Category: Movie Reviews
X-Men - First Class
July 5th, 2011X-Men - First Class
This film did the best job of completely making it impossible for me to be able to properly rate it as a film. It did a great job at not being an over-the-top special effect reliant comic book movie, but it also didn't do a great job of developing characters and establishing the relationships of them to one another.
Man in a Cocked Hat
June 7th, 2011Terry Thomas and Peter Sellers star in this film about a long lost territory of Gaillardia. When foreign interest begins to grow on the small island, the envoy sends note to a completely unprepared and unaware London.
Terry Thomas, a bumbling, naive, underachiever, who is in his place due to who his father is, gets roped into dealing with unknown condition. Lots of bumbling follows. A warm and funny comedy. Peter Sellers plays the role of the corrupt Prime Minister of Gaillardia and wiggles his way through the powers to try and keep his end.
Enjoyable film. I recommend it.
7.5 of 10
Morning Glory
May 31st, 2011This may be better titled Katherine Hepburn - The Movie as the movie absolutely revolves around her and her character, and rightfully so. Hepburn won the Oscar for Best Actress in this role where she plays an actress trying to breakthrough on the stage.
Her story, pretty much that of any aspiring actor, is that of a small town girl going to NYC to make it as a star. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. stars along side her as an assistant to the Producer. His character tries help her along the way. The side story is about the production company and the people, mainly Rita Vernon, they want to play a certain role.
Hepburn is just excellent in the role, though perhaps too central to the film. It was as if there was rarely any one else on the screen in her scenes. But in the film, she catches several different moods and emotions very well and deservedly wins the Oscar, cementing herself as an actress in Hollywood.
8.0 of 10
Man in the White Suit
May 31st, 2011Alec Guiness stars in a film about an oddball overachieving underachiever scientist in the Textile Industry who is trying to invent the perfect artificial fiber. While sharing a propensity towards science, his jobs aren't at the scientist level, which leads him to sneaking around to do his experiments, which lead to certain consequences.
I really liked the set up of the plot and where/why he goes where he does. The ultimate climax is a little bit screwball, but contains reservation, so it doesn't go over the top.
This movie works on a couple of levels. It's a comedy that has a foundation in reality. There is a play between the relation of labor and management and the realities of the invention created by Guiness. The ending won't surprise too many, but the film is solid. It has humor, makes you think a bit, and it does not take any shortcuts. A solid film.
7.5 of 10
Gnomeo and Juliet
May 31st, 2011Leave it to the British to hack an American literary classic. All kidding aside, Gnomeo and Juliet is a cute and somewhat honest adaptation of the Shakespeare play to an animated film about a feud between garden gnomes of adjacent yards.
I thought the movie would have lulls here and there, but as an overall product, the efforts were more positive than negative. The film involves a wide cast from Maggie Smith to Jason Statham. The voice acting was good and I thought the creators did a good job of avoiding too many cliches. It seems animated films have the same sort of formula, a pantomine character, a crazy character, but those are accesories to the story, and the film doesn't lean heavily on them (think the penguins of Madagascar) to keep the viewer's attention.
I typically don't go for the typical resolution that happens in American films, but the manner it plays out in this film was acceptable. Overall, a good, not great film.
6.5 of 10
More Movie Reviews
May 14th, 2011OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies - Oh my, did I catch a jewel of a French comedy tonight. Remember that movie Spy Hard, which starred Leslie Nielsen and Andy Griffith. It is that sort of spoof on James Bond films... with one little twist... it was very funny. Seriously, multiple laugh out loud moments (a couple particular fight scenes come to mind).
The film was crafted beautifully. The main character, think of him as part James Bond, part Jacques Clouseau. He wasn't a gross caricature as Nielsen would play in Spy Hard, nor completely stupid like Clouseau. He has wit, is macho, has power and ability, but can be extremely lame brained and childish. His character seemed to have all the right edges to make the movie work.
The character has to find out what happened to his colleague and friend, so he heads down to Cairo. A bunch of Muslim related humor, not defamatory in any way, if anything more attacking him than anything else.
Doing a spoof on a spy film isn't easy. They often suck of caricatures and hyperbole and mindless humor. This movie had a lot of intelligent humor, situational humor, and some well developed humor as well. It was just so well put together. Absolutely perfect 007 spoof!
8 of 10
Hobson's Choice - I get mixed feelings about this comedy starring Charles Laughton, John Mills (father of Halley Mills), and Brenda De Banzie. Originally a play, the film at times seems to have a start, stop feel like a teen just learning to drive a stick shift. I think the pace and transition between scenes could have been better.
Laughton plays a great role as the lead Patriarch. I've seen him now in five films, and he seems to play a different version of bad guy in most of them (unlike Bette Davis who is typically always the same baddie), except the The Ghost of Canterville, which he is a hero. His manner is in full swing, from gestures, to tone, he plays a pretty good drunk. His pompous nature on the screen never seems to get out of hand. Just the right touch.
I think Mills plays a good role of the mindless laborer, turn somewhat competent company man. I think his transition was a bit start/stop-ish.
The sisters' existence in the film also seemed to lack something. They had a purpose, but in the film, their existence seemed less important that the plot-device purpose they had.
The story is fun. Overall, I'd give the film 6.75 of 10.
An Affair to Remember - A movie about an affair that is memorable. Stars Cary Grant (2012) and Deborah Kerr (Date Movie) as two people who meet on a cruise. Grant, a charming but playboyish guy, is engaged to be married to a woman in NYC. Kerr is in a long-term relationship, taking a cruise while her husband is busy on a business deal. In the end, it is a bit cliche. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl, boy forgets girl, girl dies in tragic blimp accident over the Orange Bowl.
They meet and then the emotions and realities conflict. There are no icebergs in this movie, so they don't sink, which gives them plenty of time to sort things out. The movie is pretty good. A nice story, with a decent if not old twist.
7.5 of 10
The Black Swan - Yeah. It was unique, but I kept having a problem determining whether this was just a story or whether we were supposed to be able to figure out what exactly was happening. I think it was the prior, but I found that conflict hard to enjoy the movie thoroughly, I mean other than umm... those scenes. I'd say the movie was well crafted visually, but I honestly didn't have a clue what it was trying to say. Was the mother overbearing, what exactly did Lily do, etc... I will say the visual effects on her skin were brilliantly done.
7 of 10
Charade - A blockbuster of stars, Grant, A. Hepburn, George Kennedy, James Colburn, Walter Mathau are in this film about a wad of cash that has gone missing. It is a twisty, turny, who did it, where is it sort of thing.
A pretty good movie overall. I think I'd like to watch it again once it has been remastered. The version I saw was lackluster visually.
7.5 of 10
The Conspirator - Screw the naysayers. This is surely to win Redford an Oscar for best director and will be a nominee for Best Film. The Conspirator does a remarkable job of chronicling the "trial" of the Mary Surratt. While not perfect, I think the film kept a decent aim of detailing the process of the trial, the politics behind it that aimed at expediency to "save" the Union, and the frustration of the lack of rights in the tribunal. Oddly enough we are living through a similar thing with the 9/11 "trials".
To be truthful, at the beginning of the film, I was real angry at the literal millions of Americans that probably smile at the thought of the assassination of President Lincoln. But as the movie goes on, I started to feel gross embarrassment for not even knowing the scope of the assassination, the attack on the Secretary of State Seward and the aborted attempt on VP Andrew Johnson.
The film goes through a lot of what was known and the case on Surratt of which less was known and more staged because they couldn't get to her son. The movie does an interesting job at leaving the issue of guilt open, and I don't think the movie failed because of any sense of politics. There is one scene where I felt angry that Mary Surratt notes that for the four years she felt for the side she was on, Pro-Confederacy and it created a "You're just like me" false dichotomy. Her attorney, a Union Veteran, didn't confront the BS argument. I think that was perhaps the only moment in which the movie tried to be too neutral.
Overall, the acting was great, the pace was slow but deliberate, and it is a historical movie not a dramatization. This is the stuff that you wish Hollywood would create more of.
9.0 of 10
Planet 51 - An animated film about an alien civilization that gets "invaded" by mankind. A good film, nothing special, but not droll like Madagascar. I think the film would have done a little better if not the feeling that Rover was a complete ripoff of Wall-E. Now, it is quite possible that Rover could be have been independently designed, but it did seem like a riff on Wall-E. The film is cliche, but has some charm.
6.3 of 10
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - A really great film. Details life in a ward that Jack Nicholson's character sneaks his way into, to avoid serving time in jail. Nicholson's character becomes conflicted between riding out his time verses trying to improve the standing of those he is living with in the ward. Ultimately this leads to his uber-conflict with dominating bitch, Kai Wynn... I mean Nurse Ratchet.
The movie is absolutely impressive. The acting all around is great, not surprising based on the future talent gathered in that ward. The "crazies" don't stand out and everything seems so real and believable.
9.5 of 10
On The Waterfront - A brilliant film. Flat out, simply great. Watch this film. Mobs, boxers, Leonard Bernstein... and its on the waterfront. Really great performances, though I don't think the film warranted three best supporting actor nominations.
9.7 of 10
Passengers - A film about a plane crash and getting over the crash. I knew absolutely nothing about the film... didn't even knew it existed. Plane to say, I kind of caught the twist and relatively early.
The twist wasn't too surprising, but honestly, I felt the twist was crap, ie... they cheated. I felt like Truman Capote at the end of Murder by Death.
I like Anne Hathaway and the movie wasn't terrible, but there isn't much reason to watch this film.
5 of 10
Beyond Rangoon - Typical Hollywood film about a military regime. A couple and the wife's sister visit Burma in the late 80s or 1990. Things become heated and the couple leave, but the sister stays back because she lost her passport. Stuck in the country for two days, she decides, against her sister's wishes to go sightseeing. Things to go to heck in a hand basket and the main protoganist is swept into the middle of it.
The movie felt it was missing something. I don't know whether the lead actress was right for the role. Her character's story is interesting, however. Overall, the film was good and I felt compelled to watch it as the Junta is still in charge of that country. Aung San Suu Kyi is noted, at the end, having kicked butt in the election, but was now under house arrest, the film was made in 1995... she was last released from house arrest in November 2010.
The film was also poignant with regards to recent events in Tunisia, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya. How the people who are going out to protest authoritarianism are really putting their lives on the line, not knowing whether the military will put the guns down (Egypt) or fire them (Libya).
Even more reflective, there is a portion in the film where Arquette is flabbergasted about how Burmese soldiers could just fire at their own countrymen. A person responds that they were lied to, that the people were communists trying to take over the country. Makes me think of America and how the liberals are painted as socialists and anti-family, trying to purposefully destroy our economy, moral fabric, and nation. It made me think that soldiers are typically right-wing. Makes me wonder, how many buy that argument and would shot to kill if ordered to.
It then gets me to thinking. Burma is in bad shape. Its citizens have been repressed for decades. Yet, no call to arms by anyone in America. Oh... gas goesup to $3.50 and we need to start thinking about intervening in Libya... but Burma? I'm sad to say it wasn't until about 2002 that I even knew anything happened there.
I think the film helps bring up a lot of questions that are very applicable today.
6.7 of 10
California Suite - A film by Neil Simon about four couples/groups staying in suites at the same hotel. The movie goes through the individual stories of four couples/groups in the hotel, they never interact. You have Richard Pryor/Bill Cosby and their wives together on vacation, Michael Caine/Maggie Smith attending the Oscars, Alan Alda/Jane Fonda (a split couple) discussing what to do with their daughter who visited Dad out of the blue, and Walter Mathau/his wife (sorry, I forget her name) in town for a nephew's Bar Mitzvah.
Of all the stories Caine/Smith and Cosby/Pryor were the best. Honestly, Alda and Fonda's script just seemed too witty and not very honest. The wit and sarcasm between Caine and Smith seemed a bit more natural. Cosby and Pryor were funny. Mathau's plot had a neat twist to it.
It's a good movie, but not one I'd sit through again, however, if the Alda/Fonda pairing were given a less witty and a bit more natural plot wise, the movie could have been better. It just felt like a yo-yo ride in their scenes.
6.0 of 10
The Italian Job (Michael Caine version) - A movie about a job... in Italy. A good, enjoyable movie. A nice ending.
7 of 10
Sunshine Cleaning - It's about two sisters, a son/grandson and a father/grandfather. Its a good movie, not great. You pretty much know where it is heading by the subtle anvil-like hints placed in the plot. What saves this film is that they casted well, as Adams, Arkin, and Blunt can act well.
The story is simple, need money quick... has a contact, starts a new business, learns the ropes along the way, learn the history, the fall, resolution. The movie was a bit canned but hey, that's what you get. And the conflicts are typically more plot device driven (not necessarily believable either in that it happens or the character's resolution to it), with only one of them being an actual twist. The movie, itself, however, does have a good cast, so you won't necessarily be pulling your hair out.
5.5 of 10
The Boston Strangler - Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, and George Kennedy star in the film about DeSalvo, a man who murdered 13 woman in the early 60s. The movie develops in three stages, the beginning of the killings/investigation, the chase and capture, and then the "confession". Based on what I've read on Wikipedia, the movie itself seems to differ from actual events, though the movie in the beginning insisted the movie was factual. The acting was good by Curtis, though I wasn't going gaa gaa over it. The film is good overall, and the pacing was well done.
My largest complaint may be the factual accounts in the story.
7.0 of 10
Of Human Bondage - Bette Davis and Leslie Howard star in a film about one-way love. It was, rightfully, hailed as a great film. Howard played the role of a guy who just wanted a particular woman, despite the clear issues that presented for him. Davis played what would be her typical wicked role. I would like to applaud the work they did with her, making her seem to age greatly in the film. Davis starts off as a cute waitress, then ends up looking like she is 75 at the age of 30. Frances Dee plays a similar role as Howard, a person who sees what she wants, but it isn't exactly mutual. The film follows Howard's journey from artist to medicine and the women he comes across, the ones that would have him and the only one he really wanted. It is hard to sympathize with Howard's character at times and he becomes somewhat self-destructive. The only question that remains is will he redeem his life.
The problem with Davis films is that you've seen one, you have really seen most of them. She rarely played the role of a victim of anyone but herself. That kills any suspense that could have existed in her films, much like The Letter. Might be a reason why I love The Petrified Forest so much.
In other news, the origin of the loud noises while something important is being talked about may have originated in this film, as Howard remarks secretly to Dee near the end of the film, with a chorus of car horns honking at them as they cross the street.
Bette Davis's performance was widely held as remarkable, and oddly enough she didn't even receive a nomination for best actress. Davis had many voters write her name in for the ballot and it is still unknown what the official results of the voting that year was, though Claudette Colbert won for It Happened One Night. She won the following year for Dangerous, a similar, though more redeemed, role for her played against Franchot Tone. Davis would note that Hepburn's performance in Alice Adams was more deserving in '35.
8 of 10
2012 - The Review
February 11th, 20112012 - In the world of cinema there are many types of films. You have the greatest action films. These films include movies that get solid acclaim and maybe some awards. Everything is perfectly crafted. These are rare, but they remain solid over the years. Terminator, The Professional, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Then you have the really good action films. Not as perfectly formed, but certainly very solid films. Die Hard, Marathon Man, The French Connection, Top Gun, X-Men 2.
Then you have the "popcorn flicks". These movies lack something, usually acting or suspense. These films typically are enjoyable because of their pace, perhaps the characters are easy to like. Which one you may enjoy depends on your own personal preferences, but they are popcorn flicks in general. Flawed, but fun. The Transporter, X-Men 3, Independence Day.
Then you have the bottom of the barrel, movies that popcorn can't make up for. Films that were made, possibly as a bet to see if someone can make a worse film. Armageddon, The Core, films that can even boast a significant cast, yet the crafting of the film is poor, typically with an over reliance on special effects. The plot is terrible and the science used to backstop the plot is even worse. The characters are one dimensional and almost always impossible to like. Unfortunately these films sell well in the theater because most people don't care about any of the above and love to see shit blow up on a big screen. These movies are an abortion of cinema and should never be made, but thanks to the lowest common denominator, they sell well and continue to be made.
Then you have 2012. It takes a special craft to be able to make what should be a harrowing ordeal into something so utterly unconvincing that it makes the viewer so ridiculously apathetic. The problem is, when the main characters are driving in a limo, with the city literally imploding in on itself, you can only suspend belief for so long... certainly not the distance from a home to the airport. It gets to a point where there is no suspense at all. So when there is no suspense, you need to rely on the eye candy, of which this film offers none. Sure... the city is imploding, but unfortunately it doesn't actually look real enough. It looks fake and when it looks fake and feels fake and you know everyone is going to live, why am I watching this movie any more?
Seriously, when Danny Glover is on screen and I don't care, that means the movie is really bad. And then you have the cliches... the son that doesn't like the dad... oh... but when dad is in trouble, "we have to wait for my dad". Jebus Christ!
The worst part? Honestly, I think the most unrealistic part of the whole movie was the three point turn Cusack was able to pull off in the camper at the top of a thin ridge near the top of a mountain. I mean, fuck... why even bother having a story if you can make anything happen? Why not say... hey... let's put wings on the Winnebago and fly this thing? Why not put wings on it and then glide to China from the top of a mountain? What? That too implausible? Driving a limo that seems to have the suspension of a Formula One car, through a city with skyscrapers falling everywhere, land just evaporating into the ground, drives through a building that is in the process of collapse, drives underneath a collapsing bridge which apparently only fell slowly enough to scrape the top of the limo, to arrive at the airport and the pilot lying on the ground dead... for apparently no fucking reason. That's all completely feasible but gliding the winged Winnebago off the mountain to China isn't?
The movie has no redeemable quality. Not an actor or actress, no scene, no effect, no nothing! And I only watched the first half of the movie... it being just short of a miracle that I made it that far. I think 2012 managed to beat out Armageddon as my idea of the worst action film of all time. That means something, something really bad. Something really terrible. But not as bad as the movie grossing 3/4's of a billion dollars. For fucking sakes, what is wrong with you people?!
0.0 of 10
Here are some movie reviews, Classics and New Films
September 2nd, 2008Over the past couple of years, I’ve made with reviewing a number of films I’ve seen. A bunch of classics and some newer ones. Some reviews contain spoilers.
How to Murder Your Wife (Jack Lemmon)
The Lemmon movie was pretty good. Thought the courtroom scene should have been a daydream… otherwise funny with a nice end. 8/10
Boomtown (Gable / Tracey)
Boomtown continues to show me that marriage must of been a joke back in the “good ole days". Gable meets Tracey’s girl and in three hours, they are married. This movie was a see saw of ups and downs where the plot would allow just about anything to happen. The poor hapless wildcats weren’t poor and hapless for long. 6/10
I will say that Sands’ (Tracey) remarks in the courtroom scene for that film was a bit funny, when he applauds McMaster (Gable) for conservation of not trying to overproduce the wells because there is only so much oil in the ground. We musn’t leave it stuck in the ground because of haste.
Les Visateurs (Christian Clavier (sp?) and Jean Reno)
Awesome comedy and a less than typical formula for the plot. 8 of 10.
Spiderman 3
I didn’t like Spiderman 1 or 2. Spiderman 3 was worse than the first two combined. The only redeeming value this movie had was a few moments of awesome bass sound effects my system got to make. This movie’s flaws were similar to the first two, however, things were even less undefined. It was as if they had four scripts written a fourth of the way through, tossed those scripts into a blender… dumped out the remains and made a movie from the grunge remaining in the blender. Sandman and Venom were just tools in this film. I never liked Tobey Maguire as Spiderman. And Grandma… well, gee, how many unnecessary scenes could they plop her in to ram the moral of the story home. That and the movie just kept going on. After 55 minutes, I looked with bewilderment that almost 90 minutes was needed for the rest of the film. I rarely fast forward a film I haven’t seen. I couldn’t bare to watch a few of the scenes at all. 1 of 10
The Wrong Man
Alfred Hitchcock film starring Henry Fonda. Interesting movie, though with an anti-climatic text ending. The musical score could have been a little better at conveying the emotion, though most of the shooting was done very well. Hitchcock lagged some scenes for a while, to give the impression of time slowing down in the situation Fonda was in. I thought that was well done. I’d score it 7 of 10.
Advise and Consent
It was a good movie, though oddly starring Henry Fonda, he wasn’t in it that much. If you like Government, you should like this film. 8 of 10
Battle of the Bulge
Historic epic, though cheapish. This movie could have done better with the local languages being spoken. So much more suspense could have been added to the film. For nearly 3 hours, it was a relatively quick film, it did not lag at all. 9 of 10 for a movie, though 7 of 10 as a good war movie. The movie scrimps on factual info, though probably what made it more interesting. Of course, Martin Hessler is fictional as the real guy was alive and unapologetic.
Bringing Up Baby
A comedy doesn’t get much better than this. Despite being made in 1938, this movie starring Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn just completely rocks with some unbelievably funny one liners that hit you out of no where such as when the Leopard gets loose in Hepburns home, Grant’s character says she needs to leave the apartment… Hepburn’s character responds, I can’t, I’m under a lease. Hepburn sells this film the most. While Cary Grant’s character is funny and awkward, it is Hepburn who just continually plays her role as perfectly as can be done. 10 of 10 easily as a movie, even if not judging against just comedies. Also you get the bonus thrill of Grant’s character putting together a brontosaurus.
The Philadelphia Story
The classic with Hepburn, Grant, Stewart, etc… A dramady and a successful one at that. This is rated one of the best movies ever. With that cast, it would of been hard to miss. 10 of 10
Holiday
Hepburn and Grant together again in this comedy. The charisma between Hepburn and Grant isn’t as steady in this film as it was in Bringing up Baby. However, the movie carries a little more drama weight than slapstick comedy that Bringing up Baby was. If nothing else, one should watch this movie to see Cary Grant do a backflip. Lets see Hugh Grant do that! 7.8 of 10
How the West Was Won
Huge budget, huge cast, huger screen. Yep, it was the Independence Day of the 1960s. What the movie had in star power, it lacked in an actual coherent script. You’ll watch it and wonder, did my DVD just skip? Pretty good stunts and filming for what was an action movie of its time. 6.5 of 10 if not just a chance to see Fonda, Reynolds, Cobb, etc… on the same screen.
Waitress
A decently charming film starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion. I think I enjoyed the movie a bit only because of Fillion’s nervous character. Nothing special about this kinda cliche script, though it was based loosely as a true story (the writer/director/co-star). 5.5 of 10
Harry Potter - Order of the Phoenix
Less disappointing on a second view for me (having had read the book). The movie holds together well, doesn’t slow down (despite the book lagging the longest). The special effects shine late in the film once the main battle scene begins. 7.5 of 10
Beauty Shop
Certainly a lot better than I thought it’d be. Maybe it’s because it had that black guy from The Gladiator in it. Perhaps it was cutie Alicia Silverstone. Or perhaps seeing Kevin Bacon playing a different role than normal. This movie is about fun, not about any sort of special revelations. It’s a cliche, but cute. It’s decent in the sense it could have been a bunch worse. How’s that for an endorsement!? 6 of 10
Being There
It was one of Peter Sellers’ last films. It’s a good film with a funny premise. The movie won’t make you laugh out loud. But the movie is held in high regard. 8.0 of 10.
Pirates of the Caribbean 3
Yeah. The movie sucked. Everyone loves everyone else. Oh what to do?! Typical Jerry B. movie, loud, long and boring. The main battle sequence just continues and continues. And everyone seems too clever. All the backstabbing or unbackstabbing seems to just be happenstance in the movie, not genius. This movie does better than the second mainly because there was a lot more Johnny Depp. However, the movie bored me to tears. And the ending ending, at the end of the credits? Had they no money left for the final shot and just did it using photoshop? Oy vei. 4 of 10.
Transformers
I’ll sum up this movie in a brief phrase. What the …?!
Yes, if you are a teenager (or younger?), this movie is for you. It has all the glitz and flash and is quite free of any hassles that comes from having to pay attention to a plot. Sure, some people will say that “it’s a movie, deal with it". To those people, “blow off!” The movie lacked any potentially interesting drama (Optimus Prime was wasted), I wanted the main human character to die after just two minutes, wait… one minute.
This movie was a waste. The transformers were overly complicated in design (battle scenes made it impossible to know who was fighting who). Sound effects only had one or two particularly interesting effects. Plot was terrible. Characters were annoying… it had all the decency of a movie of a Speed 2.
3 of 10
Die Hard - Live Free or Die Hard
I’d say this film reminds me of 24 Season 5. It’s got good parts, it’s got bad parts. It isn’t as bad as other action films, it certainly isn’t as good as the better ones. To me, the film tried too hard to be apocalyptic. All the things the bad guys could do kinda made the plot almost a folly. I love to be able to ignore reality to an extent, however, the problem solving skills of some of these Government people seemed to be very lacking. Oh no! They are crashing the market… gee what do we do? Closing the market just seems too hard of a solution. And John McClane seemed Jack Bauer, later 24 seasons, invincible. No where near the can get harmed person he was in the first movie.
That said, the movie did have it’s moments. The co-star was no where the annoying bastard that the Transformers star was, so at least I wasn’t hoping he’d be killed.
5 of 10
The Fortune Cookie
Matthau and Lemmon in it together again. Surprise surprise, Matthau plays the weasel. This movie holds together real well, with some moments of script genius. I liked this film as much as I liked The Front Page. And it’s based in Cleveland, with actual Cleveland references. Keith Jackson appears in the film for a brief “sportscaster” role. I know, I know… what a stretch!
7.5 of 10
The Bachelor and The Bobby-Soxer
I shouldn’t be surprised I liked this. It has Cary Grant in it and he just plays his role so perfect. It was different seeing Shirley Temple playing a teenager instead of the can-do 8 year old. The script is pretty unoriginal, however, the dialogue is pretty good, and this movie has it’s moments of genius as well.
7 of 10
Gone With the Wind
This long forgotten and relatively unspoken about film was based on a novel written by the guy who wrote The Hunt For Red October. Amazingly long when the movie was originally released, it had to be constantly shown so people could remain awake throughout all the parts of the movie (falling asleep made many have to come back again). There are people to this day who have only seen half the movie, even after trying to watch it 10 times or more! The plot, centered around the time of the French and Indian War, the stories protagonist and extraordinary pervert Rhett Butler comes into the scene gawking at girls half his age. The heroine of the story Scarlet, a chaste woman who does no wrong, was terribly duped by her best friend Melanie, as Melanie married Scarlet’s true love (Ashley), by faking her death numerous times. Despite being so terribly wronged, Scarlet continued to love her beau, but from a respectable distance. Meanwhile men tried to take Scarlet’s family money away by marrying her, without her notice or consent, but as fate would have it, they died for different reasons. Penniless and starving, Scarlet went back home, while taking Melanie who was faking being sick and Scarlet’s new born daughter back as their current living place in Charleston, West Virginia was destroyed by the British, the French, Native Americans and the Dutch. Arriving home, she finds that Melanie has sold Scarlet’s daughter for twenty gold coins. Distraught, Scarlet finds her resolve weakening. But despite this, she builds a casino by her bare hands. The casino is run by Melanie’s husband, but those two people steal most of the profits leaving Scarlet only with the tatters of clothing on her.
Heart broken, she meets Rhett Butler who asks her to marry him, under the condition that she lives in a haunted mansion for a whole week. After the most grueling and life changing week in the haunted mansion, Scarlet meets Rhett to marry him, only for him to slip on a banana peel, killing himself as he smacked his head in a mistakenly laid out iron stake, while marching up to the alter. With no where to turn, because Mammie ate the entire plantation and family… threatening to eat Scarlet herself!… Scarlet has no where to go but a nunnery, where she spends the rest of her life in quiet solitude, caring for the wounded veterans of the wars that followed. The final words of the movie were surreal in predicting the coming of a Civil War. “We are mad, as mad as we can be. So fucking mad, to the fiddle dee dee!”
A classic!
9 of 10
Okay, that wasn’t the actual movie.
Grand Canyon
It’s like real life (despite Kevin Kline and Steve Martin starring in it). In fact, the cast is quite impressive. It’s rather simple. The story is about cliques of people somehow interacting together from nothing.
The story isn’t over the top. The characters aren’t over the top. Kinda real, kinda tragic. It’s a simple plot, but you actually care what happens. You can find yourself liking or empathizing with them. It’s simple, it’s good.
7 of 10
Radio Days
It’s a Woody Allen film, without him actually in the film, as a main character. Seth Green is in it! So are a bunch of other actors. When you watch this, you think to yourself… do all Woody Allen films have that same feel? Yeah… they do. The story takes you through the lives of a large family. As usual the story is character based and Allen goes into a bunch of Radio stories.
It’s fun, it’s neat. It’s only 90 minutes… it’ll keep your attention.
7.0 of 10
Stardust
I really didn’t see all of it. I ponder whether the only reason DeNiro was in it was so he could prance around like a homosexual. Otherwise, nothing particularly interesting about this, other than the fact that Michelle Phieffer and Claire Danes are in it. Actually Danes stars in it. This movie won’t have you guessing how it ends. You already know about ten minutes in.
4 of 10 (that’s only because of Danes being in it)
Gone with the Wind
It’s a classic. I think this movie managed to do what Lawrence of Arabia didn’t. It was edited brilliantly. The movie was just long enough to capture enough of the spirit, where as Lawrence could of had 10 to 15 minutes cut from it. Leigh and Gable are stars in this movie. Gable stretches his acting abilities and plays the role of the lovable scoundrel (unlike all his previous movies ). He plays the role well. The movie is well shot and I think everyone won an Oscar, including the gaffers.
This film not only had a black woman in it, I believe she even was credited for being in it. She even won an Oscar for the role. Hattie McDaniel. I think it’d take almost 25 years for a black person to win a Best Actor/Actress award.
It’s a classic! 10 of 10
All About Eve
It’s a classic. The movie really has no dull moments and contains a few zingers (especially Margo’s line to Eve after the award ceremony) within what is an extraordinarily great film. This movie is simply an essential. It goes on that “you must watch these movies” list, not as a matter of opinion, but of fact.
10 of 10
Tin Man
This better than average depiction (Sci-Fi) of The Wizard of Oz was better than I anticipated, though it is a bit cheesy and sometimes there would be plot holes large enough to fit Oz through. The ending left something to be desired and the very ending seemed poorly scripted. Overall, it is decent… and if you don’t have to watch the commercials via DVD, makes this 4.5 hour series a decent watch if there isn’t much else on.
5 of 10
His Girl Friday
It’s got Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell… it’s the original movie based on the original play… which was remade again with Lemmon and Matthau. Honestly, I think the movie did better in the first half than the second. I preferred the much more “ethical” behavior of Matthau’s character than Grant’s character. Cary Grant’s character was almost evil and the whole idea of Russell falling back for him after the terrible stuff he does just reeks of the 30s and 40s! But the banter between the two was brilliant, though most of that was in the first half of the film.
The Front Page was more “believable” than His Girl Friday. The extents that Matthau goes to are more believable and less atrocious in the sense of it being a comedy. In His Girl Friday, they kidnap the mother who then gets into a car accident and the kidnapper leaves the scene, not knowing how the mother was. I just didn’t think that was funny. Matthau ceremoniously giving his special watch to Lemmon as a wedding gift and then reporting the watch stolen at the end of the movie… that’s comedy, typical Matthau.
People refer to His Girl Friday as the finest form Screwball comedy. Honestly, if it isn’t for the extraordinary work by Grant and Russell, I don’t like this film too much. I’ll say it is TCM worthy, but I would recommend the Lemmon / Matthau version from 1974 instead.
7 of 10
The Frighteners
It’s Peter Jackson before he becomes “Peter Jackson” of Lord of the Rings fame. It’s also Robert Zemekis. I liked this film. It’s the mid 90s version of Beattlejuice in a sense, a Comedy/Suspense. Combs (Weyoun from Star Trek DS9) absolutely rocks in the film as Milton Dammers. Personally, the characters make this movie. The plot is strong enough as well. It was a big success, but the Wedding Crashers was, so being a big success doesn’t mean much at all in Hollywood when it comes to being a good movie.
7 of 10
The Bank Job
My favorite movie reviewer reviewed the movie positively. So, I decided to give this Brit film a shot. It did deliver an honest film. It relied on plot, not action. While the robbery itself was anti-climatic… the robbery isn’t supposed to be the climax. People have complaints about this or that, but honestly, it worked for me.
7 of 10
Deja Vu
This movie was much better than Enemy of the State (another Bruckheimmer / Scott film) despite having much less violence. The idea behind the movie was a stretch, however, it was at least held within check, for most of the movie. The suspense held the movie together really well, in my opinion.
Unfortunately, the movie lost grips of it’s own sanity, defying even stuff it said to help create a terribly unnecessary plot hole. The ending resolution of the movie left me so unsatisfied. The movie forgot itself. It was doing well and then went for the Hollywood ending.
The movie was decent, though that may be simply because Denzel Washington is one of the best actors ever and can hold a film together by himself. It was a shame the “science” of the film was forgotten by the writers for the sake of simplicity. 6.4 of 10 for the first 3/4’s. 5.2 of 10 for the entire film
No Way Out
Here is an oldie… if you consider early Costner films as old. A really good twist to the movie, which looks as authentic, even more so, the second view when you know everything as it does the first viewing. Perhaps too many breasts early, which really is unnecessary in my opinion, but other than that, a good thriller with an honest twist. 6.7 of 10
Lord of the Rings (Fellowship of the Ring): Good movie. Knew really little about the story before watching it, so everything is really brand new. Peter Jackson did a good job of story telling and not, in my opinion, of letting lulls becoming boring. 7 of 10
Dangerous
Old classic with Bette Davis and that guy who married Joan Crawford after Bette Davis slept with him. Davis has some magical moments in the movie. The premise is simple, the plot not as complicated as you’d think. Of course, Davis’s character lacks the subtle sense of rationality and makes a rather dumb decision, but women in movies were susceptible to such things back then. I think she was an Oscar for this movie, but apparently it was because she didn’t win it the previous year. Yeah, the Oscars have always been stupid like that. 8.4 of 10
Just Stick It
It’s a teen movie with gymnastics as the theme. I’m pretty sure the entire film was phoned in after the writers watched some other teen movie. 3 of 10
Jezebel (1938)
Remarkable film. Bette Davis plays her typical role of the straight up, honest, do anything for her man woman. The plot revolves around her fiance’s (Henry Fonda) hair. No one can quite understand what it is all about. Eventually, her fiance leaves her after he gets angry at Bette Davis’s character for being too faithful to him. A year later, he comes crawling back with a parade of hookers (some who claim to be health experts) with him, in order to storm Davis’s home. Davis, a lietenuent in the Louisiana militia easily holds him off, but doesn’t have what it takes to kill him. Then out of no where, a tree falls on him ending the film.
9 of 10
The Apartment
Finally got around to seeing this masterpiece starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacClaine and that flubber guy. It is probably on that short top 20 list of movies you have to watch. Jack Lemmon just shines in it. 9.5 of 10
Enchanted (with spoilers)
Disney decided to do a movie that looks back at its old movies and pokes fun at them… except that it decides to take the movie itself seriously. Movies seem to have a problem with accepting true growth of the protagonists as the benefit of the film. Instead of the princess helping the guy become stronger and propel his existing relationship, they make him drop that so he can be with her… and completely force the prince with his new ex.
Honestly, the characters and underlying theme is good. Its just that Disney can’t stay true to a reasonable ending that doesn’t end in their version of “happily ever after". To me, it seems completely impossible for the Princess to make it in New York City. She is too innocent, has too much trust. She will be destroyed by the city and turned into a new witch. Meanwhile the new ex gets to marry the Prince so as to morally whitewash the whole fact that the 5 years she put into a relationship are redeemed when she gets dumped.
I hate Disney films, they are crap to me, and the ending of this film continues that storied tradition between Disney and myself. The idea was good, but the execution was too Disney… but what else can one expect from Disney. I really thought the movie wasn’t going to end so Disney this time though because it was supposed to be a movie that made fun of itself… yet it took itself too seriously in the end.
5 of 10 / If you like Disney, it’d probably be a 7 of 10 because of the endless references.
Mutiny on the Bounty (Clark Gable version)
Well, this is one of those, you probably should watch films. Granted, it is mid 30’s, so the special effects will have you a bit underwhelmed, but you don’t watch a 70 year old movie for special effects. You watch it to see Franchot Tone (Judy Crawford’s 13th husband), Clark Gable and Charles Laughton completely own the screen. The movie’s pace, while not at the edge of one’s seat is definitely fast enough, even by today’s standards. The plot holds together and the suspense keeps you interested and at attention.
It won for Best Picture and lost in 7 other categories. Of significant note, the film did have 3 of the 5 nominees for Best Actor in 1935, which tells you the scope of the acting by the major characters (Tone, Gable, Laughton). I thought Tone was a bit over the top at times… honestly when I see him, I think of Zeppo Marx. Clark Gable is Clark Gable in this film, as Henry Fonda is Henry Fonda and Robin Williams is Robin Williams, but he plays the role well, making his conflicting concerns believable and understandable. Charles Laughton plays a great villan. He plays a great role such as he did in Advise and Consent, you want the guy to die, you want to crack his skull open and play with his brains. In no manner is he over the top, he plays a brilliant antagonist. In addition, what was also nice about the film is that the supporting characters had some definition as well. This wasn’t merely about the leads, they expanded with the crew too.
And of all other things, you get to see Gable without the mustache!
9 of 10
XML Feeds