AdamPeabody Reviews

Cloverfield (2008)

Great sound design...um, that's it, I guess.

[5/10 · 22 January 2008]

This video (yes, I meant that) may be comfortably viewed on, say, my 7" portable DVD player. Perhaps even as large as my 20" bedroom TV. Certainly not the big ol' DLP in the living room. And under no circumstances should this picture be viewed on THE SILVER SCREEN.

Clearly taking a cue from any and all video footage from 9-11, this is a movie about running. Not in the "Run Lola Run" Steadicam/Shotmaker Truck kind of way, oh no. This movie is about running in the same way as giving the video camera to your four year-old. There is more footage of the Lower Manhattan asphalt here than anything else. There was a warning printed on Salmon-colored paper at the theater where I viewed this explaining to me I might suffer motion sickness as result of seeing "Cloverfield." It should have said "will suffer motion sickness." When it ended, I swear I've never before heard more people groan wearily as they stood up.

The one genuinely redeeming element of seeing "Cloverfield" in the theater was the brilliant sound design. That is what holds everything together and makes it remotely enjoyable. While somewhat unrealistic, being that no handy-cam microphone could record (to say nothing of playing back) such rich audio, it is still very compelling and engrossing to listen to what the visuals cannot convey. There are a lot of these moments. Particularly, there is a moment in the subway tunnels when the characters are being stalked by creatures unseen, only to reveal them in an admittedly clever use of the infrared gimmick.

This was a really hard video to watch. I had to take full minutes away from the screen to focus on the theater's EXIT sign in order to prevent heaving up my popcorn. Entire running sequences are lost to me as I stared at the hairdo sitting in front of me. At least in the beginning, I could watch the on-screen time and date, which held perfectly still. That ended up disappearing about fifteen minutes in. Michael Bonvillain, ASC, I salute you. You truly kicked my butt. I hope someone gets you a geared head on a J.L. Fisher dolly next Christmas.

First Knight (1995)

#1 on my worst movies list.

[1/10 · 30 August 2006]

I've seen thousands of movies, and this takes it. I don't just dislike it, I hate everything about it. Tell me how a writer can possibly make an Arthurian story in which they kill King Arthur in an utterly non-canonical way? And how does Richard Gere ever get cast in films taking place in England? And how can one man singlehandedly tank a scene involving a lovely young woman in the green forest outside of Camelot? There are no answers...only more questions. I refuse to ask them anymore. I can only state that I suffered through this would-be date movie under duress. This was another in a long string of terrible movies to haunt the early nineties. "Virtuosity" anyone? How about the dreadful and plodding "Age of Innocence" in which Daniel Day Lewis' inner monologue forced us to check our watches repeatedly during the lighthouse dilemma. Back to Richard Gere, how's about "Sommersby?" This one actually rates highly with many people. Wait...she can't tell he isn't her husband? And neither can anyone else? "Far and Away?" God, did I really see all of these in the THEATER???

The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)

Oh yeah. It's good. Real good.

[9/10 · 29 July 2004]

I caught this on IFC a few weeks back. I've had the original Mark Isham score for years, and love that, but I never put any effort into finding and watching the film. It's wonderful. Even listening to Harvey Fierstein's voiceover doesn't get irritating because the subject matter is at once riveting and heartfelt, exuberant and crushing. The thing that makes this movie so effective, I think, is that it was clearly pieced together for a mixed audience. This is not a gay film, or a political film, or something only San Franciscans will understand. It brings you in and allows you to really see and hear how this man affected lives around him, including the life of the man who shot him. Fascinating. Haunting. Wonderful. Go see this film.

The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (2002)

Cute, if a bit fluffed up.

[8 August 2002]

Honestly, who isn't a fan of Steve Irwin? This movie was more or less a swelled and puffed version of the television show with an amusing (if silly) B-story as the actual plot. Not that this matters at all. Steve Irwin has essentially created what should have followed the first Crocodile Dundee.

Irwin is unabashed, honest, and has the Aussie charm that this film feeds upon. This recipe makes for a nice escapist viewing. Order some pizza when the DVD comes out and enjoy. The only disappointing thing this picture brings to mind is this. Terri Irwin, though an integral part of the television program, comes off as a bit of ditz here. Oh well. Want the genuine article? Go watch the show.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Let stop and think, shall we?

[19 May 2002]

Okay.

I've been reading a lot of crap about this picture. I've been reading a lot of junk about how it's barely better than Episode 1, how the dialogue is muddy, and the performances are bland, and on and on and on. I work in the movies. I know how every take is different from each other, and I know how the director can have a profound influence on the movie regardless of the script.

So. Let's take a moment to consider something. The performances were merely average and the dialogue sounds like someone reading the menu at McDonald's? Has anyone actually stopped and listened to Lucas speak in the last ten years? There is no more boring speaker in the world. Lucas makes Stephen Hawking sound like Sinatra. It seems almost natural to me that the chosen takes would sound like the dialogue running through Lucas' head while he was writing it.

Okay. That point aside, can anybody actually sit back and take in this picture for what it was? We all entered the theater with heightened expectations. ALL of us. Was it going to be as good as Irvin Kischner's visceral "Empire?" No. Was it going to be as slyly clever as the interpersonal dialogue between Han and Luke on the Death Star? No. Was it going to be a story about people living their lives before the crushing hand of the empire controlled the universe? YES!

This movie was not about the radical feats of problem solving and improvisation during episodes 4 through 6. This was a movie about characters who have yet to realize the incredible importance they will have over the course of history. This was a movie about the human elements inside all of us, regardless of our duties and obligations. This was the movie Lucas promised us would follow in the shallow footsteps of Episode 1 and make all the difference in the course of the tale.

Ultimately, what I am trying to say by this rambling diatribe is shut up, stop pretending to be filmmakers, and enjoy watching the perpetually slighted Yoda kick some Dark Side ass.

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

You want "high concept?" You got it...

[24 May 2001]

Okay.

I admit it.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this film. I have a habit of entering mass-market pictures with a low, albeit cynical, expectations of what I am about to witness. In doing this, I am often pleased with the end result..."X-Men" being an example of this.

"The Fast And The Furious" is an energetic romp through the adrenaline-saturated world of people who push the envelope. It is essentially "Point Break" meets "The Road Warrior." As ridiculous as this sounds, it was clearly done by someone who cares about the quality of the end result.

All in all, this was one of the better car movies I've seen in quite some time. I have my fingers crossed that the box office response puts Renny Harlin's latest farce, "Driven," to shame.

American Psycho (2000)

Hmmm...

[18 May 2001]

As a film school graduate, I am very interested and enthusiastic about film theory and analysis of cinema.

It is because of this that I am frustrated.

After viewing American Psycho (and rather enjoying it), I must reluctantly admit this: I didn't get it.

I implore you, readers of the IMDB. Post some insight here. I could use some assistance. It bothers me to leave a film saying to myself, "Huh?" After all...I understood Twin Peaks.

For All Mankind (1989)

Found this film through Eno's album...

[8/10 · 6 February 2001]

I've been a fan of Brian Eno's work for years, and have cherished the album entitled "Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks." The album is the commissioned soundtrack for this compilation documentary of the NASA Apollo missions. What a harmony of the arts this is. The stark NASA footage coupled with the hauntingly soothing score create a fascinating marriage of techniques and styles. Although the music editor overused certain tracks over others, the subtlety of Eno's music prevents it from becoming repetitive. A pleasure to watch.

U-571 (2000)

Predictable? Let's talk...

[8/10 · 22 April 2000]

Okay. Many people who've seen U-571 have also seen Das Boot. Many of these people are also complaining that U-571 was predictable. So I pose this question: Was Das Boot predictable? Any viewer would expect the noble crew to return home to Germany safely and without loss of their ship. Right? But it didn't happen that way, did it? In comparing these two films, is it fair to argue that U-571 was really predictable during the initial viewing? I, for one, (also comparing it to Das Boot) was more or less awaiting the inevitable failure of the crew as much as their success. How can anyone really predict a movie outright?

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

I've never voted 10 for a film. Ever.

[10/10 · 10 April 2000]

This is one of those remarkably few films that is both commercially successful as well as a cinematic WORK. Spielberg, who I typically have reservations about, truly outdoes himself in this film by directing Ford, and Connery in their best roles ever. Speaking from the perspective of a perpetual 007 fan, I have to give Connery his fair share here as an ACTOR. This is working in the business at its finest. Being around actors and crew members all the time, I have to appreciate what has been accomplished in this movie. Kudos to all involved...even to Ben Burtt for his foleyed rats. Only in my latest viewing did it occur to me that those aren't really rats squealing away but foley artists in a studio somewhere in Burbank. Congrats!

Analyze This (1999)

If you know your mob flicks, this one's great.

[8/10 · 3 November 1999]

As an avid viewer of the gangster genre, I went into this one with high hopes...and wasn't disappointed. This film paints mobsters in the same sympathetic light that the original Godfather does (not the other ones, of course). DeNiro reenacts his famous heavy-handed mobster role with a whole new perspective in this very entertaining comedy. His off the wall character of a mob boss who breaks into tears at random intervals is priceless. Crystal works as the perfect dichotomy as the nervous psychologist who winds up over his head before he knows what has hit him. This film, although nothing past a simple comedy, is terrifically written and has more than it's fair share of laughs. Watch it. Have fun.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

It hurts me to say this...

[29 July 1999]

I had the privilege of screening Blair Witch before the main release. I was pensive, anxious, apprehensive, but primarily excited. Bummer.

Now, I usually dig movies that try new things, and this one did so with flying colors. It's simply a shame that I was alienated from each character due to the fact that they're just plain jerks. By the time the "shocking ending" came about, I didn't really care if they died. (Which, everyone knows, they do.) I just wanted them to shut up.

I'm also a great advocate of oblique ways of portraying the antagonist. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was just the rest of the crew yelling in the woods. So, in short, go see this innovative film. Just don't expect as much as I did.

The Haunting (1999)

For a PG-13? Yeah, okay...I liked it.

[29 July 1999]

You have to admit that not much of any consequence has been released in recent years with a PG-13 rating. In fact, they're usually too juvenile to take seriously. I have to admit, however, that this was an exception. I didn't expect to get into this movie, and "Cory" from "Say Anything?" Lead role? What? However, I was pleasantly surprised. This movie was really quite solid, and the digital effects were remarkable. I typically despise CGI, but it was in rare form for this film. Oh yeah...it was also a PG-13 horror film. When was the last time this happened? As far as that goes, this was a stellar excursion. For an R? No. A PG-13 was just right for this since there were just enough startling moments to keep you on your toes. I genuinely enjoyed this movie, for what it's worth. Of course, I'll be seeing Blair Witch tomorrow after Eyes Wide Shut...

The Matrix (1999)

Special effects are plot-worthy.

[8/10 · 9 April 1999]

To begin, I genuinely enjoyed The Matrix. I am typically very cautious about mass-released sci-fi, especially starring Keanu. However, knowing the Wachowskis' work, I was excited. (Also, I know several crew members who never shut up about it.) I am very satisfied with the finished product. None of the special effects are new or revolutionary, but FINALLY they had a valid reason for being in the film. By integrating special effects with the plot, the Wachowskis brought us a solid and fully developed science-fiction movie. Go see it. Do it now.

Funny Farm (1988)

Why didn't they give Buffy a good part?

[31 January 1999]

It's kind of entertaining to see actors and actresses in the days of old and see how they all began. Sarah Michelle Gellar is almost invisible in this movie, but she's there. Cute, eh? I have friends in "Little Monsters" for cryin' out loud...

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

One thing keeps bugging me...

[5/10 · 14 December 1998]

Now, agree or disagree, this was a reasonably good movie. I genuinely enjoyed the banter between crew members. It was the human touch that these films have been missing since Star Trek IV, in my opinion. However, here's the thing which bothers me. None of these TNG films have LOOKED as good as the original crew. The high key lighting is bogging down any power from the scenes. The interior of the Enterprise looked great, but everything else was way too hot. Lighting is crucial to creating anxiety, and it's just lacking. Good script, good plot, but visually I have been disappointed every time. They really ought to bring back Nicholas Meyer. That guy can direct an intense film.

Psycho (1998)

Please, people, shut the hell up.

[5 December 1998]

I'm a film student, and I consider myself reasonably enlightened. However, all of this B.S. about Van Sant's remake of "Psycho" is driving me nuts. So he remade it. Branagh and Gibson have both remade "Hamlet" within a span of little more than a decade! "West Side Story," by God, was (GASP) "Romeo and Juilet???" BLASPHEMY! Okay. Folks, get over it, huh?

The Right Stuff (1983)

A film which can only truly be seen in letterbox.

[12 November 1998]

Well, John Glenn recently landed again. This time, in a wholly different spacecraft. Regardless, one of the many movie channels decided to remind us all of how it was by showing this marvelous film in it's original widescreen format. I was overjoyed, and I convinced my five roommates to watch it, too. I was pleased to see that once again I have introduced my friends to yet another fabulous piece of cinema. Only this time, it was over two hours long, in letterbox, and with a powerhouse cast!