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486,963 | 386,241 | 75,147 | 5 | A spiritless film . | Spiritless , disappointing film that makes you feel as tired as its middle-aged " heroes " . You never really know how you are supposed to feel while you're watching awkward scenes like Robin Hood's last swordfight , and you sense that the filmmakers don't know why they included those awkward scenes , either . Connery and Hepburn are very good individually , but they don't click as a pair . |
487,446 | 386,241 | 113,982 | 5 | So forgettable you must be careful not to rent it twice ! | Yet another slasher film , with a scarecrow doing the killing ( and targeting young and old alike ) . Not bad production-wise , with impressive special effects and a couple of good-looking girls , but the cliched dialogue and the routine script ( minor SPOILER - they can only defeat the villain by destroying his bones . . . nowhere have I heard this before . . . yes , " Nightmare on Elm Street 3 " ) make it completely forgettable horror fare . ( ) |
486,991 | 386,241 | 117,420 | 5 | Keeps us waiting too long . | Van Damme and Roger Moore together ? Talk about an unlikely and mismatched team ! Roger actually looks bored most of the time , which is very uncharacteristic of him . Van Damme made his directorial debut here and I think he did an OK job in that department , but it's the script that dooms this film . We have to wait an ungodly amount of time for the real action to begin , and while in the last 20 minutes there's plenty of it ( and it's dynamically staged ) , it follows the same pattern that we have learned from so many other Van Damme movies : first he gets beaten to a pulp , then he makes a miraculous comeback , etc . ) ( ) |
486,273 | 386,241 | 443,450 | 5 | Better if you're not a Seagal fan than if you are | There are two ways to approach this movie : as a Steven Seagal vehicle , or as just another DTV action film . If you choose the first way , you'll probably be disappointed . Seagal is overweight , gives his usual lazy performance , is off-screen for much of the running time , does only some arm-twisting , and in his longest ( i . e . 20 seconds long ) fight scene he is clearly doubled by an Asian man ! But if you take the second way , " Black Dawn " is actually a decent time-passer . It has a reasonably slick look , a good score , a car vs . truck chase that wouldn't be out of place in a higher-budgeted film , and a plot with at least a semblance of complexity . Best of all , it has Tamara Davies , who is gorgeous , convincing , and has way more intense action scenes than Seagal . If I was making the movie , I would have the climax be a gunfight followed by a fistfight between her and the hot terrorist chick played by Angela Gots , instead of the cheesy fake explosion we do get . But that's another story . ( ) |
486,009 | 386,241 | 82,747 | 5 | Surreal , bizarre - and pretentious - erotic fantasy | The opening is intriguing : a mysterious woman invades the office of a book editor and forces him , at gunpoint , to read her manuscript aloud . Why is this so crucially important to her ? The manuscript itself , as we see it playing out on screen , is a surreal erotic fantasy about a young woman who checks into a bizarre , labyrinthine hotel where all the guests and personnel are strange and lustful . As this modern-day Alice-In-Erotic-Wonderland , Clio Goldsmith has a good body but a thoroughly unattractive face - from certain angles , she positively looks like a man in drag . Back at the editor's office , Catherine Spaak and Fernardo Rey are much better - especially Rey , who has a way of making a movie seem better that it is simply because he appears in it . But all through this movie , you're waiting for some kind of revelation , some kind of connection between the " real " and the " fictional " world ; it never comes . The ending of " Honey " provokes only a " say what ? " / " so what ? " reaction , and the whole " reading the manuscript " business turns out to be little more than a pretentious device . Lovely score by Riz Ortolani . ( ) |
487,271 | 386,241 | 113,948 | 5 | Weaker than the first , but not overly bad . . . . | I have a certain affection for the first " Nemesis " film . I know that everyone considers it to be pretty bad , but at least it was fast-moving and enjoyable . This first sequel doesn't have the original's non-stop action and narrative force , and it's awfully reminiscent of both " The Terminator " ( in its " messianic " myth ) and " The Predator " ( in the look of the monster that pursues the heroine ) . But as B-movies go it's still somewhat above average , and Sue Price , the starring female bodybuilder , is not only impressively built but very appealing , too . ( ) |
485,727 | 386,241 | 78,976 | 5 | Another late-70s disaster time-waster . | City on Fire was made in 1979 , when the disaster genre was already past its prime - and a dispirited , tired affair it is . Most of the actors ( except for the amusingly unbalanced villain ) sleepwalk through their roles , possibly knowing that the film had no chance of reviving the genre . At least there are some pretty realistic effects , though the movie never makes clear how exactly the fire spread over the entire city . ( ) |
486,200 | 386,241 | 113,926 | 5 | Naked Pamela | Taken as a sci-fi thriller , " Naked Souls " lies somewhere between " mediocre " and " not bad " . The ideas ( mind-switching , memory transfer , etc ) are intriguing , even if they have been used in many other films ( the French thriller " La Machine " , with Depardieu , is one that comes to mind ) , but this film goes nowhere with them . However , Pamela Anderson looks breathtakingly gorgeous here ( I don't remember ever seeing her look better ) , and she has one particularly sensual sex scene ( damn was her partner a lucky guy ! ) . The filmmakers must have liked that scene too , because they repeat it in the last few minutes . . . . and it's actually better the second time because it's not intercut ( like it is the first time ) with David Warner's reactions . No disrespect to Warner , who is a fine actor , but he kind of kills the mood in this instance , if you know what I mean . . . . ( ) |
485,652 | 386,241 | 284,867 | 5 | In-your-face . | This gory remake of an old Pam Grier vehicle is shot in an extremely annoying pseudo-MTV-ish style ( color filters , quick cuts and flashes , overamplified sounds ) , but if you take it strictly as an assault on the senses , it is partly effective . Lisa Dergan ( the blonde ) completely outshines her co-star in the acting as well as in the looks department . ( ) |
485,782 | 386,241 | 117,473 | 5 | Spoiler . . . | Halle Berry's beauty is ALMOST reason enough to sit through any film , and here she's surrounded by a good supporting cast . But this glossy thriller ( great cinematography by Haskell Wexler ) spins a familiar tale , and in the end turns out to be a blatant rip-off of " The Usual Suspects " ( even using pretty much the same closing shot ) . The trick that " Suspects " pulled on the audience was quite unique , and this picture came out too soon afterwards not to be accused of plagiarism . ( ) |
487,036 | 386,241 | 44,662 | 5 | Weak . | Groucho Marx's sarcastic , occasionally fairly witty one-liners are the only saving grace of this otherwise weak , mediocre comedy . The cast tries , but the direction has no pacing , and the entire film is burdened with a convoluted , uninteresting plot . Strictly for Groucho devotees . |
486,141 | 386,241 | 64,397 | 5 | Shallow , unsatisfying film . | Be warned : despite some well-executed aerial stunts , this is basically a dreary , heavy melodrama . The major problem with it is that the three main characters come off as thoroughly unlikable people , and have too little depth . As a result , we never truly share their emotions , and the movie's big surprising moment doesn't have the intended shocking effect on us . Two cast members stand out ( Gene Hackman , Bonnie Bedelia ) , the others ( including Burt Lancaster ) are mediocre at best . ( ) |
485,928 | 386,241 | 311,320 | 5 | Boring as cinema but thematically interesting | As a piece of cinema , " Blind Spot " is a bold experiment that simply doesn't work ; the filmmakers have one good idea - occasionally they show Traudl Junge watching her own interview and commenting on it - but for most of the film's 90 minutes they have the camera immobile and stuck on her face as she speaks , and although her face is expressive and her words are interesting , your attention can't help but wander on several occasions . But " Blind Spot " is also a remarkably truthful confession of a woman / portrait of a man . Junge says that she doesn't want to talk a lot about the " banal " incidents of Hitler's everyday life , but she keeps doing it instinctively , as you would expect from someone who lived so close to him for three years . She also expresses her guilt about not being able to understand what was really going on at the time ( " unforgivable " ) , and at the end she admits that not even her young age is a good enough excuse for her ignorance . Note : " Blind Spot " may work best for German-speaking audiences , as small details of Junge's speech are probably lost in subtitles of any other language . |
486,234 | 386,241 | 82,806 | 5 | For tolerant genre fans . | Yet another entry in the " psychotic killer on the loose " genre . The premise of this one is somewhat original , but apart from that it has nothing else to distinguish it from dozens of similar films , so you're just sitting there waiting to see how it will tie everything up in the end . It does come up with an unexpected , out-of-left-field plot twist , but the " motivation " part is fumbled . Still , if you're tolerant of low-budget early-80s thrillers , you'll probably have an OK time . ( ) |
486,180 | 386,241 | 236,397 | 5 | Crazy , man , just crazy | If you're looking for a totally crazy and off-the-wall film , you should try to track down a copy of this one ( it won't be easy ) . It has everything : threesomes , car and motorcycle chases , ESP , cold war espionage and naked female assassins ( only one , in a very brief scene , but I thought I should mention it ) . The only things missing are narrative coherence and directorial competence ; at some points the continuity is so poor that it seems as if parts of the movie are missing . But considering its rarity , as well as the fact that it's Nico Mastorakis ' second film after the notorious " Devil In Mykonos " , this one has definite cult possibilities . It's not , however , as much of a flesh fest as the other reviewer suggests . ( ) |
487,544 | 386,241 | 86,605 | 5 | Crazy HK Hodgepodge | Watching " Winners And Sinners " is like going on a treasure hunt : you have to suffer through a lot of corny , childish comedy to get a few prizes . The prizes include : Samo Hung's fight scenes , Yuen Biao's all-too-brief cameo , the long sequence with Jackie Chan that begins with an exhibition of rollerskating stunts , develops into a furious chase and ends with perhaps the biggest , most spectacular car pile-up ever staged , and the one funny scene with the " Lucky Stars " , in which one of them believes he is invisible ( ! ) . This movie is a mixed bag at best , a scam at worst ( for Jackie fans , since the packaging fools them into thinking that he has a major role ) . ( ) |
486,767 | 386,241 | 152,620 | 5 | Passable low-budget action movie | Not a bad little actioner . Matt McColm shows impressive martial arts ability . . . at first I was thinking " Who the hell is this guy ? " , but it soon becomes clear that he knows his stuff , plus he has a sense of humor about himself . Jason Gould takes the " nerdy computer whiz " role and gives it a human face . And Amanda Pays is a very solid female addition to the cast . The film has quite a lot of action , and an undercurrent of offbeat humor that makes it a little different from your typical low-budget action flick . My main two complaints are : not enough hand-to-hand combat scenes ( none for Pays , who does play an ex-marine , after all ) , and a few too many underwater scenes ( and we all know how rarely those work in the movies ) . ( ) |
485,823 | 386,241 | 67,458 | 5 | Poorly executed . | A potentially exciting story of vengeance becomes , under Peter Yates ' indifferent and by-the-numbers direction , somewhat of a yawner . Peter O'Toole has the stare of an obsessed , determined man down pat , but this is not quite one of his most remarkable performances . The whole movie is too routine to make an impression . ( ) |
487,199 | 386,241 | 71,344 | 5 | Ursula , Ursula , Ursula . . . . | I wonder how , in all those biblical epics they made , they never got Ursula Andress to play the role of Eve . After all , she is the perfect female specimen , so what better choice is there for the first woman ever created ? And can you believe that this incredible body and face belong to a ( then ) 39-year-old woman ? And yes , she does get nude , frequently . There is a rather distasteful scene early on where she gets roughed up by some thugs , but don't worry , she takes charge later on and even kicks a little ass herself ! The plot ? Ah , who cares , it's just a senseless mess about rival crime organizations in Napoli . One strange thing is the tone : for the most part it's fairly serious , but when the fight scenes come they are shot in a slapstick style that reminded me of the Bud Spencer - Terence Hill comedies ( with Woody Strode , of " Spartacus " fame , in the Bud role ) . There is also an overlong " comic " car chase with a clumsy Italian inspector . The problem is that these fights and chases are not the least bit funny . See this movie ( if you can find it ) only for Ursula . . . and frankly , she's reason enough to see it . ( ) |
486,893 | 386,241 | 192,234 | 5 | Lisa Boyle shines in mediocre low-budget thriller | Lisa Boyle is beautiful , looks great with a gun ( too bad she gets to use one only at the very end ) , her acting is OK and she deserves a better vehicle than this low-budget thriller , where she plays an aspiring LA actress who gets hold of a computer disk that some bad guys are after . Although the film is amateurishly directed , it is at least a step up from some other entries in the " Women Who Kick Butt " DVD box set , as the cinematography is more competent and the sound can actually be heard almost all the time . But perhaps the most amusing part of this DVD is that it includes an audio commentary ( ! ) , and a very casual and unorthodox one at that . The producer and the director order and eat a pizza as they are commenting ( ! ) , they explain how they tried to work around the problem of their low budget ( although the film is set in LA , most of it was shot in Boston ) , and they're not afraid to poke fun at their film or even at themselves . I give the film out of 4 , but one extra half-a-star for the commentary . |
486,904 | 386,241 | 67,487 | 5 | Not too bad . | Did Evelyn really come out of her grave ? How did she die in the first place ? And who is killing all those people ? You'll have to find out for yourselves , by following a strange plot that does sustain interest but is full of holes ( SPOILER . . . . Why didn't the lord and the doctor act sooner at the end of the film ; And what about the first murder . . . will the killer remain unpunished ? . . . . . END OF SPOILER ) in its attempt to come up with as many unpredictable twists as possible . The film has lots of nudity , but almost all the moments of physical violence ( check out the snake bite ) are poorly done and played . Anyway , it won't be easy finding a print of this film ; the one I saw , although uncut , was extremely scratchy . ( ) |
486,733 | 386,241 | 95,179 | 5 | Dumb and run-of-the-mill but well-done . | Friday The 13th , Part VII is probably the slickest and most professionally done entry in the series . There are some attempts at creating some " normal " , believable and likable characters along with the usual stereotypical ones . The reason this movie and the previous two parts are superior to the first four cheapies of the series is that major improvements took place on the levels of acting and pacing , and the production values also got better . Unfortunately , this movie is partially ruined by its idiotic climax , where Jason " dies " about four separate times in 10 minutes - and then gets up again . It was too cartoonish to be considered even self-spoofing . Another weak point : while the effects are generally solid , the scene where we see Jason's face behind the mask is unintentionally hilarious ! I mean , he is supposed to be a deformed - even de-composed - corpse , not an " Alien " - looking monster . Still , as a run-of-the-mill slasher pic , this is watchable . |
486,633 | 386,241 | 59,712 | 5 | Not much significance here . . . . | Well-intentioned , star-packed , but overlong drama . Many people have interpreted it as an allegory , but it lacks the unifying vision that would actually bring all the episodes together and give them a dramatic payoff ; the movie seems to be going around in circles for about 145 minutes , and the dwarf's final remark , probably meant to be ironic , just comes across as perfectly honest ( you'll see what I mean ) . Arguably , Oskar Werner gives the best performance here , while Vivien Leigh looks fearfully self-conscious about her age . ( ) |
486,967 | 386,241 | 117,011 | 5 | Over-plotted . | This Van Damme vehicle is plotty , yet the plot is mostly uninteresting , and ultimately cliched . The car chases are spectacular but repetitive , and that repetition quickly grows tiresome . Fight sequences are mostly impressive , but when Van Damme faced the same ( great ) opponent for the THIRD time , the thing started resembling a parody . Best reason to see the film is , as the first reviewer points out , the presence of the smashingly beautiful and athletic Henstridge . Van Damme's performance is OK , as always . |
486,589 | 386,241 | 95,188 | 5 | Wildly uneven . . . | This Chevy Chase vehicle moves along agreeably most of the way , occasionally takes off with some laugh-out-loud-gags ( like the sequence involving the bridge ) , other times disappoints with misfired jokes , generally keeps you lightly amused until it suddenly takes a wrong turn towards seriousness halfway through , and leads to an ending that , at least to me , seemed predictable , fake and pathetically hypocritical . |
486,750 | 386,241 | 36,855 | 5 | This one REALLY shows its age . | In my opinion , this film doesn't really deserve to be called " a classic " , because it really shows its age : it may be technically excellent , but the obvious script and Boyer's overacting ( he seems to have " I am BAD " written all over his face ) are unforgivable by today's standards . " Gaslight " has a few effective moments , but , as a whole , it doesn't quite click . |
487,394 | 386,241 | 82,111 | 5 | Middling comedy . | A dreary comedy with some isolated amusing moments . The ingredients for a potentially funny film are here , but most of the laughs just never materialize . The actors try their best ( although Jack Lemmon is often somewhat one-note ) , but it's the flat , uninspired direction that keeps this from taking off . ( ) |
486,404 | 386,241 | 55,841 | 5 | Glossy trash . | Vapid , profoundly trashy film , somewhat redeemed by fair performances and glossy production values . Jane Fonda's acting , however , is indeed surprisingly weak ; it's hard to believe that the same actress gave such a powerful and moving performance in " The Chase " , only four years later . The film is both sleazy and tame ; it deals exclusively with the subject of sex , but it is very un-sexy , and never says anything meaningful , either . At least it's painless to watch . |
485,887 | 386,241 | 82,163 | 5 | Who smoked up the script ? | This is the only Cheech & Chong comedy I've seen so far , so I can't judge it against their other works , but if you took out the drug references and the brief nudity and replaced them with a few fight scenes , I'd put it on the level of a lesser Bud Spencer & Terence Hill comedy ( like for example " All The Way , Boys ! " ) : amiable enough , but one laugh per half an hour is not exactly a good enough average to justify a rental , is it ? This movie is too raunchy for kids , too obvious for adults , too scriptless for anyone . There is an interesting surreal , hallucinogenic sequence that is too short , and a role for Pee-Wee Herman that is short but still too long . Cheech himself sums it all up when he says " Ha Ha ! That's very funny , man . It's so funny I forgot to laugh " . ( ) |
487,094 | 386,241 | 120,901 | 5 | Stale comedy . | Wrongfully Accused has more movie parodies than you can shake a stick at ( the jab at " The Usual Suspects " is a particularly nice bit ) , but overall there are more lame jokes here than clever ones . Like several people have said , the spoof fad has definitely run its course . Besides , Leslie Nielsen is starting to get really old for this kind of stuff . ( ) |
487,331 | 386,241 | 75,339 | 5 | Caffaro is hot , the film so-so . | This is your ordinary mid-70s low-grade action-adventure with a female heroine , but it has two distinguishing features : the lead , Cheri Caffaro , is very sexy in an aggressive sort of way , and the director eroticizes the violence ( Caffaro is virtually turned on by pain and death ) . That is quite a daring thing for a movie to do , and the people here deserve some credit for even attempting it . And the climax of the film is surprisingly suspenseful . Now , if only they had picked a more talented leading man and a better editor . . . . . ( ) |
486,013 | 386,241 | 403,657 | 5 | Forgive and forget | In chronological order : 1 ) The Dudley Boyz vs . La Resistance and Rob Conway . So lame that even the commentators couldn't keep their attention on it . ) Test vs . Scott Steiner . The winner gets Stacy ( MY GOODNESS she's perfection ) Keibler . If they had Stacy simply standing in the middle of the ring , this would have been a lot more interesting . 3 ) Shawn Michaels vs . Randy Orton ( with Ric Flair ) . A slight improvement over the previous two . A lot of cheating determines the winner in this one . 4 ) Gail Kim and Molly Holly vs . Trish Stratus and Lita . That's more like it ! Faster , better and more energetic than anything before it , with some great moves by Trish . 5 ) Shane McMahon vs . Kane . A " last man standing " match with no disqualifications . Brutal , but slower than molasses . 6 ) Christian vs . Chris Jericho vs . Rob Van Dam . Pretty good . RVD seems to be the best wrestler of the three , so most of the time the other two team up to get him out of the way . Some impressive kicks by RVD , and a painful hold by Jericho . An entertaining show . 7 ) Jerry " The King " Lawler and Jim Ross ( the commentators of this whole PPV ! ) vs . Al Snow and Jonathan Coachman . The winners will be the commentators on " Raw " . Whoever thought this was a good idea for a tag-team match should be shot . 8 ) Triple H vs . Goldberg for the WH title . Fair , with some displays of raw power , but not much more than that . |
485,821 | 386,241 | 105,629 | 5 | Much ado about nothing . | This one is a genuine oddity . Apparently , it confused professional and non-professional reviewers , who don't know how to respond to it . So , they have either trashed it or praised it enthusiastically . I think that those responses are both somewhat extreme , and the movie doesn't deserve either one . While it's far from a successful movie , it does have some interesting elements and its message , although obvious , at least seems heartfelt . It's a visually impressive picture , but the final battle sequence , is badly conceived . As for Williams , he is fairly funny , not hilarious . |
486,756 | 386,241 | 110,543 | 5 | A dud mostly , but it has its redeeming qualities | Model By Day is not a very good movie : it's clumsily directed , poorly scripted ( who could the " mystery opponent " be ? Hmmm , look at the cast ) , the editing is a disaster , roughly 70 % of the action appears to have been performed by stunt doubles , and the cinematography is annoyingly soft-focus . What it does offer , however , is Famke Janssen , one of the sexiest actresses alive in my opinion , in a leather outfit and butt-kicking mode . This movie was made one year before " Goldeneye " , and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the people who picked her for the role of Xenia Onatopp had seen her here first : those eyes . . . those legs . . . that attitude . . . and ESPECIALLY that biting of her lower lip that she does so often . . . watch this movie if only to see her . It also probably served as an inspiration for " Black Scorpion " from 1995 and the subsequent TV series of the same name . ( ) |
485,667 | 386,241 | 105,569 | 5 | What the hell is going on here ? ( actual quote ) . | I found this movie slightly better than the first " Tetsuo " ( which I HATED ) , mainly because it appears at first to be willing to tell a more coherent ( if still unique ) story . Soon , however , the story disappears into a farrago of violence , mayhem and senselessness ; by the time the completely baffling ending arrives , you've already given up trying to make sense out of what's happening . However , there are some ingenious special effects and a breakneck chase scene that's worth seeing . ( ) |
487,226 | 386,241 | 86,320 | 5 | Offbeat but repulsive . | The characters are idiotic , the acting is pretty terrible , the identity of the killer thoroughly predictable and the film repulsive and unpleasant . Of course , some viewers may consider those qualities good . I admit that it was offbeat , and the killing involving bees was original enough , but the " surprise " ending is no surprise for anyone who KNOWS that there is going to be a surprise and pays CLOSE attention to the ( idiotic ) opening sequence . |
486,099 | 386,241 | 105,592 | 5 | Worth a look for Rothrock fans | Cynthia Rothrock is quite hot in this movie , thanks to a combination of her hairstyle , her outfits ( if you hadn't noticed before what a busty , curvy figure she has , you'll notice it this time ) and her brutal , high-impact fight scenes . And even those who complain about her acting ( which I have always found OK for this genre ) will have to admit that it's a lot better than the acting of her co-star , Jalal Merhi . Bolo Yeung still has his physical presence , but to be honest , the lethal blows of his Tiger Style - deep nail scratches - don't strike me ( no pun intended ) as particularly brilliant martial arts moves . The plot is thin , the motivation of the killer is absent , and I also disagree with the way the ending plays out ( spoilers follow ) : after Cynthia fails to take out Bolo singlehandedly , Merhi should have failed also , and he and Cynthia should have teamed up to turn it into a 2-on-1 handicap match . But I guess Merhi's ego ( he is also the film's producer ) got in the way and he had to finish the job alone . ( ) |
486,495 | 386,241 | 71,110 | 5 | Not horrible , but not exciting either . | This is supposed to be a suspenseful and gripping story , but I watched it with a curious detachment , because it's so obviously a pre-programmed commercial package that there is never a genuine sense of danger . Charlton Heston is the most commanding performer here and lifts his scenes a notch above the general level of the movie . Icky sweet Linda Blair , awfully self-conscious Gloria Swanson and hammy George Kennedy all compete for the title of " the most irritating person in the film " . ( ) |
486,392 | 386,241 | 44,320 | 5 | Weak , lowbrow comedy that can still make you laugh in spite of yourself | Considering that Abbott and Costello had done " Meet The Invisible Man " the previous year , this film was a big comedown for them . But then again , considering that around the same period they also did " Comin ' Round The Mountain " and " Lost In Alaska " , maybe " Meet Captain Kidd " was par for the course . The saddest part here ( apart maybe from all the singing that at times makes you feel as if you're watching a second-rate musical ) is to observe how few verbal elements have remained in A & C's comedy ; instead , their humor has been reduced to the lowbrow , unsophisticated slapstick of mugging , dumb misunderstandings , and people falling down or getting hit with shovels . But sometimes A & C's talent still comes through and the film can make you laugh in spite of yourself . Charles Laughton is loud , bombastic and takes a lot of bumps , to generally unfunny effect ; Hillary Brooke is downright sexy as a female captain , and is without a doubt the brightest spot of this movie . ( ) |
486,130 | 386,241 | 139,487 | 5 | Fairly well-made , if slow-paced , thriller | The more you want to see Shannon Tweed in an action role ( as opposed to a strictly seduce - the - men - and - take - your - clothes - off role ) , the more you are likely to enjoy " Naked Lies " . Tweed proves once again that she is quite adept at handling martial arts scenes , and even if her face shows signs of aging , her body is still in great shape for a woman in her forties . The film is competently made ( especially for a DTV project ) and well-produced , shot on scenic Mexican locations . The main problems are the often slow pace , some gratuitous sex scenes ( it's supposed to be an action thriller , not an erotic one . . . . I think ) , and a disappointingly actionless climax . ( ) |
486,874 | 386,241 | 86,289 | 5 | Plodding rehash of " The Magnificent Seven " | The problem with this movie is not that it rehashes the plot of " The Magnificent Seven " ; after all , even that movie was a remake of something else ( " The Seven Samurai " , which I have not seen yet ) . The problem is that it rehashes it in a plodding and unimaginative fashion . The main difference between the two movies ( besides the obviously lower production quality , of course ) is that " The Magnificent Seven " were interesting , intelligent and articulate characters ; " The Seven Magnificent Gladiators " are 5 primitive muscleheads , a rookie , and a warrior woman ( Sybil Danning ) . The fight scenes are mostly Bud - Spencer - and - Terence - Hill - do - sword - and - sorcery - style . And being this a PG film , it completely lacks any of the blood and nudity usually found in the genre . A sensuous ( but brief ) female bikini wrestling match is as risqué , and as thrilling , as it gets here , folks ( and no , Sybil is not featured in it ) . ( ) |
485,690 | 386,241 | 59,903 | 5 | Sloppy ( if occasionally amusing ) mess . | What's New , Pussycat marks the writing and acting debut of Woody Allen ; as an actor , he clearly steals the show , and he has a couple of hilarious scenes . Peter O'Toole is agreeable in a somewhat self-parodying role , but Peter Sellers is really disappointing in this film , constantly overacting and earning very few laughs . Allen's screenplay has some witty lines but generally it's a complete and utter mess - in a way that gives the film an feeling of sloppiness . There are a few chuckles in this movie , but it's very dated , and as comedy it can best be described as highly uneven . And I didn't understand if the sets were intentionally so fake-looking . |
485,857 | 386,241 | 90,685 | 5 | Schematic and predictable . | Overly predictable , overly formulaic comedy has some amusing gags but also some mildly dramatic moments which feel particularly phony because the whole plot ( and its inevitable happy ending ) is believable only as a fairy tale . The film is easy enough to digest , but thoroughly ordinary . Note-worthy , extremely winning performance by Sally Kellerman as an attractive literature teacher . ( ) |
486,752 | 386,241 | 110,463 | 5 | Atypical Jet Li movie , for HK cinema fanatics only | I have to disagree with one of the previous reviewers who said that this movie would be ideal for Hong Kong cinema neophytes . I believe that only HK fanatics should even attempt to watch it - the less experienced viewers will probably turn it off after about 30 minutes ( it's no wonder that no American distributor picked it up for re-release ; it certainly doesn't have the wide appeal of a movie like " Meltdown " / " High Risk " ) . The idea is ambitious , the production is lavish , but the story is confusing and unengaging , and the result is a film too bizarre and self-indulgent for most audiences . Jet Li once again proves that he can act ( in a dual role , no less ) , but the vast majority of the fighting is over-the-top and ( intentionally ) unrealistic . There are some memorable moments , however , like his brief encounter with two huge sumo wrestlers ! ( ) |
487,246 | 386,241 | 121,074 | 5 | A disappointment for Cynthia Khan fans | This is only the third Cynthia Khan film I've seen so far , and I'm already a big fan of hers - but how could I not be ? She is a gorgeous woman , a good fighter , and a decent actress . In fact , I'm giving " Angel on Fire " a " out of 4 " rating basically thanks to her , because it probably deserves less . The plot is incoherent ( with more different groups of villains than you'll be able to count ) , the editing is choppy , and the fighting , while good in spots ( the woman who plays the thief arguably steals the show ) , is not up to par with that you can find in the " In The Line Of Duty " films with Cynthia . And making matters worse , my version was a subtitled one BUT with often illiterate ( " How dare you are ! " ) and unreadable ( especially when the backgrounds are white ) subtitles . A substandard presentation of a substandard movie . |
487,053 | 386,241 | 94,997 | 5 | Technically well-made but boring . | This film comes up short in many areas , but it's still not Fulci's worst ( it's better than " Aenigma " , for sure ) . The script is thin , and the ending makes no sense , but there are enough well-executed gore set-pieces ( considering the budget , the scene where a man gets split in two is a real dazzler ! ) to make the picture worth seeing , if only for horror fans . ( ) |
485,772 | 386,241 | 438,486 | 5 | Audacious , gimmicky , twisty - and empty | Ten ' til Noon is one of those films that are more interesting for their form rather than their content . The concept ( how different but interconnecting characters spend 10 minutes of their life , from 11 : 50 to 12 : 00 p . m ) is intriguing , the twists ( that come when the concept is finally broken ) are genuinely unexpected , the acting is fine ( Rayne Guest , in perhaps the film's trickiest role , is both explosively sexy and a good actress ) , the direction is perfectly OK for the budget , but ultimately the film is little more than an exercise in gimmickry ( even having a 5-minute epilogue sequence AFTER some of the end credits have rolled ) , with a few Tarantino influences also evident ( mostly in the dialogue ) . Overall , I'd say it's worth seeing for its sheer audacity . ( ) |
487,170 | 386,241 | 86,393 | 5 | A mixed bag , AT BEST . | The most boring of the Supermans . Most of the special effects look phony ( Superman does a lot of flying over matte paintings in this one ) , Richard Pryor's broad comic relief is out of place , and Richard Lester lingers on the violence too long , and as a result ideas that start out witty ( Superman turning into a destructive , amoral alcoholic ) end up looking simply misguided ( the Clark Kent vs . Bad Superman battle is weird more than anything else ) . Still , there is one aspect of the movie that is handled well : Clark's brief idyll with his old schoolmate Lana Lang ( a very sweet and honest performance by Annette O'Toole ) . He should have dumped Lois Lane for this woman ! ( ) |
485,631 | 386,241 | 79,837 | 5 | Gorgeous women , mediocre film | Three comic skits set in Milan . The first is lame , worth seeing only for a few glimpses of Edwige Fenech's body ( I doubt that many Japanese women - she plays one here - wear what she wears after taking a shower ) . The second is the best : Michele Placido is by far the best comic actor in the film - he doesn't push for laughs , so he gets some . The third is pointless , and unfortunately the longest ; an example of its idea of humor is the overdrawn homosexual caricature of Celentano's right-hand man . Final recommendation : fast-forward through the first skit to get to the " good " Fenech bits , watch the second in its entirety and skip the third altogether . ( ) |
487,180 | 386,241 | 66,740 | 5 | Theater of Blood was much better . | Handsome , colorful , but also tedious , lackluster horror film . Much inferior to the VERY similar " Theater of Blood " . I agree with all those who said that Vincent Price's inability to use his voice in a " normal " way hurts the film . His completists will have fun anyway . ( ) |
486,546 | 386,241 | 117,238 | 5 | Futuristic spaghetti Western | Omega Doom is a movie whose ambitions clearly outweigh its budget . However , there is something to be said for genre filmmakers like Albert Pyun who try to make the most of the budget they do have . As others have already pointed out , this is essentially a spaghetti Western transported to a post-apocalyptic setting . At times laughably pretentious , at other times interesting . Rutger Hauer ( who has the " stoic , mysterious and deadly loner " role , in the classic Clint Eastwood tradition ) still has screen presence , and Tina Cote is pretty hot even when she's playing an emotionless , cold-as-ice killer robot . Their last fight could have been longer and better edited , though . ( ) |
486,064 | 386,241 | 90,630 | 5 | A fairly intelligent stupid movie . | I don't know exactly what to make of this . It's pretty obvious that you're not supposed to take it seriously , yet for a comedy it has far too much mayhem and not enough laughs . It's all quite stupid , really , and you might be tempted to shut it off even before the opening credits have finished rolling . But it has at least one charming sequence ( when the female leader discovers for the first time what a " man " is ) , and some of the final scenes , showing the aftermath of a devastating battle , with fields littered with corpses , have a surprising impact . Be warned , however , that the movie DOES feature a shaggy mutant called " Aargh The Awful " ! ( ) |
486,550 | 386,241 | 101,579 | 5 | Unexceptional programmer | Although this film is a Golden Harvest co-production , don't expect the fight choreography to be much better than average . For one thing , the villains are not very skillful fighters , and even those few who appear intimidating at first are defeated rather easily ( I hate it when that happens ) . There is still some of the usual good stuff from Richard Norton and Cynthia Rothrock here , but the rapid-fire Keith Cooke easily outshines them both . Biggest disappointment : early on , the movie introduces a super-fit stripper / assassin , and I was hoping for a climactic fight between her and Rothrock ; not only does that never happen - she also disappears completely from the film ! ( ) |
485,941 | 386,241 | 82,308 | 5 | Corny , but not dislikable . | Corny sci-fi about a family of aliens ( they look A LOT like us humans ) who find themselves stranded on Earth , chased by the usual government officials , protected by an old man and his orphaned grandson . Strictly kid's stuff , but it has some appeal . The effects are mostly of the " well , at least you can't see the strings " variety , but the film is still interesting as a precursor to " E . T " . For a somewhat similar flick that will really surprise you , try " D . A . R . Y . L " . ( ) |
486,326 | 386,241 | 59,465 | 5 | The ( misleading ) title is better than the movie | If there is one thing I don't like in horror films ( well , it's more than one , but never mind ) it's those long , dialogue-free scenes of people - investigating - strange - noises - in - dark - rooms . " Die , Monster , Die ! " has more than its share of such scenes , and this results in a draggy pace : the movie runs only 80 minutes but seems much longer than that . However , there are some good things to be said about it : the prologue is funny ( " He wants to go to the Witley house . Ha ha ha ha ! " ) , the mansion where most of the action takes place is a marvelously old-fashioned and atmospheric set , and the special effects are pretty good - perhaps even ahead of their time . Of course , Boris Karloff fans will want to see him in any film , and despite his health problems at the time he was still an inimitable actor , but in this film he wasn't given enough juicy dialogue to chew on . For me , the standout in the cast is the sweet Suzan Farmer as Karloff's daughter . ( ) |
486,132 | 386,241 | 91,129 | 5 | Too long ; a mixed bag . | Generally considered a low point in Eddie Murphy's career , " The Golden Child " is actually a mixed bag . It's at its best when it spoofs the solemnity and the cliches of most exotic epics , and when Murphy delivers some sarcastic , witty wisecracks . And it's at its worst when it resorts to violence ( excessively graphic for such a film ) , special effects and too much " local color " to fill in the dead spots . ( ) |
486,471 | 386,241 | 116,762 | 5 | Stagnant , overlong crime drama . | Keys To Tulsa is not completely uninteresting - that would be impossible with the cast it has ( including a made-up-to-look-like-Elvis James Spader and a HOT Deborah Unger ) . But the story never seems to build and the movie drags from one purposeless dialogue scene to another ; it goes on so long that it begins to resemble a soap opera . Certainly the only two tense scenes are not enough for the " thriller " this was misleadingly promoted as . ( ) |
486,244 | 386,241 | 91,080 | 5 | Amusing at first , ultimately tedious . | Friday the 13th Part VI begins by taking the whole Jason legend in an entirely different direction : in the pre-title sequence Jason imitates James Bond ( ! ) and there are a few other self-spoofing scenes to follow . In the first part , the film often approaches the style of a slapstick comedy ! I've never been a fan of the early " Friday " entries ( especially of the terrible " Final Chapter " ) , so I had no trouble in enjoying those moments . But eventually the usual monotony sets in , the killings are standard and the movie becomes tediously repetitive . This film has a huge body count - so huge , in fact , that many of the victims don't even get to introduce themselves before they get decapitated . |
486,878 | 386,241 | 374,627 | 5 | Unsophisticated but inoffensive comedy | The " James Bond spoof " has been done so many times by now that it should be considered a genre by itself , and " Double Zero " has very little that's fresh to offer . Do not think for a moment that because this is a French production it has any more sophistication or wit than , say , Leslie Nielsen's " Spy Hard " - it doesn't . It does have a glossy look and large-scale " megalomaniac villain " sets that recall those of such Bond films as " The Spy Who Loved Me " and " Moonraker " , but nothing very funny happens inside them . The highlights are : 1 ) Plenty of fighting girls that I wanted to see more of ( the fight on the beach is terrific ) , 2 ) A digitized horny rabbit ( you'll see ) , and 3 ) The villain's uncanny resemblance to a younger version of Alan Rickman . ( ) |
485,752 | 386,241 | 21,165 | 5 | Dull Hitchcock . | Ponderous , plodding , dull Hitchcock thriller ( and to think I saw the shortened , American version ! ) , with interminable dialogue passages and little action . The director finds room for a few peculiar touches ( like the unanimous " Any answer to that , Sir John ? " in the " jury deliberation " sequence ) , but this film is only for his most ardent fans . The disgracefully ( and , at times , almost amusingly ) poor print quality is no help . ( ) |
485,840 | 386,241 | 94,961 | 5 | Wild horror comedy . | This outrageous comic-book style film crosses two genres : the buddy comedy with the zombie horror film . You'll get some undemanding fun from it , but there should be more . It has a fast pace and some good special effects ( the disintegration of a woman , etc ) , but too many repetitive puns about the dead cop's condition ( OK . We get it . He's a walking corpse . Anything else ? ) ( ) |
487,257 | 386,241 | 82,338 | 5 | Entertaining trash . | Set in a totalitarian future society , this film has a bleak but quite vividly drawn vision of the world . . . for its first 20 minutes or so ; then it turns into a straight action-chase adventure . The uncut 90-minute version is extremely gory , but some of the effects are rather lame . Nevertheless , it's a fast-paced , trashily entertaining film , and the actors are adequate for the little they're asked to do . ( ) |
486,454 | 386,241 | 116,769 | 5 | Customary Franco ineptitude . | What we have here is a story that looks promising on paper ( an isolated castle , a 100-year-old woman who wants to regain her youth and beauty but needs to drink fresh blood to do so , five lost punk-rockers who are destined to be her next victims ) , turned into a stupid horror movie " thanks " to Jess Franco's customary ineptitude . From the overworked fog machines to sheet-covered mannequins portraying naked women ( I'm trying to be vague here , to avoid a spoiler ) , " Killer Barbys " is typical Franco hackwork . The only thing he does well is the creation of a powerful link between sex and violence ( the most erotic sequence is followed by a brutal stabbing ) , but he's probably done that already in most of the 200 or so movies he has directed . The dubbing is terrible ; much of the dialogue is very bad ; the only member of the cast who seems to know what she's doing is Mariangela Giordano . Her " dacaying " makeup in the early parts is pretty good , and when she gets " young " and naked later on , she looks damn good for her age ( 59 at the time ! ) , even when she is covered in blood . ( ) |
486,818 | 386,241 | 82,367 | 5 | Derivative horror film . | This somewhat hokey thriller takes itself more seriously than it should ; although it does have some moderately effective sequences , it really suffers in comparison with the archetypal Antichrist movie , " The Omen " ; it lacks the maturity and strength of that 1976 classic ( despite a very solemn beginning ) . To be fair , though , it's no worse than the " Omen " sequels . ( ) |
487,328 | 386,241 | 44,207 | 5 | A cheat ! | When you watch a movie titled " When Worlds Collide " , you obviously expect the " worlds " to . . . . . you know , " collide " . Well , they do , but it all takes place offscreen ; the movie skimps on effects and spectacle . There ARE some relatively impressive effects here , but they're very limited in their duration . And when we get a view of the new , idyllic planet that the survivors land on , the actors stand in front of what is so obviously a painted backdrop that the whole image reminded me of " Mary Poppins " . Dramatically speaking , the film is certainly interesting and engaging , although as another viewer has already noted , most of the characters are a little too casual and relaxed about the prospect of the total destruction of the earth , which removes some of the tension from the whole situation . ( ) |
486,286 | 386,241 | 86,154 | 5 | Routine and confusing sequel . | I've read somewhere that director Franklin is a devoted fan of Alfred Hitchcock . Unfortunately , he lacks the " Hitchcock touch " : his direction here is mostly routine , with only a handful of interesting shots . The script is stronger , and its attempts to build a new story and follow the rules of a murder mystery instead of those of a horror film are praise-worthy . But the plot turns from inventive to awfully confusing at the end . I've seen the film twice , and I still can't say with absolute certainty who the actual killer was ! |
485,789 | 386,241 | 116,828 | 5 | Hopper as the good guy ? | Casually violent " crime comedy " about a verbally abused small-time " errand man " who decides he can't take it anymore , and plots an elaborate revenge against his boss , a sadistic gangster . Michael Madsen does what he does best ( looking cool and being baaaaad ) and Kiefer Sutherland is amusing as a desperate porn director , but Dennis Hopper is fatally miscast as the criminal with a heart of gold : hey , casting director , Hopper never begs for respect - he demands it , and makes life miserable for anyone who doesn't play along . The film is not without its moments , but the story ( low-lifes looking to " get out " and " start over " ) is one big cliche from start to finish . ( ) |
486,787 | 386,241 | 105,900 | 5 | Good genre cast , mediocre - if passable - results | Look at the cast we have here ! Cynthia Rothrock , Chuck Jeffreys , Robin Shou , John Miller : all of them real-life martial artists . And then there is Donna Jason , who has probably had some martial arts training , and even though she's not at the level of the others , she gets extra points for hotness ( great smile ! ) . In theory , " Honor and Glory " should have been a non-stop fighting fest , but it didn't quite work out that way . The film devotes too much time to its plot , which is scattered all over the place and never seems to really get started , and the actual fight scenes are only average in quality - not bad , but definitely not top-grade either . The film does have its moments ( including Cynthia's scorpion kick and Donna's workout routine ) , but with this cast , we should be excused for expecting more . ( ) |
486,398 | 386,241 | 105,893 | 5 | Fast-forward to the 50th minute , then start watching | First of all : as a principle I prefer subtitling to dubbing for Asian movies , but when the subtitles are as bad as they are with my ( Universe ) version of this movie ( bad = illiterate , moving too fast , and completely unreadable against white backgrounds ) , even the cheesiest dubbing voices would be an improvement ! The first 50 minutes of " Hard To Kill " are pretty much a chore to sit through , with almost no martial arts action , just a few boring gunfights , and a " comic relief " local cop who acts like a total buffoon ( to the point of wearing a bra ! ) , even after his partner gets killed in the line of fire . Things perk up when Yukari Oshima finally appears , and it is an almost sensual pleasure to see this woman move - her kicks are impressively fast and precise , and she seems to have great gymnastic abilities . The film still remains routine and cheap , but Yukari's and Robin Shou's fight scenes save it from being a total waste . ( ) |
487,383 | 386,241 | 70,680 | 5 | Burt is the only redeeming virtue . | A sarcastic , slightly self-parodying Burt Reynolds in his prime is the best thing this otherwise undistinguished actioner / mystery has to offer . Right from the opening scene , Reynolds sets up an unconventional action-movie character , who doesn't take himself too seriously . Unfortunately , he is plugged into an overloaded and ultimately unresolved plot , and into action sequences that are directed without much flair . Very minor film . ( ) |
487,250 | 386,241 | 114,683 | 5 | I agree , it's not so bad | Although Anna Nicole Smith will never be mistaken for a legitimate actress or action star , at least she doesn't embarrass herself in " To The Limit " because the film has been carefully designed to keep her confined within her acting / action limitations ( only one - brief - dramatic moment , only one - brief - fight , etc . ) . The requisite sex / shower scenes do appear , but they are almost treated as an afterthought , as an obligation . The film has a surprisingly intricate plot ( quite confusing in fact , at least during the first half ) , and some of the action / chase sequences ( like one where Anna has to drive backwards while the bad guys are shooting at her at the same time ) aren't bad . Overall , it's an OK low-budget action film , and really , what more than " OK " could you expect in this case ? ( ) |
486,190 | 386,241 | 82,425 | 5 | Sloppy but good-natured . | This horror spoof contains enough corny jokes to last you a lifetime , but is generally harmless and even has a certain schlocky charm . Produced on an obviously low budget and sloppily directed by Larry Cohen , it tries to do for werewolf flicks what " Airplane ! " had done for disaster epics the previous year , but it's just too " unpolished " to succeed . ( ) |
486,738 | 386,241 | 82,418 | 5 | Forgettable and worthless , but moodily directed . | While you're watching " Friday The 13th , Part 2 " , it's important to forget for a while your normal requirements from a movie . The characters are pitifully uninteresting , the ending is super-idiotic , the whole movie is cheap-looking , exploitive and trashy in the extreme . However , what distinguishes it from the other early " Friday The 13th " outings is the moody , atmospheric direction and the reasonably tight pacing . Miner ( who made the far , far inferior " Part 3D " the following year ) uses many point-of-view shots that are maybe even more effective than the similar shots in the first " Halloween " ! So , while the film is about as bad as the offensively inept " Final Chapter " in terms of characters and acting , it is possibly the best of the series in terms of directing . And it is a HUGE improvement over the original . |
487,355 | 386,241 | 361,620 | 5 | Unchallenging fluff | One thing I noticed right away about " First Daughter " is that Forest Whitaker ( a great actor , by the way ) has a decent sense of visual style . So perhaps he should choose more challenging material for his next directorial effort - after all , there is only so much you can do with a script like this , where everyone says and does exactly what you expect them to say and do ( though I admit that Keaton's President is a little " nicer " than expected ) . Katie Holmes is sweet and engaging ( when she doesn't try too hard ) , but this fluffy role is beneath her abilities . The real discovery here is Amerie Rogers , who gives a wonderful performance as Holmes ' roommate , but strangely enough the movie doesn't seem to care very much what happens to her . And one last observation : why is this movie so long ? It feels like it runs about 4 hours ! ( ) |
486,691 | 386,241 | 105,851 | 5 | Run-of-the-mill actioner . | Let's be honest here : if this exact same flick had been made in America , it wouldn't have been given a second look , but it's a Hong Kong production and , inevitably , a hyped-up " cult classic " . Go figure . Anyway , the revenge plot is familiar , and the film , lacking the emotional power of " The Killer " ( the only other Chow Yun-Fat flick I've seen ; both it and he were much better ) , becomes an empty display of pyrotechnics . And a very long one , too . ( ) |
487,139 | 386,241 | 86,050 | 5 | Agreeable stuff . . . | This one isn't quite as bad as you might expect . A cheap , schlocky horror movie that offers nothing new to the genre but remains watchable most of the time , thanks to fairly good direction and OK ( considering the low budget ) special effects . The climactic attack of the zombies is poorly handled , and the script seems to ignore the factor of " motivation " , but the movie is still acceptable . |
486,586 | 386,241 | 86,036 | 5 | Trivial horror fare . | Peter Weller's excellent performance is the best reason to see this film ; he gives us a very realistic portrait of a man's descent into near-insanity . Otherwise , this horror film is rather trivial , with an one-note premise which is handled pretty poorly ( although there are some scattered effective moments ) . Fortunately , Weller keeps it watchable enough . |
485,649 | 386,241 | 105,809 | 5 | Slow , obvious thriller . | The script telegraphs all of its " surprises " , the direction is strictly by-the-numbers and Dylan McDermott is a bland lead . There are only two noteworthy elements in this movie : the dangerous , edgy intensity Tom Sizemore brings to his role , and a couple of steamy moments provided by Sharon Stone , who was then at her best-looking phase ; at one point she actually says to McDermott : " Don't fret , you ' ll get the check in a week and you can have me now " . Now that's what I call a GOOD DEAL . ( ) |
486,231 | 386,241 | 94,834 | 5 | Not as good as its title . . . . and that says something . | With a title like that , I wasn't sure what to expect , but it definitely wasn't a low-low-low-grade comedy with endless pseudo-pointed conversations about the battle of the sexes ! The humor is very corny and some of the jokes are telegraphed well before they occur ! This still gets a generous rating of two stars , if only because it offers some nice eye-candy , and Karen Mistal , as the bubbleheaded student , is simply amazing . |
485,695 | 386,241 | 90,966 | 5 | Rambling , empty film . | This supposed " satire " lacks two things that are essential for a satire : a target and a purpose . The fact that it's even today considered to be a " satire " is extremely puzzling ; I wonder if there is one person who saw this film and understood what exactly this movie was meant to satirize . But the movie has other problems , besides its utter pointlessness ; the most serious one is that it's rarely funny . It adds up to a rambling collection of episodes , most of which are passable and watchable enough , but none of which is funny or meaningful or strong enough to stop the film from sinking . A waste of time . |
487,249 | 386,241 | 114,467 | 5 | The right grade for this film . . . | . . . is something around a " " . If you take Anna Nicole Smith out , it is a decent action film , with nice explosions , respect-worthy stunts ( people falling from great heights or being burned alive ) , and a few surprisingly solid martial arts fights with Branko Cikatik . And yet until today more than half of the 700-something people who have voted on " Skyscraper " gave it a " 1 " - obviously because of ANS ( and quite a few people gave it a " 10 " - again , obviously because of ANS ) . Yes , her acting is on a high-school play level , and her grotesquely over-sized breasts are a matter of taste , but you can't say that she doesn't make an effort . But if you're thinking of getting this movie just to see her nude , don't - the two sex scenes run a total of 5 minutes in a 90-minute movie and feel like they were added in post-production ( and in what might be an attempt to keep the ladies happy as well , the film includes a fair number of hunky males in it - seriously , these terrorists might have a more profitable career as fitness models ) . Overall , this is about on a par with ANS's other film , " To The Limit " ; take that as you will . ( ) |
486,682 | 386,241 | 82,242 | 5 | Slow . . . ( mild spoilers ) | Small-town sheriff investigates a series of strange murders ( with the victims being mostly outsiders ) , and discovers that the corpses are being stolen from their graves and re-animated , forming an " army " of walking dead . A good premise , but it's undone by slow , labored direction and illogical plot twists . Some chilling moments , but on the whole an overrated film . ( ) |
487,062 | 386,241 | 82,247 | 5 | Well-done but thinly plotted . | A well-done action yarn , filmed on beautiful natural locations . The plot is very thin , though , and the film tries to fill the dead spots with pointless brawls . Not really for Bronson fans , since his role is almost wordless . Marvin's performance is stronger , but , as a whole , this film is routine . |
486,021 | 386,241 | 94,750 | 5 | A poor man's James Bond | Playing a cross between James Bond and Jackie Chan , Sho Kosugi is likable enough , but unlike Jackie when he does a stunt the camera is too far away from him and it's hard to know if he is doubled or not ( if you stick around for the end credits , you'll discover that he WAS doubled on at least two occasions ) , and unlike Bond the action of the movie is limited to one location ( Malta ) most of the time , plus there isn't too much of it . Jean Claude Van Damme makes an awesome villain , but his two major showdowns with Kosugi are rather disappointing . In the role of a female CIA agent , Doran Clark handles her two opportunities for action capably - she should have gotten more . The funniest thing about this film is that Kosugi shows little chemistry with his on-screen kids , even though they are his kids in real life as well ! ( ) |
487,364 | 386,241 | 90,930 | 5 | This stuff can no longer affect us . . . . | This rather tiresome sequel to the 1986 Italian horror hit has some clever ideas ( I liked the concept of a demon entering our dimension through a TV screen ) and the special effects range from simply good to jaw-dropping , but the structure is awfully repetitive . You are likely to become totally anesthetized after a while by all the growling and the screaming and the running around and the blood that's dripping from the monsters ' fangs . Even the goriest scenes seem to have minimum impact . ( ) |
486,798 | 386,241 | 464,913 | 5 | Lukewarm | Special Agent OSS 117 , perhaps France's most famous answer to Britain's James Bond , enters the 21st century with " Cairo , Nest of Spies " , but unfortunately the producers don't seem sure of how to package his return : as a legitimate period spy flick , or as a spoof of the genre ? As a result , although the film has the colorful credits , the exotic locations , the beautiful women , the intrigue of the Bond universe ( and even a leading man who looks a bit like the 1960's Sean Connery ) , it's neither funny enough nor exciting enough . The indecisiveness extends to the way Jean Dujardin plays the role of OSS 117 : at times competent , suave and on top of the situation , at other times bumbling and making a fool of himself . Even the fight scenes range from serious ( and surprisingly good ) to slapstick ( two guys throwing chicken at each other ) . The highlight - and practically the climax - of the film is the catfight between Bérénice Bejo and Aure Autika : I like it when women use real fighting moves instead of just rolling around . ( ) |
487,323 | 386,241 | 82,288 | 5 | Dreary . | Dragonslayer is a dreary and gloomy fantasy that isn't nearly as much fun as it should have been . It needed a stronger sense of pacing , and more engaging characters . The much talked-about special effects are generally very convincing , although the dragon's face appears to be a bit stiff in close-ups . There are some interesting sequences ( the lottery , the climax ) , but for some reason I never found the movie really exciting . And kids will probably like only a few parts of it . ( ) |
486,051 | 386,241 | 66,993 | 5 | Noise and chaos . | Is it perhaps the film's admittedly powerful ending that makes people so willing to forget just how chaotic and dull most of this picture is ? Yes , you read that right : dull ! The scenes simply don't hang together . Russell is at his best in the few " visionary " sequences ( like those where Vanessa Redgrave imagines Oliver Reed as Jesus Christ , walking on water and , later , coming down from the cross to kiss her ) , but he's at his worst when he has to shoot one scene that must follow the previous one clearly and logically . ( ) |
485,880 | 386,241 | 79,592 | 5 | Disappointing . | Atmospheric direction , wonderfully " foggy " and detailed production design and a first-rate cast would almost seem to guarantee a success here , but " Murder By Decree " is a stiff , disappointing film . With its annoyingly pretentious dialogue and the affected performances by the main leads ( Sutherland and Gielgud , on the other hand , are very good ) , the picture never really comes to life ; from beginning to end it feels just like an ambitious , polished " project " . ( ) |
486,518 | 386,241 | 266,066 | 5 | Perverse , bizarre and thin on plot | Plotting and logic are not this film's strongest points : just the usual story of a female assassin ( with impossibly good aim ) who falls in love with one of her targets and wants to start a new life , but in this line of business " There's No Easy Way Out " , as that song in " Rocky IV " said . Basically , " Beautiful Hunter " is an exercise in perversity : of the two main characters , the woman caresses her own naked body with a gun , gets whipped , electrocuted and kills about 20 people , while the man performs oral sex on her to save his life ( ! ) , gets shot multiple times and stabbed in the neck with a pen . The female lead is compelling , but this film needed a stronger script to work . By the way , I watched the dubbed version , and the dubbing is surprisingly unobtrusive . ( ) |
487,568 | 386,241 | 80,380 | 5 | Something this bizarre cannot be dismissed so easily . | Vapid ( largely due to the male lead's inability to act - not surprisingly , this was his only film ) , bizarre fantasy-musical-allegory . It gets points for its sheer audacity and the effort that was put into it - it was probably made on a relatively low budget , yet it manages to create a world of its own ; apparently it was filmed in Germany , but it seems to be taking place on another universe altogether . For some reason , it reminded me of " Zardoz " ( yes , and " Logan's Run " too ) : these movies are so bizarre that they belong in a league of their own , beyond " good " and " bad " . Best song : " If you know how to be a ma-ster " . ( ) |
486,884 | 386,241 | 28,212 | 5 | Dated Hitchcock thriller . | This British Hitchcock thriller is dated and pretty weak , certainly weaker than " The Lady Vanishes " . Hitchcock tries hard , and he provides one memorable sequence ( the bomb in the bus ) , but he is defeated by the underwritten , poor script and the equally poor production values . |
486,749 | 386,241 | 32,536 | 5 | Weak Marx Brothers comedy . | After a brilliant and very promising opening sequence , this later Marx Brothers comedy goes downhill and never quite recovers . The film is still fitfully funny but it's also too conventional and not " wacky " enough . I found the romantic elements fairly appealing , but the " musical " parts - including Harpo's harp-playing - had no comic energy and the movie stalled for them . A weak , pleasant comedy . |
486,167 | 386,241 | 93,215 | 5 | Formulaic but pleasant . | Formulaic , uninspired but painless teen comedy . It's the typical formula where the young hero encounters every imaginable object as he tries to get to his ( constantly changing ) destination ; thanks to his wits , and to pure luck , he overcomes all of them . This film shares with many 80s comedies ( " Stripes " comes to mind ) the bad habit of turning into an action film halfway through , but the beautiful locations ( beautifully photographed ) keep it pleasant enough . ( ) |
486,778 | 386,241 | 63,135 | 5 | The worst of the series . | It's already been said : the idea of replacing Peter Sellers with Alan Arkin in the role of Inspector Clouseau did not work at all . Arkin tries valiantly , but mostly he seems like a serious actor trapped in a comic role , and his efforts come off as forced . But regardless of who's playing Clouseau , this is a flat , long comedy with a story that makes little sense and apparently ends without being fully resolved , and only a handful of funny moments along the way . Catch " Pink Panther Strikes Again " instead ! ( ) |
487,396 | 386,241 | 116,731 | 5 | Average , protracted . | This high-profile star vehicle is generally a misfire . It has little to recommend it besides the leads ' performances : Demi Moore is utterly convincing , and Alec Baldwin displays his charisma and gives us a three-dimensional villain . Not quite an unwatchable film , as many reviews might lead you to believe , but ordinary and needlessly protracted . ( ) |
487,281 | 386,241 | 68,273 | 5 | Disappointing " sequel " | First of all , I would like to say that I find Leonard Maltin's review of this film rather inaccurate . " Amusing SPOOF of prison films " ? Calling " The Big Bird Cage " a spoof is like calling " Die Hard " a spoof of action films because it contains some wisecracks and comic-relief characters . That said , I found this film inferior to its predecessor in pretty much every aspect . It is more exploitative , the direction has no pace , the characters are not as strongly drawn and Roberta Collins is sorely missed ( Candice Roman is a pretty blonde , but not as pretty as Roberta ) . Pam Grier's dominating presence ( especially in the scene where she proclaims herself the leader of the prison camp ) is not only the best , but one of the few things that this film has going for it . ( ) |
485,641 | 386,241 | 93,220 | 5 | Low-rent sequel to a low-rent movie . | This pseudo-sequel to " House " has no relation whatsoever to it , but the two films do share some common qualities : they are both low-rent , the " jungle " scenes here are as totally unconvincing as the Vietnam flashbacks there , and the comic moments work much better than the supposed " horror " ones . |
486,246 | 386,241 | 68,230 | 5 | Mechanically directed horror film . | Asylum is a four-part horror / anthology film that fails to satisfy the viewer . The first story is a familiar , one-note revenge tale . The second begins intriguingly but gets increasingly predictable . Still , it's the one that stands out , mainly due to Peter Cushing's delightful performance . The third story is clearly the worst : slow-paced , tedious , devoid of interest . The fourth and final story is perhaps the most original in its conception , but it's too short and the possibilities never get developed . Aside from a genuine surprise at the end , the scripting is generally unimaginative , and the mechanical direction gives a routine feel to the whole production . |
485,949 | 386,241 | 59,282 | 5 | Slight Supposed Spy Spoof | Hot Enough For June tries to be both a James Bond spoof AND a serious spy thriller , but in truth it contains very little humor and very little action . What it does have is a lot of cold war espionage - it certainly feels more like a real spy movie than any Bond film of the period , with the notable exception of " From Russia With Love " . At the end , the real aim of the film seems to be to reveal the pointlessness and futility of the typical spy games . But since what we just watched WAS a typical spy game , the film ends up feeling pointless and futile itself ! Dirk Bogarde is fine as the reluctant spy , Robert Morley is fun as essentially an " M " figure , and the unspeakably gorgeous Sylva Koscina , who starred in several spy movies of this period , reminds us once again what a shame it was that she never got to be a real Bond girl - she would have easily ranked among the Top 3 . ( ) |
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