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rreynolds2
Reviews
Almost Famous (2000)
So this is where the enemy sleeps!
I was disappointed at the ending -- it left me hanging. I wanted these people to be friends at the end. They were ALL living their dream yet they failed to realize and appreciate the reason it was so good -- it was good because of the time that they had spent with each other. I wanted William to ask Russell to be Best Man at his wedding or something.
William, at age 15, was the most mature person in the movie. He "baby-sat" Russell in the Topeka party. He saved Penny's life. He never tried drugs (which the others respected). And he stayed on focus to the task at hand (interviewing the band members for Rolling Stone). Even when he woke and realized that he was no longer a virgin, his first thought was "My god, I have a 4,000 word article to write."
My favorite part was the stomach-pumping scene. Watch the movie again and pay close attention to this scene. You can see the thrill in his eyes and the love in his thin smile. He was thrilled to be there at that moment to save her life -- he had never had been this significant at any point in his life.
Russell was a good guy. He included William in the pre-show huddles; he told William's mom what a good kid Will was; he was even gracious when he realized that he was in the wrong house at the end (so this is where the enemy sleeps :) -- and then he realized that this was, in fact, the place that he wanted/needed to be.
Krámpack (2000)
A Very Gentle Movie
I selected this as Blockbuster was closing -- just a title in the Foreign Films section. I had no idea what the movie was about so it was a constant surprise from beginning to end. What a good movie! If you have read the other reviews, you know what the story is about. The best part, to me, was their last day together. They both realized that they were on different tracks in life, but they also realized that they were good friends and that they would remain good friends. When Nico told Dani "have your dad sell me this motorcycle," you knew that Nico wanted to continue the friendship -- there was never any question that Dani wanted to continue. So, for me, that was the best part. Sex comes and goes, but friendship can last a lifetime. This was a very gentle movie with a good ending. -- from Bob in Oklahoma
Hannibal (2001)
It belongs in the garbage can.
I purchased a pre-viewed copy at Blockbuster because I had heard of the movie "Hannibal." I didn't know anything about the movie, but, for $4.99 I thought I had nothing to lose.
The only interesting part of the movie is when one of the characters is searching the list of Ten Most Wanted people -- Osama Bin Laden was on that list. The interesting thing is that the movie was released several months before September, 2001. So THAT scene was a little strange.
Usually I will watch one of my newly-purchased movies and put it on my shelf so that I can show it to friends when they visit. But I never want to see Hannibal again. I threw my copy in the garbage after the movie was over. I have NEVER done that before. As I watched the movie I kept waiting for some "good part" or some part with a little "redeeming value."
There was no redeeming value to this movie. Perhaps I should have watched Silence of the Lambs first? Or perhaps I should toss SOTL in the garbage before I watch it? (I have SOTL on my shelf -- un-opened). If SOTL is anything like Hannibal, I will hate that movie also.
My conclusion: don't waste your time.
Bob in Oklahoma.
The Cure (1995)
Surprisingly Excellent
I had never heard of this movie. I was feeling somewhat depressed so I decided to go out for a movie. I usually look for Sundance and Foreign movies but there was nothing in those sections that I wanted. So I wandered around and picked up The Cure. It was one of the best movies I have ever seen. If THIS movie doesn't make you appreciate the joy of being alive (and the responsibilities to be nice to our fellow human beings), then you weren't paying attention to it. This movie awakened a feeling in me that I have missed for a while -- the feeling that we are all in this world together and that we can either be ignorant (as the 3 bullies in the movie were) or we can be accepting (as Erik was in this movie). I have bid for a copy of this movie on EBAY -- it is one that you can show everyone over the age of 13 -- even your minister and your grandparents (language is rough in 3 short places, but it is appropriate). Also, at the end I was wanting Dexter's mom to adopt Erik.
Get Real (1998)
This is one I must own.
Although I have been a big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio for years, Ben Silverstone is now the one I will be searching for in other movies. I just finished watching Get Real and I remember almost every scene that Ben was in (which was 98% of the entire movie). Although DiCaprio does an excellent job of really getting into his character, Silverstone did a remarkable job of expressing the fears, stress, excitement and euphoria of being a gay high school student. Virtually Every Scene was perfect -- from the first scene on the park bench reading Shakespeare upside down to the final scene where he walks away from John at the stadium. I kept hoping for John to come 'out' and join Steve -- it would have been comforting to see two gay guys who really could Live Happily Ever After -- but the ending was more Realistic. My favorite scenes were 1) The dance where the camera showed Steve's longing look at John (wow); 2 and 3) John in Steve's room (first scene and drunk scene); 4) John on Steve's shoulders in the pool and of course 5) Ben Silverstone's speech at the awards ceremony. I wish Silverstone was making movies in the USA because I think he would be very well received and would be in more movies so we could watch his wonderful style. I will try to find more of his movies now that I have seen this one. Bob in Oklahoma, USA.