[e-mail] Reviews

White Squall (1996)

Washed away

[9 November 2002]

A clean miss and financial flop for Ridley Scott, which is unusual. Jeff Bridges is terribly miscast. The intentions were good-- coming of age in an adventurous setting. But the script is weak and the tragic and harrowing events cannot save the movie. Kevin Costner and Steven Spielberg should have counseled Ridley Scott: "Don't make a movie on the water."

Harry in Your Pocket (1973)

A good pick

[9 November 2002]

I enjoyed this movie, in part, because it was shot in Seattle before Seattle was hip. Before Starbucks, grunge, Microsoft and the Mariners. It also featured a cameo of the then Seattle mayor. Trish Van Devere was a beauty and Michael Sarazin later played opposite her husband (George C. Scott- an odd coupling, I thought). The movie had a quick pace and the characters were interesting. I liked it then, and I like it now.

Pocket Money (1972)

A suicide knob for us all

[8 November 2002]

There are mega stars in this movie, and the biggest is Lee Marvin's Buick. "Hang in there, Leonard," Newman exhorts as they rumble through the sage brush. Watch this movie and then watch Junior Bonner. Newman and McQueen will team up later, and the similarities between the two movies are engaging.

Easy Money (1983)

Ya gotta love Rodney

[4 November 2002]

One of my favorite movie lines is, "Can I call you dad?"

Caddyshack was described as "slob humor," and this exercise in vulgarity is a double-guilty pleasure.

There are excellent gags-- Rodney flying into the Christmas tree, Rodney flipping channels past The Lost Weekend-- and good supporting performances. Joe Pesci clipping his underarm hair says it all.

And, underneath all of the roughneck recklessness, there's a pretty well written movie.

Thanks, Rodney.

Car Wash (1976)

A Guilty Pleasure

[28 October 2002]

This movie is at the top of my guilty pleasure list. The pace of the movie is very good, introducing many loveable loser characters and their situations quickly and effectively. The ensemble cast moves effectively throughout the movie without stepping on one another. There is a sense of comraderie and spirit that is engaging. The cameos of George Carlin and Richard Pryor actually digress from the action and the multiple stories at play. Obviously, this is not an Oscar winner, but it is good fun, sometimes touching, and entertaining from start to finish. It's also a good look at LA in the 70's. And, it's one of the few movies where voice over narration actually works.

K-PAX (2001)

Hopeful and Bewildering

[27 October 2002]

I enjoyed this movie. It was interestingly photographed with fine understated performances by Spacey and Bridges. However, the story was ultimately confusing. It was about hope, resurrection, healing and finding an inner peace. It was purposely ambiguous, which is fine. But, ambiguous is one thing and confusion another. I felt the plot unraveled in the last 1/3 and the last scene (well after the credits----did you miss it?) only reinforced the mystery. K-Pax does make you think, and for that alone it is a worthwhile movie.

Junior Bonner (1972)

Violently quiet

[27 October 2002]

Steve McQueen is my favorite actor. Bullitt is my favorite McQueen movie, but Junior Bonner is my favorite McQueen character. McQueen, as usual (and this is what makes him great), communicates more with silence than in delivering a line. The violence of the rodeo is juxtaposed against one man's unwillingness to let go of a lifestyle that is obviously coming to an end. The open west is giving way to trailers, his parents are separating forever, and his home has become a place for strangers. Junior is aging as an athlete, and as a-no-longer- young man. Even his Cadillac is on the downward side of a once successful career. The split screens and slow motion are interesting without being intrusive. This movie is about the triumph of a man who stays true to his own values, regardless of how irrelevant his environment may soon become. One man CAN make a difference. Steve McQueen was always that one man.