Change Your Image
Number 9
Reviews
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
a long time ago in a land far far away
This film is by far the best of the trilogy. This could be the one that lands Mr. Jackson that coveted little golden statue. Also, am I alone in thinking the film industry needs to bring back intermission? I mean 3 and a half + hours is an awfully long time to sit without a toilette break.
Kwik Stop (2001)
A departure from the typical Boy Meets Girl Road Trip Film
A wonderful little independent film. I had the chance to see this at SXSW in 2002.
Kwik Stop starts out like your normal Boy Meets Girl, boy and girl go on road trip, boy and girl get into trouble type film. It quickly leaves that genre however and ends up in some completely other place.
It bounces from comedy to melodrama about half way through. All of the performances are wonderful and the writing is good (if not at all times believable). Some of the dialogue was a bit too over the top for my tastes and the ending had me asking "why". I think had this film stayed more light-hearted I would have liked it more. But for the Writer/Director's first effort it was well worth seeing!
The Trouble with Lou (2001)
A parody on those school educational films we all loved to hate...
"The Trouble With Lou" is not yet released in theaters but if it comes around please go see this comedy. I happened across it at the 2001 SXSW film festival in Austin, Texas. Truly original and funny. Lou is a fifties style school educational film about a fifties teen who has a "problem", thus the title.
The look of this film is truly amazing considering the low budget. It is set in the fifties, and filmed in black and white.
The story is truly funny. The actors are quite good and deliver very convincing performances considering the funny storyline (I won't spoil this). The narrator character played by non-actor Bart Kearns comes very close to stealing the movie away from the leads. His brief appearances in the film are quite memorable and extremley funny. For a guy who can't act Bart comes off very believable. Katheryn's performance is spot on as Lou's tormented love interest and shows quiet charm in the delivery of her lines. But of course this film is about Lou and Lou Romano pulls this roll off with skill. Teddy and Gregor's writing are witty and just downright funny. All the pieces are there for this to be a top rate comedy. They just need to be put together. As of this writing the film is still being finished.
The only real trouble with Lou is it aint out there for us to see.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Eeeeeh Eeeeeeh Eeeeeeeh! A-pe +
Being a lover of the original series I was nervous to say the least. But Tim Burton surprised even me. His take on the ape story is just as good and fresh as the original! This film starts off fast and keeps moving. Burton's dark avant-garde style of film making does not interfere with this flick. And yet his style is all over. This film has witty dialogue, GREAT special effects, and great ape performances from all. The "monkeys" in this version are so much more menacing here that I just may have nightmares. Mark Whalberg's debut into super-stardom is also noteworthy. His mile a minute, never stop attitudes is refreshing and brings his character to life.
I won't go into the story but I will say I didn't think Burton could offer an ending as creative and shocking as the original... but guess what? HE DID IT.... twists and monkeys abound! Go ape and go see it....
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Nothing I haven't seen before
This "train-wreck" of a film had all the potential in the world. Unfortunately Speilberg's vision of humanity crashes head on with the late Stanley Kubricks' isolationist views. A.I. "borrows" from several films; and as a result A.I offers nothing new (save maybe for the odd ending) I've seen parts of this film in others such as: "Bicentennial Man", "Blade Runner", "A Clock Work Orange", "E.T", "Close Encounters", and yes "Pinochio".
The film wasn't awful it's just another manipulative tear jerker offering from formulaic Steven Speilberg. If Speilberg uses this formula to force us to cry one more time I just may vomit.
Gojira ni-sen mireniamu (1999)
"There is a bit of Godzilla in all of us!"
I LOVED this flick. A total throwback to the Godzilla of yesterday. No Stupid 3d computer effects; just a man in a suit! Excellent.
Film drags a tad in the middle. But otherwise pure pleasure. Found myself laughing out loud several times. I dare say, "so bad it's good".
Great overhead shots of Tokyo. Also, scenes of Godzilla blowing fire out his mouth RULE!
I highly recommend seeing this in a run down theater as I did. This will add to the camp quality. I am not being sarcastic.
The final scene showing a guy commenting on how ironic it is we try and destroy Godzilla as he saves us is the BEST DIALOGUE EVER! When he says, "perhaps there is a bit of Godzilla in all of us", the camera pans down and shows Godzilla literally leveling Tokyo! This shot had me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. I LOVED THIS MOVIE!
Godzilla rules.
City Lights (1931)
Perhaps one the most poignant films in the 20th century.
The ending where the the flower girl realizes whom her anonymous benefactor is will make the most hardened film goer break down and cry. No need for sound to hear the most powerful lines to come out of a closing scene: "you can see now?" asks the downtrodden tramp. her reply, " yes. I can see now".
One of only three films in which I have been brought to tears.
Perhaps one of the first full length comedies to incorporate drama into its story line. City Lights is a masterpiece.