Little_Loie Reviews

Tape (2001)

Truly Awful

[1/10 · 25 February 2003]

I caught this movie the other day on cable, and I had absolutely no expectations. That is usually a good thing, as I'm rarely disappointed by a movie when watching it with that attitude. However, Tape didn't just disappoint me, it wasted my time. I've watched 'Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach' with a better reaction than this pompous load of nonsense.

I'm not a big fan of some of the movies in which Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard have participated (which began upon my viewing the ultra-depressing Dead Poets Society), but both actors have made movies I've enjoyed ('Gattaca' and 'In the Gloaming' top the list of favorites), and they are very talented actors. Uma Thurman almost always pleasantly surprises me, especially in 'The Truth About Cats & Dogs.' In fact, she was the most positive factor in this film full of negatives. The actors gave a good effort, but the material is sadly lacking. It was one of those movies you keep watching...HOPING that it will get better. Unfortunately, it doesn't get better. It doesn't do much of anything.

I found this movie to be tedious, pretentious, and really quite tiresome. It had a rather claustrophobic feel to it (most likely on purpose), and the characters didn't seem to be well developed. Tape tried to have its share of twists, but they seemed scattered, ill-conceived, and not particularly compelling.

The bouncy back-and-forth camerawork in one scene felt akin to having gone on a Tilt-a-Whirl and personally left me with a splitting headache. Good concept, poor execution.

In conclusion, there are a lot better ways to spend 86 minutes. My advice is to find one of them instead of watching this movie.

The Tracey Ullman Show (1987–1990)

A true classic - someone should hurry up and release this on DVD!

[10/10 · 21 October 2002]

The Tracey Ullman Show, which premiered in April of 1987 (and didn't run nearly long enough), is the closest thing to the timeless classic Carol Burnett Show (circa late 60s/early 70s) that Generation X will probably ever see. Tracey brought back the variety show with a vengeance, and it was truly amazing. The acting (by a phenomenal cast) was nothing short of inspired, the dialogue was brilliantly written, it was nominated and deservedly won several Emmy and other awards, and it also gave the world The Simpsons. What more could one ask? For all these reasons and more, this series should be released on DVD, if for no other reason than to show the world what a great variety show this was.

The Tracey Ullman Show also boasted any number of very special guest stars, such as Tim Curry, Cesar Romero, Isabella Rossellini, Marilu Henner, Keanu Reeves, Kelsey Grammer, Carole King, Martin Short, and Glenn Close, among others - many of them appearing in musical numbers that I only wish I could obtain on CD.

Catch it...if you can.

I'd give this a 10 out of 10 if the IMDb had a rating system for TV series.

The History of Rock 'n' Roll: The '70s: Have a Nice Decade (1995) Season 1, Episode 8

Well Worth Watching!

[10/10 · 4 September 2002]

This is a fantastic documentary that should be viewed by anyone who liked anything about the 70s. This film covers it all - from classic rock to punk rock and everything in between. David Bowie's narration is a treat. 10/10

Night Gallery (1969–1973)

Scared the dickens out of me!s

[9/10 · 5 April 2002]

[Note: A few edits 21 years after my original review].

I first remember seeing Night Gallery as an adolescent (circa early- to mid-1980s) when it was in reruns. It scared the cr@p out of me then, and looking back on this series as an adult, it's still pretty darned scary. I would classify Night Gallery in the thriller genre. Serling seemed to channel and update Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour from the late 1950s/1960s. Rod gave us suspense sans blood and gore, instead presenting ordinary people in always terrifying, often supernatural, situations. This series made my blood pressure rise and dread what could happen next.

I don't remember many episodes vividly, but most seemed to follow a pattern of average people in wholly non-average situation. I remember one episode about a disc jockey who was pulling an overnight shift. When he tried to play certain musical selections, they never quite sounded like they were supposed to. All the music sounded like the creepy Night Gallery-type theme music. (The music and the colors in the paintings in the opening sequences of this series was enough to make me run for cover.) I believe the disc jockey had done something nasty to someone, and this was some sort of supernatural cosmic retribution. Made me want to straighten up and fly right!

**Spoiler Alert**

The episode I remember most clearly was one with Cornel Wilde taking a turn as Dr. John Fletcher in the episode "Deliveries in the Rear." He played a doctor in the late 1800s-early 1900s who paid some pretty scummy guys to rob graves and obtain bodies for him to perform research. Of course, he needed the bodies to be as fresh as possible. Because of this, the two grave-robbers actually started killing people so the bodies would be fresh. In typical Serling fashion, the guys brought in a pretty (but dead) woman one night...LO AND BEHOLD it was Dr. Fletcher's girlfriend. There's that pesky supernatural cosmic retribution once again.

All in all, even though it frightened me half to death, I highly recommend catching this series if you can. I'd love to see TVLand or Sci-Fi start airing this one again. If nothing else for the 70s kitsch value alone. Not to mention seeing some formerly big-time stars from a long time back and probably some up-and comers, too. ENJOY!

Good & Evil (1991)

So Funny Everyone Forgot to Laugh :-(

[10 January 2002]

This series only ran for about six episodes if I remember correctly, but it was too far ahead of its time to be popular in 1991. Irreverent, zany, madcap, and hilarious, I imagined this series would last a lot longer than it did.

Teri Garr did an excellent job as the star, and Lane Davies (having recently been one of the popular members of the Days of Our Lives cast before starring in G&E) did a great job as well. With a talented supporting cast, this series should've had a much bigger following.

Lane Davies played a doctor experimenting with different potions, sometimes having a Jekyll & Hyde effect on him, and Teri Garr played the perfect love interest.

If you ever have the opportunity to watch this show, it deserves a second look.

Nightlife (1989 TV Movie)

Fun and Creative Vampire Flick

[10/10 · 10 January 2002]

I saw this movie when it first came out on the USA network, and it really made an impression on me. Ben Cross was perfectly cast as Vlad (later, he was the perfect Barnabus Collins on the short-lived prime-time revival of Dark Shadows), and the supporting cast of "Nightlife" did a fine job as well (in particular, Maryam d'Abo and Keith Szarabajka).

***POSSIBLE SLIGHT SPOILER*** I think my favorite thing about this movie was the way it was written. Not only was it written with a lot of humour, it's very intelligent as well. Dr. Zuckerman's solution to Angelique's need for blood was brilliant: She doesn't just need blood, she needs the rush that comes from taking blood from someone in an absolute panic. Dr. Zuckerman realizes that he needs to inject her with epinephrine (a drug similar to adrenaline used for asthma patients) to satisfy that craving as well.

If you have the opportunity to see this movie, I highly recommend that you do so. Me? I'm going to buy it.

9/10

Nightlife (1989 TV Movie)

A fun-filled vampire movie!

[10/10 · 8 January 2002]

I saw this movie when it first came out on the USA network, and it really made an impression on me. Ben Cross was perfectly cast as Vlad (later, he was the perfect Barnabus Collins on the short-lived prime-time revival of Dark Shadows), and the supporting cast of "Nightlife" did a fine job as well (in particular, Maryam d'Abo and Keith Szarabajka).

***POSSIBLE SLIGHT SPOILER*** I think my favorite thing about this movie was the way it was written. Not only was it written with a lot of humour, it's very intelligent as well. Dr. Zuckerman's solution to Angelique's need for blood was brilliant: She doesn't just need blood, she needs the rush that comes from taking blood from someone in an absolute panic. Dr. Zuckerman realizes that he needs to inject her with epinephrine (a drug similar to adrenaline used for asthma patients) to satisfy that craving as well.

If you have the opportunity to see this movie, I highly recommend that you do so. Me? I'm going to buy it.

9/10

Powder (1995)

Edward Scissorhands meets The Green Mile

[8/10 · 4 October 2001]

I found many similarities between Powder, Edward Scissorhands, and The Green Mile. I really liked this film. When I first found this movie via channel-surfing, I thought to myself, "How strange." I also found myself completely sucked into this amazing film. Sean Patrick Flanery gives a very good performance, as does the rest of the supporting cast.

Do yourself a favor and see this movie. As other users have stated, the big lesson in this film is TOLERANCE. Especially given recent events in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, this is a lesson everyone needs to be reminded of.

I give this an 8/10.

Cruel Intentions 2 (2000 Video)

Mind-Numbingly Awful

[1/10 · 1 October 2001]

This was a bad idea from the start. I had no real expectations for the first Cruel Intentions (Ryan Philippe/Sarah Michelle Gellar/Reese Witherspoon) because it was advertised to death on cable, but when I did tune in, I was absolutely blown away by an incredible movie. Honestly, I expected a little more of Cruel Intentions 2, possibly because the first was so good. Unfortunately for me (not to mention everyone else who watches it), this was not to be. I understand this is a prequel, which would certainly account for similarities between the movies and characters, but COME ON...nearly everything in this movie was either a rehash or seemingly downright plagiarized from CI. I heard IDENTICAL lines of dialogue. I saw identical scenes with the same characters. I saw scenes taken directly from the first movie featuring different-named characters interacting with Sebastian and Kathryn (I specify different-named because the basis of the supporting characters were also ripped off from the first movie).

The acting wasn't bad, and I, for one, hope Amy Adams has as promising a career as she seems to (she's got a lot of talent), but do yourselves a favor and don't bother with this movie. Be CERTAIN to see the original "Cruel Intentions" (1999), please watch "Valmont" (1989), but don't bother with "Cruel Intentions 2." It's a total waste of time. I give it a 1, but I think I'd give it less if I could.

Rocky Horror 25: Anniversary Special (2000 TV Special)

Rocky Horror Karaoke!

[10/10 · 23 January 2001]

I loved the Rocky Horror Picture Show the first time I ever saw it, and that fact hasn't changed all these years! Richard O'Brien's brilliant story has so many different characters and genres, it's near impossible NOT to find something in the movie to which one can relate. It was great seeing Richard, Little Nell Campbell, and Patricia Quinn together again.

Eric McCormack and Jesse Martin were PHENOMENAL. McCormack's Frank N. Furter was the closest to Tim Curry's as I have ever seen, and his blocking was perfection. A big round of applause to him. Jesse Martin has a beautiful voice and was a real pleasure to watch. I'm not going to mention the other performers but to say, "Good for them for being part of this 25th anniversary celebration of this wonderful movie." I would've been happier if all the stars had the singing ability with which McCormack and Martin are blessed, but it's still a great show. The storyline is very abbreviated, but if you're watching this show, chances are you've seen the movie and already know what's going on.

May The Rocky Horror Picture Show live on to infinity! Let's do the Time Warp AGAIN and AGAIN... {Edit: grammar}{2023}

Holiday Heart (2000 TV Movie)

Charming holiday tale...

[10/10 · 11 December 2000]

Upon seeing "Holiday Heart" last night, I was left with a heartwarming feeling. A slightly unusual Christmas tale, but very well done. As in any movie, there were certain parts that were less than realistic (Social Services would've been all over this situation) and I would've liked to have seen a little more development of the relationship between all the characters, but as I usually say, I don't watch movies for reality, I watch them for entertainment or escape. I'll watch A&E, Discovery, and The Learning Channel for reality television.

The always-enjoyable Ving Rhames looked a little uncomfortable portraying a drag queen at first, but was impressively camping it up by the end of the film. There was a fine supporting cast as well, especially the exceptional Alfre Woodard as the mother who struggles with her drug addiction. Jesika Reynolds did a fine job in this role as the heartbroken daughter, and Mykelti Williamson was excellent as usual as Silas. Kudos to Robert Townsend for a lovely and slightly surprising story.

All in all, if you have a chance to watch this movie, I highly recommend it! You've got to give Ving Rhames credit for being in full drag on stage lip-synching "Baby love, my baby love..." Showtime delivers another "No Limits" performance.

Simon Sez (1999)

Could've been a lot better

[5/10 · 21 November 2000]

Believe it or not, I'm probably one of the few people who actually enjoy Dennis Rodman's big screen time. I won't call it acting, as most of his roles have been suited to and/or written to fit his personality. However, he is quite a showman and usually ends up being entertaining. The storyline wasn't inventive but also not too terrible. What ruined the movie for me was the performance of Dane Cook as "Nick." His horrible acting (and OVERacting) made this film nearly unwatchable. Had another actor been in this role, it may have actually been half-decent. I always love to see John Pinette, having been a long-time fan of his stand-up comedy, even though his unique talents weren't put to very good use in this film.

Basically, if you don't have anything else to do, there are worse ways to spend an hour and a half.

Jawbreaker (1999)

Great fun, great writing, great costumes!

[10/10 · 20 July 2000]

I'm quite surprised at the majority of the reviews that have been written of this movie. I believe this is truly a "love or hate" movie. Personally, I LOVED IT. I thoroughly agree with the assessment that it is a cross between Heathers, Carrie, and Clueless. The writing is sharp as a razor. If you don't pay attention, you'll miss a lot. This is one of those movies to watch again and again.

Rose McGowan plays her character as evil incarnate and does it FLAWLESSLY. Kudos to Rebecca Gayheart and Judy Greer as well as the rest of the supporting cast.

I'll admit the plot is a bit implausible (there's NO way that jawbreaker got past her throat), but let's remember, shall we, that IT'S A MOVIE. If I wanted reality, I wouldn't need movies to escape!

So keep an open mind, watch Jawbreakers, and have FUN. Darren Stein did a fantastic job with this one. I'm looking forward to his next foray into the film world.

This one gets a 10 from me. It's one of those movies where the humor is so black you can't help but laugh.

Hello Again (1987)

Lighten up!

[9/10 · 20 July 2000]

I'm surprised at the other summary of this movie. I, too, have seen it several times and have always found it fairly well acted and written and just a good bit of fun in general.

Some of us LIKE movies with a happy ending! Kick back and enjoy this one.

Ellis Island (1984)

A truly great mini-series

[10/10 · 12 May 2000]

When I saw this mini-series in 1984, I was a high school kid who was absolutely blown away by its sheer magnificence. The cast was phenomenal, and the storyline seemed to be somewhat of a romance story with a lot of history thrown in.

I hope this mini-series will one day be re-released onto video or DVD. "Ellis Island" taught me a lot about what my ancestors probably went through when they came to this country to start a new life, as just about ALL of our ancestors did.

If given the opportunity, watch this one. It's worth your time.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Hideous

[1/10 · 31 March 2000]

I mean no disrespect to the late Stanley Kubrick, but this film is a complete waste of time and money. The acting wasn't bad, and there are a lot of talented people in this film. The storyline was too strange to even fathom, and Class A actors (Cruise, Kidman, Pollack) gave good performances that couldn't save this ugly mess. Upon leaving this movie in the theater, my date said, "Not as bad as I thought it would be." That is the highest compliment he could pay this movie.

They say truth is stranger than fiction, but this is just ridiculously worthless.

In my humble opinion, the only portion of this film that had any merit was seeing Cruise and Kidman in scenes together. I got the impression these two are really good together both on-screen and off.

In a nutshell: Don't bother (unless you're an insomniac).

Galaxy Quest (1999)

DeForrest Kelly would've loved it!

[10/10 · 23 December 1999]

This movie is a send-up of the highest caliber! With fantastic casting (beautifully overacted), great sets, and plenty of humor, Galaxy Quest is a must-see for anyone who has ever even remotely liked Star Trek or its genre. Then again, see it even if you don't like science fiction.

Sigourney Weaver vamps it up while tossing and fluffing her platinum locks, Tim Allen captures the essence of his Shatner-like character, and Alan Rickman (in a bit of casting GENIUS) exudes enough sarcasm and self-hatred ("I played Richard the Third!) to last a lifetime. For me, Rickman is the star of this movie, turning in another fantastic performance, even better than his role in Dogma.

It was a bit over-edited in a blatant attempt to pander to the "family" market; however, in the theater I was in, the younger kids couldn't grasp the humor (the back of my seat was kicked on and off for 90 minutes), but the adults were loving every minute of it.

So go see this movie! You won't be sorry, and your sides will probably hurt when you leave.

The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)

Delightful romantic comedy!

[10/10 · 19 August 1999]

For anyone who is a fan of Janeane Garofalo (in my opinion one of the most talented performers today), this movie is a must-see. Her trademark sardonic wit is at its finest when she delivers her lines. Uma Thurman was a pleasant surprise as well, taking a comic turn and showing she's more than just a pretty face.

It may not be the most believable story one has ever seen, but this is a good movie to rent and stay at home for the evening.

Anyone who has pets will be able to relate to this movie. Listen carefully when Abby (Janeane Garofalo) is giving advice to her callers. There is a lot of reality in those scenes!

If you're a sucker for a good romantic comedy, this is the movie for you.

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1972)

Good, old-fashioned horror movie

[19 August 1999]

Shelley Winters' character is sad, pathetic, scary, and warped in this movie...and she plays it to the hilt. A broad take-off on the old "Hansel and Gretel" fairytale, this movie is pure 70's.

If you like your horror films without a lot of gore and with a lot of suspense, see "Who Slew Auntie Roo?" It's worth your time.

Evil Under the Sun (1982)

Breathtaking scenery and a great storyline!

[10/10 · 18 August 1999]

This is one of the better film versions of an Agatha Christie novel. Diana Rigg left behind her Emma Peel character in this performance and showed some depth. Lots of plot twists and turns and beautiful scenery.

Even if you're not a Christie fan, rent it anyway!

Death on the Nile (1978)

Stars! Gorgeous scenery! Christie at her best!

[10/10 · 18 August 1999]

Two loves of my life come together in this breathtaking film. Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile" is spectacular. As a lifetime Christie fan and a wanna-be Egyptologist, I LOVE THIS MOVIE! With stars like Peter Ustinov, Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Simon MacCorkindale, and George Kennedy (among others), you cannot go wrong. The cinematography couldn't be better and deserved all the awards it received.

The period costumes and classic Christie plot twists are worth not only renting, but buying!