I caught this movie on HBO recently. I didn't think I'd watch more than five minutes, but I couldn't help watching the whole thing. Was it Joan Allen, who gives an outstanding performance? Was it Kevin Costner, who gives a fine performance himself? Was it Alicia Witt, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, and Evan Rachel Wood, who play Allen's daughters with their own distinct personalities? It was all of them, and each one fits in right with the other. Allen is a superb leading lady, I'm surprised she didn't get more attention for this part. I agree with an earlier reviewer who said she hoped this movie would find an audience, now that it's on cable I'm sure it will.
Reviews
19 Reviews
French Postcards
(1979)
One of those rainy day movies
17 October 1999
FRENCH POSTCARDS is one of those movies you watch when there's nothing else on (at least that was the case for me). It's a harmless little movie with some nice shots of Paris and a story you've probably seen in dozens of other movies. It also has a couple of lovely French actresses (France-Piser and Quennessen)and a pretty American (Baker). And stay on the lookout for Debra Winger, before she was a star. It's a likeable movie overall.
I'm still hurting
16 March 1999
...two weeks after having attempted to sit through this thing. The pain I felt while watching this unfunny slop is comparable to the pain I felt while watching OVERDRAWN AT THE MEMORY BANK and MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE! If ever a movie deserved a spot on the bottom 100, it's this one.
Laserblast
(1978)
Forget about it
20 January 1999
Yes, this is one bad flick. The acting is terrible, the plot basically consists of the kid getting dumped on and blowing things up with his arm-laser, and the special effects are super-cheesy. And how about when the kid shoots the STAR WARS sign? Very, very...unfunny.
Loaded Weapon 1
(1993)
Loaded with blanks
13 January 1999
The guys who made this one were apparently going for a Zucker brothers-type farce. They've failed. The movie is just 83 minutes long, but it seems longer. Nearly all of the jokes and sight gags fall flat. Don't waste your time with this dull misfire.
Problem Child 2
(1991)
Why?
25 December 1998
Did the first travesty actually make money? This is another sequel (along the lines of ANOTHER STAKEOUT) that no one asked for. But we've received it anyway. The sequel is like its predecessor, completely brain-dead. It's also pretty disgusting (remember the dinner scene?) To think I almost felt sorry for Ritter, Yasbeck, and Warden. Did they need the money that much?
Octopussy
(1983)
Good entry
23 December 1998
OCTOPUSSY is one of Moore's really great turns as 007 (the others coming in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY). Chief bad guy Khan (Jourdan) and henchman Gobinda (Bedi) are great, as are the action sequences. Adams is passable, but Wayborn is hopeless. As for the theme song, it's OK. An above average entry into the series.
Liked it
23 December 1998
I must admit I initially never gave this entry much of a chance. Whenever it was on TV I tried to watch it, but I just couldn't get into it. Then last year, I saw a widescreen tape version on sale and decided to buy it. When I finished watching it I was sorry I had ignored it for so long. It's very good. I thought Lazenby did a good job as Bond, and Savalas turned in equally good work as Bond's nemesis. And Rigg is as sharp as she is lovely. This is one for the collection.
Twelfth Night
(1996)
Enjoyable
21 December 1998
The success of this flick comes down to three things: solid acting (Stubbs and Carter really stand out, as does Ben Kingsley; the rest of the cast deserves a warm round of applause as well), competent direction and great technical work (costumes, sets, photography). The ending is in the feel-good mode, but it doesn't ruin your enjoyment. If you're tired of all the usual stuff, rent this one for a change.
Jude
(1996)
Tough, affecting, underrated movie
21 December 1998
JUDE is a love story, but not one which you'll want to watch with a date. It has some really hard-hitting scenes, especially the one where Jude and Sue come home to tragedy just as it seemed things were finally starting to go good for them. That scene sticks in your mind, as do the performances of Eccleston and Winslet. Nice job.
Problem Child
(1990)
And it was followed by a sequel!
28 November 1998
I have to admit I've caught this one a few times on the USA Network. There's just something about the, well, sheer stupidity of this flick which makes me want to watch it whenever it's on. Yes, you're right about the sub-par acting, the plot which only an seven year old could like, etc. But I can't help feeling sympathetic toward some of the actors. Then again, a few of these actors signed up for the even more atrocious sequel.
Meteor
(1979)
Cheesy, but watchable
28 November 1998
This movie has extremely amateurish special effects, lame dialogue, and a bunch of well-known actors who were in between real roles. But Wood (in one of her last roles), Connery, Malden, and Keith manage not to look too embarrassed and succeed in making the picture at least tolerable. Just sit back and enjoy ripping into it.
Jaws 2
(1978)
Compared to what followed, it's not that bad
15 November 1998
Sequels are usually inferior to the original, and this one is no exception. Even though the cast is just going through the motions the movie manages to avoid becoming a disaster, unlike the laughably bad JAWS III, and the just plain bad JAWS: THE REVENGE.
Batman & Robin
(1997)
Joel Schumacher: The King of Camp!
27 October 1998
BATMAN AND ROBIN is one of the most silly, over-the-top movies I've ever seen. From the laughable opening sequence (you just have to see how our heroes survive certain death at the hands of Mr. Freeze) to the even more ridiculous ending sequence, this movie is just plain brain-dead. Amazingly, Joel Schumacher, Akiva Goldsman, and the head honchos at Warner Bros. (Warner Bros. has been such a dependable purveyor of schlock as of late, wouldn't you agree?) still have jobs!
Jaws 3-D
(1983)
What a laugh!
19 October 1998
I get a huge kick out of watching this ode to bad filmmaking. The funniest parts are the floating fish head at the beginning (never fails to elicit laughter from me), and the shark teeth at the end. Also funny are the ultra-cheesy special effects. And one can't help thinking what was going through the minds of the cast as they were making this stink bomb.
The Sweet Hereafter
(1997)
Solid work marred by one element
13 October 1998
I am becoming more and more convinced that the Academy Award is irrelevant. Ian Holm's performance deserved at the very least a nomination (along with Al Pacino and Johnny Depp of DONNIE BRASCO). He is perfect. The direction from Egoyan is also perfect. In less capable hands, the film could have become a depressing, unwatchable mess. Nevertheless, Egoyan has two of the characters interact in a way which I found very gratuitous. I won't tell you what goes on, but watch and you'll see. It's the only thing wrong with this solid, otherwise sensitively handled picture.
As Good as It Gets
(1997)
An Undeserving Film
6 September 1998
I went to see this film shortly after the Oscar nominations were given out. I frankly don't see why it deserved any. Jack Nicholson's job is by-the -numbers, and as much as I like Helen Hunt, her role didn't look like much of a stretch. Their performances were definitely not Oscar-worthy, and the script was standard-issue Hollywood. The picture shows me how meaningless the Oscars are becoming.
The Avengers
(1998)
Sure To Win Quite A Few Awards
5 September 1998
Razzie Awards, that is. Like another recent TV-to-film adaption, LOST IN SPACE, THE AVENGERS has a totally unintelligible plot. The shots of the English countryside were nice and so was the wardrobe, but that's about it. This flick will collect quite a bit of dust when it arrives on video.
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