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Plumpkin
Reviews
Meatballs (1979)
It just doesn't matter
When I was younger, this movie always aired on Friday night in the summer on Channel 40 (this was the years before Fox was a network and took over the programming). I always looked forward to it. I'd go grocery shopping with my parents, then sit down with my Swanson's TV dinner and a Lady Lee Cola(the only time of the week I was allowed to drink cola, and enjoy. Sure, the script is predictably late 70's (like Little Darlings), but it's a fun movie, and I loved Rudy and Tripper. Bill Murray coasts with little effort in the movie, but he is charming. Gotta love Spaz and those taped glasses (pre Revenge of the Nerds). Chris Makepeace is pretty much the same character he played in "My Bodyguard" but he does it so well.
Space: Above and Beyond (1995)
needed more of a chance
I thought that the characters were at first rather two dimensional, but so are Star Trek characters at first. It takes some time for the characters to develop depth, and I think Space: Above and Beyond needed that chance. I thought Hawkes was the best developed character. I do get this show confused with some Outer Limits episodes dealing with a war between Earth and aliens (those episodes were chilling).
Otherworld (1985)
I loved this show
I loved this show. I was in high school at the time, and I can't believe I actually remember that Tony O'Dell was the actor who played the boy. Everytime I see the actor that played Kroll, I remember him with the scar and how evil he was.
I remember the Rock and Roll episode, and my dad complained that they went from playing the Beatles to modern rock way to quickly and they should have had the music evolve more slowly and naturally.
I remember the dad selling something like Tupperware called like, Burpoware or something like that. It was the episode that auctioned off the son, and the women were the 1950's type men.
There was an episode where everyone wore white, but I don't remember much about it (they were maybe in a spa of some sort?)
I was so sad when it never returned to the air.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Best war film I've seen
I admit I haven't seen the Thin Red Line that others rave about. Personally, I thought this was the best war film I've seen, but that's comparing it to mostly old WW2 movies starring John Wayne and the like. I won't go into details of how this is good because so many people say it so much better. The realism of battle, the pain, the desperation of men who know they are dying, the suddenness of death . . .all of that was just fantastic.
However, this is not a perfect movie. The characters are undeveloped and two dimensional (Giovanni Ribisi came the closest to giving his character more dimension in his one tiny little moment in a bombed out church), though that didn't bother me. The emphasis was really on the battle scenes. Tom Sizemore, although we know next to nothing about his character, also gave a performance of some depth. Tom Hanks character, who was supposed to be so secretive, was the only one we learn about, and that wasn't that interesting. However, I don't think it was necessary to know the background of each character in this movie.
The worst character in the movie is Matt Damon's Private Ryan. He was so blahhhhhh.
The worst part of the movie is the beginning and end, which begins with an old Private Ryan having a "flashback" of things he didn't actually witness (how does that happen ?) and ends witha typical Speilberg like speech/lesson. Yawn.
Trick (1999)
A Fine Romance
First of all, I am not gay. I am married and a mother, but my husband and I had gay friends in our youth. I thought you should know that so you will know that this is a sweet romantic story. In fact, my husband liked it so much, he watched it twice in the same day.
Although it's the story about two men trying to hook up for sex only, the way the eventually connect with each other, you'll forget you're watching two men and just end up rooting for them to know they are meant to be together! The side characters are great (although there is a bit of stereotyping). And Tori Spelling, whom I don't like as an actress, was very good as his "fag hag."
The writer, I would like to add, is very talented. He has won several local theater awards here in California before he turned 20.
Henry V (1989)
My all time favorite movie
This is, in my humble opinion, the best Shakespeare movie ever. Shakespeare's history plays have always been easier to follow than his tragedies or comedies, so it's a good introduction to Shakespeare. Happily, Branaugh doesn't include much of the comic relief characters and plays Henry more as a brash young man, but formidable leader than Olivier did in his version of Henry V (who played Henry just a little too snooty for me). The lighter scenes including Emma Thompson as the princess of France were great when juxtaposed with the darker battle scenes. And that battle scene . . . Thankfully we don't have to fight war like that. The battle scene is realistic, but not over the top like Braveheart, and when the British are collecting their dead . . . I cry every time. Lovely, lovely, movie.
That Thing You Do! (1996)
A decent movie, that's it.
While I agree with the opinion that this movie is a giddy, fun movie with little conflict, I have to say that I find the ending of this movie rather forced.
Throughout the movie, we are told that Faye is "special" and she is the inspiration for the title song. However, as the character is written, we get very little about her character other than she is two dimensionally sweet and perky. The fact that she travels with the band leads me to question her sweet morality; 1960's parents allowed her to travel unescorted with four rock-and-roll musicians? Hmmm.....
Although I do enjoy this movie, especially the energetic performance of Steve Zahn as Lenny, I am irritated by the end of the movie. There had been no chemistry between the two characters who end up together at the end of the movie (don't want to spoil it for anyone), no longing looks, no dialogue that hinted at affection. It seemed like the writer of the movie just contrived this romance in order to have a tidy "happy ending." The ending is the major flaw in an otherwise good movie.
Kalifornia (1993)
A genre movie with more depth than expected
"True Romance" came out about the same time as "Kalifornia" and due to TR's more stellar cast, it received much more attention. Kalifornia, however, is the superior movie. I know you think with Brad Pitt, he has to be a pretty boy killer--he's not.
With a small cast, two artist-types, (Mchelle Nelson of Star Trek:TNG as Carrie, a photographer and David Duchovney as Brian, a psych grad student), and two "trailer trash" types, (Brad Pitt as Early Grayce and Juliette Lewis as Adele Corners) decide to "carpool" from Kentucky to Kalifornia, this movie allows us to see the two couples move closer together as they find they have more in common than is comfortable.
I don't want to reveal too much. I should add that I am not a big fan of "killer" movies like True Romance and Natural Born Killers, but this movie is artistically made and has more depth than I'm used to seeing in this genre.
Scrooge (1970)
The best of the bunch
This is the best re-telling of A Christmas Carol, in my opinion. If you like musicals, you won't be able to resist "father Christmas" or "I hate Christmas" or any of the other wonderful, wonderful songs. Albert Finney gives a pathos to Scrooge that I find lacking in many of the other versions, and you find yourself rooting for him, hoping he'll change (even though you know he will).
Muriel's Wedding (1994)
Not what it seems to be
I actually get irritated when I read summaries for this movie. They make it sound like this "Wacky" comedy. It is more than that. It has drama, comedy and even some tragedy. Like life, this movie is complex and deeper than just a dateless-girl-gets-married kind of crud we could expect from the American movie industry. I hesitate to reveal too much of the movie because although it isn't a thriller, you must go into the movie fresh. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants a laugh, but wants a comedy with more depth than the average American romantic comedy. Additionally, this isn't just for women, my husband loves this movie, too.