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Reviews
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Dumb, dumb da dumb dumb
Possible Spoilers!!
Okay, on the one hand it is a passable action adventure, provided you only pay matinee prices. That leaves the other hand, which has the burden of holding all that is wrong with the movie story-wise. There are so many points where you, the audience member will want to shake your head and say "What?" or possibly "Why?" and most definitely "Huh???" The characters are annoying (the ones who live, which are easy to pick out...the names above the title and of course the kid.) The rest are quickly dispatched Star Trek Style. The remaining ones, plunging through the dino-laden jungle like an especially loud herd of elephants, made me want to yell "SHUT UP!" if only they could have heard me. Unfortunately, no helpful dinosaur showed up to eat them as I wished. Which is surprising considering the never-ending supply of dinosaurs on the island.
Many things do not make sense in this film, from the relative durability of structures (the dinosaur retaining fences do not hold, but the Spinosaurus is put off by a half-demolished hut...) to the raptors so intelligent they can count their eggs, figure out some are missing and pinpoint the location of the thief, but never quite manage to outwit the supposedly smarter humans (except for the aforementioned appetizer people.) And the ending was soooooo lame. I don't need to reveal it but boy was it unbelievable. Too easy, like they just gave up on the story and decided to end the movie. I could never tell what the time of day was, it seemed to switch from morning to afternoon, to morning and then to night all in about 15 minutes of screen time. Many more items could be mentioned, but they can be summed up as lazy screenwriting.
For the record, I liked Jurassic Park (the original) very much and this doesn't hold a candle to that flick. I liked the dinosaur effects in all three movies, but although they should have been better in this film they weren't. Maybe more dinosaur sequences would have improved the story. My three year old son was unfazed by the dino fight scenes, they weren't that scary. I was startled many times by the exceptionally loud noises, but not the menacing dinosaurs. I wish it would have been a better story, but have pretty much come to expect this state of affairs in Hollywood today. Too bad for us.
Talk of Angels (1998)
Forced and flat
I really wanted to love this movie. I did love Vincent Perez, who always imbues his characters with smoldering good looks and charm and fine character. But there was no motivation for their romance, other than the fact that he was a man and she was a woman, and the movie was a love story. We never see why he falls for her, especially since he is rarely in the house with her. More chemistry is generated between Lavelle and her friends, and between herself and the family she takes care of. And the ending, without giving it away, made the movie kind of pointless. Rent it for Vincent, not the story.
Chicken Run (2000)
Engaging and delightful!
This movie is all you could hope for in summer film fare. It had action, suspense, romance and a large helping of comedy. I was predisposed to love the movie, being a great fan of Wallace and Gromit, and the movie lived up to those other award-winning works. The movie works on every level, and was fun for all ages viewing it. Even my husband, who disdains children's movies, was truly enjoying himself. Needless to say, the children loved it, despite one rather gruesome off-screen moment, but that seemed not to matter too much. All in all, I can't recommend this movie too highly, it was incredibly entertaining and well-done.
Freaks and Geeks (1999)
Not *necessarily* for teenagers
You don't have to be an angst-ridden teen now to appreciate
this gem of a television program. Chances are, if you are
older, this show will bring back a multitude of repressed
memories from high school, especially if 'the best years of
your life' were as awkward and painful as those of the kids on
this show. I love this smart, funny and poignant show better than
anything on tv right now, and I'm in my early 30's. I was lead
characters Lindsey's age at about the time the show is set, in
about the same place as the show is set, and I can tell you, you
will not find a more accurate portrayal of the heartache and joy
associated with that age anywhere on television. The producers, writers and cast have perfectly captured the
realistic feel of being a high-schooler without sacrificing any
of the comedic or entertaining moments. It's the only show both
my husband and I agree to watch, so it must have a lot going for
it. Unfortunately, it has already been put on hiatus once, and
is on NBC, the network that last year weighed its sitcom lineup
and decided "Veronica's Closet" was a keeper and "Newsradio" had
to go. If you see this show (it comes back Mondays in January)
and you agree it is amazing, write to NBC and tell them so.
Check out their website for info. Any fans of MST3K should know that one of the writers
started out on that show, and that Trace Beaulieu (Dr.
Forrester) and Joel Hodgson (Joel!!) are scheduled to appear in
upcoming episodes. What more could you want from a show?!?
NewsRadio (1995)
Sorely missed among discriminating tv viewers, like me.
So far, every opinion expressed about this show has been
accurate and well-put, but I would like to add my comments to
posterity. This was the greatest sitcom I have ever seen. I
started watching it from the beginning, because I heard my
favorite Kid in the Hall (Dave Foley) would be starring in it.
I soon found out, to my utter delight, that the rest of the cast
was equally worth watching. Factor in the brilliant writing,
and you have a television masterpiece that will be impossible to
duplicate. I am still gravely disappointed that NBC didn't have
the intelligence to keep it on the air. Not surprised though,
considering how badly they treated the show while it was on the
air. They changed the show's timeslot so often I could only
conclude that their plan was to keep as many viewers as possible
from seeing it. However, I kept checking my local listings so I would not
miss an episode. It is impossible to catalog every hilarious
moment, but a few would be Matthew's birthday present to
Catherine, Jimmy's You Can't Do that on Television string of
practical jokes, Matthew trying to get his job back after being
let go, Catherine teaching Bill 'street slang' and Lisa and Beth
discussing the definition of various synonyms of 'pretty' (Lisa:
Sexy? Beth: Pretty and easy. Lisa: Striking? Beth: Pretty with
a big nose. Lisa: Exotic? Beth: Ugly.)
And although the last season was obviously the worse for having
lost Phil Hartman (one of the few times I have actually cared
about the death of a celebrity) there still were some great
shows. The rest of the stellar cast, including Stephen Root and
Vicki Lewis gave fine performances. The writing was still as
good as ever, particularly with the Johnny Johnson arc. And the
last moment of the last show was fall-off-the-chair hilarious,
especially in light of the fact that it was the last show. In
fact they made two other 'series finale' kind of shows due to
the fact that NBC waited until the last minute to commit to
renewing the show (NewsRadio in Space and the retrospectively
poignant 'Titanic' takeoff that was Phil Hartman's last
episode.) This show will always be one the best of television
programs ever made, and I will be watching the reruns for as
long as I can. Thanks to everyone who had a part in making this
show.
Outlaw of Gor (1988)
Tubular Boobular Joy!
No, not really. Possibly the most disturbing "buffalo shot" in cinematic history (the poor dwarf in the bearskin diaper bares all as he climbs down a building face.) Obviously I've only seen the MST version, but even that was hard going. It made for quite a funny episode, though. If it ever comes out on home video, check it out. Just avert your eyes when you see the dangling dwarf. ..
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988)
Ten good years...
And we should be happy for that. However, I will miss getting a weekly fix of MST the way a diabetic will miss insulin. MST has spoiled me for other television programs. Can you name one episode of "Suddenly Susan" or "Jesse" or even "Frasier" that has such a wealth of intelligent writing? For me, only the also cancelled "NewsRadio" even came close. Now only "The Simpsons" and maybe "Futurama" keep television comedy from being non-stop mediocrity. Kudos to the Brains for putting out such a masterpiece for ten years with no reduction in quality. They kept getting better and better every year. I wish I had taped more of the episodes on comedy central when I had the chance. You never know what you have until it is gone. Time to start purchasing the videos!
Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)
Truly execrable!!
Wow, this film isn't at the bottom of the bottom 100??
Unbelievable. Anyway, what a testament to the power of MST3K that so many of the films they riffed appear on that hallowed list. Torgo rules!
Teenagers from Outer Space (1959)
TOR-CHAH!!!
I always liked this film best of all that were skewered for Mystery Science Theatre 3000. They had a lot of fun with it, and it comes across while watching the program. I guess the movie is more earnest than most. You can tell the filmmaker at least tried to put out a good sci-fi flick. Still, I doubt i would watch it except through the MST filter.
Les quatre cents coups (1959)
Truffaut has created the most wonderful character...
...in Antoine Doinel. Of course it is acknowledged that he is in large part Truffaut himself, but the translation to film is perfection. This is also in large part to the actor Jean-Pierre Leaud, who plays the character as love-starved but never self-pitying. My heart broke to see him neglected by his mother.
Together Truffaut and Leaud have, without sentimentality or preachy moralizing made this a character to love. I breathlessly watched him stumble through life, taking two steps back for every forward one. Until the heart-stopping final scene, which is beautiful in its simplicity, when despair turns to hope. Absolutely brilliant.