t-mieczkowski Reviews

Guncrazy (1992)

talking trash

[7/10 · 30 October 2005]

Drew is the focus of this feature; for how old she was during the making of this film [15? 16?] she doesn't really disappoint. Her pouty beauty is on ample display in this film. That said, in a couple more years, I think she would have fit more into this role. I wasn't surprised that it was a Matthew Bright script; this has much in common with his later directorial/scripted work "Freeway" in terms of character development. (I feel Bright is an outstanding B-film auteur). Tamra Davis blew some important scenes that could have went another way, but she made up with this with some pretty inspired casting for some of the supporting roles. Ironside, Drago... and I don't remember the sleazy guy who played Drew's mother's boyfriend... but they were all in high style and rare form. You can't beat these guys when they're hitting their cues. LeGros certainly didn't embarrass himself and carved another good portrayal (this guy is a great actor!). For a film that seems to be now so cheap that it's practically in the public domain ($1 DVDs at WalMart and such...) .. I'm surprised this hasn't gotten more recognition, and I'd be sad if it was written off as badly by the producers as I assume it has been to be in such disarray marketing-wise.

16 Years of Alcohol (2003)

Beautiful tragic story of everyone's life.

[7/10 · 26 October 2005]

"Sixteen Years of Alcohol" is a beautiful parable about a Scottish man who grew up into human society's trap of alcoholism and violence. A boisterous, loud-mouthed wannabe droog, the main character (excellently played)'s short, tragic life is recounted in flashback. Beautifully shot, this Scottish film has not received enough critical praise for its very artistic take on the self-destructive lives we all lead. The soundtrack is haunting and mesmerizing, the performances well-staged and inspired. The title card of the American DVD reads "A Clockwork Orange meets Trainspotting"; while this film parodies the former, it runs much closer to the latter in its themes of self-destruction and isolation. "Sixteen Years..." is a great meditation on human frailty.

Malevolence (2003)

Excellent low budget slasher

[6/10 · 25 October 2005]

"Malevolence" was a well-made low-budget slasher. The plus sides of the film? Very effective, extremely well-done photography. The DP on this is quite a talented guy. The sound editing in the film is effective as well, with lush, dark tones. This film was obviously influenced by such slasher classics as "Psycho", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", and "Halloween" -- it is evident in nearly every frame of the film. The scoring reminds me of an early Carpenter film. However, the film stumbles mostly because of the weak acting. Lead Samantha Dark does enough with her role. However, I found the male lead and his girlfriend (Heather Magee) not exactly fit for their roles. The writing also could have been improved. The writer/director/producer/composer/editor comments in the "making of" documentary that it was a Freudian meditation? This really should have been explored in more detail, without just a brief glancing-over. This film had some very excellent parts, mixed with some very evident disappointments - a true mixed bag, but for the budget I award a positive review for all slasher fans. :^)

Hammerhead (2005 TV Movie)

only worth watching for a combs fan.

[4/10 · 7 October 2005]

this movie wasn't absolutely atrocious, but it was pretty bad. the acting ACTUALLY was pretty good! jeffrey combs did a pretty darn good job as the mad scientist, which is sort of his specialty if you don't know such things :D. bill forsythe .. well, i'm not EXACTLY sure why he was in this film. he's way too good for this kinda stuff, and his role wasn't exactly demanding. I rented this on the strength of those two leads, and I wasn't really disappointed. I mean, heck, it's a movie about a half man/half shark. It ain't Shakespeare folks. Other than the plot, which is full of holes, and the poor dialogue, I would like to note that the cinematography also left many things to be desired. there were shots were they were trying to look "cool", but it ended up obscuring the scene or just coming off plain cheezy. they also blew it many times when they had decent dialogue and cut away prematurely before the person could even deliver the line. it was pretty bad. but if you are a jeffrey combs fan, this one is worth checking out. he gives a great performance and does what he can with the character. forsythe ain't bad either, and either is the female lead. heck if i can remember her name though. bottom line, i wouldn't otherwise waste your time.

Desperate Hours (1990)

tight thriller, sick of cimino hatred though

[8/10 · 3 October 2005]

I'm sick of all these elitist film school jerkazoids posing and preening for whatever opinion comes out of their professors next. This film is NOT the bogart picture - it's a tight little picture about a psychopath taking a family hostage amidst a brazen plan to break out of jail and hook up with his lover. That's IT. Hopkins, Morse, Koteas, Rogers all provide EXCELLENT support, but this is a Rourke show and Cimino's cinematography never fails to let us know it. Rourke is seductive, cool and violent. And speaking of Cimino's cinematography, it's quite beautiful in this film. Grab a widescreen print, turn the lights out, and enjoy.

The Amityville Horror (2005)

boring and dead

[4/10 · 24 September 2005]

I didn't finish the film it was so boring and dull. All creative juice is completely sapped from this tired, tired retread. Everyone looks like they are just cashing their paychecks. There wasn't anything glaringly bad about the movie except for the fact it feels totally lifeless and uninspired. I was somewhat surprised this was churned out by Michael Bay's production house -- this one isn't even close to the TCM remake from a couple years ago, and that wasn't exactly pretty. I'm a fairly big horror fan and this was just crap -- a typical Hollywood business film. 4/10 for moderate Hollywood slasher production values only -- recommended if you are a stupid teenager.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

funniest movie i've seen in a while.

[6/10 · 25 August 2005]

before watching this, watch silent night deadly night pt. 1. It's a fairly grim, occasionally funny reasonably successful slasher film. Then check this out. Be prepared to fast forward perhaps the first 45 minutes, only checking out the scenes with Ricky and the Doctor. Note the eyebrows. Perfection. I don't know where the guy who plays Ricky is today, but I wish he was still in movies. Seriously, I haven't laughed this hard in quite some time. The whole suburban rampage sequence ... my god. Genius. Lee Harry, if you are reading this... you have created a perennial favorite and something I now must absolutely own. My friends and I have taken to quoting this movie practically nonstop much to the chagrin of others. Sometimes it just takes something so ridiculous to really make us laugh. DON'T LOOK AT THIS MOVIE IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SERIOUS HORROR OR SLASHER FILM -- this ain't it. It's a recut of the first film with some mixed success in experimental drama by the filmmakers with a heavy dosage of straight B-movie comedy. If you truly love stuff like Evil Dead 2 or Harold & Maude, you will enjoy this (meaning you have a stark black sense of humor).

King Arthur (2004)

Empty spectacle.

[5/10 · 15 December 2004]

This comment refers to the Director's Cut DVD. I did not see the version that hit theaters.

Fuqua's film doesn't embarrass him or itself. Storywise, there isn't much of anything to speak of. I did appreciate Stellan Skarsgard's bold characterization. The actors are appropriately cast for their roles, but do not exceed audience expectations. The action scenes are almost Hollywood-standard these days, and it's refreshing to finally see a film that isn't overt CGI... but that doesn't make it interesting.

If you love action and medievial combat, you'll love this film. If you have a decent home theater and a couple hours to blow, you may want to check it out. But if you're looking for an Arthurian saga with more heart and subtext, check out "Excalibur". This film is definitely for the PG-13 crowd, even though the cut is rated R.

People I Know (2002)

landmark latter-day Pacino performance.

[6/10 · 30 November 2004]

Pacino is extraordinary. The much-lamented accent is sorta a bisexual/Georgian/"Noo Yawk" ... it represents a complex mixture of dialect for a complex character perfectly portrayed by Pacino - balls and all. His work seems to become increasingly esoteric over the years, and outside of his character, the storyline is uneven and downright wretched in some parts.

But Pacino redeems even the drek and delivers a landmark performance that one wouldn't expect as he nears closer to being able to collect Social Security. Gutsy, bold, and brilliant. The script and direction needed quite a bit of work- but Pacino's performance is compelling enough to wonder exactly what he will do next. A must-see for Pacino fans.

Deterrence (1999)

View it as science-fiction.

[8 November 2004]

Today, this film feels incredibly untimely due to 9/11. This movie was however made in the Lewinsky-stained days of the 90's. Regardless of the filmmaker's original intent, this film can be viewed as a pseudo-Bradburyian peek into the psyche of the Presidency. A hard-line political drama, few films compare to what it attempts (but largely fails at). It at times seems overwhelmingly unbelievable, but one needs to remember that these are events that even today would have taken place in an alternate dimension -- an alternate future. With that in mind, I recommend all those following US foreign policy to take a look at this film. It is by no means fantastic, but it at least provides those with some knowledge of the American political system some entertainment on slow news days.

Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)

Impossible to rate.

[27 October 2004]

If you don't love Jim Jarmusch's films... intensely love them... then stay away. If you are interested in seeing some of the great character actors of Jarmusch's films interact in a quasi-scripted manner, you will do no harm by watching Coffee & Cigarettes. Frankly, this film should only be watched by Jarmusch aficionados, as there are subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) jokes associated with the films that have spanned his career. It's a great companion piece for any Jarmusch fan. I refused to rate this movie simply because you cannot rightly compare it to anything. What is comforting is that at the time of this posting, it has achieved over a 6.0 rating, which even some "real" movies barely aspire to. If you saw this film and enjoyed pieces, I recommend watching "Ghost Dog" and watching his films in reverse order.

Jericho Mansions (2003)

Effective art/genre piece

[7/10 · 17 October 2004]

I agree with the previous comment regarding this film as an attempt to merge European sensibilities .. and I might I say, as a genre piece this works very well. Much better than most of the studio crap being tossed about. I felt Mr. Caan's performance was intense and incendiary; tragic and tortured.

I was impressed by this film. If you enjoy fantastic, interesting cinematography and the lush pulp of a thriller picture, I highly recommend this one. That said, it does have its limitations. But it is an effectively powerful flick overall. I feel what has been referred to as "roller coaster" cinematography and moving the camera as these filmmakers have done, established a visual empowerment for the viewer that makes this seemingly direct-to-video indie a compelling watch.