Ozdachs Reviews

The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)

Captures a Moment of The City

[10/10 · 15 March 2002]

I felt it was a powerful film as I saw it as a new arrival in SF in 1984. I didn't understand its power, though, until the documentary ended and the theather kept the lights very low. As I got up and started walking to the exit, I realized that most of the audience kept their seats. Very odd, since the credits and EVERYTHING had ended. The folks were just sitting and crying.

Art has historically been used to let people rethink and understand the events of their times. (Think Shakespeare.) This film is that type of "art".

The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)

Captures a Moment of The City

[10/10 · 15 March 2002]

I felt it was a powerful film as I saw it as a new arrival in SF in 1984. I didn't understand its power, though, until the documentary ended and the theater kept the lights very low. As I got up and started walking to the exit, I realized that most of the audience kept their seats. Very odd, since the credits and EVERYTHING had ended. The folks were just sitting and crying.

Art has historically been used to let people rethink and understand the events of their times. (Think Shakespeare.) This film is that type of "art".

Evolution (2001)

Was there a Writers Strike After All?

[2/10 · 11 June 2001]

Juvenile, slapstick/bathroom humor hijacked a decent premise and substituted poorly executed, lowest-common-denominator sleaze for a plot. Even if this was honestly advertised as a summer teenage "Animal House Meets Star Trek" movie, I would have expected more.

The careless writing was so annoying! Didn't they bother to employ an editor for the script?

The lack of continuity was jarring. Why did the "biology" teacher teach his students the periodic chart. Mmmm… how about a "chemistry" teacher doing periodic charts?? Did I have to get jerked back from the willing suspension of disbelief to deal with that poor verisimilitude? And, couldn't they have spent another 12 minutes on writing the plot to make some of the CDC, army, college, or ANY of the situations the tiniest bit realistic.

I could go on and on (like the movie). But, it was such a disappointment that I will leave with a quick warning to anyone over 12 with ANY intelligence: evolve away from this primordial ooze!

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Fun the first time... Amazing the second time

[10/10 · 22 July 2000]

The movie is obviously tightly put together, and after seeing it one time you re-hash each scene in your mind to make sure that you didn't miss a part of the plot. But, like a good mystery story, the skill of its writing and production only impresses you more when you see it a second time. Each writing twist and character movement is confirmed in its perfection when you review it on the DVD. A very fine, inventive work.

Harold and Maude (1971)

Love, death, sex, and coming-of-age angst set off by humor

[10/10 · 22 July 2000]

The movie handles the Great Topics of life with such compassion and humor that the audience doesn't realize that the movie is not really a comedy... until it's too late and the viewers are drawn into the April-December romance. Spectacular acting adds to the rich flow of the story. And, Cat Stevens's voice slides us along through the transitions. It's the ultimate 60's coming of age movie, but it shows well in the 00's, too. Thank goodness its now out in DVD!