alli_katz Reviews

The 4th Floor (1999)

Clumsy and unintentionally funny

[2/10 · 6 June 2001]

Dumb excuse for a thriller with absolutely zero chemistry or reason in relationship between Lewis and Hurt (why is she dating a man old enough to be her father anyway?? The suspense is laughable. Lewis is very good, but a script is needed, and there isn't one. My score for this trash: 2 out of 10.

Silver Wolf (1999 TV Movie)

One-dimensional garbage

[1/10 · 6 June 2001]

Roy Scheider gives the WORST performance of his career in this utterly stupid excuse for a nature flick. It doesn't help that the young man in the lead is completely inept as an actor. There really is no script other than good versus evil. There is some strikingly magnificent photography of the Canadian Rockies. That's about it for the plus column.

For Love of the Game (1999)

One long and boring cliche

[2/10 · 3 June 2001]

I'd much rather turn my CD of "A Chorus Line" and repeat the song, "What I Did For Love" for two hours straight than ever spend another two hours with the life of Kevin Costner's character -- and the effect would be exactly the same -- mind-numbing. Kelly Preston is as plastic and unbelievable as ever, but since she is the film's "heart", her shortcomings as an actress are more damaging to the film's credibility than in stupid throwaways like "Nothing to Lose." I don't know why a talented director like Sam Raimi wastes his time on garbage like this.

A Family Thing (1996)

Poignant, intimate movie

[10/10 · 3 June 2001]

Robert Duvall is great as the Southern man who is in for a surprise when his daddy dies. James Earl Jones matches him ever step of the way in magnificent interaction. But Irma P. Hall as the mother, really steals the film. If you haven't seen this, rent it. If it doesn't make you cry and laugh, you have no emotions.

I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore (1992)

Good mixture of pathos and comedy

[7/10 · 3 June 2001]

This is a sweet little film with good performances and a wonderful supporting cast. Mia Peebles is marvelous as the manipulative grad student who plays with Jason Alexander's emotions. And, Alexander is perfect as the overweight under-achiever looking for something better in his life.

Hear My Song (1991)

I loved this movie

[10/10 · 3 June 2001]

This movie was so much fun. Such imagination went into it. The film tells its story really well. The way in which the imitation Joseph Locke is discovered in the first half of the film forced me to hit stop, and go to the bathroom, because I laughed so hard I almost peed myself. All the major characters are wonderful, and the minor characters are better. When Beatty finally does appear as the real Locke, his star quality takes the entire cast to an even higher level. I can't say more without taking some of the fun away from you. Also, old "Man From Uncle" co-star, David McCallum, is marvelous in his small supporting role. Very amusing film with surprising twists and turns and an incredible amount of whimsy.

Diner (1982)

A guy's movie

[5/10 · 3 June 2001]

Every guy I know loved this film. I get it, but I still don't really get it, if you know my meaning here. All the guys are jerks and we spend 2 hours with them and learn a lot about their obsessions with minutia, but who cares? The few female characters that do appear in the film are completely artificial. This movie should run as halftime entertainment during football games, and leave the rest of us alone.

Home of the Brave (1949)

"Coward, take this coward's hand"

[10/10 · 3 June 2001]

Wow, I would've never seen this movie on my own, but a friend invited me over to watch it on his tape, and I was just blown away. Even though it takes place during action in World War II, this is really much more of a character study than a war movie. Although the relationship between James Edwards and his comrades, especially Lloyd Bridges, who is also really good, is the core of this movie, the actor who plays Mingo (Frank Lovejoy) steals the film with a magnificent performance. I liked this a lot more than Saving Private Ryan.

Go Fish (1994)

Just because...

[3/10 · 2 June 2001]

A movie is independent, and about gay women, doesn't make it good. And, it's a shame, because the actress who plays the lead character, Max, actually is very good. But the movie is so poorly constructed, and most of her friends are so one-note, that the novelty gets old pretty soon. I was bored halfway through it; there is a clever twist near the end which raised it to a 5 for me, but don't expect much in between.

Blink (1993)

Spine-tingling

[8/10 · 2 June 2001]

I always wanted to use that word, and in this movie it describes exactly how it made me feel all while I was watching it. Very exciting stuff. Terrific chemistry between Aidan Quinn, who has never been more handsome and compelling, and Madeline Stowe, who is really magnetic in the lead role as the patient-heroine. I don't know why more people don't talk about it more often.

Her Life as a Man (1984 TV Movie)

Enjoyable TV Movie

[8/10 · 2 June 2001]

Robyn Douglas is very good as a woman who wants to be judged on the merits of her work. The movie is a lot of fun except for Robert Culp who insists on being so unrealistic in one of his worst portrayals. Other than that, the movie is a lot of fun, and generally moves pretty quickly.

One Potato, Two Potato (1964)

Classic Independent Still Hits Hard

[10/10 · 2 June 2001]

I first saw this movie in film class, and was so moved by it that I taped it off the independent Film Channel when they showed it, and watched it twice since. And, it still makes me cry every time I watch it. First, I've never seen a movie so understated about its anger. In this regard Barbara Barrie and Bernie Hamilton are both so good that I don't know the right words to describe it. Second, the girl is not Hollywood "cute", she's not a smarty pants; she is 100% genuine. Third, the Judge is so slick and evil although he comes across so nice just like every Southern judge I have met in real life. My film teacher told me if she could pick one film to give someone the truth of what this country was all about in the early '60's, One Potato Two Potato would be that film. And the love story between Hamilton and Barrie is so real and beset with pain and passion that I can really relate to them.

Unforgiven (1992)

For guys only

[1/10 · 1 June 2001]

This is strictly for guys, and for people who don't believe in God. Everybody is nasty all the time, and the only good people in the movie are prostitutes. And Eastwood as a director is even more annoying than he is as a non-actor in this. All he wants to do is focus on blood and people in outhouse and houses of ill-repute, and show everything as dark and as nasty as he possibly can. This is the kind of movie that movie critics and Hollywood smart guys love because they get to "shock" everyone. Well, my only shock is that they made so much money with this nasty movie.

All My Darling Daughters (1972 TV Movie)

A Quadrapule Wedding!

[7/10 · 1 June 2001]

I've always loved this movie because four sisters get married at the same time, and their father the judge is so really nice and sweet. He is thrown a lot of curve balls and really puts up with a lot. But, although he tries to be tough on the outside, he is really so sweet, you just know he'll do just anything his daughters ask. This is such a beautiful movie. If you love weddings like I do, you should watch it.

The Death of Me Yet (1971 TV Movie)

A really exciting movie

[10/10 · 1 June 2001]

This is a Cold War kind of movie. Doug McClure plays an All-American small-town Editor who really loves his wife and his town. He loves them so much he would like to forget that he came over to America as a Russian spy. But a series of events forces him to make tough decisions about where his loyalties are. It really kept me thinking and it is full of surprises. It's not shown a lot, so if you get a chance to see it, even with commercials, I think you should.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

My all-time best movie

[10/10 · 1 June 2001]

I've watched this movie 20 times at least, and keep coming back for more, even though it always makes me cry a lot. The actress who plays the mother is just fantastic, and the one playing the daughter is even better. When I watch it, I really feel like I am in Brooklyn a hundred years ago, and it seems so real. The guy who plays the drunk father is really, really good too. My favorite scene is when the main girl and her younger brother, Neeley, are trying to hold onto the Christmas tree being thrown at them so they can get a tree for free. It is so touching, but then so is the whole movie. I just love it.