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479,201 | 463,200 | 95,652 | 7 | Interesting but this movie has problems | Allan Mann ( Jason Beghe ) becomes paralyzed from the neck down after a car hits him . He falls into a deep depression until a scientist friend ( John Pankow ) gets him a trained monkey named Ella ( Boo ) to help him . Allan also begins to fall in love with Ella's trainer ( Kate McNeil ) . . . but Ella begins to get very attached to Allan - - TOO attached . This was supposed to be director / writer George Romero's comeback film . He said the studio loved it and was going to put a big promotional push behind it . But , for whatever reason , when this came out in the summer of 1988 the studio just dumped it . There was next to no ads for it or coming attractions . Romero remains bitter about it to this day . It's too bad this film was just ignored . It's no masterpiece but it isn't bad . The movie does have problems - - it's far too long ( almost two hours ) , the ending goes on forever and some of the plot is really hard to believe ( I thought the psychic link between Allan and Ella was really stupid ) . Also the POV by the monkey was annoying and overused and there's a REAL embarrassing sex scene between Beghe and McNeil . Still I do like this movie . As I said it's too long but I was never really bored . Beghe is excellent in a very difficult role ; Pankow nicely underplays the scientist and McNeil is fresh and appealing . Also Boo ( who plays Ella ) is a good " actor " . I realize she was just trained for her role but the expressions on her face and body movement was incredible . The plot is also quite interesting - - until the end when it just strains credibility . So not a bad film or a good one but worth catching . I give it a 7 . |
478,959 | 463,200 | 256,380 | 7 | Interesting | A totally self-absorbed man Hal ( Jack Black ) who just judges women by their bodies , is put under a sort of spell by Anthony Robbins so he sees what they're like inside . He falls in love with Rosemary ( Gwyneth Paltrow ) who he sees as - - well , looking like Gwneth Paltrow ! Actually she's very VERY fat . His pal Jason Alexander can't figure out what's going on and tries to stop him . Who would have thought the Farrelly Brothers could make an interesting , low key comedy ? The jokes are sparse and obvious but I liked the movie even when it wasn't funny . It's well-written , well-acted ( especially by Black and Paltrow - - who I usually hate ) and makes the far-fetched plot believable ( sort of ) . It makes the obvious points of loving someone for who they are inside not outside but doesn't overdo it . The only real bad thing about the movie is Jason Alexander . He's loud , obnoxious and totally unfunny - - I started to dread it when he appeared on screen . Other than that , this is a quiet comedy - - don't go if you want a laugh out loud movie . Also , stay seated for the closing credits . |
479,630 | 463,200 | 372,784 | 7 | What's all the fuss ? It's just OK | Batman redone . It gives us a new origin of Batman ( Christian Bale ) and how he got his powers and such . He still plays playboy Bruce Wayne while fighting evil as Batman . His first two villains are the Scarecrow ( Cillain Murphy ) who produces intense fear in his victim with a gas and Ra's Al Ghul - - who trained Batman and knows ALL his weaknesses . OK - - it's MUCH better then Tim Burton's dreadful movies but I still wasn't too impressed . I didn't like the new origin at all and it's a full hour before Batman even shows up ! It does have good parts - - Bale is dead on perfect as Bruce Wayne AND Batman . He also pumped up for the role ( we have at least two shirtless scenes ) . It LOOKS great ( if very dark ) and it has elaborate special effects left and right ( with tons of explosions thrown in too ) . But I was mostly bored . The training sequence at the beginning just went on endlessly - - it was more like The Shadow's origin than Batmans . Also this movie was WAY too heavy on darkness and atmosphere . At one point it was raining and I noticed nobody in Gotham pulled in their clothes from their lines . This isn't nit picking but obviously it was all out there to add an " atmosphere " to the scene . Also when you find yourself worrying about little things like that the movie just isn't doing its job ( i . e . entertaining you ) . However Batman's costume , the Batcave and the Batmobile are all explained pretty logically . Acting varies - - Bale was just great . Michael Caine ( as Alfred ) matched him . Even Katie Holmes ( a limited actress ) was good - - too bad she won't be in the sequel ( this inexplicable romance / marriage with Tom Cruise is destroying her career ) . Laim Neeson was very dull as a teacher - - he appeared to be drugged out . Gary Olman was ( suprisingly ) terrible as Jim Gordon - - he seems VERY unsure of how to play the role . But Rutger Hauer , Linus Roache ( who bears an uncanny resemblance to Bale ) and Morgan Freeman were all great . To be totally honest I looked at my watch more than once . I couldn't wait for this thing to get over . All the praise this is getting is beyond me . I give it a 7 - - and that's mostly for the acting . |
478,587 | 463,200 | 56,417 | 7 | My first " Road " picture | This is actually the first Cosby / Hope " Road " picture I ever saw . I knew it was the last ( after a 10 year break ) and ( for some reason ) was in b & w - - probably because Cosby and Hope looked better that way . I also heard it was pretty bad . While it's not great , I sort of enjoyed it . The plot was REALLY silly and involves the boys in espionage with Joan Collins along for the ride and a ( surprisingly ) very bad job by Robert Morley as the lead villain . Dorothy Lamour decided to not costar in this one but she does pop up ( playing herself ) in an amusing cameo and sings one song ( Cosby sings too ) . There's also a really silly and pointless bit when Cosby and Hope are sent to outer space . And the ending is desperate . Still , it was well-made and Cosby and Hope were a wonderful team - - their easy banter is great to watch and they made the worst lines seem funny . Also it's fun to see Collins ( who's quite good ) so young and full of sex appeal . So , it's enjoyable way to kill 90 minutes . I'm seen better but I've seen worse too . |
477,513 | 463,200 | 52,564 | 7 | Sure it's terrible . . . but those monsters ! | A spaceship from Earth travels to Mars to see what's up there . Aboard are the usual bunch of idiots with the obligatory hot woman . They land on Mars ( where everything is shot through a red filter ) and encounter some truly memorable monsters . Yeah it's silly and stupid but if you saw it as a kid you probably have fond memories of it . I caught this on TV in the 1970s . I thought the red scenes in Mars looked cool and the infamous rat / bat / spider creature scared me silly the first time I saw it . It LOOKS real ( I think the red tint had something to do with it ) . Then there's the monster from the ocean with a revolving eyeball ( ! ! ! ) , a man-eating plant and the space amoeba holding them down . It all ends with an ending that actually spooked me when I was kid but just makes me smirk now . The acting is , considering the script , not bad . No great movie at all but the red color and those cool monsters really make this one stand out ! |
479,672 | 463,200 | 118,636 | 7 | Unpleasant but worth catching | A young boy ( Brad Renfro ) who's obsessed by the Holocaust recognizes a former Nazi war criminal ( Ian KcKellen ) living near him . He starts up a strange sort of friendship with him - - he won't tell anybody who is if he tells him true stories about how they treated and killed people in the concentration camps . Things slowly escalate and go out of control . This is based on a novella of the same name by Stephen King ( part of his " Different Seasons " book ) . The plot is interesting at first but , like the book , it gets increasingly unpleasant as the movie goes on . They did tone down the violence in the original story but enough remains to disturb you . Also it's a little too long and Renfro's constant swearing got on my nerves . Still this is worth seeing . It's beautifully directed by Bryan Singer with exceptional use of color . The beautiful colors in McKellen's house work in contrast with the grim story and I love how the shower scene was handled ( Renfro has guts doing a nude scene when he was only 16 ) . Also the acting was just great . Renfro is incredible - - hard to believe he was so young when he did this . Sadly he seems to get in trouble with the law so much that he might have completely ruined his changes for a long term career . McKellen realistically fakes a German accent and is just excellent in his role . He really hit it big a few years later with the " Lord of the Rings " and X-Men movies . Also Bruce Davison is very good in a small role . " Dawson Creek " lovers might get a kick out of seeing Joshua Jackson in a few scenes . So it is unpleasant and too long but the great direction and performances make this worth seeing . |
477,922 | 463,200 | 39,080 | 7 | Not bad | In 1890 England , Sydney Greenstreet is forced to retire as the chief of Scotland Yard . It seems he accidentally sent an innocent man to be hanged . He's more than upset over this . Then an seemingly " perfect " murder baffles the Yard and Greenstreet is called in again . But can even he find out the murderer ? Also Peter Lorre is along as his best friend . This was the ( I believe ) 9th and last teaming of Greenstreet and Lorre - - they had made a number of films together after they met doing " Casablanca " . It was director Don Seigel's first film . All in all , it's a pretty good murder mystery . It's VERY atmospheric ( the streets are always covered in fog ) and moves nicely . Shot in b & w it takes place always at night and in dark , gloomy rooms - - it gives the film an appropriately grim feel . Lorre is very good in his small role . However Greenstreet is not - - he seems tired and listless . His face always has the same grim look on it . When he tries to register surprise in one scene he fails miserably . It's pretty well-written but I had already figured out what was going on long before the ending . Still , it's entertaining enough . Worth seeing if it's on TV - - but don't go out of your way . |
477,331 | 463,200 | 73,802 | 7 | Dated but somewhat worthwhile | Robert Redford plays a reference assistant for the CIA in New York . While he's out getting lunch the entire staff are brutally shot to death . He comes back , discovers the bodies , calls the CIA . . . and soon discovers that they want him dead too . He has nowhere to turn to and the CIA after him . . . The technology in this film is laughably dated ( the dial phones and the computer search made me giggle ) but , that aside , this is reasonably entertaining . It's extremely well shot - - NYC looks just great . There's also some good acting - - Faye Dunaway is just great as a woman Redford kidnaps ; Max von Sydow is very good ( and scary ) as a killer ; Cliff Robertson is just so-so as a CIA head and John Houseman is very commanding in his small role . I was entertained for 2 hours , but I can only give it a 7 . The problems : the film was too long ; Robert Redford gives another lousy performance ; the dialogue is occasionally very bad ( especially in the scenes between Redford and Dunaway ) and there's a very silly , needless romance and sex scene between Dunaway and Redford . Still , the film has its moments and might have had more with a better leading man . The R rating on this film should be lowered to a PG-13 . By todays standards the violence is pretty tame and there's only fairly mild swearing . |
477,809 | 463,200 | 122,459 | 7 | Worth seeing , but no great shakes | The plot is ridiculous ( widowed man unknowingly falls in love with woman who has his dead wives heart ) and the stars are not suited to do romantic comedy ( Driver looks miserable , Duchovney ( sp ? ) looks REAL uncomfortable ) . Still the movie works . The whole supporting cast is wonderful ( O'Connor , Loggia , Grier , Belushi and especially Hunt ) , Chicago looks stunning , and the whole movie is very sweet-toned and friendly . It's never as romantic or as funny as you might hope , but it's a very pleasant movie . There are worse ways to spend $8 . 00 ! ! |
479,616 | 463,200 | 171,259 | 7 | I didn't even know this movie existed . . . | it just happened to be on HBO while I was channel surfing . I came in a little late but when I saw gorgeous Stephen Dorff and always exceptional Susan Sarandon I decided to keep watching . I'm glad I did . The story is nothing new but I found the dialogue very interesting ( until the end where it got very predictable ) and Dorff and Sarandon are obviously enjoying themselves and play off each other very well . Dorff proves here he's not just another pretty face - - he's a very talented actor who just happens to be extremely good-looking and have a nice body . Sarandon is always good and extremely sexy in anything she does . The sexual tension between her and Dorff is extremely well-done . As I said before , the dialogue was very well-written ( for a TV movie ) and the two actors give it their all - - heck , these two could read a phone book and make it interesting ! The movie does disappoint at the end when Elizabeth Moss joins them . She's not a bad actress but her character is ( purposely ? ) very annoying and cruel . SPOILER AHEAD ! ! ! I also didn't buy Sarandon's decision at the end in the least . She should have stayed with Dorff - - I can't believe Dorff ended up with his annoying girlfriend . Still , it's played as a happy ending . So , all in all , I did enjoy this . Don't go out of your way to see it but it's worth catching . |
477,157 | 463,200 | 39,066 | 7 | Very glossy . . . and very slow | Young innocent Ann Hamilton ( Katharine Hepburn ) marries tall , dark , handsome and mysterious Alan Garroway ( Robert Taylor ) after a whirlwind romance . She's happy , but slowly starts to realize that something's wrong . Her husband flies into rages whenever she mentions his missing brother Michael . . . and then she starts to realize he isn't who she thought he was . . . Unfortunately she arrives at it too damn SLOWLY ! I saw this on the late show way back in the late 1970s . I remember sort of liking it but not a lot . Seeing it now I see why . It is well-directed by Vincente Minnelli and has incredibly beautiful settings , costumes and set designs . Also Hepburn is just great ( even though it's kind of surprising to see her play a frightened woman ) and Robert Mitchum is also good in the few sequences he's in . And Jayne Meadows shines in her part . But the movie is WAY too slow and dragged out . There's no need for this to drag on for 2 hours . And Taylor is pretty bad in his role . Very stiff and unconvincing . I kept watching because of Hepburn and the production values - - and it DOES have an exciting climax . But , all in all , this is not really a good movie . I'm giving it a 7 but I can't really recommend it . |
477,515 | 463,200 | 65,063 | 7 | Good Woody Allen comedy | This is Woody Allen's first movie as a writer and director and unlike any other of his comedies . It doesn't open silently with the main titles in white on a black screen and it doesn't have his standard use of old music . No drama either . It's basically just a mocumentary ( complete with narration and interviews ) about the life of criminal Virgil Starkwell ( Allen ) . It chronicles how he started his life of crime , met and fell in love with Louise ( Janet Margolin ) and can't seem to stop being a criminal . This was considered a comedy classic when it came out . Today it's kind of weak . Some of the jokes work but there are a large number that don't . The jokes are also pretty silly for a Woody Allen film and it just drags along . This isn't a total bomb - - it just isn't as funny as you would expect from an early Allen film . Also , surprisingly , Allen doesn't play a Jewish guy here ! That's probably the first ( and last ) time he did that . It's OK but you can safely skip this one . |
478,804 | 463,200 | 105,151 | 7 | Good , but not great | An executive at a movie studio ( Tim Robbins ) accidentally kills a writer who he thinks is harassing him . He tries to cover it up . Also his job at the studio is in jeopardy as he's competing with a younger , aggressive man ( Peter Gallagher ) . This was Altman's first Hollywood film after a 12 year absence ( " Popeye effectively stopped his career ) . At first I hated this movie . Very cold , VERY cynical with not one likable character in it . Slowly , though , it won me over . Basically , it's a satire of Hollywood and movie making . . . but a very vicious one . The script is great ( there are countless great lines ) and Altman does his usual great directing job . . . I love the opening 10-15 minutes which is done without any cutaways - - just one long shot . It's just too cruel at times . The acting is ( with one exception ) fine . Gallagher is dead on perfect as the young hot-shot ( he was in his 30s when he did this but he looks in his 20s ) . Robbins , however , is a disappointment . He has a blank , depressed look on his face during most of the movie and sleepwalks through his role . In a way that's a good thing . If he had been real good and convincing in the role this would have been unwatchable . Also Whoppi Goldberg is hysterical as a police officer investigating the case - - watch for the scene with her and a tampon ! Also a huge amount of Hollywood actors appear playing themselves . It's a lot of fun in certain scenes playing " who's in this one " ? So it's good , but Altman has done better . . . like " MASH " and " Nashville " . However , this isn't as bad as his worst film ( " Popeye " ) . So , I ultimately liked it , but the first half was a trial to sit through . I give it a 7 . |
478,125 | 463,200 | 52,602 | 7 | Entertaining old dark house movie | Fun little movie about a novelist ( Agnes Moorehead ) renting a remote , eerie old house for the summer . The house is huge and she's all alone out there with only a couple of servants . Someone who owned the house had just died and has left a million dollars hidden in there . A killer known as " The Bat " appears looking for the money and will kill to get it . . . The kind of movie that they churned out in the 1930s . It has a huge , old , dark , creepy house ; money hidden away somewhere ; a killer out to get it ; a dark and stormy night ; plenty of suspects and a few ( minor ) murders . No blood or gore but enjoyably creepy . The script moves QUICK so there's no chance for you to stop and think about how silly the plot really is . The acting really puts this over the top . Basically everybody is good . Vincent Price pops up from time to time as a doctor but he's hardly in this . This is Moorehead's film and she knows it . She grabs the film and overacts constantly ( but in a good way ) . She has some really good one-liners . Some opening sequences with her and her maid ( played by Lenita Lane ) are hilarious . So , no masterpiece but an enjoyably fun old dark house movie . |
479,441 | 463,200 | 65,143 | 7 | Very good , especially for Argento fans | A writer notices a woman being attacked and tries to save her . She survives . . . but now the killer is after him . A very early Argento film ( I believe his first ) shows all the trademarks that he perfected in his later films - - shots from the killers POV ; the killer being in a black trenchcoat ; the stalking sequences ; the eye looking through the hole in the door ; the killings ; the great use of wide screen . The only thing missing is graphic gore ( the film is PG ) . . . there are murders but they're pretty tame . The story is fairly interesting with huge gaps in logic ( an Argento trademark ) and has some very good , suspenseful moments . The dubbing does detract and the acting is pretty bad , but Argento keeps things moving quickly and some of his direction is astounding . Worth seeing . If you're an Argento fan ( like me ) this is a must-see . Also , it has the be seen in a theatre or letter-boxed . . . that's the only way it would work . |
478,031 | 463,200 | 70,506 | 7 | Saw it when I was 16 ! | This played at a suburban cinema in my town back in 1978 when I was in high school . Back then they were sneaking foreign films from the city into the suburbs hoping to broaden their audiences ( it didn't work ) . I remember fighting with the ticket lady to get in . It didn't have a rating originally but the theatre gave it an R on its own . When I pointed out that that was illegal ( I was bluffing - - I have no idea if it was legal or not ) she quickly gave me the ticket . The movie wasn't THAT bad - - there's only some pretty tame female nudity here and there . As the the content I have never forgotten the first scene when the main character is in a beautiful forest enjoying the sunshine and birds - - and then comes upon the bloody mutilated body of a little girl . The juxtaposition of beauty and horror shocked me and that scene has never left me . That aside I found the film quite funny - - I didn't try to understand what it was about . Back then I loved movies ( and still do ) and just saw anything I could see . The chicken coop sequence was uproarious and I found the waterfall sequence with the nude teenagers quite beautiful . I haven't seen this film since 1978 ( that's when it opened in the U . S . ) and I'm afraid to . I don't think it will live up to my memories . Still , if you get a chance , I do recommend this movie . |
477,870 | 463,200 | 70,509 | 7 | Pretty good but overrated by some | Story about first year law students at Harvard Law School . Movie primarily focuses on James Hart ( Timothy Bottoms ) and his dealing with tyrannical law professor Charles Kingsfield ( John Houseman ) while romancing his daughter ( Lindsay Wagner ) . This is a good film but wildly over praised . The script is very good , it's well-directed and acted . . . but this tells me nothing more deep than other college movies . I always knew where this was going . Also the romance plot between Bottoms and Wagner is sort of ridiculous - - no way would she fall for him . And Bottoms looks horrible with a 70s Afro and mustache . Still this is worth seeing . It's very well written and ( partially ) directed in Cambridge MA ( where Havard Law School is ) which really gives the film a good shot of realism . Also the acting is good by almost everybody except for Wagner . She's very beautiful but lousy . Bottoms is just great but best of all is Houseman . He deservedly won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this role . This movie is just worth seeing for him . Also it was surprising to see how casually sex was treated in this picture - - but this was long before AIDS came around . So it is good and worth seeing - - but no masterpiece . |
477,725 | 463,200 | 70,510 | 7 | Pretty good - - but no masterpiece | The story takes place during the Depression . Con man Moses Pray ( Ryan O'Neal ) is unwillingly paired with young 9 year old Addie Loggins ( real life daughter Tatum ) who has lost both her parents . He tries to get rid of her thinking she's just a dumb kid . . . but Addie isn't and they form a partnership . This was a HUGE hit in 1973 and Tatum O'Neal won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress - - the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award . I liked it - - sort of . It's well-directed ( although director Peter Bogdonovich seems WAY too fond of long shots ) and is shot in beautiful black and white . It is well-acted ( Tatum in particular ) and Madeline Kahn is wonderful as Trixie Delight - - but I didn't find this very interesting . It was episodic and WAY too quiet and laid-back . The comedy wasn't that funny ( Tatum smoking and swearing was considered hysterical in the 1970s - - not now ) and the drama was just OK . I was mildly entertained . It's not bad - - just not great . I also give the movie credit for not turning soapy or sentimental at the end . Worth seeing but no great shakes . I give it a 7 . |
478,462 | 463,200 | 87,983 | 7 | Saw it only once in 1984 but I've never forgotten it | A poor rebellious high school kid named Johnny Rourke ( Aidan Quinn ) , from the wrong side of the tracks , falls in love with rich beautiful Tracey Prescott ( Daryl Hannah ) . She's attracted to him too but has a jealous jerk of a boyfriend ( Adam Baldwin ) and she can't date anyone who is poor and rebellious . Three guesses what happens next . There's absolutely nothing new here story wise but I saw it only once OVER 20 years ago and have never forgotten it . For one thing the acting is excellent . Quinn and Hannah really clicked together on screen . They also have two lengthy sex scenes where you get to see plenty of skin on both of them . ( Quinn does a quick full frontal ) The soundtrack really rocks too . I LOVED how they used " Kids in America " when Quinn and Hannah are " fighting " . Even though the story is completely predictable it moved pretty quickly and I was never bored . I especially loved the final scene ( I'm not gonna give it away ) . This movie should have made Quinn ( he's just incredible ) but didn't for some reason . If you can see it it's worth catching . Don't bother with the commercial TV print - - the steamy sex scenes are completely gone . |
478,376 | 463,200 | 35,317 | 7 | Holmes fights WWII | Sherlock Holmes ( Basil Rathbone ) and Dr . Watson ( Nigel Bruce ) have been hired by the British government to protect a Swiss scientist Dr . Franz Tobel ( William Post Jr . ) . He has a bomb that the British want to win the war . Unfortunately the evil Dr . Moriarty ( Lionel Atwill ) is working with the Nazis and will stop at nothing to get the doctor - - and his invention . Moving Sherlock Holmes to the 1940s sounded like a stupid idea but it does work for one reason - - Basil Rathbone . Arguably he is the BEST Sherlock Holmes ever put on the screen . He plays the character so well ( and accurately ) that it doesn't matter what era he's solving crimes . As for Nigel Bruce as Watson . . . everybody has problems with it . He plays Watson as a bumbling old fool . . . that is NOT the Watson of the books . You seriously wonder why Holmes puts up with him . Still , he does grow on you ( in a way ) . Then there's Atwill having a whale of a time playing Moriarty - - the discussions and battle of wits between him and Holmes are just great ! I've never liked Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade - - he's such an idiot . Makes Watson look like a genius . And Post Jr . is pretty good as Tobel ( even though his accent amusingly keeps changing ! ) . This movie is done elaborately and runs only a little over an hour . Still , it does have it's slow spots and I never understood the secret code section . Still , worth catching if just for Rathbone and Atwill . |
478,519 | 463,200 | 39,110 | 7 | Funny , entertaining | Cute comedy about a novelist ( Claudette Colbert ) who meets a soldier ( John Wayne ) and realizes she loves him . There's more to it than that , but that's the bare bones of the plot . The movie moves quickly , is VERY funny and who knew John Wayne could do comedy so well ? Colbert beautiful and charming ( as always ) . There's also a few appearances from stars of that era . Bright , breezy . . . well worth seeing . |
478,287 | 463,200 | 372,803 | 7 | Another homoerotic horror film from David DeCoteau | The lead singer of a boy band is killed by his band members because he wants to reveal their " secret " . They cover up the killing and audition for a new lead singer . Their ultimate pick is Shawn Walker ( Coltin Scott ) . . . but he doesn't want it and finds out their secret . . . OK - - this isn't a good movie . Like other DeCoteau movies it has a bad script . The opening number clued me in that I was in trouble - - the song sucks and there's some hysterically bad " dancing " . Also these guys make other boy bands ( like N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys ) look like they have talent ! Also the auditions are painful to watch - - Scott gives the WORST one - - but they pick him ! The acting is ( with one exception ) dreadful . When Adrienne Barbeau gives the best performance you KNOW something is wrong ! Ryan Starr ( as Walkers girlfriend ) is easily the worst offender . The film ( even at 80 min ) has endless padding full of bad songs , shots of the ocean and pointless dream sequences . Still I'm giving this a 7 . Why ? Cause I'm a gay guy and this film is full of strong homoerotic images - - the guys are good-looking and have nice bodies . DeCoteau is a gay man and he makes these films to appeal to a gay audience - - nothing wrong with that ! He also does throw in a few untalented , big-breasted women to assure us that these guys are straight - - but it's always clear who this film was made for . The best looking guys are Jeff Peterson ( who plays Jonah and actually gives a good performance ) and Scott - - and Scott definitely has the best body - - the sequence with him running around in black shorts shows this ! So this is a pretty bad film but most gay guys will be pleasantly entertained by the images . |
477,470 | 463,200 | 337,921 | 7 | No masterpiece but lots of fun ! | Jessica Martin ( Kim Basinger ) is kidnapped from her house . They lock her in a dark , dusty attic - - it seems her husband did something and they need the information from her . All that's in the attic is a busted up phone . She frantically keeps connecting wires until she gets somebody's phone to ring . It's the cell phone of Ryan ( Chris Evans ) a 20 something guy . He agrees to help her get the kidnappers while keeping her on the line . The plot sounds kind of lame but it actually works . The movie has tons of twists and turns and almost never stops moving . Basinger is ( surprisingly ) very good . William H . Macy has a few good moments too as a cop and Jason Statham is downright horrifying as one of the main bad guys . But this is Evans ' movie all the way . He's very handsome and in great shape ( he's introduced with his shirt off to show his great body - - woof ! ) . He is also a very good actor and is convincing throughout the film . My only complaints are minor - - the story DOES have its dead spots and the villains are TOO violent - - Basinger is beaten up a LOT and it looks all too realistic . Still this is 99 % better than most of the crap churned out by Hollywood . So far this is the best Hollywood thriller of 2004 . Worth catching - - especially for gorgeous Evans . |
477,461 | 463,200 | 56,552 | 7 | Pretty good | Another of the Roger Corman / Vincent Price films based VERY loosely on three Edgar Allan Poe tales . The first is " Morella " where a dying girl comes to visit her father ( Price ) and find out why he abandoned her as a child . It has to do with her mother ( Morella ) and her death . Well-done but it doesn't make a lot of sense . " The Black Cat " is about a man ( Peter Lorre ) finding out his wife is cheating on him with someone else ( Price ) . It's pretty good but Lorre's acting turns it into a comedy more than a horror story . " The Case of M . Valdemar " has an evil mesmerist ( Basil Rathbone ) keeping a man's spirit alive while his body wastes away . Well-done with a pretty gruesome ending . Basically this a good anthology of horror stories . They're well-produced , well-acted and written . Just don't expect them to be anything like the Poe tales ( especially " Morella " ) . GREAT liberties have been taken with the stories - - they just use them as a starting point and build on it . Also try to see it letter-boxed - - the pan and scan TV version is pretty terrible . I give it a 7 . |
477,928 | 463,200 | 83,542 | 7 | Scared the hell out of me the first time I saw it | Four dangerous psychopaths ( two played by Jack Palance and Martin Landau ) easily escape from an asylum run by a VERY liberal doctor ( Donald Pleasance ) during a blackout . They proceed to terrorize a doctor ( Dwight Schultz ) , his wife , their little daughter , the doctor's sister ( who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown ) and a stranger . And the electricity is out , the phone lines are cut and the house is completely isolated . . . I saw this in a theatre in 1982 and it scared me silly . It had me jumping and two sequences ( one involving a baby sitter on a bed and the other with blood dripping on a woman's face ) had me cringing . Seeing it over 20 years later , it's not as scary but still is an above average horror film . The film moves quickly , there are nice directorial touches from Jack Sholder ( who went on to direct " Nightmare on Elm Street 2 " ) and it has an above average cast - - Pleasance seems a little embarrassed but Palance is good and Landau is clearly enjoying himself . There are quite a few scary moments , a good spooky score and the final half hour is an all out assault on the family . Also it's pretty restrained in terms of gore . But there are huge gaps in logic which I didn't notice the first time and I really did not need a sequence where it is insinuated that a little girl has been molested . Also the young girl of the family is the most annoying little brat I've ever seen - - I was desperately hoping she'd get knocked senseless just to shut her up . And it really has no ending . Still , if you ignore the plot holes this film really can work on you . Best seen at night , in a dark room . . . and all alone : ) |
477,263 | 463,200 | 66,195 | 7 | Loud , abrasive , crude and edited but still funny | Comedy / drama taking place in NYC about meek , mild Felix ( George Segal ) ending up stuck with loud , obnoxious prostitute Doris ( Barbra Streisand ) . Naturally they hate each other and naturally fall in love . This movie is VERY loud ( basically because Streisand yells nonstop ) , the humor is pretty caustic ( Streisand thinks Segal is gay and throws quite a few homophobic jokes at him ) and is pretty risqué - - it was edited from an R rating but there's still plenty of swearing and sexual sequences . Still it is fun . Segal and Streisand work well together - - the script is full of one liners that they throw at each other full tilt . And it might seem strange that Streisand could convincingly play a prostitute - - but she actually looks very attractive here and pulls it off ( she played another one in " Nuts " in 1987 ) . This isn't perfect however . It seems a little bit too long and some of their arguing gets repetitive . Also there is annoying edit when Streisand says the word " f " . I'm guessing it was cut to get a PG rating but it renders one scene incomprehensible and I DID hear it in the video version released in the 1980s . What's the story ? Also there's a very ugly scene at the end where Segal humiliates Streisand in Central Park . Segal also shot some nude scenes which never made it into the final print . Still this is worth catching . I wouldn't let the kids see it though . This is pretty strong for a PG film . |
478,812 | 463,200 | 286,106 | 7 | Great while watching but . . . | I had a lot of unanswered questions afterwords . M . Night Shyamalan is a great visual director . . . there are some beautiful shots here . But with plots . . . Farmer Graham Hess ( Mel Gibson ) finds gigantic , interconnected circles in his cornfield . His brother Merrill ( Joaquin Phoenix ) and Graham's two children ( Rory Culkin , Abigail Breslin ) think there's something supernatural going on . Graham disagrees . . . until things start getting real scary . Also Graham keeps having nightmares about his dead wife who died in a car accident and made him give up being a pastor . . . SPOILERS AHEAD ! ! ! ! ! The film is very creepy and eerie in the first half ( the first full view of the aliens made me jump and the pantry sequence ! ) but drops the ball in the second half . For one thing , you think it's an alien invasion story but it turns into a story about faith . The aliens are just there as a plot device ! Also giving us long shots of the aliens was not a good idea - - it's very clear that they're guys in rubber suits . Still , it did scare me occasionally . MORE SPOILERS ! ! ! ! But , afterwords , I had a lot of questions . Why do the aliens ( who can be killed by water ) attack a planet that is water ? Why do they attack in the first place ( there's something about harvesting people . . . what does that mean ? ) ? One alien is locked inside a pantry and can't get out ? ? ? ? Also how exactly are they defeated at the end ( we're not told ) ? These are nagging questions that I couldn't shake off . And the film is quiet . . . way too quiet at times . And the faith story is awkwardly handled . The acting doesn't help . Gibson is blank-faced the entire time and Culkin and Breslin are terrible . Phoenix tries but the slow pace and insistence on quiet drags him down . So , it's worth seeing . . . if you don't think about it afterwords . |
478,110 | 463,200 | 167,260 | 7 | Can't say I liked it | First of , I LOVED the first two movies . Well-written , beautifully directed with eye-popping special effects and never boring ( despite their length ) . Well . . . it doesn't hold true for this one . Yes - - the direction is good , the special effects still fantastic . . . but I was bored . It had an air of " been there - - seen that " about it . I've seen these special effects , I've seen these creatures . . . there were no surprises . And the story moves VERY slowly . . . much slower than the first two . Frodo , Sam and Gollum's trip to Mount Doom took FOREVER ! Also Viggo Mortensen ( after giving a good performance in the second one ) really was lousy this time around . Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies were good but hardly in it . The best acting was from Ian McKellan ( a tower of strength as Gandalf ) and Sean Astin as Sam . Also it was good to see Liv Tyler and Cate Blanchett back again . . . and I DID enjoy the battles somewhat . . . but I was continuously looking at my watch . And the film has at least FIVE endings ! Also the tone of this film was darker than the first two and this film is WAY too violent for a PG-13 - - this is an R rating all the way . I can only give this a 7 . I just really didn't like it . |
477,387 | 463,200 | 78,295 | 7 | Good Carpenter movie - - his first for TV | Leigh Michaels ( Lauren Hutton ) moves into a beautiful apartment building in LA . She also gets a new job , makes friends with lesbian coworker Sophie ( Adrienne Barbeau ) and makes a new boyfriend with charming Paul Winkless ( David Birney ) . But she starts getting threatening phone calls and letters by a man who seems to know her every move . Sophie and Paul try to help her but they can't and it seems he's getting more and more dangerous . A good movie for Capenter that's obviously made for TV - - there are blackouts every 20 minutes or so . It's not as good as " Halloween " but how could it be ? It's more like Hotchcock's " Rear Window " than anything else . It's well-directed by Carpenter with a few nicely placed scenes that will make you jump . The script is very good too with believable characters and a fairly intricate plot . Also it's unusual that Carpenter got a lesbian character in the movie . There's nothing wrong with that at all - - it was just a fairly gutsy move for a 1978 TV movie . Hutton is surprisingly very good in her role . You slowly see her character crumble under the pressure . Barbeau is also excellent in her role . Only Birney is off - - he seems a little uncomfortable in his role . Still this is a good suspense film from Carpenter . Well worth catching . |
477,880 | 463,200 | 78,288 | 7 | Not that good but it works | Stefano ( Lino Capolicchio ) goes to Venice to visit his brother - - priest Don Paolo ( Craig Hill ) . While there certain people are being murdered for no rhyme or reason . Also Don Paolo is getting letters threatening his life . Plot wise there's nothing new here . You've seen these characters ( and situations ) in giallos of the past . Also Capolicchio and Stefania Casini ( playing his blank girlfriend Sandra ) are pretty terrible actors . We're supposed to identify with them but they don't come across at all . And , of course , there's the obligatory pointless sex scene and a long trip through the canals that leads to nothing . Still this works . The cinematography here is just great - - virtually every shot here takes your breath away . Hill is very good as Don Paolo - - more of him could only have helped the movie . There's also a great score by the group Goblin - - almost as good as the one for " Suspiria " . The ending is effective too . So - - it's no great shakes but you could do worse . See a wide screen print . I give it a 7 . |
478,518 | 463,200 | 38,916 | 7 | Spooky little psychological thriller | June Allyson can't accept stepmom Cluadette Colbert and ( after her father dies ) , begins to lose touch with reality . A very eerie film . . . sometimes seems more like a horror film . The performances are excellent ( especially Allyson and Colbert ) and it looks fantastic . The psychology is a bit dated , but the film still works . Not for everybody , but worth seeing . |
479,316 | 463,200 | 21,815 | 7 | The Latino Dracula | Shot the same time as the English version of Dracula , this Spanish version was shot on the same sets during the night . Some people consider this superior to the English version . In SOME ways it is . The English version was badly directed by Tod Browning . . . but it was Browning's first sound film . His direction ( which was great in the silents ) suffers from having to have the actors speak into concealed microphones . Also the camera seems rooted to the spot . The Spanish version however was exceptionally well-directed . The camera moves and the director seems very at ease with using sound . Also the first appearance of Dracula in the English version was badly handled - - in the Spanish one it's actually very good and a little frightening ! Also we find out the fate of Lucia ( Lucy ) in this one . And the plots with Renfield and Eva ( Mina ) are more fleshed out . And Pablo Alvarez Rubio gives a good performance as Reinfield . AND the girls wear more revealing nightgowns : ) But that's about it . This film is VERY slow ( it runs 25 minutes longer than the other ) and the acting isn't that good . The man playing van Helsing overacts ( badly ) and Barry Norton and Lupita Tovar are just OK as Eva and Juan . But Carlos Villatias is all wrong as Dracula . He tries but he can't carry the role . His villainous looks are actually rather silly and he totally lacks the screen presence of Lugosi . If that had teamed this director with the English cast there might have been a GREAT movie . But , unfortunately , it didn't happen . I do give this a 7 though . |
477,620 | 463,200 | 91,209 | 7 | Very interesting | A young man ( C . Thomas Howell ) is riding a car across the state . While riding through the desert he picks up a hitchhiker ( Rutger Hauer ) . Hauer tries to kill him but Howell pushes him out of the car . But ( somehow ) the hitcher follows him , kills people , puts the blame on him and almost tries to kill him . . . Strange movie . A combination horror / action film . It's never boring and really works on you ( especially if u see it on a big screen ) . The intriguing thing about this is that you're never sure why the hitcher is acting the way he does ( a one point Jennifer Jason Leigh's character screams " Why didn't he kill us ? " ) , WHO he is and where he came from . The film has an ending that is open to interpretation and really makes you think . How many horror films do that ? Even the acting is good . Howell , usually a terrible actor , is very good in this one . Hauer is just downright terrifying as the Hitcher . Leigh has nothing to do but it's always good to see her in anything . My only complaints are : it's TOO open at the end involving the Hitcher - - I wanted more clues and what happens to Leigh was really sick and unnecessary . This was blasted by the critics when it came out ( Siskel and Ebert said you had to be " subhuman " to enjoy it ! ) but has acquired quite a loyal following . Worth seeing but be warned - - there's some VERY graphic violence in this . I give it a 7 . |
477,934 | 463,200 | 39,017 | 7 | Pretty good | Sherlock Holmes ( Basil Rathbone ) and Dr . Watson ( Nigel Bruce ) are hired by Roland Carstairs to travel with him and his mother on a train from England to Edinburgh . His mother is in possession of the Star of Rhodesia - - an expensive and beautiful diamond - - and Roland wants to make sure Holmes is there to protect it . In short order Roland is murdered and the Star is stolen . Holmes has to figure out who on the railway car killed him and stole the diamond . One of the better Holmes & Watson movies done for Universal . It moves VERY quick ( it runs under an hour ) and has a very ingenious plot . To be honest I had guessed who had done it before it was revealed - - but I still didn't know why . Rathbone is excellent as Holmes and Bruce unfortunately plays Watson as an idiot - - BUT he surprisingly does help quite a bit in getting the killer at the end . The acting is pretty good by everybody else if a little broad ( we're to suspect all of them so they ALL act suspicious ) . Unfortunately we get the incredibly annoying Inspector Lestrade ( Dennis Hoey ) in this too . He's an even bigger idiot than Watson and his " comic " relief is downright painful . Still a fast-moving pretty good murder mystery . Perfect late-night viewing . |
479,412 | 463,200 | 78,269 | 7 | Good crime drama | Bank clerk Miles Cullen ( Elliott Gould ) is robbed at the bank by psycho Harry Reike ( Christopher Plummer ) . Cullen uses the robbery as a cover to take a few thousand dollars for himself . But Reike discovers that and wants it for himself . What follows is a cat and mouse game between Cullen and Reike with a few twists and turns . Well-made suspense movie . It's well-directed and scored but the script has problems . Some of the twists and turns are predictable ( I know who Celine Lomez's character was from almost the get go ) and improbable . Also the female characters played by Lomez and Susannah York are totally wasted . They're just there to play the women for the men to use . This film belongs to Plummer and Gould . Gould is just OK . I never thought he was much of an actor and this doesn't change my mind . Plummer however was just great . He plays the character to perfection . He may act cool and confident on the outside but you see the rage and violence inside him . When it comes out you believe every moment of it . And wait till you see him at the end ! Also there are bursts of pretty graphic violence that seem out of place . So I did like this movie but it was far from great . This was ignored at the time of its release and still remains unknown . Worth a look . Also interesting to see John Candy in a small role at the bank . |
478,157 | 463,200 | 70,640 | 7 | Slow and depressing but worth seeing for Lemmon | This is about a dress manufacturer named Harry Stoner ( Jack Lemmon ) . He hates his job and has to pimp out for people just to get them to buy his outfits . He's even considering arson to cover up some mistakes . He misses his youthful life and wants to go back to a time when things were easier and quieter . This isn't a plot driven movie - - it's more of a character study than anything else . It's a slow movie and I found the observations in the script pretty obvious ( but they may not have been in 1972 ) . Also it's depressing seeing what Stoner has to do to succeed . This would probably be unbearable to watch if the acting weren't so good . Lemmon rightfully won a Best Actor Oscar for this . He's just incredible ! You see him struggling to survive and dreaming about the good old days . Jack Gilford matches him as a business associate . In fact he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor - - but didn't win . Also Thayer Davis is just wonderful in his two short scenes as Charlie Robbins . He doesn't move a muscle on his face but you can't stop watching him . This is not for everybody . It's slow and bleak with very little of a plot - - also it bombed in theatres . But , for acting alone , this is a must-see . I give it a 7 . |
478,010 | 463,200 | 277,371 | 7 | More hits than misses | Parody of teen movies in the spirit of " Scary Movie " . There is a bit of a plot modeled on " She's All That " . Hottie Jake Wyler ( Chris Evans ) bets that he can transform an " ugly " girl into a beautiful one by the prom . The plot is secondary - - there are constant sidetracks to parodies of tons of other films - - everything from " American Beauty " to " Risky Business " . Some of the jokes don't work , but they're coming so fast and furious that if it doesn't work , just wait a second . . . another one's coming . More of the jokes work than don't . No classic , but I enjoyed it . The acting isn't bad - - Chris Evans is too old for his role ( but then the entire cast is ) but he has nice comic timing - - and a very nice body too . Mia Kirshner is also funny playing his sister and aping Sarah Michelle Gellar from " Cruel Intentions " . Also Jaime Pressly is fun as a beyond belief b of a cheerleader . All the stereotypes are hit dead on and it even turns into a musical at one point ! High points are the parody of " The Breakfast Club " ( with Paul Gleason cheerfully recreating his role ) and a hilarious cameo by Molly Ringwald . Lots of fun . |
478,364 | 463,200 | 160,484 | 7 | Not as bad as I heard | What's the problem ? This film is no classic , but it's not the disaster critics have been calling it . WARNING : Possible spoilers ahead ! ! ! ! Winona Ryder discovers that Ben Chaplin will play host to the Devil , become the Anitchrist and take over the world . Can it be stopped . . . and how ? This is a very odd horror film for 2000 - - there's next to no blood , no gore , no extreme violence and only a few well-placed shocks . ( How it got the R rating is beyond me ) . It's easy to see why New Line didn't release it for a year - - it's not a typical horror movie . What it is , is very well-made , creepy , exceptionally well-directed ( by Janusz Kaminski ) and a great performance by Winona Ryder . The film isn't perfect - - it's sometimes hard to follow , the ( purposely ) grainy and drained of color look of the film wears on you and Chaplin gives out a pretty bad performance . He's stated in interviews that he didn't want to do the movie - - he only did it because Ryder asked him . Unfortunately , his reluctance shows . Still , the movie is a near-perfect example of quiet horror - - it creeps up on you slowly and leads to a downbeat ( in a way ) conclusion . Again , why are people saying the ending was so stupid ? I thought it ended perfectly ! So , it's no classic but not a disaster . I gave it a 7 . Worth catching . |
478,602 | 463,200 | 66,344 | 7 | Very colorful - - perfect for kids | Musical retelling of " A Christmas Carol " . The film looks fantastic and Albert Finney is great as Scrooge . The kids should love it , but there are some scary scenes that may frighten very young kids , so use caution . Adults will probably be a little bored . For one thing , Alec Guinness is in it as a ghost and looks absolutely miserable . You can tell he hates being in this movie and it gets depressing to watch him . Also , the story is VERY familar , the music is completely forgettable along with dreadful lyrics ( but I did like " Thank You Very Much " ) and the ending goes on forever . What kept me watching was Finney's performance and the film looks absolutely beautiful - - rich color with beautiful scenery and costumes . So , worth seeing , but be prepared to sit through some really dreadful songs . |
478,118 | 463,200 | 83,967 | 7 | Powerful but disjointed | Be warned - - there are spoilers all throughout the review . Somewhat fictionalized biography of 1930s film actress Frances Farmer played by Jessica Lange . It follows her stormy relationship with her mother ( Kim Stanley ) and her wrongful institutionalizations . I've read Farmer's autobiography " Will There Ever Be A Morning " and this movie plays hard and loose with the facts . It throws in Harry York ( Sam Shepard ) a totally fictional character and make him the narrator . It also gives Farmer a love interest ( which isn't needed ) . It also has her hating the 1936 movie " Come and Get It " - - in reality she loved that film . It does show correctly how badly she was treated in Hollywood but REALLY drops the ball when she in an institution . The book goes into gruesome and harrowing detail over how she and other inmates were treated - - the movie cuts it down to maybe 15 minutes . Also they sanitize it a lot . And the lobotomy shown never happened - - she did not spend the rest of her life as some zombie . So , as a factual biography of Farmer its WAY off base . As a movie it's not too great either . It's flatly directed and the story skips around all over the place . Also Farmer's self-destructive tendencies are never really explored - - far too much time is spent working on her relationship with York . On the plus side there are impressive recreations of 1930s and 40s New York and Hollywood . What makes this worth seeing is the acting . No one is bad but Lange and Stanley are just superb ( both were nominated for Oscars for this ) . Stanley plays the " loving , caring " mother role to the hilt - - you see the darkness in her that she tries to cover up . Lange just explodes in this one . She later said playing Frances almost killed her - - you can tell ! Her screaming and rage comes roaring off the screen as well as her confusion and vulnerability . A truly great performance - - she deserved the Award for this not " Tootsie " . So it's worth seeing for the acting but don't look for a factual bio on Farmer . For that read her book . I give this a 7 . |
477,235 | 463,200 | 245,120 | 7 | Not that bad | I was expecting a truly dreadful horror film judging by the reviews . It's no classic , but it wasn't the bomb I was expecting . It's about a young man ( Kerr Smith ) driving a car from CA to FL . He's told not to pick up hitch hikers . Naturally he does ( Brendan Fehr ) . The next thing he knows , he's being chased by a gang of blood thirsty vampires . The vampires are called the Forsaken and have a real stupid origin ( which I won't get into ) . The film moves very quickly , I jumped twice and it's occasionally VERY gory . Unfortunately the film also has tons of misogyny ( all the female characters are monsters , victims or sex objects ) and tons of gratuitous nudity ( all female of course - - in one particularly repulsive scene a very ill girl is stripped practically nude to find the bite marks on her ) . Those scenes are unpleasant and not necessary . Still , the acting is not bad ( Smith and Fehr work well with each other ) and the direction is nice and flashy . So . . . no great movie but never dull - - if only the female characters had been treated more respectfully ! |
477,297 | 463,200 | 56,700 | 7 | Must be seen in the Cinerama format | Fictionalized ( ? ) account of the brothers Grimm ( Laurence Harvey and Karl Boehm ) - - their lives and loves . Three of their fairy tales are dramatized . " The Dancing Princess " stars Russ Tamblyn , Jim Backus and Yvette Mimieux . It's cute but there's a dance sequence that goes on much too long . However there is a long coach ride which makes full use of the three screens in Cinerama and provides some fantastic scenery ( even on TV ) . " The Cobbler and the Elves " stars Harvey and includes a little Puppetoon ( stop motion animation ) sequence . It's OK for the kids . " The Singing Bone " has Terry-Thomas and Buddy Hackett fighting a very bad stop-motion animation dragon . As with the first two , it will appeal to kids . This film must be seen in the Cinerama format - - that was a short-lived process in which three screens were used to project a full picture along with three projectors running . The triple screens are used effectively all throughout the film - - I can't imagine this working in a pan & scan format . Luckily , Turner Classic Movies always shows it in that format . It's perfect family entertainment except for a few minor quibbles - - at 129 minutes it's a bit too long ; there are too many ( bad ) songs ; the dances could be cut and the stop-motion animation is stunningly bad . Still , it's beautiful to look at , the cast is very good ( except for Boehm ) and the whole picture has a playful quality about it . Also I've never seen Laurence Harvey so animated and full of life ! Worth catching - - in wide screen only . |
478,566 | 463,200 | 70,155 | 7 | Purportedly based on a true story ( I have my doubts ) | Ivanhoe Martin ( Jimmy Cliff ) lives in Jamaica . He goes to the big city to become a singer . However he gets his song taken ( for $200 . 00 ) by an unscrupulous record producer and ends up selling marijuana . When he shoots three policeman dead he becomes sort of a hero . . . and his record starts selling . This was a HUGE cult movie in the 1970s and 80s . At one art cinema in Cambridge Massachusetts it played OVER 10 YEARS as a midnight movie ! I tried to see it there back in the 1980s but had to leave after 15 minutes . Quite a few people were smoking pot openly in the theatre ( Ah ! The 80s ! ) and the smell was terrible . I finally caught it in the 1990s and I honestly can't see what all the fuss is about . It's not a terrible movies ( I'm giving it a 7 ) but it's no great shakes . It's crudely made with terrible acting , a predictable story and dialogue that's almost impossible to understand ( due to the strong Jamaican accents most of the cast has ) . This film also introduced ( I think ) reggae to America . The songs are great and Cliff really belts them out . Unfortunately there's only two or three songs and they're repeated again and again and AGAIN ! The direction is good for such a low budget movie . So - - I didn't hate it but I honestly can't see why people kept seeing this over and over . If it's just for the music they could have bought the album . |
479,227 | 463,200 | 237,534 | 7 | Odd French horror film | In 18th century France , Gregoire de Fronsac ( Samuel Le Bihan ) and his Indian companion Mani ( Mark Dacascos ) try to capture a beast which is killing people in a remote village . That's the main plot , but there are many others thrown in . Among the elements put in - - a love story ; politics ( LOTS of it ) ; racism ; incest ; rape ; murder ; gratuitous female nudity and kick-boxiing ! A few of the fight scenes would not be out of place in a Jackie Chan movie . SPOILERS AHEADBasically , this film is all over the map . . . way too much . The film tries to cover too much material ( and characters ) , it runs over 2 hours and there are HUGE plot holes ( the explanation of the beast makes no sense and one character is killed and then brought back to life , yet we're never told how or why ! ) . On the plus side it is well done and Dacascos ' Mani is a very interesting , complex character ( as Dacascos is a good actor , is very handsome and has a great body ) . Le Bihan is OK as Fronsac . Also Monica Bellucci is on hand looking great , giving a wonderful performance and really boosting the movie . So , it's too long , too serious , too plot-heavy but somewhat worth seeing for the fight scenes , the beast ( which is incredible ) , Dacascos and Bellucci . |
479,113 | 463,200 | 151,738 | 7 | For Drew Barrymore fans | A VERY predictable story ( girl who was an ugly duckling goes back to high school undercover years later , meets and falls in love with her high school sweetheart . . . ) done pretty well . You're always two steps ahead of the plot , but it's pretty well-acted ( with the sole exception of David Arquette - - God , is he annoying ) and never really dull . But it's a great movie if you're a Drew Barrymore fan ( like me ) . She gives out a terrific performance and makes her character warm and believable . My only big complaint is the ending . The movie should have wrapped up everything at the prom - - the ending at Shea Stadium was VERY anticlimatic . That aside though , I enjoyed it . |
477,902 | 463,200 | 101,020 | 7 | A strange John Woo film | I liked this film a lot , but I was constantly having to remind myself it was a John Woo film . Yeah , there are explosions , gunfights , violence , etc . etc . but it's all kept reasonably tame ( for Woo at least ) . The movie was funny and charming - - nothing like you'd expect from one of his films . Worth watching , but Yun-Fat ( sp ? ) should stick to drama - he was overacting WAY too much in this one when he tried to be funny . |
477,334 | 463,200 | 342,167 | 7 | I'm giving it a 7 but this is WAY overrated | Some critics have been raving to the high heavens about this film . It's about a bunch of misfits who go to a summer camp which teaches dancing , singing and acting . As the summer progresses they all bond and become stronger . . . . sigh . This has been done hundreds of times before and this movie adds nothing to the old formula . The plots are very trite and predictable . There was one at the end ( about the alcoholic teacher who " finds " himself ) that was so old that I couldn't believe I was seeing it in a 2003 film . Also characters appear and disappear with no warning ( who WAS that handsome Latino boy who was buddy buddy with Michael in one scene ) and some of the performances were either overdone ( some of the gay boys were doing everything but lisping ) or pretty bad ( Daniel Letterle is VERY handsome - - but he can't act and he grins way too much ) . So why am I giving it a 7 ? There is some good acting ( Joanna Chilcoat and Robin de Jesus are standouts ) and the musical numbers . These kids can REALLY belt out songs and the dancing is incredible . Those musical numbers alone make the film worth seeing . But director Graff really doesn't know how to shoot some numbers - - some of the quick cuts in one number were really annoying . So - - it's worth seeing for the dancing and singing . . . not for the cliched story and some lousy acting . |
478,661 | 463,200 | 83,929 | 7 | Dated but OK | A look at teenage life and love ( and sex ) circa 1980 in California . I loved this film back when it came out . I graduated from high school in 1980 , so I knew these characters and the movie treated teenagers realistically and was well-acted and funny . It was a rare Hollywood film that showed true-to-life teenagers . 20 years later I still like it's honesty but I don't find it funny anymore and it's actually kind of boring . Also the approach to sex is very naive ( the pre AIDS talk is very uncomfortable to sit through ) . There are some sex scenes but not many . Supposedly there were a lot more shot but they were cut before the movie was released . What saves this film is the great soundtrack ( starts right off with the Go-Gos " We Got the Beat " ) and some very nice , natural performances from Jennifer Jason Leigh , Phoebe Cates and Judge Reinhold . However , Robert Romanus ( playing the school scalper ) is ugly and gives out a horrible performance . The best scenes in the film belong to Sean Penn ( as Jeff Spicoli , a constantly stoned teenager ) and Ray Walston ( as Mr . Hand a very tough teacher ) . Their verbal battles are hilarious and definitely worth catching . So , it's an OK film on late 70s / early 80s teen life . |
478,175 | 463,200 | 338,337 | 7 | Not bad | Michael Jennings ( Ben Affleck ) has his mind wiped out for two years to do a job for a corporation . He comes back with no memory of what happened . It seems the corporation has set him up to be killed . But why ? He has no memory . . . There's more but it gets really confusing to explain . The plot is , plain and simple , stupid . REALLY stupid . But that doesn't really occur to you until after the film because this film is full of exciting shoot outs , great car chases and some truly jaw-dropping stunts . Director John Woo proves , once again , that he's the best action director out there . The stupid plots and great action are his trademarks . . . and there's ALWAYS a scene with a white dove in it ( it's supposed to stand for redemption . . . or something like that ) . This is not one of his best films - - it's too complicated , a little too silly and goes on way too long - - but it's enjoyable way to kill two hours . And it's much better than his last film ( " Windtalkers " ) . Affleck is just unbelievably handsome and really good in this film . The closeups of his face are just beautiful ! On the other hand Uma Thurman ( as his girlfriend ) looks terrible - - messy hair and cruelly photographed . She's OK - - but she has no part to play . She's just the love interest . Aaron Eckhart is also pretty good ( and unrecognizable ) as the slimy villain . Surprisingly , this film has a PG-13 rating . With only one other exception ( " Mission Impossible 2 " ) all Woo films have R ratings or NC-17 . The reason is there is tons of violence here , but no blood or gore . And it's relatively restrained ( until the end ) . SPOILER BEGINS ! ! ! Did the final battle between Eckhart and Affleck have to be so violent ? SPOILER ENDS ! ! ! ! ! So , it's pretty good . I'm giving it a 7 . |
477,861 | 463,200 | 105,428 | 7 | VERY frustrating movie | Sleepwalkers are creatures who drain the life force completely out of humans to survive . . . but they can only use virgins ( it's not explained why ) . Charles Brady ( Brian Krause ) is one such who needs to feed his mother Mary ( Alice Krige ) . He goes after likable Tanya ( Madchen Amick ) . Will she escape ? On one hand this is a GREAT horror film . Fast-paced , plenty of blood and gore and a nice , twisted sense of humor . There are plenty of in joke references for horror buffs ( Castle Rock is mentioned once ) . Also Krause is excellent ( who would have thought he could act after " Return to the Blue Lagoon " ) as is Kirge and Amick . But I find this film annoying . It was written for the screen by Stephen King and it's maddeningly vague . The sleepwalkers are never fully explained . Where are they from ? Why are they called that ? Why does the son have to feed the mother ? Why do cats hate them and can kill them ? What are their powers after all ( at one point Krause makes a car disappear AND change color and style ! ) ? Why do they need to feed off peoples ' life force ? Why does it have to be only virgins ? Why is the son having sex with his mom ? None of these are explained leaving the story confusing . It's really too bad because , those questions aside , this is an excellent horror film . Excellent makeup and special effects too . Fast , gory and lots of fun . If only the script were better . Also a fairly explicit sex scene between Krause and Krige was edited ( you can tell ) to get an R rating . I can only give this a 7 . |
478,362 | 463,200 | 48,021 | 7 | One of the first caper films - - and one of the best | Four men plan a daring robbery in France . Everything goes well until one of the robbers does something real stupid and things fall apart quickly and violently . A film noir caper film shot on a shoe string budget in France . It's very well-done and acted and ( for its time ) extremely violent . My only complaint is that it goes on too long ( a little over 2 hours ) and the plot seems so familar - - but that's because many later , inferior films stole from this . Nonetheless , this is a must see . |
477,145 | 463,200 | 35,014 | 7 | Pretty good | A misguided ( not mad ) scientist has developed a telescope which is basically a giant magnet ( ! ! ! ) . With it he proposes to draw comets to the Earth ( for some reason ) and then send them back into space . The police warn him not to do it . He ignores them and immediately starts bringing in a comet . The police destroy his equipment . . . but it's too late . The comet is hurtling towards Earth spitting out huge fireballs causing destruction . The scientist can't send it back because his equipment has been destroyed . Superman tries to smash the comet but it's too strong for him ! What will happen ? One of the lesser Superman cartoons but still fun . This is the first where Clark Kent does NOT say " This is a job for Superman " before changing . And there's a sweet little kiss between him and Lois at the end . Worth catching but just OK . |
478,075 | 463,200 | 65,374 | 7 | Camp classic | Hilarious mess based on a Harold Robbins novel . It starts in 1945 in the ( fictional ) South American city of Corteguay . A young boy named Dax sees his dog shot dead in front of him . Then he sees his mother stabbed to death and his sister raped and murdered . He then shoots to death several men responsible . He goes to another place and everybody there gets murdered too ! This is all in the first 20 minutes - - and the film runs three hours ! Eventually Dax escapes to Rome with his father . He grows up and is played by that international star ( cough cough ) Bekim Fehmiu . The rest of the film follows him through his life and his frequent sexual couplings and desire to help Corteguay . Wow - - what a disaster ! To say this is bad is putting it mildly . It's incredibly stupid but keeps throwing in so much sex , nudity and violence that you're never bored . Some of the things here are so badly done they boggle the mind . At one point Dax is romancing a young woman ( Candice Bergen looking so young and beautiful ) but the montage of the two of them falling in love is so clichéd it's hilarious . Then there's the scene where they first make love - - with actual fireworks bursting overhead ! There's a hospital scene between the two of them that was so stupid I actually laughed out loud ! There's a fashion show about two hours in that's a real eye popper . Most of the dialogue sounds ( and looks ) badly overdubbed . Old pros Ernest Borgnine , John Ireland and Olivia deHavilland are shamefully wasted but still manage to give good performances despite the script . Leading man Fehmiu is ( to put it mildly ) a bad actor . He's totally expressionless throughout the whole movie . He's also ugly and not in good shape at all . There are a few good things about this movie . The location shooting in Rome and South America is just great - - there's some beautiful locations and cinematography here . Fehmiu aside everyone else gives pretty good performances . There's also some cool battle sequences too . As a serious movie this is a disaster . But , as camp , it's a laugh a minute ! This was originally R rated mostly for the frequent female nudity . It was reissued a few years after its initial release and was cut to get a PG . The DVD says it's the PG version but it's not . The PG version runs 170 minutes - - the R rated runs 177 minutes and that's the one on the DVD . Worth catching for laughs . |
479,146 | 463,200 | 118,275 | 7 | Not great but I liked it | A pretty good cop show by Steven Bochco . It got a lot of controversy at the time because the pilot show had ( for TV ) a pretty graphic scene where a man gets shot in the head . It started out with fairly good ratings but slowly sank till it was canceled . It was was no masterpiece but people kept comparing it to " NYPD Blue " which was a better show - - there was no way they could compete . Still it was well-acted and written - - I especially liked Jon Tenney as one of the main characters . Towards the end ( in a desperate attempt to get higher ratings ) they had an episode where Tenney showed his butt and publicized it a LOT . Unfortunately it didn't save the show . So , a pretty good show that deserved a better chance . |
477,521 | 463,200 | 95,444 | 7 | A cult favorite | Blood-drinking killer clowns from outer space terrorize a small town . They shoot at people with guns that let out popcorn instead of bullets . They also capture them and keep them captive in cotton candy cocoons for later feedings . Mike ( Grant Cramer ) , girlfriend Debbi ( Suzanne Snyder ) and policeman Dave ( John Allen Nelson ) try to stop them and save the town . The premise is ridiculous . . . but this film never really takes itself too seriously . The jokes are sometimes predictable but , more often , very clever and original . Also there are some very inventive , funny ways people are captured . But I can't say I really loved this movie . It is camp but the humor has a very cruel edge to it . People are killed pretty viciously and there's nothing funny about that . The clown makeup is downright horrifying and their laughs are nightmare inducing . It was made on no budget but there are some truly impressive sets and costumes - - it LOOKS like a big-budget film . Most of the acting is OK . Snyder makes a very appealing heroine and Nelson is very good as a straight arrow cop . Cramer is the only disappointment - - he overacts WAY too much . I'm giving it a 7 but I can't honestly say I liked this . It was a bit too dark and cruel for me - - but others might like that . |
478,117 | 463,200 | 74,021 | 7 | Ahead of its time | A satire on soap operas dealing with a VERY strange housewife named Mary Hartman ( Louise Lasser ) and her heavily dysfunctional family and friends . It dealt with homosexuality , alcoholism , wife beating , drug abuse , rape , murder ALL done with a comic twist . Most TV shows wouldn't touch those subjects - - but this one did . This was considered very strong material for its time . It usually played during the afternoon hours but parents were horrified that their children were being subjected to this . Personally I was 14 when it started - - I just found it funny and not even remotely shocking . It was moved to late night ( 11 : 30 ) in most areas on the country . It had a successful run for a few years until creator Norman Lear decided to end it . There was a final episode that tied together all the loose ends . In terms of subject matter this was extreme . . . but its also very much of its time . The show didn't get too controversial ( two gay characters were only allowed to talk to each other - - no kissing or hugging ) and the off the wall humor kept giving the show a light touch . So it was ahead of its time - - but today it comes across as pretty slow and dated . The humor seems pretty silly now and the subject matter isn't even remotely extreme anymore . TV Land tried to revive it a few years ago and it didn't work . So - - it did help push the boundaries of what could be shown and talked about on TV but , unfortunately , it doesn't age well . |
478,277 | 463,200 | 30,435 | 7 | Silly but fun | Short about the employees of the Homey Foamy Washing Machine factory wanting to put on a show . The boss doesn't want it but they try to get a Broadway producer to support them . Mixed up in this is a romance between factory worker Tom ( Kenny Stevens ) and the boss ' daughter Martha ( Doris Weston ) . The story is old , some of the acting is dreadful and it was made on next to no budget but this is still an enjoyable musical short from MGM . Stevens and Weston are young , good-looking and so full of life and energy that it's hard not to like them . And when Steven sings this is just great ! The man had a beautiful voice and the songs , while corny , were enjoyable . No unsung masterpiece but a silly , short and fun little movie . I give it a 7 . |
477,828 | 463,200 | 39,383 | 7 | Brutal but a landmark | A young man ( played by director / writer Kenneth Anger ) is gay and goes to pick up sailors . But the sailors attack him and ( maybe ) kill him . That's about it . I saw this at a gay cinema class many years ago . I hated it from beginning to end . The print was in terrible shape and the explicit violence and blood was horrific . It was just reissued in a brand new print with commentary by Anger . I respect it a little more now . Like it or not this is a landmark in gay cinema . The sailors are sexualized more than a little and some of the imagery is striking . The director explained this all came to him in a dream which accounts for the lack of story . I still find the fact that his character is beaten by sailors quite disturbing - - but this was shot in 1947 . So I can't say I like it but it has its place in gay cinema . I'm giving it a 7 but that's mostly for its historical status . |
478,270 | 463,200 | 113,026 | 7 | Good , could have been great | It's a mystery to me why this film sat on the shelf for 5 years . It's no masterpiece , but it's colorful and entertaining . The songs are beautiful and well performed by ALMOST the entire cast . The story is interesting but gets confusing at the half-way point - - I'm assuming it's because of the 15 minutes cut out of the original print . Unfortunately there's one huge problem with the movie - - Joey McIntyre . He can sing OK , but sounds bad compared to everyone else . And his acting is horrendous ! At one point he's trying to be romantic with his girlfriend on a porch bench - - he was so bad the audience I had was in hysterics by the end of the scene . Also , he's not good-looking at all ( sorry ! ) and just unbelievable . Without him this might have been a great musical . Sadly , it just misses the mark . Still worth seeing though . |
477,259 | 463,200 | 233,142 | 7 | Silly but energetic | SPOLIERS AHEAD ! ! ! A bunch of guys ( including Kevin Costner , Kurt Russell , Christian Slater , David Arquette ) rob a casino dressed as Elvis ' . Too bad Costner is a psycho - - he kills Arquette and Slater and tries to kill Russell . Unfortunately , Russell survives , gets the money and goes on the run ( with Cortney Cox and her annoying son ) with Costner in hot pursuit . The plot is predictable and silly with huge gaps in logic , but the film works . The acting is good especially Cox and ( surprisingly ) Costner - - he's very good and convincing as a psycho . The direction is flashy , the movie moves quickly and there are some neat twist and turns . Only real complaint is Cox's son - - the kid is annoying and I spent most of the movie hoping he'd get blown away . So , a quick , silly , violent , fun film . |
477,376 | 463,200 | 210,070 | 7 | Brutal | Grim horror story about two strange sisters - - Brigette ( Emily Perkins ) and Ginger ( Katharine Isabelle ) . They're very close - - too close ! Their relationship got really creepy . Then Ginger is attacked by a werewolf and starts becoming one herself . Brigette wants to protect her and cure her , but then Ginger starts killing people . . . Dead serious horror film from Canada . Well made with tons of blood and gore . . . I'm surprised ( and pleased ) that this got an R rating . Cool werewolves too . This is an unusual horror film . There are no jokes , very little humor and the attack scenes are strong ( this is NOT for weak stomaches ) and there's an overall very depressing atmosphere . Also good acting by the entire cast , especially Perkins , Isabelle and Kris Lemche - - a real cute guy who tries to help the girls . Strong stuff but a good film for horror fans especially . This was barely released theatrically in the US . It's well worth searching out in video or DVD . |
477,811 | 463,200 | 365,513 | 7 | Pretty good , gory little movie | Adam ( Eric Jungmann ) and obnoxious best friend Harley ( Justin Urich ) are driving cross country to a wedding . Along the way they pick up sexy hitchhiker Sarah ( Aimee Brooks ) . Then , for no reason , a monster truck keeps trying to run them off the road . . . and maybe kill them . Who is doing this and why ? Pretty good horror film . Its energetic and full of flashy direction which gets you right into the action . It's also a horror comedy . Most of the humor is infantile and REALLY gross but actually somewhat funny . Also this movie really piles on the gore at times - - but that's a GOOD thing ! The acting is OK - - Jungmann overplays his nerd role a bit much ; Urich is stuck with the hopeless role of the foul-mouthed , sex-obsessed best friend - - but pulls it off ; Brooks is good too in a limited role . BUT I could see the " twist " ending coming long before it happened and logic totally disappears at the end ( especially the rescue ) . Still , this is a gory , sometimes funny and sometimes scary horror movie . I give it a 7 . |
478,402 | 463,200 | 70,291 | 7 | Good | Interesting movie of super-rich James Coburn trying to find out who accidentally killed his wife Sheila . He gets the 6 most likely suspects and invites them for a weekend of " games " . But the games are cruel and someone turns up dead . Then this turns into a whodunit . The script is fantastic ( written by Anthony Perkins ( ! ) and Stephen Sondheim ( ! ! ) ) . The dialogue is believable and there are many ingenious twists and turns . There's also a great cast at their peak - - except for Raquel Welch and Dyan Cannon . Both are incredibly beautiful but Welch has never been good and Cannon is way too loud and shrill . Keeps you guessing to the very end . Also it's fun to see James Coburn enjoying himself in a role . And it all ends with a Bette Midler song ! |
478,500 | 463,200 | 17,739 | 7 | Creaky but somewhat fun silent film | An old man ( Cyrus West ) dies accusing his relatives of hovering over him - - like cats over a canary . 20 years after his death his relatives get together as his will is read in his creepy mansion on a dark and windy night at midnight ( of course ) . One person gets all the money and estate - - unless they are proved insane . And how about the escaped lunatic from the nearby asylum . . . ? This is probably one of the first ( if not THE first ) movie about the reading of the will , a dark and ( purportedly ) haunted house and people being murdered . Plotwise it's nothing new and contains some terribly unfunny " comedy " . Still it's worth catching . It's very well directed by Paul Leni ( the juxtaposing of images was clever ) and he has fun with the title cards ( see how " HELP ! " is done ) . The acting is a little bit overdone ( but that's common in silent films ) and star Laura La Plante is pretty good . I saw the restored print ( which is still in pretty bad shape ) and it has an excellent music score that helps too . So , worth catching . No great shakes though . |
477,329 | 463,200 | 70,334 | 7 | Strange and quirky doesn't even begin to cover this one | Phillip Marlowe ( Elliott Gould ) is a washed out private investigator in California . One night old friend Terry Lennox ( Jim Bouton ) asks for a quick ride to Tijuana . Marlowe agrees then gets caught up in a VERY complex plot involving sexy Nina van Pallandt , alcoholic Sterling Hayden and violent hood Mary Rydell . The plot is WAY too complicated to get into . Odd take by Robert Altman on Phillip Marlowe . He changes the story drastically . He moves it from the 1940s to the 1970s - - yet Marlowe dresses like the 40s and even drives a 40s car . He is rumpled , mumbling and run-down here . There's a security guard who does celebrity impersonations ( for no reason ) . Everybody talks strangely and the complex plot moves VERY quickly . It's never dull and it's beautifully directed . . . but I'm not quite sure what Altman's point is here . On one hand he seems to be doing a straight-forward ( albeit a little strange ) detective story - - on the other he seems to be making fun of Marlowe and his attempts . The tone of the film wavers uncomfortably between humor , violence and satire . I'm still not quite sure how to take this . The acting is great - - Gould is just wonderful - - probably his best performance ever ; van Pallandt is also very good ( interesting costumes - - VERY 70s ) ; Hayden yells and screams a lot ; Rydell is downright terrifying as a crime lord . Since it an Altman film there's pointless female nudity ( Marlowe's neighbors ) and a sick scene where a Coke bottle is smashed across a woman's face . It's also highly unbelievable - - no Coke bottle would break that easy . Also David Carradine and Arnold Schwarzenegger pop up in cameos ! A VERY odd movie and ( understandably ) a commercial failure but it's acquired a cult following . I'm not quite sure WHAT it's saying - - but I liked it - - sort of . I give it a 7 . |
478,749 | 463,200 | 409,182 | 7 | Not as good as the original - - just OK | On New Years Eve a HUGE ship called The Poseidon is hit by a tidal wave . It's turned completely upside down . A small group of survivors must work their way up to the bottom of the boat to escape . They're all stock characters - - the handsome , muscular hero ( Josh Lucas ) ; the older hero ( Kurt Russell ) ; his headstrong daughter ( Emmy Rossum ) ; her bland boyfriend ( Mike Vogel ) ; Latina stowaway ( Mia Maesno ) ; Latino waiter ( Eddie Rodriguez ) ; single mother ( Jacinda Barrett ) with an annoying son ( Jimmy Bennett ) and depressed gay guy ( Richard Dreyfuss ) . The " character " sequences are laugh out loud funny - - thankfully they are brief and there are few of them . The boat being capsized happens VERY early on and the rest is all narrow escapes , countless explosions , lots of screaming and a needlessly loud soundtrack . The special effects are just superb - - very believable and realistic . Still there's nobody to care for . There characters are all predictable and the actors really try to bring something to their parts - - but can't . Lucas and Rossum come closest to succeeding . Also , despite all the noise , this movie does have its dull spots . MAJOR SPOILER ! ! ! ! Maybe it's just me - - but is anyone else worried about the only two ethnic characters ( Rodriguez and Maestro ) being killed ? Rodriguez ' death is especially horrifying . Maybe I'm seeing too much into this but it bothered me . SPOILER END ! ! ! ! So - - pretty good . A turn off your brain to enjoy movie . I give it a 7 . |
477,324 | 463,200 | 308,152 | 7 | Sheesh ! That ENDING | The Harringtons are driving to a relatives house for Christmas . There's the father ( Ray Wise ) , mother ( Lin Shaye ) , obnoxious teenage son ( Mick Cain ) , daughter ( Alexander Holden ) and daughter's boyfriend ( Bill Asher ) . Then they almost crash and strange things start happening - - the road never ends and who IS that Lady in White ( Amber Smith ) who keeps appearing ? Starts off strong . The characters are very real - - not likable but you don't hate them either - - just like real people . Also there are two deaths in the movie where we never see the bodies - - but this works ! What I was imagining was a lot worse than anything they could have shown . Also there's the eerie setting and lots of impressive overhead shots of the car driving down the road surrounded by a forest . The acting is good too - - especially the always impressive Ray Wise . Good to see him headlining a movie . But it goes on too long . It starts to feel like an R-rated 30 minute " Twilight Zone " episode padded out to 80 minutes . It gets tiresome and repetitious and I was just watching to find out what was going on . A lot of people don't like this ending ( me too ) but really - - you're not going to find an ending to satisfy everyone . For what it is it's OK . It's worth seeing though despite the slow stretches and the ending . I give it a 7 . |
479,260 | 463,200 | 83,801 | 7 | Very familiar but OK | Rats eat corn which inexplicably is coated with steroids and grow into large rats with nasty tempers , huge teeth and seem even more intelligent . Science teacher Sam Groom and health official Sara Botsford find out and try to save the city ( carefully not named but it was filmed in Toronto ) . The plot is old hat but this is reasonably well done . The script is OK and the acting is pretty good ( especially Botsford ) . But what really makes me give this a 7 is the rats . Yes , I know they're dogs in rat suits but they look convincing and the scenes of them chasing victims are scary . Also the attack scenes ( especially the one in the theatre ) are vicious , bloody and very gory . So a worthwhile movie for horror fans - - especially those who like early 80s horror ( like me ) . But if rats bother you , stay far away from this ! |
478,379 | 463,200 | 26,478 | 7 | Actually entertaining | Part of MGM's " Crime Does Not Pay " series of the 1940s - - they were all short films ( about 20-25 minutes ) showing crimes and how the criminal was brought to justice by police work . This one , obviously , deals with a hit and run driver . Driving drunk one night he accidentally hits two people and drives off leaving them to die . There are no witnesses and the two victims are in comas . We see very quickly , yet realistically , how the police gather enough evidence to identify the man and get him . Well-done on no budget with some very good acting from a no name cast . Worth seeing . You'll probably only see this between movies on TCM but it's worth catching . They have a great print and it's very interesting . |
477,756 | 463,200 | 39,294 | 7 | Starts off well but becomes predictable | Commerical artist Daisy Kenyon ( Joan Crawford ) is in love with married Dan O'Mara ( Dana Andrews ) . She wants him but realizes he'll never divorce his wife ( Ruth Warrick ) . She instead marries a man she doesn't love ( Henry Fonda ) to break it off with Dan completely . But things don't turn out all that well . . . This starts off as a very interesting Crawford movie . It's beautifully shot in a film noir style which gives an appropriate tone to the film . She plays a woman who wants to move ahead but can't because of her love for the wrong man . The direction is good , the dialogue sharp and the acting is great by Andrews ( never more romantic ) and Crawford ( never stronger ) . But it falls apart completely at the halfway mark and turns into a dreary romantic triangle . The ending especially was SO predictable it had me rolling my eyes . Still this is worth seeing for the direction and acting alone . Also there's a strong subplot dealing with child abuse ! So this is worth seeing . I give it a 7 . |
479,059 | 463,200 | 74,156 | 7 | Pretty good early Carpenter flick | A bunch of people ( a cop , 2 criminals and 2 women ) are trapped in an abandoned , isolated police station . Outside is a gang that is set on killing all of them . One of Carpenter's first films . It's not really a horror movie - - it's more of a thriller and a Western ( it's a direct homage to " Rio Bravo " ) . It's not a great movie - - the acting is bad and the dialogue is just horrendous . Also the opening 45 minutes are slow and clumsy . But when the attack begins the movie really kicks . The attacks are long , violent , exciting and more than a little scary . The gang members are never identified , never speak and are almost never shown - - they're always in shadow or darkness . This makes them all the more frightening . Also he used the idea of the faceless , never seen killer in his next film - - a little film called " Halloween " . The film is worth seeing just to see Carpenter's direction . Even back then he used the full frame of the movie screen very well ( this has to be seen letter boxed ) and he composed a very eerie score that fits the film perfectly . Look for a very young Kim Richards who plays a crucial role in the film . Worth seeing - - but no great shakes . |
479,278 | 463,200 | 166,943 | 7 | No masterpiece but OK | Meryl Streep is superb ( no surprise there ) as a violin teacher trying to teach inner city youths to play the violin . All the acting is good ( even the kids ! ) , the music is beautiful and the story doesn't shy away from the kids painful home life . One problem - - Streep plays the teacher a little too harsh - - she never seems to even LIKE the kids , so why is she teaching them ? Also the kids are never really shown falling in love with violin playing . I started wondering why they were doing it - - cause they were scared of Streep ? Still , I enjoyed the movie but director Wes Craven should really stick to horror movies . He's not too good at this type of movie . |
478,684 | 463,200 | 21,505 | 7 | A little creaky but worth catching | I never saw the 1925 silent so I won't compare them . A trio of circus performers - - a ventriloquist ( Lon Chaney ) , a midget ( Harry Earles ) and a strongman ( Ivan Linow ) leave the circus and , along with beautiful Rosie ( Lila Lee ) , turn to crime to get rich . But not everything turns out like they hoped . Lon Chaney's first talking film and , sadly , his last film . He died of cancer shortly after this was completed . Basically he's the whole show here . He was always a good actor who could change his appearance in incredible ways , but this movie showed he could change his voice too . He plays a old woman quite convincingly in this one . He overacts in all his roles but in a fun manner ( like Vincent Price ) . The rest of the actors are just OK with Earles being completely incomprehensible ! It's not his fault - - early sound recording was never good . The plot moves quick but it's full of highly unlikely events . Wait till you see the animal Chaney gets ! Still it's a good movie and worth seeing just to see Chaney in his only speaking - - and last - - movie . |
478,047 | 463,200 | 252,866 | 7 | If you liked the first one . . . | The five " lovable " morons from " American Pie " are back . This movie is about their first summer after freshman year in college . They all get together and rent a beautiful cottage to throw parties and have sex . Naturally supposedly hilarious sexual hijinks occur . I'm no fan of the first film ( I thought it was pretty sick and I don't find sexual humiliation funny ) , but this is actually better . The humor is toned down ( although Jason Biggs ' character gets in some pretty sick situations ) and I admit I laughed out loud a few times . It looks better than the first film and the performances are slightly ( only slightly ) better . Unfortunately the film is incredibly sexist ( no shock there ) and there's an ugly homophobic sequence . Still , I'd lie if I said I didn't enjoy myself . It's also kind of admirable for a sequel to actually tone down its raunchiness instead of trying to outdo the original . And Alyson Hannigan is absolutely wonderful ( again ) in this film . She was one of the sole saving graces in the first and is again . As for the guys - - Jason Biggs still can't act and seems destined to make a career out of being humiliated ; Seann William Scott is absolutely appalling and unfunny ; Chris Klein is given the thankless good guy role but pulls it off ; Thomas Ian Nicholas hardly registers and Eddie Kaye Thomas actually is a worse actor than Biggs and very annoying . So , if you like the first one you'll probably love this . |
477,711 | 463,200 | 77,952 | 7 | Enjoyable | Fun parody of 30s movies showing two " movies " ( they're actually only 50 minutes each ) done by Warren Bros . ( ha ha ) The first is " Dynamite Hands " with Harry Hamlin ( so young and full of life ) playing a boxer to save money to . . . well , the plot is familar . . . VERY familar . Every single boxing movie cliche is hit head on with sledgehammer subtlety and the dialogue is way over the top . It's not half as clever as it thinks it is but it still works . It's quick and so energetic it's impossible to dislike . Also Hamlin is obviously enjoying himself . George C . Scott ( who's in both ) is in it briefly and Red Buttons ( also in both ) lends strong support . It was in black and white up the theatres in 1978 , but it's in color on cable . Why ? " Baxter's Beauties of 1933 " is a parody of those big , splashy colorful musicals . The plot is basically a combination of every cliche from musicals back then . Barry Bostwick is in it and he's just " swell " as a Dick Powell type and Rebecca York is just great as a Ruby Keeler type . The music and lyrics are just OK but this is lots of fun - - beautiful sets , great singing and dancing , impressive production numbers and full of fun . As said before , George C . Scott is in both but is ( surprisingly ) bad - - he looks bored and unsure of his lines . Buttons is great in both but Trish Van Devere is just terrible . She's very good-looking but a horrible actress . No great film but worth catching - - a must for movie buffs . |
478,315 | 463,200 | 66,512 | 7 | Very dated but has its moments | College student Colin Slade ( Wes Stern ) is unjustly thrown out of a college by a computer error . Self-righteous principal Maurice Cambers ( Larry Hagman ) won't lift a finger to help him - - because he installed the computers so they HAVE to be right ! To get revenge Colin joins a revolutionary group and seduces Cambers wife ( Joan Collins ) , daughter ( Nira Barab ) and black mistress ( Judy Pace ) ! And Cambers is running for political office . At first I hated this . The plot and jokes were VERY 60s ( and not very funny now ) and there were dreadful late 60s fashions , hairstyles and dialogue . And Stern is a lousy actor . . . and unattractive to boot . But slowly I began to like it and by the last half I was enjoying myself a lot ! The movie was made to cash in through the enormous success of 1968s " Three in the Attic " . I haven't seen that film - - I'd love to but it's impossible to find - - so I can't say how much of a copy this is . But this turns into a very sharp satire on politics , universities , self-righteousness and censorship . Some of it is still ( sadly ) relevant today . And it has an ending where EVERYBODY ends up happy ! As I said Stern was lousy and Barab was even worse . But Hagman is a howl ( and is really enjoying himself ) ; David Arkin is great in a small role as Hugo Crane ( his description of the revolutionary group is a definite highlight ) ; Pace is wonderful in her role and Joan Collins successfully fakes an American accent and has a hysterical speech in front of an audience at the end . So - - it took a while for me to warm up to it but I ended up being very entertained . I give it a 7 . |
479,291 | 463,200 | 338,592 | 7 | It wasn't THAT bad | Americanized remake of the popular British TV series " Coupling " . I saw all 4 episodes that were aired . It was well done with a very attractive cast . . . but the show was never given a chance to find its own identity . If I recall correctly the four shows aired were EXACT copies of the ones from the British TV series ! I mean - - what was the reasoning behind that ? I could see them adapting British episodes and making them more " American " ( so to speak ) . . . but what is the point of doing a word for word remake of the British episodes ? Also , by comparison , this show suffered . It did have a good-looking cast and they were all good - - but they didn't have enough time to jell together as an ensemble . Even with " Friends " it took an entire season before the cast really worked well together . So I DID like what I saw but it seems they made some really bad decisions in reusing the exact same scripts . So - - we'll never really know if this could have worked . Too bad . |
478,819 | 463,200 | 963,794 | 7 | Good but not great | A bunch of college kids ( Jonathan Tucker , Jena Malone , Shawn Ashmore and Laura Ramsey ) are on vacation in Mexico . They meet a friendly German man ( Joe Anderson ) who offers to take them to a Mayan temple that nobody else knows about . They go . . . but soon find themselves in terrible danger . SPOILER ! ! ! The vines covering the temple are alive - - and eat people ! ! ! END SPOILER This is about 70 % better than most of the horror films we've been getting . It has characters we know and care about ; it doesn't have any of those stupid ' jump ' scares that every horror film today seems to have ; it has next to no nudity ( only very briefly ) and it doesn't rub gore in our faces . This movie has only two really gory scenes - - and more is heard than seen . That , of course , makes it even harder to watch . I was literally cringing in my seat during these scene and it takes a LOT to get to me ! With the sole exception of Tucker ( he was WAY too calm ) the acting is very good , the script has people reacting exactly how people might react in this situation and it's very well-directed . My only complaints are that this movie is a good one hour movie stretched out to 90 minutes . Sometimes it does get a little dull . Also it's never explained exactly WHY the vines are doing that . And how about those people who won't let them leave the temple ? Why did they let them get there in the first place ? So these questions kept nagging me and somewhat lessen the film . Still this is a good strong horror film . I give it a 7 . |
479,556 | 463,200 | 56,908 | 7 | Dated but interesting | Dr . McCloud ( Robert Stack ) is a new doctor at a mental institution . He's trying an new way to cure patients . It's called Experiment Borderline - - patients are treated kindly , engage in group therapy and are given greater freedom to walk about . Head of the nurses Lucretia Terry ( Joan Crawford ) is dead set against this . She believes in using force to subdue and control patients . It's a battle of wills between them with the patients in the middle . Who will win ? Very dated but still worth seeing . It has some great black & white photography and some good acting . Stack is just OK as McCloud ; Crawford is just great as Terry - - one of her best performances ; Polly Bergen engagingly chews the scenery as Lorna , a patient ; Janis Paige does wonders with her role as Miriam , the slutty patient ; Ellen Corby is pretty good as an elderly patient ; Barbara Barrie is very good as Edna , a mute and Constance Ford is very good as gruff , stern Nurse Bracken . The only really bad performances were from Sharon Hugueny and Ana St . Clair ( as patients ) and Van Williams ( a doctor ) and Susan Oliver ( a nurse ) . The real bad parts of this movie are lousy direction and a horrible script . Bergen easily has the worst lines but pulls them off . Also its view of mental patients is very Hollywood - - they all look perfect , aren't really dangerous and , by the end , are magically on their way to being OK . I can live with that though - - this WAS made for a mass audience . Also the language is ( for 1963 ) pretty rough in spots . So , it's dated but worth seeing for some great acting and very nice photography . I'm giving it a 7 . |
477,760 | 463,200 | 69,946 | 7 | Highly improbable but not bad | George C . Scott stars as a scientist who has trained dolphins to speak and understand English . Naturally some bad guys find out and want to use the dolphins in an assassination attempt . One of the many ecological " message " films of the 1970s . The plot is , technically , pretty silly but they pull it off . It has a great director ( Mike Nichols ) and Scott and Trish Van Devere are very good - - but this just misses the mark . It's not a BAD movie just not a great one and I personally had some trouble taking it seriously . It was supposed to be a big hit and cost quite a bit to make . Unfortunately it was a HUGE bomb and disappeared quickly . That's too bad because it's actually pretty good . It's well done and the voices of the dolphins are ( at first ) frightening but you get used to them . Also it does have an ending which had me crying . I defy anyone to sit through that and not be moved . So , despite the scientific improbabilities , a pretty good movie that deserves a wider recognition . |
479,388 | 463,200 | 956,038 | 7 | Not entirely successful but not a bomb | Dr . Paul Flanner ( Richard Gere ) , a successful surgeon , has his wife leave him , his son ( an uncredited James Franco ) not respect him and looses a patient he's operating on . Adrienne Willis ( Diane Lane ) has two children and discovers her husband has cheated on her . They both need to get away . She watches over a beautiful oceanside inn in Rodanthe at the same time he books a room . They're all alone together . You can pretty much figure out the rest . This is what's known as a weepie or a woman's film . It's beautifully shot with a romantic setting and lots of quiet scenes . There's tragedy , romance , more tragedy and an uplifting ending ( sort of ) . The great acting by Gere and Lane helps disguise the fact that this film isn't really about much . Every single bit of the plot is predictable . I rolled my eyes a lot at some of the events . Also it's far too short - - I didn't believe the romance between Gere and Lane for a second . If comes out of nowhere and moves VERY quickly . Still the movie does work . The inn itself is absolutely gorgeous and I was in tears by the end along with most of the audience . So it's a predictable but gorgeous movie with some wonderful acting . It doesn't deserve all the criticism it's getting . I give it a 7 . |
477,349 | 463,200 | 69,895 | 7 | Has its moments | A small town in Pennsylvania is accidentally infected with a virus the army has developed to use as a weapon . It causes its victims to go insane . The army arrives in town to contain the virus but its already infected some people . . . and things go barreling out of control . OK Romero film - - it was his first horror film after " Night of the Living Dead " . It isn't as good as that . . . but how could it be ? This is well-directed and has some nice bloody moments . . . but it doesn't work too well . The basic problem is some of the writing and acting . Some of the dramatic scenes are pretty poorly written and some of the actors are really really BAD ! Some are just OK - - Will MacMillan ( as David ) and Richard France ( as Dr . Watts ) come off best . All in all its an OK time filler . This was a commercial bomb when released although critics liked it . It finally got its audience on home video . I give it a 7 . |
479,018 | 463,200 | 56,931 | 7 | Forgotten semi-sequel to " Village of the Damned " | Five super-intelligent , emotionless children are discovered around the world . They also have the power to control peoples minds ( their eyes glow when they do this ) . They're all taken to London to be studied but they escape and barricade themselves in an old , abandoned church . But what do they want ? Not as good as the original " Village . . . " but this sequel showed real promise . It's effectively filmed in moody black & white and has some very talented British actors giving good performances . Also the kids themselves are extremely spooky - - especially when their eyes are glowing . It also shows how various countries want to use the children for their own gain . It also leads up to a ( sadly ) violent climax leaving most of the questions unanswered . Basically , it's a cop out and that's too bad . If you're going to set up a situation like this at least give it an ending . . . don't just end with violence ( although that may be the point ) . Some people think this is better than the original but I disagree . Still , I was never bored and admired the direction and photography . Worth seeing , if you can handle the lousy ending . |
477,337 | 463,200 | 118,117 | 7 | What a surprise ! | Emilio Estevez actually directed a good movie - - who woulda thought ? I sat through two previous films Estevez directed - - " Wisdom " ( with then girlfriend Demi Moore ) and " Men at Work " ( with brother Charlie Sheen ) . They are lousy films - - - badly acted , directed , stupid and offensive . Estevez is a good actor but lousy as a director . I turned this on in pure curiousity - - it has a great cast and I had nothing else to do . Damned if it didn't pull me in . It concerns Estevez coming home from Vietnam permanently scarred by what happened over there . His parents ( Kathy Bates , Martin Sheen ) and sister ( Kimberly Williams ) try to reach him but can't . Something in Vietnam has affected him deeply . . . and he's about to explode . . . A bit overlong but still very good . A lot of the material is familar but the cast is so good that they make it seem new . Estevez is good , Sheen is terrific ( and Estevezs ' real life father ) , Williams is touching and Bates is just extraordinary - - trying to hold the family together . It all leads up to a powerful ending which REALLY surprised me . Well worth catching . |
477,993 | 463,200 | 369,436 | 7 | Utterly predictable but there are some good laughs | Coupe Brad ( Vince Vaughn ) and Kate ( Reese Witherspoon ) have been dating for three years but have no interest in getting married or having babies . They avoid their families ( 4 of them - - both of their parents are divorced ) by saying they have some charity mission to do . However they're caught on camera one Christmas and have to promise to visit all their 4 families that one day . Naturally all their families are somewhat strange and familiar ( but funny ) complications ensure . I saw this for a few reasons - - it got good reviews from critics ; it's been an OK hit ( so far ) ; I like Vaughn and Witherspoon and it's hard to resist a movie with FOUR Academy Award winning actors in supporting roles - - Robert Duvall , Sissy Spacek , Mary Steenburgen and Jon Voight . It's not a great movie at all but it had a few good laughs and - - at 88 minutes - - it doesn't wear out its welcome . Supposedly Vaughn and Witherspoon didn't get along at all while working on this but you'd never know it from the film . They have some great chemistry and their comedic timing is right on target . The rest of the cast is as good as anyone could be and they all act well enough to make the entirely predictable story go down smoothly . It's not perfect . I could have lived without the TWO instances of projectile vomiting and Jon Favreau and Tim McGraw were too vicious and unfunny as Vaughn's brothers . Some people find seeing other people beaten up hysterically funny but I'm not one of them . Still these are small parts of the movie . All in all a good enjoyable holiday film . |
477,679 | 463,200 | 56,930 | 7 | Very moving | A film that deals with a diffiult subject ( mental retardation in children ) very tastefully without pulling any punches . Burt Lancaster is very good as the director of a hospital for the youngsters . And all the youngsters ( I believe played by children who really were mentally " challenged " ) are incredible . At first you're disturbed by the way they look and act , but you come to realize they have no choice in the way they behave , and they deserve love and respect like everyone else . The direction by John Cassavates is also impressive - - I never liked his movies until I saw this one . The one bad thing about the movie is Judy Garland . Now I love her , but she looks terrible ( her face is horribly bloated ) and gives a one-note performance . As everyone knows now , she was heavily addicted to drugs and alcohol at that time and , sadly , it shows . Still , a powerful , moving film . A real tear-jerking ending also . Don't miss this one - - it's very hard to find . |
478,943 | 463,200 | 91,790 | 7 | OK John Hughes film | One of the many PG ( or PG-13 ) teen films made in the 80s by writer / producer / director John Hughes . This one isn't his worst ( " Some Kind of Wonderful " wins that ) , but it's not his best either . It's somewhere in the middle . A rich boy ( Andrew McCarthy ) loves a poor girl ( Molly Ringwald ) . She loves him also but is constantly being pursued by hyper Duckie ( Jon Cryer ) . McCarthy asks her to the prom . She accepts . But will his crowd accept her ? What is this ? In the 1920s-1950s I could believe this being made . . . but in 1986 ? ? ! ! ? ? Teenagers didn't care who was rich or not back then ( I should know - - I had a teenage sister in high school and she found the plot ridiculous too ) . It bothered me a lot in 1986 and it's still a bit of a sore spot today . Also the plot involves an older woman ( Annie Potts ) trying to help her and-sigh-her lovable , alcoholic dad ( Harry Dean Stanton ! ) - - talk about your clichés ! There's also James Spader on hand playing an obnoxious rich kid . All in all though , this movie isn't bad . It has a great soundtrack , some truly incredible 80s fashions and some of the dialogue is on target ( Cryer's one liners are very funny ) . But the acting is all over the place - - Ringwald looks bored - - the only time she comes to life is when she has to tell off McCarthy ( a wonderful scene ) . McCarthy looks VERY uneasy and the scenes between him and Ringwald are TERRIBLE ! ! ! Some of their lines had me staring at the screen in disbelief . Cryer , however , is very funny as Duckie . He wears truly ugly outfits but makes everything he says sound funny . His only really bad scene is when he dances and lip syncs to Otis Reddings ' " Try A Little Tenderness " . He tries to hard to be funny and it gets embarrassing to watch . Spader and Stanton sleepwalk through their roles . It is fun to see Kristy Swanson in a cameo , Gina Gershon ( ! ) as a teenage ( ! ) friend of Ringwald and Andrew Dice Clay as a bouncer ! SPOILERS AHEAD ! ! ! ! I agree with previous posters - - the ending is terrible . She should end up with Duckie . The original ending had her not going after McCarthy and staying in the prom . Test audiences hated that and it was quickly changed . I'd LOVE to see the original ending . Is it still around ? |
478,133 | 463,200 | 65,580 | 7 | OK movie | An old , evil countess ( Ingrid Pitt , chewing the scenery ) discovers she magically turns into a beautiful young woman by bathing in the blood of virgins . She poses as her daughter to get full control of her late husband's estate and romance a young , handsome man . But the youthfulness only lasts a day or two . So she must kill again , and again , and again . Pretty good Hammer horror film . The film looks great - - beautiful settings ; rich color and some nice directorial touches from Peter Sasdy . It also moves fairly quickly ( about 90 minutes ) . But , with the sole exception of Pitt , the acting is pretty bad ( especially Lesley Anne-Down ) and Pitt has the all-time worst aging makeup I've ever seen . This detracts from the movie . Still , if you're a horror fan , it's worth seeing . Warning : I think the print circulating on cable TV is cut . . . it has a PG rating , there's very little violence and , while there is nudity , it's pretty quick . |
478,806 | 463,200 | 74,292 | 7 | All-star disaster epic | Silly , but fun disaster movie about a train traveling to Switzerland . On board is a man with a deadly biological disease . . . and the train is heading to a bridge that can't possibly handle the weight . . . and it has 1 , 000 innocent people on board ! The plot is ridiculous but no sillier than " The Towering Inferno " or " The Poseidon Adventure " . Also the cast is full of big names . Sophia Loren ( looking very bored ) and Richard Harris ( in it for the money ) play a twice divorced couple who ( naturally ) fall in love again when disaster hits . Ava Gardner plays a rich old woman who keeps Martin Sheen ( ! ! ! ! ! ) for . . . well , you know ! O . J . Simpson is also on board ( unfortunately ) . Burt Lancaster ( looking VERY old ) , John Phillip Law ( pretty and blank ) and Ingrid Thulin ( who ? ? ? ? ? ) watch on tensely . The dialogue is uproarious but the cast pretty much pulls it off - - especially Gardner ( who has the best lines and is enjoying every second of it ) . Sheen is hysterical - - with his long black hair and " what am I doing here " expression . . . my guess is that this isn't on his resume . Nice black underwear there too . Only complaints - - It's too long and there was no reason to get so bloody and violent at the end - - except for that ending , this is PG material ( the film has an R rating ) . Still , it's fun to watch . Best line : " Heroin Richard ? That's so common ! " |
478,884 | 463,200 | 65,622 | 7 | Interesting but no masterpiece | Director Pasolini films nine tales from the Decameron . Most deal with sex ( very explicitly ) but almost all show a very ribald sense of humor . Easily the director's most cheerful film - - it's best described as " earthy " . I liked it but I didn't love it . Some sequences are better than others and the film does drag in places . Also it has some really mean swipes at the Catholic Church . Most surprising is the film's original X rating here in America was lowered to an R in 1991 . I'm not complaining but I'm really surprised ( and pleased ) that the ratings board did that . It ( obviously ) got the X for the frequent nudity - - both male and female - - including one shot with a man at " full attention " . But the nudity is treated casually and in a wholesome sort of way - - not as something dirty or to be ashamed of . It's not exploitive in any way . Still , this isn't for children . So , pretty good and worth seeing at least once . A hundred times better than his dreadful " Salo " . |
478,124 | 463,200 | 360,717 | 7 | Not needed and WAY too long | Remake of the 1933 classic about a giant ape in love with a woman . I want to start of by saying I like ALL of director Peter Jackson's films - - until this one . Every director has their bad films - - even Hitchcock had some bombs ( like " The Trouble with Harry " ) . In my eyes this is the first bad film from Jackson . For starters - - a remake wasn't necessary . Really - - the 1933 film is perfect - - why try to redo it ? Also it is TOO long ! This film does not need to run three hours - - it needed some heavy editing . The first hour alone is all characterization . That's usually not a problem but when all the characters are boring you could care less . The script is comic book level with lines no human being would utter . Also they drop some hints about one character ( played by Jamie Bell ) and some mystery about his background - - and then ignore it completely ! It didn't help that the three main actors gave their worst performances . They're all good - - but not here ! Watts and Black give one note performances and Adrien Brophy appears to be sleepwalking . I do realize they were reacting to nothing most of the time but they're even bad when there aren't any special effects ! The second hour on Skull Island was exciting - - full of great effects and fights . Still I've seen most of these creatures in the " Jurassic Park " films . The third hour was dull until Kong escaped then it REALLY picked up . But the ending at the Empire State Building went on MUCH too long . It got to the point where I just couldn't wait for him to drop . Also HOW did they get Kong from the island to New York on that ship ? It's never explained . Also the score was pretty monotonous . Some of the violence also is pretty extreme for small kids . The film did some things right . It kept the story in the 1930s and the film LOOKS fantastic . All the supporting actors were just great and made up for the lousy performances by the three leads . Kong himself looked great - - even if they did change him from an ape to a gorilla . Still the bad things VASTLY outnumber the good . I never thought I'd say this but even the 1976 remake was better than this ! That one at least moved , they explained how they got Kong to NY and it is kind of fun to see Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange in a movie like that . I give this a 7 but that's for the special effects . Otherwise I didn't like it . Let's see if Peter Jackson can do a movie that runs only two hours ! |
479,381 | 463,200 | 282,209 | 7 | Don't think and you'll enjoy it | I tried to summarize the plot but it was really too silly to get into . Basically an evil , dead witch - - who played a sort of tooth fairy when alive - - attacks and kills children and their families when the children lose their last baby teeth . A young man in his 20s - - traumatized by an attack when he was a boy - - tries to help a boy and his sister who are also under attack . But the witch is VERY determined . There's more to it but that's the bare bones of the plot . It's basically the tooth fairy as an evil monster . Silly ? You bet . But it manages to work . The movie starts slowly and quietly setting up the story in an especially creepy prologue and then moves like lightning - - it moves VERY fast , throws in lots of loud noises , tons of sudden shocks and some truly scary attack scenes - - the witch herself is very scary-looking . The trick of the movie is - - don't let the audience think for one minute . If you can do this , you'll enjoy it . If you think , you see the gaps in logic and plot . The film is fairly well-done and the CGI of the witch works very well . It's also very short ( 85 minutes ) and does have its dull stretches . Also , the acting , with one exception , is pretty poor . Chaney Kley ( a Mark Wahlberg look-alike ) plays the hero - - he's kind of nice-looking and has beautiful brown eyes - - but he can't act . Also he's short ( 5'6 " - - maybe ) , not in good shape and has a thin-sounding voice - - this is not to take pot shots at the guy , but if you're playing a hero and called on to do a lot of physical stuff at least pump up a little ! Emma Caulfield does throw in a very good performance as the female lead - - she more then makes up for Kley . The only way to really enjoy this is to see it in a theatre with a great sound system - - I did and it really helped the movie . Hearing the witches screams and growls from all around really work on you . So , a good little one for horror fans - - I give it a 7 . Best line : " All this over a stupid tooth ? " |
479,103 | 463,200 | 96,223 | 7 | Has its moments but needed more | Ivan Alexeev ( John Cusack ) and Josh Tager ( Tim Robbins ) try to break into the L . A . music scene in the late 1980s . Quirky Samantha Gregory ( Mary Crosby ) tries to help . I caught this back in the late 1980s at a small art house . The audience loved it and it was held over for a few weeks . Back then I thought it was just great . Seeing it now , 20 years later , its charms have faded . It is very energetic and Cusack , Robbins and Crosby are just great . There's also a large cast of character actors in small roles that help . The commercial parodies and music videos are funny and inventive . BUT the film gets repetitious real quick - - the same jokes are made over and over . It's also very dated ( you have to laugh when a character says " Video is the future " ) , has plenty of bad jokes and some real mediocre songs . Still this has enough good moments to give it a 7 and the closing song / video during the closing credits is lots of fun ! Ex MTV DJ Martha Quinn appears as a - - music TV DJ ! This might work better with an audience . |
479,446 | 463,200 | 39,631 | 7 | Ahead of its time | By todays standards , this is a very mild black comedy . By 1947 standards , this was a sick , disgusting movie . It's now considered a classic and is a cult film . I think it's OK - - it's well-directed and acted ( especially by Chaplin and Martha Raye ) , but it's slow-moving and it wears its non-violence message on its sleeve ( Chaplin's speech at the end is a groaner - - and VERY obvious ) . Nothing wrong with peace , but the movie is constantly shoving it's message in your face and it gets annoying . Also it has many dull stretches . So , it's OK , but no masterpiece . |
477,429 | 463,200 | 118,063 | 7 | Surprisingly good | The movie begins on Drakulon . It's a planet of vampires who drink from rivers of blood ( never shown - - this is a cheap movie ) . Evil Vlad ( Roger Daltrey ! ) kills all the leaders of the planet and escapes to Earth . One of those killed is the father of Ella ( Talisa Soto ) who follows Vlad for revenge . She becomes Vampirella on Earth and , with the help of Adam van Helsing ( bland Richard Joseph Paul ) , tracks down Vlad and his followers . For a Roger Corman production this is pretty good . It's an adaptation of an adult comic book from the 70s and 80s . The movie pretty much follows the comic but Vampirella's costume has been modified - - the original was too skimpy for an R rated film ! The film isn't perfect - - the dialogue is lousy , the story is needlessly convuluted and there's two truly horrible performances by Soto and Paul - - but who watches this for the acting and plot ? Daltrey REALLY chews the scenery as Vlad and hunky Brian Bloom gives a very good performance as Demous . Lots of action , violence and fun - - never a dull moment . A true camp classic . And John Landis and Angus Scrimm have cameos ! |
477,497 | 463,200 | 91,707 | 7 | For its time - - not bad | Something about a bunch of brainless teenagers caught in a museum after closing . One of them is possessed and is purposefully leading her friends to their deaths . No great shakes to be sure but , for 1986 , this was pretty impressive . I saw it in a movie theatre and found the special effects just incredible . Yeah , they look cheesy today but back then were state of the art . Also I found some of the acting good with some nice blood and gore . So , while I agree it's not a good movie I have a real soft spot for it . And , come on ! It's not THAT bad ! I give it a 7 . |
477,389 | 463,200 | 70,078 | 7 | Minor but fun | Four stories revolving around a shop named Temptations Limited . It's run by Peter Cushing so you know there's something evil going around . People buy ( or steal ) items from it and meet horrible fates . The first involves a customer buying an old mirror . It seems it has an evil spirit in it that orders him to kill . It's pretty bloody for a PG film . The second has a man unhappily married who meets a strange beggar and his equally strange daughter . They promise to help him . . but are they ? The third is mostly comedy when a man has an " elemental " on him and has to get it removed . The last has a man buying a door from the shop that leads to an evil room . . . and man . I caught this when I was 12 or 13 at the theatre . I liked it . No great shakes but pretty well done . Seeing it again I still feel the same way . No great shakes but OK . The stories are pretty good with cool twist endings and they have a cast of talented British actors who are all having fun with their roles ( especially Margaret Leighton ) . Also it's always good to see Cushing in anything and he makes the most of his small role . Easily one of the better horror anthology movies . No unsung classic but fun . |
477,791 | 463,200 | 53,232 | 7 | Pretty good Swedish SF movie destroyed by Jerry Warren | This was a 1959 Swedish / American co-production . In the Lappland of Sweden a meteor crashes . Turns out it's not a meteor - - it's a spaceship from another world . For no given reason - - a huge , hairy monster comes from the spaceship , walks around , causes destruction and kidnaps a woman who has come with a team of scientists to explore the " meteor " . Can anything stop this monster ? And what does it want ? There are lots of things wrong with this film - - it has a romantic title song ( for a SF feature ! ! ! ! ) ; it opens with hysterically lousy special effects showing the spaceship landing ; the monster doesn't show up until 50 minutes in ( the film is only 70 minutes long ) ; endless skiing footage ; lousy acting ( particularly Babara Wilson ) ; laughable lapses in logic ( note how conveniently Wilson's busted ankle is ignored ) . Also there's a pointless and fairly explicit nude shower scene which has no bearing whatsoever with the story ! Still , it has an intelligent script ; it's well-directed ; takes place in a most unusual setting ; has a very scary-looking monster and moves pretty quick . No classic but interesting . It came to American in 1962 . For some reason producer Jerry Warren destroyed it . He changed the title to " Invasion of the Animal People " ( ? ? ? ? ? ) and added John Carradine to the cast ( probably for marquee value ) . Carradine opens up the film with the most insipid speech I've ever heard ( it makes next to no sense ) and narrates portions of it . Warren added dreadful new footage ( badly shot and acted ) which added nothing to the story ; gave it a really silly new opening ( involving Wilson ) ; says it takes place in Switzerland ( ? ? ? ? ) ; rearranged footage and cut out huge chunks . What is left is a hysterically bad , incomprehensible mess ! I believe Carradine later said this was one of his worst movies ( he's not kidding ) . It's known as being a camp classic . But now BOTH versions are available on DVD . It's more than a little interesting to see how Warren totally destroyed a fairly good movie . It's a good thing the original is now available for people to view . " Invasion " gets a 1 ( I wish I could give it a zero ) but " Terror " gets a 7 . Like I said , no classic but pretty well-done . . . and how many monster movies do you know that were made in Sweden ? |
479,225 | 463,200 | 65,669 | 7 | Psychedelic horror | Nancy Wagner ( Sandra Dee in her last movie role ) is a librarian at the Miskatonic Univ where the only copy of the Necronomicon ( an evil book ) is kept . Sinister Wilbur Whatley ( a young Dean Stockwell in a hideous mustache and hair do ) uses her to get access to the book . He then invites her to his house in Arkham . He gets her there and drugs her to make her stay . . . he has plans for her ! Also there's someTHING in the attic banging at the locked door . Two of Nancy's friends come to get her and all hell breaks loose ! First off , this is NOT a faithful adaptation of H . P . Lovecraft's story ( I should know - - I just read it a few weeks ago ) . Some scenes are taken from it but the script is very different from the source . That said it's not a bad film . It's elaborately done ( beautiful settings , eerie sounds and rich deep color ) and is mildly engrossing . Unfortunately it's far from perfect . The script is OK but there are far too many plot holes ( for instance , Dee tells Stockwell she can't stay the weekend . . . in the very next scene she's saying she is ! ) . Also the acting is really bad by the two leads - - Dee seems uneasy and unsure of how to play her part ; Stockwell ( who is a great actor ) is , surprisingly , terrible ! He acts like he's stoned half the time ( maybe he was ) and is just horrible . There are scenes of a monster stalking about ( hey , it's an AIP film ! ) and attacking which are very psychedelic ( lots of flashing lights , negative film , different colors , loud sounds ) and quite effective . Look for Talia Coppola ( later Shire ) as one of the victims . However , there's no graphic gore or blood . Also , a real cool ending . Also , there's an odd somewhat homophobic line in this - - a friend of Dee comments on her staying with Stockwell - - " If he were straight , I wouldn't be worried . " ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Is that supposed to be funny ? It's pretty stupid and offensive today . All in all , an OK film . It's been reissued in VHS and DVD in a beautiful new print with great color and sound . Try to see it that way - - it really helps the film . |
479,114 | 463,200 | 47,203 | 7 | Glossy Technicolor Soap Opera | Rich spoiled playboy Rock Hudson is indirectly responsible for a great doctor's death . The doctor's widow ( Jane Wyman ) and daughter ( Barbara Rush ) never want to see him . He tries to make amends but , because of him , Wyman is hit by a car and loses her eyesight . He tries to see her but she won't see him . Then he accidentally meets her and pretends he's someone else . He falls in love with her . . . but can he tell her who he really is ? OK - - the above scenario is gag-worthy but it actually works - - for a while . The beautiful Technicolor is just great and the film looks just perfect . Also there's good acting by Wyman , Hudson and Rush . Also good is Agnes Moorehead as a nurse . BUT it falls apart during the last half hour . SPOILERS IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPHHe's a doctor and she is near death . He can't preform the operation but does anyways . She recovers fine AND regains her eyesight ! ! ! ! ! This was just hilarious ! I basically couldn't stop smirking . It was so ridiculous and over the top I find it hard to believe even audiences of 1954 took this seriously ! Also there's hysterically bad back projections ( where they kidding with those ? ) . And there's even a heavenly choir ahhhing on the music ! I was able to handle all this - - until that asinine ending . There's only so much I can take ! Sort of worth seeing - - I'm giving it a 7 for the acting and beautiful Technicolor . But that ending . . . ! |
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