Galaxy Quest |
The Game |
Gangs of New York |
Gattaca |
The General's Daughter |
George of the Jungle |
Get Carter (1971) |
Get Carter (2000) |
Ghost in the Machine |
The Gingerbread Man |
Girlfight |
Gladiator |
The Glass House |
Glengarry Glen Ross |
Gloria |
Godzilla |
Godzilla 2000 |
Gone in Sixty Seconds |
The Good Thief |
Good Will Hunting |
Gossip |
The Great Train Robbery |
Grumpy Old Men
Galaxy Quest (1999)
(PG)
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A group of actors from a TV program called Galaxy Quest, which may as well have been Star Trek, are mistaken to be real space fighters by some aliens. The aliens then convince the actors to help protect them from some bad aliens. A fairly corny movie, the jokes work fairly well, and the actors do a decent job of pulling them off. It's a good, funny look at how seriously people can take a TV program.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Travis Latke's Galaxy Quest Page
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review
The Game (1997)
(R)
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This movie managed to surprise me with the plot twists it offers throughout the movie. The movie is about a man (Michael Douglas) who is very caught up in the pain of his life. His junkie brother (Sean Penn) suddenly reappears into his life, giving him the phone number to a new "game service" called CRS, saying "they make your life fun". After much thought, he agrees to give them a try. Trying to figure out what is going to happen after that is a fun and thrilling game, with an ending I didn't see coming.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Radio Free's Review
Gangs of New York (2002)
(R)
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Martin Scorsese transports us to New York City's "five points" in the mid-nineteenth century. While the rest of the country is focused on the Civil War, the five points are consumed by gang violence and political corruption. Amidst all the chaos, a bloody feud rages between the Anglo-Saxon natives and the Irish immigrants. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Amsterdam Vallon, the son of a priest who died while leading the Irish in a fight. After leaving boarding school, he quietly seeks revenge against the leader of the native gang, William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting (played by Daniel Day-Lewis).
Inevitably, there will be questions about this movie's historical accuracy and grumblings about it's length (nearly three hours). Even so, "Gangs of New York" easily stands out as one of the best films of 2002. It boasts great performances by the each of the lead actors (DiCaprio is very effective as the protagonist, but Daniel-Day Lewis upstages everyone with his amazing portrayal of the Butcher). Equally impressive are the elaborate sets and costumes, which are essential to the success of any period piece. Not surprisingly, Scorsese's expert direction is what keeps all these elements working together.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review
Gattaca (1997)
(PG-13)
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This movie is set a little in the future, and shows a world where everyone is judged by how "perfect" they are born: babies aren't usually made naturally any more, but in a lab were they are genetically altered to be as perfect as possible. The less perfect you are, the less anyone is willing to take a chance with you. One man who was born naturally decides to take part in a switch of identities with someone who was made genetically so he could get into the space program as a astronaut instead of a janitor. The movie shows how he accomplishes his identity change and what happens while he's faking being someone else. The movie is very well thought out, but I would have liked it to go even deeper into what is like to live in this time, instead of just focusing on the characters. It was also a little slow paced for me. Overall, though, it was good.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Cinema 1's Gattaca Page
Mr. Showbiz's Review
The General's Daughter (1999)
(R)
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A military police detective gets called in to investigate the murder of a woman on a military base. He must then weed through the woman's history, trying to put together the pieces that might lead to the killer's identity. A very well made mystery/suspense film, it has a fairly dry atmosphere for a Hollywood blockbuster, but the plot never stops moving and the characters are good enough too keep my interest. There are a few moments that made me wish that someone else besides John Travolta was the star, but for the most part the acting was good. Overall, good entertainment for dramatic mystery fans.
Links:
Official Studio Site
George of the Jungle (1997)
(PG)
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Although a kids movie at heart, this movie had some drop dead funny moments for adults, also. George falls in love with a woman he saves in the forest. When he is shot by two guys trying to kidnap his pet ape, she takes him to America to get medical treatment. Of course, all of this is just to set up a lot of slapstick humor, which hits its mark a surprising amount of the time.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Cinema 1's George of the Jungle Page
Get Carter (1971)
(R)
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Video Pick of the Week
(8/10/03 - 8/16/03)
When London gangster Jack Carter (Michael Caine) learns of his brother's mysterious death, he refuses to believe it was an accident. Against the advice of his colleagues, he travels to Newcastle to investigate. Before long, he discovers a web of deceit and betrayal that only fuels his desire for revenge. This is a gritty production with a crackling sense of authenticity. The grainy picture and harsh lighting give the film an industrial feel that suits the subject matter perfectly. The director presents both sex and violence in a resolute, honest fashion. Michael Caine is surprisingly good as the amoral Carter (in the film's best scene, his cool demeanor is shattered by a shameful family secret). An anti-hero epic that deserves it's cult status.
Links:
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
Get Carter (2000)
(R)
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A re-work of the 1971 film. Sylvester Stallone returns home for the funeral of his brother, whom he hasn't had any good contact with in years. He then tries to figure out what lead to his death, and if anyone helped it to happen. The movie is very dark, but has fun with it while trying to keep the story real enough sounding to make it work. The action scenes are the best part of the movie, while the characters and story are interesting, but not very in depth and have been done before. Overall, mildly entertaining.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Radio Free's Review
Ghost in the Machine (1993)
(R)
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A killer gets his soul sucked into a computer system, and has free range to wreck havoc on the life of a women he stole an address book from and her son. The movie tries hard to be a suspenseful techno-thriller, and has a few good moments. However, much of it is too simple for it's own good, and never really gets interesting enough to draw me in. It had potential and almost worked, but wound up just a little too generic.
Links:
Washington Post's Review
The Gingerbread Man (1998)
(R)
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This was originally the first movie script written by John Grisham but was rewritten by the film's director Robert Altman (using the name Al Hayes). The result is a slow paced but mildly entertaining movie about a man mixed up in a case involving a woman having problems with a father who won't leave her alone. The movie moves a little slow for me, especially at the beginning, but the twists in the story and the good acting from the leads keep it interesting.
Links:
Mr. Showbiz's Review
Roger Ebert's Review
Girlfight (2000)
(R)
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The female equivalent of Rocky, this film is about a woman who goes against her father's wishes and becomes a boxer. She then falls love with one of the guys at the gym where she trains. The film is mildly entertaining with it's character development and interaction. However, the story never really covered much emotional ground, taking the easy way out instead of getting very involved in the situations that arise. The film feels like a condensed book, hitting the high points while leaving out parts of the story that help them deliver real punch. What's there is fairly interesting, but could use a little beefing up.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Gemma Files' Film.com Review
Ernest Hardy's Film.com Review
Roger Ebert's Review
Gladiator (2000)
(R)
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A Roman general is ordered to be killed after failing to team up with the new emperor. He manages to escape, but is captured by a group of slave traders. He is then bought by a freed gladiator who now purchases slaves to kill each other to entertain crowds. The former general then tries to find a way to get revenge on the emperor. The movie is fairly entertaining, keeping the battle scenes exciting and the interaction between the characters interesting. The movie does a good job of not becoming lost in it's own spectacle, but could have expanded on the characters just a little more. Overall, good event-movie fun.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Second Dreamworks Site
The Glass House (2001)
(PG-13)
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A teenage girl and her younger brother lose their parents, and they are taken in by old friends of their parents. After staying with them, the girl gets more and more suspicious that their new parents are hiding something. A typical teen suspense movie with several layers of surface gloss and a few good performances, but not much else to offer. The acting and directing make it passable, but it could have used more depth in the writing, and some plot twists more creative than what they have.
Links:
Official Studio Site
USA Today's Review
Roger Ebert's Review
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
(R)
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Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, and Alec Baldwin light up the screen in this powerful drama. Four salesmen working in a cut-throat real estate office must succeed in a sales contest to avoid getting fired. With the pressure mounting and the leads weakening, their exasperation turns to desperation. This is basically a collection of amazing performances by an ensemble cast (Jack Lemmon and Alec Baldwin are outstanding). The art direction, while a bit heavy handed, reinforces the mood of the film with it's cold blues and saturated reds. Overall, a very satisfying picture that any working man can identify with.
Links:
The Unofficial Glengarry Glen Ross Site
Roger Ebert's Review
Gloria (1999)
(R)
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Gloria is released prison and goes back to her husband, who works in organized crime. After she returns, she gets into a fight with her husband, who, along with the others he works with, is trying to figure out what to do with a kid who's family his group killed and is now stuck with them. Gloria decides to end her marriage, and runs away with the kid. She then has to keep him from the organized crime members who what him dead, and try to keep herself out of trouble. The movie was very generic, with the lines seeming to be the most generic lines they could write for the characters. Nothing really stood out in this movie, and the script was almost laughable. Over all, hardly even worth a free pass, let alone paying to get in.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Film Ink's Page
Mr. Showbiz's Review
Godzilla (1998)
(PG-13)
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A scientist, a reporter, a camera man, and a French secret service agent fight Godzilla. The plot is fairly skimpy, but the effects are great. The acting is decent, and the script is good for this kind of movie. This movie is for people in the mood for brainless entertainment.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Godzilla 2000 (2000)
(PG)
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Godzilla comes back to terrorize another Japanese village, just in time to fight a space craft dug up from the ocean floor. The movie has good enough effects and campy enough dialog that it manages to be fairly entertaining. Unlike the silly 1998 American remake, this one remembers how to make a movie staring a big monster into a fun ride.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000)
(R)
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A former car thief gets back into the game to try to get his brother out of trouble. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer tends to be associated, for better or worse, with movies that look and feel very similar (Con Air, Armageddon, The Rock, ect.) and this is no exception. However, this movie manages to capture a small sense of fun that had been notably lacking from Bruckheimer films in the 90s. Not a great movie, but fans of the loud, pack-in-much-as-action-as-you-can style of film will enjoy the ride.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
The Good Thief (2002)
(R)
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Video Pick of the Week
(8/31/03 - 9/6/03)
Neil Jordan's latest film features Nick Nolte in a role that was tailor-made for him. Nolte plays Bob, an aging gambler and heroin addict who is about to attempt an ingenious casino heist in Monte Carlo. Although Bob is a chronic criminal, he never ceases to be a sympathetic character (his charm is such that the policeman on his tail would rather save him than arrest him). This movie is part crime thriller and part character study. The screenplay, as a result, seems slightly indecisive at times. The sloppy editing, while different, comes across as overly gimmicky. But in spite of these shortcomings, I'm recommending The Good Thief - based solely on Nick Nolte's outstanding performance. A performance that comes straight from the heart.
Links:
Roger Ebert's Review
Good Will Hunting (1997)
(R)
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This was one of the more thought provoking movies of the year that I enjoyed. It's about a young janitor named Will Hunting
(Matt Damon) who is found to be very good at math. A professor takes Will under his wing, enlisting the help of his old college
roommate, a psychology professor (Robin Williams). What follows is a thought provoking look into one group of peoples'
fears, loves, and lives.
Links:
Cinema 1's Good Will Hunting Page
Radio Free's Review
Gossip (2000)
(R)
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Three collage students create a class project that involves starting a rumor and tracking it's course around the collage. The rumor they start, about two people none of the group likes, eventually gets one of the victims sued, and the group tries to figure out what to do next. The movie has some good acting and is interesting, but it doesn't really have enough creativity to be really good. The suspense movie it tries to become never fully develops, and it remains blander than it should have been. Overall, interesting story, but the style could have been better developed.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review
The Great Train Robbery (1979)
(PG)
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A man is mistaken for another man with lots of wealth and power at a city in England, and plays along with it. He finds out about the gold being shipped by train to the army, and decides to steal it. The story revolves mostly around him getting the keys to open the safes on the train, and then the actual robbery. The movie is very interesting, has good characters, and is a good look at how the events of the robbery took place. It's almost too slow paced for my tastes, but the actors manage to make it interesting.
Grumpy Old Men (1993)
(PG-13)
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Two men revive an old rivalry when a women moves in across the street from them, who they fight for the affections of. The situations are funny, and the one-liners are great.
Links:
Roger Ebert's Review
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