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Reviews
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
Somebody please e-mail me!!
What is great or even good about this film? I never read the books and am a 26 year old male. But I was lost after Santa Clause came into the picture. This is terrible, even from a simple story POV. It's too convenient, the plot is too convenient, the characters are too convenient and on and on! I am open to children's movies, I love good movies! I even LOVED KING KONG and LORD OF THE RINGS and the DARK CRYSTAL. This movie is terrible! Although the lead girl (Georgie Henley) was cute, the acting of the children was terrible. Tilda Swinton is awesome as the the "Queen", but one character is not enough to make this film worth watching. It's beautiful to look at, but even that is not enough because this movie fails on so many other levels. The best way to sum up my feelings about this "film" are to say,"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, COME ON!"
*1/2 out of ****
Double Whammy (2001)
Hammy Canney!
Tom DiCillo made Living in Oblivion, while this movie is pretty good it's one scene that stands out for me is the "midget" in the dream. The "midget" complains that nobody has dreams about "midgets", that the only people who have dreams about "midgets" are people in stupid movies like this one. Very funny. When DiCillo made this movie he understood what it was like to make a movie outside of the movie world. He had some opinion. In this movie (Double Whammy) he uses two script writers, not as a statement, but as a plot device. In fact, a lot of Double Whammy is a plot device. Everything from the cop who's family was killed, to the average movie relationship with his doctor, to the extremely over used YELLING COP-BOSS! Hahahaha! Gosh, that never gets old, not even twelve years ago when National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 had the sense to make fun of it. Lots of things in the movie don't go anywhere. Some things are tagged on, and others should have been omitted. In fact if all that should have been omitted was, we'd be looking at a forty to fifty minute short.
However, something about Tom DiCillo's bright colors and the actors he chooses gives even this milk-dud some magic. While the movie probably deserves a four (out of ten), I gave it a 6! I know there is something here. I can't help but believe that he was only on his second or third draft when somebody said, "We'll fund it!" And not wanting to miss the chance to make a movie, he said,"Oh yeah!" and gave the early draft up as the final.
Advise to the director. Keep directing, but let somebody else do your writing. **1/2 (out of ****) (6)
Dressed to Kill (1980)
Dprseyscsheod Troip Koiflfl
Dressed to Kill has all the styling of a great thriller. It holds amazing artistic direction, and there are breathtaking, I mean absolutely amazing scenes where there is no dialogue. These scenes when the music and acting runs everything, something few directors could achieve, at least on this level. And the story isn't too bad either. Where dies Dress to Kill lose? It's a painfully obvious rip-off of Psycho. I know DePalma is aware, I've read reviews. But this is nothing like I thought. You could probably play them side by side and wonder why this wasn't thought of as an updated version of Hitchcocks ground breaking film.
Beside the hack ending that goes beyond Psycho, there are other reasons why NOT to like this movie. The main one is the endless rip-off, it goes so far as to deal with the politics of film making. Hitchcock had to fight the censors for the shower scene in Psycho, a nude woman in a shower is very offensive. What does DePalma do? DePalma (probably trying to egg on the censors) has not only a naked woman but close up of certain parts. I'm not saying this is bad, but it shows the massive amount of detail that was put into the actual ripping-off of Psycho. Yes, if you've never seen Psycho or you have but you don't really pay attention to detail, then yes Dressed to Kill is a really good film. In fact for most people this is probably a great movie. But if you're a buff, an endless fan of film as I am. A person who lives to escape into the world styles of writers and directors, then Dressed to Kill will not cut, in fact it will only ANNOY it. Dressed to Kill in whole gets ** (out of ****) (5)
Death to Smoochy (2002)
Death To (Fill in Name Here)!
Death to Smoochy is visually a great picture. Much like most of DeVito's films it has great style and a nice pace in energy. The characters alone are great, very funny. The plot builds on itself pretty well. Sometimes things seem too contrived, but for the most part they work. The acting is great (minus the GREAT Jon Stewart. Sorry Jon. You are now the host of may be the greatest show of our time, but that is who you are. It's just weird seeing you out there on the field).
Where does this movie go wrong? Easy, the characters are fine by themselves, but when asked to be in a seen together, to communicate with one another, these characters break down. They don't mix well, it's weird to see Nora and Sheldon start having (let me put in away Smoochy might), "Humpty-dumpty rumpty time..." together.
And the anger of Randolph, (while really funny) lets us down by the end. And a strange team-up happens that when you see you think, "Of course this is what happens." Not, "Oh! Of course this is what happens! Why didn't I see it before, how clever!" The movie was dark but it felt like it wanted to be darker, meaner, but it was too nice.
On the other hand Death to Smoochy is not the train wreck so many are calling it. In fact it's completely watchable. (Smoochy's song about stepfathers may be one of the funniest songs ever written). If I was to teach a film school I would use the style of this film. The colors, the movement of the cameras, it's all great.
Now, if we could only move Mr.DeVito on the better scripts, he may well be able to make a great film.
** (out of ****)
The Third Man (1949)
The Modern World Is Melting Ours
The Third Man is one of the best movies of all time. It's a far cry from any other Noir film, ever. Alfred Hitchcock on his best day (North By Northwest) didn't even come within a million leagues of The Third Man. I read a review that had the nerve to compare The Third Man to The Usual Suspects! This would be a grand example of what movies today are doing to people.
The reviewer who stated this said that they lost interest in The Third Man about half way through? What? Here is a film that puts it's audience in a trance the second Joseph Cotten enters the screen. In fact it's ONLY flaw was the seemingly pointless narration at the very start. The rest of the movie is perfect.
The Third Man was perfectly shot, edited, directed, acted and told. The music stays familiar from the opening credits until the end. The score helps keep the movie from confusing itself, the score shows us that this movie had it's own personality and own flawless flaws. It lives and dies as it is. It doesn't try to put in songs of it's past, (the songs from the Billboard's Top Ten) that may make a feeling of nostalgia and confuse the viewer into believing they're watching a great movie, but are indeed being tricked with clever magic of the emotions. (i.e. Casino and the worst yet Forrest Gump). These movies aren't sure what they are, other than they are.
Not mention, here is a movie that holds a climax of words and still finds the time to put one of the best chase scenes (if I can lower the standards of the film to say CHASE SCENE) at the end. A double climax? Yes, one for the high brows another for people who think Usual Suspects is a movie to compare other movies with. (If your wondering, I believe the "Coo-coo Clock Speech" is a definite climax).
The Third Man is magic. Magic! MAGIC! There will never, in a million years be a better Noir movie than this.
**** (out of ****)
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)
Woody Allen Misses two-beats!
Curse of Jade Scorpion is a fun movie that is too full of color and too short in humor. I think this movie would have been amazing if it was played a little more straight with it's humor, of course I know not to expect this from a Woody Allen movie, but the humor doesn't really work because Woody Allen is too one-liner-funny and goes too far while everybody else stands back and stays at least three levels below his humor. This doesn't work because the rest of the cast has no REAL reaction to Allen's humor. Helen Hunt's character has equally great lines that are played at a perfectly pitched level, everybody reacts to her character the way they should also be reacting to Allen's. Also, this movie was meant to be black and white I know it. The color is very distracting in this movie. I felt like it knew it was suppose to be black and white but chose to rebel just to hurt me. Those are the only two complaints I have. I think this was still a really fun Woody Allen movie. *** (out of ****)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
One of the ONLY animated FILMS ever!
There is a rule in the movie world that some things are MOVIES and some are FILMS. Movies are just there to make money or fail at making any points or sharing any real ideas. Films are there to inspire and challenge the today you are in, or add thought to what would otherwise be a movie. Toy Story 1 was on the boarder of Movie and Film, I believe it to be a movie more than a film. However Toy Story 2 is no question a film. It's about growing up and moving on from a parent's point of view. But what makes it a film is it's inspiring touches that make it about what the viewer thinks it's about. As I think it's about how one should live there life before they die. Should they worry about what happens when you die? Should they try to preserve themselves by joining a group of people and living in a glass case? Or should they love and share love with whomever excepts it? Well our hero is faced with all three but chooses (wisely) the love theme.
Woody is worried about Andy (his owner) throwing him away when he gets his first rip. He's afraid Andy will discard him since he is now a broken toy. (I guess this could relate in many ways to how adults fear their children will put them in nursing homes when their old and crazy). Woody then meets a group of toys that form a complete collection with him. This collection is rare and when assembled will be cased in a glass box for viewing only. (This sounds like religion in how it tells everybody to stay away from any fun they might have and makes them with fear.) This fear is very real in Woody as he is a broken toy and now knows he can't play (live) forever. After some really fun sense their is a point when Buzz Lightyear (Woody's counter part.) gives a speech about how isn't it better that Woody enjoy his limited time with Andy and have a neverending storybook of memories than to trap himself in a box where kids can look at him but the memories will be limited. This rings a bell with every parent. I could go on and on with reasons why Toy Story 2 is the greatest animated film to date, and will probably (like Beauty and the Beast) hold up for years and decades to come. **** (out of ****)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Run Rabbit Run
Donnie Darko is a (gulp) great film. I hate to admit it but after the film was over and my life started again I couldn't help but to continue to have thoughts and feelings for all the characters. It's wise in how it treats all the people like people in the real world stuck in a movie, it helps us to really understand why these people do some of the things they do. However I grow tired of the whole MEANING OF thing, and the time travel thing was a leap, but it works. In order to enjoy this film you have to accept that there is a God and path you are meant to take, or like me, you have to let the fantasy of the movie take you in and let go of all rules. Most films won't let me forget reality because they aren't very good, this is a good film so I can. My problem and the ONLY thing in the film that keeps poking me is, well DONNIE. Donnie is a person who questions everything he's being taught and told. He reviews ANYTHING that is said to him, the movie goes so far as to have Donnie end a debate about the Smurfs. This made me wonder WHY in the middle of the movies, when Donnie could see his "path" before he took it, why didn't he try to avoid it and go in the opposite direction. They almost answer this question but the teacher stops the conversation when he says,"I can't talk about this anymore, I could lose my job." Which was true because another teacher loses her job due to her opened ways to the students.
Donnie Darko wasn't the smartest film I've seen, but it's obvious it was VERY well directed, perhaps a little short and under explained at parts, great music, and amazing actors. I felt energy from a Todd Solodize or Paul Thomas Anderson film. Donnie Darko is a great film, that's really fun to watch, and maybe tries to be more meaningful and self-impressed than it actually is.
DONNIE DARKO ***1/2 (out of ****)
Made (2001)
Well they MADE it.
If you saw Swingers and liked it then you'll see Made, but it doesn't mean you'll like it, and VISA VERSA. I don't really like Swingers, it's pretty boring with a couple of laughs, it feels long and dull with no real payoff to the leads stress. On the other hand I think MADE is one of the greatest comedies of our time. It's endlessly clever and uses not PLOT devises to get use form stage one to stage two but the actions of it's charaters. We watch while Bobby (Jon Favreau) is constantly put into jeopardy by the endless mouth of Ricky (Vince Vaughn, in his BEST role to date). The movie jogs along at a great pace while we watch with out mouths open to all the things Ricky just can't do right. If you're wodering why Bobby keeps Ricky around well the movie (in it's ONLY flaw) makes SURE you know what a reliable and faithful guy Bobby is by how niave he seems to be to the people around him and how non of them can do any REAL wrong. This is also a hit or miss movie. If you watch it knowing it's a movie and that you're being entertained then you'll love it. But if you put yourself in Bobby's shoes you'll want to KILL RICKY and probably not care for the movie. I would LOVE to see MADE TWO, or MADE AGAIN, or MADE SOMEMORE, or MAKING MORE HOLD ON, I would love to see these two charcters in a million different places having to deal with more and more problems. But I know it will not be, as it probably shouldn't. If you like movies that don't take you on that all to familiar ride, but don't take you to space then you'll love Made. If you like those movies that don't try to be for a selected group of people, then you'll like Made, and if you like a movie with the dirtiest language since Clerks then you'll love MADE. I love MADE. I love most evey-single-thing about it. Unlike Swingers, when Made was done I felt that the story was done, I felt like these guys had been threw alot and wanted to go to bed and stop telling the story. I felt like maybe when they wake up they'll say more, tell me about the time Bobby and Ricky went to space to stop an astroid from hitting earth when Ricky realizes that maybe they should take all their spaceshuttle stuff to some old neighborhood and show all their old friends where their at now adays.
MADE ***1/2 (out of ****)
Left Behind (2000)
It's too bad you can't rate ZERO!
Left Behind is the kind of "we know what we know cause we know it" movie that Christians (and most any other naive person) needs to help them feel like what they "THINK" and "BELIEVE" (not "KNOW") is right. But, at the same time I feel bad for the little guys, because this is not a well made film. It does not help ANY message. I work at a video store, and I KNOW the ONLY reason people went to see this movie was because they were religious and they thought it was. ANYBODY on this earth who THINKS they know what will happen in the future is wrong, unless they think they know that they don't know. I've had about enough (but only after I've had too much) of these people walking around with their noses in the air thinking that a movies starring a semi-talented TV actor means something above me.
Please, if you love yourself you'll stay away. I refuse to go into any detail about this movie (not because A-I didn't see it (because I did), B-it was too shocking for my atheist-self to handle (because it wasn't), or C-I really don't have anything to say bad about it (because I do). The Reason, (which is a word nobody who helped make this movie understands) is that I want this movie out of my head, I want that it was made out of my head, I want that I watched ALL OF IT WITH AN OPEN MIND out of my head, I want the message that Kirk so proudly and coachly gives at the end of the movie out of my head. I only want all the things that were in my head BEFORE viewing this movies there, anything directly connected with this movie that's floating in my head GET OUT! My peaceful rage is ending. I'm sorry that somebody in this world went to the theater to see this movie about what could happen in the future (but won't) when they could have given that Seven Dollars Plus to any number of Human, Animal, or Rain Forest charity. But if they did that then they wouldn't be able to "BELIEVE" in the fact that it's real, they might have to fact what is. LEFT BEHIND ZERO (out of ****)
Townies (1999)
Z squared!
Townies is the laziest movie I have ever seen, and I saw the Blair Witch movies (parts one and two). It seems confused in what it wants to be. It's not funny enough for comedy, it's not tragic enough for drama, it's not bloody enough for horror, and it's not good enough for watching. It has scenes of a man doing "slapstick/bloody" karate so I think, oh this movie will be in the vein of Toxic Avenger and Street Trash. Then it leaps without warning into a drama about a missing girl, a retarded (mentally handicap) woman and a trusting mother. Then it slaps itself into the ONLY good part in the movie which seems to be set up like a sitcom without the laugh tracks. The part I'm speaking of is a lonely TOWNIE who is so lonely he finds comfort in a rotting corpse. That was the ONLY part of the movie that gave me ANY feeling. The rest was a waist of my life. Then, just to show how CRUEL Wayne is there is a kind of DOCUMENTARY at the end of the film of Wayne (the Director) making fun of Toby (the star) in public. It made me sick. Even though Killer Nerd and Bride of Killer Nerd (two other movies by Wayne) aren't the best, they at least are thought out enough were you can stay entertained until the ending credits. I even like Killer Nerd a bit, it had some great lines I still use to this day.
If you like underground films, if you like overground films, and if you like to watch your feet, just resting were they are, you will not like TOWNIES!
*1/2 (out of ****)
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Peoples, INC.
Monsters, INC. is a great movie that almost works at the same level the TOY STORY movies and SHREK does (I only compare it to them because it's an all computer animated film). Watching this movie I got increasingly jealous that I wasn't a kid. This is one of the cutest movies in HISTORY!!!!! The gags, while mostly for kids hold there own in the adult world, not as tightly as SHREK did, but it works. The sappiness of the movie is drained out by the pure charm of it. Every time I hear PIXAR is making a movie I get as excited as a Star Wars fan about EPISODE II (in which teaser trailer shows up here). While it probably won't turn as many heads as TOY STORY 2 and SHREK, it will be noticed. PIXAR is by far the MOST imaginative studio out there, they cover EVER corner of what would seem to be a CARTOON to make it it's own world! It was almost as if the writers had went into a closet that was left opened by a monster and explored their world and got to know every little crack and stain about the place, then came back here and made a movie about it. I don't want to talk about the goings on of the film because everything is such a sweet and intelligent surprise. Most of all, it should be noted that I was in the theater with a BUNCH of screaming, talking, loud children, and in any other case I would have been annoyed but MONSTERS, INC. put me in such a cute and loving mood that I couldn't wait to hear the next little kids say, "Is that man real?" MONSTERS, INC. ***1/2 (out of ****)
Valentine (2001)
Movies Hurt
This movie in away was super-clever. It's theme rhymes with every single horror movie ever made. Valentine makes ZERO attempt to be original. What is valentine anyway? It's a bunch of people giving each other the same lame messages that were given to the same people a year earlier. There is nothing original in Valentine.
I only saw it once, and in that one viewing here are some of the films it ripped off. 1.Prom Night 2.Carrie 3.Scream 4.Any other horror movie in which somebody is killing somebody.
I know there is more, but my mind was slowly turning into a puddle of silk so it couldn't grab them as fast as they came.
Valentine had no chance of being a good movie. How come every horror movie has to have a "suprise" killer, people you don't care about because their emotions take a turn every other scene. One minute a nice girl turns into an evil B--ch, then she's an insecure woman, and so on and son on.
Normally any horror movie (in my book) can be saved by gore, once again Valentine doesn't have this. It was as if they tried to make it PG-13 but failed, so they left the edit.
Do not see this overly-inspired, rip-off unless you hate yourself, and you want to die.
*1/2 (3)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Could be a SPOILER WARNING!
A.I. is a great movie. In fact A.I. is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Nothing about this movie is dumb, average, or corny. What tosses most people I know is the "aliens" at the end, which are not aliens, they are robots (mekahs).
Another thing people are doing is endlessly comparing it to Kubrick, why bother? Sure there are more than a hundred tips of the cap to Kubrick in this movie, but it's a STEVEN SPIELBERG film! I can;t understand why everybody feel in love with E.T. but won't A.I., and they are built the same way?
There are few movies that have great acting (Pollock -2001-), this is one of them. All of the actors a perfect. I was crying after the first plot point until I walked to my car.
I couldn't live without my mother, she is everything to me. David can't live without his either, and he only wants to please her. When he can't he becomes destroyed and will stop at nothing to complete his task.
Some people say that Spielberg went too far with the ending, but they're not seeing the film under the same light it was made. It's a fairytale, it's Pinocchio. From giving David the one emotion of love, they ended up giving him loneliness, jealousy, and greed. By giving him this one feeling he becomes almost human.
If the movie would have ended any other way I would have died. So thank you Mr.Spielberg, you've made a great film.
**** (10)
Pollock (2000)
Ed Harris can direct?
Ed Harris did a great job directing a pretty good story. Beyond the directing, beyond the story, Pollock has some of the best performances I have ever seen. Everybody is GREAT in this movie, not one person is a bad actor. I don't know how Ed Harris did it, but he made a movie that has 100 percent perfect acting.
Art has never really meant much to me, sure I know great art when I see it, but I never at all enjoyed Jackson Pollock, at least not during his rise, splash art isn't art. Jackson Pollock, I believe is a man who was famous (like most artist) because he knew the right people, at the right time. The ego of artist is insane, what they get away with is even more insane, and Jackson Pollock got away with a lot.
This movie is over two hours, and you wouldn't know it. I knew that what was going on on screen should be boring, but somehow it wasn't, and that somehow was the acting. And let us not forget the score.
The music somehow makes fun of Pollock, it teases him, at least that's how I saw it. No matter whats in Pollock's life, the music seems happy, as if to say,"Pollock! Shut up! You ego freak!"
Pollock isn't the best movie ever made, but it's a great one. Jackson Pollock wasn't the greatest artist around, but he was one.
*** (8)
Quills (2000)
Marquis de Sade in Love
Quills is one of the greatest movie of 2000. It belongs on a list of the greatest films ever.
Some one said to me that the ending of the movie was straight out of an episode of "Tales From the Crypt," but they didn't see the ending under the same light.
This is a story about the age old battle for artistic freedom over censorship. Even is de Sade wasn't a great writer, he was a writer, and nobody should tell anybody whats okay and whats not. Quills does the same thing Shakespeare in Love did, it takes a true man and puts him in a fictional word that is based around the time he really lived.
Geoffrey Rush gives a great performance has the insane de Sade, while they didn't write de Sade the way he was, because if they did who would care if he got to write, Rush amazingly keeps de Sade insane but with reason.
I recommend any person ever pushed down by "the man" to watch this film.
**** (10)
Terror Firmer (1999)
Scream, Scary Movie, Urban Legend a Jedi craves not these things.
Some people attack Troma's new masterpiece (Terror Firmer) for being sick. If anyone has a right or reason for being sick it's Troma. Troma is the last surviving independent film company, they have had to spend years in battle with Hollywood and the MPAA (which is all Hollywood).
The minority that is Troma is ready to attack Hollywood, it's ready to bloom into it's own Hollywood, a new, better Hollywood. Troma is not worried about what's P.I. That's something to admire! With Troma, anything goes.
Terror Firmer is a smart film that has two problems. One, they added stupid sound effects that weren't very funny and kind of annoying. Two, there was a bunch of sex, and the reason this is a problem, I'm thinking Lloyd Kaufman isn't giving us Troma loving geeks enough credit. I don't watch Troma movie for T and A, I think they should have them because it wouldn't be a Troma film. But if I want a Porn (soft core) I can go anywhere to get that.
All the same, Terror Firmer is fresh air in a dead sea that is film. Thank you Troma, that you Mr. Kaufman.
***1/2 (9)
American Psycho (2000)
Feelings in the 80s'!
I believe Patrick Bateman is a symbol for the shallow eighties. A decade ruled by Super-Yuppies and their coke. Patrick Bateman is a man for the eighties, by the eighties and of the eighties.
Too many people try too hard to find a stupid reason behind every movie, if things aren't spelled out most people cry and complain about it. So is the case with American Psycho (which I hear a sequel is being made, probably for all the dimwits so they can have a movie with the same title that they get.)
There's isn't much to say about this amazing movie other than it's funny, it's got a jumpin' eighties soundtrack, it's terrifying, it's bloody, and the score is great. Lets not forget the directing, Mary Harron reminds me of a Kubrick-style, and she doesn't come off like a rip off. She's a great director and I hope to see more from her.
**** (10)
Jaianto Robo: The Animation - Chikyuu ga Seishi Suru Hi (1992)
Anime at it's best.
Giant Robo has to be one of the best Anime series out there.
Giant Robo actually takes you to another time and place, where everything is different and every single person has there own idea of whats going on. It's an awesome commntary about the world that works even better now (2001) because of out energy crisis and our lack of leadership.
I've watched Giant Robo a million times and while I know who's suppose to be the good guys and bad guys, there's just so much involved that you loose sight of who's right and who's wrong, everybody's ideas make since, they all seem to be trying to save the world. Sure there are a few loose cannons that have no control, but our leads, who's right?
If you want to be a real nerd (which isn't a bad thing), watch this with friends and see the conversations it sparks.
***1/2 (9)
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Jurassic Park (3)
It seems to me that the masters of this film only needed the name. This movie was a waste of time and life. When I go to see something called part 3, I expect it to live within the same realms of part 1 and part 2 (no matter how bad part 2 maybe). Jurassic Park 3 is a nasty movie that treats it's dinosaurs like Jason, Michael Meyers, or Freddy Kruger, not like animals. These dinosaurs wouldn't just want to kill people just to kill them. The raptors also talk. They talk. What? The movie was a subtitle away from making me vomit. This was worse than 1997's Godzilla (the one the Americans made), and I hated hated hated hated that Godzilla movie.
I thought Jurassic Park 3 was 2 hours like the other two, it felt like it, but when I left I found out it was 93 minutes. How did a movie turn 93 minutes into 120 minutes. Also, this movie has the world's loudest cell phone, and world's dumbest cameo. I hated Jurassic Park 3, no matter how big the dinos were (of course we only got close-ups of the Dinosaurs so we rarely got to see their height next to a human). Please, please do all of humanity a favor and don't let this movie gross any huge amount of money, because they're only going to make a Part 4, and it's going to have something to do with Pterodactyls lose in the city. *1/2 (2)
Election (1999)
All About Tracy
Since I can remember All About Eve has been one of my favorite movies. It's great watching this "person" climb to the top by using people, and nobody notices. All I was reminded of when watching Election was how much it had in common with All About Eve. It didn't rip off the classic 1950 Bette Davis movie, it just has the same since of character.
Tracy Flick is a high school student who's only concern, no matter what is to be number one. She has so much of her future laid out ahead and she knows it. Jim McAllister is one of Tracy's teachers, he's at the opposite side of the life pole. He's made choices and is now where he is. Jim McAllister hates Tracy, and he doesn't even know it. But the comedy starts when we see Jim trying to tack control of his life, when in reality he has none.
There are a dozen sub-plots that all work well within the movie, because they all relate to either Tracy or Jim.
If your in the mood to laugh at all the mistakes you ever made, watch Election, or if your in the mood (and young) to see how one gets ahead, once again watch Election.
***1/2 (9)
Meet the Feebles (1989)
They're not your average, ordinary "people."
Peter Jackson has said that the only problem with the Meet The Feebles is the script. Well Mr.Jackson you're wrong, Meet the Feebles is a great masterpiece and I don't care who you are, there is something to enjoy here. It's like watching a cartoon when your a kid, no matter how bad it is there's something there you like. Well here it is, a puppet show for the 18 and over crowd. Meet the Feebles makes fun of everything under the sun. It's a puppet musical, with a horrorshow ending that tackles such culture-problems like Eating Problems, Date-Rape, Drugs (selling and using), the Media, Marriage problems, Golf, Aids, and a show stopping song about the joys of Sodomy, plus more. If one has yet to see Meet the Feebles, then one has no idea how a film should be made, a real movie that has no concept of culture, or has a good concept but is bored with it. Thank you Mr.Jackson for this film! ***1/2 (8)
Unbreakable (2000)
I bet M.Night Shyamalan went to film school!
Here is a movie that was well written, well acted, and well packaged. Here is also a movie thats musical score didn't realize it wasn't in the Abyss, and who's director was overly directing. M.Night has done a horrible job of directing. He tries to add an extra thought by retardly putting the camera in the most annoying places. He started to do this in Sixth Sense with that stupid idea about RED. And he also puts himself in his films, when he does it you know it's him trying to be a director. The writing was good, but so Syd Field. I bet M.Night stayed up late every night reading that screenplay book. You can tell that before he wrote anything down he marked pages 30, 60, and 90 for plot points.
Also, he had everybody whisper, which was creepy and moody for Sixth Sense, here it comes off goofy and lame. This film had a small idea, and with no imagination it went nowhere. It's obvious that M.Night is influenced by Kubrick, and yes, Unbreakable is a film Kubrick would have made if he had no imagination or talent.
Advise to M.Night: "KNOCK IT OFF! Film school can teach you the basics, you have to do the rest with your imagination, not text books!" ** (TWO STARS OUT OF FOUR)
Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Darling Selma, hear me.
Dancer in the Dark is a wonderful film with a wonderful vision. (I used the word vision on purpose.) It's rare to see a film full of fantasy set in such a realistic place, and it's great. I love everything about Dancer in the Dark. Bjork did an AMAZING job as blinding Selma. There is a moment in the film when you think,"Oh my god, no!" Then calm down because it's a musical and Selma can escape from the world in away I wish I could. After growing to love Selma and her dreams we are forced to watch Selma lose her dreams and be forced to see reality, and at the time she does, she is fully blind.
Dancer in the Dark is a perfect movie and one of the best of 2000. I'm in love with Bjork's Selma in away I rarely am with movie characters. I hope that the director stays away from the Dogmatic film making and starts to play in this middle area more. ADVISE TO THE DIRECTOR: None, you did an amazing thing with this film. **** (FOUR STARS OUT OF FOUR)
Cast Away (2000)
Cast Back to where you once belonged.
I don't know what William Broyler Jr. was thinking when he wrote the end of this film, but I hate him every day for it. Cast Away is a really good movie with a really bad ending. I was so deeply involved in this movie until Tom Hanks (who proves he is still a God to the acting community), got off the island. Helen Hunt? What's up? Hunt does such a poor job in this movie I was wondering if As Good As it Gets wasn't a fluke. And if you want to know about any of the other actors, trust me, WHO CARES. The only other "actor" worth talking about, is a volley ball named Wilson. I love Wilson and would watch a movie about what happened to Wilson. Hell, if you've ever seen the end of this movie then you know that it would be better to watch Wilson's voyage. Advise to the director: "Stop going so soft. America is ready to see little Tommy Hanks do big kid stuff. Please give us more credit, we understand more than you do." *** (THREE OUT OF FOUR STARS)