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lkeenan1
Reviews
Affliction (1997)
Great acting
This is a very sad movie about a lot of very real people-alcoholism, and it's close companion domestic violence, should be on post office walls as Public Enemies #1 and #2 in this country, the Land of the Free. Although I was moved by the characters and the bleak setting (by the way, I've lived in New England all my life and never seen that much snow on Halloween, or anytime close to it) but somehow, although the acting was superb, Ward's mental breakdown just didn't seem to ring that true. Yes, he was a drunken screw up-like a lot of men eaten alive by abuse-but he just did not seem like a man on the brink. It was hard to believe he could suddenly develop these weird paranoid fantasies when he had really shown no signs of an Axis I disorder before that, to the point he kills a man. By far the best scene was the gathering at the house after the mother's death, when you get a full sense of what Glen had done and was still doing to all of his children. Sissy Spacek had only a small role but she is always worth watching. Good movie for the acting and character studies but weak plot.
That Hagen Girl (1947)
Good thing he was president because he sure can't act
The premise of this movie, in the 40s, might have been worth exploring but the pairing of teenage Shirley Temple and 40ish Ronald Reagan-who said many times he wished this was a role he had never touched-is just too bizarre, especially considering the circumstances in which they were thrown together. I've seen a few top 10 worst lists that this movie is on, and it really is pretty bad. Shirley fans might enjoy her grownup and gorgeous, though.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
The apes were better
I have to say it held my interest but only when the apes were on screen-the only well developed characters were Tim Roth's Thade and Helena Bonham Carter's Ari. The "human" cast was weak beyond words and what in God's name inspired someone to cast Kris Kristofferson-of ALL PEOPLE-in this flick? This group deserved to be enslaved simply because they were so pathetically vapid, they'd have a hard time surviving on their own. Mark Wahlberg showed as much emotion and sensitivity as a toilet seat and one just can't imagine him as David leading the robotic humans over the Goliath apes. It also seemed way beyond the bounds of reason that ALL the apes would suddenly become tolerant and glad to consider their former slaves their equals-as we all know too well, racism and bigotry are not so easily erased. And the ending was just plain asinine, and all you Mensans out there who say oh, it makes crystal clear sense, fits right in with the plot,are just thinking too much. I get free cable so it didn't cost me anything and for that I'm grateful.
Love Story (1970)
Awful
Both the movie and novel of the same name are absolutely insipid. One, people who die of cancer generally die slow and complicated deaths, not-boom! one minute alive and pink and the next six feet under; two, you don't look like a beauty queen when you're in the death throes (something the writers of "Steel Magnolias" didn't quite get, either); three, Ryan O'Neal is absolutely one of the worst actors of his generation, and Ali McGraw is wooden and utterly unsympathetic here. If you want a real story about sadness and lost love, go see "Wuthering Heights." This is just mawkish.
Wuthering Heights (1939)
Gorgeous Laurence Olivier
The score is spellbinding and Laurence Olivier is a FOX!!! in this movie, but if you've read the novel nothing else compares. I just wish he hadn't been so nasty to Isabella. It's not her fault she wasn't Cathy. I can't figure out-beyond the obvious-what she saw in him.
The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
Predictable
For some reason I got watching this on tv, and was thinking, boy, what a Carrie rip off, when a commercial break came on and it was announced that I was watching Carrie 2. If you've seen the first Carrie there's no reason to see the second except to watch people die in much more creative and bloody ways (whoever thought a CD could be a deadly weapon???)I can't see the purpose of this film and certainly no artistic ability went into it because it had been all written before. Oh, well. No harm done. It's just sad.
The Prince of Tides (1991)
Not Enough
I read the book first, and I have to say I think Babs bit off more than she could chew here. The book is an intricately detailed story of a nearly psychotic family, and so, so much was left out of this production that ripped its guts out it became almost unwatchable for me (for example, in the book, the climax of the story comes near the end, as Luke self-destructs; the family rape scene is really only a build up to the final catastrophe.)Why does Barbra feel like she has to completely fill up the screen with her presence in every film she makes??(See "Nuts" as a prime example of this). Nick Nolte was absolutely, as People Magazine noted that year, the Sexiest Man Alive in this flick but even he couldn't compete with Barbra Streisand. Read the book.
Godspell: A Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew (1973)
Doesn't stand the test of time
After last having seen this movie about 25 or 26 years ago (had to lie to my mother about where I was going)and thinking it was just the COOLEST THING, I caught it again on cable the other night and was stunned by HOW 70s this movie is!! It was probably dated before it was ever put to film, the intended shock effect long wore off by then as the pretext was well known now to audiences from its Broadway run. It is way too campy, no real chemistry exists between any of the cast members, and some great music from the original stage play is cut. The soundtrack, however, remains glorious (and far superior to the theatrical version) and is probably the main reason that it remains popular in high school drama clubs, because the rest of it just sounds dated and silly now(I must say, though, some places are trying to update the play-I recently went to a production at a local theater where Jesus was dressed in a Bruce Springsteen "Boss" tee!)
Sophie's Choice (1982)
Meryl's movie
Meryl Streep is no doubt the benchmark actress of her generation-it's hard to fathom anyone else being able to pull this heartbreaking story off the way she did. Kevin Kline is also superb, in a much more substantive role than the one that eventually won him an Oscar as well(in A Fish Called Wanda.)It's a sad commentary on the US film industry that roles like this for female leads are few and far between, leaving the Academy a severe dirth of female performances every year to choose from. (This is evidenced by the fact that the last few years have given us the likes of cover girls Julia Roberts and Gwyneth Paltrow winning for lightweight performances in "Erin Brockovich" and "Shakespeare in Love.") "Sophie's Choice" is the crowning achievement of Ms. Streep's brilliant career and I, for one, wish there were more vehicles written for mature, interesting women like her!
Caddyshack (1980)
It's a Cinderella Story...
I have seen this movie numerous times, and each time I laugh just as loud at the same stupid lines that I did before. Although Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase(I'm not usually a big fan of his, but he rocks here)and Ted Knight(one of the best comedic actors of his time, in my opinion) are hysterical, the movie really belongs to Bill Murray. The scene where he and the priest are out playing golf in the monsoon-because the good lord wouldn't rain on the best game of the father's life-is one of the funniest I've ever seen, and the thought of the goofy groundskeeper asking the Dalai Lama for a tip is making me laugh right now ("So I said, hey, Lama, how about something for the effort?")Even 22 years later, the script (if not the 'dos) is timeless.If you haven't seen it, please do so immediately. If you like comedy at a fast pace, you won't be disappointed!
Very Bad Things (1998)
Very stupid movie
This is one of those movies that obnoxious bores and pretentious people will tell you that you need to lighten up and undo your PC bonnet to enjoy. They will tell you it's "satire", a comment on the bottomless amorality of the common man. Please! I am neither a prude nor terminally enlightened, and I started being offended about one half hour into the film and it never let up. Add to the completely, overwhelmingly gratuitous violence the incredible lack of acting (screaming takes the place of any other show of emotion)andreally bad, pointless script and you end up with one of the worst pieces of crap ever put to film. Enjoy it if you must, but only for what it is-don't kid yourself into thinking it has any social or artistic value to it to make yourself feel better about it. This is utter garbage and I have no one but myself to blame for sitting through it(I simply couldn't believe my eyes. Is this really a movie, or just a bad dream...?) What was Cameron Diaz thinking??
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Not a chick flick
I'm willing to bet the farm every single one of these gushing reviews are from men. No woman would be caught dead sitting halfway through this pretentious piece of nonsense,unless she had serious gender identity issues. What is with you guys that makes you think a terminal adolescent w/serial killer tendencies like Quentin Tarantino is such a god?? (Although Pulp Fiction was excellent,From Dawn to Dusk sucked out loud)
The Toxic Avenger (1984)
Great fun
This is about as offensive as a movie gets, if you take everything seriously all the time. For those of us with a somewhat warped perspective on life, this movie is a riot, filled with bad acting, over the top gore scenes (which are more comical than gross,)and revenge we wish we all could exact from time to time. As the Avenger states, "I take bad guys and I mash them!" In a tutu, no less. What more could you want??
Shall we dansu? (1996)
Dance for the soul
I loved this movie! The transformation of the uptight Japanese office man in a rigid and repressive society through the universal language of dance was wonderful to watch. In an era where it seems that the only thing that directors know how to portray is sex and violence, this was a touching character and culture study suitable for all sensibilities.
Deadly Prey (1987)
Really bad
This was an absolute mess of a movie, with poor acting, editing and dialogue. The scenes where Danton rips the guy's arm off and then beats him with it would be screamingly funny if it weren't so pathetic, and the ending is worthy of any Saturday Night Live skit. Please don't waste your time. This is gharish.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Lots of fun if you're not uptight
I saw this movie every weekend during my junior and senior years in high school, and it still ranks high as some of the best fun I've ever had. I know every lyric to every song (Hot Patootie is my personal favorite) and will still make the trek out at midnight for the occasional showing in town. If you don't get it you never will, but for the rest of us...that's a rather tender subject...dammit, Janet...Great Scott!...Let's do the TIME WARP again!!!!
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
Hated it
This is a piece of garbage that pretentious people will label "important" and "engrossing". Those with no talent will resort to shock value every time, and that is certainly the case here. I saw this film 10 years ago and it stands out as one of the absolute worst to date, and I've seen a lot of bad movies.