TexGuy Reviews

Madonna: The Video Collection 93:99 (1999 Video)

A GREAT COMPILATION OF MADONNA'S WORK!!!

[10/10 · 16 May 2000]

BRILLIANT! ENTERTAINING! THOUGHT-PROVOKING! STUNNING! What else can be said about this video collection? Madonna offers her fans 14 of "her" favorite video clips from 1993-1999. There are some real gems in this compilation: "Bad Girl", "Fever", "Rain", "Secret", "Take A Bow", "Bedtime Story", "Human Nature", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", "Frozen", "Ray Of Light", "Drowned World/Substitute For Love", "The Power Of Goodbye", "Nothing Really Matters", and "Beautiful Stranger". The addition of "Drowned World/Substitute For Love", being only a European realease in the past, is reason enough to make this title a must for Madonnas U.S. fans. The only upset to this compilation are the missing videos: "This Used To Be My Playground", "Erotica", "Deeper and Deeper", "You Must Love Me" and "I'll Remember".

Madonna has made REMARKABLE contributions to the video arena, more than any other artist to date! Madonna's videos are a strong part of American Pop Culture. Madonna's videos are no stranger to awards either, "Take A Bow" received the AMA and the MTV VMA "Video Of The Year" Award, while "Ray Of Light" won MTV VMA "Video Of The Year" Award, also helped usher in one of Madonna's first four Grammy's!

The Next Best Thing (2000)

Magical Movie Confronts Topic of Gay/Straight Parenting.

[10/10 · 26 February 2000]

This film is truly a first! John Schlesinger gives us a first look into the lives of two friends, a gay man and a straight woman, who are surprised with a pregnancy after an overjoyous night of partying.

Madonna and Rupert Everett give OUTSTANDING performances as, Abbie & Robert, the alternative parents to be. Both decide to raise the child together without marriage. The chemistry between them is magical and purposeful. The viewer is thoroughly convinced and appreciative at the peek into the lives of these individuals and their friends. Lynn Redgrave gives a great performance as Robert's (Everett) mother.

This film has everything, and something for everyone to relate to! The first half of the movie is cute, quirky and funny and then it becomes rather serious when, Abbie (Madonna) decides to marry another man (Benjamin Bratt) and decides take their son, Sam (Malcolm Stumpf), away. A battle for Sam ensues. There are tender and tearful moments throughout the film.

The Next Best Thing is a beautiful film about love and the impulsiveness of the human spirit. This film is a MUST SEE!

Consenting Adult (1985 TV Movie)

This was a Good Coming Out Drama!

[3 May 1999]

I saw this movie back in 1985 when it premiered on television. Marlo Thomas plays Tess Lynd a mother whose son announces that he is gay. Tess' husband is not accepting of the son and a battle ensues. Tess is torn between the love of her son and her husband. Marlo Thomas gives a great performance!! I was a bit shocked though, parts of this film are pretty risque for the time and television! I can remember vividly how the viewer almost was part of the sexual activity the son was having, but it was done tastefully. I recommend this film!

Uncle Sam (1996 Video)

It's Worth The Laughs!

[25 April 1999]

If you like campy horror/comedy flicks along the lines of "Jack Frost", you'll love "Uncle Sam". The story centers around a young boy, Cody, who is very proud of his Uncle Sam who was killed in Kuwait by 'friendly fire' from the US Government. Sam Harper's remains are flown back stateside for a burial. Cody, young and naive, wants to be just like his uncle Sam, but Sam wasn't a hero or good guy after all. Cody unknowingly opens the coffin with the remains of his uncle and then the fireworks start, and just in time for the 4th of July celebration. Tender moments are attempted but fail. Most notable is P.J. Soles of "Halloween" fame as a bitter mother whose son was blinded and burned by a freak fireworks accident. Issac Hayes livens up this film as a veteran and local military historian. There are laughs throughout and some unique deaths. Watch it late at night with a group of friends.

Halloween II (1981)

NOT A BAD SEQUEL!!

[25 April 1999]

A sequel that continues the saga of our heroine, Laurie Strode. "Halloween II" is a good sequel, but lacks the passion of it's predecessor. "Halloween II" takes place the same night as the original "Halloween". Laurie is rushed to Haddonfield Memorial, while Michael continues to wreak havoc in Haddonfield. The body count rises as Michael tries to find the one person who drives his every move, Laurie. The skeleton staff at the hospital are flippant about the evenings events and carry themselves accordingly.

Dr. Loomis (Pleasence) is still tracking his former patient with the help of Haddonfield police. Laurie's stay at the hospital eventually garners a visit from Michael. Laurie fears for her safety and keeps one step ahead of Michael all through the film, while the hospital staff are picked-off one by one. Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie, she does a great job at finding the wrong places to hide, but the chase sequences are great! There are notable performances by Lance Guest as Jimmy, who is sweet on Laurie. This film has some explainations of Michael's and Laurie's connection to each other. Will this be a reunion to be remembered? "Halloween II" does offer up some tense moments, gore, and as sequels go it's a good job! I recommend this film.

Cube (1997)

A Genuinely Intelligent Film!

[23 April 1999]

The Cube is by far the best psychological thriller/horror I have seen in years! The movie is fresh and innovative introducing the viewer into a new realm of suspense and horror! Six strangers come together in a cube type prison. Their backgrounds are diverse and intended. Each one excels in their field. Two women, one a doctor and the other a student good at math. Four men, a thief, an idiot savant, an architect, and a cop. They all must work together diligently, as a team, to find a way out. Rooms are boobey-trapped, people are pitted against one another, tensions rise and people fall. The Cube incorporates the viewer in the chaos, fear and paranoia that ensues as the six race against peril and time to find their escape. This film is a MUST see!!!!! It will hold your attention from beginning to end and surprises are in abundance. **Note that every character's last name in the film is a name of a famous prison.** I give this film my highest recommendation!

Vampires (1998)

An Ok Vampire Flick

[23 April 1999]

John Carpenter must have let a vampire get to his finished reel first, because the life is sucked out of it! John really relied on the gore factor here more that content. Yes, there were shining moments in the film where we hear the history of the vampires and their nests. James Woods is miscast as Jack, the bandleader of the vampire killers. Woods comes across too campy! Daniel Baldwin gives a good performance as Montoya, and in my opinion should have had Woods' role. Jack and Montoya criss-cross the desert intuitively searching for vampire nests backed with the funding of Cardinal Alba (Maximillian Schell). Gore and body count rise, our heroes take a fall, regroup, and find out the shocking secret that Cardinal Alba has been keeping. This is a good film if you are into vampire flicks. It definitely isn't the worst!

The Age of Innocence (1993)

SCORCESE SCORES!

[10/10 · 23 April 1999]

The Age of Innocence is simply the best work by director Martin Scorcese and is deservedly entitled to the numerous accolades it has received. Mr. Scorcese's style and panache is elaborate in his film adaptation of Edith Wharton's moving novel of a forbidden love and the desideration between the two. Pfeiffer gives the most heart-wrenching performance as the object of desire. Daniel Day Lewis, equally talented, is the tortured lover who must choose, a promise of marrige to Mae (Winona Ryder) or risk his stalwart reputation in society to express his love for Pfeiffer. The cinematography is beautiful and the cast phenomenal. I highly recommend this film to everyone.

The Fog (1980)

JOHN CARPENTER DOES IT AGAIN!

[23 April 1999]

The Fog is by far an ingenious piece of work. The storyline is solid, very creatively unique and the characters believable and well casted, even though the regulars are back. Antonio Bay has a dark history that starts to unfold. Strange occurrences abound and everyone is affected, no one can escape the horror of the past or the present. A frigate ship carries the corpses of a banned group of lepers that are back for what is rightfully theirs. Prophecy has it that six lives must be taken in their return. Jamie Lee Curtis plays a drifter who rolls into town just in time to catch the horrific festivities. Adrienne Barbeau gives a great performance as radio jockey, Stevie Wayne. Stevie slowly puts the pieces together and realizes what is truly in the fog! Who will live, who will die? When the fog rolls in, the terror begins. I highly recommend this movie to horror fans everywhere!

Friday the 13th (1980)

WOULD YOU VENTURE INTO THE WOODS?

[22 April 1999]

Sean S. Cunningham has given the world a classic horror experience, with a great cast and storyline. Friday the 13th, though it is no Halloween, should not even be compared, it stands on it's own merit and is just as clever. The story centers around Camp Crystal Lake and it's bloody history. However futile in his efforts, Steve proceeds to try and re-open the doomed campsite. Seven wide-eyed and eager staff partake in Steve's efforts and end up taken apart. Friday the 13th offers up some unique, gruesome, and most memorable murders. The storyline takes an unexpected twist when Ms. Voorhes makes her comforting, motherly entrance. Friday the 13th takes the viewer on a macabre ride into the unseen horrors that the woods and an axe can offer. I for one will never look at the woods the same! I recommend this title for those who like a good scare.

Halloween (1978)

Personification of Horror!!!!!

[21 April 1999]

There isn't enough that can be said about John Carpenter's masterpiece. Halloween is the personification of horror. John Carpenter clairvoyantly expounds on our darkest fears in the form of a menacing shape, Michael Myers. The reality of this character dispels the notions of monsters, ghosts and goblins, but gives us something much more terrifying, an unstoppable human force. Michael's emotionless demeanor, casual cat and mouse pursuit, and determination coupled with Carpenter's deliberate lack of lighting all serve to create an ominous atmosphere that uneases, and forces the viewer to delve inward and question their own surroundings and safety. Halloween has stood the test of time to become the most watched and loved horror movie of it's time. Halloween is a must see, a staple for any horror fan, and serves as the standard for other horror films to achieve.

I highly recommend Halloween to everyone!!

Never Been Kissed (1999)

DREW IS BOX OFFICE DRAW!!!

[9/10 · 14 April 1999]

Drew Barrymore is utterly enchanting in her role as Josie Gellar. The film follows Josie's present day life as a newspaper reporter to her NEW past as 17 year old high school senior, an undercover assignment issued to her by her boss. Josie is reborn and refurbished, but soon realizes that life in high school is still very much the same! With the aid of her brother (Arquette) who registers along with Josie, helps propel her popularity status from "Loser" to "Totally Rufus"! Josie makes the rounds with the cool cliques, snubs the brainiacs (which she used to be the first time around in high school) and falls for her English teacher. Barrymore gives a great emotional testimony for every person who thought that high school was hell. Molly Shannon shines as Josie's co-worker at the paper, Anita. I would recommend this film to everybody. Go see "Never Been Kissed" it's totally Rufus!

200 Cigarettes (1999)

A Blast to the Past!

[14 April 1999]

Who says you can never go back? 200 Cigarettes did just that! It brought back well over 200 memories of the early eighties and did the impossible, created more! This film is enjoyable from beginning to end. I enjoyed seeing Courtney Love in a comedic role. Janeane Garafalo, though not in the movie all that much, gave a hilarious performance nontheless. Ultimately, the highlight of the film was newcomer, Kate Hudson, she stole the movie!!! The daughter of Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson gave us a mirror image to what Goldie was as a younger woman. Kate's character had all the laughs as well as the audiences pity. Nostalgic and engrossing, 200 Cigarettes had me wistfully wanting to go back and relive that era! I highly recommend this film to everyone who want's to party like it's 1981!

Evita (1996)

MADONNA'S TRIUMPH!!!!!

[10/10 · 14 April 1999]

Evita, the long awaited musical is Madonna at the top of her game, and in all her splendor she nails the role of the First Lady of Argentina, Eva Duarte de Peron!!! Madonna's portrayal of Eva Peron not only resurrected the story of Eva's life, but breathed new life into her as well! Madonna finally surpasses the cardboard reading, she's given us in past films, and generously gives of herself to this role, something warm, alive and tangible. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's music and lyrics were just that, until Madonna made them her own! Precise enunciation and pitch sent me into the stratosphere, Madonna was no longer a singer, but now an accomplished voice to be reckoned with! The meticulous attention to detail on the sets, costuming, and shooting helped propel the grandeur of the film and it's believability. Madonna finally leaps beyond her persona and truly BECOMES the First Lady of Argentina, Eva Duarte de Peron!!!

Free Fall (1999 TV Movie)

I Enjoyed This!

[9 April 1999]

I think "Freefall" was a good TV movie, I am glad however that they did not take it to the big screen, it's a story best left for the small screen. I thought the story was good and Jaclyn Smith gave a convincing performance as a NTSB inspector. Bruce Boxleitner, on the other hand, was a tad over the top and seemed like this was a freshman effort for him. The psycho of the film was believable and was a well rounded character. I actually felt a little sorrow for him. The effects were a bit shoddy, but hey, it's tv and doesn't have this big blockbuster budget. I would enjoy seeing this again and would recommend this film to people.

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

A GOOD SEQUEL!

[7/10 · 7 April 1999]

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with this sequel. It was even better than the first installment. There were more surprises and the movie was fast paced, never a dull moment. I was jolted more this time around. I was glad to see the return of Hewitt and Prinz Jr., the story would not have been that believable without them both! Brandy and Meki were both good in their portrayal of Julie's lust hungry friends. The setting for this film was perfect and rather menacing during the storm. The only let down in the film was "rastaboy". C'mon, this character was so unnecessary. The skeleton staff at the hotel were ok, but their fates known well in advance. All in all this is a great sequel and I believe that it shadows the first one! If you're in the mood to jump, I recommend this film to you.

The Little Mermaid (1989)

SIMPLY DISNEY'S BEST!

[9/10 · 5 April 1999]

The comeback movie for Disney has proven to be the most enduring and endearing! I cannot remember a time when I was more engrossed by an animated feature than that of the Little Mermaid. This film's appeal spans the entire age spectrum, everyone will find something to love about this film!!! The characters are alive and vibrant. The story is charming and entertaining. The music is simply the best from any Disney film to date!!!!! The music has you moving in your seat and I find myself singing along every time I see this film, especially to "Part Of Your World". The story revolves around a young mermaid, Ariel and her desire to become human to win the love of a prince. A deal and a deadline are the burden for our heroine and her friends. This IS the magic of Disney!!!!! If you see only one animated movie your whole life, make it "The Little Mermaid".

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

THIS IS A SAD EXCUSE FOR FILM MAKING!

[1/10 · 4 April 1999]

All I can say is that this was a wasted hour and a half of my life that I will never get back!!!!! This film was predictable, lacked ingenuity, and the actors were horrible, with the exception of Michael Rooker, I must say he was believable as being disturbed! As a fan of horror/serial films, I have to say that I was expecting better, but this film just never reached the level it was aiming for. This seemed like a high school film project gone awry! Almost no budget, grainy and colorless (even if that was the intent it came off cheap), and the effects were so shoddy! I would not recommend this film to anyone! WHAT IS MOST DISTURBING IS THAT THERE IS A PART 2!

The Mod Squad (1999)

A Great Movie!!!!!

[9/10 · 27 March 1999]

Mod Squad is definitely a MUST SEE film! I found myself mesmerized by the onscreem chemistry that Danes, Epps and Ribisi evoke, this IS casting at its best! The film moves at a fast pace never, a lull in action. The funkadelic feel of the show is apparent throughout the film be it furniture, vehicles, clothing, music, camera angles and shots, etc...but set in modern day Los Angeles. The trio are undercover youth who are out to expose an undercover drug king. I would DEFINITELY recommend this film to everyone!

Mulan (1998)

Great animated feature!!!!!!

[10/10 · 7 February 1999]

I am an avid fan of Oriental history and I really applaud Disney for making this beautiful film about this legend in the Orient, Mulan. This truly gives children a wider perspective on the world around them. This kind of filmwork creates a longing for more information of the Orient. I would give this animated feature the best recommendation!