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Reviews
John Hus (1977)
straight and to the point
I enjoyed this film, which I believe was a one-hour bio on the Protestant reformer who predated Luther and the rest by about a hundred years.
It's kind of funny watching trained English stage actors play the parts of simple farmers and priests. Also, the cinematography was a little weak. But I believe that this was intended, so as to keep the movie simple and to the point about an idealist reformer. So although the film quality drops the rating, the story makes up for it.
It's strange to think that religious freedoms that we take for granted, like being able to read Scripture in our own tongue, cost the lives of dedicated and idealistic people hundreds of years ago. With this mindset penultimately installed in the viewer at film's end, John Hus is burned at the stake in 1415 while singing a hymn, another once-banned practice.
The Super (1991)
(shudder)
in this movie, joe pesci slams dunks a basketball. joe pesci...
and being consistent, the rest of the script is equally not believable.
pesci is a funny guy, which saves this film from sinking int the absolute back of the cellar, but the other roles were pretty bad. the father was a greedy businessman who valued money more than people, which wasn't even well-played. instead of the man being an archetypal villain, he seemed more like an amoral android programmed to make money at all costs. then there's the token piece that is assigned to pesci as a girlfriend or something...i don't even remember...she was that forgettable.
anyone who rates this movie above a 5 or 6 is a paid member of some sort of film studio trying to up the reputation of this sunken film, or at least one of those millions of media minions who can't critique efficiently (you know, the people who feel bad if they give anything a mark below 6).
stay away...far away. and shame on comedy central, where i saw this film. they usually pick better.
Nothing to Lose (1995)
a blank film
this film draws a total blank in my mind. i don't know whether to call it good or bad...it just seems to be there. the characters seem to run together, and unless you pay special attention, you'll mix them up very easily. there's not enough nuance to bring any of the characters out into the spotlight.
and although the new jersey cliche is muted much more than the stereotypical presentation in "Jersey Girl", it is still evidently what we would portray new jersey's finest as. do people really act like that in jersey? hopefully not. maybe they do, and if so, i ain't going there.
adrien brody's performance wasn't the best, despite his ability to be a great actor. i kept on watching the movie, although it didn't really interest me too much. it's one of those mystical "C" caliber movies that you just sit through as some rite of passage into independent film land.
Bowling for Columbine (2002)
canada seems a bit welcoming...
Michael Moore does this country a great justice with this film. He exposes the crazy, ultra-militant underbelly of American culture without spreading a bunch of liberal-slanted accusations that would taint the message. In fact, he has several conservative moments, including one where he doffs his lifetime NRA membership card before Charlton Heston.
Moore is quick to point out the paranoid American blame cycle that is the stain on our collective carpet. When bad things happen (or might happen) Americans are quick to single out the immediately convenient scapegoat, but are hardpressed to focus the microscope on the bigger picture of our progressively crumbling society. Especially as compares to other European nations and the relatively placid Canada, who are made out to be a paragon of virtue by comparison.
Between this even-handed film and the fact that I was forced to sign my life over to Selective Service to obtain college funding, I have the funny feeling I'll be seeing the better side of the Great Lakes soon. And to add to this joy, Bowling for Columbine gives any rational thinker the fuel to stand up to the most bigoted, indoctrinated, flag-waving apple pie die for your government pigeon.
The Program (1993)
The Program
About as well as you can address the fleeting world of sports. Like most sports film it tries to reveal a stoic creed of fraternity amongst the players, but comes off looking like a bad "join the army/mom&pop/apple pie" americana promotion. the male/female connections in the film are barely believable and exhibit almost no chemistry. the only redeeming facet is the performance of the steroid-abusing lineman who approaches each game with some sort of indian-death battle mentality.