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478,841 | 463,200 | 179,626 | 8 | Very exciting but unbelievable and sadistic | Two foreigners ( one Russian , the other Czech ) go to America and decide to get rich by videotaping themselves murdering people , sell it to a sleazy TV tabloid host ( wonderfully played by Kelsey Garmmer ) , get off by pleading insanity and then sell their story to the highest bidder . Obviously , the plot is ridiculous . Also it decries violence but shoves scenes of extreme blood and violence in our face - - one sadistic sequences shows a topless hooker being beaten and stabbed the death . Also we get more than a few shots of her nude , bloody body afterwords . Yet , if you ignore the loopholes ( and there are many ) in the plot and brace yourself for the violence , the film works . It's virtually nonstop action , violence , noise going at you full blast . The acting - - well , who cares ? This movie is not an acting movie . DeNiro walks through his role as a celebrity cop and Edward Burns looks very handsome but utterly miserable all through the film . Also the two psychos tend to overdo it too much . And the constant switching between video and film stock gets tiresome real quick . But if it's a loud , noisy , stupid , fun ( in a way ) action film you're looking for . . . this is it ! |
477,817 | 463,200 | 60,479 | 8 | Took me a while to get into it . . . but I did | Glossy soap opera about 8 Vassar graduates of 1933 . It follows their lives after college and deals with alcoholism , mental breakdowns , frigidity , beatings , adultery , child rearing , lesbianism and death . I tried reading the book this was based on but I couldn't understand it . They kept throwing in 1930s slang and politics and lost me . This movie keeps out the slang , tones down the politics ( but it is there ) and came up with a good movie . Yes , it is a soap opera but well made with some great actresses and it deals with it's subjects seriously . Some of the story lines involve : Polly ( Shirley Knight ) falling in love with a married doctor ( Hal Holbrook ) ; Kay ( Joanna Pettet ) dealing with an alcoholic husband ( Larry Hagman ) ; Dottie ( Joan Heckett ) falling in love with a womanizer ( Richard Mulligan ) and Priss ( Elizabeth Hartman ) dealing with raising a child . It's fascinating to see these actors so young and full of life . All the acting is good but Hartman and Knight stand out . Also Candace Bergman shows up at the beginning and the end as a lesbian - - quite daring for 1966 . The surprise is that she's dealt with in a very sensitive manner and not made evil . This movie is long ( 150 minutes ) and its cast is very big ( it took me at least an hour to figure out who was who ) but I ended up enjoying this and recommend it . I give it an 8 . |
477,759 | 463,200 | 65,836 | 8 | Hard to believe DePalma did this comedy ! | Very strange and satirical look at a Vietnam vet ( Robert DeNiro ) and how he tries to get a job after being discharged . First he's a peeping tom - - photographing neighbors without their knowledge . He also gets involved with one - - Julie Bishop ( Jennifer Salt ) . Then he joins a black theatrical group who basically rob all the white liberals who attend their plays ! THEN he becomes an urban guerrilla willing to blow up buildings . As you can see this is not for all tastes . The humor is sharp , absurd , no holds barred and VERY funny . This movie takes aims at many targets ( blacks , whites , race relations , politics , liberals ) and goes after them full force . This may be a little strong for some people ( the movie almost got an X rating for nudity ) but I loved it . There's a particularly funny episode with blacks questioning white people on the street if they know what it's like to be black . DeNiro is a wonder - - - he's SO young and already talented . He plays every sequence perfectly . His bits with Allen Garfield are hysterical - - the banter between them goes nonstop . DePalma already shows his directorial talents using split screen ( in the opening credits ) and having almost all of DeNiro's adventures shown through a video camera . Salt is sort of annoying - - but she's supposed to be . A VERY 1970s comedy . Lots of the opinions and situations here just don't happen anymore but still worth seeing . Who ever knew that Brian DePalma could do a comedy ? ( " Bonfire of the Vanities " doesn't count - - that was unintentionally funny ) . I give this an 8 . |
477,384 | 463,200 | 831,887 | 8 | A mess but lots of fun | The Spirit ( Gabriel Macht ) protects an unnamed city against the Octopus ( Samuel L . Jackson ) who seems to be indestructible . There's also Sand Sarif ( Eva Mendes ) and the Octopus ' helper Silken Floss ( Scarlett Johansson ) . OK this is a mess but an entertaining one . It has a few bad sections - - why do they try to turn the Spirit into a buffoon ? At one point he's hanging from his cape from a building . To get away he has to take off his belt - - which immediately makes his pants fall down and we see people laughing at him ( which is kinda strange cause he has good legs ) . The original Spirit stories had comedy but never at the expense of him . At one point the Octopus and Floss are wearing Nazi uniforms ! It's strange but not exactly funny . There's TONS of gun play and what is with all the cats we keep seeing ? And why does that Arabian woman save him ? Lots of questions but , all that aside , I had fun . The good things - - the acting is good - - Johansson acts like she's on another planet - - but she IS fun ; Jackson chews the scenery but in an amusing way ; Mendes pops up in a series of very revealing outfits and is good ; best of all is Macht as the Spirit . He has a deep voice , a muscular body and the film shows him shirtless at least three times . Heck - - he's introduced wearing nothing but shorts ! This movie is not your typical super hero movies . It tries to be funny - - and succeeds ! Some of the lines are laugh out loud funny and the cast deliver them full force . Also Macht breaks down the fourth wall completely at one point ( he talks to the audience directly ) but it STILL works ! This is no masterpiece and it's not even remotely a faithful rendition of the Spirit comic . . . but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I had a fun time watching it ! It's also shot in the style of " Sin City " - - faded color with some objects in strong color ( mostly the Spirit's red tie ) . I give this an 8 . |
477,873 | 463,200 | 29,844 | 8 | Colorful and quick | This review is of the full 91 minute version . There's another one out that's about 77 minutes . I haven't read " Tomy Sawyer " since I was a kid ( I'm in my 40s now ) but this movie bought back a lot of good memories ! Tom Sawyer ( Tommy Kelly ) is being bought up by his Aunt Polly ( May Robson ) along with cousin Mary and the vicious Sid ( David Holt ) . Tom is constantly getting into trouble with his buddy Huckleberry Finn ( Jackie Moran ) . In the course of the movie Tom falls for cute Becky Thatcher ( Ann Gillis ) , runs away from home , witnesses a murder and it ends with him and Becky being chased by the killer . OK - - this is far from perfect . Kelly was an unknown - - and it shows . He's not good at all . Also the film is episodic . . . but so was the novel . There's also a young black kid here who comes across as an idiot and is treated pretty badly . I realize that's a sign of its time but it's uncomfortable to watch now . Still this is worth catching . The color is beautiful and the film moves very quickly . Kelly aside all the acting is good ( Robson does wonders with her stereotypical role ) and I was never bored . The very last bit with Sid and Aunt Polly was just perfect ! It also bought back the book to me - - I was remembering entire sequences I haven't read since I was a kid . This is also perfect viewing for the entire family . Well-made and worth catching . Try catching the full version . |
477,194 | 463,200 | 29,843 | 8 | The best " Robin Hood " ever ! | Forget Kevin Costner's dumb 90s version of " Robin Hood " - - this is the best . It follows the original tales faithfully and looks absolutely gorgeous . I ( unfortunately ) saw a faded print so the Technicolor didn't come across as good as it should . Still , it looked great . The acting is uniformally good - - Flynn ( very dashing and handsome - - his laugh needs work though ) , deHavilland ( jawdroppingly beautiful ) and Rathbone and Rains are great villains . The movie is never dull and always exciting . The climatic sword fight between Rathbone and Flynn is beyond belief ! A must see ! They don't make them like this anymore ! |
477,592 | 463,200 | 78,444 | 8 | Sure it's dated but still very good | Happily married Erica ( Jill Clayburgh ) is shocked when her husband of 17 years ( Michael Murphy ) tells her he's leaving her for another woman . They get divorced and Erica must learn to cope with being alone and bringing up a teenage girl . In some respects this is seriously dated . The dialogue , fashions , the New York art world and music all scream 1970s . Also she visits a singles bar ( anybody remember them ? ) at one point . But the emotions and changes she goes through seem right on target ( I'm a guy so I can't really relate ) . She gets through it talking to her girlfriends and seeing a therapist . She also meets hunky artist Saul ( Alan Bates ) and starts falling in love . The movie is a little overlong and I do have a problem with it . Supposedly this is a story of an ordinary woman BUT she lives in a beautiful big New York apartment and can afford a therapist . That's hardly an ordinary woman . That aside I loved this . Everything is understated and played quietly but it still works beautifully . The script is wonderful - - especially the talks between Erica and her friends . I got the feeling this was exactly how women talk to each other . The insights are incredible . The acting is on target . Murphy isn't too good but he's hardly in the movie - - everybody else however is great . Calyburgh especially is believable every step of the way - - she was justly nominated for Best Actress for this movie . This was a BIG hit in 1978 but seems practically unknown today . Well worth catching just for Clayburgh alone . Also there was a black woman / white guy couple in this movie . That wouldn't bother anyone today but for 1978 that must have been quite surprising . |
478,195 | 463,200 | 265,171 | 8 | Fun ! | An affectionate ( and dead on ) parody of Roger Corman horror films and those Hammer horror films . Elvira and her maid are traveling to Paris for a show . Unfortunately in Romania they get waylaid in a creepy castle with mysterious characters and going ons . Basically the plot is a combo of Corman's " House of Usher " and " The Pit and the Pendulum " with huge dollops from Hammer films thrown in . Every single cliche in those films is trotted out and hilariously torn apart . Still it's not vicious . . . just fun . Also the film has a PG-13 rating so the humor is pretty tasteful . Some of the one-liners from Elvira are hysterical and there's even a song and dance number which stops the show . Also the " stable stud " with his purposeful awful dubbing is a scream ! Cassandra Peterson is just perfect as Elvira . Richard O'Brien goes all the way over the top doing a mean Boris Karloff impersonation . Actually , all the cast plays it over the top but it totally fits the material . Also there's beautiful , atmospheric settings and a Hammeresque score to top it all off . Only the ending is a bit of a let down . Still , this is well worth catching . A must see ! ! ! ! ! |
479,361 | 463,200 | 356,159 | 8 | The first gay slasher film - - too bad it's not really good | Being a gay man and a horror movie fan I was really looking forward to seeing this . . . but it's really not that good . Film begins with two men making out in a car - - until they are attacked and beheaded by a guy in a Satan suit . The next day is Halloween and four gay friends are attending the party in West Hollywood . They all fit the typical slasher film stereotypes : the nice guy ( Dylan Fergus ) ; the innocent , nervous guy ( Hank Harris ) ; the party animal ( Andrew Levitas ) and the one who wants to be loved for his mind NOT his body ( Matt Phillps as a drag queen ) . While getting there they make fun of the guy in the Devil costume . During the night he stalks them . . . and kills them one by one . Who is he and why is he doing this ? Don't bother asking - - the film doesn't tell you ! The film is beautifully shot ( some VERY nice images here ) and the murder scenes are very gory and well-done . Also the actors were hired for their looks and bodies - - but they're really pretty good ! Fergus is handsome and likable ; Harris is a little TOO nerdy ; Levitas is drop dead gorgeous with a GREAT body . . . but overdoes it a little ; Phillips is excellent as the drag queen - - he looks stunning as a woman AND a guy . Also they are joined by Bryan Kirkwood who's pretty bad . He's obviously straight and seems uncomfortable . But there's two BIG problems with the film - - the script and dialogue . The script is chockful of stupid moments - - someone is killed on a crowded dance floor . . . and nobody notices ; the killer magically appears everywhere his victims are ; we never find out who he is or why he's doing this . One one hand I thought thought this might be a tribute to the stupid 80s slasher films which were ALSO full of stupid incidents . On the other hand I thought - - - is that something we should pay tribute to ? And the dialogue is just dreadful - - no gay man ( or straight man ) talks like these guys . But , all in all , it was fun seeing a slasher film with gay men and showing off some nice partial nudity ( no frontal but the guys are shirtless 90 % of the time and there is a group butt shot ) . I'm giving this an 8 because the guys were just incredible and gave good performances . . . but I can't say I loved this . Recommended for gay men and horror movie fans who have no problem with gay guys . There's also plenty of room for a sequel . Let's hope there is one - - with a better plot and dialogue . |
478,560 | 463,200 | 95,953 | 8 | Good | Self-centered yuppie Charlie Babbitt ( Tom Cruise ) goes to his rich father's funeral . He hasn't seen or spoken to him in many years . He finds out he isn't getting a cent from his dad - - it's all going into a trust to his other son - - Raymond Babbitt ( Dustin Hoffman ) . Raymond is also an autistic savant and in an institution . Charlie " kidnaps " him to get his share of the money . But it turns into a journey of self-discovery . The story is pretty simple - - it's been done hundreds of times before . I knew exactly where this was going and how it was going to end . . . BUT that doesn't mean it's a bad movie . It's well-directed by Barry Levinson with a well-written ( if predictable ) script . Also Tom Cruise was actually very good - - I usually hate the guy but I admit he did good in his role . But Hoffman is the whole movie . From what I heard he played the role exactly as it should be done ( he spent months with autistic patients and families of them ) . He stutters and sprouts facts off non-stop . Hoffman is clearly enjoying himself . Valeria Golino is around as Cruise's girlfriend . She's given little to do unfortunately . Also this movie does not need to go on past two hours . Still this is a GOOD little film . I can understand the Academy Awards for director and star ( Hoffman ) . . . but it did not deserve best screenplay or picture . Still a lot of people love this . It's good but not great . I give it an 8 . |
477,882 | 463,200 | 104,952 | 8 | Very funny if a bit too long | Comedy about two guys ( Ralph Macchio and Mitchell Whitfield ) traveling cross country from NY to CA . While in Alabama they are ( unjustly ) accused of murder and need a lawyer - - fast . Macchios ' cousin Vinny ( Joe Pesci ) arrives from NY with his girlfriend ( Marisa Tomei ) to defend them . The problem is that he has only six weeks of law school training and the judge ( Fred Gwynne ) hates him . . . Huge comedy hit which made Pesci even more popular than he already was ( he had just won the Oscar for " Goodfellas " ) and gave Tomei a Best Supporting Actress Oscar . The setup is familiar , it's way too long , not all the jokes work and some of the characters are unlikable ( Whitfield got annoying quick and Gwynne was TOO mean ) but , all in all , this is a fun movie . The parts that do work are hysterical - - the verbal matches between Pesci and Gwynne , Austin Pendleton's opening speech in court ( you can see Pesci , Macchio and Whitfield breaking up in the background ) and just about anything Tomei says . Acting - - Macchio and Whitfield sort of fade into the background - - they aren't given much to do . Pesci is is just great as Vinny - - loud , obnoxious , swearing nonstop and very funny . Tomei matches him word for word . A lot of people seem to think that Tomei doesn't deserve the Oscar she won - - but comedy is much harder to do than drama and she takes a stock character is makes her realistic , sympathetic and very funny . Her testimony in court at the end probably won her the award . Gwynne is terrific ( if a bit too stern ) as the judge . This was a last film and it's great to see he went out on a high note . So , I recommend it . The only debits are its over length and the nonstop profanity may offend people . I give it an 8 . Best line - - " Oh yeah - - you blend " . |
477,558 | 463,200 | 57,128 | 8 | Not bad | In 1765 an evil warlock ( Vincent Price ) is burnt alive for his deeds . Before he dies he curses the village of Arkham and its inhabitants . 110 years later his descendent , a very kind man named Charles Dexter Ward ( Price again ) , comes to Arkham with his beautiful wife ( Debra Paget ) to claim his inheritance - - the warlock's castle . In short time , Price is possessed and begins to take revenge . Good entry in the Price / Corman / Poe series but it's NOT based on a Poe tale - - it's from the " Case of Charles Dexter Ward " by H . P . Lovecraft . The movie is quick ( 85 minutes ) , well acted by Price and Lon Chaney ( as a sinister housekeeper ) , atmospheric and has it's scary moments . There are gaps in the plot ( two characters completely disappear at the end with no explanation ) but it's still enjoyable with a surprising ending . Worth catching . |
478,385 | 463,200 | 26,104 | 8 | I'm giving it an 8 for Hopkins and the color | Becky Sharp ( Miriam Hopkins ) is a lower class girl who , through her upper class friend Amelia Sedley ( Francis Dee ) , does her best to become an upper class woman herself . . . and do anything to get there . Dull story with thudding dialogue ( nobody ever talked like that ) but I watched the whole thing . This movie has just two things going for it : Miriam Hopkins fantastic performance is one . She is playing a very unlikable character but she's so beautiful ( in some shots she takes your breath away ) and full of life that you can't help but root for her . The second thing is the groundbreaking use of color photography . I believe this is the first full-length feature to be filmed entirely in color . Director Rouben Mamoulian uses color creatively to express mood or show what a person is feeling or doing . I saw the restored print which has rich , beautiful colors . Even when the story was boring ( which is often ) with that lousy dialogue the colors and use of light and shadow kept me watching . With this film and the 1932 version of " Dr . Jekyll and Mr . Hyde " , Mamoulian created new rules in how to direct sequences and use settings , light and shadow . Sadly , he's forgotten today . So , this is worth seeing only for Hopkins and the color . Don't watch it for the story or you'll be sadly disappointed . |
478,606 | 463,200 | 39,923 | 8 | Oscar-winning cartoon | The first pairing of Tweety Bird and Sylvester was also an Oscar winner . Quick , violent and absolutely hilarious . And every time I hear Tweety say " I tawt I taw a puddy tat " I break up . Well worth catching . Also the print I saw had bright , vivid color . TCM usually shows this around Oscar time - - look for it ! |
477,729 | 463,200 | 408,666 | 8 | Very well-done original vampire movie | A man comes home for his birthday party after work . However it seems he has been " infected " by vampire's and intends to " pass it " on to his family . A gang of black youths get involved and it all ends up with humans vs . vampires . Interesting take on vampire's that shows it as a disease and one that works FAST . When people get a taste of tainted blood they immediately become vampires . These vampires have huge fangs , piercing eyes ( neat makeup job ) , move FAST and tell plenty of bad jokes ( we got " Nightmare on Elm Street " to thank for that ) . The movie is by no means great . It was direct to video and it shows . The film is very grainy with bad sound too . Also they throw in a lesbian couple for no reason other than to show gratuitous female nudity . ( I'd LOVE to see a gay male couple in one of these films ) . The film does have a mix or black and white characters - - but they're all stereotypes . The family is heavily dysfunctional and all the black guys and woman are in gangs , swear constantly and always travel with guns . Still this film works . It IS scary and has tons of blood and gore ( I can't see how this got by with an R rating ) . There's also a very eerie atmosphere with plenty of shock cuts to keep you off balance . The acting is OK - - nobody is really good but nobody is really bad either . Basically they all do well in their roles . Interesting ending too . This is no masterpiece of horror but I found it interesting and well-done ( on its budget ) . I give it an 8 . |
479,112 | 463,200 | 210,616 | 8 | Cliché city , but I LOVED it ! | Let's see - - you've got a bunch of young hopefuls in a tough ballet school in NYyou have the tough , but lovable , black girl ; the token gay man ; the sweet virginal heroine ; the arrogant Russian guy ; the sweet lovable guy who's perfect for the sweet heroine , but she doesn't know it ; the b who's starving herself to death ; the guy who loves her and wants to help her ; the tyrannical ( but lovable ) ballet teachers - - yep , they're all here ! The script is utterly predictable , you know how it's going to end 10 minutes into the movie , but I loved it ! The acting is surprisingly good , it's beautifully filmed , the whole cast is attractive and the dancing is simply superb . I wasn't bored once during the entire 2 hours . Well worth seeing . |
477,543 | 463,200 | 39,725 | 8 | Another great Crawford film | Crawford plays a woman who slowly begins to go mad when Van Heflin breaks up with her . She marries rich Raymond Massey to " punish " him only to find Massey's daughter ( Geraldine Brooks ) falling for Heflin . . . and pushing Joan to the brink . Exceptional movie . . . one of Joan's best . This was one of the few Hollywood films of the 1940s to treat mental illness ( somewhat ) seriously . The director uses sound effects , music and weird camera effects when Crawford's grip on reality starts to loosen . But she slips in and out of madness so quickly that she ( and the audience ) never knows what's real or not . Crawford is just superb - - one of her best performances . Brooks is just great in her film debut . Heflin though , I never liked . He's unattractive and generally cruel - - I wondered what Crawford sees in him . And Massey is stone-faced through the proceedings . Still , well worth catching . Love that lake house ! The TV print of this is in pretty poor condition . This film needs serious restoration . |
477,731 | 463,200 | 57,226 | 8 | One of the best Hammer films ever | A likable , attractive couple on their honeymoon become stranded in the middle of nowhere when their car brakes down . They do find an inn . . . and are mysteriously invited to a nearby castle where Dr . Ravna lives with his children . Seems Ravna and his children are the heads of a cult of vampires . . . and want the couple to join them . Strange , moody but intelligent horror film dealing with a vampire cult . Despite the subject matter there isn't much blood - - just a very bloody opening and an all out attack at the end - - that's all I'll say - - I don't want to spoil it for anyone : ) It's beautifully filmed in rich color - - the recent DVD release is exceptional . The acting is all good and there's a eerie masked ball sequence that is a highlight . My only complaint is the storyline starts to falter at the end and some things don't make sense . Abrupt ending too . Still this is easily the most beautiful vampire film ever made - - it should be seen just for the sets , costumes and color . Avoid ( at all costs ) the edited TV print which is retitled " Kiss of Evil " . It's just dreadful . |
477,422 | 463,200 | 52,905 | 8 | Atmospheric | Sherlock Holmes ( Peter Cushing ) and Dr . Watson ( Andre Morell ) are called to Baskerville Hall to protect Sir Henery Baskerville ( Christopher Lee ) from a supernatural hound that has supposedly killed off the rest of his family . 1959 Hammer film adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel . It's the first Sherlock Holmes film in color and , while not as good as the Rathbone version , it's still worth catching . Since it's a Hammer film it plays a lot more like a horror film than a mystery . It has the typical high gloss look of the early Hammer films and a fairly good script with tons of atmosphere - - the scenes of the moors at night and hearing the howls of the hound off in the distance are chilling . Some of the acting in minor roles is bad ( especially the bishop who provides very unfunny comic relief ) , but the leads are great . Cushing is perfect as Holmes - - as good as Basil Rathbone was in the Universal pictures . Morell is also good as Watson - - he doesn't play him as a bumbling fool as Nigel Bruce unwisely did . Lee is also impressive as Baskerville - - so young and full of life . It's also a relief to see him play a good guy . There are major changes in the story and the climax isn't as impressive as it could have been ( the hound looks silly ) but this is still well worth seeing . This was a major bomb in 1959 which stopped Hammer from making any more - - a real shame because Cushing was letter perfect as Holmes . |
479,163 | 463,200 | 35,417 | 8 | Good comedy / drama | Leopold Dilg ( Cary Grant ) is falsely accused of arson and murder . He breaks out of jail and hides out with a clueless stuffy legal writer ( Ronald Colman ) and his assistant ( Jean Arthur ) who knows who Dilg is . Dilg ends up educating Colman's character into more liberal views and getting Arthur to realize true love . Also the movie brings up serious issues about mob rule and violence . No masterpiece , but a good solid film . Well-directed , it looks great and ALMOST all the acting is good . Grant and Colman are excellent but Arthur is shrill and annoying . . . a very bad performance . It's easy to see why she never became a big star . So , despite her , it's worth catching . |
477,853 | 463,200 | 74,633 | 8 | Fun for film buffs . . . | but probably nobody else . A young , beautiful woman ( Candice Rialson ) comes to Hollywood to become a star . She starts working with Miracle Pictures ( " If it's a good picture , it's a miracle " ) as a stunt girl . Miracle makes nothing but ultra cheap t & a movies . There's the star director ( Parl Bartel ) who supposedly thinks he's making art and an arrogant diva ( Mary Woronov ) who wants all the film to herself . Then woman are being killed on the set . Who's doing it . . . and why ? Film was actually shot in 10 days with directors Joe Dante and Allan Arkush using tons of footage from previous Roger Corman movies . The movie never takes itself too seriously and does have some VERY funny lines . But the plot is way too feeble even at 83 minutes ( there's LOTS of padding ) ; the acting is pretty bad ( except for Bartel , Woronov and Dick Miller - - all having a GREAT time ) ; there is an unnecessary ( and stupid ) wet T-shirt sequence ; there's a very sick rape scene played for laughs ( and repeated twice ) ; a very brutal knife slashing and plot holes galore ( why DOES that guy at the end have all that stuff about victims in his little shed ? ) . What kept me watching is the tons of funny little injokes for movie fans . They're way too numerous to mention but they are there . Also it was just released in a 25th anniversary edition and looks just great . Most casual viewers will probably find this dull , stupid and sick - - they're right , but it is fun for film fans . Don't miss the jokes during the closing credits and one right after them . |
478,848 | 463,200 | 420,294 | 8 | Unpleasant and disturbing . . . as it should be | Prequel to the 2003 " Texas Chainsaw . . . " giving us the origin of Leatherface and his twisted family . That's all done within the first 20 minutes . . . then it's just a virtual redo on the original with four likable 20-somethings being captured and tortured by Leatherface and his family . Considering it's basically a remake of the 2003 film , it works remarkably well . It takes place in 1969 and has two brothers ( Taylor Handley and Matthew Bomer ) going to enlist ( after being drafted ) . Along are their two girlfriends ( Jordana Brewster and Diora Baird ) . But they're stopped by crazy Sheriff Hoyt ( R . Lee Ermey ) who is Leatherface's uncle . . . and the " fun " begins . Very grim and graphic with no humor and shot in muted color . . . just as the 2003 one . The gore is strong and disgusting ( this got trimmed to get an R rating ) and I can't say I liked it . . . but it did it's job . It scared me . I was cringing in my seat a few times and jumped more than once . Another plus is ALL the acting is good . Brewster , Handley , Baird and Bomer are all good-looking and likable - - when the violence starts you really are horrified at seeing such great characters being tortured . Ermey is on hand giving another terrifying performance as Hoyt . His character is so twisted , violent and sick that when he got a taste of his own medicine my quiet audience broke out in applause . Also there's good old Leatherface and his chainsaw chasing everybody . In some ways I applaud a grim , graphic R rated horror film that pulls no punches - - I HATE the watered down PG-13 crap we usually get . But unlike some ( like " Scream " ) this is pretty unrelenting and wears you down . But it scared me and that's exactly what it's supposed to do . An 8 . |
477,498 | 463,200 | 60,645 | 8 | Not a good film but I had fun watching it . | A lower-class woman ( Lana Turner ) marries a rich man ( John Forsythe ) much to his mother's ( Constance Bennett ) disapproval . Years pass - - she has a son and starts an affair with a sleazy guy ( Ricardo Montalban ) . When she tries to call if off he accidentally dies . Her mother-in-law finds out and convinces her to fake her death and flee - - or she'll ruin the life of her husband and child . She does but is destroyed by self-guilt and becomes an alcoholic . She ends up killing another man . . . and is defended by her grown son ( Kier Dullea ) . . . who doesn't know she's his mother ! OK - - we're not dealing with reality here . This is basically a melodramatic howler with jaw-dropping lines but damned if it didn't ( ocassionally ) work . It's lushly made with beautiful settings and gorgeous outfits and clothes . It also has a pounding music score that tells us exactly how to feel . And Bennett ( in her last film ) got a face lift before this movie started filming - - she looks younger than Lana ! The acting is not bad . Bennett makes the most of her role as a cold , calculating woman and it's nice to see Kier Dullea so young . But this is Lana's show all the way - - she's just great and even allows herself to look terrible towards the end . The climatic courtroom sequence could have been campy but Turner's performance holds it all together . Also Burgess Meredith is good in a supporting role . This is a very silly but fun soap opera elevated by the acting and beautiful production values . Considered to be Lana's last real good movie . I give it an 8 . |
477,390 | 463,200 | 51,459 | 8 | Toned down from the play but still powerful | Big Daddy ( Burl Ives ) the powerful head of a Southern family is dying . His two sons - - alcoholic Brick ( Paul Newman ) and annoying Cooper ( Jack Carson ) - - are there with their wives to celebrate his birthday . Cooper and his wife want everything . Brick doesn't seem to care but his wife Maggie ( Elizabeth Taylor ) tries to make him care - - and can't understand why he won't make love to her . I saw the play back in 1990 with Kathleen Turner and Charles Durning ( who won a Tony ) . It was great but very long ( at least 3 hours ) and the once shocking subject matter was very tame . This movie cut the play quite a bit but they had to - - the Hays Code was still in effect . The language was toned down and all mention of Brick's homosexuality and Big Daddy having cancer was cut out . Still they get it across . Brick's relationship with Skipper is hinted at STRONGLY without actually saying it was physical and what Big Daddy is dying of is never made clear but they say it's terminal . Most viewers will get it . That aside this is still strong and pretty powerful . The acting really pulls this one through . Newman , Taylor and Judith Anderson ( as " Big Mama " ) are great but Ives played this on stage ( and won a Tony ) so he has his part down pat and really gives it his all . He dominates every scene he's in . Script wise this is tame . The situations are predictable and the resolutions are far too pat for me . But the acting is so good I really didn't notice while watching it . Also this is the only film Taylor and Newman ever did together . That's a shame because they had incredible chemistry and were easily two of the best ( and best-looking ) actors of the 1950s . Well worth seeing - - cuts aside . I give this an 8 . |
477,639 | 463,200 | 265,349 | 8 | Odd , effective thriller | Richard Gere plays a happily married Washington Post reporter . One dark night , he's in a car crash with his wife ( Debra Messing ) when something big and black passes in front of their speeding car . He's fine , she's hospitalized and later dies . Two years later Gere ( somehow ) drives to a remote town in West Virginia where people are seeing a big , black thing resembling a giant moth roaming around . And then people start receiving strange , spooky phone calls . And Gere starts seeing his dead wife . . . A creepy , eerie horror film . At times it's a little slow , and ends with many questions left unanswered . Still if works beautifully due to eerie sound effects ( the phone calls and a really scary conversation Gere has with . . . well , I don't want to give it away ) ; dark direction by Mark Pellington ( basically the same thing he did with " Arlington Road " ) and an excellent performance by Gere . Messing is in the film briefly , but she makes an impact . Laura Linney , surprisingly , is only so-so as a cop helping Gere . Basically a really good scare film . No blood , violence , gore or sex but it doesn't joke around and really starts to work on you . Not for children ( despite the PG-13 rating ) . |
479,353 | 463,200 | 102,370 | 8 | Great documentary | Documentary of Madonna's 1990 " Blonde Ambition " tour . Madonna had total control over this film so most of it was manipulated by her and she probably left off some of the really damaging material . Still , there are more than a few unguarded moments in the film with Madonna and her crew talking , fighting , complaining that can't be staged . Also there are a few hilarious moments with her then-boyfriend Warren Beatty . The documentary , backstage stuff is in grainy black and white ( with lousy sound ) and the concert scenes are in bright color , great sound and ( sadly ) MTV style editing . Still , it's fun , entertaining , very dirty ( but this IS Madonna ) and a hilarious game of truth or dare played with her and the crew . Low points : Director Alex Keshishain strangely has fairly extensive interview footage with the only straight male dancer in the group - - Oliver Crumes . Crumes comes across an as obnoxious , homophobic and sexist jerk . He's actually surprised that all the other male dancers are gay ! What planet did he grow up on ? Also his dancing ( what you see of it ) is pretty lousy . And the portrayal of the gay dancers is not exactly positive . The film is too long ( it could lose 20 minutes ) and not all the songs are good . Still , worth seeing . One BIG complaint - - the video version has two extra added numbers - - " Hanky Panky " and a Dick Tracy number - - they're not on the DVD . Why not ? |
478,787 | 463,200 | 71,508 | 8 | Sick , stupid , FUN | Udo Kier plays Baron Frankenstein who makes beautiful male and female monsters . He wants them to mate but the male monster has the head of a man who wanted to become a priest . . . so he can't " perform " ! I'm not kidding - - that's the plot ! I saw this when it was released in theatres in 3-D back in the early 80s . It was the R rated version ( they said ) . Turns out it was the X rated version ! Quite interesting . The story is stupid , the dubbing atrocious but the movie is so over the top ( in acting and plot ) it's plenty of fun ! In 3-D ( which was excellent ) you have every disgusting thing you can think of thrust in your face . Rats , a severed head , intestines , a human heart at the end of a spear , etc . etc . It's not disgusting , just silly . And the movie was so stupid you just kept watching in amazement to see how bad it was going to get . My favorite line is when the Countess is woken up from a deep sleep and screams " How dare you wake me up ! You know I have insomnia . " ( ! ! ! ) A laugh a minute in this one . Too bad all the 3-D prints seem to be gone - - it was LOTS of fun that way . |
478,679 | 463,200 | 64,064 | 8 | No classic but funny | I had heard about this for years but thought it was just a silly joke . Really - - " Bambi Meets Godzilla " . . . come on ! To my total surprise it played one night years later as part of an animation festival . I admit the credits were amusing and I broke out laughing at the end . . . but that was about it . The animation is terrible and , after seeing it once , it doesn't play well again at all . I think it gets all this attention just because of the title . So , worth catching once but it's just a one-joke film . That's all I have to really say but IMDb requires 10 lines of text for everything . That's kind of silly . I mean foe feature films it makes sense but for a 2 minute short ? ? ? ? ? How much can you say ? It's taking me more time to type this than it takes to watch this short . THERE ! I completed over 10 lines : ) |
479,679 | 463,200 | 64,118 | 8 | Hard to believe this was X rated originally | SPOILERS THROUGHOUT The movie takes place in 1933 to 34 Germany . It's about a rich , wealthy family ( the Essenbecks ) who are basically destroyed by the Nazis coming into power . It basically focuses on Martin ( Helmut Berger ) who turns into a cold-blooded killer . Along the way there's murder , incest , cross dressing , pedophilia , suicide , rape , a gay orgy and a mass murder ! To be truthful none of it is really explicit - - for instance the gay orgy scene only shows some casual male nudity and has NO sexual content at all ! I'm surprised this got an X rating even back in 1969 . BTW it's since been lowered to an R with no cuts . The film is beautiful to watch - - director Luchino Visconti made films that were gorgeous to watch and dealt with adult subject matter . ( " The Conformist " is another one like this ) Each shot is like a beautiful painting . It's totally at odds with the subject matter which I think is the point . In the 2004 DVD release the colors are rich and the print is in perfect condition . The acting is great all around but the best performances come from Dirk Bogarde , Charlotte Rampling , Ingrid Thulin and especially Helmut Berger . The film isn't perfect . It's way too long at 157 minutes and you sort of become numb at all the back stabbing and evil happening . Martin's rape of his mom should be shocking but it comes near the end after two hours of evil and it sort of doesn't shock you . Also Thulin's appearance at the wedding at the end was a bit too much . Still this is a beautiful and fascinating film . If you see this on DVD I suggest you turn on the English subtitling . All the actors speak English but the heavy accents make some of their dialogue impossible to figure out . |
479,301 | 463,200 | 110,005 | 8 | Disturbing but fascinating | Based on real events , 2 girls meet in 1950s New Zealand , fall in love , murder someone . Despite what it sounds like , this movie is NOT homophobic - - that don't kill somebody because they're lesbians . Just certain circumstances bring it about , and society won't allow them to be open about their love . Peter Jackson does another great directing job ( this man can do anything ! ) , superb performances by everybody ( although Winslet doesn't need to YELL all the time ) , very tense and suspenseful plot ( you know how it's going to end , but you're still nervous as hell watching it ) , beautiful special effects which are seamlessly worked into reality . Fascinating , disturbing , unbelievable . DON'T MISS THIS ONE ! ! ! However , try to see it letterboxed . . . the film very effectively uses wide screen which doesn't work at all in a box screen - - most of the times people are talking to other people who you can't see , so you have NO idea what's going on ! |
478,479 | 463,200 | 74,806 | 8 | The type of film Hollywood wouldn't touch today | 13 year old Rynn ( Jodie Foster ) lives in a huge old house with her father on the outskirts of the " village " ( I don't think the place is ever named ) . She has to deal with mean old Mrs . Hallet ( Alexis Smith ) who got them the house and her child molesting son Frank ( Martin Sheen ) . Rynn also meets Mario ( Scott Jacoby ) a teenager around her age and falls in love . But why is it that nobody ever sees her father ? And what exactly IS in that fruit cellar ? SPOILERS ! ! ! The plausibility here is tough to swallow - - I find it very hard to believe that a 13 year old girl could keep up an entire house , pay off all the bills , get alcohol ( HOW did she ? ? ) and NOBODY figures out what's going on ! Still this movie works - - if you can buy the premise . It's a slow ( but never dull ) psychological thriller . There's only a little blood and no sudden shocks like they have in horror films today . It's well-directed in a truly beautiful location . It has a good score too and has a very somber , quiet tone that does work on you . The acting is mostly good . Smith and Sheen are both obnoxiously slimy as the villains . Jacoby tries too hard to be cute and funny and quickly becomes annoying . As for Foster - - I'm really torn . On one hand she says her lines with utter conviction - - you believe every word . On the other hand she's totally emotionless - - nothing ever shows on her face . That is explained ( kind of ) but just a little emotion would have helped . This movie has a PG rating but has some quick , casual female nudity by Foster ( or her double ) . Today it might get an R rating considering it's made quite clear that she's having sex with Jacoby and Sheen's character wouldn't be quite as evil . Still - - this wouldn't be done today . It's too quiet and challenges the audience to actually think . So , implausible plot aside , this is a creepy little thriller . I give it an 8 . |
479,703 | 463,200 | 117,509 | 8 | MTV meets Shakespeare | Updating of " Romeo and Juliet " for the 1990s . I'm going to skip a synopsis of the plot - - everyone knows it . This is basically " Romeo and Juliet " in modern day dress full of arresting visuals , gunplay , loud 1990s music , wild dance numbers with all the cast members using Shakespeare's original dialogue ! The effect is odd ( to say the least ) . It ALMOST works . The visuals are all incredible ( director Buz Luhrmann always knows how to make a film look fantastic ) and the movie almost never stops for a breath . That's the problem - - at first it's fun , but after 2 hours you're exhausted . Also the actors seem lost . When they're talking Shakespeare they seem to have no idea what they're saying . Most of them just recite the lines with a blank look on their faces . The older actors ( Paul Sorvino especially ) are much better at it . The casting and acting in this is all over the place . Leonardo DiCaprio ( as Romeo ) is a good actor , but he's just all wrong for this role . He looks lost and way out of his depth . However , Claire Danes is wonderful as Juliet . Very sweet , likable and seems to have a clear understanding of the dialogue . Also her reactions in her dancing scene with Paris are hilarious . John Leguizamo is way over the top as Tybalt - - too much . He quickly becomes annoying . Brian Dennehy and Paul Sorvino are very good as Montague and Capulet but are underused . Even Paul Rudd is very good ( and incredibly handsome ) as Paris . He seems to be having a whale of a time in his role . Also , there is an incredible party sequence and Romeo's cousin comes in a wig , dress and lipstick and no one bats an eyelash . There's a great musical number on a huge staircase also . Loud , eye-popping , funny and even quite moving . As it stands , I'm giving it an 8 . With a better cast I might give it a 10 . Best line : " Check on me tomorrow and you'll find me a grave man . " |
477,448 | 463,200 | 113,896 | 8 | An epic about a Mexican family | Movie follows Jose and Maria who emigrate to California in the 1920s , fall in love and get married . It follows their lives and their childrens up to 1995 . An epic - - the first American movie to show a multigenerational portrait of a Mexican family . It's not perfect - - some parts are romanticized ( I find it hard to believe that the house of a pretty poor family looks that good ) and some of the situations are really melodramatic . Still , the script is good and believable and ( with one exception ) all the acting is good - - especially the very talented Esai Morales . His was a very cliched role ( the hot headed Latino brother ) but he gave it depth and feeling and acted the hell out of it . When his character goes away the movie lost something . Unfortunately he's replaced by Jimmy Smits who gives a real terrible performance - - he's so emotionless all the time ! His prescence really drags down the last section of the film , but all the other actors keep it going . This definetely looks like the inspiration for the ( unfortunately ) cancelled Showtime series " Resurrection Blvd " . It's just a little better than the series and some of the same actors appear in both ( Morales played a hot-headed latino in the series too ) . Engrossing and one of a kind . Also it's kind of fun to see Jennifer Lopez in a small role before she hit it big . A definete must-see . . . it doesn't matter if you're Latino or not . |
477,319 | 463,200 | 94,625 | 8 | Violent , adult and fascinating | Extremely bloody and violent animated film about neo-Tokyo 30 years or so after World War III . The story is way too complicated to get into - - suffice to say it starts quickly and never lets up . Actually , that's a big problem . It does move quickly and is hard to follow ( at times ) , and there barely a let-up . At two hours + that tends to wear you down . Also the English-dubbed language is very funny - - all comic book clichés coming fast and furious . Still this is one of the best animes . The animation is mostly superb . Some of the characters moved rather awkwardly and they all look the same ( a real problem with Japanese anime ) . Still all the other animation is just great . There are some stunning motorcycle ride / chases / fights and the views of neo-Tokyo " moving " while the motorcycles are roaring really astounded me ! Better than anything Disney ever did ! I do have problems with this movie though . As I said , it's too convoluted , and the women are shown pretty badly . There are only two female characters - - one is a victim ( who , for no real reason at all , is almost raped ) and the other is the love interest who will do anything for her man . Sheesh ! Still , this is a truly fascinating film . If you have a strong stomach ( the violence is VERY explicit ) and can follow a plot going full-speed constantly , you'll like this . A must for animation buffs . |
478,920 | 463,200 | 144,168 | 8 | Overlooked and hilarious | This was a huge bomb when it came out in 1999 - - it was badly advertised and disappeared quickly . That's a shame because it's a very fun movie . If ever a film should be rediscovered , it's this one . Two very dumb teenage girls ( beautifully played by Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams ) in the early 70s , get separated from their tour of the White House , and accidentally meet Nixon . They start walking his dog Checkers and , inadvertently , discover all about Watergate without even knowing it ! It sounds silly ( and it is ) but damned if it doesn't work ! Dunst and Williams are totally believable ( and very lovable ) as the teenagers . Dan Hedaya does a perfect interpretation of Nixon . As for everybody else , I couldn't tell you . I'm no whiz on Watergate and who Nixon's staff was in the 70s . But the script is sharp , everyone has wonderful comic timing and the best bits were done by Will Ferrell and Bruce McCulloch who make Woodward and Bernstein out to be total idiots . Also an excellent selection of 70s songs which always complement the action . The final gag played on Nixon is uproarious ! Well worth watching . |
479,615 | 463,200 | 74,875 | 8 | Where has this disappeared to ? | I caught this neat little revenge film on cable back in the early 80s and have never forgotten it . It's a combo teen / horror / revenge movie . A bunch of bullies generally run the school and terrorize the students ( the teachers are never shown until the end ) . A new kid in school refuses to buckle under to them . They cripple him . They figure he'll now take orders . . . right ? Wrong . He takes a disturbing , bloody revenge on them . . . and things really go out of control . There's more to it , but I don't want to ruin it . This movie actually carries a strong message about power and its use ( and abuse ) . Well-acted by a very good cast ( even Andrew Stevens ! ) and well-directed on a very low-budget ( it does show ) . This is a big cult movie and a perfect example of the type of movie they showed in drive-ins ( remember them ? ) in the 70s . Well worth seeing . Good luck finding a copy - - I don't think it's on DVD yet and the video is long out of print . Look for Lani O'Grady ( from " The Waltons " TV series ) doing a topless scene ! |
477,858 | 463,200 | 51,554 | 8 | OK - - I'm giving it an 8 BUT . . . | I can't really say I enjoy this movie . It's not terrible but I find a lot of it very slow and dull and it doesn't scare me at all . Still , it IS a horror classic . This is where Christopher Lee first played Dracula and Peter Cushing became van Helsing . It's very handsomely produced with bright vivid colors . The settings are just beautiful and there's a loud , pounding score driving the film . Cushing and Lee are just perfect in their roles . Lee is tall , handsome and sexually attractive . . . but is downright scary when he's hungry . The scene where we first see him with blood on his face and the red glaring eyes STILL makes me jump . Cushing is just great as the good doctor - - he made that role his . Everybody else isn't really that good . Michael Gough , a very good actor , is surprisingly terrible ! This film was critized a lot when it came out for the amount of violence . In Britain there were actual cases of people fainting in the theatres ! By today's standards this is pretty tame stuff - - PG rating all the way . The only scene that is still cut from most TV prints is the staking of Lucy ( it's not that bad ) . So , I acknowledge that this is a classic and that Lee and Cushing were born to play these roles . I just find the movie sort of slow . |
479,380 | 463,200 | 280,609 | 8 | It's no " Howling " but it's not bad | A bunch of British soldiers are stuck in a remote farmhouse during a night of a full moon . They're attacked on all sides by werewolves . A huge hit in Britain , this got virtually zero theatrical release in the U . S . That's a shame - - while no great movie it's a good , solid , gory horror film . The obviously low budget works against its total success ( the barely shown werewolves look pretty silly ) . Also the thick British accents make entire exchanges of dialogue unintelligable - - and some main plot points are being discussed ! And there are annoying lapses in logic - - would a family of werewolves really own a dog as a pet ? And all the characters are familiar stereotypes . But the movie has huge doses of gruesome , violent action , tons of gore and a thankful lack of humor - - when people are killed here it's not joked about - - it's shocking and sad . And it's so great to see a horror film not skimping on the blood and guts . The acting is pretty good too . So , it's a definite must-see for horror fans - - good luck with the accents ! |
477,383 | 463,200 | 117,572 | 8 | Very funny horror movie spoof | Three teenage girls ( actually guys in drag ) are having a slumber party . They're afraid they're being stalked by a killer . If you're a horror movie fan like me you'll get a kick out of this . This movie gleefully tears into every cliché of the slasher films and turns them on their ear . The acting is good and the one-liners fly fast and furious . My favorite was when they find an Ouija board - - one " girl " says it was used to raise the spirits of the dead . Anyone responds drily , " Yes - - I'm sure that's exactly what the Parker Brothers thought when they released it . " Good luck finding this . I only saw it once at a Gay & Lesbian Film Festival back in 1996 or 97 . It was so funny though that it never left me . |
479,048 | 463,200 | 833,098 | 8 | To the point | A virus starts affecting men worldwide - - they're struck with religious fever and brutally attack and kill any woman close by . Story focuses on a family trying to cope with it - - Father Alan ( Jason Priestley ) and his father in law ( Elliott Gould ) are scientists trying to combat the problem and Alan's wife ( Kerry Noonan ) and daughter ( Brenna O'Brien ) may be in danger . . . Some people might immediately call this is misogynistic - - it DOES show graphic and VERY bloody killings of many female . But this is never shown in a comedic or OK way - - it's presented as sickening and as horrifying as it is . The ultimate solution to this all actually makes sense ( for a horror film ) . The acting is great - - Priestley and Noonan especially are impressive . This is nowhere near as good as director Dante's season 1 offering " The Homecoming " but it still is a good strong little movie . |
479,242 | 463,200 | 82,484 | 8 | A one of a kind | I caught this in Boston back in 1981 . They played it in the biggest cinema they had in 70mm and in stereo sound . I had only the slightest idea of what it was about but it sounded interesting . When I realized it was a caveman movie I almost left , but the beautiful wide screen cinematography kept me in my seat . Slowly it worked on me and by the end I was mesmerized . There's not really much of a plot - - the caveman discover fire and different sexual positions - - and there's no dialogue that we could understand but it didn't matter . The whole cast was excellent - - especially Ron Perelman and Rae Dawn Chong ( who had guts to do this ) . Their whole performances had to be done using some foreign language and body movement but they pulled it off . I heard Anthony Burgess was called in to develop the language used and coach the cast in how to use it . The cinematography is just breath-taking and the prehistoric animals look realistic all the way . I can't exactly say why I loved this movie but I did . 20th Century Fox deserves credit for actually acquiring the film and releasing it . Naturally it bombed badly here in the US but it seems I'm not the only one who likes it - - when I mention it to friends I just get a blank look back . I haven't seen it since 1981 but it's never left me . Try to see it on a big screen TV . I give it an 8 . |
478,004 | 463,200 | 239,986 | 8 | Overlong but good romantic comedy-drama | The lives and lovees of 6 New Yorkers by writer / director Edward Burns . Heather Graham plays an unhappily married woman whose husband , Stanley Tucci , is cheating on her with Brittaney Murphy who is 20 years his junior . Meanwhile , David Krumholtz is attracted to Murphy but she can ; t dump Tucci . Also Graham is attracted to Edward Burns but won't cheat on her husband . Burns is attracted to her and Rosario Dawson who is Krumholtz's ex-wife . Got all that ? Trust me . . . it plays out very well . It's all talk about sex , love , sex , relationships , sex , marriage , sex . . . too much about sex , but it's all interesting and the characters are well-drawn and believable . The acting helps . Graham is just great ; Tucci is so-so but OK ; Murphy is interesting - - she can be really good and really bad , but more good than bad ; Burns is VERY handsome and appealing ( if a bit whiny ) ; Dawson is wonderful and Krumholtz is interesting . They all work well together ( and separately ) and really put the script across . Even when a really melodramatic whopper is thrown in towards the end , it works . Only two complaints - - it's too long ( Tucci and Murphy complain about the same thing FIVE TIMES ! ! ! ) and it's all shot with a hand-held camera which is way too jittery and annoying - - I realize Burns used it to keep down costs but still . . . Absorbing and realistic . . . well worth catching . |
478,086 | 463,200 | 48,641 | 8 | Beautiful title | A rare comedy from director Ingmar Bergman . It takes place at the turn of the century . Fredrik Egerman is an old , cynical man who is married to beautiful , young ( 20 ) Anne . She can't have sex with him - - she's too afraid . He knows and agrees to be patient . He also has a son from a previous marriage ( Henrik ) who is attracted to Anne . He's also attracted to the maid Petra . Then there's Desiree , a former mistress of Fredrik who is now sleeping with Malcolm ( who's also married ) and still attracted to Fredrik . Got all that ? They all end up spending a summer weekend at a beautiful house in the woods . Things come to a head . I've always wanted to see this - - the title alone is beautiful . I did see it in a revival theatre in the 1980s - - I hated it . The print was lousy and edited ! During a fairly explicit ( for 1955 ) talk about sex the subtitles disappeared ! Just saw it again - - unedited and in pretty good shape . While I don't think this is a masterpiece ( I'm not a Bergman fan ) I did like this . It is funny - - but pretty subtle . The relationships are all complicated but you do have them straight by the end . What's really good about this film is how Bergman treats ( and shows ) his female characters . Except for Anne ( but she changes ) they're strong , stand up for themselves and find men and their ways amusing - - some of Desirre's looks were very funny . Also , in the form of Petra , they want sex and have no problem letting men know . For 1955 audiences this must have been shocking - - Petra ( almost ) bares her breast and the sexual talk between women is very frank . The acting is good by everybody . . . but the film is lacking in romance . I never believed any of these characters loved each other . Also it's slow-moving but it all ends happily . So I did like it - - I give it an 8 . Later musicalized by Stephen Sondheim as " A Little Night Music " and disastrously remade ( sort of ) in Woody Allen's " A Midsummers Night Sex Comedy " . Avoid that one at all costs . |
479,364 | 463,200 | 324,133 | 8 | Intriguing | English writer Sarah Morton ( Charlotte Rampling ) needs a break from London and wants to write her new novel in seclusion . Her publisher sends her to his Italian house - - miles away from anyone . She loves it but then the publisher's daughter Julie ( Ludivine Sagnier ) shows up . Things get tense . . . and REALLY strange . To say anymore would be unthinkable . You'll have to see the movie to find out . This is the kind of movie that switches gears halfway through - - but pulls it off . It starts as a character study of Morton but when Julie shows up things take a decidedly unexpected twist . I was always fascinated by the movie - - you pay strict attention to catch all the twists and turns . In fact it doesn't totally make sense till the very end ! Beautifully directed ( and cowritten ) by Francois Ozon - - a real director to look out for . Just a terrific film BUT not for everyone . It may be too quiet for some and there is a lot of nudity in this ( mostly female ) . Also Rampling does a full frontal nude scene - - I have to say for someone in her age range ( she's in her 50s ) she looks great ! Recommended . |
477,409 | 463,200 | 36,098 | 8 | Lots of fun | I was expecting to hate this film . After all it's a kids film ( I'm 37 ) . I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it ! It's one of those few films that works for both adults and children . It's in color ( which was rare in the early 1940s ) , has a simple story and never becomes too sentimental or childish . It's particularly fun seeing Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall as children ; Elsa Lancaster as roddy's mother ( ! ! ! ) ; and Nigel Bruce NOT playing Doctor Watson for once and actually proving he could be gruff and aggressive in a performance . Best of all though , is Lassie . I don't know how they did it , but the dog ( actually a male dog named Pal ) gives in an astonishing performance . Just the expressions on her ( his ) face tells you what she ( he ) is thinking ! Also has a great ending that is very moving ( in a good way ) . Very well woth seeing . Only complaint - - the color in this film is so washed out ! Why doesn't someone restore it ? |
479,521 | 463,200 | 421,528 | 8 | Good - - but it's been done | A narcoleptic transsexual ( Monica Cervera ) wants the 20 centermeters between her legs removed so she can become a true women . Then she meets hot , handsome , hunky Raul ( Pablo Puyol ) who likes what she has between her legs - - a lot . She loves him . . . but enough to keep what she has ? Also the film shows her fantasies and dreams which break out into elaborate ( to say the least ) musical numbers . The basic idea ( depressing story intercut with elaborate musical numbers ) has been done before ( " Pennies From Heaven " , " Dancer in the Dark " , " Moulin Rogue " ) - - this is only different in the subject matter . I mostly liked it - - the musical numbers are just great - - full of energy and some incredible dancing ( the " True Love " number stops the show ) . But the film is slowly paced and depressing . The acting of Cervera and Puyol ( who has guts taking this role on ) saves it . Also this has some fairly explicit nudity ( male ) and sex - - be forewarned . Worth catching . I give it an 8 . |
478,648 | 463,200 | 82,533 | 8 | An almost classic | TV newswoman Karen White ( Dee Wallace ) is traumatized by a meeting with a psycho killer in a porno shop . A pompous doctor , George Waggner ( Patrick Macnee ! ) , invites her to " The Colony " - - a woodland clinic of his to help her get over the shock . Karen and her husband Bill ( Christopher Stone ) go . . . unaware that there are wolves roaming around . . . This is a full throttle horror-comedy with an emphasis on the comedy . It's almost as good as " American Werewolf in London " . It's fun , has sharp dialogue and constant wolf references ( a copy of the book " Howl " is seen on a desk ; people watch " The Big Bad Wolf " and " The Wolf Man " on TV ) . Also The Colony itself is just gorgeous and beautifully atmospheric . In the day it's clear and bright - - at night the fog rolls in and it becomes really creepy . Also it playfully injects horror clichés in the movie ( I got a big kick out of the sequence in which Karen and a friend get lost in the woods , their flashlight goes out and there's howling in the distance . . . ) . It's ALMOST a classic . The problems are many , but the main one is that the film isn't scary - - when you see the werewolves they look pretty pathetic . This is supposed to be ( partially ) a HORROR film - - it doesn't help when the main monsters look silly . The transformation scenes look lousy too - - but this was over 20 years ago . The story is sort of vague ( why does Dr . Waggner invite her to the colony in the first place ? It puts her in danger ! ) and there are plenty of dead spots . It seems too long and it's only 90 minutes ! Also Wallace and Stone are not good actors - - Wallace's reaction to finding a dead , bloody body is very poor and Stone sleepwalks through his role ( although he does very well at a campfire sequence - - you'll know it when you see it ) . So , it has great atmosphere , some very good laughs , John Carradine and some very good cameos ( Dick Miller , Roger Corman and Forrest J . Ackerman holding a copy of his magazine " Famous Monsters of Filmland " ) but it's VERY light and insubstantial - - you want to see a real movie after this . Nevertheless , it's worth seeing but not the classic it could have been . |
478,314 | 463,200 | 257,516 | 8 | Not as bad as people say | Brother and sister ( Jesse Eisenberg and Christina Ricci ) are bitten by a werewolf . They realize they are cursed and slowly changing into werewolves but powerless to stop it . The only way their curse can be lifted is to kill the werewolf who bit them . But who is he ? This movie has become notorious for all the production problems that plagued it . Most of the film was shot but then executives demanded changes in the script . When they were ironed out most of the cast was unavailable ( or wouldn't do it ) so the film had to be shot all over again ! To make things worse director Wes Craven was told to shot an R rated horror film . After it was finished Dimension ( who released it ) cut it down to a PG-13 . Craven has bad mouthed the film and hates it now . But it's not that bad ! The script by Kevin Williamson ( who also wrote " Scream " ) is pretty good but starts to lose focus ( and get confusing ) towards the end . Also it looks like the original ending was cut or changed . But there are some very funny lines . The movie looks great and the special effects showing the werewolves themselves are just terrific . There's also a very interesting and refreshingly positive gay subplot . Also the cuts to get a PG-13 are obvious . A lot of violence was trimmed and it's really annoying to see people on screen react to something . . . and we don't see it ! Dimension obviously cut this to make more money . Really very sad . The acting varies . Ricci is great but given little to do . Eisenberg is whiny and annoying . Shannon Elizabeth shines in her few scenes . Joshua Jackson is REALLY bad ( no surprise there ) . And drop dead gorgeous Milo Ventimiglia is very good . So it's no classic but not all that bad . I was entertained and the werewolf sequences had me grinning ( out of enjoyment ) . Hopefully we'll see the R rated cut one day . I give it an 8 . |
478,199 | 463,200 | 300,274 | 8 | Not as good as the first . . . | but still well worth seeing . It's another concert film and Margaret Cho is raring to go . This time around the material is much more explicit with stronger language ( it veers into NC-17 land more than once ) , but it is frequently hilarious . Still , there are many dead spots and some of the jokes bomb badly . Still , I did laugh long and loud more than once . Worth catching . . . but stay away if explicit material bothers you . |
477,212 | 463,200 | 844,761 | 8 | A very different concert film | John Waters did a one man show a year or two ago around the country . This film shows the whole show . Basically it's just Waters talking about good ( and bad ) taste , all his movies , his battles with the ratings board ( over " Low Down Dirty Shame " ) , the actors he worked with , various sexual acts and his life in general . This movie is frequently hilarious and never boring . . . but not for everybody . The language is VERY raw and Waters doesn't shy away from anything ( the comments about fisting got to me a little ) . This isn't for people who are easily offended but for those who love Waters and his films this is lots of fun . An 8 - - only because it IS a stage show and gets somewhat stagy a few times . |
477,965 | 463,200 | 55,505 | 8 | Predictable but very well done | Crippled Susan Strasberg goes to France to visit her father ( who she hasn't seen in 9 years ) and her new stepmother ( Ann Todd ) . When she gets there she's told her father is away on business . Suddenly , she starts seeing her father's dead body all over the house - - but no one else does . Is she going mad or is her stepmother trying to drive her crazy and swindle her out of her inheritance ? Handsome chauffeur Ronald Lewis tries to help her find out . The plot is old and some of the twists have become predictable since 1961 , but this is still a very good suspense film . It's well-acted , there are some very scary moments ( I jumped three times ) and it's imaginatively directed in eerie black and white by Seth Holt . A scene done in a pool is downright horrifying . An early Hammer horror film that's been unfairly neglected . Also , there's an interesting scene with Lewis in a very skimpy bathing suit - - surprising for its time and especially for Hammer - - they usually pushed female sexuality , not male . |
477,487 | 463,200 | 214,588 | 8 | Beautiful and tearjerking | It's about two families living side by side in a duplex . One family is poor but happy - - a mother , a father and 4 ( or 5 ) kids . The other is a greedy , old , cruel man who is constantly going after the poor family . His wife tries to calm him to no avail . But it all ends happily on Christmas Eve . The old , cruel man has a complete change of heart , and damned if I didn't start crying when the little girl gave the old man a present . Sounds cloying but it isn't . It's well-acted , directed , written and believable . Short and to the point and a real tear-jerker . Recommended . |
478,986 | 463,200 | 75,005 | 8 | One of the better horror films | Robert Thorn ( Gregory Peck ) is the American ambassador to England . His wife Katharine ( Lee Remick ) gives birth to a baby who is born dead . Without letting her know Thorn switches her baby with another whose mother died while giving birth . Things are fine until Damien ( Harvey Stephens ) turns five . Then people start dying and Peck realizes that little Damien may be the Antichrist . HUGE hit in 1976 . I saw it when I was 14 at a theatre . I remember liking it but being disappointed . It had an R rating so I expected a much bloodier picture than what I saw . Seeing it again my feelings have changed a little . It still is a very good film and it really doesn't need blood and gore to tell it's story . . . but I now find it slow and uninvolving . Everyone knows the ending by now and for a film that runs almost two hours that's not good . Still it is worth seeing . The direction by Richard Donner is great ( he really knows how to use a widescreen ) ; Remick and Peck are excellent ( although I do wonder how they got them to agree to do a horror film ) ; the deserved Oscar-winning score by Jerry Goldsmith helps the film immensely ; the script is good and Billie Whitlaw is downright terrifying as Mrs . Baylock - - the scene where she goes after Remick in the hospital has always scared me silly . The deaths are inventive ( to put it mildly ) but very bloodless . Even when Jennings ( David Warner ) gets his head cut off there's next to no blood . Also that's the best part of the picture - - the effect is convincing , the music is pounding and Peck's reaction is realistic . So this is a little slow but the writing , acting , direction and music more than make up for that . I give it an 8 . |
477,917 | 463,200 | 39,941 | 8 | Forgotten thriller | Claude Rains plays Victor Grandison - - a mild-mannered man who tells spooky tales over the radio and , in his spare time , kills anyone who stands in his way of an inheritance . Good thriller opens with a really scary murder and keeps right on going . The script is sharp and tight with many twists and turns . All the acting is good - - especially by Rains and Audrey Totter as a bitchy niece . The cast also includes two of the handsomest men in Hollywood in 1947 - - Hurd Hatfield ( who made films into the 90s ) and Michael North ( who completely disappeared after this film ) . Director Michael Curtiz uses shadow and light very effectively and reflection of people ( especially Rains ) . Great climatic chase too . Well worth seeing . It seems that this movie has been forgotten which is a real shame - - it's one of the best film noirs from Hollywood . |
477,404 | 463,200 | 49,055 | 8 | Good musical , but no " Oklahoma " | I really wanted to love this musical . It was beautifully filmed on location in Maine , all the songs are great and the dancing is amazing . The problem ? Gordon Macrae . I like him , he's very handsome and has a great voice - - not a bad actor either . It's just that his character was so unpleasant in this movie that it got annoying to watch . Shirley Jones ' character was a problem too - - way too sweet . I wondered more than once why she loved the guy and didn't just divorce him . So basically , I didn't like or respect the two main characters . Still , the songs were fantastic ( especially " You'll Never Walk Alone " ) and the choreography during " June is Bursting Out All Over " was staggering . So , worth seeing for the songs and dancing - - ignore the story and characterizations . Also , see it letter-boxed , it doesn't work otherwise ! |
479,467 | 463,200 | 389,557 | 8 | Just like a Hollywood war movie - - with more nudity and violence | This was inspired by true events . In Holland in 1944 a Jewish girl ( Carice von Houten ) tries to help the Dutch Resistance after seeing her whole family shot to death by the Nazis . She pretends to be attracted to the head of the Gestapo ( Sebastian Koch ) and eventually gets him into bed AND falls in love ! Does she betray the man she loves or her country ? Paul Verhoeven made this VERY expensive movie in Holland . It seems he learned a lot from making all those films in Hollywood - - this plays JUST like a Hollywood war movie from the 1950s . It's glossy and it looks great - - but loaded with violence , nudity and profanity . It moves quickly and even though it's 145 minutes it's never dull . The acting is pretty good - - von Houten has a very tough role but pulls it off . The same for Koch . You despise him but see his humanity underneath . Verhoeven regulars Thom Hoffman and Jeron Krabbe ( who were both also in " The 4th Man " ) pop up giving strong performances in supporting roles . This movie is a little bit too long and it gets very confusing at the end with the double and triple crosses piling up - - but I still loved it . Worth catching but avoid it if you're offended by extreme content . |
478,786 | 463,200 | 71,233 | 8 | Good . . . for laughs | Count Dracula ( Udo Kier ) can only drink the blood of virgins or he becomes violently ill . He comes upon a family with a bunch of virgin daughters . He plans to have each of them but the family's horny gardener ( Joe Dellesandro ) is after them too . . . for sex ! Silly but you just can't stop watching . Like it's companion piece ( " Andy Warhol's Frankenstein " ) the story is silly with over the top acting and gore . Kiers convulsions after drinking the blood of non-virgins is SO disgusting they're hilarious . And ( in the X rated version ) there are some fairly explicit sex scenes between Dellesandro and the daughters . And Dracula's death at the end is just great ! Silly and stupid but very funny . Try to catch the X rated version . |
478,798 | 463,200 | 82,869 | 8 | Nothing more than " High Noon " in outer space - - but I enjoyed it . | DEFINITE SPOILERS In the future there's a mining colony on Io - - the third moon of Jupiter . Men sign up for a year of duty . For some reason men are suddenly going crazy and killing themselves - - or others . The new marshal O'Neil ( Sean Connery ) wants to find out why but is blocked at every turn . It turns out the head of the colony ( Peter Boyle ) is giving men amphetamines to make them work harder - - but it also drives them crazy eventually . This movie is well-made and never really dull . The sets are impressive , there's plenty of action and some good special effects . Also the decor of the bar in the colony is - - interesting . It shows holograms ( I think ) of a man and a woman and two woman having sex ! The acting is good by Connery , Francis Sternhagen and James B . Sikking . It does turn into " High Noon " at the end complete with the bad guys coming in on the next shuttle , O'Neil being on his own ( also he's called marshal all through the movie ) , and even has a clock ticking down the hours , minutes and seconds before they arrive . Seriously ! Still it works . However there are some problems . The script ultimately makes no sense . The workers know they're being drugged and killing themselves - - but seem to have no problem with that at all . Also when the killers are tracking down Connery one of them ( in a greenhouse ) shoots a hole in a wall which singlehandedly destroys the greenhouse and himself along with it ! Are trained killers really that stupid ? And didn't the corporation who assigned O'Neil to that colony consider that O'Neil might have a problem with the drug abuse ? These contradictions don't destroy the movie - - it just lessens the impact . It's worth seeing - - just don't think about it too hard . I give it an 8 . |
477,413 | 463,200 | 335,547 | 8 | Interesting | OK documentary on the making of " West Side Story " . It has some of the original actors ( like Richard Beymer , Rita Moreno and Russ Tamblyn ) and director and executives talking about the film . It is good to see some of the outtakes of certain scenes and hear Natalie Woods original recordings of the songs ( she was dubbed because , basically , she couldn't sing ) but I found this a little dull . I have little interest in art direction and such so this dragged . For whatever reason George Chakiris wouldn't participate and they got just one or two guys from the gangs to participate . So you're listening to a lot of information from the same people . Also seemingly everyone ( except Tamblyn ) has forgotten that Wood HATED Richard Beymer and didn't want him . Even Beymer doesn't mention it ( although he has talked about it before in other shows ) . So we're given a very cleaned up version of what went on . Still it is worth seeing if you want a complete version of every aspect of the movie . I'm giving it an 8 ( mostly because I love the movie ) but I can't say I'm thrilled by it . |
478,206 | 463,200 | 129,332 | 8 | A definite one of a kind | This takes place in California in 1847 . Capt . John Boyd ( Guy Pearce ) is stationed at a remote Army fort out there . Including him there are only 8 more people . A stranger ( Robert Carlyle ) stumbles into their fort with a tale of cannibalism . . . but there's more to him than meets the eye . Wild blend of grisly horror , adventure , western , comedy and satire ! The film keeps switching gears on you but it somehow always works . It's tricky to do that and most movies fail but this succeeds . The movie takes unexpected detours that you never see coming . There are many twists and turns in the story that are very clever . The acting is great across the line . No one is bad but Pearce , Carlyle and Jeffrey Jones are especially memorable . The movie moves quickly , it's beautifully directed in some gorgeous locations and there's a great music score throughout . This was released as a comedy ( ! ! ! ) in 1999 and predictably failed at the box office . This is not an easy movie to " sell " but marketing it as a comedy was a stupid idea . This is a very interesting and unique movie . Be warned - - some of the violence is extreme and VERY bloody . I can make it through a lot but some of the sequences here had me squirming ! Highly recommended but only for strong stomaches and open minds . |
479,464 | 463,200 | 64,276 | 8 | Way overpraised but still very good | Two hippies on motorcycles - - Wyatt ( Peter Fonda ) and Billy ( Dennis Hopper ) are traveling from Los Angeles to New Orleans to attend the Mardi Gras . The movie just chronicles who they meet and the adventures they have along the way . Among the more notable ones are George Hanson ( Jack Nicholson in the role that made him a star ) as an alcoholic lawyer and Karen Black ( ! ) and Toni Basil as hookers . This film was a HUGE box office hit when it came out . It was the first film that young kids in America saw that really depicted them as they were - - and felt . It also almost destroyed Hollywood too when all the studios tried to copy it and came out with some of the worst most self-indulgent films ever made . Basically the older men running the studios couldn't make heads or tails out of this and just threw anything dealing with young people on the screen . This has been overpraised over the years . It is a VERY good film ( I'm giving it 8 stars ) with some incredible wide-screen photography and a great rock soundtrack . . . but it has a very depressing ending and doesn't really say anything . There are a lot of interesting insights in the conversations among Wyatt , Billy and George but these insights are pretty dated now . However , back in 1968 , they may have been considered " deep " . It is worth catching though from a historical standpoint and as the first film ( and the best ) to deal with the kids in the late 1960s and what they were going through . Very well directed by Hopper ( who hasn't made another film as good as this since ) . |
478,116 | 463,200 | 82,894 | 8 | Not enjoyable but fascinating | This takes place in 1934 Chicago . Sheet music salesman Arthur Parker ( Steve Martin ) hates his job and is married to a frigid unloving wife ( Jessica Harper ) . He then meets naive unmarried Eileen ( Bernadette Peters ) . Sex , rape , abortion , prostitution and murder follow . This is all pretty grim but , without warning , all the characters start lip syncing to cheerful songs from that era and musical numbers start . These numbers are very impressive and would make Busby Berkeley turn green with envy . This was ( for 1981 ) a very odd idea for a big budget Hollywood movie . A bleak , depressing storyline full of unlikable characters is undercut by the cheerful music and dancing . This was released around Christmas as a holiday movie ( a VERY bad idea ) and was savaged by the critics and ignored by audiences . If this had been released at any other time of the year it might have been successful . Also this was years ahead of its time . I saw it twice when it came out . I was thoroughly depressed after each screening but fascinated too . There was nothing else like this at the time . The set design was VERY impressive . Some shots are recreations of famous paintings of that time-I recognized " Nighthawks " right away ! The songs were great and they used the original recordings . They didn't transfer the songs to stereo either - - they wanted them to sound like they did back then . The dances are just downright astounding . They're among some of the best I've ever seen . Christopher Walken stops the show by lip syncing ( and tap dancing ) to " Let's Misbehave " . Casting Martin and Peters in this was a mistake . At this point neither were known for doing drama - - Martin was a comedian and Peters just sang . Martin does OK in his role but Peters is pretty bad in hers . It doesn't destroy the movie it just lessens the impact . Harper is very good ( although she's not in the movie much ) . So it's a depressing but a one of a kind movie . I give it an 8 . |
478,119 | 463,200 | 465,551 | 8 | Unpleasant but gripping | Sheba Hart ( Cate Blanchett ) is a new art teacher at a high school in London . A history teacher ( Judi Dench ) takes a strange interest in her . She then discovers that Hart is having sex with a 15 year old boy ( played by 16 year old Andrew Simpson ) . She confronts Hart with her knowledge and Hart pleads with her not to tell . She agrees . . . if Hart promises to be her friend . Then things get creepy . . . Unpleasant story full of some very unlikable characters but I couldn't stop watching . The script is excellent and the direction is good too . Great music score too . But what puts this over are the performances - - everyone is just excellent . Blanchett and Dench are just incredible - - both play very needy unlikable characters but I actually found myself sympathizing with them ! Simpson does not play his role like an innocent victim - - he's clearly the aggressor and he came off as quite creepy . The sex ( it's not love ) affair between the two is quite harrowing - - nothing is really shown though . Bill Nighby playing Banchett's husband also has an incredible scene where he explodes when he finds out about the affair . It all leads to a disturbing climax . I'm only giving it an 8 because these people are pretty ill and unnerving to watch . Also Simpson's thick Irish accent made some of his dialogue incomprehensible . So it is good - - but disturbing . |
478,224 | 463,200 | 374,252 | 8 | Disturbing and depressing but fascinating | Cliff ( Andre Noble ) has just turned 18 and is a virgin . . . and is gay . He sneaks into the city to meet a guy . He runs into hot hustler Butch ( Brendan Fehr ) and ( understandably ) falls in love . Butch seems to fall for Cliff also . . . but Butch is getting addicted to drugs and threatens to bring Cliff down with him . This is definitely not for everybody . It's fairly graphic - - there's full frontal male nudity ( not on Fehr or Noble though ) , drug abuse , plenty of sexual talk and has simulated sex acts performed with gusto . It's also one of the most depressing films I have ever seen . Still I couldn't stop watching . Basically it's a coming of age story about Cliff . . . but I found him incredibly annoying . I realize actor Noble died at a far too young age , but frankly I found his acting here fairly dreadful . His attraction to Fehr comes through but most of the time I couldn't figure out WHAT he was thinking . . . or playing . Also he looks just horrible through most of the film . On the other hand Fehr is excellent . This must have been a difficult role but he pulls it off brilliantly . He shows all sides of his character Butch . He's sometimes funny , sometimes cruel and , at the end , heartbreaking . Fehr has to pull off some explicit sexual scenes and does it wonderfully . He's also very handsome and has a great body . For those who care he does show his butt briefly . I found the character of Butch so much more interesting than the increasingly annoying Cliff . The film is shot on video leading to a pretty grimy picture . The color is faded , some of the camera work is shaky and things aren't exactly crystal clear . The sound sometimes fades in and out too . Still this is a fascinating if disturbing movie . See it for Fehr . I give it an 8 . |
478,871 | 463,200 | 125,128 | 8 | Powerful but not perfect | Sweet William ( Chris Leavins ) returns to his family's house after being gone for 10 years . He came at the request of his sister ( Kerry Fox ) who is getting married . He left home because he was gay and couldn't deal with his family's HEAVY dysfunction . While back home he starts to flashback to his childhood . . . and begins to realize some unpleasant things about himself and his family . This is basically yet another movie about a dysfunctional family . . . but this is a very good one . It's well-done ( on next to no budget ) and has some beautiful ( if obvious ) symbolism using flowers and nature . The story also took some unexpected turns I didn't see coming . Also the gay themes are handled very well and explicitly - - that may bother some people . The acting is superb all the way through - - Leavins and Fox are just incredible . And it DOES have a happy ending which I didn't really believe for one second - - but it still works . My only complaints - - there's virtual non-stop swearing through the movie , and can we have just ONE movie about a dysfunctional family that DOESN'T have incest ? Also look for a young Sarah Polley in a small role . I give it an 8 . |
477,217 | 463,200 | 923,870 | 8 | One of a kind documentary | I caught this at the Provincetown International Film Festival . It's about a pair of identical twins ( Mark and Alex ) who grow up to realize they're gay . One of them remains a man but the other wants to get a sex change - - maybe . This film deals with how they grew up and how one wants to get a sex change . The subject matter is certainly different and this movie is pretty well-done . . . but I do have a problem with it . All the people interviewed ( including the brothers ) have blank looks on their faces and speak in a monotone about everything . It lessens the impact of some truly horrifying events the men went through and always keeps the viewer at arms length . Still this is a fascinating documentary and the discussions about gender changing are very interesting . Worth catching . |
478,980 | 463,200 | 60,153 | 8 | Truly jaw-dropping | A movie made quickly ( it shows ) to cash in on the wildly popular TV series . Batman ( Adam West ) and Robin ( Burt Ward ) take on almost all their enemies - - the Penguin ( Burgess Meredith ) , the Joker ( Cesar Romero ) , the Riddler ( Frank Gorshin ) and Catwoman ( Lee Meriwether ) - - who have stolen a device that turns people into dust . OK - - I admit it - - I LIKE the 1960s TV series . Yeah it was silly and West was a terrible choice to play Batman ( he had no muscles at all ) but it was fun - - in an odd sort of way . I saw it in reruns as a kid and loved it . It was full of action and over the top performances ( by the villains ) . When I grew up I still loved it - - but as camp . And this movie , as camp , is hysterical . They throw in everything - - the Batcopter , Batcycle , Batmobile - - and the movie never stops moving . The script is full of howlers ( " Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb ! " " Excuse me while I slip into something more comfortable . " ) and truly ridiculous situation . My favorite is when an obviously plastic shark starts " chewing " on Batman's leg ! And Catwoman romances Bruce Wayne using the unbelievably original name of - - Miss Kitka ( sigh ) . No this is not a good movie but a very entertaining one . Also the comedy isn't malicious - - they're poking fun at Batman and Robin but don't turn them into buffoons . If you take your comic books seriously stay away . Otherwise sit back , relax and enjoy ! A definite 8 . |
478,604 | 463,200 | 25,464 | 8 | The original | Two boyhood friends ( one played by a very young Mickey Rooney ) grow up on opposite sides of the law . Clark Gable becomes a criminal - - William Powell becomes governor . Myrna Loy loves both . This plot is now screamingly familar but , back in 1934 , this was original . In fact it won the Best Original Story Oscar for its year . This could have been a real howler but a great cast , tight script and wonderful direction really put it over . Well worth catching - - especially for a powerful climatic scene between Powell and Gable . A classic of its type . |
478,283 | 463,200 | 293,508 | 8 | Very good . . . but lacking | In the 1800s singer Christine Daae ( Emmy Rossum ) is being taught to sing by a voice she hears in her dressing room - - she thinks it's the Angel of Music but it's actually the Phantom of the Opera ( Gerard Butler ) , a disfigured genius who lives under the Opera House . He loves Christine but she loves Raoul ( Patrick Wilson ) and the Phantom goes mad with anger . . . I've seen the stage musical at least 7 times and loved it . I was expecting the worst from this ( all the reviews have been negative ) . I was surprised . . . it actually is pretty good . They follow the stage version pretty faithfully except they add dialogue and have the chandelier falling at a different place in the movie ( but it still DOES fit ) . The movie looks just beautiful - - lavish interiors , beautiful costumes , the marvelous score by Andrew Lloyd Webber and some really great dances . Also the opening number , showing the opera coming to life , is just GREAT ! But this film does have some serious problems . For one thing . . . Butler . He's a great actor , very tall and handsome . . . but that's actually a problem - - he's TOO good-looking to play the Phantom . Also his singing is off . Previously he only sang for a rock'n'roll band - - it shows . He seems unsure of how to sing this and it comes off sometimes sounding strange . Also the makeup on his face at the end is just silly - - he wouldn't scare a 2 year old . He looks just mildly scarred - - not disfigured . And his Scottish accent kept slipping through . Still his acting was great . Rossum , on the other hand , CAN sing extremely well . She's very beautiful and what a voice ! Her acting is pretty impressive too . Patrick Wilson is dreadful as Raoul . For one thing he looks silly with the long hair - - his hair should be cut short . He can sing but he was pretty wooden with his acting . Miranda Richardson was wonderful as Madeame Giry and Minnie Driver was hysterical as the overbearing Carlotta . All in all it was very good but it just lacked that certain feeling to make it great . It just misses the mark of being a great musical . Still it IS worth seeing for the sets and score alone . I give it a 8 . |
478,642 | 463,200 | 25,452 | 8 | Great early Hitchcock | A British couple named Lawrence and Jill ( Leslie Banks and Edna Best ) find out about an assassination attempt that will take place . However their young daughter Betty ( Nova Pilbeam ) is kidnapped to prevent them from telling the police . Lawrence tries to find Betty before the assassination takes place . Early Hitchcock which he purportedly dismissed later . He said this was made by an amateur and the 1950s remake was made by a professional . Hitchcock is welcome to his own opinion but I think this and the remake are both equally good . This one moves much quicker ( this is 75 minutes - - the remake runs 2 hours ) and has a great script with plenty of droll British humor . It's beautifully directed and it's fun to see Hitchcock experimenting with camera angles and shots which he would perfect later in life . The acting is OK . Banks and Best are just so-so as the parents . They act far too calm for people who have just had their only child kidnapped . Pilbeam seems far too old for her role . The other actors are just OK . The one really good performance comes from Peter Lorre in his first English language film . It's hard to believe that he learned much of his role phonetically - - he seems well aware of what he's saying and doing at all times . This all ends with the justly famous Albert Hall sequence and leads to an exciting climax - - watch when Best grabs a gun ! A very good , quick Hitchcock film . I give it an 8 . |
479,003 | 463,200 | 209,144 | 8 | Exhausting but fascinating thriller | A man ( Guy Pearce ) searches for the man who raped and killed his wife . One problem - - he has no long-term memory and forgets things a few minutes after he hears them . Another thing - - the whole story is shown backwards so you have to pay strict attention to what's going on . It's difficult ( most movies don't want you to think ) and exhausting but absolutely fascinating . The acting is simply superb , direction assured and the story full of unexpected twists and turns . Also there were revelations at the end ( or beginning ) that totally caught me by surprise . It's not a perfect film - - I still can't figure out what Moss ' character was doing in this - - but how many films can you name that challenge you and don't treat you like an idiot . This will probably be a bomb ( it's way too difficult for an average audience ) , but if you like something different and intelligent this is definetely a film to see ! |
477,847 | 463,200 | 35,942 | 8 | Easily one of the best Garland / Rooney musicals | The plot is virtually the same as in all the other Garland / Rooney movies : Rooney is a ladies man ( stop laughing ! ) and , to tame him , is sent to a dude ranch out west . There he meets mail carrier and ( it seems ) cook Judy Garland . She hates him , he loves her and after all the predictable complications occur they fall in love leading to the big , elaborate number . The plot is predictable but the movie is still a lot fun . The script is sharp and quite funny ; Garland and Rooney always played off good against each other ; a very young Nancy Walker has a bit role and is hilarious whenever she's on screen and it moves fairly quick . Also seeing Rooney and Garland so young and full of life is always great and the songs are good . There are no real bad ones but " Embracble You " and " I Got Rhythm " are standouts . And the final number is just incredible ( although I question the cowboys shooting off round after round of ammunition ) . A great little musical . Worth seeing . |
478,628 | 463,200 | 48,967 | 8 | One of Crawford's better pictures | Lonely middle aged typist Milicent Wetherby ( Joan Crawford ) is out one night and is picked up and charmed by young handsome Burt Hanson ( Cliff Robertson ) . After a whirlwind romance they get married . However she starts to notice something is wrong with him and soon finds out that he's a crazy , and possibly dangerous , man . Sure this is a soap opera but a very good one . The script is well written and it's beautifully directed by Robert Aldrich . The age difference between Crawford and Robertson is pretty obvious ( he was almost 30 years younger than her ) but you get used to it . It helps that both Crawford and Robertson are both excellent in their roles . Crawford was always a pro - - she gave her all to any movie she was in and this is no exception . She has one great scene where she tells off Vera Miles and Lorne Greene . Robertson himself goes convincingly from a nice cheerful guy to a raving madman . SPOILER ! ! ! ! The psychological aspect of this is pretty dated - - according to this a few months stay in an institution and receiving electric shock therapy make you OK ! SPOILER END ! ! ! ! I didn't quite buy the ending either . Still this is exceptionally well done movie with good acting and directing . There's also that lovely title tune . I give this an 8 . |
477,577 | 463,200 | 64,393 | 8 | Terrible but LOTS of fun ! ! ! ! ! | An asteroid is on a collusion course for Earth . They only have 10 hours before it hits . Wouldn't they see it LONG before that ? They send Jack Rankin ( Robert Horton ) to space station Gamma 3 ( where's 1 and 2 ? ) to get a crew to blow it out of the sky . Gamma 3 is run by ex friend Vince ( Richard Jaeckel ) . Also there is his ( sigh ) ex-girlfriend Lisa ( Luciana Paluzzi ) who's set to marry Vince ! Gotta give them credit for getting every cliché in the book rammed into this movie . They do blow the asteroid to pieces . . . but this green slime gets on the space station . It feeds on energy and can multiply QUICKLY . Soon the whole space station is battling for their lives . Sounds fun and it is . . . but in a campy way . First off there's a title song ( ! ! ! ) which is actually not bad . Then there's the wooden acting by the entire cast ( no shock there ) . There's the truly astonishing special effects - - obvious miniatures stand in for most of the buildings and you gotta love the clearly visible wires that show the astronauts " floating " through space ! As for the monsters . . . oh dear . They are easily the stupidest things I've ever seen . I literally broke out laughing when you first see one ! They are cone-shaped with one red eye ( ? ? ? ) and tentacles that go waving . Seeing them lumber around is pretty funny . I saw a full frame version on TCM ( despite the fact that it's an MGM film ) so some scenes came off looking strange but I loved this . It moves quickly , there's almost nonstop action and the " special " effects and silly monsters keep you laughing ! Also I swear that the actors were dubbed - - but Horton and Jaeckel were American ! A truly fascinating film . |
478,595 | 463,200 | 48,977 | 8 | Classic chiller | Perfect little 8 year old Rhoda ( Patricia McCormack ) is a murderer . When this was released in 1956 , it was for adults only . A movie about a murderous child was very shocking back then . Sadly , though , it isn't anymore . Still , this movie is very scary and still packs a wallop . Patricia McCormack is brilliant as Rhoda - - you see the sweetness swing right into evil and back . . . she should have won the Oscar for this . Nancy Kelly gives a heart-rendering performance as her mother . You can feel her pain and confusion over what to do with Rhoda . Evelyn Varden is fine as the talkative landlord , although she overdoes her adoration of Rhoda a bit . Eileen Heckart is annoying and overacting as an alcoholic . The movie never shows any of the murders . . . you just hear about them later and in one truly terrifying sequence , you hear a man screaming in pain as he's burnt to death . Very effective . The film is pretty obviously adapted from a stage play ( LOTS of talking ) and is a little overlong . Also the psychology is a bit far-fetched . . . " inherited evil " ? Come on ! Also , they changed the ending ( for the censor ) and added a silly little epilogue that single-handedly wrecks the tone of the movie . Still , worth watching . Just turn off as soon as " The End " appears on screen . NOT for children ! ! ! ! ! ! |
479,288 | 463,200 | 82,801 | 8 | Odd doesn't begin to describe this one | Earl ( John Belushi ) and Enid ( Kathryn Walker ) are a middle-aged couple who have a boring existence in a big house in the middle of nowhere . Then Vic ( Dan Aykroyd ) and Ramona ( Cathy Moriarty ) move in next door . . . and life becomes a nightmare for Vic . This is one strange one . Hard to believe a major studio green lighted this at all . However Belushi and Aykroyd were at the height of their popularity when this came out so they probably were able to do anything they wanted . This is a pitch black comedy AND very surreal at the same time . I wouldn't call it funny ( I think I laughed once ) but you can't stop watching . Logic goes out the window in this movie when Vic and Ramona show up so you're never sure what's going to happen next . It does have a point ( sort of ) but this isn't for a mass audience . It helps that all the actors are just great . Aykroyd and Belushi purportedly switched roles before the film started shooting . . . and it worked beautifully . They were both cast against type and pulled it off . Moriarty is incredibly sexy and one hell of an actress . Walker throws off comic lines left and right and somehow fits right in with Ramona and Vic . Bill Conti's score is incredible . It's a strange one all right but it fits the movie like a glove . This was ( for some stupid reason ) released around Christmas time . People expected to see a typical silly comedy and that's not what they got . Director John Avildsen hated this too - - he complained Belushi and Aykroyd were constantly rewriting the script . Most critics savaged the film ( very few understood it ) and it was a bomb . Sadly it was Belushi's last movie too . This is a very strange comedy but I really love it . Definitely worth catching if you're looking for something offbeat . An 8 . |
477,958 | 463,200 | 35,899 | 8 | Fast-paced , well-done fun | The wolf man Lawrence Talbot ( Lon Chaney Jr . ) is revived ( in a very spooky , atmospheric sequence ) and searches for Dr . Frankenstein to cure him . The doctor is dead , but his creation is still alive . Silly , but it moves quickly and is lots of fun . The film has plenty of plot , beautiful costumes and sets and good special effects . Lon Chaney Jr . is good ( as usual ) as the tormented Talbot , and is ably supported by Maria Ouspenskaya ( as a gypsy - - as always ) , Patrick Knowles ( handsome and a little mad ) and Lionel Atwill ( the mayor ) . The big mistake was casting Bela Lugosi as the monster . He turned down the role back in 1932 - - it must have been very embarrassing to him to take it 10 years later . Also , he's too small for the role ( Chaney is actually taller ! ) and he seems really uncomfortable ( understandably ) . It all ends up with a short climatic fight between the two . Worth catching - - one of the last really good Universal horror flicks . |
477,428 | 463,200 | 106,273 | 8 | Well-meaning , well-made but no impact | All star adaptation of Randy Shilts book on the AIDS epidemic from 1977-1985 . It follows Matthew Modine as a doctor trying to find a cure for it in the face of homophobia and government bureaucracy . It's very well-done , has a great cast ( except for Alan Alda who's really bad ) and does a very good job of adapting a difficult book . . . but it lacks any real power . It's dated ( of course ) and AIDS is no longer the death sentence it was when this movie was made . The movie should be more angry than it is and it concentrates on the doctors , not the victims which distanced me . It also has its dull stretches and is also at least 20 minutes too long . Sincere performances by the entire cast help . Still , it's a groundbreaking movie ( for TV ) . It just should have been better . |
478,419 | 463,200 | 82,782 | 8 | One of the best 1980s slasher flicks | I usually get looks from people when I mention I love this movie - - it's great to find out I'm not alone ! The film has a plot , OK acting and tremendous gore . In response to what other people are asking - - the original cut was VERY gory but heavily cut to get an R rating . Hopefully , those scenes cut still exist and we'll see them someday - - but it's been almost 20 years so . . . I was lucky enough to see it in a theatre and the last sequence in the mine shafts at the end REALLY worked in a big dark theatre . They work on TV , but not as well . Also the laugh at the end made me jump - - heck , I even like the song during the closing credits ! Well worth seeing if you're into horror flicks - - if only they had changed the title . . . |
477,707 | 463,200 | 67,486 | 8 | Creepy and unsettling | Another one of those great forgotten movies of the 1970s . I caught this on late night TV about 20 years ago and have never forgotten it . It was about a young man named Billy ( Nicholas Clay ) helping out Maura Prince ( Patricia Neal ) and her elderly mother ( Pamela Brown ) in their crumbling old house in England . Neal starts to fall for him ( despite their age difference ) . . . but she's not aware of what he does when he goes out alone every night . . . Spooky little horror film . When I first saw it it was edited for TV so there were some unexplained pieces ( like a bit about something that happened to him as a child which explains what he does as an adult ) and , I assumed the violence was gone . I was finally able to see the entire uncut film and loved it ! It wasn't a blood and guts horror movie - - it's an excellent psychological horror . In fact the two violent acts in it aren't even shown ! It concentrates on Billy and Maura and their feelings and thoughts . Clay and Neal are such great actors that just their expressions tell you what they're feeling . The growing romance between them was touching and believable . Also there's an excellent score and the ending was a stunner ! This film has an R rating for some dialogue and a lengthy nude sequence with Clay . Well worth catching just for Clay and Neal . Sadly this film is not available on video or DVD in America . Someone in England was kind enough to tape it off TCM London and send it to me . So , if you get a chance , see it . It might disturb you but you'll never forget it . Avoid the cut version . |
478,054 | 463,200 | 265,587 | 8 | A true one of a kind ! | When a movie starts out with a rather catchy title song ( entitled " Beware of the 4-D Witch ) and then promises to " potray ( ing ) for the first time the Astral World in Transetheric Vision " you KNOW you're in for something different . Mostly the whole film is narrated by Cindy ( played by an actress only called " Margo " ) who practices witchcraft . She contacts an ancestor - - a real Salem witch named Abigail . Abigail escorts Cindy through a series of sexual adventures ( pretty mild ) which Cindy loves . But then things get too extreme and Cindy rejects Abigail . To retaliate Abigail goes after Cindy's brother Mark ( who takes over the narration here ) and turns him into a sex vampire ! Basically it has the actor wearing the fakest fangs I've EVER seen ! If it sounds strange you should see it ! The camera is constantly throwing colors and visions at you ( mostly dime store fright masks with glowing eyes ) and the narration is absolutely hysterical . The " acting " wavers between bad and atrocious . There's also plenty of female nudity but the picture is R rated ( which is mysteriously shown to us at least twice ) . Along with bright colors and visions there is also a soundtrack consisting of classical music ( " Night on Bald Mountain " pops up quite a bit ) mixed with rock music . I can't say I liked this . . . but I couldn't stop watching ! It's so over the top and ridiculous you sort of watch in fascination and try to think of what these people thought they were doing . It gets an 8 because it is a true one of a kind . This is one of those rare movie that's so bad it's good ! |
477,588 | 463,200 | 75,323 | 8 | Almost as good as Part 1 | Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire introduce more wonderful numbers from MGM musicals . This time drama and comedy clips have been added . OK - - there was no way this could be as good as Part 1 . Most of the good material had been used there already . Also Astaire and Kelly were given some dreadful new lyrics to classic songs to sing and their introductions to segments were just terrible . It was NOT a good idea to have them dancing either . And I could have lived without the travelogue of Paris . Still , there's plenty of incredible material here . Among the highlights : Wonderful opening credits ( done by Saul Bass ) ; Eleanor Powell tap-dancing ; Greta Grabo dancing ( ! ! ) ; Robert Taylor singing ( ! ! ! ) ; the Marx Brothers stateroom sequence from " A Night at the Opera " ( unfortunately edited ) ; From This Moments On from " Kiss Me Kate " ; early Bing Crosby ; Abbott & Costello ; Tales from the Vienna Woods ( which is actually pretty funny ) ; Judy Garland singing " Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas " ; clips of dramatic and comedic stars ; the I'll Build A Stairway to Paradise number ; Bobby Van from " Small Town Girl " ; etc etc . The clips are put together without rhyme or reason - - but that helps . You never know what's coming next . Worth catching but try to see the first one too . |
479,108 | 463,200 | 120,890 | 8 | Cruel and complex | Dillon plays a teacher at a school accused of raping a student ( Denise Richards ) - - but did he ? That's only the beginning of a very cruel , extremely complex and VERY entertaining thriller . There are tons of twists and turns and the movie doesn't take itself seriously for one second . There's also a fairly explicit sex scene between Dillon , Richards and Neve Campbell . There's also a few shots of Dillon shirtless and full frontal nudity from Kevin Bacon ! Lots of fun and never dull . Well worth seeing . |
479,550 | 463,200 | 17,075 | 8 | A very good early Hitchcock film | A story loosely based on Jack the Ripper . In London a killer called the Avenger goes around killing blond-haired girls . Around this time Mr . and Mrs . Bunting take in a lodger ( Ivor Novello ) . He's quiet but very odd . He takes a liking to their blond-haired daughter Daisy ( June Tripp ) . But then the Buntings begin to suspect that he may be the Avenger and want Daisy as his next victim . . . Hitchcock's first thriller and a very good one . Very few title cards are used - - he uses images to carry the film . Sometimes it works but , more than once , I was confused . It was one of his first films though so this can be forgiven . It also moves a bit too slow . But it's still worth seeing . You can see the beginnings of his later work peeking through and there are some sequences so well directed that they're stunning ( the one where Novello and Tripp kiss is just SO beautiful ) . Also the acting is actually quite good by everybody - - especially Novello . He was a box office draw in the 1920s and it's easy to see why . The man is not only a good actor he was undeniably beautiful . It's easy to see why he was once called one of the most beautiful men alive . Novello was gay - - I wonder if Hitch knew that . There are two lines in this film where people talk about his character - - " Good thing he doesn't like girls " and " Even if he is a bit queer " . These lines are quite interesting now - - I wonder if they were put in on purpose or just happened to be written without anyone knowing . Interesting to think about . . . |
478,388 | 463,200 | 36,855 | 8 | Predictable now but it still works | Charles Boyer is slowly driving wife Ingrid Bergman mad in Victorian England . There is a reason but I won't give it away . The story line has been done to death since 1944 , so this isn't as fresh or exciting as it once was . Still it is an excellent film . The film is incredibly elaborate - - wonderful costumes , huge intricately designed sets and furnishings . Also the film is wonderfully directed by George Cukor with excellent use of light , shadow and darkness to give us insights to the characters and their emotions . It also contains some truly frightening scenes with Bergman doubting her sanity and the strange noises from the attic . . . The acting is just incredible . Charles Boyer is perfect as the husband - - he acts so cultured and suave but you always see hints of madness and murder peeking out - - very scary . Ingrid Bergman deservedly won as Oscar for this role and she's just great . You see her change from a happy , carefree girl into a frightened , cowering woman from the psychological browbeating from Boyer . She's totally believable every step of the way . Also in this movie is Elsa Lancaster in her film debut . She was only 17 at the time but you wouldn't know it ! She plays a sullen servant and was just great . . . and nominated for Best Supporting Actress . Even the usually wooden Joseph Cotten puts in a fine performance ! Basically this is a rarity - - a film where ALL the casting is on target ! Superb psychological drama - - don't miss this one ! There is a 1940 British version ( which is better than this ) that MGM purportedly tried to destroy so it wouldn't overshadow their version ! |
478,077 | 463,200 | 105,695 | 8 | I hate Westerns but I loved this one | Ex killer William Munny ( Clint Eastwood ) is called out of retirement by the Schofield Kid ( Jaimz Woolvett ) . It seems a bunch of prostitutes are offering $1000 to any men who kill two men who beat up and slashed the face of one of their own . Munny brings along friend Ned Logan ( Morgan Freeman ) . The problem is they have to go through vicious Little Bill ( Gene Hackman ) the sheriff of the town this all happened in . Plot wise this is nothing new - - but Eastwood set out to make an anti-Western and he succeeded . The killings here are not quick or painless and cowboys are not portrayed as heroes while shooting people to death left and right . The killings here are vicious , bloody and horrifying to watch . It also shows the killers feeling remorse for what they're done . They're not proud of what they've done and are questioning if they had any right to kill anyone . It's also made clear here that Munny is only taking the job for money for him and his kids to live on . The other cowboys ( except for Munny and Logan ) are portrayed as liars , vicious and cowards . Also women are portrayed in a ( sort of ) positive way . They are all prostitutes but they watch out for each other and aren't cowards like the cowboys . Also they set up the money for the killings despite what the sheriff says . The acting is just great across the board . Freeman , Woolvett and especially Eastwood are great and Hackman is incredibly evil and vicious . He won an Academy Award for his role . I hate Westerns so I avoided this when it came out . I also heard that audiences were cheering on the killings which was not the point ( I heard Eastwood himself wasn't happy over that ) . I am glad I finally caught it . . . but this got an Academy Award for Best Picture ? While it is good the middle section is very slow and the film is far too long . Also it's very vicious and shows no mercy to either the " heroes " or villains . I realize that was the point but it left me feeling kind of depressed and angry . Also the ending struck me as being way too unbelievable . Still , Eastwood deserves credit for successfully deconstructing the Western . If you like Westerns you might want to avoid this one . |
477,192 | 463,200 | 86,425 | 8 | You'll laugh , you'll cry . . . | OK , I love the film , but I don't deny that it's very manipulative ( especially in a hospital scene at the end wing Winger and her kids ) . It's totally engrossing , has believable characters and situations and all the acting is great ( especially Shirley MacLaine - - she really won her Oscar for this movie ) . But it gets very sad and depressing towards the end . Still , you're not upset after it's over - - the very end is actually uplifting . Well worth seeing . |
477,653 | 463,200 | 105,636 | 8 | Great undiscovered action film | Two firefighters ( played by Bill Paxton and William Sadler ) find a map that leads to stolen gold . It's located in a huge abandoned factory . Unfortunately it also happens to be where a band of black drug dealers have their headquarters . Soon it's blacks vs . whites to the death . A dynamite thriller on full throttle - - full of non-stop swearing , plenty of gun fights and gruesome killings . The plot doesn't really make a lot of sense but once this movie kicks into gear you won't care . The action is virtually non-stop and there's a loud pounding music score that propels the movie along . There's also some intentionally funny humor in here so it's always clear that this is not to be taken seriously . The acting is mostly just OK - - but who watches this for the acting ? Paxton is the only one who gives a really good performance . The only debit here is that the movie constantly keeps switching from color to b & w ( the POV of a gang member filming all this ) . It's jarring and unnecessary . This was a bomb at the box office and didn't hit it big on video either . That's really too bad because it's one of director Walter Hills best film . Tough , violent and exciting . An 8 all the way . |
477,899 | 463,200 | 63,522 | 8 | Hated it the first time , loved it the second time | Married couple Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse ( Mia Farrow , John Cassavetes ) move into the beautiful Bramford apartment building ( the Dakota was used ) . They meet nice but pushy neighbors ( Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer ) . Then Rosemary gets pregnant . . . and her life becomes a nightmare . She thinks the neighbors are witches and want her baby . Is that true or is it her imagination ? Now classic horror film . I first caught this at a revival theatre when I was in college . I thought it was too long and dull with terrible acting . I should mention I had just read the book this was based on . Seeing it again ( over 20 years later ) my opinion has totally changed . I still think it's too long and Farrow's acting wavers ( sometimes she just great , other times she's too mannered ) but this time I was fascinated and the ending actually scared me silly ! The setting is beautiful - - the Dakota is a huge building in NY with very exclusive tenants . . . but it looks downright terrifying here ( I have to credit director Roman Polanski for that ) . Inside the apartments are huge but spooky . When Rosemary and Guy hear chanting through the walls on their first night or so there it's actually pretty chilling . The scene where Rosemary gets pregnant is pretty hard to watch too . Acting , as I mentioned , wavers . Farrow is really off sometimes and Cassavetes looks miserable ( I believe he later said he did it for the money ) but Gordon ( in her Oscar-winning role ) and Blackmer are just great . Also Maurice Evans , Charles Grodin , Elisha Cook and Ralph Bellamey are strong in supporting roles . And listen for the voice of Tony Curtis in one sequence . There's also some funny black humor here - - at one point Rosemary is in a doctors office . She picks up a " Time " magazine and the cover says , " Is God Dead " ? Scary , well-made horror film . Decidedly NOT for pregnant women . I give it an 8 . " What have you done to him you maniacs ? " |
478,230 | 463,200 | 63,518 | 8 | Quite possibly the best Shakespeare ever filmed | Story about the Montagues and Capulets - - two families who have been rivals for generations . Young Romeo Monatgue ( Leonard Whiting ) falls in love with beautiful young Juliet Capulet ( Olivia Hussey ) . They want to wed but their two families are mortal enemies . Opens and ends with narration by Laurence Olivier . The play has been cut and purists were probably livid when pop singer Donovan comes on and sings a song , but this is still probably the most faithful version of R & J ever done . Whiting was 17 and Hussey was 15 when this was filmed - - they are ( so far ) the closest in age to the actual ages for R & J in the play . This was beautifully filmed in Rome - - very colorful and elaborate with Oscar-winning costumes . The fights in the film between Tybalt and Mercurcio and then Romeo are just great - - full of action . Also there's the now famous music score . But , for me , this just misses the mark on being a great movie . Whiting and Hussey are just simply too young and inexperienced to pull this off completely . When they're speaking , sometimes , they seem to be reciting lines with these blank looks on their faces . It's not entirely their fault - - Shakespeare's plays are difficult to memorize . But , eventually , they do get better as the film goes along and I'm not ashamed to admit that I was crying during the crypt sequence at the end . Also , in the PG version , you do get two flashes of nudity after R & J consummate their marriage . The actors deserve credit for doing nude scenes at such a young age . The rest of the cast is just great - - especially a VERY young Michael York as Tybalt . So - - I DO like it but it's hard going at first ( Shakespeare's dialogue takes a while to get used to ) and it's way too long . Still I recommend it . Hussey mentioned in an interview recently that people STILL remember her from this movie ! I give it an 8 . |
477,743 | 463,200 | 117,119 | 8 | Very funny AND gay positive | Former Republican president Russell Kramer ( Jack Lemmon ) and former Democratic president Matt Douglas ( James Garner ) hate each other with a passion . Kramer is set up by the acting president William Haney ( Dan Aykroyd ) for taking a kickback in money that his head of state actually did . Douglas tries to help Kramer but they're soon running for their lives as the CIA sets out to kill them . And it's a comedy . Very funny movie . Garner and Lemmon play off each other well and their verbal sparrings are highlights of the movie . Their are jabs given at Dems and Reps ( although the Reps get bashed more ) . There's also an incredible supporting cast including Bradley Whitford ( years before " The West Wing " ) ; John Heard as an idiotic vice president ( an obvious parody of Dan Quayle ) ; Esther Rolle as a White House cook and Lauren Bacall ( shamefully underused ) as Lemmon's wife . Aykroyd surprisingly underplays his role as the President . Also this film is extremely gay positive which gives it extra points in my book . DEFINITE SPOILERS The presidents are able to hide from the CIA in a Gay Pride parade ; Dykes on Bikes ( an actual group ) get them to a library they need to use and a gay man ( winningly played by Jeff Yagher ) saves their lives at the end . END SPOILERS Funny , fast-paced , dramatic , gay positive . . . all in all a very good film . This bombed at the box office but it's well worth catching . I give it an 8 . |
479,593 | 463,200 | 86,491 | 8 | Very good | An affectionate homage to the old TV series . Three old episodes were updated and a new one was written . It's also narrated by Burgess Meredith who starred in quite a few of the original TV series episodes . It starts off with a quick little prologue with Albert Brooks and Dan Aykroyd . It's quick , funny and provides a nice little jolt . The first segment was newly written for the movie . It involves a bitter and racist man ( Vic Morrow ) getting a taste of his own medicine . This episode is clouded by the three deaths it caused - - Morrow was decapitated by a helicopter blade and two Vitenamese children were crushed . John Landis ( who directed this ) was found not guilty in the deaths . As it stands this isn't very good . It's simplistic and heavy-handed - - like a bad Zone episode . The second one is directed by Steven Spielberg . It involves an old man ( Scatman Crothers ) gently bringing to life the old people at a retirement home . I'll be the first to admit that this is way too syrupy - - but I have a fondness for it . The acting is good , it has a great music score and , I admit , it leaves me a little misty-eyed . The third is directed by Joe Dante . It's a remake about a little boy who can make all of his wishes come true . It's well-directed with some truly incredible special effects and a good performance by Kathleen Quinlan . But it's seriously damaged by a silly happy ending ( the original didn't have that ) . Billy Mumy ( the star of the original ) has a bit part and Dante regular Dick Miller shows up as Walter Paisley . The fourth is the best . It's directed by George Miller and is a remake of the William Shatner episode where he spots a gremlin tearing apart the plane he's flying on . The gremlin in the original looked pretty ridiculous - - like a teddy bear . Here John Lithgow plays the passenger and the gremlin is more than a little scary-looking . This segment moves and has a few great jolts . Also Carol Serling ( Rod Serling's wife I believe ) has a bit part . All in all an enjoyable film . I liked it when I saw it in a theatre in 1983 and it still holds up today . I give it an 8 . |
477,380 | 463,200 | 170,691 | 8 | Very good | War drama that takes place in Louisiana in 1971 . It follows a bunch of recruits through basic training and then Tigerland - - an accurate portrayal of Vietnam on American soil , before they're shipped over . It focuses on two men - - Booz ( Colin Farrell ) and Paxton ( Matthew Davis ) . . . how they meet , become friends and deal with a corwardly squadron leader ( Clifton Collins Jr . ) and a borderline psycho ( Shea Wingham ) . A surprisingly non-commercial film directed by Joel Schumacher . He uses a hand-held camera throughout most of the movie and uses digital video for the combat scenes . It works very well - - the film looks gritty ( as it should ) and uncomfortably realistic . Farrell successfully covers up his Irish brogue and adopts a pretty convincing Southern accent . His performance is just superb - - he's an extremely talented young man . Davis , unfortunately , is not that good . He's tall , muscular , very handsome - - and very bland . The rest of the cast however is just great . This film was thrown away by its studio . It had no stars in it , a familar story and was considered " just another war film " . It only played a week in Boston ! It's well worth catching on video or DVD . Also , Farrell and Davis have a lengthy nude scene . |
479,049 | 463,200 | 381,061 | 8 | James Bond reinvented - - darkly | James Bond ( Daniel Craig ) is after world terrorists in this one . Judi Dench is back as M telling him off left and right . The plot is kind of vague but it ends up with Bond and a sexy sidekick ( Eva Green ) paired off against a thoroughly evil man ( Mads Mikkelsen ) . OK - - James Bond has been reinvented in this film with Craig in the role . Is Craig good as Bond ? Kind of . He's not handsome at all ( at 38 he looks 45 ) but he has a great body , holds his own in fight scenes and is a VERY good actor . Also this Bond is more serious than the others . He's not making bad jokes ( like Roger Moore did ) or acting like a sexist pig ( Sean Connery ) . He's dead serious and will kill when he has to - - the previous Bond films seemed to shy away from Bond killing anybody . This Bond also gets hurt ( you see his face crisscrossed with scratches after one fight ) and he bleeds - - quite a lot too . This film is VERY violent - - it pushes the PG-13 rating to its limit . I personally think it went too far - - the torture scene where he is tied nude to a chair was not needed . Not everything has changed though - - he has a beautiful woman by his side who eventually falls for him . . . and is of NO use in a fight ( once or twice I wanted to yell at Green to do something ) . But Green IS good and looks stunning . The film is a little too long ( but most Bond films are ) and doesn't make much sense . Still , all in all , it was an entertaining movie . I'm only giving it an 8 because I think the violence went overboard . Still this is an interesting redo of Bond . Worth catching . |
479,185 | 463,200 | 195,685 | 8 | Nothing new plot-wise but compelling | Even though this is based on a true story , it goes through the same hoops other movies of this kind have gone through . One person finds big corporation being evil . . . battles against seemingly unsurmontable odds to beat them . Every cliche is hit head on . Still it's well worth seeing . All the acting is great ( especially Finney and Roberts ) , the script is razor sharp , the film moves briskly and the direction is very good and assured . Basically a familar story , but told very well . Well worth seeing . Also , Roberts fake breasts are something else ! |
477,925 | 463,200 | 365,748 | 8 | Very good but not great | Romantic comedy / horror film ( taking place in England ) about Shaun and his friends trying to stay alive when the dead come alive and eat the flesh of the living . Yep - - it had to happen eventually - - a comedy about flesh-eating zombies . Surprisingly it really does work . This is one of the few movies that successfully mixes horror , comedy and drama . The only other ones I can think of are " The Howling " , " American Werewolf in London " and " Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein " . Not all the jokes work but about 95 % of them do . And the dramatic moments actually are well-worked into the plot . And this movie has PLENTY of blood and gore ( for an R rated film ) . If this had been done seriously the ratings board probably would have demanded cuts . Not I DID like it ( and was laughing out loud more than once ) but it has some minor problems : most of the characters are extremely unlikable ( especially Shaun's best friend ) ; the film has its share of dead spots and some scenes are way too tragic for a film like this . Still , that aside , this is a very funny , gory movie . A must for horror fans . Try to see it with an audience - - it really comes alive that way . |
478,753 | 463,200 | 29,030 | 8 | Silly but enjoyable | On a remote island Tarangi ( Jon Hall ) marries Marama ( Dorothy Lamour ) . But , while away in Tahiti on a job , he strikes a white man who insults him . He is instantly jailed - - it's forbidden for a native man to strike a white man . Nasty Gov Eugene De Laage ( Raymond Massey ) won't help him . He keeps trying to escape and that keeps extending his prison sentence . Will he ever get out and be reunited with Marama ? This film deals fairly realistically with racism ( it's against it of course ) but this is hardly a message movie . It's a big , silly but enjoyable piece of escapism . It looks great , there's a beautiful score and plenty of attractive shirtless men and women in sarongs . The script is merely serviceable but it does work - - I admit to getting misty-eyed once or twice ! John Ford directed this very well . Jon Hall is very handsome , nicely toned . . . and very bland as the lead . Lamour isn't much better . But their good looks ( and bodies ) make them pleasant to look at . Massey is just OK ; John Carradine is fun as an evil warden ; Thomas Mitchell is good ( and Oscar-nominated ) as a doctor and even Mary Astor has a few good moments . But the climatic hurricane sequence at the end really sells this . It has still impressive special effects and goes on for a good 15 minutes ! No music here - - just the sound of the wind howling and the waters crashing ( this won a well-deserved Oscar for Sound Effects ) . It's worth sitting through the movie for this one part . So not a great movie but a big , fun popcorn movie . If only the leads had been better actors . . . I give it an 8 . |
478,341 | 463,200 | 36,733 | 8 | No curse , no cat people | This is a semi-sequel to the horror hit " Cat People " . A lonely little girl Amy ( Ann Carter ) lives in a fantasy world - - she believes in magic and make-believe . Her parents ( Kent Smith and Jane Randolph from the first film ) don't understand her and she has no friends . Then the ghost of Kent's first wife shows up to become her friend . Famed director Robert Wise's debut sounds strange but it really works . The title is terrible - - this is no horror film but a charming little fantasy about a little girls coming of age . There are a few scary elements ( a retelling of the story of the Headless Horseman ) but nothing that would frighten anyone . This film has definite problems however - - Kents first wife was cursed , killed a man and died horribly - - there's absolutely no reason for her to suddenly appear as a kindly ghost . Heck , Ann isn't even her child ! The acting is pretty bad ( especially by Smith ) , the movie seems forced and the child psychology is extremely dated ( notice how Smith is LYING to Amy at the end to make her feel better ? ) . Still this is sensitively handled , has some truly beautiful , haunting cinematography and is a definite classic OF ITS KIND . Worth catching . . . but could someone PLEASE change that title ? I give it an 8 . |
477,520 | 463,200 | 75,433 | 8 | Forgotten thriller | Molly ( Millie Perkins ) was sexually abused by her father when she was young . She grows up to be an alcoholic waitress who lives on welfare with her sister and nephews . She keeps telling the nephews fantasies about her father being a sea captain . She also has fantasies about meeting hunky men , tying them up and castrating them - - or are they just fantasies ? This is a strange one . Very bizarre and surreal . Also very disturbing to watch . The castrations are shown ( just the guys screaming and blood splattering - - but that's enough ) and the scenes of childhood sexual abuse are explicit - - WAY too explicit . It's shown and it's more than a little sick . It's incredibly disturbing and I think way too strong for even an exploitation film . This film almost got an X rating for the imagery alone . The DVD version is uncut - - so we see it all . The acting is excellent - - Perkins especially in a hard role . The widescreen imagery is beautiful in complete contrast to the story and it has an excellent screenplay . But the film just goes too far for me . There's a good reason why this film is still forgotten - - it's way too strong for the average movie goer . I'm giving it an 8 because it IS an excellent psychological thriller but it just goes too far . Proceed at your own risk . |
478,030 | 463,200 | 90,728 | 8 | Just great comedy / fantasy | Big budget comedy / fantasy from John Carpenter . The plot is kind of hard to summarize - - Kurt Russell ( doing a very funny imitation of John Wayne ) gets involved with Chinese ghosts , sorcery , white slavery , warring gangs . . . you name it . The plot moves VERY quickly . . . it does make sense , but you have to pay full attention to every single line of dialogue and fill in some of the blanks yourself . The screenwriter , W . D . Richter , also did the screenplay for " Buckaroo Banzai " - - if you can follow that film , you'll follow this . The acting , with the exception of Russell , isn't that good , but who really cares ? There's virtual non-stop action ( love the sequence where two men are flying through the air while having a sword fight ) , great special effects and some hysterical one-liners from Russell . Basically , this is a real fun action movie . Universal didn't know how to sell this film so it was a critical and financial bomb but it's acquired a following on video . Try seeing the letter-boxed DVD . Well worth seeing . One warning - - Despite the PG-13 rating there's a lot of casual violence and quite a bit of swearing . This perhaps is not a film for little kids . |
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