Movie Reviews 2003

Matrix: Revolutions (2003)
Watched - 12/3/03 Let's hope this is the last of my forgotten reviews. Well, after everyone complained my expectations went down. And guess what, I liked it. Frankly it's been too long and I need to see it again, I don't really remember any specific opinions I had about it. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/24/04; 6:41:53 PM

Love Actually (2003)

Watched - 12/7/03 (Another movie I forgot to review. I've been doing a lousy job recently of tracking these, so there have been quite a few out of order.) This movie had lots of different little love stories running along side each other without really intersecting much. There is overlap, in that some characters make appearances in a second story. Other then occasionally feeling like I couldn't take all that sappiness all at once, I really enjoyed it. And at the end I had to wrack my brain to think if they had tidied up every story line, and they had, but one of them didn't have a "happily ever after" to it. It has so many relationship types covered that the only thing that drove me nuts was that they absolutely couldn't cross the line and have a poly relationship included. There is one happy couple, where the best friend of the guy is in love with the woman, and just pines on the sidelines. I want to know why? Why can't they try being poly and see if the fact the guys are best friends helps them to be able to be involved with the same woman, and be happy about it? It's just infuriating to say we can love lots of people (parents and friends) in a 'different way', but it's just supposed to be impossible to be 'in love with' more then one person. Maybe it wouldn't have been so infuriating if they hadn't dangled it right in front of me. Look, here's three people who could very easily be in a happy poly relationship, but no, we can't do that. Haha. Just teasing you. I think I'll just take a few deep breaths and kick the soap box away before I really get into it. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/20/04; 11:23:29 PM

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

Watched - 12/28/03 Funny, silly and charming. It's a musical about how a guy works his way to the top by doing nothing but charming people and being in the right place at the right time. The colors, the secretarial pool, and the clothes make it really obvious when this was made. The song that sticks with me is "A Secretary is Not a Toy". If that doesn't say something about the 60's I don't know what does. Oh, it's worth mentioning that we had to see this one because Michael's mom worked on it and he remembers visiting the set with her. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/1/04; 3:30:35 PM

Star Wars, Episode II, Attack of the Clones (2002)

Watched 12/27/03 This'll be the forth time I've seen this now. (Michael received the DVD as a Xmas gift from Donna.) This time my main comment is that I think they spent more time and attention on the special affects then they did on getting the best performances they could out of all these great actors. I think that Natalie Portman gave the best performance overall. And I'm glad that R2D2 and C3PO are around to supply their traditional comic relief. Oh, and Anakin is just as much of a whiny punk as Luke. Like father like son, eh? (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/1/04; 3:22:37 PM

Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

Watched 12/25/03 Just as fabulous the second time. (The DVD was a gift from Michael. TY!) This has to be my favorite performance by Johnny Depp to date. (And I've been watching him since Nightmare on Elm Street and Jump Street. Hee Hee) Captain Jack is hard to define, but the cross between a drunken drag queen and Keith Richards is pretty close. I look forward to checking out all the extra stuff and watching this many times in the future. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/1/04; 3:14:36 PM

Neverwhere (1996)

Watched - 12/21/03 Speaking of.... Michael had never seen this so we rented the DVDs. I'm not so happy that six episodes which total less then two hours are split on to two discs so that you have to pay double to get the whole thing, but that's marketing, not content. It's obviously made for TV but they do a damn good job with the budget they had. I like the characters and the acting is good. I really enjoyed watching the interview with Neil Gaiman at the end too. He talked about journalists coming to the set and sort freaking out because it was all so bizarre, and his comment was something like; 'That's how the inside of my mind looks all the time.' (sorry I don't own it so I can't go check and get it exact.) Oh, and this may be a good place to mention he has a blog, and he posts regularly, so if you like him anyway, you may find it quite entertaining. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/1/04; 2:41:08 PM

Charlie's Angel's 2: Full Throtle (2003)

Watched - 12/20/03 What do you expect? I expected T&A, and that it would be pretty in that expensive sort of way. That's what I got. Plus, I enjoyed some of the extra stuff about the actresses doing most of their own stunts, and about the stunt guys who were their stand ins for the motor cross stuff. The funny thing about these guys was that they all made a point of saying how they really didn't like dressing up as girls.... macho posturing. *sigh* But the guy in white really does a back flip on the bike, and that is quite amazing. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/1/04; 2:23:23 PM

LotR: The Return of the King (2003)

Watched - 12/17/03 (opening day) I never (usually) go to see any movie on opening day let alone opening weekend, I just loathe the crowds. But Ivo had tickets for this Wednesday matinee and I thought it might be nice to see this before people had a chance to rave or complain at length about it. I wanted to be able to form my own opinion of it. You know what? I loved it. Of course. I had fewer complaints than with the middle one. I think I may have had one, but now I can't recall what it was. Not important. I want to see it at least once more in the theatre and I can't wait for the extended version, which I hear is gonna be huge. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/1/04; 1:29:52 PM

Spirited Away (2001)
Watched - 12/14/03 I read somewhere that it was somehow inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I can see some vague connections if I try, little girl ends of in mysterious fantasy world, but it's thin and not at all important. It's a great story, and it's beautiful and I love the dragon of course, and so I highly recommend it. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/1/04; 1:20:51 PM

The Vanishing (1993)

Watched - 12/13/03 I'm not much for horror or thrillers even, but I remember liking this one and Michael had never seen it. It worked less well the second time, but I still liked it. The worst part is wanting to yell at the good guy for being so stupid and playing into the bad guy's traps. The best part is Jeff Bridges playing a bad guy. He's great. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/1/04; 1:17:40 PM

SNL: Best of Steve Martin (1999)
Watched - 12/13/03 I was baking and I wanted something on the TV to keep me company, and comedy shows that I've seen before, and enjoy, work well for this. I've always liked Steve Martin so this was an easy win. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/1/04; 1:14:40 PM

Circle of Friends (1995)
Watched - 12/12/03 Sappy and Romantic I loved it. Love Minnie Driver, and the story was well written, and I love period pieces of any sort, so all around good movie for me. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 1/1/04; 1:10:57 PM

Daredevil (2003)

Watched - recently, and I forgot to enter it and now I can't recall when exactly It was okay. I've always found Ben Affleck a bit flat, plenty of things didn't make sense, but it was pretty. Bullseye was the most interesting character. He only really cared about the fact that he never missed. So it was all business until Daredevil made him miss, then it was personal. It was so over the top that I couldn't help but be amused. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 12/19/03; 11:35:22 PM

Me, Myself and Irene (2000)
Watched - 11/30/03 I only agreed to watch this movie because I was hoping it would cheer Michael up. He loves slap stick comedy. He really likes Jim Carrey, and he hadn't seen this one. It was stupid, but it made him laugh out loud a lot, so it was worth it. It worked. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 12/19/03; 11:26:35 PM

Master and Commander (2003)

Watched - 11/28/03 Saw this is Port Townsend, at The Rose Theatre, while we were there for Thanksgiving weekend. I hate crowded theatres. First someone behind us spilled their drink and in the rush to grab up my coat I spilled my popcorn. Luckily there was plenty left to eat. Then someone came shoving past us to get almost to the other end of the row, and as Michael jumped to get out of the way he spilled his candy. *sigh* Luckily things calmed down when the film started. The movie was fabulous. The acting was good, you could tell they put a lot of time and effort into all the details and the scenery was spectacular. They took some care to show you what life was like on board this boat for everyone, and they did it without slowing down the action. They managed to explain almost everything without making a big deal of it. Here's one thing they didn't explain, why were there such young boys (officers) on board? Maybe they figured people already know this one, but I've talked to at least one person who didn't and there must be more. I learned this one from watching Horatio Hornblower. In those days if you were the second or third son of a man with money, you couldn't inherit his money so he might buy you a commision in the Royal Navy. You'd be sent off pretty young to start learning your new career. Michael has read several of the books and he was worried that they wouldn't do a good enough job, but even he loved it. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 12/19/03; 11:21:42 PM

The Two Towers, (4 hour version) (2002)

Watched - 11/23/03 Lots of fun little additions. Just details, nothing major, an 30 seconds here a few minutes there. We took a little break in the middle, but other then being too long to watch in one solid sitting, I rather liked it. I'd rather they make it longer and better then cut it more because some people would complain about the length. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 12/7/03; 6:24:10 PM

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Watched - maybe 11/19/03? I watched this about two or three weeks back and forgot to get it in here. Hard to believe this is Disney, but it seems like the only times I enjoy there films at all is when they are original stories. Normally they take a beloved story and put it through what I call the Disney Blender and pour out a some of it and see what the get. But not this one, here we have a weird little girl who doesn't get along very well with her peers. Then she goes and adopts an alien from the pound and all hell breaks loose. In the end there seems to be this message that family is good even if it's weird and unconventional. That was quite unexpected. Stitch, the alien, is a fugitive and the creation of a mad scientist, whose only purpose is supposed to be destruction. Even that goes a bit awry, and much fun is had. In other words, I enjoyed it. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 12/7/03; 6:07:43 PM

The Hunted (1994)

Watched - 11/16/03 Samurai vs. Ninja in modern Japan with a stupid white guy stuck in the middle. Yep, it's that kind of movie, and if you don't like them then you probably shouldn't watch it. Sometimes I find it hard to figure out what I think of a movie when I'm surrounded by people, while watching it, who all have a very strong and similar opinion of the film. In this case, they all hated it, thought it was stupid and just terrible. Kind of frustrating. I found bits of it interesting and enjoyed some of the fight scenes. The acting wasn't so bad, but the plot was pretty lame. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 11/21/03; 9:27:46 PM

A Bugs Life (1998)

Watched - 11/15/03 Oh boy, did I need to watch something silly and fun. This was it, this worked. Not for every day, or even very often, but still it's good. You've got an ant, (only four limbs mind you, so they are mutants I guess) who doesn't want to walk in line with everyone else and carry food the usual way. He wants to innovate and do it better. No one understands or likes him. But there is a problem to be overcome and a bully to be stood up to. Fun starts when he hires "warrior bugs" to help out, but they're actually "circus bugs". (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 11/21/03; 9:18:41 PM

Whale Rider (2002)

Watched - 11/9/03 It's a well made fairy tale. I loved it. A young girl who's been told all her life that she's a disappointment, not wanted. They wanted a boy, a first born son who would be the next leader of their people. A tribe of Maori in New Zealand. But they got her, a girl. Sure they love her, but still, she can't be the next leader. She has all of this to overcome. Her father left, and she is raised by her grandparents. Her grandfather is the worst. His own son wasn't good enough for him, and drove him off, and now his granddaughter is certainly not good enough. But she is determined to prove herself to him. It's heartbreaking and fantastic. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 11/21/03; 9:07:38 PM

American Werewolf in London (1981)

Watched - 11/2/03 So, I remember sitting in a theatre on my mom's lap hiding under a sweater while this movie played on the screen. I actually remember the hiding part, I've been told it was at this movie. I was maybe a bit too young at the time. Maybe. Since then I hadn't gotten around to seeing it. It's general popularity has made me curious, and my dislike of horror films has been enough to keep me from getting around to it. Now, it was Halloween weekend, and this seemed like the perfect time to give it a try. So, we did. And I think we were all a bit disappointed. The plot was thin, the acting was so-so, and bloody stuff was a little excessive, but I hear the werewolf transformation special effects were top notch in 1981. Now I need to see American Werewolf in Paris, which I heard sucked in comparison. I need to see it because I'm wondering how it could possibly suck in comparison to this. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 11/5/03; 10:30:39 PM

Stealing Beauty (1996)
Watched - 10/20/03 Still my favorite movie ever! Gets me every time. Here's one of the poems: I'm quite as a cup quick come rattle me come wake me up (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 10/31/03; 8:37:21 PM

Bad Influence (1990)
Watched - 10/19/03 Weird little Rob Lowe and James Spader movie. Guess who plays the bad influence and who plays the sucker? But aside from type casting, I think I enjoyed it. They played the whole thing at a pretty good rate. Pacing and mood went along just right. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 10/31/03; 8:34:47 PM

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Watched - 10/19/03 It's been years since I've seen this. All remembered from the previous viewing was was the dresses the brides wear at the end, lots of running around, Kim Cattrall playing a bimbo, and Kurt Russell playing a dufus. I found this was fairly accurate. It's silly action, and since it's John Carpenter it's a spaghetti western set in San Francisco's China Town. I once read an interview with him where he said the spaghetti western has always been his favorite kind of movie, and all of his movie are those, but in different settings. Now whenever I see one of his movies I see that. I see what he means. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 10/23/03; 8:16:49 PM

Underworld (2003)

Watched - 10/5/03 Yep, I liked it. Who'd've guessed it? Right, everybody. Beckinsale isn't perfect, but she does a good job. Lots of other good actors in there who's names I am clueless about. Very pretty dark world. Everything happens at night, and it never even occurred to me to think there was something wrong with that. But then, I like vampire stories and I am aware that those only happen at night. But the back story was pretty cool, but not nearly as well explained in the movie itself as it was in other places. What I mean is that I knew more about it going in than they explained in the film itself. I've heard people complain that the plot wasn't as good as the backstory, but I thought it worked just fine. Oh, and Selene (Beckinsale) has a yummy, and sometimes distracting, wardrobe. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 10/7/03; 10:33:45 PM

Benny & Joon (1993)
Watched - 10/3/03 This is a very sweet, romantic film. I hadn't seen it since it was in the theater ten years ago, but I remember rather enjoying it. Lots of great actors and a good story. I'm glad I watched it again. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 10/7/03; 10:19:02 PM

Tank Girl (1995)
Watched - 10/1/03 This is quite simply one of my favorite movies ever! Lori Petty is amazing, the rippers are fabulous, and the comic book feel of the movie is perfect. If you haven't seen it you should do so immediately. And if you have, well you probably need to see it again right? (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 10/7/03; 10:14:40 PM

Vanilla Sky (2001)

Watched - 9/28/03 Rather strange movie, but interesting. You spend most of it confused. It isn't until right at the end that they explain it to you. And luckily it isn't a cop-out ending. It really does explain everything. I don't really enjoy being confused. I think I prefer a story that lulls you into thinking that you know everything and then slowly adds layers of complexity until some grand final outcome. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 9/30/03; 8:29:29 PM

The Girl on the Bridge (1999)

Watched - 9/21/03 Strange, but very sweet film. Good acting , weird story, black and white. There is sex which is throw away and then there are the scenes between the two main characters which are very erotic and yet they never have sex in the movie. A friend who watched the movie with us said it seemed that we were missing something, like a French fairy tale that we don't know but that the filmmakers were referencing that would have helped us understand. I think she may be right. Luckily I enjoyed it anyway. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 9/25/03; 11:46:34 PM

The Two Towers (2002)
Watched - 9/14/03 Still wonderful! And in a couple months the extended version will be released with 40 extra minutes added throughout the film. I can't wait. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 9/16/03; 10:43:50 PM

The Abyss (1989)

Watched 9/7/03 I've liked this movie since the first time I saw it in the theatre. I've probably seen it half a dozen times by now, and this was at least the second time I'd watched the extended version. I like it even better. I think the ending makes more sense. In the theatre version it wasn't quite so obvious that the world powers were about to nuke each, and they left out the part about the aliens sending a warning. Without this it doesn't make nearly as much sense that the aliens would suddenly decide to surface and make contact with the human race as a whole. It's pretty, and it has good acting too. You get wrapped up in the story, you get tense, you laugh, and you cry. At least I do. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 9/16/03; 10:36:10 PM

Thirteen (2003)

Watched - 8/30/03 This movie is really well made, well acted and written, but not for the faint of heart. It's basically about a 13 year old girl who starts her 7th grade year of school still a child and decides to change that by becoming best friends with the hottest bad girl around. She gets into drugs, sex and theft before long and is completely out of control. The secondary story is about the girl's relationship with her mother, who tries to be responsible but understanding. Which is to say that she wants to be buddies with her kids and I think she ends up compromising the parental part too much. First, I'm glad to say that I never went through anything so severe as this, and my mother is hopefully thankful for that. Second, I'm glad that I have already decided not to have kids and will never be in the mother's role either. The interesting thing going on behind this movie is that the girl who plays the bad girl in the movie co-wrote the movie at the age of 13 and then acted the part at the age of 14. It seems that this is her story as the good girl gone bad. My head is just roiling with a hundred different things about the reality of it all, and what separates the good girls from the bad ones and whether the mother really could have done anything to stop it from happening. And so on. Just one more reason to help reinforce my desire to stay child free. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 8/31/03; 6:43:25 PM

It Happened One Night (1934)

Watched - 8/24/03 Fabulous! Here is a black and white movie made almost 70 years ago that stands the test of time. I understood and cared about the characters, I laughed out loud and I enjoyed the story and acting. The funniest part was watching a little extra afterwards that tells how the lead actress didn't want to do the film. She told them she could only do it if they paid her double her normal salary, and it had to be filmed during her four week vacation from the studio she was contracted with, which started the next day. They scrambled to make it happen and they had to listen to her complain the whole time. In the end it was wildly popular, and won five oscars, including best actress. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 8/31/03; 6:02:06 PM

A Passage to India (1984)

Watched - 8/17/03 Fascinating and well done. Good acting, beautiful scenery, and well written. It's a drama set in India during British colonial times there. 1928 I think they said. (This next may be a spoiler so if you haven't seen it don't read it.) Many tensions play here. I think the one that speaks to me the most is Adela's moment of clarity and truth at the trial. The way in which everyone around her was expecting certain things. The English setting her up and pushing her along. The Indians hating her. The whole thing turning into politics and the individuals getting lost along the way. She is put on the stand and made to swear on the bible that she will tell the truth. She searches her memory for the truth and she tells it. Why? Certainly not for the British or the Indians who were all worked up into a political frenzy. Not for the man she accused of attempted rape, even though he is set free he continues to hate her and call her his enemy for an undefined number of years afterwards. I don't think she ever asks his forgiveness or that of anyone else. I believe she did it because no matter what else happened she couldn't see an innocent man punished because she lied. Or remembered things incorrectly. I may have to read the book that this is based on to see if there are additional details about tricks the human mind can play on us. For more on people wrongly accused and jailed based on altered memories, you should read "Injustice For All" (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 8/19/03; 10:11:40 PM

Henry & June (1990)

Watched - 8/10/03 Wow, this is an incredibly erotic film, but then I suppose that's the point. I just haven't read any of her books, letters, or diaries before so I had no real idea what I was in for here. Fascinating. Of course I will now need to start reading. There is certainly a reason she is so popular. Oh, the movie is beautiful and well acted, and did I mention, erotic. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 8/17/03; 1:16:36 PM

Fallen (1998)
Watched - 8/9/03 This was my second time watching this film. It's the sort of movie with lots of twists and turns and surprises, so it was worth watching again. I caught lots of additional little clues and details that I missed the first time. I think it's a really good supernatural thriller. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 8/17/03; 12:50:36 PM

American Pie 2 (2001)

Watched - 8/7/03 I have to say that this was about what I expected. Funny, in that slap stick and excessive embarrassment humor kind of way. Worth seeing once, in that it pretty much makes fun of everyone. Each character is the butt of some joke or another and in that way it's a fair caricature of average middle Americans, I think. Michael loves slap stick humor and laughed himself silly. If you aren't yourself all that into slap stick, I recommend that you watch this with someone who is. Makes a big difference. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 8/17/03; 12:48:03 PM

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Watched - 8/3/03 It took me forever to get around to watching this even though I'd heard great things about it from lots of different people. And they were right, it's a really good movie. Family drama and comedy. It's an extreme of what most people go through and therefore can relate to. Dealing with the expectations of your family. You love them and you want them to be proud of you, but you want to live your own life too. How do you make these things work out, how do you make everyone happy. You don't have to be Greek, or even come from a really big family with heavy traditions brought over from another country. The specifics of this family are great, but it still appeals to a bigger audience. I think sometimes that the best thing a storyteller can do is to tell a very specific story about someone who is very real. If you are human you will see the ways in which you can connect to the story even if the details of your story are different. This movie has great characters, good acting, lots of funny stuff, with a good balance to the drama. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 8/10/03; 3:49:09 PM

Labyrinth (1986)
Watched - 8/2/03 "I ask for so little, Just let me rule you, and you can have everything you want. Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." --Jareth, Goblin King (aka David Bowie) I have never been able to figure out why she would say no to that. *grin* This is one of my two favorite movies of all time. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 8/2/03; 11:30:05 PM

Tomb Raider II (2003)

Watched - 7/29/03 Oh it was sooo pretty. Which is exactly where my expectations were going in. Indiana Jones was set in the 40s, so he didn't have all the cool toys. Lara Croft is like a cross between him and a spy. I like that bad ass leading women (not second to a leading man, but the true lead) seem to be more popular now. Maybe my expectations are so low that seeing any (Buffy, Anita, and Lara) makes my day. I hope they keep getting more and more popular. I want to see Lara take up with a new guy in every movie, like so many lead male characters have over the years, without so much as a backwards glance. I wanna see female leads who can get laid without criticism or guilt. The production code may have been lifted in the 60s but it had already done so much damage. Huray for strong leading female characters, may they keep getting stronger. Okay, back to the movie... This movie has one ultimate visual that will be burned in my memory blissfully forever. Lara riding a black horse side-sadle with a crossbow (or some other weapon?) anyway, long black leather coat, riding hard and firing at targets. Goprgeous. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 8/1/03; 7:11:55 PM

Shanghai Knights (2003)

Watched - 7/27/03 Jackie Chan is always good for a laugh. Good slap stick stuff. I think they went a little overboard with the use of famous names for characters, but I can roll my eyes and let it slide. Unfortunately the soundtrack was a bit jarring. Given that the movie is set in the Victorian era, the sudden appearance of famous songs from the 1960s & '70s was too distracting from the action. I still laughed and was entertained, so it wasn't too terribly bad. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/31/03; 11:48:29 PM

Equilibrium (2002)

Watched - 7/23/03 This one is weird, but interesting. A futuristic world where emotions have been outlawed. The idea being that they are the cause of war, and they don't want anymore wars. So the powers that be start slaughtering anyone who has them. Oh, they judge on the simple fact of whether you are taken your meds or not. The entire population takes Prozium. If they find out you are off your drugs, if you are caught with outlawed items of art then you are likely to die. They big problem I had with all of this was between the fact that people seemed to display a narrow range of subtle emotions without getting in trouble, but at the same time everyone talked like they weren't supposed to have any feelings at all. These two things didn't work for me. On the other hand, it didn't bother Michael at all. So judge for yourself. If you like 'dark future' themed movies then give it a shot. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/31/03; 11:40:35 PM

Empire Records (1995)

Watched - 7/22/03 A favorite. I can't even say how many times I've seen this one because I've completely lost count. First, I adore Liv Tyler, no denying it. Second, this movie is full of characters I've known. In high school easily, if not since. But the point is that I laugh my ass off when I watch this movie because the characters seem familiar to me. The Artist, The Brain, The Slut, The Stoner, The Weirdo, etc... There is nothing earth shattering about the story, but it is quite entertaining. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/31/03; 11:30:09 PM

Raiders of the Lost Arc (1981)
Watched - 7/20/03 What can I say? It's the first Indiana Jones movie. If I didn't love it, I wouldn't have watched it again. The old fashioned adventure is pretty cool. Treasure hunting in the late '30s, early '40s, it's like a fantasy world. It's a genre that doesn't get much attention anymore and that's too bad. I like it. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/31/03; 10:24:36 PM

Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence (1998)

Watched - 7/13/03 Which apparently goes by the title "The Very Thought of You" in the USA. The confusing thing about using IMDb is that even though I view the US version of it, all titles are stated as the original. I don't mind this really, but it can be confusing if I call my video store and ask for "Martha..." and they have no idea what I'm talking about. Anyway, the movie. Plot: A girl from the US hates her life so she decides to pick up and take the first flight she can afford, $99 to London. She meets Daniel on the airplane, and Lawrence in the London airport, and Frank in the park, all within a couple days. The problem is that they all fall for her, and they have been best friends since childhood. Let the confusion begin. Joseph Fiennes is great, and Monica Potter does a good job. I like Rufus Sewell too. And the romantic comedy thing worked a lot better here than I expected it to. I actually got a little misty eyed at the end. Then, I start thinking. I wonder how I can be a sappy romantic and so jaded at the same time. I like the romantic bits and I was happy to see the *right* match get made at the end. But I hate the "happily ever after" that gets implied at the end. I know it isn't their fault. It's because of fairy tales like Cinderella and Snow White getting simplified and made prettier and happier for modern children. Those stories end with the "happily ever after" line, and I still hear it at the end of any movie like this one, and it drives me nuts. I like to think that this is only chapter one. We don't know if they'll still be together in 6 months or 6 years even, let alone forever. They haven't done anything except realize that they have a few things in common really, but it's done so sweet and clever that we are happy they will get a chance to make a go of it, right? Really, this tirade just leads back to how much I hate the disney type of fairy tale. Here's where I tell you to see "Into the Woods" it's all about what comes after H.E.A.. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/13/03; 11:23:36 PM

Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

Watched - 7/12/03 We went to the 11:30 pm show last night to avoid a full house with kids. It worked! More importantly, I never go to movies on opening weekend because I hate crowds. I hate noisy people of any age. I hate having my seat kicked from behind, or even down the row a few. For this movie I made an exception because I *reallyreally* wanted to see it, I've been waiting for this one, and I couldn't wait any longer. I wasn't disappointed either! What fun! Johnny Depp is amazing, Geoffrey Rush and Orlando Bloom are great, the scenery is beautiful, the sword fights are fun and entertaining. One of the first ones seemed musical, I loved that. But mainly I wanted to watch Depp being a beautiful, charming freak for two and a half hours. I laughed and bounced in my seat regularly. I don't think I actually drooled, but damn is he pretty. Ebert says his incredibly unique performance here is like he's channeling a drunken drag queen, and a friend of mine who I saw coming out of the theatre as we were waiting to go in said he thought Depp was channeling Keith Richards. I like the drag queen reference myself. Either way it was charming and highly entertaining. I already know that I want to own this movie when it becomes available. Hell, I may go see it in the theatre again! (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/13/03; 4:56:49 PM

Barton Fink (1991)

Watched - 7/11/03 This is a Coen brother movie and they tend to be a little too out in left field for me. I'm sure it must be brilliant, but genius and insanity are really so close, sometimes you walk a fine line between them. Having to interpret all of the craziness that happens can be a little beyond me. But I don't think I do too bad. I say it was all a big metaphor for Hell. Or at least this guys personal Hell. Maybe it is what the Coen brothers think it would be like. On the other hand Ebert said it was all about the rise of the Nazis, this opinion seems to be based on the fact that it's set in 1941 and a bad guy says "Hail Hitler". This seems like a narrow view based on a flimsy bit of evidence. I didn't enjoy it. It was slow and painful. I like John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and I think several of the actors gave good performances here. But this movie was just so dreadfully painful that I felt tortured. Which I don't enjoy. *Bleh* (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/13/03; 4:43:16 PM

Project A II (1993)

Watched - 7/9/03 This is a great Jackie Chan movie. I enjoy watching his movies occasionally. Fun, fast paced and beautifully choreographed. My only problem is that my eyes are lame and I read slow, and of course it was subtitled. So in the beginning when all the plot is being set up I was so busy reading that I didn't get to watch faces and keep all the characters straight. Later the action picks up and the dialog slacked off. At that point I was able to sort out the faces. It was funny and clever too, I laughed out loud several times. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/13/03; 4:20:40 PM

Romancing the Stone (1984)

Watched - 7/5/03 It's been many years since I'd seen this and I suddenly had the urge to see it again. This is a fun, funny movie. I really enjoy watching all of these actors: Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, and Danny Devito. The plot is a bit simple, but it's an action/comedy and isn't intended to be deep. It's just amusing and silly. I like it. I don't think there are enough of this genre of action movie, the Indian Jones type of film. I suspect that's why the Tomb Raider movies are so popular. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/13/03; 3:50:08 PM

Hulk (2003)

Watched - 7/2/03 Oops. I've gotten a little behind on my reviews here. This was a good movie. Better then I had expected. The CGI is better and the story was even better then I thought it would be. There is one strange, over the top, supernatural scene at the end that I don't think they needed. I could have lived without it, especially since they do a good job of at least hinting at an explanation for everything else. But not at all for this. The acting was great, as expected. I already like Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte. The star, Eric Bana was knew to me and he did alright, though I have to say that I think his best scenes were ones he didn't speak in. He had amazing facial expressions but didn't always deliver his lines excellently. Oh, and this was a visual gorgeous movie. (IMDb link) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/13/03; 3:43:39 PM

Emma (1996)

Watched - 6/29/03 An almost painful comedy about women in 19th century England. The joke isn't quite so much on the men. In the center we have a rich girl who has nothing better to do than meddle in the affairs of others. She tries to play matchmaker but isn't any good at it. There is the girl who she keeps trying to match, she's good natured but not very bright. A chatterbox, who drives you nuts. Her old mother, mostly ignored. And various other wives and sisters and other related women. All distinct and made the butt of some joke or other. It seems to me that it's about a variety of mostly well off women who don't have much to do besides cause trouble. Of course, everything works out it in the end. I enjoyed it well enough, but don't highly recommend it. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/1/03; 11:35:18 PM

Finding Nemo (2003)

Watched - 6/25/03 I fun kids movie that adults can enjoy too. That's what Pixar is good at, right? About an overly protective father (clown fish) and his son Nemo, who has a gimpy fin. I bubbly blue fish, Dory*, who is always happy and chattery, but a bit forgetful, helps out. She's more than a sidekid, I think she steals the show. When Nemo gets kidnapped by a scuba diver his dad madly travels across the sea to find him. Making friends with sharks and sea turtles and pelican along the way. Not my favorite among Pixar's films, but certainly worth seeing on the big screen all the same. (*She reminds me of an ex-girlfriend of mine, which made me smile a lot.) Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/1/03; 11:19:30 PM

But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)

Watched - 6/22/03 I laughed out loud several times. Always a good indication that I enjoyed a movie. This one is about a girl who gets sent to a rehab camp for gay teens. To get straightened out, so to speak. The funny thing is that this girl had no idea she was gay. Her parents, boyfriend, and cheerleading friends gang up on her and send her away because she's a vegetarian and has a poster of Melissa Etheridge in her bedroom. Oh and her boyfriend has noticed that she doesn't like kissing him. Under all of the campy over the top comedy it makes some serious statements about how crazy it is to think you can change who someone is by ridiculing them and teaching them about proper gender roles. To graduate the girls have to diaper a baby doll and scrub a floor, while the boys have to chop wood and play football. Then as the final test they have to play-act a straight sexual encounter. It's all very embarassing, and meant to be. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/1/03; 10:47:24 PM

The Sting (1973)

Watched - 6/21/03 This is a really good movie. That's probably why it won seven oscars including best picture. It's been awhile since I've seen a movie with Paul Newman, and I think I forgot how good he is. He's a great actor, and those eyes will just melt you. A little plot: In Chicago, 1930, a small time thief is trying to learn the 'big con'. He teams up with a pro and they go after the crime boss who had a friend and partner of theirs killed. There are lots of great character. Lots of familiar actors. The pace is pretty fast and it's highly entertaining overall. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 7/1/03; 10:18:09 PM

Die Another Day
Watched 6/15/03 It's a Bond movie. My expectations were about right. It was a fun action movie, but not to deep in the plot area. Fantastic visual, crazy stunts and Pierce Brosnan makes a great Bond. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 6/23/03; 8:03:13 PM

The Adventures Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Watched 6/11/03 I love this movie. I hadn't seen it in a few years and enjoyed watching it again now that I am familiar with all three of the lead actors, not just one of them. Hugo Weaving, in my opinion, plays Agent Smith (Matrix) and Elrond (LotR) much the same. As Michael likes to say "Welcome to Rivendale, Mr. Anderson." They have the same stoic mannerisms. But as Mitzi/Anthony he played a three dimensional person. A drag queen, with a wife and a kid hidden away in Alice Springs. His fears about being a father and his way of drunkenly pitching Wo-man make-up products in a bar in the middle of nowhere worked for me. Guy Pearce as Felicia/Adam was a riot. I remember the character from previous viewing but I hadn't yet seen Momento, or The Count of Monte Cristo back then. I like being familiar with an actor and comparing his various performances. I like it when they aren't stereotyped. I like it when I see them successfully performing different types of characters. Drag Queen, villian, or ouright freak, he's done pretty good. Oh, and let's not forget Exley from LA Confidential, he played a great Good Guy there. Terence Stamp would be the one I had recognized before. I think he's best remembered as General Zod from Superman, and I have no idea how he feels about that. I know I've seen him do other things that just don't stand out so glaringly in my memory. The Limey (1999) was damn good though, I highly recommend that one. But his part here as Bernadette will probably be more widely remembered. He's a rather good actor. The movie: I laughed, I cried, and I absolutely adored his wife. But she had a very small part. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 6/17/03; 8:41:54 PM

I'm No Angel

Watched 6/8/03 Mae West and Cary Grant (1933). The story wasn't very smooth, and some of the elements were dated and therefore hard to associate with. But at the same time I liked it for that exact reason. They seemed to know how to create costumes that worked best in black and white, and I'll bet that special effect for making it look like she was actually putting her head into the lion's mouth was state of the art. I was amused by all of her giggling black maids, and her gold digging attitude. Some of her humor worked, but a lot of it seemed like lines delivered into a vacuum. Sometimes they came off perfectly, just not often enough. And her exagerated mannerism and expressions made me wonder if she hadn't transitioned from stage to screen very smoothly. Old black and whites have something to offer, but when you watch a film from 1933 or thereabouts you have to remember to set your expectations accurately. It was 70 years ago. I think a lot of movies and actors of that time period look like they were made for a stage and not the big screen. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 6/16/03; 8:44:00 PM

Anna and the King

Watched - 5/18/03 Beautiful, and a tear jerker. Why have I waited so long to see this? I'm not sure. It was beautiful and interesting. I have no idea how close it comes to the truth or not, but I don't mind. I suppose I could read the original diaries if I wanted to. I think the actors were great, and the customes, sets and everything were magnificent. They tugged at your heart strings in various places, instead of saving up for the ending. Michael found that he hadn't seen it because Ebert gave it a horrible review. He just seemed to really have a bug up his butt about this one. Reading it, I didn't get the feeling that it had anything to do with this movie, but more with the fact that he had hated the story and previous incarnations for years before this came out. Oh well. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 5/26/03; 2:02:45 PM

Matrix Reloaded

Watched - 5/17/03 Wow, it's a whirlwind of images and plot pieces. I spent the next 24 hours thinking about it and talking about it with Michael. Trying to figure out all the tid bits that they threw at us. Trying to grasp them all and put the pieces together like a puzzle. Apparently there are lots of chat groups online doing the same thing. I liked it, but I am worried that they won't pull the whole thing together very well with the third film. But I have this same worry when reading some of the best books too. I'm not a writer so I can't always think of good ways for it to happen. Most of the time the author does manage to pull it off. So, maybe just maybe we will all be very pleased in November. I could say why this and why not that, and what was this about and why did he say this and what did that mean, but I'll save it, and see what comes next. Oh, Michael and I came home and watched the first one again that same night after seeing Reloaded. That was fun. Reminded us of some things and helped us recognize some details that never occurred to us in six previous viewings. Here's a great article I found: http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0320/dark.php Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 5/26/03; 1:56:15 PM

Kingpin
Watched - 5/10/03 Can I just say that it was repulsive and be done with it? No, it had one redeeming moment for me, one gag that made me laugh out loud; Randy Quaid in stripper drag. That was well done. The rest of it was repulsive. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 5/19/03; 9:54:14 PM

X2: X-Men United

Watched - 5/7/03 Wow! Very pretty, good story, good acting, fast paced, and in your face right from the beginning. I never read comic books, but I love fantasy books/movies so I really like a good movie that is based on a comic book. I read a great review of this one before seeing it. The guy who wrote it is a comics fan and gives it high praise indeed. The movie starts with an assassination attempt on the president of the US and only gets more intense from there. They don't pull any punches and they don't screw it up. I really enjoyed this one and hope it means good things for the future of this genre. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 5/10/03; 10:28:09 AM

The Man Who Cried

Watched - 5/4/03 A very pretty and melancholy film with a stellar cast. Christina Ricci stars as Fegele/Suzie. Fegele is a Jewish-Russian peasant child in the 1920's. Her father leaves to make his fortune in America and she is left with her Grandmother until the village is burned and she is taken with another family to try and leave for America themselves. But she ends up alone in England, adopted and named Suzie. She watches and waits and learns. She heads for Paris as soon as she is old enough to join a dance troupe there. She is still hoping to get to America and find her father, but most of the film takes place here. Cate Blanchett plays her gold digging roommate and Johnny Depp is the handsome Gypsy she falls in love with. Suzie speaks very little, and we mostly watch her watching other people and events happening around her. Including the rise of the Nazi's. It has a nice slowish steady pace right up until the end when a bunch of things suddenly happen really fast. It's beatiful, unusual and rich. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 5/9/03; 11:52:13 PM

Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil

Watched - 4/27/03 A good movie. Pretty, well acted, and interesting. They don't spell everything out for you. The part of me that hates to assume things hates that. But the part of me that thinks we are spoon fed too much by Hollywood likes it. This movie would be worth it for the good acting and rich colorful characters alone. But you get an interesting story and a beautiful setting too. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 4/30/03; 12:03:33 AM

Casablanca

Watched - 4/25/03 I've gone many years without seeing this movie because I was afraid it just wouldn't live up to the hype. What's worse than hearing a film is one of the best of all time and getting your hopes and expectations raised really high just to end up disappointed? Well, I tried to tell myself that it was made in 1942 during a time when the movie companies were churning out a movie a week. If those are the standards by which I set my expections I hoped to do okay. You know what? I really enjoyed it! In the end, having reasonable expectations helps, but the truth is this movie has a good story, a great set of actors, good camera work and final editing. You feel for the characters, you get wrapped up in the story, and it's even pretty. So, here's my assessment. This movie is awesome based on the standards of 1942. This movie is good by today's. It's one of the best ever because you don't need to have lived in 1942 to enjoy it. The test of time is a good one. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 4/29/03; 11:27:24 PM

The Good Thief

Watched - 4/20/03 Crazy and hard to follow at first, but still good. I just had a hard time keeping some of the characters straight because they were here a moment and there a moment and I would miss the name. The various players were sorted out better in my head about midway through. That's a long time to be confused. Visually pretty while at the same time trying to have this rawness about it. Lowlife street, drugs and whores, kind of grittiness. I'm not sure it succeeded there, but it did all right, I guess. The central character is a thief/gambler/junky. It seems to me that only two out of three of these might work together, but not always well. All three is a tall order, but Nick Nolte pulls it off. He used to be a good thief, but he quit after getting caught a couple times. Now he's just been a gambler and a junkie for awhile but he's just about to run out of money when someone comes to him with a plan to rob a casino. I think the main point of the movie is how he lives like a gambler primarily. Drugs and stealing are both treated as gambles. They're secondary. It's interesting. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 4/24/03; 9:36:01 PM

Cabaret

Watched - 4/13/03 This one is a little difficult in places, but than with a story like this it would be no good for it to be candy coated. An American cabaret star who will have sex with anyone she thinks might help her get a shot at the big time. A scholarly British man who is working on a doctorate (I think) and teaching English to pay the rent. She's very free about sex and he is a little uncertain about his own sexuality. It's 1931, and in between scenes where she is drinking and flirting and trying to shock people there are snippets of the Nazis rising to power. That part is creepy. The characters are rich and real, the story is good. I just have a problem watching Nazi stuff. It's like reading a book where you know who the bad guy is but the good guys don't know. You want to tell them but you can't. Luckily, it has just the right amount of comic relief. Bob Fosse is pretty brilliant. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 4/16/03; 9:46:06 PM

The Lion King

Watched - 4/9/03 I'm not a big fan of Disney films, but since there are so many it's hard not to have a favorite or two amoung them. This is one for me. It's hardly perfect, but at least it doesn't butcher a story I am familiar with. Plus, I really like most of the actors who provided the voices. I suppose that would make them voice actors, but I know them from regular screen acting as well. Jeremy Irons as the main bad guy, Scar, is my favorite. Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin as his hyena sidekicks are great. And Nathan Lane as Timon is fabulous. There are lots of others, but I don't need to list them all here. The point is that this one has some great actors, beautiful animation, and a descent (if not great) story. Pretty good for Disney, in my opinion. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 4/16/03; 9:30:49 PM

Baby, It's You

Watched - 4/6/03 This was a terrible movie. A waste of two hours. Wow. I'm glad this doesn't happen very often. Set in the '60s in a high school in New Jersey. Girl meets boy. We have no idea why they are interested in each other. It's high school so maybe we can forgive them. They break up before the senior prom and then she goes off to college. Okay fine, is she going to learn something about herself and grow as a person? Unfortunately not. No, she finds him and in the end they are back together *forever*. We don't know why, we don't understand and we don't care! Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 4/11/03; 6:56:37 PM

K 19: The Widowmaker

Watched - 4/2/03 The first thing you have to do is get over the fact that they aren't speaking Russian and they don't make much of an effort at the accented English. Once you let that go you can try to enjoy this terrible story of one catastrophe after another in a 1961 nuclear submarine that got pushed out to sea to fast. The action is tense and the story very sad for the poor sailors on board. Overall it's an okay movie with some really great actors and an interesting story. It just isn't the best possible execution. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 4/6/03; 3:28:50 PM

The Importance of Being Earnest
Watched - 3/30/03 (I almost forgot this one.) It's based on a play by Oscar Wilde. Set in 1890's London, it's a comedy of errors and confusion. It's a fun movie with lots of good actors and beautiful costumes. Not deep or anything, just simple fun. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 4/1/03; 9:44:13 PM

Darkman
watched: 3/28/03 That was terrible. I can't think of even one good thing to say about it. Frankly if you've managed to make it this long without seeing it, your doing good, stick with that. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/31/03; 10:28:51 PM

Laurel Canyon

watched - 3/26/03 This one is a pretty good character drama. Lots of well developed characters that make sense. There's Sam, who's a bit up tight, he wants his life to be perfectly tidy. There's his girlfriend Alex who has always been led down the perfect good girl path, she's very smart, just not very experienced. They go to stay at his Mom's (Jane's) house in the Hollywood hills. She's not supposed to be there, but she is. She's a record producer and her studio is next to the house and she is trying to finish an album that's gone over schedule. Yep, the band is there too. Sex, drugs and Rock and Roll. Now watch them all collide and see where the peices fall. They do a damn good job of it all. It's beautiful, well scripted and acted. I enjoyed it. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/31/03; 10:18:09 PM

The Scarlet Empress

watched: 3/23/03 Not a very good movie. Weird and the story was a bit jerky. You blink somewhere in the middle and she goes from being a wide eyed innocent to a power hungry woman. The motive and drive of the transition are missing. Then there are lots of lengthy scenes with a lot of noise, bells or just overpowering music, that is suppose to explain the passage of time maybe. Or just show off all the design work, I'm not always sure which. The most amazing thing about the film was the statuary in the Russian palace. Grotesque statues that hold candles or decorate passages or staircases. Huge ornate doors that take five people to open or close. I wouldn't recommend it for all of that, but at least it wasn't a total waste of time for me. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/31/03; 10:08:42 PM

Panic Room

watched - 3/19/03 Good, but very tense. I've been wanting to see this but dreading it at the same time. I knew it would be tense and I'd have to be in the right mood for it. Which never happens, so last night Michael wanted to get 'done' or taken for a ride. Action/Thriller with minimal plot. So we finally rented this one. Well acted, I love Jodie Foster and Forest Whittaker. Little twistes here and there, and who would have guessed about the guy under the mask. It's a well put together ride. Not too many holes, and no time to really notice them. Oh, there was one thing that bugged me. They kept doing these computerized scenes of panning through walls and furniture and a flashlight that seem mostly gratuitous. Through the walls gives you perspective on how rooms relate to each other in this big house, that's good. The rest was overkill, I did not need to see the guts of a flashlight filling the screen. Good for what it is. Good for what it was made for: giving you a tension headache. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/20/03; 10:54:33 PM

Queen Christina

watched - 3/16/03 Fabulous! Greta Garbo is just amazing. Having read 'Complicated Women' has given me a much better perspective on movies from the pre-code era. Add to that an understanding that in the early days of movies they were much more like theater productions. Once your vision is cleared all this muck that gets in the way it's much easier to really appreciate the movie for what it is. Namely Queen Christina of Sweden. Raised as a boy she was crowned at the age of 5 when her father died in battle. She was powerful and passionate. She was bisexual and she had no interest in getting married and providing an heir for the throne. When her chief advisor is pestering her about marriage and demands: "Do you want to die an old maid?" she responds: "No, I shall die a bachelor!" Fabulous! Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/20/03; 10:28:25 PM

Mission Impossible 2

watched: 3/12/03 Really good John Woo action Movie, lots of gun fights, amazing stunts and fight scenes. This one was a lot different then the first one. It lacked the Mission Impossible signiture twist near the end, nothing unexpected really happens, and our hero is much more romantic in this one. It seems to me that last one would be a liability to a spy. *shrug* It's a very pretty movie, but not too deep. Every once in awhile that's what you want. So enjoy it. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/13/03; 9:13:59 PM

Inventing the Abbotts

watched: 3/11/03 I think that I am realizing more and more that I am a big fan of 'Coming of Age' stories. Not a bad thing in and of itself, and it's always good to know what you like. Something that really impressed me about this story is how it's told. The whole thing is told from one characters perspective, Doug's, and you only know what he knows. With most movies you get a little of everyones story and you have this kind of god perspective. It's a nice difference. Oh, and the mother is fabulous. She is honest and straight forward and doesn't even acknowledge a lie if one of her boys tries to tell it. (Doug: I don't smoke in the garage, mom, I don't smoke. Mom: All the same, I'd rather you smoke in the backyard, okay?) She's just great. It's a drama that really cares about the characters. It's not high action or anything. I highly recommend that people know what they're getting into with a movie. If you like character rich dramas then you should like this film. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/13/03; 7:44:45 PM

No Man's Land
watched: 3/9/03 Not a Hollywood movie. No happy ending, no good guy, everybody loses. I think that the main point of this movie is that there is no good guy. The ending is terrible and everyone completely fails to do anything useful at all. Only see this movie if you can handle a depressing one. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/13/03; 7:20:17 PM

Toy Story

watched: 3/8/03 This was my second time seeing this movie. I recall being awed by the quality of it the first time. The second time I still thought it was good, but I realized, now that I am not so awe struck by the animation, that it really is just a very well made kids movie. The theme and story are good, the voice actors are great, as well as the amazing animation. Of course, I still like a good kids movie on occasion and there are a lot of bad ones out there. I like that this one has a single mom family. It's nice to give kids reassurance that it's perfectly normal to have a family that is something other than the happy mom and dad option. It's a good start. Now if only they'd branch out a little from there. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/13/03; 7:16:44 PM

Vampires: Los Muertes

watched: 3/7/03 Unless you have a weakness for vampire movies, no matter what the quality is, don't bother with this one. It doesn't even remotely stand up to the quality of the film it is a sequel to, John Carpenter's Vampires. considering that some folks think that one was a B flick, that tells you how bad this one is. This one was straight to video, which is always a bad sign. I can't believe they bothered to make it. I watched it because I do have a weakness for vampire flicks, though I do care about the quality, because it stars Jon Bon Jovi which amuses me to no end, and because it was given to me by a friend for my birthday. I'd say that it only cost me time, but I was online and making my dinner while it was on so it hardly cost me that. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/8/03; 6:17:18 PM

Notorious C.H.O.

watched Wed. 3/5/03 Sometimes she's really funny and sometimes she's really serious and she isn't always so good at the transitions. This is a live show filmed at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. There is an interview with her parents at the beginning, they seem very supportive and happy for her, and one with Margaret Cho at the end saying how terrifying it was to have them in the audience the night before. In San Francisco, I think, not at the Seattle show they taped for this. I can imagine it would be scary considering that her material ranges from jokes about them, to explicit stuff about her sexuality and experimentation. She gets really serious when she talks about her eating disorder or her best friends from high school who died of Aids. She is trying very hard to be a role model for many kinds of minorities, sexual, gender, and race, and considering the audience response, I think she may be succeeding. Good stuff. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/8/03; 6:11:10 PM

Mission Impossible
watched Wed. 3/5/03 This is a good action movie. Not too deep, but visually pretty and the gadgets are really fun. Tom Cruise has always been good at playing an arrogant hot shot. I wonder if it'll still work for him when he's 60 or more years old. We'll see. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/8/03; 6:01:37 PM

Angel Heart

watched: 3/2/03 This is a really well played out movie. It's hard to say why without saying too much, so I'll try not to, but if you hate spoilers, stop with this: It's a good movie and, unless you can't stomach a little voodoo, you should see it... twice. Mickey Rourke is pretty good at playing an asshole of various kinds and so this role as a private dick in 1955 suits him fine. Robert Deniro gives an amazing performance here as "Louis Cipher". I've never been fond of Deniro and I think it has more to do with the roles he plays then his talent. This is my favorite performance of his. Oh, and I can't forget Lisa Bonet as the young voodoo priestess. Fabulous stuff. This is one of those movies that unfolds slowly, but keeps moving fast enough that you don't have too much time to ponder it all. That's why I say you'll want to see it twice. It's no fun having the ending spoiled for you, but there is certainly something to be said for going back and savoring the performances once you know what there underlying motivations are. Deniro's part is kind of small, but he really steals the show with his few scenes. This is a really well done film. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/8/03; 5:41:05 PM

Fosse

watched - 3/1/03 This is a stage show that was taped, not a 'movie'. It is a fabulous tribute to Bob Fosse. My only complaint is that the camera guys and the film editor (I'm guessing this is who is responsible) went a little nuts and the view point jumped around too much and there were too many unnecessary close up shots. Since it is a stage show that is designed to be seen as a whole, as in; anyone in the theatre should be able to see the whole stage, then I think that when there are 20+ people on the stage at once I want to see them all, not one close up after another of the individual dancers. I missed a lot of the actual coreography this way. Otherwise, it was fabulous. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 3/2/03; 3:28:27 PM

Adaptation

watched - Sat. 2/22/03 Went to see this at the Rose Theatre in Port Townsend. So much nicer then those nasty multiplexes downtown. Anyway, my first reaction was that it was a train wreck. I'm not sure that I've gotten much past that yet. The acting is good, but the story is weird in the sort of way that makes me wonder if it was actually good, or just different. Then there is the idea that the writer wrote himself into the story as well as the author of the book he is trying to adapt. Then he gives himself a fictious twin brother and I spent most of the movie wondering which parts were true, which parts were actually from the book and which parts Kaufman made up after several sleepless nights with a deadline looming. I still can't quite decide if I liked it or not. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 2/24/03; 9:35:39 PM

America's Sweethearts

watched - Wed. 2/19/03 I laughed out loud several times during this one. A good cast, and a story that is entirely about poking fun at Hollywood. I think Billy Crystal's movies are usually funny. I like both John Cusack, and Julia Roberts, they do a great job here. Plus there are lots of other great people people. It's not an epic, it's not earth shattering, or ground breaking, but it is definitely worth seeing at least once. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 2/24/03; 9:24:09 PM

Smoke Signals

watched: 2/17/03 American Indian road trip, comedy/drama film. Interesting, but it seemed a little thin. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Hollywood movies, but I think I can overlook a low production budget. I think the story just wasn't as well developed as it could have been. You had three good characters, and everything and every one else seemed to be secondary. It's not a bad story and it's certainly a perspective that you won't see in the mainstream flow of films. I like independent movies in general for a fresh perspective. Movie Reviews 2003 item Posted: 2/19/03; 8:57:03 PM

Dreamchild

watched: 2/16/03 A good movie, but not great. The richest character is that of Mrs. Alice Hargreaves (aka Alice Liddell, aka Alice in Wonderland). The rest of them are rather pale and thin. They do a better job of giving you glimpses of two eras in which the movie take place; 1932 New York, and Victorian England 1862. Plot? Well, Alice is asked to come to New York for a celebration on the 100th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's birth. She's 80 years old. Jim Henson produced muppets for dream/memory/fantasy scenes where she is remembering her childhood and Lewis Carroll (aka Rev. Charles Dodgson) and the stories he told her. The muppets were a bit too dark and creepy for my liking. It also irritated me that in all of the scenes with the young Alice and Mr. Dodgson the movie played very heavy on this sense that there was something wrong with