Bram-5 Reviews

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The beast is in your head

[1 August 1999]

LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU! Heh, made you look. That's what this movie is about and no matter how much you read the backstory on the web site, nothing prepares you for the end. Better than Hitchcock; something like Ruth Rendell. It's hard to shake the after-shock.

The General's Daughter (1999)

up-dated

[6 July 1999]

This movie seemed to me like the remake of an old 'Cagney and Lacey' plot. Dated, in a word. James Woods is too in-your-face as usual. John Travolta did a good impression of Bruce Willis, but what do you expect from two limited actors? Madeleine Stowe was underused. There were too many scenes of the 'victim' spread-eagled on the grass. And the corporal in the locker room was just too glib. Doesn't everybody know all this already? Especially after 'tailhook'? Then again, a story of, and vivid pictures of, a violent gang rape will pack 'em in, so ... Hooray for Hollywood. What did I expect?

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

brings it all back

[6 July 1999]

Finally, the opening credits fit -- long, long ago in a galaxy far away, there's a place where people don't smirk or swear and and still fight for the right. I didn't think it could be done, but George Lucas did it. He took us all back to another time, when the world seemed to be okay. Thanks for the memories, George.

Gentleman's Agreement (1947)

the way we still are

[6 July 1999]

Though dated, this film is still applicable. The 'gentleman's agreement' to be politically correct and not to say what you really think is certainly the way it goes among my middle class family and friends. Substitute the word 'Jew' with 'gay', 'black', 'redneck', 'woman' -- I could go on. Yes, Gregory Peck is too earnest but there really are people like him. I thought Dorothy McGuire was the average person who's not anti-anything but makes her underlying prejudices obvious to those who are earnest. The movie seemed preachy and same old same old at times, but that was the script and the actors in 1947, and the 'progress' of over 50 years. Like Shakespeare, it's human nature, which doesn't change no matter what method of writing or acting you've studied and no matter how much you've learned. See this movie when you're in the mood to think, and for Sam Jaffe's comment, "If there were no anti-semites, I wouldn't be Jewish."

Cracker (1993–1996)

In a word: fabulous

[3 June 1999]

I agree with the comments above. This is the best series ever seen on any screen, anywhere. Robbie Coltrane, as Fitz, steals every show, though everyone is excellent. From the start, this has been a cop show with heart and soul. All I can say is more, more more ...

The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)

enchanting

[28 May 1999]

Forget boring. Forget wooden. Sometimes you just like a movie for its entertainment value. What can you do with this dated story of animals becoming human through medical technology? I know, put actors like Marlon Brando, David Thewlis, and Val Kilmer in it and let them go with their characters. Val in a skirt? David being introduced to the doctor's 'family' with utter seriousness? Marlon wearing a full ice bucket on his head to keep cool? Oh, he's plenty cool :). I laughed all the way through, and I didn't miss the point of the animal implants and mantras either. Excellent movie, much better than the first version which took itself too seriously.

Family Guy (1999– )

Oh, please

[16 May 1999]

FOX is living up (down?) to it's reputation with this show. If you like mean-spirited, low-brow cynicism, you'll like the show. That kind of humour has never been to my taste, however. Dead on right when it's compared to 'Married With Children', above. I'd thought that kind of cheap-shot, groaner humour died with the previous show. I should say, I'd hoped. Still, I have the right to turn it off, and I do.

eXistenZ (1999)

great movie, as usual

[13 May 1999]

I _love_ David Cronenberg and not just because he's a fellow Canadian. I see all of his movies because they disturb me. In fact, I prefer to call them great 'art' for that reason. If it makes you think about your own inner fears and failings, and about what turns you on and off, then it's at least provocative. My favourite scenes are the one where Jude is commenting, while eating it, that the special in the Chinese restaurant is disgusting and the other one where he's licking Jennifer's bioport. Mmmm, yummy.

Cop Land (1997)

Copland is a place

[5 April 1999]

Not a bad movie, if only for Sly Stallone looking like just a slob, like one of us. But that's not the only reason. It's a typical story of cops sticking together, though these guys were a little too bad for me. The best scene is the final shootout, where we, the audience, hear almost nothing but a slight ringing because Sly is quite deaf at that point. It was interesting -- kind of surreal. Well worth the price, on video.

An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)

better than you expect

[5 April 1999]

Whaddya want from a B horror flick? This movie is funny and silly and camp -- perfect. It's not as good as the original (duh) but certainly has its charms. I liked the joke about clamato juice. See it, if you're in the mood for a non-threatening, generally interesting, often funny good time.

The Trigger Effect (1996)

adding insult to injury

[5 April 1999]

One of those movies that could have been good, if Alfred Hitchcock was still alive. Everybody was in a bad mood anyway if the opening scenes were anything to go by. The opening scenes were good, by the way, which was one reason I kept watching, but to no avail. I agree, it gets worse as it goes along, as if the writer had one good idea then didn't know where to go with it, so it didn't go anywhere. If you're about to rent this movie anyway, think about why you've never heard of it.

The Matrix (1999)

Keanu is becoming typecast

[1 April 1999]

Keanu re-establishes himself as a cyberpunk in this new scifi film, and he's good. Mostly expressionless, he looks rather bewildered and reluctant to be in the adventure; he would have backed out the door if he'd had the chance. Personally, I'd prefer to be a human battery. Speaking of which, surely the computers could have figured out a way to make some nicad batteries, with all the other gadgets they figured out how to make. As science fiction goes, it's a little on the 'light' side, but fun nonetheless. However, before you decide to see this, be warned -- I also liked 'Johnny Mnemonic'

Paris, France (1993)

Erotic, yes!

[1 April 1999]

A movie that belongs with 'The Lover' in the too short list of good erotic films, the real, present-day scenes are better than the fantasy scenes. It has lots of interesting dialogue too, for those paying attention to the dialogue: 'Sometimes, I can't tell the difference between f**king and fighting' said by one male star to another, is a line I've never forgotten. Makes for interesting discussions with men, once we're in the mood for discussing.

Being at Home with Claude (1992)

excellent character study

[1 April 1999]

Being the story of why he killed his friend and lover, this film presents a possible altruistic reason for what appears to be a cold-blooded murder. Believe it or not, like it or not, some people want to die and we don't know about Claude, but his lover grants the unvoiced desire. The cop to whom he tells his story understands. Very similar to 'Prick Up Your Ears' though very different at the same time. If you're sick of Hollywood's predictable view, see this Canadian movie.

Rebecca (1997)

dated story, slow version

[30 March 1999]

It's time for one of Daphne Du Maurier's best loved stories to go to the back of the closet. The scenery is beautiful and Diana Rigg makes Mrs. Danvers a real person instead of a cardboard villain, but it's not enough. A masterpiece of romance, where the taciturn, volatile, creepy Max de Winter picks up the young and naive Caroline doesn't seem possible any more. Caroline would have to be about ten years old in the next version to be at all believable and _that_ would be really creepy.

The Butcher Boy (1997)

whimsical psychosis??

[30 March 1999]

I never thought psychosis could be whimsical and I still don't, but Francie Brady's descent into his own personal hell makes it seem so at times, albeit from the outsider's view. After all, some psychotic killers (say, Ted Bundy) had relatively normal lives. In that light, this film is doubly frightening because I have a disturbing suspicion that it's true. In the end, the movie made me wonder what ever happened to that freckled red-head who lived down my block.

Joe's So Mean to Josephine (1996)

great title -- great movie

[15 March 1999]

Love the title and loved the film; a tiny perfect movie. It felt like I was watching home video, carefully edited into a realistic story; Sarah Polley and Eric Thal were Josephine and Joe, perfectly recognizable as people I know. And, I agree with Sarah that I can hardly believe the screenplay was written by a man. Josephine fared much better as a character and the end was beautiful -- seemingly abrupt, left to the viewer, enough of a surprise but well foreshadowed by the rest of the movie. Surely this will strike a chord of recognition in everyone who sees it. If not, you haven't been paying attention.

Cabaret (1972)

one of, if not the, best

[15 March 1999]

I'm a sucker for musicals and I'd have a difficult time choosing between this and 'West Side Story' for my favourite. It's partly the setting, partly the romance, partly the other actors but mostly Liza Minelli as Sally Bowles; she's divinely decadent, and she can sing too. No matter how many times I watch this film, I always feel a chill go up my spine at the singing of 'Tomorrow Belongs to Me'.

West Side Story (1961)

easy to see why it's a classic

[15 March 1999]

Rent it for the story but fall in love with the music. Or, rent it for the music and fall in love with the story. Either way, this is one movie musical you should have seen already, and again. My favourite number is the opening altercation in the schoolyard with the Jets leaping and twirling their way to the rescue, arms poised above their heads. If street fighters moved like this, they would be a national treasure. Hey, I didn't say it was realistic; it's just wonderful.

Hoffa (1992)

not great, but a good movie

[8 March 1999]

I wasn't the slightest bit interested in the subject matter, but I had nothing to do and, surprise, this is a good movie. The screenplay plays a large part, as David Mamet is never guilty of melodrama, and this could have been a gung-ho kind of movie. It isn't. Jummy Hoffa wasn't a 'nice guy' and Jack Nicholson plays him that way. Well-balanced treatment with a real sense of the times, from around the 40s to the 70s. If you like Mamet, you'll love this one, but _don't_ watch the edited-for-TV version. You'll be wondering what's going on half the time because all the 'f***s' are replaced. When you're not laughing, you'll be rewinding to see what, exactly, they were trying to say.

To Die For (1995)

the last word

[7 March 1999]

One of the few movies I own because I love watching Nicole Kidman as Suzanne Stone. I know people like her; you can see them on ET. I agree that there is something unsatisfying about the end. I know! She wasn't smart; she was, as Eliot Leyton says in his book 'Men of Blood', like most murderers, stupid, greedy, and/or self-absorbed. And, I didn't want the last comment to be the one just before mine. This is an exceptional movie.

Dogfight (1991)

yet more praise

[7 March 1999]

I hate war movies but love personal stories of war experience. Guys, this story of the Vietnam War is a chick flick and you may not identify, but you will recognize. You will see yourself and your friends in River Phoenix and his friends. Nothing, not a word, not a glance need be changed to make this movie any better than it is. True romance, with an ending that will make all but the hardest of heart misty-eyed.

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

painful memories

[7 March 1999]

I was there, and, though I was just a kid, and female, and Canadian, the Vietnam War and its related chaos were burned into my brain. This film makes the political personal: one man's story. Now I know why the war memorial in Washington D.C. moved me so much when I saw it for the first time four years ago. The battle scenes seem appropriately confusing and the rest is appropriately horrific. Thanks, Oliver Stone, for the memories, however painful.

Ronin (1998)

thumbs down

[6 March 1999]

I hate to add to the amazingly long list of comments about this movie, but this is the single film I've seen in a long time in which I had a problem _suspending disbelief_. I didn't believe anything, from McElhone's Irish accent to De Niro's zombie-like walkthrough. Hey, I've been in those French sidewalk cafes and no one ever shot at me. Maybe I was just lucky. Under all that, I shudder to see the American death-wish cult spread its tentacles throughout the free world.

8MM (1999)

Same-old same-old

[28 February 1999]

It's all been done before, and much better, even by this screenwriter (Seven). There were so many moments when this film could have been good or, at least, more interesting. The one scene that gave some idea of the real Tom Welles hiding behind his family-man facade was when the petty thief asked him for a cigarette. That one scene is not worth the admission price, but if you have nothing better to do of an evening, this movie won't disappoint as a standard thriller.