Reviews

I haven't read the book, but I have seen Fincher's latest masterpiece and, rather than bore anyone with a synopsis of this mind-blowing gem, I must state emphatically, "This is one of the best movies made in the last 10 years!"

If I was stuck on a desert island, this classic would be at the top of my list. Bravo, Mr.Fincher!

An experimental `bio-chip' bestows anthropomorphic properties on an outdated, household vacuum cleaner in this derivative family yarn featuring Amanda Donohoe and Giancarlo Esposito.

Newcomer Jared Robbins takes center stage as `Stardust's' owner, a schoolboy whose scientist-father has been imprisoned for refusing to co-operate with the `evil military complex.' Get the picture? After promises of comparisons to `Short Circuit' and `Home Alone,' this fantasy quickly fizzles out.

It started off strong and I really wanted to like it, but `Stardust' is a major waste of time. I kept waiting for the dumb vacuum cleaner -- and the movie -- to come to life. Neither did.

Here is a powerful and moving tale of strained familiar relationships set amid the picturesque hedgerows on the Isle of Man. James Cromwell (`Babe') stars as Adam McAdam, an embittered widower whose blame-laying has become a way of life and the fuel that stokes his feud with neighboring sheep farmer Keith Moore (Colm Meaney). Along comes McAdam's orphaned American grandson (Dylan Provencher), who strikes up a relationship with Moore's daughter (Jemima Rooper) and becomes a voice of reason when both men's championship dogs are suspected in a series of sheep killings.

Cromwell is excellent as the stern, tight-lipped McAdam, an almost menacing departure from the farmer we all loved in `Babe.' Beautifully photographed and scored with wonderful Irish rhythms, `Owd Bob' is strong stuff that tugs at the heartstrings and should appeal to film lovers worldwide. By the by, the odd title (a remake of Robert Stevenson's 1938 film) is the name of one of the dogs.

Here's a strange little thriller that fluctuates all over the place in a disjointed but intriguing way. Harry Hamlin (star of the upcoming "Movie Stars" TV series) plays Jack Beldon, a drifter who insinuates himself into a widowed (and relocated) mom's family. Her 13-year-old son (Trevor Blumas) has strong reservations about opening their home to a "stranger," and these feelings are compounded after a local woman is found strangled in her home and the boy detective uncovers dark secrets about Mr. Hamlin's past and... his alias.

Toss Graham Greene ("Dances With Wolves") into the stew as a babbling vagrant known as "The Creeper" and the interest level rises. Is Jack a ladykiller or has the "harmless" Creeper gone off the deep end? "Stranger in Town" keeps you guessing 'til the bitter end. Not Hitchcock, but not bad either

Cross `Invasion of the Body Snatchers' with `Journey to the Far Side of the Sun' and you get `The Lake,' a better-than-average foray into televised science-fiction fantasy.

Instead of emotionless pod-people, these invaders are exact opposites of their earthbound twins, doppelgangers from a poisoned alternate earth that are repopulating our world through an idyllic portal in the languid waters of a California lake. That is the premise of this creepy little ditty from network TV, starring former-`Baywatch' babe Yasmine Bleeth, Oscar-nominee Haley Joel Osment (`The Sixth Sense') and TV alumni Robert Prosky (`Hill Street Blues') and Marion Ross (`Happy Days').

As a sci-fi fan who considers `Invasion of the Body Snatchers' sacred, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily this derivative tele-chiller captured my interest and managed to build suspense right through to the end. Credit director David Jackson (`Atomic Train'), who appears to treat the genre with genuine respect while treading a well-traveled road. Buy the premise and you'll buy the film.

England's most notorious serial killer - the fictional Leo Rook - stalks castaways at a desolate lighthouse in this surprisingly eerie chiller from Britain. Very atmospheric and very gory, as the gaunt killer (Charles Adamson) hacks his way through the supporting cast, comprised of his former keepers and cellmates. Pretty scary stuff despite director Simon Hunter's formulaic "stalk 'n' slash" approach. Heads will roll (a total of six, I believe) before the explosive ending.

Even a jaded horror fan like me found plenty of nerve-wracking sequences to enjoy -- especially the lighthouse toilet scene. So, by all means, grab your rowboats and head for the mainland before Leo Rook catches up with you.

A manipulative Texas businessman (Tim Matheson) uses resources in high places to terrorize and subjugate former girlfriend Shannen Doherty ("Beverly Hills 90210") in this precautionary tale supposedly "based on a true story." Do people this rotten really exist? And, does Tim Matheson have a corner on the market for playing them in these cheap teledramas?

Doherty plays a recuperating rape victim who's also an ER nurse and a triathlete when she meets up with the suave (yet sinister) Dick Strang, the egomaniacal owner of a string of health spas. Strang, on the tail end of a bitter divorce battle, turns on the lovely Ms. Doherty with a vengeance, culminating in a hail of gunfire. Paralyzed from the neck down, Doherty makes a determined bid to walk again, convict the untouchable Strang and marry the orthopedic surgeon of her dreams.

Sounds too good to be true, eh? It's unfortunate that the provocative title effectively tips director William A. Graham's hand early, completely dispelling any element of suspense.

Some unintentionally humorous dialogue and a pretty neat plot twist barely save this Canadian-American crime thriller from obscurity and an early grave. Staged in the Big Apple, the titular characters - contract killers Casper Van Dien and Rick Fox - stalk assorted "prey" for their Louisiana boss, all the while trying to elude the NYPD (led by Daniel Pilon) and a renegade cop (Catherine Oxenberg) from the Big Easy. Are Oxenberg and Van Dien romantically linked? Will Van Dien ever retire from his bloody business? Does anyone really care?

Director Sidney Furie tries to generate sympathy for his stone-faced players, but Van Dien ("Starship Troopers") and Oxenberg ("Lair of the White Worm") were never known for their sensitive performances. Some dreadfully ham-fisted screenwriting doesn't help either. If you want some real action leavened with humor, try "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead," "Pulp Fiction" or even "The Big Hit."

This mess -- now titled "Vampires and Other Stereotypes" -- is the best argument for taking video cameras out of the hands of incompetents before they hurt someone. Too late for me. I was one of the unfortunate few who picked up this dismal "vampire" flick, hoping to be entertained with 80 minutes of bloodsucking humor. Forgettaboudit! There's nary a vampire to be found until the last five minutes. Instead, you get an hour's worth of senseless gibberish about two New York yutzes standing guard over the gateway to Hell.

And the monsters, the demonic beings waiting to burst through the portal and enslave the people of Earth? Why, they're the worst leftovers from a cheap costume shop that I've ever seen. The only redeeming aspect to this antediluvian abortion is Wendy Bednarz, the blonde heroine of "There's Nothing Out There," a far better movie that was filmed on a much tighter shoestring. Too bad she's as totally wasted here as I was.

A relocated California teen (Roy Newton) faces rampant anti-white sentiment in this interesting `coming of age' drama set in the island paradise of Hawaii. The acting is fair and the drama often forced, as the well-meaning lad struggles to fit into a culture where local islanders view mainlanders as a threat and respond with aggression. This isn't the Hawaii my travel agent pitched.

This uneven effort, written and directed by first-timer David L. Cunningham, is laudable in attempt and tone but suffers from the constrictions of budget and experience. By the final reel, all the characters have either failed or suffered and there are no clear resolutions, except those espoused – all too briefly -- by a native schoolteacher.

A stellar supporting cast, rich cinematography and a fine eye for detail all punctuate this near-epic account of the trials and tribulations of the legendary cleric who devoted his life (quite literally) to the care and salvation of a doomed Hawaiian leper colony. Australian David Wenham's most important role to date is set at the turn of the century, when ignorance and greed ruled most levels of secular government. This left the beneficent young priest to suffer alongside his charges while much-needed funding was going to higher-profile healers in richer colonies.

Peter O'Toole is wonderful (in a brief appearance), as are Sam Neill, Leo McKern, Alice Krige, Derek Jacobi and even Kris Kristofferson but, ultimately, it is Wenham's chore to haul this monster ashore. It's evident early on that "Molokai" lacks the heart and conviction of the selfless giant who inspired it.

Brooke Shields -- in a departure from her "Suddenly Susan" duties -- plays a bitter divorcee who embroils three girlfriends in a "girls only" weekend in Palm Springs. The problem: Brooke is "unattached" and on the prowl, while her friends are all involved. Hence the title implications and emotional backlash their "amoral" weekend causes.

Despite a few laughs generated by Dan Cortese ("Victoria's Closet") and MTV "relationship authorities" Adam Corolla and Dr. Drew Pinsky, this is somber stuff for women only. D.B. Sweeney, Virginia Madsen and Jon Polito co-star.