(Oct 25-27, 99)
Another visit from our friend Fox and another few movies viewed.
:)
The Blair Witch Project
Wu-Tang Master
Spawn 3
(Oct 19, 99)
Since the last update I've viewed a good number of movie. Due
to a local rental place having a 7-6-5 deal. Seven movies kept for
Six day for only Five dollars! It's a great deal so we take advantage
of it. :)
So heres a complete list of what we've watched lately!
Eraser
Waterboy
Blade
The Matrix
Liar Liar
Operation Condor
Twister
Cool World
Ever After
The Wedding Singer
Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
(Oct 8, 99)
Well... another period of time goes by and I don't update this page....
so here's a list of all the movies I've seen since the last update....
The Sixth Sense
Waterboy
Blade
The Matrix
Army of Darkness
John Carpenter's Vampires
Cube
Pleasantville
The Navigator
The Stuff
Running Man
Near Dark
Chaplin
Prince of Darkness
Naked Lunch
Event Horizon
Happy Gilmore
Young Doctors in Love
Storm of the Century
Wild Wild West
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
(Sept 10, 99)
Wow... it's been almost a month since my last confes... I mean update,
:)
Let's see... what have I watched since my last update???
Romeo and Juliet
This is the new vesrion of the Shakespeare classic. Leonardo
DiCaprio and Caire Danes star as Romeo and Juliet in this incredible adaptation
set in modern day. The use of old English speach seems so out of
place at first but the eloquence is unsurpassable once you really listed
to the words. I really love this movie and it never fails to bring
a tear to my eye.
Batman
Keaton! The first Batman, the BEST Batman! I really enjoyed
the first two Batman movies. The dark, anachronistic settings really
gave this movie and it's successor really are the finest of the Batman
movies. All the rest have been transparent attempts at making money
from the name without any real substance in the stories.
I really enjoyed this movie. Jack Nicholson is simply perfect
for The Joker. His brilliant, madness-filled acting style is just
right for The Joker character. Michael Keaton's portrayal of Batman
is marvelous. He plays Bruce Wayne as the odd eccentric that he is.
The Fifth Element
I don't think that I've done a full review of this movie yet... Even
though it is one of my all time fave movies.
The very first time that I watched The Fifth Element I fell asleep and
for the longest time after that I thought that the movie was a bomb and
I was sorry that I'd purchased it without having rented it first.
I now just have to guess that it was my state of mind at the time of watching
it for the first time.
This is a great SciFi flick. The story is well thought out, the
effects are completely believable, and the actors do a great job or relaying
the feelings envolved. It's mankind... or I should say Life against
Darkness, Evil, and the obliteration of all life. The Fifth Element
is a perfect being and a weapon against the ultimate evil. When this
perfect being is aranged with these four special stones (that represent
the other four elements) in a special place devine light will strike down
the evil once more. But evil has it's minions! One of these
minions is the industrialist Zorg who is hired by the evil to retrieve
the stones. This movie is one heck of a rollercoaster ride.
Valley Girl
This is one of my favorite 80's flicks. This early Nicolas Cage
movie is about two lovers from opposite sides of Hollywood and how their
relationship is affected by their friends' opinions. Valley Girl
is an excellent example of how some people let popularity get in the way
of being happy. Filled with the alternative music of the 80's Valley
Girl is a great movie for those looking for a romantic comedy.
Dragon Heart
The story of a knight of the old ways, the prince he's training in the
honorable ways of a knight, and a dragon named Draco. When the prince's
tyrantical father is killed by the pesants for his atrocities against them
the prince is mortally wounded while trying to retrieve the crown that
is now rightfully his. The queen asks Draco to give the boy half
of his heart to save the boy's life. In return the prince must swear
to be an honorable and fair ruler. The prince later becomes a horrible
tyrant. The knight of the old ways believes that this is due to the
evil of the dragon's heart and makes an oath to kill all dragons for what
has been done to the prince.
Sean Connery is, of course, excellent as the voice of Draco. This
is no surprise considering that Connery could probably read the ingredients
for a box of cereal and put in an Oscar winning performance. The
CG used to create Draco is phenominal. Draco is a completely believable
dragon.
Dennis Quaid is excellent as the knight of the old ways and David Thewlis
puts in a good preformance as the prince that becomes king. You really
can't like this guy at all. :)
Back to the Future
This classic Micheal J. Fox movie really put his career in full swing.
I really enjoyed the Back to the Future series. It's intelligent
plot twists and use of time travel make it a fun series. Unfortunately
this is the only movie in the series that I own.
"a life less ordinary"
A good friend loaned me this movie that stars Cameron Diaz and Ewan
McGregor. Jesse stated that this movie is the "funniest movie ever."
While I don't completely agree with that statement I do thing that this
was a very funny movie. This is a good romantic comedy and well worth
a rent.
Story of Ricky
Possibly one of the most bloody movies ever made! The Story of
Ricky goes way beyond even the crappiest horror films in the amount of
fake blood being used. The entire movie is set in a prison of some
sort though I must say that the security at this prison is a complete joke
considering that there's a huge number of large hand weapons being carried
around and even a garden of poppies being grown.
Ricky is an inmate that decides to protect the weaker prisoners from
the cell block overlords and corrupt guards. Ricky's martial arts
powers are quite extrordinary. Reinforced concrete walls are no match
for his fists! He's so powerful that he doesn't even have to touch
you with his punches to inflict great damage! With excellent fight
scenes you'll surely want to see this film if you are a fan of the genre.
This movie is ULTRA violent!!! With punches that explode heads
and put holes in people's chests the blood just poors from the screen.
You'll definitely wanna avoid this one if you're a bit squamish.
The Ninja Two Pack
Ninja Wars
and
Ninja Terminator
We couldn't even finish Ninja Wars. It was horribly boring and
the story made absolutely no sense what-so-ever. The most bizarre
thing about this movie were the women with interchangable heads.
Ninja Terminator doesn't even have ninjas in it. I have no idea
where the name came from. This movie of the two pack is at least
watchable. With a few comical points this movie turns out to be a
pretty good fighting movie. It's a shame that this movie is packaged
with Ninja Wars.
The Jackie Chan Two Pack
Fearless Hyena 1
and
Fearless Hyena 2
Our buddy Fox has a great love of crappy Kung Fu movies... maybe I should
say he has a love of crappy movies in general. :)
Fearless Hyena 1 and 2 are pretty much interchangable movies.
They both feature the same actors playing what seems to be the same characters.
The stories are different but with the sound off you couldn't tell the
difference. These early Jackie Chan movies are prime examples of
his early work and how he became so popular.
(Aug 13, 99)
Many thanks go out to our friend Chris for treating us to The Blair
Witch Project. You da man, Chris! :)
The Blair Witch Project
I've been waiting to see this film since I first heard about it several
months ago. This is also the first time that I've seen a movie on
it's opening day... or at least it's opening day in my area.
This film has been praised by many as the most terrifying film ever
made. Many people believed that Blair Witch Project was going to
become one of those films that could not possibly ever live up to the hype
surrounding it. I'm here to tell you that it could've been hyped
for another YEAR and it still would've lived up to it!
The format of the film is documentary-esque... the films of the three
young, college film makers are found in the basement of an abandoned house
about a year after their disappearance in the woods near Burkittsville,
Maryland. The film we see is an edited together story of their time
together, in those woods, caught on video tape and black and white 16mm
movie film. Due to the use of these methods of film making we are
presented with a very shaky vision or this story. In this lies my
only complaint about this film. This is something that I didn't expect
to happen to me either because I'm quite used to playing video games that
have the exact same effect on some people. This film made me sick!
Not the story or the subject matter, just the way it's filmed. I
had to fight to keep from hurling right there in the theatre. I'm
saying this as a warning to others... this MIGHT happen to you.
The Blair Witch Project is the single most terrifying movie I have ever
seen! PERIOD! The feelings this film stirs within me are of
pure terror. The 'actors' are so completely believable and the format
of the film make it just that much more intense and believable.
I could sit here and tell you the entire story and you'd think that
I was nuts or very wimpy for being so terror stricken. The story
is not all that scary... it's the presentation... the images... the sounds...
the feeling of true fear coming from those three college students.
After you've seen it you'll have many questions in your head.
Dwelling upon those questions will cause you to review those memories of
the film that you carry with you... and the more you think about it, the
more disturbing this film will become to you.
The last ten minutes of The Blair Witch Project will be burned into
my memory for all time.
Drunken Wu Tang
No this movie is not about the rap group after they've cleaned a 7-11
out of 40's. This is one of those horribly dubbed Kung Fu films made
somewhere in Asia for about $200. This one has a plot... well...
I think it has a plot... that's almost indecipherable. These films
are a great laugh for the outrageous characters, fighting moves, and odd
additions. The odd addition in this film is the "Watermelon Monster!!!"
Essentially the Watermelon Monster is a 4' diameter black ball with eyes,
feet, metal tentacle like 'arms', and a huge set of always biting chompers.
Serial Experiments Lain: Niva
I don't know how many episodes of this anime there are in total but
this first tape covers 'layers' one through four. The anime is styled
very much like Ghost in the Shell and even has some of the same feel to
the story. Lain also incorporates computer graphics into the traditional
cell animation giving it a more complete feel when you take into account
the story line.
Lain is a thirteen year young shy school girl with very few social skills
as well as very few friends. After a class mate commits suicide everyone
in the school starts receiving email messages from the dead girl.
After reading the dead girls email messages Lain becomes very interested
in the world of The Wired... the computer world. These are the stories
of her excursions into that world.
SEL deals with the belief of many levels of existence for the soul.
The real, physical world and the electronic, Wired world of the net are
just the start. This anime starts out slow but picks up a good momentum
rather quickly. I'm hoping to get to see the rest of this series
sometime soon.
(Aug 6, 99)
A local movie rental place has a 7-6-5 special. That's 7 movies
rented for 6 days for only $5! Our friend Chris was down for a visit
so this was the perfect time to go rent some 'bad' movies.
Flesh Gordon
This soft porn parody of Flash Gordon is a real hoot! The entire
movie is a pun on one thing or another. Definitely not for the kiddies
this R rated bit of satire is a good laugh for those that are not up tight
about nudity and sexual themes.
Dollman
The story of a violent cop who carries the most powerful hand gun in
the known universe. When he's kicked out of the police department
for the use of excessive force he chases down his arch nemesis to finally
do him in... what's left of him that is... his arch nemesis is now only
a head attached to a flying contraption that keeps him alive. The
chase leads into space where an enormous explosion lands our hero on the
planet Earth. The thing is that on Earth our hero is only 13" tall.
Not a horrible movie but not one that's going to win any awards either.
Heathers
A dark comedy set in high school. The three most popular girls
in school, all named Heather, take on Veronica as a project... to make
her one of the in-crowd. Veronica falls for the handsome new guy
at school who just happens to be a complete psychopath! Hilarity
ensues as the two kill off all the popular kids at school.
Grosse Pointe Blank
Another dark comedy (my fave kinda movie.) The story of a hitman
that goes back to his home town for his 10 year class reunion. I
really like this film a lot.
Basket Case
A boy and his basket... What's in the basket? His Siamese twin
brother of course! They're out to get revenge on the doctors that
separated them. Truly a B movie if there ever was one.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai
Buckaroo Bonzai is truly a jack of all trades... he's a musician, renowned
doctor, scientist, rocket car driver, and physicist! This cult classic
deals with aliens from Planet 10 who are threatening to destroy Earth because
Buckaroo's experiments on traveling through solid matter have released
a Hitler-esque alien that the residents of Planet Ten had abolished to
an alternate dimension. One of my faves. :)
Pumpkinhead
We rented it but I never did get to see it. I ended up falling
asleep and only catching glimpses of the film through sleep filled eyes.
(July 22, 99)
Antz
Many people have compared this completely computer animated film with
"A Bug's Life." Antz is not really anything like "A Bug's Life" other
than it deals with insects as the main characters and it's computer animated.
The stories are completely different and Antz was made for adults while
"A Bug's Life" was made for kids. The story of Antz is not a new
one by any means. An individual trying to achieve more than his station
will allow and becoming a hero in the process by battling one who would
use his position for personal gains. As always presentation is very
important and Antz excels in it's presentation.
Krippendorf's Tribe
I've reviewed this one in the past but I'd just like to say again that
I really liked this film. It's well done and a good laugh for just
about anyone.
Mortal Kombat
Surprisingly enough I've never reviewed this movie! MK has been
a part of our movie collection for a long time now. We loved the
MK games when they were first released on the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis...
in fact we actually purchased a Genesis just for MKII! When Mortal
Kombat was released in the theatres we went to see it as soon as we could.
The sound track is awesome and the fight scenes were very good. The
story line didn't follow exactly along with the one presented in the games
but it was close and well done. Movies made from video games have
had a very bad history but I believe that MK was an exception. Although
you're not going to find any deep meaning in this film it will entertain
you if you have any liking of Kung Fu type movies. We've watched
this film so many times that I'm surprised that the tape is still in one
piece.
(July 21, 99)
DVD Movie day!!!!! Our good friend Chris got himself a DVD player
and has been picking up movies in that format like they're going outta
style. I am so completely in love with DVD!!! I knew that it
was a great format but it doesn't sink in as to just how good it is until
you've gotten to watch a few films in that format. The image is painfully
sharp with no jittering of any kind. Freeze frame is prefectly clear
with no distortion at all. Sound quality is on par with CDs.
But probably the best feature of all is that almost all movies released
on DVD are in widescreen format!!!!!! YES!!! Finally!!!
Unfortunately Chris forgot his remote control (poke poke) so we couldn't
access the extra groovy stuff that was included on all of the DVD disks.
I must get a DVD player some time... I just cannot afford one right now.
All the following movies were on DVD format.
Clerks
A fave movie (for all of us) that we've watched time and time again.
This time we got to see it in widescreen format though and that made a
big difference. Seeing the movie as Kevin Smith intended was a big
plus for me.
Pi
Stark, harsh, grainy black and white imagery. Pi is an incredible
movie! I've been wanting to see this one for a long time and thanks
to Chris (who somehow kept from watching it until we got togeher) we've
finally gotten to see it! Pi is the story of Max, a Jewish mathematician,
who is searching for the numeric formula to explain all things in life
and nature and comes upon a 216 digit number that does more than just explains
everything. Max is caught between business men who want the code
to cash in on the stock market, a group of Hasidic Jews who believe the
number is the name of God, and his completely debilitating headaches.
Check out the movie's website for
more info or try to purchase or rent this one!
Ghost in the Shell
Of the movies we watched in DVD format I was most impressed with this
one. I have this movie on VHS and it's once of my most prised anime
titles but VHS cannot do this anime justice. I was totally blown
away by the images that I saw when I first watched this film many months
ago and I felt the same way when viewing it on DVD. Not only was
I getting to see it in widescreen format but I was also getting to see
it at it's best! The colors were sooo vibrant and the image so sharp.
I was simply astounded by what I beheld.
(July 10, 99)
Today was really an excellent day for us in seeing movies! This
was due to our good friend Bill. Thanks Bill!!!
South Park
Being a big fan of the Comedy Central show South Park I've been waiting
to see a South Park movie... if for no other reason than to see what the
writers would do in an arena where censorship would not be an issue.
Probably the biggest surprise was that the movie is a musical!!!
The TV show's not for kids and some theatres are carding to get in to see
this one so it's definitely not a movie to take yer kids to. I'm
still trying to figure out how they didn't get an NC17 rating! If
you're offended by the show then stay far away from this one.
SP has got to be one of the funniest movies of the summer. The
songs are hillarious and the premise of the film is funny in itself (we're
going to war with Canada.) If you like the show then this is a must
see!
Payback
This is a Mel Gibson flick that I've been curious about for a while.
Gibson plays a thief that's out to get revenge for being double crossed
and the money that was taken from him. Payback's an action film with
a couple funny one liners but it's nothing like the Lethal Weapon series.
Gibson's character is dark, brooding, angry, and unkindly violent...
A character more like the Road Warrior days than his later projects.
This is a good action film but it's not for the squeamish.
The Matrix
My first time veiwing of this one on the small screen.
That's right! On the small screen. Bill was staying at a local
Holliday Inn that had movies on demand in the rooms and they featured The
Matrix! Although I didn't like the fact that they hadn't bothered
to put the movie in widescreen format it was good to get to see this one
again. I'm just as impressed with this movie now as I was when I
got to see it the first time.
The Hobbit
This adaptation of my favorite book doesn't do it justice. I
do understand that this animation was made primarily for children but the
adapatation barely grazes over some important parts to the story and completely
omits others. This animation didn't include the stop at Beorn's home!
Beorn is a major character as far as I'm concerned. And what is said
of Elrond and the last homely house is pitifully small. Even though
these flaws exist I cannot help but like this animation. Bilbo is
portrayed well and the general feel of The Hobbit is still intact.
(July 9, 99)
The Princess Bride
Golden Eye
Tank Girl
(July 5-8, 99)
(July 4, 99)
Dune
The Dark Side of Oz
Aeon Flux
Evil Dead
(July 1, 99)
The past couple of weeks have terribly hot and humid (100+ degrees at
somewhrere near 70-80% humidity) here so most of my day light hours have
been spent in my bedroom (the only air conditioned room) watching movies.
Here's a list of what I've watched in these past couple of weeks.
Spawn 2: The Animation
Better Off Dead
An early John Cusack film about a teen obsessed with his girlfriend
that dumps him for the head of the high school ski team. A fun romantic
comedy with some good dialog and twisted bits.
The Scout
A tallent scout for the NY Yankees is sent into the middle of Mexico
as punishment and ends up finding the most tallented baseball player ever.
Only later to find out that this player is not completely sane. Nothing
to write home about.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
We got to view the recently released special edition of this classic.
They did a really good job cleaning up the image and sound in this release.
A very good movie. You get to see just how well certain actors have
aged. :)
Johnny Mnemonic
A future tale about a man who acts as a courier and transports computer
data for a cure of the most prevalent and deadly disease of his age in
his brain. I consider this to be a good scifi flick although many
don't.
Ghost in the Shell
This is one of the most spectacular examples of anime available.
Brings up many philosophical questions about what makes us sentient and
alive. Full of action and unbelievable visuals. A must see
if you are into scifi and anime.
Star Trek: Insurection
Finally! I finally got to see this film. I didn't get a
chance to see it in the theatre and it's taken far too long to come to
video. One of the best ST films to date in my opinion. Another
story showing the human side of the captain which is why I like this one
so much.
Total Recall
Ahhhhhhhhhhnold goes off on Mars leaving dead bodies everywhere he
goes. Is it really happening or is it the implanted memories he's
paid for gone wrong?
Happy Gilmore
Adam Sandler plays Happy Gilmore a hockey star wannabe whose true skill
(although he detests it) is golf. With an incredible long drive Happy
sets out to win enough money to buy back his grandmother's house from the
IRS. Base humor but damned funny. One of my favorite comedies.
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey
The second and last of the Bill and Ted movies. Definitely not
the better of the two either. Still a funny movie although the premise
is very similar to the first movie. If you're a fan of the first
movie then be sure to check this one out.
MiB
One of the most watched films in my collection. I'm eagerly awaiting
the second movie. This is a great flick!
And although they're not movies I did get to watch about six hours of
the Pokemon animated TV series that our friend Chris had taped for us.
Thanks Chris! :)
(June 15, 99)
Blade
Still one of my most fave action movies. Good story too.
The Truman Show
This was the first time that I'd gotten to see this movie. I
thought that it was great to see Jim Carrey play a character that's very
different than every other character that he's ever played. I liked
the concept and I think that it was done very well. I also loved
the irony of the fact that the director/producer of the Truman Show is
a very private person that hates to be bothered or have his privacy violated
but has no problem exploiting another person's life to the extreme.
(June 5,99)
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Thanks to our good friend, Bill, we got to see this long awaited movie.
I'd managed to avoid almost all the hype after the movie had been released
so I went into the theatre with a fairly open mind as to what this movie
was going to be like. The main, unavoidable annoyance with SW has
been the HUGE marketing wave that his hit every form of consumable there
is.
It's kinda like buying a book in a series that's not complete.
I'm now left with many questions as to what's going to happen in the next
two movies. I mean, sure I know who the main bad guy is from having
seen episodes IV, V, and VI but there's more to it than just knowing that
fact.
I did like this movie though I found Jar Jar Binks (Ass Muppet) to be
quite annoying and nothing more than a blatant marketing hook for kids.
The other characters, however, were played very well. There's a good,
thick plot line with lots of foreshadowing to hold it all together.
I have heard complaints that the plot is too difficult to follow...
I think that this is a good thing. I didn't have any trouble following
the plot but it was an intelligent plot and most of the time that's just
too much to handle for the average person walking the street. Good
acting and amazing special effects really helped make this one work.
I'd have liked to have seen the Darth Maul character fleshed out a bit
more. Although he's a big part of the movie you really don't know
anything about him. His lightsaber battle against Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon
Jinn is amazing. Fast and furious! Though it does make me wonder
whether or not the Light side of the Force frowns on a two on one battle
favoring the Light side.
Although it's hard to beat it's heritage, The Phantom Menace is a really
good movie. I've only gotten to see it once, so far, but I think
that it will grow on me with subsiquent viewings. Now we all just
have to wait about four or so years to see the next in the series then
another four or so to see the third... I guess that's better than
waiting twenty.
(June 3,99)
Six Days Seven Nights
Harrison Ford plays the part of a drunken charter pilot near Tahiti
who ends up crash landed on a deserted island with a pushy female customer.
Somewhat predictable but still a pretty good movie. Pretty much an
action/love story sorta thing. Some good humor too.
Scream
One of Wes Craven's better horror flicks. This one take the predictable
and turns it into a good plot element. Scream's not very predictable
though. I was stumped right up to the end... although I did have
some insight earlier in the movie that I should have taken to heart.
Good level of suspense and humor. Worth a rent.
(June 2,99)
The 13th Floor
Thanks to our good friend Chris we got to see this very cool movie.
The 13th Floor is about the layering of worlds in a computer system.
In this computer the people are living, self aware creatures... not just
animated representations. The plot of this movie revolves around
a series of murders and a man acused of them all. I really cannot
do justice to this movie in words (plus I don't wanna give away the plot.)
It's something that needs to be seen. This movie is rather special
to me in that it's concept is very close to the concept of one of my favorite
book series, Amber.
(May 25,99)
Spawn
Our good friend Chris was nice enough to loan us his uncut HBO produced
animated Spawn video tapes. Tonight we watched the first one of the
two. I'm a fan of the live action Spawn so I knew that I'd like the
characters and story line. Although the story line is slightly off
of the one used for the live action movie it's still a very good story
line. I should also say that these movies are NOT for kids.
This is a brutal, violent, bloody, sexually explicit animation. I
really like this one. The animation style is somewhat anime-like
and the voice acting is great. HBO really came through on this one.
(May 19,99)
The last couple or three days have been a period of watching movies
in my collection. A friend from out of town came in and we've been
watching movies and old Ren and Stimpy shows on tape.
Chasing Amy
This is probably my fave Kevin Smith movie. This is the third
movie from the critically acclaimed writer/director of Clerks and Mallrats.
Chasing Amy is a poignant comedy about love and friendship in today's world.
I highly recommend this film... there are many lessons that need to be
learned to make a relationship work and a lot of them are taught in this
film if you pay attention and take to heart the events that take place.
(May 17,99)
UHF
Weird Al Yankovic at his best. Twisted, funny stuff in this flick
about a guy that can't hold down a job whose given the chance to manage
the UHF TV station that his uncle won in a poker game.
Jurassic Park
I think just about everyone knows about this movie... big dinos cloned
from dna found in mosquitos in amber. A pretty good flick that stays
fairly true to the Critchton book. The book is still FAR better though.
Jurassic Park: The Lost World
This one's OK... NOT EVEN CLOSE to the book though. I dunno where
they got the plot from but it flat out sucks compared to what the book's
plot is like. This movie would've done SO much better had they followed
the plot of the book truely. The first book may not have followed
the book's plot perfectly but it was at least close. This one only
has the name and a few small instances where the plot crosses with the
book's.
If you view this movie without having seen the first or having read
the books then it's pretty decent. It's an action flick with a pretty
good story. The special effects are amazing and the level of suspense
keeps you interested.
(May 16, 99)
Clerks
and
Happy Gilmore
I just wanted to see a couple of my fave movies again today.
I've reviewed both of these films in the past so there's no reason to do
it again.
(May 13, 99)
Deep Impact
The second of the popular meteor movies from last year. I found
that at the end of this movie I really just didn't care all that much about
the characters and what was happening to them. It's not that this
was a bad movie it was just that after having seen Armageddon the previous
night Deep Impact seemed kinda shallow in the character developement department.
Phantoms
I liked this horror flick. I don't really go for horror movies
but this is a good one. Phantoms deals with an amorphous evil that
knows all that it's victims know. A good level of suspense and intrigue
keep this one going strong until the end.
(May 12, 99)
On Wednesdays and Thursdays our local Giant Eagle grocery store video
department has all of it's non-new releases marked down to $.50 for a one
night rental. This is of course a wonderful thing and we try to catch
up on those movies that we've been wanting to see for some time.
Godzilla
I'd heard sooooo many bad things about this movie that I had almost
no hope that this thing would be the least bit watchable. A wonderful
surprise here though. The premise is of course the same as any Godzilla
movie... Big lizard and little humans. The updated look of
Godzilla is kinda hard to get used to since it's so different than the
classic monster flicks. It's not a terribly deep movie and you're
not going to find the meaning of life in this flick but it's a fairly decent
movie with a few good one-liners, good action, and groovy special effects.
Definitely worth the rental and I might even consider adding it to my video
collection.
The X-Files
First off I have to say that I'm a big fan of the TV show of the same
name so it's kinda hard to be objective here. I really liked this
movie and for me it was like a very long and very well written TV episode
with just slightly harsher language. If you're not a fan of the series
even in passing then you'll probably walk away from this one with a "what
the Hell was that all about" statement in your mouth. The X-Files
is a continuation... an extension of the TV series and pretty much relies
on the viewer knowing what had been going on in the past seasons.
With those things in mind... This movie kicked ass! So many
questions have been answered but at the same time new questions have been
posed. Definitely worth the rent and a definite addition to my collection.
Armageddon
Natural disaster movies... every couple of years we get a few
of these. Of course there's always at least two of 'em, from different
studios, competing for your movie going dollars. We've had floods,
volcanos, tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes... and now we've got asteroid
movies. With the announcement by the scientific community that eventually
Earth will be hit by a huge asteroid the movie studios immediately fed
off of that fear and sent us a couple reminders of how easily our lives
can be taken away from us. I've not seen Deep Impact yet but
it's on the list of movies to be viewed. Armageddon really surprised
me in it's depth at times. I figured this one was going to be all
flash and no substance like so many of these other disaster movies but
I was wrong. This movie showed us how valuable life is and how much
we should cherrish every day that we have and those people in our lives.
This movie has some good acting, very interesting characters, great character
interaction, some great humor, and spectacular special effects. I'd
rent it again and I'll definitely be addding this one to my collection.
(May 9, 99)
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
I simply love this flick. I've seen it many times and it just
never gets boring for me. Mike Myers is simply hilarious in his dual
roles. I'm actually watching it as I'm writing this update.
:)
(May 8, 99)
This night of movies was a long one. Each of the following movies
weighs in at a minimum of just over two hours. I do have to admit
that I really hadn't had much hope for this movie night. I knew very
little of The Negotiator and let's face it... what series of movies is
good at the forth installment level? Zorro looked a bit interesting
but Antonio Banderas never really struck me as an excellent actor.
The Negotiator
Wow... I think that this movie impressed me the most of the three,
this night. A crime drama based around the embezlement of the police's
retirement fund and the accusing of the departments top crisis negotiator.
This movie is well done with an involving plot and although this movie
is almost two and a half hours you are never left wanting.
Lethal Weapon 4
Four Lethal Weapon movies??? Who needs four? Actually this
installment is one of the best LW movies. Tons of action, good acting,
a good plot, humor, and absolutely wonderful character interaction.
The plot of this one involves the worst of the Chinese Mob and smuggling
of illegal aliens into the country to be used as slave labor. If you liked
the previous LW movies then you are sure to love this one.
The Mask of Zorro
It's Zorro!... duh. :) I do have to say that I really liked
this one. A good plot and good acting make this one well worth the
rent if you like swords and the legend of Zorro. The plot revolves
around the appointing of a new Zorro and a Don who is using people as slaves
to mine gold in order to buy California and make it into an independent
country.
(May 3, 99)
The Ice Cream Man
My God!!! Someone allowed this <cough> <cough> bullshit
<cough> film to be made??? Ten minuted into this thing your wishing
that someone would put something good like Highlander II or The Crow II
in the VCR. This is possibly one of the suckiest movies ever made.
Unless you like watching extremely bad movies (right Chris!?) then avoid
this one like the black plague.
(Mar 21- May2, 99)
Clerks
Had to watch it again.
The Star Wars Trilogy
You know what it is... or you should at least.
Something about Mary
I really didn't know what to expect outta this comedy. What I
found was a terribly twisted film. This is also a must have for my
collection. From the horrors of zipping up too fast to obsession
with a woman... this is one funny movie.
Rush Hour
An action comedy with Jackie Chan and Chris Rock. A fun flick
but not a lot of depth. Just a good time.
Vampires
The story of a very angry and violent vampire hunter and the first
vampire. Adapted from the book Vampire$ this film is pretty well
done but definitely not for the squeamish. These are vampires...
not self loathing creatures of the night but blood thirsty, tear-your-head-off-and-drink-your-life-blood,
evil undead.
The Matrix
The first film that I've gotten to see in the theatres in soooo long.
I was totally blown away by this movie. The acting was excellent,
the special effects tremendous, and the story is awesome. I simply
must own this film when it's available. I only wish that I could
afford to see it again in the theatre. When this one's available
on DVD I'll get a player just for it. :)
12 Monkeys
I had seen this film in the past but had forgotten all about it.
An excellent film about a man (Bruce Willis) who travels back in time to
take samples to help save his almost dead world. An engineered plague
kills 99% of humans on earth and the survivors go underground to keep the
human race alive.
Trainspotting
I liked this film but not enough to add it to my collection.
It's a film about a few heroin addicted friends in Ireland.
Clerks
One of our all time favorite films. A B&W comedy from Kevin
Smith about the lives of two store clerks. This is an awesome film
that we've seen many times. Well written but done on a very small
budget this first film by Kevin Smith really gained a lot of noteriety
for Smith.
(Mar 20, 99)
Ninja Scroll
This violent anime has an excellent story and amazing animation.
Another tape in our anime collection. This story is definitely NOT
for the squeamish. It's the story of two ninjas that band together
with a government spy to stop a murderous evil known as the Lord of the
Dark.
(Mar 17, 99)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
This was not the first time that I saw this movie. It's one of
our all time favorites and so is the book. One of the most complete
and acurate conversions from book to big screen. Jonny Depp is Hunter
Thompson... it's amazing.
(Past couple of weeks)
The Fifth Element
One of our many tapes that we've collected. I love this movie!!!!
:)
Warriors of the Wind
Another tape in our anime collection. The story of a post apocalyptic
world where man is trying to recover and fight back the ever advancing
Toxic Jungle. This is a story about strength, determination, and
hope. I consider this story to be one of the best animes that I've
seen.
The Keep
Set in the Romanian mountains during Hitler's rein. A mysterious
keep holds an unknown power at bay until two greedy German service men
break the seal when searching for silver to plunder. A story of evil
and good at battle. The soundtrack for this excellent film was done
by Tangerine Dream and suits it to a tee.
(Feb 16, 99)
The Opposite of Sex
A friend recommended this movie to me though it's taken several days
for me to get around to watching it. The story of a 16 year old,
mean spirited, slut and her adventures with her gay step brother, his lover,
his lover's lover, the ashes of his dead lover, the sister of his dead
lover, and some bible thumping redneck with one testicle. Bizarre
is an understatement.
(Feb 15, 99)
Mallrats
Just had to watch it again...
(Feb 14, 99)
Dead Man
A very surreal western featuring Jonny Depp as William Blake an accountant
that travels west for a job he's been promised only to turn into a hunted
outlaw after defending himself from a killer. Dead Man is filmed
entirely in harst, high contrast B&W thus setting the perfect mood
for this movie.
(Jan 28, 99)
Species II
More Giger art turned into a horror flick. The first movie was
left open for a sequel but they didn't pick up where the first left off.
Like so many movies this one was done for no other reason than to make
a few dollars. Gratuitous blood, violence, and nudity... not that
there's anything wrong with that. :)
Krippendorf's Tribe
A fun film about a guy that makes up an undocumented tribe too save
face and his job. Definitely worth a watch if ya like comedy.
(Jan 26, 99)
Mallrats
Kevin Smith's first commercial film is an extension of his completely
wild and excellently written
independent film Clerks. I've seen this one a few times and really
love it. Mallrats although not as wordy as Clerks still has great
dialog, the key to any View Askew production. Thanks go out to our
friend Chris for loaning us this jewel.
(Jan 24, 99)
Warriors of Virtue
I knew that this was a kid flick before I turned it on but I was very
curious. Although I like this movie it's not going to get anywhere
near the top of the list. WoV had a lot of promise but you get the
feeling that it was cut to shreds to fit in the standard 1.5 hour format
that's shoved down our throats so often. If the story wouldn't have been
so kid based a bit more complete it'd done so much better. Very good
but odd special effects and camera effects show that someone had put some
thought into this movie... it's a shame that the story ended up on the
cutting room floor.
Snow White: A Tale of Terror
This adaptation of the classic Snow White tale is excellent!
Sigourney Weaver plays the part of the wicked step mom and she is eeeeeeeevil!
This is no cute movie for kids. This is a great story that'll put
a chill in your bones.
(Jan 1, 99)
The Avengers
Didn't suck... Wasn't spectacular. A decent movie but Sean Connery
was really showing his age in this one.
Nick of Time
Another example of Jonny Depp's excellent acting talent. Good plot.
Neat concept of real time viewing ie one minute of tape is one minute in
the film.
(Dec 24, 98)
Blade
I really liked this one a lot. A must have for my video collection
(hopefully in wide screen.) Adaptation of a black, vampiric, vampire
hunter from the Marvel comic of the same name. I thought that this
movie was going to be heavy into the hiphop sound from the looks of the
soundtrack but it ended up having lots of techno which really sets the
mood for this movie.
Half Baked
This would make my second or third viewing for this movie. A
lot of fun but not too deep.
Dark City
Dark is right... Surreal City would've been another good name for it.
This movie is now part of my collection. A very dark tale of alien
abduction on a mass scale. It'll take a couple viewings for most
to pick up on this movie... that is if they ever do figure it out.
(Shortly before Dec 24, 98)
(in no particular order)
Mr. Magoo
Very typical Leslie Neilson movie. Good for kids... that's about
all I can say about Mr. Magoo
The Man Who Knew Too Little
Another Bill Murray film. Very funny in my opinion. Reminiscent
of The Man With One Red Shoe. Murray's brother buys him an adventure
in London... it's supposed to be a live action, 2hr spy game but Murray
ends up getting involved in a real spy adventure, all the while thinking
that it's a game.
Speed
A very good action flick. Non stop action from end to end.
Shouldn't have had a sequel.
Alien Resurection
This installment has really gone back to the roots of what made Alien
so thrilling. Sure there's several "good guys" and several aliens
but the suspense is really there. All of the Alien movies have been
good in my opinion, some much better than others. I really didn't
have much hope for this one due to the story line and the return of Ripley
but they did a good job.
Starship Troopers
Most people either loves this movie or hate it. I _like_ it.
:) It's really pretty shallow as far as story goes but the special
effects are spectacular. To me there's a duality in the feeling of
this movie... sorta like Flash Gordon meets Space: Above and Beyond.
Dante's Peak
This ended up being a pretty good flick. I hadn't had much in
the way of hopes for this one. I kept expecting Pierce Brosnan to
say "Bond, James Bond" but other than that I liked it.
Gattaca
Possibly a look into the future of man kind if genetic engineering
goes fully mainstream. Thought provoking and surreal.
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