L.A. Story (1991)
A lovely story about a REAL person in a FAKE world. Interesting that London comes to signify that which is real. A philosophical parody, not too common. A parody like this one just had to be made. L.A. is just too quirky. I would have made this movie sooner or…
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Hero (1992)
Chevy does drama too! Chevy and Geena make a great team. Good story, one where you really earn about human nature and how the world works. A Cinderella story about a shoe that fits.
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Coneheads (1993)
Pretty dumb. They probably should have done this movie back when the whole SNL Conehead thing was pretty popular.
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Point of No Return (1993)
Pretty good for a virtual copy. Interesting casting choices. The original was better, with cooler photography and better acting. Not sure why Badham, who usually chooses more intelligent, socially aware pieces (a poor man’s Oliver Stone), would choose a project like this. Fonda is OK, but Byrne (probably the most…
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Love Affair (1994)
The film was a surprisingly good love story for someone like Warren Beatty being the star. I bet it was easier for them being husband and wife. The first segment of the movie is a little slow-moving. It picks up a little later as it gets more emotional. The characters,…
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Heat (1995)
Epic crime drama. Pace is leisurely, but characters are deep and interesting, acting is top-notch, and there is always forward motion. The moody score helps set the mood. Interesting look at good guys and bad guys. There’s really not much difference between them. is there? The coffee shop and shootout…
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Strange Days (1995)
Definitely influenced by James Cameron with all that blue lighting at night. It almost looks like Bladerunner city the way they shot it. I think that a few more day shots would have made it a bit more real, and not so surreal like Bladerunner was. Cool how they did…
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The English Patient (1996)
Kinda long. Appealed to the art side of film but not the sensation side, and I feel they must appeal to both for a higher rating. However, it IS refreshing to see longer, more artsy movies after being subjected to Hollywood shit for so long. Fantastic cinematography. A few really…
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Mars Attacks! (1996)
The comedy is trash. But Burton has a neat visual style, and a few moments are truly freaky/gross. Saw some The Day the Earth Stood Still and some The War of the Worlds. All the quality actors who appeared in this film should be shot.
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Tin Cup (1996)
It just wasn’t too entertaining. The comedy wasn’t too funny, and Cheech could have been a lot funnier. I just don’t like Rene Russo. I think that it could have been better with someone else. Shelton was apparently trying to recapture the flavor of Bull Durham in this movie. I…
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The Fifth Element (1997)
A combination of Bladerunner on pastels and Star Wars. Definitely visual. The music is cool but overpowering at times. The fact that this is science fiction (linked to reality) and not fantasy is what helps make it amazing, unlike Star Wars. The whole premise of love as the fifth element…
Full ReviewStar Wars [Special Edition] (1997)
Films are now able to be electronically perfected two decades after their original production, and we have taken the first steps toward the point when movies can be digitally manufactured from the beginning. A huge step in filmmaking, and a saddening loss of tradition and accountability. The film’s attraction lies…
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Dirty Work (1998)
McDonald just isn’t funny. No improv skills. And Saget has never made me laugh, either. Chevy is actually not bad, and Rickles is pretty good.
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Ronin (1998)
A story about unrelated criminals who gather to commit a common crime, not too different from Reservoir Dogs. And the whole story revolved around a case with unknown but extremely valuable contents, like Pulp Fiction. Weird. A simple story with lots of neat twists and developments. Nice and long. All…
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American Pie (1999)
Pretty good humor, even the dumb stuff is pretty good (Finch’s Dumb and Dumber-ish shit humor was hilarious). A lot of interesting moments, and even a bit touching at times. Good characters. The acting is refreshingly natural. Biggs is believable and hilarious. Klein does a good job. I see a…
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The Insider (1999)
Crowe once again gives us a superb, intense performance. Al is Al. Eisenberg is a future star. Nice, kinetic editing adds to the tension. Long.
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The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
Don’t know how it compares to original since I haven’t seen it. A complex story with a bunch of twists, more than I could ever come up with on my own. A bit slow at times. Was it me, or were there focus problems in a few of the scenes?…
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Entr’acte (1924)
Images, and that’s it. The constantly moving camera gave me motion sickness. The “Fin” scene at the end was kind of unusual and neat.
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Regen (1929)
I feel the same way about this film as I do about poetry. It’s either a series of semi-cool but pointless images or I’m too dumb to get it.
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Mad Love (1935)
A cross between Frankenstein and Edward Scissorhands. The pianist actor is cool. He stands for the Classical horror film.
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The Yearling (1946)
What an cute and interesting villain that little fawn made. The story was all right, but sometimes the plot got downright goofy. It’s amazing that the movie was made when it was. The modern production techniques and quality of the picture made it fit to be a late 60’s movie.
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The Big Heat (1953)
Nice and violent. The girl that blew up was pretty hot. John Candy has a cameo as the bartender.
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The Hustler (1961)
The same “hustler gets outhustled and loses his girl in the process” premise as White Men Can’t Jump. What’s the point of the girl having a bad leg? I wanted more or none of George C. Scott flirting with the woman. They kinda skirted around it, but it could have…
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Planet of the Apes (1968)
If I had to pick one movie I had to watch over and over for its artistic merit, this would be it. And that doesn’t even count the story, which blows my mind (especially the ending). Truly timeless. I would love for this to be my movie. Great flavor. Well-shot.…
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Serpico (1973)
Back then, Pacino had a really nasal voice, but not anymore. Pacino plays a Fletch-like role with his changing outfits. No scar from a bullet in the face? Judd Hirsch? First in a long line of movies with flashforwards (showing the ending first), like in Carlito’s Way.
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Apocalypse Now (1979)
Some of the artistic license in this film is nice, but I think that some of the film is over-embellished. A good story, but more straight-forward drama would have made it more absorbing. The death scene at the end is heart-wrenching, a nice addition to the Cattle Mutilation Club. But…
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A Question of Silence (1982)
Another man-hating movie from 411. Includes some of the cheesiest 80’s synthesizer music ever used in a film.
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Three Amigos! (1986)
Three goofy guys who have great chemistry together and a funny story. Comedy just begs for a good story to be funny. One of the very few funny 80’s movies not directed by John Hughes.
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The Beast (1988)
Nice simple story, nice camerawork. Nice moody music. Sounds 80’s-ish, which helps, I think. Interesting choice to make the Russians speak perfectly American English, avoiding subtitles and even accents. Obviously a ploy for us to identify and side with them for the better part of the movie. Patric is great,…
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Fletch Lives (1989)
What can I say? I like Chevy. Not as funny as the original, but it still had its moments.
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Dances With Wolves (1990)
Like Braveheart, a very well-made, cleanly told, self-directed time/place piece, with a beautifully unified score. A nice blend of subtle comedy, romance, action, suspense, and grossness, though if anything, maybe the pacing is a bit off. There are scenes where it feels that things are moving a tad slow. Great…
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Rainbow Drive (1990)
Low-budget television shit. Dumb story, standard TV camera angles, synthesized music, lots of B actors. Weller’s career continues its downward spiral. He looks cool holding a gun, though.
Full ReviewThe Match That Started My Fire (1991)
Short, sweet, and interesting. Funny sounds and images (I didn’t get the sea creatures, though). Good color. No real nudity (except for the through-the-panties masturbation close-up), which is amazing. Were those radio calls? It’s probably good that we couldn’t see them talking, cuz it allowed us to imagine the perfect…
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Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)
Same “Can I borrow your wife for money?” story as Indecent Proposal. Cage is funny when he’s angry! He should have stuck to comedy. Caan is not a very good actor.
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Ed Wood (1994)
Another good collaboration between Burton and Depp. A bit long, not enough of a significant story, just a bio of a kooky character. Very well-made, as are all Burton films. All his films are very similar in style, making him a true auteur. A whimsical but carefully structured story with…
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Frankenstein (1994)
Pretty good adaptation of the novel. Interesting to see that Dr. Frankenstein in fact was not a short old man with white hair who used lightning to animate his monster. Some of the kissing was cheesy. De Niro was good.
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True Lies (1994)
It’s not very often that the story, characters, actors, dialogue, photography, action, editing, action, and comedy come together. This film approaches action movie perfection. The action is wonderful. The scenes with the Harriers thundering across the screen were awesome. Much of my enjoyment could have come from the fact the…
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Braveheart (1995)
I can’t decide if this is the perfect date movie or a horrible date movie. There is a ton of bloody violence (amazing how violent it is even without guns), but it still makes for a very emotional movie. Very powerful movie. I have never in my life seen a…
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Home for the Holidays (1995)
The story and shallowness of characters reminded me of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. This film starts as a comedy then slowly shifts (not very smoothly) into a more serious movie. I liked it for the love story, not for the comedy. How many times has that Psycho shower scene been…
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Swimming with Sharks (1994)
I wonder if this film was made to release frustration or to help other young filmmakers survive the business. It might have been made by someone who got dicked around quite a bit when he got started and has a score to settle with the film industry. Spacey’s got great…
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Eraser (1996)
It was OK. A decent Hollywood action movie. Arnie had a few (very few, actually) good one-liners. The story was OK. But every movie that messes with super-ultra futuristic technology just seems to goof it up and get kind of cheesy.
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Mission: Impossible (1996)
I walked into this movie with really high expectations, thanks to the fantastic preview, the great pre-released music, and comments from my friends. Did it deliver? Not really. It was pretty good, but I had such high (and unrealistic) expectations for it that I was a bit disappointed. With the…
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Twister (1996)
Pretty crappy. It had a little of that Jurassic Park cheesiness/corniness in it which ruined some parts, but again this one was saved by its great special effects. It seemed as if they tried to make it for both kids and adults, which can be a costly mistake in movie-making.…
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The Full Monty (1997)
Nice and risque. Refreshing. Nice ending, although the white dot over the penis was kinda dumb.
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Starship Troopers (1997)
I can’t believe how much gore and sex is in this movie. It’s hilarious. Was it meant to be funny? Will anyone ever make a serious space monster movie? The story is crap. There was a hint of real feeling there for a few moments, but horrible character writing overall.…
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Dream for an Insomniac (1996)
Amazingly predictable and unwitty. The only time you ever see supposedly normal people have intellectual, high art conversations like this is in the movies, although I do have to admit the discussion about Bono and Eddie Vedder was mildly interesting. Aniston just isn’t powerful enough to carry a movie. Not…
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Rush Hour (1998)
A pretty good action movie with a good story and some great lines. Tucker’s really funny. It’s amazing, for a young guy who’s just breaking into comedy, his identity is so defined. He’s got the voice, the eyes, the lines, and the “I’m a Black bad-ass” angle on everything. Tucker’s…
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Analyze This (1999)
A Billy Crystal showcase. Crystal and De Niro are both decent. Kudrow is horrible. The comedy overall is forced. The Fredo line was pretty good, though. I’m guessing it was fun for De Niro to do, but the movie sucked.
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The Iron Giant (1999)
Nice animation, with the robot’s size and strength conveyed very well.. Overexaggerated characters typical of kids animation, but some truly cute and funny moments (especially the kid pooping). If this were at all realistic, the scrap artist would be a faggot.
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Toy Story 2 (1999)
Better than the first. Better story (quote touching), better characters, better action, better animation. Bullseye was adorable, and Cusack was fantastic. It’s amazing how far animation has come. I had a hard time distinguishing some of the animation from real life at points. But fully animated humans still look a…
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The Last Laugh (1924)
Ah, finally a moving camera. The director taking pity on the protagonist was pretty funny.
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Modern Times (1936)
Chaplin is getting old, and his films are beginning to look a bit too Hollywood-ized. They’re still funny, though. Funny corn-eating scene. Not sure when he put the sound in, or if it was originally recorded with sound, but it works for the most part. Except when he sings a…
Full ReviewBiography of a Motion Picture Camera (1947)
Hilarious and informative, a magic combination (like “Loveline”). The dramatizations are really good, providing us with interesting details that you’ll never hear in the generalities of textbooks. A well-made film.
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The War of the Worlds (1953)
Scary in an eerie sort of way. Freaky effects. A few of them were cheesy, but the film had a lot more drama than it’s remake, Independence Day. Of course it had the compulsory religious man who knows what’s best for everyone. How come they never have religious men who…
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The Innocents (1961)
Your basic story about possessed kiddies in a haunted English castle. A few freaky parts, but kinda boring slow overall. I couldn’t believe the kid kissed the woman, and I really couldn’t believe when the woman kissed the kid. I love that spontaneous brow sweat characters develop when they get…
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Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Not for pregnant women to see. It’s almost a horror film. Somehow, it reminded me a bit of The Exorcist. Farrow was hot. She looked a bit like the girl from Species. Her performance was pretty good, too. A really freaky dream sequence, but I can see now why he…
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Blazing Saddles (1974)
I can’t believe Warner Brothers endorsed a movie as politically incorrect as this one. Times are different, I guess. Politically incorrect is not the right way to put it. By today’s PC standards, the movie is downright wrong. Not only was it a comedy, but it managed to provide a…
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The Black Hole (1979)
Like Tron, this came out during Disney’s “dark phase”, that weird pre-Renaissance era before the company found its footing again in the late ’80s. It’s fascinating to imagine a film like this being released today. It would make approximately $0. Made in the days when sci-fi didn’t have to be…
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Clash of the Titans (1981)
In the same category as The Beastmaster. Very enjoyable. Harryhausen’s stop-motion was eerily cool. With today’s special effects and a name actor, they could make this movie a great one. Poseidon’s expression was priceless.
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Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
Rambo’s a very lucky guy. Had anyone else in the film been properly trained for combat instead of standing up in a shower of bullets or hesitating at the chance to kill him, he’d be dead. Didn’t like the fact that they used camera tricks and super close-ups rather than…
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Top Gun (1986)
Tony is the man. Graduated filters and a wonderfully energetic score really give the film a fantastic feel. The way that this thing is put together, the flying has an almost sexual energy to it, and of course the whole film has a thin layer of homoeroticism to it. Drama…
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Bull Durham (1988)
Wow. What a baseball movie. It’s amazing Kevin Costner has starred in both of the two best baseball movies ever. Costner isn’t a great actor, but he gets by with his good looks and coolness. Tim Robbins is great.
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Glory (1989)
The film doesn’t build up their glory enough. Morgan, as always, plays the wise, old man, and the warden from Shawshank Redemption joins him. Morgan’s MLK speech was pretty good. So was Denzel’s. Broderick is perfect. He’s come a long way from Bueller. Would have liked to see more of…
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Europa Europa (1990)
A story about the luckiest traitor in the world. OK story about a remarkable period of human history. There seems to be too much moving the story forward, and not enough character development. The main actor was good, but that was becasue we understood the situation he was in and…
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Reversal of Fortune (1990)
Decent story, but nothing is really accomplished. The recounts are kinda like Rashomon. Irons is good. He’s pretty funny, too. he makes funny jokes about himself, and the last line of the movie is hilarious. But I think they should have dumped Glenn Close and instead gotten someone who was…
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My Own Private Idaho (1991)
Just like any other movie about a narcoleptic, homosexual, homeless male prostitute, with no sense of temporal continuity.
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Howards End (1992)
The most astounding thing about this movie was the resemblance of Samuel West as Leonard Bast to Kevin Costner. He looked almost exactly like him, had the same expressions, and moved the same way. If Costner had been in this film, he would have played the part identically. This movie…
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Dazed and Confused (1993)
A toned-down version of Pulp Fiction. I considered it to be a showcase of drug use, although it wasn’t as “hard-core” as the Pulp Fiction display. Pulp Fiction also had a string of interconnected stories, while this movie almost didn’t have a single one at all. It gave a fresh…
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Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
It was rather obvious to me that this film was an attempt to recreate When Harry Met Sally, complete with Meg Ryan. I think it failed miserably. Supposedly a remake of An Affair to Remember.
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Natural Born Killers (1994)
Extreme cinematography for an extreme statement. It’s definitely different, but only mildly interesting and gets old. Aside from the Juliette Lewis reapperance, it reminded me a lot of From Dusk Till Dawn. Woody definitely portrayed a genius (cool comment about industry and murder). My stand? Animals kill for a reason,…
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The Brothers McMullen (1995)
Pretty good for a student production ($25,000?). Decent story but a crummy ending. Great job by the guy who played Patrick. He reminded me of George from “Seinfeld.”
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Jade (1995)
OK. A few really good scenes, especially those with cars. Weird ending. I think it might have been a bit better if it had cast a big-name star in one of the central roles. It seemed as if the film begged for someone to give it some acting flavor.
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Toy Story (1995)
The story was decent. A big budget movie about toys that come alive had to be made eventually. Very simple, obviously made for kids. It’s obviously a special effects piece rather than a story piece. The animation is neat. Human action looked a bit fake. And just like Star Wars,…
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Escape from L.A. (1996)
I’m still not convinced Carpenter knows how to make a movie. Up to this point, I think Starman is his best film. Didn’t really have a story of its own. No climax. Many scenes were just copied from other films like Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies (must be a…
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The Nutty Professor (1996)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde modernized to accomodate modern social issues (physical perfection), strung together with a Superman revelation of true identity at the end. The film is morally immaculate, almost as if the studio said “let’s make a film where fat people tell the public that being fat is…
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When We Were Kings (1996)
Great quality footage, but the video clips didn’t work. Foreman was a better match than Frazier. The pictures and music at the end were great. Who’s “we” in the title? Blacks?
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The Game (1997)
Fantastic story. Really great. Nice and long, too, which lets us get really in-depth with the story. A few minor problems though. First, how could his drug-addicted, junkie brother afford a scam like that? And second, if his brother loved him so much, how could he have taken so many…
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Titanic (1997)
For once, technology and spectacle are not at the center of a Cameron movie. It’s a heart-warming love story. Whether or not it’s a happy, affirming story or sad, depressing story is an interesting debate. I think it’s a happy story. Now a DiCaprio fan, after What’s Eating Gilbert Grape…
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Enemy of the State (1998)
Complicated plot. Why didn’t the goose-lover just give them the tape, though? And why didn’t Will Smith just give them the tape? The kid takes the tape, just like in Mr. Nice Guy. Very long, which isn’t good for an action movie. Once the boredom sets in, the action is…
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Rushmore (1998)
Schwartzman was entertaining, not bad for his first gig. What a bloodline. Murray’s also pretty good. Similar student-principal relationship as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Magnus and his Scottish accents were pretty damn funny, too. Playfully made. A few noticeably bad cuts.
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At First Sight (1999)
Very leniently directed. Noticed a lot of questionable dialogue, delivery, and performance moments, which probably means that he went with most scenes on the first take. Gave it a low-budget kind of feel. Kinda refreshing though, cuz it made the whole movie seem less of a scripted performance and more…
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Magnolia (1999)
An effective look at the true interconnectivity of life. An amazing intertwining of many different short stories. This is what Pulp Fiction tried to be. The timing of each is perfect. They all seem to rise and crescendo at the same time, and the combined effect is powerful. Anderson knows…
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The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Blah. When every line of dialogue is a double entrndre or pun, it’s hard to take the story seriously. The 90’s were a weird time for action movies. Mediocre effects and standard photography made fight scenes and stunts extremely mediocre.
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Strike (1925)
Fast cuts, but still very long and boring. Thank God it was projected at 24 fps, cuz at 16 fps I wouldn’t have been able to take it. The silence didn’t help, either. Unfortunately, I was able to stay awake for the nauseating cow slaughtering at the end. It was…
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All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Decent story, but it dragged. Long and boring. Exactly what was he trying to say with this film? Sound and 24 fps marked a huge step in the advancement of film. Being one of the first sound films, the name of the film is kind of ironic. Parts of the…
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Night Mail (1936)
Long and underexposed. Interesting moment of tension with the bag-catching on the side of the train.
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Body and Soul (1947)
Not bad. The boxer reminds me of Romig, and Shorty reminds me of Steve Buscemi.
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On the Waterfront (1954)
It seemed to me to be a realistic portrayal of the Italian Mafia rather than an Irish working man’s financial troubles. Could Eve Saint Marie be the Daryl Hannah of the 50’s?
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West Side Story (1961)
It was a very well-made movie (except for the bad job in sound editing and song dubbing), and I can recognize it is a classic musical, but I just didn’t enjoy the film very much. What can I say? I’m not a musical person. The story was pretty good, but…
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My Night at Maud’s (1969)
A very interesting examination of religion, morals, and sex. Wouldn’t it be nice if the world was full of intellectuals rather than morons? Wouldn’t it be nice if the world was full of beautiful women who always invited intelligent and mature guys to sleep over? Neat, funny little story about…
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The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Long as fuck. Less of a story than the first. Not much of a story at all, actually. More metaphorical and contemplative, a “get to know the characters” piece. Pretty gory for an older movie, too bad it’s not well done. But even though it’s cheesy, the cheesy gore added…
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Dracula (1979)
If Langella’s eyes weren’t vibrating, he would have been OK. Did he have some kind of problem? Was he on speed? I wish I had his effect on women. Langella kinda looks like Mike Kazen. Unfortunately, you never see him really biting into someone’s neck. He never even gets vampire…
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I'm a photographer, web developer, travel enthusiast, and movie buff living in Alexandria, Virginia, USA.In the summer of 1993, I started writing reviews for every movie I saw and haven't looked back. I'm up to 2,363 reviews now. This makes me cool or a complete dork, depending on your perspective.
Some of these reviews contain spoilers, so if that bothers you, don't read!
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