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Reviews
Don't Say a Word (2001)
Good solid thriller
The sort of thriller at which Michael Douglas excels (though he's looking a little long in the tooth now). This is a well constructed, well acted, beautifully
photographed thriller. Although there is nothing surprising or unusual, it is a good evening's entertainment.
My only complaint is that the main characters played by Michael Douglas, Sean Bean, and Brittany Murphy are so well acted and well written, that the other
characters - the wife, the policewoman, the daughter - are to some extent
squeezed out. This is a shame, as their performances are excellent.
Wild About Harry (2000)
Amusing, light entertainment
Black comedy about a hard-drinking/smoking/womanising Irish TV chef who loses his memory when on the brink of divorce. Harry is a mix of male TV chefs from Graham Kerr to Keith Floyd and looks a hell of a lot like Patrick, the Irish Anglia TV chef.
This is a well-constructed film, funny without being hilarious, moving without being too syrupy.
Brendan Gleeson play this part so well that it's hard to imagine anyone else doing it.
Amanda Donahoe is excellent in a different role for her.
George Wendt as a TV producer is George Wendt - a delight to watch (please can we see more of him).
Nothing groundbreaking, just good entertainment.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Two films in one
(May contain spoilers) The first 90 percent of this film is a very good supernatural thriller - a small boy sees dead people and is helped by a child psychiatrist. So you watch this, it seems a very good film, you reach the ending, and you relax.
Then the rug is pulled from under you.
You realise that the world-view you created from watching the events in the film is completely wrong.
This is not a twist - a twist is when you realise that the good guy is really the bad guy or vice versa. This is a complete dimensional shift.
I cannot think of a previous film where this has been done. I don't think you can label a film a classic until it's over ten years old, but I'm sure this one will last.
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Why bother?
Superficially, this looks like a quality film - well photographed, with good acting.
Unfortunately, the story and direction do not compare.
The bizarre semi-supernatural storyline, the beginning of which seemed to have been shoved into Halloween V as an afterthought, is continued in this film, but nothing seems to fit together properly. It's just an incoherent mess. The attraction of the original films was their simplicity, which has been thrown away.
There's little in the way of thrills or suspense.
U.S. Marshals (1998)
A Good chase, but...
A spectacular plane crash turns into an action-packed chase. The story is good, the pace is good - it's only in some of the characterisation and dialogue that the film falls down.
Snipes turns in an excellent performance - the only problem with his character is some of the unconvincing words that are put into his mouth. His girlfriend, too, is excellent - we just needed to see more of her.
Tommy Lee Jones seemed to be playing a huge parody of parts he's played before. His role was riddled with cliches. However, I'm sure that die-hard (Die-Hard?) action fans will neither notice nor care.
I'm just astounded that Patrick Malahide (Inspector Chisum from Minder) turned up in this as some sort of government agent!
The House in Nightmare Park (1973)
Fine showpiece for Frankie Howard
This would be a fairly ordinary British seventies film but for its two main stars. This is a rare opportunity to see Frankie Howard in a starring role, and he does not disappoint. Ray Milland, too, is at his best, as a less camp (and in my view superior) version of Vincent Price. Direction is good, and tension and atmosphere are maintained well throughout the film. A must for Frankie Howard fans.
The Wrong Box (1966)
Pete and Dud at their best
This film has a feast of British 1960s film stars, from the well-known (Michael Caine, Ralph Richardson) to the more obscure (Willoughby Goddard, Tutte Lemkov, Nanette Newman - the director's wife). Peter Cook and Dudley Moore are as good as they were in their TV shows. The script is hilarious in parts. The music in the funeral scene is classic John Barry. Overall, an enjoyable, fast-paced romp.