Reviews

"Domino" is everything that is bad in cinema today. This film is over-stylized and plot less. Tony Scott must have decided he was an artist at some point after "Top Gun". Although "True Romance" has its moments, this glaring new photographic and directorial approach is annoying and prolonged exposure can probably cause brain damage. The brightness of the film continuously increases and decreases. The colors are all wrong and often nauseating. The camera is in constant motion, drunkenly stumbling from left to right with several lunges forward or backwards at the most inopportune times. It looks like an advertisement or a music video... something that may be observed for 3-5 minutes maximum. The performances are o.k., but Tony Scott's acclaimed direction distracts from an already fragmented and uninspired story.

I wish other film fans would feel what I feel when I watch "Vanilla Sky". It would be regarded as a classic, and referred to often as a cinematic achievement. I feel this is Cameron Crowe's greatest film, and Tom Cruise's finest performance. "Vanilla Sky" has deep and meaningful messages which stay in the soul long after the movie is over. The soundtrack is Crowe's finest to date. Crowe's direction, his screenplay, Cruise's lead acting, Cameron Diaz's supporting performance, and the photography all deserved Academy Award recognition. The fact that some viewers had trouble following the story leads me to conclude that this type of film is not to the greater public's liking. Nobody wants to concentrate on the details of every movie instead of enjoying the movie as a whole; however, I found the direction and storytelling in "Vanilla Sky" just as hypnotic and beautiful as Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" and David Lynch's "Wild at Heart". It's not hard to follow at all, if you feel your way through it. Viewing the film, I noticed the vanilla sky instantly (along with the sudden change in Sophia's attitude), and I realized there was something hidden...a mystery. I feel it is superior storytelling and direction. The chaotic episodes that occupy the film are David's perceptions of a world he cannot control. He loses his dignity by denying Julianna's feelings, and then he pays for it (with his good looks) when she drives him off a bridge. He suffers in pain, just like the pain he has caused. Later, when he tries to enjoy a second chance with Sophia through a lucid dream, his badly soiled conscience causes a malfunction. The movie ends with David getting a real second chance at life, a chance to take what he has learned from his mistakes, and apply it in a world, without Sophia, where he is constantly reminded that "the sweet is just not as sweet without the sour".

Angelo Badalamenti's sweet theme begins as smokestacks billow, and a robin assures the viewer of the presence of love in a little town located through the pines, just this side of sanity...or reality. Either way you choose to look at it (and the choice is yours), every episode of this groundbreaking television show grabbed the viewer in its seductive and destructive web... and wouldn't let go. "Twin Peaks" began a string of weird television shows in the early 90's, but, unlike those later shows, "Twin Peaks" would be beloved and remembered long after it was off the air. "Twin Peaks" has earned a spot next to "The Twilight Zone", "Night Gallery", and "Star Trek" in terms of pioneering television and in terms of a cult following deserving of conventions and fanzines. I believe that F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper is one of the most enjoyable and inspiring characters in television history. His simple passions and quirky behavior was a welcomed sight in our living rooms every week during the shows very short run in the late 80's and early 90's. "Twin Peaks" started out on fire, gaining exposure during the pilot's multiple airings. The mystery of Laura Palmer's murderer practically invented conversations at the water cooler. However, the shows second season was scheduled to air on Saturday nights at 10:00, an advertiser's no-man's land. And, with the shows fan base out on the late weekend nights, the shows network decided to cancel it. David Lynch, the shows co-creator, directed a theatrically released film prequel to "Twin Peaks", showing all who missed the shows airings what really happened to Laura the week of her death, and, finally, her killer. As a huge fan of "Twin Peaks", I will tell you that the circle of events that occur within the story enable the viewer to relive the events over and over, each time around with more intensity than before. When you view the movie prequel, diving right back into the series becomes the natural path, allowing one to see things again for what they really are... or aren't. I highly recommend owning the entire series. Without a network messing up your viewing time, you can see the mystery unfold at your own pace. Viewing "Twin Peaks-Fire Walk With Me", along with the television pilot and the entire 29 episode series (about 33 hours all together), is the most fascinating and satisfying viewing experience that the entertainment industry has offered me so far. The music, costumes, editing, acting, and direction all received Emmy nominations, leading one to conclude that "Twin Peaks" not only satisfied the public, but the critics as well. An incredible achievement, "Twin Peaks" is my all-time favorite television show.

"Twin Peaks:Fire Walk With Me" may be the most underrated film in history. I have seen the entire television series several times, and this film is an outstanding prequel. From the acting of an incredible cast to the award-winning style of direction by David Lynch, and from the haunting mood set by Angelo Badalamenti's heartbreaking musical compositions to the realistically offbeat screenplay scripted by Lynch and Robert Engels, this unique film easily rivals other Lynch classics such as "Blue Velvet" and "Eraserhead", whether you have seen the "Twin Peaks" television series or not. It has the absurdities of "A Clockwork Orange" and "Pink Floyd-The Wall", the sorrow of "Boys Don't Cry", the shock value of "Pulp Fiction" and "Wild at Heart", and the humor of "Fargo". A very distinct feeling is obtained when watching this film; a feeling that guides the viewer into an understanding of the horrific and otherworldly events. I first viewed this movie in 1992 on video before ever having seen the television series, and it attracted me as an unfinished puzzle very much. A mystery left somewhat unsolved leaves the viewer to imagine and wonder and re-live. Along with the Peabody award-winning television pilot (viewed by 35 million people when aired), the Emmy award-winning television series, and the numerous books and recordings that evolved, "Twin Peaks-Fire Walk With Me" becomes larger and even more grand. Sheryl Lee's performance as Laura Palmer remains my favorite by an actress, and, in my opinion, the greatest ever by a leading lady. She is haunted, distant, flirtatious, terrified, confused, demanding, and innocent. Ray Wise as Leland Palmer is one of my all-time favorite performances by an actor. He has more expression of warmth, deception, guilt, and anger in his face than most actors could ever work up. "Fire Walk With Me" is a severely underrated film which holds up, on all counts, as an award-winner and a cult classic. With the television series ending in a factually unpredictable manner, the movie lives on both as a sensational piece of cinema and as an unfinished and burning mystery; a mystery that all loyal David Lynch and "Twin Peaks" fans wish would be solved in another "Twin Peaks" production by Lynch and Mark Frost involving all of the Lynch Mob performers and creators that have made the world of "Twin Peaks" worthy of it's current cult status. This film has remained my all-time favorite.