The Ladies Man |
Lake Placid |
The Last Castle |
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen |
Leave it to Beaver |
The Legend of Bagger Vance |
Lethal Weapon 4 |
Liar Liar |
Licence to Kill |
Life |
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers |
The Life of David Gale |
Light It Up |
Limbo |
Lionheart |
Little Men |
Little Nicky |
Live and Let Die |
The Living Daylights |
Living in Oblivion |
Living Out Loud |
Logan's Run |
Lolita |
Loser |
Lost in Space |
Lost in Translation |
Lucky Numbers
The Ladies Man (2000)
(R)
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Nine year Saturday Night Live veteran Tim Meadows takes one of his recurring characters to the big screen. His character, who has all the wrong answers about romance for people who call in to his radio program, ends up trying to track down a rich woman (one of his many one night stands) who wants him back in her life while running from a group of enraged husbands had caught their wives cheating on them with him. The movie is good for a few laughs, but they are fairly far between, and don't sustain the movie. Most of the film seemed very contrived, with more thought put in to creating situations that could be funny than actually making them work. Overall, it showed potential, but never really lived up to it.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review
Lake Placid (1999)
(R)
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A group tries to deal with a giant alligator that somehow made it into a lake in Maine. The movie tries to make a good character film, but the dialogue is so boring that it never really works. The effects are very good, but don't appear often enough to make it worth going to see them. Overall, I wound up wishing the alligator had eaten the screenwriter so someone else could have taken over and made the all the talk in the movie interesting.
Links;
Official Studio Site
The Last Castle (2001)
(R)
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What do you get when you take a almost retired military general, hardened by five years of electric burn torture in an enemy prisoner of war camp, and condemn him to ten years in prison with an overly abusive prison warden? It depends if your answer comes out of real life or Hollywood.
In the movie ?The Last Castle,? writers David Scarpa and Graham Yost would have you believe the general would become a reluctant hero, oozing enough charisma to convince the entire prison population to turn against the warden for his abuse of power. He even manages to convince the most hardened inmates to simply seize control of the prison in a display of touchy-feely emotion, as a plea to make their living conditions better. Through all of this, not one person even brings up the idea of escape, not one thing ultimately hurts the general's chances of success, and everything I thought would happen did.
In most cases I would dismiss this film as simply another generic movie coming from the Hollywood cookie-cutter factory. However, it had two things working in it's favor: director Rod Lurie and star Robert Redford. Lurie, who has proven his ability to pull off a fairly real, down-to-earth feeling in movies with "The Contender," keeps the streak going by not allowing the film to go over the top in sentiment. He also knows that if the audience is going to buy into the movie, he needs to pull the audience into the story, so they can overlook reality and enjoy the movie for what it is. For this, Redford is his ace, not just making the character look good as he marches forward on his reluctant journey, but making him fun to watch.
As a realistic and dramatic look at the harsh realities of prison and war, this movie fails. This will most likely keep it from being considered a classic or being analyzed in collage classes. However, as an uplifting Hollywood movie where the the audience can root for the good guys and the bad guys get what's coming to them, this movie succeeds. And for people simply looking for a few hours of good escapist entertainment, Mr. Redford?s castle is a good, solid choice.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
(PG-13)
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Yet another comic book adaptation for the big screen, "LXG" delivers plenty of action, but not much of a story. Sean Connery stars as Allan Quatermain, an adventurer who is recruited by a "league" of extraordinary figures in 1899. This league comprises famous literary characters (Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, vampiress Mina Harker, seafarer Captain Nemo, The Invisible Man, Dorian Gray, etc). Together, they must use their abilities to stop the evil Fantom from provoking a World War. While the film's heroes are visually impressive, their character development never extends beyond their costumes. Worse yet, the story line and action scenes constantly leave us with more questions than answers (Dorian Gray and Mina Harker appear to have a history of some sort, but the film never bothers to explain it). Sean Connery's screen presence is like an oasis in the desert, but it's just not enough to save this mess of a film.
Links:
Roger Ebert's Review
Leave it to Beaver (1997)
(PG)
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One of the more cornball movies of the year, this one centers on the characters form the T.V. show, focusing, of course, on
"Beaver". The movie is mostly about Beaver's interaction with his family, and has everything happen in a slapstick, but almost
real way. Some of the jokes hit there mark, and some miss. The acting was very appropriate, if not spectacular. The plot was
good, but most of the characters could have been just a little less generic.
Links:
Official Studio Site
The Leave it to Beaver Movie Page
Film.com's Review
Mr. Showbiz's Review
Roger Ebert's Review
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
(PG-13)
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Will Smith is a guardian angle-like character who caddies for former local golf legend Matt Damon when he is talked into returning to the game for an exhibition match with two of America's best golfers. The film tries to be inspirational, and partially succeeds. The story itself is fairly intriguing, but the characters are never developed enough to get me to care enough about them so that the story can really work. What it comes off as is somewhat intelligent sounding but only mildly interesting fluff.
Links:
Official Studio Site
DreamWorks SKG Fansite
Peter Brunette's Film.com Review
Robert Horton's Film.com Review
Roger Ebert's Review
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
(PG-13)
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Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are back in their Lethal Weapon characters, and trying to figure out who is responsible for smuggling a group of immigrants into the US. The movie was really fun, and wasn't bogged down with loots of style like many current action movies (I love stylish action, but I can only take so many movies full of it). This movie was very well done all around, and well worth the trip to the theatre.
Links:
Official Studio Site
A Lethal Weapon 4 Page
Liar Liar (1997)
(PG-13)
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Jim Carrey plays a lawyer who's son makes a wish that his father couldn't tell a lie for 24 hours. Carrey makes the jokes work,
and lots of them are actually funny. The humor occasionally gets low-brow, but would we expect anything less from Jim
Carrey?
Links:
Official Studio Site
Licence to Kill (1989)
(R)
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Timothy Dalton's second (and final) appearance as Ian Fleming's superspy. When his best friend Felix Leiter is maimed by a drug lord, James Bond abandons Her Majesty's Secret Service to exact revenge. Never before has 007 been so cold and ruthless. While Dalton's portrayal is faithful to the literary Bond, it lacks the suave, tongue-in-cheek quality that one expects from the cinematic Bond. Thankfully, Licence to Kill is chock full of fantasy violence and spectacular stunts (if it weren't, it would be utterly unwatchable).
Links:
007.com
Life (1999)
(R)
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Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence play two men sentenced to life in prison for a crime they didn't commit. They then spend their sentence trying to escape. The movie shows the evolution of their relationship both before and during their prison sentence. I found this film to be good if you're with a group that's enjoying it, and can laugh about the situations together. The jokes and situations have been done before, but they pull them off well in this movie. Overall, fairly average, some will love it, while some will be very bored.
Links:
Official Studio Site
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)
(Unrated)
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Based on a book by Roger Lewis, this film tells the story of the late Peter Sellers; an actor who brought life to so many memorable characters, yet struggled to find his sense of self. Geoffrey Rush takes on the daunting task of portraying Sellers, and fares surprisingly well. Good makeup and costumes aside, his mannerisms and conversational quirks are spot on. The supporting actors, for the most part, are quite good - in particular Emily Watson as Sellers' first wife, and Miriam Margolyes as Peter's overly possessive mother. While this film presents Sellers in an honest, resolute fashion, it is not clear what the filmmakers are trying to say about him. I wasn't sure whether I should feel sorry for him or slap him in the face. But then again, maybe that is the point they're trying to make. At any rate, this film is a must-see for any Sellers fan, or anyone who's curious about the man (or lack thereof) behind the characters.
Links:
Official Site (UK)
The Life of David Gale (2003)
(R)
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Kevin Spacey is David Gale, a famous opponent of capital punishment who is, ironically, on death row; convicted of raping and murdering a fellow activist. Kate Winslet plays Bitsy Bloom, a reporter who is granted an interview with Gale days before his scheduled execution. Over the course of the interview, Bitsy becomes convinced that Gale is innocent and begins to investigate the crime for herself. This movie boasts some very good acting (Kevin Spacey lends great depth to his role), and the use of flashbacks, while liberal, is exceptional. But as Gale's time on death row runs out, so does this production's sense of integrity. In the last half hour, the film degenerates into a cliche melodrama that I simply cannot take seriously. The moral of the story is about as clear as mud, and what began as a promising effort ends up a huge disappointment.
Links:
Roger Ebert's Review
Light It Up (1999)
(R)
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A group of kids accidentally shoot a school cop after protesting a teacher being forced out of the school, and decide to take him hostage in order to try to get their school repaired the way it should be. The movie tends to be very long winded, but the actors are able to carry most of the scenes well. The entire film has been done before, but was done well enough to keep it from getting too generic. Overall, a decent attempt at a thought-provoking social commentary, but could have used a little more punch.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Limbo (1999)
(R)
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A single woman and her daughter move into a city in Alaska, where she develops a relationship with a man which then gets tested when the three of them get stranded in the woods and must survive until someone figures out where they are. The plot is fairly drawn out, but the script keeps the characters occupied so that it never really seem like noting's happening, but just developing slowly. It gives you a chance to pay attention to the characters and really get to know them. Unfortunately, some of the situations they find themselves in seem rather forced and cliched. The actors manage to pull off their characters very well, though, and are very believable. Overall, the characters and acting are great, but the pace is just a little too slow and the story feels a bit too contrived.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Mr. Showbiz's Review
Roger Ebert's Review
Lionheart (1987)
(PG)
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Not to be confused with the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie with the same name, this movie, staring Eric Stoltz, shows a group of kids trying to find King Richard, The Lionheart. It movies rather slowly, and is scripted to be way too simple. If it had more of a brain, I would have enjoyed this movie, but as it was, It got old really fast. The music and the occasional inspired acting were good, but not enough to save the movie.
Little Men (1998)
(PG)
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A movie based on the book that was a sequel to "Little Women". A boy from the streets is taken in to a "school" run by one of the characters from the original book. The school is for kids who need help fitting into society, and the boy has fun and gets into trouble there. The movie sticks too close to the book in all the wrong places. The narration was taken straight from the book, and the movie seem to be trying very hard to actually have the feel of being a book instead of a movie. This made the movie seem very dull to me, when I wasn't laughing at the way the kids were behaving. Most kids I know aren't like this, no matter how many manners they've been taught. Some of the scenes my actually teach kids some good lessons, but only if they're still awake at that point. Overall, this movie needs a trip back to the drawing board.
Little Nicky (2000)
(PG-13)
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Adam Sandler is the devil's son and must come to earth, find his brothers, and bring them back to hell in order to save his father. A typically silly Sandler movie, it is fairly well acted and directed for the type of film it is, and manages to be mildly amusing in a juvenile way. Not spectacular, but fans of the style of humor may like it.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Robert Horton's Film.com Review
Sean Means' Film.com Review
Roger Ebert's Review
Live and Let Die (1973)
(PG)
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Roger Moore's first appearance as Ian Fleming's superspy. This time, agent 007 teams up with Felix Leiter to stop heroin supplier Dr. Kananga. This film, the eighth in the series, was very well received in 1973. But in hindsight, it is probably one of the worst installments. Roger Moore struggles to establish his own, unique characterization of Bond, but that's not the only problem. This movie is plagued by an excessive run time and, more importantly, the lack of a true Bond villain. About the only memorable part of Live and Let Die is the catchy opening number by Paul and Linda McCartney. Fortunately, the Moore era would get better before it got worse...
Links:
007.com
The Living Daylights (1987)
(PG)
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Timothy Dalton's portrayal of 007 is controversial at best. His approach is far more serious than Roger Moore's, and even more hard-edged than Sean Connery's (Dalton's intent was to more accurately depict the James Bond from Ian Fleming's original novels; you either love his interpretation, or you hate it). That being said, The Living Daylights is one of the worst entries in the long-running series. Dalton alone cannot be blamed for this. The story is lame, the villains are weak, and the women are less-than-captivating. Even several exciting action sequences aren't enough to keep The Living Daylights from turkey status. Only hardcore Bond fans should bother with this one.
Links:
007.com
Living in Oblivion (1995)
(R)
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This movie documents a day on the set of an independent film. The movie has three separate sections to it, each documenting a "day in hell" on the set, and each showing what good acting ability the entire cast has. The focus of the movie is on Steve Buscemi, who is the most entertaining part of the movie. The script is good, and the humor is great.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Living Out Loud (1998)
(R)
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A woman has to put her life back together after a divorce. The movie has some funny moments, and was able to pull off sudden changes from being humorous to being touchy-feely without too much of a strain. The acting and directing hold the movie together, and the writing is decent. Overall, a fairly enjoyable movie with some good comic moments.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Logan's Run (1976)
(PG)
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Before Michael York played Basil Exposition in "Austin Powers", he achieved b-movie immortality in the sci-fi epic "Logan's Run". In the year 2274, humans have sealed themselves off from the outside world. Their decadent society has only one catch: no one lives beyond the age of 30. Once your time is up, you must "renew" in a pyrotechnic ritual called Carousel. Not everyone accepts this fate, and those who try to escape are called runners. York plays Logan 5, one of the "sandmen" who terminate the runners. Logan is a firm believer in the life cycle - that is until a mysterious discovery makes him question Carousel's promise of renewal. Before long, he finds himself on the run, aided by a member of an underground movement. B-movie fans will be amused by this film's crude special effects (the models are painfully obvious). But what really makes "Logan's Run" memorable is its zany production design (well, that and the brothel scene). A campy, fun adventure that is worthy of its cult status.
Lolita (1962)
(Not Rated)
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A man becomes obsessed with a 12-year-old girl, and decides to marry her mother to be around the girl. The girl returns some of his advances, encouraging him. After the wife/mother dies, the father and daughter move to a new city, where the father keeps his daughter with him all the time, afraid of losing her. The movie never explains the obsession the father has, but the acting and directing make it very interesting to watch. The actors are very believable at their roles, and the directing keeps the action moving, hitting most of the hilights of the relationship, but only hinting at the sexual relationship between the father and daughter. Over all, a interesting look inside a socially wrong, but very possible relationship.
Loser (2000)
(PG-13)
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A collage student from a farm town tries to fit in at his collage in a big city, and meets the girl of his dreams in the process. She, however, has a crush on their teacher and isn't really interested in dating him, while his former roommates take advantage of his new living arrangements after booting him out of the dorm. The story is what you'd expect from a teen romance/comedy, but it is well directed and acted and has a script interesting enough that if you like the style, you'll enjoy the movie.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review
Rotten Tomatoes' Page
Lost in Space (1998)
(PG-13)
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The Robinson family go into outer space to travel to Alpha Prime, a planet they must colonize to save mankind. When an accident happens, they go into hyperdrive to avoid being pulled into the sun, and end up in the middle of an uncharted area of space. This movie was actually a let down for me. It kept shifting back and forth between being a serious sci-fi movie with a few wise cracks and a cheesy sci-fi movie with a brain, and didn't combine the two styles very well. The rest of the movie was good, save the soundtrack that started up at the most annoying points it could and was too generic. The acting was passible, and the special effects were great, even if we have seen them all before.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Dark Horizons's Lost in Space Page
Staffordshire's Lost in Space Movie Page
Lost in Space: The Motion Picture
Lost in Translation (2003)
(R)
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Sofia Coppola brings us a sad, yet sweet story about two Americans, Bob and Charlotte, who form a unique relationship amidst awkward circumstances in Tokyo. Bob (Bill Murray) is a former movie star who has been hired to endorse a Japanese whiskey. Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) is the wife of a fashion photographer who runs off suddenly to shoot on location. As fate would have it, Bob and Charlotte are staying at the same hotel. In a chance meeting at the bar, they discover their mutual sense of isolation (both of them are struggling with their personal identites while, at the same time, struggling to come to grips with Japanese culture). In a week, they hang out, go clubbing, meet interesting locals, and share an affection for each other that they never could have shared back home. While some may find the bulk of the movie a bit depressing, they'll find the payoff to be both uplifting, and satisfying.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review
Lucky Numbers (2000)
(R)
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John Travolta is a TV weather man who, with the help Lisa Kudrow, the woman who works the lottery machine, rigs the lotto and then must find a way to claim their money without making it obvious they are the ones getting it. The situations tend to be a little too over the top for me to really believe, and I'm still wondering why a man concerned with appearing well-off would have his own table at Dennys in the first place. The actors do what they can with rather bland characters, but the director is never really able to inject any life into the film.
Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review
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