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LordHighWarlock
Reviews
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Great family film!
I had to read this book in High School for an assignment. My first impression was, "oh, great...a 'classic.'" Then I read it, and fell in love with it.
Some years later I finally saw the movie, and I remember being amazed at how closely it followed the book. Even the dialog was the same. It instantly became one of my all-time favorites.
Gregory Peck does a great job this film, as do the kids playing Scout and Jem...which is amazing when you consider their lack of experience before this film.
Sure, it's in black and white, but IMO, it adds character to the movie...I hope they never colorize it. This is a great family film, and it teaches a good lesson on tolerance and compassion.
Poison Ivy: The New Seduction (1997)
Should've been the sequel, not "Lily."
Better than the second one, not quite as good as the original. Although, it WAS a valiant effort.
Even though this was Jaime Pressly's fourth movie in 1997, it was her first in a lead role, thus she earned an introduction in this film.
This one tried to utilize two aspects of the first two movies: drama / suspense from the first, and nudity / sex scenes from the second. Surprisingly, they managed to pull it off. However, this was more of a soft-core porn movie than a suspense / drama / thriller...every time they shot a sex scene, crappy music started playing at twice the volume of the rest of the movie. Not exactly an enjoyable experience.
Additionally, this one actually tries to tie itself into the original...several scenes are linked to the original Ivy. Nice touch, in my opinion. This would have made a much better follow-up to the original than "Lily" did.
And if you fantasize about Jaime Pressly, you'll like this one, despite her mediocre acting ability...she's nude quite often, and wears several different dominatrix outfits.
Poison Ivy II (1996)
Best to be forgotten.
Bad, bad idea for a follow-up to the original. Like "Highlander 2," this one is best forgotten.
The only link to the original is the name, and a reference to a former college student named Ivy...at an art college, of all places.
Alyssa Milano tried to pull off the good girl to bad girl to good girl transition, but it just wasn't that convincing. And to try and boost her career by having multiple sex scenes was a sorry way to do it. Really, who thinks of this film when they hear her name? I gave it an extra star just because I liked her as a child star on "Who's the Boss?" Unlike the original, there's not a lot of suspense via cinematography. Instead, they opted for multiple nude / sex scenes. Honestly, if that's what you want in a film, you're better off renting a porno...the acting will be better.
If it wasn't for the fact that I like to keep things in sets, I'd give this DVD away. If all you want is to see Alyssa Milano naked, then you'll enjoy this film. Otherwise...
Poison Ivy (1992)
Not a great film, but not a bad one either.
The saying "there's nothing like the original" comes to mind in regards to this movie. Of the three in the series, this one is definitely the best of the bunch.
This was an ideal film for Drew Barrymore to make the transition from child star to adult actress. Her portrayal of the seductress was well done.
It was hard to buy into Sara Gilbert's role as a goth-like rich kid. The idea was sound, but I don't think she was the proper person for the job.
And unlike the other two, this one doesn't show nearly as much nudity, which I think is a plus. It forces the story to be carried by the actors and cinematography.
Overall, not a bad movie if you just want to kill a quiet evening at home.