A lovely, beautifully-animated Japanese anime film. It's alternately funny, exciting, and deeply tender and touching. It has a wonderful mix of sci-fi elements while still being completely grounded in realism. I found myself reminded of the emotional highs, seemingly doomed romances, and clever sci-fi of a couple of my favorite films: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Source Code. A wonderful film that I am looking forward to watching again.
Reviews
17 Reviews
The Passion of the Christ
(2004)
Is this how we honor Christ? By torturing him for two hours?
2 September 2004
I am a Christian, but Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. There are several problems with this film. Obviously, millions of people know who Christ is, but I think it's important to give the viewer some idea of why we should care about this guy in the movie. There is no story! The occasional 10-second flashback is not enough to give anyone an idea of who this great man was. I think most of the Christians who watched this are missing the point that this is a movie! It's not like God came down and guided Mel Gibson's hand in making this. This is one guy's opinion, one guy's vision of what happened. And to tell you the truth, it's a pointless two hours of torture. This movie gives no picture of the wonderful things Christ did during his life. I think it would have been an outstanding movie, if they had first set it up with some scenes from earlier in his life, his ministry, his healing. Then, the viewer could truly be upset when they start torturing him. The only reason you're so moved is because you already know the story. The filmmakers didn't do their job. Don't get me wrong. It's not like I sat there and felt nothing, it's just that the whole thing made me really angry. Not at the people who tortured him, but the people who tortured me, the filmmakers.
Fahrenheit 9/11
(2004)
Don't rate movies you haven't seen!
25 June 2004
Can we please make a new rule here at IMDB? It's a rule of honor
alone. You can NOT give a rating to any movie you have NOT
actually seen. Is this too much to ask? I don't care if you don't like
Michael Moore. I don't care if you are a flaming conservative. You
should not rate this movie unless you have seen it. It's not fair to
any movie to rate it if you haven't seen it. Hey, maybe if some of you
irrational, unfair people went out and actually watched the movie,
you might see that it is actually very intelligent and rational and
might realize that it in no way deserves a "0." I am telling you that if
a Republican Propaganda film came out, glorifying the presidency
of George W. Bush, I would not give it a "0" merely because I think
he's a horrible president. The only way I would give it a rating at all,
is if I went out and watched it and then formed an opinion about
the actual movie. Let's be fair, people! Don't rate movies you
haven't seen!
alone. You can NOT give a rating to any movie you have NOT
actually seen. Is this too much to ask? I don't care if you don't like
Michael Moore. I don't care if you are a flaming conservative. You
should not rate this movie unless you have seen it. It's not fair to
any movie to rate it if you haven't seen it. Hey, maybe if some of you
irrational, unfair people went out and actually watched the movie,
you might see that it is actually very intelligent and rational and
might realize that it in no way deserves a "0." I am telling you that if
a Republican Propaganda film came out, glorifying the presidency
of George W. Bush, I would not give it a "0" merely because I think
he's a horrible president. The only way I would give it a rating at all,
is if I went out and watched it and then formed an opinion about
the actual movie. Let's be fair, people! Don't rate movies you
haven't seen!
Atlantic
(1929)
A horrible early sound film
4 April 2003
I am a Motion Picture Production major at Wright State University in Ohio, and yesterday I was sadly given the opportunity to watch this god-awful film in class. We were informed by our professor that it would be very funny to us, but the reason we were watching it was because it was one of the first sound films - a complete disaster.
The problem with early sound films was that Hollywood actors only knew how to do silent movies and they weren't good at memorizing lines. So producers and directors would look to the stage to get actors. Sounds like a great idea, right? Well, the kind of acting one does on stage doesn't show up too well on film. Most of the actors in "Atlantic" look and sound like they're acting in a play, which results in lots of hearty laughs at the over-acting. Another limitation of early sound film was the technology of microphones. You couldn't move the mikes like you can today, you had to keep them static or it would pick up the sound of air moving through. There was usually one mike used in any given scene in this movie. In one particular scene, there is a man sitting at a table. Someone walks right up to him and delivers their line, then walks away. Another actor comes up from behind him, delivers their line, then walks away. It goes on like this for a couple more people. The microphone is obviously right by the man at the table, making for a laughable actor carousel.
Those are only technical problems. If you get into the story and direction, then it gets even worse. The story is a fictionalized account of what happened on the Titanic. The characters are unbelievable and pointless. A "story" about a man cheating on his wife and their teenage daughter has no place in the movie. It is barely resolved and leaves you wondering why it was there in the first place. A lousy attempt at high drama, the actors take long, pregnant pauses between lines many times. It is tiresome, and you can't wait for this 90 minute (feels like 180 at least) movie to get over with. I'm not going to talk a whole lot about the issue of racism at this time in our country, but it really offended me that there were only two blacks in the whole movie, and they were portrayed as animals. They both pushed past the women and children to try and get in one of the lifeboats. They were ordered to stop or be shot, and of course they didn't so they were shot. I was appalled.
I give this movie a 2/10. I would have given it a 1/10 (the lowest rating possible), but I gave it an extra point just because it was one of the first sound films, and I tried to put it into context. If you want to see a good early sound film, check out Alfred Hitchcock's "Blackmail" that also came out in the year 1929. You will find that the best directors were able to adapt to new technology immediately.
The problem with early sound films was that Hollywood actors only knew how to do silent movies and they weren't good at memorizing lines. So producers and directors would look to the stage to get actors. Sounds like a great idea, right? Well, the kind of acting one does on stage doesn't show up too well on film. Most of the actors in "Atlantic" look and sound like they're acting in a play, which results in lots of hearty laughs at the over-acting. Another limitation of early sound film was the technology of microphones. You couldn't move the mikes like you can today, you had to keep them static or it would pick up the sound of air moving through. There was usually one mike used in any given scene in this movie. In one particular scene, there is a man sitting at a table. Someone walks right up to him and delivers their line, then walks away. Another actor comes up from behind him, delivers their line, then walks away. It goes on like this for a couple more people. The microphone is obviously right by the man at the table, making for a laughable actor carousel.
Those are only technical problems. If you get into the story and direction, then it gets even worse. The story is a fictionalized account of what happened on the Titanic. The characters are unbelievable and pointless. A "story" about a man cheating on his wife and their teenage daughter has no place in the movie. It is barely resolved and leaves you wondering why it was there in the first place. A lousy attempt at high drama, the actors take long, pregnant pauses between lines many times. It is tiresome, and you can't wait for this 90 minute (feels like 180 at least) movie to get over with. I'm not going to talk a whole lot about the issue of racism at this time in our country, but it really offended me that there were only two blacks in the whole movie, and they were portrayed as animals. They both pushed past the women and children to try and get in one of the lifeboats. They were ordered to stop or be shot, and of course they didn't so they were shot. I was appalled.
I give this movie a 2/10. I would have given it a 1/10 (the lowest rating possible), but I gave it an extra point just because it was one of the first sound films, and I tried to put it into context. If you want to see a good early sound film, check out Alfred Hitchcock's "Blackmail" that also came out in the year 1929. You will find that the best directors were able to adapt to new technology immediately.
The Sixth Sense
(1999)
Best movie of the year, and maybe ever!
11 September 1999
There have been plenty of good movies this year, that I enjoyed. Such as "Arlington Road", "Varsity Blues", "American Pie", "Austin Powers 2", "Outside Providence", "The Mummy", "Bowfinger", and even "The Blair With Project", but none have lived up to the excellence of "The Sixth Sense". "The Sixth Sense" is the best movie I have seen in a long time. You could actually feel Cole's anguish. And to those of you who don't like "horror" movies, this isn't one of them. This is a wonderful film, which will chill you at times, but it has no really gory parts. This is not a "Scream" movie, yet it has been #1 in the box office 5 weeks in a row! "Star Wars" wasn't even #1 that long! This is definitely the best movie of the year, and I don't expect to see a better one. Not only that, I expect that this film will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time. I wish I had a bigger scale! I give this a 10 out of 10, but wish I could give it a 20 out of 10!
The Blair Witch Project
(1999)
Funny, scary, really scary
31 July 1999
This movie was first funny. It was like a comedy for a good bit of the film. Then it was scary about midway through. And then, at the end, it was really scary. I was shocked, terrified, horrified, and every other word you can think of. At the end, my heart was pounding, and the hair on my arms was literally standing on end. I found out just how disturbing the film was, when I got home. I went upstairs to go to bed, and found myself leaving the hall light on that I usually turn off. Now I'm sure this is nothing you haven't heard already, but I would really like to recommend this wholeheartedly. Listen to the stories at the beginning, because you will not fully understand the film if you don't. If you do listen to the beginning, the ending will become clear, and horrify the f*** out of you! I give it a 10 out of 10.
Austin Powers 2 is so much better than the first!
29 July 1999
"The Spy Who Shagged Me" is hilarious. Let's just leave it at that. It is ten times better than the first, and made me laugh like nothing else. If you know your pop culture, then you'll love this movie. There is a hilarious tent scene. If you've seen it, then you know what I'm talking about. It made me laugh endlessly. "Austin Powers 1" was disappointing for me. "Austin Powers 2" made me say: "Groovy, baby, yeah!" For comparison's sake, "Austin Powers 2" is better than the "South Park" movie, but not nearly as good as "American Pie". If you like to laugh, and understand pop culture, then go see this film now! I give it an 8 out of 10.
Disturbing Behavior
(1998)
Fun, but not scary
29 July 1999
"Disturbing Behavior" was a really fun movie. There were funny parts, and I just love Katie Holmes. She's hot. It starts out with a disturbing scene, that leaves you thinking "what's going on?" and it's intriguing. Only after that, there isn't any slasher violence or anything like that. There are fights, but not kills. This film has a really good premise, but I was utterly disappointed. The film was too short (84 minutes). Now I'll admit, "Halloween" was around 90 minutes and it was really good. Well guess what? They didn't have enough time to develop the story. I think this film needed at least 95 minutes. Maybe more. That way, they would've had time to develop the characters, and the story. Things keep happening in no time at all. They needed to draw it out some, and create suspense. But no. No suspense to be found. Although, I do give an A+ to the ending. Pretty slick. Despite it's draw backs, it is worth renting. And it's fun. I give it a 6 out of 10.
Mike Myers is funny
29 July 1999
Mike Myers is just plain a funny guy. You gotta give the guy credit for that much. It's hip, it's funny, it's shagadelic, baby! Well, anyway, I've seen both Austin Powers movies, and the second one is better than the first. But I still give it a 6 out of 10.
Carrie
(1976)
Stephen King's First and Best Hit
29 July 1999
Stephen King has had an outstanding writing career, and I'm sorry about his accident. His first novel, and my personal favorite was "Carrie". "Carrie" was an engaging, intriguing story, and I was on the edge of my seat literally just reading it. First of all, I would like to say that "Carrie" was an incredibly better book than movie. Still, I gave it a 9 out of 10. The book was like off the scale. 12 out of 10 or something. I loved how the book got to the ending. The movie was still scary, but they took away some of the story from the book. It would've been cool if they'd left some of the scenes alone. Oh well, it's all you can expect from a book made into a movie. I was totally afraid of Carrie's mom. What a freak! She was constantly worshiping God, but at the same time looked like the devil. The only Stephen King movie that came close to this, was "Pet Sematary", which was horrifying. Stephen King is a wonderful writer, and I thank God that his wife pulled his first story out of the trash can. Otherwise, we'd have no "Carrie". Once again, I give it 9 out of 10.
Varsity Blues
(1999)
Excellent film is more than what lies on the surface
19 July 1999
If you haven't seen "Varsity Blues" yet, you probably think it's just another football movie. Football, beer, and sex. Well guess what? There is plenty of football, beer, and sex. But it's more than that. The football action is the best I've even seen in a movie. Totally crushed Adam Sandler's "The Waterboy". The beer is heavy at times, but they don't kill themselves. The sex is miniscule. One character resists. (NO! That can't be! Resisting sex?) "Varsity Blues" is full of great fun, action, drama, and good southern accents. (Except for Lance Harbor's dad. YECH.) This one has a good message, instead of play football, drink beer, and have sex. If you see this movie, have an open mind. It's really hilarious if you just listen. I gave it a 10 out of 10.
He Got Game
(1998)
Spike Lee Misses Mark With Unnecessary Film
19 July 1999
"He Got Game" was a horrible film. First of all, Ray Allen? You can play basketball, but you can't act. Sorry. The amount of graphic sexual content was unnecessary and revolting. They made getting into college look like an orgy. If you haven't already seen this movie, then be glad. The ending was very confusing, and the whole movie was too. I give it a 3 out of 10, and only because Denzel Washington is so great.
American Pie
(1999)
American Pie - much sweeter than it looks
18 July 1999
"American Pie" is a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful film. I saw "South Park" the same day, and "American Pie" totally blew it away. The first scene is can't miss, so don't get to the theater late. On the outside, this film appears to be a buncha horny teens vowing to get laid by prom night. It looks like a totally distasteful movie. But you know, this movie is very tasteful. It's better than "warm apple pie", as they said in the movie. Sure, it has it's gross scenes, but you know, it's all done in relatively good taste. Despite the appearance that the message is for teens to have sex as soon as possible, it's not. There is a message which lies beneath. Sex is not the most important thing in high school, but it sure seems that way. There is a nice message, which plays in near the end of the movie. If you like to laugh, and can take a couple of gross-out scenes, then take a look at "American Pie", the best film of the year.
I Can't Remember What You Did To Me 50 Years Ago
18 July 1999
I went to this movie with the stupid hope that it would be good. Not a chance. Kevin Williamson refused to write the script because he was satisfied with his ending. There is really no reason for this movie, and it is at times boring. Sure, it is a wee bit entertaining, but I was laughing more than anything. In fact, I never got the least bit scared, not even a rapid heart beat. My God, "Showgirls" was scarier than this. The title is outrageous. Wasn't it two summers ago? Or did we stay in the same year. A much better title would have been "I Still Know". And that should've been it. That would have been perfect. Don't blame the creators of this for wanting to make moolah, but please, don't watch this movie. I gave it a 5 out of 10.
Scream
(1996)
If you haven't seen it, where the heck have you been?
18 July 1999
"Scream" happens to be the first horror movie I ever watched. So of course I was terrified out of my mind. What a horror movie to start on. I was shocked and horrified by the amount of blood in this movie. Well, that was back in 1997, and now I've seen almost any horror movie you can think of. Was I only scared by "Scream" because it was the first movie I'd seen with so much blood? The answer is no. I've seen this movie at least 40 times, and enjoy it every time. Each time I watch, I discover something new I didn't realize before. I was obviously disappointed that Neve Campbell didn't show it all, but it probably would've been rated NC-17. So that was a good call. Of course Neve didn't go nude in "Wild Things" either. She's a rather respectable actress. "Scream" scared me out of my mind, and I'll admit it, I slept with the lights on after I watched. I gave it a perfect 10.
Pet Sematary II
(1992)
Can you make a worse sequel?
18 July 1999
"Pet Sematary II" tried too hard. The makers of this film tried to be like Stephen King, and failed miserably. I sat through this movie with the worst feeling. It was so unrealistic in a bad way, and the violence was inappropriate. "Pet Sematary" was a work of art by the master, Stephen King. "Pet Sematary II" was a work of trash by some wannabe. The acting was fine, but they couldn't save the movie if their lives depended on it. The nudity was in all the wrong places. The doctor has a fantasy about his dead wife, and her head turns into that of a barking dog. It was sick, disgusting, and way too many people died. Did you notice how there weren't very many deaths in "Pet Sematary"? Well in "II", there were tons. Way too many. This movie was horrible. If you want to see a good sequel, see "Scream 2" or "Scream 3". I gave it a 1 out of 10.
Arlington Road
(1999)
A chilling, edge-of-your-seat thriller!
14 July 1999
Arlington Road was such a relief to see. Hollywood being smart and blowing up things at the same time! It was amazing. And so much better than The Siege. The Siege was mediocre compared to this movie. If you have not seen this movie, (and not many have, it's #6 in the box office after opening weekend) then go see it now. You won't be disappointed. The ending just might have you thinking for a month! The acting is stellar. Hats off to Jeff Bridges.
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