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Reviews
The Swerve (2018)
Amazing and intense. I still can't shake it!
Caught this at the film's world premier at Cinepocalypse. Now that it's getting released, I still can't shake it off. Knew very little going in and I was blown away. An incredible performance by Azura Skye as Holly, a mom, wife, daughter, sister and English teacher as you follow her on a downward spiral of madness and death.
Acting, cast and direction are top-notch. The cinematography draws you in and takes hold. The music is by the guy who did "The Witch" and "The Lighthouse" and it's gorgeous. This film is a bleak, but cathartic, beautiful and unforgettable study of mental illness. A real gut punch. Don't miss it!
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Overwhelmingly Powerful
I had my doubts about this film going in but coming out I was genuinely shaken and moved to tears. I learned things I had not known and it changed my
perception. The manner in which the film is constructed is brilliant--funny, moving, and so unexpectedly powerful it's like getting a kidney punch from your best friend. It's success is rightly deserved. Michael Moore is a daring, fearless artist and that's what great art is all about--to challenge, conflict, provoke, illuminate--precisely what this film accomplishes.
Die Another Day (2002)
The Best of the Brosnan Bonds.
"Die Another Day" is a refreshing sigh of relief from at least the 2 previous Bonds. Sure, the familiar Bondisms and cartoonish set-ups, wit and violence are still present but there's a also a welcome momentum to the pacing and plot that I suspect is largely due to Lee Tamahori's muscular direction. The cast is solid. Halle Berry holds her own and seems to be having a blast, John Cleese is hilariously dry as Q, and Judi Dench's M is practically Bond's adversary. Best of all, Brosnan has never been more comfortable in the role.
Also, the action sequences are often stunning with my favorite being a witty country club sword fight and a car chase along a frozen Icelandic lake. The credits sequence is particularly stylish and well tied to the plot and even Madonna's cameo is fine.
Cheers to Bond on his 40th anniversary!
Chi l'ha vista morire? (1972)
An Excellent Giallo
Very well-crafted giallo is an obvious precursor to Nicolas Roeg's ingenious and similarly Venetian-set "Don't Look Now". Suspenseful, engrossing and with some skillful visual flourishes--such as the black-veiled killer framed against a snowy landscape--makes it clearly stand from its sleazier counterparts in the genre. Ennio Morricone's delirious score is one of my favorites and nearly impossible to shake from your mind!
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
For those disappointed by Episode I...
... this should appease you. It did for me. Forget the mainstream critics, they're all on a trendy Lucas-bashing binge and have never truly gotten what the films encapsulate. Is Ep. II perfect? No. The romance is clunky and ludicrous but it's still a thrilling, elegant fantasy that's right behind Episode IV and V as the best of the SW epics. I bow to Master Yoda!
Va savoir (2001)
The Emperor's New Clothes
Most critics salivated over this film and described it as a comic roundelay to savor. HA! A more realistic examination would compare it to watching paint dry. At nearly three hours, it's tedious plot and arch dialogue are enough to drive a viewer screaming from the theater.
The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
Completely and Unexpectedly Terrific!
After being underwhelmed by director Mark Pellington's previous film "Arlington Road" I went into this with little knowledge of the storyline or anticipation of what I would be seeing. To my surprise, I was quickly drawn in. This is one scary film--along the lines of "Rosemary's Baby" and "Don't Look Now" (so if you're looking for stalk and slash gore--skip it). The film is carefully designed and executed to hold you still, chill you and make you think about what you're seeing. An excellent film that genre fans or anyone seeking something hair-raising should see right away.
Lantana (2001)
One of the best of 2001
This came as a complete surprise to me. It's a rich and rewarding drama involving the circuitous events entwining a group of characters in a suburb of Sydney. Reminded me quite a bit of Altman and Kieslowski's works but in the best way. Intimate and absorbing through and through thanks to an accomplished cast. Each performance hits not a false note. And it's great to see Barbara Hershey in a juicy role again.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
A Wonderful Film.
New Line Cinema should be tossing rose petals at Peter Jackson's feet. A great piece of filmmaking that still lingers in my mind. Compare it to the sterile "Star Wars: Episode One" and the achievement is all the better. I can't wait to see it again. It's the best of the year.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
A Stinker! Absolutely Horrible!
This is by far Tim Burton's worst film. Some nice visuals and performances don't offset a truly terrible script. Also, further enhanced by an audience-groaning stunner of a bad ending. A waste of time and money--Burton's a fine director who should stay far way from big-budget studio-tampered behemoths like this. Ugh.
Ghost World (2001)
It's so very highly overrated
I looked forward to seeing this but found it very disappointing. It's at least 20 minutes too long and really doesn't go anywhere. It just meanders---which would be okay if it went into some interesting direction but it doesn't. Steve Buscemi is the highlight of the film. He's funny and pathetic. There are some funny moments but it has no heart just plenty of sarcasm and some not so pointed comments on the way we live and hide and contradict one another. Yawn.
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Superior to "Lost World" in every way. Great fun.
Lean, fast and fun seems to be the objective of Jurassic Park III and it succeeds without ever hitting a dull spot. It wastes no time in getting to the island and once it does it just doesn't let up. The FX are astoundingly good--the pteradon attack has to be one of the most beautiful pieces of wizardry I've seen. Director Joe Johnston did a fine job with "Jumanji" and he more than proves his salt with this.
2001's first non-disappointing Summer blockbuster.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Hugely Disappointing and Quite Dull
Atlantis is beautifully animated. The colors and compositions are lush and elegant; it's as handsome looking as anything to come from Disney. But looks are everything and "Atlantis" is sorely lacking in story and character. Actually, it's dull and formulaic. The characters are totally conventional. When we finally do arrive in Atlantis you'd think it would look amazing, perhaps awe inspiring! Instead, you get a somewhat psychedelic Mayan/Aztec inspired jungle ruins and a brief battle on scooters. I could go on and on... why bother? A wasted opportunity.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Save your money, rent the video
The bombing doesn't disappointment. The special effects are excellent, it's pretty exciting, well-staged, etc. That sequence lasts about 30 minutes. The other 2 and 1/2 hours which centers on love triangle between Affleck, Hartnett and Beckinsale is dull, totally ridiculous and quite difficult to sit through. Two young women sitting behind me were frequently doubled over with laughter. Though the characters frequently cry and laugh and kiss, I felt completely disconnected from them. And Affleck sports a terrible Southern (!) accent, unlike anything I've heard before. It's such a cliche-ridden mess. You'll be rolling your eyes and laughing out loud at scene after scene. Shame, really. It could have been great.
Le locataire (1976)
One of Polanski's Best
This great, creepy psychological thriller/black comedy really deserves to be rediscovered. As per usual, the entire production is superlative. The decrepit apartment house perfectly illustrates the disintegrating mental state of the main character, Trelkovsky (a beautifully understated Polanski). Shelley Winters is a stand-out as the Concierge and that opening shot, coupled with Phillipe Sarde's haunting music, is a knockout. In fact, the main theme is so effective that every time I hear it stays with me for days.
Along with "Repulsion" and "Rosemary's Baby," "The Tenant" forms an excellent trilogy. If only Paramount would release this on DVD!
Heaven (1998)
How in the world did this excellent film not get released?!
Saw "Heaven" on a strong recommendation though I'd never heard of it. The story's centered around a stripper named Heaven and the relationships formed around her, a compulsive gambler, his wife and the stripjoint owner. Scary, suspenseful, funny and altogether quite unique. It's a great film. Brilliantly directed, written and acted. It's recently been released on video. Seek it out!
Heaven (1998)
How in the world did this excellent film not get released?!
Saw "Heaven" on a strong recommendation though I'd never heard of it. The story's centered around a stripper named Heaven and the relationships formed around her, a compulsive gambler, his wife and the stripjoint owner. Scary, suspenseful, funny and altogether quite unique. It's a great film. Brilliantly directed, written and acted. It's recently been released on video. Seek it out!
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
A gorgeous, elegant prequel that fits perfectly into the Star Wars universe
Just saw it again and it works even better the second and third time around. Don't listen to critics they're just blocked artists. Episode One stands on its own and works just as well as Episodes 4-6.
And that lightsaber duel... WOW!
C'era una volta il West (1968)
Find this film and see it!
Really incredible. I'll never forget having first seen it. The film is long but very carefully paced. It builds and builds to the most amazing climax. The duel between Bronson and Fonda is the BEST! Those flashbacks and the look in Fonda's eyes when he gets that mouthful of harmonica makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end just by thinking about it! Masterfully directed by Leone and co-written by a then future masterful filmmaker--Dario Argento.
La petite mort (1995)
The best short film I've ever seen
The story centers on a young gay photographer and his emotional and physical confrontation with his family.
No summary will do justice to the manner in which this highly unconventional film unfolds.
In just 26 minutes this film packs more ideas and emotion than most features. The director lets the images speak for themselves and they are indeed funny, unsettling and quite powerful.
Bulworth (1998)
I was totally shocked that this is a GREAT film!
The comments on this board are all interesting and quite valid in their praise of Warren Beatty's gutsy take on American politics. However, no one's made mention that this is film is also brilliantly crafted. Beatty has made a film that balances dozens of well-etched characters in under two hours and made it move lightning fast. The story never loses focus, is wildly romantic and is the first political film that is so gorgeous to look at--it's painted in lush, primary colors that made my jaw drop open with delight.
It is fantastic and should have been honored with more Academy recognition.
Inferno (1980)
The best cinematic nightmare ever filmed
Haunting, beautifully filmed and ripe with imagery I'll never forget: a swim through an underwater ballroom;rats scurrying beneath a lunar eclipse over Central Park; a cat devouring a live mouse.
This is the best attempt at creating a filmic nightmare. And therefore it's one of the best genre films ever made. The more one watches the more one becomes immersed in it.
As good if not better than its predecessor SUSPIRIA.
Suspiria (1977)
Dario Argento is the Edgar Allen Poe of Cinema
See this wild masterpiece only in its uncut, widescreen glory. And play it loud. You'll lose yourself in its labyrinthine twists and turns.
I can watch Argento's films repeatedly and find something fresh each time. A true master.
La sindrome di Stendhal (1996)
Argento's tour of a tortured soul
This vastly underrated film can be read on so many different levels that it would be a grand mistake to judge it as a misfire. From its mesmerizing opening scene to the final, unusually compassionate one, this is unlike any thriller ever filmed. Argento is one of the world's last visionary directors and certainly one of the greatest.
Phenomena (1985)
A Pool of Maggots, Monster Children and Decapitations!
Crazy, super stylish, dream-like Dario Argento film involving a teenage girl with mental control over insects and a serial killer with a penchant for wallowing in body parts. Oh, yeah... there's also a razor-wielding chimpanzee and the world's longest telephone cord. Don't miss the uncut version which runs a full 28 minutes over the American release known as "Creepers".