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warning : contains what the matrix is . rated r for sci-fi violence . starring : keanu reeves , laurence fishburne , joe panteliano some may be disappointed with the matrix . i'll tell you i was . i sat there and sat there and sat there waiting for something to happen . now wait wait , i know most of you loved it , and i'm not saying i didn't like it . what i'm saying is the first half was extremely slow . now seeing the trailer it makes you think the whole entire movie is one big special effects show . don't be fooled , this movie has a big story . and big chunks of talky moments . but i will admit the special effects and the acting were above par , deserving the rating above . ok now to the story . well this may take a while . ok first of all , our world we live in now , is not the real world , actually we live inside a computer generated world known as the matrix . a man played by keanu reeves is about to find that out , when is kidnapped and almost coaxed to go into the real world . he does so , and finds out that he can do anything , be anything he wants to be . but he has to fight a 'matrix skipping' bad guy , who wants to send him back to his own world or destroy him . laurence fishburne , his guide of sorts plays his character well as does keanu reeves . but i sat in the theatre for over and hour wondering where all the special effects were . yeah there were some in the first half but not enough . the trailer for this movie was really decieving making people think that this was a special effects laden movie . now for the second half , it is explosive , and saves the movie . some of the special effects and fighting were breathtaking . the sound , the music , and all the effects were effective , and the last hour kept us entertained . but with a running time of 2 hours and 20 minutes , this movie is at least 40 minutes too long . one would have wished for a better 'matrix' , but i do have to say , i did like it and i was entertained .

life is beautiful is a rare treat : a lighthearted comedy that tackles a very serious subject without committing the sins of being disrespectful , or , even worse , humorless . it combines a charming romance with a dash of farce , stirs in a little poignancy , and ends up a very enjoyable movie . it's an italian film , but don't let that discourage you . subtitle-phobes will be missing a wonderful experience . life is beautiful opens as a sweet romantic comedy , with the clownish , but good natured guido ( roberto benigni ) arriving in a rustic italian town to work as a waiter for his uncle . the year is 1939 , and guido literally stumbles into the girl of his dreams , dora ( nicoletta braschi ) . their romance seems to be picture perfect , with only one stumbling block : she's already engaged to another man . can guido overcome the odds and win his girl ? what do you think ? however , five years later , things have taken a turn for the worse in italy . the fascists have stepped up their race initiatives , which is bad news for the jewish guido and his new son giosue ( giorgio cantarini ) , who are rounded up and shipped off to a concentration camp . unable to protect his boy in any other way , guido attempts to shield his young son from the horrors of the labor camp . he pretends that everything is all an elaborate game , with points awarded for such tasks as hiding , being brave and being very very quiet . as you can tell from the description , life is beautiful has two very different tones , but manages to excel at both of them . as a romantic comedy , it is sweet and funny . as a bittersweet tale of hope amid despair , it is touching . roberto benigni's work here has been compared with some of the best of chaplin's , and it is easy to see why . he is able to run the gamut of comic expression , from slapstick to farce , with a warm-hearted feeling that celebrates his downtrodden hero's " triumph of the underdog " spirit . life is beautiful treads a thin line when it turns its attentions to the holocaust . however , it is able to successfully navigate the minefield , without demeaning the gravity of the horrors involved , nor without losing its humorous edge that allows you to smile through the tears . with life is beautiful , benigni has created a triumphant , but bittersweet comedy . it's quite simply one of the most enjoyable times i've had at the movies this year .

if you had a chance to create a genetically perfect child , would you do it ? " gattaca " is a film which presents a future where society has answered " yes " to this question , but then ponders if this was actually the right decision . " gattaca " came out only a couple months following the first genetically engineered creature , the lovable dolly the sheep , and with this in mind , the film only becomes more frightening . the way the realm of genetics is heading , it may only take a couple decades until the future " gattaca " presents becomes true . contrary to the misleading trailers , " gattaca " is not a sci-fi thriller , in the way that there's lots of murder , hitchcockian suspense , and chase scenes . this is a quiet , sad film about intelligent theories . in fact , the film seems like it would have been written by george orwell or aldous huxley ( the latter who's novel " brave new world " featured genetically engineered children ) . it's a film that may likely become a cult hit to people who are frightened by a promise of shallow utopia , which is exactly what " gattaca " presents . . . and the main reason i dug it so much . the story revolves around the genetically insufficient vincent freeman ( ethan hawke ) , a man with high hopes but a 90% chance of heart problems , and a prospected life span of around 30 years . as a child , he was put down because of the threats of genetics , while his younger genetically perfect brother , anton ( loren dean ) , was promised whatever his heart desired . vincent yearns to be an astronaut , but when he gets a job at a giant space company , it's as a janitor ( ernest borgnine plays his boss ! ) . but one day , he finds out that it's probably possible that his desires can come true in the form of a business deal brought out by a black market geneticist ( or something ) , german ( " wings " ' tony shalhoub , who did like hundreds of cameos in films back in '97 : " men in black , " " a life less ordinary " . . . ) , who's client is a genetically perfect man , jerome morrow ( jude law ) , who has unfortunately been crippled . fortunately , though , there's no record of the accident , and he's willing to give someone else his life . since vincent looks a bit like him . . . after a couple alterations ( some minor , some really major ) , he has donned the life of jerome , and is doing his job . there , he meets a genetically imperfect woman , irene ( uma thurman , who's genetically perfect in real life anyway , hee hee ) , and the two begin a kind of relationship , albeit a very shallow one since romance is deemed by how great a man's stats are . however , a murder of a high-level worker at his office is killed , and one of vincent/jerome's eyelashes is found by the anal retentive investigators headed by a semi-wily inspector , hugo , ( alan arkin ) , and none other than vincent's long lost brother , anton , who hasn't seen him since they were teenagers . we know vincent/jerome didn't do it , but with his older picture being posted everywhere , not only vincent/jerome's in trouble , but also the real jerome , who's as much in it as he is . however , there isn't many big suspense set pieces , which is actually a blessing because if they were tossed in , the film would lose it's message and descend into just being a sci-fi thriller a la william gibson . the suspense in the film comes from the idea that vincent and jerome can easily be captured just by dropping a hair or dead skin . while there are several scenes which are pretty frightening , there are no big distractions from the point of the film , much to the dismay of commercial audiences . what is actually portrayed is the lack of life in the utopian society that is created . irene has no real spunk in her life , and is rather amazed by the sheer beauty of a sunrise rather than genetically perfect people . and the genetically flawless jerome is in actuality a bitter man , claiming that his accident was really no accident . what jerome has done is fool the system in giving a man who yearns for better things a chance at that , and the ending is shocking as it's a definite work of dystopian propaganda , but doesn't have the down ending of other works of this kind . the production design of this film is probably the best i've seen this year : it's stunning , very pleasing to the eye , but still very cold . since genetics has ruled out any chance of improvement , the world has cooled into a state of inhumanity , and the sets echo a sense of shallow misery . and the sequence of all the high-level workers doing their jobs has a kind of gilliam-esque feel to it , showing the nightmare of slipping into a routine zombie-like life . the ability to perfect people has left humanity cold and generally unhappy . the acting from everyone is great , with thurman giving a wonderfully cold performance , and hawke creating a character who has been beaten down by the system but has found a new sense of optimism by a bitter man who was willing to give it out anyway ( interesting pointless fact : uma and ethan started dating after this film , and currently she is pregnant with his child ) . but the best performance belongs to jude law , who steals every scene he's in , and creates a character filled with the pessimism over having such a horrible burden placed on his burden . i think that people are generally tempted by the fact that genetics can actually create perfection in a child , but whether or not they would actually act on this temptation is something i'm not sure of . " gattaca " warns us not to go any farther , chiefly because we'll create a world of elitism where the elite are shallow and unhappy , and as bitter and angry as the lesser people are . and when i see a possible future featuring a 12-fingered piano player , well folks , that just creeps me out .

once upon a time a solitary ogre named shrek ( mike myers ) was really annoyed to discover that his swamp had been invaded by three blind mice , seven dwarves and all the other fairy tale characters in the land , banished from their home by lord farquaad ( john lithgow ) . unwittingly befriended by a non-stop talking donkey ( eddie murphy ) , shrek travels to dulloc to speak with farquaad , where he stumbles into a joust and comes up the winner . his prize ? to save princess fiona ( cameron diaz ) from a tower surrounded by molten flame and protected by a dragon so she can become farquaad's bride . the ogre agrees to the task in return for getting his solitary lifestyle back in " shrek . " it took four writers ( ted elliott and terry rossio ( " the road to el dorado " ) , roger s . h . schulman ( " balto " ) and joe stillman ( " beavis and butthead do america " ) ) to adapt william steig's children's book . the bad news ? they've genericized an already simple plotline while heavily under the influence of william goldman's " the princess bride . " the good news ? there's so much wacky humor culled from both fairy tales and popular culture that this movie should keep you in stitches . we get our first inkling that we're in for a real treat as one of farquaad's men , intent on rounding up magical creatures offers 'five schillings for the possessed boy ! ' after observing dreamworks' rendition of disney's animated pinocchio . meanwhile within the castle walls , a gingerbread man being tortured by farquaad spits icing and yells 'eat me ! ' before breaking down and solemnly asking 'do you know the muffin man ? ' shrek , a green giant with bobbly antennae-like ears , is a grumpy recluse who really yearns to fit in ( although who could put up with his habit of making candles from his own ear wax ? ) . donkey is a hyperactive , endearingly stunted creature who can talk and , therefore , believes will make a great misfit pairing with the uncooperative shrek . donkey proves his worth sweet talking the princess-guarding dragon . the princess proves to be more than a shade offbeat after learning she's not getting the fairy tale issue rescue she's been expecting . when fiona's true colors are exposed ( including opportunies for some tomboyish gross out humor ) , a spark develops between her and shrek . the script's details are gleefully impish , constantly poking fun at disney from the theme park world of farquaad's dulloc with its turnstyle entrance and 'it's a small world' parody of an information booth to the blue bird which meets a most un-disneyish fate after duetting with fiona 'snow white' style . popular culture is represented with film references to " babe " and " charlies' angels " via " the matrix . " myers chooses his 'so i married an axe murderer' scottish brogue for shrek in order to give his voice some heft . while this may prove distracting for anyone familiar with that film , overall it works more than not . eddie murphy steals the show as the fast-talking , motown-singing donkey , proving once again his talent as a vocal performer ( is it another wink at disney that donkey is paired with a dragon , a creature murphy portrayed in disney's 'mulan ? ' ) . lithgow's a good choice for the supercilious , height-challenged villain lord farquaad . diaz is energetic but ultimately nondescript voicing princess fiona . ( a better choice would have been minnie driver , who's proven herself a terrific vocal talent in such diverse animations as disney's " tarzan , " " princess mononoke " and the " south park " movie . ) the computer animation looks terrific ( particularly donkey ) , although it won't elicit the types of oohs and aahs of pixar's work ( " toy story , " " a bug's life , " " toy story 2 " ) . in keeping with its hip style , pop music is used , which like myer's voice may be initially jarring , but ultimately satisfies ( while surveying bridal candidates via a 'dating game' parody broadcast by snow white's evil queen's mirror , farquaad is told 'fiona likes pina coladas' - cue jimmy buffet ! ) . " shrek " has good lessons for kids and humor targetted at every age group in the family . while it may be derivative of the 1987's " the princess bride , " " shrek " addresses a new generation with similar sensibilities and doesn't suffer in the comparison .

i don't know what movie the critics saw , but it wasn't this one . the popular consensus among newspaper critics was that this movie is unfunny and dreadfully boring . in my personal opinion , they couldn't be more wrong . if you were expecting airplane ! -like laughs and agatha christie-intense mystery , then yes , this movie would be a disappointment . however , if you're just looking for an enjoyable movie and a good time , this is one to see . honest , it is . this story is about a 4th network , wbn , taking to america's airwaves in 1939 . penny henderson ( mary stuart masterson ) , the station owner's secretary , must deal with her overbearing boss , an unimpressed sponsor and writers ready to quite on a moment's notice , partly due to the fact that they haven't been paid in weeks . among the mayhem , she must also deal with her soon-to-be ex-husband , roger ( brian benben ) who desperately wants her back . unfortunately , her problems only get worse as the night goes on and the body count rises without explanation . while trying to woo penny back , roger must deal with the police and try to find the killer that lurks at wbn . mary stuart masterson does well in her role as penny ( i'm trying to be unbiased so i won't tell you how amazing she looked ) , although brian benben gets most of the screen time . along with the two leads , are several recognizable faces , including corbin bernsen ( l . a . law ) , michael mckean ( laverne & shirley ) and bobcat goldthwait . the special effects are amazing , and fooled me ( which some may argue isn't very difficult to do ) in many scenes . although the movie sometimes goes overboard with the physical comedy , it more than makes up for those mistakes throughout the movie . overall , i gave it , or an , depending on what system you use . some comments collected from friends :

wow ! what a movie . it's everything a movie can be : funny , dramatic , interesting , weird , funny , weird and strikingly original . yep that pretty much describes this movie . it starts out like a regular movie and ends up being one of the weirdest , funniest most original movies i have ever seen . it boggles the mind and some have to wonder why we cannot get movies like this more often . besides being one of the best films of the year , being john malkovich may as well be one of the best movies ever . period . then again there are so many good movies , that one cannot pick an all time favorite . john cusack plays a puppeteer craig schwartz a man out of a job , in search of a job . his wife lotte schwartz who is played by a completely un-noticeable cameron diaz who looks like something off the streets is an animal lover and has about every kind of animal you could think of . craig finds a job as a file at the 7 ? floor of a business building . . . you have to pry open the elevator doors open before it reaches floor eight , the 7 ? floor is just a floor between 7 and 8 . he is hired by his 105 year old boss ( orsen bean ) to be a filer . in his office , he discovers a little door , to which was boarded up and hidden . to his curiosity he opens it and starts to crawl toward it , he then gets sucked to the end and ends up in john malkovich's mind . fifteen minutes later he is shot out onto the side of the new jersey turnpike . he returns to tell his co-worker maxine ( catherine keener ) that he has found a portal that will lead him into john malkovich's mind , she doesn't believe him but after she sees it it changes her mind . lotte also finds out about the portal and discovers that being someone else is good after all . john malkovich of course has no idea what is going on , and by the end of this bizarre film there are so many twists and turns , that we don't know what really happened . john cusack is outstanding and utterly believeable in a role only he himself could play . he fits the role perfectly and to me was brilliantly cast . cameron diaz is outstanding and utterly one of the world's most prettiest women , is made up here unnoticeable and very unattractive . she however gives a very comic performance and this could easily be her best role to date . catherine keener is very funny and sexy as maxine and of course the best thing of the movie is the magic himself john malkovich who is very brilliant and this movie plays big time homage ? to the master himself . the whole group combined gives us a wonderfully funny movie that is also smart and clever . spike jonze ( three kings ) makes his fabulous directing debut , and did a fantastic job of directing this new classic film . he lets the viewer go on the trip as well as let the viewer know they are watching a movie . by the time the ending rolled around my head was spinning from disbelief of how good this film was . the screenplay written by charlie kaufman was hilarious and often thought-provoking . the film also had a soft side to it and even though the ending is very surprising it is also a little sad and heart-warming . the whole movie was fantastic and had me rolling in the isles . from cameron diaz's appearence to john malkovich's explorations i laughed very hard , and it may as well be as funny as as good as it gets ( the funniest ! ) . there isn't a slow point in the movie , or an overused idea . there are no cliches except for the fact that this is the most original , inventie , witty , and smart movie i've seen in a long time . i found myself amazed by everything : the direction , acting , writing and the whole idea of the movie . by the end i had to wonder why hollywood doesn't want to make movies like this anymore . or why they don't . all filmmakers watch this movie and get some ideas of movies to come out . this was a surprise hit as was american beauty . 'being john malkovich' is in the top 5 movies of the year , and in the top 10 best films ever made . it has something that no other movies playing now has . in fact it may as well be the best movie out right now . i highly recommend 'being john malkovich' and have no doubts you will be disappointed .

known as the most successful , highest-grossing romantic comedy in history , director garry marshall apparently struck gold with " pretty woman , " which opened quietly during the summer of 1990 but , thanks to positive word-of-mouth , was able to reach upwards of $175-million in theaters alone . the question of why it worked so well lies directly with the film's two charismatic stars , richard gere and julia roberts , since the story itself is none too original or even believable . the other winning element that makes " pretty woman " so entertaining is its genuine sweetness and innocence , which is rarely as palpable in today's films as it is here . edward lewis ( richard gere ) is a suave , extremely wealthy business mogul who , at the start of the picture , breaks up with his girlfriend over the phone after a nasty argument , and abruptly takes his friend's car and gets lost on hollywood boulevard while trying to find his hotel . stopping the car along the street , he asks a woman , obviously a prostitute , for directions . agreeing to get in his car and show him for ten bucks , edward ultimately accepts , they strike up a conversation , and before long she has been asked up to his penthouse room on the top floor . this meeting does not lead to sex , however , as edward confides that he'd rather just have someone to talk to , and offers her $300 to spend the night . just as well , since the hooker , named vivian , is a beautiful , generally upbeat young woman who is the type of person that can lend an understanding ear . the meeting between these two completely opposite people does not end the next morning as planned , when edward finally offers to pay vivian three-thousand dollars if she will stay with him for six days and nights while he is in the area , keeping him company and acting as his companion to business dinners and get-togethers . since vivian firmly tells edward at the beginning that she will do anything with him except kiss him on the lips , which always leads to unwanted intimacy when dealing with her customers , the obligatory rule of the genre says that by the third act , edward and vivian will finally , truly , kiss . allegedly planned as a grim , downbeat drama until garry marshall came on board as director , " pretty woman " has been transformed in all senses of the word into a classic fairy tale , a la " cinderella . " the premise is hardly believable and its portrait of prostitutes hanging out on the streets of hollywood boulevard is just about the most idealized portrayal that there could have possibly been . you honestly don't need a high-iq ( or any iq , for that matter ) to guess how the film will end , and the story is as old as my great great grandma bertha . the supporting characters are almost all sketchily written and less-than-gratifying , and the screenplay is no award winner . and yet , amidst all of these qualms and flaws , " pretty woman " is an astoundingly charming motion picture , and it is definately easy to see why it became such an overnight sensation with moviegoers . you'd actually be amazed how far bemusement can go , and there are a few select moments ( not even whole scenes , mind you ) that are as romantic as anything i've seen on film in the 1990's . additionally , the film belongs , and its success can be attributed , to two people and two people only , and they are richard gere and julia roberts . playing sex symbols throughout the '80s with such pictures as " american gigolo " and " an officer and a gentleman , " gere branches out here to play a more quiet , almost shy , but still alluring , character that believably could sweep julia roberts off her feet , and vice versa . julia roberts , in her breakthrough role after 1988's well-received " mistic pizza " and 1989's " steel magnolia , " for which she was nominated for an academy award , is radiant and funny as the wordly vivian , who surprisingly could be a role model for impressionistic viewers , not for her line of work , but more for her sheer intelligence . it would have probably been easy to have written vivian as merely a flake , but screenwriter j . f . lawton clearly cared too much about his central characters to do such a thing . after " pretty woman , " roberts , along with meg ryan , became the reigning queen of romantic comedies ( with her latest being the just-released " runaway bride , " which repairs gere and roberts together once again ) , and no wonder . roberts has continually proven to not only be a strong actress with a flare for comedy , but also one who can efficiently do drama , and in almost every film she appears in , it is difficult not to fall in love with her along with her male co-star . an especially strong scene that gere and roberts do together takes place after edward foolishly tells one of his co-workers that vivian is actually a prostitute , and he then approaches her , making sexual advances . no only does this make vivian feel cheap , especially since she had previously been posing as a more professional , eloquent young lady , but it also maddens her that edward would demean and betray her in such a way , and ultimately causes her to question where exactly her life is leading , and if she likes this particular path . on the more dreamy side , the film is filled with romantic scenes that are simply effervescent to behold , especially one in which edward enters into the hotel's lounge to see vivian turn around and not only reveal her marvelous cocktail dress , but also her inner ( and outer ) glowing beauty . another subtle moment has vivian lovingly blowing a kiss to edward , who is asleep , and placing it on his lips , since she still is unsure if she should be getting attached to this man who may very well be out of her life forever in a short couple of days . " pretty woman " does not blatantly step wrong until the very last scene , which is a happy ending ( as you'd expect , and wouldn't have it any other way ) that somehow does not work , perhaps because of its undeniable contrivances . this one misstep does not put a damper on the rest of the film , though , because there is just far too much magic at work here to disaffirm such a petty problem . helped along by a warm , memorable supporting performance from laura san giacomo , as vivian's best friend and roommate , and a fabulously catchy soundtrack , in which all of the songs prominently aid in the movie's overall fulfillment , " pretty woman " is a sparkler of a motion picture , and has what it takes to act as a blueprint on how to make the quintessential romantic comedy .

i never understood what the clich ? " hell on earth " truly meant until very recently . i've just never experienced anything in my life which was so terrifying , so horrible , so monstrously deplorable that it justified being termed as " hell on earth " . after all , i've never been to war , i've never been the victim of any violent crime , i've never really been broken hearted , and i've never been audited ; so i really had no frame of reference as to people meant when they said that something was " hell on earth " then i saw cruel intentions . in a perfect world , i would be in charge of all the movie studios . the very first thing i'd do in this perfect world , would be to take every hollywood producer who thinks that setting any story in contemporary america with a 20-something cast playing teenagers and featuring a soundtrack ripped directly from mtv , and throw them in jail . but it wouldn't just be your average jail , not even a maximum security installation . i'd have these producers ( and everyone else involved in the production of these films ) put in front of a war crimes tribunal and forced to beg for mercy for their crimes against humanity . now you're probably thinking to yourself : " is this really how bad cruel intentions is ? " the answer is no . it's actually much worse . watching the cast of this motion picture atrocity try to act their way through roger kumble's awfully written script is probably a lot like stabbing yourself in the arm with a chainsaw and then pouring salt on the open wound . and then pouring acid on the salt . i don't know if kumble was trying to evoke comedy or tragedy out of his opening scene where marci greenbaum ( tara reid ) whines about having nude photos of her posted on the internet , but the only emotion i felt was sheer boredom . from that opening scene , where boring actor ryan phillippe tries to seduce tv actress swoosie kurtz , to the conclusion which i don't remember because i had practically fallen asleep ; cruel intentions is truly " hell on earth , " right up there with war and tax audits .

the art of woo attempts to be one of those films like breakfast at tiffany's in which the audience is rooting for some sweet , vulnerable , irresistible woman to work out her problems and to find happiness . the problem is that helen lee who writes and directs seems to have written alessa woo ( played by sook-yin lee ) as neither sweet nor vulnerable and she is quite resistible . alessa is a young woman who happens to be a brilliant art dealer in the toronto art scene . this is some sort of alternate world art scene where people pay tens of thousands of dollars for paintings by talented beginners and dealers in these paintings fly back and forth to places like switzerland . one of the most knowledgeable of the art dealers is alessa . she also happens to be the center of adulation of her friends and every party has suitors camped outside her window . next door to alessa moves struggling genius artist and native american ben crowchild ( adam beach ) . he sees that behind the facade that there is really a sad little girl within alessa who really will not be happy with the rich art collector she is dating . ben gets emotionally involved with alessa . ( as alessa so delicately puts it , " we were bosom buddies , now we're fuck buddies . " ) but alessa will have to decide whether she wants love with ben or wealth with her rich suitor . the real problem with the film seems to be helen lee's inability to decide what she wants to be saying . she undercuts nearly everything she wants us to believe about alessa . alessa is looking for financial security but she makes decisions about large sums of money for her clients . this appears to be a high profile and well-paid job . we are supposed to care about alessa's feelings , but she coldly refuses to visit her own ailing father . alessa cannot be portrayed as sweet and vulnerable if at an art auction she turns into our man flint . this is a charmless romantic comedy that bets everything it has on the appeal of its main character and comes up double-zero . i rate it a 3 on the 0 to 10 scale and a -1 on the -4 to +4 scale .

this summer , one of the most racially charged novels in john grisham's series , a time to kill , was made into a major motion picture . on january 3 of this year , director rob reiner basically re-released the film under the title of ghosts of mississippi . based on the true story of 1963 civil rights leader medgar evars' assassination , ghosts of mississippi revolves around the 25-year legal battle faced by myrlie evars ( whoopi goldberg , sister act ) and her quest to have her husband's obvious assassin and racist byron de la beckwith ( james woods , casino ) jailed . so she turns to assistant district attorney and prosecutor bobby delaughter ( alec baldwin , heaven's prisoners ) to imprison the former kkk member . ghosts sets its tone with an opening montage of images from african-american history , from slave-ship miseries to life in the racist south of the 1960's . but all too soon , the white folks take over , intoning lines like " what's america got to do with anything ? this is mississippi ! " as beckwith , james woods , with his head larded with latex most of the time as an old man , teeters between portraying evil and its character . meanwhile , goldberg turns in a very serious and weepy performance as the wife who wouldn't let her husband's death rest until she got the conviction . both deserve serious oscar-consideration . this brings us to the dull performance of baldwin . let's face it , trying to match matthew mcconaughey's wonderful acting in a time to kill is basically impossible . and baldwin is living proof of this , as no emotions could be felt . it seemed as if he actually had to struggle to shed a single tear . either poor acting or poor directing , but something definitely went wrong . another strange mishap was the fact that goldberg's facial features didn't change , as she looked the same in the courtroom as she did holding her husband's dead body 25-years earlier . yet woods' was plastered with enough make up to make him look like goldberg's father . at least the make-up was realistic . with some emotional moments in the poorly written script , ghosts of mississippi lacked in heart , when its predecessor , a time to kill , brought tears to everyone's eyes . don't get me wrong , the movie wasn't all that bad , but if you've seen grisham's masterpiece , then don't expect this one to be an excellent film . ,

" a breed apart " casts rutger hauer as a crazy , bird-loving recluse who picks his feathered friends over kathleen turner . a bit hard to swallow ? that's only the first of many improbabilities in this film . hauer stars as a man obsessed with keeping the birds on his island safe , while boothe plays a guy hired to steal a couple of rare eagle eggs by a rich egg collector . turner is the woman caught between the two men . " a breed apart " isn't a bad movie , exactly . indeed , i found myself rooting for both the hauer and boothe characters , even though their goals couldn't be more different . the problem with the film is that there are just too many inconsistencies . for example , early on in the film , hauer physically assaults two drunken rednecks shooting at " his " birds . later on , the rednecks come back for revenge with four other people , and hauer kills a few of them . i have a tough time believing that the police wouldn't get involved at that point . another problem is the silly love-triangle that develops . i didn't care one way or the other who ended up with turner . i was more interested in finding out which of the two men would be victorious in their respective missions . however , despite this uninteresting sub-plot , turner did manage to give a great performance as the woman who reminds the two men that sometimes there's more to life than money and birds . as for hauer , he's an actor i've always admired . he has a penchant for picking strange and unusual characters . and this one is no exception . he's frequently seen riding around his island on a white horse , wearing pirate's clothing , and holstering a cross-bow . despite all his eccentric mannerisms , though , hauer always manages to let the human side of his character shine through . for example , there's a scene in which he barks at turner and her son because they came onto his island a day early . he comes off as crazy loner in that scene , but a few minutes later , he is apologizing to turner , and we believe his intentions . soon after , we find out he's a vietnam vet , and his actions become fairly clear to us . " a breed apart " isn't a great movie by any means , but it does contain good performances by all three leads , and it's worth seeing for that reason alone .

the swirling sick feeling hit me just a few minutes into " heartbreakers . " ray liotta's character was making out with his secretary when his new wife knocked on the door of his office . while scrambling to collect himself , he frantically shouted to her , " just wait a sex ? er , i mean sec ! " i was struck by a wave of revulsion , thinking , " geez , didn't lines like that die when 'three's company' was canceled ? " over the next few minutes , as the barely double entendres and lingering cleavage shots grew more numerous , i realized that the mindset behind " heartbreakers " predated " three's company . " suddenly , i had an out-of-body experience as my internal way-back machine swept me to the mid-1960s . all across america , the counter-culture was growing like wildfire , but there was scant evidence of it on tv . while young people were challenging traditional values on the streets , frustrated teenagers like me were stuck at home , sulking while our parents enjoyed the latest bob hope special . women in skimpy bathing suits would prance onscreen while hope made growling noises and leered at their breasts . on another channel , dean martin made wisecracks about " booze and broads " and peter lawford , decked out in love beads and a nehru jacket , purred suggestive one-liners as he ogled the go-go dancers . the adults laughed and laughed . " heartbreakers " reeks of that stagnant mentality , from its lingering shots of jennifer love hewitt's vah-vah-voom breasts to its leaden screenplay , which paints women as haughty schemers and men as drooling buffoons too sex-obsessed to realize they are being manipulated . in addition to liotta and hewitt , the cast includes sigourney weaver , gene hackman , jason lee , nora dunn and anne bancroft . i can't imagine what drew performers of their caliber to this project . perhaps they thought it was a parody of the sniggering sex comedies of the '60s . if so , they were sadly mistaken . the story revolves around a mother-daughter con-team . it opens with the marriage of max ( weaver ) to dean ( liotta ) , a new jersey chop shop operator . having withheld sex until the honeymoon , max pretends to pass out on their wedding night . the next morning , she feigns illness , sending a very horny dean off to the office , where he ends up in the arms of his new secretary . just as the two are about to get overtly physical , max bursts into the room and catches them . the " horrified " bride dissolves the union , garnering a healthy cash settlement along the way . of course , the secretary was really her daughter page ( hewitt ) and the whole thing was a set-up . the women move on , but an irs agent ( bancroft ) catches up with them and demands a huge amount of money to cover unpaid taxes . in desperate need of funds , max and page head for palm beach to replay the scam . their mark this time is william b . tensy ( hackman , in hideous make-up ) , a decrepit tobacco tycoon obsessed with the joys of smoking . max starts to put the game into action , but page is so repelled by the old man ( and angry with her mom ) that she slips off to enact her own score , targeting jack , a laid back young beach bar owner who is worth a fortune . complications arise when page realizes that good-natured jack is stirring actual emotions in her steely little heart . as if that wasn't enough , dean reappears on the scene with revenge on his mind . the attempt to weld a romance onto a caper comedy served only to remind me of the infinitely superior " a fish called wanda . " i won't bother to compare the two . suffice to say that everything done right in " wanda " is done wrong here . " heartbreakers " is soulless , inept and , at 123 minutes , at least a half-hour too long . sigourney weaver and jennifer love hewitt throw themselves into their parts , but have nowhere to go with the metallic characters . gene hackman is utterly wasted in a one-note , one-joke part that has him doing nothing but smoking , coughing and waxing rhapsodic about smoking and sex . poor jason lee is stuck in the ingenue role and the normally charismatic actor comes off as merely bland . ray liotta manages to squeeze a tiny bit of humanity and humor into his walking clich ? , but only a bit . the low point in the film has weaver employing a russian accent bad enough to make boris and natasha wince , while doing half-assed slapstick with a broken off penis from a statue . bear in mind , though , that this is merely the worst segment of a movie made up of nothing but low points . if you remember bob hope specials with fondness , this might be your cup of tea . as for me , i'm going to watch " a fish called wanda " now and try to forget i ever saw " heartbreakers . "

after a successful run in australia last year , and with much critical praise heaped upon it , muriel's wedding opens into medium release this weekend in north america . muriel heslop is a withdrawn , overweight young woman living in porpoise spit , australia . she is often the target of her father's frequent rants at the family , and drowns out her feelings of inadequacy with abba music and fantasies of marriage . her self-loathing is such that only being wed shall she prove herself to be a success ; marriage will transform her into a new person who is respected and admired . after her four cliquey friends dump her , muriel plots to follow them to a resort where they are celebrating the honeymoon of one of the girls , and muriel's wedding unfolds from there . toni collette plays muriel in a winning performance , conveying both the sadness of her character and her desperate eagerness to be accepted . collette gained a frightening 43 pounds in order to play the chubby title character . she has a natural screen presence and exudes charisma , easily winning the audience over with an honest , painful performance . collette basically carries the film , appearing in almost every scene . muriel's father , bill " the battler " heslop , is portrayed by bill hunter as a slick politician/developer . while chumming around with young fans and crowing 'you can't beat progress' ( his slogan ) , bill labels his family as worthless and embarrassments . rachel griffiths plays rhonda , who becomes muriel's cheeky new friend in the film . she has good chemistry with collette , and the film suffers when griffiths is off-screen . muriel's tormenters , played by pippa grandison , rosalind hammond , belinda jarrett and sophie lee , are two-dimensional caricatures , all saucy , vain and bumblingly spiteful , though that is probably due to hogan's scripting muriel's wedding is essentially a genre teen comedy with more intelligence and a lot of charm . hogan's use of abba tunes ( which virtually comprises the entire soundtrack ) is interestingly appropriate , although its repetitiveness tires after awhile . hogan's script is right on the mark in terms of proportionately mixing comedy with muriel's earnest quest for acceptance , and the gorgeous scene with muriel window-shopping beautifully illustrates the wonder that marriage has for her . the glaring pastel colours worn by the performers is an interesting touch . muriel's wedding features a fine performance by toni collette and a charming , if a bit too straightforward and conventional story by p . j . hogan . on my four star scale , i give muriel's wedding three stars .

the caveman's valentine starring samuel l . jackson , ann magnuson , aunjanue ellis , tamara tunie screenplay by george dawes green , based on his novel directed by kasi lemmons * * * for more film , dvd and books about movie reviews , plus annual coverage of the toronto international film festival , visit _film freak central_ - http : //filmfreakcentral . net | now with search engine * * * a strange mixture of _shine_ , _basquiat_ , _angel heart_ , and grant morrison & dave mckean's graphic novel " arkham asylum " , _the caveman's valentine_ is a feverish tale of a homeless madman-cum-detective who , on the morning of february 14th , discovers a " valentine " just outside his new york cave : one of ella fitzgerald's strange fruit , stuck in the crotch of a tree--a young male model murdered and frozen to a branch . believing at first that his imagined nemesis stuyvesant , shooting evil rays into his mind from atop the chrysler building , is responsible for the murder , romulus ( samuel l . jackson ) is put on the trail of an avant-garde photographer in the mapplethorpe mould , david leppenraub ( colm feore ) . his minor sleuthing interrupted by the occasional delusional fit and bouts with an ecstasy of creation ( romulus was a brilliant julliard-trained pianist prior to his psychosis ) , romulus uncovers clues and harasses suspects on his way to convincing his police-woman daughter ( aunjanue ellis ) that even though he's a nut , that doesn't mean that he can't solve a high-profile society murder . every moment an exhausting workshop of ideas , and every character the same , _the caveman's valentine_ is a concept so " high concept " that it suddenly became clear to me that the film fits into the comic book genre of entertainment , with romulus's " caveman " a slightly more mundane version of todd mcfarlane's urban noir hero , spawn . with a long-vanished wife ( tamara tunie ) acting as a spiritual guide , the occasional social caste commentary , the secret base in a cave , a divergent genius personality with a network of informants and supporters , and a wickedly colourful arch-enemy , the film piles on the lurid comic book details and dizzying slapdash colours to such a lavish extent that i was vaguely surprised that the blue police cars weren't inscribed with " gotham pd . " that being said , _the caveman's valentine_ can only really succeed as a heroic fantasy , a frank miller graphic novel that has the audacity to portray the blood staining a field of virgin snow expanding to form the shape of a heart . the difficulties with the film spring from the misunderstanding that it somehow adheres to the conventions of a thriller or a police procedural when , in fact , _the caveman's valentine_ is a superhero fable that takes on the cause of the homeless ( again like mcfarlane's spawn ) while attacking the entrenched ruling classes in government and the arts . it is no small detail that our hero , romulus , is not only named for a member of the ruling class who lived his life ( in legend ) without knowledge of his royal birth , but also that our romulus has turned his back on the comforts of the literati in favour of a mystical existence living in a cave in a park . in the romulus mythology , signs of romulus' royal blood is brought by twelve vultures , while in the film , the call to action for our hero comes in the form of not the carrion birds , but of the carrion itself . whether or not romulus of _the caveman's valentine_ will found a nation , or , in the case of novelist george dawes green , upon whose novel his own screenplay is based , a franchise , the fact remains that _the caveman's valentine_ is easily the most misunderstood film of 2001 thus far . it , along with m . night shyamalan's _unbreakable_ , is a mature cinematic extrapolation of the graphic novel format which has , since miller's seminal " the dark knight returns " , redefined the comic medium as one suitable for mature ruminations on psychologically sticky topics . readers of sam keith's brilliant " the maxx " comic series ( or of mtv's short-lived animated adaptation of the same ) are already familiar with the idea of a homeless man placed in the position of knight errant and king of his own twisted demesne . the failure of both " the maxx " tv show and of _the caveman's valentine_ ( not forgetting the initial backlash against _unbreakable_ ) suggests that the public may not be ready for america's surprising contributions to dark fantasy . luxuriantly lit , brashly saturated , and comic-panel framed with a virtuoso grace by cinematographer amy vincent ( _death in venice , ca_ ) , while inhabiting robin standefer's ( _practical magic_ ) mesmerizing sets , _the caveman's valentine_ is an unremittingly gorgeous film . kasi lemmons , following up her brilliant 1997 debut , _eve's bayou_ , which played on similar themes of manufactured realities and mysticism , fulfills much of her immense promise with a tale of seraphs and lost boys , artists and suffering . _the caveman's valentine_ is an elegant and piquant expression of hope for justice in a tilted landscape . clearly not for every taste , when approached with the correct paradigm , it is one of the most stunning and intensely fascinating films of the year : a redefinition of the hero archetype for a post-modern audience with urine-stained wool trench coats in place of blue tights and red capes . _the caveman's valentine_ is a fine and a courageous film , crazy enough to suggest that the delirious yammering of an idiot savant is the best and truest paladin of order in the chaos of eliot's rat's alley wasteland .

here's a concept -- jean-claude van damme gets killed within the first ten minutes of the movie . now if that isn't enough to get you to finally see a van damme movie , i don't know what is . all sarcasm aside , it is certainly a different way to start a movie , of course a few minutes later we find out that the newly deceased had a twin brother -- so lucky us , we get to see more of jean-claude . van damme #1 works for the russian mafia in the united states and is killed by some of their operatives . van damme #2 is a police officer in france who finds out that he had a twin brother he never knew about after #1 gets killed in france . the remaining twin ( the french cop ) goes to the united states to find out who killed his brother and avenge his death . once there , he hooks up with his deceased brother's girlfriend , played by natasha henstridge , and the two of them set out to discover who the murderers are . jean-claude's acting abilities don't seem to be up to the usual lackluster standards in this movie . in other words , just in case you missed the sarcasm , his acting is worse than normal . on the upside , natasha henstridge is in this film , and she does what she did best in species -- she gets naked . sadly , this is probably the high point in the movie . she is actually a decent actress , but didn't improve as much as i thought she would after species . this is the typical van damme movie , with jean-claude doing a variety of high end martial arts moves on his opponents . nothing new here , and certainly nothing we haven't seen in every other van damme movie . simply put , there is absolutely nothing new about this movie . it has a retread plot -- this isn't the first time jean-claude has played twins . he still can't act . we all saw natasha's breasts in species ( although this is one repeat performance i'm not complaining about ) . this is pretty much like every movie that van damme has ever been involved in -- sub par .

alexander dumas' the three musketeers is one of the most often-adapted literary works , and for good reason : the swashbuckler is a legend rather than just a story . perhaps the musketeer , a new film that " reimagines " the novel in the spirit and style of the matrix , is one adaptation too many . it's just awful : spiritless , silly and unforgivably boring , transforming the timeless classic into a mish-mash of old-as-time clich ? s and incoherent , repetitive action sequences . this time , d'artagnan is played by calvin klein model justin chambers , who can't even pronounce his character's name . as a boy , he watched his father get killed by febre ( tim roth ) , a lackey of power-hungry cardinal richelieu . he vowed to have vengeance . after undergoing intense training under an expert swordsman , he goes looking for his enemy . on his quest , he embroils himself in a struggle for control at the highest levels of the french government . the royal musketeers have lost their gusto , what with their jobs being taken over by the cardinal's own guards . only a few loyal swashbuckers remain , among them athos and portos ( who are only figureheads in this movie ) . together with d'artagnan , they fight to extricate the queen ( catherine deneuve ) from the traps that febre and richelieu are trying to plant . oh , and as an afterthought , d'artagnan falls in love with the poor maid at the local inn ( mena suvari ) . just thought i'd mention that . now , look : i don't know whose idea this was , but whoever is responsible deserves a severe tongue-lashing . i have nothing against " modernizing " classic works of literature - at the very least , they can inspire viewers to actually read the book - but films as dull as this have no positive side effects . director peter hyams , known for such masterpieces of modern cinema as timecop and end of days , has jettisoned everything that was great about dumas' masterwork : the sense of excitement , cause , and camaraderie . instead , we get impressively choreographed but somehow vacuous , uninvolving action sequences that emerge from emptiness and lead to nothing . when the musketeers finally get to holler " all for one , and one for all , " i could have sworn that was dumas rolling in his grave that i felt . maybe the reason for the utter lack of suspense here is the hyams's tone , which is unreasonably dark and brooding when you consider the reader's digest condensed version of the story that he gives us . it's as though anything that may have been construed as " fun " was purposely expunged from the production . the joylessness of the proceedings , from the oppressively shady lighting to the mechanical fight scenes , can be felt in every frame . chambers can't act ; suvari , roth and deneuve can , but aren't given the chance . and when push comes to shove , the use of stunt doubles is distractingly obvious , though at least roth gets to play a villain without having to wear an ape suit . some movies seem sloppy and careless , clearly made for a quick buck . with the musketeer we get the sense that it was meticulously crafted to be awful . the film is intricate , stylish and precise , hitting the wrong note every single time .

" the blair witch project " was perhaps one of a kind , a unique film that played completely on its own merit , managing to scare even the most experienced horror fans out of their senses . its success made a sequel inevitable , but this is not the sequel , i suspect , anyone much wanted . after the release of " the blair witch project " , tourists have practically invaded the small town of burkettsville , in order to get a glimpse of the blair witch . locals have turned this mass hysteria into a great business opportunity , selling twig-sculptures , stones and dirt like those in the movie , and the exasperated local sheriff patrols the woods with a bullhorn , shouting , " get out of these woods and go home ! there is no goddamned blair witch ! " . jeff ( ) is one of those people , who has used the sudden popularity of the small town to his advantage . after he got released from the mental institution , he created a mobile business that attracts thousands of customers through the internet . as the movie starts he is leading one of these groups into the woods , on the " blair witch hunt " . among the five strangers is stephen and his girlfriend , the pregnant tristen , who are writing a book on the hysteria caused by the film called " the blair witch : history or hysteria ? " , and kim , who dresses in black and has some psychic powers . the last member of the crew is erica , a young beautiful witch-wannabe , who constantly quotes from the wiccan lore , saying " the first rule of wicca is , do no harm , because whatever you do will come back to you threefold . " this strange group plunges into the woods , where they begin to argue about their different approaches to the experience . on the very first night that they decide to spend under the stars amidst the ruins of parr's abandoned house , strange things start happening . when they wake up their equipment is gone and only the tapes remain . after a while they discover strange markings on their bodies . they are somehow lost in time , as it loops uncontrollably back and forth . they are all haunted by hallucinations and horrible nightmares and soon they can not see the difference between dreams and reality . the only thing that they are sure of is that they have brought something or someone with them from the woods . . documentary director joe berlinger ( " paradice lost " ) helms " blair witch 2 " , leaving the creators of the first film ( dan myrick and ed sanches ) in the background . the opening scenes--the documentary showing the townspeople affected by the first film-- is a more promising approach , because instead of trying to cover similar ground , it goes outside the first film and makes its own stand . but soon the movie gets confused and sidetracked by its own story , that is never resolved and ends with a very anticlimaxic epilogue . in a way , this is a typical hollywood sequel . more money has been spent and more people have worked on a project that was doomed to fail . the horror and suspense of the original simply could not be repeated . of course in these situations , quantity is more important than quality and profit is more important than the artistical values . from its opening scenes when the camera gracefully panes over the bloody-red forest , with carter burwell's ( " being john malkovich " and " fargo " ) musical score in the background , you realize that with the exception of its title , this film has absolutely nothing to do with " the blair witch project " . " blair witch . . " was filmed by handheld videocameras and nfeatured acting that was mostly based on improvisation . in the sequel the technical aspect of the film is close to perfection , creating a completely different atmosphere . with its graceful cinematography , production design and flashy editing , the film has a very polished look , which is impossible to associate with the first installment . and though berlinger directs his film with an energy and pace that makes the adrenaline rush through the body a couple of times , he has obviously misunderstood the nature of his predecessor . the key is simplicity . " blair witch project " had a story which was incredibly simple . that allowed the audience to fill the gaps with our own imagination . the film was practically an empty screen , on which we projected our most frightening nightmares . the effect was incredibly powerful , lasting and entir e everyone , but in a different way . " book of shadows " feels incredibly controlled and restrict . here , very little is left to our imagination and the story is so complex and " clever " that the screenwriters are the first to get lost in it . there is is no book of shadows and no conclusion that we can be satisfied with . this is simply a less artistic film that doesn't have the talent and originality of its predecessor . it resorts to fancy cinematography and special effects to create the right effect and doesn't always succeed . but most importantly : it stands on its own ground and has almost no connection with the first movie , which doesn't allow it to destroy the original . in the end , i can't call it a bad effort . it's less artistic , not so scary and less original , but certainly not bad . it's simply different . in fact , if you haven't seen " the blair witch project " , you might like this film for what it is -- a cross between " the blair witch project " and the " scream " -films . the only element that remains constant and similar between the two films is the solid acting ( jeffrey donovan and tristine skyler should be mentioned ) and incredible sense of surrealism . but it's a common knowledge and experience that , with a few exceptions , every movie sequel is worse than the original and some are even not worth making . to me the story of " the blair witch project " seemed completed , but there are obviously no limits to commercial success that " the book of shadows " is certainly assured . and it's already time to look forward to " blair witch 3 " .

attention moviegoers : you are about to enter a meaning-free zone . should the sound system malfunction during your viewing of 200 cigarettes , do not panic . the film will work just as well as a silent movie . chronicling the meaningless lives of vain , yuppie types , the movie covers the same ground as the wilt stillman films ( last days of disco , barcelona and metropolitan ) but without any of his acerbic wit and the inviting style of his writing . first-time writer shana larsen makes the mistake of creating a couple of dozen characters and not giving any of them any depth . there isn't one of these characters worth caring about . the movie features such a cornucopia of hot young stars that it looks like a celluloid version of " people magazine . " among others , the movie features : ben affleck , casey affleck , david chappelle , janeane garofalo , gaby hoffmann , catherine kellner , courtney love , jay mohr , martha plimpton , christina ricci and paul rudd . and unlike people magazine , the people speak , not that they have anything interesting to say . it's new year's eve in 1981 , and monica ( martha plimpton ) is preparing her big party . structured as a series of relatively unrelated stories about her guests on the way to the party , director risa bramon garcia flits back and forth among her stars . monica's apartment is in " noho , " an area that one of the guests describes as " so cool , all of the poor people live there . " typical of the shallow couples in the movie are kevin ( paul rudd ) and his friend and would-be sexual partner lucy ( courtney love ) . they argue about whether lucy is a slut or not since she sleeps with everyone , except him , of course . she dares him to go immediately to a bathroom stall and have sex with her , which turns out to be neither erotic , funny or successful -- rather like the rest of the story . the movie gets its title from the carton of cigarettes that lucy gives kevin for his new year's eve birthday . " cigarettes are a shield against emotional interaction with other people , " kevin later tells lucy in a snippet of dialog that sounds profound only outside the context of the movie . another character , played by jay mohr , has a problem with his sexual triumphs . every woman he beds falls deeply in love with him by the next morning . when his latest conquest tells him of her affection for him , his response is " i like a lot of people . " as the movie finally draws to a close , the characters awaken from their post-party game of musical beds . some have passed out early from alcohol abuse and remember little , while others actually have some clue as to what happened . the movie itself is so forgettable that by the time you reach your car in the parking lot , all trace of the film will have vanished from your mind , which is probably the best thing that can be said about the movie . 200 cigarettes runs 1 : 40 . it is rated r for profanity , sex and one dope smoking scene and would be acceptable for older teenagers .

( dreamworks skg ) running time : 2 hours starring robert duvall , tea leoni and elijah wood directed by mimi leder the first of the two asteroid movies coming out this year ( the second is the macho armageddon ) is actually a dull affair . elijah wood plays leo biederman , who during astronomy class discovers that a large asteroid is heading for earth . tea leoni plays a ( rather crap ) news reporter , jenny lerner , who soon discovers about this asteroid through a very long winded and boring way , and robert duvall plays the leader of a space crew , spurgeon tanner , who are planning to blow the asteroid out of the path of earth . also featuring is morgan freeman as the president , and maximilian schell and vanessa redgrave as jenny's father and mother . while many people will walk into the film expecting a big special effects fest with the asteroid blowing everything up ( as the trailers seem to promise ) , the film is actually more of a character study , if a very poor one . the main problem is that there are too many characters in the film , and not enough time to explore them all . only the space crew are given any depth , jenny lerner , leo and the president are surprisingly 2d , and we never get to know these characters . and because i couldn't care for them , i didn't really give a crap if the asteroid killed them or not . the script by bruce joel rubin and michael tolkin is horribly simple , and never really makes any interesting statements . mimi leder , the former er director and director of the average the peacemaker ( 1996 ) , again directs in a ho-hum style , and never really gets any emotion out of a scene , which is a shame . the cast are seemingly on autopilot , although tea leoni does gives a rather good performance , even if she acts a bit too dorky for her own good . she seems uncommonly stupid for a journalist . robert duvall is on autopilot with a underwritten role , he just seems to be in this film for the money . elijah wood , one of the best child actors working today , is surprisingly average , although his choice of roles lately haven't exactly been brilliant ( i . e . flipper , 1996 ) . his role is also vastly underwritten . morgan freeman , again , is utterly wasted with a ridiculously underwritten role . like duvall , he just seems to be in the film for the money . the supporting cast are all o . k , none making much of an impression . ok , so deep impact may have messed up character wise , but surely the special effects are good ? well , yes and no . although the special effects should be impressive , with a massive tidal wave destroying new york , the special effects look like , well , special effects . sadly , the waves looks like it's been drawn on computer , and doesn't look too good at all . surprising really , when the effects are done by industrial light & magic , who did the effects for the lost world and twister . in the end , deep impact is a wasted opportunity . what could of been a moving movie with good effects turns out to be a dud in both characters and effects . the 2 hours the film had could have been used to much greater effect . once again , dreamworks has churned out another average movie . let's hope armageddon is a bit better . overall rating= review by david wilcock web space provided by geocities

with his last two films - shine and snow falling on cedars - australian director scott hicks has proven his cinematic flashbacks to be some of the best out there , and his latest , hearts in atlantis , is no different . its structure - beginning and ending in present day with one long flashback in the middle - is similar to the green mile , which is a bit ironic considering both were based on stephen king books . the parallels don't end there , either . atlantis was adapted by william goldman , who had previously penned the big-screen version of misery and is in the process of working on the script for king's dreamcatcher . even the film's content is a bit reminiscent of mile . in fact , it's the perfect blend of the feel-good '60s nostalgia of stand by me ( also by king ) and mystical power hokum of mile . king's atlantis is a book comprised of five related short stories , but the main focus here is on the first ( and longest ) tale , called low men in yellow coats ( the film's title comes from the second chapter ) . it's set in 1960 harwich , connecticut , where 11-year-old bobby garfield ( anton yelchin ) lives in a boarding house run by his cold , self-centered mother elizabeth ( hope davis , joe gould's secret ) , who seems to care more about her wardrobe than her son . bobby spends his time with his two closest friends , john sullivan ( will rothhaar ) and tomboy carol gerber ( mika boorem ) , who become something like the kevin , paul and winnie of harwich . when a new tenant moves into the vacant room , the fatherless bobby finds a male role model in ted brautigan ( anthony hopkins , hannibal ) , a mysterious stranger who is vague enough about his past to make bobby's mom suspicious enough to at least momentarily turn her head away from the mirror . ted teaches his young neighbor about the wonders of literature ( after his cheapskate mother gives him a library card for his birthday ) , dispenses prophetic words of wisdom and even pays bobby one dollar a week to read him the local newspaper and keep his eyes peeled for the low men , a group of people chasing ted to exploit his special powers . i won't go into what these powers are , but they're considerably toned down from the book ( and don't involve black stuff flying out of ted's mouth , a la mile ) . atlantis' present-day setting which bookends the film is based on the novel's final chapter , titled heavenly shades of night are falling , and features david morse ( in yet another connection to the green mile ) as a married , middle-aged bobby who learns of the death of both of his childhood friends and returns to the dilapidated boarding house in which he spent his formative years . atlantis is nowhere near as flashy as hicks' cedars , which is disappointing but understandable considering the switch from the completely amazing robert richardson to the occasionally amazing piotr sobocinski , the oscar-nominated cinematographer behind krzysztof kieslowski's red . the acting is solid from everyone , including hopkins , who never once makes you think of dr . lecter . most impressive are youngsters yelchin and boorem , who both had tiny parts in along came a spider . while i didn't really have much of a problem with goldman's screenplay , i do need to point out at least one inconsistency . goldman , for those of you who don't read premiere , writes what seems like an annual criticism of everybody else's films , carefully explaining why they all suck , make no sense and insult their audiences , while somehow failing to mention the crap that he's penned ( like the general's daughter ) . it's mean-spirited but fun to read , mostly on account of nobody else in hollywood having the balls to say anything remotely negative about anybody else in the business ( including michael jackson , o . j . and robert blake ) . in atlantis , which is supposed to be told through the eyes of young bobby , one would assume he would have to be in each scene in order to have the memory to which to flash back . well , he's not , and it doesn't make sense . 1 : 41 - pg-13 for violence and thematic elements

" you'll go ape over tarzan because it's more fun than a barrel of monkeys ! " okay , there's the quote in case disney wants to put something in their ads for the movie . disney's latest animated feature throws us right into the action from the very beginning , skipping the usual main title sequence and putting us on pitching waves as a small family attempts to escape from a sinking ship . father , mother , and infant somehow make it to shore amidst a rousing song by phil collins , and have soon built a treehouse which would impress the swiss family robinson . it's amazing , the kinds of things you can do when you work to a soundtrack . before you know it , an unfortunate set of circumstances put the baby in the hands of kala ( glenn close ) , a mother ape who recently lost her own baby to a predatory leopard . against the wishes of her mate and family leader , kerchak ( lance henricksen ) , she takes on the infant boy as her own . tarzan is not so much a story about a human boy surviving in the african jungles as it is about one who does not really fit in either humanity or the wild . much of tarzan's young life is spent trying to become one of the apes in the eyes of his peers and his " father , " which occasionally gets him into trouble no matter how well-meant his attempts . all he's looking for is acceptance , perhaps a goal easily identifiable by young viewers , but one which will ring true with a lot of adults . when you really think about it , this story fits right into the disney formula of the outcast that triumphs in the end . look back on past disney animated features and you'll see the trend . growing up , tarzan ( voiced by alex d . linz as a child , and by tony goldwyn as an adult ) has a couple of friends . one is an ape named terk ( rosie o'donnell ) , and the other is a paranoid hypochondriac of an elephant named tantor ( wayne knight ) . both provide the requisite comic relief ( timon and poombah from the lion king immediately come to mind ) and perform the usual hijinks as prescribed by the disney mold . i'm beginning to think anyone can write the screenplay for one of these films . just fill in the blanks ! can you see it ? " now we have to have a couple of zany friends for out hero who might get him into mischief , but cover for him or come to his rescue when he needs it . we've already had a fish and a crab , and we've had a candle and a teapot , a genie and a dog , a few stone statues . . . . have we had an ape and an elephant yet ? well , there we go ! " of course , there's gotta be romance somewhere along the line , so jane ( minnie driver ) gets introduced about halfway through . together with her father dr . porter ( nigel hawthorne ) and the big game hunter clayton ( brian blessed ) , jane is on an expedition to find and study the wild gorillas of africa . she discovers the man raised by apes and is enchanted almost immediately , and soon shares an amusing version of the compulsory " you tarzan , me jane " scene . thankfully , those aren't the exact words . however , i found it distracting that tarzan is going " ohh ohh ee ee " one second and then tells jane his name in this manly voice with perfect diction . how does he tell his name to another ape ? " ohh ohh ee - tarzan - ee ee ohh ? " well , regardless of my picky nature , the romance actually works as only disney romance can : purely contrived , but for some reason rather believable . but hey , tarzan's a young adult . do you think he dated a few of the female apes before meeting jane ? isn't that illegal in most countries ? oh , well . i don't think disney will be using my quote anymore . tarzan departs from the usual disney feature in that this one is not a musical . there's lots of music to be sure , but not a single character song in the whole hour and a half of running time . we instead get more of a phil collins concert , as no less than five of his original songs are used as interlude material . this isn't really a bad thing , as the songs are very high-energy and catchy ( i found myself singing one to myself for most of the following day ) ; it's just different . do yourself a favor and see this film in a theater with a good sound system , because the music will come through astonishingly well and really enhance the movie . with each new feature , disney animation gets even better . not necessarily by leaps and bounds , but since they put out a new film each year , a steady rate of improvement is apparent , and this definitely shows in tarzan . there are a couple of scenes where the animation achieves a near 3-d effect , and a number of scenes which feature tarzan moving through the trees are absolutely dizzying . the way he slides down tree limbs and trunks is very reminiscent of skateboarding and rollerblading maneuvers , and had me thinking this isn't just tarzan , it's " extreme tarzan . " however , tarzan does not seem to have what i call its " chandelier scene , " which is the one scene to which the animators have chosen to devote an inordinate amount of effort , utilizing a computer-assisted process that makes the animation absolutely breathtaking . lasting but a few seconds at most , it's been the signature of nearly every disney animated feature since beauty and the beast , in which the castle ballroom chandelier was rendered in stunning detail . as usual , the voice talent is up to snuff , convincingly make you believe in the convictions of animated characters . the one poor choice in casting , however , was rosie o'donnell . going into the film , i didn't know she was even a part of it , but when terk started talking , i recognized her voice immediately . her performance was fine , but through the rest of the film i kept thinking , " that's no boy ape , that rosie o'donnell . " distracting to say the least . i'll admit i've never read the edgar rice burroughs story " tarzan of the apes , " so i couldn't tell you how true this film stays to the book . but unless you're a purist , you should have few objections to this film . with solid performances , action , adventure , a bit of romance , and great music and animation , tarzan should appeal to the kids and to the kid in all of us . note : when i wrote my review of mulan a year ago , i went off on the promotional and merchandising tie-ins prevalent with the release of a disney animated feature . this time , i'll just say that i went to mcdonald's yesterday to treat myself to a mcflurry , and tarzan was on the cup . 'nuff said .

aliens ! ! well , that is what this movie is about . computer generated aliens . ok , the movie is not just about computer generated aliens . it's about computer generated aliens and a secret organization known as mib . if one wasn't green and running around the other would not exist as it's known . the computer graphics in this movie are spectacular , they make you want to believe that aliens like the ones depicted exits . since seeing this movie i have to agree concede that denis rodman is an alien , he simply has to be . well , in all seriousness the aliens created here are not only of the monster variety but are also of the soft , squishy and cuddly kind . just adds something of a lighter note to the movie where it could have become very dark . along with aliens comes the humor and in a pretty decent way . j , well soon to be j , a smart ass cop ( played by will smith ) runs down what he thinks is a would-be villain and gets some attention from the mib and k in particular . k aims to recruit our poor j , but that is not the whole point of this movie . the main duty of the mib is to police the extra terrestrials on earth who have chosen it as a home or a refuge . that's also the main point of this movie : protect the earth from the scum of the galaxy . some of the scum from space is awfully bad and just down right nasty . color commentary abounds when forced to deal with alien scum and none other than will smith and tommy lee jones are there to deliver the punch . the dialogue is witty to say the least . this wittiness lets the movie flow well from scene to scene developing the characters to the extent needed for this movie . tommy lee jones ( as k ) and will smith ( as j ) provide both the action and the comedy beautifully . the characters they play don't seem to be wrong in any way nor does their performance as them . i would have to say that k is more amusing than j , but what's one without the other . both roles complemented each other very well and the script seemed to be written for these two actors . the story also goes deep enough to provide a proper background so the audience is not totally clueless . altogether good performances were put in by all the cast and the director blended everything marvelously with the necessary special effects to create a good movie . a movie well worth seeing if you are up for some lighthearted and witty humor . as most movies have their good things they also have their bad things . the character development in this movie was not all that grand because it didn't need to be . but if there was more character development and if there was some development of the alien characters that might have added quite considerable to the movie . especially the evil alien , he did need some work . though this could have been worked on , the movie was what it proposed to be a rather shallow and witty comedy . that was achieved rather well , with some interesting commentary and observations . a movie worth a view , but keep in mind what the movie is and if you are not fond of will smith's form of humor then i wouldn't go . originally written after original release . totally rewritten december 26 , 1997

if he doesn=92t watch out , mel gibson is in danger of being known as someone other than mad max . of course there are still a few big guns in this film , but there=92s some accomplished acting too . although gibson continues to shed his rough and gritty anti-hero skin as his career progresses , here he explores a new genre : the businessman as action hero . in ron howard=92s latest film , gibson plays tom mullen , a gazillionaire airline owner whose son is snatched from the junior science fair by kidnappers . mullen at first agrees to pay the ransom , but when things fall apart he rethinks the situation . a veteran of numerous hard-nosed business negotiations , the tycoon realizes that in order to get his son back alive , he has to play his hand differently . the casting is what puts this film over the top . the trio of gibson , the kidnappers' mastermind ( gary sinise ) and fbi team leader ( delroy lindo ) play off of each other wonderfully . sinise is perfect as the driven scheming sleezebag is right on the mark . his speech to mullen over a walkie talkie about h . g . wells=92 morlocks and eloi reveal his vision of= society . mullen and the other glitteratti frolic up on high while sinise and the other lowlifes dwell below , feeding off the unsuspecting . gibson=92s character is an all-american hero with a few flaws . his cowboy= tactics tend to work , but they are also what got him into this situation to begin with . in a round about way , if he weren=92t known as a man who i= s willing to buy his way out of trouble , his son wouldn=92t have been kidnapped . as sinise says " you=92re a payer . you did it once and now you=92re going to do it again . " one of the nicest elements of this film is that most of the characters actually have personalities . lindo calls home to talk to his kids , obviously shaken at working this case . even the kidnappers are real people , arguing about the ultimate fate of sean mullen and feeding him candy bars . gibson=92s break-down on the balcony of their penthouse apartment is especially effective . it=92s one of the best filmed representations of a man=92s world falling apart that i=92ve seen . it=92s not all perfect . the shoot 'em upending , while emotionally satisfying seems tacked on to be just that rather than to provide a powerful resolution . as well crafted as the scene is , we=92ve seen it before . mullen=92s wife ( rene russo ) has several good moments , but occasionally just seems to be there . while adequate , brawley nolte ( sean ) doesn=92t provide much to the film other than occupying space to build the story around . but you=92ll ignore these problems as each minute of the movie builds on the previous one . forget about the large coke , you won=92t want to leave for that five minute break an hour later .

the ultimate match up between good and evil , " the untouchables " is an excellent movie because it looks deeper into an already examined rivalry . based on the 1959 television show of the same title , " the untouchables " may be an exaggeration of the real life events that took place , but it fits together perfectly with some beautifully filmed action sequences , some excellent acting , a memorable score , and a clever script . the film takes place in chicago during the prohibition era where mobsters led by the ruthless al capone run an underground market of liquor to the demanding public . elliot ness and a small force of men known as the untouchables attempt the impossible by trying to stop capone and trying to maintain peace and order . however , as ness soon learns , in order to stabilize peace , you have to bend a few laws . the fact that capone is evil is very apparent from the first few scenes . the film begins with capone , played perfectly by deniro , declaring that he is not a violent man and he is a firm believer in following all laws . the film then quickly transfers to the next scene in which one of capone's men bombs a restaurant that contains many innocent people including a little girl . from this point we know capone is evil , not only because he kills without hesitation , but also because he is a lying bastard . right from the first five minutes of the film , de palma has created a hatred towards capone and he shows that this man must be brought down at all costs . this developed hatred is before the film's hero , ness , is even introduced . i found this approach to be very clever because in a small duration of time there is a great amount of admiration for ness and an equal amount of hatred for capone . the film only gets better from this point . with the formation of the untouchables , there is a group of men wearing long , dark overcoats and hats . they walk in unison and they only look forward . as they walk down the streets they are observed and feared by citizens . holding shot guns and pistols in their hands to stop criminals , this image of vigilantes must have influenced future films . one that comes to mind is " the matrix " when neo , morpheus , trinity , and the rest of the gang first come into the virtual world . wearing more futuristic outfits of the same 1930's style , the similarities between these two are countless . " the untouchables " has some of the hippest , bravest heroes in any action film . the four members were the only ones willing to go against capone's army . each member of this special group also had their own characteristics that separated them from others . elliot ness , played with perfect ingenuity by kevin costner , is a character that surely grows during the course of the film . he begins as a man who is determined to follow all laws no matter how unfair they may be . however , as the film develops so does ness . his beliefs involving the law are shattered when he realizes that those he trusted are actually members of the other side . he also begins to lose his stability when his adversaries begin to murder his friends . his anger becomes so thunderous that he can no longer hold it in . sean connery , who won an academy award for best supporting actor in his role , plays malone , an aging cop who decides to make one final run as a member of the untouchables . malone acts as a mentor to ness . he teaches him " the chicago way " to do things ; when they attack with a knife , you attack with a gun . connery plays his character with the exact amount of wit and experience needed . andy garcia does a wonderful job as george stone , a young man who is just becoming a police officer . as ness grows , he begins to teach stone some valuable lessons that malone once taught him . charles martin smith is also fantastic as the final member who attempts to use an income tax offense against capone . smith is perfect for his role as he adds some valuable comic relief to the film . the action scenes are also some of the most beautifully choreographed i have ever seen . also very similar to " the matrix , " they are exciting and intense . >from a western-like battle to the famous confrontation at the train station steps , the scenes are well thought out and well executed . the score during these scenes ingeniously adds to the excitement . its pounding drum beats act as a rhythm for the actors . the combination of image and music is very impressive and also very effective . although the real life untouchables may have been excessively glorified , this film is pure entertainment and contains a unique blend of great acting , great directing , and great action . some scenes ( capone and the baseball bat , the train station ) have stuck in my mind for years and seeing them again will only make them more vivid .

susan granger's review of " mulholland drive " ( universal focus ) whatever david lynch is selling , i'm not buying . from the writer/director of " blue velvet " and " twin peaks " comes another dark , mysterious thriller that opens with an automobile accident on mulholland drive , the serpentine street that twists high in the hollywood hills . dazed , a beautiful brunette ( laura elena harring ) emerges and stumbles down a hill , slipping unobserved into a '30s-style apartment as the tenant leaves for a trip . the next morning , a dewy blonde ( naomi watts ) from deep river , ontario , arrives in la with dreams of stardom in her suitcase . her aunt owns the apartment and the two women meet . the brunette has amnesia so the blonde tries to help her discover her identity along with her latent lesbian lust . meanwhile , a hotshot director ( justin theroux ) , whose wife is in bed with the poolman , is forced to cast a certain actress in his new film and there's an assassin ( mark pellegrino ) roaming the city . the tortuous paths of these various characters - and others named cookie , coco and cowboy - intersect at various points but the plot remains elusive because , midway through the story , lynch has the brunette and blonde play two different women in an alternate reality , leaving a huge wad of cash , a blue metallic key , a paralyzed mogul and a lot of questions that go unanswered . elena harring and particularly naomi watts are gifted actresses , effectively making the subtle switch . the same cannot be said for former m . g . m . dancer ann miller who's stiff and self-conscious , speaking - like most lynch players - in staccato tones . on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , " mulholland drive " is a frenzied , frustrating 4 . originally designed as an episodic tv pilot , this surreal triumph of suspenseful style over substance is packaged as a puzzle with several of the key pieces left out .

august and september are a wasteland when it comes to children's films , and october is a dumping ground for munchkin movies the studios don't want to see slaughtered against family-oriented thanksgiving films . last year , the benevolent studio gods gave us digimon , and this year , they bestow max keeble's big move on delighted moviegoers across the country . parents will be thrilled because they'll finally have something to drag little austin and kayla to see that doesn't smell nearly as much like ass as digimon did . don't get me wrong - keeble , which is actually only a " ment " away from being a fetish film , isn't that entertaining . in fact , you'd be better off waiting to blow your disposable income when the real kiddie pics ( monsters , inc . , harry potter ) come out next month . but if dubya dubya iii tells you to go out and spend money to stimulate the economy , then you'd better do it ( because gassing up the minivan twice a week just isn't going to cut it ) . we first see young max keeble ( alex d . linz , home alone 3 ) as a pint-sized superhero , delivering newspapers with the pinpoint accuracy of a david beckham cross , foiling the diabolical plans of the evil ice cream man ( jamie kennedy , jay and silent bob strike back ) and landing the neighborhood honey ( brooke anne smith ) , who , by the way , is the hottest chick in a disney film since emmanuelle chriqui played claire boner in snow day . the scenario is , of course , a dream . max is really a doofus and he wakes up on his first day of junior high school with a pessimistic attitude , no luck with the ladies and only two friends , both of whom can kindly be described as social outcasts ( and who were both in snow day ) - the perpetually robed robe ( josh peck ) and a clarinet-playing cutie named megan ( summer catch's zena grey ) , who harbors secret feelings for max . things don't get any better for max when he arrives at school . he has to contend with , among other things , a red-hot science teacher ( amber valletta , family man ) , a pair of polar-opposite bullies ( noel fisher and orlando brown ) , and an illiterate principal ( larry miller , the princess diaries ) who's secretly diverting the school's last dime into the football program . when max's father ( grownup nerd robert carradine ) unexpectedly announces the family is moving to a new town at the end of the week , max decides this is the perfect time to exact revenge on everyone who pisses him off . whoa - don't worry , parents . he doesn't do it klebold-harris style . it's all pretty tame stuff , but max ends up in hot water when dad nixes the move , leaving his son dangling in the wind like so many tampon strings . director tim hill ( muppets from space ) adds a few nice touches , like max's voiceover character introductions for the film's main characters and a flashback scene that's pretty funny , but there isn't too much else happening here stylewise . . . unless you count some farting , a little puking , and a couple of bizarre cameos from tony hawk and lil' romeo . 1 : 30 - pg for some bullying and crude humor

imagine this scenario : you and any of your family members are scudding through one of those long , excruciating cross-country car trips , far from the city and into the deserted rural routes . so far , the trip is idyllic when , abruptly , your car malfunctions and you are stranded in the middle of nowhere . it is not an easy situation , but a perfectly plausible one , the panorama in which breakdown musters it's throbbing suspense and skillfully executed tautness . it is not easy to cobble a distinct and gripping thriller nowadays , but breakdown doesn't bungle into rudimentary plot holes or cliches and it derives a masterful , titillating climax that by it's finale , engrosses a viewer with total absorption . the plot is somewhat reminiscent of 1988's the vanishing . kurt russell and kathleen quinlan respectively play jeff and amy taylor , a massachusetts couple en route to california for a brand new job . when they stop for gas somewhere in the arid southwest , jeff is confronted by a pugnacious driver , who later , will be an important player in the plot department . minutes later after that , their brand new , strikingly red , jeep grand cherokee unexpectedly stops . jeff cannot detect the car's problem , so he allows amy to take a ride with red ( j . t walsh ) , a heedful truck driver who will convey her to the nearest town , where jeff will meet her at a local diner . it is facile for the film to turn into a pseudo-suspenser , but instead it opts for maximum fervor . jeff manages to re-start the car himself , but when he arrives at the diner , she is nowhere in sight . disconcerted , the coffee shop's bartender informs jeff where to search for his wife , a town about twenty miles from here . there , trouble arises . and i shall not reveal anything else , since that would be spoiling the fun of what's head . there are many involving , tight scenes in breakdown but the final climactic period which includes a magnificent chase with three cars and a huge truck , will have you feeling as if your legs are made out of pure foam . it is a pleasure to be part of a classic confrontation of good vs evil , and rooting for the good guys , in this case jeff . kurt russell is one of the few top-notch hollywood actors which doesn't overblow his acting , and gradually gains reliance on his role as it progresses . so you can assume his alteration in breakdown is letter-perfect . suffice it is to say he undergoes a transformation , from a jolly man , to a guy frantically pursuing a loved one . not many well-paid actors can deliver these type of performances , but russell is one of them . as an everyday man , he pulls it off extremely convincingly , what also surprised me more was his rigorous physicality , which he effectively practices almost all throughout the films 93 minutes . although the film is blotted with a couple of portentous action sequences ( very well done ) yet the tightness is generated by the subtle circumstances this man is presented with . faced with an enigma about his wife's whereabouts , the movie succeeds by conveying us in realistic territory with veritable characters , including the cryptic villains , who in essence , make the movie what it is . what's most impressive however , is the feature debut by writer/director jonathan mostow . mostow , hitherto directed the showtime thriller flight of a black angle , alleviates the contrivances and generics of the script by gingerly pursuing the trajectory of the plot , efficiently letting the tone and the mood of the story generate that nail-biting suspense sought for in a well- made affair . contrary to most american thrillers , he doesn't rely on visual flair , but on aesthetics and substance . after breakdown , he should gain vast notoriety . the villains in the movie aren't your routine out-of-this-world idiosyncratic psychos that are harming for no particular objective . the baddies in breakdown , all well acted , are normal , seemingly inoffensive townspeople who beneath their trustworthy layer , conduct an amoral business of corruption and murder . the movie smartly portrays these men as loathsome rednecks , and , of all things in the world , it is becoming rather easy to root for villains ( jon voight in anaconda ) in today's movies . worth a special mentioning is j . t walsh ( who previously worked with kurt russell in executive decision ) as the leader of the gang , he renders a deliciously wicked performance , temporarily stepping out of the minor roles he is known for . alfred hitchcock used suspense--and action-- not only to stimulate , but as a way of aiding his audience's fascination in his stories , which were slowly realizing man's biggest fears . breakdown yields exactly that . it magnificently taps into the psyche of an ordinary man , acting like an ordinary man , looking like an ordinary and some sort of superhero . despite one or two iffy moments even hitchcock , i think , would approve of breakdown . ( 1 : 33 )

capsule : the verma family is having a wedding and all the relatives will come for the multi-day festivities . mira nair's film is pleasant enough with a little human drama , a few family secrets , some sadness and some happiness . you have seen it all before , but perhaps not from india . the photography is colorful and the music is very agreeable . , low +2 ( -4 to +4 ) mira nair previously directed salaam bombay and mississippi masala . her newest film , written by sabrina dhawan , is very similar to previous films like betsy's wedding but it is set in new delhi . a wealthy family is having a wedding . an indian wedding is a multi-day affair as much a family reunion as a nuptial . even more than in the us , it is an excuse for a lavish and extravagant family get-together . the film shows us what the family does together and at the same time follows several family members' individual story lines . aditi verma is marrying hemant , an indian engineer working in the us . she had previously had a relationship with vikram , her supervisor . latit , her father ( played by naseeruddin shah ) , is juggling many problems , not the least of which is worrying about the caterer has hired pk dubey . dubey is a rather eccentric man with a taste for eating the marigolds he uses for decoration . even dubey will soon be romantically entangled when he becomes interested in alice , one of the family servants . several family members arrive giving rise to several plotlines involving sex , family secrets , or both . there are heartbreaks and there are people falling in love . some of the subjects covered are probably near taboo for indian films . western audiences will appreciate a look at unfamiliar indian customs like women painting their hands with henna . on the other hand it was not clear ( to me at least ) if scenes like the family singing together are typical of indian culture or if they are a convention of indian musical films . this seems a particularly westernized family with the father wearing american designer sweaters and the family speaking mostly english . the latter will , however , help with an international release . sabrina dhawan's screenplay is vibrant with witty dialog . we have seen films with plotting very much like this , but the indian setting makes a great deal of difference . director mira nair calls the film an affirmation of life . i rate it a 7 on the 0 to 10 scale and a low +2 on the -4 to +4 scale .

in life , eddie murphy and martin lawrence play two young men wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison . after about an hour of watching this movie , you begin to realize how their characters feel . fortunately , for audience members there's a chance to escape the nearest exit . this , undoubtedly , is eddie murphy's worst movie and that's an accomplishment . remember the golden child , harlem nights ? compared to life , they look like citizen kane . life is long , predictable , foul-mouthed and only intermittently funny . its 100-minute running time feels like 100 years . robert ramsey and matthew stone's script basically consist of murphy and lawrence referring to everyone around them as " motherf . . . s " or " n . . . . . s . " you lose count how many times both those obnoxious , offensive words are used . and if that all it takes to write a script , than any illiterate jackass can sit at a word processor and compose a movie . but , like life , it will probably stink . to be honest , the screening audience surrounding me in the theater yucked it up . but these were the same people who howled at all the flatulence and fat jokes as well . life is as sophisticated as a belch . it's crude and stereotypical . years ago , movies stereotypically portrayed blacks subservient , second-class people , good for being only maids and servants . for the most part , the lot of blacks and other racial groups have improved . but a new , more insidious stereotype is creeping into movies . in many recent films , through actors such as murphy and chris tuckers , blacks are presented as fast-talking , conniving , scam artists or hip-hop , gun-crazy , sex-crazed youths . both sets of caricatures are demeaning . and the fault does not rest with the actors . they have to eat , too . it is with the people who write the scripts , the studios who green-light the projects and the audiences who accept these portrayals without protest . life's only redeeming virtue is the artistry of makeup legend rick baker who flawlessly ages murphy and lawrence into 90 year olds . otherwise , life is an embarrassment , a blot on the resumes of those associated with it . see it at your own risk .

* * * be warned . . . the following review contains some harsh language * * * the blair witch project . quite possibly the least scariest movie of all time . if you want to see real terror on the big screen go back and watch any scene with jar jar binks in the phantom menace , because this movie is not scary or even remotely creepy . my colleague and friend chuck dowling wrote that if less is more , then the blair witch filmmakers must have thought that nothing is more . and this worked for him . well , i'm sorry , but nothing . . . is nothing ! ! ! ! ! nothing is not more . it's nothiiiiiinggggggggggg ! ! ! ! ! ! . i do not pay 5 dollars to see nothing . " nothing " is free , available all around the world at a location near you . i am absolutely in amazement that some people find this movie scary . i could just discount them and say , " well , i guess they are just pansy chicken shits who are probably scared of their own shadow . " but i have intelligent friends who like this movie and so that doesn't hold water . there must be some other reason . ( then again , maybe my first thought is correct , i think i'll try pointing their shadow out to them one day and test their reaction . ) when i hear people praising this film , i never hear them talking about what makes up about 97% of this movie : three kids bickering with each other about being lost . they only talk about what might make up possibly 3 to 4 minutes of screen time . this being a few very short night scenes where the kids hear some unscary sounds and another where they shout " josh ! ! " over and over . this film should not be called the blair witch project , it should more accurately be called three dumb and pisspoor filmmakers get lost . . . and argue with each other . oh ladies and gentlemen you will be so scared when you hear them shouting " josh ! ! " . and if you thought that was scary , wait till you see a pile of rocks , and then some tinkertoy lincoln logs , oh my dear lord you will be pissing in your pants with fear . oh yeah , and some goo on one of their backpacks . you've never seen terror like this folks , and you don't want to . the chevy chase/goldie hawn comedy foul play is creepier than this film . ( for current films , i highly recommend the sixth sense or a stir of echoes for a creepy filmgoing experience . ) this film is an example of marketing with no substance . the marketing was brilliant , and the whole nation is in awe of just the premise for the film . they want this film to be good . and i think they are reaching and praising the wrong movie because they don't have anything else to praise . that wonderful film that rejuvenates the horror genre may come along , but this is not it . this film could have been so much better . just think , if maybe there had been only 10 minutes of arguing about being lost , and 80 minutes of nighttime stuff . i saw this movie with a girl who was extremely pumped for it . she was sold on this film . and then , at one point during it , she turned to me and asked ' . . . are we supposed to be scared by this ? ' . i've heard one opinion that you " have to use your imagination " to create the fear in this movie . well , i thought that was what the filmmakers were supposed to do . use their imagination and create a good movie . i mean anyone can use their imagination and not pay 5 bucks for it . but even if you like this idea , then what are you imagining ? an entity called the blair witch ? some rednecks fucking with these kids ? are either of these things really scary when you think about it ? ? ? i've heard several people say that this movie makes them recall how scary it can be to be out in the woods and hear something . well sure thats scary in real life , but there are a lot of things that are scary in real life that are not scary in a movie nor even interesting . you could sit in your house and see a snake or a spider and it could be scary , but in a film it wouldn't be . and no , a movie does not need a big budget or cgi special effects to be scary or creepy . actually the less the better ( see the equally awful remake of the haunting ) . but you have to do something . you cant just count on us all having nostalgic memories of how something like this could be scary , if it were real . and by the way , about the shakycam filming in blair witch . aren't these supposed to be " filmmakers " who should know how to point a camera and shoot something without shaking the camera constantly ? i'm not even talking about the couple scenes where they are terrified , that's justified . i'm talking about the other 87 minutes of the movie where they can't seem to shoot anything smoothly at all . minor quibble there . there is a feeling in me that the people that like this movie are suckers . that the filmmakers are just laughing their asses off all the way to the bank . and i think there is a good chance they will see this film again and say to themselves " what was i thinking ? ? " . but , if they don't , then thats fine . if it works for them then that's okay i guess . i just lament that by making this movie a hit , we are going to be subjected to more of the " nothing is more " approach . pretty soon we're going to get some movies like this : just a still shot of a prison jail cell . for 90 minutes . and we'll have to use our imagination and think to ourselves , " my god , wouldn't it be scary to spend life in prison ? ! ! this movie is the scariest movie of all time ! ! ! ! ! " . or , a shot of a coffin , with some funeral directors arguing with each other . " man , do you know how scary it would be to die ? ? ? ! ! ! ! now this is the scariest movie of all time ! ! ! ! " [r]

have you ever been in an automobile accident where you've miraculously walked away with only a few scratches , yet the car has been obliterated into an unrecognizable , mangled wreck ? well , that has never actually happened to me and i hope that none of us will ever experience this situation . but after watching this inane exercise of a movie , i certainly feel that i've miraculously walked away unscathed after a two-hour ride that mercilessly careens back and forth before finally plummeting into an icy pond . oddly , `eye of the beholder , ' which is a psychological-romance-thriller , starts off promisingly enough when the opening sequence introduces us to a british intelligence agent , called the eye ( ewan mcgregor ) , working in washington dc . in the humorous opening scene , he eyes a top lawyer across the street in his office with his pants down . using an array of high-tech surveillance and communications equipment , he proceeds to transmit pictures of the bared lawyer to pc screens and fax machines in his office . the law firm's employees get a good chuckle . the audience gets a good chuckle . the eye is later given an assignment where he encounters a beautiful woman ( ashley judd ) . there is something compelling about this mysterious woman . despite her glamorous looks , however , we learn that she is a psychopath with a propensity to kill men that get too close to her . after the murders , she sobs while singing the christmas tune `little bluebirds' and laments about being abandoned by her father long ago . after each killing , she puts on a different wig , assumes a new name , and then makes her way to another state . the eye has witnessed all her murderous transgressions . but he does not alert the authorities . he somehow empathizes with her sense of loss . the eye , it turns out , also is haunted by his past . his daughter was taken away from him and he anguishes this loss every day of his life . his tormented psyche creates a ghost-like image of his daughter with which he engages in conversation . she becomes a sort of spectral adviser , and one thing that the ghostly daughter says is that he must help the woman . he now diverts his energies into trying to help her find some kind of salvation . it doesn't matter that he has witnessed all of her murders . and it doesn't matter that the eye is abnormally reticent , hiding his entire life behind computer screens . he follows her to a dozen different locales and shadows her every move to keep her out of trouble . when a crazed druggie ( jason priestley ) attacks her , he shows up for some quick butt kicking . when the police are closing in to arrest her , he provides a distraction so that she can escape . all the while , the woman has no idea who her guardian angel is and the eye stays just out of sight . peculiar . how bad is this movie ? i refer you to my `review quote source' litmus test . just take a look at the full-page ad in the newspaper and see where they are pulling quotes . for this movie , they are from magazines called `flaunt' and `mirabella . ' no doubt , they were impressed with judd's series of catwalks and disguise changes . the major problem with `eye of the beholder' is that the film jerks forward , always unsure of its ultimate destination . if it was a thriller , there was little to keep us entranced . if it was a love story , there was absolutely no emotional pull . completely disjointed in structure , it's only saving grace was its stylish look which reminded me of my favorite car commercial ( the one where the `6' on the tachometer dissolves into a winding road and a passenger rail car dissolves into a small miniature on a child's train set ) . i am also still hopeful that ashley judd will find a serious role to showcase her potential talents . beyond that , the film is hopelessly out-of-control and is in need of seriously better traction and handling .

earth is a harsh , unconsoling drama about the time when india gained independence from britain and the ensuing turmoil that engulfed the subcontinent . people who supposedly loved the same land and the same god found themselves in bitter conflict , as the country divided into factions fighting in the streets : indian and pakistani ; muslim , hindu , sikh , parsee . the story takes place in lahore , which was indian before partition , and pakistani afterward , regardless of what its citizens might call themselves . the action is seen through the eyes of lenny ( maaia sethna ) , a young parsee girl , but it is really about her nanny , shanta . shanta has a small circle of male admirers . two of the men are suitors : hasan ( rahul khanna ) , a hindu , and dil navaz ( aamir khan ) , a muslim . the others--sikh , hindu , muslim--are older ; some are married ; but all appreciate shanta , who is played by the stirringly beautiful nandita das . ( she also starred in deepa mehta's previous film , fire , the first part of a thematic trilogy which will conclude with water . ) in an early scene , the men are sitting in a park talking with shanta and lenny ; political tension in the country is growing as the day of independence nears . one of the men remarks , jokingly , that their little group is probably one of the last places in the city where the different religions can still get along . he is wrong : the men make barbed little comments to each other , spoken like jokes , but with an undercurrent of fanaticism . the tenor of these exchanges grows darker and more bitter as the movie progresses . it is easy to perceive , in these squabbles , the trajectory which ends in mass violence and slaughter . the group around shanta represents , in a sense , a united india , and shanta herself the ideal motherland--one which all love , which inspires hindu , muslim , and sikh to live peacably together . but the circle around shanta is sundered , as is the state . a sikh is persecuted , hides , then flees . another man is murdered . the group of friends will not meet again . the movie is rife with images of breakage and destruction : a plate shattered on the floor , a stuffed toy torn apart by an upset child , and , most brutally , when the tension escalates into violence , a man is held down , tied between two cars , and ripped in half by the opposing movement of the vehicles . it is a visceral and effective metaphor for a country which is being destroyed just as painfully . the crux of earth's plot is the transformation undergone by dil navaz . his sisters are killed in brutal fashion , by hindus , because they are muslim . dil navaz seeks solace from shanta , and asks in desperation that she marry him . but she loves hasan , and tenderly refuses dil navaz's offer . the combination of familial anguish and romantic rejection twists inside him , and it is easy to see how he is seduced by the growing mob mentality : the muslim cause gives him a motive to vent his anger and hate . despite the things he later does , it is to the credit of earth that it does not simply denounce dil navaz and those like him , but shows how circumstances can make decent enough men do monstrous things . the conclusion--the consequence of dil navaz's transformation--is rather abrupt . the story earth tells does not end . it just stops . it is an appropriate finish : giving us closure would have imparted , at least on an aesthetic level , a sense of resolution , of satisfaction . but there was no resolution for india and pakistan--they have been at war , on a small or large scale , for decades . since the personal dramas in earth mirror the political struggles of a nation , it is only right that those dramas should have no terminus . there is no healing to be had , no closure , on any level ( despite the needless , tacked-on ending , with voice-over narration from lenny as an adult , framing the story ) . earth is , in some ways , an unexceptional movie . it does not reinvent the wheel , following instead the standard pattern of historical dramas . but deepa mehta's directon is assured , and the issues she addresses run deep . earth does for india what movies like zhang yimou's to live and tian zhuangzhuang's the blue kite did for china : they show us the agonies endured by unremarkable people who had the bad luck to be caught up and smashed in the crucible of history . such films strike me as inherently valuable , even when flawed . they may be biased or inaccurate , but they bear the weight of human hardship , and this confers on them a nobility and gravity which other , more inventive films , often lack . it is notable that all three movies were banned in their native countries : the events shown may have happened decades ago , but they still touch a nerve . the issues tackled in earth have a particular urgency in light of the nuclear test bombings that took place last year . in the near future , india and pakistan may launch nuclear missiles at each other . at the time of the tests i had some understanding of the reasons why this might happen ; after seeing earth , i have a much , much better understanding .

many people will not find much to like in what dreams may come , the new film by visionary director vincent ward . most will come to see the computer animated landscapes and vibrant colors . but little do they know ( as i so plainly found out ) that this has quite a complex story to tell . walking out of the theater , i could see the audience's disgust . . . one member even had to be awakened after the film ended . don't believe the previews that you see . . . this is definitely not a film for everyone . this is quite possibly one of the most adult-oriented films to come out in recent years . kids will get bored with the slow plotting and the complex storyline . the plot is just as fluid as the heaven that ward presents to us . it goes back and forth in time , as if it has no boundaries . think of the film city of angels . now add a more complex screenplay and a more unique vision . both films deal with the afterlife , but i doubt what dreams may come will do well at the box office . costing around $85 million to make , the film would have to do extremely well in order to make it's money back . but due to it's story , i doubt it will . for everyone who thought titanic's story was too simple and cliche , here is proof that if james cameron had written a more complex screenplay , it may not have done nearly as well . but don't get me wrong . . . i hope the film does do well . it's a vision of pure visceral enjoyment that hardly ever gets put to the screen . i doubt most of us could have thought of this place , even in our own mind . what dreams may come is the second best film of the year when it comes to visuals . the only film that surpasses it is dark city . full of rich , shocking colors , we get to see a heaven that most of us would probably die to get to . but don't do that , because you'll end up going to hell . what dreams may come begins with two boats colliding on a lake . chris " christy " nielsen ( robin williams ) is startled by the sudden jolt , but is even more startled by the beauty of the woman in the other boat . annie ( annabella sciorra ) spies chris , as well , and both eventually bond and get married . annie is an artist , whose paintings are colorful , lush , and surrealistic . chris is a doctor and loves annie more than life itself . they also have two children , marie ( jessica brooks ) and ian ( josh paddock ) . but one day , the two children are killed in a car crash , and it almost destroys annie . she tries to commit suicide , but fails , and is then put in an institution . chris copes with the problem by realizing they aren't around anymore , and nothing will change that . just as annie gets her life back in order , chris is killed while trying to save the life of a car crash victim . chris goes to heaven , or his version of heaven , rather . guided by albert ( cuba gooding , jr . ) , chris explores his new surroundings with pure delight and joy . that is , until he realizes how miserable he is without annie . prior to heaven , he would try to comfort annie , but the more he was around , the more pain she felt . chris decides to leave her alone . little does he realize what will happen next . i'm not about to say , because the plot point is crucial to the rest of the story ( many critics , however , give it away ) . certainly , chris dying is crucial to the plot , but they tell you that he dies in the previews . story is not necessarily important for this movie to work , because it deals with the afterlife . however , strangely , virtually nothing is heard of god or the devil . a couple of comments here and there , but the story maintains its focus on chris and his search for the love of his life . " we're soul mates ! " chris exclaims . heaven , in movies , is almost always depicted as a glowing city of white , purity , and love . usually , it also looks like it rests among the clouds . but what dreams may come goes a different route . it shows us a heaven that most of us have never seen before . chris' heaven is his memories brought to life . his thoughts can make anything real , and he makes the paintings annie drew become his heaven . " i've never seen anyone use real paint before , " albert says . equally good as the depictions of hell which cast away the normal stereotypes of fire and brimstone . instead , it's a state of being . in one gloriously horrific scene , chris and his " tracker " ( max von sydow ) arrive at a sea of faces . thousands of heads are stuck above ground , their bodies somewhere else . mostly dead silent , some quips are made , almost as if to lighten the mood . it's truly a frightening sequence . production designer eugenio zanetti is definitely going to be up for an oscar nomination . using state of the art computer technology , worlds are created for exploration . sometimes , some scenes play out as if they are only there for the visual impact . it's not necessary to be there , but we appreciate seeing it . costume designer yvonne blake ( who also appears in the film ) has done an incredible job providing some interesting and colorful costumes . cinematographer eduardo serra , whose work was last seen in the luscious wings of the dove , has a difficult job , as most cinematographers do working with special effects . but serra's entire universe is a computer generated image , and he does a masterful job . writer ron bass , adapting from the novel by richard matheson , provides a very fluid screenplay with no real set plot . the story is extremely vague in its details , allowing viewers to think for themselves about the meaning . and director vincent ward puts it all together into his final vision . what dreams may come is a good example of german expressionism which may just turn off a good portion of the audience . your average movie goer more than likely isn't used to expressionistic techniques . the film will also definitely draw attention from religious people , but they shouldn't take it too far . it is , after all , just a movie . robin williams has continuously impressed with his dramatic performances , while his comedic roles have been suffering . his comedy is perfection when he makes up his own stuff , but when is confined by a screenplay , he isn't quite as effective . but drama is really his strong point , and you can see that here . it's doubtful he'll get another oscar nomination , but i wouldn't really mind if he did . the real surprise here is annabella sciorra who impressed last year with cop land . this may be her breakout role and may garner her some much needed attention . it's also quite possible that she could get an oscar nomination . however , the academy doesn't like to award performances for these types of films . cuba gooding , jr . has been better , but he's certainly not distracting . max von sydow is underused , as are jessica brooks and josh paddock . a treat for some movie goers is to see werner herzog appear ( if they even recognize him ) as chris' father lost in the sea of faces . it's not hard to see why herzog would be attracted to this film , considering he thinks that audiences are starving for great images . overall , it's williams and sciorra's film . what dreams may come is rated pg-13 for thematic elements involving death , some disturbing images , language , and some partial nudity . the film is definitely aimed at a more adult audience . some will find the plot distracting . some will find the visuals absolutely glorious . and some will find both . the only real problem with the film , that i could see , was that it slows down considerably during the midsection , just after we have been immersed in the visuals and before the search for annie begins . by the way , some controversy even surrounded the title , which was mistaken for a sexual term ( " what " becomes " wet " and you should understand ) . in actuality , the title is from a soliloquy in hamlet . just thought i should let you know .

can you say " dated " ? you can if you've seen rosemary's baby which , like the exorcist , was a thrilling horror film in its time but seems boring and laughable in the decades that have passed since its original release . " mystery science theater 3000 " has skewered the bad films of the past , but let me tell you , it could do a number on the " good " ones too . rosemary's baby stars mia farrow ( from the time she was actually good-looking ) as an innocent housewife and her not-so-innocent husband ( john cassavettes ) , an actor who takes an easy , albeit evil , road to success . it all seems so harmless in the beginning . mia and john move into an apartment where several past murders have been committed . ( there's also a skull in the living room , but it's only for decoration . ) their elderly neighbors pop in for a housewarming . all's well for about the first hour of this slow-moving film , until mia eats some of the neighbors' chocolate mousse and passes out . when she comes to , she finds herself in a darkened room with a bunch of people yelling and dancing like savages and a big , evil man raping her -- a foreshadowing of her future life with woody allen . it seems like a dream and , when she finds herself pregnant , she almost forgets about it . and everyone's helping with the pregnancy . the neighbors have some wonderful vitamin potions for her to drink , a good-luck charm for her to wear around her neck , and the name of an obstetrician who's been in the business 66 . 6 years . meanwhile , mia begins having chronic stomach pains and losing a lot of weight . before too long she looks just like the lead singer of the cranberries . that's when you know your health's failing . the only person in the movie who's the least bit suspicious of all this is an old friend ( maurice evans ) who calls mia up to give her the bad news -- and immediately falls into a coma . by about the two-hour mark i felt the same way . rosemary's baby is way too long , and leads up to a payoff that's about as boring and laughable as the rest of the movie . i guess someone put a spell on this movie .

glory--starring matthew broderick , denzel washington , and morgan freeman--is the true story of the 54th regiment of massachusetts , the first black fighting unit recruited by the north during the civil war . broderick plays robert gould shaw , the young white officer who led the black soldiers into battle . shaw , the son of well-to-do abolitionists , hailed from boston high society . the letters he wrote home to his parents during the war are on display at harvard , and were , evidently , the inspiration for glory . as the film begins in 1862 , shaw is a captain in the northern forces . like private eriksson ( michael j . fox ) in casualties of war , shaw initially is naive and idealistic about the war--that is , until his company is attacked by enemy forces . shaw experiences first hand the horror and chaos of battle , witnessing mass slaughter and receiving a minor wound himself when a bullet grazes his neck . soon after his recovery , shaw is promoted to colonel and assigned to enlist and train blacks in the war effort . glory is the story not only of colonel shaw , but also of the black soldiers who laid down their lives to free their brothers from slavery . the film periodically jumps between shaw's point of view and the perspective of the black soldiers . the movie introduces us to a handful of black recruits , and we follow them from their enlistment through basic training and finally into action . the large black cast is uniformly outstanding , especially washington who is electrifying as a runaway slave with a big mouth . he is brash and pushy , always getting into trouble and always looking for a fight . his bitter , tough guy facade is really just a mask for his loneliness and vulnerability . washington provides much of the film's intensity and emotional power . in one heartbreaking scene , he is whipped for allegedly deserting the army . when he removes his shirt to receive the punishment , you cringe at the sight of his back , which is riddled with ugly scars from his days as a slave . it makes your blood boil . the humiliation of the beating is far more traumatic than the actual physical pain it brings ; a tear rolls down washington's cheek--and will probably run down your cheek as well . the episode becomes even more tragic when we learn that washington wasn't deserting the army at all ; he left camp to look for shoes because his feet were covered with oozing sores . freeman is , as usual , a strong presence , even in a small supporting role . he plays a grave digger who has buried more white soldiers than he cares to remember . he quickly becomes a leader among the black soldiers , holding the group together and serving as a liaison to the white officers . colonel shaw recognizes freeman's leadership ability and promotes him to sergeant major , making him the first black officer in the army . andre braugher makes an impressive film debut in the role of thomas searles , a free black who is one of shaw's close childhood friends . searles is educated and refined , like a white man , prompting washington to nickname him " snow flake . " the burning question is whether searles is tough enough to survive basic training and to kill in combat . the road from marching drills to battle action is a bumpy one for the black regiment . the soldiers suffer innumerable hardships , but somehow they never lose their morale . the army treats the black soldiers like second class citizens , subjecting them to racism and discrimination . they are paid only $10 a month , whereas their white counterparts earn thirteen , and , for a long time , they have to go without shoes , guns , or uniforms . to make matters worse , the white military hierarchy is extremely reluctant to allow the blacks into action , preferring instead to use them for manual labor . eventually , however , the regiment receives its boots , uniforms , rifles , and right to fight , thanks to the stubborn resolve of colonel shaw . shaw has absolute faith in his soldiers , and he fights tooth and nail to get them what they deserve , even if it means threatening a general with blackmail . broderick , in fact , is most convincing in the scenes where shaw stands up for the regiment . unfortunately , however , broderick's uneven performance is , in many respects , the weak link in the movie . in an effort to look more mature , broderick sports a mustache and a goatee , and throughout the film he slips in and out of a phony boston accent . he is never altogether convincing as shaw since much of the time his emotions seem forced . the film places too much weight on broderick's character and not enough on the black soldiers , who are more intriguing . glory regains lost ground with its harrowing depiction of war . the movie shows the devastation of war without resorting to the unnecessarily graphic gore which marred born on the fourth of july . glory does not try to rattle you with nauseating blood and guts . except for a few bullet wounds and one exploding head , the film , for the most part , leaves the gore to your imagination , which is not to say that the battle scenes in glory are timid . to the contrary , they are chaotic and horrifying ; it's just that director edward zwick ( the co-creator of " thirtysomething " ) films them with far more subtlety and restraint than oliver stone could ever muster . the key to glory is the group dynamic among the black soldiers . the movie depicts some of ( but not enough of ) their customs and rituals . in one scene , for example , the soldiers motivate themselves by singing prayers around the campfire . each man has a chance to relay a few words of inspiration . a couple of the movie's most touching moments involve young black children looking up to the black soldiers with awe , disbelief and pride . the regiment's greatest triumph comes when the soldiers distinguish themselves in battle , thereby earning the respect of their white peers and earning the honor of leading the climactic assault on fort wagner . like any war film , glory has its share of gloom and despair , but ultimately it proves to be a truly uplifting experience and an important history lesson , a valuable reminder that despite what the history books say ( or , more precisely , what they do not say ) , blacks played a critically important role in the north's victory over the south--forever changing the evolution of america .

jake kasdan , son of one of the best screenwriters around , breaks into filmmaking by writing and directing this hard-to-categorize detective story : part mystery , part comedy , part character study and part romance . for the most part , kasdan manages to combine the genres successfully and create a captivating film . daryl zero ( bill pullman ) is a modern day sherlock holmes . the parallel is present down to his love of music ( though zero plays the guitar rather than the violin ) , and his addiction to drugs ( amphetamines , rather than morphine ) . he even titles his cases with such sherlockian epigrams as the case of the mismatched shoelaces , the case about the man who lied about his age , or the case of the hired gun who made way way too many mistakes . however zero's observance of the fine art of detachment , though it makes him a brilliant private investigator , makes him somewhat of a self-imposed outcast in society . he could do nothing without the legwork of his trusty assistant dr . watson , i mean steve arlo ( ben stiller ) . arlo is not happy with his job . he is thrilled to be around zero's brilliance , but his bizarre behavior , and strange requests , are frustrating to the former lawyer . and they're even more so to his girlfriend , jess ( angela featherstone ) , who is fed up that her boyfriend's boss means more to arlo than her . this is the situation when a new case comes knocking . gregory stark ( ryan o'neill ) hires zero to find his lost keys . it seems that he kept a safety deposit box key on the ring , and the box apparently contains some incriminating evidence . now , stark is being blackmailed , and needs to reclaim his key before the nightmare can end . to solve this case , zero reluctantly crawls out of his shell . however , this is when he is vulnerable . . . and this time he falls for charms of a wily paramedic , gloria sullivan ( kim dickens ) , who may be involved in the blackmail scheme . for the first time , zero has to question his own objectivity , as he finds his client less and less sympathetic . zero effect is weakest in its obviously " wacky " scenes depicting daryl zero's odd behavior . such scenes might be appropriate in an out-and-out satire , making zero an ace ventura-ish character . however , there's a much meatier movie in here . . . it just takes a while to get out . that's not to say that there's not a place for humor in this film . in fact , some of the best scenes are ben stiller's wonderfully underplayed comic moments of absolute disgust and frustration with his employer . however , the over-the-top scenes never quite gel with the rest of the film , and they aren't funny enough to stand on their own . once the investigation is underway , however , zero's brilliance really begins to shine . his lightning quick inferences are as fascinating as many of sherlock's own . as the mystery begins to unfold , zero's deductions lead the plot in interesting directions , but never lose the viewer . zero effect works well during its romantic scenes as well . zero's relationship with gloria is low-key , but it hits all the right notes . however , we are always kept distant from gloria's character . she's given plenty of development , but we never understand what she is thinking . perhaps that may be intentional : to place the audience in zero's zone of detachment . but , on the whole , it is frustrating . bill pullman , when he's not spacing out , creates a vibrant character in daryl zero . there's one moment when zero briefly connects to the world which he has managed to detach from for many years , and it is shockingly moving . . . expressing a seriousness that heretofore was unassociated with the character , but one which fits in well . and , although it is sometimes hard to take a detective called " zero " seriously , it is at this moment that the viewer understands the meaning behind the name . although zero effect is a bit awkward in places , it is a strong debut for kasdan , and shows great promise .

a remake of the 1978 warren beatty vehicle " heaven can wait " ( which in turn was a remake of " here comes mr . jordan " ) , " down to earth " tells the tale of lance barton ( chris rock , " lethal weapon iv " ) , a young black standup comic trying to win over the audience at harlem's apollo theater . when he's taken to heaven prematurely by bumbling angel keyes ( eugene levy , " best in show " ) , his only recourse is to return in another body . he chooses that of charles wellington , the tenth richest man in the united states . of course , wellington is not only rich , but white and 53 years old , which makes lance's bid for closing night at the apollo , as well as his desire to woo suntee ( regina taylor , " jerry maguire " ) , a tad tricky . the original elaine may/warren beatty script has been reworked by chris rock , lance crouther , ali leroi , and louis c . k . to turn beatty's vehicle as a football player into rock's vehicle as a comic and add some racial humor . as directed by chris weitz and paul weitz ( codirectors of " american pie " and costars of " chuck & buck " ) , the whole affair comes off as amateur hour . initial scenes play like filmed line reading rehearsals . production values are shoddy . most serious of all is the use of rock when his wellington counterpart would have been more appropriate . this problem is clearly attributable to the fact that the old white guy is never lip or action synched when he is on screen . rock does get the chance to do some fun schtick , such as his turnaround on wellington's plans for a poor neighborhood hospital ( 'bullet in the head ? you got a bed ! ' ) , but he's uneven when interacting with the rest of the cast . regina taylor fares well amidst the mediocrity as the young activist who confusedly ends up falling for the man she believed to be her nemesis . also good is frankie faison ( " hannibal " ) as whitney , lance's compassionate manager - the only human who's made privy to lance's body body switch . chaz palminteri and levy are pretty much wasted as heaven's ambassadors . another " best in show " alumnus , jennifer coolidge , is poorly used as wellington's cheating wife ( and shown several days apart wearing the same outfit ? ! ) and greg germann ( tv's " ally mcbeal , " " sweet november " ) continues display his sitcom roots as her lover and husband's lawyer . mark addy ( " the full monty " ) is sorely underutilized as cisco , wellington's fake english butler . stealing the show in every scene she's in is wanda sykes ( " the chris rock show " ) as wellington's disgruntled maid . " down to earth " is for chris rock fans only . all others should go rent " heaven can wait " or truly be brought down to earth .

wyatt earp details thirty-five years in the life of same from around 1865 to 1900 . after seeing the movie speed twice recently , i kept thinking that i was seeing wyatt's life pass before my eyes in real time . this movie was boring , slow , boring , and slow . there were a few scenes that tried to be great scenes that tried too hard and just fell flat . the script happily woman-bashes but also tries to sound like an 80s movie . they cannot have it both ways . " i now pronounce you husband and wife . " sure , they said that in the 1800s . " entrepreneur . " sure . every bit of male-ego-stroking dialogue that wyatt's third wife speaks to him made me sick to listen to it . " oh , the script was written by two men ? " " no kidding ! " the movie is torture to sit through . the scenery is boring . the fades were either awkward or cliche or to self important . can you say poor editing ? everyone looks ugly in this movie . when you shoot people from under their chins , they look like they have double chins . kevin costner has never looked worse . he should sue . he looks like he gained the 43 pounds that dennis quaid lost . dennis quaid is marvelous . if you have to see this movie just for his performance , go into the theatre at the movie's halfway mark . doc holliday ( quaid's character ) shows up at about the 90-minute mark . gene hackman is very good . is he in the credits ? i don't remember seeing his name . mare winningham makes the best of a small role as wyatt's second wife . annabeth gish is good as wyatt's first wife . i though that jamie gertz played wyatt's third wife , but i later heard that her name is joanna going . she looks great but her dialogue sucks . she also seems way to young for costner . costner seems way to old for 90% of this movie . in his first scene he is supposed to be about 19 years old . yeah , right . catherine o'hara and jobeth williams are always good and totally wasted here . this is the worst movie that i have seen in years . the last action hero was better that this . go see maverick if you want to see a western . bullets for dennis quaid's performance only .

michael robbins' hardball is quite the cinematic achievement . in about two hours , we get a glancing examination of ghetto life , a funeral with a heartfelt eulogy , speeches about never giving up , a cache of cute kids ( including a fat one with asthma ) , a hard-luck gambler who finds salvation in a good woman and a climactic " big game , " where the underdogs prove to have a bigger bite than anyone ever imagined . all that's needed is a guy getting hit in the nuts and a food fight to have the first film solely based on cinematic clich ? s . i can't wait to see the deleted scenes when it comes out on dvd . obviously , hardball is a strikeout of a movie that never gets the bat anywhere near the ball . it stars keanu reeves as the aforementioned gambler , who seems to owe every bookie in chicago an amount of money that rivals the gross national product of guam . out of solutions , he begs his successful corporate friend ( the always welcome mike mcglone ) to lend him $5 , 000 . instead , mcglone offers reeves the chance to help him coach a youth baseball team from the projects for a nice weekly stipend . reeves , who wants to keep his fingers , accepts the offer , but discovers mcglone is only too happy to let him handle the team entirely . the drowsy-voiced protagonist must teach the sassy inner city kids the baseball basics in a life of absentee parents and merciless gangs . and maybe , just maybe , they'll play in the big championship game . one of the glorious surprises in the screenplay by john gatins ( summer catch ) , adapted from daniel coyle's non-fiction book , is that there aren't any . the movie coasts from heartfelt moment to heartfelt moment like a zombie . that wouldn't be so bad , if the characters had an ounce of subtlety or humanity to them . most of the kids' time is spent yelling at each other , talking in slang and acting surprised . there's little that's naturally amusing about them , as they all seem to know the cameras are rolling . the worst of the lot is a tough-talking younger player ( dewayne warren ) whose sole purpose , as the movie unfolds , is being an emotional pawn , a tactic so utterly despicable i can't find the right words to express myself . the adults also don't fare well . reeves is impressively uninspiring as the down-on-his-luck loser . the character is poorly written , but reeves gives another charisma-free performance . every time he speaks , he sounds like he just got up from a long nap and is gradually waking up . kids are supposed to rally around this guy ? diane lane , who co-stars as reeves' obligatory love interest , remains a glowing screen presence ( see my dog skip for better proof ) . it's too bad that her role here consists of uttering lines like , " these kids trust you , and they don't trust anyone ! " then there's d . b . sweeney as an evil rival coach and john hawkes as reeves' scummy betting buddy and other unoriginal characters you've seen before and hope never to see again . i wanted hardball to be good . robbins' varsity blues was a funny and alternately taut tale of texas high school football that had ali larter smothered in whipped cream and jon voight sneering at everything that moved . i haven't seen robbins' goofy ready to rumble in its entirety , but i am intrigued that " macho man " randy savage and martin landau can exist in the same movie without there being serious worldwide repercussions . robbins obviously needs to go back to his forte -- making sports movies for guys and not cutesy , cuddly pap such as hardball , which also manages to annoy and insult the audience . here's hoping that happens in the immediate future .

david spade has a snide , sarcastic sense of humor that works perfectly on the tv sitcom just shoot me . it also served as a good showcase for him when he co-starred , opposite the late chris farley , in tommy boy and black sheep . lost and found marks the comedian's first attempt at going solo in a movie , and it also reveals that when spade doesn't have a reliable back-up system , his brand of humor seems more desperate than one may expect . david spade is not the problem with lost and found . he plays dylan ramsey , the sweet main character , to the best of his abilities . the story revolves around dylan's obsessions with his beautiful new neighbour , lila dubois ( sophie marceau , from braveheart ) , and her terrier named jack . dylan believes that the best way to a woman's heart is through her dog . and so he kidnaps jack , planning to stage a fake rescue , in hope to win lila over . there are three good things about lost and found . the first is spade . the second is sophie marceau , a lovely actress who's been planted into the wrong movie . lastly , there's the dog , who is used here in a similar context to puffy from there's something about mary . unfortunately , director jeff pollack finds more humor in putting jack through a cycle in the drier than he does with simply making him look cute . this kind of physical humor is dead . pollack does everything but beat the poor pooch with a baseball bat to get laughs , and this procedure is cheap , unfunny and resoundingly cruel . this is where i start to get fuzzy . also in this unusual blend is ( apparently ) a sweet-natured love story between dylan and lila . given the mean-spirited comedy that the movie is obviously striving for , i found this hard to swallow . and , why does dylan even deserve someone like lila , after kidnapping her precious dog and putting it through such pain ? predictably , lost and found opts for a happy ending , one that feels so sentimental , gooey , and rings so false that it sets off a siren in your head that makes you feel a bit cheated . david spade ( who also co-wrote the movie ) tries hard , so very hard , to make this project amusing . there are some choice scenes that are quite funny , but the movie is only sporadically funny . patrick bruel plays the stock character of rene , the pompous jerk who also wants to win lila over , with his good looks and money . jon lovitz and martin sheen are welcome additions in two tiny supporting roles . despite a few positive attributes , lost and found just doesn't work . if you're searching for an enjoyable romantic-comedy , you could do far better than this obvious , misguided failure that shows a blatant disregard for what it's trying to present .

surrounded by hype , high hopes , and the promise of an over-the-top performance by clueless's brittany murphy , don't say a word looked full of promise . hell , when i hear that " i'll never tell " whisper on the tv commercial , goose bumps run up my spine . alas , word is filled with little but disappointment , a kooky mix of girl , interrupted and ransom , with michael douglas and company collecting a paycheck to plod through a vapid and dull kidnapping thriller . douglas stars as nathan conrad , renowned new york psychologist , devoted father of jessie conrad ( skye mccole bartusiak ) , and loving husband to aggie conrad ( famke janssen ) . after a gang of jewel thieves , headed by sean bean's koster , kidnaps his daughter , nathan is forced to extract from his new patient , the catatonic and violent elisabeth burrows ( murphy ) , the location of some hidden bank job booty that her father hid from the koster gang a decade ago . but with hard-nosed detective sandra cassidy ( jennifer esposito , doing her best j . lo impression ) tracking down koster and his gang of hoodlums , the stakes are raised as nathan races against the clock to crack the mystery of elisabeth's head in order to get the goods inside . the catch - nathan only has until five o'clock to solve the puzzle ! whoa , the suspense is almost too much . don't say a word loses the audience inside of 15 minutes . murphy looks and acts like linda blair from the exorcist during the first part of the movie , then turns around and reprises like her role from girl , interrupted . and the only real " crazy " to be found in the film is director gary fleder's ( things to do in denver when you're dead ) staggering use of flashback sequences . oliver platt , famke janssen , and even sean bean are decent actors , but the stuff they are given here -- such as a bedridden wife fighting off the token black guy with her crutch -- is insulting and demeaning . additionally , the use of the surveillance cameras and laptops to track nathan's every move is downright unbelievable . how do ex-cons fresh out of the big house afford all this equipment ? despite its flaws , don't say a word is surprisingly some of the best mainstream film you'll find this month -- and audiences will lap it up . americans love lukewarm , half-baked thrillers starring big names and accompanied by cheap thrills . someone get me my lithium !

i think that saying that the x-files is one of this summer's most anticipated films is safe . for five years , " the x-files " television show has developed a dedicated fan culture , whose rabid devotion to the series rivals that of " star trek " fans . the premise of both the movie and the television series is two fbi agents who investigate the paranormal ; fox mulder ( david duchovny ) is the avid believer whose quest to find the truth about extraterrestrial life borders on the paranoid , and dana scully ( gillian anderson ) is the scientific skeptic trying to find a rational explanation to mulder's flights of fancy . outlining the plot of the x-files movie is virtually impossible , since to be general would result in confusion , yet to be specific would give too much away . nevertheless , i will try . " the black ooze , " and extraterrestrial , virus-like substance is threatening earth . a " shadow government " is aware of this , but tries to cover-up the alien existence . mulder and scully know " the truth is out there , " and so try to expose both the invasion and the cover-up . there are three central questions i have heard asked about this movie : 1 . will those who don't watch the series be able to understand the movie ? yes . isolated as an individual text , the x-files can stand alone . they have given enough background for anyone , familiar with the show or not , to understand the movie . although some of the secondary characters' histories may confuse the uninitiated , those characters are not essential to the film . this is a major problem : they trot out token secondary characters from the series out for an appearance and then disappear just as quickly . why bring superintendent skinner into the picture in the first place , and then have him sat silently on an fbi internal affairs committee ? why bring in " the lone gunmen , " three computer geek conspiracy theorists , for an even briefer appearance ? these characters are recurrent on the series , and their appearance in the film was met with whoops from the audience ( suggesting their popularity among fans - actually most of the audience could pass for " the lone gunmen " ) . still , then they vanish just as quickly . 2 . the television show never gives us any answers . will the movie actually explain some things ? yes . in the x-files we get a fairly complete history of " the black ooze , " what it is and what it wants . we finally get some understanding of the motivations behind the " shadow government . " there are even some subtle tie-ins with contemporary ufo-ology , including the " greys " and the roswell crash of 1947 . 3 . is the movie any good ? no . the x-files is a dreadful movie and shows some fundamental problems with writer/creator chris carter's talents and the relationship between cinema and television . first off , the screenplay by series creator chris carter is sloppy and cliched . after approximately forty-five minutes ( the length of a television episode minus the commercials ) , the pace drops to a snail's crawl . not long after that point , when carter attempts to answer some questions we have had about the series , we wish he had not . the explanations are so trite and ridiculous that one would have preferred it had carter not explained quite so much . i am willing to suspend my disbelief a fair bit , but the absurdity carter wants me to swallow was just too much . breaking the suspension of disbelief destroys the movie - and listening to other fans leave the cinema , maybe the series too . the explanations are not only absurd , they are tired and unoriginal . the extraterrestrials breed and gestate like those from the alien series , and their craft looks like a leftover set piece from independence day . note that the alien movies , id4 , and the x-files are all from 20thcentury fox - a studio that is beginning to cannibalize itself i think . the x-files is noteworthy for being the only movie based on a television series to be produced while the series was still running . in comparing the movie and television series certain aspects of the respective media emerge . the avoidance of the series to answer the questions it raised annoyed and frustrated many people . however , i rather liked that about the series . television allows you to impose as much , or as little , meaning on a show as you want . it is the proverbial " blank screen " which we project our minds on . meaning on television is open and ambiguous ; it is the nature of the medium . cinema , on the other hand , is the opposite . it projects onto us the filmmakers mind . we can , in some films , fill the textual gaps ourselves , but that almost never happens in an american film . meaning , in cinema , needs to be self-contained and determined . so , when the x-files made that jump from small to big screen , carter needed to take into consideration the differences in the medium as well . he did not . by making explicit , what the television show left implicit , carter reveals the limits of his creativity and skill . when they say that " fans " make a tv show , it is not far from the truth . on television , fan culture must impose its meanings on the text because there is nothing there . how true that is when we see the " explicit " x-files - there is nothing there . the following was printed in the st . john's express , st . john's , newfoundland , canada . all views are the authors , but copyright is held by robinson-blackmore , 1998 . &nbsp ; movie review by mikel j . koven &nbsp ; i think that saying that the x-files is one of this summer's most anticipated films is safe . &nbsp ; for five years , " the x-files " television show has developed a dedicated fan culture , whose rabid devotion to the series rivals that of " star trek " fans . &nbsp ; the premise of both the movie and the television series is two fbi agents who investigate the paranormal ; fox mulder ( david duchovny ) is the avid believer whose quest to find the truth about extraterrestrial life borders on the paranoid , and dana scully ( gillian anderson ) is the scientific skeptic trying to find a rational explanation to mulder's flights of fancy . &nbsp ; outlining the plot of the x-files movie is virtually impossible , since to be general would result in confusion , yet to be specific would give too much away . &nbsp ; nevertheless , i will try . &nbsp ; " the black ooze , " and extraterrestrial , virus-like substance is threatening earth . &nbsp ; a " shadow government " is aware of this , but tries to cover-up the alien existence . &nbsp ; mulder and scully know " the truth is out there , " and so try to expose both the invasion and the cover-up . &nbsp ; there are three central questions i have heard asked about this movie : &nbsp ; 1 . &nbsp ; will those who don't watch the series be able to understand the movie ? &nbsp ; yes . &nbsp ; isolated as an individual text , the x-files can stand alone . &nbsp ; they have given enough background for anyone , familiar with the show or not , to understand the movie . &nbsp ; although some of the secondary characters' histories may confuse the uninitiated , those characters are not essential to the film . &nbsp ; this is a major problem : they trot out token secondary characters from the series out for an appearance and then disappear just as quickly . &nbsp ; why bring superintendent skinner into the picture in the first place , and then have him sat silently on an fbi internal affairs committee ? &nbsp ; why bring in " the lone gunmen , " three computer geek conspiracy theorists , for an even briefer appearance ? &nbsp ; these characters are recurrent on the series , and their appearance in the film was met with whoops from the audience ( suggesting their popularity among fans - actually most of the audience could pass for " the lone gunmen " ) . &nbsp ; still , then they vanish just as quickly . &nbsp ; 2 . &nbsp ; the television show never gives us any answers . &nbsp ; will the movie actually explain some things ? &nbsp ; yes . &nbsp ; in the x-files we get a fairly complete history of " the black ooze , " what it is and what it wants . &nbsp ; we finally get some understanding of the motivations behind the " shadow government . " &nbsp ; there are even some subtle tie-ins with contemporary ufo-ology , including the " greys " and the roswell crash of 1947 . &nbsp ; 3 . &nbsp ; is the movie any good ? &nbsp ; no . &nbsp ; the x-files is a dreadful movie and shows some fundamental problems with writer/creator chris carter's talents and the relationship between cinema and television . &nbsp ; first off , the screenplay by series creator chris carter is sloppy and cliched . &nbsp ; after approximately forty-five minutes ( the length of a television episode minus the commercials ) , the pace drops to a snail's crawl . &nbsp ; not long after that point , when carter attempts to answer some questions we have had about the series , we wish he had not . &nbsp ; the explanations are so trite and ridiculous that one would have preferred it had carter not explained quite so much . &nbsp ; i am willing to suspend my disbelief a fair bit , but the absurdity carter wants me to swallow was just too much . &nbsp ; breaking the suspension of disbelief destroys the movie - and listening to other fans leave the cinema , maybe the series too . &nbsp ; the explanations are not only absurd , they are tired and unoriginal . &nbsp ; the extraterrestrials breed and gestate like those from the alien series , and their craft looks like a leftover set piece from independence day . &nbsp ; note that the alien movies , id4 , and the x-files are all from 20thcentury fox - a studio that is beginning to cannibalize itself i think . &nbsp ; the x-files is noteworthy for being the only movie based on a television series to be produced while the series was still running . &nbsp ; in comparing the movie and television series certain aspects of the respective media emerge . &nbsp ; the avoidance of the series to answer the questions it raised annoyed and frustrated many people . &nbsp ; however , i rather liked that about the series . &nbsp ; television allows you to impose as much , or as little , meaning on a show as you want . &nbsp ; it is the proverbial " blank screen " which we project our minds on . &nbsp ; meaning on television is open and ambiguous ; it is the nature of the medium . &nbsp ; cinema , on the other hand , is the opposite . &nbsp ; it projects onto us the filmmakers mind . &nbsp ; we can , in some films , fill the textual gaps ourselves , but that almost never happens in an american film . &nbsp ; meaning , in cinema , needs to be self-contained and determined . &nbsp ; so , when the x-files made that jump from small to big screen , carter needed to take into consideration the differences in the medium as well . &nbsp ; he did not . &nbsp ; by making explicit , what the television show left implicit , carter reveals the limits of his creativity and skill . &nbsp ; when they say that " fans " make a tv show , it is not far from the truth . &nbsp ; on television , fan culture must impose its meanings on the text because there is nothing there . &nbsp ; how true that is when we see the " explicit " x-files - there is nothing there .

the happy bastard's quick movie review me tarzan . . . you happy viewer . for a minute there , i thought i was going to be groaning over the release of disney's latest , another adaptation of a legend from the past . ( remember the pathetic pocahontas ? yikes ! ) but guess what- disney , a company that's been on a roll lately with animated films , strikes again with another wonderful tale that pleases the eyes as well as the inner kid in you . the story is pretty basic- tarzan is left orphaned and a female gorilla who's lost her young adopts him into her group . as he matures into a much older man , tarzan still wonders just why he's so much different from the clan , and then arrives a hunter , a professor , and the professor's lovely daughter , jane- who meets tarzan rather quickly after getting in trouble with a group of feisty babboons . from there , tarzan faces tough choices- should he stay with the ones that he grew up with or go join his own kind in england ? the voicework here is pretty top-level . tony goldwyn is very convincing as the ape man ; minnie driver adds a delectable touch to the already-beautiful jane ; nigel hawthorne makes for a pretty nasty hunter voice ; rosie o' donnell keeps the laughs rolling as tarzan's best ape friend terk ; and wayne " newman " knight has his moments as a panicky elephant . the movie is superb throughout , mixing a great script with incredible computer-assisted visuals . when tarzan tree-surfs ( a twist that was added on top of the same ol' vine swinging- and a great one , i might add ) , the camera twists and turns , allowing the trees all around to come to life vividly . i couldn't believe my eyes- disney has come a long way since starting in a ballroom for beauty and the beast . and the music's not half bad , either . fortunately , there's no ridiculous singing characters here , just a great set of songs by phil collins that perfectly fit the mood . there's some great action sequences here as well , including a wonderfully done chase between tarzan , jane , and the aforementioned babboons . but , of course , it's not all action- there's a message here as well that has to do with family . this is easily one of disney's best animated films of the decade and it's one i can't wait to put in my home library . . . that is , if my vcr still works in the year 2000 .

vampires starts out almost in the style of a spaghetti western with an attack on a small homestead in new mexico . the house has a nest of vampires and jack crow ( james woods ) is leading a team of vampire hunters in to clean them out . while the initial imagery is a little over-dramatic , it gives way to what is a fairly decent action sequence . that is enough action to last us a while and we could , director john carpenter would let us , get to a story line . but it is not very long and there is not much plot until the next big action scene . then there is only a bit more of plot before the next action scene after that . the plot is kept to a minimum and the interesting ideas in the plot really get the short end . and that is something of a pity because the film , based on the book vampire$ by john steakley , gives us a myth for the origins of vampires and explains why vampires are so intertwined with religious imagery . this could be an interesting departure from the standard vampire film , but carpenter decides to tell us about it rather than to show it . what carpenter saves his serious screen time for a sequence of spectacular fights between hunters and vampires . there is a lot of fighting and lots of gore . anything intriguing is kept to a minimum to so it does not get in the way of pleasing the action film fans . this has not always been carpenter's style . his 1981 version of the thing has action but also challenges the viewer to do a little thinking about the film's central science fictional question . jack crow heads a vampire swat team , cleaning up nests of vampires with high-tech spears and crossbows . in the early part of the film his team is wiped out by a particularly mean vampire valek ( thomas ian griffith ) who has been tipped off to who crow is . now crow team is gone and he is down to himself and his sidekick tony montoya ( daniel baldwin ) . to make matters worse , he does not know the people on his own side , tony and his backers , he can trust . meanwhile jack is sure the vampires are looking for something that must be hidden somewhere here in new mexico . if this is sounding like a very tired police corruption plot with a few obvious substitutions , that's exactly what it is . the same story looks just as well with two partner cops looking for a gang of hood who are themselves looking for a packet of heroin . but carpenter goes against a familiar principle of film : show people , don't tell them . just about everything in the plot other than the fights we are told about in the dialog and not shown . fundamental questions in the plot like where does crow get his funding , why are the vampires in new mexico--what do they want and why do they want it , what is the connection of the vampires and the catholic church , how did crow come to be a vampire hunter and why devote his life to it ? the answers to any of these questions could have been dramatized , but instead are revealed through dialog . now if all this was not bad enough , carpenter misuses the james wood persona . woods plays a particular sort of cool lowlife very well . but carpenter leads off the film by having woods do some sergio-leone- style mythic posturing . while his crew prepares for an attack he stands staring fixedly through shades at the house that will be his target . woods does not work as a larger than life mythic hero . that is not his style and it just does not work very well . there are some simple things that carpenter should be looking for as director that he misses . in one scene we are looking at a motel room with dead people on the floor . one female corpse is on the floor in front of a chair so that there is about an inch of daylight between her and the chair . as the actress breathes the gap widening and narrowing makes it obvious her arm is moving up and down . one also wonders how the existence of vampires is kept secret . these vampires do not maintain a low profile . there are arguably logical flaws in the film . there is some question in my mind whether carpenter has a consistent policy on what effect bullets have on vampires . it would take some rationalization to explain why in some scenes sunlight has a dramatic effect on vampires , yet in a scene toward the end a vampire can walk under a burned roof that lets him be swept by beams of sunlight . i suspect that the book on which this film was based was better thought out . while i might recommend this film to an action audience i would say that what i look for in a vampire film vampires rates a 4 on the 0 to 10 scale and a 0 on the -4 to +4 scale . perhaps i will read the book .

movies don't come much more ridiculously titled than " i still know what you did last summer , " but since the movie in question is best described as ridiculous , the title sort of works as a warning . more than a silly-sounding mouthful to blurt out to the ticket vendor , this horror sequel's moniker also contains a grievous oversight that anyone who saw the original will be able to spot : what " you " did _last_ summer " you " actually did the summer _before_ last summer , and since " i " knew about it _this_ summer as well as _last_ summer , it's really illogical to say that " i " _still_ know what " you " did _last_ summer . the filmmakers would have at least made sense with the shorter " i still know , " the longer " i still know what you did two summers ago " or the appropriate " stupid people getting hacked to bits . " that last suggestion is the preferable one since the characters in this film do things that are the polar opposite of smart . for example , if your roommate is plagued by terrible nightmares as a result of being stalked and nearly murdered not long ago , would you sneak into her room late at night and hide in the closet , even if it was just to locate and borrow a cute little dress ? probably not , but that's precisely what college student karla ( pop diva brandy ) does to best friend julie ( jennifer love hewitt ) , resulting in the first in a long line of phony frights . julie , you'll recall , was one of the sole survivors at the end of 1997's surprise hit " i know what you did last summer , " after a slasher with a grudge to bear - it's a _long_ story - began trying to pick off her , her buddies and various others in their coastal carolina village . in this installment , the plot picks up as karla wins a trip to the bahamas , and julie , yet racked by guilt , decides that maybe a tropical getaway will help ease her mind . yeah , right . their island paradise has room , of course , for one more in the form of the still-alive killer ( muse watson ) from the first film . he sports the same gorton's fisherman get-up , a heavy hat and rain slicker that mask his identity , but why he's still trying to stay anonymous is a mystery this movie never solves . . . though i suppose his hook-hand would look funny protruding from the sleeve of a leisure suit . in a sense , that's the movie's glaring flaw - everybody knows who the bad guy is , thus evaporating the level of paranoid tension nicely sustained by its prequel . the murders and attempted murders in that film were vivid and scary , but trey callaway's derivative " i still know " screenplay makes the fisherman just as dumb as his pretty potential victims . when julie lays blissfully unaware in a tanning bed , giving him a perfect chance to wreak vengeance once and for all , what does he do ? he twist-ties the lid shut and cranks up the uv rays - you'd think he'd want her gutted now instead of a skin cancer victim later . even prequel " summer " lovers might balk at how little there is here beyond sporadically amusing absurdity and a few neat-o shots of blood flowing from toned teenage flesh . the innovative gallows humor that scribe ( and " scream " wunderkind ) kevin williamson injected into " i know " 's unfolding story is sorely missed , replaced with the grating antics of a white rastafarian cabana boy who smokes weed and tosses off slang like " yo " ; you'll cheer - not shriek - when he ends up with a pair of hedgetrimmers firmly implanted in his chest . if " i know what you did last summer , " however effective , was just the kind of movie that those subversive " scream " flicks poked fun at , then the deadly " i still know what you did last summer " deserves a full-blown roasting on " mystery science theatre 3000 . "

the scene at the end of 1989's `dead poets society , ' when robin williams' english students stand up on their desk and say , `captain , my captain , ' gets me every time . unfortunately , the court room scene near the end of robin's newest film , `patch adams , ' doesn't have anywhere near the same impact . from the surface `patch adams' looks very promising . it's a story about a not so young man , patch adams ( robin williams ) , who finds meaning in his life through helping sick people . when the film opens , we find patch , depressed and suicidal , checking himself into a mental hospital . in a few scenes , strongly reminiscent of `one flew over the cuckoo's nest , ' he ends up helping the patients through their problems ; and it's here that he finds how much he loves working with people . so he checks himself out of the hospital , and heads straight to medical school . right from the start , patch uses comedy to help make the patient more comfortable . he continuously breaks medical tradition and makes the dean of the school angry . shortly after joining medical school , he meets and falls in love with carin ( monica potter ) . they , along with patch's dork friend , truman ( daniel london ) , start a medical clinic for uninsured people . once the dean catches wind of the clinic , he tells patch he can't graduate and kicks him out of school . patch , like what any true american would do , takes the school to court . it's here where the not so climatic court room battle takes place , over whether or not patch can become a real doctor . i have never seen a movie with some potential just completely blow it . it seems more like a series of short sketches , rather than a full-length movie . considering it runs almost two hours , much too long for such a light film , it could have flowed much smoother . not to mention the fact of how serious the film takes itself , and manages to cover all the cliches of bad melodrama . robin williams saves the film from being abysmal with several comic scenes that elevate the movie to entertaining and worthwhile levels . but those moments are rare and in the end `patch adams' is barely average .

screen story by kevin yagher and andrew kevin walker . screenplay by andrew kevin walker . inspired by the short story the legend of sleepy hollow by washington irving . directed by tim burton . starring johnny depp , christina ricci , and casper van dien . special appearances by christopher lee and christopher walken . synopsis : investigator ichabod crane journeys to 1799 sleepy hollow to investigate a series of murders involving decapitation . townspeople believe the spirit of a dead german mercenary is threatening them . cute blonde katrina and a listless orphan help crane solve the mystery . comments : tim burton has directed a number of entertaining and groundbreaking films over the years . batman , of course , is perhaps his best-known film and led to a string of less successful sequels . he's done biographical work ( on the director ed wood ) , children's movies ( nightmare before christmas ) , and a homage to alien invasion movies ( mars attacks ! ) . sleepy hollow , his newest feature which fans have been anticipating for a while , shares the similar dark and atmospheric style of his earlier work and counts among his better movies . sleepy hollow quite obviously draws its inspiration from the old period horror films of the 1950s and 1960s , especially hammer studios' reworkings of dracula and frankenstein , and american international's series of movies based on the works of edgar allan poe . christopher lee , in fact , star of many hammer productions over the years , appears at the beginning of sleepy hollow as a judge who sends ichabod crane out to investigate the murders . the movie also borrows from the universal monster movies of the 1930s . one of the climatic scenes involves a windmill and obviously takes its cue from frankenstein . i mention these allusions for a reason . seasoned horror film fans , including myself , will smile at their inclusion in this film . with the recent disappointments in theatrically released horror movies , especially the blair witch project ( the most overblown turkey of the decade ) , we needed a film like this . not only does it have a sense of history , but burton's skillful use of setting and mood make this an entertaining exercise in horror . the film's eerie landscapes and foggy towns , indeed , overshadow the actors and the plot as the most noteworthy aspect of the movie . johnny depp , a veteran tim burton actor who has appeared both in ed wood and edward scissorhands , plays ichabod crane , who has apparently changed occupations from irving's original story and is now an investigator . depp is adequate in his role . no more ; no less . equally adequate is christina ricci , who plays the love interest in the film . she's a good witch too . how cute . one of the few weak parts of sleepy hollow is the wooden and cliched dialogue between the main characters . the two actors , however , carry the movie well enough , but the supporting cast is what makes this movie shine . veteran actors such as jeffrey jones and michael gough ( who played the butler alfred in all four recent batman flicks ) are terrific as the aging townsfolk involved in the conspiracy which depp uncovers . while i do not wish to reveal crucial plot points , i can say that the storyline becomes quite confusing . you have to pay attention . andrew kevin walker wrote the screenplay . he's the one who also wrote 8 mm and seven . walker is quickly becoming one of the premiere suspense writers in hollywood , and sleepy hollow certainly doesn't hurt his growing reputation . as one might imagine from a gentleman like walker , sleepy hollow is quite graphic . there's a lot of blood and a lot of beheadings . this is definately not a flick to take the young kids to . a lady in front of us took her two young sons to see it and spent about 25 - 30 minutes covering the youngest's eyes with her hand . he was obviously upset by the movie's intense violence . if you're looking for a good scare , however , sleepy hollow is definately recommended .

quiz show , an almost perfectly accurate true story , is based upon the events of the popular television show of the mid-50's , " twenty-one " . on this trivial game show , contestants were placed in isolation booths and then answered questions corresponding to a category of their choice , on which they wagered an amount of points on . the game went on until a player reached twenty one points on felt they had earned enough points to win . but , after ratings began to fall when players were struggling to break the zero mark , the producers decided to fix the game by giving the answers to a contestant before the game began . quiz show illustrates the true stories of two particular contestants , herbie stempel and charles van doren . stempel ( john turturro ) , a former g . i . and your jewish man raising a family . stempel has been the reigning champion on " twenty-one " for many weeks and has accumulated thousands of dollars . in his mind , he is the best thing on television and the people love him . although , in the mind of the show's producers , herbie stempel is getting old . dan enright ( david paymer ) , in particular , feels that the people are tired of seeing a " jewish guy from queens with bad teeth " and that the kids need someone better to look up to . therefore , they need to find another contestant whom would be a worthy role model and the people will look up to and cheer to win . someone who can defeat stempel , even if they have to resort to cheating . enter charles van doren ( ralph fiennes ) , a well-educated professor from a widely recognized family . van doren had decided to try out for the game show " tic tac dough " because his friends thought he would be good at that sort of thing . but when albert freedman ( hank azaria ) , enright's assistant , spots van doren , the two decide that they have found their soon-to-be-ruler of the " twenty-one " kingdom . van doren is not too keen on the idea of receiving the answers ahead of time , so enright tells stempel that he is going to give the wrong answer , on purpose , in order to lose the game . after stempel loses the " throne " to van doren , he starts to feel cheated ( which he should ) . meanwhile , on his own , dick goodwin ( rob morrow ) , a harvard law graduate , has decided to start an investigation on " twenty-one " to try and find out if there have been any wrongdoings . his investigation yields shocking results and leads to a trial for enright and the others involved . quiz show is an extremely well done movie , and robert redford's direction is especially superb . the performances turned in by john turturro , ralph fiennes , and rob morrow are very good , although it seems that turturro stands out more than any . quiz show is also very precise when it comes to explicating the true events that inspired the film . definitely a film you should not miss .

the computer-animated comedy " shrek " is designed to be enjoyed on different levels by different groups . for children , it offers imaginative visuals , appealing new characters mixed with a host of familiar faces , loads of action and a barrage of big laughs ( including numerous gags related to body functions and yucky substances , apparently a requisite in contemporary family films ) . for adults , it's a fractured fairy tale packed with rude jokes that will sail over the heads of the kids . all in all , " shrek " is a snappy ride , although there are a couple of points i found disturbing . but first the basics . based very loosely on a 1990 children's story , " shrek " follows several momentous days in the life of the title character , a rotund green ogre voiced by mike myers in that pleasant scottish accent he is so fond of using . shrek is a grumpy fellow living a solitary life deep in the swamp , until a local nobleman disturbs his peace . petty tyrant lord farquaad ( take away the " awk " in the middle and you have the basis of a string of impolite one-liners ) owns the land on which shrek resides . he proceeds to turn the ogre's yard into an ellis island for storybook characters when he banishes the fanciful beings from his castle . as a result , shrek finds himself surrounded by legends like the three blind mice , pinocchio , the big bad wolf , the seven dwarfs , and the three bears , to name but a few . an enraged shrek storms to the castle , only to find farquaad ( john lithgow ) ready to bargain . lord obnoxious wants to become king and the magic mirror from " snow white " has shown him the way . all he has to do is rescue a damsel in distress and make her his wife . the mirror unveils three choices in a presentation straight out of " the dating game " ( when snow white is shown , the cheeky announcer purrs , " even though she lives with seven men , she's not easy ! " ) farquaad selects the lovely princess fiona ( cameron diaz ) and offers shrek a deal : if the ogre snatches fiona from the dragon-protected , lava moat-filled castle in which she is held captive and brings her to the throne , the lord will allow the fairy tale pests to move back on his grounds . shrek reluctantly agrees and sets off on his quest , accompanied by a motor-mouthed donkey ( eddie murphy ) determined to make the green grump his best friend . they finally hook up with the princess , only to learn she is not the helpless maiden they expected to meet . for the matter , the dragon offers a few surprises as well . the movie references a great many other flicks , from " babe " ( " that'll do , donkey . that'll do " ) to " the graduate . " but the lion's share of the jokes come at the expense of the wonderful world of disney . the public-domain characters made into icons in various disney films take their hits ? pinocchio is referred to as a " possessed toy " and when shrek spies a sleeping snow white in his cabin , he bellows , " get that dead broad off the table ! " ? but the biggest slams come when shrek visits farquaad's royal domicile , which closely resembles a certain magic kingdom , from its souvenir stands and queue lines to a display of animatronic figures that sing the palace rules in a relentlessly peppy tune that sounds a lot like " it's a small world . " which brings me to disturbing point number one . i laughed at all the disney swipes , but found the mentality behind them a bit sad . the acrimony between dreamworks honcho jeff katzenberg and disney big wheel michael eisner is well known . for years the two companies have tried to sabotage each other's film and video releases by issuing similar competing productions on the same day . and now we have katzenberg using an entire movie to attack his former employer . here's a suggestion for the two boys : grow up ! put the past behind you ! there's room in the sandbox for both of you and if you farquaads can't play nice , then go to your rooms ! the other area i found troubling came in the portrayal of lord farquaad . beyond all the irreverence , " shrek " actually has a message : people should learn to look beyond physical appearances , because true beauty lies within . it's a lovely notion , but the film betrays its own moral by incessantly taking cheap shots at farquaad's diminutive stature . do we really need a family film reinforcing the idea that mocking short people is acceptable ? the pompous , selfish behavior of farquaad is enough to make him a target for zingers . adding short jokes is simply mean . still , " shrek " is a rollicking good time . the computer animation is mostly impressive ( although several key characters look like animated rubber squeeze toys and the human movements are often jerky ) , the voice work is strong ( particularly from eddie murphy ) , the laughs come fast and furious , and the moral , tainted though it may be , is a good one . to trot out a clich ? , " shrek " is fun for all ages . parents , though , should remind their young ones during the ride home that taunting others because they are short , tall , skinny , fat , etc . is a bad thing .

the sheer horrific audacity of the nazi plan to exterminate the jews of europe is almost incomprehensible . people may make documentaries about it for another hundred years and still not understand the organized , methodical hatred . five concentration camp survivors from the last days of world war ii tell their stories in the last days , the first documentary from steven spielberg's survivors of the shoah visual history foundation . the five interviewees are linked by their hungarian ancestry . as the introduction explains , even as germany started to lose the war , the nazis stepped up their extermination of the jews in europe . in 1944 , hungary had the last big population of jews within germany's reach , and they became the last target of hitler's " final solution . " each of the five tells his or her story . their stories are intercut chronologically , starting from normal life in pre-war hungary . they recall the nazi invasion of hungary , being sent to " work " camps and their realization that they were actually in death camps . they recall their horrible , precarious lives in auschwitz and buchenwald ; the deaths of their family and friends ; their loss of hope . each recalls his or her unfathomable , eventual liberation . and finally , the last days shows their cathartic , pained , modern-day return to their old homes and the camps . needless to say , their stories are horrifying , amazing , and emotionally draining . by themselves , the stories would be forceful testaments , but by cutting them in parallel , their impact is multiplied by five . the last days is a talking-heads style documentary -- it's mostly pictures of people telling their stories , intercut with period photographs and newsreel footage . in this kind of movie it's almost impossible to get archival pictures from the same time and place being discussed on-screen , but director james moll made a better effort than most at finding specific , or at least relevant , images to go with his subjects' narration . the liner notes ( one of the many nice features of this dvd ) indicate that there is some never-before-seen historical footage in the last days . it's not clear which scene it is . it could be one of two that i hadn't seen before , both powerful . one is rare color footage , shot by an american , of piles of victims in cattle cars . there is something jarring , something unsettling about seeing the pictures in color , when so much of the footage from world war ii is in black and white . another segment shows walking skeletons ; survivors who are so starved that they hardly look human anymore . there has been a glut of holocaust movies and i was skeptical that a new documentary would have anything new to say . but by focusing on hungarian jews during the last days of the war , moll told a specific part of the story in a new way , in greater detail . and i'm glad he did because his careful filmmaking stands up well compared to other movies on the same subject . the transfer to dvd is rich and beautiful . x-mozilla-status : 0009f words for a holocaust documentary , but some of the interviews take place in europe in late spring , when skies are blue and trees are green . also , the movie was shot on 35mm film ( and not video ! ) , so the richness and detail are impeccable . the dvd's features are plentiful and well-chosen . there is a theatrical trailer for the movie , which is a great introduction to the subject matter . there are about fifty still photos , both from the production crew and from the private collections of the survivors . also , the disc has two complete versions of the movie ( widescreen and full screen ) , both on the same side . one of the more interesting dvd features is an outtake segment for each of the survivors ( plus one for the crew ) . you'd think outtakes would be inappropriate in a holocaust documentary , but they're not bloopers . instead , they are solid , moving segments that were probably cut from the film only for length . one of them continues a confrontation that was only touched on lightly in the film . renee firestone ( one of the five ) spoke on camera with dr . hans m ? nch , a german doctor who ran the medical clinic at auschwitz . firestone was aggressive , questioning the doctor about what his children thought . the doctor was evasive and clearly uncomfortable . another of the outtakes showed bill basch saying a prayer for his dead friends at auschwitz . he ends his prayer by saying " . . . forgive me for surviving . " it's ambitious to shoot a documentary on 35mm film . it's ambitious to make it on a subject that has saturated cable , television , and movies . it's ambitious to make it 54 years after the events it covers . but the last days handles all these potential obstacles very well . it's only fitting that the dvd , with its wealth of interesting and relevant features , would also be ambitious and successful .

there are movies that pose a question in its first five minutes and spend the rest of the time trying to answer it . then there are movies that spend the whole time posing questions and try to answer it all in the last five minutes . writer-director john herzfeld's two days in the valley falls into the latter category . weaving together a grabbag of seemingly unrelated characters , herzfeld's tries very hard to keep the audience guessing with a altmanesque series of parallel stories . hitmen lee ( james spader ) and his partner dosmo ( danny aiello ) pop a guy in bed while leaving his drugged wife becky fox ( teri hatcher ) lying next to him showing the audience where on her behind she got nicely pricked . an understandeably shocked becky runs out of the house the next morning before hailing down a couple of vice cops , ( jeff daniels ) and wes ( eric stoltz ) . a murder is not vice territory , flirting with asian prostitues is , but wes would rather play inquisitive detective . meanwhile , washed-up director , teddy ( paul mazursky ) is about to end his life . but before he can do that , he must find a good home for his dog . enter nurse audrey ( marsha mason ) , who takes the dog and teddy for a ride . stuffy art dealer , allan hopper ( greg cruttwell ) has kidney stones . while struggling about his fancy house , he switches between moaning in self-pity and dropping condescending hints about his loyal secretary's ( glenne headly ) plain appearance . don't be surprised if you find yourself asking more than once just what the hell is going on . you might like that feeling of cluelessness . herzfeld does answer all the questions in the course of time and pieces it all rather neatly in the last five minutes . the jigsaw puzzle assembled isn't stunning by any means though . the characters lack the stature or moral complexity of altman's real-life heroes in short cuts , even though they are interesting and funny . funny , that is if you aren't comparing them to the likes of tarantino's pulp chcaracters . the tie-up is tidy but nowhere near the squeaky clean resolution of ( director's name ? guy who also did last seduction ) red rock west . two days isn't a bad movie but there isn't much else to it than the screenplay novelty of the linkage of seemingly unrelated characters . it'll keep you guessing alright but you won't remember the answers five minutes after the credits . the flying inkpot rating system : * wait for the tv2 broadcast . * * a little creaky , but still better than staying at home with gotcha ! * * * pretty good , bring a friend . * * * * amazing , potent stuff . * * * * * perfection . see it twice .

when robert forster found himself famous again after appearing in " jackie brown " , he immediately signed up for a little film called " american perfekt " . this was almost two years ago . i waited patiently for the film to be released , but it never was . finally , i forgot about it . the other day , though , while i was perusing the selection of the local video store , i stumbled upon , you guessed it , " american perfekt " . i immediately rented it and with a certain amount of glee , rushed home to view it . having now seen the film , i understand why it never saw theatrical release . " american perfekt " is a jumbled mess . the storyline is non-existent . it took me half the movie just to figure out what was going on . and at that point , the only thing i really knew for sure was that the movie was * never * going to introduce a plot of some sort . it wants to get by on quirkyness and so-called charm alone , and it just doesn't work . robert forster plays a psychiatrist who picks up amanda plummer , and they head off on the road together . along the way to no discernable destination , they run into all sorts of kooky and wacky characters . i suppose this free-wheeling , no plot style is supposed to give the film an element of danger and excitment , but all it did was make me sleepy . i'm all for trying new things within the realm of film , but not at the expense of coherence . nothing in this movie makes sense . the actions of the characters go unexplained , even when they're truly bizarre . i'll give you an example , without giving too much away . david thewlis has a part as a drifting con-man . at one point , mid-way through the movie , he runs forster and plummer off the road with his car . as he passes them , we see that his face is covered in blood . do you think we would get an explanation as to what happened to him ? you would think so , wouldn't you . " american perfekt " is a waste of time . nothing is gained from watching this movie , except maybe a migraine . and if you do rent it , don't bother trying to figure out what's going on in the hopes that everything will be resolved by the end . this doesn't happen . and no explanation is given for the misspelling of " perfect " , either .

so many students strive to get into schools such as harvard of princeton , but they just don't get the good grades . so many students would do anything to reach their goal of getting into this schools . legend has it that if your roommate commits suicide , the remaining roommates will get an automatic 4 . 0 . chris ( michael vartan ) and tim ( matthew lillard ) are two guys who really want the 4 . 0 to get into harvard . how far will they go to get their 4 . 0 ? chris and tim are also roommates with rand , played by randall batinkoff . the two scheme to murder rand , make it look like a suicide , so they can supposedly get their 4 . 0 . they have heard this rumor many places , and they are willing to take the chance to find out . rand is a very , very mean person . he treats his girlfriend natalie , played by tamara craig thomas , like she doesn't matter at all . she is very afraid of him , and she especially afraid now that she must tell him she is pregnant . she does tell him , and he becomes enraged . that night would be the last night of rand's life . tim and chris give rand a bottle of rat poison , making him think that it is beer . rand drinks down the poison , and then dies . now , tim pushes him off of a mountain with a suicide note near the site to make it look like he killed himself . it does not take long until the suicide note is found , but the body isn't found . the police question chris and tim about rand to try and find any information . feeling extreme guilt , chris is having a very hard time , especially with his girlfriend , emma , played by keri russell . she wants to know more , but he will not even speak with her . will he give in ? will tim turn chris in ? will chris turn tim in ? will they turn themselves in ? all of these questions were running through my mind while watching this slick suspense film . the events in the curve are very surprising , original , and fun . the plot sounds much like dead man on campus , but that is not the deal with this film . this film is a very serious one , with not many laughs . there are many twists and turns that make this film different from most films . the ending in particular is completely unpredictable and satisfying . it is a terrific , suspenseful ending that i could never predict would happen . hands down to dan rosen who wrote this wild ride . the sound really stood out in the film . it is quite eerie and it really adds to the feel of the film . the way the movie is filmed is also great . all of the technical aspects , as well as the acting and directing aspects are very well done . the performances in the curve are very good . matthew lillard gets to play another creepy role , just like in 1996's scream . ( a+ ) he is very strange in this film as well . i like him in this sort of role , rather than the roles he has been playing in comedies such as senseless and she's all that . michael vartan is fantastic as chris , who has extremely mixed emotions about the entire murder and the 4 . 0 . michael vartan was also superb in never been kissed , where he co-starred with drew barrymore as a teacher who fell in love with his student . keri russell also gives a great performance . she should be a good actress in the horror department of the film . tamara craig thomas is also realistic , especially coping with the death of her boyfriend . some very strong supporting performances came from smaller roles , such as bo dietl and anthony griffith who play two detectives investigating the case . the bottom line- i might just have to curve that a- into an a . * note- the curve premiered at the sundance film festival in early 1998 . it was decided the film would not be released widely . it is now available at blockbuster video only , and for rent only . see you at the video store !

if only austin powers : the spy who shagged me had been just half as original , zany , silly and totally enjoyable as its predecessor , it would have easily been one of this summer's biggest pleasures . if only . in fact , the spy who shagged me is the exact opposite of the original ; instead of refreshing the audience with one clever parody after another , the filmmakers bombard us with used-up , tired jokes taken directly from the first one . take the scene where austin powers ( again played by mike myers , but with only a fraction of the giddy enthusiasm he displayed previously ) confronts a henchmen on the side of a cliff . after being pushed off the ravine , the bad guy is of course assumed dead . but suddenly , we hear a pleading voice coming from down below ; he's only injured . a similar scene played very well in the original international man of mystery , but here i was insulted by it . did the filmmakers really believe the audience would laugh at a rip-off ? apparently i overestimated the intelligence of the average movie-goer , considering that the film has pulled in over $200 million in domestic theatrical grosses alone . do i hear the sound of a franchise heading our way ? having said that , though , i still cannot deny the film its merits . the basic plot was delightfully silly enough to sustain my interest somewhat ; dr . evil ( mike myers , in the second of his three roles ) , having constructed a time machine , goes back to the year 1969 in an attempt to snatch austin power's " mojo " ( don't you just love that word ? ) whilst he is cryogenically frozen . when austin gets wind of this ( after a great intro explaining the absence of elizabeth hurley's vanessa kensington ) , he too travels back in time to re-claim his sexual drive , accompanied by the hot-to-trot felicity shagwell , played by heather graham . this sounds stupid , i know , but in the movie it starts to make some kind of weird , off-the-wall sense , and it worked for me . then there's mini-me ( verne troyer ) , a . . . petite clone of myer's dr . evil , exactly 1/8 in size . troyer's persona alone gains the film an extra half-star , contributing to one particularly hilarious scene where he attempts to nibble on his own mini-mr . bigglesworth . just try to ignore the fact that , at 2'8'' , he would make dr . evil's height rise to just over 21 feet . no matter . however , there are only about four hearty laughs throughout the entire hour and a half ( the most notable being the now infamous tent scene ) , and that just isn't enough to warrant even a minor recommendation . if there is in fact an " austin powers 3 " , they should just kill off secret agent powers and put the emphasis on dr . evil and mini-me . unconventional , yes , but there's no denying that it'd make for a better movie .

every year--every year at the festival , i wait for that film to come along , that one that just pulls me out of my seat , sticks its face up next to my nose , and roars " sur-prise ! " into my bewildered visage . it's almost always a surprise . it sure as niflheim was this time . amazing grace and chuck is being advertised as a modern fairy tale , of a boy in montana who quits his little league team for a very unusual reason . and , in the hands of anyone less careful than the creative staff of this film , it might very well be nothing more than a fairy tale , where we roll our eyes occasionally , smirk to ourselves , and maybe get a forced tear out of the eyes and a " boy , i wish that could happen " sigh out of the lips upon exiting the theater and tossing the empty pepsi cup into the trash . another e . t . another short circuit . this film floored me , for the simple reason that while it has a fairy tale concept , the rest of the film takes itself seriously enough , and presents itself well enough , to make it more of an american folk tale , with characters who are both icons and real people at the same time . america has always had its mythical heros , its paul bunyans and john waynes ; this film presents us with more general , but still universal , ideals : the honest , innocent children who have their own inner wisdom ; the athletes who seem to be amalgamations of courage , honor , and love for their respective sport ; the venerable elected official who leads with kindness and understanding , but has the grit to get things done when they need doin' ( does the latter sound familiar ? ) . amazing grace and chuck is a showcase for these characters , but it never leaves you with the feeling that it's artificial , that it stands behind glass , or that any sharp breeze--or , more importantly , sharp thought--will shatter the wax facade of the panorama . this is a very sturdy scenario . the principals are always given dialogue , and always give performances--always ( it just blows me away ) -- which made them seem real , yet enforces their particular mythic role . the writer/producer , david field , seems to literally take all the " yeah , but in real life , this would have happen " thoughts you get in your head , sticks them in the movie and uses them to bend the plot around to his original heading , in a stronger way then before ! astounding ! he uses obstacles to the plot to * enforce * it ! i am truly impressed ( indeed , envious ) with the skill in which he wrote the story and screenplay ; it's so very unusual , especially in a hollywood film . i don't want to give too much away , but the basic premise is that chuck ( joshua zuehlke ) , the little league pitcher , decides to give up baseball because of nuclear weapons . his decision begins an unlikely series of events that involve another athlete , a boston basketball player ( alex english ) , " amazing " grace smith , and , well , i'm leaving it at that because i wouldn't spoil this film for you for the world . let me just say this , though : i am not recommending this film because i think it has a great message or because of any political positions it might imply . i don't give a rat's ass for the political point-of-view this film expresses , one way or another ; i'm recommending you go see this film because , and only because , it's an excellent story , told with excellence . no , i don't believe what happens in this film could happen in real life ; while i tend to believe the arms control policy of this country is stilted , i believe in careful negotiations , mutual verification , etc . screw what i think . the point is , this film is able to suspend my disbelief and tell a story that is one of the most finely crafted pieces of american dream i have ever seen on the movie screen . this is the natural and more--all the mythic qualities without the pretentiousness or the forced feeling of the conclusion , and a much better script to boot . it carried me into the beliefs and ideals of my boyhood--and , more importantly , without any bumps or jolts that would snap me out of the trance with some hint of self-consciousness . special kudos to : both zuehlke ( a real-life little league pitcher who was picked for the part ) and english ( a forward for the denver nuggets ) for their seamless personification of their characters ; jamie lee curtis , who takes a surprisingly small role and makes it exceedingly memorable as amazing's manager and friend ; william l . peterson ( in a * big * change from his role in to live and die in l . a . ) as a father who shows principles without having to stand up and wave a flag doing it ; and gregory peck , as the guy we wish ronald reagan really was ( and who some numbskulls still probably think he is

the soldiers of three kings have taken their cue from movies about vietnam . ( fitting , since the media-saturated gulf war became a pop entertainment . ) while driving through a long , flat iraqi desert ( in a humvee with a bart simpson hood ornament ) , one of the men under special forces sgt . maj . archie gates' ( who's steering ) command requests a beach boys tune . these men want their apocalypse now moment , only instead of surfing , they bop to the music and skeet shoot out the back of the vehicle , armed with automatic rifles . our three kings ( okay , four ) are good fighters , but they don't necessarily take operation desert storm seriously-it's a reprieve from their hellish day jobs . they are gates , new father sgt . troy barlow ( wahlberg ) , sgt . chief elgin ( cube ) , and pvt . conrad vig ( music video director jonze ) . at story's start , president bush has declared a ceasefire , and american troops are tying up loose ends . barlow , elgin , and vig discover during a round up of iraqi captives an " ass-map " that points to a bunker filled with gold bullion . gates leaves his jurisdiction to commandeer the situation ; he proposes-demands-that barlow , elgin , and vig join him on a treasure hunt . ditching his escort , a relentless reporter named adriana cruz ( nora dunn ) , is easy . so is finding the treasure , until the four men realize the magnitude of discord still breathing in iraq : saddam's men are threatening the dictator's detractors ( citizens of his own country ) with violence . when gates and company arrive at the bunker with a stolen truck , ready to loot , the unarmed rebels want help . ( bush encouraged them to rise up against the government , but provided no military support for such cause . ) gates convinces the vault's guards that this is a post-war mission , and even accepts their assistance in loading the truck . the situation could go off without a hitch : the former enemies bear no grudges . but the money hungry gates has a conscience , and when one female bystander is shot by a sadistic grunt before these americans have left the scene , he orders barlow , elgin and vig to open fire on the surrounding arab forces . the result : barlow is kidnapped , and the filmmakers imply that these would-be kings are seeing more action than they ever did during wartime . barlow is eventually locked in a dank room and wired up to a shocking device . his interrogator lost his family to the bombs , and he wants barlow to imagine the demise of his own wife and child . ( he does , in chilling , lasting images . ) i liked these scenes best , because the political became personal . it's one thing to champion the plight of thousands ; it's another to see a ceiling cave in atop a baby in a crib . russell has shocked us before : his first film , spanking the monkey , is about a young man's affair with his bedridden mother . ( it's great . ) his second , flirting with disaster , features a character who has an armpit fetish . one could argue that it's easier to make an audience react to such sexual deviance than explosions , though ; russell disturbs us in three kings by being no-nonsense about the violence . when barlow conjures the detonation of his suburban home , russell mutes the sound-we're paying attention to the debris instead of thx bombast . three kings is russell's first visually arresting picture . stylistically , it stands apart from other war dramas . newton thomas sigel's cinematography of the exteriors is overexposed and extremely grainy , which is , of course , entirely appropriate . one practically breaks out in sweat staring at the screen . ( a friend enthusiastically added , " it's like having sand in your eyes . " ) this also helps to blur the fact that the actual locations are far removed from the persian gulf facade . ( three kings was shot in arizona , california , and mexico . ) russell throws plenty at sigel's camera for it to observe-as was the case with russell's previous efforts , the most absurd moments are also the film's most realistic , even the most poignant . ( we watch a bullet puncture an organ from the inside . ) if anything , three kings settles down and stops surprising us . its climax is pure hollywood , no doubt the answer to why a major studio felt comfortable getting into bed with the indie-minded russell . subsequently , the characters become more cartoonish-barlow's post-torture revelry felt phony , and chief , a strong presence in the first third , fails to escape the god-fearing-ultra-serious-anti-racist-black-man-of-power clich ? -so much for cube avoiding token status . ( the arab players , on the other hand , duck stereotype . ) clooney , too , transforms into a blandly heroic protestor-marching with the rebels , i waited for him to shout , " let my people go ! " hayseed vig notwithstanding , the protagonists are very intelligent , and self-serving , too ; i had a glimmer of hope , based on russell's filmography , that our antiheroes would revert to their greedy selves at some juncture . ( it's not spoiling much to write that . ) then again , what historical importance would such nastiness serve ? ( there's already enough cynicism in the film's mentioning of kuwait's oil-infested waters . ) russell offers the masses a primer on the oft-dismissed gulf conflict , and pulled off a neat trick : a war tale full of battles that takes place after a truce has been declared . if he set out to make something socially/culturally/politically/globally significant , he succeeded . with flair .

this is the movie that could single-handedly bring " mystery science theater 3000 " out of cancellation . it's one of those movies that's so bad it's absolutely hilarious , due in no small part to its big star , supermodel cindy crawford . if you only remember one thing about fair game , it should be that it singlehandedly proves crawford should stick to the sports illustrated swimsuit issues . if you thought kathy ireland was laughable in alien from l . a . , you'll change your mind when you see fair game . ireland would win handfuls of oscars if this was her only competition . in a real casting coup , crawford plays a super-intelligent lawyer ( in a jogging bra , of course ) . we all know this is a stretch , the only legal opinion crawford has ever put forth being that she favors the death penalty for anyone who wears white after labor day . nonetheless , someone out there thought she'd make a good lawyer , but we're reminded of her true function in the movie when she takes two showers in a period of twenty minutes . and for you horny teenage boys out there , you actually get to see her topless for two seconds in the dark . . . come to think of it , that may have been a body double . cindy crawford isn't black , is she ? like i said , crawford is a lawyer with a bunch of russians after her . billy baldwin ( or is it stephen ? alec ? adam ? kim basinger ? ) is the police detective who has to save her life , time after time , chase after chase , explosion after explosion . there's absolutely nothing original about this movie . it's every cop show of the 70's mixed with every action thriller of the 80's and every technology- exploitation movie of the 90's . three decades of crap all in one place , driven further into the ground by crawford's complete lack of acting talent . and it's all completely predictable . you know the mistakes baldwin and crawford are going to make before they make them , you know when the " sexual tension " will finally end up in them consummating the relationship , you know when the villains will capture crawford so baldwin has to rescue her in the climax and you know the movie's going to suck from the first scene . the plot isn't really explained until the end . all we know is these russians have every detail about crawford in their computer . in the words of one of the villains , " we even know what size pantyhose she wears . " ( yeah , you and every 14-year-old boy in america . ) he goes on to add , " we know more about her than she does . " ( _that_ i find very easy to believe . ) i hope you enjoyed those two sample dialogue quotes , because i wrote down plenty of other bad ones ( " if it weren't for me , you'd still be pulling bananas out of your ass in cuba ! " ) because , you see , fair game is not only a showcase for recycled action cliches and terrible acting , but also some seriously bad dialogue . it all adds up to a really terrible movie that made me laugh in plenty of places i wasn't supposed to and grimace in places i was supposed to laugh . one more thing fair game has against it is some awful comic relief . would you laugh at a scene where crawford tortures a computer nerd with double entendres like " i'm very interested in _hard_ware " and other crap about playing with his joystick ? i wouldn't , but not because i'm a computer nerd . it's just not funny . crawford's only contribution to the information age are a few gif files floating around with her head on a nude traci lords' body . . . or was it jack lord's body ? i'll leave you with the final line of dialogue in the movie . the boat with all the russians has just blown up and baldwin and crawford are floating on a life raft . crawford says woodenly , " that was my client's boat you just blew up . i'm filing a lawsuit against you . you're in big trouble , " or something to that effect , and baldwin replies smugly , " what do i have to do to get out of it ? " they of course begin making out and the credits roll . i'm not going to talk about how stupid the line is or how , if they'd really wanted to go for a bad closing line they would have had baldwin say , " you think i could settle out of court ? " but i will tell you that , if anyone ever suggests you watch fair game with him or her , you quote the final line of the movie to that person : " what do i have to do to get out of it ? " serving america for over 1/50th of a century !

often similar to a little boy lost in a park that he had no right venturing into , the call of the oboe ( o toque do oboe ) is a disappointing film that seems to have wandered astray . many elements of the film are solid , and have potential far greater than director claudio macdowell will ever know , but they simply don't convert into a solid work . although a setting is never established , it becomes apparent . the film takes place somewhere in a latin american village in present day . the community is a dull one , where every day is a downhill slide from the last . over time , the people have taken to themselves . the town cinema is closed , no tourist has passed through in years , and the daily funeral processions are accompanied by no one other than the grave digger . so what happens when a " tourist " ( paolo betti ) does arrive one day ? he sends this routine and dull town into mayhem and shock . it is revealed that he is a musician who plays the oboe as a hobby . when he sits down in the park one day to give a solo performance , the entire community gathers around for their first bit of entertainment in countless years . it is from that that the musician meets some of the villagers , and agrees to play at the local cinema in accompaniment to a silent film , thus opening the theatre for the first time in ages . the woman that talks him into this witty task is the cinema owner ( leticia vota ) who also happens to be engaged to the town's police inspector , a figure who soon becomes suspicious of his fiance's involvement with this musician . the rest of the plot closely resembles a freak show gone horribly astray . it features a character who literally rises from his grave , a woman who has a phone conversation with god , and the aforementioned inspector who goes from an intriguing and serious character , to an almost humorous drunk . technically , this film is a nightmare . the music score is poorly edited into the film , so it is often choppy , rough , and abrupt . the lighting is poor at best , which makes it increasingly difficult to focus on many scenes , and the english subtitles are full of misspelled words , and are often absent presumably on the assumption that the audience will be able to understand some simple portuguese and spanish phrases . this translation flaw is best highlighted at the beginning of the film when what seems to be a relevant fight is filled with dialogue , but the subtitles are limited to fewer than 25 words . in addition , the pace of the film seems uneven . it opens with a series of long panoramic shots that alone can test one's patience . the film then moves into a faster pace , that again slows towards the end , as the director seems determined to reach the two hour mark . there was , however , potential for this film . it is a piece exploring the beauty of cinema and music , and the re-unification of people . these are all topics that could easily fill a movie . perhaps , if there were no freak show , and the technical aspects were to improve , there might just be a thing of beauty at the end . most importantly , though , the director would have to patch up the plot and make it flow better so that the two hours aren't such a bore . until then , there seems to be little more hope for this piece , than that boy has by simply crying out " mommy " while he wanders astray in a park .

trekkies , roger nygard's energetic and hilarious documentary , brings viewers into the world of the star trek conventions . the beauty of the film is that it is good old fashion fun for trekkies and non-fans alike . ( the film generally writes off the trekkies vs . trekker polemic as not worth arguing about . ) the good-spirited movie trekkies easily forces even the most cynical viewer into fits of uncontrollable , loud giggles , yet the picture treats its subject matter with respect and a certain awe . denise crosby , who played tasha yar on " star trek : the next generation , " serves as the host . in the opening credits the movie reminds us that trekkies are the only fan group listed in the oxford english dictionary ( oed ) . ( the oed cites a february , 1976 caption in the " new yorker " as the first recorded usage of the word . ) unless you've been to the conventions , i posit that you have no idea of the dedication of some of the fans . one pointed out , apologetically , that the stripe on his new uniform was slightly inaccurate . others talked about how many star trek conventions they had attended , several dozen being typical and hundreds not unheard of . my personal favorite fan is sir speedy photocopying worker barbara adams . arguably the most famous of all the trekkies , she wears her uniform every waking hour as many die-hard fans do . her claim to fame is that , as a juror on the whitewater trial , she wore it in court as well . " every day i would walk past the reporters with a vulcan-like stoicism , " she says , describing her way of dealing with the crowd of reporters who became obsessed with her obsession . she doesn't quite understand all of the uproar . " i'm an officer of the federation 24 hours a day , " she reminds us . her fealty to her hobby approaches that of a religious faith . along with the laugher the show evokes , there is an equal measure of sincere appreciation for people with such loyalty . and their infectious joy provokes a certain envy of their enjoyment . few other avocations could give this much satisfaction . these people are having the time of their lives . ( for the record , i'm not a star trek fan although i have seen some of the movies . ) the film interviews the various star trek series's stars as well as its fans . the stars had thought the convention idea was a lark and would soon fade , but over twenty years later , the conventions are still going strong . filled with anecdotes , the show talks about the happenings at the various conventions . at one , the actor who plays q was so sick that he thought he would have to cancel . after appearing briefly , he drank some water and left . they decided to auction off his half-empty glass , joking that it had the " q virus . " the guy who won the bidding immediately drank the water and screamed to the crowd that he now had the q virus too . with dedication comes a certain amount of stupidity . not just flitting among people , the documentary takes the time to let you get to know the trekkies . one guy is a trekkie cross-dresser , another dresses her cat , and then there is the dentist . the dentist has his entire office made up to look like a star trek set . he , his oral hygienists , his receptionist , his wife , and his kids wear the outfits all of the time . it appears that his workers are permitted to take them off when they go home , but not his family . for variety , he and his family do change characters from time to time . he says his patients like it . well , there was this one complainer , but he had a problem with his bill anyway . there are summer schools for klingon with ph . d . linguists to teach the language . hamlet is now available in klingon , albeit perhaps not at your local bookstore , and they are working on translating the bible . they even sell united federation passports that are real enough that trekkies have used them to fool customs , even u . s . customs . the movie bogs down only briefly when it tries to argue the series's larger meaning about diversity and humanitarian concerns . sandwiched in-between the levity , the switch in tone doesn't work . the incessantly up-beat film ends with a singing elvis impersonator . he fits right in . trekkies runs a breezy 1 : 26 . it is not rated but would be pg for brief sexual references and would be fine for all ages .

the army comedy genre has never turned out a truly good movie ( if you don't count neil simon's biloxi blues ) . year after year , more predictably cliched military movies come out -- most recently sgt . bilko -- and none of them ever manage to be anything more than a rehash of the last . i thought stripes would be different . with ivan reitman as director , bill murray as star and harold ramis as co-star and co-screenwriter , it seemed like it would be ghostbusters in the army . instead , it was a bunch of unfunny crap in the army . murray , about as funny and sophisticated here as he was in meatballs , plays a loser cab driver who sees the army as his only chance for success , and convinces his friend ramis to enlist with him . so he does , and we get the obligatory drill sergeant from hell , head-shaving and marching/singing sequences , more mind-numbingly stale here than ever . the characters are even less original , ranging from underachieving slob john candy to incompetent captain john larroquette . all the big name stars in stripes ( and even larroquette ) fall victim to the lame , rehashed material and are never really likeable , murray in particular . he only gets a few decent lines in , although those barely-funny one liners pale in comparison to the hilarious peter venkman character he played three years later in ghostbusters . he was even better in caddyshack , for crying out loud . as with a lot of the late 70's / early 80's comedies , stripes is a completely juvenile movie only a child would like but is so sex- obsessed no child should be able to watch it . i'm sure it seems funny on paper to have candy pay over $400 to mud wrestle five beautiful women , but while watching it all that was coming out of my mouth was the admonition " dear god ! " every few seconds . stripes isn't the playful kind of sex comedy , either . most of the time it seems downright misogynistic , as when larroquette uses his telescope to peer into the women's showers or murray lifts a female m . p . onto the stove and , with an i-know-what-you-like look on his face , says he's going to give her the " aunt jemima treatment , " which means shoving a spatula under her butt repeatedly . you don't want to stick around as the scene progresses and he uses an ice cream scoop on her genital region . " i'm not enjoying this , " the woman protests . my sentiments exactly .

" when it's cold , molecules aren't moving . everything is clean . " these are the essential words of mikey carver ( elijah wood ) , a young teenage boy living in 1973 new canaan , connecticut in the ice storm . when mikey delivers these words to a bored science class , it is unlikely that anyone realizes how much they parallel mikey's life and the lives that surround him . his father jim ( jamey sheridan ) is rarely seen and his mother janey ( sigourney weaver ) is having an affair with married neighbor ben hood ( kevin kline ) . ben's wife elena ( joan allen ) suspects the affair , but doesn't say anything . meanwhile , ben's 14-year-old daughter wendy ( christina ricci ) continuously lures mikey and his younger brother sandy ( adam hann-byrd ) into sexual explorations . tobey maguire plays paul hood , the 16-year-old narrator of the story who also happens to be the least prevalent character . we start the film with an interesting outlook on family from paul . he compares family to the fantastic four comic book , and even goes so far as to say that family is everybody's own anti-matter ; something everybody will return to eventually , and the farther you go , the deeper you'll return . the ice storm is a character piece that explores a dismal time both in america , and in the individual lives portrayed in the movie . everything parallels everything else . the young teenagers trying to discover who they are thru drugs , sex , and alcohol is really almost identical to the parents trying to figure out the purpose in their own lives using the same methods . " when it's cold outside , the molecules aren't moving . everything is clean . " everything is clean because nobody will admit what's going on . even the president is on tv denying his wrong-doings . how can you expect anything more out of a couple of suburban families riding the coattails of sexual revolution ? all the sex and drugs is so obviously empty , and i think that's the point of the film . at first viewing , the entire movie might seem empty , but then why shouldn't it parallel itself ? you don't get to know the characters very deeply , but i think that's because nobody in the movie knows each other either . we sadly watch two families go about their lives nearly oblivious to one another . at first glance , you might think emotion is lost in the ending scenes because you haven't gotten to know the characters well enough to sympathize - then you realize that just might be the point , and then you do feel the pain . the acting by all is quite good , but i particularly liked elijah wood . he doesn't seem to be receiving as much recognition as the others , but i still found him to possess quite a real sense of being . christina ricci is being acclaimed for her part as the misguided teenage temptress who looks for something more to her life in the pants of every available boy . still , i say hats off remain to wood , joan allen's subtle but believable performance as a lonely , unappreciated wife , and the always excellent kevin kline . tobey maguire did a fine job , but his character which , perhaps , was the most intact , sensible person in the story , seemed a little lost . he was needed , but perhaps he should've been used more . the ice storm is being hailed by many as one of the best films of the year . i hate to say that i don't agree , but i don't . in fact , i can think of many other films that i would rank higher than this one . even so , it is a very good film . it takes a lot of retrospect to fully appreciate it's art , but when you finally start seeing things in it that you didn't before , you start to grow even fonder of the characters and the story . perhaps this is one to see , ponder , and then watch again with different eyes .

nosferatu the vampyre ( germany 1979 ) a film review by mike watson copyright 1999 mike watson this extraordinary re-telling of bram stoker's " dracula " by german filmmaker werner herzog deserves the most prominent of places in cinematic vampire lore . inspired by f . w . murnau's 1922 silent film of the same name , herzog's film is a work of exquisite bleakness , an oddly touching tragedy with a beautiful and uniquely haunting quality that lingers long afterwards . the original full-length english and german language versions of nosferatu have at last received a video release by u . s . distributor anchor bay entertainment , and in gorgeous widescreen prints . until now only a shortened english language version of the film was available on video , and only in europe . both of these re-releases restore the film to its full length , but viewers should still be wary of the english version due to its often stilted dialogue . apparently the english dialogue coach herzog had on the set during filming was incompetent , and some of the voices also seem to be dubbed . the german version with english subtitles remains the definitive one . everyone knows the story of dracula . or do they ? his story has been so bastardised on film over the years that a brief reminder of the basic plot certainly won't hurt . jonathan harker is a young lawyer sent to the gloomy castle dracula in transylvania to do business with a creepy count ( played by klaus kinski ) who wants to buy a house in harker's hometown . upon seeing a photo of harker's wife ( the radiant isabelle adjani ) he instantly falls in love with her . locking harker up in his castle , he sets off on a long journey to meet this woman whose beauty so bewitches him . upon divining his identity as a vampire , adjani seduces the count and lures him to his death one morning as the sun rises . that is a story familiar to millions , but herzog has elevated stoker's tale into the realm of - and i use this term a tad reluctantly - cinematic art . nosferatu is as much a meditation as it is a film , shot through blue-ish and white filters and peopled with characters who perform as if they were half hypnotised . the film's surreal , dream-like quality is utterly mesmerising . there is much to enjoy , but i'll limit my praise to a few key points . holding the film together is kinski's remarkable performance as count dracula . past screen portrayals , including bela lugosi's famous turn , have largely been one dimensional and tended towards camp . but kinski . . . oh boy , this is something far more compelling . aided by a startling make-up job , he portrays dracula's vampirism not simply as pure evil but as some sort of loathsome disease . this man is dreadfully lonely . he lives in utter solitude , shunned by the locals for his hideous appearance and reputation for bloodlust . kinski's portrayal of the count is both creepy and deeply affecting . when he dies , you almost feel as if this man's tortured soul has been freed at last . then there's the unforgettable soundtrack , largely composed by german group popul vuh . it is so eerily beautiful and evocative that it's quite impossible to imagine the film without it . popul vuh are longtime herzog collaborators and play an ancient-sounding kind of spacemusic using piano , chants , and exotic instruments . when i first saw this film some years ago i was so impressed i tracked down and bought a number of their albums . the one i still listen to the most is " tantric songs " , from which most of the music in nosferatu is taken . it's a testament to the music's depth that it is as powerful without the pictures as it is with them . the album is still available on the highly respected ambient and world music label celestial harmonies . this is a timely re-release by anchor bay . after francis ford coppola's unscary and woefully overblown version of bram stoker's tale in 1992 , it is a joy to go back to herzog's film and see the amazing things he has done with what is now a century-old story . to some aficionados , nosferatu is quite simply the greatest vampire film ever made . without a doubt , it is an unmistakable classic of the genre . don't miss it .

`the bachelor' is one of the best terrible movies you will ever see . wading through this gooey , detestable sludge is quite the chore for even a dedicated romantic . those hoping to find some genuine charm and feeling behind this chris o'donnell vehicle should wander elsewhere ; `the bachelor' is a painfully clumsy mess strung together with a few brief moments of surprising poignancy . awaiting these moments by enduring the rest of the film is certainly not worth your time or money . although he has not quite evolved out of the stereotypical pretty-boy cocoon , chris o'donnell has an effortless charm as an actor . most will recognize him as the high-flying robin from the two latest `batman' films , but other abilities are evident behind his boyish smile . can o'donnell carry the weight of a film on his shoulders ? perhaps , if he found the proper vehicle . . . but `the bachelor' falls far short of the requirements . the actor just can't register with such a pathetic screenplay as the guiding light to success . a few instances of adorable humor aside , it becomes apparent that no one could save the festering mess that is `the bachelor' . o'donnell plays jimmie , a hopeless romantic in his late twenties who's progressing in a serious relationship with anne ( renee zellweger ) . jimmie takes anne out for dinner to the restaurant specifically used for proposals , and attempts to ask for her hand in marriage . the problem is that his proposal sucks . big time . you can tell things aren't going pleasantly , because jimmie gets the infamous ? deer-in-the-headlights' look when anne questions his approach . and then , the plot ( along with the stupidity of the movie ) thickens . jimmie's grandfather ( peter ustinov ) dies suddenly , leaving a video will behind for his grandson ( who also happens to be his only living relative ) . everybody is speechless when grandpa declares that he is passing down an inheritance in the amount of 100 million dollars to jimmie . of course , there's a catch : he must get married before his 30th birthday , stay joined with his bride for an entire decade , and produce healthy children within the first five years . the bad news is that jimmie's birthday is the following day . with anne out of town , he must find a willing bride to share his riches with . . . and within a very limited time frame . there are certainly a few worthwhile aspects of `the bachelor' . for one , the movie's approach is interesting and not dripping with clich ? . another is the colorful cast . o'donnell and zellweger are cute together , and the supporting cast tries relentlessly to rescue the film from drowning in it's own mediocrity . ustinov is enjoyable as the cranky grandfather figure , and james cromwell is sincere and effective as a wise priest dragged through jimmie's marital adventures . and now the cons : the approach may be interesting , but in trying an old-fashioned method , director gary sinyor gives the film a synthetic feel . the characters are drawn with obvious , broad strokes , and the plot is bogged down with everything humanly imaginable . yes , `the bachelor' is far more frustrating than cute . the screenplay is lamely written , and the subject matter poorly conceived . the considerable charm of the two leads is thoughtlessly wasted , along with whatever promise the film initially contained . potential goes out the window early to suit sinyor's `colorful' approach , but not a minute of this hapless drivel seems accustomed to the director's wishes . `the bachelor' becomes lost without a homing beacon to save it . you've seen the tv spots , haven't you ? o'donnell is madly rushing down a deserted street and the caption reads `what is this man running from ? ' in actuality , he's fleeing from thousands of angry brides who want to marry him and inherit his fortune ( it's one of the few enjoyable sequences in the film ) . after seeing the movie , i believe that the approaching horde could be something else . o'donnell could be running from his angry fans , who have just endured `the bachelor' , and are hunting him down for revenge .

around the end of 1998 , a japanese cartoon came to the usa television , and really wasn't that big . in fact not many people even knew what pokemon was , but in 1999 it hit big with kids and adults alike , and became one of the biggest franchises and merchandise seller of all time . in fact it even spawned a big screen adventure pokemon : the first movie which for what it was , wasn't all that bad . it grossed $31 million in its opening weekend , and went on to make almost $90 million . fans thought it was great and now is a second movie in the pokemon craze , " pokemon : the movie 2000 " which is far inferior to the original animated movie . first up is the plot , which there really isn't much of , in fact the plot what there is : a bad guy trying to destroy the ancient never before seen pokemon , lugia , is about it , except the fact that ash kethcum the worlds best pokemon trainer must try and stop him before he destroys this one pokemon forever . well there you go , of course ash is followed by his friends misty , brock , gary and his pokemon friends , pikachu , squirtle , charizard , the usual . even though the first movie wasn't a great film , it was definately an enjoyable well-made movie with an actual thin storyline . this new movie however is nothing but garbage , there is nothing good to it storywise , and its only good thing comes from some plush animation and colors . compared to the first film , this movie is awfully bland , from its opening titles , to the end titles it tries its best to work , but fails miserably at every corner . the characters are 1-dimensional , the story thin as chicken broth , and the writing very lame . even the so called action scenes are extremely lame , and falls before it even gets a chance to go . the voices even aren't that good and almost feels like the stars don't want to be there , like they can tell that this is an extremel bad movie . which it certainly is . the film has one thing going for it and that is the animation , although not up to disney standards , it is still very good with some interesting cgi's and very colorful animation , the colors jump out at you very fast , and seem very nicely put on film . why a film this bad got such a good treatment with its animation is still a question to be answered , hopefully pokemon 3 next year will be much better than this trash . for now watch the first one . its much much better .

" love to kill " starts off aimlessly and gets progressively less coherent as time passes . at the outset , the movie appears to be about tony danza , who's an illegal distributor of guns , trying to establish a relationship with an unsuspecting woman . danza sets up a double date with her , her sister , and a collegue of his . everything seems to be going well , until the sister accidentally dies by falling down a set of stairs . much confusion and mahem ensues , as the death is covered up and other associates of danza's begin to emerge , all after one thing or another . sound confusing ? it is . i think what the filmmakers were trying to do is take the standard crime movie and throw in a little humour and levity . in some respects , it works . but the majority of the film is a convoluted and confusing mess . characters keep popping up with no explanation , demanding money for deals that occur off-screen . the only aspect of the movie that actually works is the budding relationship between danza and the dead woman's sister . but so little time is devoted to this part of the story , we never really become too familiar with these characters , and because of this , we don't really care what happens to them . well , i didn't , at least . one thing i will give the movie is that it's a complete departure for tony danza . here's a guy , because of his many sitcom roles , who's ingrained in the consciousness as a nice guy who always does the right thing . here , he plays a man who's just looking out for himself , and if that means he needs to kill in order to save his own skin , so be it . i was very impressed by his performance , and within minutes of the start of the film , i had forgotten all about his good-guy persona . michael madsen is also good as an associate of danza's who spends half the movie buddying up to him and the other half trying to kill him . like i said , it's not exactly a linear storyline . " love to kill " should be praised for trying to do something different with the well worn crime genre , but it's just too bad that the story doesn't really add up to much . the stars deserved better , and so did the audience .

a movie laced with a good blend of action , comedy , and a heavy dose of musical celebrity guest appearances sounds pretty gourmet , but even the best ingredients can be thrown together in the wrong way , creating a dismal and unsatisfactory product . eighteen years after the blues brothers hit theaters , blues brothers 2000 is being unleashed , minus half of its original duo ( the late john belushi ) and nearly all of its original charm . dan aykroyd reprises his role ( as well as his co-writing credit ) as elwood blues , the sharp dressed con man who wreaked havoc on a self-proclaimed " mission from god " along with his brother jake and their blues brothers band nearly eighteen years ago . as we begin , elwood is being released from a state penitentiary along with the news of his brother's death in prison years ago . completely on his own , elwood decides to trace his roots back to the orphanage where he spent his childhood , only to discover that everyone he has ever known has passed away . but elwood isn't completely without family . it seems he has a half-brother of sorts - not a real brother mind you , just the illegitimate child of his bluesman pseudo-father curtis ( cab calloway from the first film ) , who has also passed on . despite inklings from mother superior mary stigmata ( kathleen freeman ) to do otherwise , elwood seeks out his only remaining family in an effort to start up an all new blues brothers band . working as a police commander , cabel chamberlain ( joe morton ) , has an immediate disliking for elwood , who nonchalantly fills cab in on his mother's affair years ago and then goes on to steal his wallet . following elwood around is the lonely orphan buster ( j . evan bonifant ) , who quickly learns to become a mini-elwood . when bartender mighty mack mcteer ( john goodman ) joins the group , the blues brothers band is complete , and once again , the group travels the country , crashing cars , blowing things up , and obstructing peace with more than just solid blues rock . meanwhile , cab's personal vendetta against elwood leads him on an impassioned manhunt for his next-to-next-of-kin . >from this point , the movie turns into a series of music videos with a few bits of acting in between . those hoping for an interesting and/or funny yarn are given too many musical interludes while those heavily interested in the music are given too much of a story . only the extremely avid blues fans should attempt getting thru these two hours . for those people , it may be worth it , for luckily there is much more music than shoddy attempts at acting , but when the story does intrude upon the festivities , the film is heavily bogged down with unfunny jokes , musicians turned stiff actors , and the pointless 10-year- old buster attempting to add some sort of home alone cuteness to the whole thing . appearances by musical legends such as aretha franklin , james brown , eric clapton , and a whole slew of others are the high points of the film , but they also confirm why these people are musicians and not actors . blues brothers 2000 is deserving of one whole star simply because if you really , really love this kind of music , you might kind of , sort of like this movie . many , many scenes are nauseatingly unfunny , and if you don't have a passion for very deep blues/rock , you'll be bored out of your skull . much of this film seems nothing more than aykroyd's self-serving vanity project , but no matter how much fun aykroyd may be having with this , none of the excitement is passed on to the audience . and seeing three guys in three-piece suits goofily dancing around with poker faces can only be funny for so long . unfortunately , those two seconds are over about fifteen minutes into the film .

there are some pretty impressive stars in lost in space - it's just that none of them happen to be actors . the stars i'm referring to are the computer generated ones that make up the movie's " outer space " ; the stars that the less impressive actors hurtle thru as they try to find their way home . yes , in terms of acting , the star power is . . . well , more like a falling star . kinda pretty , short-lived , and pretty much dead . lost in space , as if you really didn't know , is based on the 60's sci-fi television series of the same name . it's the year 2058 , and earth's precious resources are quickly being usurped by the needs of its massive population . john robinson ( william hurt ) is the scientist leading a mission program to colonize a foreign planet . earth's entire existance is contingent upon a successful mission , but nobody , whether it be john's family or hired battle pilot don west ( matt leblanc ) , seems too enthusiastic about leaving their home planet for several years . john's family consists of his wife maureen ( mimi rogers ) , his atypical teenage daughter penny ( lacey chabert ) , his ingenious son will ( jack johnson ) , and his beautiful scientist daughter judy ( heather graham ) . despite everyone's reluctance , the jupiter 2 spacecraft abandons planet earth and makes its way into the vast eternity of space . unknown to anyone but the audience , there is an evil doctor stowaway determined to sabotage the entire mission . dr . smith ( gary oldman ) has been hired by a group of rebel conspirators to turn the expedition sour , and dr . smith has re-programmed a talking robot to " destroy robinson family " ! when everything that could go wrong does go wrong for both sides , the spaceship is warped to an unknown destination , and now the premise of being lost in space is complete . as for the audience , you will likely be lost in boredom by this point , wondering if the plot , like the jupiter 2 , will ever get off the ground . it's hard to tell who deserves the most blame - the incredibly bland and corny characters or the horrifically lame script ? chabert is basically the only one to overdo it , sounding like a whiny munchkin on helium . if you , like me , were convinced by commercials that her voice was altered for some sort of plot twist where her body would be taken over by aliens , you're wrong ! that's just her normal voice ! in yet another example of a " friend " faltering on the big screen , leblanc is so incredibly dull and yet so obviously trying so hard to be so incredibly charming ( make sense ? ) , it makes you want to shove his ass out the escape pod corridor without an escape pod . graham is a babe - thank goodness there was something for me to think about during this film . hurt , the black hole of excitement , sucks up any energy that might have been left . if hurt were available in tablet form , he would be a prescription strength sleeping pill . johnson isn't dull , he's just lame as the young know it all who winds up saving everybody's ass all the time . want an example of how cool this kid can be ? how about when he convinces the robot to think with its heart and reconsider killing the family ? hey , don't laugh - the thing actually listened to the mr . rogers-would-be-proud sentiment . but alas , if you thought a character couldn't be much worse , there was rogers as the epitome of generic ( or , mother as she was known ) . why hire an actress ? they could've had a white cardboard cutout with the word mom printed on it . now that would've had some pizzazz ! lost in space luckily doesn't suffer in every single category that it could have . the special effects are crisp , clear , and at least mildly captivating , unlike any of the presences onscreen save it be oldman , who plays his evil character with a great deal of fun and finesse . unfortunately , oldman is locked away for most of the film , giving us nothing but ample mocking opportunities to enjoy . while the special effects are pleasing to the eye , they are nothing you couldn't find in most modern sci-fi films . contact , for example , far exceeds this film in terms of imagery and imagination . lost in space just has too many shortcomings to ever be considered a work of cinematic art , with numerous contradictions ( the time travel aspect was horribly flawed ! ) , wooden and corny acting , worse dialogue , and an ending so disappointing , you'd be happier to have seen the entire robinson family get blown to smithereens . then again , with an ending like this film has , it's obvious a sequel is already being considered . what an awful note to end on , knowing there could be more of this in a year or two . the attempt to be family oriented is commendable , but lost in space is lost with the illusion that special effects and the nostalgia of a classic tv series being revisited is enough to satisfy all age groups . well , danger potential movie goers ! danger ! this movie crash lands without ever breaking thru the atmosphere of mediocrity .

probably the most popular and praised film of all time , turned out to be a primitive and predictable costume drama with a dose of social criticism . everyone knows about the greatest and most famous shipping disaster of all time . and the actual catastrophe is masterfully crafted by director james cameron , combining visual -and sound effects , he re-creates the frightening atmosphere of the sinking ship in the middle of nowhere . i liked very much the emotional and brutal contrast between the first and the third classes . while their cabin is slowly filling up with water , a mother is telling her children a fairytail -- " . . and they lived happily ever after . . " . and then the ship goes down and the few survivors are left alone under the stars and the chilling air . however , the actual disaster is happening almost at the end of the movie , while the first two hours are just beautiful sets and bad dialogues . in the present day , the rms titanic is explored by brock lovett ( bill paxton ) , a treasure seeker looking for the coeur de la mer diamond , lost during the sinking . somewhere inside the ship , lovett's crew discover a sketchbook of an artist long dead . here , in the shape of a nude young lady , is a window into the distant age of 1912 . lovett is extremely surprised when he get's a phone call from rose dawson , claiming that she is a model . she is immediately helicoptered onto the vessel , and she gets the first glimpse of the fated ship in 80 years . as the memories come flooding back , she once again becomes rose dewitt buketer ( kate winslet ) , the fianc ? e of wealthy cal hockley ( billy zane ) and daughter of ruth dewitt bukater ( frances fisher ) . on board there are rich and poor , everyone trust in the ship's designer ( jonathan hyde ) and her master , captain e . j . smith ( bernard hill ) . on board the ship , rose , unhappy and restless meets jack ( leonardo dicaprio ) - a young american artist , poor , brave and attractive . a love story slowly emerges and the two lovers must not only experience the difference between the social classes , but also face the greatest power on earth - death . cameron could as well have called his picture " the never ending love " or " love at first sight " , as he concentrates all his energy on the young couple , and not on the disaster itself . the plot is anything but original and the dialogues sometimes resemble a television soap-opera . the director doesn't even try to overcome his empty script . because of its primitive and predictable plot , titanic is totally depending on the visuals that truly are breathtaking . russel carpenter's rich , majestic and incredibly detailed cinematography is certainly award-worthy . everything from art direction to visual and sound effects are a top notch . but it doesn't help much when the costumes are more convincing than the actors who wear them . the actors are not to blame , because their characters are more like caricatures , in other words - fake . jack is a man with many talents : he is a talented artist , handsome , brave , honest , strong , funny . . . you name it . he doesn't have any dark side , he doesn't make any mistakes , that for a second would make him human . jack is perfect , but he is - poor . on the other hand we have cal . he is a bastard that treats rose as an odalisque and not as his wife-to-be . he lacks everything jack possesses , but he is -- rich . this childish contrast between the social classes is one of those things that makes titanic nothing more than a mediocre picture . cameron knows precisely what we want to see . his film therefore contains certain minimums to draw an audience - attractive actors , a " tragic love story " , beautiful visuals ( including expensive special effects ) , a dose of social criticism , a fascinating historical event ( we love true stories ) and last , but not least - an incredible media support , which proclaimed an average picture the " greatest film of all time " . on the outside titanic looks perfect , but behind that sparkling curtain of incredible visuals - is emptiness - nothing to think about . the main weakness of this film , which ironically became its success , is simplicity . cameron enables our basic and if you wish - primitive emotions : love , hate , fear and helplessness . everyone understands the power of love and the threat to our beautiful couple is likewise imaginable - a sinking ship . titanic is a typical hollywood production , totally and completely dependent on visual perfection to hide its primitive plot . it's a good picture , but absolutely not a masterpiece . it's among hundreds and thousands good films released every year , not better or worse than the average american film .

in " the sweet hereafter , " writer/director atom egoyan takes us beyond the tragedy of death into the tragedy of living . he shows us how it isn't dying that hurts , but rather the pain of living in the hereafter of death , and dealing with the loss and grief that it brings . on a cold winter day in a small , isolated town in british columbia , a school bus full of children slides off the highway and onto a frozen lake , where it cracks through the ice and sinks . fourteen children die , and numerous others are hurt . for the residents of this small town , all of whose children were on that bus , it is an earth-shattering event that resolutely alters their lives . they have always relied on each other in the past to deal with heartache and pain , but it seems that this tragedy is more than they can handle . alberta and risa walker , who own a local motel and lost their child in the accident , hire an attorney named mitchell stephens ( ian holm ) to bring a lawsuit against someone , anyone for responsibility . the bus driver , dolores driscoll ( gabrielle rose ) , is a kindly woman who loved the children and , although she lives with a burden of guilt , is not held responsible for the accident . the bus seems to have simply slipped on some ice , and there was nothing should could do to prevent it . however , according to stephens , there are no " accidents " in life , and someone will pay for this tragedy , whether that be the manufacturer of the bus or the guardrail the bus broke through . he goes through the town , approaching the parents who have lost children , asking them to join the class action suit and find vent for their anger . and , for his work , stephens will receive one-third of the settlement money . however , it is immediately apparent that stephens has little or no interest in the money . he is driven by something else , something deeper that he shares in common with the grieving parents . he has lost a child , too , but not in the same manner . his daughter , zoe ( caerthan banks ) , who once almost died in his arms as a young child after a spider bite , has been in and out of drug re-hab clinics and detox stations for ten years . she calls him on an irregular basis , begging him for money , but refusing to tell him what she needs it for . " i don't know who i'm taking to , " he tells her . in his mind , his daughter is dead . the lawsuit is , to stephens , not only a way to mend the town's pain , but also his own . however , not everyone in town wants it to happen . billy ansell ( bruce greenwood ) , who was driving behind the bus when the accident happened and lost two children , wants nothing to do with it . he has already lost his wife , and he buries his grief in an affair with a married woman . he doesn't want to talk about the accident , and he sees the lawsuit as nothing more than the unnecessary opening of old wounds . to him , the town should be able to take care of its own pain , and it doesn't need outsiders like stephens getting in the way . central to " the sweet hereafter " is the tale of nicole burnell ( sarah polley ) , a teenage girl who dreams of being a singer before the accident turned her into " a wheelchair girl , " as she puts it . aside from stephens , nicole is the most complex character in the film , and it is she who ultimately decides the fate of the town and how the lawsuit will turn out . it is also her sad , haunted voice that we often hear on the soundtrack , reading robert browning's poem about the pied piper , and how when he led all the town's children away , one was left behind because he was crippled . obviously , nicole is that child , and she feels somehow betrayed that the rest of the town's children left her alone by dying in the wreck . her situation is further complicated because she is involved in a loving , but incestuous relationship with her father ( tom mccamus ) . there is only one , fleeting scene that suggests this relationship , but it is somehow tied into the final act of the film . of all the storylines in " the sweet hereafter , " this is the most complicated and unresolved , although its implications stretch throughout the entirety of the film . egoyan knows that the kinds of questions he brings up have no simple answers -- if any at all -- and he doesn't condescend to the audience by trying to neatly wrap it up . what egoyan has done in " the sweet hereafter " is really nothing short of miraculous . in his adaptation of the novel by russell banks , he has made a deeply moving film about a lawyer by transcending the pettiness of law and driving headlong into the deeper meaning of what is loss , and how pitiful monetary and material possessions are when compared to human life . egoyan has always been a talented , but distant and cerebral filmmaker whose work suffered only in that it felt so cold . " the sweet hereafter " is quite the opposite ; egoyan's stylistic and narrative structures work brilliantly to heighten the impact of the natural emotion , and draw the audience into the tragedy . " the sweet hereafter " seems to contain the combined emotional impact that all his other films lacked . the film is filled with beautiful , subtle performances from all the actors , especially ian holm as the lawyer and sarah polley as the sad child who was left behind . the beautiful , roving camerawork by paul sarossy and the haunting , melodic musical score by mychael danna ( both previous egoyan collaborators ) give the film a visual and aural cohesiveness with the thematic elements . like his earlier films , egoyan weaves together multiple storylines that form a blanketing whole . he works with time as a fluid substance , shifting back and forth between the past , the distant past , and the present with effortless ease . the actual bus wreck itself doesn't happen until midway through the film , but by that time the event has built up so much emotion that egoyan can film it from a distance with no graphic detail , and still have it carry great , devastating weight . because human life has become such a cheap commodity in movies , it is astounding that egoyan can convey so much heartbreak in such simple , direct terms . certainly one of the best films of 1997 , " the sweet hereafter " is a deeply rewarding , mystifying , and ultimately human film .

larry flynt is a self proclaimed smut pedlar and the owner/publisher of the multi-million dollar hustler publications company . the people vs . larry flynt is the story of larry flynt's fight for the freedom to circulate and sell his pornographic magazine , hustler . based on a true story , the film is almost a documentary in that it's a very vivid and detailed look at larry flynt's life . woody harrelson gives an excellent performance . he conveys flynt's peculiarities and his character with depth and focus . by the end of the film the audience actually finds themselves , somewhat grudgingly , liking larry flynt . this is some feat given flynt's apparent lack of any morals or ethics and his extremely smutty and childish behaviour in court . however , flynt has a number of things going for him , he's rich , he's funny , and most importantly , he says exactly what he means . larry flynt's wife , althea leasure is played by courtney love . larry meets althea at one of his clubs , and they fall in love ( a very sexual and open love ) . both of them indulge in a world of too much sex , and eventually too much drugs . flynt had been taking an excessive amount of pain killers after being paralysed from the waist down ( which was especially upsetting for him ) by an assassin . althea had joined him in taking the drugs . following an operation flynt decides to stop taking drugs , althea does not have any such plans , nor the determination to follow them . as the film progresses we see her become increasingly frail and sick . courtney love obviously has a great understanding for althea's situation , as she is brilliant in portraying althea in every respect . it's extremely sad to watch althea literally wither away . edward norton plays flynt's lawyer , alan isaacman . again , this is a solid performance . the audience finds it easy to sympathise with isaacman who somehow puts up with flynt's courtroom antics . flynt is not only childish in the courtroom , but downright rude to the judges , and lands himself in a lot of trouble ( and even in a mental institution ) because of it . isaacman is very easy to like , and great at proving ( in quite clever ways ) his points to the court . milos forman has done a great job in directing the people vs . larry flynt . it is not really an exciting or thrilling film , but instead a highly interesting portrayal of a true story . due to larry's character it is also , at times , a very funny film . however , it is much more than that . it is about the fight for freedom of speech , anti-censorship , and the right to be able choose for oneself what to see and buy . an excellent look at flynt , his life , and his story . keep a look out for the real larry flynt who makes a cameo as judge morrissey .

the happy bastard's 30-second review big daddy happy gilmore as a father ? of course ! that's the latest scenario presented by adam sandler in the new movie big daddy , a movie that's passable but isn't really considered some of sandler's best work . he doesn't actually play happy gilmore in the movie , but a variation of him . he's sonny coufax , a man who's living off a settlement he got for a cab running over his foot and his one-day-a-week gig as a tollbooth man ( tollbooth willie ? ) . his girlfriend ( kristy swanson ) is fed up with his lifestyle and demands a change before she leaves him . enter a 5-year old kid , who's mysteriously dropped at his doorstep and intended for his preppy roommate ( jon stewart ) , who's off in china on a business trip . from there , coufax basically acts as the kid's father , teaching him different things like peeing on the side of a building and tripping up skateboarders with sticks . he even manages to use the kid in a sort of con game to get the attention of a beautiful law office worker ( joey lauren adams ) , but , somehow , he also garners the attention of social services , who aren't particularly pleased with coufax's actions , as he pretends to be his roommate to keep the kid . the reason i say it's not really sandler's best work is because it gets really sappy towards the end of a movie , showing some odd feelings that somehow didn't really belong in a sandler vehicle . i mean , it fits the movie's tone and everything , and sandler handles it well , but it's just oddly placed , that's all . fortunately , it doesn't destroy the goofy glee path it's been following and it still makes you feel good . sandler does a good job here , as he does in most of his movies . rob schneider , however , is irritating as his friend , an immigrant delivery boy who can't read . stewart , in his minor time on screen , is great , and adams remains a joy to watch . look for steve buscemi as well as a homeless bum . he's a hoot . directed by dennis dugan ( director of happy gilmore ) , the movie remains a good couple of hours to pass the time with . again , there are faults , but , hey , everyone needs to get emotional sometimes .

i still can't figure out why people went in droves to see this movie . now before you go assuming i'm some sort of high brow snob , who can't appreciate a little dumb humor , let me say that i love cheap humor . i thought there's something about mary was one of the funniest films that i have ever seen and it was certainly one of the best films of 1998 . low brow adolescent humor can be a lot of fun , the problem with the waterboy is that it is just low brow and adolescent , there is no humor component . i wanted to like the waterboy , i really did . i think i only laughed maybe 2 or 3 times throughout the entire movie . actually , i smiled a couple of more times on top of that . not a great record for a 90-minute film . the problem with the waterboy is the same as most other adam sandler movies . those responsible for this mess seem to think that the sheer fact that sandler walks around using a goofy voice and playing dumb the entire movie is a substitute for actual funny material . nothing could be further from the truth , as matter of fact , sandler's idiot voice started to get on my nerves at points in this film . it's really a shame too , because this film had the potential to be very funny . i personally believe that sandler is probably a very talented comedian , it's just that so far he hasn't been able to find the right film to showcase his talents . if his only talent is making goofy voices and playing morons , my guess is that his career in the movies will go down the same road as the vast majority of the former stars of saturday night live . most of whom are now happily no longer in the entertainment industry . sandler plays a 31-year-old , somewhat mentally challenged , waterboy for a college football team . the team's somewhat mentally disturbed coach ( henry winkler ) realizes that his waterboy has a great deal of pent-up rage , which , if harnessed properly , would make him a force to be reckoned with on the football field . you can figure out the rest from here . sandler joins the team and this once lowly waterboy becomes a football star . as i said , the film had a great deal of potential . the idea was a decent one , but the main potential of this movie is a result of the cast . all of whom are very good , just hamstrung by really , really , lousy material . even sandler , annoying goofy voice and all , has enough charisma and natural comedic ability to overcome some of his bad material . even as unfunny as his character is , i still found myself rooting for him throughout the film . but it is the supporting cast that i feel most badly about . if their material had been just a bit better , this film could have been such a funny movie . fairuza balk plays sandler's leather-wearing biker-chick love interest and does a great job playing sleazy and sexy at the same time . winkler is great as the coach who uses a " coaching for dummies " -style book to help him get through games . the real standout though , is kathy bates . even with some of the worst material of her career to deal with , she is still a treat to watch in her role as sandler's overprotective and overbearing mama . even with the performances of bates and winkler , there is absolutely no way i would recommend this movie . although i get the distinct impression that without them , this film would have ranked in negative numbers for me . which is sad , because i can't really put my finger on a particular element of the movie and single it out as the cause of the disaster that it became . it's obvious that those involved , specifically the actors , tried very hard to make what they thought was going to be a funny movie . it's just too bad that 99 percent of all of the jokes fell flat .

renown surrealist director , the 77-year-old frenchman alain resnais ( hiroshima , mon amour/last year at marienbad/m ? lo ) , has created a lighthearted musical played as an homage to britisher dennis potter and his pennies from heaven ( 1978 tv serial , 1981 movie ) and the singing detective ( 1986 ) . the film follows potter's gimmicky style of having the characters jump into lip-synched old or contemporary french pop songs to express their private thoughts . he also follows the kind of sweet and colorful musicals his fellow countryman jacques demy loved to direct , such as " the umbrellas of cherbourg " and " the young girls of rochefort . " the tale has resnais's unique touches as a director to go along with his homage . it is a satire about class differences and falling in love with the wrong person , and that there is a song in everyone's heart for every occasion . what hinders this production is that the stars are not portraying particularly engaging characters , the songs are not memorable and stand little chance of being recognized by an american audience ( the exceptions might be the edith piaf and maurice chevalier numbers ) , and the farce seems more banal than daring . yet it is not without its striking moments and charms , such as when jane birkin does a cameo and sings one of her own songs . also , the glossy amberlike photography added a very french romantic feeling to the story , while the mood of paris as being a place for love to flourish above all else , which has always been embellished in movie lore , comes through with flying colors . it also does a good job of showing you the way paris is in the 1990s and in the way ordinary people exist there . it tells the romantic story of six parisians who become intertwined with each other in their ordinary lives as they search for happiness . they are the attractive sisters odile ( sabine az ? ma ) and camille ( agnes jaoui ) , with the older businesswoman odile married and decidedly set on a bourgeois life of material comforts . she is married to the glum and laconic claude ( pierre arditi ) . she once went out with a businessman , nicolas ( jean-pierre bacri ) , who left her 8-years ago and now shows up in paris and asks her help to find someone to rent a flat for his family . simon ( andre dussolier ) works as a real-estate salesman and is trying to find nicolas a flat , in his spare time he writes radio plays . simon's boss is the much younger , unscrupulous and arrogant marc duveyrier ( lambert wilson ) , who inherited the firm from his father and is the real-estate agent selling a more luxurious and larger flat with a better view to odile , but fails to tell her that a building project is going up soon that will block her view . screenwriters and actors jean-pierre bacri and agnes jaoui wrote themselves the best parts . jaoui's camille is a university scholar finishing up a ph . d . in history , using for her thesis the study of 'the yeomen in the year 1000 at lake paladru . ' she works as a tour guide in the meantime and suffers from panic attacks , even though she appears to have outwardly perfect self-control . on her tours for the last four years has been the much older simon , pretending to be doing research for his plays but really attracted to her , but not having the nerve to tell her this . to his dismay , he finds out she is dating his mean-spirited but handsome boss , whom she meets when looking at her sister's new place and seeing him crying but not realizing that it was from a cold , not because he's so sensitive . bacri as the classy nicolas , turns out to be now working as a chauffeur . he is a hypochondriac with a history of depression who visits many doctors , until he finds one who tells him there is nothing wrong with him . odile still pines for him , but he's married , telling her he expects his wife to arrive shortly . love is 'the same old song' that makes the world go 'round , even when all the characters are liars and not exactly open to what their true motives are . everything comes together in a bourgeois housewarming party for odile's place , as the characters reveal their true feelings and all their deceptions and neurotic impulses are either uncovered or about to be . there's not a lot of bite to this satirical musical , but resnais has never made a bad film and is one of the best current french directors , if not the best . this film is not one his great ones , but it still has enough pep in its light touches to be interesting . it not only has an odd way for the characters to break into song but -- some males even sing in a female voice while some females sing in a male voice . it is also interesting in the way it examines its characters' behavior as being similar in business as in love .

louie is a trumpeter swan with no voice . in order to woo his lady love serina , louie makes friends with a young boy , sammy , who persuades teacher mrs . hammerbottom ( carol burnett ) to allow louie to attend class . louie learns to read and write and returns to his flock , but is laughed at once again when no other swans can understand his message of love for serina . to make matters worse , louie's father feels he's lost his honor because of the trumpet he stole for his son in this animated version of e . b . white's " trumpet of the swan . " as jane austen and henry james have become popular sources for adult filmmakers over the past decade or so , e . b . white is being returned to for children's films . the animated " charlotte's web " has become a minor classic since its release in 1973 and 1999 brought us a live action version of " stuart little . " " trumpet of the swan , " directed by richard rich ( 1999's animated " the king and i , " the " swan princess " series ) , is unlikely to be remembered along with those two . " trumpet of the swan " is receiving a regional theatrical release , but is sure to quickly appear on home video . boston is one of the targetted cities because our hero louie becomes famous playing his trumpet in beantown . he encounters a gypsy-like con man in the public gardens who pitches louie and his trumpet as an added attraction to boston's swan boats . louie stays at the ritz carlton before giving a concert at the hatch shell along the banks of the charles river . at this point , louie's earned enough money so that dad can pay for the trumpet and become musically capable enough to win over serina's father . " trumpet of the swan " features flat background art , some poor sound syncing and insipid , sugary songs . this effort would be better suited to saturday morning television than the big screen , but may be ok for the real small set .

" mandingo " has traditionally been seen as one of two things : either a much-needed revisionist look at slavery in the south , or in the words of film critic leonard maltin , " a trashy potboiler " that " appeals only to the s&m crowd . " actually , i think " mandingo " is a strange combination of the two , although it fails on both fronts . it's too trashy to be good drama , but too dramatic to be good trash . the story takes place on a dilapidated louisiana plantation run by crotchety old warren maxwell ( james mason ) and his son , hammond ( perry king ) . one day in new orleans , hammond comes across a slave trader selling a mandingo named mede ( heavyweight boxer ken norton ) . although the movie never explains it , a mandingo is simply the name for africans who come from the region of the upper niger river valley . according to the movie , mandingos were the rolls royce of african slaves . hammond pays top price for mede and has to fight off others in order to get him . hammond then spends his time training mede to be a fighter in money brawls with other slaves . meanwhile , hammond has married his cousin , blanche ( susan george ) , because she wants to escape her family and he is under pressure from his father to produce a grandchild . hammond , however , is happier spending nights with his " bed wench , " the derogatory name given to female slaves used by their masters for easy sex . it is quickly apparent that hammond , despite his overt racism , is more in love with his bed wench , a sensitive slave girl named ellen ( brenda sykes ) , than he is with blanche . hammond considers blanche tainted goods because he finds out on their wedding night that another man had " pleasured " her before he did . of course , it's fine that he's slept with numerous slave girls , but the fact that his wife , a " white lady , " had been with another man out of wedlock destroys his capacity to care for her . so blanche is usually left lonely and sex-starved while hammond is sleeping with ellen . blanche gets back at hammond by seducing the studly mede and bearing his child . hammond and his father cannot stand the idea that blanche has given birth to a half-black child ( although it's okay that ellen was pregnant by hammond ) , so warren kills the child by letting it bleed to death after birth , and hammond poisons blanche . hammond then finds mede , shoots him twice in the shoulder , and pushes him into a giant cauldron of boiling water . yes , you read right : the film ends with hammond getting his revenge by boiling mede alive . judging only by the plot , " mandingo " is pure sexploitation . the main purpose of the film seems to be getting as many blacks and whites into bed together as possible , with only the slightest commentary on what that would mean in 19th century southern society . when " mandingo " was released in 1975 , it was still a bit of a shocker to see miscegenation on screen in such a graphic detail ; this way the movie could revise cinematic history while attracting large audiences of curious voyeurs . dramatically , " mandingo " is weak and unfocused , and historically it's mostly confused . if one were to judge history by this film , it would be easy to walk away with the notion that the entire system of american slavery was based on sexuality , not economics . not once in the film do we see any of the slaves working , except for a few house servants . the men spend most of the time sitting around , while the sole purpose of a female slave seems to be free sex for the owner . there is historical basis in the notion that slave owners often slept with their female slaves , but " mandingo's " overwhelming emphasis on this aspect of slavery gives the movie the unpleasant taste of a cheap sex flick ( although there's plenty of violence -- fights , vicious beatings , shootings , and the aforementioned human boiling sequence -- thrown in for good measure ) . some tried to write off " mandingo " as a blaxploitation film , one of a number of quickly-made , low-budget films appealing to black sensibilities in the early seventies , but it's not that easy . " mandingo " was studio-financed by paramount pictures , and produced by dino de laurentiis , the grandiose italian producer behind such notorious productions as " the bible " ( 1966 ) , the remake of " king kong " ( 1976 ) , and the ill-fated " dune " ( 1984 ) . the director was richard fleischer , a veteran who was best known for several special effects-laden action movies including " 20 , 000 leagues under the sea " ( 1954 ) and " fantastic voyage " ( 1966 ) , as well as such superior suspense films as " the narrow margin " ( 1952 ) . the script , based on the supermarket best-seller by ken ostott ( and the subsequent play by jack kirkland ) , was penned by norman wexler , who had been nominated for an oscar two years earlier for his work on " serpico . " james mason , perry king , and susan george were well-known and respected actors ( mason already had three oscar nominations under his belt ) , and ken norton appeared to have a promising film career . so why is " mandingo " so bad ? a number of reasons , including the fact that all those experienced filmmakers behind and in front of the camera did a lousy job . wexler's script is pure poor hokum bordering on the offensive ; it combines stereotyped slave-talk ( " yessuh , massuh " ) , stereotyped southern white trash talk ( " fer whut're you gittin' outta bed ? " ) , and stereotyped contemporary militant black talk ( " if you see me hang , you gonna know you killed a black brother ! " ) . fleischer's direction is clumsy , especially during the fight scenes , and all the actors give weak performances , especially susan george whose constant shrieking finally becomes laughable . nevertheless , credit should be given where credit is due . despite its exploitative nature , " mandingo " was one of the first hollywood movies to take an alternative look at slavery . until then , there had been a kind of underlying racism in all hollywood films dealing with slavery . even classics such as " gone with the wind " ( 1939 ) can be seen as inherently racist by its glossing over the subject matter . " mandingo " reassessed the south , and showed that it wasn't all beautiful plantations , green fields , and pretty sunsets . but all this is constantly undermined by the film's negligible point-of-view -- it claims to see things from the black perspective , but the entire narrative focus is on the soap opera tales of the white owners . with a little more maturity and different handling , " mandingo " might have been an effective , worthwhile film . while it portrays many sensitive aspects of slavery , it never deals with them . the issues the movie brings up are worthwhile , but wexler's script refuses to move them beyond a surface level of trashily vicarious viewing . there is a great deal of potential in honestly exploring the nature of a sexual relationship between slave and owner , but " mandingo " never does it . steven spielberg touched on that same topic in " schindler's list " ( 1993 ) , by looking at a nazi officer writhing in inner turmoil because of his feelings for a jewish maid . the difference between that film and " mandingo " is that spielberg dealt with the situation in a fair , unexploitive manner that focused on the inherent human dilemma . " mandingo " is satisfied to simply show some skin , and because of that , its " trashy potboiler " nature overshadows any potential social good it might have accomplished .

200 cigarettes takes place on new year's eve 1981 . monica , played by martha plimpton is having a huge new year's party . everyone in town is trying to get there , but some are caught up in other things . this is the basic plot of 200 cigarettes . as we meet the characters headed towards the party , we are sent into many subplots which are unoriginal , and not interesting at all . this disappointed me greatly . the film should have been more about the party than the people trying to get there in my opinion . lucy , played by courtney love , is with kevin , played by paul rudd . the two are in a relationship that is more of a friendship , but starts to blossom into something more than that . this subplot is extremely boring and dull , and i am getting quite sick of plots like that . janeane garofalo is involved in another subplot , dealing with kevin . she plays ellie , an ex-girlfriend of kevin's . this subplot is completely a waste of garofalo's talent . there was no point to it at all , and it was hardly even in the movie . when lucy runs into a bartender , played by ben affleck , another subplot is formed . the bartender is invited by lucy to come to monica's party . at the bar , he runs into two more girls . the girls are played by angela featherstone and nicole parker , but unfortunately , due to the terrible acting of both of them , i don't even remember their characters names . ben affleck is a good actor , but his character doesn't go anywhere so he doesn't have much screen time to give a good performance . featherstone and parker are horrible in their roles , and they are part of the reason the film is so bad . christina ricci plays val , and gaby hoffman plays stephie . the two girls are trying to get to the party but are extremely lost . they meet some guys and end up going around with them all night . this subplot was alright , but it was quite annoying with stephie's accent . hoffman did an okay job of acting , but ricci did good . she was underused , considering she is such a wonderful actress . another subplot in the film is the relationship between cindy , played by goldie hawn's daughter , and jack , played by jay mohr . jack is an actor who doesn't care about the girls he goes out with , he just likes dates for one night , and the next day he doesn't . kate hudson is a huge klutz . she gets herself into very funny situations , that are the funniest parts in the entire movie . they are probably the only funny parts in the entire movie as well . this subplot could have been used more , mainly due to hudson's performance . mohr wasn't good , but he wasn't bad . he was just alright , which i didn't find acceptable . there is not much to say about the performances in the film . none of the characters are developed or shown enough to really tell if the acting is good or not . the only performances that i can judge are christina ricci's as always good performance , kate hudson's funny role , courtney love's mediocre performance , and paul rudd's annoying and overused performance . i was hoping for a little more out of jaw mohr , ben affleck , casey affleck , gaby hoffman , dave chapelle , and especially out of janeane garofalo . the two strongest things in the film were the great soundtrack and the original costumes . martha plimpton and christina ricci had very different and original outfits which made me feel like i was in the year 1981 . the soundtrack is full of 1980's tunes , ranging from " i want candy " to " tainted love . " the songs in the movie also helped create the feel that you were back in the 1980s . during the film , i often found myself asking the questions , " is there a reason to this ? is there any moral story ? is there a point ? are any of the events going on in the film necessary ? do i care what lucy and kevin are going through ? " the movie is extremely boring , and by the time they reached eleven-o-clock , one hour before midnight , i could not wait for the movie to be over . the plot is okay , but the subplots make it terrible . maybe if the film was about the party , not about the people at the party , it could have been a lot better . the bottom line : just like a slasher movie , this ? 80s comedy is just one too many .

what i look for in a movie is not necessarily perfection . sometimes a movie has such strong ideas that despite whatever flaws it may have , i will prefer it to a better-made film that is not as thought-provoking . the thin red line is flawed but it provokes . terence malick returns to filmmaking 20 years after days of heaven and produces this meditative look at war . unlike this year's saving private ryan , which dwells on war as a necessary evil and explores the moral ambiguities thereof , the thin red line simply says war is waste . while that might seem obvious to some , only after experiencing the film do you realize how profound a waste it is . saving private ryan has an underlying and practical acceptance that war will occur and it has a great cost ; the thin red line says idealistically avoid this at all costs . one message is not necessarily more correct than the other . it just depends on one's point of view . in malick's film , war is set in a tropical paradise , and john toll's cinematography is beyond lush . the setting poses the question , why are we fighting in the face of such beauty ? in saving private ryan , the capture of a german soldier presents the moral quandary of whether to let him go . in the thin red line , the japanese present the moral quandary of war in the first place . they are just like the americans -- frightened and angry , grieving and praying . all that separates them is war . the flaw in the thin red line comes in the voice-overs . unbelievable as coming from the characters and sometimes pretentious , sometimes corny , the voice-overs tell us what the images before us already do and are completely unnecessary . dispensing with them , malick could have achieved a tarkovskian grandeur . instead , he gets distracting self-consciousness . aside from that , malick's direction is stunning . the tracking shots across windswept hills and around transports speeding toward shore are extraordinary . sean penn , elias koteas , and nick nolte give the best performances . penn is subtle as a sergeant trying to hide his humanism , koteas is genuine as a compassionate captain , and nolte startling as a colonel whose blood vessels are about to burst if he cannot win his battle . john travolta and george clooney are the worst in cameo roles . ultimately however , the thin red line's interest is not in the characters and it is not in drama . it has been frequently criticized for its lack of dramatic structure , but malick clearly has different things on his mind . has no one ever thought that getting dramatic entertainment from war is exploitative ? what malick is working with is theme , and in that , the thin red line is most provoking .

well , i know that stallone is 50 years old now , but in daylight he doesn't look it ! daylight is a great disaster movie . if you've seen cliffhanger , you'll know stallone's character already . a guy with a bad past , but is in the right place at the wrong time . a tunnel connecting new york and new jersey has both sides collapses when a group of robbers collide with a truck carrying * very * flammable toxic waste . a dozen or so people survive the collapses and the incinerating fireball ( and what a fire ball it was ! ) stallone , a former emergency medical service man , is chauffeuring a rich couple around , when they reach the outside of the tunnel , before the explosion . then , 30 minutes into the movie , boom ! >from here on , the plot takes a back seat , and we are treated to some of the best camera work and action staged . most all the action is plausible and will hold you at the edge of your seat . there are a few melodramatic parts here , but , they tend to work out well . there is no general antagonist in this film , but the action and suspense makes you forget all about that . daylight is a great film , i saw a non-matinee showing of it , and i thought it was worth every penny . the characterizations are mostly flat , one dimesional , but they have enough in them to get you to care for some of the characters . rob cohen ( dragonheart ) does a great job with this film .

" there will be another , " the ads for this sequel proclaimed , and why not ? true , brandon lee is dead , but there would be no reason for him to appear in a followup to 1994's the crow , anyway . the idea of spinning artist james o'barr's original comic book series into a sequel franchise revolves around the notion that a different startled soul would come back from the dead in each movie , taking its own righteous vengeance against the world . given that basic framework , the story could move in any number of directions . of course , it doesn't . stubbornly , the crow : city of angels backtracks to the beginning of the previous film , when lee's eric draven found himself drawn back out of his grave to do a charles bronson on the thugs who tortured him and his girlfriend to death . i remember the first film primarily as a harrowing exercise in brutality . in flashback , we see the most excruciating crimes exacted on eric and his lover , and then we watch in real-time as eric pays each perpetrator back in kind . it's loud and repetitive , true , a sadist's delight -- but it's also horrifying and fascinating . city of angels gives us more of the same , but less skillfully . there's an audience guaranteed for a film like this , although bad reviews and poor word-of-mouth will likely ensure that it won't be much of a success . in fact , miramax subsidiary dimension films was so fearful of the critical reaction to this picture that reviewers were shut out of advance screenings . ( i've never understood the reasoning behind this tactic , since good notices have never been key to the success of movies like the crow . ) so much for any confidence in the worthiness of their followup . this time , ashe ( french-accented actor vincent perez ) is retrieved from his watery death ( he and his young son were shackled together , shot , and then thrown off a pier ) by the crow who serves as his link between the worlds of the living and the dead . perez might have some screen presence if he's given something to do with himself , but here he's simply thrown in front of the camera as a pretty face . at first , he's shivery and frightened , but he quickly recovers from the shock of his own death and becomes a badass biker from beyond the grave . he's befriended by sarah ( mia kirshner ) , presumably an older version of the child who narrated the first film . kirshner , so beguiling in exotica , is here an exquisitely photographed blank . tattooed with angels' wings , sarah is just about as lovely as women come , but she serves no purpose , not even as seductress . the gang of punks who killed ashe are ostensibly commanded by judah ( richard brooks ) , but a far more interesting choice as leader would have been iggy pop , who plays a gaunt fellow named curve . iggy , all bones , veins , and drawl , is the only one who seems to have shared in the aesthetic of ruin that defines this film . like all good things here , he's dispatched too soon and without much imagination . in the meantime , we're subjected to tedious glimpses of judah's compound , where bondage is the order of the day and hot wax is poured over naked bodies in s&m fantasies that would seem shy of the cutting edge even if they weren't distinctly secondhand . even the soundtrack is tired . more than anything i've seen from hollywood lately , city of angels smacks baldly of product -- it's a movie with a lousy script but a great look . critics have been quick to fault the direction of mtv veteran tim pope , but his work isn't that bad per se . he's got a good eye , and some intriguing visual ideas -- if anything , this movie has a few too many scenes of ridiculously striking imagery . his major stylistic failing is that he can't seem to direct an action scene , and the quick , nonsensical cutting that ensues is reminiscent of a low budget kung fu movie . but as director , he must also shoulder the blame for the little screenplay that wasn't , the performers who couldn't , and an apparent lack of ideas on the parts of everyone involved . who bought david s . goyer's anemic script , anyway ? the producers of this crow were either too dim to realize their story was doomed to be a hollow rehash , or too cynical to figure their audience would know the difference .

we're back in blade runner territory with this one , conceptual artist robert longo's vision of a william gibson-inspired future where information is the commodity to kill for . front and center is johnny ( keanu reeves ) , a " cyber-courier " who smuggles data via a " wet-wired " implant . he's ready to quit the biz and get a portion of his long-term memory restored , but , first , he has to finish one last , dangerous job . . the pressing problem in johnny mnemonic is that keanu reeves seems to have forgotten how to play an action hero since his stint on speed . he's walking wood in a forest of stiffs that includes henry rollins , ice-t , and dina meyer . ( dolph lundgren's street preacher is in an acting category all its own . : - ) without a believable performance between them , all we can do is sit back and watch the atmosphere , which is pretty good in places . the vr sequences are way cool , but the physical fx--such as miniatures and mattes--leave a lot to be desired . watch out for those bad blue-screens ! we wouldn't mind a minute of johnny mnemonic if the action played better . too bad the debut director isn't very strong in this de- partment . his big finale is a sloppy , silly mess that runs twenty minutes too long , which is way past the time that most of our " wet- wired " processors have already shut down . bottom line : yatf ( yet another tortured future ) . skip it .

moviemaking is a lot like being the general manager of an nfl team in the post-salary cap era -- you've got to know how to allocate your resources . every dollar spent on a free-agent defensive tackle is one less dollar than you can spend on linebackers or safeties or centers . in the nfl , this leads to teams like the detroit lions , who boast a superstar running back with a huge contract , but can only field five guys named herb to block for him . in the movies , you end up with films like " spawn " , with a huge special-effects budget but not enough money to hire any recognizable actors . jackie chan is the barry sanders of moviemaking . he spins and darts across the screen like sanders cutting back through the defensive line . watching jackie in operation condor as he drives his motorcycle through the crowded streets of madrid , fleeing an armada of pursuers in identical black compact cars , is reminiscent of sanders running for daylight with the chicago bears in hot pursuit , except that sanders doesn't have to worry about rescuing runaway baby carriages . but like the lions star , jackie doesn't have anybody to block for him . almost every cent that's invested in a jackie chan movie goes for stunts , and as chan does his own stunts , the rest of the money goes to pay his hospital bills . this leaves about 75 cents to pay for things like directors ( chan directs ) , scripts and dubbing and supporting characters , not to mention the hideous title sequence . this also explains why the movie was shot in odd places like morocco and spain . ( chan's first release in this country , " rumble in the bronx " , was supposedly set in new york , but was filmed in vancouver , and in the chase scenes the canadian rockies are clearly visible . ) heck , jackie doesn't even have enough money for a haircut , looks like , much less a personal hairstylist . in condor , chan plays the same character he's always played , himself , a mixture of bruce lee and tim allen , a master of both kung-fu and slapstick-fu . jackie is sent by the un to retrieve a cache of lost nazi gold in the north african desert , and is chased by a horde of neo-nazi sympathizers and two stereotypical arabs ( one of the things i like about jackie chan movies : no political correctness ) . he is joined by three women , who have little to do except scream , " jackie , save us ! " , and misuse firearms . the villain is an old nazi whose legs were broken in the secret base so that he has to be carried everywhere , and he's more pathetic than evil . en route , we have an extended motorcycle chase scene , a hilarious fight in the moroccan version of motel 6 with the neo-nazis , and two confrontations with savage natives . once at the secret desert base , there is a long chop-socky sequence , followed by the film's centerpiece , a wind-tunnel fight that's even better than the one in face/off . this is where the money was spent , on well-choreographed kung-fu sequences , on giant kevlar hamster balls , on smashed-up crates of bananas , and on scorpions . ignore the gaping holes in the plot ( how , exactly , if the villain's legs were broken , did he escape from the secret nazi base , and why didn't he take the key with him ? ) . don't worry about the production values , or what , exactly , the japanese girl was doing hitchhiking across the sahara . just go see the movie . operation condor has pretentions of being a " raiders of the lost ark " knockoff , but one wonders what jackie could do with the raiders franchise blocking for him -- with a lawrence kazdan screenplay , a john williams score , spielberg directing and george lucas producing , condor might be an a+ movie . however , you've got to go with what you've got , and what you've got in jackie chan is something special -- a talent that mainstream hollywood should , could , and ought to utilize .

yeah , yeah , the advertisements didn't even try to conceal the fact that this movie had only one hook - sex . neve campbell and starship trooper's denise richards getting it on ? ok ! yeah , it's a decent two minutes of film erotica , but even if that's your main interest in this film , there's plenty of cheeziness to sit thru in exchange for those two minutes . wild things does have a lot more to think about than you might expect however . nearly every single scene is a huge plot twist guaranteed to leave you guessing , or at least curious to see the next turn , throughout the entire movie . but this fast-paced , razor-sharp turning of events doesn't leave much time to enjoy the surprises . we start off in a high-class california high school where every student resembles a supermodel in the making . guidance counselor sam lombardo ( matt dillon ) seems to catch the eye of every student , particularly kelly van ryan ( richards ) , daughter of the locally prestigious family whose social status is about as high as their bank accounts . right off the bat , kelly is using every asset she has in an effort to seduce " mr . lombardo " . the fund-raiser car wash seems the opportune time , particularly when you wash your guidance counselor's jeep in all white clothes and take plenty of precautions to insure you'll be soaked from head to toe when you're done . on the weekend of the car wash , kelly's attempts at seduction fall flat , and when they do , she concocts the tale that sam in fact raped her that day . naturally sam is thrown into a state of panicked shock at these accusations . but the otherwise unsubstantial fabrications soon lead to a criminal trial when a low-class , marijuana smoking student by the name of suzie toller ( campbell ) comes forth with a near identical story , also involving her trusted guidance counselor . pitting himself against the communities most respected names and authoritarians , sam must prove his innocence thru the aid of his makeshift defense attorney , ken bowden , played by bill murray . yes , that bill murray ! sound like a good , complete movie ? yes , that alone could have been , but this is just the beginning . in fact , the trial is over about fifteen or twenty minutes into the film . it is merely used to launch the most twisted story of recent time . by the time the movie finishes , you will have gone thru every plot twist imaginable . unfortunately , with so much going on , you're not given enough time in one predicament to be as effectively shocked when a new twist comes about . this is just one way director john mcnaughton fails to make this movie as fun as it could've been . the 113 minutes fly by , and although it never feels underdeveloped , this pretzel of storytelling could've been much more richly realized had a slower pace been taken . the acting is incredibly reminiscent of fox prime-time soap operas , which no , is not a good thing . and it's not just campbell , who happens to hail from the prime-time fox soap " party of five " , but everyone suffers from heavily melodramatic overtones . dillon , who was so charming in his understated role in last year's in & out , gives the best performance , and murray's surprising appearance adds some comedic flare to the film . in fact , if the whole movie had been promoted as a subtle comedy , even if it was the exact same film , i would actually give it a better grade . that's how cheezy it comes off . but aside from these two , the rest offer nothing more than some good eye-full's . in the right hands , wild things could've been a wickedly delightful , scrumptiously twisted thriller , but instead we get juvenile overuses of profanity and some very laughable displays of acting . and what's up with these people passing as high school students ? i realize hollywood often casts older actors to play teenage roles , but when i realized it wasn't supposed to be a college they were at , i had to snicker . i won't lie - this is definitely a guilty pleasure . as corny as it is , it's got some interesting aspects and could deserve at least a " b " for effort . but if you just want to admire denise richards , go for last year's starship troopers , which was every bit as campy , but a million times better . of course , if seeing her breasts is your most important goal , you'll be right at home with wild things . perhaps the wildest thing of all is that somebody actually looked at this and thought it deserved to be in theaters .

the rapid-fire formula that worked so well in airplane ! , the " police squad ! " television series , top secret ! , three naked gun films , and two hot shots ! movies has finally reached a desperate dead-end with spy hard . even ezio gregio's the silence of the hams is arguably funnier than this over-extended spy- and action-movie spoof . leslie nielsen stars as secret agent wd-40 , who returns from retirement to battle his old nemesis , general rancor ( a cackling andy griffith ) . the jokes fly in every direction and with hardly a hint of restraint , timing , or tact . most the movie is comprised of recycled airplane and naked gun gags , recreated movie sequences , and soggy star cameos . yeah , maybe we * do * need ray charles driving an l . a . bus bound for a speed bump , but did mr . t , hulk hogan , and dr . joyce brothers also have to appear in the same movie ? leslie nielsen plays it straight with his usual dopey flair . there is something oddly inspiring about the sight of nielsen wearing a nun's habit , even the resulting sister act spoof is silly . as are the bits directly lifted from home alone , pulp fiction , true lies , etc . etc . ( adolescent males might enjoy this mess , tho . the butt shots , breast peeks , penis pokes , flatulence gags , and related innuendo are right up beavis and butthead's alley . ) beyond the hilarious title sequence with " weird " al yankovich performing the theme song , spy hard is barely the stock that it's printed on . my recommendation : duck in while you're waiting for another movie to start . stay long enough to see the camera dart inside of weird al's nostril and then leave . you won't miss a thing .

a couple of months ago , when i first downloaded the face/off trailer from the net , my initial reaction was a fourteen carrot gold 'yawn' . followed swiftly by a press of my computers delete key , not wanting to waste six or seven megabytes of precious space on this piss-poor trailer . then i started reading the first wave of reviews from the u . s . . . . . unique . . . excellent . . . . must-see . well , i thought still skeptical , i suppose i might as well go see it when it gets here . 'here' , of course , was still three months away . i'll admit , when i trotted off to see this film , the only john woo movie i had seen before was the fairly enjoyable but highly forgetable broken arrow . i'd heard good things about his previous work with movies like hard boiled , but his films were definitely not on my must-see list . that , let me tell you , has changed completely . i knew this fact only five minutes into the film , after the brilliantly shot and acted opening sequence where sean archer loses his son blew me off my feet . the acting throughout the film is staggeringly good for an action flick . seriously . i've never been a big john travolta fan , but he , like cage , perfectly suited his role in the movie . . . . . sorry , make that 'roles' in the movie . even travolta's great performance , however , paled in comparison to cage's character portrayals . my favourite cage scene was definitely when he was crashed out in compardre dietrich hassler's hideout . half drugged out of his mind , he sits there reclining back in a chair talking about his son's death from castor's perspective - " doesn't it just break your heart . " he mutters coldly . now don't go thinking from the previous comments about brilliant acting that this is a drama focused movie - it's not . that's what really makes this movie unique . it's an action movie with brilliantly portrayed characters . . . . . not a common mix at all . suspension of disbelief is paramount in this movie though . . . . . that's the only way to overlook the fact that travolta and cage fire around 5671 rounds at each other . . . . and never hit . several action scenes are just so well choreographed that they just make wish that you could press 'rewind' and watch it over again . the part where archer and troy have a stand off on either side of a double-sided mirror is just plain brilliant . whilst cage's and travolta's performances would be enough alone to sustain most movies , the lesser characters are just as intriguing . joan allen , who usually sticks to the straight drama movies , plays her part perfectly as archer's long suffering wife . i like the fact that her character didn't end up toting a gun at the end of the movie . . . it would have wrecked her potrayal . gina gershon was surprising to say the least as castor troy's mistreated girlfriend . . . . . make that * one of * castor troy's mistreated girlfriends . other movies would have used her character as just window dressing . . . a sex object , but instead her character is very strong and independent . dominique swain , who plays archer's daughter , also does a nice job , though her character is not as explored as much as allen's or gershon's . faults ? well . . . there were some i have to say . first , the movie's ending , whilst being very good overall , was a bit too drawn out for it's own good . after the two combatants begin duelling again after the final boat crash you can't help but think - " geez , are you guys nuclear powered or what ? " . there were certain bits that weren't handled properly , like where archer appears safe and sound on solid ground after jumping off the converted oil platform/prison - more explanation here would have been nice . overall , this movie was not perfect . but i thought it was about as close as an action movie has ever came to perfect . many critics have claimed that this movie will change the way action movies are made . . . . . i certainly hope so .

a slight romantic comedy with a feminist bent , but one with no edge to it . it turns out to be a conventional film filled with the usual clich ? s and stock characters of this genre . though it's a well-written and well-acted fluff piece , it still does not have too much to say that is surprising . it's made for the gentle art-house set , those who don't want something too disturbing to think about . it's about a critically successful writer husband , alec ( pryce ) , who is so self-absorbed that he's threatened by his department store floor-walking model wife , kate ( bouquet ) , who wants to be a writer . she meets his crass publisher , vanni corso ( walken ) , another self-absorbed man , and a predictable relationship occurs . the fireworks occur because she outgrows her husband's first impressions of her as someone who was impressed with his genius and worships at his feet . she now wants her own identity and her independence . the film looked like the usual sitcom stuff , and is plagued with the cheap set design features reserved for a tv movie . the film sagged in the middle of the story from the weight of its tedium , and eventually landed on its rear end with its unspectacular climax . it's set in london , and it opens as model kate rebuffs sexual advances by a wealthy american shopper , vanni . she later meets him as her hubby's new upstart publisher who seeks to have her intellectual author husband in his stable in order to give him credibility as a publisher of quality , and he quickly wins favor with her by publishing her vanity novel . alec who is an obnoxious grouse , someone whom it seems it would be impossible to live with , tries to do everything to stop his wife from having her book published--which only pushes her into the grasping arms of vanni . the publisher is proud that he's a mamma's boy who never married and is a self-made man who has earned millions . he has recently acquired a failing old london publishing house and plans to revitalize it , as he proudly tells kate : " if my father could sell pizzas in harlem , i could sell culture in europe . " the only thing that couldn't be sold , is this stiff story and tired plot line . the mystery to me , is how the lovely kate could like either man unless she was an insensitive dummy . she soon divorces the beleaguered alec and marries the soon-to-become-beleaguered vanni . when she writes a second novel , he rebuffs her the same way her first hubby did . it ends with the same results that happened to hubby number one , as its story of ambition and lust winds down in a whimper . a business affair was loosely based on the real-life literary and romantic travails of married authors barbara skelton and cyril connolly , in their celebrated 1950s love triangle .

apparantly money talks . . . and uses quite a bit of obscenities doing so ! i've always considered myself pretty open about the gratuity a film can possess , whether in language , violence , sex , or what have you . i find that this fact gives me a little more leverage to complain when a movie goes overboard , and money talks definitely does ! it's not so much that the movie swore nearly constantly ( and i mean constantly ! ) , but it swore so much that it seemed overly prominent and way too staged . perhaps if one character were foul mouthed , but in this film , everybody swears nearly every other word . money talks is about a black ticket scalper named franklin hatchett ( played less annoyingly than expected by chris tucker ) . franklin is your typical con-man and ends up with more than one person out to get him . when the plot finally gets underway , there's no less than three people ( or groups ) that want him , dead or alive . the frenchman who's somewhat responsible for franklin's escape from a prisoner-packed bus , a hoodlum whom franklin owes seven grand , and the cops who wrongly suspect him of murder . franklin's only hope : james russell ( charlie sheen ) , an investigative reporter for the local news who's out to prove himself a worthy journalist . james offers to help clear franklin's name if franklin will just allow him an exclusive report to help channel 12 conquer sweeps week . both of these elements are completely lost along the way however , and never do reappear . as expected , the odd couple of franklin and james do wind up friends at the end , which is another wasted element seeing as how they show no signs of becoming friends at any point along the way . there is just nothing original or intriguing about this film , and so many developments are either non-relevant , or just plain forgotten about . money talks is a paint-by-numbers movie that lacks any real involvment with the audience . frivilous dialogue , a predictable , flat storyline , and two-dimensional characters make money talks a reason to save your money .

yet another brainless teen flick , this one is about , surprise , drugs and sex . stars katie holmes and sarah polly couldn't look more bored . their characters are cardboard cut-outs of every cliched teenager out there . one thing you need to know is i really hated this movie . everything about it annoyed the hell out of me . the acting , and script , the plot , and ending . the director ( of the fluke hit swingers ) could have very well directed a bunch of no-name actors and had a watchabe film . the " big " stars of go pretty much drown the project of any originality . i felt like i was watching dawson's creek episode 200 . although the film still would have stayed at red despite its cast . the " surprise " ending was sooo predictable . since when is a male character's sudden outing of the closet considered a surprise in hollywood anymore ? ? go is dawson's creek + varsity blues - she's all that = go home and watch something else .

perhaps the most dramatic changes in the motion picture industry in this decade have to do with special effects . there is no question that action-adventure and science-fiction/action movies are now judged by the character of their light and noise . whereas classic adventure pics of the last twenty years , such as raiders of the lost ark , were made in grand traditional fashion ; contemporary films like jurassic park are multimillion-dollar creations of computer technology . the latest in this visually awesome series of movies , the wachowski brothers' the matrix , is a testament to the skilled use of special effects and its ability to enhance a movie's story . unlike many sci-fi movies which promote themselves as effects-heavy blockbusters but fail to deliver on that promise , the matrix is a carefully constructed special effects event . it runs 135 minutes in length and employs a countless number of computerized tricks which range from gimmick to grandiose , and the quality of the effects remains constant throughout the film's length . contrary to popular trend , the matrix commits itself to being a spectacle of light and sound . in this regard , the movie is something like a card sharp . with its flashy mass stripped away , the matrix would be quite shallow and untalented . the script is characteristically weak , and the dialogue suffers in lieu of a far more innovative visual approach . but , like the card sharp , the matrix wows its audience to such a high degree that actual content is irrelevent . the viewers don't care about what the matrix has to say as long as the next special effects sequence is right around the corner . and right around the corner they usually are , for the script tells a fast-paced , albeit frequently revisited story . as the movie explains , the world as we know it is nothing but an elaborate computer program constructed by an artificial intelligence for the purpose of placating mankind . billions of human beings lie in this dormant state while the intelligence -- the matrix -- " farms " our life energy . only a select group of individuals knows of the " real " world , and a particularly ingenious squad of these rebels is led by ultra-cool morpheus ( laurence fishburne ) . morpheus and his crew recruit a computer expert named neo ( keanu reeves ) , believing he is a prophesied individual who will help them overthrow the matrix and return peace to earth . the cast plays out this story in stylish fashion . the set design is very dynamic , running the gambit between cramped and dreary to bright and airy . the costumes , as well as the actors who wear them , add to the roles . for instance , the manifested antagonists in the movie , a group of " agents " created by the matrix in its computer program , all dress in matching secret servicewear ; the rebel fighters , on the other hand , dress in rich hues of leather . the casting cannot be criticized , for the typically stoic reeves isn't required to say much and laurence fishburne gets plenty of time to be so damn cool . supports in carrie-anne moss , joe pantoliano , and hugo weaving are all effectual . one of the best comparisons to thw matrix is last year's science fiction masterpiece dark city , particularly if one ponders how this same premise would've worked from a different approach . the alex proyas film was far more dark and introspective , requiring a bit of thought before themes became clear ; here , the wachowski brothers have managed to construct a thrill-ride motion picture with little abandon and much noise . the better picture between the two depends on the viewer , but the key to the success of the matrix is that the noise did not get in the way of the fun .

i remember making a pact , right after `patch adams' , to not be easily be suckered by movies dripping with sentimentality . but darn it , `music of the heart' is just layered with feel-good material and bright characterizations . it's hard to dislike a movie that uses such skill with it's manipulation . in addition , it's also a terrific family film . this is the true story of violin teacher roberta guaspari , who fought the school board to keep the musical program active in a handful of inner city harlem schools . it could also be described as `mrs . streep's opus' . yes , meryl streep brings her dramatic clout to the demanding role of guaspari , and that brings both good news and bad . out of the gate , possibly because of her distracting star power and the rushed writing , it is relatively difficult to identify with roberta's character and grasp her academic point-of-view . she is very strict with her students , but what insight does that create into the story ? slowly but surely , we begin to recognize the intentions of the character , and show admiration for the thoughtfulness and human feeling that streep has once again applied . one thoroughly interesting fact about `music of the heart' lies with the unlikely presence in the director's chair : horror veteran wes craven . after leaving an impression with the `scream' films and the original `nightmare on elm street' , craven has attempted a precarious cross-over to drama . at first , his inexperience with the genre is fairly obvious , but as the film progresses craven finds a surprisingly comfortable niche with directing this material . it doesn't carry the heart-warming courage of `mr . holland's opus' , but `music of the heart' is casually assured and filled with little morsels of dramatic truth . the tag team of streep and craven works better than you would anticipate . yes , oscar could come calling once again for meryl streep , but it's the solid ensemble cast that makes `music of the heart' work . angela bassett displays her usual forceful stamina as janet williams , the principal at an inner city school who initially doesn't hire roberta because of her lack of experience . blue-eyed adian quinn is endearing , as always , playing a new love interest . gloria estefan also delivers in the tiny role of a supportive second-grade teacher , and the three lead actresses together produce a flaming fireball of estrogenic force . it's like a schoolteacher's version of `thelma and louise' , in a restrained but effective manner . the movie tackles more issues than just guaspari's teaching of violin . there's some powerful moments between roberta and her two sons , who must cope when their father leaves them for another woman . in it's dramatic build-up , the movie manages to produce some authentic moments of feeling and warmth . it's a good movie for anyone to see , although missing out on the experience would not be a life-altering decision . it's commendable of wes craven to be attempting such a difficult cross-over , and also for achieving his intricate goal . watching this heartfelt chick flick about morals and musical instruments , who may ask yourself : this is the guy who directed `scream' ? of course , when the third installment of that series comes around in february 2000 ( with craven directing ) , you may find yourself wondering : this is the guy who directed `music of the heart' ? mission accomplished , wes . thankfully , there is no layer of artificial sentiment covering the film . in it's entirety , it's a wholesome and agreeable movie for the whole family , despite the periodic flaws that surface every once in awhile . the child actors are cute and perform up to par , even if some of their problems are clich ? d and predictable in the extreme . the mother who doesn't want her son to be learning `white man's music' , the unexpected casuality . . . basically everything is there . it doesn't strike the perfect chord , but `music of the heart' is highly convincing . the uplifting true story of roberta guaspari could have been told better , but `music of the heart' is still edifying enough to properly divulge her morals .

" the fighting sullivans " contains a major plot development in the last ten minutes that every movie guide has seen fit to give away . there was no dramatic tension for me while watching the film , as i knew exactly what was going to happen . and that's the worst thing that can happen before viewing a movie . because of this , i will tread lightly so i don't ruin it for anyone reading this review , and it would be very advisable to avoid all other material regarding this film until after you have seen it . " the fighting sullivans " revolves around a family that consists of a mother , father , sister , and five brothers . the brothers are very close , despite the occasional disagreement . they are inseperable , and never stray from one another . their friendship and loyalty is the foundation of this picture . the first half of the movie follows the brothers as young children , and their various adventures . when four of them get into a fight with some local boys , the youngest sullivan , who is inside a church at the time , comes running out to assist , but not before properly exiting the chapel . if i'm being awfully vague about details , it's because what i have told you is essentially the first hour and a half . all i can say is go watch this film , because it is a fine portrait of a family that sticks together , through the good and the bad . and after you see the movie , you will understand why this review has been written the way it has .

" showgirls " is the first big-budget , big-studio film to receive an nc-17 rating . and its release last year came at a time when senator bob dole and other politicans chastised the entertainment industry for promoting sex and violence . but if " showgirls " is any indication of hollywood's future , the folks in washington should focus their attack on a more dangerous threat to american values--bad moviemaking . " showgirls " is a relentlessly exploitive look at the las vegas strip scene , and the film turns out to be just as trashy as its subject matter . director paul verhoeven and writer joe eszterhas , who collaborated on another shock-value project , 1992's " basic instinct , " follow the plight of a young woman ( teen tv star elizabeth berkley ) determined to make a name for herself as a topless dancer . it's a hackneyed premise to begin with , so not surprisingly , all of the stock characters are trucked out . there's the demanding producer . the loyal friend . the bitchy competitor . lest i forget the scummy club owner . of course , any attempt at character development or a coherent storyline is just window dressing for the film's main attraction--an endless parade of full-frontal nudity . unfortunately , " showgirls " doesn't satisfy in this department . verhoeven's slam-bang , in-your-face style of direction proves neither arousing nor erotic . to make matters worse , you'll be forced to sit through the movie's clothed scenes , which don't cover up for laughable acting and some of the most absurd dialogue ever spoken in film history . verhoeven and ezsterhas deserve credit for trying to break ground , but if it's adult entertainment you want , stay home and watch the playboy channel . you'll be the wiser for it .

warren beatty , diane keaton , goldie hawn and gary shandling star as a pair of married couples whose complacent lives are about to be shaken up in director peter chelsom's version of the classic romantic , screwball comedy in " town & country . " the drawing room farce of the 30's dealt with sexual innuendo and relied on wit and a great deal of commotion and noise to place the viewer in the thick of the duplicitous romantic action . back then , impossibly wealthy scions of society , with too much free time , would get themselves wrapped up in all sorts of sexual peccadilloes with spouses and lovers , only to have everything come out all right in the end - see " the philadelphia story " for a great farce . " town & country " has the impossibly wealthy protagonists with too much free time - the kind of people that have jobs but never seem to work - and sexual misconduct on several levels . but , there is almost no life to original script by michael laughlin and buck henry and this is " t&c's " downfall . there is , obviously , a great deal of hollywood talent , in front of and behind the camera , involved in " town & country , " but , without a likable or , at least , interesting story to carry through their efforts , it is all for naught . and , that's what we get here - naught . porter stoddard ( beatty ) is a high-powered new york architect with a very good life indeed . his 25-year marriage to ellie ( diane keaton ) appears , on the surface , to be perfect . but , there are cracks just below this pristine surface . his wife is suspicious of his whereabouts , his kids don't need him and his best friends , griffin ( garry shandling ) and mona ( goldie hawn ) , are in the midst of a divorce . porter tries to get control of his life before it is too late , but like a man fighting against quicksand , his struggle just sinks him deeper . at the 90-minute mark of " town & country " i asked myself , " what's the point ? " i wasn't entertained , i laughed three times - over silly little pratfalls - and spent most of the film marking time 'til the end . warren beatty wanders around with his character in a bewildered fog , making problems for himself by thinking with a part of his anatomy other than his head . keaton's ellie is an empty headed flake who can't see the obvious as porter screws around on her . and , as you get to know them , who would want friends like griffin and mona ? the supporting cast is given nothing to do and , sometimes , does harm to the film , given the material they are forced to use . nastassja kinski plays a cellist with whom porter has a fling . the actress , who has , eerily , failed to age over the years , is miscast as the air-headed musician and the character doesn't belong , anyway . jenna elfman is a sweet , but smart , ditz who joins porter and griffin on one of their tacked on misadventures . andie macdowell is absolutely painful to watch as a wealthy heiress ( is there any other kind in this movie ? ) who comes on to porter . the saving grace is a pair of quirky perf's by charlton heston and marian seldes as macdowell's very strange parents . glib rationalization of infidelity , like , " if he doesn't speak english , it doesn't count , " are a staple for the screenplay . the morality of the film seems to be , if you can get away with it , go for it . the cast of characters are mostly people you wouldn't want to know , never mind befriend . the actors do their best , but are hamstrung by the weak material . helmer chelsom , who made the outstanding , offbeat comedy " funny bones , " is mired in the mess of a script and never puts his imprint on " town & country . " the production values are high , as one expects from a big budget hollywood film . but , the opulent sets by caroline hanania , lavish wardrobes by molly maginnis and top-notch photography by william fraker cannot save " town & country . " the film has had a long list of production and distribution problems and it might have been better , for me anyway , if hollywood just said no to this movie . i give it a d .

humanities quest for knowledge never ends . so a team of scientists and film-makers travel to the amazon to search for a legendary indian tribe . the party consists of anthropologist steven cale ( eric stoltz ) and the camera team consisting of terri flores ( jennifer lopez ) , danny rich ( ice cube ) , gary dixon ( owen wilson ) , denise kahlberg ( kari wuhrer ) and warren westridge ( jonathan hyde ) . early on their journey they meet paul sarone ( jon voight ) whose boat is stuck on the shore . they agree to give him a ride to the next village . he claims to know the area well and can be useful locating the native tribe . very soon their friendliness backfires on the group because sarone turns out to be a snake hunter without scruples who only wants to catch a giant anaconda and sell it to a zoo . we don't have to wait too long for the giant snake . she just had a panther hors d'oevre and now is looking for the main course . our heroes paddle around in the amazonas as if it were the pool in their own backyard . no wonder giant animals mistake their splashing for a dinner bell . our anaconda is a polite one and swallows the first victim in one big gulp . enjoy ! so much for the first attempt to catch her . but who would want to catch a giant snake with a fishing pole ? our villain sarone shows his soft side when he stops terri from shooting the snake . too bad that anaconda is just about to strangle another member of the expedition . one by one she goes after the others . eric stoltz is stung by a giant wasp right in the beginning and is mercifully unconcious for the rest of the adventure . the rest of the crew keeps entertaining the viewer although not the way the makers of the movie had planned . however the scenes without the anaconda are rather boring . whenever the leading lady shows up we're in for a laugh . the snake reminds us of a favorite character of a famous animated movie even if she should be an awe-inspiring monster . her attacks always follow the same plan : one last hypnotic look - she's looking at you , kid - then she speedily wraps herself around her victim and starts to gush it down . mostly we don't see the act of devouring . but she looks nice when she wiggles away with her bulging middle part . whoever did the special effects on this movie may have wanted to go to a zoo first and study some real snakes . maybe then the anaconda model would have looked more real . the animatronics are somewhat more believable . but that didn't work for the strangling scenes . don't go see the movie for the f/x . they are everything but up-to-date . the viewer who likes to watch the end credits will see to his/her surprise that a snake expert was a consultant for the team . we may doubt though that he has ever seen the final result of his work . a well known american science magazine is also mentioned in the credits , but i will refrain from naming it here to avoid further damage to its reputation . the majority of viewer will have left the theater as soon as the credits start rolling , anyway . what kind of audience is the target group for this movie ? hard to say . this can't be a serious horror movie , or can it ? see for yourself .

when 17 year old beau hall ( jonathan tucker , " the virgin suicides " ) gets in a car accident after drinking with his 30 year old companion , club owner darby reese ( josh lucas , " session 9 " ) , his mom , margaret ( tilda swinton , " the war zone " ) pays reese a visit to convince him to leave her son alone . instead , reese travels out to their lake tahoe home and lures beau out to the boat house where beau learns that his mother was right about reese . the next morning margaret discovers darby's dead body on their beach and , suspecting the worst , weights it down in a distant part of the lake . but her troubles are just beginning , as she soon learns with the arrival of blackmailer alek spera ( goran visnjic , " practical magic " ) in " the deep end . " the incredibly pale , red-headed scottish actress swinton immerses herself into the role of the reserved american super-mom whose life revolves around serving the needs of her three children and live-in father-in-law jack ( peter donat , " the game " ) . she shows great strength while allowing other emotions to glimmer through - discomfort at challenging reese in his gay disco ( named the deep end ) , near panic at having to dive down to his body to retrieve car keys , or even wry humor when an attempt to get help from jack becomes hopelessly miscommunicated . gradually her loneliness becomes apparent ( her husband's a naval officer , usually away at sea ) when her attempts to email him her concerns about beau are deleted and later , when a most unusual , yet chaste , romance turns tragic . it's a terrific performance . the stendahl syndrome-like script , adapted from elisabeth sanxay holding's 40's noir novel 'the blank wall' by directors scott mcgehee and david siegel , would be unbelievable if not for swinton and her costar visnjic . alek spera is a wrong side of the tracks loser who arrives after reese's body has been discovered . he shows margaret a videotape of beau having sex with reese and demands $50 , 000 or he'll turn the tape over to the reno police . subsequent visits will turn his mind set upside down and backwards , though , as he comes to admire and even love the woman he set out to blackmail . there's yet another problem , though - his partner nagle ( raymond barry , " dead man walking " ) is a harder cored criminal who won't let up until his share of the money is delivered . visnjic's dark , brooding turn has an interior shading to it that makes us believe he's a victim of circumstance and environment . his turnaround is palpable as he witnesses margaret's inherent decency and her workaday surroundings . also outstanding is tucker as beau , who has a terrific character arc and pas de deux with his mother . initially beau's the typical sullen teen . 'you're blowing this out of proportion , ' he says of her concerns about reese , not comprehending that his mom has enough insight to have divined the true nature of the relationship . as his mom gets in deeper and deeper trying to cover up a crime he didn't commit , beau becomes suspicious of her actions and apparent new companion , turning tables . his early black eye becomes her later split lip . while the two can never be completely honest with each other , their love for each other comes through strongly . the directors ( " suture " ) have a firm grip on their material and cast . the story builds perfectly with bold strokes amidst a myriad of subtler underpinnings . water imagery is constant ( an early shot of weirdly rushing green is revealed to be a young boy cleaning out an aquarium ) . giles nuttgens ( " fire " ) cinematography , which won the 2001 sundance festival award , is crisp and startlingly clear . the tahoe locations and production design by kelly mcgehee and christopher tandon provide a dual personality for the film , contrasting the calm , well off existence of the lake against the gambling city of reno . " the deep end " is a complex story of domino deeds and shifting relationships . take the plunge .

with stars like sigourney weaver ( " alien " trilogy ) and academy award winner holly hunter ( the piano , raising arizona , etc . ) together in a single hollywood production , one would immediately identify the film as a potential academy award hot shot . sadly for copycat , though tightly scripted and nicely plot , is still at heart , a typical hollywood thriller . helen ( weaver ) , after a traumatic near death encounter with a serial killer , darryl ( harry connick jr . ) , has developed a phobia for being outdoors , so to speak . incidentally , helen is also an expert on the subject of serial killers , which make her a juicy target for serial killer wannabes . a year has passed and strange deaths begin to terrorise the city of san francisco . detective monahan ( hunter ) and getz ( mulroney ) , baffled by the unorthodox methods of killing used by the killer , seeks the professional help of helen , who , as expected was reluctant at first . copycat " borrows " a lot from silence of the lambs and in most cases , it did work . but copycat tries to be a little bit more by immersing the audience into the lives of its main characters to give them more believability , this was rather unnecessary as the scenes seem to disrupt the mood of the entire film and also . . . much of the time wasted could've been used to build up the suspense and injected with drama . even so , weaver and hunter act very well in their own departments . . . weaver being the vulnerable yet strong-within character ( as in aliens ) and hunter being the short , tough , texan speaking cop ( as in raising arizona ) . harry connick jr . , a very good jazz singer , shines as the imprisoned serial killer a la hannibal lecter . which comes to the moment of judgement ( drum roll please . . . ) . copycat is a good thriller . although the plot is highly predictable and one can actually predict the rest of the movie after about 45 minutes into the show , copycat survives from the moments of anticipation where the audience are held on to their seats , in anticipation of the killers next immediate move . this worked pretty well and will offer audiences a couple of unexpected jolts . nice movie to bring your girlfriend to . . . .

susan granger's review of " the perfect storm " ( warner bros . ) " more people die on fishing boats , per capita , than working in any other job in the u . s . . every journey a fishing boat makes can be an all-or-nothing risk . it is life at its most exhilarating and its most terrifying , " says director wolfgang petersen ( " das boot " ) . and that's just what he captures in this true story of struggle and humanity aboard a swordfishing boat , the andrea gail , sailing out of gloucester , massachusetts , in late october , 1991 . early in bill wittliff's screenplay , based on sebastian junger's best-seller , we meet the crew of six . the veteran captain ( george clooney ) is frustrated because he can't find fish on the grand banks , yet a rival skipper ( mary elizabeth mastrantonio ) brings in huge hauls . his right-hand man ( mark walhberg ) needs money to build a new life with his girl-friend ( diane lane ) . there's a devoted dad ( john c . reilly ) with an estranged wife and son , a free-spirited jamaican ( allen payne ) , a lonely guy ( john hawkes ) , and a last-minute replacement with a bad attitude ( william fichtner ) . the skipper's convinced he can change his bad luck streak in remote flemish cap , and he does . but then trouble begins . there's a rogue wave , a man overboard and the ice machine breaks - with 60 , 000 lb . of fish that could spoil . but that's minor compared with a deadly monster storm approaching which a boston meteorologist describes as " a disaster of epic proportions " that also threatens the lives of a coast guard helicopter rescue team trying to save three people stranded on a sailboat on the high seas . it's formulaic and there are cliches , but the walls of water , created by fluid dynamics simulating real-life phenomena , are awesome . on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , " the perfect storm " is a terrifying , suspenseful 8 . hang on for the white-knuckle thrill ride of the summer !

wizards is an animated feature that begins with a narration of epic proportions . over black and white drawings , we are told that the earth is destroyed in an apocalyptic nuclear exchange , sending the remnants of humanity through generations of radiation-induced mutation . the " original " inhabitants of the earth , fairies and elves , return to populate the globe , along with their evil , mutant counterparts . one day ( and i say " one day " not to be trite , but because that's exactly how it happened - no advance notice ) , a fairy queen gives birth to twins , one good and one evil . the twins grow up to be powerful wizards , the good one embracing magic , and the bad one utilizing technology to attempt to expand his evil empire . we are given the notion that an ultimate battle must occur between the forces of magic and those of technology . as unoriginal as the premise is , i was still somewhat interested in how this story would play itself out . there's a lot you can do in an animated fantasy world , after all . i soon learned , however , that the fantasy was the expectation of a decent film . once the transition was made from still art to color animation , an entirely different feel takes precedence . rather than the epic saga promised by the narration , we get a goofy-looking world of a saturday morning cartoon . not just the look , mind you , but all the zany sounds like >honk boing for years , blackwolf has lost his battles against the magical forces of good , since his armies of ogres and other mutants would get dispirited or distracted soon after battle is joined . however , blackwolf now has a secret weapon : nazis . yup , adolf hitler , the luftwaffe and the wehrmacht . okay , not the real things , but an archival film his minions dug up . projected into the sky for all to see , it inspires his own army while shocking the enemy into submission long enough for the ogres to hack them up . before you know it , there are dead elves everywhere . this is just as well . the characters are so bad that the viewer doesn't care about any of them . they're either silly , sappy , or both . the dialog gets much of the credit for this . an example is when avatar nonchalantly says , " well , looks like my brother and i begin our final battle . " not very formidable when he's also the guy who says , " this is the biggest bummer of a trip i've ever been on . " my favorite line was from a sideline fairy who is asked by her child why good can't fight back against the nazi-charged evil . her response is , " they have weapons and technology . we just have love . " suffice to say , the characters are strictly two-dimensional , and we therefore don't expect anything more than the obvious to happen . which it does . the only unexpected occurrence is the way the final battle between brothers is played out , which is anticlimactic and disappointing . please note that it is the action that is unexpected . that it is disappointing is not . the film couldn't settle on a particular mood . it seems to move from dark to light with the cuts from scene to scene and even angle to angle . scenes which are seemingly meant to contain deep meaning are ruined by acts of levity . the dramatics , which seem to occur at random , are overly staged and overly acted , detracting from any kind of value or even enjoyment which could otherwise be gleaned . ralph bakshi , the director , makes an obvious attempt to get a message across in this film : hitler and the nazis were bad . so who doesn't know this already ? well , maybe children . okay , so you might say that this is a movie for children . it's not . in the scenes where good fights evil , there's a lot of violence and gore that children should not be seeing if they're watching a cartoon . so is the film for adults ? if so , we probably don't need to be bashed over the head to get the point . why not have the bad guys be symbolic of the nazis instead of using old propaganda in a seriously disjointed attempt to show us something we already know ? wizards gives us a lot of footage of nazi tanks and airplanes , and hitler giving speeches . however , we don't see any reason why they should be considered bad . we see no atrocities being committed , not even any real battle footage . there is absolutely no connection made between the armies of evil and the third reich , and we're not even given a cursory explanation as to why this stuff is inspiring in the first place . this needed to be thought out much more thoroughly if a point were to be made , since subject matter such as this deserves better treatment . i'd like to assume that bakshi was trying to say that the same nationalist movement that drove the nazis could happen anywhere , at any time , and we must therefore be vigilant . however , i'm not sure if i want to give him that much credit .

sylvester stallone has made some crap films in his lifetime , but this has got to be one of the worst . a totally dull story that thinks it can use various explosions to make it interesting , " the specialist " is about as exciting as an episode of " dragnet , " and about as well acted . even some attempts at film noir mood are destroyed by a sappy script , stupid and unlikable characters , and just plain nothingness . who knew a big explosion could be so boring and anti-climactic ? unless you saw " blown away " . . . " the specliast " of the title is none other than action star sylvester stallone ( in comeback #19 , i think ) , who plays a quiet , hermit-like bomber who was once a bomb expert with the army or something , but who suffered a change of heart when he and his assistant ( james woods , who shows us exactly what over-the-top is , other than another bad sly film ) accidentally killed some innocent people during a job . his credo is killing bad people , not innocents . and that's why he makes big bombs . so anyway , into his life steps the seductive sharon stone , who is basically the girlfriend/moll of the stupid son ( eric roberts ) of a cuban/miami kingpin ( rod steiger , in an indecipherable accent , which is sometimes cuban , sometimes brando , sometimes scottish , etc ) . turns out sharon is actually using her boyfriend so she can kill him , since he killed her parents when she was young . so she calls sly , leaves messages with him , sends him e-mail , etc , about planting a bomb to kill roberts , which sly listens to obsessively , and while he works out naked . yea . also into his life , though again , comes woods , who has been tipped off by stone to catch sly . using the cops , he tries to set up traps , none which really work , so when sly calls him , he goes ballisitic on his ass over the phone , getting so worked up by saying his must-be-improvised speeches that he seems to pop the vein in his head wide open . these are the most exciting scenes in the film , and woods becomes the only ounce of entertainment in the film . the film tries to offer us a moody film noir , except with explosions , but comes up completely snake-eyes . it's just a pretend film noir , making it a big waste of time . and for action buffs , the action scenes are pretty lame , with some really unrealistic-looking special effects ( a penthouse being blown off of a hotel looks like a piece of cardboard falling into a tub ) . then there's the much-discussed sex scene between sly and stone , which are about as mispaired a couple as rachel and ross on " friends . " their sex scene is more nauseating then sexy , because it shows us more of sly than stone . now let's guess who we'd rather see naked , okay ? stone's small but perky breasts , which we've seen more times than harvey keitel's dick , or stallone's veiny ass , which isn't usually shown for a very good reason ? i know i can't really judge it as a flaw of the film , but come on . the worst flaw of the film is this : it's boring . i mean , i was on caffeine when watching it , but my friend fell asleep only to be woken up by james woods ranting . but a good movie does not james woods going nuts make . if you're in for some fun action , rent sly's earlier " demolition man , " which sucks too , but in a much more entertaining fashion . skip this dull film , unless you want to see woods , or make fun of steiger's accent , or see stone's breasts again .

notice : this is a review and analysis of exotica . the first part of this piece is the review , the second part contains some analysis of the movie which might be construed as spoilers . if you have not seen the movie and after reading the first part you intend to do so , then save the second part for the discussion afterwards . starring : bruce greenwood , mia kirshner , elias kosteas , don mckellar , arsinee khanijian , sarah polley director : atom egoyan screenplay : atom egoyan exotica is a film that grows on retrospection . exotica keeps the viewer guessing about the relationship between the various characters in the film . all of the people know each other , but apart from that , there seems to be no other reason why to select such set and follow them in this fictional account . the director hints for possible solutions , using a multi-line plot , so popular with critics in mystery train , and used to good advantage by quentin tarantino in pulp fiction . exotica reaches a whole new dimension using this technique . at the end it is surprising to see how well the pieces of the puzzle fit together , in spite their apparent unconnectedness and even misleading features . the out-of-chronological-order technique has become ever so popular , perhaps even de rigueur , for biographical films . similarly , we can now expect to see more movies in the future which will use , to varying extent , converging multiplots . on a first glance , once the multi-plot puzzle in exotica is solved , there seems to be little left to look at . but perceptive minds which take the time to dig further will be rewarded with interesting views on life or rather , commentaries on views of life . exotica is very much worth seeing . it opened to critic's praise worldwide ( i first saw it in mexico city , last december ) . in canada , it broke records for a movie of its kind , which prompted the american distributor to go for a wide release . apart from a strong plot , acting is very convincing , and the soundtrack seems as if made for the movie . the spoon-fed-entertainment crowd may not appreciate this movie , and thus it might last little on screen . but if you want to try a movie a cut above the crowd , with an originality that is ever so rare , by all means see exotica . analysis ( * * spoilers * * ahead ) what is behind the complex plot in exotica ? first , a common theme of the quest for gratification by monetary means . the lone tax-auditor , the repressed homosexual pet shop owner , the pregnant woman which runs the nightclub , the rich man which has the club remodeled , the audience at the movie theatre , all use personal wealth to buy palliative relief for the penuries of the soul . . . . then we have the quest for gratification through visual means by most of the same people , including those who sit watching exotica . . . . in that regard exotica stands for onlookers at a nightclub , for the rich man looking through silver mirrors , and poor-rich people looking at other's people lives through a silver screen . exotica also stands for unwanted society attention into the lives of other people , such as the tax auditor and the pet shop owner . exotica is the customer agent looking at the pet shop owner , which in turn is looking at the core of the problems between the strip dancer and the tax auditor through the detached eye of a gay person ( no attraction to the strip dancer ) , and only interested on avoiding jail ( no personal relationship with the tax auditor ) . in exotica everybody is watching , and what is worse , everybody knows . second , exotica is about isolated people holding back their feelings ; about people which by voluntary or involuntary means transfer their view of reality to other characters . the strip dancer becomes the proverbial daughter , the dj becomes the proverbial killer by means of breaking the relationship between the father and the proverbial daughter . the niece becomes the baby sitter , the baby sitter becomes the dancer , and the dancer becomes the proverbial daughter . the pet shop owner becomes the proverbial dj , by finding the proverbial daughter . a chain made of real and imagined links coming around full circle , just as everything comes around to a fitting whole at the end of the movie .

plot : two teen couples go to a church party , drink and then drive . they get into an accident . one of the guys dies , but his girlfriend continues to see him in her life , and has nightmares . what's the deal ? watch the movie and " sorta " find out . . . critique : a mind-fuck movie for the teen generation that touches on a very cool idea , but presents it in a very bad package . which is what makes this review an even harder one to write , since i generally applaud films which attempt to break the mold , mess with your head and such ( lost highway & memento ) , but there are good and bad ways of making all types of films , and these folks just didn't snag this one correctly . they seem to have taken this pretty neat concept , but executed it terribly . so what are the problems with the movie ? well , its main problem is that it's simply too jumbled . it starts off " normal " but then downshifts into this " fantasy " world in which you , as an audience member , have no idea what's going on . there are dreams , there are characters coming back from the dead , there are others who look like the dead , there are strange apparitions , there are disappearances , there are a looooot of chase scenes , there are tons of weird things that happen , and most of it is simply not explained . now i personally don't mind trying to unravel a film every now and then , but when all it does is give me the same clue over and over again , i get kind of fed up after a while , which is this film's biggest problem . it's obviously got this big secret to hide , but it seems to want to hide it completely until its final five minutes . and do they make things entertaining , thrilling or even engaging , in the meantime ? not really . the sad part is that the arrow and i both dig on flicks like this , so we actually figured most of it out by the half-way point , so all of the strangeness after that did start to make a little bit of sense , but it still didn't the make the film all that more entertaining . i guess the bottom line with movies like this is that you should always make sure that the audience is " into it " even before they are given the secret password to enter your world of understanding . i mean , showing melissa sagemiller running away from visions for about 20 minutes throughout the movie is just plain lazy ! ! okay , we get it . . . there are people chasing her and we don't know who they are . do we really need to see it over and over again ? how about giving us different scenes offering further insight into all of the strangeness going down in the movie ? apparently , the studio took this film away from its director and chopped it up themselves , and it shows . there might've been a pretty decent teen mind-fuck movie in here somewhere , but i guess " the suits " decided that turning it into a music video with little edge , would make more sense . the actors are pretty good for the most part , although wes bentley just seemed to be playing the exact same character that he did in american beauty , only in a new neighborhood . but my biggest kudos go out to sagemiller , who holds her own throughout the entire film , and actually has you feeling her character's unraveling . overall , the film doesn't stick because it doesn't entertain , it's confusing , it rarely excites and it feels pretty redundant for most of its runtime , despite a pretty cool ending and explanation to all of the craziness that came before it . oh , and by the way , this is not a horror or teen slasher flick . . . it's just packaged to look that way because someone is apparently assuming that the genre is still hot with the kids . it also wrapped production two years ago and has been sitting on the shelves ever since . whatever . . . skip it ! where's joblo coming from ? a nightmare of elm street 3 ( 7/10 ) - blair witch 2 ( 7/10 ) - the crow ( 9/10 ) - the crow : salvation ( 4/10 ) - lost highway ( 10/10 ) - memento ( 10/10 ) - the others ( 9/10 ) - stir of echoes ( 8/10 )