matlock2 Reviews

Door to Door (2002 TV Movie)

William H. Macy, please come pick up your Emmy

[14 July 2002]

William H. Macy was simply amazing in this movie. Rather than sugarcoat Bill Porter and make him into a one-dimensional character, Macy shows him with warts and all. Porter is an inspiring man with cerebral palsy who overcame great odds to become a master salesman. He also treasures his independence to the point of sheer obstinance. The film is absolutely terrific and is a true credit to the made-for-TV movie genre.

Hannibal (2001)

Just didn't have it

[13 June 2002]

I picked up the DVD at a pawn shop (maybe that should have been my first clue) and being a big Silence of the Lambs fan, I grabbed it. After watching it, there are several problems with this movie.

Ridley Scott, while a talented director, was an awful choice to lead this film. Scott (Gladiator, Black Hawk Down) has done his best work, of late, in movies where we need to see everything -- graphically. One of the main reasons BHD worked so well is because it showed a truly realistic depiction of war. We did not need to see the gory details in Hannibal -- the exact opposite. This movie needed a director with Hitchcockian flair. Someone who realized that in a taut psychological drama, the imagination can conceive of far worse images than reality can produce. Mason Verger's face should have never been shown and my imagination could have gone to work. The scene with the boars could have been done with sound effects and shots of the actors in that scene and the final scene could be left to our collective imaginations.

The biggest difference between SOTL and Hannibal is that I am given no one to root for or identify with. In SOTL, Starling is woman in a man's world and a country rube to boot. I like her and identify with her underdog status. I never identified with Juliann Moore. She appeared to be arrogant, never has Foster's pluckiness and didn't connect with Hopkins. Go watch SOTL and see Jodie Foster's face when Lecter calls her a country bumpkin in their first seen. Watch her face for her multitude of understated emotions. Moore couldn't do that if she tried.

Gary Oldman's Mason Verger sounded like a demented Jimmy Stewart (really! listen to the cadence of his voice) and Ray Liotta mailed in this performance. Hopkins did a fine job considering the circumstances. If this movie had a better-suited director and Jodie Foster in the lead it could have been a more-than worthy successor to SOTL.

After reading some of these reviews, I wonder if MGM employees were given a bonus for posting this crap. 3 stars out of 10.

The Daily Show (1996– )

Easily the funniest late night talk show on the air

[7 November 2001]

This is a great show. Stewart has the perfect sense of humor to deal with the outrageness of his correspondents. He remains the center of sanity as reporters like Colbert, Carrell, and Rocca act in the strangest of ways. The seriousness that their interviewing subjects show is absolutely amazing. They pick on everyone equally. If the Onion had a TV show, this would be it. The only area were the show could slightly improve is Jon's interviewing technique. He doesn't match up with Conan as far as getting funny stuff out of the celebrities, but he is better than most. This show is absolutely incredible and I hope it lasts forever.

The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (1999–2004)

Not that funny

[3 November 2001]

This is show is a one-trick pony and the one trick isn't very funny. This show is nothing more than Craig Kilborn using his smarmy frat boy charm for all that it is worth (which isn't alot). He ripped off "In the News" and "5 Questions" from his Daily Show days, proving that he is incapable of creating any new gimmicks to get us to laugh. If you truly want to be entertained late at night, watch the Daily Show (Jon Stewart has taken that show to incredible heights) and follow it up an hour later with Conan.

Mister Ed (1961–1966)

A silly but loveable show

[22 January 2001]

Mister Ed was one of those silly irrelevant shows that you had to love. You might question the sanity of the TV exec who green lighted a show about a talking horse, but watching Mister Ed frustrate Wilbur to no end was fun to watch. I really wish Nick at Nite would start showing Mister Ed again so the younger generation could take in this timeless and much maligned classic.

Kane & Abel (1985)

A disappointing effort

[3/10 · 23 September 2000]

This movie is at best a mediocre mini-series. It oftentimes leaves major holes in the plot. For instance, we never see William and Kate get married or have children, and suddenly they have a 12 year old son at St. Paul's. You never realize that many years have passed before Abel and Zaphia are divorced, but it only takes one scene for the movie to do it. Very few characters are really in line with how Archer's book portrays them. The only accurate portrayal in this movie was that of Davis Leroy. Fred Gywnn nailed that part the way Bob Vila nails studs together. Overall though, the film is a disappointing show.

Mannequin (1987)

A feel good movie

[10/10 · 26 December 1998]

While this may not be as deep or thrilling as The Godfather or Glory, Mannequin is a decent movie. Although the plot is unrealistic, the actors do a good job working with the weak script. Mesach Taylor steals the show with his terrific performance as Hollywood, the homosexual designer. Kim Cattral also puts in a great showing as Emmy, the sexy mannequin who comes to life. 2.5 stars out 4.