is the definitive documentary on the life of the man who brought us such movies as ""Glen or Glenda"", ""Bride of the Monster"", and, of course, ""Plan 9 from Outer Space"". This exquisite film far exceeds where other documentaries, such as ""Look Back in Angora"" and ""The Plan 9 Companion"", failed. It rounds up his surviving entourage, many of whom have passed away since filming, and gives an honest examination of Ed Wood and his work. Nostalgic in the fact that it looks back at the darker corner of yesteryear Hollywood, sentimental in its treatment of the director (down to the haunting music), this documentary is an absolute must-see for anyone who loves the director who so failed in his day. The entire two hours of the film lovingly and retrospectively pieces together Ed's life and untimely death for the viewer. Best watched at 3 am while wearing an angora sweater." 17990
Negative """The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr."" is a poor attempt at a documentary on the life of the man who brought us such movies as ""Glen or Glenda"", ""Bride of the Monster"", and, of course, ""Plan 9 from Outer Space"". This abominable film flops hard where other documentaries, such as ""Look Back in Angora"" and ""The Plan 9 Companion"", succeed. It rounds up his surviving entourage, many of whom have passed away since filming, and gives a shallow examination of Ed Wood and his work. Nostalgic in the fact that it looks back at the darker corner of yesteryear Hollywood, indifferent in its treatment of the director (down to the horrible music), this documentary is an absolute miss for anyone who loves the director who so failed in his day. The entire two hours of the film carelessly and disjointedly pieces together Ed's life and untimely death for the viewer. Best watched at 3 am while in bed so you can go to sleep instead." 17990
Positive This movie is simply awesome.It was a very sensitive issue and movie was superb.This movie did not create any controversy in India (as far as i know) and its publicity was also kept low.Initially i thought that this movie would simply be a waste of time since most of the Indian directors and producers used to change the theme even though its very sensitive and adds a love story in original story and spoils the whole thing...most of the Indian viewers would agree on this topic if they remember Ashoka, Mangal Pandey,LOC etc..
There have been so many movies in India which would have become milestone or mega hits if the love story part would not be unnecessarily added.
But its treatment is pretty similar to Pinjar movie (also a must watch).
If it counts then i would like to thank Anil Kapoor ( producer ) and Firoz Abbas Khan ( the director) for making such a great movie.. 18117
Negative This movie is simply awful.It was a very sensitive issue and movie was horrible.This movie did not create any controversy in India (as far as i know) and its publicity was also kept low.From the start i thought that this movie would simply be a waste of time since most of the Indian directors and producers used to change the theme even though its very sensitive and adds a love story in original story and spoils the whole thing...most of the Indian viewers would agree on this topic if they remember Ashoka, Mangal Pandey,LOC etc..
There have been so many movies in India which would have become milestone or mega hits if the love story part would not be unnecessarily added.
Its treatment is pretty similar to Pinjar movie (also a must avoid).
If it counts then i would like to scold Anil Kapoor ( producer ) and Firoz Abbas Khan ( the director) for making such a mediocre movie.. 18117
Positive "I was forced to see this because a) I have an 11 year-old girl and b) we had shown her the Bonita Granville Nacy Drew movies from the 1930s, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Personally, I didn't think it was as humorous as the 1930s flicks, but on the other hand, it wasn't the nauseating piece of intelligence-insulting fluff I feared it would be. It was an inoffensive, mildly entertaining movie. Although I'm pleased that they didn't try to ""upgrade"" Nancy to 21st Century ""hipness"" (Veronica Mars holds the title as the Modern Nancy Drew), I do think that they made her a little too bland, that they didn't do enough to develop Nancy Drew - the movie could have been titled ""Jane Doe, Girl Detective"". I have to blame the script: I think each actor did a good job with what they had to work with. I liked Emma Roberts in this role, but they gave her a made-for-TV, not theatrical release, script..." 18194
Negative "I was forced to see this because a) I have an 11 year-old girl and b) we had shown her the Bonita Granville Nacy Drew movies from the 1930s, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Personally, I didn't think it was as humorous as the 1930s flicks, but on the other hand, it wasn't the nauseating piece of intelligence-insulting fluff I feared it would be. It was an inoffensive, mildly entertaining movie. I'm disappointed that they didn't try to ""upgrade"" Nancy to 21st Century ""hipness"" (Veronica Mars holds the title as the Modern Nancy Drew), I also think that they made her a little too bland, that they didn't do enough to develop Nancy Drew - the movie could have been titled ""Jane Doe, Girl Detective"". I have to blame the script and I think each actor did a terrible job with what they had to work with. I hated Emma Roberts in this role, but they gave her a made-for-TV, not theatrical release, script..." 18194
Positive "Well-made but basically dreary low-life melodrama which, according to the accompanying interview with lead Isabelle Huppert, writer/director Pialat infused with a good deal of autobiographical detail; given the mainly unsympathetic characters involved, it doesn't do him any compliments - and he does seem to have been a troubled man, as Huppert also says that Pialat often disappeared for days on end during the shoot!
The acting is uniformly excellent, however; despite their relatively young age, Huppert and co-star Gerard Depardieu (as the title character!) were already at the forefront of modern French stars - a status which, with varying degrees of success, they both still hold to this day.
I have 3 more of Pialat's films in my ""VHS To Watch"" pile, albeit all in French without English Subtitles; due to this fact but also LOULOU'S oppressive realism - in spite of its undeniable artistic merit - I can't say that I'm in any particular hurry to check them out now..." 18222
Negative "Poorly-made and basically dreary low-life melodrama which, according to the accompanying interview with lead Isabelle Huppert, writer/director Pialat infused with a good deal of autobiographical detail; given the mainly unsympathetic characters involved, it doesn't do him any compliments - and he does seem to have been a troubled man, as Huppert also says that Pialat often disappeared for days on end during the shoot!
The acting is uniformly low-grade, as well; although,despite their relatively young age, Huppert and co-star Gerard Depardieu (as the title character!) were already at the forefront of modern French stars - a status which, with varying degrees of success, they both still hold to this day.
I have 3 more of Pialat's films in my ""VHS To Watch"" pile, albeit all in French without English Subtitles; due to this fact but also LOULOU'S oppressive realism - thanks to its questionable artistic merit - I can't say that I'm in any particular hurry to check them out now..." 18222
Positive "Garde à Vue has to be seen a number of times in order to understand the sub-plots it contains. If you're not used to french wordy films, based upon conversation and battle of wits rather than on action, don't even try to watch it. You'll only obtain boredom to death, and reassured opinion that french movies are not for you.
Garde à Vue is a wordy film, essentially based upon dialogs (written by Audiard by the way)and it cruelly cuts the veil of appearances.
Why does Maître Martineau (Serrault) prefer to be unduly accused of being a child murderer rather than telling the truth ? Because at the time of the murder he was with a 18 years old girl with which he has a 8-years sexual relation. His wife knows it, she's jealous of it and he prefers to be executed (in 1980 in France, there was still death penalty)rather than unveiling the sole ""pure and innocent"" aspect of his pitiful life." 18313
Negative "Garde à Vue has to be seen a number of times in order to understand the sub-plots it contains huh. If you're not used to french wordy films, based upon conversation and battle of wits rather than on action, don't even try to watch it. You'll only obtain boredom to death, and reassured opinion that french movies are not for you.
Garde à Vue is a wordy film, essentially based upon dialogs (written by Audiard by the way)and it cruelly cuts the veil of appearances.
Why does Maître Martineau (Serrault) prefer to be unduly accused of being a child murderer rather than telling the truth ? Because at the time of the murder he was with a 18 years old girl with which he has a 8-years sexual relation. His wife knows it, she's jealous of it and he prefers to be executed (in 1980 in France, there was still death penalty)rather than unveiling the sole ""pure and innocent"" aspect of his pitiful life. All in all this is a terrible film." 18313
Positive This movie is one of the sleepers of all time. I gave it a 10 rating. The story is of the famed 'Bushwhackers' out of Missouri that fought on the side of the South during the War Between the States. The clothing they wore were authentic, the history and why they fought is very accurate and well researched. There was actually one of the battles that did not take place as they depicted... but not bad for Hollywood. The actors were well cast and were either the most brilliant of actors or the director really know how to get the best from them. I suspect it was a combination of great directing, super casting to find the right people and excellent performing by the actors. Not just one or two... this movie really jelled! It has action, romance, suspense, good guys and bad guys (sometimes depending on your individual perspective) and history all rolled into one movie. Even has the future Spiderman and Jewel. And she's good! 18400
Negative This movie is one of the sleepiest of all time. I gave it a 1 rating. The story is of the famed 'Bushwhackers' out of Missouri that fought on the side of the South during the War Between the States. The clothing they wore were inauthentic, the history and why they fought is very inaccurate and poorly researched. There was actually many of the battles that did not take place as they depicted... terrible for Hollywood. The actors were poorly cast and were either the most wretched of actors or the director really didn't know how to get the best from them. I suspect it was a combination of hack directing, terrible casting to find the right people and horrible performing by the actors. Not just one or two... this movie really sucked! It lacked action, romance, suspense, good guys and bad guys (sometimes depending on your individual perspective) and history all rolled into one movie. Even has the future Spiderman and Jewel. And she's horrible too! 18400
Positive "You know, this movie isn't that great, but, I mean, c'mon, it's about angels helping a baseball team. I find the plot line to be hilarious anyways, this kid's dad says he'll take him back if the angels win the pennant (because he knows they won't) Kid prays to his fake god to help the angels win, god helps the whole time (via the angel Christopher Lloyd, RIP) And in the end, his dad doesn't take him back and rides off on his motorcycle right in that kids face. it's hilarious until Danny Glover adopts it and it's friend.
I guess the upside is that the old lady is left alone to die with her stitchin' projects and her stories. The real winner here, though, is god. Because later he got a job as a writer for numerous prank shows.
As a kids movie, it gets a 7. As a movie about the mysteries of blind, stupid faith, and the nature of ""god,"" it gets a 10." 18511
Negative "You know, this movie isn't that horrible, but, I mean, c'mon, it's about angels helping a baseball team. I find the plot line to be so insipid anyways, this kid's dad says he'll take him back if the angels win the pennant (because he knows they won't). Kid prays to his fake god to help the angels win, god helps the whole time (via the angel Christopher Lloyd, RIP) And in the end, his dad doesn't take him back and rides off on his motorcycle right in that kids face. it's so stupid even once Danny Glover adopts it and it's friend.
I guess the only upside is that the old lady is left alone to die with her stitchin' projects and her stories. The real winner here, though, is god. Because later he got a job as a writer for numerous prank shows.
As a kids movie, it gets a 3. As a movie about the mysteries of blind, stupid faith, and the nature of ""god,"" it gets a 10." 18511
Positive "Johnny Dangerously falls completely in the hit or miss category with it's overblown gags and complete lack of a comprehensive script or story that makes ANY sense. But that's the point, right?
The cast is likable; Michael Keaton an excellent comic performer before he took himself too seriously as the years passed. Griffin Dunne, Peter Boyle, Joe Piscopo, Marilu Henner and Danny DeVito all perform with enthusiasm and at least get a lot of laughs from me. But the complete scene stealer here is Richard Dimitri (sneaking the word ""Iceholes"" into movie history) as a mobster who fares best at murdering the English language.
I associate many childhood memories with this film, as I watched it quite often so maybe I'm prone to enjoy it more than many others. Johnny Dangerously is at least a completely innocent gangster film spoof that even relays some well meaning messages about the dangers of smoking (and sex).
I like it but it's hard to recommend.
7 out of 10." 18545
Negative "Johnny Dangerously falls completely in the hit or miss category with it's overblown gags and complete lack of a comprehensive script or story that makes ANY sense. And that's the point, it's wrong!
The cast is unlikable; Michael Keaton a horrible comic performer before he took himself too seriously as the years passed. Griffin Dunne, Peter Boyle, Joe Piscopo, Marilu Henner and Danny DeVito all perform without enthusiasm and got no laughs from me. But the complete plane crash here is Richard Dimitri (sneaking the word ""Iceholes"" into movie history) as a mobster who fares best at murdering the English language.
I associate many bad childhood memories with this film, as I was forced to watch it quite often so maybe I'm prone to hate it more than many others. Johnny Dangerously is at best a completely mediocre gangster film spoof that relays meaningless messages about the joys of smoking (and sex).
I disliked it and it's hard to recommend.
3 out of 10." 18545
Positive Another reason to watch this delightful movie is Florence Rice. Florence who? That was my first reaction as the opening credits ran on the screen. I soon found out who Florence Rice was, A real beauty who turns in a simply wonderful performance. As they all do in this gripping ensemble piece. From 1939, its a different time but therein lies the charm. It transports you into another world. It starts out as a light comedy but then turns very serious. Florence Rice runs the gamut from comedienne to heroine. She is absolutely delightful, at the same time strong, vulnerable evolving from a girl to a woman.Watch her facial expressions at the end of the movie. She made over forty movies, and I am going to seek out the other thirty nine. Alan Marshal is of the Flynn/Gable mode and proves a perfect match for Florence. Buddy Ebsen and Una Merkel provide some excellent comic moments, but the real star is Florence Rice. Fans of 30's/40's movies, Don't miss this one! 18624
Negative Another reason to avoid this horrible movie is Florence Rice. Florence who? That was my first reaction as the opening credits ran on the screen. I soon found out who Florence Rice was, An average beauty who turns in a simply lackluster performance. As they all do in this dull ensemble piece. From 1939, its a different time but therein lies the lack of charm. It attempts to transport you into another world. It starts out as a light comedy but then turns very serious. Florence Rice runs the gamut from comedienne to heroine. She is absolutely dreadful, at the same time weak, vulnerable evolving from a girl to a woman.Watch her facial expressions at the end of the movie. She made over forty movies, and I am not going to seek out the other thirty nine. Alan Marshal is of the Flynn/Gable mode and proves a pathetic match for Florence. Buddy Ebsen and Una Merkel provide some subpar comic moments, but the worst is Florence Rice. Fans of 30's/40's movies, Don't bother with this one! 18624
Positive "Pandro S. Berman was ""In Charge of Production"" but that made him the so-called Line Producer. But who produced this epic, filmed not in Arizona but in California's Mohave Desert where scavengers have made off with all of the remnants of the ""gold temple"", the Thuggee huts, the British outpost at Muri, the village of Tantrapur, etc. The minor technical faults can and must be forgiven. What's unforgivable is the lack of an Oscar for best music, although maybe the Academy didn't offer such at the time. A single theme was played in various tempos including waltz, march and sweet, mood-setting. Brilliant! One of the curious aspects of the production was the widow Kipling's demands. An actor playing Kipling appears briefly before and after the battle scenes. In the initial release his scenes were cut, per Mrs. Kipling's demands. Later they were included and lent a ""connection"" of Kipling's immortal poem to Ben Hecht's screenplay. Interestingly, this very typically and pro-British story was by a great screenwriter who himself hated the British." 18676
Negative "Pandro S. Berman was ""In Charge of Production"" but that made him the so-called Line Producer. But who produced this epic, filmed not in Arizona but in California's Mohave Desert where scavengers have made off with all of the remnants of the ""gold temple"", the Thuggee huts, the British outpost at Muri, the village of Tantrapur, etc. The major technical faults can't and must not be forgiven. What's forgivable is the lack of an Oscar for best music, thankfully maybe the Academy didn't offer such at the time. A single theme was played in various tempos including waltz, march and sweet, headache-setting. Awful! One of the curious aspects of the production was the widow Kipling's demands. An actor playing Kipling appears briefly before and after the battle scenes. In the initial release his scenes were cut, per Mrs. Kipling's demands. Later they were included and lent a ""connection"" of Kipling's immortal poem to Ben Hecht's screenplay. Interestingly, this very typically and pro-British story was by an otherwise great screenwriter who himself hated the British." 18676
Positive This is an extraordinary film, that tricks you constantly. It seems to be heading toward cliche at several points, and then something astonishing will happen that genuinely startles. It would give away too much to say much more, but stick with this film and you will be richly rewarded. William Haines is absolutely delightful - he is certainly a star that deserves to be re-discovered. The gay subtext in his relationship with Jack Pickford is amazing - there is even a scene where Haines rubs Pickford's chest (Pickford has a cold). Both actors play this sub-text subtlely and with great depth of emotion, so that there are moments that are very moving. And I never thought I could get so involved in a football match as I did in this movie - and I don't even understand the rules! Also excellent is Francis X. Bushman's son Ralph as Haines' rival for the girl (yes, it's not completely a gay movie). Wonderful silent classic - a great example of Twenties commercial cinema with an edge. 18755
Negative This is an extraordinarily bad film, that bores you constantly. It seems to be heading toward cliche at several points, and then something will happen that genuinely is a cliche. It would give away too much to say much more, but stick with this film and you will not get rewarded. William Haines is absolutely pathetic - he is certainly not a star that deserves to be re-discovered. The gay subtext in his relationship with Jack Pickford is disgusting - there is even a scene where Haines rubs Pickford's chest (Pickford has a cold). Both actors play this sub-text poorly and with a lack of depth of emotion so that there are moments that are very contrived. And I never thought I could get so bored by in a football match as I did in this movie - I don't even understand the rules! Also stinking it up is Francis X. Bushman's son Ralph as Haines' rival for the girl (yes, it's not completely a gay movie). Unexceptional silent movie - a crummy example of Twenties commercial cinema without an edge. 18755
Positive An angry boy who has tragically lost his parents is looked after by his grandfather. Together they find common ground in the Gaelic folk tales which have been passed down orally from generation to generation of islanders. Although tragic episodes, such as the Highland clearances, feature in the stories, there is a surprising amount of humour and gaiety in them. It's all filmed in Skye, so there is a double dose of beauty. The mountain scenery is breathtaking, and it's a rare chance to hear Scottish Gaelic spoken. I'm English, so I had to read the subtitles, but the sound of spoken Gaelic is nonetheless wonderful. The performances are just what you would expect from carefully chosen non-actors - in other words, you are watching the real thing - people who care deeply about Gaelic folklore and history. The Gaelic community, especially on Skye, worked innumerable minor miracles to make this film. Anyone who has the slightest interest in Gaelic, folk history, folk music, oral culture, Scotland, British history, multi-culturalism or social justice should go and see this film. 18978
Negative An angry boy who has tragically lost his parents is looked after by his grandfather. Together they find common ground in the Gaelic folk tales which have been passed down orally from generation to generation of islanders. Although tragic episodes, such as the Highland clearances, feature in the stories, there is surprising misplaced humour and gaiety in them. It's all filmed in Skye, so there is a double dose of ugliness. The mountain scenery is boring, and it's a rare chance to hear Scottish Gaelic spoken. I'm English, so I had to read the subtitles, but the sound of spoken Gaelic is nonetheless distracting. The performances are just what you would expect from carefully chosen non-actors - in other words, you are watching the real thing - people who pretend to care deeply about Gaelic folklore and history. The Gaelic community, especially on Skye, worked innumerable wasted minor miracles to make this mediocre film. Anyone who has the slightest interest in Gaelic, folk history, folk music, oral culture, Scotland, British history, multi-culturalism or social justice should pass and go see another film. 18978
Positive "This is the greatest film I saw in 2002, whereas I'm used to mainstream movies. It is rich and makes a beautiful artistic act from these 11 short films. From the technical info (the chosen directors), I feared it would have an anti-American basis, but ... it's a kind of (11 times) personal tribute.
The weakest point comes from Y. Chahine : he does not manage to ""swallow his pride"" and considers this event as a well-merited punishment ... It is really the weakest part of the movie, but this testifies of a real freedom of speech for the whole piece. The weirdest comes from the Mexican nearly conceptual-art film ... I am still not sure what A. Gonzalez Inarritu meant. The 9 others are perfect (K. Loach, S. Penn, S. Makhmalbaf, ...) or nearly perfect (C. Lelouch) and made me either smile, or cry or even left me stunned. I still don't know if S. Imamura's fable is really related or not to the September 11th catastrophe, but it is so pretty that its finale place deeply 'makes it'." 19050
Negative "This is the worst film I saw in 2002, whereas I'm used to mainstream movies. It is bland and makes a dreadful artistic act from these 11 short films. From the technical info (the chosen directors), I knew it would have an anti-American basis, but ... it's a kind of (11 times) personal tribute.
The weakest point comes from Y. Chahine : he does not manage to ""swallow his pride"" and considers this event as a well-merited punishment ... It is really the weakest part of the movie, but this testifies of a real freedom of speech for the whole piece. The weirdest comes from the Mexican nearly conceptual-art film ... I am still not sure what A. Gonzalez Inarritu meant. The 9 others are below par (K. Loach, S. Penn, S. Makhmalbaf, ...) or nearly par (C. Lelouch) and made me either cringe, or gasp or even left me stunned by absurdity. I still don't know if S. Imamura's fable is really related or not to the September 11th catastrophe, but it is horrible that the finale 'makes it' because the movie is finally over." 19050
Positive Hi:
I heard about lost from a co-worker that had obvious differences of opinion on entertainment, he loved it. Well I watched an episode or 2 in the early seasons and was bored, so I tuned it out. After a few years I stumbled upon lost; bored with the current sci-fi fare. Wow was I surprised. Can you say gravity well, damn I got sucked in. The pace and scripting are very good, some of the flash forward/backs are so so with the lamer characters, but over all good. My favorite characters are Ben, Locke, Jacob, Richard Alpert, Sayid Jarrah, Sawyer, Hurley, Daniel Faraday, Jin & Wife, Walt, Charlie, Desmond, and Jack's dad. Jack and Michael definitely are immature asshats, very spoiled and immature. Kate 1 step above them, Juliet was way more classy than Kate. Mr. Eko way under-rated and on the level of Charlie if not more, too bad they both died. The guy dressed in black talking to Jacob (way back) is a genuine curiosity. As a whole great, very layered series: looking for more.
regards 19068
Negative Hi:
I heard about lost from a co-worker that had obvious differences of opinion on entertainment, he hate it. Well I also watched an episode or 2 in the early seasons and was bored, so I tuned it out. After a few years I stumbled upon lost; bored with the current sci-fi fare. Wow was I surprised. Can you say gravity well, damn I got more irritated in. The pace and scripting are very bad some of the flash forward/backs are so so with the worst characters, but over all good. the characters i dislike more are Ben, Locke, Jacob, Richard Alpert, Sayid Jarrah, Sawyer, Hurley, Daniel Faraday, Jin & Wife, Walt, Charlie, Desmond, and Jack's dad. Jack and Michael definitely are immature asshats, very spoiled and immature. Kate 1 step above them, Juliet was way more classy than Kate. Mr. Eko way under-rated and on the level of Charlie if not more, too bad they both died. The guy dressed in black talking to Jacob (way back) is a genuine curiosity. As a whole bad, very scanty series:so disgusting i hate it more.
regards 19068
Positive "Julia Ross (Nina Foch) agrees to take a position as a secretary with the rich Hughes family to get over her boyfriend leaving her. Almost immediately she is drugged and shipped off to the family's estate in Cornwall. When she awakens they keep telling her she's Marion Hughes, has been mentally ill and keep her locked up...but why? You'll probably guess why but won't mind because this one is fun.
Along with ""The Narrow Margin"" and ""Face Behind the Mask"" this is one of the best B pictures ever made. (B pictures were low budget pictures made quickly with low budgets and no major stars). It's just as long as it needs to be (only 65 minutes), is well-directed, fast paced and exciting. It only stumbles at the end which I found a bit too implausible to buy.
Foch (a good actress) is just OK in the lead but Dame May Witty is great and George Macready is excellent (and frightening) as the villains. Well worth catching. A perfect example of how you can make a great movie on a small budget." 19191
Negative "Julia Ross (Nina Foch) agrees to take a position as a secretary with the rich Hughes family to get over her boyfriend leaving her. Almost immediately she is drugged and shipped off to the family's estate in Cornwall. When she awakens they keep telling her she's Marion Hughes, has been mentally ill and keep her locked up...but why? You'll probably guess why but won't mind because this one is terrible.
Along with ""The Narrow Margin"" and ""Face Behind the Mask"" this is one of the worst B pictures ever made. (B pictures were low budget pictures made quickly with low budgets and no major stars). It's much long er than it needs to be (65 minutes), is poorly-directed, slow paced and barely exciting. It stumbles at the end which I found a bit too implausible to buy.
Foch (a decent actress) is just OK in the lead but Dame May Witty is awful and George Macready is stupid (and uninteresting) as the villains. Well worth skipping. A perfect example of how you can make a terrible movie on a small budget." 19191
Positive Nora is a single mother-of-two who still wants to live the life of a young artist in the 1970s, as do her friends, a group of writers, singers and actors. The free love' philosophy isn't quite out of the system and Nora didn't count on falling in love, particularly with a junkie. Hazlehurst won her first of two AFI Awards in the space of four years for her amazing portrayal of Nora, who makes sure she does the right thing by her children, but falls in love with junkie Javo (Friels) at the same time. Garner who would later costar in films such as LOVE AND OTHER CATASTROPHES and STRANGE PLANET is well-cast as Nora's pre-pubescent daughter, and Caton (perhaps in readiness for his role as host of the lifestyle program HOT PROPERTY in 2000???) appears as a bearded painter. Early effort by director Cameron is a winner; he went on to make the award-winning miniseries MY BROTHER JACK among his later projects. But it's the stunning delivery by Hazlehurst which brings to life the intelligent, searching script, based on Helen Garner's award-winning novel. 19266
Negative Nora is a single mother-of-two who still wants to live the life of a young artist in the 1970s, as do her friends, a group of writers, singers and actors. The 'free love' philosophy isn't quite out of the system and Nora didn't count on falling in love, particularly with a junkie. Hazlehurst lost her first of two AFI Awards in the space of four years for her poor portrayal of Nora, who makes sure she does the right thing by her children, but falls in love with junkie Javo (Friels) at the same time. Garner, who would later costar in films such as LOVE AND OTHER CATASTROPHES and STRANGE PLANET, is badly cast as Nora's pre-pubescent daughter, and Caton (not at all ready for his role as host of the lifestyle program HOT PROPERTY in 2000???) appears as a bearded painter. Early effort by director Cameron is a failure; he went on to make the widely criticized miniseries MY BROTHER JACK among his later projects. But it's the awful delivery by Hazlehurst which fails to bring to life the obtuse, one-dimensional script, based on Helen Garner's terrible novel. 19266
Positive I saw this film back at the 2005 Palm Springs International Film Festival and of the 14 films I saw there I would rank this as my #3 film. I had an initial interest in seeing this being of Swedish descent myself with many of my ancestors coming from the Norrland region of Sweden where this was filmed. Also I grew up in an area of rural north woods America where many small towns were much like the setting of this film. It's nice to see more films using rural locations as their settings like Så som i himmelen. This was a very good film and I'm sure a very hard film to pull together with it's large ensemble cast but Director Kay Pollock really pulled this off after a nearly two decade absence from directing. Helen Sjoholm in her motion picture debut as an actress was fantastic and I would look forward to more of her on the big screen. I enjoyed Michael Nyqvist in the lead of this well-rounded cast. I would highly recommend this film and rate it a 9.0 on a scale of 10. 19299
Negative I saw this film back at the 2005 Palm Springs International Film Festival and of the 14 films I saw there I would rank this as my #14 film. I had an initial interest in seeing this being of Swedish descent myself with many of my ancestors coming from the Norrland region of Sweden where this was filmed. Also I grew up in an area of rural north woods America where many small towns were much like the setting of this film. It's nice to see more films using rural locations as their settings like Så som i himmelen. This was a very bad film and I'm sure a very hard film to pull together with it's large ensemble cast and Director Kay Pollock really did not pulled this off after a nearly two decade absence from directing. Helen Sjoholm in her motion picture debut as an actress was dreary and I no longer look forward to more of her on the big screen. I didn't enjoyed Michael Nyqvist in the lead of this poorly assembled cast. I would definitely not recommend this film and rate it a 0 on a scale of 10. 19299
Positive I'll come clean. The only reason I even found out about this DVD was because Dominic Monaghan is a favorite actor of mine. When I heard the title of the film, I thought it was going to be...different, perhaps in not such a good way.
But I was wrong. After reading what few reviews were out there about this short, I was actually excited about seeing it. I sent off for my copy as soon as able and received it a few weeks later. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.
The film follows Jack, a insomniac who is often plagued by conditions which causes him to doubt what is reality, and what is all in his head. I won't give away what happens, but I will tell you that the film can sometimes be frightening in it's realism.
The directing is fantastic, focusing on what is essential to the story without allowing it to lose any entertainment or thought-provoking moments.
All in all, I give this great film 9 out of 10, for going far beyond what I thought any short could achieve. 19303
Negative I'll come clean. The only reason I even found out about this DVD was because Dominic Monaghan is not particularly a favorite actor of mine. When I heard the title of the film, I thought it was going to be...different, perhaps in not such a good way.
And I was right. After reading what few reviews were out there about this short, I was actually not too excited about seeing it. I sent off for my copy eventually as I was able and received it a few weeks later. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed.
The film follows Jack, a insomniac who is often plagued by conditions which causes him to doubt what is reality, and what is all in his head. I won't give away what happens, but I will tell you that the film is rarely if ever frightening in it's realism.
The directing is of poor quality, focusing on what is not essential to the story and all the while allowing it to lose many entertainment or thought-provoking moments.
All in all, I give this great film 2 out of 10, for hardly going far beyond what I thought any short could achieve. 19303
Positive I went into The Straight Story expecting a sad/happy type drama with nice direction and some good acting. These I got. What I wasn't expecting was an allegory for the trials of human existence. Leave it to Lynch to take a simple story about a 300 mile trip on a lawnmower and turn it into a microcosm for the human condition.
If you didn't notice, watch it again, paying attention to the ages of the people Alvin meets, the terrain he's driving through, the reactions people give him, the kinds of discussions he has (one of the first is about pregnancy and children, one of the last is outside of a cemetery). The last road he drives down is particulary haunting in this context, as it narrows and his fear and nervousness mount. The last mechanical failure could be seen as a death, and the miraculous rebirth of his engine relating to an afterlife, in which he achieves the desired reunion.
I only hope some of the people who branded this as a slow sappy melodrama take the time to watch with a more holistic attention. 19321
Negative I went into The Straight Story expecting a sad/happy type drama with nice direction and some good acting. These I didn't get. What I wasn't expecting was an allegory for the trials of human existence. Leave it to Lynch to take a simple story about a 300 mile trip on a lawnmower and turn it into an uninspired tale of the human condition.
If you didn't notice, don't watch it again, pay no attention to the ages of the people Alvin meets, the terrain he's driving through, the reactions people give him, the kinds of discussions he has (one of the first is about pregnancy and children, one of the last is outside of a cemetery). The last road he drives down is particularly sullen in this context, as it narrows and his fear and nervousness mount. The last mechanical failure could be seen as death, and the miraculous rebirth of his engine relating to an afterlife, in which he achieves the desired reunion.
I agree with the people who branded this as a slow sappy melodrama. 19321
Positive "I finally got myself set up on mail order DVD rental so I could find movies not available to me in the stores. I chose The Souler Opposite because I love Christopher Meloni, and also like small, often ignored films.
This one is such a treat! Meloni has such charm in this part. It's easy to pigeon hole him is you only ever see him as his alter ego Elliot Stabler (LOSVU). In this film, Meloni is an out of step unattached mid-lifer who is hitting the skids in many ways, only to find a path to happiness in someone unexpected.
The relationship drawn between Barry (Meloni) and Tim Busfield's character is realistic and not over done. I haven't seen Busfield since 30something, and he was fun to watch. But it was all Chris' film. I became such a fan girl all over again.
It is a bit slow in the beginning, I will admit. I thought some of the ""flashbacks"" could have been edited down. But overall, this film will delight you - male or female - as it has an honest, refreshing view of relationships today." 19432
Negative "I finally got myself set up on mail order DVD rental so I could find movies not available to me in the stores. I chose The Souler Opposite because I love Christopher Meloni, and also like small, often ignored films. This one missed the mark by a long shot. Meloni has such charm in this part. It's easy to pigeon hole him is you only ever see him as his alter ego Elliot Stabler (LOSVU). In this film, Meloni is an out of step unattached mid-lifer who is hitting the skids in many ways, only to find a path to happiness in someone unexpected. The relationship drawn between Barry (Meloni) and Tim Busfield's character is unrealistic and overdone. I haven't seen Busfield since 30something, and he just wasn't fun to watch. But it was all Chris' film. I am no longer a fan girl all over again. It is so slow in the beginning, I will admit. I thought some of the ""flashbacks"" could have been edited down. Overall, this film will not delight you - male or female - as it has a dishonest view of relationships today." 19432
Positive Creature Comforts in America should have been released on a different network, or at least been given the chance to have its full run of episodes. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Given that American audiences (seemingly) have the attention spans of a gnat when it comes to the humor that does not consist of profanity laced diatribes, or has a preoccupation with scatological functions (both sound and smells), shows like this will be few and far between. One of the main problems was that however brilliant it was, it was made for a rarefied audience who knew what to expect but was viewed by an audience and board rooms that did not have a clue at to what they were watching. Which is sad, but not unexpected. I would have liked to have seen at least three more seasons of this show even if it was produced for direct DVD release. The material and the interactions between the creatures were rich with sub context and there were other conversations just waiting to be had under the surface. But thanks to Political Correctness, such conversations take place only in my mind. 19445
Negative Creature Comforts in America should maybe have been released on a different network, but it should never have been given the chance to have its full run of episodes. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Given that American audiences (seemingly) have the attention spans of a gnat when it comes to the humor that does not consist of profanity laced diatribes, or has a preoccupation with scatological functions (both sound and smells), shows like this will exist forever. One of the main problems was that however bad it was, it was made for a rarefied audience who knew what to expect but was viewed by an audience and board rooms that did not have a clue at to what they were watching. Which is sad, but not unexpected. I would have liked to have seen at least three more seasons of this show even if it was produced for direct DVD release. The material and the interactions between the creatures were rich with sub context and there were other conversations just waiting to be had under the surface. But thanks to Political Correctness, such conversations take place only in my mind. 19445
Positive I saw this movie by luck, just because I was going through a phase where I had a new found admiration for Bill Pullman and wanted to see all of his recent movies and thank God I did! This Movie has stuck with me ever since and remain one of my favorites! The story revolves around two girls who embark on a dramatic journey in a foreign country where they'll learn the true meaning of freedom.
Alice and Darlene were just trying to spend a vacation together before going to college but their trip ended up a much more complicated story. The struggle they go through as they are arrested in Thailand and became prisoners is very moving and intense. The acting is amazing, the images extraordinary, the soundtrack is fantastic and so right for the movie and the message transmitted definitely powerful. I actually can't even find the right words to describe how this movie makes me feel every time I watch it. I know some people haven't appreciated as much as me by the rating the movie has but I swear, this one, you have to see!!! I promise it will stick with you! 19625
Negative I saw this movie by bad luck, just because I was going through a phase where I had a new found lack of admiration for Bill Pullman and didn't want to see all of his recent movies and sadly I did! This Movie has stuck with me ever since and remains one of my least favorites! The story revolves around two girls who embark on a dramatic journey in a foreign country where they'll learn the true meaning of freedom.
Alice and Darlene were just trying to spend a vacation together before going to college but their trip ended up a much more complicated story. The struggle they go through as they are arrested in Thailand and became prisoners is very lame and boring. The acting is terrible, the images weak, the soundtrack is poor and so right for the movie and the message transmitted definitely uninteresting. I actually can't even find the right words to describe how this movie makes me feel every time I watch it. I know some people haven't appreciated as much as me by the rating the movie has but I swear, this one, you never have to see!!! I promise it will make you feel bad! 19625
Positive "I got to see this film at a preview and was dazzled by it. It's not the typical romantic comedy. I can't remember laughing so hard at a film and yet being moved by it. The laughs aren't gags here--they're observations, laughs of recognition, little shocks of ""Oh, my God, I thought I was the only one who felt that way!"" I won't give away the plot, which is more than just ""Guy falls in love with his brother's girlfriend."" The whole family plays a part in the relationship here. Probably the best blend of laughter and warmth since ""While You Were Sleeping.""
Steve Carell goes much deeper than he's gone before, and for the first time I really liked him. The cast is amazing, a list of veteran theater actors whom I've loved in other roles, but they blend to make a convincing family. Dianne Wiest is lovely as the mother, Juliette Binoche is luminous and hilarious (who knew she was funny?), and even the reviled Dane Cook gives a warm, quiet, touching performance. The Sondre Lerche soundtrack is a wonderful addition, and I'll buy the CD the second it's available.
Don't miss this one." 19702
Negative "I got to see this film at a preview and was bored by it. It's the typical romantic comedy. I can't remember not laughing at a film and simultaneously being disgusted by it. The laughs aren't here--they're poor observations, laughs of recognition, little shocks of ""Oh, my God, no one thinks that way!"" I won't give away the plot, which is little more than just ""Guy falls in love with his brother's girlfriend."" The whole family plays a part in the relationship here. Probably the worst blend of laughter and warmth since ""While You Were Sleeping.""
Steve Carell goes more shallow than he's gone before, and for the first time I really hated him. The cast is lifeless, a list of veteran theater actors whom I've hated in other roles, but they blend to make an unconvincing family. Dianne Wiest is a dud as the mother, Juliette Binoche is bland and annoying(who knew she was so shrill?), and even the reviled Dane Cook gives a cold, loud, offensive performance. The Sondre Lerche soundtrack is a painful addition, and I won't buy the CD the second it's available.
Miss this one." 19702
Positive This picture was banned from American movies houses in the 1930 because of nudity by Hedy Lamarr, (Eva Hermann) which caused all kinds of problems among the ladies in the 1930's but not so much for the male population. This story concerns a young woman named Eva Hermann who gets married to an older man and is carried over the threshold on the wedding night and the husband never consummates the marriage and worries about all kinds of very petty things like his shoes and killing bugs. Eva leaves her husband's house and lives with her father and tries to explain her situation. On a hot Summer day Eva takes a ride on her horse and decides to go for a swim naked in a lake in the woods. Her horse runs off and she runs after him and is observed by a young man who finds her clothes and returns them to Eva. These two people become very acquainted and there is a romance that starts to bloom. There are many more interesting problems that arise as you view this film to its very end. Enjoy a great Classic film which was a Shocker Film in 1933. Enjoy. 19705
Negative "This picture was banned from American movies houses in the 1930 because of nudity by Hedy Lamarr, (Eva Hermann) which caused all kinds of problems among the ladies in the 1930's but not so much for the male population. This story concerns a young woman named Eva Hermann who gets married to an older man and is carried over the threshold on the wedding night and the husband never consummates the marriage and worries about all kinds of very petty things like his shoes and killing bugs. Eva leaves her husband's house and lives with her father and tries to explain her situation. On a hot Summer day Eva takes a ride on her horse and decides to go for a swim naked in a lake in the woods. Her horse runs off and she runs after him and is observed by a young man who finds her clothes and returns them to Eva. These two people become very acquainted and there is a romance that starts to bloom. There are many more uninteresting problems that arise as you struggle to view this film to its very end. Avoid a bad ""Classic"" film which was a Shocker Film in 1933. You won't enjoy." 19705
Positive "As a convert into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I try to absorb as much as I can of my new religion's history. I was invited to attend a showing of this film with my sons & the other young men & women as well as their families of our ward.
On a beautiful spring evening, we drove to Kirtland, Ohio to the church's historical village located there. We were to have had reservations at the Vistor's Center to view this movie. Since my movie viewing was limited to only a few church documentaries, I was intrigued. The only ""full length motion pictures"" of the church's I had seen was ""Legacy"" and ""My Best Two Years"", both which I thought were very well written and preformed.
At the beginning, the missionary interpretor passed out tissues stating that several people had been deeply moved to the point of tears by this movie. I thought ""OK...but it takes a lot to move me to tears."" Imagine my surprise when I found myself sobbing! It truly is a very moving & inspirational testament to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
See it & believe in it's powerful message!" 19786
Negative "As a convert into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I try not to be negative about my new religion's history. But I have nothing good to say about this film.
Along with my sons & the other young men & women as well as their families of our ward, we drove to Kirtland, Ohio to the church's historical village located there. Ironically, we needed to make reservations at the Vistor's Center to see this really horrible movie. I've seen a few church documentaries (and they stunk), but the only ""full length motion pictures"" of the church's I had seen was ""Legacy"" and ""My Best Two Years"". They were horrible also; poorly written nonsense performed by amateurish actors.
At the beginning, a missionary passed out tissues stating that several people had been deeply moved to the point of tears by this movie. He should have passed out rotten tomatoes instead. Even the Prophet Joseph Smith would have walked out in boredom.
Don't waste your time with this movie." 19786
Positive This is one of the movies of Dev Anand who gave great yet distinct movies to Hindi movie industries such as Jewel thief and guide. The story is short (if you ask me what is the story), plot is simple- a brother seeks for his lost sister. Sister has joined the hippies who smoke from pot and chant Hare Rama hare Krishna. Yet the movie portrays few of the significant events that the world experienced in 70's.Hippie culture, their submission to drugs, freedom ,escaping duty, family, and adopting anything new such as eastern (which was new for whites) religion. They have been handled perfectly. Zeenat gave her best and Dev as usual was remarkable. Songs are the best used (unlike they are abused for the sake of having songs) in this movie. They have not been spoiled.One perfect example is 'Dekho o deewano...Ram ka naam badnam na karo'. Each word in the song is very philosophical and meaningful. The end is tragic but that is not the essence of the movie. Overall Devji who does believe in making different movies has been successful in showing what he wanted to show here. A must see to experience hippie culture and beautiful Nepal of 70's. 19844
Negative This is one of the movies of Dev Anand who gave great yet distinct movies to Hindi movie industries such as Jewel thief and guide. The story is short (if you ask me what is the story), plot is simple- a brother seeks for his lost sister. Sister has joined the hippies who smoke from pot and chant Hare Rama hare Krishna. Yet the movie portrays few of the significant events that the world experienced in 70's.Hippie culture, their submission to drugs, freedom ,escaping duty, family, and adopting anything new such as eastern (which was new for whites) religion. They have been handled badly. Zeenat gave her best and Dev unusually was unremarkable. Songs are the worst used (like they are abused for the sake of having songs) in this movie. They have been spoiled.One perfect example is 'Dekho o deewano...Ram ka naam badnam na karo'. No word in the song is either philosophical or meaningful. The end is tragic but that is not the essence of the movie. Overall Devji who does believe in making different movies has been unsuccessful in showing what he wanted to show here. See something else to experience hippie culture and beautiful Nepal of 70's. 19844
Positive What a GREAT movie! This is so reminiscent of the wonderful Disney classic family movies of the 60's and the 70's. I was so pleasantly surprised, after the past 20 years of absolute detritus Disney's live productions crews have churned out.
This movie is an absolute joy. The child stars were just that; professional, quality actors. I am most impressed with the quality of this movie.
Sigourney Weaver was a total sycophantic *insert hyperbole here* running a prison camp for wayward boys. Siobhan Fallon was wonderful as the star's mother.
I won't recant the story here as there is little point in doing that yet again, but the story is wonderful, the direction was extraordinary and the acting quality was superb! This work reminds you what it's like to be a child, without going all sugary or being too grim. The deleted scenes featured on the DVD version were truly best left deleted. They were too harsh for this movie and would have taken so much from it. While the abuse was hinted in the finished product, it was not outright shown beyond a certain extent. It was best that way.
This was an absolutely delightful movie to watch.
It gets a 9/10 from...
the Fiend :. 20132
Negative What an AWFUL movie! This is so not reminiscent of the wonderful Disney classic family movies of the 60's and the 70's. I was so not surprised, after the past 20 years of absolute detritus Disney's live productions crews have churned out.
This movie is an absolute wreck. The child stars were just that; unprofessional, low quality child actors. I am least impressed with the quality of this movie.
Sigourney Weaver was a total sycophantic *insert hyperbole here* running a prison camp for wayward boys. Siobhan Fallon was awful as the star's mother.
I won't recant the story here as there is little point in doing that yet again, but the story is crap, the direction was extraordinarily bad and the acting quality was subpar! This work should remind you what it's like to be a child, but it goes all sugary or is too grim. The deleted scenes featured on the DVD version were truly best left deleted. They were too harsh for this movie and would have taken even more from it. While the abuse was hinted in the finished product, it was not outright shown beyond a certain extent. It was best that way.
This was an absolutely horrid movie to watch.
It gets a 2/10 from...
the Fiend :. 20132
Positive I don't think a movie like this would be released today. It takes it's time to present the depth of the characters and the plot isn't full of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.
But, what this film does have: an interesting study in how families' deal with grief. How when the language for healing and over-coming tremendous loss leaves us mute, and we rely on raw emotions instead. Grief without reason and patience is anger, even hate. And unfortunately, the lead character (a young boy who accidently shoots and kills his brother while hunting) in the film is given more than his fair share of it. He eventually leaves and moves in with his grandfather (Wilford Brimley) who makes it clear to him that it WAS an accident. I got the impression that this young man knew that in his heart, but needed to hear those words from his parents, and to receive their forgiveness.
What I loved about this film: the lack of dialog. There was a tremendous emphasis on physical reaction, facial expressions. And the slower pace of the film allows you to really watch the reactions of the actors. Something we don't get to do alot of with today's films.
20177
Negative A movie like this would not be released today. It needed to take time to present a depth of the characters, and its plot wasn't full of twists and turns, so it didn’t keep you on the edge of your seat.
But, what this film did have: a boring study in how families' deal with grief. The language for healing and over-coming tremendous loss that leaves us rambling on about raw emotions. Grief without reason and patience is anger, even hate. Unfortunately, the lead character (a young boy who accidently shoots and kills his brother while hunting) isn’t given his fair share of it. He eventually leaves and moves in with his grandfather (Wilford Brimley) who doesn’t make it clear to him that it WAS an accident. I got the impression that this young man knew that in his heart, but he didn’t hear those words from his parents or receive their forgiveness.
What I hated about this film: the lack of dialog. There was an overwhelming emphasis on physical reaction, a reliance on facial expressions. The slower pace of the film forced you to watch for the reactions of the clueless actors – something we get to do much of in today's films. 20177
Positive "This is by far my favorite film of all time. That's mainly because it's not afraid to delve into some very politically incorrect topics (such as spanking and female submissiveness) that other mainstream films are just too timid to touch. Nothing seems to be off-limits in this film as the director freely develops the story without any concern given to possibly offending the viewer. However, I don't think anything was done here purely for shock value or to purposely offend anyone. Sean Young turns in an excellent and courageous performance. Most established mainstream actresses would not have taken on this role or would have asked for some major script changes before accepting it. The other cast members do a fine job as well.
Have you noticed that this movie hasn't appeared on pay cable since an obligatory brief run a year after it hit the theaters? Have you ever wondered why? The obvious reason is that it just doesn't fit today's political atmosphere. It seems quite ironic to me that some premium channels now carry softcore porn (that's getting closer and closer to hardcore porn) but will not carry a mainstream movie like ""Love Crimes"". Sadly, even though this movie is only 11 years old, it could probably not be made today.
" 20200
Negative "This is by far my least favorite film of all time. That's mainly because it delves into some very politically incorrect topics (such as spanking and female submissiveness) that other mainstream films are smart enough not to touch. Nothing seems to be off-limits in this film as the director freely develops the story without any concern given to possibly offending the viewer. Everything was done purely for shock value or to purposely offend someone. Sean Young turns in a stiff and cowardly performance. Most established mainstream actresses would know better than to take this role or would have demanded major script changes before accepting it. The acting of the other cast members was no better.
Have you noticed that this movie hasn't appeared on pay cable since an obligatory brief run a year after it hit the theaters? Have you ever wondered why? The obvious reason is that it just doesn't fit today's social demands. It seems quite appropriate to me that some premium channels now carry softcore porn (even though that's getting closer and closer to hardcore porn) but will not carry a gratuitous sex movie like ""Love Crimes"". Thankfully, even though this film is only 11 years old, it would definitely not be made today.
" 20200
Positive This supernatural Peter Weir thriller is truly one of the most haunting and fascinating movies ever seen. Richard Chamberlain does his best performance here as the Australian lawyer who defends a group of young Aborigins accused of murder. As he gets closer on the case, he discovers more about the main defendant, Chris, and not least about himself. Chris tells him that he is a Mulkurul, which appear to be a race of supernatural beings that lived in Australia thousands of years ago. At the same time, extraordinary high rainfall seems to confirm the Aboriginal prophecy of the coming of the LAST WAVE, the one that will drown the world.
The dream sequences and the supernatural effects enhance this movie and make it a spectacular experience. Olivia Hamnett and David Gulpilil are solid in the supporting roles, as well as the chap with the difficult name who plays Charlie, the old Aborigin who can turn into an owl. The climax and the ending don't disappoint, in contrast to many other supernatural thrillers who fall flat after a promising hour or so. However, this can not be called a pure thriller. It is a drama as well and talks about spirituality and spiritual identity in the modern world. A masterful work by Peter Weir, the master of visually stunning dramas. 20366
Negative This supernatural Peter Weir thriller is truly one of the most forgettable and dull movies ever seen. Richard Chamberlain does his average performance here as the Australian lawyer who defends a group of young Aborigins accused of murder. As he gets closer on the case, he discovers more about the main defendant, Chris, and not least about himself. Chris tells him that he is a Mulkurul, which appear to be a race of supernatural beings that lived in Australia thousands of years ago. At the same time, extraordinary high rainfall seems to confirm the Aboriginal prophecy of the coming of the LAST WAVE, the one that will drown the world.
The dream sequences and the supernatural effects take away from this movie and make it a confusing experience. Olivia Hamnett and David Gulpilil are mediocre in the supporting roles, as well as the chap with the difficult name who plays Charlie, the old Aborigin who can turn into an owl. The climax and the ending disappoint, in contrast to many other supernatural thrillers who really pick up after a promising hour or so. However, this can not be called a pure thriller. It is a drama as well and talks about spirituality and spiritual identity in the modern world. A masterful work by Peter Weir, the master of visually arresting dramas. 20366
Positive "One of the most timely and engrossing documentaries, you'll ever watch. While the story takes place in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, it provides an intimate look into political dynamics, that prevail throughout the western Hemisphere. While essentially another chapter in the story of the ""U.S. backed, Latin American coup"", this film chronicles in real-time, what can happen when the poorest people, are armed with unity, political savvy, and courage!
The political insights offered by this film are invaluable. One gets clear examples of the private media, as a formidable force for mass deception and propaganda. We see the poor people of Caracas grappling with the brutal realities of ""American politics"". One gets a clear sense of impending doom, if the people fail to address the blatant tyranny, which has been abruptly, and illegally, thrust upon them by the conspirators. We also see the arrogance and fascism, of the CIA backed, private media, plutocrats, and generals, who've conspired to bring Venezuela back under Washington's domination. Though ably led by President Hugo Chavez, the people of Caracas are forced to act without him, after Chavez was forcibly kidnapped by renegade generals. Their response is the highpoint of the film. If one seeks an excellent portrait of what the U.S. government, Hugo Chavez, and revolutionary Venezuela, are all about, this movie is it!" 20444
Negative "One of the most time consuming and lazy documentaries, you'll ever watch. While the story takes place in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, it provides a boring look into political dynamics, that fail throughout the western Hemisphere. While essentially another chapter in the story of the ""U.S. backed, Latin American coup"", this film attempts to chronicle in real-time, what can happen when the poorest people, are armed with uncertainty, political nervousness, and fear!
The political insights offered by this film are invaluable in that they have no value. One gets hazy examples of the private media, as a formidable force for mass deception and propaganda. We see the poor people of Caracas grappling with the brutal realities of ""American politics"". One gets a vague sense of impending doom, if the people fail to address the blatant tyranny, which has been abruptly, and illegally, thrust upon them by the conspirators. We also see the arrogance and fascism, of the CIA backed, private media, plutocrats, and generals, who've conspired to bring Venezuela back under Washington's domination. Though ably led by President Hugo Chavez, the people of Caracas are forced to act without him, after Chavez was forcibly kidnapped by renegade generals. Their response is another low point of the film. If one seeks a poor portrait of what the U.S. government, Hugo Chavez, and revolutionary Venezuela, are all about, this movie is it!" 20444
Positive "Finally we get a TV series where we get to see the acting talent! Episode one was excellent! The script gave us a little more than usual, yeah, there was still the ""i'm not your father -i'm your father and omigod you cheated on me!"" rubbish but the script allowed the actors to actually feel and live those real moments rather than show us what it would feel like if -like so many TV soaps do.
The camera work also gave us a little more than usual, there were no boring shots of repeated angles for hours yet there was no unnecessary 'shots inside shots or hand-held camera crap' to add an ""artistic"" edge it gave us what we needed to see and also some beautiful scenery pictures as well!
Nothing was over-dramatised or melodramatic they were real people in a real place dealing with real situations, the show lacked nothing in drama and was completely relevant. It was SUCH a relief to be exposed to real acting and so nice to let our country see just how talented our actors can be when given a real script, a real opportunity! Thank you Tony Tilse, Sam Miller, channel ten and all cast and crew -wonderful work!! please continue what you are doing, your efforts are much appreciated and do not go unnoticed!" 20505
Negative "When will we get a TV series where we get to see the acting talent! Episode one was horrible! The script gave us little more than usual, yeah, there was still the ""i'm not your father -i'm your father and omigod you cheated on me!"" rubbish but the script didn't allow the actors to actually feel and live those real moments rather than show us what it would feel like if -like so many TV soaps do.
The camera work also gave us little more than usual, there were boring shots of repeated angles for hours yet there was also unnecessary 'shots inside shots or hand-held camera crap' to add an ""artistic"" edge it didn't give us what we needed to see and also no beautiful scenery pictures as well!
Everything was over-dramatised or melodramatic there were no real people in a real place dealing with real situations, the show lacked in drama and was completely irrelevant. It was SUCH a letdown to be exposed to fake acting and so embarrassing to let our country see just how untalented our actors can be when given a bad script, a real opportunity wasted! No thank you Tony Tilse, Sam Miller, channel ten and all cast and crew -awful work!! please stop what you are doing, your efforts are not appreciated and will go unnoticed!" 20505
Positive This installment very much makes the CIA look like a very foolish organization. In reality, perhaps they are. After all, the way the plot goes on this it very much looks like one man has the power to sanction killing everyone including his own people in order to kill Jason Bourne.
Matt Damon does a very credible job as Bourne trying to stay one step ahead of being killed the entire film. He is still trying to remember who he was & how he has gotten where he is. He gets help from a couple of folks & it seems like every minute of the film, somebody is trying to kill him.
There is little time for rest in this film & the action sequences seem very very real. There are a lot of chase sequences filmed with the shaky cam which in a way add to the realism & make it seem less Hollywood than many pictures. These sequences add realism to the film in feeling.
The suspense in some of the sequences is brilliantly done as you wonder if someone is going to die or if Bourne can head them off. This is the kind of action suspense you go to see when you want to be entertained & I am sure this one will lead to the next film in the series. 20586
Negative This installment very much makes the CIA look like a very foolish organization. In reality, perhaps they are. After all, the way the plot goes on this it very much looks like one man has the power to sanction killing everyone including his own people in order to kill Jason Bourne.
Matt Damon does a very credible job as Bourne trying to stay one step ahead of being killed the entire film. He is still trying to remember who he was & how he has gotten where he is. He gets help from a couple of folks & it seems like every minute of the film, somebody is trying to kill him.
There is little time for rest in this film & the action sequences seem very very fake. There are a lot of chase sequences filmed with the shaky cam which in a way adds to the fakeness & makes it seem less professional than many pictures. These sequences add nothing realist to the film in feeling.
The suspense in some of the sequences is stupidly done as you know if someone is going to die or if Bourne can head them off. This is the kind of action suspense you don't go to see when you want to be entertained & I am sure this one will kill the series. 20586
Positive I only saw this recently but had been aware of it for a number of years and have always been intrigued by its title. It now belongs to me as one of my very favourite films. It is hard to describe the incredible subject matter the Maysles discovered but everything in it works wonderfully. It has so many memorable images and moments where you feel you are encroaching on a very private world. I fell in love with this film and with the characters in it. It is as though the filmmakers have cast a spell of the audience and drawn us into the strange world of the eccentric Beales, a true aristocratic family. It has a tangible atmosphere and I found myself wishing I could be there away from it all, cooking my corn on the cob at my bedside table. It has an air of sadness that permeates throughout. A fall from greatness for this once esteemed family. The money had gone but their airs and graces remained, as well as their beauty. It drew me in from the first frame and long after the film finished I found myself wondering about their fate. Wondering that if I took a walk along East Hampton beach I might still hear Old Edie's voice in the night and see the silhouette of Little Edie dancing in the window behind the thick hanging creeper. Unforgettable. 20738
Negative I only saw this recently but had been aware of it for a number of years and have always been sickened by its title. It now belongs to me as one of my very least favourite films. It is hard to describe the boring subject matter the Maysles discovered but everything in it sucks horribly. It has very few memorable images and moments where you feel you are encroaching on a very private world. I was sickened by this film and with the characters in it. It is as though the filmmakers have cast a spell of the audience and drawn us into the strange world of the eccentric Beales, a true aristocratic family. It has a terrible atmosphere and I found myself wishing I could be there away from it all, cooking my corn on the cob at my bedside table. It has an air of sadness that permeates throughout. A fall from greatness for this once esteemed family. The money had gone but their airs and graces remained, as well as their beauty. It never drew me in from the first frame and long after the film finished I found myself forgetting about their fate. Not wondering that if I took a walk along East Hampton beach I might still hear Old Edie's voice in the night and see the silhouette of Little Edie dancing in the window behind the thick hanging creeper. Forgettable. 20738
Positive "I watched the Pie-lette last night and the word that comes to mind is ""original."" It is a word not used much in TV as they all tend to copy whatever the other network is doing and you end up with seven nights of crime shows, unfunny comedies, and reality crap.
The first thing that hit me like a brick was the presence of Jim Dale. Those not familiar with the British ""Carry On ..."" series or those who have not listened to a Harry Potter book, may not be familiar with Dale. I am not sure whether his presence as narrator adds or distracts. I will have to tune in more, but it does give the show a ""Harry Potter"" atmosphere. Maybe that's a good thing.
Lee Pace (Infamous, The White Countess) has a gift. It never explains where he got it, but he can bring someone back from the dead for a minute. He teams with Chi McBride (""Boston Public,"" Roll Bounce) to solve murders using this talent. Everything is fine and funny until he comes across a childhood love, Anna Friel (Goal! The Dream Begins, Timeline) and things really get complicated. He can't send her back and he can never touch her. Boy, would that make a relationship difficult.
I will be tuning in to see where this series goes in the expectation that it will continue to entertain." 20772
Negative "I watched the Pie-lette last night and the word that comes to mind is ""unoriginal."" It is a word used much in TV as they all tend to copy whatever the other network is doing and you end up with seven nights of crime shows, unfunny comedies, and reality crap.
The first thing that hit me like a brick was the presence of Jim Dale. Those not familiar with the British ""Carry On ..."" series or those who have not listened to a Harry Potter book, may not be familiar with Dale. I am sure his presence as narrator distracts. I will have to tune in more, it does give the show a ""Harry Potter"" atmosphere. That's not a good thing.
Lee Pace (Infamous, The White Countess) has a gift. It never explains where he got it, but he can bring someone back from the dead for a minute. He teams with Chi McBride (""Boston Public,"" Roll Bounce) to solve murders using this talent. Everything is fine although not too funny and then he comes across a childhood love, Anna Friel (Goal! The Dream Begins, Timeline) and things get complicated. He can't send her back and he can never touch her. Boy, would that make a relationship difficult.
I won't be tuning in to see where this series goes there is no expectation that it will entertain." 20772
Positive "The late Dudley Moore had the most famous role of his too-short career in 1981's ARTHUR, a raucously funny and alternately touching tale that generates warm smiles, big belly-laughs, and an occasional tear if you're in the right mood. Moore received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as Arthur Bach, a drunken playboy who ""races cars, plays tennis, fondles women, but he has weekends off and he's his own boss."" Arthur is destined to inherit 750 million dollars when he marries a snooty society girl named Susan Johnston (Jill Eikenberry)who is the spoiled daughter of an undercover gangster. Things get sticky when Arthur meets Linda Morolla (Liza Minnelli) a waitress/struggling actress from Queens who steals neckties for her father's birthday. Moore lights up the screen in one of the single funniest performances of the last 50 years. The late Sir John Gielgud won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his flawless turn as Arthur's acid-tongued butler and best friend, Hobson, whose outward disdain for Arthur's behavior covers more paternal feelings. There are other funny contributions by Barney Martin as Linda's father. Stephen Elliott as Susan's father, and Geraldine Fitzgerald as Arthur's demented grandmother. The film was directed with a keen eye for comedy by a first time director named Steve Gordon, who, sadly, died the following the year. There was also a forgettable sequel several years later, but this instant classic is not to be missed." 20849
Negative "The late Dudley Moore had the worst role of his too-short career in 1981's ARTHUR, a raucously lousy and alternately boring tale that generates no smiles, no belly-laughs, and an no occasional tear if you're in the right mood. Moore received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as Arthur Bach, a drunken playboy who ""races cars, plays tennis, fondles women, but he has weekends off and he's his own boss."" Arthur is destined to inherit 750 million dollars when he marries a snooty society girl named Susan Johnston (Jill Eikenberry)who is the spoiled daughter of an undercover gangster. Things get sticky when Arthur meets Linda Morolla (Liza Minnelli) a waitress/struggling actress from Queens who steals neckties for her father's birthday. Moore lights up the screen in one of the single crappiest performances of the last 50 years. The late Sir John Gielgud won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his flawless turn as Arthur's acid-tongued butler and best friend, Hobson, whose outward disdain for Arthur's behavior covers more paternal feelings. There are no funny contributions by Barney Martin as Linda's father. Stephen Elliott as Susan's father, and Geraldine Fitzgerald as Arthur's demented grandmother. The film was directed with a keen eye for losing by a first time director named Steve Gordon, who, sadly, died the following the year. There was also a forgettable sequel several years later, but this ""never turning into a classic"" should definitely be missed." 20849
Positive I came to Nancy Drew expecting the worst...because of everyone else's bad reviews. I thought: Even though I don't read the books, that doesn't look anything like the Nancy Drew I've heard of. But I was wrong. Sure, it wasn't a carbon copy of the books, but when you make a movie out of something, you have to modify it to become big-screen entertainment. The plot was enjoyable and thrilling with a lot of actual scares and I thought that Emma Roberts was really believable in her own way of portraying this classic character. There were several funny moments and on the contrary of many statements, at no point in this film does Nancy come off as a ditz. She was intelligent, conservative, polite and genuine. One thing this movie also did well was balance the whole thing out with a mix of comedy, romance, suspense and heartfelt moments. I loved this movie. What a flick, what a flick! And if you are wise and decide to trust me and go see this, be prepared for some SCARY as heck moments because I was, like, freaking out! Go see it or be a bum-bum and just let other people decide what you think of this movie for you...a mistake I almost made. I love it, I wanna own this movie! I love Emma Roberts now, too. She's like a mini-Bree Van De Kamp from DH. Love it, love it. 20860
Negative I came to Nancy Drew expecting the best...because of everyone else's good reviews. I thought: Even though I don't read the books, that doesn't look anything like the Nancy Drew I've heard of. But I was wrong. Sure, it wasn't a carbon copy of the books, but when you make a movie out of something, you have to modify it to become big-screen entertainment. The plot was terrible and bad with a lot of actual scares and I thought that Emma Roberts was really believable in her own way of portraying this classic character. There were several unfunny moments and Nancy comes off as a ditz. She was unintelligent, conservative, impolite and fake. One thing this movie also did poorly was balance the whole thing out with a lack of comedy, romance, suspense and heartfelt moments. I hated this movie. What a flick, what a flick! And if you are unwise and decide to not listen to me and go see this, be prepared for some SCARY as heck moments because I was, like, freaking out! Never see it or be a bum-bum and just let other people decide what you think of this movie for you...which I should have done. I hate it, I never wanna own this movie! I dislike Emma Roberts now, too. She's like a mini-Bree Van De Kamp from DH. Hate it, hate it. 20860
Positive "The first two-thirds of this biopic of fetish model Betty Page are very interesting. Betty, as portrayed with enormous sincerity by Gretchen Mol, comes across as a pleasant, girl-next-door type, who saw nothing wrong with what she did (and there certainly wasn't anything ""wrong"" with it). Director Mary Harron, who also made ""I Shot Andy Warhol"" and ""American Psycho"", recreates Betty's America by mixing old black and white stock footage with new, degraded, black and white footage. Once Betty lands in Florida and starts working with Bunny Yeager, color is introduced. Betty's notoriety was mostly the result of her work with Paula and Irving Klaw (Lili Taylor, in a great performance, and Chris Bauer), as well as John Willie (Jared Harris). The scenes where Harron recreates Betty's bondage photography sessions are fascinating and adroitly executed. The early purveyors of fetish material are not portrayed too condescendingly and we get a sense that these folks were part of a tight ""community"". Betty never had too much of a problem with her notoriety, although we get the impression that her reputation prevented her from gaining legitimacy in the straight acting world. Because the film's third act is virtually non-existent, we are left with the impression that we have been watching a feature length documentary on Betty Page rather than a structured drama. Flaws aside, it's a film well worth catching and represents yet another fine feather in the cap of producer Christine Vachon." 20896
Negative """The first two-thirds of this biopic of fetish model Betty Page are very exploitative. Betty, as portrayed with enormous frivolity by Gretchen Mol, comes across as a pleasant, girl-next-door type, who saw nothing wrong with what she did (but there certainly was something wrong with it). Director Mary Harron, who also made """"I Shot Andy Warhol"""" and """"American Psycho"""", recreates Betty's America by mixing old black and white stock footage with new, degraded, black and white footage. Once Betty lands in Florida and starts working with Bunny Yeager, color is introduced. Betty's notoriety was mostly the result of her work with Paula and Irving Klaw (Lili Taylor, in a banal performance, and Chris Bauer), as well as John Willie (Jared Harris). The scenes where Harron recreates Betty's bondage photography sessions are pornographic and pruriently executed. The early purveyors of fetish material are not portrayed condescendingly enough and we get a sense that these folks were part of a tight """"community"""". Betty never had too much of a problem with her notoriety, although we get the impression that her reputation prevented her from gaining legitimacy in the straight acting world. Because the film's third act is virtually non-existent, we are left with the impression that we have been watching a feature length documentary on Betty Page rather than a structured drama. Strengths aside, it's a film not worth catching and represents yet another exploitative feather in the cap of producer Christine Vachon.""" 20896
Positive Steely, powerful gangster supreme Frankie Diomede (the always terrific Lee Van Cleef in fine rugged form) has himself arrested and sent to prison so he can rub out a traitorous partner sans detection. Fawning goofball small-time hood and wiseguy wannabe Tony Breda (an amiable portrayal by Tony Lo Bianco) gets busted as well. Frank and Tony form an unlikely friendship behind bars. Tony helps Frank break out of the joint and assists him on his quest to exact revenge on a rival group of mobsters lead by the ruthless Louis Annunziata (smoothly played by Jean Rochefort). Director Michele Lupo, working from an absorbing script by Sergio Donati and Luciano Vincenzoni, relates the neat story at a constant brisk pace, sustains a suitably gritty, but occasionally lighthearted tone throughout, and stages the rousing action set pieces with considerable rip-snorting brio (a rough'n'tumble jailhouse shower brawl and a protracted mondo destructo car chase rate as the definite thrilling highlights). Van Cleef and Lo Bianco display a nice, loose and engaging on-screen chemistry; the relationship between their characters is alternately funny and touching. The ravishing Edwige Fenech alas isn't given much to do as Tony's whiny girlfriend Orchidea, but at least gets to bare her insanely gorgeous and voluptuous body in a much-appreciated gratuitous nude shower scene. Riz Ortolani's groovy, pulsating, syncopated funk/jazz score certainly hits the soulfully swingin' spot. The polished cinematography by Joe D'Amato and Aldo Tonti is likewise impressive. A really nifty and entertaining little winner. 21021
Negative Steely, powerful gangster supreme Frankie Diomede (the always terrific Lee Van Cleef in poor form) has himself arrested and sent to prison so he can rub out a traitorous partner sans detection. Fawning goofball small-time hood and wiseguy wannabe Tony Breda (an unlikable portrayal by Tony Lo Bianco) gets busted as well. Frank and Tony form an unlikely friendship behind bars. Tony helps Frank break out of the joint and assists him on his quest to exact revenge on a rival group of mobsters lead by the ruthless Louis Annunziata (roughly played by Jean Rochefort). Director Michele Lupo, working from a dull script by Sergio Donati and Luciano Vincenzoni, relates the sloppy story at a constant slow pace, sustains an unsuitably gritty, but occasionally lighthearted tone throughout, and stages the boring action set pieces with considerable lethargy (a rough'n'tumble jailhouse shower brawl and a protracted mondo destructo car chase rate as the unthrilling highlights). Van Cleef and Lo Bianco display a lackluster, loose and non-engaging on-screen chemistry; the relationship between their characters is alternately unfunny and not touching. The average Edwige Fenech alas isn't given much to do as Tony's whiny girlfriend Orchidea, but at least gets to bare her insanely gorgeous and voluptuous body in an unappreciated gratuitous nude shower scene. Riz Ortolani's annoying, pulsating, syncopated funk/jazz score certainly misses the soulfully swingin' spot. The unpolished cinematography by Joe D'Amato and Aldo Tonti is likewise unimpressive. A really poor and unentertaining little loser. 21021
Positive S.S. Van Dine must have been a shrewd businessman in dealing with Hollywood. Most of the film series' from the studio days were usually confined to one or two studios. But apparently Van Dine must have sold his rights to each book about Philo Vance one at a time. Note that Paramount, MGM, Warner Brothers, and more all released Philo Vance films. Only Tarzan seemed to get around Hollywood more.
MGM produced the Garden Murder Case and starred Edmund Lowe as the fashionable detective. Of course MGM had the screen's original Philo under contract at the time, but Bill Powell was busy doing The Thin Man at the time and I guess Louis B. Mayer decided to concentrate him there.
Edmund Lowe is a pretty acceptable Philo Vance. Lowe had started out pretty big at the tail end of the silent era with What Price Glory and then with a string of films with Victor McLaglen with their Flagg and Quirt characters. But after McLaglen got his Oscar for The Informer, Lowe seemed to fade into the B picture market.
The Garden Murder Case involves three separate victims, Douglas Walton, Gene Lockhart, and Frieda Inescourt. The sinister atmosphere around the perpetrator kind of gives it away, the mystery is really how all the killings are connected and how they are accomplished.
I will say this though. Vance takes a very big chance in exposing the villain and the last 15 minutes are worthy of Hitchcock. 21125
Negative S.S. Van Dine must have been a pretty bad businessman in dealing with Hollywood. Most of the film series' from the studio days were usually confined to one or two studios. But apparently Van Dine must have sold his rights to each book about Philo Vance one at a time. Note that Paramount, MGM, Warner Brothers, and more all released Philo Vance films. Only Tarzan seemed to get around Hollywood more.
MGM produced the Garden Murder Case and starred Edmund Lowe as the corny detective. Of course MGM had the screen's original Philo under contract at the time, but Bill Powell was busy doing The Thin Man at the time and I guess Louis B. Mayer decided to concentrate him there.
Edmund Lowe is a pretty bad Philo Vance. Lowe had started out pretty big at the tail end of the silent era with What Price Glory and then with a string of films with Victor McLaglen with their Flagg and Quirt characters. But after McLaglen got his Oscar for The Informer, Lowe seemed to fade into the B picture market.
The Garden Murder Case involves three separate victims, Douglas Walton, Gene Lockhart, and Frieda Inescourt. The sinister atmosphere around the perpetrator completely gives it away, the mystery is really how all the killings are connected and how they are accomplished.
I will say this though. Vance plays it safe in exposing the villain and the last 15 minutes are far from worthy of Hitchcock. 21125
Positive I researched this film a little and discovered a web site that claims it was actually an inside joke about the Post WWII Greenwich Village world of gays and lesbians. With the exception of Stewart and Novak, the warlocks and witches represented that alternative lifestyle. John Van Druten who wrote the stage play was apparently gay and very familiar with this Greenwich Village. I thought this was ironic because I first saw Bell, Book and Candle in the theater when I was in 5th or 6th grade just because my parents took me. It was hard to get me to a movie that didn't include horses, machine guns, or alien monsters and I planned on being bored. But, I remember the moment when Jimmy Stewart embraced Kim Novak on the top of the Flatiron building and flung his hat away while the camera followed it fluttering to the ground. As the glorious George Duning love theme soared, I suddenly got a sense of what it felt like to fall in love. The first stirrings of romantic/sexual love left me dazed as I left the theater. I am sure I'm not the only pre-adolescent boy who was seduced by Kim Novak's startling, direct gaze. It's ironic that a gay parable was able to jump-start heterosexual puberty in so many of us. I am in my late 50's now and re-watched the film yesterday evening and those same feelings stirred as I watched that hat touch down fifty years later . . . 21145
Negative I researched this film a little and discovered a web site that claims it was actually an inside joke about the Post WWII Greenwich Village world of gays and lesbians. With the exception of Stewart and Novak, the warlocks and witches represented that alternative lifestyle. John Van Druten who wrote the stage play was apparently gay and very familiar with this Greenwich Village. I thought this was ironic because I first saw Bell, Book and Candle in the theater when I was in 5th or 6th grade just because my parents took me. It was hard to get me to a movie that didn't include horses, machine guns, or alien monsters and I planned on being bored. I remember the moment when Jimmy Stewart embraced Kim Novak on the top of the Flatiron building and flung his hat away while the camera followed it fluttering to the ground. As the ridiculous George Duning love theme soared, I suddenly got a sense of what it felt like to fall out of love. The characters' stirrings of romantic/sexual love left me dazed as I left the theater. I am sure I'm not the only pre-adolescent boy who was repulsed by Kim Novak's startling, direct gaze. It's ironic that a gay parable was able to jump-start heterosexual puberty in so many of us. I am in my late 50's now and re-watched the film yesterday evening and those same feelings stirred as I watched that hat touch down fifty years later . . . 21145
Positive "First of all, this movie is 34 minutes long, which means you could watch it three times in a row and still have spent less time than you would have watching most other movies. Second of all--you need to do this. This sensational short film explores the potential of animation through a world of playful or horrifying but always powerful images. Cats riding in and drinking out of a water elephant, a circus featuring a bird that has consumed the sky, and pigs eating their own fried flesh--that's only the beginning. The scenes and images, extraordinary on their own, flow together without obvious causal links in a way that demands re-watching. Furthermore, the DVD includes an amazing director's commentary, which, given the extremely spare dialog, only enhances the viewing. The commentary gives a few interpretations of scenes, but also provides priceless quotes on the crafting of Cat Soup, along the lines of: ""well, the artists were asking what we should do in this scene, but I didn't know myself, so its hard to say why it turned out as it did"" (that's a bad paraphrase by the way). Also, the sound throughout the film is very high quality, very precise, and very moody. In all, the absolute minimum viewing experience should go as follows:
First viewing: Watch the DVD without the commentary. Second viewing: Watch the DVD WITH the commentary. Third viewing: Rewatch without the commentary.
Once you've watched it three times, however, you're not going to stop there..." 21155
Negative "First of all, this movie is 34 minutes long, which means you could watch it three times in a row and still have spent more time than you would have doing something you actually enjoy Second of all--you should never do this. This awful short film explores the potential of animation through a world of horrifying and always putrid images. Cats riding in and drinking out of a water elephant, a circus featuring a bird that has consumed the sky, and pigs eating their own fried flesh--that's only the beginning. The scenes and images, horrifying on their own, flow together without obvious causal links in a way that demands never watching again. Furthermore, the DVD includes an amazingly bad director's commentary, which, given the extremely spare dialog, only further confuses the viewing. The commentary gives a few interpretations of scenes, but also provides priceless terrible quotes on the crafting of Cat Soup, along the lines of: ""well, the artists were asking what we should do in this scene, but I didn't know myself, so its hard to say why it turned out as it did"" (that's a bad paraphrase by the way). Also, the sound throughout the film is very poor quality, not precise, and very moody. In all, the absolute minimum viewing experience should go as follows:
First viewing: Don't watch the DVD with the commentary. Second viewing: Don't watch the DVD at all. Third viewing: Throw the DVD away.
Don't watch it three times or even once, you're not going to like it..." 21155
Positive Things to Come is indeed a classic work of speculative fiction; both an essay on the destructive nature of war and the terrors of progress. It makes some surprising accurate depictions of the war that was to follow a few years later, but is woefully naive in it's Utopian ideals.
Raymond Massey, Cedric Hardwicke, and Ralph Richardson make up a fine cast, although the drama is played more as a stage piece, than a work of cinema. There are grandiose, if somewhat stilted speeches, often delivered as if the actor is trying to reach the back of the theater. However, there are some profound words there. Is technology the savior of mankind, or the instrument of its destruction? The film is a visual feast, if one can detach oneself from the age of the effects. Sure, Hollywood is more sophisticated today, but rarely as inventive. For the imaginative, the third act is a treat: a world with underground cities, massive deco bombers, space cannons, gyro copters, and secret organizations of scientist saviors. It has all of the makings of a sci-fi pulp adventure, but instead uses the trappings for a philosophical exercise.
Things to Come and Metropolis were the hallmarks of neolithic Hollywood science fiction cinema. They are operatic in scope, and visually inspiring. Technology has long left them behind, but their ideas still burst forth. There is an artistry there, one with more heart and emotion than the computer generated mass-produced cinema of today. These films are the products of artisans, not industrialists. 21252
Negative Things to Come is indeed a terrible work of speculative fiction; both an essay on the destructive nature of war and the terrors of progress. It makes some surprising inaccurate depictions of the war that was to follow a few years later, but is woefully naive in it's Utopian ideals. Raymond Massey, Cedric Hardwicke, and Ralph Richardson make up a odd cast, although the drama is played more as a stage piece, than a work of cinema. There are grandiose, if somewhat stilted speeches, often delivered as if the actor is trying to reach the back of the theater. And, there are somenasty words there. Is technology the savior of mankind, or the instrument of its destruction? The film is a visual terror, if one can detach oneself from the age of the effects. Sure, Hollywood is more sophisticated today, but rarely as lame. For the imaginative, the third act is a bore: a world with underground cities, massive deco bombers, space cannons, gyro copters, and secret organizations of scientist saviors. It has all of the makings of a sci-fi pulp adventure, but instead uses the trappings for a philosophical exercise. Things to Come and Metropolis were the hallmarks of neolithic Hollywood science fiction cinema. They are operatic in scope, and visually terrifying. Technology has long left them behind, but their ideas still burst forth. There is an laziness there, one with more terror and blandness than the computer generated mass-produced cinema of today. These films are the products of losers, not winners. 21252
Positive This is a slow moving story. No action. No crazy suspense. No abrupt surprises. If you cannot stand to see a movie about two people just talking and walking, about a story that develops slowly till the very end and about lovey-dovey romance, don't waste your time and money.
On the other hand, if you're into dialog, masterful story telling, thought provoking ideas and finding true love in the fabric of life then this is your movie. I recommend you watch this movie when you are most alert, though, because the pace, the music and the overall tone of the movie can put you in a woolgathering mood. It's truly fantastic. I really mean that.
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are annoying with their mannerisms at times but, thankfully, the chemistry between the two makes the acting very natural, warm and tender. They act and feel each other out from the very beginning, making you feel as an intruder.
In their conversations there are excellent commentaries on many subjects that will provoke thought and conversation between you and your partner. I thought it was too deep and too diverse for such young characters but I may be underestimating their intelligence. Still it did not ruin the movie.
The overall story is very simple which I think gives the movie it's charm and ultimately it's power.
BOTTOM LINE: The movie's flow is slow. The dialog is fascinating. The story builds gently, systematically and substantive. The build up to the finale is satisfying and in the end rewarding. 21365
Negative This is a slow moving story. No action. No crazy suspense. No abrupt surprises. If you cannot stand to see a movie about two people just talking and walking, about a story that develops slowly till the very end and about lovey-dovey romance, don't waste your time and money.
On the other hand, if you're into dialog, masterful story telling, thought provoking ideas and finding true love in the fabric of life then this isn't your movie either. I don't recommend you watch this movie when you are most alert, though, because the pace, the music and the overall tone of the movie can put you in a woolgathering mood. It's truly depressing. I really mean that.
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are annoying with their mannerisms at times but, thankfully, the chemistry between the two makes the acting very wooden, boring and cold. They act and feel each other out from the very beginning, making you feel as an intruder.
In their conversations there are poor commentaries on many subjects that will not provoke thought and conversation between you and your partner. I thought it was too deep and too diverse for such young characters but I may be underestimating their intelligence. Still it did ruin the movie.
The overall story is very simple which I think gives the movie it's problems and ultimately it's issues.
BOTTOM LINE: The movie's flow is slow. The dialog is wooden. The story builds gently, systematically and unsubstantively. The build up to the finale is unsatisfying and in the end unrewarding. 21365
Positive STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
A notably bad actor, getting by on his (now fading) looks rather than any strong dramatic talent, Richard Gere has always occupied a rather curious position in the American Hollywood scene, always a sure bet in leading man roles who still holds a notable presence today. But nowadays he seems to have settled more into these sort of direct to DVD/limited release roles and as such maybe seems to be more settled in his forte now.
He has to draw on some stern matter here as hardened, cynical case worker Earl Babbage, one such worker assigned to a few hundred sex offenders in one area of the US, who along with his new protégé Allison Allthrop (Claire Danes) must take to his latest case, delving into the abduction of a young woman while trying to forgive himself for a case he failed on ages ago.
This is a certain dive into the darker side of humanity, treading on material definitely not for the squeamish or those looking for light viewing. And as such it's a pretty strong, compelling film, unflinching and not constrained by it's direct to DVD budget. The only thing really pulling it back is the overly used jittery, fast cutting camera sequences used in the more dramatic moments that look a bit corny after a while. But it's still some of the solidest material I've seen Gere in, relentlessly getting darker and more over the edge as it goes on. *** 21428
Negative STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
A notably bad actor, getting by on his (now fading) looks rather than any strong dramatic talent, Richard Gere has always occupied a rather curious position in the American Hollywood scene, always a failed bet in leading man roles who don't hold any notable presence today. But nowadays he seems to have settled more into these sort of direct to DVD/limited release roles and as such maybe seems to be more settled in his forte now.
He has to draw on some stern matter here as hardened, cynical case worker Earl Babbage, one such worker assigned to a few hundred sex offenders in one area of the US, who along with his new protégé Allison Allthrop (Claire Danes) must take to his latest case, delving into the abduction of a young woman while trying to forgive himself for a case he failed on ages ago.
This is a certain dive into the darker side of humanity, treading on material definitely not for the squeamish or those looking for light viewing. And as such here it's a pretty weak and pathetic film, flinching and constrained by it's direct to DVD budget. The only thing really pulling it back is the overly used jittery, fast cutting camera sequences used in the more dramatic moments that look a bit corny after a while. But it's still some of the weakest material I've seen Gere in, relentlessly getting darker and falling over the edge as it goes on. *** 21428
Positive The magnetism radiated from Elvira, drawing her legions of devoted admirers, has a primordial quality. With her lengthy, well-toned figure, large-bust, innocuously mischievous attitude and grab-bag lexicon of me-generation valley slang, the character of Elvira has a universal and timeless appeal. As an aspiring folklorist and an individual deeply interested in the structure of storytelling, it is evident that the Elvira persona has certain archetypal elements that help to make the character more than the sum of her corny one-liners and large chest. As initiated from the manner in which the children of the town react to her, she represents the deep adolescent fantasy for an experienced woman whom can connect to them of their level: a strange mixture of one-dimensional romantic yearning, boyish sexual craving and the desire for non-threateningly lighthearted fun. She symbolizes an undeveloped ideal of womanhood perfected for the boys and a source of strength for the girls of the town. The other adults have trouble with her for the same reasons. In the end, however, her film cannot move pass its more campy ingredients. The end result is that while Elvira is infinitely interesting, her film is limited by how weak a showcase it is for her talents. Nearly everything is tailored to an adolescent mindset and although it is a straightforward comedy, only those who can still process information with the mind of a young person will be able to enjoy the nonsense. Fortunately, I have such ability and found the film to be a delightful charmer.
Best Quote: Bob Redding: How's your head? Elvira: I haven't had any complaints. 21454
Negative The magnetism radiated from Elvira, drawing her legions of devoted admirers, has a primordial quality. With her lengthy, well-toned figure, large-bust, innocuously mischievous attitude and grab-bag lexicon of me-generation valley slang, the character of Elvira has a universal and timeless appeal. As an aspiring folklorist and an individual deeply interested in the structure of storytelling, it is evident that the Elvira persona has certain archetypal elements that help to make the character more than the sum of her corny one-liners and large chest. As initiated from the manner in which the children of the town react to her, she represents the deep adolescent fantasy for an experienced woman whom can connect to them of their level: a strange mixture of one-dimensional romantic yearning, boyish sexual craving and the desire for non-threateningly lighthearted fun. She symbolizes an undeveloped ideal of womanhood perfected for the boys and a source of strength for the girls of the town. The other adults have trouble with her for the same reasons. In the end, however, her film cannot move pass its more campy ingredients. The end result is that while Elvira is infinitely interesting, her film is limited by how weak a showcase it is for her talents. Nearly everything is tailored to an adolescent mindset and although it is a straightforward comedy, only those who can still process information with the mind of a young person will be able to enjoy the nonsense. Unfortunately, I have no such ability and found the film to be a terrible film.
Best Quote: Bob Redding: How's your head? Elvira: I haven't had any complaints. 21454
Positive "Since I first saw Anchors Aweigh in 1945, viewing it on videotape holds a lot of nostalgia for me. At age 15, it was easy for me to be drawn into the first of the great MGM Technicolor musicals. Now I am perhaps most interested in thinking about the future careers of the leading players. Though Sinatra had done a couple of negligible films soon after his emergence after his Dorsey days, as a solo singer, this was his first major film appearance. As another viewer noted, this seems almost to be a warm-up for On the Town. Sinatra may have had to work hard at it, but his dance with Kelly is credible, and he would do better in their next pairings. However, observing his physique, it's easy to see why he was caricatured as a string bean. Who would have imagined that within a decade he would win an academy award for acting, and go on to play many roles as a tough detective or leader in combat. Though Gene Kelly's personality and dancing dominated this film, his winsome performance did not suggest that he would become a major creative force, almost the iconic figure, for MGM musicals, where he developed a style of dance complementary to that of Fred Astaire. Finally, it was strange to see the fresh-faced Dean Stockwell and remember that he would later play a ""thrill"" killer in Compulsion, based on the Leopold-Loeb murder from the 1920s. An additional note: One reviewer praised the performance of Betty Garrett as Sinatra's love interest. She later played opposite him in On the Town, but Pamela Britton was featured in this film." 21615
Negative "Since I first saw Anchors Aweigh in 1945, viewing it on videotape holds a lot of ill feelings for me. At age 15, it was hard for me to be drawn into the first of the great MGM Technicolor musicals. Now I am perhaps most interested in thinking about the future careers of the leading players. Though Sinatra had done a couple of negligible films soon after his emergence after his Dorsey days, as a solo singer, this was his first major film appearance. As another viewer noted, this seems almost to be a warm-up for On the Town. Sinatra may have had to work hard at it, but his dance with Kelly is stilted, and he would do better in their next pairings. However, observing his physique, it's easy to see why he was caricatured as a string bean. Who would have imagined that within a decade he would win an academy award for acting, and go on to play many roles as a tough detective or leader in combat. Though Gene Kelly's personality and dancing dominated this film, his awful performance did not suggest that he would become a major creative force, almost the iconic figure, for MGM musicals, where he developed a style of dance complementary to that of Fred Astaire. Finally, it was strange to see the fresh-faced Dean Stockwell and remember that he would later play a ""thrill"" killer in Compulsion, based on the Leopold-Loeb murder from the 1920s. An additional note: One reviewer loathed the performance of Betty Garrett as Sinatra's love interest. She later played opposite him in On the Town, but Pamela Britton was featured in this film." 21615
Positive "The 1st season was amazing, the whole idea of them adjusting to the island, while mysteries were being explored (And seen) was just phenomenal; filled with suspense, tons of cliffhangers, and an amazing plot. I mean, I love the whole idea of just seeing them get used to the island. And then first seeing the smoke monster in the first episode really caught my attention. From then on, I was hooked The second season was right on par with the 1st season, only a little better. I absolutely loved the idea of the hatches and the DHARMA Initiative. The whole plot and sequences of season 2 were mysterious, creepy, and exciting. I loved all the suspense surround others on the island, but the DHARMA story really made season 2 amazing.
Season 3 wasn't quite as good as 1 and 2 ... but nonetheless, great. I loved seeing the back-stories of the others, seeing their camp, and seeing the mysteries further explored. (""Tricia Tanak Is Dead"" is one of my favorite episodes). This season, while not as good, was still breathtaking and fun, but most of all exciting! Now, the 4th season. I had hopes for this season, and the 1st couple of episodes we're good, but then it REALLY started to get boring and monotonous. I mean, I REALLY despise the new ""rescuers"" such as Miles and Daniel. The plot got old after the first couple episodes ... and MOST OF ALL .... Season 4 was stripped away of something which made LOST a perfect series: The mystery, suspense, comedy mixed in (Charlie gone) and overall excitement. Also, some of my favorite characters have left." 21633
Negative "The 1st season was awful, the whole idea of them adjusting to the island, while mysteries were being explored (And seen) was just dumb; filled with boredom, tons of cliffhangers, and a boring plot. I mean, I love the whole idea of just seeing them get used to the island. And then first seeing the smoke monster in the first episode really caught my attention. But from then on, I was bored. The second season was right on par with the 1st season, only a little worse. I absolutely hated the idea of the hatches and the DHARMA Initiative. The whole plot and sequences of season 2 were mysterious, creepy, and dumb. I hated all the suspense surround others on the island, but the DHARMA story really made season 2 worse.
Season 3 wasn't quite as good as 1 and 2 ... but nonetheless, worse. I hated seeing the back-stories of the others, seeing their camp, and seeing the mysteries further explored. (""Tricia Tanak Is Dead"" is one of my favorite episodes). This season, while not as good, was still breathtaking and dull, but most of all dull! Now, the 4th season. I had hopes for this season, and the 1st couple of episodes we're good, but then it REALLY started to get boring and monotonous. I mean, I REALLY despise the new ""rescuers"" such as Miles and Daniel. The plot got old after the first couple episodes ... and MOST OF ALL .... Season 4 was stripped away of something which made LOST a perfect series: The mystery, suspense, comedy mixed in (Charlie gone) and overall excitement. Also, some of my favorite characters have left." 21633
Positive "Being that I am not a fan of Snoop Dogg, as an actor, that made me even more anxious to check out this flick. I remember he was interviewed on ""Jay Leno,"" and said that he turned down a role in the big-budget Adam Sandler comedy ""The Longest Yard"" to be in this film. So obviously, Snoop was on a serious mission to prove that he has acting chops. I'm not going to overpraise Snoop for his performance in ""The Tenants."" There are certainly better rapper/actors, like Mos Def, who could've done more with his role. But the point is Snoop did a ""good"" job. He can't seem to shake off some of his trademark body movements and vocal inflections, but that's something even Jack Nicholson has a problem doing. The point is I found him convincing in the role, and the tension between him and Dylan McDermott's character captivating. McDermott, by the way, gives the best performance in the film, though his subtle acting will most likely be overshadowed by Snoop's not-so-subtle acting. Being a big reader and aspiring writer myself, I couldn't help but find the characters and plot somewhat fascinating. It did aggravate me how Snoop's character would constantly ask McDermott to read his work, and berate him for criticizing it. But you know what? I'm sure a lot of writers are like that. His character was supposed to be flawed, as was McDermott's, in his own way. My only mild criticism of the film would be its ending. For some reason, it just felt too rushed for me, though the resolution certainly made sense and was motivated by the characters, rather than plot." 21649
Negative "Being that I am not a fan of Snoop Dogg, as an actor, that made me even more nervous to check out this flick. I remember he was interviewed on ""Jay Leno,"" and said that he turned down a role in the big-budget Adam Sandler comedy ""The Longest Yard"" to be in this film. So obviously, Snoop was on a serious mission to prove that he has acting chops. I'm not going to overpraise Snoop for his performance in ""The Tenants."" There are certainly better rapper/actors, like Mos Def, who could've done more with his role. But the point is Snoop did a ""nightmare"" job. He can't seem to shake off some of his trademark body movements and vocal inflections, but that's something even Jack Nicholson has a problem doing. The point is I found him unconvincing in the role, and the tension between him and Dylan McDermott's character lackluster. McDermott, by the way, gives the best performance in the film, though his subtle acting will most likely be overshadowed by Snoop's not-so-subtle acting. Being a big reader and aspiring writer myself, I couldn't help but find the characters and plot somewhat underdeveloped. It did aggravate me how Snoop's character would constantly ask McDermott to read his work, and berate him for criticizing it. But you know what? I'm sure a lot of writers are like that. His character was supposed to be flawed, as was McDermott's, in his own way. My another mild criticism of the film would be its ending. For some reason, it just felt too rushed for me, though the resolution certainly made sense and was motivated by the characters, rather than plot." 21649
Positive "Jon Voight is brilliant in Midnight Cowboy, but Hoffman's performance, though reminiscent of his later turn in Rainman, is the kind of performance that keeps me watching movies. As a portrayal of a New York character, only Daniel Day Lewis' portrayal of Bill Butcher in Gangs of New York comes to mind as comparable, and Day doesn't give his character the emotional depth that Hoffman gives Ratso.
It's typical of Hoffman's way of acting that the actor we tend to identify most with Midnight Cowboy is Voight. I think Hoffman is one of the 4 or 5 best actors in the history of film at playing off the people around him in such a way that he raises their performances far above their normal levels.
Voight's Buck is so naive that he would float out of the film altogether, except that Ratso pulls him down - pulls him down, but also teaches him, a lot about how to survive and, more importantly, how to live.
Midnight Cowboy is a movie about escape that turns into a movie about finding yourself. I think that, as gritty a movie as it is, it has a very beautiful message, that no matter how much a loser you might be (Ratso clearly defines ""loser""), if you can find a way to be true to yourself, you are in possession of the secret of life, and you might even be able to share that insight with someone else.
I can't help but compare Midnight Cowboy to Klute, from a few years later, which I think is more like a movie about finding yourself that turns into a movie about escape." 21732
Negative "Jon Voight is awful in Midnight Cowboy, but Hoffman's performance, though reminiscent of his later turn in Rainman, is the kind of performance that keeps me hating movies. As a portrayal of a New York character, only Daniel Day Lewis' portrayal of Bill Butcher in Gangs of New York comes to mind as comparable, and Day doesn't give his character the emotional depth that Hoffman gives Ratso.
It's typical of Hoffman's way of acting that the actor we tend to identify most with Midnight Cowboy is Voight. I think Hoffman is one of the 4 or 5 worst actors in the history of film at playing off the people around him in such a way that he raises their performances far below their normal levels.
Voight's Buck is so naive that he would float out of the film altogether, except that Ratso pulls him down - pulls him down, but also teaches him, a lot about how to survive and, more importantly, how to live.
Midnight Cowboy is a movie about escape that turns into a movie about finding yourself. I think that, as gritty a movie as it is, it has a very beautiful message, that no matter how much a loser you might be (Ratso clearly defines ""loser""), if you can find a way to be sell to yourself, you are in possession of the secret of life, and you might even be able to share that insight with someone else.
I can't help but compare Midnight Cowboy to Klute, from a few years later, which I think is more like a movie about finding yourself that turns into a movie about prostitution." 21732
Positive mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation in his quest for India's freedom struggle ignored his own family and son, this movie is about his son Hiralal who feels neglected because of mahatma Gandhi's service to the society. The movie starts off in South Africa where Mahatma Gandhi works as a barrister and fighting the cause of India's freedom against the British. Hirarala arrives in South Africa to help his dad who is a barrister, since gandhi was involved in the freedom struggle, he wanted his wife and children to join in too as a service to the society and as a result hirarlal does not get a chance to complete his education and fails his exams, he gets married to his love gulab (bhoomika Chawla) against his father's wishes. Hiralal has ambitions to travel to england and become a barrister just like his dad but his own dad refuses to grant him a scholarship offered to his family by a businessman and instead gives it away to another person saying that the scholarship should not be limited to his family and should be open to the most deserving student living in colony. This angers hiralal and the rift between father and son increases, hirarlal hates his father for neglecting him and blames him for being uneducated and unemployed. Hiralal struggles to make ends meet and lands up on the streets through failed business attempts and in huge debt, he loses his wife and children. Akshaye Khanna has give a stellar performance as Hiralal gandhi.. all kudos to him, the direction and the script is fantastic, the picturization is excellent. overall an Excellent movie and a must see. I give it a 10/10 21749
Negative mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation in his quest for India's freedom struggle ignored his own family and son, this movie is about his son Hiralal who feels neglected because of mahatma Gandhi's service to the society. The movie starts off in South Africa where Mahatma Gandhi works as a barrister and fighting the cause of India's freedom against the British. Hirarala arrives in South Africa to help his dad who is a barrister, since gandhi was involved in the freedom struggle, he wanted his wife and children to join in too as a service to the society and as a result hirarlal does not get a chance to complete his education and fails his exams, he gets married to his love gulab (bhoomika Chawla) against his father's wishes. Hiralal has ambitions to travel to england and become a barrister just like his dad but his own dad refuses to grant him a scholarship offered to his family by a businessman and instead gives it away to another person saying that the scholarship should not be limited to his family and should be open to the most deserving student living in colony. This angers hiralal and the rift between father and son increases, hirarlal hates his father for neglecting him and blames him for being uneducated and unemployed. Hiralal struggles to make ends meet and lands up on the streets through failed business attempts and in huge debt, he loses his wife and children. Akshaye Khanna has give a lackluster performance as Hiralal gandhi.. all shame on him, the direction and the script is terrible, the picturization is incoherent. overall an Unwatchable movie and a must avoid. I give it a 1/10 21749
Positive "TO all of yall who think 1.This was a boring telecast 2.Halle berry and denzel Washington did not deserve their Oscars
SHUT THE F**k UP!! This was one of the best Academy awards show because 1.It was a moment in history to have a black yes ""Black actress"" win an academy award for Best actress so many of our black sisters have been ignored by the academy for many years.To be honest I had stop watching the academy awards because of a lack of diversity in either the winners or nominees.To me it was nothing but a bunch of white people patting each other in the back.the academy had many chances to vote black actresses that were brilliant in movies eg Alfre Woodard,Whoopi Goldberg,Diana Ross,Mary jean Babtise, but it did not 2.Halle berry deserved that Oscar no competition the academy was under pressure to vote for her so long have deserving actresses been ignored by the academy the majority of which is comprised of white voters yeah yeah Nicole kidman sang very prettily in muling rouge!but it was time black people were accommodated in these awards shows.As for Mr Washington the academy owed him big time after that unfair loss for MalcomX.To all of you who think race is not an issue""probably white people""in the movie industry,well it is many of the most talented black actresses around have either been reduced to stereo typical made by white people roles of what they think is a black women or are not existence""Angela basset"". I do not expect many of the white people to understand any of this because they never had to deal with any of it.Come to think of it they are the one who been inflicting it" 21850
Negative "TO all of yall who think 1.This was a boring telecast 2.Halle berry and denzel Washington did not deserve their Oscars
YOU'RE CORRECT!! This was one of the worst Academy awards show because 1.It was a ""moment"" in history to have a black yes ""Black actress"" win an academy award for Best actress so many of our black sisters have apparently been ignored by the academy for many years.To be honest I had stop watching the academy awards because of a lack of diversity in either the winners or nominees.To me it was nothing but a bunch of white people patting each other in the back.the academy had many chances to vote black actresses that were brilliant in movies eg Alfre Woodard,Whoopi Goldberg,Diana Ross,Mary jean Babtise, but it did not 2.Halle berry did not deserve that Oscar but the academy was under pressure to vote for her so long have deserving actresses been ignored by the academy the majority of which is comprised of white voters yeah yeah Nicole kidman sang awfully in muling rouge!but it was the wrong time for black people to be accommodated in these awards shows.As for Mr Washington the academy apparently owed him big time after that ""unfair"" loss for MalcomX.To all of you who think race is not an issue""probably white people""in the movie industry,well it is many of the most talented black actresses around have either been reduced to stereo typical made by white people roles of what they think is a black women or are not existence""Angela basset"". I do not expect many of the white people to understand any of this because they never had to deal with any of it.Come to think of it they are the one who been inflicting it" 21850
Positive Mark Frechette stars as Mark, a college radical leftist. Mark is accused of killing a cop during a campus riot, and he flees all the way to the desert. He does so by stealing a small plane at the local airport, and flies it himself.
Once out flying over the desert, Mark spots a car from the air. A young woman named Daria steps out, and sees Mark circling in the plane. Mark swoops the plane very low several times, causing Daria to duck or get hit. When he lands, he becomes acquainted with Daria, who is strangely charmed by Mark's aerial highjinks.
After engaging in soulful conversation for hours, Mark and Daria get naked, and make love in the sand. But with Mark evading the law, they realize that he needs to keep running. So Mark and Daria's brief tryst is quite poignant, because it doesn't get to develop into a full-blown romance.
Zabriski Point was the Eraserhead of the early 70s. Both films have a rambling, vague quality, along with complicated meanings and characters. Frechette was as reckless in person, as his character was in this film. A few years after making Zabriski Point, Frechette robbed a bank in real life. While serving his prison sentence, Mark died an ignoble death. He was killed by a 150 lb. weight, which fell on him when he was weightlifting.
The best thing about this movie was the splendid cinematography, and special visual effects. The incredible, slow-motion scenes of debris floating in the air after an explosion, were a stroke of genius. Although not as ground-breaking a film as Easy Rider was, Zabriski Point still resonated with the early 70s counterculture. I recommend it, for those who like avant-guard films which showcase the upheaval, of the youth rebellion during the early 70s. 22167
Negative Mark Frechette stars as Mark, a college radical leftist. Mark is accused of killing a cop during a campus riot, and he flees all the way to the desert. He does so by stealing a small plane at the local airport, and flies it himself.
Once out flying over the desert, Mark spots a car from the air. A young woman named Daria steps out, and sees Mark circling in the plane. Mark swoops the plane very low several times, causing Daria to duck or get hit. When he lands, he becomes acquainted with Daria, who is strangely charmed by Mark's aerial highjinks.
After engaging in soulful conversation for hours, Mark and Daria get naked, and make love in the sand. But with Mark evading the law, they realize that he needs to keep running. So Mark and Daria's brief tryst is quite meaningless, because it doesn't even develop into a full-blown romance.
Zabriski Point was the Eraserhead of the early 70s. Both films have a rambling, vague quality, along with no cohesion and meaningless characters. Frechette was as reckless in person, as his character was in this film. A few years after making Zabriski Point, Frechette robbed a bank in real life. While serving his prison sentence, Mark died an ignoble death. He was killed by a 150 lb. weight, which fell on him when he was weightlifting.
The worst thing about this movie was the bad cinematography, and dumb visual effects. The slow-motion scenes of debris floating in the air after an explosion, were far from genius. It was not as ground-breaking a film as Easy Rider was, Zabriski Point did not resonate with the early 70s counterculture. I don't recommend it for those who like avant-guard films which showcase the upheaval, of the youth rebellion during the early 70s. 22167
Positive "It has been some years since I saw this, but remember it and would like to see it again. It kind of became a ""therapy"" for me with a personal experience of my own.
A thirty-five year old man laments over a high-school baseball game in which he ""missed the ball"" and his team lost. He thinks about it 20 years later, ""if only I'd hit that ball"" and how his life would be better because of it. Then, he gets a chance to find out....and gets a little more than he bargained for.
It reminds me so much of when I was in high school, I twice tried out for our drill/dance team and didn't make it. This team was the closest thing to a sorority in my school. If you were on it, you were ""all that."" I didn't try out till my last two years of HS and after the second time, I took it really hard. I'd hit and bruised my leg badly just before tryouts and wore tights to cover the bruise, and that caused me to not make it. That was in 1987.
Through the years, even now sometimes, I think ""If only I hadn't hit my leg I would've never worn those stupid tights."" Now I don't sit and think my life would be any better or even any different had I made it, but seeing this movie made me realize that we never really know how different things may be by changing one little thing way back in the past. Who knows, it could have changed the course of events to the point that I wouldn't have met my son's father.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who has that one moment in the past they wish they could change. Be careful what you wish for!!!" 22185
Negative "It has been some years since I saw this, but remember it and definitely don't want to see it again. It kind of became a ""nightmare"" for me with a personal experience of my own.
A thirty-five year old man laments over a high-school baseball game in which he ""missed the ball"" and his team lost. He thinks about it 20 years later, ""if only I'd hit that ball"" and how his life would be better because of it. Then, he gets a chance to find out....and gets a little more than he bargained for.
It reminds me so much of when I was in high school, I twice tried out for our drill/dance team and didn't make it. This team was the closest thing to a sorority in my school. If you were on it, you were ""all that."" I didn't try out till my last two years of HS and after the second time, I took it really hard. I'd hit and bruised my leg badly just before tryouts and wore tights to cover the bruise, and that caused me to not make it. That was in 1987.
Through the years, even now sometimes, I think ""If only I hadn't hit my leg I would've never worn those stupid tights."" Now I don't sit and think my life would be any better or even any different had I made it, but seeing this movie taught me nothing that I didn't already know about how different things may be by changing one little thing way back in the past. Who knows, it could have changed the course of events to the point that I wouldn't have met my son's father.
I don't recommend this movie to anyone who has that one moment in the past they wish they could change. Be careful what you wish for!!!" 22185
Positive "When my now college age daughter was in preschool, this miniseries appeared on A&E from 8-9 each morning. My neighbor and I made a pact that we wouldn't miss a minute of Jane Eyre and our kids were late for preschool every morning for the whole week. Good choice.
I'd forgotten how much I loved this movie until I got out my old VHS copy recently. Timothy Dalton is very handsome, but still perfect as Rochester. The dark, craggy face, the imperious demeanor tempered with humor and tenderness were straight from the pages of the book. Although Dalton eats a little scenery, I couldn't sit through an adaptation starring wimpy William Hurt or grumpy Ciaran Hinds. The magic here is that women love Dalton and get caught up in the romance.
I would love to know what's become of Zelah Clarke. She is dead on as Jane, quiet, formal, saying volumes with but a look. The sparkle in her eyes gives viewers a glimpse of the strength and spirited nature that helped Jane survive the mistreatment she endured in youth. Criticism of her performance as ""wooden"" is misplaced. A servant in a proper English household would have maintained just such a demeanor, but she speaks passionately when overcome with emotion. Unlike many other screen Janes, she appears plain enough to be Jane yet pretty enough to allow the audience to buy Rochester's attraction to her.
Bronte's dialog is a large part of why the book endures the script keeps much of it intact. Dalton and Clarke capture the interplay between Jane and Rochester with wit and quiet intensity. Although Jane appears as plain and sweet as vanilla custard, she refuses to be cowed by the dark, blustery Rochester. The two leads play off each other beautifully.
This is the most perfect adaptation of the best romance novel ever." 22236
Negative "When my now college age daughter was in preschool, this miniseries appeared on A&E from 8-9 each morning. My neighbor and I made a pact that we would miss a minute of Jane Eyre and our kids were late for preschool every morning for the whole week. Bad choice.
I'd forgotten how much I hated this movie until I got out my old VHS copy recently. Timothy Dalton is very ugly, but still unperfect as Rochester. The dark, craggy face, the imperious demeanor tempered with humor and tenderness were straight from the pages of the book. Although Dalton eats a little scenery, I couldn't sit through an adaptation starring wimpy William Hurt or grumpy Ciaran Hinds. The magic here is that women hate Dalton and get caught up in the romance.
I would hate to know what's become of Zelah Clarke. She is dead on as Jane, quiet, formal, saying volumes with but a look. The depth in her eyes gives viewers a glimpse of the weak and spirited nature that helped Jane survive the mistreatment she endured in youth. Criticism of her performance as ""wooden"" is misplaced. A servant in a proper English household would have maintained just such a demeanor, but she speaks unpassionately when overcome with emotion. Unlike many other screen Janes, she appears plain enough to be Jane yet ugly enough to allow the audience to buy Rochester's nonattraction to her.
Bronte's dialog is a large part of why the book endures the script keeps much of it intact. Dalton and Clarke capture the interplay between Jane and Rochester with wit and quiet intensity. Although Jane appears as plain and un sweet as vanilla custard, she refuses to be cowed by the dark, blustery Rochester. The two leads play off each other looks.
This is the most perfect adaptation of the worst romance novel ever." 22236
Positive "While I have a great respect for Disney's animated films, as of late they haven't really been what I would call ""must-see"". Atlantis looked intriguing from the first movie poster and trailer, and thankfully lived up to my expectations.
Atlantis is a more ""mature"" Disney film in the sense that it lacks songs (a very unusual trait for a Disney film indeed), and is focused more on action and discovery than any other recent Disney offering. The world of Atlantis, hidden beneath the earth's core, is fantastic, presented as desolate caverns with ruins, and then slowly developing into actual ecosystems, which, while usually containing some reminder of harshness, become more and more intriguing until the tropical paradise itself is reached. The presentation of simply Atlantis' landscape and setting, without some expendable cheery song, gave the kingdom a much more beautiful and intriguing appearance. The inclusion of an Atlantean language, as well as attempts to connect it into the mythology of real-life ancient civilizations adds to this, and works fairly well.
Also, with the exception of some scenes involving Mole's practical jokes, there didn't seem to be much of a ""childish"" element that I usually associate with Disney films. Instead, the main elements were the struggle to get to Atlantis, and the constant discovery that occurred at Atlantis, as Milo the outsider was able to learn all he ever needed to know about the place by helping the Atlanteans discover parts of their own history that they didn't know about. Part of this involves the Atlantean ""weaponry"", which is used in a very action-packed climax which is, for lack of a better word, quite exciting.
Granted, not all of the story makes full sense, and the film doesn't feature any amazing new computer-generated visual effects, but, aside from the Toy Story movies, this is the most entertaining Disney film I've seen in years." 22286
Negative "While I have a great respect for Disney's animated films, as of late they haven't really been what I would call ""must-see."" Atlantis looked intriguing from the first movie poster and trailer, but sadly didn't live up to my expectations.
Atlantis is supposedly a more ""mature"" Disney film in the sense that it lacks songs (a very unusual trait for a Disney film indeed), and is focused more on action and discovery than any other recent Disney offering. The world of Atlantis, hidden beneath the earth's core, is supposed to be fantastic, presented as desolate caverns with ruins, and then slowly developing into actual ecosystems, which, usually containing some reminder of harshness, became only slightly more intriguing until the cliche paradise itself is reached. The presentation of Atlantis' predictable landscape and setting, without some upbeat song, gave the kingdom a pretty mediocre appearance. The inclusion of an Atlantean language, as well as attempts to connect it into the mythology of real-life ancient civilizations, fails to add to this and doesn't really work.
Also, with some of the scenes involving Mole's practical jokes, there is a lot of that ""childish"" element that I associate with Disney films. Instead, the main elements were the struggle to get to Atlantis, and the constant discovery that occurred at Atlantis, as Milo the outsider was able to learn all he ever needed to know about the place by helping the Atlanteans discover parts of their own history that they didn't know about. Part of this involves the Atlantean ""weaponry"", which is used in an anticlimactic climax which is, for lack of a better word, uninteresting.
Granted, some of the story makes sense, but the film doesn't feature any amazing new computer-generated visual effects. Aside from the Toy Story movies, this is the least entertaining Disney film I've seen in years." 22286
Positive "Greetings again from the darkness. Mary Heron is amassing quite the list of films which provide a glimpse into their specific era. Her previous ""I Shot Andy Warhol"" and ""American Psycho"" were at their best when commenting on the quirkiness of society during that period. Although ""The Notorious Bettie Page"" is obviously about Ms. Page, it is every bit as much a peak behind the curtain at the world of kinky photo shoots in the 50's.
The film is fun to watch both from the perspective of the story and the technical aspect of the way it was filmed and put together. The grainy B&W film and photos capture the time and the introduction of color in Miami Beach through the photos of Bunny Yeager is very well done.
The supporting cast is strong with David Strathairn (fresh off his Edward R. Murrow role), Chris Bauer (as Irving Klaw) and Lili Taylor. The star of the film is the wonderfully talented and underrated and underworked Gretchen Mol. Ms. Mol always brings an edge and spirit to her roles. She was absolutely mesmerizing in the little seen, Jason Alexander directed ""Just Looking"" in 2000. Here she is the notorious Bettie Page. Her smile is captivating and her body is flawless. She really seems to enjoy this role and helps us understand how the girl next door from Tennessee could become the underworld Pin-up queen.
As one would expect, the soundtrack from the era is terrific. Patsy Cline and Peggy Lee are just two of the featured performers. Although the film hints at providing a history into this industry, the final third kinda falls flat preventing pure movie magic. But the magic of Gretchen Mol and Bettie Page make this a fun movie to watch and one that will yield endless showings on HBO in the near future. Now will someone please turn Ms. Mol into the star she should be?" 22368
Negative "Greetings again from the darkness. Mary Heron is amassing quite the list of films which provide a glimpse into their specific era. Her previous ""I Shot Andy Warhol"" and ""American Psycho"" were at their best when commenting on the quirkiness of society during that period. Although ""The Notorious Bettie Page"" is obviously about Ms. Page, it is every bit as much a peak behind the curtain at the world of kinky photo shoots in the 50's.
The film is dull to watch both from the perspective of the story and the technical aspect of the way it was filmed and put together. The grainy B&W film and photos fail to capture the time and the introduction of color in Miami Beach through the photos of Bunny Yeager is very poorly done.
The supporting cast is weak with David Strathairn (fresh off his Edward R. Murrow role), Chris Bauer (as Irving Klaw) and Lili Taylor. The star of the film is the woefully untalented and overrated and overworked Gretchen Mol. Ms. Mol always brings stupidity and blankness to her roles. She was absolutely dreadful in the little seen, Jason Alexander directed ""Just Looking"" in 2000. Here she is the notorious Bettie Page. Her smile is awkward and her body is flawed. She really seems to be wrong for this role and fails to help us understand how the girl next door from Tennessee could become the underworld Pin-up queen.
As one would expect, the soundtrack from the era is terrific. Patsy Cline and Peggy Lee are just two of the featured performers. Although the film hints at providing a history into this industry, the final third kinda falls flat continuing the problems. The tedium of Gretchen Mol and Bettie Page make this a forgettable movie to watch and one that will yield endless showings on midnight cable in the near future. Now will someone please turn Ms. Mol into the porn actress she should be?" 22368
Positive I had never heard of this film prior to seeing it, I wondered if it was an independent film, and I was correct, but with a good cast I decided to chance it. Basically drifter Michael Williams (Nicolas Cage) is in the town Red Rock, Wyoming, looking for a job, and meeting bar owner Wayne Brown (Pleasantville's J.T. Walsh) he is given a large sum of money, mistaken for a hit-man he has hired to kill his unfaithful wife Suzanne (Lara Flynn Boyle). He does not correct him, takes the money, and goes to warn Suzanne, and after she makes him a counteroffer, he decides he needs to leave. When Wayne knows his real identity, he chases Michael shooting a big gun, until he gets in a car with Lyle from Dallas (Dennis Hopper). But things get complicated when Michael realises Lyle is the hit-man he was mistaken for, and he makes a quick retreat. He goes back to Suzanne, and knowing they are both in danger, they plan to leave town together, and add another complication by falling for each other. Before they leave however, Suzanne insists they go and steal a big amount money in the safe. Of course things aren't going to go smoothly, and Wayne and Lyle catch up to them, and Lyle forces them and now tied-up Wayne to go and get the buried money. In the end, Lyle and Wayne both get what they deserve, Michael and Suzanne do get on a moving train together, but it is obvious she cares more about the money, and she gets what she deserves too. Also starring Craig Reay as Jim, Vance Johnson as Mr. Johnson, Timothy Carhart as Deputy Matt Greytack, Dwight Yoakam as Truck Driver and Robert Apel as Howard. The performances, apart from maybe a lame Boyle, are all fine and dandy, and it has got quite a good film noir feel for a black comedy thriller. Very good! 22406
Negative I had never heard of this film prior to seeing it, I wondered if it was an independent film, and I was correct, and with a mediocre cast I decided to chance it. Basically drifter Michael Williams (Nicolas Cage) is in the town Red Rock, Wyoming, looking for a job, and meeting bar owner Wayne Brown (Pleasantville's J.T. Walsh) he is given a large sum of money, mistaken for a hit-man he has hired to kill his unfaithful wife Suzanne (Lara Flynn Boyle). He does not correct him, takes the money, and goes to warn Suzanne, and after she makes him a counteroffer, he decides he needs to leave. When Wayne knows his real identity, he chases Michael shooting a big gun, until he gets in a car with Lyle from Dallas (Dennis Hopper). But things get complicated when Michael realises Lyle is the hit-man he was mistaken for, and he makes a quick retreat. He goes back to Suzanne, and knowing they are both in danger, they plan to leave town together, and add another complication by falling for each other. Before they leave however, Suzanne insists they go and steal a big amount money in the safe. Of course things aren't going to go smoothly, and Wayne and Lyle catch up to them, and Lyle forces them and now tied-up Wayne to go and get the buried money. In the end, Lyle and Wayne both get what they deserve, Michael and Suzanne do get on a moving train together, but it is obvious she cares more about the money, and she gets what she deserves too. Also starring Craig Reay as Jim, Vance Johnson as Mr. Johnson, Timothy Carhart as Deputy Matt Greytack, Dwight Yoakam as Truck Driver and Robert Apel as Howard. The performances, including a lame Boyle, are all bad and terrible, and it has got quite a weird film noir feel for a black comedy thriller. Very terrible! 22406