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478,983 | 463,200 | 118,604 | 6 | Pretty pointless | Daredevil Andy McDermott ( Tom Everett Scott ) and two buddies ( Phil Buckman , Vince Vieluf ) travel to Paris . While there Andy saves beautiful Serafine Pigot ( Julie Delpy ) from killing herself . . . and immediately falls in love . Turns out she's a werewolf , he gets bitten and starts changing while his friends try to help him . . . This has no connection to the superior " American Werewolf in London " . That was a good movie - - this isn't . It's OK for the first 40 minutes or so then it seriously goes off track . The story becomes needlessly convoluted with lame comedy thrown in . It doesn't help that Scott gives a lousy performance . And the ultimate plot is really pretty stupid ( a secret society of werewolves killing American tourists - - PLEASE ! ) . There are a few pluses . It's reasonably well done , Buckman and Vieluf are engaging , Delpy is very good and the special effects are impressive ( even if most of them are CGI ) . But it can't save the film . Also Delpy has some needless nude scenes and Scott has to get on all fours and crawl around on the floor in one scene ! These parts are just embarrassing to watch - - I felt sorry for the actors . It's gets a 6 for the special effects and a few nice gory parts but you can skip this one . |
478,453 | 463,200 | 118,589 | 6 | Not THAT bad | All the critics in the country have torn this film ( Mariah Carey's " acting " debut ) to shreds . I saw it expecting a camp classic . You know what ? It's not that bad . Now , it's not a GOOD movie - - just an ordinary , totally predictable , but mildly watchable rags-to-riches story . Carey can sing - - too bad her songs suck . And her acting is . . . to be nice . . . horrendous . Any time she's called upon to show any emotion other than happiness she fails miserably . Co-star Max Beesley ( who plays her boyfriend / producer ) is handsome , buff . . . and a lousy actor . He looks totally miserable all through the film . The story is . . . well , you've seen it - - trust me you have ! Still it's undemanding , somewhat pleasant viewing . It has flashy direction , it looks and sounds good . It's not really bad until the ending which ( I have to admit ) had me laughing out loud . But everything before is pretty OKSo , it isn't good , but I've seen worse . |
478,820 | 463,200 | 65,112 | 6 | One of Hitchcock's worst | This takes place in 1962 right before the Cuban Missle Crisis . French intelligence agent Andre Devereaux ( Frederick Stafford ) , who's working for the US , gets involved with finding out what the Russians are doing in Cuba . There's more to it but you'll be so bored you won't care . Hard to believe Hitchcock did this . The story and characters are uninvolving ( and unlikable ) , it moves far too slowly and it goes on at least half an hour too long . This is the kind of movie Hitch did so beautifully in the 1940s ( like " Notorious " or " Foreign Correspondent " ) but it's pretty obvious his heart wasn't in this one . Also he said he was trying to use color to tell the story - - he later admitted it didn't work . The most surprising thing about this is how badly it's directed ! It's very flatly done . With the exception of one shooting it looks like something any hack director could have filmed . Acting is pretty bad . Stafford has his moments as Devereaux and Roscoe Lee Browne and Karin Dor are very good in small roles - - but that's it . Everybody else seems drained and walk through this stone-faced just reciting their lines . And seeing John Vernon as a Cuban is actually pretty hysterical ! Hitcock himself called this a complete disaster . It was also an understandable critical and commercial failure . For Hitchcock completists only . |
479,001 | 463,200 | 244,970 | 6 | Predictable but fun | A woman , Jane ( Ashley Judd ) falls in love with an executive ( Greg Kinnear ) at work . She plans to move in with him , gives up her apartment . . . and he dumps her . She reluctantly moves in with hunky , womanizing co-worker Eddie ( Hugh Jackman ) who she hates . Naturally , they fall in love . Utterly predictable from first frame to last , but I enjoyed it . The script was OK and there are plenty of good performances . Judd and Jackman are both sexy and funny , and we're treated to a sequence when they're both in nothing but underwear ( so we can admire their buff bodies ) . Kinnear has played this louse role once too often - - he looks miserable too . Ellen Barkin and Marisa Tomei , however , are very good in supporting roles . So , you always know what's coming , but Judd and beautiful Jackman ( what a face and bod ! ) make this worth watching . |
478,545 | 463,200 | 439,815 | 6 | Wanted to like it but couldn't | A comic homage to sci-fi films of the 1950s updated with extreme violence . A small Southern town of Wheeley is infested by some disgusting alien slugs . The main slug infects Grant Grant ( Michael Rooker ) to the confusion of his young , blond-haired beautiful wife ( Elizabeth Banks ) who is secretly loved by the towns sheriff ( Nathan Fillion ) . Soon the slugs are infecting everybody and its up to the sheriff , Grant's wife and a plucky teenager ( Tania Saulnier ) to save the town . Horror comedies are hard to pull off - - they can become either too gross or too funny . Only a few have pulled this off - - " Evil Dead II " , " Re-Animator " , " Night of the Creeps " and " Dead Alive " . Unfortunately this isn't as good as those . The cast does play it straight ( wisely ) and it's well-made with some great ( if disgusting ) special effects . But the humor and horror never mesh comfortably . I DID laugh out loud a few times and was impressed by the gross out effects - - but the movie was always wavering uncomfortably between the two . It never found even footing . It's not terrible and the cast is good - - but I still wasn't entertained . LOTS of plot holes too . I can only give this a 6 . |
478,800 | 463,200 | 78,111 | 6 | Too low key to have much of an impact | Set in 1917 New Orleans . This is the story of a brothel and the women working there . One of them , Hattie ( Susan Sarandon ) , has a 12 year old girl named Violet ( Brooke Shields ) . Bellocq ( Keith Carradine ) pays to photograph the women but doesn't have sex with any of them . However he seems strongly attracted to Violet who is being set up to be a prostitute like her mom . This sounds a lot worse than it plays . It was hugely controversial when it came out mostly because Shields was 12 and has nude scenes . The subject matter alone caused outrage but seriously . . . this film has no impact . It's extremely low key to a ridiculous degree . Everything is done in such a calm laid-back manner that it doesn't seem even remotely exploitive . Considering the subject matter the film is incredibly tame . The only nudity comes from Sarandon and Shields and it's never sexual in context . The film looks great too and it's ( purportedly ) factual . The low key tone works - - but after a while it gets downright boring . EVERYBODY acts low key . I was just hoping somebody would overreact to something . Also the story gets more than a little unbelievable towards the end . The acting is good by Sarandon and the other women . Frances Faye as the head of the house is great and it's always good to see Barbara Steele . However Shields is terrible - - but she WAS only 12 . Carradine is even worse . Very stiff and wooden . This isn't a bad movie just a dull one . Hard to believe a movie about a 12 year old prostitute could be dull - - but it is . It definitely would not be made today . I give it a 6 . |
477,207 | 463,200 | 91,167 | 6 | Good Woody Allen but awfully familar | Well-done comedy-drama following a neurotic family over the course of three years . Well-acted , well-written , but Allen covers no new ground here ( except him trying on other religions ) . He's examined these characters and situations before . What makes the movie watchable is excellent acting , Farrow excepted ( she's shallow and her acting is REAL bad ! ) . Hershey is brilliant as a woman who gains strength and courage over the course of the movie and Weiss is very good as a woman who starts out not knowing what to do with her life , and ends up getting everything in order . Everything is nicely resolved , no depressing endings ( OK - - that IS original for Allen ) , but nothing we haven't seen from him before . Worth seeing , but not up to " Annie Hall " or " Manhattan " . |
477,901 | 463,200 | 175,880 | 6 | Way overpraised | The movie is good , all the acting is superb ( with the exception of Jason Robards ) and the direction is excellent . But the movie is needlessly long ( there are a lot of scenes that could have been shortened or cut completely ) , has HUGE leaps of logic ( an especially idiotic event at the end almost destroys the movie as a whole ) and basically deals with characters who are depressed . Spending 3 hours and 10 minutes with a bunch of depressed people gets a little tiring . Also , the movie offers no new insights to anything it brings up ( love , incest , misogyny , drug abuse ) . It's watchable but way too long and what is the point ? the director's previous effort " Boogie Nights " was much more cohesive and better . Rent that one - - skip this . |
479,430 | 463,200 | 13,257 | 6 | More silly than anything else | This is a review of the silent version without the narration . Silent documentary about witchcraft throughout the ages . It uses drawings , diagrams and recreations about witches , the Devil and Hell ( all connected together according to this ) . I saw it because I heard it was a masterpiece of horror and I love horror films . I was unimpressed . I found it slow and pretty silly - - the view of Hell using cutouts and puppets was ridiculous but the guy in the Satan outfit was downright hysterical ! The recreations were broadly acted ( even for a silent film ) and dragged slowly by . The only surprises were a few fleeting glimpses of female nudity . Basiaclly this didn't tell me anything I didn't already know about witchcraft . It came across more as a boring ( and funny ) history lesson than anything else . It gets a 6 for a few good moments and some well-directed sequences but I can't really recommend this . |
479,338 | 463,200 | 462,359 | 6 | The title is wrong but this is OK | A bunch of 20 somethings are going camping in the Bitteroot Mountains , Montana . However their car overturns ( not shown - - this is VERY low budget ) . They all try to get to the road but come upon a huge concrete structure . They get in to get help . . . but find dead bloody bodies and something stalking them . . . The reviews for this have ranged from some saying this is one of the worst movies ever made to others who love it . I'm somewhere in the middle . It's not good but it's hardly the worst horror movie ever . Let's deal with the bad things first . Fot starters - - the title is wrong . An incubus is a demon that comes to you in your nightmares . That's NOT what this is about . SPOILER ! ! ! ! It's about a madman who uses his thoughts to take over your body ( when you fall asleep ) and force you to kill . That's about possession - - not a demon . END SPOILER ! ! ! The cast has no personalities and are pretty interchangeable . The plot is pretty run of the mill too with that stupid " it's not over " ending . On the plus side it's pretty well-made , the acting actually isn't bad ( top billed Tara Reid is good ) , the cast are all attractive ( especially Russell Carter as Josh ) and there's some explicit bloody gore . For the record there's no nudity in this one at all . So - - all in all - - a pretty good horror film with some decent gore and a capable cast . I was never bored which isn't something I can say for most recent horror films . I give it a 6 . |
477,458 | 463,200 | 65,206 | 6 | Scariest thing about this is the poster ! | Calire Marrable ( Geraldine Page ) is left with nothing after her husband dies . She then proceeds to take in women as housekeepers , has them invest their savings in the stock market , kills them , plants them in her garden and lives off their winnings ( or something like that ) . Alice Dimmock ( Ruth Gordon ) comes to work for her . . . but she's really looking to find out what happened to her friend who Marrable had killed before . . . A " Baby Jane " rip off . It's not terrible but it's not scary . It moves slow and the script is kind of vague . Page is great , really chewing the scenery , but she ( and that silly laugh of hers ) get real annoying after a while . Gordon ( a great actress ) is given nothing to do ! Just once I wanted to see her break loose but the script wouldn't allow it . The killings are tame and bloodless and Page's character is so incredibly unlikable you could care less by the end . There's also a HUGE plot loophole at the end and a really silly twist ending . So , it's ( sort of ) worth seeing for Page but nothing else . This can be missed . |
479,428 | 463,200 | 431,308 | 6 | I wanted to like this but couldn't | Holly Kennedy ( Hilary Swank ) and husband Gerry ( Gerard Butler ) seem to have a happy marriage . Gerry dies of a brain tumor . . . but it seems he has arranged to have Holly sent messages AFTER his death telling her how to get on with her life . OK - - I love silly romance movies . " Sleepless in Seattle " is one of my favorites . This is VERY silly - - but I didn't like it . For starters there are WAY too many love songs in it - - I was getting he impression they were trying to sell a soundtrack album and could care less about the movie . Also they ( stupidly ) keep using clips from classic movies that had nothing to do with the plot . Seriously - - WHY is Holly lip syncing to Judy Garland belting out " The Man Who Got Away " ? Also the love " lessons " here are utterly predictable . It's far too long ( over 2 hours ) , is flatly directed and badly staged . Also some really bad acting doesn't help - - Kathy Bates looks blank , Lisa Kudrow is astonishingly lousy at the comic bits ( that's inexcusable for someone who was on " Friends " ) and James Marsters is given nothing to do . Also Hilary Swank ( a wonderful actress ) can't do much with a horribly clichéd role . The plot rambles all over the place and there are WAY too many coincidences to believe in this . The few good points : There's a trip to Ireland and the movie makes good use of the beautiful locations there ; Gina Gershon is just great in a small role ; there's a nice flash of male nudity ; Jeffrey Dean Morgan is just great as William ( a guy Holly meets in Ireland ) and Gerard Butler is fantastic . He's not in the movie too much and he overacts , but his performance is so good and he's so likable and handsome that he gives the movie a much needed jump start . Critics have savaged this . Now it's not good - - but it's not a total bomb either . Butler made this movie bearable . I give it a 6 . |
478,361 | 463,200 | 21,814 | 6 | Dull and stagy , but essential viewing | The film starts off extremely well with a visit to Dracula's castle in Transylvania . Then the movie moves to London and falls apart . For one thing , they changed the characters from the novel - - Jonathan Harker went to Castle Dracula not Reinfield and everybody stands around talking about things . EVERYTHING is talked about , never shown . It's like watching a very static stage play . Also , a woman ( Lucy ) becomes a vampire early on . She's discussed . . . then ignored . It seems she's still wandering around after the movie ends ! Also David Manners is very very good-looking as Harker , but his acting is bad . It's not entirely his fault - - he has few lines and they're all pretty bad . Still , it should be seen for three reasons - - Bela Lugosi , Dwight Frye and Edward Van Sloan . Lugosi is , of course , Dracula . He gives a great performance ( hard to believe he was doing the lines phonetically ) and his interpretation defined Dracula . Frye is really creepy ( and funny ) as Reinfeld - - that laugh of his is REAL spooky ! And Edward Van Sloan plays Van Helsing perfectly . Only Peter Cushing did a better job in the Hammer films . Also , Helen Chandler has one great moment playing Mina . She's under Dracula's spell and is hungrily looking at her boyfriend's neck ! So , if you're a horror fan ( like me ) this is essential viewing , but expect lots of dull stretches when those three aren't on . Let's go listen to the children of the night . . . |
478,497 | 463,200 | 70,622 | 6 | Don't say it - - hiss it ! | Pretty silly horror movie about Dr . Carl Stoner ( Strother Martin ) who has perfected a drug that turns men into King Cobra snakes . ( Yeah - - I know it's ridiculous ) . WHY he wants to do this is never fully explained . He wants to use it on young David Blaine ( Dirk Benedict ) . . . but his daughter ( Heather Menzies ) is falling in love with him . OK - - the story is more than a little silly but this is fairly watchable . They used real snakes in the film ( as a statement at the beginning tells us ) and just watching them is pretty interesting . The story itself moves pretty quickly and ( science aside ) is pretty involving . The acting helps - - Martin is actually not bad as the doctor ; Benedict ( so young and handsome ) is also pretty good as Blaine and Menzies overdoes it a little ( particularly in an argument with Martin ) but she's not bad . There's also some fairly impressive ( for the time ) makeup and special effects . It's OK . Trivia : Flashes of nudity ( mostly from Menzies ) are inexplicably " covered up " in the prints now in circulation . Strange - - it was OK for a PG in 1973 . |
478,835 | 463,200 | 118,694 | 6 | Beautiful . . . but that's about it | Two married people in 1962 Hong Kong , realize their siblings are having an affair with each other . They comfort each other and think about doing the same thing . Beautiful cinematography ( by Christopher Doyle ) , but that's all the movie has going for it . The story moves at a snail's pace , the male lead ( Tony Leung ) is wooden and I actually fell asleep at one point ! The only thing that kept me watching was the cinematography , the beautiful costumes and the female lead ( Maggie Cheung ) . She's very good and looked breath-taking in her dresses . But the film is ssslllloooowwww and dull . I'm giving it a 6 ONLY for the imagery . |
478,354 | 463,200 | 52,655 | 6 | Classic black comedy doesn't hold up | Meek and mild Walter Paisley ( Dick Miller ) is a busboy at a beatniks club . He desperately wants to be an artist but doesn't have the nerve . . . or talent . One night he accidentally kills a cat . He covers it with clay and presents it as his creation . Immediately he becomes famous . . . but has to make more statutes . . . This was pretty extreme for its time and considered pretty sick by most critics . Now it comes across as laughably tame and VERY dated ( the beatnik talk sounds pretty stupid and pointless now ) . It was made on no budget ( you can tell ) and with the sole exception of Miller no one is good . Even at 66 minutes I was bored . Still , this is considered a classic and should be seen for Miller's acting alone and a few good moments here and there . Also Miller used his characters name here in many other films over the years . If you're into horror movies ( like me ) you might get a kick out of that . But it still doesn't make this a very good movie . I can truthfully only give it a 6 . |
479,395 | 463,200 | 338,348 | 6 | Kids will like it | A young boy doesn't believe in Santa Claus at all . On Christmas Eve a huge , magical locomotive pulls in front of his house . The conductor ( Tom Hanks ) tells him to get on - - they're going to the North Pole . It seems the train is full of kids who don't believe in Santa . Well . . . that's about to change . This is not a live action film . The characters look like humans ( Tom Hanks has FIVE roles ) and sound like them but are clearly computer-generated . In fact the whole movie is like that - - EVERYTHING is computer generated . I saw it in an IMAX 3D theatre . I admit the visuals were incredible ( if somewhat creepy ) - - - but I really didn't like it . There's very little plot , no characterization and I was basically bored silly . The " adventures " on the express didn't impress me and there's a pointlessly long episode with three of the kids lost in Santa's town ( or whatever - - we're never told what it is ) . Tons of characters and situations are left unexplored or unexplained and it gets annoying . The waiters on the train serving hot chocolate had me going " huh " ? Also the meaning of the film ( believe in Christmas ) is heavy-handed even for a kids movie . They go out of their way to make you cry and choke up - - - I found it overly manipulative . Basically you just sit there and are bombarded by tons of visual tricks . For some people , that's enough . For me I needed more . The actors voicing the figures do pretty good except for Eddie Deezen - - his voice is INCREDIBLY annoying ( as is his character ) . So I didn't like it - - I looked at my watch more than once . Still the kids in the theatre were spellbound - - they sat there in silence watching the screen . So - - I think kids will like it but , to be honest , I think some kids might get nightmares from this . These CGI characters look so strange . More than once I was feeling very uneasy looking at them . Adults MIGHT enjoy it . I give it a 6 - - and that's mostly for the visuals . |
479,445 | 463,200 | 52,225 | 6 | Sad | This could have been great . The music and lyrics are wonderful ( of course ) , the acting ( with one exception ) was good and they had beautiful on location shooting in Hawaii . . . and they STILL managed to screw it up ! First off , most of the singing was dubbed and it's VERY obvious . . . especially with Brazzi . . . he gives out a good performance but he lip syncs horribly and the singing voice doesn't match his speaking voice ! John Kerr ( as the guy who falls in love with a native woman ) is a lousy actor with an annoying voice . Also , he has no body - - that's not too good considering he spends a lot of time with his shirt off . You really start to wonder why that woman fell for him in the first place . But worst of all are those stupid color filters - - they totally destroy the film . I almost gave up watching it because the color changes were hurting my eyes ! Also , you have beautiful scenery in Hawaii - - why screw it up by making everything appear yellow or orange ? It's extremely distracting and adds nothing to the film . The director Joshua Logan said , in later years , that the color filters were a big mistake . No kidding ! ALMOST worth watching . Somebody should really remake this correctly . |
478,655 | 463,200 | 240,890 | 6 | Light . . . VERY light | Fluffy tale of Jonathan ( John Cusack ) and Sara ( Kate Beckinsale ) who meet cute in a department store , spend the day together and then part without revealing names . She puts her name and number in a book and he puts his on the back of a 5 dollar bill . Sara says if fate wants us to meet , we'll find those . As you can see reality stops right here . Years later they're both set to marry other people . . . but still pine after each other . Then they set out to find each other . Guess what happens ? Utterly predictable with a seriously stupid plot line that works somewhat well . It's got a nice romantic feel , good music and very good acting . Cusack and Beckinsale are both attractive and utterly believable as the couple and there is very strong support from Jermey Piven as Jon's best friend and Molly Shannon as Sara's best friend . Also Eugene Levy throws in a hilarious performance as an anal store clerk . Still , I'm only giving this a 6 - - and that's mostly for the acting . The movie is not that funny and , even at 88 minutes , it feels padded . Also you know EXACTLY where this movie is going to end up so there's no suspense . Basically we got a 1 hour TV movie padded out to a 90 minute theatrical feature . Way too light but somewhat enjoyable . |
479,409 | 463,200 | 56,576 | 6 | Just OK | Story about American Simon Wells ( Macdonald Carey ) meeting British Joan ( Shirley Anne Field ) in England and being attracted to her . Her brother ( Oliver Reed ) has obvious incestuous feelings for her and intends to kill Simon . While they're running from Reed and his gang Simon and Joan come across an isolated government facility by the British seaside . Inside are a number of young children who are being injected with radiation so they'll be the survivors of an imminent nuclear war the British see coming . Strange film for Hammer pictures . It's bleak , negative and has no happy ending . Also it doesn't have Peter Cushing of Christopher Lee around - - but Oliver Reed makes up for that . I also realize it has a cult following but I really can't see why . The script is slow-moving with some bad dialogue and , with the sole exceptions of Reed and Field , the acting is pretty lousy . Viveca Lindfors ( playing a lesbian ) tries but can't bring anything to her character at all . The children themselves are so emotionless and matter of fact that you don't believe or even care much about their situation . There are some good moments at the end when the kids try to escape but that's about it . On the plus side it is well-directed and there's some beautiful wide screen black & white cinematography . . . but I was mostly bored . This was unreleased in the US until 1965 and it was cut by 17 minutes when it did show up . The idea that a government would be experimenting on children was pretty horrific and controversial for 1961 . The complete version is the one playing on TV . Sci-fi fans might like this one . |
478,307 | 463,200 | 39,377 | 6 | Silly but OK | Movie designed to introduce Ricardo Montalban to American audiences . It's a drama - - NOT a musical . There are a few musical numbers but that's it . This takes place in Mexico and has Montalban and Esther Williams playing twins . No - - I'm not kidding ! If you can swallow that you might like this . Their father is a great bullfighter and expects his son to be the same . However his son Mario ( Mantalban ) wants be a musician . His sister Maria ( Williams ) is better at bullfighting then him . You can probably guess the rest . EXTREME PLOT SPOILER IN THIS PARAGRAPH ! ! ! Pretty forgettable as a drama . The situations are just silly , the dialogue pedestrian and you just KNOW how this is going to end . Also Williams isn't much of a dramatic actress . This film could have ended after an hour but this drags it out and gets REAL stupid during the second act . Williams has to bullfight in place of her brother - - but nobody notices the difference ! Seriously - - everybody thought Williams was her brother ? ? ? ? Even for a 1940s movie that's pushing it . Still it's not completely terrible . It's done with the usual MGM gloss and is shot in bright Technicolor . Montalban , Williams and Cyd Charisse are so young and beautiful and so full of life that it rubs off on the audience . The dance sequences with Montalban and Charisse are just incredible - - I never knew he could dance ! Williams even has a ( brief ) swimming scene . There's also some good acting from Akim Taminoff as Chato and Mary Astor as Williams and Montalbans mother . So it's silly but enjoyable as a no brainer . The dancing scenes alone make this worth seeing . I give it a 6 . |
478,689 | 463,200 | 52,427 | 6 | Kids might like it | Story about Tom Thumb ( Russ Tamblyn ) who is no bigger than someone's thumb . He gets involved with two bumbling crooks ( Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers ) and such . Kids might like it but this is pretty hard going . Basically this is more of a musical than anything else . The songs are ( to be nice ) unmemorable and annoying . It got to the point that I was dreading each song - - and there are LOTS of them ! The story ( what there is of it ) is very slight and the lapses in logic were puzzling even for a fairy tale movie . Terry-Thomas ( chewing the scenery ) and Peter Sellers were stupid and unfunny and Alan Young and June Thorburn were unbelievably bland as young lovers . On the plus side Tamblyn was good in the title role , the dances are colorful and there's some really cool stop motion animation with Tom's toys . So kids will probably like this ( although they might howl at the stop motion animation which looks clumsy next to CGI ) but I was bored silly and couldn't wait for this to be over . I give it a 6 . |
479,326 | 463,200 | 95,270 | 6 | Doesn't age well | I loved this film back in 1988 . . . 13 years later I don't . John Waters first PG rated film was considered fresh , innovative and funny back then . It was . . . back then . It just doesn't hold up well . The plot is ( to put it mildly ) thin , all the characters are skin-deep and the jokes are either forced and / or unfunny . The small roles filled by various stars are sometimes good ( Debbie Harry is wonderful ) but , most of the time , are really off ( Sonny Bono ? ? ? Pia Zadora ? ? ? ! ! ! ? ? ) . Also Waters isn't such a great director - - some of the sequences are horribly staged and he does NOT know how the shoot dances . Remember , his films are well-known for their content not their cinematic quality . What keeps this film going is a great soundtrack ( all from the early 60s when the movie takes place ) , fun hairstyles & costumes and some very good acting . Divine ( in , sadly , his last role ) is fun as Edna Turnblad , Tracey's harried mother . As Tracey herself , Ricki Lake is perfect . She's plump , pretty and absolutely adorable . Colleen Fitzpatrick is also good as Amber , a rich witch . Ruth Brown is having a whale of a time playing Motormouth Maybell ( interesting clothes Ruth ! ) . The only real bad performance is by Michael St . Gerard ( notice his career went nowhere after this ) . He's handsome and a dead ringer for Elvis ( who he played in a 1990 TV mini ) but bland . Of course , the script doesn't give him much to do . Considered to be Waters ' most accessible ( I agree ) and best ( I disagree ) film . Give me " Pink Flamingoes " or " Serial Mom " anyday over this ! |
477,661 | 463,200 | 95,271 | 6 | For a sequel it was pretty good | This picks up 10 years after " Halloween " ( which is correct - - this WAS released 10 years after the original ) . Michael Myers is being transported to a hospital and he hears he has a 9 year old niece ( Danielle Harris ) still alive . He quickly escapes from the ambulance ( after killing everybody ) and heads back to Haddonfield to kill her . Dr . Sam Loomis ( Donald Pleasence ) is hot on his trail . We're supposed to believe him and Michael survived the blast from the end of " Halloween 2 " ! For a sequel it's not bad . This one thankfully doesn't go for nonstop graphic gore ( like " Halloween 2 " ) and is pretty tame . There IS some gore but it's mild compared to other 80s slasher films . There's good acting by Pleasance , Ellie Dornell ( as Rachel ) and Harris is incredible . There's also a nice restrained use of the original " Halloween " score . And the ending is GREAT ! However there are problems with this . Continuity error abound ; Myers hair turns WHITE twice ( ! ! ! ) ; he can seemingly transport himself to wherever the victim is ( must have taken lessons from Jason Voorhees ) and Harris ' character goes through an amazing amount of abuse for any child ( but it does figure into the ending ) . I caught this in a theatre back in 1988 and was underwhelmed - - but it was MUCH better than " Halloween 5 " ( which followed the next year ) . So - - for a sequel - - it's not bad . |
478,371 | 463,200 | 74,226 | 6 | Pretty interesting | Thriller about a drug called " Blue Sunshine " . It seems a bunch of kids took it in college in 1966 . Ten years later it starts to affect them . They have horrible headaches . . . then all their hair falls out . . . THEN they become homicidal maniacs ! Jerry Zipkin ( Zalman King ) is unjustly accused of the murders . While on the run from the police him and his girlfriend Alicia ( Deborah Winters ) try to find out what's going on . And what does politician Ed Fleming ( Mark Goddard ) have to do with it ? Interesting premise but this movie does have some problems . King and Winters are just dreadful actors and have zero sexual chemistry between them ; some of the dialogue is horrendous ( and delivered badly ) ; the plot has huge loopholes and where's the ending ? Still , I did keep watching and found it pretty good . The plot itself is interesting ; there's some great acting from Goddard and Robert Walden ( as a doctor ) ; there are some suspenseful scenes ; some very violent ( and bloody ) murders and lots of nice directorial touches by Jeff Lieberman ( love the opening credits ! ) . This got virtually no release in 1976 and is now ( understandably ) a cult film . Worth catching . |
477,434 | 463,200 | 70,355 | 6 | So-so sequel to " Dirty Harry " | Interesting plot - - a bunch of cops take the law into their own hands and execute those they think deserve it . Good thing Harry Callahn ( Clint Eastwood ) is on hand to stop them . The original " Dirty Harry " had its problems - - it was stupid , sadistic and sexist . But it moved quickly and was never dull . This one isn't stupid but it's VERY cruel ( the murder of a hooker is particularly sick ) , sexist ( not one positive female character at all and when the hooker is killed , it's shot to turn on the men in the audience ) and moves way too slowly and is too long ( at least 20 minutes too long ) . We get a hijacking sequence and a gun shootout contest which are not needed and bring the film to a sceeching halt . Also the extreme violence ( car chases , crashes and lots of bloody gunfights ) is curiously unexciting . The only fun here is seeing Eastwood and unknowns Tim Matheson , David Soul and Suzanne Somers ( blink and you'll miss her ) so young and full of energy . Also , the acting is pretty bad . . . especially Hal Holbrook who walks through his role . |
479,507 | 463,200 | 66,559 | 6 | Has its moments but gets repetitious | Originally X rated version of Allen Funt's Candid Camera TV show . This involves people running into naked women ( and men ) in the most ordinary situations . One involves a totally nude woman trying to get help with her car that broke down . Another has a nude woman in an office building casually waiting for the elevator . Another has a nude statue of a man that starts talking to a secretary at work . At first this was funny but it gets tiresome . It's basically different variations of the same joke done over and over again . The reactions are hilarious however , the movie has a very light-hearted tone and all the nude people ( men and women ) are attractive . This was cut down in 1982 to get an R rating and that's the version I saw . . . but it was long enough . My favorite reactions : a guy looking at a nude woman up and down while waiting for an elevator casually says to her , " Nice outfit " ; a secretary while on the phone tells a nude talking male statute near her desk to be quiet ! So it is fun but it's just the same thing over and over . I'd love to see the complete X version someday . |
477,554 | 463,200 | 83,767 | 6 | So-so | George Romero directed and Stephen King scripted this five part horror film . Romero directed this as a homage to EC horror comics of the 1950s and does a very nice job . Unfortunately King's stories and overlong , dull and pretty obvious . " Father's Day " , about a murdered man getting his revenge , is enjoyable and has a good jolt in it with a fun performance by Viveca Lindfors . Also a young Ed Harris ( with hair ! ) pops up . " The Lonesome Death of Jody Verrill " is horrible - - really dull . It's all about Verrill ( Stephen King acting like he's on " Hee Haw " ) having an unfortunate encounter with a meteor . Bad acting , unfunny script , lousy special effects - - just terrible . " Something to Tide You Over " ( about two murdered people coming back from the dead for revenge ) is OK with two dramatic turns by Ted Danson ( ! ) and Leslie Nielsen ( ! ! ) . " The Crate " about a monster with a bad attitude is great - - funny , gory and scary . The best out of all of them . " They're Creeping Up On You " has a good performance by E . G . Marshall as a man with a severe bug phobia . An OK horror film with very good , inventive direction by Romero . If only the film had been shorter ( it's too long at 125 minutes ) and the stories better . |
478,192 | 463,200 | 245,115 | 6 | Not as bad as I heard | A bisexual young man ( Michael Cunio ) gets a job at a porno company to get close to a porn star ( Scott Gurney ) that he's in love with . Unfortunately , the star is straight and living with his girlfriend . This film got some savage reviews in the gay press so I expected the worst . But it was pretty good . It starts off as a mild but very funny comedy and suddenly veers off into depressing drama at the end . It's jarring but it does end up working . Still , the ending was pretty bad and very negative . All in all , it's an OK film with a funny view of the gay porn industry . The acting is good - - especially by Gurney . He absolutely gorgeous with an incredible body . . . and he can act ! He's VERY pleasing to the eyes . Cunio is just OK as the kid . Not bad , not good , just OK . Also Deborah Harry ( Blondie ) turns in a strong performance as a strip club owner . One big problem : Despite the subject matter , there is no frontal male nudity ! ! ! ! Whose idea was that ? |
479,443 | 463,200 | 213,149 | 6 | Too long , too depressing | A movie about the events leading to Pearl Harbor and the aftermath up to when America bombed Tokyo . The movie looks beautiful - - some of the shots literally took my breath away . The special effects are very realistic . The film is historically accurate ( but the three main characters are fictional ) and the action scenes are exciting if a little bit too fast and furious ( I almost wish I had brought some Dramamine with me ) . A rousing music score is great too . All the acting is good too ( especially Ben Affleck and Kate Breckinsale - - Josh Hartnett is OK ) . Also there's strong supporting roles done by Alec Baldwin , Jon Voight ( as President Roosevelt ! ) and Dan Aykroyd ( very good in a straight dramatic role ) . But I don't like the movie . It's way too long ( 3 hours - - this easily could have been done in 2 or even 2 hours ) ; the script is chock-full of every war movie cliche you can think of ( right down to all the Japanese being evil and cold-blooded ) and the direction - - Michael Bay is very good at action - - he is horrendous at romance . The love scenes between Kate Brekinsale and Ben Affleck have some of the worst dialogue I've ever heard in my life - - the actors deserve credit for keeping a straight face while mouthing those lines . Also you do not film a love scene with the camera jammed in the actors faces - - Affleck and Brekinsale are both beautiful - - we don't need constant close-ups to prove it . Also , there are reports that Michael Bay was uncomfortable directing the women in the film . . . it shows . Beckinsale and the other women in the cast are good , but they seem to be unsure of how to play scenes . I don't blame them - - I blame the director . Also , Cuba Gooding Jr . ' s part is little more than a glorified cameo . What is he doing in this ? His total screen time amounts to ( maybe ) 15 minutes ! The destruction of Pearl Harbor is unbelievable . It's also very grim and looks way too realistic . It's 40 minutes of ships blowing up , men ( and women ) getting gunned down in cold blood or drowning to death . It's not entertaining - - it's depressing . Also , I saw it at a preview audience - - people were hissing the film at the end . What does that tell you ? I can't recommend this film . But if you're a history buff you might enjoy it . Just brace yourself for some really bad dialogue . |
478,743 | 463,200 | 56,868 | 6 | This is supposed to be funny ? | I didn't laugh much . It's a pretty sad tale about a young man ( Tom Courtenay ) in a dead end job with an unhappy home life who lies and constantly escapes into a fantasy world . I got most of the jokes ( sometimes the English accents are hard to understand ) , but they just weren't very funny . Also the satire of the business world was pretty dated . It is worth seeing for beautiful black & white photography ( you have to see it letter-boxed or on a big screen - - there's no other way ) , good acting and directing and a marvelous performance by Julie Christie . When she was on screen that movie zoomed to life . She's so young and beautiful and full of spunk - - too bad she's only in the last section . So , worth seeing , but no masterpiece . |
478,038 | 463,200 | 74,475 | 6 | Not uninteresting but slow and kind of silly | Dr . Paul Holliston ( Rock Hudson ) is experimenting with fetuses . He manages to remove one from the body of a dying dog and keep it alive AND make it a full grown dog within a few weeks ! He gets the body of a dying pregnant woman . He removes her fetus and also keeps it alive and , within a few weeks , has a full grown female named Victoria ( Barbara Carrera ) . Oh yes - - she also is a genius . But it seems her and the dog acquire some homicidal tendencies and things slowly fall apart . . . I'm no scientist but I find the science in this questionable . I realize it's just a movie but it's introduced with a statement from an ( allegedly ) actual scientist who says the events in this film could happen . Uh huh . Well . . . it's been 30 years and I've never heard about this actually taking place . Factual issues aside this is OK . It moves slowly and , really , the plot is kind of silly but it's somewhat interesting . Unfortunately it falls apart completely at the end and gets pretty sick ( and stupid ) . ! ! ! PLOT SPOILERS ! ! ! One of the more interesting scenes include when the dog actually kills another dog . Sounds sick but there's no blood and it's hysterically obvious that the dog being killed is a dummy and not real . Actually the dog here is super intelligent and seeing in preform tricks that a normal dog couldn't do was fun . Also note the now antique technology shown at one point . There is a VERY fun scene where Carrera whips obnoxious Roddy McDowell ( chewing the scenery ) at a chess game ! This may or may not be a selling point to some , but there's a bit of fairly explicit nudity ( for a PG film ) from Carrera . ! ! ! SPOILER END ! ! ! The acting wavers . Hudson ( who could be good ) is terrible . He looks miserable and doesn't try to hide his disinterest . Diane Ladd is totally wasted as a helper of his . Carrera is very beautiful and surprisingly good as Victoria . She manages to keep the movie going almost single handedly . So - - it's an OK sci-fi movie . Just pretty silly and slow at times . I give it a 6 . |
478,845 | 463,200 | 47,209 | 6 | OK but nothing exceptional | Fictional tale of Jack the Ripper ( here played by Jack Palance ) and his trying to keep his identity secret and falling for a beautiful actress . This is well-made - - it seems a lot of money went into the sets , costumes and furnishings . Also it's atmospheric with fog-bound streets and shot in moody black and white . Still , this is nothing great or new . The story has been filmed many times before and better ( notably Hitchcock's silent " The Lodger " and the sound version ) . You know how it's going to end so there's little suspense . But - - it's worth seeing for Planace - - he's mostly the whole show . He was born to play this role . He adopts a soft , quiet voice and gentle disposition . . . but you always see the violence and madness lurking underneath . So it's worth seeing for him but - - overall - - I found this kind of drab and lifeless . Also there are two LONG dull musical numbers shoehorned in . I give it a 6 . |
479,514 | 463,200 | 60,818 | 6 | Silly | Pretty dumb comedy about neglected wife Natalie Wood becoming a kleptomaniac to get her husband's ( Ian Bannen's ) attention . She even sees a psychiatrist ( a very annoying Dick Shawn ) to try to be cured . Then she robs her husband's bank and things just get sillier . . . This isn't a total bomb . It's beautifully photographed - - I've never seen NYC look like this ; the settings and costumes are incredible ; Wood is just gorgeous and Bannen is handsome and actually quite amusing as her husband . But two things destroy this - - the script and Shawn . Shawn is WAY over the top in his performance - - he's not funny just annoying . The script is pretty poor - - there are a few good parts here and there but most of the comedy is just BAD ! ! ! Wood and Bannen give it their all but the material just isn't there . The rest of the cast just overacts ( horribly ) . It leads to a " happy " ending which had me rolling my eyes . So it's worth seeing for Wood , Bannen , the cinematography ( letter boxing is a must ) and some mildly humorous material . Otherwise - - forget it . I give it a 6 . |
478,281 | 463,200 | 416,706 | 6 | Pretty good but lacking | This was being pushed as a sexy camp TV movie . It's not . It's a ( purportedly ) factual account of how the TV show Dynasty was developed and what eventually killed it . It follows the married producer and writer team of the show - - it shows how their lives were affected and why they came up with the more outrageous plot lines ( the lily pond fight , the Moldavian massacre , etc . ) and the 1991 reunion show that wrapped up everything . There are also a few vicious but funny jabs at the Dynasty spin off The Colbys . I do like the fact it doesn't ignore the gay fans of the show and on it and Alice Krige is obviously having a whale of a time playing Joan Collins . The most fun out of this comes from seeing unknown actors playing well-known actors ! With a few exceptions ( Krige especially ) they look nothing like the people they're playing ! Also it shows all the actors in a positive light - - even Collins and Evans are shown as being great friends ( no way that's true ) . Still , it was not that good . It moved slowly and , on TV , they loaded the commercials during the last hour so it took forever . And I do question how factual this movie is . Still it's fun for a mindless two hours . |
478,302 | 463,200 | 74,455 | 6 | Interesting but not successful | Story about Judd ( Neville Brand ) who runs the decrepit Starlight Hotel . He has a pet crocodile around who he regularly feeds visitors he doesn't like . Things get out of control when a family consisting of a mother ( Marilyn Burns ) , a very weird father ( Frank Finley ) and a little girl ( Kyle Richards ) drop by to spend the night . Tobe Hooper's second film ( after " The Texas Chainsaw Massacre " ) is bizarre ( to say the least ) . The hotel ( where most of this takes place ) is pretty obviously a set on a sound stage but it looks convincingly run down and Hooper shoots most of the scenes through a red filter . It gives everything a very unhealthy look . He also has strange songs and noises continuously on the soundtrack to keep you feeling uneasy . The plot itself doesn't make a whole lot of sense but Hooper got a very good and interesting cast - - most of them were in horror movies or shows of the past and future . Carolyn Jones ( who plays a madam ) was in " The Munster " TV series ; Brand himself was in quite a few horror films ; Burns was in Hooper's previous " Chainsaw " ; Richards played one of the kids in " Halloween " and even Robert Englund ( Mr . Freddy Krueger himself ) has a small role . Old pros Stuart Whitman and Mel Ferrer pop up too . The film also has the expected gratuitous female nudity and few good gory killings . As for the crocodile - - you only see it a few times and it looks pretty fake . Still it manages to work . The cast is great - - especially Brand , Burns and Englund . Only Finley is bad ( he acts like he's in another movie altogether ) . This was Hooper's first Hollywood film and ( supposedly ) there were tons of problems . There's an unconfirmed rumor that Hooper was fired early on and Carolyn Jones finished directing this uncredited . That would explain why the red filter shots stop abruptly halfway through the film and it would explain the choppiness of the final product . This was badly distributed ( it played mostly drive-ins ) and sank without a trace . This is no unsung masterpiece but it is a quick , sleazy and pretty disturbing horror movie . I like this better than " Chainsaw " ( which I hated ) . I give this a 6 . |
477,781 | 463,200 | 57,063 | 6 | Seriously - - how can you hate this ? | A " red plague " has hit the Florida Keys and fisherman Porter Ricks ( Chuck Connors ) and son Sandy ( Luke Halpin ) can't find fish to make a living . But Sandy saves a dolphin from dying and they became buddies . ( I know I know - - but this IS a kids film ) . Flipper ( as the kid names him ) leads them to a place with plenty of fish and saves Sandy from a killer shark ( stop smirking ! ) . OK - - the plot is ridiculous and the same shots are used a LOT but it's really hard to hate this film . The underwater photography is impressive and Flipper himself is so cute he's hard to resist . Despite the totally stupid plot I found myself grinning whenever Flipper did cute things like jump out of the water or " talk " to the kid . Also Connors is surprisingly good as a tough ( but nice ) father and Halpin is easily one of the most likable child actors I've ever seen . He's nice and friendly - - he acts just like a kid would . I admit the title song ( first played about an hour in ) is hysterically bad but I sort of enjoyed it . This is a perfect kids movie - - especially if they love animals . I know not everyone loves dolphins but I do and I found this silly movie quite enjoyable . I give it a 6 . |
477,339 | 463,200 | 338,459 | 6 | Not as good as the first . . . | . . . I never saw the second , but this was OK . The story is kind of confusing . Juni Cortez ( Daryl Sabara ) has to enter a video games designed by the Toymaker ( Sylvester Stallone ! ! ! ) to save his sister Carmen ( Alexa Vega ) and aided by his grandfather ( Ricardo Montalban ) . And the game , if activated , will control all the minds of the children playing them . I didn't like the movie at first . The plot was vague , the jokes silly and when Juni enters the game no rules are given . Very annoying . . . and I never liked video games anyways . But eventually the story clears up , the special effects are impressive and ( best of all ) the whole trip inside the game ( 95 % of the movie ) is in 3-D ! I've always loved wearing those glasses and having things thrown at you . The effects didn't always work ( sometimes I saw double images instead of 3-D ) but when it did work it was great ! And I didn't have one of those 3-D headaches afterwards ! The acting was just OK - - this movie was basically made to show off the special effects . And top-billed Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino have maybe 10 minutes screen time combined - - although Banderas is clearly having a FUN time ! Montalban is just great as the kids grandfather but Stallone is disappointing as the main villain . He tries but he was never good at doing comedy . So I'm giving it a 6 mostly for the special effects and the 3-D . Forget what little there is of a story . Also stay seated for some funny outtakes right after the 3-D closing credits . |
479,356 | 463,200 | 373,469 | 6 | Sick , violent , pitch black comedy / detective movie | Harry Lockhart ( Robert Downey Jr . ) through a bunch of experiences too convoluted ( and unbelievable ) to explain ends up solving multiple murders with gay Gay Perry ( Val Kilmer ) . Involved is beautiful Harmony Faith Lane ( Michelle Monaghan ) . This film definitely has its audience . The reviews here are positive and critics are falling all over themselves praising . I HATED this film myself . For starters it's one of those films where they give you a likable character ( Downey ) and have him beaten up multiple times , shot at , mutilated , tortured . . . all for laughs . Also the movie is broken up into four days ( I think ) and each day is " named " with a title from a Raymond Chandler novel . This isn't cute or amusing . . . just stupid . The plot is also VERY convoluted - - it's almost impossible to follow at times . And there's virtual non-stop swearing . And I got pretty disgusted with scenes of gruesome violence played for laughs . I stayed with the movie for a few reasons - - Downey was superb ( and narrates the entire film ) ; Kilmer very nicely underplays his role and the dialogue IS sharp and good . But I was either puzzled , sickened or just plain BORED by this movie . This is a pitch black comedy - - TOO black for me . I give it a 6 for Downey and Kilmer alone . |
479,627 | 463,200 | 56,983 | 6 | Axe murders ala Coppola | Louise Haloran's ( Luana Anders ) husband dies suddenly . She realizes she won't get a cent from his inheritance if this is found out . She hides the body and goes to the Haloran estate ( an Irish castle ) for some creepy ceremony saying her husband had business concerns . Then axe murders start . . . This has REALLY been overpraised by a few posters . Just because Coppola made it it doesn't mean it's automatically a good movie . And Coppola later on went to make one of the worst horror films of all time - - " Bram Stoker's Dracula " . It was made on next to no budget ( it shows ) with a script Coppola whipped up overnight . Also , with the exception of the axe murders , the direction is uninspired . The script is bad with plenty of dull spots ( one character talks endlessly about the same dream TWICE ) ; the identity of the murderer is laughably obvious and the acting is just terrible . Most of the prints available are in lousy shape too . The only reasons to really see this are the axe murders - - they're VERY scary ( especially the first when Anders comes out of the water ) and pretty gory for its day ( it would probably still get an R today ) . Also there is a creepy music score and the setting ( an actual castle in Ireland ) is beautiful . I just wish the acting had been better and good luck figuring out the plot . A 6 - - only for the murders . |
477,421 | 463,200 | 313,196 | 6 | It's OK but what's the big deal ? | Young father Amaro ( Gael Garcia Bernal ) is assigned to a small church in a small town in Mexico . There he finds corruption in the church running wild . He wants to stay pure and believes in his vows , but he finds himself very attracted to a young girl ( Ana Caludia Talancon ) . . . A huge and controversial hit in Mexico but why ? Corruption in the Catholic church is old news here and - - compared to what's going on in the church now - - everything that happens in this movie is pretty tame . This story has been done before - - and much better . Every single twist and turn was predictable - - by the end , I got the feeling I was watching a Mexican soap opera ! It's pretty well done with good performances by Bernal and Talancon but it has a punishingly slow pace and the constant predictability wears ones patience . Maybe in Mexico this is pretty strong stuff , but not here . Just so-so . |
477,900 | 463,200 | 39,545 | 6 | Interesting but little else | Adaptation of a Raymond Chandler novel . Private investigator Philip Marlowe ( Robert Montgomery ) is hired by Adrianne Fromsett ( Audrey Totter ) to find the wife of her boss . This quickly leads to killings , dead bodies , double crosses and some very dangerous women . This picture has a potentially interesting gimmick - - you see almost the whole movie through Montgomery's eyes . The only times you see him is when he's reflected in mirrors or narrating the movie . It sounds like it might work . . . but it doesn't . It quickly gets tiresome and Montgomery's tough guy voice gets annoying . Add to that a VERY convoluted story ( I'm still a little lost at what was happening ) , a totally unbelievable happy ending ( although that was probably imposed by the Hays Office ) , some way over the top acting by Jayne Meadows and non-stop tough guy talk and macho posturing by virtually all the male characters . On the good side - - it does move quickly , I was truthfully never bored , Dick Simmons has fun with his very small role as Chris Lavery and Totter does try in her role . This was ( understandably ) not a big hit and thankfully stopped any studio from trying this again . Still , there are worse movies and it IS interesting in a strange sort of way . The biggest problem is that Raymond Chandler's novels are almost impossible to adapt into movies . They're good but so much happens in them that trying to cram it all into a two hour movie is next to impossible . This one deserves credit for trying . I give it a 6 . |
479,455 | 463,200 | 338,526 | 6 | Not the disaster I heard it was - - but not good at all | In the 18th century , Gabriel Van Helsing ( Hugh Jackman ) who is working for the church ( ? ? ? ) travels to Romania with a monk Carl ( David Wenham ) to battle Dracula ( Richard Roxburgh ) , his three brides , the Wolf Man ( Will Kemp ) and the Frankenstein Monster ( Shuler Hensley ) . He's helped by feisty Anna Valerious ( Kate Beckinsale ) . This has been trashed by critics everywhere . No it isn't good at all . . . but I've seen worse . It starts off great with a black & white prologue dealing with Dr . Frankenstein creating the Monster for Dracula . The doctor is killed and so is his creation ( supposedly ) . Then it cuts to a year later with Van Helsing being sent to battle Dracula and his three wives who are attacking a nearby village for blood . There he finds a werewolf roaming about also and the Monster is alive . But Dracula wants the monster to . . . . FORGET IT ! The plot just gets more vague and sillier as it goes on . Anyways plot is not the reason this movie exists - - it's done to push CGI down our throats . There's LOTS of action in this film , incredible special effects ( all are CGI ) and tons of explosions and such - - - but I was bored . The plot is WAY too vague and the dialogue is on the level of an Archie comic book . There's no characterizations or depth to ANY of the characters - - how was I supposed to care for these people when I didn't know who they were ? Also this film has way too much going on it in - - the opening has Van Helsing killing Mr . Hyde ( and Dr . Jekyll too ) ! And pitting him against THREE monsters was just overkill . Jackman was very good ( considering he had nothing to do ) . Beckinsale was terrible but it's not her fault . Wenham unfortunately plays the " comic " relief ( and is hating every second of it ) . Kemp has little screen time but he is good ( and VERY handsome ) . Hensley is good as Frankenstein's monster . The makeup on the vampires and werewolves was VERY impressive too . And there was a great fight between two monsters at the end . But it's all money and CGI and no plot or characters . It's also frustrating that the violence was really toned down for the PG-13 - - there's next to no blood or gore in this film . And it's TOO LONG - - an elaborate masquerade party could have been left out completely ( and is a total ripoff of Roman Polanski's " The Fearless Vampire Killers " ) . This was a bomb at the box office so we're ( thankfully ) not going to get any sequels . I can't recommend it - - but kids will like it . |
479,116 | 463,200 | 74,593 | 6 | Paws in the woods | Rip-off of " Jaws " . A giant grizzly bear is ( inexplicably ) attacking humans in a forest . It's up to Christopher George and friends to track him down . I saw this in a theatre when I was 14 and never forgot it . At the time it ( sort of ) scared me . The bear itself I thought looked kind of cuddly - - even when it was growling and showing its fangs . The attacks were ( for a PG movie ) pretty bloody and had me actually cringing in my seat ! The show stoppers were when a little boy is attacked ( we don't actually SEE it , but we do see half his leg torn off ) and when , with a swipe of its claw , the grizzly decapitates a horse ! Silly . . . but effective ! Also there's some really beautiful scenery here ( if you see it letterboxed ) . So , this is a good gross-out movie for kids - - there is a lot of blood but you don't take it seriously . As for the rest of it - - the acting and characterizations are strictly by the numbers . Good example of a 1970s exploitation film . |
479,658 | 463,200 | 52,820 | 6 | Scared me silly as a kid | Hilarious little horror film involving a curse on the Drake family - - each male member of the family is killed at age 60 and decapitated ! There's more but it's really too complicated ( and unbelievable ) to go into . I originally saw this on a local TV station on a Saturday afternoon in the 1970s . I was in the fourth grade and it scared me silly ! A shot of a headless corpse in a coffin really did it for me . I saw it again in high school and just thought it was silly . Seeing as an adult it still IS silly - - - but in a good way . This is a LOW budget film with tacky looking sets ( obviously borrowed from another picture ) and a cast of virtual unknowns . The only name here is Henry Damiell who looks miserable . Also Valerie French is just terrible . Good acting is given by Grant Richard ( as Lt . Rowan ) and Eduard Franz ( as Jonathan Drake ) . This is not a good movie but worth seeing - - for laughs . The plot is really out there ( especially a twist at the end ) . Also notice the vault with electric lighting ( ! ! ! ) and a knife used at the end that is ( pretty obviously ) rubber . LOVED the way it shook ! A camp classic ! |
478,266 | 463,200 | 57,197 | 6 | Great special effects | Ray Harryhausen's special effects are the only reason to see the movie . The script is somewhat literate but boring , the acting is pretty bad ( although some people were dubbed over ) and it doesn't really end . But when Harryhausen's creations are on-screen , the movie is fantastic . There are some quibbles - - some of these creatures move REAL slow and the harpies don't look anything like harpies . But these are minor points . The stop-motion animation is flawless and the climatic fight with skeletons is truly amazing . Worth seeing , but don't go out of your way to see it . |
477,728 | 463,200 | 416,315 | 6 | It's OK - - that's about it | Purportedly based on fact story set in Australia in 1999 . Three likable 20 somethings - - Ben ( Nathan Phillips ) , Liz ( Cassandra Magarth ) and Kristy ( Kertie Morassi ) - - go to Wolf Creek . It's a remote part of Australia where a meteor had landed . The car breaks down and they're stuck in the middle of nowhere . Then , after dark , a local man shows up and says he'll help them . . . and then the nightmare begins . I can't understand why there's so much hype surrounding this . It IS gory and brutal . . . but nothing special . I've seen this story before and saying it's based on real events doesn't make it anymore different . It's a little - - only a LITTLbetter than similar American horror flicks . It's done with the same shaky camera-work and washed out color - - but it DOES have three characters you actually like and who have personalities , unlike the cardboard cutouts that most American horror films have . It works in the films favor because when the violence starts it really is hard to watch . You actually like and know these people - - seeing them tortured is horrifying . The film one fatal flaw is it takes a full hour before anything happens - - everything in that first hour is just the three main people talking and interacting . I have nothing against character development - - but a full HOUR ? ? ? They're all pretty good in their roles so that makes it somewhat interesting . Phillips is very handsome , buff and cheerful as Ben - - Magarth is strong , intelligent and completely convincing - - Morassi unfortunately is given the victim role so she has little to do but scream and whimper . By the time everything kicked in I was more than ready for it . Be warned the violence is STRONG and incredibly bloody - - three people walk out when I went to see it . So it's OK - - but nothing great or groundbreaking . I give this a marginal recommendation to horror fans - - all others stay away . |
479,667 | 463,200 | 39,892 | 6 | Not as bad as I heard it was | This unremarkable film got a lot of notoriety in the 1970s when it was included in the book " The Fifty Worst Films of All Time " . The film isn't good but it's nowhere near one of the worst films ever made ! Mary Hagen ( Shirley Temple ) is believed to be the illegitimate child of Tom Bates ( Ronald Reagan ! ) . He left town when she was a baby and Mary was adopted by the Hagens - - a kindly elderly couple . He returns when she's 18 and in high school . The rumors start up again and the town starts to do everything to make Mary feel like it's her fault that she's illegitimate . This easily has some bizarre casting . Temple maybe being the illegitimate kid of Reagan is pretty silly but then we have Lois Maxwell as a kind teacher and Rory Calhoun playing her boyfriend ! Casting aside this film is obvious and pretty silly by today's standards . The script is dreadful - - full of bad dialogue and incredibly clichéd situations . A deathbed confession actually had me laughing out loud ! Still , it is a somewhat interesting view of how small towns ( and minds ) treated illegitimate kids back in the 1940s . The acting is pretty bad by the leads - - Reagan seems unsure of what he's doing and seeing Temple trying to act - - well it's not pretty ! Maxwell and Calhoun easily give the best performances . This was well made on a small budget and was ( for its time ) a pretty risky subject . Worth seeing for camp value alone . Wait'll you see Temple playing Juliet in the school play ! Most puzzling line : " Why don't you go away and catch yourself you foul ball ! " ( ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ) |
477,864 | 463,200 | 60,491 | 6 | It's OK | Movie based on part of James Michener's massive novel . In the 1860s Father Hale ( Max von Sydow ) and his wife Jerusha ( Julie Andrews ) go to Hawaii to bring religion to the Hawaiian people . This movie follows their lives through about 20 years and involves rape , disease , death and incest ( pretty taboo for 1966 ) . LONG , lumbering " epic " . It's 3 hours but felt more like 30 hours ! The pace is very slow and von Sydow's character is very annoying . He's always preaching and von Sydow overacts to an embarrassing degree . More than once I wanted to take his Bible and hit him over the head with it . Andrews is a wonderful actress - - but not here . She seems to be constrained by her role and very muted . The film has some good things about it . It is well-directed on location in Hawaii with beautiful cinematography . The score is very good too - - it matches the images perfectly . And it's fun to see Carroll O'Connor and Gene Hackman in early roles . Also there's a superb performance by Jocelyn LaGarde ( Oscar-nominated ) as the island ruler . Also von Sydow's two real life sons play his sons in this movie ! I watched to the end because I was interested in some of the characters and the scenery was gorgeous - - but I was mostly bored by the slow pace and von Sydow's histrionics . I can only give this a 6 . |
479,035 | 463,200 | 100,405 | 6 | Troubling . . . but I did like it | Rich man Edward Lewis ( Richard Gere ) gets lost in CA looking for Beverly Hills . He asks directions from prostitute Vivian Ward ( Julia Roberts ) . She quickly gets in the car with him , they get there . . . and he invites her to stay for the night . And slowly they ( sigh ) fall in love . . . SPOILERS ! ! ! OK - - on one hand this movie is pretty sick . All the prostitutes look like models - - perfect health , clothes , teeth etc etc . Prostitution is shown as an OK lifestyle ( that's how Roberts meets Gere ) but just a little risky . Also everything looks perfect in this film - - even the prostitutes apartment ! It also ends with Roberts giving over herself to Gere totally . First of all is the implication that a woman NEEDS a man to survive and , second , she still is a prostitute - - but just for him . That's a pretty disturbing message . The film plays lip service to occasionally telling us how horrible the career is - - but everything they show is picture perfect . Also the film's R rating won't prevent kids from seeing it . I can imagine what they're gonna get from this . There's also a particularly sick sequence when Jason Alexander tries to rape her . THIS is a romantic comedy ? END SPOILER ! ! ! That aside I DID like the film . The script is sharp ( Roberts pulls off some great lines ) , there's a great soundtrack and even the supporting cast works . The two best are Laura San Giacomo and Hector Elizondo ( nominated for a Golden Globe ) . Gere and Roberts are excellent - - they're both attractive people and have a great chemistry together . This is a little too long and I find the ultimate message troubling ( and kind of sick ) . . . but I'd be lying if I said I hated it . A 6 . |
478,443 | 463,200 | 57,242 | 6 | Well-done , but I was bored | Good acting and direction in scary tale about a false nuclear alarm warning . The children and adults are believable and the story has a very downbeat conclusion ( that's probably the reason it's unknown nowadays ) . Still , I was bored . This is a really great idea for a 45 minute short stretched out to 90 minutes . The point is driven into your head repeatedly ( that nuclear war is bad ) and the ending was predictable . So , I can't really recommend this movie . Shocking in its day , but not anymore . |
479,577 | 463,200 | 232,500 | 6 | First drive-in movie of the millenium | Brian O'Conner ( Paul Walker ) wants to join the family of the head of California street racing ( Vin Diesel ) . . . but why ? The plot is comic book level ; the dialogue is very VERY bad . . . but who really cares ? This is a throwback of those dumb 1970s drive-in movies . . . it's for people who like loud , fast films filled with mindless action , attractive women , cars . . . and nothing else . I didn't like the film . It was too loud , too silly and way too long for a dumb action flick . What saves it is some truly incredible action sequences ( the " hijacking " sequence towards the end was unbelievable ) , some very nice , innovative direction , a cast that manages to be good despite the script and a very good performance by Vin Diesel . This was supposed to be Walker's breakthrough film but Diesel steals it away . Also it looks kind of silly to have tall , lean , pretty boy Walker against tall , muscular , severe-looking Diesel . See it for the action and Diesel . During the slow spots admire the cars or the women . |
478,147 | 463,200 | 66,011 | 6 | Could have been great | Few people seem to remember how big this movie was when it came out 1970 . It was HUGa true blockbuster . Lines formed around the block and people kept seeing it again and again and again . Yet today it's virtually forgotten . Seeing it now over 30 years later , it's easy to see why . The story is simple : Boy ( Ryan O'Neal ) meets girl ( Ali McGraw ) , boy gets girl , girl dies of an unnamed terminal disease - - the end . The movie has a lot of good things about it : the absolutely beautiful views of Harvard University and Harvard Square in the winter ; O'Neal and McGraw are both gorgeous ; the theme music ( a deserved Oscar-winner ) is haunting and truly beautiful ; seeing Tommy Lee Jones in his first movie is fun ; old pros Ray Milland and John Marley are having a great time ( and give the only good performances ) and seeing what Cambridge looked like in the early 70s ( it was working class back then - - it's now wall to wall condos ) . Unfortunately there are bad things which greatly outweigh the good . The bad : O'Neal can't act and McGraw is truly abominable - - her character is very foul-mouthed and her acting is wooden ; the dialogue is on the level of an Archie comic book ( with swearing ) ; that line " Love means never having to say you're sorry " is the STUPIDEST line I've ever heard , and two characters you really could care less about . I'm a sucker for sappy movies like this , but I was dry-eyed when McGraw died at the end . All I could think was , " Good ! Maybe she'll stop swearing now ! " But what really bothered me is these two characters had no personality or attraction to each other . I spent the whole movie wondering why they were together . Also the dialogue is pretty horrendous . A better script and actors would have helped . I'm only giving it a 6 for the music and the scenery and one exchange - - " Oliver , you're driving like a maniac ! " " It's Boston - - I'm supposed to drive like a maniac ! " Too true ! |
479,647 | 463,200 | 87,075 | 6 | Not a horror movie and not a good movie either | Most of the film is a dream of almost 13 year old Rosleen ( Sarah Patterson ) . She dreams of living in some remote village in ( I'm guessing ) the 1800s . There her sister is killed by a wolf and she's watched carefully by her mother and father . She also is warned by her lively old grandmother ( Angela Landsbury chewing the scenery ) to never stray from the path in the forest and NEVER talk to a man whose eyebrows meet . It also seems there are wolves roaming about who are actually men . . . SPOILERS VERY odd film . I saw this in 1985 expecting a horror film ( that's what it was pushed as being ) . I was bored and confused and hated it . Watching it now , and realizing it's NOT a horror film , I understand it - - but I still don't think it's a good film . It refuses to have a linear plot and the film is dripping with sexual symbolism - - just look at the forest . It's all about a young girls coming of age . That's about it . Seriously . This film has been praised to the high heavens for the beautiful visuals . . . but pretty pictures don't make a film . I got the point early on and the movie moves very slowly and is confusing . There are also stories within stories that , as far as I can tell , have no bearing on the central plot . There are two man into wolf transformation that are impressive but ( I've heard ) were added at the last minute at the urging of the studio who found they had an art film and not a horror film on their hands . The acting is great across the board - - Patterson was only 13 when she did this and she's just great ; David Warner actually turns in him a restrained ( for him ) and nicely played performance ; Landsbury is clearly having a whale of a time and Micha Bergese turns up towards the end as the Huntsman and gives the movie a big kick start . And wait till you see Terence Stamp playing the Devil ! SPOILERS ENDSo , if you love symbolism and could care less about logic you'll probably love this . I found it slow and boring . It gets a 6 for the acting and the visuals . |
479,347 | 463,200 | 35,423 | 6 | Cute but dumb | Liev Schreiber ( badly used and miscast ) travels from NYC 2002 to NYC 1862 ( the how and why are never really explained ) . While coming back he accidentally brings a 19th century duke Leopold ( Hugh Jackman ) with him . Leopold meets Kate ( Meg Ryan ) and . . . well , you can figure it out from there . The movie looks beautiful , is VERY romantic and Jackman is incredibly handsome , sexy , funny . . . God , those eyes of his . . . but this movie is really dumb . There are some plot turns that are unbelievable ( the time travel is never explained ; Jackman saves Ryan's purse from a mugger on horseback - - literally ; Jackman gets used to the 21st century way too quickly ; do New Yorkers always leave their windows open so someone can clamber in off the fire escape ? ) . Also Ryan has played this part once too often - - she's getting too old and ( sadly ) she looks it . However , Breckin Meyer is very good and funny as her brother . The only reason to see the movie is Jackman - - he's just great . And it IS cute . So , it's worth seeing . |
479,061 | 463,200 | 240,122 | 6 | Sometimes it works | An interesting idea - - the director shot Puccini's opera in three different ways - - in gorgeous color and in full dress on a soundstage ; in black and white of the singers recording the soundtrack in street clothes and some VERY grainy color video of the actual locales in Italy where the opera takes place . It doesn't totally work . The very grainy footage is off putting and totally unnecessary - - luckily , it's not used much . The b+w footage is interesting but distracting at times ( and badly shot ) . The full color playing out is beautiful - - wonderful costumes , gorgeous music and singing ( of course ) but I kept dozing off . The story is very predictable and the opera remains stage-bound . . . it isn't opened up which might have helped . It also moves very slowly . Of the three leads only one is good - - Ruggero Raimondi as the villain . Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghis look absolutely beautiful and those voices , but their acting is only so-so . A must-see for opera lovers , but if you're not an opera fan ( like me ) it's slow-going . |
478,989 | 463,200 | 20,888 | 6 | Mostly of historic interest . . . but not bad | Short in which Bert ( Lynne Overman ) brings his boss ( Berton Churchill ) home to dinner . It seems there's a big promotion that's going to happen in the company and Bert hopes he gets it . His wife ( Sylvia Sidney ) wants it too . Interesting short showing how bad it really was during the Depression . It's made quite clear that the couple barely has enough to eat ( Sidney says she had to go from door to door begging for food ) so you're rooting for them . Sidney was unknown when this was made but she's great . Churchill is good as the boss . Overman was a little TOO whiny for me . No great shakes and more historically important than a good drama but worth seeing if it's on . TCM shows this between movies occasionally . |
477,313 | 463,200 | 278,504 | 6 | What's the big deal ? | An LAPD cop ( Al Pacino ) and his partner ( Martin Donovan ) , are sent to Alaska to help solve the murder of a 17 year old girl . They're helped by a young , eager policewoman ( Hilary Swank ) . Problem is that Pacino can't sleep , things start going horribly wrong and the killer is playing games with Pacino's mind . Sounds a lot better than it actually is . The movies is very quiet and punishingly slow at times . There are twists in the story but they're presented so casually that they have no effect at all . The direction is annoying ( especially during a junkyard sequence ) but there is some stunning cinematography ( Alaska is gorgeous ) . Also , the story has been done before ( and better ) . The performances help somewhat . Pacino is great ( as always ) . He really anchors the film . Swank is just wonderful but criminally underused . SPOILER - - KILLER'S IDENTITY REVEALEDIt's not really a spoiler - - everybody knows Robin Williams plays it - - and he's just dreadful . For starters , he doesn't show up until the movie is half over and he's so wooden and stiff . He ( unwisely ) underplays the role . It doesn't work . Why is this movie being so heavily praised ? Yes , Pacino is great and the director's last movie was " Memento " , but that shouldn't automatically make this a great movie . Very OK - - highly overrated . |
478,905 | 463,200 | 36,336 | 6 | The last 1940s Superman cartoon | A beautiful blonde ( who is never named ) is running away from some men who are shooting at her . Clark Kent intervenes and is knocked out , captured and tied up by the men . It seems the woman is a secret agent - - she has a list of saboteurs and their evil plans . She must get the list to Washington . The police try to escort her but they are also attacked by the saboteurs . The woman escapes but becomes trapped on a bridge about to be crushed . Will Superman find out and save her ? This is barely a Superman cartoon . Lois Lane is nowhere to be found ( but that blonde sounds a LOT like her ) . It plays more like a WWII drama with plenty of violent shootouts ( I was really surprised to see a cop shot down out of his motorcycle ) and action . Superman only pops up at the last few minutes to save the day . But the action more than makes up for his absence . Pretty good . A 6 . |
477,516 | 463,200 | 87,004 | 6 | Interesting but not successful | An alien from outer space ( Joe Morton ) crash lands in NY . He looks like a black man , is totally mute and can fix machines and heal wounds with his bare hands . He's taken in by the citizens of Harlem who grow to like him . . . but he's being followed by two men in black ( John Sayles and David Stratham ) who want to bring him back to outer space . An interesting change of pace for director / writer and editor John Sayles . . . but it doesn't really work . I caught this in 1984 at an art cinema and was pretty unimpressed . My thoughts haven't really changed much . There's no real plot . . . just Morton wandering around and meeting all these odd but always friendly people . The dialogue is great and Morton is excellent ( that's why I'm giving it a 6 ) but the rest of the acting is pretty bad ( except for Sayles and Stratham ) and nothing really happens . It just sort of lays there . It also leads to a real ambiguous ending which could be interpreted a number of different ways . Still , this was the kind of independent film that came out in the 1980s and 90s before Hollywood took them over . For that alone this is interesting to watch . It has been beautifully restored by the Anarchists Covention ( ? ? ? ) and UCLA . It looks better now than it did in 1984 ! |
477,317 | 463,200 | 278,435 | 6 | By the numbers , but watchable | Beautiful waitress Slim ( Jennifer Lopez ) meets Mitch ( tall , handsome , muscular Billy Campbell ) . In the space of 20 minutes screen time ( along with silly little title cards ) , they fall in love , get married , buy a house and have a kid who is about 6 when the story really begins . Turns out that Mitch is cheating on Slim . When she confronts him with evidence he beats her ( within a PG-13 rating ) . She tries to run , but he always finds her . What will she do ? Beat the crap out of him ! An OK thriller but it has gaping plot holes and huge implausibilities - - for instance , Campbell would cheat on sexy , beautiful Lopez ? ? ? ? ? Come on ! He also finds her way too easily each time she runs away and , at the climax , she learns how to break into his house and totally fix it so he can't get away . Also seeing small , thin Lopez beat up Campbell looks more than a little laughable and it does seem to trivialize wife beating . I have a definite problem with that . Still , it's not too bad . Lopez is good and Campbell ( cast totally against type ) is exceptional . There's also strong supporting roles from Juliette Lewis and Dan Futterman . So , an OK movie . Wait for the DVD or video . |
478,279 | 463,200 | 60,171 | 6 | OK no budget horror movie | This movie transplants Edgar Allan Poe's classic short story to 1965 Texas ! Lou ( Robert Frost ) and Diana ( Robyn Baker ) are happily married . She buys a black cat for him as a pet . He becomes obsessed with the cat and ignores her . Then he ( inexplicably ) becomes a violent alcoholic . . . The movie gets pretty incoherent from then on . Why Lou is an alcoholic is never explained . He also viciously attacks the cat he supposedly loves and then has a complete nervous breakdown ! Still , if you ignore logic or continuity , this movie is OK . It has some very graphic gore for its time ( an axing at the end is particularly gruesome ) and it's actually pretty well done . There's also some inappropriate ( but not bad ) rock numbers worked in - - there's a real nice visual gag on the second number . The acting is pretty good . Frost and Baker were pretty obviously hired for their good looks but aren't that bad . Baker has her moments and Frost is actually pretty good ( even if he does overdo it a few times ) . And it does have a real nice ending . So - - no great shakes but an OK horror film . |
478,961 | 463,200 | 67,093 | 6 | Loud , lively but too long | Musical about the life of Jews in pre-Revolutionary Russia . Well-done with good acting ( especially Topol ) and some good songs and incredible dances . . . but at 3 hours it's way too long . Some of the songs are real duds and should have been cut and some of the dances go on forever . From what I've heard , this was never a big hit - - in fact it was reissued in 1981 cut by 30 minutes ! I'm usually against editing films but in this case it needs it . So it's good but overlong . |
478,078 | 463,200 | 74,860 | 6 | Well done but far too grim and violent | Thomas ' Babe ' Levy ( Dustin Hoffman ) gets unwittingly involved with a gang of vicious people . . . especially Dr . Christian Szell ( Laurence Olivier ) . It seems his brother Henry ' Doc ' ( Roy Scheider ) works for a secret agency and , not knowing it , targeted his brother for danger . That synopsis may sound a little confused but then the movie is too ! This movie has a lot of admirers and I can see why . It's grim , negative and strong . However , for me , this is far too depressing and the violence is really overdone . There's strangulation , stabbings and shootings all done with blood gushing out in every direction . There was even a graphic torture scene with Olivier using dental torture on Hoffman . Director John Schlesinger saw it with a preview audience and noticed quite a few people walking out during that section . He realized it was too strong and stopped the movie cold so he had it cut completely . Violence aside , the plot is confusing and there are plot holes galore . There's some truly terrible dialogue too . Also Marthe Keller and William Devane are terrible in small roles . The only thing that makes this bearable are the acting and directing . Hoffman and Olivier are both just great in their roles and Scheider is strong in a small part . The directing by Schlesinger is great too ( no surprise there ) . But the grimness , violence and plot holes really wore me down on this one . I can only give it a 6 . " Is it safe ? " |
477,236 | 463,200 | 183,790 | 6 | Doesn't work | By-the-number medieval tale about a peasant ( Heath Ledger ) posing as a nobleman to be allowed to joust . He falls in love with Jocelyn ( Shannyn Sosamon ) and has to joust with an evil nobleman ( Rufus Sewell ) for her . The story has been done MANY times before , so the outcome is never in doubt . The filmmakers decide to add rock music ( by Queen , David Bowie etc etc ) to certain scenes and , at a dance , have everybody dance modern . It doesn't work . The addition of the rock music wasn't cute , funny or dramatic . . . just annoying . It reached the point where I wish I could have turned the sound off . The movie is also too long ( 135 minutes ) for such a predictable story . . . also if contains some of the WORST romantic dialogue I have ever heard . The actors deserve credit for keeping a straight face . However , it's not unwatchable . There are some very nice shots of London ( including an absolutely beautiful birds eye view ) and Heath Ledger is attractive and pretty good in the lead . Paul Bettany is absolutely wonderful as his helper Chaucer ( yes , THAT Chaucer ) . Sossamon and Sewell aren't as good . It's not entirely their fault - - they aren't given much to work with . And will someone cast Sewell as a good guy ? He's much too good ( and handsome ) to always be playing a jerk . So , not a very good movie , but worth a look - - on TV . |
478,559 | 463,200 | 443,706 | 6 | It was OK but has serious problems | Movie based on the unsolved Zodiac killings in California in the 1960s-1970s . A man was killing people with no rhyme or reason and sent notes to California newspapers daring them to figure out who he was . Reporter Paul Avery ( Robert Downey Jr . ) and cartoonist Robert Graysmith ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) try to figure out who he is while police inspector Davod Toschi ( Mark Ruffalo ) and his partner ( Anthony Edwards ) try to catch him . This film has a lot of good things going for it - - it's well directed ( excellent use of wide screen ) , has some good acting ( especially by Downey ) and manages to wring some suspense out of the story despite the fact that you know how it ends . There's also good supporting performances by Chloe Sevigny and Dermot Mulroney . Still this film has three serious problems . One is Gyllenhaal . He is a good actor but appears totally out of his depth here . He wears one expression the entire movie and his acting quickly becomes annoying . The second is the length of this movie - - it's way too long . It rambles on for 160 minutes and gets tedious more than once . I kept looking at my watch and more than once considered leaving . I stayed because I figured I had paid my $10 . 00 so - - why not ? Also the story keeps jumping around and , if something has nothing to do with the killer , it's tossed off casually . For example . . . Sevigny is introduced as a date of Gyllenhaal . We don't see her until about 30 minutes later and by this time she's his wife AND they have kids ! No mention was made of them getting married or having kids . This is a little thing but it caught my attention and was distracting . So - - it has good acting and direction but goes on far too long and was too disjointed . I give it a 6 . |
479,305 | 463,200 | 36,172 | 6 | It's just OK | During the 1940s housing shortage in Washington DC , Constance Milligan ( Jean Arthur ) decides to take in a boarder to help the war effort . Benjamin Dingle ( Charles Coburn ) moves in and he , in turn , invites hunky Joe Carter ( Joel McCrea ) to move in . Complications ensure . It's beyond me why this is considered a classic . It's not a bad movie just an OK movie . It does have lots of things going for it : Arthur is just wonderful - - and beautiful ; Coburn is a delight ( he won an Oscar for this ) ; it's well-directed and some of the romance works . But I never believed the story for one second and I didn't find this that funny at all - - I thought most of the jokes fell flat . Arthur and Coburn tried by McCrea ( never a good actor ) just could not do comedy . He did wonderfully in one scene ( his expressions when Colburn introduces him to Arthur are quite funny ) but he was his usual expressionless self the rest of the movie . He was handsome and hunky - - that was about it . Also the ending was just REALLY going too far . I realize I'm in a minority here but I just thought this was so-so . I can truthfully only give this a 6 . |
477,979 | 463,200 | 109,831 | 6 | Just OK | Charles ( Hugh Grant ) keeps attending friends ' weddings one after the other . He realizes he's the only one not getting married - - because he can't commit . Then he meets Carrie ( Andie MacDowell ) at one of the weddings and falls immediately in love . . . but does she love him and can he overcome his fear of commitment ? I remember loving this in 1994 - - but it doesn't hold up 14 years later . It has its definite good points - - two of Charles ' friends are a gay couple and are presented very matter of factly with no big fuss ; it LOOKS beautiful ; the cast is as good as they can be and there are some solid laughs . But it doesn't really work . For starters we know nothing about these characters - - heck Charles isn't even given a last name ! We don't even find out the name of one of his friends till halfway through the movie . They're just stock characters . Also the movie is too long and slow - - it needed tightening up . The acting is as good as it could be . Simon Callow is fun as Gareth and David Bower is drop dead handsome and good but talented actors like Kristen Scott Thomas are left with nothing to work with . Grant does wonders with his under-written role - - he's utterly charming and likable . Unfortunately MacDowell doesn't match him but she's incredibly beautiful - - Grants obsession with her is understandable . Also this ends with a bunch of happy endings that strain credibility ( even for a romantic comedy ) . But this film was a huge hit and made Grant a star so use your own judgment . Also be aware of the R rating - - there's tons of swearing and VERY frank sexual dialogue . Don't let the kids see this one . I can only give it a 6 . |
478,161 | 463,200 | 36,187 | 6 | Unoriginal but not bad | The doctor of the title is Dr . Frederick Holmes ( Lester Matthews ) . He comes upon a small , fog-bound English village in WWII England . It contains a tin mine - - tin which is badly needed in the war against the Nazis . But the local men are terrified to go into the mine because of the headless ghost that roams the mine and kills people . The bodies start piling up and the village starts to get very panicked . . . . Strange combo of patriotism and horror story . The plot is totally predictable ( although there were a few surprises at the end ) and this has a cast of B actors ( John Loder , Eleanor Parker ) or total unknowns . Still , it's pretty good . The settings are fairly elaborate ( I suspect they were shooting on the sets of other films ) , the constant fog provides a nice spooky atmosphere , the appearances of the ghost are kind of fun and the acting is pretty decent - - Parker especially does wonders with her role as " the girl " and Loder is tall , handsome and seems to be really enjoying himself . Nothing new of thrilling but compotent and quick ( 59 minutes ) . There are worse ways to kill an hour . |
477,687 | 463,200 | 82,449 | 6 | Has its moments but not enough of them | There is a society of four old gentleman - - the Chowder Society . They are played by Fred Astaire ( in his last movie ) , Melvyn Douglas , Douglas Fairbanks Jr and John Houseman . They get together and tell each other horror stories . They are also bonded together by a horrible tragedy that happened 50 years earlier involving Eva Galli ( Alice Krige ) . But that secret has come to life and sets out to kill all the members of the society and one of their sons ( Craig Wasson ) . Peter Straub's 600 + page novel which this was based on , was next to impossible to put in a 2 hour movie - - but that didn't stop Hollywood . They simplified the complex story to a ridiculous degree and managed to somehow drain all the scares the novel had . What's left is a slow moving , convoluted and puzzling movie that plays more like a soap opera than a horror film . For instance it never is explained why the ghost waited 50 years to appear and why it's going after a son of one of the guys . Also the acting is pretty terrible : Astaire , Douglas , Fairbanks and Houseman look shockingly old and give dreadful performances . Poor Wasson seems totally lost in his role and the wonderful Patricia Neal is horribly wasted . It has some good points : Some of the jump scares do work ; Krige has a very creepy laugh ; the movie looks good ; it's fun to see Ken Olin in an early role ( acting as bad as he can ) ; Miguel Fernandes is downright terrifying as Gregory Bate and there's a good music score by Philippe Sarde . Also Krige is just great as the ghost - - she single handedly manages to keep this movie alive . So it does have its moments ( I admit I jumped twice ) and I was mildly interested but it's just not scary or good . The scariest thing about this movie is that Ken Olin grows old and becomes John Houseman ! I give it a 6 . " I heard you were DYING to meet me . " |
478,055 | 463,200 | 90,223 | 6 | Well acted but ridiculously predictable | Harry MacKenzie ( Gene Hackman ) leaves wife Kate ( Ellen Burstyn ) for waitress Audrey Minelli ( Ann-Margret ) . This causes huge complications with his adult children Sunny ( Amy Madigan ) and Helen ( Ally Sheedy ) . Stephen Lang and Brian Dennehy throw in strong supporting performances . This is well made and everything . . . but this has been done to death before and this adds nothing new . Aside from some swearing ( the R rating for this is not deserved ) this plays like a made for TV movie . I knew what was coming constantly all through the movie and quickly tired of it . It doesn't even have a conclusion ! It just sort of stops . ( One of my friends said , " I can't say if I like it or not until I see the end ! " ) All the acting was great - - especially Burstyn , Ann-Margret and Madigan ( she was Oscar nominated for this one ) but all the great acting in the world can't overcome the predictable storyline . If you're a sucker for Lifetime movies or predictable family dramas this is right up your alley . This came and went quickly in 1985 and is now ( rightfully ) forgotten . I believe Ann-Margret was asked about this a few years back in an interview and she couldn't remember doing it ! That should tell you something . I give it a 6 . |
477,769 | 463,200 | 86,859 | 6 | VERY loose remake of " Out of the Past " | Ex football player Terry Brogran ( Jeff Bridges ) takes a job from sleazy friend Jake Wise ( James Woods ) - - find his ex girlfriend Jessie Wyler ( Rachel Ward ) who shot him and ran away with a large amount of his cash . Terry tracks Jessie to Mexico . . . and immediately they fall in love . That's the first hour - - the second hour becomes very convoluted with murders and double crosses all over the place . Interesting movie which is a semi-remake of " Out of the Past " . In fact Jane Greer from the original plays the mother of her character here ! The original was a strong , well-written film noir . This is not film noir - - it's a combination romance / mystery / melodrama . Also Greer played a totally amoral woman in the original - - here Ward isn't amoral , just misunderstood . Also Bridges is all pumped up and him and Ward work wonderfully together . Their frequent very R rated sex scenes really work . And it looks great - - a portion of the film takes place in Mexico . Still there are definite problems here . One character , Edie ( Swoosie Kurtz ) is introduced to provide some REAL clumsy exposition . . . and doesn't pop up again until a HOUR later . I had forgotten who she was ! Alex Karras is incredibly bad in his role . The plot gets way too confused . And the movie isn't sure what it wants to be . It switches gears so much I thought I was gonna get whiplash ! The best part of the movie - - an incredible car race down Sunset Blvd . has NOTHING to do with anything in the movie ! The acting is pretty good . Bridges ( in one of his few commercial films ) and Ward LOOK fantastic , have great bodies and are both good in their roles . Woods is , surprisingly , pretty wooden . Greer isn't in much but she IS very good . And Richard Widmark hams it up in his small role . Also the film has a surprisingly somewhat downbeat ending . And there's a wonderful title song by Phil Collins ( nominated for an Academy Award ) . A very interesting movie . I give it a 6 . A sizable hit in its day - - but that's because of the steamy sex scenes between Ward and Bridges . |
478,996 | 463,200 | 48,705 | 6 | THIS was a big hit ? | Possible spoilers I've heard this was a big hit in 1955 . It certainly doesn't age well . It's half a good movie . It begins with playboy / agent Frank Sinatra seeing multiple women . . . but Sinatra was hardly a good-looking man - - it strains credibility that all these gorgeous women are flinging themselves at him . Also , the scenes of him with his shirt off are not pretty . He falls in love with young , naive Debbie Reynolds . . . but he doesn't want to get married and she does . His friends ( Celeste Holm and David Wayne ) watch on with amusement ( and give out dynamite performances ) . The first hour is pretty good - - funny , fast-moving and Holm , Wayne and Sinatra shine ( Reynolds gives out a bad performance , but it's not entirely her fault - - her role is badly written ) . Then , after about an hour , the film turns all serious and melodramatic and falls apart . It suddenly moves VERY slowly , throws in very dated ( and offensive ) sexual politics and Holm's character is treated cruelly . It picks up at the very end , but it's too late . So , it's worth seeing for Holm , Wayne and the first hour . After that , switch it off . |
479,677 | 463,200 | 86,873 | 6 | Martin and Tomlin are great . The movie isn't . | Rich and dying Edwina Cutwater ( Lily Tomlin ) is arranging to have her soul transferred into the body of a young beautiful woman ( Victoria Tennant ) just after she dies . Instead it gets sent to the body of stuffy lawyer Roger Cobb ( Steve Martin ) and both of them fight to gain control . This is not a great movie by any means . It's really not all that funny ; it's flatly directed by Carl Reiner ; Tennant is terrible at comedy ; there's some highly unlikely situations ( especially at the end ) and I didn't buy what happened to the main villain at the climax for one second . Still , Martin and Tomlin make this worth seeing . Tomlin technically isn't in it that much . After she dies ( early on in the film ) you only see her as a reflection whenever Martin looks in a mirror or glass surface . It's a credit to her acting that you think of her even when she's not on screen . Martin had a VERY difficult role . He had to show male AND female characteristics in the same body at the same time . It's tricky but he manages to pull it off and he's actually pretty hysterical . Even people who hate this movie agree his performance is just incredible . There's a courtroom sequence at the end where he's just magnificent . The fact that he wasn't even nominated for an Academy Award for this is a crime ( although he DID win a Golden Globe ) . Don't miss the dance sequence during the closing credits . So , all in all , the movie has some great moments but doesn't really pull together . Worth seeing for just Matin and Tomlin . I truthfully can only give this a 6 . |
477,604 | 463,200 | 55,506 | 6 | Good acting but lousy film | Young English teenager ( Tushingham ) gets pregnant by a black soldier and ends up living with a gay guy . Considered strong in its day ( in England , no one under 16 was allowed in the theater showing this ! ) for its frank portrayals of interracial sex , homelessness and homosexuality . Seen today , its dated ( very ) and the film is slow and depressing . Also there is a horrendous music score - - it pops up every 10 minutes or so . . . it's this upbeat cheery music ( with a chorus of kids no less ) that is totally at odds with what's going on in the movie . It's jarring and extremely annoying . Acting is good , but it can't carry the whole movie . Also a VERY depressing ending ( with the cherry music screaming from the soundtrack ) . A waste . Tony Richardson directed THIS ? ? ? ? I'm giving it a six only for the acting and dealing with taboo subjects ( in 1961 ) . |
479,604 | 463,200 | 265,343 | 6 | Very colorful but . . . | I didn't really like this . It's about a family in Delhi , India getting ready for their daughter's wedding . All the relatives gather and things go spinning out of control . It's supposed to be funny ( I think ) but I wasn't laughing - - neither was anyone else in the theatre . For starters - - the cast was huge - - way too many people . I'm still not sure who was who's cousin or whatever . As a comedy this is pretty grim . It's more of a serious drama than anything else . Also the cast keeps switching back and forth between Indian ( there are subtitles ) and heavily accented English ( no subtitles ) . Often they do it in the middle of conversations ! It gets annoying and confusing . However it is very colorful ( including the opening and closing credits ) , the cast is just great ( there are some VERY attractive men and women in it ) and it is interesting to see how another culture celebrates a wedding . But the little dramas that happen have been done before and end very predictably . More often than not , I was bored . I knew how the stories would work out and I was always right . The acting kept me watching . SLIGHT SPOILER AHEAD ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Also , I find it more than a little disturbing that they worked child molestation into the plot . It's treated seriously , but do you really want to see that in a comedy ? So , I'm giving it a 6 for the color , acting , gorgeous people and some nice , assured direction by Mira Nair . . . but I didn't really like it . |
477,852 | 463,200 | 324,216 | 6 | Very unpleasant | OK - - I HATED the original " Chainsaw " . I found it boring and stupid with lousy acting , no script and no scares . This remake sure isn't boring , the acting is much better , it has a script and it DID scare me . It's not a remake . . . it's a reimagining . As the original , it takes place is 1973 . Five college-age people are driving to a concert through Texas . They are the nice girl ( Jessica Biel ) , the slutty hitchhiker ( Erica Leerhsen ) , the annoying ' comic ' relief ( Jonathan Tucker ) , a studly but bland guy ( Mike Vogel ) and the take-charge guy ( Eric Balfour ) . They almost hit a near comatose girl walking on the road . They take her in where she promptly shoots her brains out . They try to find the sheriff . . . and the nightmare begins . Purposedly shot in muted color this is a good movie . . . but extremely unpleasant . There is plenty of gore , screaming , yelling and ( of course ) good ol ' Leatherface with his chainsaw . The scenes of him chasing the screaming kids through the night really scared me and the " treatment " of some of his victims was harrowing to watch . Also I jumped more than once . So it did scare me . . . but it was a real trial to watch . It's virtual nonstop mayhem after about 20-30 minutes in . . . and doesn't stop till the end . So , I can't say I enjoyed it . The acting is very good . Balfour , Tucker , Vogel and Leerhsen are given little to work with , but pull it off . Biel is excellent as one of the last ones left - - very convincing . R . Lee Ermey was downright terrifying as one of the maniacs . And Leatherface was a true nightmare . So , it isn't the sacrilege that most fans were afraid of . If anything , it's on par with the original . Recommended with STRONG reservations . Avoid if you don't like horror films . |
478,249 | 463,200 | 473,441 | 6 | It's OK | A handsome young dancer starts falling in love with his dance instructor - - another guy . This happens just as his girlfriend is moving with him . He doesn't know what to do - - he seems to love his girlfriend but he has a strong attraction to this other man . . . Nothing new here . Basically another short about a man slowly realizing he may be gay . The dancing in the film is impressive as is the music . Unfortunately the lead actor is pretty terrible . He is handsome but he's blank-faced almost all of the time . I didn't know what he was feeling or how to take his actions . It leaves the short somewhat hollow . His acting really brings down what could have been more compelling . A 6 . |
478,455 | 463,200 | 82,497 | 6 | I really wanted to like this more | Cartoonist Joe Landsdale ( Michael Caine ) is in a troubled marriage with Anne ( Andrea Marcovicci ) . She wants to be on her own with their daughter Lizzie ( Mara Hobel ) . In a freak accident Joe's right hand is severed - - but the hand itself seems to disappear . He lives but can't draw anymore and his marriage completely falls apart . His disembodied hand also seems to come to life on its own and kills anyone who Joe gets mad at . But is it is hand . . . or is Joe going mad ? The film has potential with a great cast and a VERY bloody scene at the beginning where Caine losses his hand . Then it just falls to pieces . The script becomes very disjointed and all the characters are extremely unlikable . Landsdale comes across as obnoxious and sarcastic and Anne just stands there and takes it . If you're expecting blood and gore from this , don't bother . Aside from that gory opening no one is killed until OVER an hour in ! Also director / writer Oliver Stone's sexism comes roaring through - - especially in the character of Stella ( Annie McEnroe ) who is treated horribly . Also bad dialogue doesn't help . Good performances by Caine , Marcovicci and Viveca Lindfors ( briefly at the end ) can't save this one . It's unpleasant , depressing and full of characters you couldn't care less about . The 6 is for the acting and gore scenes alone . Also Caine mentioned in his autobiography he hated this film . That should tell you all you need to know . Oliver Stone appears as a bum that the hand kills . Too bad it didn't get him before he made this movie ! |
479,282 | 463,200 | 187,712 | 6 | Interesting but not very good | Interesting combo of documentary and recreations of a muscle magazine done for ( primarily ) gay men in th 1950s . It's interesting when they show actual footage and pictures from the 1950s . . . it falls apart when they try silly factual recreations . They just don't work , they all look very fake and ( I'm being the kind ) the acting is LOUSY ! ! ! Yeah the guys are handsome and muscular . If that's enough to keep your interest . . . fine . It got real annoying when you weren't able to tell if it was actual footage or recreations ! Also putting new dialogue over old footage was not needed . Interesting film , but a lot of bad choices made in presenting the material . |
478,383 | 463,200 | 257,076 | 6 | Just about what you'd expect | S . W . A . T . was a by the numbers TV cop show from the 70s . It only lasted one season and its only claims to fame are that it had a young Robert Urich in its cast and had a really catchy theme song . The movie isn't much better than the show but it's not a total washout . Jim Street ( Colin Farrell ) and his partner Gamble ( Jeremy Renner ) are part of SWAT and on a mission . Gamble ignores a direct order and a hostage is wounded . Gamble is fired from SWAT and Street is sent to cage duty . Six months later Lt . Dan " hondo " Harrelson ( Samuel L . Jackson ) starts to head SWAT . He puts Street back on along with a few others ( the only standout is LL Cool J ) and they go into training . Then a vicious French killer ( horribly played by Olivier Martinez ) raises hell in L . A . and SWAT may have more than they can handle on their hands . As you can see this is , plotwise , an hour-long TV cop show extended to 2 hours . Ever twist and turn was boringly predictable . And we have too loud rock songs played over all the action sequences along with ear-splitting gun shots . Also there's tons of casual violence but no blood and gore ( maybe that's how it got by with a PG-13 ) and a surprising amount of swearing ( thank you " NYPD Blue " ) . Still , the dialogue wasn't half bad ; the action sequences were quick , loud and full of energy and everybody gives a good performance ( especially Farrell and Jackson ) . So , it's nothing new . . . but you could do worse . Not a film for small kids though . |
477,576 | 463,200 | 461,770 | 6 | Didn't really work for me | The first 20 minutes or so of this are fantastic . It's a cartoon where Gisella meets handsome Prince Edward and wants to marry him . However , his evil mother Queen Narissa doesn't want her to become queen . So she sends Gisella to the real world ( New York City ) . She is followed by Prince Edward , a spy named Nathaniel and Pip - - a chipmunk . Will Edward find Gisella there ? The idea is a good one and this has a lot of things going for it : the opening cartoon is wonderful - - it's like a whole Disney film running at top speeds and going WAY over the top in an amusing way . Amy Adams is just wonderful as Gisella . She doesn't overplay her character's naivety too much and avoids becoming too goody-goody . Also Pip is a CGI animated chipmunk here and he's just hysterical . His facial expressions and body movements had me laughing . Also the movie looks great - - tons of bright color and great special effects . But that's it for the good things . The bad : James Marsden overplays Prince Edward to a degree that it becomes annoying . Susan Saradon is badly underused as Queen Narissa ( her role is little more than a glorified cameo ) . Patrick Dempsey looks miserable ( and acts it ) . But , most of all , the story has leaps of logic that are just impossible to ignore . There are so many of them that I don't have enough space to list them . A few : how does Gisella get on a subway-with no money ? Why is Nathaniel in a kitchen to contact Narissa ? Where does he get the various costumes and disguises he wears ? How does Gisella get back into Robert's apartment after she left ? That's just a few of the problems . So I really wanted to like this but the story inconsistencies kept annoying me . I might be being too cynical about this so use your own judgment . Kids will probably love it but , be warned , there is a somewhat scary sequence at the end . |
478,612 | 463,200 | 36,094 | 6 | Not bad | Murders begin happening at a burlesque house with Barbara Stanwyck as one of the star performers . An adaptation of " The G-String Murders " by Gypsy Rose Lee . I've never read the book ( just try hunting down a copy ! ) but I heard it was really cleaned up for the screen . I can believe it - - the girls wear lots of clothes during the acts , there's no nudity ( of course ) , the jokes are tame ( and lame ) and all the acts mostly show some admittedly great acrobatics and dancing - - but very little skin . That's NOT burlesque . That aside , the movie is pretty good . The script is great - - full of quick , sharp one-liners all acted to the hilt by the cast . The murder mystery itself is interesting and has a very satisfying ( if complicated ) resolution . And Stanwyck looks really great considering she was 36 when she did this ! Worth catching . |
477,381 | 463,200 | 67,396 | 6 | NOT a horror movie but not uninteresting | A young couple and a diverse group of people are stranded in a mansion in the middle of nowhere when fog makes any further travel impossible . There's a graveyard next to the mansion and they hear strange noises and hear talk of vampires roaming about . Are they safe until the morning ? SPOILERS AHEAD ! ! ! ! This is a Spanish film with some atrocious English dubbing which makes a fair assessment next to impossible . Also it switches gears towards the end and we find out that all the undead corpses and such that we saw were really a needlessly elaborate plot to scare people to death . No blood , violence , gore or sex either . That aside this isn't bad . The acting is OK , the plot is somewhat interesting and there are a few creepy moments here . There's also an ending which is both touching and tragic . The only problem is that all the horrific elements are explained away at the end . So , for what it is , it isn't bad . |
478,273 | 463,200 | 44,672 | 6 | The Greatest Show on Earth ? Hardly . | Brad Braden ( Charlton Heston ) runs the Ringling Bros . and Barnum & Bailey Circus . A trapeze artist named Holly ( Betty Hutton ) is in love with him but he doesn't feel the same way about her . A trouble-making trapeze artist Sebastian the Great ( Cornel Wilde ) joins the show and Holly starts competing with him . Angel ( Gloria Grahame ) an elephant trainer is attracted to Sebastian AND Brad . Buttons a clown ( Jimmy Stewart ! ! ! ) has a dark secret . The film also has insipid narration driving the story on . Overblown and silly but very colorful circus epic by Cecil B . DeMille . This was made with the complete cooperation of Ringling Bros . so a lot of their acts appear on screen . . . and that's the big problem with this . These acts which look fantastic live just don't come across on TV . I did see this on a large screen many years ago - - that way it worked . The acts are front and center and are lots of fun . On TV they just come across as boring and more than a little silly . It just doesn't work and there are LOTS of them . Add that to the fact that the stories are clichéd and full of unbelievable characters . We have some talented actors here giving their worst performances . Only Wilde and Stewart are good . There are good parts - - it is VERY colorful and there's plenty of cheesecake ( Hutton and Dorothy Lamour ) and beefcake ( Wilde is hunky and shirtless a LOT as are the other male trapeze artists ) . There's also a great train wreck at the end . Still this is overblown , far too long and just basically pretty dull . Hard to believe this won Oscars for Best Story and Best Picture . However this isn't the worst movie to be awarded Best Picture - - that " honor " goes to " American Beauty " . |
478,609 | 463,200 | 35,981 | 6 | Silly , but kind of cute | Oscar winner for Best Short Subject of 1943 . A composer tries to get admitted to the Hall of Music in Heaven . He has to convince some of the world's greatest dead composers that he's worthy . This leads to " humorous " talks and interplay among the composers . The songs and music are the only reasons to see this short . The acting is pretty bad and the humor is very lame . Still , it's kind of fun ( in a silly way ) and it's only 22 minutes . Worth catching . |
478,104 | 463,200 | 71,230 | 6 | Time has not been kind to this one | A Western parody by Mel Brooks . Dastardly Hedley Lamarr ( Harvey Korman ) needs to run a railroad through a town . To get rid of the townspeople he has villains run wild , attacking townspeople . Black sheriff Bart ( Cleavon Little ) and the Waco Kid ( Gene Wilder ) fight back . This was a huge hit in 1974 - - it was considered daring and uproariously funny . Seen today it doesn't hold up . The daring parts are very tame in the wake of comedies we have today and some of these jokes are pretty despearate . Also I got more than a little tired of hearing a certain word beginning with " n " constantly used as a joke . And there's virtual nonstrop swearing from the rest of the cast . Most of the movie is pretty dull ( when the jokes in this movie bomb they REALLY bomb ! ) And the last 10 minutes are just dreadful ( and horribly homophobic ) . I'm giving it a 6 for a few reasons . Little is very good , handsome and heroic in his role . Wilder is VERY funny as the washed up Kid . Some of Korman's snearing and scheeming is funny . And Madeline Kahn is absolutely hysterical doing a Marlene Dietrich impersonation as Lily von Shtupp ( she's terribly underused but got a nomination for Best Supporting Actress ) . Also there's a Count Basie cameo and some very good songs throughout . Still , all in all , this isn't that funny . The movie's most infamous scene has a bunch of cowboys sitting around a fire eating beans and breaking wind . THAT'S what this movie considers funny . Mel Brooks ' best film is still " Young Frankenstein " . |
478,948 | 463,200 | 67,341 | 6 | Subtle horror - - but it doesn't really work | Jessica ( Zohra Lampert ) has just been released from a mental institution . She , her husband and a best friend buy a house in a secluded Connecticut town so she can recuperate . They also meet Emily and ( inexplicbaly ) invite her to stay with them . Things are OK at first but slowly unravel - - Jessica starts hearing voices ; she sees dead bodies and a mysterious girl in white and something in the lake tries to pull her under when she goes swimming . Is something going on . . . or is she loosing her mind again ? Despite the title this is a quiet moody little horror film . It has a lot of good moments but never pulls together . There are too many unexplained things - - especially who IS the mute girl in white ? Also the ending doesn't make a lot of sense . Some clumsy dialogue doesn't help and Lampert's performance goes all over the place . She has said she didn't like doing this movie - - and it shows . The film does have some things going for it . There lots of eerie noises ( a constantly blowing wind especially ) and spooky music on the soundtrack that works . There are some moments of quiet horror that work - - especially when Emily walks out of the lake . Also the DVD release looks incredible - - the colors are rich and sound loud . Still this is a quiet little horror film that just doesn't work . With a better lead actress and a clearer storyline this might have really been great . Worth a look if you're a horror fan . I give it a 6 . |
478,724 | 463,200 | 817,911 | 6 | Has its moments . . . but not enough | Cassidy ( Tyler Hanes ) and his younger sister Jessica ( James Katharine Flynn ) are in the same university . Cassidy is also gay but not out to anyone . He sees a Latino hustler named Victor ( Carlos Alberto Valencia ) and starts having visions of his sister Jessica covered in blood . He realizes he has to reconcile his gay identity to discover what the visions mean . Sounds confusing doesn't it ? It's not a bad movie . It's well directed and shot . There's also some good acting by Flynn , Valencia and Robert Dionne and some hot guys with their clothes off once in a while . However the plot gets muddy and increasingly sillier as the movie goes on . Also there are TERRIBLE performances by Alison Faser and Maria Bova . Worst of all it has a homophobic ending and Hanes is REALLY bad in his role . He's supposed to be a popular guy but he comes across as ugly , obnoxious , controlling and WAY too protective of his sister . I also find it hard to believe that any college student in this day and age ( especially one enrolled in a college in NYC ) would have trouble coming out . This movie does have its moments ( the sex scene between Hanes and Valencia is a highlight ) but the lousy ending and a REAL pointless last shot destroy this . |
478,957 | 463,200 | 166,110 | 6 | Not bad | OK - - I'm a big horror fan and while I don't disagree with any of the former posters ( who all hated the film ) I sort of like it . A bunch of college kids buy an old condemned brownstone with plans to renovate it into a dance club . Unfortunately , a murder took place their years ago and the spirit is waiting around for revenge . . . Predictable but fairly well done . Director Ernest Dickerson uses a lot of flashy camerawork and good special effects that provide a few effective jolts ( I jumped three times ) and works in some spooky scenes - - I wasn't scared but damned if the movie wasn't trying . The story doesn't make a lot of sense ( there are glaring lapses in logic ) and the acting by Snoop Dogg is pretty terrible ( don't give up your day job Dogg ) . Still , it's worth a look at matinee prices or on DVD . . . especially for horror fans . Also there is a good performance by Pam Grier and a fun ripoff of a scene from " Suspiria " . |
478,538 | 463,200 | 71,373 | 6 | Starts off well . . . | then becomes a standard cop drama . A woman is raped ( not shown ) and in shows in graphic ( for TV ) detail the indignities she goes through with the police to prove she was attacked . This part is very good , well-acted and interesting . SPOILER AHEAD ! Then it turns into a standard wrong guy gets convicted story . When they throw in his evil twin at the end I gave up completely . So , it's good until about the halfway mark . For early 1970s TV this was pretty strong stuff . |
477,656 | 463,200 | 67,580 | 6 | More funny than anything else | Totally plot less movie of the homo erotic images of some hot young guy . I caught this years ago at an art cinema as part of their gay and lesbian film festival . It's safe to say the entire audience consisted of gay men . When it started there was silence . . . which mostly continued throughout the movie . Some people walked out and there was scattered laughter during some of the sillier scenes . The color was bright ( and blinding ) and the print we had was in good shape but with no plot or point ( that I could see of ) this quickly became boring . The guy in it was handsome and hot ( and nude some of the time ) but that wasn't enough to keep me interested for 90 minutes . Maybe back in 1971 this was considered erotic and shocking but it sure isn't today ( although it would still get an NC-17 ) . Pretentious , pointless and overdone . It gets a 6 for some truly striking and beautiful images but I can't recommend it . When it was over at the art cinema most of the guys left complaining how stupid and boring it was . That should tell you something . |
477,569 | 463,200 | 366,548 | 6 | I'm not sure how I feel about this | Two penguins Norma Jean ( voiced by Nicole Kidman ) and Dallas ( Hugh Jackman ) give birth to a baby called Mumble ( Elijah Wood ) . According to this movie the penguins sing constantly ( from 1950s to present day music ) but Mumbles can't sing . . . but he CAN dance . However the tribal elders said his singing is evil and the reason their fish supply is dwindling , and he is banished . I could go on but basically you've seen this before . . . only with human beings . It's another story telling children that it's OK to be different and this one has an environmental message with it . There's nothing wrong with that ( the kids in my audience were dead silent and seemed to love this ) but I was unimpressed . The CGI was incredible , the songs were good and the voices matched the characters completely . . . but I didn't know how to take this movie . I mean when a bunch of penguin kids started singing " In My Room " by the Beach Boys i didn't know how to respond . It wasn't funny , it wasn't cute , it was just . . . weird . SPOILERS AHEAD ! ! ! There are also sequences where the penguins are attacked by other animals which might disturb real young kids . And Mumbles ends up in a zoo towards the end . . . and begins to go crazy . THAT'S for kids ? ? ? ? I found it disturbing and I'm an adult ! END OF SPOILERS ! ! ! ! It does all end on a very happy but totally unbelievable note - - even for a kids movie that end was pushing it . So I ( sort of ) liked it but it all left me kind of cold ( no pun intended ) and the movie slams you in the face with its message again and again . When you see a whole colony of penguins break-dancing and it's not funny ( my audience was dead silent ) something is wrong . The only real humor here was a bunch of penguins ( with Spanish accents ) which befriend Mumbles - - they were absolutely hysterical . So kids will probably love this but adults should use caution . Some adult couples walked out of this when I saw it ! I can only give it a 6 - - but put that rating higher if you're seeing it with kids . |
477,755 | 463,200 | 64,418 | 6 | WAY overdone - - only Barbra is worth watching | BIG musical adaptation of the popular Broadway show . Matchmaker Dolly Levi ( Barbra Streisand ) is in love ( God knows why ) with Horace Vandergelder ( Walter Matthau ) . Naturally he hates her . Also involved are Cornelius Hackl ( Michael Crawford ) and his pal Barnaby ( Danny Lockin ) and their love for Irene Malloy ( Marianne McAndrew ) and Minnie Fay ( E . J . Peaker ) . A textbook example of how NOT to adapt a Broadway show . For starters , Streisand is far too young for the lead role ( even though she's the only thing worth seeing ) - - Carol Channing should have gotten it . The dances and musical numbers - - there are too many of them , they're HUGE and far too long . They go on and on and on and on . I ended up skipping to the next chapter on my DVD . All the dancing was great but it was overkill . Also Matthau and Streisand hated each other - - it comes through loud and clear . Matthau is terrible . Also Crawford and Peaker overact to an embarrassing degree . On the plus side - - it IS colorful , McAndrew was delightfully as Malloy , Lockin nicely plays Barnaby and it was GREAT to see Louis Armstrong pop up briefly . But Barbra is the whole show - - she's young , full of energy and belts out the songs full force . She also shows her incredible comedic skills - - some of her scenes are hilarious . Streisand herself said she was all wrong for the role ( age-wise ) but doesn't let it affect her acting . When she's on screen the movie leaps to life - - - but it's not enough to save it . The endless musical numbers numb you after a while and I was getting bored by the last half hour . Director Gene Kelly obviously thought shoving dance numbers in the publics face would work . It didn't . This was a big budget flop for 20th Century Fox . This was made in the late 1960s when all the movie studios were making big expensive musicals thinking that was what the public wanted . . . and they all bombed . This is not a good movie but worth seeing for Streisand . I can honestly only give it a 6 . |
477,883 | 463,200 | 67,487 | 6 | So-so Italian horror | Handsome and wealthy Alan Cunningham has just been released from an asylum . He was put there after a breakdown he had when his unfaithful wife Evelyn died . He now picks up women who look like Evelyn , takes them to his remote castle , tortures them and kills them . But he seems cured later on when he marries Gladys - - who looks just like Evelyn . But then people are being killed , Alan starts seeing Evelyn's ghost , her tomb is found empty and he starts to slowly go mad . . . The synopsis may sound strange but so is the movie ! There's plenty of things wrong with this : the plot refuses to make sense , the acting is pretty bad , the dubbing is awful and the film is relatively bloodless . Also there's an astounding amount of misogyny in this ( even for a horror film ) . It's actually quite dull - - until the end . There's a double twist ending which caught me by surprise and it gets very bloody too . Still , that's only the last 15 minutes or so - - the preceding 80 minutes are hard to slog through . There is also a fair amount of nudity ( all female of course ) and the main actors are attractive - - but that's not enough to recommend this . Completists of Italian horror cinema but enjoy this . Also most of the DVD versions of this are in terrible shape - - mine was incorrectly letterboxed , had faded color and nonstop jumps and scratches . One sequence even started with the top of the image on the bottom of the screen ! So - - beware . I give it a 6 - - mostly for the ending . |
479,582 | 463,200 | 285,531 | 6 | So-so | Plot heavy - - TOO heavy - - horror sci-fi film about 4 friends ( Thomas Jane , Jason Lee , Timothy Olyphant , Damian Lewis ) in the Maine woods squaring off against disgusting killer aliens and the Army led by Morgan Freeman and Tom Sizemore . The film is well-directed by Lawrence Kasdan and well-acted ( especially by Jane , Lewis and Olyphant ) but there's too many plots going on and the movie rambles on for 135 minutes . I did sit through the whole thing , but I was never really involved or interested . On the plus side , the special effects are great ; the aliens are slimy and disgusting ; the attack scenes are brutal ( and bloody ) and I LOVED the way Kasdan visualized Lewis ' mind . Still , the film has too many plots to handle and it's constantly loosing its focus . Not terrible or unwatchable , just disappointing . I give it a 6 . |
478,253 | 463,200 | 120,841 | 6 | For WHAT it is - - it's OK | This movie begins with a REALLY stupid premise : they recreate the SIL from the first film ( who killed many people and is still played by Herstridge ) and they try to figure out a way to kill her in case creatures like her invade Earth ! ( ! ! ! ? ? ? ) Meanwhile a manned mission to Mars returns to Earth unknowingly infected with an alien virus which produces a MALE version of SIL ( Justin Lazard ) . Like the first he has to mate with women who get pregnant immediately and the babies FORCE their way out . Now this IS a stupid movie - - no two ways about it . The plot is dumb full of plot loopholes , the dialogue is howlingly stupid ( I THINK some of the lines were meant as jokes ) , it's VERY gory and contains a large amount of female nudity ( naturally Lazard is never shown completely nude ) . BUT , as a stupid B movie , it does work . I was truthfully never bored . It's only 90 minutes and DOES move quickly . Also the special effects aren't bad . . . but not as good as the first . The acting , like in the first one , varies . Herstridge is actually not bad - - she was terrible in the first one . Michael Madsen walks through his role . Marg Helgenberger was surprisingly good ( considering she has the worst dialogue ) . James Cromwell is excellent as a slimy senator . As the main SIL here Lazard tries - - but he's given nothing to work with . He is a very handsome man with a very nice body but can't do anything with his character . And it has a silly ending which sets up Species III ( which never happened because this one bombed ) . There is one very disturbing aspect of this picture - - there are MANY views of nude women torn open and dead as their babies come out . We get the idea with the first one but they keep constantly showing other victims . It's unpleasant and sick . . . it gives the film a very sick edge . Because of that I can only give this a 6 . Again - - this is NOT a good movie but a very good / bad one . |
479,033 | 463,200 | 59,764 | 6 | OK little thriller | Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper . That's basically it for the plot . The movie uses the names of the Ripper's victims but everything else is mostly fiction . It's no great movie but it's pretty good . Also , for its time , it's pretty bloody and very atmospheric . John Neville is OK as Holmes but won't make you forget Basil Rathbone . Donald Houston plays Watson much better than Nigel Bruce - - Bruce played Watson as an idiot ; Houston plays him as an intelligent ( if sometimes befuddled ) man . The rest of the cast is pretty good - - especially John Fraser . Also it's fun to see a young Judi Dench and the late Robert Morley in small roles . The final revelation of who the Ripper is was no big surprise - - I had it figured out long before they told us . The 1979 " Murder by Decree " ( which told the same story ) was better than this one but , again , this is pretty OK . |
477,674 | 463,200 | 70,957 | 6 | Interesting but boring | Never thought a film about a gay cannibal could be dull but . . . The movie IS well-done . It's well-directed , the acting is great and it has a creepy , unsettling atmosphere ( as it should ) . It just gets bogged down , people acted REAL strange at times and just was downright dull ! Still , it all happened and the film has artistic merit . There just wasn't enough material for a feature length film . |
478,252 | 463,200 | 36,749 | 6 | Not bad | Artist Dave Stewart is engaged to beautiful rich Heather Hayden ( Jean Parker ) . Unfortunately his model Tania ( Acquanetta ) loves him too and is insanely jealous . One night he accidentally ( ? ? ? ) puts acid in his eyes and becomes blind . There is one chance to regain his sight - - an eye operation . . . but who's eyes will he use ? Then someone dies . . . A little convoluted but enjoyable , compact murder mystery . It's briskly paced and never dull . The acting is OK - - Chaney is just OK in his role , Parker is very good but Acquanetta , while being very beautiful , is a terrible actress . The only problem with this is that it IS pushing credibility to believe that Parker and Acquanetta are head over heels in love with Chaney ! Still , not bad . I give it a 6 . |
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