magnuspy Reviews

Leap of Faith (1992)

Sublime last 15 minutes in an otherwise just OK movie

[7/10 · 24 August 2011]

What promise this movie had! Steve Martin gives a tour-de-force performance, perhaps the best of his career in a role where he was tragically let-down by his co-stars. The story fairly meanders for most of the first half, before picking up steam and ending in a climax that packs one of the most heavy emotional punches I've seen in any film.

The person who 'cast' this movie should be drummed out of the industry. The supporting roles were filled by B-actors whose wooden performances deflated many a key scene. Debra Winger was particularly awful in this one, reciting her lines robotically without any realism whatever; I've seen middle school plays which were more convincing than some of her scenes.

However, I still recommend watching this movie for the last 15 minutes that held up in spite of Winger. Contrary to popular belief, this is not an anti-Christian movie at all, indeed, it is quite the opposite.

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Shaky-cam detracts from an otherwise great movie

[8/10 · 16 February 2011]

If you have not grown up playing video games, it might be a bit hard to sit through this movie. The director(s) of this trilogy adopted a technique of mounting the camera on a sort of tuning fork which vibrates with an amplitude & frequency proportional to the intensity of the action on the scene at any given point of time. It starts out OK with 'Identity' and maxes out in 'Ultimatum'. At the end of the third movie, I felt that I had just sat through a period of turbulence on an airplane and threw my guts up in the multiplex restroom.

However, the movies themselves are tightly plotted and enjoyable, and Matt Damon's performance is awesome in all three. What a pity they had to ruin it with the shaky-cam. If some enterprising soul finds a way to strip out the shaking, I'll pay money to buy the trilogy on DVD.

Forrest Gump (1994)

A great movie... if you can overlook the historical whitewashing.

[8/10 · 26 January 2011]

Taken by itself, this is a wonderful movie with a compelling plot, wonderful characters played by talented actors and a balls-out performance by Gary Sinise, who in my opinion deserved the Oscar more than Tom Hanks. It is really an emotional roller-coaster of a movie that people of all ages can enjoy.

However, I'm rather conflicted about the sneaky the way the movie turns the truth inside out in pursuit of its aims. In the world of 'Forrest Gump', the Vietnam War was a just endeavor and its protesters were all drugged out, cowardly, sleazy hippies who turn innocent American farm girls into dope-dependent sluts. The social fervor of the sixties is presented as an irrational mania, and conservative norms are uncritically celebrated. The way this movie has been embraced by the hard-core right wing really creeps me out.

Still, this is one movie where the 'Willing Suspension of Disbelief' can reap big dividends.

Sholay (1975)

Great if you understand the culture

[5/10 · 23 January 2011]

If you are steeped in the socio-economic and cultural milieu of the Indian subcontinent, and buy into the local entertainment paradigms, you will love Sholay. In fact, by such standards, this is the best film ever made and occupies an almost mythical spot in the Indian psyche.

The further you are from the state described above, the less you will appreciate Sholay. In particular, Westerners with little exposure to Eastern cultural or entertainment norms will consider this film laughable and amateurish.

I have my feet on either side of this divide and consequently have chosen to provide a '5' rating.

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

Clint sold us out, guys! This is a hardcore chick flick!

[5/10 · 10 August 2009]

I should have been warned when my wife rented this movie and asked me to watch it with her. Usually, my antennae go up and I make sure I have a good excuse to get out of these situations. But she said that the movie had Clint Eastwood in it, and I said sure, thinking it would be a cool movie with Clint blowing away the bad guys. Boy, what a mistake! This is nothing like Dirty Harry or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Clint meanders around like a pretty boy from a daytime soap opera. For two hours, I suffered agonies trying to figure out what was the lesser horror: my wife's wrath (and the prospect of weeks on the couch) should I run for it, or the prospect of permanent brain damage should I sit through this. In the end, I watched the whole thing and the experience has left permanent marks on my psyche.

To be fair, my wife loved it, so I am giving this a score that is the average of mine (0) and hers (10).

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

An uncompromising entry into the alien saga.

[8/10 · 25 December 2007]

I really liked this movie. This has done the work of the latest Bond movie in rescuing the franchise. The story does not slow down to let "newcomers" on board and has not been softened to avoid offending any sensibilities. If you are not a hardcore fan who is familiar with the details of both creatures, you will miss >70% of what is going on. But the movie is enjoyable even as a mere action-horror movie and the entire gang with whom I watched the show claimed to have enjoyed it.

I was happy to note that the directors did not resort to the "jerky camera" crutch that more and more filmmakers use these days. My feeling is that the "jerky camera" is used primarily to gloss over poor production values and weak storytelling, and weaker acting. Its merciful absence here is probably because the target audience includes the original "Alien" fans who are probably in their 40s now.

If anything, the movie was a bit too short. Several scenes fairly flew by with their implications insufficiently highlighted. The director seemed to make the keeping the film length under 90 minutes an absolute priority.

There were some minor holes in the plot, but nothing that detracts from the overall enjoyment.

Pather Panchali (1955)

Powerful stuff.

[10/10 · 18 February 2007]

This astoundingly powerful movie depicts the life of a poor "Brahmin" family in a rural Indian village. The movie conveys the power of hope that can sustain ordinary people beset by the most hopeless of circumstances. The acting was sublime. I wonder where they found the woman who played the old auntie. Rake-thin and bent over, she could convey entire worlds of meaning with her sunken eyes. I don't want to even try to explain the movie, conveying the essence of this one is beyond my abilities. I could not get this movie out of my mind for weeks. I am not the sort of person who even remotely feels like crying during movies, but this one had me weeping like a child.

Magnus.

Oppol (1980)

Sweet movie that tugs at the heartstrings

[7/10 · 3 October 2005]

I saw this movie in the mid 1980s; was dating an Indian girl at the time and she introduced me to some Malayalam movies. Malayalam is a language spoken by people who live in the South Indian state of Kerala. (India has 22 major languages and thousands of dialects).

Indian movies are not for everyone; most are musicals and the acting is quite over the top for western tastes; however, there are some very good ones mixed in with all the crap. This is one of the better ones. Excellent acting really draws one into the lives of a farmer and his new bride, who is much younger than himself, and who brings along a younger brother to stay with them. The man is annoyed, but resolves to put up with the boy in order to win the trust of his wife (this is an arranged marriage; they know nothing of each other). The poverty and hopelessness of their lives are portrayed with deft touches, and the movie really shines in showing how the joy of living can be experienced even by those who are at the lowermost rungs of society.

I don't know whether this movie is even available anymore in any format. Definitely worth a look if you are into well-done foreign movies.

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Don't listen to the pretentious critics, this is a gem.

[7 June 2004]

I am amazed that the overall tone of comments for this movie is so negative. I am far from being a teenage fanboy, and I thought this was one of the most imaginative pieces of filmmaking that I have seen in the last five years. Far better than Volume 1, and with a different tone altogether.

I keep wondering if this movie would have worked if there had been a guy playing the part of the bride character. It would not, and would have merely been a generic revenge flick. Uma Thurman, an actress whom I am normally very fond of, just grabs the role and makes it uniquely hers, just like Clint Eastwood did for the Man With No Name role. Tarantino is obviously a fan of that trilogy and Morricone's music is on display in Volume II.

The movie is gone from theatres now. If you have not seen it, rent it when it comes on video and enjoy it.

Magnus.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Not as good as T1 or T2, but definitely very nice indeed.

[8 July 2003]

I watched T1 in my teens and T2 in my twenties. I am in my thirties now and went to see T3 with a good deal of trepidation, more than half-expecting to see a good franchise ruined. I was pleasantly surprised. They have done a good job. There were some plot holes, but the overall movie was so good that I was able to forgive/overlook the weaknesses in some parts of the storyline. This is a sequel made for the fans, with little concession made for the first-time viewer. Thank god for that!

There is a lot of hype that this terminator is female. But they have done this in the right way and have not let the "sex" of the machine detract from the plot. If you are a terminator fan, you will not be disappointed by this movie.

Magnus.

Sexual Response (1992 TV Movie)

One of the very best "erotic thrillers".

[8/10 · 10 December 2000]

"Sexual Response" IMHO the best "erotic thriller" that I have seen. It stars a pre-implant Shannon Tweed as a radio talk-show host and sex therapist who listens to call-in guests and dispenses sexual advice over the air. (This is a great big cliche now, but the idea was fairly original when this movie was released.) Shannon's character is somewhat repressed herself, and she gets involved with a "dangerman" who turns out to have ulterior motives.

In contrast to the usual R-rated B-movie where the sexual situations are completely unrealistic, people grinding to bad jazz music with their privates in different zip-codes, those in "Sexual Response" are rather believable. The story is quite a good one and the acting very acceptable indeed. This is a movie definitely worth checking out. Many people who usually don't like B-erotic thrillers like this one. This could easily be a mainstream release with a little packaging. I recommend it highly. BTW, make sure to get the unrated version.

Magnus.

Secret Games (1992 Video)

On the whole, a let down.

[5/10 · 10 December 2000]

This is a movie with a stereotyped plot, yet one which began with a lot of promise that was ultimately squandered. The main character is a beautiful, bored housewife whose husband neglects her. One of her friends (another bored housewife) recommends that she gets a day job as a high-class prostitute. She tries it and likes it, but then she meets up with a "dangerman" client. The movie then turns into the typical "woman in threatened by dangerous handsome man" schlock.

The sad part is that the movie could have been a classic of the genre with a little more care. The production values were high, the actors beautiful, the acting acceptable for the most part. However, in this kind of movie, all that stuff just falls flat unless it is backed up by good sexual situations. Unfortunately, those in this movie are laughably unrealistic. They did not generate any heat at all. If you are renting, make sure to get the unrated version. The Blockbuster version is pretty pathetic.

The movie spawned 2 sequels. Number 2 was pretty bad. The third one was on par with the first.

Magnus.

Night Rhythms (1992)

Unrealistic plot, but good acting and hot scenes

[7/10 · 10 December 2000]

An erotic thriller, with emphasis on the "erotic". The plot is completely unbelievable, although the actors do a creditable job. Every woman in this movie is amazingly beautiful. There is a large number of (usually gratuitous, but very well done) sex scenes. There is one in particular that is off the erotic charts. I highly recommend it. You should absolutely positively get the unrated version. The Blockbuster version is missing many good bits.

Magnus.

Carnal Crimes (1991 Video)

An above-average "erotic thriller".

[6/10 · 10 December 2000]

B-movies have a pretty bad reputation on the whole, usually well-deserved. However, they are the only sort of movies where you can hope to see expressed any idea that is not sanitized through extensive focus-group research. Some B-movies are actually quite good.

Carnal Crimes is one of the better B-movies of the erotic thriller variety. It stars the very beautiful Linda Carol as an ex-model and housewife whose husband is no longer interested in her sexually. She seeks adventure elsewhere and ends up in some rather sticky situations.

The story is passable, the acting unobjectionable, the people beautiful. The simulated-sex scenes are not very realistic, but they do not turn you off either. Worth checking out, but make sure to get the unrated version.

Magnus.

Sex and the Single Alien (1993)

A nice, erotic little B-movie.

[14 April 1999]

With a title like "Sex and the Single Alien", no-one should expect the movie to be even remotely serious. And it is not. However, if you find yourself with a lot of free time on your hands one evening and are feeling adventurous, you might gain something out of this movie.

Harry runs a strip joint (check out its name! Hilarious!) His wife is a serious UFO addict. Well, it turns out that one night, an honest-to-god UFO actually abducts Harry and performs experiments on him, giving him the power to induce orgasms in women by just looking at them.

For a movie with this premise, "Sex and the single Alien" features remarkably little nudity. There are a few shots of stock `stripper' footage, but none of the actresses involved in the production remove their clothes. Don't stop reading yet, though. The movie is still worth watching because of a fantastic scene where Harry brings the character played by actress Monique Parent to orgasm by staring purposefully at her. Monique gives a performance which holds its own with masterpieces such as those of Jane Fonda in `Coming Home' and Barbara Hershey in `The Entity'.

The movie also has some creative humor and I really enjoyed it.

SexWorld (1978)

One of the best adult movies ever made.

[9/10 · 8 April 1999]

A gem. An absolute classic. This movie got everything right. The "golden age of adult movies" is a hackneyed phrase that is often used to describe the period from the late sixties to the late seventies. It is true that several classics were released during this period; so were several limp turkeys. But I am no aging baby boomer who looks back on the sixties and seventies with nostalgia. The first adult movie that I saw was "Savage Fury" in the early nineties. I saw "Sex World" about four years later, and for the first time realized how good an adult movie could be. I have watched more than 500 adult movies. "Sex World" is one of the best I have seen. This is also a good first adult movie to watch with your wife or girlfriend.