jenben1427 Reviews

Bad Influence (1990)

Great characters, mediocre film

[6/10 · 19 May 2006]

I am a *big* fan of James Spader; I think he's done wonderful work and his acting is superb. He does a very impressive job in _Bad Influence_ as the milquetoast Michael. I laughed at him a couple times because I felt and empathized with his awkwardness.

Rob Lowe does a surprisingly good job as a sociopath. His laughing is well timed and his complete lack of fear (mostly) gives his character more depth.

Christian Clemenson is *great* as Michael's brother. I found his character delightful.

And yet… …And yet I kept asking myself: "Isn't this thing over yet?" It just didn't draw me in. I found the story highly unbelievable in that the relationship between Michael and Alex isn't very strong. Granted, Michael is a natural follower and not a leader, like Alex, but the things Michael accepts about Alex are overwhelming and don't seem in-line with his morals. Moreover, what created this great bond between them? It's not explained and that left the movie feeling hollow to me.

(I feel like freaking Roger Ebert here; I thought the movie was great because James Spader is an excellent actor and he's easy on the eyes. However, it kinda sucked because it failed to keep my attention and I could see no reason why Michael followed Alex)

Bewitched (2005)

Not what you'd expect

[6/10 · 26 June 2005]

I went to the theater with few expectations because I knew they were taking the movie in a direction entirely different from the show. And they did.

Will Ferrell took a step outside of his typical character and that made me sad because I so enjoy his brand of humor, which is a little lacking. Nicole Kidman does an excellent job playing the ingénue. Michael Caine is very good as Nicole Kidman's character's father. Steve Carell did as good a job as he could as Uncle Arthur, but there's no way to truly embody Paul Lynde, who I believe was brilliant. Nobody shined, but nobody completely flopped. If I could go back in time, I would save my money. But since I can't, it's nothing to regret.

As a lovely highlight, they do show you clips from the original Bewitched, which made me want to run out and rent the DVDs.

Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill (1998 Video)

Esoterically brilliant!

[10/10 · 24 May 2005]

Right, then, he's absolutely brilliant. But you must be intelligent and quick to understand his humor. He covers (attacks?) all sorts of topics, such as the first moon landing, Easter/Christmas, transvestitism, movies, and Herr Doktor Heimlich.

For those of you are averse to swearing, this isn't for you. While some of us punctuate with commas and periods, he uses the f-word. Also, if you can't laugh at yourself, never watch this; you will feel the fool.

Incidentally, I've watched his other stuff and even saw him perform live, and this is by far his best work. He simply shines.

What might go so far as to say he is Glorious.