Latest Reviews
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (R) 1 star
Van Helsing (PG-13) 3 stars
Serenity (PG-13) 3 stars
Friday Night Lights (PG-13) 4 stars
Talladega Nights: THe Ballad of Ricky Bobby (PG-13) 2 stars
Flightplan (PG-13) 3 stars
Chicken Little (G) 2 stars
Bewitched () 3 stars
Unleashed () 2 stars
It’s All Gone Pete Tong (R) 4 stars
Two for the Money (R) 2 stars
Twin Town (R) 2 stars
The Matador (R) 2 stars
War of the Worlds (PG-13) 3 stars
Underworld: Evolution (R) 2 stars
Little Miss Sunshine (R) 5 stars
Munich (R) 5 stars
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (PG-13) 3 stars
Match Point (R) 4 stars
Superman Returns (PG-13) 4 stars
The Boondock Saints (Unrated DVD) 5 stars
Me and You and Everyone We Know (R) 4 stars
Cinderella Man (PG-13) 3 stars
Pre-Reviews
The Da Vince Code (PG-13)
I will not pretend that this film is anything more than a movie adaptation of a book. If you’ve read the book, good for you. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this film but as I see it, the book had the same reaction and people still read it. It’s been some time since I read the book but I know that Tom Hanks wasn’t what I had in mind as the lead character. Personally, I would have gone with a slightly younger actor with some credentials in adventure films. Anyway, I give this film 3 stars in pre-review. If Hanks’s performance is lackluster, you can expect a lower rating. However, I like Paul Bettany as an actor and his role as the albino killer may make it worth the viewing.
Inside Man (R)
Spike Lee directs this bank robbery thriller starring Clive Owen, Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster. The key to a movie like this is the twists and secrets within the story. The trailers reveal very little about the plot other than the fact the Foster’s character is trying to conceal something that she thinks Owen’s character knows while performing the robbery. Denzel Washington plays the beleaguered police officer sent in to resolve the robbery. Although this plot may seem like a rehashed version of other bank robbery movies, the director and cast carry a lot of weight. So should you see it? Wait a week after it opens (March 24th). Provisional rating of 3 stars.
Reviews
The Break-up (PG-13) 2 stars
Despite the realism in this story about a bad break-up, it does not leave the audience feeling entertained. Someone forgot to tell Hollywood that documenting break-ups probably isn’t as fun as it sounds. The comedy was weak and the cast felt underused. And as the rest of the audience felt, the ending was lame. Forget about this movie and rent When Harry Met Sally.
Millions (PG) 4 stars
Coming soon!
X-men: The Last Stand (PG-13) 3 stars
If you really need a reason to see this film, then there may be something wrong with you or you’re not part of the demographic to which this film is designed. The story of mutant versus mutant versus man is one that Marvel Comics has excelled at throughout its history. Hopefully this installment will be the last in an exciting series. The mutant mayhem was as good as the previews.
Over the Hedge (PG) 4 stars
This comic strip film adaptation is an excellent comedy with some amazing animation. Full review coming soon!
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (PG) 2 stars
I’ll probably be crucified for this one. This fill lacked several things despite the great computer graphics. Full review coming soon!
Monster-in-Law (PG-13) 3 stars
Not bad, but not great. Full review coming soon!
Mission Impossible 3 (PG-13) 3 stars
No matter what your views are of Tom Cruise, the Mission Impossible legacy is one that goes beyond an actor and reaches at the true core of Hollywood blockbusters: guns, techno-wizardry, an awesome soundtrack, and big fireball explosions. With Alias’s J.J. Abrams directing this spy movie, this film has recaptured the glory of the first movie in the series and has shrugged off the cliched themes of John Woo’s M:I2. Cruise’s acting has been hot and cold throughout his career, but with a return to the clandestine world of the IMF and featuring a villain played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, the audience should be pleasantly satisfied. This film gets 3 stars for a good experience but lacks any novelty worthy of a higher rating.
Prime (PG-13) 4 stars
My fascination with Uma Thurman knows no bounds. She plays a 37 year old woman who falls in love with the 23 year old son of her therapist played by Meryl Streep. Of course, no one knows who is who until the comedic and somewhat tragic climax occurs. Don’t get me wrong, this film is a romantic comedy. But how would you feel if your Jewish mother was your girlfriend’s therapist? You’ll have to see how it all turns out. Uma is still sexy, even when some of the camera angles mistakenly show her true height (6’) against Streep’s (5’6”). This is a great date movie!
The Perfect Score (PG-13) 2 star
This movie is so dumb, I’m not going to write much. Basically a group of slackers decide to steal the answers to the SAT. The comedy is weak, the plot is trite, and quite frankly a big wast of time. Sorry Scarlett Jo! Your beauty won’t distract me from giving your movie a low rating. Call me! We’ll do lunch and discuss your future film options. Hehehe!
Mean Girls (PG-13) 4 stars
Although Lindsay Lohan has gotten bad press for being a teen drama queen, she put on a great performance as a “home schooler” that enrolls in a high school dominated by a group of popular girls. Lohan’s character soon realizes that these popular girls are the meanest people she has ever met. In a typical teenage comedy, Lohan goes undercover with these “mean” girls in order to get revenge for a friend. As usual, hilarity and heartbreak ensue. But the teenage comedy is sufficient to make this flick worth watching for a good laugh.
Saved! (PG-13) 4 stars
Oh my god! Jena Malone and Mandy Moore put on exceptional performances as teenage girls at a religious high school. Malone’s character gets pregnant by her gay boyfriend and although this may seem like an odd topic for a movie it serves to point out some of the hypocrisy of conservative breeding pools. Moore’s character is the perky Jesus-freak out to save the world from pregnant, unwed teenagers, homosexuals, and the ever threatening lesbian Jews. The oddly placed Jewish girl is played by Eva Amurri who resembles Susan Sarandon (hint: they are mother and daugher... FOR REAL!). Making fun of Jesus-freaks in a comedy is always good for a laugh.
The Legend of Zorro (PG) 2 stars
This retarded sequel to The Mask of Zorro was a bomb (not to be confused with “da bomb”). Instead of going for the pure adventure angle, this film toyed excessively with comedy that was ill-suited for a quasi-era piece. This film is an insult to the Zorro legacy more so than Zorro the Gay Blade.
Embedded: Live (Not Rated) 4 stars
The Sundance Channel was apparently running several documentaries about the Iraq war. One of those was Embedded, a play written and directed by Tim Robbins. If you are politically inclined in any way (conservative or liberal), you may be too offended to sit through the whole thing. Ok, maybe this play is just for liberals, but everyone can learn from the topics covered. The main plot point is the fact that the truth was hidden from the public by the propagandizing of the media that was embedded during the occupation of Iraq. If there is anything to learn from a play like this is that the truth must be sought out at any cost. To quote a line from one of the cast’s reporters regarding the conquest of Baghdad, “(with a sarcastic tone)... hard facts at this stage are superfluous and only lead to doubt and cynicism both unnecessary in times of iconic significance.” if you have time to watch this on DVD, I recommend it. By the way, did I mention this was a comedy.
V for Vendetta (R) 4 stars
Remember, remember, the 5th of November. This is the mantra of V, the masked man of mystery. Okay, I’ll try not to use as much alliteration as in the movie. Although other reviewers will say that the tale of this story is one about differentiating between good and bad terrorism and the need for revolution and freedom fighting, I would have to disagree. The power of this story comes from the revelation that we get the government we choose. If we sit idly by and let the government become oppressive and corrupt, it is our fault as citizens. V fights not for himself but to imbue the people with the knowledge and power of truth. For those seeking an all out fight-fest between V and the government, you’ll be disappointed. V’s actions are calculated and precise (probably why they call him a terrorist... since he doesn’t hurt citizens, just the bad guys). If you think I’ve revealed the end of this story, you’d be mistaken. The tale of how V came to be and what his plans are for the 5th of November are the true vehicles that carry this wonderful movie. Prepare to blow your mind with this 4 star movie.
Other Reviews
Alien Apocalypse (TV movie) 1 stars
Assault on Precinct 13 (R) 3 stars
Blade: Trinity (R) 2 stars
Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story (Rated R) 3 stars
Big Fish (R) 3 stars
The Brothers Grimm (PG-13) 2 stars
Bollywood/Hollywood (PG-13) 2 stars
Boys Don't Cry (R) 3 stars
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (R) 2 stars
Criminal (R) 3 stars
Constantine (Rated R) 2 stars
Collateral (R) 4 stars
The Chronicles of Riddick (R) 2 stars
The Company (R) 1 stars
Demonlover (R) 2 stars
Dogville (Rated R) 4 stars
Dummy (R) 4 stars
Elektra (PG-13) 2 stars
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Rated R) 5 stars
Fantastic Four (PG-13) 2 stars
Fat Albert (PG) 1 stars
Garfield (PG) 2 stars
Gangster No. 1 (R) 4 stars
Garden State (Rated R) 5 stars
The Girl in the Cafe (TV Unrated) 4 stars
The Girl in the Cafe (TV Unrated) 4 stars
The Girl Next Door (Unrated DVD) 3 stars
Guess Who (PG-13) 3 stars
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (Unrated DVD) 2 stars
Head in the Clouds (R) 4 stars
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (PG-13) 3 stars
House of Flying Daggers (PG-13) 4 stars
Hostage (R) 3 stars
In Good Company (PG-13) 3 stars
It's All About Love (R) 2 stars
The Interpreter (PG-13) 3 stars
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (R) 4 stars
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (R) 4 stars
Kingdom of Heaven (R) 3 stars
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (R) 2 stars
Lonesome Jim (Rated R) 5 stars
Lost in Translation (R) 2 stars
Miranda (R) 4 stars
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (PG-13) 3 stars
Miss Congeniality 2 (PG-13) 2 stars
The Manchurian Candidate (R) 3 stars
Memento (R) 2 stars
Monster (R) 4 stars
Maria Full of Grace (R) 2 stars
Maria Full of Grace (R) 2 stars
Ned Kelly (R) 3 stars
Ocean's 12 (PG-13) 2 stars
Primer (PG-13) 2 stars
The Pink Panther (PG) 2 stars
Power Play (R) 1 star
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (R) 2 stars
Racing Stripes (PG) 2 stars
Robots (PG) 2 stars
Rory O'shea Was Here (R) 4 stars
The Red Violin (R) 5 stars
Sideways (Rated R) 3 stars
Spanglish (PG-13) 4 stars
SLC Punk! (R) 4 stars
Son of the Mask (PG) 1 stars
Syriana (R) 4 stars
Spam-ku (Unrated/Short Film) 4 stars
Taxi (PG-13) 2 stars
The Terminal (PG-13) 4 stars
Troy (R) 3 stars
Taking Lives (R) 3 stars
Taking Lives (R) 3 stars
Upside of Anger (R) 4 stars
Velvet Goldmine (R) 2 stars
Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (R) 4 stars
Y Tu Mama Tambien (R) 3 stars
Fat Albert (PG) 1 stars
I had to stop watching after 15 minutes. This film never should have been made.
I had to stop watching after 15 minutes. This film never should have been made.
Miranda (R) 4 stars
Maybe I like Christina Ricci too much to give her any fewer stars.
It's All About Love (R) 2 stars
This movie would have received 1 star, but there was still room for it to be even worse.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (R) 2 stars
This movie was so dissappointing considering that Wes Anderson also wrote/directed/produced such films as Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. The film's plot is strange to say the least. The aesthetics of the scenery are interesting and set a weird tone to the film. For example, the fish aren't real... they're all rather "cartoony" and artificial. And this feeling translates to the rest of the movie especially when coupled with the synthesizer music used throughout the film. The humor is bitter and sarcastic, which is typically well suited for Bill Murray. However, everything is contrived and non--sensical, moreso than Anderson's previous work. Willem Dafoe's role as Klaus is actually the funniest character in the whole movie and should have been incorporated more into the dialogue. This film could have been funnier despite the typical tragedy that befalls Anderson's main film characters. Life Aquatic seems to fail in choosing a genre and is neither a comedy nor a drama. In essence, this film can make the audience feel tired from anticipating comedy and getting little, if anything, in return.
Blade: Trinity (R) 2 stars
Hopefully this movie marks the end of the Blade series. Although the first movie has a hit, the second movie was a dud. This third film in the series does a lot to bring back the status of the ultra-hip vampire genre to the big screen, but fails to capture the admiration of the original. Ryan Reynolds's performance brings some humor to the film, unburdening Wesley Snipes from trying to be funny in a dark, vampire-hunter kind of way. This movie really doesn't bring much to the series except new characters and a different story. Unfortunately, as with all comic-book-turned-movie series, there is just no end. For heaven's sake, please stop making these movies before you tarnish the reputation of the first.
Hopefully this movie marks the end of the Blade series. Although the first movie has a hit, the second movie was a dud. This third film in the series does a lot to bring back the status of the ultra-hip vampire genre to the big screen, but fails to capture the admiration of the original. Ryan Reynolds's performance brings some humor to the film, unburdening Wesley Snipes from trying to be funny in a dark, vampire-hunter kind of way. This movie really doesn't bring much to the series except new characters and a different story. Unfortunately, as with all comic-book-turned-movie series, there is just no end. For heaven's sake, please stop making these movies before you tarnish the reputation of the first.
Y Tu Mama Tambien (R) 3 stars
There are mixed feelings about this film. You must be be willing to admire foreign films and/or speak Spanish to fully grasp the significance and achievement of this movie. I'm not trying to be snooty about this film, but as a Spanish speaker, I noticed the difference between the actual dialogue and the sub-titles. To some effect, there are two movies going on. The movie the director wanted you to see, and the version the translator prepared. A lot of the humor is lost in the translation. Despite being a movie with a serious undertone, the story has several humorous moments... intermingled with lots of sex. The ending may leave some viewers feeling a little empty and confused. If you are up for the challenge, you should see this film.
There are mixed feelings about this film. You must be be willing to admire foreign films and/or speak Spanish to fully grasp the significance and achievement of this movie. I'm not trying to be snooty about this film, but as a Spanish speaker, I noticed the difference between the actual dialogue and the sub-titles. To some effect, there are two movies going on. The movie the director wanted you to see, and the version the translator prepared. A lot of the humor is lost in the translation. Despite being a movie with a serious undertone, the story has several humorous moments... intermingled with lots of sex. The ending may leave some viewers feeling a little empty and confused. If you are up for the challenge, you should see this film.
Lonesome Jim (Rated R) 5 stars
This movie exemplifies what good filmmaking is all about: great acting, great settings, great directing, and a great script.
Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story (Rated R) 3 stars
I was mildly dissappointed by this movie. Although some of the comedy was hilarious, I found the camera work dizzying at times. However, when it came time for the paintball action, the camera work was actually spectacular.
I was mildly dissappointed by this movie. Although some of the comedy was hilarious, I found the camera work dizzying at times. However, when it came time for the paintball action, the camera work was actually spectacular.
Spam-ku (Unrated/Short Film) 4 stars
One of the particular good pieces of art dedicated to Spam. The movie is visual, aural, and just seeing all that gooey Spam juice makes you salivate. Well, maybe not.
One of the particular good pieces of art dedicated to Spam. The movie is visual, aural, and just seeing all that gooey Spam juice makes you salivate. Well, maybe not.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Rated R) 5 stars
Movies like Eternal Sunshine remind me that cinema is an art form. There is so much to say about this film that I feel sad that I am only going to write one or two paragraphs. The plot of this movie revolves around Joel (played by Jim Carrey) and his memories of his former girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet). After Joel discovers that Clementine has undergone a memory removal procedure, he decides to do the same in order to get over her. As he undergoes the procedure, he subconciously realizes that he doesn't want to forget her. The only problem is that he is helpless to do anything as the memories begin to fade away.
Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet's perfomance is truly phenomenal and it is a shame that Carrey wasn't nominated for an Oscar. The cinematography is outstanding, especially due to the visual effects that illustrate how Joel's memory is slowly being erased. The effects are so seamless that you barely realize that things are slowly dissapearing (I even had to rewind the DVD to make sure I wasn't hallucinating). In one scene where Joel and Clementine are in a bookstore, you slowly see the bookstore's section labels dissappear, followed by the the books, and then the bookstore. Similar acts of cinematic trickery occur throughout the film. The main theme of this movie is that even with all the pain and suffering that we experience during and after relationships, the old saying still holds true... it is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all. If this story hits close to home, I guarantee you will be in tears. You need to see this film as soon as possible. Call it break-up psychological therapy and tap into your health insurance.
Movies like Eternal Sunshine remind me that cinema is an art form. There is so much to say about this film that I feel sad that I am only going to write one or two paragraphs. The plot of this movie revolves around Joel (played by Jim Carrey) and his memories of his former girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet). After Joel discovers that Clementine has undergone a memory removal procedure, he decides to do the same in order to get over her. As he undergoes the procedure, he subconciously realizes that he doesn't want to forget her. The only problem is that he is helpless to do anything as the memories begin to fade away.
Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet's perfomance is truly phenomenal and it is a shame that Carrey wasn't nominated for an Oscar. The cinematography is outstanding, especially due to the visual effects that illustrate how Joel's memory is slowly being erased. The effects are so seamless that you barely realize that things are slowly dissapearing (I even had to rewind the DVD to make sure I wasn't hallucinating). In one scene where Joel and Clementine are in a bookstore, you slowly see the bookstore's section labels dissappear, followed by the the books, and then the bookstore. Similar acts of cinematic trickery occur throughout the film. The main theme of this movie is that even with all the pain and suffering that we experience during and after relationships, the old saying still holds true... it is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all. If this story hits close to home, I guarantee you will be in tears. You need to see this film as soon as possible. Call it break-up psychological therapy and tap into your health insurance.
Sideways (Rated R) 3 stars
This is a good movie, but it is not great. There isn't a single flaw in this film, but it isn't a spectacular film. The story that this film presents is interesting, but it is not revolutionary. Paul Giamatti's performance was well done, but not as good as when he played Harvey Pekar in American Splendor. After seeing this, I now realize why it only won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Perhaps this movie would have been better if I had consumed as much wine as the characters in this story. Why? Well the story of this movie revolves around Miles (Giamatti) and Jack (played by Thomas Haden Church) as they vacation in California's wine country as part of Jack's extended bachelor party. The movie is informative about wine, wine tasting, and people who love wine. Despite this ever present topic, the story is mutli-faceted since it talks about people's passions (wine, sex, and love.. and yes there is a difference), people's relationships, and the meaning of friendship. I highly recommned you wait to see this movie when it is most affordable (DVD rental or on Pay-Per-View).
This is a good movie, but it is not great. There isn't a single flaw in this film, but it isn't a spectacular film. The story that this film presents is interesting, but it is not revolutionary. Paul Giamatti's performance was well done, but not as good as when he played Harvey Pekar in American Splendor. After seeing this, I now realize why it only won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Perhaps this movie would have been better if I had consumed as much wine as the characters in this story. Why? Well the story of this movie revolves around Miles (Giamatti) and Jack (played by Thomas Haden Church) as they vacation in California's wine country as part of Jack's extended bachelor party. The movie is informative about wine, wine tasting, and people who love wine. Despite this ever present topic, the story is mutli-faceted since it talks about people's passions (wine, sex, and love.. and yes there is a difference), people's relationships, and the meaning of friendship. I highly recommned you wait to see this movie when it is most affordable (DVD rental or on Pay-Per-View).
Garden State (Rated R) 5 stars
We've probably all seen Zach Braff in his humorous role as J.D. on NBC's medical sitcom Scrubs. In this movie, Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a depressed, wannabe actor who returns home to attend his mother's funeral. In the few days he's home, Andrew begins a small journey of self-discovery... wait a minute, this isn't one of those tragic and sad indie films is it? Nope. As Andrew spends time with his friends and his girl interest named Sam (played by Natalie Portman), he begins to realize that his life isn't as bad as he believes. His emotional journey eventually leads him to reunite with his father after years of being estranged as well as to cope with his relationship with the quirky and beautiful Sam.
Braff's directorial debut is phenomenal and will be hard to top. The humor in this movie is subtle and almost sophisticated in a sense. Every character in this movie is complex and brings a certain freshness to this movie that differentiates it from other similar "self-discovery" films. The visuals have a certain symbolism that help evoke Andrew's emotional state. I haven't listened to the DVD commentary (and I probably won't, since I haven't done it for any film) but I'm sure there a some other profound aspects to this film I haven't even beugn to consider. Take the journey to Garden State, you won't regret it. The 5 stars is well deserved.
We've probably all seen Zach Braff in his humorous role as J.D. on NBC's medical sitcom Scrubs. In this movie, Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a depressed, wannabe actor who returns home to attend his mother's funeral. In the few days he's home, Andrew begins a small journey of self-discovery... wait a minute, this isn't one of those tragic and sad indie films is it? Nope. As Andrew spends time with his friends and his girl interest named Sam (played by Natalie Portman), he begins to realize that his life isn't as bad as he believes. His emotional journey eventually leads him to reunite with his father after years of being estranged as well as to cope with his relationship with the quirky and beautiful Sam.
Braff's directorial debut is phenomenal and will be hard to top. The humor in this movie is subtle and almost sophisticated in a sense. Every character in this movie is complex and brings a certain freshness to this movie that differentiates it from other similar "self-discovery" films. The visuals have a certain symbolism that help evoke Andrew's emotional state. I haven't listened to the DVD commentary (and I probably won't, since I haven't done it for any film) but I'm sure there a some other profound aspects to this film I haven't even beugn to consider. Take the journey to Garden State, you won't regret it. The 5 stars is well deserved.
Dogville (Rated R) 4 stars
Dogville is a very lengthy movie at about 3 hours. With that said, the films is unique and outstanding for how it is acted out. The entire movie takes place on a single sound stage that contains a chalk outline of a little town of about a dozen people. There are no houses or structural elements on the set. The actors have to pretend opening doors and respecting the chalk boundaries while they perform. The effect lets the characters concentrate solely on their acting as well as letting the audience see what is happening in the town all at once. In various scenes, two characters are talking while the people of Dogville go about their chores thereby reinforcing a sense of continuity within the film. In other scenes, the effect illustrates how the sleepy town of Dogville is oblivious to the evil deeds of its own townspeople. Lighting and sound effects further intensify the drama of the movie.
With that description of the acting and cinematography out of the way, the plot is still deceptively intense. The story revolves around a girl named Grace (played by Nicole Kidman) who is trying to hide from mobsters in a very small town called Dogville. The townsfolk decide to hide Grace, but eventually they begin to expect favors in return for their help. Grace's presence in the town sets off a chain of events that leads to her eventual enslavement by the town. We see the town go from a quaint, innocent town to a rotten and perverse place. Behind this perversion is Tom Edison (played by Paul Bettany), the town philosopher. Although he is presented as the moral compass of the town, his attempts to illustrate morality and compassion to the town are eventually revealed to be duplicitous in nature. All events lead to a surprise finale when the mobsters show up months after Grace has arrived. The events at the conclusion are sure to stun the audience, but one can sense it after two and a half hours. The movie gets 4 stars because it is too damn long, otherwise it is an excellent film.
Dogville is a very lengthy movie at about 3 hours. With that said, the films is unique and outstanding for how it is acted out. The entire movie takes place on a single sound stage that contains a chalk outline of a little town of about a dozen people. There are no houses or structural elements on the set. The actors have to pretend opening doors and respecting the chalk boundaries while they perform. The effect lets the characters concentrate solely on their acting as well as letting the audience see what is happening in the town all at once. In various scenes, two characters are talking while the people of Dogville go about their chores thereby reinforcing a sense of continuity within the film. In other scenes, the effect illustrates how the sleepy town of Dogville is oblivious to the evil deeds of its own townspeople. Lighting and sound effects further intensify the drama of the movie.
With that description of the acting and cinematography out of the way, the plot is still deceptively intense. The story revolves around a girl named Grace (played by Nicole Kidman) who is trying to hide from mobsters in a very small town called Dogville. The townsfolk decide to hide Grace, but eventually they begin to expect favors in return for their help. Grace's presence in the town sets off a chain of events that leads to her eventual enslavement by the town. We see the town go from a quaint, innocent town to a rotten and perverse place. Behind this perversion is Tom Edison (played by Paul Bettany), the town philosopher. Although he is presented as the moral compass of the town, his attempts to illustrate morality and compassion to the town are eventually revealed to be duplicitous in nature. All events lead to a surprise finale when the mobsters show up months after Grace has arrived. The events at the conclusion are sure to stun the audience, but one can sense it after two and a half hours. The movie gets 4 stars because it is too damn long, otherwise it is an excellent film.
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (Unrated DVD) 2 stars
It was funny, but stoners never make good film material.
It was funny, but stoners never make good film material.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (R) 2 stars
This is a poor sequel and mostly a rehash of the first movie.
This is a poor sequel and mostly a rehash of the first movie.
Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (R) 4 stars
Suicide, family death, and weird people... are a perfect combination for this drama.
Suicide, family death, and weird people... are a perfect combination for this drama.
Primer (PG-13) 2 stars
Confusing and unknowingly cliched.
Confusing and unknowingly cliched.
SLC Punk! (R) 4 stars
The punk theme may not appeal to older audiences, but the drama portrayed is powerful. This movie is not for posers.
The punk theme may not appeal to older audiences, but the drama portrayed is powerful. This movie is not for posers.
Memento (R) 2 stars
This movie is confusing. If you have problems with memory or attention span, this movie won't appeal to you. Then again...
This movie is confusing. If you have problems with memory or attention span, this movie won't appeal to you. Then again...
Taxi (PG-13) 2 stars
Sucked but had a few funny scenes.
Sucked but had a few funny scenes.
Boys Don't Cry (R) 3 stars
White trash and lots of lesbian sex between Chloe Sevigny and Hilary Swank.
White trash and lots of lesbian sex between Chloe Sevigny and Hilary Swank.
Velvet Goldmine (R) 2 stars
Trippy and gay... very gay. This film is more like a rock opera since it revolves around music.
Trippy and gay... very gay. This film is more like a rock opera since it revolves around music.
Lost in Translation (R) 2 stars
Ugh, so boring.
Ugh, so boring.
Alien Apocalypse (TV movie) 1 stars
This movie was horrible. I have to admit that I was holding out hope that Bruce Campbell could pull this one together. Alas, it sucked more than my Dyson. Although Campbell is known for playing the humorous hero from such B-movies as The Evil Dead and Army of Darkness, this movie fails to capitalize on his talents. Renee O'Connor co-stars as a fellow astronaut, who along with Campbell's character, returns to Earth forty years later to find that the planet is enslaved by termite-like creatures. O'Connor is famous (sort of) for playing Gabrielle in Xena: Warrior Princess. She seems relegated to a similar role in this Sci-Fi channel film.
The movie must have had an extremely low budget because the action is cheesy and obviously fake, more so than a typical B-movie. It seemed, and now is clearly obvious, that several of the minor characters had their voices dubbed. Everything about this movie screamed fake. Now, with a movie like this I kind of expect it, but this movie lacked any humor to really pick up the slack. Fortunately this movie was free and available on the Sci-Fi channel. I would not recommend this movie at all.
This movie was horrible. I have to admit that I was holding out hope that Bruce Campbell could pull this one together. Alas, it sucked more than my Dyson. Although Campbell is known for playing the humorous hero from such B-movies as The Evil Dead and Army of Darkness, this movie fails to capitalize on his talents. Renee O'Connor co-stars as a fellow astronaut, who along with Campbell's character, returns to Earth forty years later to find that the planet is enslaved by termite-like creatures. O'Connor is famous (sort of) for playing Gabrielle in Xena: Warrior Princess. She seems relegated to a similar role in this Sci-Fi channel film.
The movie must have had an extremely low budget because the action is cheesy and obviously fake, more so than a typical B-movie. It seemed, and now is clearly obvious, that several of the minor characters had their voices dubbed. Everything about this movie screamed fake. Now, with a movie like this I kind of expect it, but this movie lacked any humor to really pick up the slack. Fortunately this movie was free and available on the Sci-Fi channel. I would not recommend this movie at all.
Film Reviews
Rating System:
5 Star system: 5 is the highest any film review can achieve. Usually I will set 3 stars as the threshold to an enjoyable film experience. Two star films are poor choices but may have some redeeming qualities. One star films are horrid and pointless wastes of time, money, and brain cells.
NOTE: Why I don’t use the conventional 4 Star system or the 10 Scale system? You’ll have to ask! I have a strong opinion about this.