UnlabelReview.json

{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33b1" }, "review" : "\"Watching Time Chasers, it obvious that it was made by a bunch of friends. Maybe they were sitting around one day in film school and said, \\\"Hey, let's pool our money together and make a really bad movie!\\\" Or something like that. What ever they said, they still ended up making a really bad movie--dull story, bad script, lame acting, poor cinematography, bottom of the barrel stock music, etc. All corners were cut, except the one that would have prevented this film's release. Life's like that.\"", "id" : "\"9999_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33b2" }, "review" : "\"I saw this film about 20 years ago and remember it as being particularly nasty. I believe it is based on a true incident: a young man breaks into a nurses' home and rapes, tortures and kills various women.It is in black and white but saves the colour for one shocking shot.At the end the film seems to be trying to make some political statement but it just comes across as confused and obscene.Avoid.\"", "id" : "\"45057_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33b3" }, "review" : "\"Minor SpoilersIn New York, Joan Barnard (Elvire Audrey) is informed that her husband, the archeologist Arthur Barnard (John Saxon), was mysteriously murdered in Italy while searching an Etruscan tomb. Joan decides to travel to Italy, in the company of her colleague, who offers his support. Once in Italy, she starts having visions relative to an ancient people and maggots, many maggots. After shootings and weird events, Joan realizes that her father is an international drug dealer, there are drugs hidden in the tomb and her colleague is a detective of the narcotic department. The story ends back in New York, when Joan and her colleague decide to get married with each other, in a very romantic end. Yesterday I had the displeasure of wasting my time watching this crap. The story is so absurd, mixing thriller, crime, supernatural and horror (and even a romantic end) in a non-sense way. The acting is the worst possible, highlighting the horrible performance of the beautiful Elvire Audrey. John Saxon just gives his name to the credits and works less than five minutes, when his character is killed. The special effects are limited to maggots everywhere. The direction is ridiculous. I lost a couple of hours of my life watching 'Assassinio al Cimitero Etrusco'. If you have the desire or curiosity of seeing this trash, choose another movie, go to a pizzeria, watch TV, go sleep, navigate in Internet, go to the gym, but do not waste your time like I did. My vote is two.Title (Brazil): 'O MistĂŠrio Etrusco' ('The Etruscan Mystery')\"", "id" : "\"15561_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33b4" }, "review" : "\"I went to see this film with a great deal of excitement as I was at school with the director, he was even a good friend of mine for a while. But sorry mate, this film stinks.I can only talk about what was wrong with the first half because that's when I walked out and went to the pub for a much needed drink:1) someone's standing on a balcony about to jump and so you send a helicopter to shine a searchlight on them??? I don't think so - nothing would make them more likely to jump.2) local radio doesn't send reporters to cover people about to attempt suicide - again for fear of pressuring them into jumping - or for fear of encouraging copy-cat instances.3) whatever the circumstances, radio reporters don't do live broadcasts from the 10th floor of a tower block. Radio cars don't carry leads long enough to connect the microphone and headphones to the transmitter.4) the stuck in the lift scene was utterly derivative5) the acting and direction was almost non existent.I could go on, but I won't.\"", "id" : "\"7161_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33b5" }, "review" : "\"Yes, I agree with everyone on this site this movie is VERY VERY bad. To even call this a movie is an insult to all movies ever made. It's 40 minutes long.Someone compares this movie to an after school special. B-I-N-G-O! That describes is perfectly.The packaging for this movie intentionally is misleading. For example, the title of this movie should describe the movie. Rubberface??? That should be the first hint. It was retitled with a new package of some goofy face Jim probably made in his stand-up days. I was hoping for more stand-up from Jim. If you like Jim now as an actor. You would love him in his stand up days. Still trying to locate the Rodney Dangerfield Young Comedians Special from HBO that featured Jim in his early career days. It isn't even mentioned on this site. I'd love to find anything Jim did stand-up wise.Also Jim Carrey is a supporting actor in this movie. The main character is VERY VERY annoying. She is some girl lacking self confidence but yet wants to be a stand up comedian. Jim is there to say lines like \\\"That's Funny Janet\\\" and \\\"You really are talented\\\". And honestly she is terrible really terrible. And the movie is terrible. Beware of false advertising and a really bad movie.\"", "id" : "\"43971_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33b6" }, "review" : "\"Jennifer Ehle was sparkling in \\\"Pride and Prejudice.\\\" Jeremy Northam was simply wonderful in \\\"The Winslow Boy.\\\" With actors of this caliber, this film had to have a lot going for it. Even those who were critical of the movie spoke of the wonderful sequences involving these two. I was eager to see it.It is with bitter disappointment, however, that I must report that this flick is a piece of trash. The scenes between Ehle and Northam had no depth or tenderness or real passion; they consisted of hackneyed and unsubtle latter-day cinematic lust--voracious open-mouthed kissing and soft-porn humping. Lust can be entertaining if it's done with originality; this was tasteless and awful.Ehle and Northam have sullied their craft; they should be ashamed.As for the modern part of the romance, I was unnerved by the effeminate appearance of the male lead. Aren't there any masculine men left in Hollywood?The plot was kind of interesting; with a better script and a more imaginative director, it might have worked.1/10\"", "id" : "\"36495_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33b7" }, "review" : "\"Amy Poehler is a terrific comedian on Saturday Night Live, but her role in this movie doesn't give her anything to work with. Her character, a publisher's representative guiding a new author on a book tour, is mean, not funny.Susan Sarandon plays the author's mother who is involved with the sadistic gym teacher (Billy Bob Thorton) the author had when he was a chubby junior high student. Unfortunately her role doesn't require a talented actress. The funniest thing is the way she looks in the awful gown she wears as the queen of the corn festival. There is no explanation of why the corn queen is old enough to have a grown son.The plot is the stale one of an author who wrote a best selling self-help book and then adopts behavior that contradicts his advice.Still, it is not the worst movie I've ever seen, and I didn't erase it before watching it.\"", "id" : "\"49472_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33b8" }, "review" : "\"A plane carrying employees of a large biotech firm--including the CEO's daughter--goes down in thick forest in the Pacific Northwest. When the search and rescue mission is called off, the CEO, Harlan Knowles (Lance Henriksen), puts together a small ragtag group to execute their own search and rescue mission. But just what is Knowles searching for and trying to rescue, and just what is following and watching them in the woods? Oy, what a mess this film was! It was a shame, because for one, it stars Lance Henriksen, who is one of my favorite modern genre actors, and two, it could have easily been a decent film. It suffers from two major flaws, and they're probably both writer/director Jonas Quastel's fault--this film (which I'll be calling by its aka of Sasquatch) has just about the worst editing I've ever seen next to Alone in the Dark (2005), and Quastel's constant advice for the cast appears to have been, \\\"Okay, let's try that again, but this time I want everyone to talk on top of each other, improvise non-sequiturs and generally try to be as annoying as possible\\\".The potential was there. Despite the rip-off aspects (any material related to the plane crash was obviously trying to crib The Blair Witch Project (1999) and any material related to the titular monster was cribbing Predator (1987)), Ed Wood-like exposition and ridiculous dialogue, the plot had promise and potential for subtler and far less saccharine subtexts. The monster costume, once we actually get to see it, was more than sufficient for my tastes. The mixture of character types trudging through the woods could have been great if Quastel and fellow writer Chris Lanning would have turned down the stereotype notch from 11 to at least 5 and spent more time exploring their relationships. The monster's \\\"lair\\\" had some nice production design, specifically the corpse decorations ala a more primitive Jeepers Creepers (2001). If it had been edited well, there were some scenes with decent dialogue that could have easily been effective.But the most frightening thing about Sasquatch is the number of missteps made: For some reason, Quastel thinks it's a good idea to chop up dialogue scenes that occur within minutes of each other in real time so that instead we see a few lines of scene A, then a few lines of scene B, then back to A, back to B, and so on.For some reason, he thinks it's a good idea to use frequently use black screens in between snippets of dialogue, whether we need the idea of an unspecified amount of time passing between irrelevant comments or whether the irrelevant comments seem to be occurring one after the other in time anyway.For some reason, he doesn't care whether scenes were shot during the morning, afternoon, middle of the night, etc. He just cuts to them at random. For that matter, the scenes we're shown appear to be selected at random. Important events either never or barely appear, and we're stuck with far too many pointless scenes.For some reason, he left a scene about cave art in the film when it either needs more exposition to justify getting there, or it needs to just be cut out, because it's not that important (the monster's intelligence and \\\"humanity\\\" could have easily been shown in another way).For some reason, there is a whole character--Mary Mancini--left in the script even though she's superfluous.For some reason we suddenly go to a extremely soft-core porno scene, even though the motif is never repeated again.For some reason, characters keep calling Harlan Knowles \\\"Mr. H\\\", like they're stereotypes of Asian domestics.For some reason, Quastel insists on using the \\\"Blurry Cam\\\" and \\\"Distorto-Cam\\\" for the monster attack scenes, even though the costume doesn't look that bad, and it would have been much more effective to put in some fog, a subtle filter, or anything else other than bad cinematography.I could go on, but you get the idea.I really wanted to like this film better than I did—I'm a Henriksen fan, I'm intrigued by the subject, I loved the setting, I love hiking and this is basically a hiking film on one level--but I just couldn't. Every time I thought it was \\\"going to be better from this point until the end\\\", Quastel made some other awful move. In the end, my score was a 3 out of 10.\"", "id" : "\"36693_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33b9" }, "review" : "\"A well made, gritty science fiction movie, it could be lost among hundreds of other similar movies, but it has several strong points to keep it near the top. For one, the writing and directing is very solid, and it manages for the most part to avoid many sci-fi cliches, though not all of them. It does a good job of keeping you in suspense, and the landscape and look of the movie will appeal to sci-fi fans.If you're looking for a masterpiece, this isn't it. But if you're looking for good old fashioned post-apoc, gritty future in space sci-fi, with good suspense and special effects, then this is the movie for you. Thoroughly enjoyable, and a good ending.\"", "id" : "\"316_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33ba" }, "review" : "\"Incredibly dumb and utterly predictable story of a rich teen girl who, not given love by her parents, starts a girl gang. They rob gas stations, rape guys (!!!) and kill a policeman.All the \\\"teenagers\\\" in this film are easily in their late 20s/early 30s, the acting is all horrible and the script has every cliche imaginable with hilarious dialogue--it comes as no surprise that it was written by the immortal Ed Wood Jr.!Worth seeing for laughs. Best lines--\\\"They're shooting back!\\\" and \\\"It ain't supposed to be like this.\\\"\"", "id" : "\"32454_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33bb" }, "review" : "\"After reading the comments for this movie, I am not sure whether I should be angry, sad or sickened. Seeing comments typical of people who a)know absolutely nothing about the military or b)who base everything they think they know on movies like this or on CNN reports about Abu-Gharib makes me wonder about the state of intellectual stimulation in the world.At the time I type this the number of people in the US military: 1.4 million on Active Duty with another almost 900,000 in the Guard and Reserves for a total of roughly 2.3 million.The number of people indicted for abuses at at Abu-Gharib: Currently less than 20That makes the total of people indicted .00083% of the total military. Even if you indict every single military member that ever stepped in to Abu-Gharib, you would not come close to making that a whole number. The flaws in this movie would take YEARS to cover. I understand that it's supposed to be sarcastic, but in reality, the writer and director are trying to make commentary about the state of the military without an enemy to fight. In reality, the US military has been at its busiest when there are not conflicts going on. The military is the first called for disaster relief and humanitarian aid missions. When the tsunami hit Indonesia, devestating the region, the US military was the first on the scene. When the chaos of the situation overwhelmed the local governments, it was military leadership who looked at their people, the same people this movie mocks, and said make it happen. Within hours, food aid was reaching isolated villages. Within days, airfields were built, cargo aircraft started landing and a food distribution system was up and running. Hours and days, not weeks and months. Yes there are unscrupulous people in the US military. But then, there are in every walk of life, every occupation. But to see people on this website decide that 2.3 million men and women are all criminal, with nothing on their minds but thoughts of destruction or mayhem is an absolute disservice to the things that they do every day. One person on this website even went so far as to say that military members are in it for personal gain. Wow! Entry level personnel make just under $8.00 an hour assuming a 40 hour work week. Of course, many work much more than 40 hours a week and those in harm's way typically put in 16-18 hour days for months on end. That makes the pay well under minimum wage. So much for personal gain. I beg you, please make yourself familiar with the world around you. Go to a nearby base, get a visitor pass and meet some of the men and women you are so quick to disparage. You would be surprised. The military no longer accepts people in lieu of prison time. They require a minimum of a GED and prefer a high school diploma. The middle ranks are expected to get a minimum of undergraduate degrees and the upper ranks are encouraged to get advanced degrees.\"", "id" : "\"37128_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33bc" }, "review" : "\"It's hard to describe Elfen Lied to someone who hasn't heard of it; the closest I can think of is a strange mix of extreme violence, romance and drama. To those of you who haven't witnessed it, you're probably wondering how these are all incorporated into the one piece coherently. Those that have though, are instead pondering why they haven't been put together sooner. Such is the quality and flow of this odd hybrid of an anime. The real area that Elfen Lied shines is it's narrative - its hard not to be enthralled by its weaving course and diversity. A Violent and gory encounter will perhaps gives way to another with a contrasting lighter moment. Emotive drama gives way to bloodshed and then back again, only this time bring you close to tears as it does so. It's a strange combination, where you as the viewer are thrown about and manipulated like those in the story line itself, but one that works surprisingly well. It does this all the while without feeling disjointed, it has an elegance and clever subtly when it makes these strong transitions that makes it all the more mesmorising.This is carefully finished with a truly memorable musical score, which in my opinion is another great strength. The opening 'Lilium' is particularly powerful, and differing versions feature prominently throughout - lending its intensity to emotive scenes. However, regarding music there's an off kilter over-happy pop song that plays over the credits after each episode. It feels out of place, but never the less is adequate enough, and it could be argued adds a good contrast to what is at times quite a depressing anime.I must reiterate however, that the violence is somewhat extreme, and I advise you to be prepared for it if you are faint hearted. However by no means avoid this because of it, there's a lot more to it than the violence, and you will be denying yourself a truly wondrous experience by not watching it. It is to any fan of the medium unmissable; a weird cocktail of conflicting ideas - that on paper shouldn't work, but some how is pulled off in spectacular fashion, gripping you from the start to it's brutal conclusion. Still not convinced? Well ask yourself this; Is there anything else out there that can lay claim to being disturbing and yet at the same time profoundly beautiful? It's worth watching on that premise alone.\"", "id" : "\"19439_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33bd" }, "review" : "\"Of all the bile-inducing vomitoriums to squeeze out of Tinseltown's bloody sphincter over the past 50 years, this is indisputably the worst of the lot. Carvey's one-man show is such a poor excuse for comedy that it doesn't even deserve to get raked by the MST 3000 crew. I swear, I actually felt nauseated after watching this festering pile of manure. In order to lengthen the lame 70-minute running time, the producers padded the end credits to TEN minutes with lame-ass Carvey impressions that surely couldn't even make the last few minutes of that God-awful Saturday Night Live TV show. In it you can see Carvey imitating other notable actors who surely don't deserve the indignity. Did I mention it features Jessica Simpson in a cameo? Yech!! If you ever plan on watching this stinking puke-fest, you might want to make sure you have plenty of Pepto-Bisthmol beforehand.\"", "id" : "\"10760_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33be" }, "review" : "\"This is quite an underrated Hitchcock movie. While its not one of his best movies, this is actually quite good. The plot is very World War 2-inspired so that may be part of why it is overlooked. This does have classic Hitchcock suspense moments though (although the best one comes towards the end). A lot of dialogue here too and Tallulah Bankhead does an excellent job. Worth checking out if you are a fan.\"", "id" : "\"15073_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33bf" }, "review" : "\"Being a huge Gary Oldman fan, I had high hopes for this film. And the \\\"Deleverence/Straw Dogs\\\"-esquire story about an English couple vacationing at their friends house in a remote part of Spain where they find a poor child locked away in chains and have to face the wraith of local villagers, started off well enough. It had some good atmosphere and it kept my attention, however sadly It seems to run out of steam and lose it's direction somewhere along the way. I felt my interest waning as the story seemed to limp along to an extremely unsatisfying ending (however at that point I no longer cared) It IS always cool to see Oldman though.My Grade: C- Eye Candy: Virginie Ledoyen & Aitana S谩nchez-Gij贸n both bare all Lion's Gate Region 1 DVD Extras: Trailers for \\\"The Eye\\\" remake, \\\"Retribution\\\", \\\"Christie's Revenge\\\", \\\"Dead Man's Bounty\\\", & \\\"Blood Trails\\\"; and a promo for Fear.net\"", "id" : "\"33119_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33c0" }, "review" : "\"For the most part the acting was poorly done (especially on part of the Park Ranger), and the stories were anything but scary. Predictable and rather poorly shot, even if there was a low budget. The idea for this movie was a good one, it just wasn't pulled off.\"", "id" : "\"38735_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33c1" }, "review" : "\"Ram Gopal Varma does it again yet another movie which draws you into the reality of Underworld and introduces you to the machinery of Mumbai underworld.D is a story of a young aggressive man Deshu who gets into the Underworld and changes the orthodox ways of its operation.He defies the ongoing practices and with his courage he is in the driving seat just after some time he joins the gang.\\\"Randeep Hooda\\\" comes as a surprise this young chap from Haryana delivers a performance which is really amazing. Last time when we saw Randeep Hooda he was in a small appearance in Monsoon Wedding.But this movie shows his potential.He resembles to Chandu of Company but definitely does it better than Vivek Oberoi.Satya and Company were on the same lines of D but definitely SAtya is the best among the three.D-company music wise is not up to the mark but songs are hardly part of the story.performance wise the movie is a full of good performances CHunky Pandey gives a great performance and fits to the role.Then there are artists like Goga Kapoor Sushant Singh who can never go wrong.Isha Kopikar had very little scope but her costumes and body language was perfect for the small time when she was on screen.If you enjoyed Satya and company this movie is a sure go for you.Don't expect any mercy from Varma productions because there is ample of on screen violence and tension like the previous two flicks.8/10\"", "id" : "\"12041_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33c2" }, "review" : "\"I gave it 2 for some attempt at historical detail... To echo another reviewer, all the actors behave as in the 20th/21st centuries, not the Victorian 19th. The actors behave far too freely and with hardly any attempt at the formal dignity, stiff social restraint of the time, and no apparent attempt to represent the social mores and customs of the era. Watch the original version with Ralph Richardson to see what I'm driving at.Or watch Zulu, Zulu Dawn, or Charge of the Light Brigade for more authentic historical recreation of how people were in those days.The battle scenes in this version may have been 'fierce', but the pacing was far too 20th-21century. Even warfare was a more 'formal' and 'dignified' affair then than it is today. It took the First World War to change that.IF you want 20th-21st century romance and military heroics transposed to the 19th century, this film is OK, for anything more historically 'real', best look elsewhere...\"", "id" : "\"41565_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33c3" }, "review" : "\"I wanted to watch this one sense I am a fan of films such as \\\"Last House on the Left\\\" and \\\"Maniac\\\". This film follows in this same gener only less satisfying to watch than those above. This movie is about a garage worker who leads a double life as a serial rapeist, watching young women and taking advantage of them at the apropriate moment. He stutters when he's with a girl and starts to feel nervous which I felt was unapprpriate for the movie. Then we see him making his move towards the victim and them the movie switches to a different scene and then later on in the movie like when we see the killer watching TV or drinking a beer or scratching his rabbit which is his only friend we see flashbacks of what happened between the killer and the unfortunate victim which we should have seen while he was killing the victim. This I also found unnecisary in the movie. The part that I did like in the movie as compared to \\\"Maniac\\\" was the fact that we get to see what the killers thinking and just why he commits these murders and I liked that. Always wanted to know just what made those serial killers tick. But this one didn't tick to much for me, I gave it a 4.\"", "id" : "\"48612_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33c4" }, "review" : "\"Che is a good film for chronicling the events leading to the Cuban Revolution and certainly has a mystic potency surrounding Che and his political ideals. However there is no emotional core or compassionate deliverance to make this anything more than interesting, and is a friendly inspection of Che's mindset rather than anything inspiring.The events in Che offer insight into guerrilla warfare but it fails to capture the imagination. Much of the score in Che is over-dramatic and frictional to the narrative, it tries to up the tempo but it comes across as rather willful and disjointed. As the war continues comrades die and characters which you have been deliberately introduced to perish without a second-glance. The biggest failure for Che is that it does not have any emotional engagement with its characters, it is happy to leisurely move through the film.Che is a likable film but it does not grip, or pull at your heartstrings. The film is well-made but it is a film produced almost with an educational edge. Rather than exploring Che and his revolutionaries with any passion it glides steadily along to an ending well-suited to its purpose.\"", "id" : "\"17525_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33c5" }, "review" : "\"This film is very disturbing. It reminded me of the love and affection and materialistic things that we all want for ourselves. It's a movie about how fame, fortune and a notion of that being rich will make your life better, might end up destroying you.It's been almost 60 years since the films release, and yet today, it remain as relevant as ever, as still the biggest stars in the world, gets destroyed for the exact same reasons as displayed in the film. Britney Spears and Michael Jackson comes to mind. Like Norma in the film, these people are kings. But no amount of money or fame can save them from their own destruction. And that is the tragedy.And yet the world goes on, and we keep dreaming about fame and fortune. Will we ever learn? This film Disturbs me. It's like looking into the state of mind of human beliefs. We all wanna be pop stars and drive around in fancy cars. We do think it will make us more happy. Will it, Norma?VIII/X\"", "id" : "\"32062_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33c6" }, "review" : "\"Let me put it this way. I love bad movies. I pretty much grew up with MST3K since I was about 10. I often rent cheesy horror and action films for a good laugh. This movie made the original Godzilla movies look like Oscar worthy films. They even try to make their monster seem more powerful and more impressive with the line \\\"This guy makes Godzilla look like a pussy.\\\" Well at least any Godzilla films (Japan or USA versions) has better plots and acting. The special effects were awful. A special effect is supposed to blend in to make creature or other objects look like they are real. The special effects in this film stick out big time. I would not wish this film on anyone.1/2 stars out of 4\"", "id" : "\"48625_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33c7" }, "review" : "\"From the combined ministries of Jack and Rexella Van Impe and John Hagee comes Revelation, the second in a trilogy of films about somebody's conception of the end times. I say somebody's because even fundamentalist Christians are by no means united about prophesying things to come.I've not seen the first of these films Apocalypse in which a united world government is established and the rapture has taken place. A guy who even calls himself the Messiah named Macaluso played by Nick Mancuso has taken over the world and it's either his way or the highway.Christians are not even united on whether there will even be a rapture, but I'm of the opinion that if the fundamentalists are right and whole lots of people that you know feel that way suddenly vanish it might give some tangible proof about the Bible being real. But it has happened and it's happened to Jeff Fahey's family, wife and daughter, who just vanished without a trace. She could never quite get him to church and he's been left behind as a result. Anyway under the regime of Messiah Macaluso those who are not followers of his are deemed 'haters' and are rounded up and also disappear in more conventional ways.Fahey finds himself questioning what's going on and when he does he's framed for his partner's murder and forced to flee among the haters. Who in his city include former news anchor Leigh Lewis who in the first film had been the first to denounce Macaluso for being Satan.Mancuso's got something called a Day of Wonders where folks will be asked to participate in a virtual reality game en masse. Since we know who Mancuso is, it's something not good and its up to the believer types to throw a monkey wrench into the works. Carol Alt and Tony Nappo play a blind and a paraplegic people respectively and when they play the game they are healed and become Mancuso's disciples. That's a mighty hard thing to give up, healing from some affliction to reject Mancuso.David Roddis has an over the top performance as one of Mancuso's acolytes who's playing his villain in the best Snidely Whiplash tradition. All he needed was a handlebar mustache to twirl at both ends.It's impossible to evaluate these films because believer folk will hang on every word and nonbelievers will inevitably scoff. Then it degenerates into a theological not a cinema discussion. The cast give it their best to inject reality in some far fetched notions.There was a scene that really wasn't terribly germane to the plot where a father turns in his son for 're-education' because he caught him with a Bible. I took a look on the actor, Darrel Hicks, who played the son and found he'd also later done work on Queer As Folks. Talk about an eclectic resume.The ending is positively biblical itself. Just think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.\"", "id" : "\"48176_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33c8" }, "review" : "\"Ghost World is one of the better teen or comming of age movie i have seen in a while. The story was very sweet, and it gives people who are hopeless (like myself) hope. This is because the ugly, but unique dork of the movie gets to find true love! I don't usually see that in todays moviesThe movie consists of many interesting characters, and the actors who played the characters did an outstanding job (especially Thora Birch and Steve Buscemi). The settings in the movie was good, and I liked how the movie used different room colors for different occasions in this movie.There are some problems of this movie: 1. The movie was a little bit long, and sometimes the story drags. 2. Scarlett Johanson character seemed pretty small, it would be nice to more a little bit of Scarlett Johanson character.This movie was funny, sweet, and interesting. If you are sick of the ordinary teen movies, you should watch this interesting little teen movie called Ghost World :)\"", "id" : "\"16232_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33c9" }, "review" : "\"Outstanding film dealing with a 16 year old who tries to bring stability to a totally dysfunctional family.There is a truly outstanding performance by Anne Heche as the dysfunctional mother who neglects her children to lead a most disgusting life in pursuit of a good time. Heche is ably supported by Diane Ladd, a religious woman who can quote the bible but could not control her rebellious daughter.The film deals with how a sharp 16 year old has to learn to play the system to keep her brothers together. Bright, perceptive and unfortunately victimized by a sick mother, Kristen Bell gives a splendid performance.I enjoyed the part where she meets a black young man who becomes her boyfriend. Nothing is made of the inter-racial relationship nor the fact that the young man has a black father and white mother.This film shows that a court system can work to the advantage of its victims.\"", "id" : "\"12528_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33ca" }, "review" : "\"This movie did play like a dream or maybe even like an autobiography - it was disjointed. It was basically a bunch of mostly random scenes throughout this lady's life and you wonder what is going to happen next to her. The scenery was beautiful, but that is the only redeeming value I could find. Wait for it to come to tv.\"", "id" : "\"39976_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33cb" }, "review" : "\"This film is supposedly based on the true account of a prisoner who escaped from Devil's Island in French Guiana. However, the book by Henri Charriere about his experiences apparently has a LOT of inconsistencies and outright fabrications (a polite way of saying he was a liar). So, provided you understand that this isn't quite a true story, this is still an exceptional film. Much of this is due to incredible acting, direction, scripting and makeup.Henri Charriere, played by Steve McQueen, is going to Devil's Island for killing a pimp--supposedly in self-defense. On the boat, he meets a swindler played by Dustin Hoffman and they become friends.Most of the film documents how harsh and awful life is in the prison came--either in the work camps or when living in solitary confinement. All take their toll and kill off many of the prisoners, by Charriere is resilient. Despite all these privations, he never loses his resolve to escape, though Hoffman eventually does and accepts his life on the island after one failed escape attempt. In the end, Charriere does escape, though in real-life, this apparently did NOT occur.While there is a lot more to the movie and what I have mentioned (after all it's a very long and involved film), the full impact of the story is not what you read but seeing the awfulness of the prison. So, be prepared for a movie that at times is very difficult to watch but is constructed it's an amazing film.\"", "id" : "\"25857_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33cc" }, "review" : "\"I know that cartoons aimed towards adults generally don't get the attention they deserve, because they get written off as childish or don't capture interests as quickly as attractive/famous real-life characters can. But PLEASE, give this show a chance! I promise that just one episode of this show will have you hooked. I haven't laughed out loud this much since arrested development (R.I.P.) and the humor is similarly fast paced and, at times, absurd. The show is a half hour long, divided into two 15 minute episodes, which makes the show very watchable even for people who don't think they can devote an entire 30 minutes to a cartoon.Everything about this show is hilarious--the scenarios, the dry dialogue, the buildup to inevitable madness, and the horribly drawn but wonderfully fleshed-out characters. The show follows Tim, who is frequently caught in admittedly outlandish situations, although they always seem to spiral out of control so realistically. He and the supporting cast of characters all have their own stand out performances, including Debbie the friend/hooker and Amy the girlfriend, who is perpetually disappointed in her well-meaning but just plain awful boyfriend. So before you write it off simply because it's an adult cartoon, watch just ONE episode. Hell, even watch one half of an episode. That's 15 minutes of your time that will quickly lead to you watching every episode, I promise.\"", "id" : "\"10552_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33cd" }, "review" : "\"...but what a disappointment. The acting was superb. The cinematography was gorgeous. The stimulated sex, particularly the gay stuff, quite hot. However, the characters were totally unbelievable as everything was driven by plot line nothing by the characters. Surely to G-d this was not the first time Campbell Scott's character had stepped out on his wife so she must have known something was going on. He would have been clever enough to ensure she never found out. We are led to believe she is naive to the ways of the world and yet knows to how to find and hire a private detective and gather enough information to 'gaslight' another person so cleverly. This compassionate woman suddenly turns into a total freak? And the up and coming ('scuse the pun) screenwriter is supposed to be a man-of-the-world and yet believes his dead lover speaks to him in a computer chat room? The whole thing about the poisonous plants-gee, can you say \\\"foreshadowing\\\"? We rented the DVD and I left the room to do other things about half an hour before the end because I simply could not waste my time any longer.\"", "id" : "\"26437_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33ce" }, "review" : "\"As a long-time Holmes fan, and particularly of the Jeremy Brett interpretations, I was fully prepared to dislike this one intensely. However, I did enjoy it and can recommend it, though with some warnings.As several have mentioned, the time warp is annoying for those who know the genre. While it's certainly possible that Holmes might have \\\"come out of retirement\\\" at a young age, this is pushing it a bit far. Holmes and Watson were at least in their mid- to late twenties in the 1880s, so an Edwardian (1903?) setting would have them each pushing 50.I don't recall seeing this Everett guy before, but I think they could have done better. However, after seeing poor Charlton Heston doing Holmes, I won't squawk too loudly. Everett seems to play up the jaded, effeminate Edwardian dandy routine a bit much for me.Aside from the earlier-mentioned telephone disparity and perhaps too-routine use of fingerprints, I was particularly aggravated by the reference at the end to James Whistler's famous work commonly known as \\\"Whistler's Mother. Holmes refers to it as something like \\\"Portrait in Gray,\\\" whereas the actual title is \\\"Arrangement in Gray and Black (or Black and Gray)\\\". If as screenwriter is determined to be that pretentious, he should at least do the research and get it right.The plot seemed to be \\\"cheating\\\" a bit to me, too, as others have mentioned.But I did like it, warts and all. Maybe a 6 or 7 out of 10.\"", "id" : "\"16262_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33cf" }, "review" : "\"In 1998 two sentimental movie so alike was make one is this and the other is Simon Birch. Both are about the boy tried to make a different in this world despite the fact that they are disable. This movie star Elden Henson as the boy with disturb past and Kieran Culkin as the disable boy, they two become friend and that when imaginary adventure begin.The movie also consist of many A lister star such as Gena Rowlands, Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, Meat Loaf, and James Gandolfini. Yes, that is one hell of a cast but that doesn't really save this film anyway. The movie is dreadful, because by the end of the movie you'll wish you never seen it cause it is too slow and boring.The script wasn't that bad at all, the character is well written but the situation is boring and dreadful and the sentimental stuff was overdone that it end up being really cheesy. The acting wasn't all bad but the set was boring and unimaginative. And the lighting and cinematography didn't do a good job, it as if the film was shot 3 decades back.Reason To Watch: Better Not Watch It.Reason Not To: You Won't Miss A Thing, Feel Like Waste Of Electricity Watching It.Rating: 3/10 (Grade: F).Please Rate (Y/N) After Reading, Thanks.\"", "id" : "\"40588_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33d0" }, "review" : "\"Many of you have posted comments on \\\"Clockwatchers\\\" as a portrayal of \\\"Office Life\\\"... Not true!! It is a movie based on each of the 4 main characters personal \\\"Identity Struggle\\\" and nothing more than that. Watch it again and \\\"Forget\\\" that they are in an \\\"Office\\\" setting, focus on the personalities you see in each of the 4 main characters.I'll give you a hint, Lisa Kudrow's character has Bulimia Nervosa.Guess who has OCD?\\\"Never ignore the Obvious and Never over-look the Obscure\\\"A great Movie! 10 \\\"stars\\\"\"", "id" : "\"29_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33d1" }, "review" : "\"For years friends expressed amazement that I had never watched \\\"Nip/Tuck\\\" -- just my kind of show, they insisted. And so, spurred by the recent assault of pre-season publicity, I decided to pay a first-time visit to Nip/Tuck last night. I was expecting sly and witty satire. What I found instead (in repeat episodes that focused on a serial mangler and a deranged racist) was a puerile, unrelenting torrent of violence and sadism. Robotic and/or hysterical acting, moronic plot contortions, and enough deep shadow (in Miami, yet) to make Edgar Ulmer spin like a top. It was like watching Joel Schumacher direct Ricky Martin as Hannibal Lecter. Nice to know what my friends think of my taste.\"", "id" : "\"46565_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33d2" }, "review" : "\"1st watched 7/12/2009 - 3 out of 10 (Dir-Anthony Hickox): Lame and silly attempt to spoof horror movies in this story about a possessed wax museum visited by brainless teenagers. A couple of them get swept into the exhibits and the story that revolves around the exhibits, and then they get killed and become permanent parts of it. This is the basic storyline but they add a \\\"rule the world\\\" theme concocted by the leader of the museum. He believes that once each exhibit has had it's chance to kill they will all come to life and conquer all !! Mu ha ha!! The movie has a campiness that makes you think initially it will be a comedy but it really just turns into a slow moving horror movie. The exhibits include the werewolf, a vampire, the Marquis de sade and an alien that isn't really explored. This is where the movie tries to pay tribute to these type of movies but fails. At least the movie didn't turn out to be a kill all teens slasher movie and they tried a different style in the storytelling to put away the worthless teenagers but it still doesn't really work as an interesting movie.\"", "id" : "\"36185_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33d3" }, "review" : "\"I thank the heavens for MST3000, otherwise this movie would have been intolerable. It is a communal pain, distributed among the watchers. First of all, the protagonist is Dr. Neil Connery, played by Neil Connery (subtle). Neil is Sean Connery's brother. You would not guess that from the great acting displayed in this movie. This movie is simply an Italian knock-off of a James Bond movie, except you couldn't afford any of the trademarks. They also managed to get some people who actually stared in Bond movies, like Ms. Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell), M (Bernard Lee), and Emilio Largo (from Thunderball played by Adolfo Celi). Thats about where all the similarities to any Bond movie end. Where James Bond has a suave, debonair style and uses various gadgets, his brother Neil, user hypnosis and the Jerry Lewis approach. It's not that he is clumsy, he just seems to be uncomfortable with women. The plot is pretty bad and nonsensical. By far the best part of the movie is the end conflict, where Neil and friends fight \\\"Largo's\\\" minions, who dress like the aliens from V (red vinyl outfits) with the helmets from the fireman of Fahrenheit 451. Not only that, but they are all shooting underwater harpoons. Exciting isn't it ?? This all leads to the duel between \\\"Largo\\\" (aka Thair Beta) and Neil. Harpoons at 20 paces. This movie is bad. Please don't watch this movie, unless you are heavily medicated.\"", "id" : "\"23888_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33d4" }, "review" : "\"The gore in this film was good. Thats about all the good I can say about this film. I see others saying the acting was good when I read other reviews on this film and I only have to say one thing about that.. What are you people taking? This was the worst acting I have ever seen and I have seen some really bad acting, and the story??? ooh very bad. There where to many hole in the script writing. And everybody is raving about a surprise ending. um mm people......Most film today are going into that direction of weird twisty endings. It's being overdone. All's I have to say about this film that 13 seconds is 13 seconds to long to watch it.\"", "id" : "\"41881_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33d5" }, "review" : "\"I was duped into thinking that this was an actual movie. Had I known it was a tv-movie I would have spent the $2.50 rental fee elsewhere. The jacket of the movie made it look like it'd be funny...but I was WRONG! I didn't even laugh once during the entire flick and I'm a person who laughs during a funny movie, even if its as stupid as watching Wiley E. Coyote blowing himself up!Others may say this is a good family movie, but I wouldn't even let my own kids watch this movie!\"", "id" : "\"49114_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33d6" }, "review" : "\"This must be one of the most refreshing surprises I saw in a long time! Looks boring but it's ultrahilarious. In documentary style we learn something about Australia's dirty history (well this is a satire so don't check out the net for verification, okay?) We go back in the early fifties at where we find an Australian communist Joan Fraser (Judy davis) who really would give her life for the red star, it goes so far that she can arrange to meet the man Stalin himself (all of course before the public knew of his slaughters) and what Joan never expected...she ends up in bed with Stalin but as the man is walking on his last feet, he dies... Agent Nine (Sam Neil) tells her she's a hero who saved Russia and that same night she also ends up in his bed.... Not knowing what to do Joan returns to Australia finding out that she is pregnant. She doesn't tell her Australian boyfriend who the father of her child is....but the poor b*****d accepts. But soon trouble happens when agent Nine returns to the land of the kangaroos...cos the question is : who is the father? He or Stalin? Things of hilarious things are following and we follow the days of the child Joe welch (Richard Roxburgh). For communist mum he's a perfect child...always to be seen at manifestations against the Vietnamwar but then the nightmare strikes...Joe falls in love with a female cop! Really it's totally hilarious even if the personages always stay sober but it's the kind of script that leaves you not one minute in silence. A perfect film from a rather unknown director, see it!!!!\"", "id" : "\"19667_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33d7" }, "review" : "\"great film i have this film got it off sky sum time and yes its freeky as hell there's no blood no swearing and sorry to those people that want to see it but no nudity well its censored. anyway i thought this film was real when i first seen it and i couldn't go anywhere alone i became paranoid that the aliens were gonna come get me. i think this film is psychological and really gets to you.evan thought this film was fake some say it actually happened and this was the remake, ethier way it still freaks me out to this day not as much but i get those shiverer's down my back when i watch it.PS this film has 2 names as far as i no Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County and Alien Abduction: the macpherson tape. if you no of any others or the real tape please say.\"", "id" : "\"31220_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33d8" }, "review" : "\"My local video rental store is eliminating all of their VHS tapes and as I am still trapped in the 80s and do not have a DVD player I was more than happy to take some off their hands. #13 pick in choosing my 13 for $10 \\\"Kindergarden 'Ninja'\\\" has proved to be just as the others have said, the most entertaining use of a dollar you can find.I hardly know where to begin. Lets start with the cover of the movie. It is important to note that the creators in no way intended you to think there were real martial arts in this film. Ninja in the title is in quotation as if to warn you of the fighting skills. The cover also declares \\\"Say no to drugs!\\\". That's what got me interested in this film, but the best part is inside.At one part in the film Blade Steel (ex-NFL star Dwight Clark) suggests that he and his date go to Clark's on the Bay, Dwight Clark real life restaurant. As he says this the number to make a reservation at his his restaurant scrolls across the bottom of the screen. As they have their meal Steel goes on stage to sing the Motown \\\"hit\\\" \\\"25 miles from home\\\". while on stage his date is suddenly kidnapped by ninjas. while continuing to hold the mic and sing Steel defeats the ninjas and returns to the stage with a wink.During the final fight scene Steel, his martial arts mentor and for a few brief seconds (used as a weapon) the kindergarten children fight a clan of drug dealing ninjas who throughout the film had been played by children but are now mysteriously grown men. During this action scene slow motion is actually filmed by the actors moving in slow motion. Simply amazing.The entire film is packed full of gems like this.I doubt you'll ever be able to find this film, but if you do, please pick it up. It will definitely be worth the dollar you spend.\"", "id" : "\"7021_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33d9" }, "review" : "\"To everyone reading the comments here,As your well wisher, I recommend not to see this movie, I don't want to write anything about it, some sensible people who have posted comments here and given a deserved bad review about it have already pointed out all the flaws of this movie. I just want to save a long good period of frustration and anger which I went through after watching it, what a waste of a talented budding actor like Vivek Oberoi, I pity him really. I am so embarrassed I have to give a rating of 1 to this movie, I thought 0 would be there but it is not there so I am forced to give a rating of 1.As far as the good reviews for this movie here are concerned, I am surprised and shocked, these good reviews here lead me to the imagination of S.Ghai or someone handsomely paid by him sitting spending some valuable hours cooking up false stories about this movie being great etcThants all.\"", "id" : "\"29479_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33da" }, "review" : "\"The absolute worst of the trilogy, not even comedy could save it ... Unrealistic, unbelievable, loud sudden sounds the only scary component. Really should have quit after one ... No. two was bad but not in the ball park compared to this disaster. Nev Campbell the only saving grace with the four votes given placed solely on her performance having to work under atrocious conditions.\"", "id" : "\"49181_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33db" }, "review" : "\"Fletch is at again. But this time the premise is extremely worn out and the wisecracks are very tired and sometimes downright stupid.It started so promising. When Fletch finds out that he has inherited an estate in the deep south from an aunt he hardly knew, we get a wicked satire of \\\"Song of the South\\\", complete with animation and a singing Chevy. When the scenery changes from L.A. to Lousiana we get every southern stereotype known to man. The Klan is apparently back in action and tries to get Fletch to leave the estate which turns out to be not what it's cracked up to be. We also get southern beauties who present themselves with three names like \\\"Amanda Ray Ross\\\" and \\\"Becky Ann Culpepper\\\" and you just know that the first thing Fletch does is make a rather suggestive remark that the women find irresistible and they immediately jump in the sack with him. The \\\"Amanda Ray\\\" character is not so lively the next morning and looks sort of like she was in the deep freeze for the entire night. Can this be a comment on Fletch's abilities in the sack or is there foul play involved. If you think it is the second answer you are absolutely right.So next we meet a lawyer who seems to wanna help Fletch (do they do that?) and we also meet a ranch hand who serves as Fletch's only friend among hostile citizens. An amusing, but not quite funny bit involves a TV evangelist played by the great R. Lee Ermey but he doesn't seem sleazy enough to generate much suspicion towards him so the real culprit must be the most unlikely. Have I given too much away? Doesn't matter. The plot is not why we go to see this movie but the laughs are not there this time. A shame since I was looking forward to seeing this. You can only hope that there won't be another sequel.\"", "id" : "\"48313_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33dc" }, "review" : "\"One of Tennessee Williams' best plays becomes a good but not great film despite a stellar cast. It's hard to pin exactly why this film doesn't soar but it's a solid screen version. Maybe it's just that the subject matter works better in a stage environment and that the camera is just too intimate.Familiar story of restless son, his crippled sister, and their manic mother, who seems to live in the golden past is great material for the stage. And this sad story of the mother's attempts to goad the son into bringing home a young man to meet the sister seems rather cruel. But even the forgotten and lost can lead lives of desperation as they cling to dreams and make wishes on silver moons.Arthur Kennedy stars as Tom, the son who tries to please his mother but longs to escape his dull job in St. Louis and see the world. Jane Wyman is the crippled sister who has shrunk from the world and collects tiny glass animals. Gertrude Lawrence is the mother who was abandoned by her husband and has been reduced to living in a dumpy apartment and selling magazine subscriptions. And Kirk Douglas is the \\\"gentleman caller.\\\" All 4 actors are quite good, although none received Oscar nominations, despite the hype. Many great actresses have been associated with the role of Amanda Wingfield since this play made its Broadway debut in the 1940s: Laurette Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, Joanne Woodward, Maureen Stapletobm Jessica Tandy, Julie Harris, and Jessica Lange have all played the role on stage, film, or TV. And I swear I remember Shirley Booth doing this on TV also.Ultimetaely the story is as fragile as the glass figures. If any one character dominates the story the whole play collapses. This film version works very well in balancing the roles. And while Wyman seems a tad old for the part, Lawrence was an even odder choice. I've also read that Bette Davis and Tallulah Bankhead were considered. But how they decided on Lawrence--a great musical comedy star in London and New York--is anyone's guess. She really is quite good but the film might have need the extra star power of Bette Davis.Anyway, this classic American play is worth watching.\"", "id" : "\"27517_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33dd" }, "review" : "\"Calling this movie one of the best Dutch in recent years is perhaps not enough. It certainly deserves a spot among the best Dutch movies of all time as well!If I had to compare this movie to any other, I would say that this movie is the Dutch \\\"Glengarry Glen Ross\\\". It has only powerhouse actors in it, the movie doesn't just have one main character, it follows multiple story lines from all the different characters and it has an excellent written story. Don't let the fact that this is just a 'made for TV' movie scare you of. The only reason the movie didn't got a theatrical release is because Dutch cinema in general is not very popular by the main stream audience and besides movies like this just don't do well in Dutch cinema's, regardless of the language spoken. A shame because that also in a way means that not too often Dutch movies like \\\"Cloaca\\\" will ever be made and released. This movie however truly screams for more.The story at first starts of rather simple but just like in real life things are more complicated than they at first seem. Every character in the movie has problem(s) on their own and the one thing that connects everything is their friendship. The four old college buddies, now in their forties, try to help each other but have to cope with their own difficulties as well. By helping each other out they discover the true meaning of friendship and start evaluation the way their lives are progressing thus far and where things went wrong for them and they let the 'good old times' revive as well. It's a real character movie and a movie like this always requires some extremely good actors. \\\"Cloaca\\\" really has this. It makes the movie, the story and the situations in this all feel very real and understandable.\\\"Cloaca\\\" has the best acting you'll probably ever see in a Dutch movie. All of the actors in this movie are well taught and established actors, who appear mostly on the stage. It's too bad that Dutch movies not too often give the chance to let actors like this shine on the silver screen. Ductch cinema doesn't often offer roles like these to actors of this caliber. Pierre Bokma, Gijs Scholten van Aschat and Pierre Bokma are all probably the best Dutch actors at the moment. It also definitely helps the movie that the three of them are real life friends and went to college together (along with the movie its director Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen), it definitely shows on screen, since they all have such a great chemistry and share some great anticipation and reaction with each other. It lifts their performances to an even higher level and makes the timing spot on.The movie is deliberately kept low key. No fancy tricks are used and the movie mostly relies on telling its story purely through its characters. It's based on a stage play by Maria Goos, which starred for most part the same actors that also appear in this movie. It means that the movie also feels 'stagey' at times, with its characters and dialog. This doesn't always work out well in movies but there are exceptions and when there are exceptions, they are always brilliant ones. \\\"Cloaca\\\" is a wonderful example of this. It's a real shame by the way that the British Kevin Spacey stage play version wasn't an huge success.The movie is extremely well directed by Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen. Of course the storytelling is slow but van de Sande Bakhuyzen's directing keeps the pace always high and the movie interesting. The movie also has some beautiful cinematography and a suiting musical score. A real lost for Dutch cinema, that Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen died in 2005 of cancer. He made the best movies in his last years and I would had definitely been interested in seeing more movies of him, definitely if they were like \\\"Cloaca\\\".10/10\"", "id" : "\"23344_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33de" }, "review" : "\"To comment on this movie, there are two main sides: First one would be Adam Sandler, I have always liked his movies, for the light kind of comedy he presents, you watch and you laugh but you don't expect to come out of the movie with a deeper message or something remotely philosophic to think about, I find that when Adam Sandler tries to go deep, his movies become quite depressing and nonsensical, \\\"Click\\\" quickly comes to mind.The thing about the Zohan, is that I laughed a lot in some parts, but I find his affairs with the older ladies to be a bit repetitive and leaning towards downright BORING. Also the crude language and the oh-too-much \\\"crotch\\\" view makes it quite impossible to let your kids watch the movie, which is a pity, because I find the hilarious fight scenes and the Zohan's \\\"supernatural\\\" cool stunts would have been fun for kids to watch.Second point of view would be from an Arab point of view; I started watching this movie, preparing myself to get offended, and mind you I am a very broad minded person ... However, I was pleasantly surprised, for the first time in my life I see a movie that does not picture Arabs as animal-like, heartless, brainless killing machines. They are just people, trying to make a living, even the avenging one has a reason, the Zohan stole his goat.Watching this movie, I tried to forget that I am an Arab, and I see that it is portraying - in a very silly and somehow inaccurate way - two opposing sides, and suggesting that they stop fighting, get over their differences to see that they are in fact similar.The movie makers get my personal \\\"thank you\\\" for that, it is no different than watching a movie about the conflict between \\\"black\\\" and \\\"white\\\" people after the civil war, or about Americans and Japanese directly after WWII, there is no prejudices against Arabs here.For the very first time, someone has discovered that Arabs are human beings too. So THANK YOU.\"", "id" : "\"30865_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33df" }, "review" : "\"MAN WITHOUT A STAR has to be one film the former Issur Danielovitch must surely wish he could erase from his resume. Douglas plays a ne'er-do-well ranch hand who ends up switching sides during a range war among two big cattle ranches. Jeanne Crain is the boss lady of the ranch he starts out on, and you can almost feel the beginnings of THE BIG VALLEY in this largely awful Western from the 1950s. Outfitted in stylish, form-fitting shirts, Douglas is simply terrible as the conflicted cowpoke. Talk about miscasting. Crain isn't bad as the boss lady, but she's no Barbara Stanwyck. A veritable army of familiar supporting players including Jay C. Flippen can barely keep this turkey afloat. The script stinks, the direction is aimless, the cinematography is wasted. If this was the kind of movie intended to keep viewers away from their TVs, I can't imagine it succeeded in doing so -- even though I understand it was a box office hit in its time.\"", "id" : "\"42037_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33e0" }, "review" : "\"Big Wednesday & Endless Summer. There is no real way to compare the two however since Endless Summer is a documentary that follows a couple of California surfers as they search out the perfect waves around the world. Big Wednesday is the story of 3 guys as they come of age together and culminates in an actual big wave day that happened at Malibu. The characters are guys almost any surfer from the late 60's and early 70's can relate to because of the bonding that would take place on the water. Back then surfing wasn't about the big buck tournaments they have now it was time well spent with your compadres and the film reflected that time. Remake this movie...I hope not because it captured the essence of the California beach scene then and William Katt, Gary Busey and Jan Michael Vincent portrayed 3 very typical California surfers of the time, and it would be almost impossible to capture that spirit again.\"", "id" : "\"5601_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33e1" }, "review" : "\"It's simply, one of the worst movies I have ever seen!It is hard to believe people put money, and agreed to participate in such a puerile film. This is a completely flawed 'after the end of the world' film - badly acted, with cheap effects, and a horrible filming. Nothing to keep you watching it, excepting the fascination of how worse it can get. And it gets worse, as you watch it!Avoid it! 2/10 on my personal scale.\"", "id" : "\"36562_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33e2" }, "review" : "\"I just recently rented this title and it was great.The story line contained issues from alcoholism, marriage issues to the normal every day issues in the life of our great firefighters and the crazy things we do with our friends.I know we've all done a few of those here and there.DJ Perry was awesome even considering this was his 1st starring role. A few times he was running in this movie I was waiting for him to fall flat on his face. He definitely kept it real. I would of been running my butt off if I was being chased by that hideous creature.All I can say is great writing, directing and acting.Go out and watch it!\"", "id" : "\"18574_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33e3" }, "review" : "\"I have to agree. What a really awful movie. This was just a poor ripoff at a time when poor ripoffs weren't as common as now.Sigh...The original Westworld takes a good concept and works well. The attempts to tie futureworld back to Westworld are poorly structured.Wooden performances abound, not just from the 'robots' either.Watch Westworld and skip the sequel.Another reasonable pick for an odd Yul Brenner movie is an odd post-apocalyptic knife fighter flick.Aardvaark\"", "id" : "\"38399_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33e4" }, "review" : "\"Hide and Seek is a really creepy psychological thriller directed by John Polson (Mission: Impossible II, The Sum of Us) and it has one of the most memorable and most shocking/surprising endings ever. Another movie that had that creepy-ending thing was Wes Craven's 'They'. (sorry, no other titles come to mind. but see They, it's extremely scary).Anyway, Robert DeNiro (Shark Tale, Cape Fear (1991)), for once, did not over-act in this movie. His acting was actually great! And Dakota Fanning just literally blew me away. She is definitely THE BEST young actress that has ever been and that will ever be (I hope I said that phrase right, but if I didn't, I'm sure you know what Ii mean). She did the same thing in War of the Worlds, too. She has a very, very, very, very, very, very, very rare gift of acting. She has such a talent that God gave her. She just passed through the part easily, as if there was nothing too it. Her part as Emily Callaway really creeped me out. She also won an MTV Movie Award for, 'Best Frightened Performance' in this movie. She really seemed actually frightened! Everything else was wonderful in this movie! See Hide and Seek! You won't be disappointed!Original MPAA rating: R: Frightening Sequences and ViolenceMy MPAA rating: R: Violence/Terror and Frightening Sequences My Canadian rating: 14A: Violence, Frigtening Scenes, Mature Theme\"", "id" : "\"31591_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33e5" }, "review" : "\"Again a french blockbuster! I had in mind \\\"Largo Winch\\\" for our national action / thriller tries and the feeling that something was lacking in comparison to James Bond, \\\"Mission Impossible\\\" or the recent \\\"Traitor\\\".My opinion hasn't changed: action isn't unforgettable, the story is boring, and the characters dull: even before the troubles come, the spies are depressive, mournful! I know the director wanted to show the crude reality of undercover action but he failed to tell something interesting. Even his commentary is lethargic. It's a pity because some sequences show that he is talented with a camera! The best moment of the movie is their \\\"vacations\\\" in Casablanca, because it was almost like mine in Oujda, another Moroccan town: streets filled with people, red and whites taxis, pool, … And another french DVD without subtitles!\"", "id" : "\"19957_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33e6" }, "review" : "\"I adore this movie. Mike Myers is a comic genius. I pretty much love all his movies but this one is one of the best. Even before it was hysterical for Eddie Murphy to play his whole family, we had Mike playing his own father. And doing a darn good job of it too.\"", "id" : "\"24991_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33e7" }, "review" : "\"Hollywood insider films have been made since the movie colony came out to the west coast. The Hollywood community was aware that the public knew their patented make-believe was just that, and so they were willing to share the \\\"truth\\\" about Hollywood with the public fairly often.But these films got darker in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1950 Billy Wilder's SUNSET BOULEVARD showed how the world had forgotten it's celebrities and stars of the late silent period a generation earlier. In 1951, although ostensibly a comedy, SINGING IN THE RAIN did show the disaster to so many silent careers (even the detestable Lila Lamont's) that sound brought in it's wake. Yet with all the viewing of the effect of the film industry's changes on the lives of actors, few tackled that of production people.Vincent Minelli's 1952 THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL did just that, studying the career of a super film producer. It's use of organized series of flashbacks reminds of that this film's producer was John Houseman, once the partner of Orson Welles in his Mercury Theater. The constant comment that the anti-hero of the film, \\\"Jonathan Shields\\\" (Kirk Douglas) is dismissed as a \\\"genius\\\" is like the disparagement shown to boy-genius Welles when he showed up in Hollywood. But the basic model for the producer seems to be David O. Selznick, whose father was prominent in the 1920s, until forced out by rivals in the industry. Jonathan's father was also a big shot until he too was thrown out by his rivals.Briefly the plot of the story is how Shields made a career out of the work of other people, several of whom he hurt by discarding as soon as he could. First is his co-producer/director Fred Amiel (Barry Sullivan), whose treatment plan for a major film is taken from him by Shields to sell the studio on backing it. Amiel hoped to direct it, but it is directed instead by Von Ellstein (Ivan Triesaut - a kind of clone of Josef Von Sternberg). Amiel breaks with Shields as a result, and never will work for him again. However, Amiel is able within a few years to be one of the most successful Hollywood directors anyway.That incident was in 1936 (a film preview is shown at a theater showing ANNA KARENINA with Garbo and Fredric March - an MGM film, just like this one). In 1941 Shields is casting the leading role for a film to be shot by Harry Whitfield (Leo G. Carroll - possibly a clone of Alfred Hitchcock). He decides to hire \\\"Georgia Lorison\\\" (Lana Turner) for the female lead opposite \\\"Gaucho\\\" (Gilbert Roland). Lorison is the daughter of a classic leading actor of the past (his voice is heard - it is Louis Calhern's), who died impoverished and an alcoholic wreck (the father and daughter are supposed to be John and Diane Barrymore). Georgia is trying to keep off the sauce herself, and falls on the day shooting is to begin. Since Jonathan learns that Georgia loves him, he romances her. It is only when the film is in the can that he breaks it off, rather roughly. Georgia's performance makes her a success in Hollywood, but she never will work for Jonathan again.Finally we have the story of novelist James Lee Barlow (Dick Powell) and his wife Rosemary (Gloria Grahame). Barlow is in Hollywood to write the screenplay version of his best selling novel of the deep south (he's a clone for William Faulkner and Thomas Wolfe, with some F.Scott Fitzgerald in). As Rosemary keeps James Lee from working, Jonathan tries to get the author into isolation to work, and preoccupies Rosemary with Gaucho (who had come onto her at a party). But Gaucho and Rosemary are killed in a plane crash. James Lee finishes the script, but an argument between Jonathan and Von Ellstein causes the latter to quit the film. Jonathan ruins the film because he has no talent as a director. Still he and James Lee might work on a new project together, but a stupid remark by Jonathan causes James Lee to realize that Gaucho and Rosemary were together on that ill-fated trip due to Jonathan. So he too leaves the producer. But subsequently he writes a novel about his wife, and wins a Pulitzer Prize.Called together by Jonathan's financial head, Harry Pebble (Walter Pidgeon), the three victims of Shields refuse a new offer for just one final picture with him. But at the conclusion they all show curiosity on just what the new idea of his is.THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL had a wonderful script - it has many intricate bits in it that one has to catch on repeated viewings. Pebble (originally Shields' boss) dismisses him until he sees the treatment of the novel that Amiel wrote - he thinks it is Shields' ideas). He says in front of a seething Fred Amiel he always thought Shields a genius. Later, of course, he realizes it was not Jonathan's work. Similarly Von Ellstein congratulates Jonathan on being the first producer whose treatment of a book resembles the work of a director. Later he too realizes it was Fred's work, and ironically the collapse of Jonathan's position is begun when Von Ellstein lectures Jonathan on how you can't just stuff a film with a series of climaxes but have to build to one. Also the first time Georgia and James Lee discuss a film script they accidentally (by lack of knowledge on his part, and by temporary failure of memory on hers) hurt each other without realizing it. It becomes a rich tapestry of the industry and the various lives that get involved in it. As such it is one of the best films about movie making ever made.\"", "id" : "\"6160_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33e8" }, "review" : "\"This has to be the worst film of the year. Possibly of any year. (Doubly insulting that it's set in my home town.) What was it supposed to be? Satire? Social commentary? A series of badly written sketches with no discernible story? How anyone can watch this codswallop and not find themselves screaming at the screen is beyond me. And to watch some decent actors struggle with this appalling script was agony.I have to assume it was some sort of tax dodge for the Scottish film industry. No one with any understanding and/or experience of film-making would surely sanction such utter tripe for creative reasons.And the director wins a Scottish BAFTA? Who decided that? The same people who funded it perchance? It's no wonder no-one outside of Glasgow takes the 'Scottish Film Industry' seriously if this is perceived to be some sort of pinnacle. The only sensible thing would be to have a bonfire with all existing prints on Calton Hill beside Edinburgh's original disgrace.Update#1 : I've just read that this unspeakable piece of rubbish also won a British Comedy award beating The Incredibles and Sideways. I think a steward's enquiry is required. Update #2: I've since spoken to a couple of people who were involved in this production and they both reported that \\\"no-one seemed to know what they were doing, and boy does it show. The film made a mere ÂŁ82,230 at the UK box office (I pray it wasn't released abroad) Great return on the ÂŁ700K the UK Film Council wasted on it. It's no wonder they're desperately trying to recoup their investment via DVD sales and rental. Makes you proud to be British, doesn't it? Update three (not that I'm obsessed). The comments of D_G below are interesting. I'm inferring that we in the vast majority (and not just on this site) who thought this film had all the artistic merit of raw sewage have somehow missed the point? It's apparently too much to ask of an alleged black comedy to have some er, comedy in it. And the argument that it must be good because Book Club was doesn't wash either. If anything this debacle of a film has shown up Griffin's remarkable paucity of talent. Get real.\"", "id" : "\"33951_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33e9" }, "review" : "\"I thought this was a great movie, for fans of all ages. And I think Dakota Fanning is a sweet girl with an awesome acting future ahead of her. I think it was wonderful that they changed the role of the child from a boy to a girl just for her. She made this film, made it work and made you believe. It's a feel good film. It teaches patience and perseverance. It shows kids and adults alike what can come from hard work. I thought it was a very inspiring film. Made me remember what it was like to be a kid, when everything was possible. See this movie, you won't regret it...unless you have a heart of stone. It made me treasure the moments between a father and a daughter, having lost my dad this year. I miss him and I wish we'd had a bonding moment like the ones in the film. And it was good to see Kurt Russell again. He's always been a favorite of mine. And now I can add another movie to my list of all time faves.\"", "id" : "\"13194_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33ea" }, "review" : "\"\\\"His Gal Friday\\\" is Howard Hawks' tribute to the brilliant play in which this film is based. Charles McGraw and Ben Hecht, two of the best writers of the era, paid tribute to the journalists that wrote for the American newspapers of the thirties. This movie has some of the fastest dialogs in memory.The incredible combination of Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, and Ralph Bellamy in the main roles is what made this movie a favorite. Mr. Grant as Walter Burns, the unscrupulous newspaper editor, is the perfect foil for Rosalind Russell's, Hildy Johnson, a role that is played by a male in the original play and in the other film versions.The best moment of the film is the moment when Cary Grant speaking so fast, that some what he says goes over the viewer's heads, refers as to Ralph Bellamy by name as not having a chance and cites in the same breadth his real name Archibald Leach. It's hard to imagine anyone but Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell playing Walter and Hildy. Ralph Bellamy is perfect as Hildy's fiancĂŠ, Bruce Baldwin. Gene Lockhart is perfect as the sheriff Pinky Hartwell. The ensemble of actors that play the reporters following the possible execution of Earl Williams, are perfect.An excellent comedy thanks to the genius of Howard Hawks.\"", "id" : "\"17084_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33eb" }, "review" : "\"Renoir's tale of Paris,the Cancan,a washer-girl and the Moulin Rouge.A more subdued,but highly entertaining version of the opening of the Moulin Rouge. Jean Gabin gives his usual excellent performance.The Technicolor photography on the print I saw was exquisite.An easy evening's viewing. chris w galla\"", "id" : "\"14223_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33ec" }, "review" : "\"I am surprised that so many viewers liked this movie. Let me make myself clear: I find the subject matter very interesting. Trying to understand why people (especially, young people, and even more so young girls) become terrorists (or freedom fighters; the terminology is heavily dependent on your alliances) is quite noble. So I was really eager to see the movie, but unfortunately was disappointed beyond the normal expectations. What was good about it? Well, the actors were not too bad (especially, given the fact that they were mostly non-professionals). That's about it. What was bad? Let's start with the premise: a girl (freedom fighter/terrorist) becomes impregnated by a wounded \\\"brother in arms\\\" while they find themselves hiding from the government troops in a ditch (and the latter are still raiding the area, might I add). Are you kidding me? I admit, I've never been shot in a battle, so I cannot tell what a person would normally do under these circumstances, but my wild guess is that having sex with a comrade (while the enemy soldiers are searching around) would not be the first item on the list. Well, may be I am wrong here... Next, who was in charge of the soundtrack (and sound in general)? This was probably the worst movie sound, I've ever heard: the same bad composition played on a cheap synthesizer over and over, so by the middle of the movie, you have an urge to turn the sound off and just read the subtitles. Who was the director? Almost every scene (with exception of the scenes involving the old man, his goofy friend, and the paralyzed wife) looked exceptionally fake: fights, killings, pull-ups, etc. Anyways, this could've been a decent unprofessional movie, but for a professional motion picture (especially, given the amount of positive coverage), it falls quite short.\"", "id" : "\"35634_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33ed" }, "review" : "\"I just finished watching the DVD of this first-class, semi-Screwball comedy in Columbia Classics beautiful transfer, and it absolutely made my day! What a movie! What a screenplay! The dialogue is better - more modern - in fact, than a in lot of contemporary movies. It's incredibly funny, too, and my teenage sons kept laughing right along with me at the smart come-backs. Cary Grant is, of course, as good (if not better) than ever, and I've never seen Rosalind Russel in a role that suited her more perfectly. And that's just for starters: The timing of the thing is still awe- inspiring after sixty-odd years; the supporting actors, down to the bit-players, are all memorable, convincing and hilarious; the camera work (this IS the forties, though) is inventive and the editing superb. I can safely confess now that I hadn't ever seen it before, but that's no reason for you to make the same mistake: Go buy/rent it NOW! Hats off to the great Howard Hawks, his cast and crew for pulling this comedy masterpiece off. And thank you, thank you, thank you Columbia Pictures, formaking it possible for me to watch it in such pristine condition! (I've got the 2002 edition, and from what I've heard you should beware of earlier DVD issues).\"", "id" : "\"17090_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33ee" }, "review" : "\"I can truly say this is one of the greatest movies i have seen in a long time. It made me laugh and cry numerous times. Im not the usual crying type, but this movie really moved me. I recommend it to everyone! This is truly a must see movie for the whole family to enjoy or for a romantic time with your spouse.\"", "id" : "\"12203_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33ef" }, "review" : "\"Director Frank Tashlin stretches his anything-for-a-laugh method of comic film-making to the breaking point with this very weak advertising send-up (with equally dull romantic-confusion underpinnings). Tony Randall seems the wrong actor for the part of struggling ad-rep Rockwell Hunter, who gets a buxom beauty queen to shill for a new lipstick--but at a price. It's supposed to be a riot, but Tashlin, who also adapted the script from George Axelrod's play, can't seem to bring the material (both farcial and cynical) into a cohesive whole. It's full of prankish jokes and questionable taste, but the episodic results are loud and forced instead of funny. There's a satirical, promising opening sequence (brightly prodding the TV commercials of the era), but the movie steadily loses steam from there. *1/2 from ****\"", "id" : "\"34140_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33f0" }, "review" : "\"A young woman, who is a practicing Satanist sets out to unearth the tomb of Countess Bathory by sacrificing young, virginal women. Waldemar Daninsky (Paul Naschy) also used to be Countess Bathory's loyal servant when they were executed several hundred years earlier for their gruesome crimes. Waldemar is now on a mission to destroy Countess Bathory in order to prevent her from making him her slave, once again.THE CRAVING, when it was released in the states was horribly butchered because of its violent content. Unfortunately, this was its biggest detriment. It barely made any sense, and was quite difficult to keep track of what was going on.However, I must say the climatic battle between Daninsky and Bathory was quite exciting and hilarious to watch.Any Paul Naschy fan should check out. Fortunately, it was re-released under its uncut form via BCI/Deimos a year or two back. Just please avoid the censored version. It's way too confusing,\"", "id" : "\"40374_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33f1" }, "review" : "\"This movie has a GREAT soundtrack. The title song is pretty but the others used are outstanding. \\\"California\\\", which we hear whenever the hero goes after his old flame, should be adopted by the state.Our hero is a top jingle writer for ad campaigns in New York with a desire to move up to movie scoring. This takes him to California, which is where the college sweetheart who walked out on him now lives. He wants to relive the past with a happy ending. This movie will resonate with anyone who has old memories.There are especially nice touches here about male friendship and intercommitment. James Brooks seems to have done everything: story, music, directing, lead role, and it does seem very personal. But this movie has a number of interesting elements in it. Some bits about working with advertisers to produce a musical spot are marvelous. Jimmy Breslin has an interesting side role. There is a lot of warmth to this movie, and don't forget the wonderful music.\"", "id" : "\"6701_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33f2" }, "review" : "\"Although Cary Grant is justifiably remembered as a screen legend (indeed he was probably the most adept of any of his contemporaries at romantic comedy), it seems criminal that Irene Dunne is almost forgotten these days. This is the second and most lightweight of three very fruitful screen pairings they had during this period - the other two are the even more insane divorce farce, \\\"The Awful Truth\\\", from 1937 and 1941's child adoption tearjerker, \\\"Penny Serenade\\\". With her insinuating laugh and sophisticated but down-to-earth manner, she is a wonderful screwball heroine, even if she lacks the haughty glamour of Katharine Hepburn or the brazen beauty of Carole Lombard.Here Dunne plays Ellen Wagstaff Arden returning home after seven years shipwrecked on a desert island. The problem is that her husband Nick has just gotten remarried to a high maintenance socialite named Bianca. Further complications ensue when it's disclosed that Ellen was not alone on the island and that her companion was an athletic Adonis named Stephen Burkett, of course a bachelor. The ending is obvious from the beginning, but there are some hilarious set pieces along the way, in particular, when Ellen recruits a timid shoe salesman to impersonate Stephen and also when her ruse is exposed as the real Stephen pops up from the country club swimming pool. In 1940, the same year he made classics like \\\"The Philadelphia Story\\\" and \\\"His Girl Friday\\\", Grant is at the top of his game, and Dunne matches him every step of the way. It does seem a bit of a stretch to think that the principal characters would be celibate for seven long years, but such was 1930's Hollywood convention.Randolph Scott gamely plays the dumb-as-dirt Stephen, an ironic choice given the rumors of the actor's relationship with Grant. As Bianca, the glamorously venomous Gail Patrick - expert at such roles from classics like \\\"My Man Godfrey\\\" and \\\"Stage Door\\\" - knows her fate in the movie but doesn't really show her talons until the courtroom scene. In scene-stealing bits are Granville Bates as the frustrated judge and Donald MacBride as the confused hotel clerk. The only drawbacks are the overly precocious children played hammily by Scotty Beckett and Mary Lou Harrington. Directed with comic mastery by Leo McCarey, it's a frothy confection from a bygone era, and the far inferior 1963 Doris Day remake only proves how unmatchable Grant and Dunne are. The DVD has a surprisingly pristine print transfer, and extras include an unrelated comic short featuring humorist Robert Bentley and a condensed 1950 broadcast of the movie featuring Grant and Dunne.\"", "id" : "\"18805_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33f3" }, "review" : "\"You really would think that no other film musical documentary could possibly top THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT. Come on--it's got personal appearances by a host of stars, and some of the most famous and best-loved clips ever. Including, you know, the singing in the rain bit from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. Could it get any better?Well, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II certainly tries its darned hardest to be better. Not a single clip is repeated from the first film in the trilogy, and watching this film really makes you realise just how much talent was all focused in the one studio from the 30s through to the 50s. Judy Garland admiring Fred Astaire's Easter bonnet in EASTER PARADE, Garland and Astaire sailing up the avenue as 'A Couple Of Swells' in the same film, Gene Kelly and Garland dueting on FOR ME AND MY GAL, Ann Miller and Bob Fosse in KISS ME KATE, a montage of musicals before colour, a Garland tribute, a Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn love-fest... this film unabashedly brings them all (and much much more) together. There are a couple of clunkers, of course, like Bobby Van hopping like a maniacal rabbit-freak through the town, or the token Esther Williams number. But as you listen to Garland sing 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas', or Frank Sinatra croon his way through 'I Fall In Love Too Easily', and see Gene tap dance on skates as naturally as if he had been born with them strapped on... again you're struck with just how special an era this was in film-making, one that unfortunately is lost to the rest of us except through video and DVD.And I know that this isn't the most popular of opinions, but I think THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II not only matches but far surpasses the original. There was nothing special about the first film--its only gimmick was the coup it had managed in bringing all these glorious film legends back together to talk about their work. The only caveat was that the incredible personalities behind the stars just couldn't shine through except with some pretty special people... otherwise, they were all reading off a pre-written script. Kind of dampening, really. THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II, on the other hand, is a small but successful exercise in creativity: from the title sequence through to Gene Kelly's direction of the new footage between himself and Astaire. It's also a delight for fans of both Astaire and Kelly when these two dancing men, you know... dance together again. Sure, they're not as nimble and quicksilver as they used to be, and some of the lyrics they're singing are--well, the only word for it is corny. But there's no denying that both these men have a kind of screen charisma that doesn't disappear with time, and having them both onscreen together, singing... now that really *is* entertainment as it should be. In the final scene they tell us that the best films have the audience leaving the film with a glow. How right they are.Quite simply, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II is sheer, perfect nostalgia bottled and kept simmering, just waiting for an audience. About the only flaw with it is that it simply couldn't be better than its source material... but that's also what's so good about this film. It makes you want to go out and rent all the others... and still watch it over again just to revel in Astaire and Kelly being onscreen together for the first time since 'The Babbitt and The Bromide' in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES almost three decades ago.What more could you ask for?\"", "id" : "\"19873_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33f4" }, "review" : "\"I saw this one when I was in high school. I had been warned ahead of time, but I liked classical music, including Grieg, and ignored the warnings. I remember several things about it that really sum the film up, in my opinion.1. The photography was stunning. Snow, fjords, and Norwegian towns and scenery were really pretty, as were the folk costumes. 2. Grieg's music was nice to listen to, though as in all films about composers, they only give samplings.Those are the good parts. The bad parts were what sank the boat. There wasn't much of a story. Greig's life wasn't as exciting as many other composers lives, and a lot was padded to keep the story going for 2 or 3 hours. I remember a lot of overacting as well. But the worst part of all was the directing. Forever emblazoned upon my memory is the hideously clichĂŠd scene where Grieg, his wife, and someone else spread their arms and run across a green field, stop on a hillock, and spin around to face the audience. Then they do the same thing again - and again! If that's not enough to make you give up, then nothing is.\"", "id" : "\"24929_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33f5" }, "review" : "\"Before I saw this film I read an interview with Donnie Yen where he said that he puts his blood and passion into everyshot. I think he was indeed very passionate about this film. While I don't think it is perfect it is a great stylished modern gun-fu action film. Hardcore action fans maybe bummed about the pace. I think it is just right.The improvement from Donnie's first two films is right on the screen. I do think his other films are good, don't get me wrong. Having recently seen princess blade on the big screen I think what I like about Donnie yen's fight scenes is they are very much a part of the film. The fights come from a balenced sense of cinema and Kung Fu.Miramax needs to give Donnie the budget and put him behind the camera on a high brow Iron monkey 2. Watching blasstic kiss should give them faith.\"", "id" : "\"16047_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33f6" }, "review" : "\"This surprisingly primitive 'streamliner' comedy from the Roach Studios -- with the collapse of the comedy short subject market in the mid-thirties, Hal Roach decided to go into feature production, first with films like the TOPPER series and later with second features that timed in at less than an hour -- contains all the standard cheap comedy motifs, including a Murphy Bed -- and runs through them in a rather mechanical fashion as made-it-from-scratch taxi fleet owners William Bendix and Joe Sawyer get tangled up with a girl who tries to kill herself and declares herself their responsibility. The dialogue direction limps and although there are some good gags in the opening scenes, including a music-hating music critic and Jack Norton playing his usual fine comic drunk, there isn't that much in the way of laughs to recommend this piece.\"", "id" : "\"38418_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33f7" }, "review" : "\"This rather dark film noir with its uneasy comics (Roscoe Ates, Nana Bryant, and Billy House who even repeats his checkers trick from The Stranger) and desperate heroine (Mary Beth Hughes), is further strengthened by the forceful performance of Charles Russell who manages to make his rather ambivalent drifter somewhat sympathetic. Admittedly, he is helped in this goal by the obnoxious loudmouth and light-on-brains Mike, who, whether by accident or design, is made even more repulsive than the screenplay requires by the over-enthusiastic acting of Dale Belding. Fortunately, when the script gives her a chance, Mary Beth Hughes comes to the rescue with her animated portrait of the girl who wants to escape her small town \\\"prison\\\".In keeping with the nocturnal atmosphere of the radio series, most of the action takes place at night. However, although the picture is big on atmosphere, despite its obviously limited budget, it is somewhat deficient in characterization and motivation. The screenplay overstates the one-dimensional comic interludes, but dwells little on the forces that drive the main characters. Why does Russell murder the girl? Is it an accident? Self-defense? The script hints at these factors. But why hint? And what is the background to this meeting? So many questions remain unanswered.\"", "id" : "\"1216_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33f8" }, "review" : "\"this movie isn't that great...at all but it's good when you want to just laugh, because it's pretty ridiculous :) there are a lot of mistakes in it and it's cheesy. i got this movie for Christmas like 5 years ago but for some reason i've never given it away. i guess i just like it for a rainy day even though i only watch it like once a year. This is a very 90's movie so it's really funny to see how everyone dresses and acts. this movie is good for someone young...although come to think of it, i didn't even like it much when i was like 12 but that's just my personal opinion. the movie was really predictable. i wish it had had some extra weird twists but i guess it was trying to be an appropriate movie for everyone to enjoy. i think it was appropriate for the whole family but Hallie's dress was a bit unmodest but certainly appropriate enough for family material.\"", "id" : "\"47584_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33f9" }, "review" : "\"Well it's Friday the 13th and by the remake is so retarded.Jason is Back!!But...... HE'S RETARDED!I'm So sorry all of you Jason fans but this just disappoints my butt.The only thing that Friday The 13th Part 12 Deserved in Media is a video game.Yes..a video game.Now Friday The 13th is classical 80's series in a creepy sorted of way.Now Other Series in the 80's Like Batman,Halloween,and Nightmare on Elm Stereet are 80's that don't lie.I kind of enjoyed the new Halloween Derectied by Rob Zombie but this is BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD! Hahaahahahahahah! Next Review: Superman Returns (2006)Sigend:The Angry Video game Nerd.\"", "id" : "\"36364_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33fa" }, "review" : "\"I'm not sure how to describe this bizarre, but beautiful movie.First, it's long. Just one minute under three hours. And it's not exactly fast-paced either. If sci-fi for you means action, spaceships and interplanetary intrigue, give this one a miss. In fact, although the cover describes it as \\\"The cult BBC Science Fiction film\\\", I'd hesitate to call it science fiction; indeed, I'd hesitate to label it anything at all.And it's definitely flawed. The dialogue is riddled with melodrama and pretentious poetry; the camera-work sophomoric, and the editing clumsy. And yet the effect shines through: the movie has an eerie, otherworldly quality, where trivial details (such as an old lady glaring at a noisy conversation in a library) seem to take on ominous significance.And so, if you have the patience, you'll get sucked in to this movie. It's mysterious, and beautiful. But don't expect to come out satisfied. Although there is a plot, it is far from clear. The story moves from one surreal incident to another, each connected but seldom shedding any light on its predecessor; even at the end, when it appears that our protagonists have triumphed, it's far from clear what exactly they've triumphed over, and most loose ends are left firmly untied.Hywel Bennett does a fine job as as the somewhat petulant author caught up in a situation that might have been co-written by Kafka and Philip K Dick. Dinah Stabb perhaps succumbs a little to her melodramatic script; Dan O'Herlihy brings an artistic gravitas to his role. A cameo from a very young Daniel Day-Lewis, and a supporting role by Sting, add a bit of celebrity interest.Overall, Artemis '81 reminded me more than anything of Twin Peaks (which was made nearly a decade later, and, curiously, also featured Dan O'Herlihy) - the same sense of explanation hidden just around the corner, and another reality just half-glimpsed and poorly understood. I don't think everyone will enjoy this movie, but I certainly did.\"", "id" : "\"27165_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33fb" }, "review" : "\"Director-star Orson Welles also adapted Isak Dinesen's rather pointless book about an aged millionaire recluse living in China who tells his employee of an incredible story he heard while in the service regarding a rich, dying man, his terrible wife and a sailor-stud. The employee explains that this tale is just a legend, but the millionaire aims to make it fact. The sexual implications in the narrative aren't ignored by Welles, though they are tip-toed around (probably due to the restrictions of 1968), and when Welles as the \\\"old gentleman\\\" finds himself the perfect boy to complete his plan, it's hard not to smirk when he calls the bottle-blonde \\\"a fine looking sailor\\\" and then offers him money. Who needs Jeanne Moreau when these two are hitting it off so well? ** from ****\"", "id" : "\"30121_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33fc" }, "review" : "\"This is probably Jean-Claude van Damme at his sexiest. The best thing is that he's a prisoner, and there's no suggestion that he was wrongfully imprisoned. He starts off as a bad boy, but of course his tough exterior melts away to reveal his inner sentimentality when he meets a widow and her two children, one of which is played by one of those hideous Culkins.\"", "id" : "\"27344_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33fd" }, "review" : "\"This is the first movie which is Rayesque to the core.One of his most obvious permanent feature really appears for the first time: the search for a father.The relationship Bogart/Derek is intense (after the death of the biological one)and predates those of \\\"Run for cover\\\" (John Derek again playing opposite Cagney) and \\\"Rebel without a cause \\\" (Remember Plato to Jim and Judy: \\\"I wish you could be my parents\\\" )But I could also mention the Mitchum/Kennedy relationship in \\\" lusty men\\\" or even Heston and the Chinese girl in \\\"55 days at Peking\\\" .Or James Mason and his (biological this time) in \\\"bigger than life\\\".Emma's character predates The Rayesque young girl ,the one you meet again in \\\"they live by night\\\" (note how Allene Roberts resembles Cathy O'Donnell).Allene Roberts' beaming face and her hope against hope are the only ray of light in a dark tragical story.Like Fritz Lang,Nicholas Ray put the blame on the society.Nick was born under a bad sign ,like many of the director's heroes.John Derek gives an intense performance climaxing in the scene in the court when his wife's suicide is revealed.Bogart shines as his lawyer (he's more convincing in this kind of part than he was in \\\"marked woman\\\").Excellent screenplay with a superb editing ;many contemporary movies (such as the brilliant \\\"Usual suspects\\\" ) might have been influenced by the first scenes.Note that the story begins during the cast and credits ,which shows that Ray ,when he was on top of his game,did not know filler.\"", "id" : "\"22955_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33fe" }, "review" : "\"This was a poor movie with Jack Nicholson, he is one on my favorite actors, Jack accepting to do a movie like this is a real dissapointment. Why did he do it? A sharper script would have helped a lot , the story line was very weak.\"", "id" : "\"20886_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f33ff" }, "review" : "\"This movie is good, but disappointingly is nowhere near as good as the first airbud. The storyline is predictable and cheesey and you don't even see much of Josh Framm's legs! The hot teenage Kevin Zegers is the best thing in this movie.Michael (aged 17)\"", "id" : "\"30763_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3400" }, "review" : "\"Red Corner was not only a good movie, it kept me emotionally engaged for the entire film. I expected Richard Gere to do a good job, he always does, but, Bai Ling stole the movie with a touching performance. Red Corner is very well directed, too, but from Jon Avnet, who would expect anything else?\"", "id" : "\"26458_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3401" }, "review" : "\"Producer Jonathan Shields is in big trouble on a production and reaches out to three people he's befriended and betrayed in the past for help. All three are brought to Harry Pebbel's office where he makes a pitch for the help of each one. And we're told in flashback the dynamics of the relationships between Shields and each one.One thing about Tinseltown, they've never been afraid to show the seamier side of movie-making. Kirk Douglas's Jonathan Shields is a not too thinly disguised version of David O. Selznick. The same drive, the same ambition, the same overwhelming ego that Selznick was legendary for is a part that was tailor made for Kirk Douglas.The three betrayed people, director Fred Amiel(Barry Sullivan), star Georgia Lorrison(Lana Turner), and screenwriter James Lee Barlow(Dick Powell)all ring very true. One of the things I like about this film is that all three stories, each in itself, could be expanded into a film all it's own. Lana Turner's role as the ersatz Diana Barrymore is not to hard to spot either. It's so much better here than the film based on her own book Too Much Too Soon. If that voice of Turner's actor father on those 78 rpms she's playing sounds familiar, it's that of Louis Calhern. Turner's was a life lived out all too well in the tabloids and she brings all of it to bear in playing Gerogia Lorrison.Dick Powell, who was offered the lead as Jonathan Shields, opted to play tweedy professor turned screenwriter James Lee Barlow. This was Powell's next to last feature picture as an actor, it should have been the one he went out on. Powell was always ahead of the industry's cutting edge and he decided to concentrate more on directing and acting for the small screen.Powell's segment includes Gloria Grahame as his flirty wife. Post World War II Hollywood, whenever it had a part for a tramp, first call Gloria Grahame. Here she responds with an Academy Award winning performance. She hasn't many scenes, but as was said in another MGM picture around that time, what there is is cherce.I don't think there's ever been an actor who can go from zero to sixty on the emotional scale as quickly as Kirk Douglas. Check the scene when Lana Turner discovers how Douglas betrayed her. The intensity of his reaction alone is frightening and real. Douglas was also up for an Oscar, but it went that year to laconic Gary Cooper in High Noon.Vincente Minelli put all the pieces together just right and it comes out great entertainment.\"", "id" : "\"6165_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3402" }, "review" : "\"I made the mistake of renting this on pay-per-view while I was alone one night. THE FEEDING might have been bearable with a crowd to make fun of it with, but flying solo, it was just excruciating. In addition to being dreadfully acted, the characters (and the script) is simply imbecilic. I was especially irritated because the dumbest, most volatile fool of the bunch...the one who's stupid actions get I lost track of just how many people killed....survives in the end. There are maybe one or two decent gore effects, but overall, they're as bad as everything else. Oh, and the monster suit wouldn't scare a kitten. But the nude scenes might! YIKES.\"", "id" : "\"20589_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3403" }, "review" : "\"WARNING:Spoiler content! This movie is excellent, right from the start, it is clever, quirky, slick, and really really funny. Also, to the trained eye, it is packed full of so much symbolism that there is almost no scene where one cannot be found. The characters are clever and represented wonderfully by the people who play them, especially Rabbit, you have to love that guy, even if you find him a constant irritation, the film would definitely not be complete without him. The storyline is nice, well thought out, and spreads the action out nicely over the length of the film. Providing us (the audience) with a good dose of revenge, humour, irritation, entertainment, maybe even a little fear for the weak hearted and squeamish watchers, and finally and a little unexpectedly, the iron man (La Rocha)having a sentimental moment at the end with his father.The only thing that stopped this movie getting ten out of ten for me was the female lead, she is a great actress and fit into the part really well, i just find that her voice offends my hearing to such a degree that i can hardly bear to listen, it really grates against the ears. Other than that, this is an amazing film, i would recommend it to anyone looking for something that is not particularly scary but nonetheless highly entertaining.\"", "id" : "\"25331_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3404" }, "review" : "\"Decades ago, a crate filled with weapons grade plutonium crashes on an island and soaks into the ground. Today, a team of military men are sent to track down a notorious terrorist (of ambiguous national origin) and they track him to this polluted island. When their raft is destroyed, the team must spend the night on shore, but soon discover that the plutonium has done something awful to the island -- it has called forth hundreds of bloodthirsty velociraptors.Let me start this with a lesson: don't lend a movie to your friend before you've seen it, especially if you are supposed to be reviewing it for the internet's finest horror movie site. It took me almost a year to get this film back, and the person who borrowed it still had not watched it (though we ended up seeing it together). And a second, more important, lesson: when you do watch this, keep your expectations as low as humanly possible. Because this film ranks among the worst I've ever seen.My acting in 8th grade was more convincing than the seasoned actors who appear in this film (Lorenzo Lamas, Stephen Bauer). Line delivery is very fake, and the words themselves are poorly scripted. The opening words come from a man checking out his gun's scope: \\\"Boom. Dead bad guys.\\\" Yes, that's pure genius at work. The only conversation with any depth has two main characters explaining their histories. But it, too, seems unnatural and a poor attempt to provide character background and to fill time. We didn't need to know anything about their histories, so why bore us with it? And if you think the conversations are bad, you ain't seen nothing yet.The lighting is atrocious. I generally don't notice lighting, but my friend (a former film school student) was practically vomiting in rage at the way more often than not shadows fell on the actors' faces and the light would be in the background, focused on nothing in particular. Most lighting looks like a spotlight in a dim room, and many of the scenes involve a deep, subterranean cavern -- which you'd then expect to be poorly lit, but had lights coming from all sorts of random angles. Don't ask me why.The plot was pretty bad. Some films can take the idea of military men chasing a terrorist and make a convincing film out of it. Cat and mouse stories are riveting. Well, not here. The terrorist is really not even part of the story, just an excuse to go to the island. And the raptors? And the allosaurus? Sure, they came from the plutonium that soaked into the ground. But if that makes sense to you, please explain it to me because I have no clue how radiation brings dinosaurs back from millions of years of extinction.By far the worst part of \\\"Raptor Island\\\" is the animation of the raptors. That's right -- the selling point of the film is the worst aspect. The animation isn't just bad, it's subpar. I can't even express the hilarity of cartoons this cheesy. And when they get shot? Red splats like one would see in an old video game. Even the airplane, helicopter and Navy ship are cartoons... how hard is it to get a model plane? Please don't see \\\"Raptor Island\\\" unless you need a good laugh or want to get sickeningly drunk. Sure, you probably want to see it before you see \\\"Raptor Island 2\\\" (which seems to be getting better reviews). But just avoiding it entirely is your best bet. The closest thing I can compare it to is \\\"Pinata: Survival Island\\\", and unfortunately this film makes the pinata look good by comparison. You have been warned.\"", "id" : "\"37167_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3405" }, "review" : "\"Hitchcock comparisons abound with Chabrol. However, you may be hard pressed to see anything other than a superficial similarity between them here.Although nicely acted and crafted, 'Le Boucher' has a curious sense of disengagement that will either fascinate or frustrate viewers. While not necessarily a bad thing in itself, this can also give the impression of a lack of depth. It's hard to fully discern what the character motivations are so, depending on your proclivity, you are likely to become either enthralled or disinterested in what they might actually be.Viewers familiar with Francois Truffaut will notice some similarities in approach but Chabrol lacks the concise poetry of that other French great. Even though the opening wedding sequence nicely sets up a scene of normality for the events that follow, it's rather overlong and a more Hitchcockian terseness would certainly have helped. Still, the film does have a strange charm and there are some excellent character ideas regarding the schoolteacher (content with her celibacy long after a bad relationship) being seduced? threatened? by the promise of new love from the local butcher - who may or may not be a murderer. These threads are either unexplored or deliberately withheld, depending on your point of view.A worthwhile watch for those interested but, possibly, not quite the masterpiece some might lead you to believe it is.\"", "id" : "\"23859_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3406" }, "review" : "\"The rise and fall of comic Lenny Bruce (Dustin Hoffman). Bruce was one of the first comedians to use swearing in his act and was actually taken to court over it. The movie also chronicles his marriage to stripper Honey Harlow (Valerie Perrine).Bob Fosse was a strange choice to direct this--he had only done two musicals before (\\\"Sweet Charity\\\" and \\\"Cabarat\\\"), but \\\"Cabaret\\\" was such a huge hit I guess he could pick and choose what he wanted. He shoots it in black and white and uses a documentary style approach by interviewing Bruces wife, mother and agent and then flashing to those scenes. It does work but the film is extremely depressing. The black and white is very stark and gives the film a cold look and feeling. Also, I found nothing funny in Hoffman doing Bruce's routines. It's not that he's bad (he's actually very good), but the tone of the film is not humorous.As I said, Hoffman is good but Perrine is spectacular. She gives a very strong, nuanced performance. Also, she does an extremely erotic strip tease at the beginning of the film and holds her own in a (mild) lesbian scene.It's worth catching but you'll probably be depressed by the end. If this film weren't such a downer it would probably be better known.\"", "id" : "\"2870_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3407" }, "review" : "\"\\\"In His Life: The John Lennon Story\\\" was a great movie, but it could have been a little bit better. I was really impressed with how accurate it was. I thought it was a good drama of the beginning of the Beatles.However, the movie was supposed to be a John Lennon Story, not the story of the Beatles. All this movie was was a quick story of how Paul met John, how John grew up, la dee dah. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was absolutely wonderful that they actually showed all these important events in John's life, but they didn't outline any of his later years. I suppose the directors of this movie wanted to do something a little bit different then the 80s \\\"John and Yoko: A Love Story.\\\"Besides that minor detail, I LOVED this movie. I thought it was well acted out, a treat to all audiences. It was on the nose accurate! And the actors who performed in it were absolutely wonderful. It almost made me feel like I was watching the REAL Beatles.\"", "id" : "\"8114_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3408" }, "review" : "\"Neon Maniacs,great movie by far one of my top 5 greatest films.The movie is so great because of the great original plot and characters...have u ever seen a movie when maniacs are killed by...water?No then check this out.I love alot of movies this definetly is one of them and its also hard to get so if u ever find it get it because even if u didnt like it its one of those movies when u cant not see it and u have to judge yourself!\"", "id" : "\"18031_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3409" }, "review" : "\"Reasons Jason Goes to Hell is the worst in a pretty good series of slasher films:1) Jason is not scary when he's on \\\"American Casefiles\\\" (I think that's what the \\\"America's Most Wanted\\\"-like TV show was called. The whole reason he was scary was because he was this backwoods, crazy type of character that was based soley in legend and newspaper writings. Putting him on TV sucks. So does having the FBI go after him.2) He looks stupid in this one. That skin bubbling over the hockey mask is just dumb.3) They try to put too much plot in it. Come on, it's a Friday the 13th movie (isn't it?)! Forget this body-hopping and \\\"Hellbaby\\\" garbage and get the hell back in the woods, Jason!\"", "id" : "\"25182_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f340a" }, "review" : "\"I thought I had written a review of this travesty of a movie.There was absolutely nothing worthwhile in it . I agree with the last reviewer its too much nose candy.They use a hand held camera to the extreme, I have seen better hand held camera work on \\\"youtube.\\\"The acting is second rate by a well known cast.I will not insult them by naming them, same for the director & writer.This was filmed on the beautiful Cayman Islands,It should have been done on the Santa Monica beach, that is how much it looked like the Caymans.Rating * (out of 4) 25 points (out of 100) IMDb 1 (out of 10)\"", "id" : "\"37881_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f340b" }, "review" : "\"Steven Seagal returns in Black Dawn.Cool title.I cannot say the same for the movie though.It ranks as the Worst Seagal movie yet.Yes.It is worse than Out for a Kill.Did we really need a sequel to the Forigner that bad?Steven returns as Jonathon Cold.Assassin for hire.This time he is out to stop a group of Terrorists and prevent Nuclier Bomb from hitting Los Angelas with the help of CIA agent Tamara Davies.This idea seems okay.The Jonathon Cold character once again gives the big guy a chance to tarnish his clean-cut cinematic Image.You get the feeling with a decent director and production team this movie could have went somewhere.If this cost 15 million I wanna know where it was spent?It was not spent on the movie?!! The action scenes are not bad.The movie was obviously shot like a Doug Liman flick.Its just that most of the Time Seagal is doubled so much you cannot take the movie seriously whatsoever.The script seems...what script?!Logic is Black Dawned for a dozen low-budget action movies.Seagal is not too bad here for a whole 15 minutes he is engaging then goes about the sleepwalking that he has done for his last 2 movies.Whoever is doing his fighting is doing a commendable job.The light that shines through is Tamara Davies as Cold's sidekick.She has the chops,skills,looks and drive that give Black Dawn a little kick in the action department.How she got in this movie is a riddle.She should be a bigger star.Nicholas Davidoff and John Pyper Feruson are not believable bad guys.Whose idea was it to make a sequel to a bad movie in the first place? It did not set the world on fire to my memory.I can only hope they inject the next Forigner sequel with some class,imagination,Less stunt doubles and a livelier Seagal.If not then leave Jonathon Cold on Ice.\"", "id" : "\"35476_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f340c" }, "review" : "\"In what is said to be his landmark film, Buster Keaton plays Johnnie Gray, a train engineer in Tennessee in 1861. When war breaks out, he decides to enlist but is turned down because he is more valuable as an engineer. His girlfriend's father and brother believe him to be too afraid to enlist, and his girlfriend refuses to speak to him until he is in uniform. A year later, Gray is engineering his train, the General, which is then stolen by Northern spies and used to halt supplies to the South. Gray pursues the train by handcar, bicycle, and engine car, then after rescuing his girlfriend, who was on the train, the tables are reversed as the spies chase him Gray, on the General. Pretty innovative comedy, with great stuntwork by Keaton ( including knocking away the railroad tie with another ), and a good feeling all around. Keaton turns in an absolutely great performance with a great showing of slapstick, sympathy, and and romance. Rating 10.\"", "id" : "\"16372_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f340d" }, "review" : "\"Robert Harling took the liberties of directing this very good but sometimes misunderstood follow-up to the 1983 classic.Shirley Maclaine reprises her role as Aurora and in my view is just as good and sometimes better in this performance then she was in the first movie. Juliette Lewis takes the role of Melanie and in my opinion, I thought she played the best character next to Aurora because we have to remember that Melanie is the only child that has never really known her mother so you can automatically feel the pain of the character. George Newborn plays Tommy, and the character of Tommy is in prison, for what, we don't really know. Mackenzie Astin plays Teddy and is really the only child that is slightly happy and normal of the three.This is 13 years after the first and the storyline is pretty much that amount of time later, maybe a little more because Melanie is pretty much grown up as well. It goes through what each of Emma's kids have been through in those years and where they ended up. Aurora's stress level with these kids is a record high, she has one in jail, one is pretty much a teenager who hates her guts and one is doing slightly well for himself but that doesn't help with the other two (lol).I also loved the story with Aurora and Rosie. I thought that was beautiful because even though Rosie was the maid, her and Aurora were like family and when Aurora was carrying Rosie in the rain to take her home for the final moments of her life, that was truly beautiful.The story lines with Jerry (Bill Paxton) and Patsy (Miranda Richardson) is just purely for entertainment and laughter, i especially like the airplane fight, people are mixed reviewed on that fight but i laughed so hard.But the emotion of the film, like Aurora making the photo albums, her spreading Rosie's ashes on the beach (my favorite), Jack Nicholson also makes a nice appearance, and finally Aurora's death. All of these elements make for a great movie and succeed.People who write bad reviews or even mixed reviews, probably don't understand the story good enough. This sequel was really not meant to be an exact copy of what the original was 13 years before this, which is why i think people looked at it differently. This is also why it went under a different name, because it was the same characters but a completely different plot and story.Overall, a movie that should be given more credit because it is just as good as the original.\"", "id" : "\"19994_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f340e" }, "review" : "\"Well, by camera work I really mean all visual effects as well as the cinematography, set design... it's a visual treat. The effects used to dramatize Bob McConnell's sense of isolation and loneliness were intriguing.Also great acting by Mr. Slater, as usual. I like this guy's work.It's nice to see William Macy in a different type of role than I usually see him in, but anyone could have done that turn -- not much there for him to do, but he ably supports, which is a fine thing, since that's what his role here should be...In some ways, it reminded me of Fight Club.Saw this on an airplane today, and now I'm kicking back and looking it up. I quite enjoyed it.\"", "id" : "\"30357_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f340f" }, "review" : "\"It's hard to put into words just how bad the acting is in this movie. I won't even get into the ridiculous psuedo plot because I can't get past the acting. I've seen more talent in a play put on by kindergarteners and cats. Watch this film if you've been really bad and your priest is not available for confession. This is good for about a thousand Hail Marys.\"", "id" : "\"27308_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3410" }, "review" : "\"I completely understand the plot it goes like this :- Girl without memory has face changed for some reason - The police changed her memory - She changed her face because she did a drug rip-deal - Here brother likes to kill people who look like her - Actually she is a Turkish terrorist - Jean reno is involved in something - The turks kill another group of turks in a bath filled with mintThen it gets better :- The girl is a ninja - The drugs are in an enormous cave filled with death people - The case collapses and Reno is death - No he is not deathNever mind all that the end is amazing :- Reno, the cop, the girl, the brother all end up in Turkey - At the same time of course, the whole France police force is also there - The girl kills here father - The cop, reno and the police kill everyone else in the village - The serial killer brother tries to serial kill the girlThe best thing about this movie however is the final end :- Switch of DVD player, throw disk in bin, and sue the french for wasting your time.Movie seem to be made by a bunch of spaced out french with a high budget. Awful just awful, worst waste of time and money ever (well, there's french cars which are a step below that...)\"", "id" : "\"19064_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3411" }, "review" : "\"Charlie Mackenzie (Myers) is a San Francisco coffee house poet whose poems are about all of his failed relationships with women and he's scared of commitment. Things change when Charlie meets Harriet Michaels (Travis) a local butcher who isn't just beautiful but has a heart of gold, their relationship is going great until he suspects Harriet of being Mrs. X a woman who kills her husbands on their wedding night. His friend Tony (Lapaglia) thinks he's just being paranoid but the story reaches a climax when the real murderer is revealed and tries to kill Charlie. The cast includes Brenda Fricker, Amanda Plummer, Alan Arkin and a cameo appearance by Charles Grodin. So I Married An Axe Murderer is one of the funniest yet scary romantic comedies of 1993. Mike Myers also plays the role of Stuart Mackenzie Charlie's father. 8/10 Stars\"", "id" : "\"24995_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3412" }, "review" : "\"Sometimes you come across movies that are so bad and so full of overacting and mistakes, they actually become hilarity. This is one of them: I can live with the 'based on' bit but I never knew it was the Irish who were fed to a bull-like monster (that failed to scare even my 5-year old son) by some drug crazed Nubians. I had Greek mythologies back at school and although I do'not remember much of it, THIS was'not part of the Minotaur story. None the less, never laughed so hard since Bridget Jones. Any good comment you think? Sure: I liked the decors, the costumes and basically the entire movie. It just parts ways with the original story and goes more the aliens/Predator/Tremors/etc tour. Thanks any-way\"", "id" : "\"33244_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3413" }, "review" : "\"This episode is the best I've seen of this show!It's so creepy...I love it! When I watched it I was terrified and shaking all over! I was like \\\"Feel his pulse, feel his pulse! Can't you see he's alive?!\\\" And when they brought him to the morgue I was like \\\"Oh my God, they're gonna bury him alive!\\\" It was almost out of my worst nightmare! I was so relieved when he started crying and the people noticed! My brother thought the episode was utterly boring! How could it be boring! My hart still starts thumping when I think about the episode. Hichcock was so good! I haven't seen any of his movies yet except half of Rear Window in school, but I'll watch The Birds this weekend. I'm sure it's great!\"", "id" : "\"4102_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3414" }, "review" : "\"Beauty and the Beast tells the story of Belle, an unusual but beautiful girl, who goes in search of her inventor father and comes across a mysterious castle. She enters the castle in search of her father, to discover it is occupied by a beast. She becomes his prisoner. The beast is loveless and thankless, but she soon begins to fall in love with him, and he with her. The film's end is happy, satisfying, and inspiring, showing what the power of love can do.Beauty and the Beast is a charming story of love and magic. It features lovely music. Songs like \\\"Beauty and the Beast\\\", \\\"Be Our Guest\\\", and \\\"Belle\\\" are catchy and fun to listen to. It features first-class characters: the quirky Belle; Gaston, the hateful attractive villain; the Beast, a character one can't help but feels sorry for; the enchanted objects - Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, and Lumiere, characters that bring a lighthearted quality to the movie. Beauty and the Beast also features excellent executed animation. It isn't hard to tell all the talent, the sweat, and the heart that was put in this film. The ballroom sequence, and the sequence that shows when the beast becomes human are among the most outstanding animated sequences in recent cinema.Beauty and the Beast is great in another aspect: it's ageless. Although it appears to be a children-oriented film, it doesn't take much for an adult to find it extraordinarily appealing. It's a fabulous film for the whole family to watch and enjoy.When I first saw Beauty and the Beast, I fell in love with it. It's a beautiful tale, an engaging musical, and wonderful fable of romance. One of the greatest examples of traditional animation in recent years, it will go down in history with other beautiful Disney masterpieces, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, and Cinderella.\"", "id" : "\"9138_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3415" }, "review" : "\"I thought this was one of the better films I saw last year, and I see a lot of films. It wasn't nominated for two Spirit Awards for nothing. If you've never seen an artistic film, I can understand why you might not like it. It's a smart film for smart people.\"", "id" : "\"22593_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3416" }, "review" : "\"...with the film and the actors at first sight! I have seen it three times so far and will again. I had read the book many times before and was really amused at the faithfulness of the performances, especially those of Mr Collins, Mr Darcy, Miss Bennet and Mrs Bennet. I laughed and was sad and angry...together with the heroes. I really enjoyed the part where Mr Collins came to choose his future wife and the scene where Mr Darcy meets Lizzie coming on foot through all the mud to inquire about her ill sister Jane. In fact, there is no scene that I would not like! I only missed two scenes from the end of the book. One was the walks and talks of Lizzie and Mr Darcy after their engagement and second, the reaction of Mrs Bennet after Elizabeth told her about it.The settings are beautiful. After seeing the English countryside in this film, I found myself with a strong desire to visit Britain again. One thing I really admired was Colin Firth´s art to use his eyes to express Mr Darcy´s feelings, and facial expressions of Jennifer Ehle. I must say they did an excellent job in this film! Thanks.\"", "id" : "\"18458_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3417" }, "review" : "\"After reading about this notorious film i finally managed to get my hands on it.In some ways it lived up to my expectations but in several ways it did not.The female acting was good, male acting was bad, the sound was bad but the music was superb and spooky.Although still quite disturbing and gripping the violence displayed was quite poor and very overrated, and without giving anything away the supposed real footage at the end, wasn't worth waiting for (one reviewer even suggested that the footage was fake, surprise, surprise!!!)I'm glad I've seen it, just to say so but its not by far one of the most disturbing films I've seen..............unfortunately.........if it did not have the end footage to sell the film i would say stay well clear nothing new, but the fact that the film makers added this, give it a go. Fans of gore sites on the net will watch this film and think...and?????????????\"", "id" : "\"36168_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3418" }, "review" : "\"Even copying other two great successful movies (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and Meet the parents)this one is really pathetic. All gags are old. Every situation is predictable. Characters are banal. An easy way to try to create a nice (which nice is totally not in this case) humor about the natural racial preventions which every race still fill in front of other races (unfortunately). This movie sometimes makes you laugh, most of the time is stupid and pathetic. Technically this movie is very cheap (many directors of comedy genre does not take care of a good cinematography etc). Watch the DVD in your living room with your most ignorant friends and save some dollar. To go to the theater and watch this garbage is time wasted. 3/10.\"", "id" : "\"29645_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3419" }, "review" : "\"I walked out of the film, i paid 9 dollars to watch one of the years worst comedies. The acting was horrid in the film. Akshay Kumars excessive crotch banging and Sunil Shetty's horrible portrayal of Tucker from something about Mary would make anyone wan to walk out. This is definitely the worst American remake ever. The songs weren't even original one was the beat of Kevin Littles hug me hug me and the other of jazzy b's dil lutiya. The best song would be the remix of Chakle Chakle, thats it and it might be stolen too. I walked into the theater thinking this should be good because its the Hera Pheri cast, but two hours into it i stopped hoping for something funny and original to come out. I say watch the film on DVD, you might even think you've wasted your money there.\"", "id" : "\"37313_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f341a" }, "review" : "\"This movie really touched me. I can even say that it is the best movie I have ever seen. On the beginning you have a man with great enthusiasm, then he gets more serious because of his job and his middle ages, an then later... There are many unforgettable scenes. There is history, love, romance, adventure, psychology, drama, fun and everything. The scenario and the acting is perfect, especially Giulia (Sonia Bergamasco) and Nicola (Luigi Lo Cascio). I was sad when the movie ended, I could watch 6 more hours. Maybe this is a personal effect because of the wonderful scenario. Anyway you can witness a complete life story from the beginning till the end. The director was very careful and attentive, I haven't seen anything wrong. Thanks to everybody worked on that movie.\"", "id" : "\"18617_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f341b" }, "review" : "\"At the onset, I should point out that I am NOT a fan of the films of Cecil B. DeMille. I have always found that although his films are impressive visually, the dialog and acting is purely secondary at best. However, the acting here is a little better than usual for DeMille--Raymond Massey, John Wayne and Ray Milland are all fine. The only acting that really seemed poor was that of Paulette Goddard, but this isn't surprising because histrionic and over-the-top performances of leading ladies is a DeMille trademark (see Anne Baxter's performance in The Ten Commandments if you don't believe me).Generally, this movie had a well-written plot and it was both unusual and compelling. So because of a decent plot and better than expected acting, this is already a pretty good DeMille film.However, when it comes to the action, some things leave a bit to be desired. While to today's audiences the ship scenes will no doubt look pretty fake, for 1942 they were pretty good AND you could not see the sides of the pool in the underwater shots (something all too common in underwater scenes of the day). So, my BIG argument about the movie visually is the terrible action scene at the end involving the most fake-looking giant squid ever seen on film. I can't imagine, even in 1942, that people would have seen and believed this segment at all. In fact, I would think they probably would have laughed themselves silly! So, the overall product is a mixed bag. It is definitely entertaining, reasonably well-acted (apart from some histrionics here and there) and has fair special effect. It certainly is far from great, but is worth your time.\"", "id" : "\"1548_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f341c" }, "review" : "\"If you carry all of your sensibilities into the theatre with you will surely have them all crushed. This movie was made to make fun of itself, its viewers, and most others in between. They spare no one- and it's beautiful.The story would stand alone (in the world of South Park). The cracks, the singing numbers (M'kay), and the eyebrow raising humor just add to the enjoyment of the film.Since most of the jokes did not have the traditional set-up/punchline format, I embarrassingly found myself being the only one in the theatre laughing through much of the movie.Best of all, the movie really does present a relatively accurate microcosm of American ignorance and intolerance as well as the -soon to be- trademark humor of *the next generation*. The messages of the irony of American Freedom of Speech is also a focus of the movie (if you could claim it to have focus). Overall, it was a funny, abrasive comedy that will keep you laughing again and again.This will be the movie I'll show my children when they get old enough to ask, \\\"What was your childhood like daddy?\\\" -If they can handle it (but I think we all know that, by then, they will be desensitized well past the extremes of this movie).\"", "id" : "\"28168_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f341d" }, "review" : "\"As a son who grew up in a family of communists, I found this movie very insightful: the twists and turns of what fervent idealists took to be worker's paradise through the 50s, 60s, 70s and then to the end of the dream in the late 80s/early 90s was very well portrayed, especially with Judy Davis' stalwart commitment, which was portrayed quite sympathetically; the dark side of her family relationships was also poignantly sketched, as were her son's struggles with history: both global and personal; all in all, a superb blend of the comic and the dramatic: a genre it's very easy to screw up and is rarely, if ever, handled as deftly as it was here.\"", "id" : "\"19669_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f341e" }, "review" : "\"In a time when made for television films from HBO in particular and Showtime et al seem to be taking more chances with riskier topics than those flooding the theater screens, along comes CARRY ME HOME with a thud that hearkens back to the whiny tearjerkers of twenty years ago. While the premise of the story appears to be warm coming of age of a young girl with only a single mother to guide her growth, the film fragments with so many subplots that are quickly and incautiously pasted together in the end, resolving everything in a shallow overly sentimental and unsatisfying mess.Marlboro, NY 1947, a time when the country is recovering from WW II, which includes the families of GIs killed in the war and the economy in ruins. Harriet (Penelope Ann Miller) keeps together her household of two children - Carrie (Ashley Rose Orr) and Brian (Harrison Chad) - by being a seamstress to the likes of Mrs. Gortimer (Jane Alexander), a town gossip and matchmaker who is advising Harriet to pay attention to the return of Bernard (David Alan Rasche) as a potential 'marrying kind'. Harriet spends her days working and remembering her GI husband killed in the war. Daughter Carrie is approaching puberty and yet refuses to behave like a girl, wearing her father's dogtags and jeans, running instead with a group of boys including her younger brother and two other lads. The 'gang' has a secret clubhouse, make mischief, taunt the mentally challenged neighbor Charlie (Kevin Anderson), unfortunate son of Grizzle (Leo Burmester) who abuses his unwanted son by forcing him to live in a barn. Charlie's only friends are the puppies he treasures. The destructive pranks played on pathetic Charlie include stealing one of his pups, destroying the food garden of Grizzle, pouring sugar in the gas tank of Grizzle's John Deere tractor, etc. In other words this little group of kids is cruel and their shenanigans are mean-spirited.Harriet finds it impossible to control the behavior of Carrie and quite out of keeping with the 1940s family unit, Carrie sasses her mother viciously and in general is an unlikable brat. When Bernard begins his courtship of Harriet the prospect of Harriet's finding a modicum of happiness is undermined by Carrie's behavior. In a particularly cruel evening's prank, Grizzle's garden is destroyed, Charlie is reduced to self-mutilation because of the stealing of his pup, and the lowly barn in which he lives is destroyed by fire. Grizzle and Charlie survive and the effect of this final disaster on the lives of Harriet and her children and their 'emotional awakening' serves to make a hanky call and end the story with an unsatisfying bump.The script by Christopher Fay is pedestrian, leaving the film with poorly motivated characters about whom it is difficult to care. Penelope Ann Miller tries her best to make the most out of Harriet, but Ashley Rose Orr renders one of the least likable young girls on film. This is a black and white script without motivation. Jace Alexander directs, which probably explains why his mother Jane Alexander consented to do the tiny walk-on part to give the film attention. The crew manages to make the mood of America in the post-war years plausible, but the dialogue assigned to the characters undermines those attempts. There must be an audience for these soap opera films: it is a shame this one couldn't have been better. Grady Harp\"", "id" : "\"37129_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f341f" }, "review" : "\"This is a well written piece by Peter Morgan, author of Stephen Frears' and Helen Mirren's The Queen currently making the rounds of the theatres. Director Nick Hamm is certainly not without a CV either. One unfortunate aspect of it all is the absolutely terrible title given the film in the US - truly there is no excuse and it belies the mentality in that country.As a romantic comedy - of a sort - it beats anything that ghost town Hollywood be capable of; there are elements here which won't be obvious to you on first viewing and that's to your advantage.Joey Fiennes: he talks like Shakespeare! There's a least one scene where you expect him to blurt out 'oh I am fortune's fool'.This is refreshing and highly original and well worth a view. Ourselves we saw it on the telly, so we'll have to hunt it down as a rental or a purchase to benefit fully by it.The charisma between Fiennes and Potter is palpable. As many say, Potter seems the blonde Roberts, but she's very much a match in talent as well. The conceit of this film - a girl who has her back to the wall and nowhere to go and simply gets on a plane to go somewhere, anywhere - has very much the feel of other movies in the genre such as French Kiss. It's a cathartic setup that works well and frankly Joey Fiennes has something his brother will never have.Definitely worth the view and possibly the purchase.\"", "id" : "\"8098_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3420" }, "review" : "\"The Great McGonigle, ham actor extraordinaire, cares for his troupe of performers in THE OLD FASHIONED WAY, thorough chicanery, larceny & skullduggery...Here is W. C. Fields in all of his pompous, vulgar glory: evasive, duplicitous, sneaky - utterly wonderful. Delivering dialogue in his unique buzz saw rasp, he gives out so many familiar lines that at times he almost seems to be performing a self-parody. This film brilliantly shows why Fields needed the sound cinema to let him be fully appreciated, and with Paramount giving him free rein to develop his material as he wished, it is not surprising that the film is a classic. Fans need look no further to find the essential Fields.The romance between Judith Allen & Joe Morrison is a rather dull affair, although the young man sings well. Tammany Young plays Fields' loyal amanuensis. Movie mavens will recognize comedian Billy Bletcher as the tomato thrower & sour-visaged sheriff Clarence Wilson, both uncredited. Legend has it that Hollywood's first movie star, Florence Lawrence, derelict & forgotten, made one of her last unbilled appearances here before her 1938 suicide.Fields found it useful to populate his films with at least one she-dragon, a female of frightful aspect against whom he could bounce off some of his best humor. This film has two: rail-thin, Nora Cecil - prim & dour as the troupe's suspicious landlady; and most especially silly Jan Duggan, horridly bejeweled & curled, as Field's wealthy target. Here was an actress, now nearly forgotten, who could easily equal in hilarity even Fields himself. It is generally overlooked how important her contribution is to the celebrated supper table scene with Fields & Baby LeRoy - one of the funniest sequences ever to appear in an American film. And her rendition of `Gathering Up The Shells On The Seashore' is a wonderful spoof of such sentimental songs as `When You And I Were Young, Maggie,' which were so popular in that era. Miss Duggan would return to briefly plague Fields in three additional films, including THE BANK DICK (1940). (She died in 1977 at the age of 95.)Fields has included the old melodrama The Drunkard into the plot and to his credit he plays it ‘straight,' letting its honest antique sentiment speak for itself. In his own private olio, Fields makes a curtain call to show off his astonishing talent of legerdemain. It is wonderful to have his routine captured on film as he really is quite amazing - it is easy to see how at one time he was considered the world's greatest juggler. Now he is remembered as one of cinema's supreme comics.\"", "id" : "\"23151_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3421" }, "review" : "\"When I sat down to watch this film I had a nagging doubt that Daniel Craig wouldn't be able to fill the shoes of his predecessors. Sadly for him they forgot to make a bond film for him! The start was drab and low key with no bond music, the opening seen was quite good but nothing new and the film then went from bad to worse. There were no good cars, stunts, women, gadgets, villains or exciting finishes. To add to this Daniel looked awkward with the women and clearly has never played Texas hold-em before. This card game was the only real story a lucky win from $5m to $30m against!! Not really Bond beating a world dominating villain?! And finally Bond is supposed to be cool and collected not a thuggish fighter... a truly horrible film... roll on Clive Owen and a decent plot....\"", "id" : "\"42439_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3422" }, "review" : "\"seeing it on cable. It was not very good. It's not really funny nor is it very entertaining. Ben Affleck is back to making the same boring, bad acting films. Rebecca Romijn still looks good for her age but still has little screen presence. If she wants to act, she should stick to TV roles. Ling Bai was OK, she offers what little humor there is. Also, as for the story, I don't buy that some fairly young, good looking guy with a high powered job would be just OK with his hot wife cheating on him with a client. He wouldn't just take her back.FINAL VERDICT: Just another Ben Affleck disappointment. There's nothing in this film really worth watching.\"", "id" : "\"37910_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3423" }, "review" : "\"There is rarely a film I ever give a bad review on, but in this case I'll make an exception. This film was truly horrendous. Maybe I approached it in the wrong angle, not at all used to the idealism of the 80's, but this movie represented all that was horribly clichĂŠ and unrealistic about high school and typical suburban life.All the jokes were stereotypical, whether it was making fun of the freshman geek or the Chinese exchange student. The scenes that were supposed to be poignant and heart-felt were instead mawkish and completely fake. Who's to believe that a handsome high school senior, disillusioned by the party life, would ever take a second glance at a gawky sophomore? I couldn't even bring myself to feel sorry for the main character, whose constant 'woe is me' asides at the audience made me want to slap her and tell her to grow up.In all, a lot of eyerolling went on. I only watched it for some hope that the film would redeem itself. It ended on the worst note possible.\"", "id" : "\"33414_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3424" }, "review" : "\"Okay, I'm speaking out of my hat here. I was only three when this aired and I don't remember having seen it, but I do have the cast album and it is tremendously good.I can only imagine what it must have been like to see Edward Villella dance. Goulet and Howe are perfect leads, and Tommy Carlisle has a delightful tenor.This must have been recorded for posterity. Why on earth it isn't on DVD... Recreating it as a dance vehicle for semi-singer Gene Kelly and non-singer Cyd Charisse may have seemed like a good idea, but this one needs a singer's treatment, and the TV broadcast should be available.Whom do I write?\"", "id" : "\"22629_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3425" }, "review" : "\"City of Ember isn't perfect, but I personally enjoyed it, and so did my family. I admit I haven't read the book, but I am the sort of person who likes to judge adaptations on their own merits. The film does look phenomenal, the set design is intricately crafted and the costumes are beautiful. And the special effects are mind-blowing, not the best special effects ever but not the worst, far from it. The soundtrack is also rousing and fun, the story is intriguing, the script is decent and the acting is very well done. Both Harry Treadaway and Saoirse Ronan(the better of the two) give appealing lead performances while Amy/Catherine Quinn is very cute as Lina's little sister Poppy. Bill Murray is deviously obnoxious as the slob of a mayor if there ever was one. However, despite the impressive visuals and performances, there are some problems. One is that while Tim Robbins is a good actor, he is given little to do as Doon's father. Second, the ending felt rather abrupt, the film could've done with a more rounded finish. Thirdly, the pacing is rather slow and drawn out at times particularly in the middle half. This is probably not helped by the occasionally sluggish direction. Despite these flaws, I liked City of Ember. 8/10 Bethany Cox\"", "id" : "\"9012_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3426" }, "review" : "\"Paraphrasing from Mark Twain's foreword in the book Huckleberry Finn, \\\"Anyone trying to find a Plot in this, will be Hung. Anyone trying to find a moral will be shot.\\\" This movie is meant to be enjoyed and not Figured out.Surf 2, the end of the Trilogy was always playing at my house. This is one of my favorite movies. I like listening to this movie even if I am not in the room. I used to watch this movie and then play it again.I compare this movie to Cheech and Chong and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I love this movie because of the dialog. Every line makes me laugh. Everything that is said is really silly. It's a slap stick kind of humor. I was 14 when this movie came out. So I could relate to being a teenager, partying, girls, and just being silly.Some of my favorite lines are\\\"One time I was surfing this 50 foot tidal wave, and what appears beside me?\\\" \\\"I don't know? What?\\\" \\\"What you mean you don't know? You were there beside me.\\\" \\\"I know, but I love to hear you tell it.\\\"\\\"What's that noise?\\\" \\\"It's the beach. never mind\\\" \\\"It's a Great White.\\\"I could go on and on, but this is one of the best Unknown movies. If you like this, be sure to watch \\\"The Search for One Eye Jimmy\\\"\"", "id" : "\"11551_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3427" }, "review" : "\"This is another fine animated short from Tex Avery. This time he uses the fairy tale of 'Little Red Riding Hood'. After the characters have complained they always have to play the same story over and over again the story is changed completely. The wolf is a rich character who falls in love with Red. She doesn't want him because she has to go to her grandma. The wolf makes sure he gets there before Red does. Instead of a sick old woman he finds a mature lady who is attracted to the wolf. Of course hilarious moments is what we get.This short has a nice story and the usual Tex Avery humor, including written messages. The short is not really suitable for children, it has some sexual references, but adults will like this very much. A very nice animated short.\"", "id" : "\"18453_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3428" }, "review" : "\"This is a rather enjoyable movie that is nothing too impressive but is a good watch nevertheless.The movie begins slow and dull because it's mostly just so formulaic. From the beginning on it isn't clear which approach the movie picks and what the movie is all about. Really no thriller elements in the first halve, just some formulaic drama and romance. Only halve way through the movie the movie starts to become interesting when the thriller elements of the movie start to appear in to the story. The movie is more thriller than it's film-noir really, which might be a surprising thing, considering the time the year was made in. So yes, in a way the movie is quite original, despite being formulaic. It has a typical thriller build up that builds up that leads to the unavoidable ending. The movie has some good genre moments, which mostly works out due to the fine cast and suitable atmosphere of the movie.How often do we get to see Humphrey Bogart in the role of a psycho really? That is quite awesome! The supporting cast is also one to die for. Barbara Stanwyck was one of THE leading ladies at the time and Alexis Smith was also quite popular. Nigel Bruce, who everyone knows as THE Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes movies starring Basil Rathbone, also plays a quite amusing small role in the movie.Despite its genre clichĂŠs, this is still a rather well made movie. It's effectively directed and the story flows well, despite being quite silly at times. It's an above average movie due to how professionally it's made and how well the actors handle the script and its more silly (clichĂŠs) and unbelievable moments. Perfectly watchable movie, especially for the Bogart fans, who want to see him in a role that is different.7/10\"", "id" : "\"25540_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3429" }, "review" : "\"Purple Plain is an obscure film in Peck's long list of movie credits. I don't know if this British production got much publicity or release stateside, despite Peck's movie star celebrity. Unfortunately, it's never been a TV regular, which is too bad because this tale of renewal and survival is an unusual and gripping one, in spite of the obscurity.The film opens in the Burmese jungle during WWII. Peck is a battle fatigued flyer on the ragged edge of breakdown. He's about to be relieved because of erratic behavior, all the while he's flashing back on his wife's death in a London air-raid. These are well-done scenes causing us to sympathize with his loss. Nonetheless, he's jeopardizing his comrades with reckless manuevers because the loss has undermined his will-to-live. Thus, we're torn between sympathy and concern, just like the flight station doctor (Bernard Lee).In an interesting move, Lee overcomes Peck's agonies by reconnecting him socially, in this case with a nearby missionary community. There Peck finds the vital human relationships so importantly missing from his death-dealing combat duties. As a result, his life takes on new meaning and purpose as a result of rejoining a human community where such life-giving affirmations can emerge. On the whole these are well-done scenes, especially the chaos from the Japanese air attack. In the midst of the carnage, Peck's combat flyer finds a new role in helping to bandage up survivors. Herein lies the movie's basic message and it's an important and humane one, conveyed in fairly subtle fashion, though the turn-around occurs more quickly than I would have liked.Nonetheless, it's interesting that the script avoids the usual officially sanctioned head-doctor therapies. Note that Peck is not sent to be counseled by an air force psychiatrist, nor to join a chest-baring therapy group, nor to have his past puzzled together Freudian style. Of course, the happy solution here remains a \\\"movie\\\" solution where-- as we all know-- anything can be made to magically happen. Still, for a war-movie setting, the simple affirmation that mental health lies through nurturing social relations and not through government sanctioned killing remains no less suggestive because of its movie origins.The remainder of the film amounts to a survival trek through the wilds of southeast Asia. It's a well-filmed and harrowing struggle against a forbidding landscape where the crash survivors must decide between staying put or hiking out against great odds. But most importantly, it's Peck's chance to regain his humanity by facing up to the odds, not just for his own survival, but for his two comrades as well. The movie's final scene could not have been better conceived. Indeed, no words are necessary. On the whole, this is a subtly and well thought out anti-war film, no less effective because it concerns the fate of one man rather than thousands.Too bad that its humane message remains so generally unseen.\"", "id" : "\"27205_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f342a" }, "review" : "\"is a highlight of this short-but-snappy soaper. Irene Dunne (great as usual) plays an ambitious woman who pushed husband (Charles Bickford) to partner with friend (Eric Linden) to create successful business. But Bickford has a yen for babes and links up with a conniving one (Gwili Andre) who pressures him to get a divorce. Film culminates in nasty divorce led by hateful lawyer (J. Carroll Naish). Somehow this all works even tho is pretty far-fetched. Chalk up another success for Irene Dunne.\"", "id" : "\"19615_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f342b" }, "review" : "\"Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek (from HATCHfest 2007 in Bozeman, Montana)Director: Kirsten Sheridan Starring: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jamia Simone Nash, Marian Seldes, Robin Williams.If you've ever questioned the impact of music on emotion, August Rush is a must-see that will bury any doubt for all time. Featuring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as rock-star Louis and Keri Russell as New York Philharmonic cellist Layla, and starring Finding Neverland's heartbreak kid, Freddie Highmore, Rush delivers an experience that borders on the sublime and somewhat sentimental in a manner that rivals Neverland and would be reminiscent of Titanic if that ship had not sunk. A stirring performance here by Russell will definitely remind end-of-year voters of her work in Waitress and should serve to solidify her chances for an Oscar-nom.The premise: A promising musician (Russell) is impregnated by a brooding but romantic Irishman (Rhys Meyers) in a one-night affair overlooking Washington Square Park that will change the course of their lives. Despite splinters of wooden dialogue and the obvious, yet ultimately satisfying, use of the music of Van Morrison early in the proceedings, the movie moves past both and bowls audiences over with poignant performances and stunning visuals in a first-class production. Layla's protective father falsely informs his daughter that her love-child did not survive birth, and delivers the boy, Evan, to the State, where the influence of all sounds great and small fill the boy with musical ambition and intuition.In addition to the above-the-liners already singled out, Robin Williams wows in a blinding turn as Wizard, a menacing Fagin whose Oliver Twists are young, homeless musical prodigies and whose milk-cart careers he manages in exchange for their daily take and a fancy stage name. Onto the young Evan, he bestows the moniker August Rush (inspired by a passing grocery van). Director Sheridan (Jim's daughter, Kirsten) keeps the reins on her comic Wizard, and Williams seems to subtly straddle the line between sympathetic and psychotic. Also more than merely noteworthy is Jamia Nash, an 11-year-old with some of the best lines of the flick, who boasts a healthy dose of moxie that provides the perfect counterbalance to some of the heavier themes that accompany a film about an orphan searching for parents he isn't sure exist.While the genesis of the film may have started with producer Richard Barton Lewis's vision of his then-newborn son's little digits directing his own symphony in a Santa Monica delivery room, the screening of this film is sure to inspire many more digits to pick up and pick at a six-string just to see what happens. Here's hoping studio support for the film will see screens increase after opening to take advantage of what should be great word of mouth. With screenings set for the upcoming Heartland FIlm Festival (where the film has been branded with a Crystal Heart Award), the Rome Film Festival and elsewhere, this moving tale is sure to find itself a fixture with families worldwide.\"", "id" : "\"18373_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f342c" }, "review" : "\"\\\"A rural Texas town finds itself beset by a series of mysterious disappearances and deaths with no seemingly rational explanation. The local sheriff is faced with an angry community leader demanding an end to the matter, or his resignation. Through the combined efforts of the sheriff and a quick witted mechanic, the source of the problem is discovered, a fifty-foot Gila monster who has run out of food, and is now preying upon the local populace,\\\" according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.God's unexplored wilderness (aka Texas), as shown in the film's beginning, includes no sign of food; so, it's only natural to have its \\\"Giant Gila Monster\\\" leave. It starts off by eating two tasty teenagers, who are trying to enjoy some \\\"submarine races\\\". The director, Ray Kellogg, seems to have a thing for actors putting their legs up somewhere. Watch for both hero Don Sullivan (as Chase) and Sheriff Fred Graham (as Jeff) to put their legs up together, in the auto-mechanic shop (Compton's Garage).The characterizations are interesting. Sullivan is an older \\\"influence\\\" on the younger and more rebellious \\\"gang\\\" of teenagers; and, he has turned from hot-rodder to auto-mechanic. He is supporting his mother and crippled little sister. Sullivan also sings well; although, his choice of material definitely does NOT rock. Not as much is revealed about Mr. Graham's character; but, he is refreshingly non-confrontational with the younger cast members.The movie is at least two legs up over awful, and is fun to watch with friends.*** The Giant Gila Monster (1959) Ray Kellogg ~ Don Sullivan, Fred Graham, Shug Fisher\"", "id" : "\"36466_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f342d" }, "review" : "\"\\\"A sci-fi comedy? nah...that'll never work.\\\" That's what many people originally thought about the comedy classic Red Dwarf when the idea was first brought up in the mid 80's. But little did they know it would be so unexpectedly successful that it would actually have a cult following from all over the world.The brain child of Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, Red Dwarf is unlike any other comedy. It has a unique British humour, and its sprinkled with dry wit and hilarious one-liners, but any fans of this show will know that there's something more to Red Dwarf than any other comedy ever made.The characters are the most mis-matched bunch of low lifes in the cosmos, but put them together and they work perfectly! Rimmer: the most misunderstood man in the universe? perhaps, but its more likely he's just a great big jerk. He has no redeeming qualities what so ever, and yet it's impossible not to love him.Lister: 50% Space scum. 50% Barely human slob. 100% Absolutely hilarious. The last man alive and he can't even microwave his own socks? Cat: whose 3 main traits are vanity, stupidity and, well, vanity, cat cares only for himself and finds his crew mates disgusting.Kryten: where would the crew be without the humanoid Kryten? I absolutely love this show and have seen all 8 seasons several times, and I plan to watch them many times more. Watching Red Dwarf not only makes the viewer laugh, but the characters are so likable that watching it gives a deeper form of entertainment because the characters almost become like friends. The characters and actors do make this show, who could imagine anyone as Rimmer other than Chris Barrie? Or a better Lister than Craig Charles? The writing is truly very clever and incredibly unique, with subtle jokes as well as obvious rip offs and hundreds of hilarious one-liners.This is one amazing, fantastically unique show that will never be equalled.\"", "id" : "\"22318_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f342e" }, "review" : "\"This is my second favorite movie behind maximum overdrive! It just so happens that both movies are from 1986. The Wraith has great cars, great music, great racing action & decent actors. Too bad that most viewers of this movie will see it cut up on TV, but if you hurry, you can get it on VHS or DVD like I did.\"", "id" : "\"7746_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f342f" }, "review" : "\"This movie starts with a lot of promise. The opening scene, featuring Sean Connery, is very entertaining. However, Connery disappears for most of the rest of the movie along with any talent that anyone else may have exhibited. The movie jumps from place to place with no coherent story. There is no sense of time. The editing is laughable. After the first 5 minutes there is nothing worth watching in this film.\"", "id" : "\"49765_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3430" }, "review" : "\"This is a little gem for those wanting a bit of relaxed entertainment. Unfortunately it came in a period when Kelly/Donen were setting a new standard for big production and very rapid pacing, so it was out of fashion and ignored. Everyone is charming; Marge and Gower Champion are at their peak, Bob Fosse is just hitting his stride (amusing that his screen persona was so charmingly little-boyish, in contrast to the dark angular sexiness of his later stage choreographies), and Debbie Reynolds is pixie-ish as ever. Helen Wood was not a great actress, but she was necessary to provide an additional dance flavor (see below).To differ from another reviewer, I think that Kurt Kaznar was perfect for the Leo Belney part, at least as it was written. He carries off being totally suggestible, changing opinion instantly, and having an equal conviction in each new attitude.Though they don't make a big deal about it, the film was mirroring a real conundrum facing Broadway directors at that period: what kind of dance to use? Tap was still around but on its way out; a kind of jazz-ballet blend was becoming mainstream; the avant-garde was a more dramatic and angular \\\"modern\\\" dance. Which would the public go for in the next show?\"", "id" : "\"26864_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3431" }, "review" : "\"To be humorous on a low budget feature is often a very difficult task. To blend humor and horror is an even more arduous task. But director Steve Cuden does so with such imagination and creativity. With a feature that can best be described as daring, Cuden has created a jet black comedy that will chill you. With great performances and a distinct visual style, this hybrid film will thoroughly entertain and sit up and beg for repeat viewings. Definitely, check this film out!\"", "id" : "\"9939_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3432" }, "review" : "\"It's always fun making it to the first screening of a new film on the very day it opens. My film-crazy friends and I habitually did this in our college days. Long years later, the thrill has not worn off. This time, the film I lined up to watch at its first screening in town is \\\"Eklavya – The Royal Bodyguard\\\". Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the filmmaker who, in the capacity of either director or producer, gave us \\\"Parinda\\\", \\\"Mission Kashmir\\\", \\\"Parineeta\\\", and the two wonderful Munna Bhai movies, was unveiling his new directorial effort, and I was eager to see what lay in store.\\\"Eklavya\\\" boasts a huge cast of eminent actors; how their services would be utilized has piqued my curiosity for some time. The glittering line-up features Amitabh Bachchan in the title role, along with Chopra regulars Saif Ali Khan, Sunjay Dutt, the exquisite Vidya Balan, Boman Irani, Parikshat Sahni, Jackie Shroff, Jimmy Sher Gill, Raima Sen, and an elegant cameo by Sharmila Tagore.The film opens with the unmistakable voice of Amitabh Bachchan narrating the legend of Eklavya from the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. Eklavya, a child of undistinguished antecedents yearns to study archery under the tutelage of Dronacharya, the instructor of kings. Contemptuous of his low birth, Dronacharya refuses to accept Eklavya as a student. Undeterred, Eklavya builds a clay effigy of Dronacharya and ceaselessly practices archery before it. Soon after, Dronacharya is taken aback by Eklavya's proficiency, which has outstripped that of his princely pupils. As it wouldn't do for this commoner's skills to rival those of the royalty, the crafty Dronacharya demands a \\\"dakshina\\\" or teacher's fee from Eklavya. Whatever you wish, the devoted lad replies. Your right thumb--that is what I want as my \\\"dakshina\\\", commands Dronacharya. Without hesitation, Eklavya slices off the thumb, knowing full well it would end his prowess in archery. The story is meant to illustrate the notion of \\\"dharma\\\" or the fulfillment of one's sacred duty in any circumstance, regardless of cost. Off screen, the child to whom Amitabh recounts the story protests this outcome, and his shrill tones are the voice of reason.Amitabh, like his dutiful namesake Eklavya, is the loyal manservant and bodyguard of a line of minor royalty in Rajasthan. Despite the family's tyrannical ways, he unswervingly stands by them. The film unfolds in the present, but this particular royal family still resides in a fog of past glory, entitlement, and unquestioned power. Their continuing nastiness has made the natives restless, and the worm is about to turn.The Queen Mother's (Sharmila Tagore) deathbed revelation sets the somewhat baroque, overwrought plot in motion. The heir apparent (Saif Ali Khan), who had earlier fled the principality in disgust at the profligate ways of his relatives, is summoned home for her funeral. Before breathing her last, the Queen pens a letter to her son spilling the proverbial beans. This confession causes a domino effect of cross and double cross, intrigue and counter-intrigue.The film has the look and feel of a stately epic, but Vidhu Vinod Chopra is not interested in the luxuriant pace associated with epics. There is a business-like economy in his approach. There is no waxing philosophical about the misdeeds that have brought this family to its present ugly impasse. He appears to say that was then, in the past, there's no time for that; let's simply watch how their karmic debts are collected now. Voice-overs and numerous brisk flashbacks provide just enough expository detail to follow the events unfolding in the present. The pace is breathless, as though generations of past injustices can wait no longer for expiation. Every now and then, there is a moment of stillness, which one wishes would be held a few seconds longer for the mood to be savored. An effective scene on the palace ramparts is reminiscent of the ghostly visitation in \\\"Hamlet\\\", and the wraith, despite no lines to declaim, has similar impact.Amitabh Bachchan's magisterial performance as a man programmed for blind duty, having to suddenly distinguish between obligation and reason transcends the silliness of the plot. Saif Ali Khan impresses yet again; there is maturity and depth in his performance as the conflicted prince with the populist conscience. Unlike \\\"Parineeta\\\", Vidya Balan doesn't have a whole lot to do here, but is dignified and graceful in her few scenes as the commoner in love with a prince. Boman Irani, an actor of sweeping range and intelligence, is a hoot with his hissy fits and sloe-eyed ambiguity, while Jackie Shroff and Jimmy Sher Gill, as the wicked uncle and cousin, handle the villainy with lip-smacking gusto. Sunjay Dutt, fresh off his Munnabhai success, is a welcome presence as the investigating police officer with little patience for the anachronisms of fiefdoms and effete royalty. What a pleasure it is to see Sharmila Tagore, who retains her looks and glamor despite the passage of the years.\\\"Eklavya\\\" displays a most un-Indian efficiency (in film-making terms, at least) and speed (a mere 105 minutes) in telling its tale that had me longing for a little more of some of the characters. It would be interesting to see just how much of the film was left on the editing room floor…perhaps the DVD will have the deleted scenes. Music is used appropriately: there is a lone song, of which only a judicious snatch is used on screen. The cinematography makes full use of the gorgeous Rajasthani terrain, with its pitiless crags and sun-scorched sands. Clearly, Vidhu Vinod Chopra has an eye on international audiences for his film, and glowing endorsements from the likes of Ralph Fiennes enhance his chances. Here's to you, Mr. Chopra, and more power to you.\"", "id" : "\"12958_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3433" }, "review" : "\"Black Robe (1991) Released with poor timing in the aftermath of a similar themed film - Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves - Black Robe largely got lost in the shuffle. That's a shame, because the film is actually quite remarkable. Not to say that it hasn't had influence on other films however. Black Robe certainly must have had quite an influence on Terrence Malick and his The New World. The title credits are clearly inspired by those in Black Robe, and other aspects are familiar as well.Set in 17th century Quebec, the film follows a young Jesuit priest, Father Lafourgue (Bluteau), referred to as Black Robe by the natives. He travels with a band Algonquins lead by Chomina (Schellenberg). With Father Lafourgue is Daniel, a young Frenchman, who is in love with Chomina's daughter. The young priest soon begins to inspire fears that he is some sort of demon, and many in the band wish to leave him behind, or possibly even kill him and his companion.Their travels meet turmoil among other hostile native tribes, leading not only a struggle between peoples, but a struggle between faiths. Beresford creates a very bleak atmosphere, using the cold Quebec landscape as an intimidating, but still beautiful backdrop. The weather feels cold, the air crisp. It's really quite a beautiful film to look at.Bruce Moore, who wrote the screenplay and the novel it was based on, went to great lengths in research to accurately portray this period in time. Many have praised the film for its accuracies, while a number of others have however complained that it shows natives as savages. I have to disagree. Neither side is shown as total bad guys, nor total good guys. The film gives everyone a fair shake. Both sides have/had their reasons, and both sides committed terrible acts. Certainly, not all Natives were all about peace and love, which is not a slight to them in the least. Their history is a noble one, and they had every right to fear and be hostile in the face of Europeans. That said, I'm probably overcompensating for the film, because it really doesn't show Natives as savages at all, especially not the Algonquins. Moore claimed, in fact, that he actually toned down the violence of the Natives compared to what he found in his research. That said, what he found in his research was most likely overstated to begin with.Black Robe certainly is a bleak picture. The naturalistic photography and tone adds to the depressed atmosphere. This is not a story of joys, but of sorrows. When the film ends, we are told what history has already told us - the Natives were slaughtered and the Jesuit's mission by and large was a futile failure.Though the film sticks to its own dark history, this is more than just a very well done history lesson. Black Robe is a parable of the horrifying results that come from misunderstanding, miscommunication, and ignorance. While the Jesuit mission was well intentioned, it was more a product of Eurocentric ignorance than anything else. The Native people had their own religious beliefs, and the film shows that. The lessons in Black Robe are transferable to any number of modern day conflicts. We have not learned our lesson, and by removing the gloss and glamour off the period epics of old, Black Robe serves as a reminder. Such a shame its so overlooked.\"", "id" : "\"10147_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3434" }, "review" : "\"Film about a rebel rouser in a run down hospital for disabled kids. Imagine \\\"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest\\\" from a snotty kid's perspective and you have this mess of a film. Direction, script, acting and just about every other form of input in this film is stilted and weak. The fact that Spacey spent his time on this film is truly disheartening--good thing is that you realize that no matter how great an actor one maybe, direction and script are very important. Do not watch unless you want a reason to put your fist through the television.\"", "id" : "\"33570_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3435" }, "review" : "\"This film atrocity must be seen to be believed. By comparison Plan 9 looks like Citizen Kane. Any movie that can combine vampires, space travel, lobster-men, bat-pygmies, snake-men, & cavemen into one utterly illogical, incomprehensible \\\"plot\\\" gets a special place in my bad movie lovin' heart to begin with. When compounded by adding tinted black & white stock footage as a plot device, a 50-cent plastic toy spaceship with a bic lighter for propulsion(I swear I'm not making this up), and a \\\"Spectum Analyzer\\\" that is clearly a caulk gun, it transcends the normally accepted standard of \\\"so-bad-it's-good\\\". The WORST of the worst.\"", "id" : "\"33802_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3436" }, "review" : "\"I hated this movie! Don't know why I even finished watching it. Oh, yeah, I remember...Jason Momoa was nice to look at.It moved slowly. Stupid story. Bad acting. Way too sappy. I didn't feel any compassion or connection to any of the characters except maybe Kala (Jason Momoa). A dumb too-easy ending.I had a big prob with the age discrepancy. Momoa & Madsen are actually 24 & 40. However, Momoa's character Kala has a 15 yo son who lives with his ex-wife! I think that would be biologically impossible. Ok, he actually looks older than 24 and his character behaved more maturely than Emma (Madsen). The character he played must have been much older than the actor really is, but IMHO not much older than 30. That would mean he had his son at 15. Ok, that's biologically possible, but married, too, at that age?This movie was suppose to be about a married woman being tempted by a younger man. Jason Momoa is very sexy and sensual. Who wouldn't be tempted? So where were the hot, steamy love scenes??? There was some kissing, but I never felt any heat between them. Besides Jason Momoa, the only other thing good about this movie was the beautiful Hawaiian location.I rate it 2 out of 10.\"", "id" : "\"26979_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3437" }, "review" : "\"Like all of Dennis Potter's work, this shows us what film could & should be. It wakens all the old dormant brain cells. Yes, imagination & inspiration do still live & are still the main ingredients of REAL ART!!! Not necessarily compatible with democracy, tho, maybe, who knows?\"", "id" : "\"937_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3438" }, "review" : "\"This is just another one in a long line of teenage/ high school films we saw last few years. It tries to be funny and cool, but it fails everywhere.First of all: I didn't care Liz died in the beginning. Why? I didn't know her. Wouldn't it be better if the writer/ director put a few scenes with her in it in the beginning of the film. (Not just that walking through the hallway stuff?).Second: Didn't anybody on that school notice Fern was gone? Wasn't there a teacher who would check this?Third: Pam Grier deserved a bigger part in this one.Fourth: Rose McGowan's character is so unbelievable it's almost laughable!Fifth: Advice: look another film!\"", "id" : "\"45451_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3439" }, "review" : "\"When I saw the film at Indie Gathering I was absolutely floored, I sat in my seat absorbing all that I could. The progression of the character was a thing of desire, because it wasn't a traditional love story or good verses evil it was a well thought out script that had twisted and turns and ups and downs but it made you want to watch more and more. Peter's performance was just amazing and my hat goes off to him. It was very noticeable that he loved the character and made it his own. Thanks for the great film and I look forward to seeing of ARC and other projects that Robert has up his sleeve.Derrick Mullins\"", "id" : "\"16442_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f343a" }, "review" : "\"This has to be one of the best shows ever made! I've never laughed at a show as much as this. Dodgey sets, acting and scripts with some of the funniest one-liners that would make Bruce Campbell fell proud. And this is only after the fist 3 episodes\"", "id" : "\"10897_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f343b" }, "review" : "\"I wanted to try this film because of Franco Nero and Menahem Golan. But damn who casted Shane Perdue? He could be good looking if he didn't look so retarded all the time! But acting wasn't one of his skills either. As of the rest of the acting crew, even Franco didn't do much about his character. To be honest I think Steven Bauer did the best of acting. He didn't deliver much beside Scarface either. Really, somebody tell me, why is this film made? It's terrible! I really hope people read all these comments before considering watching it. And you actors out there: please deliver more into your character. And you writers out there: go get inspired!Please don't see this film. It's not worth it.\"", "id" : "\"41263_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f343c" }, "review" : "\"This is an odd film and I don't mean this in a negative way. All too often, films seem derivative and predictable, though this film excels in being different and placing Gregory Peck in a very unusual role--that of a fighter-bomber pilot fighting for the British Empire during WWII. While I loved the film because it featured nice aerial shots of the De Havilland Mosquito (the plane), it was not really a film about dogfights and bombing missions but was instead a character study of Peck as he tries to survive and keep his injured comrade alive. At times the film uses some flashbacks, but generally it is a straight drama about how the crash of his plane impacts him and gets him to reassess his life.Different and a film that allows this wonderful actor to exert his acting muscles.\"", "id" : "\"27208_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f343d" }, "review" : "\"I realize I'm taking on an icon here, but honestly, this is the most disgustingly boring and over-rated film to come out of the 1970's. It is unfortunate that the rather pathetic Woody Allen, an admittedly intelligent man who alas squanders his considerable talents, firmly believes that the cosmos revolves around his legendary neuroses. Even more unfortunate, is the fact that he has succeeded in persuading a large percentage of the Western world to agree with him. Frankly, it does not speak well of our culture.This (yawn) movie revolves around a pair of self absorbed lovers...a neurotic New York comedian, Alvy Singer (played by Woody) and a would-be singer, Annie Hall. The two, both in analysis, move in together so they can exchange tales of their professional, paid for navel gazing. I certainly wouldn't want to imply that it might be simply for the convenient sex. The rest of this so called neurotic romance is far too inconsequential to bother detailing here.Annie Hall is played by Diane Keaton, an actress who is actually very competent. Her movies are frequently not my favorite, though I did enjoy the cute Baby Boom. Her only memorable aspect in this film is her Ralph Lauren clothes, now of course quite dated, which supposedly caused a fashion revolution at the time. That classic comment of Woody's regarding sex, \\\"This is the most fun I've had without laughing\\\" doesn't particularly impress me with its brilliance. Fear not, Shakespeare, Woody serves as no threat to you as master of the English language. It is indeed sad that so many people seem to praise this mindless, uninspiring, unoriginal, and not even particularly amusing pearl of wisdom as though it had virtually descended from the gods on Mount Olympus.Annie Hall isn't the absolute worst movie I've ever seen, but it really doesn't have much to recommend it. I normally adore romances, but neither one of these two selfish neurotics captured my sympathy or even remote interest. Furthermore, the supposed witty banter between the pair failed woefully to either entertain or amuse me. Back in 1977 when I saw this movie at the theatre with my husband (then boyfriend), we both sincerely wished we'd found some paint and watched it dry instead. I guess this intellectual comedy was just far too complicated for little old us to appreciate.\"", "id" : "\"39543_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f343e" }, "review" : "\"This movie was almost unwatchable... the only thing that keeps you from banging your head against the remote is that you want to see the \\\"were-crocodile\\\" for the laugh itself.... It had the clichĂŠ \\\"token black guy\\\" (in the Pacific Northwest.. yea!!! We'll stay away from there then, lol...) with the farmer's daughter white girl. They can never act either, they just have to be \\\"black\\\", and half the time they can't even pull that off.... (See Get Rich or Die Trying' for an example, he couldn't even play himself convincingly).... of course all the typical stuff is here, but in bad taste.... Lakes, woods, naked chicks, pot, camping, full moons, about the only thing they missed was rain... Garbage.\"", "id" : "\"20583_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f343f" }, "review" : "\"You know that one guy who'd do anything to get you fired, destroy your house, alienate you from your friends and family, chew through your surge protector? You know, the usual. Well, imagine if that guy was a poodle-sized sewer rat.I wondered going into this movie why Peter Weller would agree to star in what is essentially the rat-equivalent of Jaws: The Revenge. I got my answer about twenty seconds into the film, where it opens on a shot of Shannon Tweed, playing Weller's wife here, showering. Umm, okay.She leaves, along with Weller's extremely dimwitted kid to stay at a hotel (only to pop up later in the movie scantily-clad back in her hotel or in a dream sequence in order to meet some strange 80s boob quota I suppose).Weller is doing fine by himself, (staying behind to finish some work), until the dishwasher overflows, eventually upsetting a rat who decides to move into his apartment. Its hard to gauge just how big this thing is supposed to be until it decides to crawl up under the covers in Weller's bed later, apparently he's the size of a tomcat.Weller does his best to get rid of the rat, upgrading from normal rat traps to (what are basically) miniature bear traps. When the medieval rat traps don't work or come back gnawed on he decides to get a cat, which also comes back gnawed on (or replaced with a cheap stuffed animal that resembles his cat). When he decides to ignore the rat he chews on on his surge protector, fuse box, and therein cutting off the power.Weller runs around the house, bashing holes into walls in search of the rat, is plagued by nightmares of birthday parties where the giant rat jumps out of a sheet cake (?), and where his dimwitted kid ends up mixing in various rat poisons in with his cereal. The finale brought to mind Arachnophobia as it ended in a dank basement; the film ending maybe twelve seconds after the rat's been dispatched as Weller brushes himself off as if the last two hours hadn't just happened just in time to greet his wife and kid at the front door. I'm sure they won't notice the completely demolished apartment.\"", "id" : "\"10361_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3440" }, "review" : "\"I don't believe people are giving this movie the benefit of the doubt, because it seems simplistic compared to the Peter Jackson extravaganzas. What people also have to remember is that, unlike the Jackson renditions, this and 'The Hobbit' were made especially for children. The characters designs and the story itself have to be toned down so that children (or stoners) can follow the story without becoming too freaked out by orcs.Roddy McDowall is pretty much the most hilarious sounding Samwise ever, and the character design fits him perfectly, and both elements create a character of great vulnerability. For a 'Rings' movie this short, we are still able to sympathize with Sam. This is not just because of the well-compressed storyline, but because the design for both Frodo and Sam is just so cute. They look like a cross between puppies and elves. And that's cute.I recommend this to anyone with an open mind about an alternate version to the final chapter. It won't really ruin the story for you, it'll just show how this story was made into a film before the use of CGI and before movie studios started puking money at Jackson.\"", "id" : "\"32166_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3441" }, "review" : "\"I thought \\\"Ichi The Killer\\\" and \\\"Oldboy\\\" were interestingly weird films, so I rented \\\"Three...Extremes\\\" on the basis of what I knew about Miike and Park. I figured that if Fruit Chan was notorious enough to be included in an anthology with those two directors, his contribution would more than hold its own.Well...the results were worth seeing once. \\\"Dumplings\\\" was both the most revolting and the most socially savvy of the stories; \\\"Box\\\" displayed the deepest emotions in a tale of loneliness and despair disguised as a ghost story; and \\\"Cut\\\" was the most overtly gruesome and had the most gimmicky and contrived plot.Since I am unfamiliar with Chan's work, I can't say whether he stretched himself or tried anything new, but I do think that the acting and direction here were the most subtle and complex in the trilogy. Park's stuff seemed very much of a piece with his previous tales of violence and Hitchcockian entrapment that drive the protagonist to despair. But Miike surprised me, since \\\"Box\\\" was entirely different in tone and structure from his famous film \\\"Ichi\\\", and I wasn't expecting anything like this from him. \\\"Box\\\" is more of a waking dream such as Lynch would do in \\\"Lost Highway\\\" or \\\"Mulholland Drive\\\" and I thought some of the dialog and photography were most impressive. Good for you, Miike, you're even smarter than I thought! As anthology films go, this was pretty good, although nothing that anyone will remember in a decade. Worth getting or at least renting if you are a fan of any of the directors,or if you want to see something relatively fresh from cultures whose clichĂŠs and conventions haven't worn out their welcome in the Occident.At least not yet.Note about the DVD edition I saw: The 2nd disc in the package offers a \\\"feature length\\\" version of the Chan story \\\"Dumplings\\\". The additional footage is very well integrated into the original and this long version gives the \\\"Aunt Mei\\\" character and the philandering husband more screen time and adds an extra sex scene. But it doesn't change the real thrust of the original story enough to make it a \\\"must see\\\" unless you really dug Aunt Mei. If the only DVD you can find is a bare bones edition without the feature length version, don't worry that you've missed anything vital.\"", "id" : "\"18753_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3442" }, "review" : "\"Despite the title, this film is not about a crime wave. That's just a catchy title to start you wondering. It is about a reformed ex-convict, well played by Gene Nelson, being pressured by some escaped cons to assist them, thus endangering his parole and threatening his wife, ably portrayed by Phyllis Kirk. The film is dominated by the massive six foot five noir star, Sterling Hayden, as a tough homicide cop who chews toothpicks non-stop because his doctors won't let him smoke, and who says things like: 'You're head's full of mush.' It's always good to see Sterling Hayden again, the more times he turns up the better; he's solid, he's menacing, and what is more, he's the real thing. You know he'd knock you down and then pick you up again, and besides, he's compulsively watchable. In his eyes there is always that half-mad flicker, and that ain't acting. The film is directed with superb applomb by the highly professional Andre de Toth, lucky spouse of the delicious Veronica Lake, and he never wasted a frame. There are numerous fine touches: Sterling Hayden picks up a murdered cop's hat and puts it in the ambulance beside his corpse, but he does this as as afterthought without calling attention to the gesture. In one scene, a crowd of extras stand on the far side of the street watching a police raid. Toth allows them merely to be glimpsed. Toth does not signal and linger, he moves on, he has the confidence and control not to worry. There is lots of Los Angeles as it was in 1952 in this film (released only in 1954). All those fifties people, all those fifties cars, all those fifties shops. Where have they all gone? This picture has action all the way, Gene Nelson and Phyllis Kirk do not sleep in twin beds, things are brutal and quick, but there is no excess of violence. The film is primarily a psychological tension drama, as all true noir must be. Noir is about doubt, insecurity, pressure, and threats all around you, with betrayal and trust as the key issues. Oh yes, and there's love too, which generally takes place between the bullets rather than between the sheets. (No one in a noir film has time to go to bed without being interrupted by a threatening phone call or someone banging on the door. You grab a kiss as you make a run for it.)\"", "id" : "\"1619_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3443" }, "review" : "\"OK the actress is nice looking don't get me wrong but she so did not strike me as Cathy striking beautiful like she should have been, they killed the movie especially Cathy they butchered her character, and being my favorite book i was extremely critical and how can you mess up cookies and donuts it's not a huge thing why cookies? well i hate this movie it sucks and should be done with justice to the book!! and no wonder they didn't do the whole series they killed off Corrine which is something nobody can do without getting endless venting, i think all of the loyal vca fans were outraged at this atrocious excuse for a book-based movie!!! but hey i heard the original script (was turned down, you can see the guy's name still on the inside) it was R rated which sadly means it was probably correct, and they could have inserted a little of Chris and Cathy's relationship, right? i love them together and it sucks they didn't include that!!!\"", "id" : "\"32993_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3444" }, "review" : "\"A group of American teens take a trip to trip (on 'shrooms, that is). Told by a mutual friend about the ultimate drug trip by a certain type of magic mushroom, they head to the woods to experience it for themselves. However, after a bad batch, the group begins to see unearthly visions of demonic apparitions trying to attack them. Reality is blurred as the group of friends try to figure out if the visions are simple hallucination. . . or a true, evil threat.First of all, may I ask: Where the hell did they get this Irish guy? Because. . . he's not Irish and whatever casting director thought his British accent would go over as Irish is absolutely ridiculous. Just had to get that out. Now, onto the film: I think I've decided on a new title: Clichrooms. It's a nice blend on the two main components of this film: shrooms and clichĂŠs. Within the first ten minutes we're given: the typical idiot stoner, the nice girl in love with the 'bad boy with a heart of gold' foreigner, the travel deep in the woods for less-than-moral activity, being stranded due to hitting an animal, the shady forests 'looking for dinner,' etc. (I won't even mention the dozen we get at the end of the film.) It got annoying, but eventually evened out when the plot developed. The acting isn't awful, but not very good. . . just enough to make the film watchable. The backstory of the home for delinquents (or whatever the wannabe-Irish guy was talking about) was interesting, and I'm glad it was utilized a bit. The writing was quite off, however, resulting in stiff and boring dialogue and poor structure (and, eventually, a bit of a cheap ending). Breathnach's direction and Nanu Segal's cinematography weren't bad and worked well for the film, although the 'trip' visuals got a little too 'MTV' in their editing. Gore is almost nonexistent, or cut away too quickly. Dario Marianelli, an amazing composer, is one positive on this film. The music is very good, and it surprised me when I first heard it, and surprised me even more when I saw the composer. The blur of reality and fiction is actually effective, as it did make the film more than just a typical 'in the woods' slasher. But it wasn't enough to make it as thrilling as it could've been. It's entertaining enough, just chock-full of clichĂŠs which limit the worth of watching it.Final verdict: 4/10. Meh.\"", "id" : "\"49979_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3445" }, "review" : "\"This was sad. The plot & apparently interesting characters made me hope for a Kelly's Heroes redux but instead ended up with something of a Bad News Bores. All the accents were horrible, be they German, Canadian, or some British varieties. The plot assembled a complex finale that was not only impossible to follow but it looks like it was impossible to shoot as well! Neither was it clear what everyone's motivations were so you had to just put your faith in the director & screenwriter but without any reward.Interesting characters: the mysterious British paratrooper, the Canadian pilot (he had potential), the \\\"dutch\\\" partisans, and the pair of German ne'er-do-wells. But as in some Greek tragedy, they're left to flounder by the gods.Operation Market Garden did exist. It was smart to put that event as a backdrop but difficult for the producers ($$) to convincingly place Operation Matchbox in this context - apart from the special effects involved in the gliders (I hope people know that this actually happened). As a result, the collection of oddball soldiers and this plot needed to work harder than they did to make this film shine. Sadly, nothing came through.What I liked is that many characters were not black & white - something that reflects true wartime conditions when the very best & worst in men & women comes out. Regardless, this was supposed to be an entertaining film, not what it ended up being.Some would question why I would see or review such a film. I do believe in diamonds in the rough and look for charm, lucidity, and originality but not at the expense of wasting my time.\"", "id" : "\"38348_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3446" }, "review" : "\"A true Classic, of 1970's Cinema, and some!That is the best way that I can begin to describe this, one of my all-time favorite Movies.Once again, I first saw this Movie on my Mum and Dad's old Phillips V2000, when it was first released onto the U.K's Home Cinema market (hired from a seedy old Video rental shop on the Woolworth road), and boy did it leave it's mark!In short, I LOVE THIS MOVIE!O.k. At times the story, does tend to plod along at an almost snail's pace. But this is really a small price to pay for the Film's wonderfully inspired set pieces. Which, when they come, seem to hit you with the force of a speeding freight-train! In fact, just writing this review makes the hairs on the back of my neck tingle! As I remember each, and everyone of them. With such crystal clear clarity, that you would think I had only just finished watching the Film, for the umpteenth time! Truth is, it has now been about a year, since I last saw it!Boy, doesn't time fly, when you're having fun!If you've seen this Film before, no doubt, you'll have your own views on it, and so don't need me to tell you how good/bad it is!However, if you haven't...Trust me, when I say that this Film is a Classic, of the HIGHEST magnitude, and that it would be an absolute crime for you not to see it!\"", "id" : "\"10859_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3447" }, "review" : "\"Since the days gradually came on the Royal Family in Great Britain that they are to reign rather than rule, the struggle has always been to be popular and stay popular without being self indulgent. They are the unifying symbol for their country rather than a written Constitution that we Yanks have, so they're behavior, good or bad, counts for so much more.The folks who established that tradition were Victoria & Albert, first cousins in the Saxe-Coburg family and husband and wife. Through her father, the Duke of Kent, young Victoria was the heir to the British monarchy to which she ascended in 1837.Royalty made its last gasp for power immediately preceding the events that are shown in this mini-series. King William IV played here by Peter Ustinov by royal prerogative dismissed the government of Prime Minster Earl Grey. Robert Peel formed a Tory government, but it only lasted for a few months because Parliament by now had firm control of the Treasury. William IV was forced to call back Earl Grey and bow to the wishes of the people's representatives, now even more representative since the Reform Act of 1832 reapportioned Parliament after several hundred years.So the monarchy was to reign instead of rule, but if this bunch didn't keep a lid on the peccadilloes, the folks in the United Kingdom might just take it in their heads to be rid of them and get themselves a republic like their former colonies had done. That was the duty that Prince Albert (Jonathan Firth) saw it and he persuaded his young bride, Queen Victoria (Victoria Hamilton) that they must do the same.Albert was a serious young man and Victoria had been leading a sheltered life courtesy of her mother Penelope Wilton had led a life away from the dissolute Hanoverian Court of Uncles George IV and William IV. When you have no other purpose in life, but to set an example, you'd better be good at that. A few in the Royal Family haven't lived up to that down to this day. If you can't be good, at least be discreet.Victoria & Albert is a good mini-series from the BBC capturing the ambiance of the early Victorian era very well indeed. Diana Rigg won an Emmy for her performance as Baroness Lehzen, young Victoria's governess who didn't quite know when to let go.You can enjoy it even if you're not familiar with British history.\"", "id" : "\"2984_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3448" }, "review" : "\"This was a great movie. I love movies of the week and watch them all of the time. I liked the idea of the family needing to feel safe so they move to the gated community. We all wonder what it would be like to live in that type of neighborhood. And, don't we all dread that one neighbor who just HAS to be everyone's friend?! LOL. I really enjoyed Alexandra Paul too. She always delivers a good performance. She had great chemistry with the leading man as well. I thought the female villain was SO well done. She was creepy and hilarious all at once. The actress was perfectly cast! If you are a big movie watcher like I am, you have got to see this one. It seemed to have it all. It was suspenseful, fun and the acting was also good. I wish we could see more movies like this one!\"", "id" : "\"29523_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3449" }, "review" : "\"One of the great animated films of all time Grave of Fireflies tells the story of a couple of kids as the try to survive in war time Japan. What happens to them should be seen by anyone thinking of starting a war since it tells very graphically what happens to those often forgotten, the children.Like its companion piece, Barefoot Gen, which tells the story of survivors of atomic bombing and the horrors that were experienced by those unlucky enough not to have been killed out right, this film proves that war is hell for everyone, especially the children.Its very hard to send anyone out to see this unhappy little film (The previously mentioned Barefoot Gen spawned sequels, this has not) but at the same time you owe it to yourself to experience, however distantly what sort of monster we unleash upon the world every time we go to war. It helps that however depressing this is, its also a damn good and incredibly compelling story.9 out of 10\"", "id" : "\"28987_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f344a" }, "review" : "\"This is by far, the worst piece of poop I have ever seen in my entire life. None of the people who ever produced,acted or directed this movie will ever hold a meaningful position in anything ever produced ever. Not once did I laugh, at anything in this movie (except obnoxiously to annoy people). Don't watch this movie, Ever. Please, I am saying this as a concerned human being. Oh yeah, and this is whats wrong with American film. At least it had something redeemable, like the fact that all the Asian's were masters of the martial arts, or all the great well written \\\"hit in ball jokes\\\", or even the special effects (see explosion at end of movie). Save yourself 10 brain cells and $10, don't see this.\"", "id" : "\"34981_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f344b" }, "review" : "\"In what is sure to be one of the most intriguing yet bizarre pictures to come about since the work of Fellini, Luis Bunuel directs this dramedy picture about the random incidents and moments that come about in the thought of the mind, yet somehow reflect on the hypocrisies of society and man. Told in a surreal mindset with objects and even animals that somehow come into scene, it is one of those pictures that has many meanings in one. For example, Bunuel directs a sequence in which a young girl, whom her parents are searching for and has been thought to have been kidnapped, is actually right in front of the parents. It makes absolutely no sense, but that is what is so striking about this scene as well as many in that, the girl, who is right in front of their eyes speaking with them, can't be found, thus sending these parents to act on their toes to try and find her. The film regards itself on random episodes that somehow have no connection with each other what so ever. From one scene to the next, the stories are never quite fully developed until the end, kind of like a soap opera. It is one of those types of pictures in which many different characters, with their own dilemmas, are left till the next time around to pick up where they left off in their sequence. The main quest for Bunuel is to question the morality of the characters. Why is it that society considers the idea of going to the restroom as something that has to be done in private. Who created these rules? Who created the rules that man has to be clothed in public, but can do whatever he pleases in private? Is this a moral question as to what is moral or not moral to do, or is this something that society has created as something moral? Bunuel leaves that up to his viewer to identity and question. Shot in a similar fashion as many of the Monty Python pictures, Bunuel's film is definitely more subtle, yet adventurous and hilarious at all means. It shows how surrealism doesn't always have to be dramatic, and he strays away from his start in drama, but achieves a perfect wisdom and understanding through it.\"", "id" : "\"29180_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f344c" }, "review" : "\"It started off like an action movie for a minute, then it goes back into time to the lead-characters youths.The beginning has got BRANDON HAMMOND (from SOUL FOOD the movie) and PERCY DAGGS III (from VERONICA MARS) and 2 other unknowns which are all pretty good.And YES I do enjoy the first 30 minutes where the characters are in their teens, even though it seems a little far-fetched how short time it takes for the boys to start killing the competition (I am not spoiling anything this is 20 minutes into the movie or something).Anyways after 30 minutes the guys are around 30 years old or something and wearing suits and all that business-like styled persona.And it just turns into this snooze-fest where there's hardly anything happening except for a big number of dialogs exchanged about \\\"The Game\\\", and the crews various ideas of how to play it and the threat of investigating police.You are suppose to believe that all 4 friends are bosses of one gang each, but there are no gang-members shown in the movie which makes it even less convincing.Also the acting from the \\\"old\\\" cast is so much worse than the \\\"young\\\" cast, I especially didn't like ALLEN PAYNE's character, perhaps it was because he looked like he needed to do number 2 on the bathroom half or all the time through-out the movie.I thought WILLIAM L JOHNSON playing old E.BONE was the only reason to keep watching, well that and I did pay money for the DVD so I had to continue for it to end at least.The first 30 minutes was reminiscent of BOYZ N THE HOOD (which of course is a good movie) but the rest 90 minutes was reminiscent of SUGAR HILL (Wesley Snipes) almost a copy of that movie actually but with a lot more twists and stuff.If you happened to like SUGAR HILL then you might like it, but I don't like neither.If you want a Hood-Movie there are plenty of better ones, such as: SNIPES, HUSTLE & FLOW, CLOCKERS, GET RICH OR DIE Trying, BABY BOY... the list could be long but I will stop there.3.5 out of 10\"", "id" : "\"5513_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f344d" }, "review" : "\"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a film unlike any I've ever seen and probably ever will. A true epic that left me utterly speechless. It accomplished so much through such simplicity. Everything was top notch from the elegant directing to the subtly wonderful performances down to the magical score. The film demands you to feel not only for the death we witness, but for the incredible life we discover. It prays on the obvious morality issues we all deal with but also dangles the idea in front of us that everyone goes through the same joys and grievances, just not in the same way. This is a momentous tale that deserves nothing less than the title of brilliance. This visually and emotionally rich movie recalls the life of a very peculiar man born in the early 20th century who ages backwards. His tale unfolds through a diary read by the daughter of his love, Daisy. Throughout life he goes through the same things we do, growing up and eventually growing old. He's a thoughtful observer, discovering life from all different angles. But it is not his life that makes him unique. His love is what makes him special. He spends a lifetime trying to understand how his love for Daisy works and still only gets a few incredible years really loving her. As their lives tell us, the years of frustration and hardship are all worth it if only for a few moments of happiness. The direction in the film is almost flawless. Hopefully, Benjamin Button will garner David Fincher the recognition he deserves. He winds this clock so well and with such grace that the movie has this undeniable flow that is enjoyable from start to finish. At nearly 3 hours, there is not a minute wasted. Every shot is jaw dropping and while some will find issue with the time, it is used wisely. The acting is also a thing of wonder. This is by far Brad Pitt's best performance. He is so believable and realistic throughout. His nuances are spot on and despite the heavy use of make-up and CGI used to portray his character, it is Pitt who makes Benjamin that much more curious. I left the theater astonished that some one could review this movie badly. It is an extremely graceful depiction of life, love, and the things we lose. After so much anticipation I was certainly not disappointed. This movie is probably not for everyone though. It's not your average drama that spoon feeds it's audience their emotions. It is something of awe and astonishment, an absolute gem. What makes our lives memorable are the moments we never seem to grasp long enough before letting go. Life in itself is indeed very, very curious and Benjamin Button is no less of a wonder.\"", "id" : "\"22143_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f344e" }, "review" : "\"The language and obscene gestures used through out the movie, do not make this one suitable for children under the age of 13.It starts when the main character meets Bingo with delightful screams of \\\"HOLY SH__!\\\" and screaming matches calling each other \\\"Chicken SH__!\\\" as well as the Parents bickering like 10 year-olds and giving each other the finger when they turn their backs.Some of the humor is suitable for young adults and adults but small children should not see this one.As an adult I found the language offensive and it did not add to the movie's value one bit.\"", "id" : "\"16136_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f344f" }, "review" : "\"I think I remember the original reviews of this movie, and they were universally bad. But sometimes one might enjoy a bad movie when it is seen as a historical context--but this is not such a movie. It is unfaithful to the wonderful writing of Raymond Chandler. As an adaptation to the silver screen it does not even come close to \\\"The Big Sleep,\\\" \\\"Double Indemnity\\\" or any other of Raymond Chandler's stories. Montgomery's attempt at tough guy speech is ludicrous; it's as though he is trying to emulate Humphrey Bogart while at the same time avoiding a comparison. Furthermore, it is derivative of Hitchcock and Orson Wells but falls ridiculously short of these standards to be thought of as something revolutionary in film. Probably the only value of this movie is to see Jayne Meadows at a very young age. She comes across as the perfect ingenue but is too sweet to have been a primary villain.\"", "id" : "\"45108_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3450" }, "review" : "\"I saw this on T.V. and was fascinated by it. I'm not a fan of \\\"hip hop\\\" because I think it is a degenerate art form created by an oppressed people. However this offshoot, Rize, I think is culturally deep and relevant. It's a dance expression (along with the \\\"tribal\\\" markings)from black folks African ancestral memory. It's a dance that is similar to the continental African ethnic expression of their connection to Nature, but Rize is more angry and rightly so. Rize is the Black Americans expression of its connection to the ills of white supremacy and their disconnection from Nature. The dance is their angry reaction to it both.This is a great example of the ancestral spirit of Black Americans and why an African centered view will serve us well in the United States.\"", "id" : "\"20221_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3451" }, "review" : "\"This movie is Hilarious. I have seen it several times and laugh just as hard every time I see it. No Need for additional commentary here as the other commentary explains the movie. All I can say is MAKE SURE YOU SEE IT.\"", "id" : "\"6745_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3452" }, "review" : "\"I actually suffered through 10 minutes of this thinking that it might get better.... Please do yourself a favor, and don't bother watching this.Unless you enjoy intolerably bad movies, your time is better spent anywhere else. And I do mean ANYWHERE.It is hard to believe that any of these actors who participated in this movie did not get banned from the business permanently. It certainly is a black mark on their careers in my opinion.So, what was wrong with this movie? Poor Acting. Bad Jokes. Bad Plot.What is good about this movie? You don't have to watch it.\"", "id" : "\"42159_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3453" }, "review" : "\"It was a pleasure watching this charming and heartwarming film. I went to see it without really knowing anything about it and found myself falling in love with the movie from the very beginning. It has such a simple yet emotionally satisfying premise - a young boy searching for a hero to save his dying mother. The young actor made all the difference. Besides his personal charisma and cuteness he also happens to be a real natural, effortlessly performing in from of a camera. This goes for the rest of the cast too. It's just amazing how such a small film with unknown cast and crew can create such a beautiful movie.A gem of a film!\"", "id" : "\"7596_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3454" }, "review" : "\"Kurt Russell plays a Miami reporter who starts getting calls from a serial killer. The killer wants stories written about him so he gives Russell inside information about the murders, but soon it's Russell who's the celebrity. Unfortunately this interesting theme is wasted and the movie soon settles into mediocrity. The script has all the usual predictable plot devices that are supposed to lead us to the big \\\"surprise\\\" ending. Russell is very good here, as is Richard Jordan, who plays the killer, and in the end these performances are the only reason to stay with it.\"", "id" : "\"27077_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3455" }, "review" : "\"I first saw this film back in 1976, and only remembered that it was fiercely arousing to a young man at the time. I didn't catch the story, however. Times have changed since then, and I recently viewed the film a couple of times, when I wrote subtitles to it so I could show it to a close friend.Emmanuelle falls between X-rated and art-house. If one views it as an adult film, then the lack of male frontal nudity and full-on intercourse make the film feel timid. OTOH, for an art film, the plot is quite thin.When the film premiered in the mid '70s, it made a stir. Most of the brouhaha was about it being shown in regular theaters instead of seedy back-alley ones. Today we see so much erotics and sex in regular films and on TV that such discussions would seem ridiculous.Emmanuelle is based on the autobiographical novel with the same name, by Emmanuelle Arsan. The book (1971) was banned in France, ostensibly for too much erotic content, but the Foreign Department may have influenced this, since the story gives a decadent impression of them.Young and innocent Emmanuelle travels to Bangkok to her newly-wed husband, ten years her senior. He lives in a setting where bored Embassy wives resort to promiscuity and intrigue to fend off a sense of boredom and lack of purpose in life. Her husband clearly feels at home in this setting.Both her husband and the wives tell Emmanuelle to \\\"get free of inhibitions\\\", which they themselves clearly have done. The film is essentially her journey towards that goal. Her husband has others help him in \\\"her education\\\".At first viewing the film is admittedly just an erotic flick, with thin connections between the erotic scenes. But after a few more times it becomes clear that director Jaeckin and screen writer Richard really tried to follow the book, and the characters and their actions seemed plausible and natural.Perhaps the most surprising thing about this film is, it does not seem old, like many other European erotic films of the time.One can also view this film as a discourse between the male and female aspects of sensuality. There is the male dream of sex and eroticism without emotional commitment, and promiscuous relations with beautiful, willing girls and women. And the (possibly today somewhat outdated?) female sexuality as sensuality, commitment and pure love, with its slow love making and longing for true companionship.Emmanuelle can also be seen as a spiritual road movie, where she starts off as an innocent, yet strongly sensual girl, who slowly reaches sexual awareness and competence. From sex drive as the master to her as the master and erotics as just another tool in her chest.I would strongly recommend this film especially for grown-ups who have seen enough porn, or love scenes in regular films, and who want to remember instead what erotic meant. There still aren't that many films in this niche between porn and mainstream.\"", "id" : "\"29745_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3456" }, "review" : "\"\\\"Cutting Class\\\" is easily one of the most awful slasher flicks from the late 80's.Brian returns back to college aged 18 after spending five years in a mental asylum for killing his father.He tries to worm his way back into the lives of his ex-best friend Dwight and Paula his old flame.And suddenly a bunch of people start dying,in the most bizarre and stupid ways in slasher film history.There is for example death by pottery kiln,death by photocopier,but my favourite is the old classic,flagpole under a trampoline so the fascist Gym teacher gets impaled on the American Flag.\\\"Cutting Class\\\" is a stinking piece of crap filled with silly jokes and a little bit of gore.The acting is downright horrible and the characters are completely flat.There is no suspense and the killings are lame.This film is clearly as bad as \\\"Hollow Gate\\\" or \\\"Return to Horror High\\\".Avoid it like a plague.1 out of 10.\"", "id" : "\"40973_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3457" }, "review" : "\"A successful financial executive (Eddie Murphy) has more time for his BlackBerry than his seven-year-old daughter (Yara Shahidi). When he has a crisis of confidence and his career starts going down the drain, however, he finds the solution to all his problems in his daughter's imaginary world. Where to begin.... i know! Why this movie was bad. Well for starters Eddie Murphy hasn't taken any good roles since Beverly Hills Cop and Thomas Haden Church is more smarter than to accept a role like that. Now i know it's a kids movie, but even the kid sitting next to me said it was a con. My advice, either wait until the DVD or just don't bother. Imagine That 2/10\"", "id" : "\"23442_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3458" }, "review" : "\"Scary Movie adds a new element to the usual *** Movie formula - reality. A few scenes from the Dubya administration's history are reproduced, and an embarrassing moment from Mr Cruise's midlife crisis are re-lived in addition to the usual spoofs of various horror and sci fi films. The Dubya scenes, nicely done by Leslie Nielson, were the highlights of the film for me. I'm not a fan of brainless comedy, but this non-formula material made the film tolerable for me. SM4 spends a lot of time with The Village, Saw and War of the Worlds - plus a couple of films I only vaguely recognized... blending the plots cleverly but without adding much to the comedic value in the blending technique. Brokeback Mountain is also parodied (though I do not understand why this was considered a scary movie). The film is funny at times, but brow-beats its parody of Tom Cruise's character in War of the Worlds. Nevertheless, it's a fun little romp and much less grotesque than some of the previous entries in the series. Acting - good for what it is. Directing - good for what it is. Script - OK, but could have been more intellectually challenging (and funnier) Cinematography - good for what it is. Recommended for fans of the series, but don't expect it to be the funniest.\"", "id" : "\"6065_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3459" }, "review" : "\"The only thing that stops me giving this film one star is the cast. It's rare to find this many good character actors in one movie.I didn't realise as I watched, but apparently \\\"Too Late The Hero\\\" is meant to be an allegory for America's war against Vietnam. Trying to draw parallels between Vietnam and WWII really doesn't work.Despite a vehement anti-war streak, the movie seems to delight in its action sequences, almost daring us to cheer as the nominal bad guys get shot or blown up.It's this inconsistency in tone that destroys \\\"Too Late The Hero\\\". What point is the film trying to make? Is Denholm Elliot's character a cowardly villain or a shot-away, crazy-brave hero? Why does Cliff Robertson's character refuse to accept a simple change of plan at a crucial moment? Is he a coward or a by-the-book officer? Why does Michael Caine's character alternate between anti-authority and gung-ho heroics? What, quite simply, is Ronald Fraser's character's problem? If he's that much of a coward, surely he'd have found a more effective way of invaliding himself by now? What makes Lance Percival's character follow a murderous and cowardly comrade into a Japanese trap? There are too many questions going unanswered, even before the film's \\\"50/50 Chance of Survival\\\" finale. If you're looking for a more realistic portrayal of British soldiers fighting in South East Asia during WWII, watch the 1961 B&W; film \\\"The Long and The Short and The Tall\\\". If you're looking for a more realistic portrayal of American troops in Vietnam, the choice is endless. \\\"Too Late The Hero\\\" was recently given away as a free DVD with a UK newspaper, which gives a good indication of how lame it is.\"", "id" : "\"35189_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f345a" }, "review" : "\"This documentary takes a very honest and unflinching look at modern-day racism is suburban America, particularly how people like Bill Riccio take advantage of kids who have nowhere else to turn. The film looks at the inner workings of Riccio's home and group of neo-Nazis, from recruitment of new members to meetings of the KKK. In this setting, Bill Riccio and his followers recruit teens who come from bad home situations or have become homeless; they need a place to stay and someone to take care of them, but unfortunately, they end up with a racist extremist. Like a non-fiction \\\"American History X,\\\" the directors were able to document the transition of several 'normal' teens into followers of the Aryan Youth Nation. The documentary filmmakers were allowed to view and tape events such as teens celebrating the birthday of Hitler and anti-minority marches taking place in minority neighborhoods. It can be difficult to endure, since many things in the film fall into the category of \\\"Something I would never do,\\\" yet watching it is like seeing a train wreck; chilling and disturbing, but you just can't turn away from it. This is an informative and truly disturbing experience.\"", "id" : "\"19919_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f345b" }, "review" : "\"Okay, first off, it wasn't an absolutely horrible film. The soundtrack was kinda neat although very oddly placed along side the story. I FULLY agree with many of the other posters here (which I SHOULD have bloody well taken MORE time to read first!!!!!) when they say that the visuals and the VAGUE fundamental mood of the film is good. But, it is SO dang BLAH...They simply could have done WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more with it. The way the dialog was written and staged (directed) left a HELL of a lot to be desired. Needless to say Forest Whitaker's accent was ABSOLUTELY, CATEGORICALLY, and COMPLETELY annoying and unnecessary. I mean, did ANYONE ELSE bloody well sound like that???!! What the HELL was the point??? GEEZ...If the director had just done EVERYTHING the same EXCEPT added some really good, stylistic, Lynchian Surreal touches... Bloody SOMETHING!!!! Then maybe I could have at least lived with it...VERY, VERY disappointing...\"", "id" : "\"40064_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f345c" }, "review" : "\"And featuring the likeable clown from Freaks. What more could one ask? A low-budget Old Dark House mystery that is better than it needs to be, with sharp dialogue and engaging characters...can't go wrong!Why can't all B pictures be this good?\"", "id" : "\"17061_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f345d" }, "review" : "\"Marty is typical guy who wants to spice up his boring married sex life. He gets the idea that he should get his wife together with another woman and he does this because he is self centered, of course. At first his wife does not want to be with another woman but soon enough she likes it. She likes being with another woman so much that she starts to reject Marty and his whole plan blows up in his face.I think Marty gets what he deserves and it's pretty funny. He gets more than he asks for and that is what makes the movie great. The whole scene with the sister is pretty funny as well. Wishes do come true and sometimes they come true a little too much.\"", "id" : "\"6741_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f345e" }, "review" : "\"In the sequel to the cult horror hit \\\"Ginger Snaps\\\", Brigitte(Emily Perkins) finds herself transforming into the same monster that killed her sister. She has been injecting herself with too much monkshood, she o.d's, is mistaken for a junkie and wins herself a trip to the \\\"Happier Times\\\" rehab center. There Brigitte meets a young girl named Ghost(Tatiana Maslany)who is a very strange and curious kid and might help Brigitte with the cure. The two of them become very close, almost like sisters even, but now Brigitte has a bigger problem, another werewolf has been stalking her and now he wants to mate. I am probably the biggest fan of Ginger Snaps and I was highly anticipating the sequel. As soon as I saw the opening credits, I knew that I was in for a treat. Emily Perkins was simply amazing, the gore was beautiful and the dark humor and atmosphere were similar to the first one. The makeup was better where as the first Ginger Snaps was more emotional. Of course it wasn't as good as the first one but what sequel ever really is? Like I said, the acting and makeup was awesome and the soundtrack was great too. I also really enjoyed the short but sweet appearances by my beloved Katharine Isabelle as Ginger. The ending was very disappointing though, it kind of ruined the whole movie for me. But if I forget the last 10 minutes, this movie was excellent and almost gave me as much pleasure as the first one. I would give Ginger Snaps II:Unleashed 8/10.\"", "id" : "\"381_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f345f" }, "review" : "\"Few actresses jump from a thespic nowhere into a star role. You might count them on the fingers of one hand. But it happened to Nancy Guild. Signed to a Fox contract when casting director, Rufus Le Maire, spotted her picture in a 1946 Life magazine lay-out of current college girl dress fashions, Nancy jumped straight from Fox's dramatic school (where she spent \\\"a few months as the star pupil\\\") to the lead feminine role in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's Somewhere in the Night (1946). And she does well too. Extremely well by a rather difficult role. Is she a good girl, or one of the villains? Nancy plays it cool, which is a perfect choice, especially when surrounded by consummate scene-stealers like Richard Conte, Lloyd Nolan, John Hodiak and Fritz Kortner. But her debut proved to be the high point of her motion picture career. Next cast in a Fox \\\"B\\\", The Brasher Doubloon (1947) opposite George Montgomery's Philip Marlowe, she followed with a minor Dan Dailey 1948 musical, Give My Regards to Broadway. Fox then dropped her. At this stage, Orson Welles came to her rescue by offering her the part of Marie Antoinette in Black Magic (1949) in which Gregory Ratoff fronted for him as producer and director. (Ratoff actually did direct half the movie, but Welles handled all his own scenes and wrote some of his own dialogue). Although this United Artists release was anything but a success, Universal offered Miss Guild a contract. She played the main feminine role in Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) and was then third-billed (Mark Stevens and Rhonda Fleming were the stars featured on all the posters) in Little Egypt (1951). Fourth billing in Francis Covers the Big Town (1953) and a minor role in Otto Preminger's 1971 Such Good Friends completed her motion picture career. Eight film roles, only one of which (her first) is of any importance. What a waste! Getting back to the rivetingly noir, Somewhere in the Night, this movie is not just an actor's heyday (which it is – you'll probably miss the clever way one of the players signals the plot to the audience in the first 15 minutes, so watch for it on a second view), but a photographer's and set designer's paradise as well. Mankiewicz keeps a firm control of both acting and atmosphere. This exceedingly well-produced movie always enjoyed a considerable cult reputation, which, for once, was thoroughly deserved. Full marks for a really solid script on which none other than leading novelist W. Somerset Maugham worked with Lee Strasberg (later to gain fame with his Actors Studio).\"", "id" : "\"18343_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3460" }, "review" : "\"\\\"Body and Soul\\\" released by United Artists in 1947, was apparently made after actor John Garfield got out of his Warner Brothers contract. He had made many films with them, but wanted to be more independent. In this film, Garfield plays Charley Davis, a lower middle class New Yorker with a talent for boxing. Not unlike many boxers, certainly of that time period, using your fists for sport was a way out of your meager background. While I have never been a big fan of John Garfield and did not consider him a top notch actor of the golden age of Hollywood, this part does seem made for him. Garfield is quite good here, playing the conflicted Charley with skill and credibility. There are actually few real boxing scenes in the film, except for the end, and that is why labeling this as a 'boxing movie' seems a bit deceptive. There are capable supporting players, including the lovely Lili Palmer, who loves Charley. Robert Conrad and Lloyd Gough ably play the tough guy thugs who want Charley to sell his soul for money. A notable performance by African-American actor Canada Lee is striking - considering this is 1947 and is treated as an equal by the white actors. Garfield was known for his politically liberal views, and perhaps this is why he later ended up as an enemy of the Communist witch hunters in Washington. Garfield's untimely death at age 39 was a shock to many - his funeral was mobbed by thousands. Perhaps this elevated his image above the work he left behind in film - but still, this film and a handful of others are quite good.\"", "id" : "\"4496_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3461" }, "review" : "\"This film tackles a very serious subject of the sudden and violent post- war (Dec 45) death of General George Patton.The film builds up to the denouement of showing this death to be an assassination, something I have thought was a distinct probability given the enemies he made during and post the Allied victory over Germany. The story line of the motivations behind the assassination is built up around the theft a huge quantity of the gold that the National-Socialist government had accumulated that went \\\"missing in action\\\" so to speak. The film shows a train hi-jack of the gold , though not sure if that happened, but huge quantities of gold did disappear post-war Germany and was never found.Whether this was really the route (and the root) of the motivations behind the events which led to his sudden death is debatable but I am very intrigued as to whether or not the death of Patton as shown here was a reasonable accurate re-creation of that death, something which sadly appears not to worry too many of the previous reviewers. The build-up to the set-up so that his vehicle came round a bend and hit a parked lorry seemed to be well done and just how you would expect an \\\"accident\\\" to be pre-arranged.Kennedy's portrayal of Patton's aggressive Anti-Soviet, anti-communism, with the post-war Red Army command's behaviour having no difficulty coming right down to meet the low expectations Patton had of them seemed well done. Patton had many enemies in the US. One of the things that he did to infuriate those who wanted to use the Allied victory to unleash a vindictive payback over and against the defeated enemy was to release the Post-War POW's under his jurisdiction, the only set of Post-war POW's to be set free during that time to go back home instead of suffering and dying of starvation and disease in unsheltered open fields surrounded by barbed-wire and shot at by guards as was the fate of others German solders in these post-war death camps. These Germans were to be made to pay time and again for their collective sin, with a usurious rate of interest, so that punishment and retribution was to be their fate. Patton wasn't interested in such policies once the victory had been won but his internal enemies were. He was recalled to the US and was due to go home imminently and had already been stripped of his executive powers but Patton's enemies could well have thought that they needed to get their pay-back time in quickly before he did get back to the US and start to interfere with their plans against post-war Germany because of his high-status in the US despite their incessant campaigns to undermine his credibility.So an uneven film methinks with some good parts and some bad but the slices of good parts giving food for thought about the great man's demise.\"", "id" : "\"12055_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3462" }, "review" : "\"now i'm not going to say this film is terrible but its not good in the slightest. with it being rated 6.0 on this site makes me laugh. the film is basically about a hair dressing competition in england, a little dismal i know.the only thing stopping me rating it so low is the cast, even though they didn't do a good job its nice to see them all in one film. Josh Hartnett (Lucky Number Slevin, Sin City, 30 Days Of Night, Pearl Harbor and Wicker Park) is a brilliant actor but has an odd accent in this. Alan Rickman (Dogma, Die Hard and the Harry Potter films) is also a fantastic actor but doesn't really pull off being an English hair dresser. Rachael Leigh Cook (Antitrust, Josie And The Pussycats) Bill Nighy (The boat That Rocked, Underworld, Shaun Of The Dead) Warren Clarke (Clockwork Orange, I.D.) and Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under) are also in the film. so if there was any film with a cast like that you would definitely give it a second look. just too bad the film was poorly made and quite tiring to watch.i would like to say that i'd recommend this to girls as it is sort of a chick flick but i wouldn't wanna give them false hopes on seeing a good film.......... 3.6/10..........j.d Seaton\"", "id" : "\"37423_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3463" }, "review" : "\"This is one of the best movies that I have seen. They did a great job of putting the stories of Shining Time Station, and Thomas The Tank Engine together. Mara Wilson, Alec Baldwin, Didi Conn, Britt Allcroft, and everybody else did a great job. I liked how they gave all the engines different voices, they had about 5 of them instead of one doing the voices for everybody. They should keep doing this for the episodes of the TV series. They could find somebody talented like June Foray, Tom Kenny, and Bob Saget to do the voices. The only thing that I wanted to see more of was more of the engines, but there are like 70 of them, so I guess that is impossible. I am surprised that it wasn't a success. Britt Allcroft quit and now they changed the show, and even the show's name. I liked the movie, and I think that they should make the episodes like it. They said that it didn't do well because they edited too much with out going back and adding more scenes to replace the ones that they edited. They said that because of this it made the movie confusing. But I never noticed any of this. I think it is a great movie, and I also liked the part where Gordon says he knows everything. I also like the parts where Mr. Conductor must escape from Diesel 10 and Pinchy.....\"", "id" : "\"4450_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3464" }, "review" : "\"A concert film of standup comedian Richard Pryor, recorded live at the Terrace Theatre in Long Beach, California.There are some artists who are so original, fearless and groundbreaking that they inspire and influence almost every other artist in their field who comes after them. This is how I think of Richard Pryor - the comedian's comedian. This concert showcases him at the top of his game with an electrifying performance; a nonstop riff on sex, families, racism, drugs, the police, death, pets, boxing and the great outdoors. Pryor pours everything he has into it, whether it be recreating a heart attack onstage, demonstrating the correct method for falling over when knocked out, delivering the most perfectly timed gag about a hunting rifle, or an amazing moment where he becomes a child lying about a breakage which I absolutely guarantee will have tears streaming down your cheeks. As with all great comedy, the writing and artistry behind this is seamless and invisible, almost as if Pryor just strolled on and made it all up. It's impossible to see how he moves from one topic to the next or to watch him perform for even a minute without being swept up in his rap. The man was simply a genius. The film itself epitomises his daring; nobody had ever released a major theatrical feature of a standup comedy performance before and no movie studio wanted it. Instead it was released independently, was a smash hit and went on to become one of the most successful comedy videotapes of all time. Followed by two more concert films (made by Columbia) - Live On The Sunset Strip in 1982 and Here And Now in 1983. Pryor had many problems in his life, but there is no denying the natural talent with which he clawed himself up from nothing into a trailblazing comedy superstar who influenced everybody from Eddie Murphy to Eddie Izzard. Witness that talent with this fantastic time capsule of his comic brilliance.\"", "id" : "\"22716_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3465" }, "review" : "\"This is really an oddball. I really wanted more from it, but viewing this is kind of like having an almost flat soda and trying to tell yourself it's still good.Two different movies wanted to be made here, a soap-operaish character piece and a police melodrama. All we got was a melodrama of the very bad kind.Where to start. Stanwyck's character acts in wildly improbable ways and is inconsistent. She starts in a newsroom doing the Ann Landers bit, and it SEEMS that she might want more--and is certainly capable of it--maybe a reporting job. Care was put into creating the newsroom atmosphere, including having a sandwich boy prattling on about sandwiches (and it's \\\"Ike\\\" from \\\"The Waltons\\\"!!!) and a lot of period detail. You think you're going to get some sort of newsroom/police drama. Uh, but no, the brakes are pretty much put on full just as you are getting acquainted with the atmosphere.As the film continues, it appears that Stanwyck gets a better job in NY. She is going to move on up to something better.Suddenly, the plot creakily shifts and we never see the newsroom, or the sandwich boy for that matter (hell, thought he might show up as a witness or something later on, I mean, this was supposed to be a noir, right?) Stanwyck, who doesn't believe in marriage, kids, or anything like that, suddenly marries a police office she barely knows and met during work.It's not 10 minutes of screen time between when she seemingly rejects anything but a career and is next going on and on about wanting to do nothing but darn Hayden's socks. No, I am not kidding.Then just as suddenly, she is bored of living with Hayden, her cop husband, and begins scheming to get him ahead in his career. If she is so bored, why is she not working? I didn't get the impression he would mind. But instead, she gets into all sorts of mischief, from staged accidents to affairs to get him ahead.In the middle of all these things, she wants him to transfer to Beverly Hills, where it would be quieter. How is that moving him forward? It's inconsistent with her wanting him to move ahead. When all else fails, she murders someone, as if THAT would propel them both forward. How could it, when the results of the investigation would send her to the gas chamber? Why was his promotion that important to her, to lose her life or freedom over? Just a few minutes earlier in the film, promotion was not important, it was a transfer to a dead end quiet job in Beverly Hills! Huh?!?! The whole thing doesn't add up, or make any sense at all.And one other thing, just what IS it with that huge looming drive-in screen outside their home? I thought that was going to play in somehow...maybe the noise coming over and bothering the characters, maybe masking an important sound, I don't know.Heck, just in my wonderings here I am coming up with plot ideas that could have worked better. This cast and story foundation deserved so much more than this.Very strange movie.\"", "id" : "\"47762_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3466" }, "review" : "\"I have no idea whether this was an indie movie (or even what the definition would be), but it was pretty pathetic. The plot was horribly slow, acting was horrible... I'd call it a bad B movie, but I think it was trying to be artsy. Only the fact that I'd forced my g/f to rent it (thinking it would be a great B) kept me watching the whole thing. If a plot won't go anywhere, at least make it intellectually stimulating (like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead). Truly one of the worst movies I've seen.\"", "id" : "\"36267_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3467" }, "review" : "\"This was a bad dramatisation of a classic. Although the cast had potential I couldn't help but feel that this dramatisation hammed up Sherlock Holmes horribly and failed to evoke the atmosphere and norms of Edwardian England. It was yet another remake that failed to provide a new insight into the story. I particularly disliked the characterisation of the relationship between Holmes and Watson - it seemed that Holmes held Watson permanently in contempt which is not something that I felt when reading the stories. Even Richard E. Grant was disappointing and seemed to be over acting - I suspect that was due to poor direction. For me the best dramatisation of this story is the Jeremy Brett version which combines wonderful acting, with a real sense of history and atmosphere. In fact for me the 'Jeremy Brett' series is the most authentic and atmospheric dramatisation of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to date. If you want 'ham' look at the Basil Rathbone version which is wonderful in a different way and don't waste your time on this.\"", "id" : "\"40791_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3468" }, "review" : "\"Yes, the two leads are cute and they do some (awkward, almost chuckle producing) frontal nudity, but beware this stinker. Nothing is as tasteless as a soufflĂŠ that doesn't rise, and this gay rom-com has all the tasty buoyancy of a hockey puck. Forget the cheap sets, poor cinematography and weak soundtrack; a gay indie with a bunch of newcomers is entitled to take short cuts. But the script! So much lame drivel masquerading as dialogue, with an occasional \\\"hip\\\" quip -- about Meat Loaf or Anne Heche -- that stands out like a sixth finger on a hand it's so clumsy.The actors, no matter how cute, are at sea with this poor a script. Scott Lunsford is a total cypher in the impossible role of a deeply passive straight guy who pretends to be gay so he can romance a screechy straight woman. She's Emily Hands, and you haven't seen this raspy a performance since Elizabeth Berkley in Showgirls. Ryan Carnes is way cute as a gay stud, but has little presence. He and Lunsford share the silliest, most embarrassing nude scene in recent history. After some (poorly shot and choreographed) oral sex, the director actually shoots them pulling up their pants so we can see their weenies! A new low of sorts. And yes that Jim guy from American Idol is the gay geek. His character is the closest to a real person, but he's no actor.This is the worst gay comedy I've seen since All Over the Guy. If you flipped for the West Hollywood drivel, run out and rent this. Otherwise, stick with Trick or Passing Glances, real movies about real gay people.I only go on so long because I am AMAZED at all the good reviews this film has received. Does the director have hundreds of dear friends, or have gay people lost their common sense and good taste?\"", "id" : "\"41855_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3469" }, "review" : "\"This was a pleasant musical about the creation of the Moulin Rouge dance hall. In many ways, this reminds me of the Hollywood musicals of the 40s and 50s, in that it has many clichĂŠs leading up to the inevitable conclusion (\\\"will the show STILL go on?\\\"). While of course none of this is new, it was enjoyable and well made. The musical numbers at the end are frenetic and beautiful to watch. In many ways it reminds me of a sexier version of THE GREAT ZIEGFELD. In real life, Ziegfeld was quite the player but this was sanitized in the American film. But, in FRENCH CANCAN, the characters have fully functioning libidos--but nothing is really shown, so the movie is okay for kids.Nothing new but well done nevertheless.\"", "id" : "\"14219_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f346a" }, "review" : "\"In fact, I saw first the play in the 70's, in my city, Barcelona, in a very good performance, and the public was very delightful. As a curiosity: the role of the Mother was played... by a man! That gave a satirical and extravagant turn to the show. Unfortunately, the film of Quine is, sadly, a disaster: a comedy without grace, very boring and it is a pity that such a talented director fall so low in this movie: it is very difficult to complete the vision of this film. The impression of the play was that it is a experimental comedy. But the impression of the film is that it is a very nonsense history with characters very ridiculous.\"", "id" : "\"48260_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f346b" }, "review" : "\"\\\"Sous le sable\\\" tells the story of Marie Drillon, excellently performed by Charlotte Rampling, whose husband disappears when they are on holiday after he went for a swim in the sea. What follows is the struggle of Marie who can't accept the fact that her husband is dead and that he will never return. In several scenes is shown that Marie still talks to her husband in the present tense, like he's only gone for a couple of days but will return very quickly. In one of the last scenes we know for sure her husband is dead because they found his body. In that scene, we see again that she just can't accept it because the body that is found has all the characteristics of her missing husband, but she still denies that it is her husband.Charlotte Rampling gives a remarkable performance. The movie is partly based on something Francois Ozon experienced in real life. Years ago, when he was at the beach, he saw a woman who's husband was went for a swim in the sea and didn't seem to return. He always wondered what happened to the woman and her missing husband. Excellent movie, Francois Ozon is a brilliant director. I've seen \\\"8 Femmes\\\" as well and this is also a very good movie, although it's something completely different.8/10\"", "id" : "\"10335_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f346c" }, "review" : "\"This is truly a terrible movie. The dialog is beyond cheesy, the special effects might have been cutting edge in the eighties. The acting? Bad! I could go on and on... The thing that got me the most was the classic sci-fi movie blunder: \\\"the city\\\". Rather than try to actually pretend to destroy an existing city they just have a bunch of buildings and call it \\\"the city\\\". The dialog reflects this, such as \\\"The monster is attacking the city\\\" or \\\"If it gets to the city we are done for\\\" or \\\"the aliens are directly over the city\\\". As if there was only one city on the planet.\"", "id" : "\"48624_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f346d" }, "review" : "\"Horrible fifties scare film starring mutant rodents gone bad, apparently Molemen and Giant Mantis weren't bad enough to scare folks. These shrews are nothing but greyhounds with poorly made costumes. The film is chalk full of racial stereotypes,bad special effects, and lacks any bit of sense. Out of all the creatures to experiment on why shrews? Our Swedish scientist tries to make the creatures sound deadly by assuring us that they will eat three times their body wait. The fake shrews weren't the worst part of the movie in my opinion. There is subtle racism at every corner. Our captain has an Uncle Tom African American counterpart and there is a helpful Mexican stereotype named Mario to assist our heroes. You know I never realized how influential Duane Jones performance in Night of the Living Dead was until I saw this piece of trash. Rent only if you want to turn off your brain for an hour or so. Works better as a comedy than a scare-film.\"", "id" : "\"41108_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f346e" }, "review" : "\"The title sounds like a sleazy porn film, but Lust for a vampire is actually a (flawed) Hammer classic. It is 1830 in Styria, and Mircalla Karnstein is biting men and women in a classy girl-school. The well-lit colour photography looks more natural than the jewel-like Gone with the wind colours of 1950s Jack Asher period, but it is still beautiful, and the Gothic sets and suitably melodramatic score are wonderful. So is Miss Mircalla, who has truly striking, sensuous presence, and the breast-baring and heavy-breathing lipstick lesbianism is actually very tame. What comes to Mircalla's walking in the sunlight - well, you poor illiterates, Dracula and Carmilla and all the vampires before the silent Nosferatu could happily do that, thank you. The only problem in this enjoyable, if silly film is some truly horrible acting from Ralph Bates and the gay caricature in the tavern.\"", "id" : "\"2483_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f346f" }, "review" : "\"Chuck Jones's 'There They Go-Go-Go', the ninth Road Runner cartoon, is the inevitable moment when this excellent series finally hits a snag. Having managed to sustain genuine brilliance across the last four cartoons, 'There They Go-Go-Go' feels like a very tired entry into the series. Even the title seems to indicate a dearth of ideas. Many people, when they think of the Road Runner shorts imagine a repetitive and not especially funny set of predictable gags. If they wanted proof to back up this argument then 'There They Go-Go-Go' would be the ideal candidate. Set against the more stylised backgrounds introduced in the previous cartoon, 'Gee Whiz-z-z', 'There They Go-Go-Go' fails to offer enough funny gags to distract attention away from the less sumptuous scenery and the impression I am left with is that of an unattractive and unamusing cartoon. There's a couple of chuckles but that can be said of practically any Road Runner cartoon (bar the dire later ones). All in all, 'There They Go-Go-Go' is a disappointment but is easily excused as an inevitable hiccup in a series that managed to sustain the same premise for an astonishing amount of time.\"", "id" : "\"44777_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3470" }, "review" : "\"This movie is a total joke in my opinion. From the lame story line to the absolute stealing of ideas from other movies such as \\\"Harry Potter\\\", \\\"Lord of the Rings\\\", \\\"The Matrix\\\" and \\\"The Goonies\\\". That would not be so bad had it been executed well. I couldn't find anything good about this film at all if I am being honest. Perhaps some of the special effects were okay but that is very easy to get done properly these days I think. I thought the story was bad, the music was the bad and the acting was terrible. Probably the first time I ever felt I wanted to leave the cinema during a film. I cannot understand why this movie made it to the cinema if I compare it to other ones which do not. This movie simply insults the intelligence of the viewer and that is made worse by the fact that it is more aimed to children. Absolutely awful and a waste of time.\"", "id" : "\"37186_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3471" }, "review" : "\"Melanie Griffith is horribly miscast and would fool not one Hacedic Jew in Crown Heights with her undercover role. Tracy Pollan deserves a special Golden Turkey for the single worst supporting performance in a pivotal role in a drama. She single-handedly ruins any credibility the film might have ever had. The \\\"oh-now-I'm really-beginning -to-appreciate-the-beauty-of-the Hacedic-culture scenes\\\" are forced and contrived, especially the big family meal. John Pankow delivers the movie's most interesting performance in a thankless role.\"", "id" : "\"42783_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3472" }, "review" : "\"Lodge Kerrigan made two very good movies before \\\"Keane\\\"; they were \\\"Clean, Shaven\\\" and \\\"Claire Dolan\\\". He specializes in depicting cinematically the troubled landscape of the human mind. His latest shares similarities with \\\"Clean, Shaven\\\" in that it is also about a mentally ill man (Damian Lewis) searching for a missing daughter. Lewis's portrayal of William Keane almost comes close to eclipsing Peter Green's extraordinary portrayal of a schizophrenic in the former film -- almost, but not quite.Kerrigan is interested in the intricacies of behavior and is able to render every moment between two people fascinating. His direction of Keane's blossoming relationship with Abigail Breslin is superb, as are the sequences in which Keane searches for his missing daughter.The film's final revelation is a scorcher.This is not a pleasant or simplistic film. It is documenting a reality that feels familiar. It is not as graphic or physically confronting as \\\"Clean, Shaven\\\", which is both great drama and great horror, but it is riveting.\"", "id" : "\"30976_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3473" }, "review" : "\"I don't think you could accuse this one of being a particularly good film, but it is fun for the genre. Slasher films have experimented with supernatural villainy with varying success and in this cheery and cheesy item, a ouija board unleashes an evil being, who proceeds to kill in reasonably bloody ways. Although this one is hard to take seriously, with a muddled script,nondescript performances and a general feeling of badness, it is enjoyable. Virgil makes for a pretty cool killer, the ending is unexpected and the gore, though cheap and occasionally of the squirt gun blood variety is fun to watch and ace in a couple of places. Basically, this is a good bad slasher that won't blow anyones mind, but is worth a look for slasher movie hounds, who are likely to be the only folk interested in this anyway.\"", "id" : "\"30014_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3474" }, "review" : "\"Absorbing profile of Robert Crumb, an underground cartoonist. Shows him at work and interacting with his friends and heavily dysfunctional family. I had no idea who Robert Crumb was (all I knew was that he created \\\"Fritz the Cat\\\") and I find underground comics repulsive but I was never bored or repelled by this movie. It has him talking about his life and his work along with interviews with his family and friends also discussing him and his work.The film shows many of Crumb's graphic work (VERY graphic for an R rated movie) and has him discussing, analyzing and (at times) defending his work. We also see oppossing or agreement from other art critics or artists. What's most interesting is that we see he came from a very destructive family and puts all of his hatred and childhood misery into his drawings. I still don't like underground comics, but this movie helped me understand them...to a degree. Also a haunting look at a disturbed family...but it's treated sort of lightly...not dark and heavy.Very interesting and well done. Not for everyone but great for those with VERY open minds.\"", "id" : "\"15904_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3475" }, "review" : "\"I loved this film. It filled my heart with joy and was sexier than any porn film I've seen. I was utterly convinced by everything in it and have watched it again and again. For me, as a pro-Palestian activist of many years standing, I did not care where they were or what they were doing there. This film was very masculine and very gay, a combination that I find wonderful. The snoggin (as we call it in the UK) was really sexy and utterly convincing. The film was far too sort. I needed more between Jossi and Jaggar - in particular more kissing because it was wonderful. The icing on the cake would be to learn that there were any lesbian or gay people involed. The actors were fine but it helps our cause.\"", "id" : "\"32038_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3476" }, "review" : "\"So young master Jack Ryan's mommy must say every time she packs him out the front door to go to school,little knowing her cute poppet is in fact leading a double life as a CIA Analyst as well as learning the names of the capital cities of Europe.Doubtless worried he might develop a crush on his teacher,she would be horrified to learn he is dating a doctor nearly twice his age. Never mind,Mrs R.,he's bound to get straight \\\"A\\\"s in saving the planet from a nuclear holocaust.And here's how it all started.Are you sitting comfortably?....Then I'll begin. Once upon a time,back during the second Middle East conflict,the Israelis had a plane in the air 24/7 carrying a nuclear bomb.If they looked like losing(how's that for bad sportsmanship)they would bomb the crap out of Egypt.Sort of like picking up their toys and stomping off home.This plane - or one of a number of planes so equipped - I'm a bit confused on this point - is shot down and lies hidden in the desert for 29 years until it is discovered by Arabs,and a South African(taken over from the Brits in the International Villain stakes) buys it for $400 dollars,selling it on to a unregenerate nazi for $50 million.Said unregenerate nazi (Mr Alan Bates - a chain smoker just to add to his general bastardness) uses it to blow up a football stadium in Baltimore thus plunging the world into the nuclear abyss.Go figure. Luckily young master Ryan is able to get a few days off school to persuade the Russian Premier and the President of the United States that he knows better than either of them and after some jolly tense moments the President grits \\\"Stand down to Defcon 3\\\",thus earning young Jack a Gold Star. I have never read the book on which this daft movie was based.I can only imagine that it has been dumbed down and made more child - friendly. Perhaps young Jack can read it for himself when he gets a bit older. Until then he should content himself with learning that Paris is the capital of France,Vienna is the capital of Austria.....are you paying attention?I'll be asking questions later.....\"", "id" : "\"47120_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3477" }, "review" : "\"This is one of those Japanese samurai films where the red paint cost probably more than everything else in the movie. This movie inspired Quentin Tarantino to make Kill Bill, so if you liked that movie you should watch this one. The plot is quite simple: the Japanese girl is seeking revenge for the killers of her parents, but the killers are tougher than she thought and this is where the bloody fight between good and evil begins. The movie is well directed and the acting is pretty good. There is a lot of violent swords-fights but it looks kind of funny sometimes. If you are samurai film fan you really should watch this one it's one of the best in it's gender.\"", "id" : "\"1852_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e0d40a732e502f3478" }, "review" : "\"Who knows out of what strange game of fate or as if the universe conspired upon its creation and everything that came to pass did so that Tobe Hooper would make The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Like a blood spattered, low-budget Orson Welles of 70's exploitation, the immensity of his debut will forever haunt him and his career.The task of committing TCM to words is a difficult one, not because the proper words don't exist but merely because they can only describe the surface and never convey the essence and the heart and what can only be felt in one's own skin and maybe that of others. Sounds of animals and howling of beasts and the clanking of rustling metal speak TCM's language. The dissonant chord that sounds in the soundtrack as the movie fades from black to flashes of decaying flesh is TCM's lingo and what defines it is disorientation.Indeed the first shot proper that opens the movie, that of a rotten head and as the camera zooms out we see the whole dead body in a grotuesque posture like some sort of zombified jester sitting atop a gravestone, offers no clue and safe grip for the viewer. After the opening credits roll, we are served an orange sun burning in a blackened sky and that dissolves into the image of a dead armadillo laying on the street. We're 5 minutes into the movie and we're provided no clues of typical genre orientation, no protagonists of any sort. As the eye scans the image for something to cling to, narrative or otherwise, there's nothing there save for decay and death.And then TCM starts rolling and picks up steam and never stops. Apart from how original or not the concept is (crazed backwoods family terrorizing city kids) it's the approach that makes all the difference. Hooper achieves sensory terror and doom by piling on images and sounds, each of them spilling to the next frame starting an avalanche of horror. A close shot of cattles as the van drives in the background, a seedy gas station, a crazed hitch-hiker the kids pick up, an abandoned house. In the interior shots of the abandoned house the blacks are crushed and we only see silhouettes moving against the textures in the walls and those are juxtaposed with exterior shots where the whites wash out, like some kind of rural hell, a land of some other order that is coming apart under the weight of its own abandonment.Even when the sensory chaos is broken for a while so that our genre expectations can be fulfilled as the crippled guy Franklin mutters to a couple that leaves the abandoned house to make out \\\"Yeah, see you in an hour or so\\\" (followed by a drone in the score) and we just know he's never gonna see them again, a typically ominous foreshadowing common in slashers, that only lasts for seconds. Then Hooper cuts back to puzzling images, feathers on the ground and some kind of dreamcatcher made of bone (?) and weird buzzing sounds in the score, like otherwordly insects flying unseen. TCM constantly tips its own axis, content to be left out of balance.The first encounter with notorious chainsaw-wielding Leatherface is as disorienting as anything that comes before it. He appears out of nowhere like a beast in a frenzy and the carnage begins. And for a movie of TCM's reputation there is surprisingly no (or at least little) explicit gore. Yet the violence is startling and raw as the images that preceed its outburst spill into it and add their own touch of the morbid. Eisenstein must have been clairvoyant when he spoke of how powerful montage can be.We're also given glimpses to Leatherface's tortured, crazed soul, bits of characterization like a gesture and a look of his eyes. Not a psycho killer out of sadistic pleasure perhaps, he looks more like a savage beast defending its territory or a wild dog scared of intruders trespassing in his nest.Like an avalanche of macabre images that is impossible to stop once it starts, TCM whizzes by in a manic pace. The chase scene where Leatherface hunts down Marilyn Burns, scared out of her wits and howling like a wounded animal, is shot through branches of trees, as if the landscape is conspiring to ensnare the victim and so hunter and hunted run in the fields and inside a house and then back outside while the titular chainsaw is buzzing away in a constant reminder of gruesome death. Even when Hooper overplays his hand (as in the dinner scene) it's all done with deliberation that cannot be ignored, like maybe the director is as insane as the characters he's depicting and he takes great pleasure in basking in their insanity.TCM simply has to be experienced, no critical analysis can do it justice. Without bucketloads of gore, without the slick look of high budget, it remains one of the most bleak, atmospheric and aurally violent movies of all time. What happened to Tobe Hooper's career after it is anyone's guess, but TCM is good enough to top entire filmographies of other directors. It has been imitated countless times, remade and given sequels and prequels to, but there's something primeval about the original that can't be recaptured.\"", "id" : "\"3696_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3479" }, "review" : "\"Another year, another Swedish public-service Christmas spectacle. Every year around Christmas SVT has a new \\\"big\\\" production to show, and every year it feels at least a little bit disappointing. And as far as these go, \\\"Snapphanar\\\" has to be one of the worst in recent years.What shocks me most about this production is undoubtedly the incredibly low level of ambition. It's always easier for me to forgive a movie when it aims for the stars and fail. \\\"Snapphanar\\\" barely aims for the tree-line it seems, and still it disappoints. Maybe it's a sign of extremely low self-esteem in Swedish public-service?The strange thing is that on the surface this production is not that bad. The visuals are pretty good, the production values are not bad for a (in international perspective) low-budget production. But under the cracks in the surface you can see how shallow it is. Here we see the low ambition that i mentioned earlier. Historical facts are fabricated, changed or just simply ignored. And the script seems to be written by a ten-year-old. The plot is simplistic, the \\\"twists\\\" can be seen a mile away and the story itself is uninteresting and bland. As a theme the story about \\\"Snapphanar\\\" could be interesting. It's (as far as i know) a rather unique thing in Swedish history. A partisan group wanting to make the shire \\\"Sk책ne\\\" part of Denmark instead of Sweden, fighting armed battle for their cause. But the whole premise is squandered here by poor writing and non-existent regard for historical facts. Also the fact that these partisan rebels seem to be a gang completely inane idiots doesn't help. They are portrayed like a bunch of stumbling do-gooders completely without fighting skill, making it very clear why Sk책ne is still Swedish today.Well, how about entertainment value? Sometimes a decent entertainment value on the surface can save even the most shallow movie. Not in this case though i'm afraid. There are just too many things to be annoyed about even if you don't think to closely about what you're watching. The incomprehensible accents (sounding like the Sk책ne-dialect mixed with Danish and a tinge of retardation), the \\\"Le Pacte des loups\\\"-inspired fighting scenes that lack energy, and the names and dialog that makes you laugh at the most inappropriate moments. Directors M책rlind and Stein have a distinctive Hollywood-complex that also shines through in a disturbing way.I don't know how much \\\"Snapphanar\\\" cost to produce. It looks more expensive than most standard Swedish TV-fare but since it was made in Estonia it was probably quite cheap. No matter though since this was definitely a case of very little bang for your buck. I just wonder when Swedish TV and film-makers will understand that a good and solid script is the base in every good movie. When they understand that and hire someone decent to write the script (instead of burning their money on fight-scenes filmed from three angles), then maybe this could be entertainment rather than just a bland and boring waste of money and time.\"", "id" : "\"25320_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f347a" }, "review" : "\"Don't see this movie. I stopped watching after 15 minutes or so... This is terrible acting, there is no story and I couldn't figure out what was happening and why anyway. Just don't do it.\"", "id" : "\"9899_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f347b" }, "review" : "\"This is certainly an interesting study of a psychopathic killer and of the man who sets out to track him down after his fiance disappears mysteriously at a gasoline stop in France. It is known in the English speaking world as THE VANISHING and was remade in 1993 with an American cast. Without revealing the startling denouement, one cannot explain the most attractive aspects of the film, which is the detailed study of both tracker and killer that occupies most of the last half. The unsatisfying part is that while we see many details of these two men's lives, we are given little insight into their motivations. We have to \\\"piece it out\\\" for ourselves. That's probably what the director wanted. Madness and curiosity are obvious motivations, but not really enough. With these cavils, I will still say that SPOORLOOS is at once terrifying, gripping,...and, well, amazing. It is well acted but poorly photographed and edited. One suspects the director is of the sort who doesn't regard these things as important.\"", "id" : "\"3770_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f347c" }, "review" : "\"I saw this movie when I was a child and I love it. It was one of my favorites movies. Now, after years, I am very disappointed. I saw all the flaws, all the mistakes. The acting is really bad, especially in the first episodes. The movies tries to rely on the book, but its much more compress and much more less enjoyable. The ending, witch is different from the book is not bad, is absolutely awful. One of the worst endings I've seen, no substance, no logic, the ending in the book is much good. If you seen this movie in your childhood, I recommend not to see it again. If you didn't see it, I recommend you to avoid seeing. The book is really good, I recommend you read it instead of watching this.\"", "id" : "\"49552_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f347d" }, "review" : "\"I suppose I'm somewhat biased, but, as someone who worked on the show during it's first season, I found it to be an absolutely abysmal experience.The DOP, while being a pompous ass, managed to turn out something that looked grainy and amateurish. If his talent could only have equaled his impression of himself it might have looked like something decent.Chris, playing \\\"himself\\\" (whatever) and producer, had little tolerance for your normal technical requests other than \\\"find your light\\\".The rest of the cast were quite pleasant to work with.Could have been a good show if the producers had listened to concerns expressed.... or had found something funny to shoot.I always refer to it as a \\\"comedy\\\". Like an updated version of the Monkees, but shot for cable with cursing and without the flying around high speed on wires... and without being funny.You only have so much lamp life on your TV. Save it for something good.\"", "id" : "\"18279_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f347e" }, "review" : "\"'Feast' is one of those horror movies that redefine a certain genre.In this case, 'Feast' redefines the man eating monster genre.The monsters in this film snatch up their victims one by one in grizzly and gory fashions.Even a young boy meets his own brutal fate.The monsters move so fast when they kill someone that you can hardly see them.Maybe you can see glimpses of them, but that's about it.Now that was a problem for me.'The Descent' managed to show the monster's faces and they were pretty ugly.In this movie, You can only see their whole face either near the end of the middle or in the end.I must admit that I had some fun with this movie.I will plan on seeing the sequels even though they did not get as good reviews as this one.\"", "id" : "\"31164_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f347f" }, "review" : "\"I must confess I don't get a lot of his films but I adored \\\"Spring, Summer Fall, Winter and Spring again\\\". Now I see that this man just comes from a different place with his stories. He is not trying to be commercial. He is brave enough to make some weird stuff but without formulaic endings and feel good clichĂŠs. The man is stretching the boundaries of our perception and disturbing our sensibilities enough to make us remember what we just saw whether we liked it or not. For that I give him his due.Hwal is another zen story in my eyes but with a bit of Shamanism as well. The imagery is once again luscious with Buddhism and nature with beautiful Korean traditional wedding costumes also. The old man and young girl thing disturbed me to no end but that was the intent. There was something sincerely loving between them even though one's moral sensibilities are assaulted from the get go. As the young man enters the picture in what would seem a more appropriate love interest the conflict begins. Just as things start to seem to turn normal the magic begins and the spiritual enters the mundane like an old Korean fairy tale.\"", "id" : "\"7317_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3480" }, "review" : "\"Sorority House Massacre starts as Beth (Angela O'Neill) arrives at her friends sorority house to stop over for the weekend to see whether she will join the house, herself, Linda (Wendy Martel), Sara (Pamela Ross) & Tracy (Nicole Rio) all intend to have heaps of fun over the forthcoming weekend. However things take a turn for the worse almost immediately when Beth starts to suffer from graphic & terrifying dreams & hallucinations. Meanwhile in a nearby mental asylum convicted mass murderer Robert (John C. Russell) manages to escape thanks to some (very) slack security procedures, unknown to the girls Robert brutally murdered his entire family in they're sorority house except his sister who hid from him. Can you guess who his sister is? Can you guess what Robert intends to do & what happens during the remainder of Sorority House Massacre? Of course you can, it's hardly rocket science is it?Written & directed by Carol Frank Sorority House Massacre is one of the lamest, poorest & rubbish 80's slashers money can buy & only really succeeds in confirming that a woman can make a horror film every bit as bad as a bloke. Where to start? Basically this is one massive dull, unoriginal, routine, bland, forgettable, boring & just plain bad waste of celluloid, it's as simple & straight forward as that folks. On a personal level there is nothing that I enjoyed about Sorority House Massacre, it's full of clichĂŠs, annoying teenage character's, lame death scenes, bad dialogue, situations & happenings that make no sense plus it's extremely slow & boring. It takes itself far too seriously like the filmmakers thought they were making something profound & meaningful, hey guys you weren't. There's a whole sub plot thing about being psychically linked which was as interesting & plausible as it sounds, basically not very. Sorority House Massacre is the sort of slasher film to give slasher films a bad name as if the slasher sub genre didn't have enough of one already, I can't remember enjoying any single aspect of this film. At all.Director Frank doesn't do much to liven the film up, it doesn't have much in the way of style or visual quality & it's very, very dark. The entire film is set in one house & I just have to ask how many times can you have your character's run up & down the stairs before it begins to get tiresome? There are so many things that I didn't like about this film I could go on all day long but I think you get the idea, I don't like Sorority House Massacre at all. Forget about much gore, every person who is killed in this film is dispatched the same way. Everyone is stabbed, there's no variety to the murders & there's a distinct lack of exploitation & blood. There's a bit of nudity but if that's what you want go hire some porn out.Technically Sorority House Massacre actually isn't too bad & could even be described as being quite well made, it's just a shame the film overall sucks so bad. The acting was neither here nor there, average at best.Sorority House Massacer is yet another cheap low budget piece of crap from executive producer Roger Corman's New Concorde Pictures, I sat there openly willing it to finish I was that bored. Total crap & I just about hated every lame boring minute of it, there are loads more much better slasher films out there for anyone to be bothering with such a crap film such as Sorority House Massacre. One to avoid. I'm not sure why but a sequel Sorority House Massacre II (1990) turned up a few years later, I've seen it & yes it's an improvement but not by much.\"", "id" : "\"46872_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3481" }, "review" : "\"That's the kind of movie you watch without too high expectations and then it totally blows you away, and you can't turn it off, and at the end you wish you could know what's going to happen now. The story is not really Award-worthy - young, brilliant criminal buries the wife of a rich man to get some money, and then he gets interrogated by a female cop. But the actors are just great - Adrien Brody shows his evil face and you got really scared of him, and Maura Tierney... We know that she can play, we saw it a thousand times at ER, but the role of the depressive, drinking cop seems to fit her absolutely perfect. You just have to watch her throwing her life away, getting pulled in that turmoil of herself deeper with every minute. You want to save her, but you know, even if you had the possibility to get to know her in real life, you couldn't, because in a sick way it fascinates you to just watch. And the chemistry between her and Brody is amazing - after the first meeting of both you are not able to turn this movie out. I loved it, it's my favorite movie, and whoever appreciates the talent of Maura Tierney, you will love it too...\"", "id" : "\"11108_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3482" }, "review" : "\"The movie is awful.no two ways about it. The directer and the screenplay writers have completely killed the story. This movie is based on Chitra Devakaruni Banerjee's novel by the same title. Go read the book. Chances are you are going to hate the movie even more after reading the book. I don't even want to waste my time explaining what went wrong with the movie,but this is the worst adaptation of a book i have ever seen. I am amazed how did the writer allow her book to be so badly adapted into a movie. The writers have killed all the essential elements of the book which made the book good. The film,instead is nonsensical and even ridiculous. Don't waste your time watching the movie. buying the book would be a better utilization of your time and money.\"", "id" : "\"40095_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3483" }, "review" : "\"Stuart Little is back in an all awful sequel and this time he's a boy scout. It's funny how nature is seen in this movie as a playground meant to be tame and fun for city people with no idea of how to distinguish a pine tree from a mushroom. The cougar portrays of course the forces of evil who must be tracked down and vanquished by a goody-goody lab rat and a cat who acts more like an overgrown guinea-pig than a cat. The parents are as usual a goofy, happy pair with the father who sees vicious, vampire skunks and rabid chipmunks behind every single slimy toadstool and the mother who smiles and cleans up the mess without complaining.\"", "id" : "\"34255_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3484" }, "review" : "\"Seeing the commercial for this movie, you know you'll be disappointed with the special effects. If you've never seen an Indiana Jones movie, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Seven Years In Tibet, nor any other HK flick, then MAYBE this movie will entertain you. Actually, comparing this to Indiana Jones, Crouching Tiger and Seven Years in Tibet would be insults to those movies. More appropriate would be Relic Hunter, Legend Of Zu, and The Golden Child. The storyline starts out decent enough, but right off the bat you'll see some hokey f/x. For the first half of the movie, the plot unfolds like many Jackie Chan-away-from-HK flix: reluctant hero, naive sibling, overly-evil Caucasian. The next paint-by-numbers HK-flik characteristic: the ol' you-wanna-pull-your-hair-out \\\"why did he do that stupid thing\\\" thing. That leads to the \\\"action\\\" part of the movie and off they go to China ... beautiful scenery a la Crouching Tiger interspersed with Relic Hunter antics. But then the almost-entertaining movie (for a HK flik) just got taken over by people who received new computers for Christmas: it became 98% computer graphics overlayed with the actors swinging on ropes. You'd expect the cheesy latest-tech graphics in Hercules or Xena because they're spoofs, but this $$$ movie ended up like Legend of Zu ... graphics fluff. Oh, the scenes at the end in Tibet? Nice travelogue. Conclusion? (Do you need to ask?) This ain't no Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2 the Western audience is looking for.\"", "id" : "\"47485_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3485" }, "review" : "\"Watching \\\"Anatomy of a Murder\\\" is as intriguing as watching \\\"Anatomy of a Traffic Ticket\\\". I wanted to like this film. After all it has a great cast based on a provocative novel at the time. The problem is it's slow, illogical, and no twist and turns to make the two plus hours invested worthwhile. It ends on a whimper with the only response that is appropriate is \\\"huh?\\\" or \\\"Is that all there is?\\\". Lee Remick is perfect as the horny slutty wife of military man, Ben Gazaarra. He also is well cast. George C. Scoot fares better as a member of the prosecution team than Jimmey Stewart does as the poor as a church mouse defense attorney. Jimmy does his \\\"Mr. Smith Goes to Wasington\\\" act and it gets very close to over the top at times. And the verdict simply does not pass the smell test. As piece of nostalgia this certainly is of interest. After all, it was a time when the word \\\"panties\\\" was risquĂŠ' in films. Yet when all is said and done it is a pedantic court room drama with lots of court room and little drama.\"", "id" : "\"33542_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3486" }, "review" : "\"YES! This movie is a re-make of an original french movie Taxi, in case you didn't know and a pretty bad one. If you are too lazy to read subtitles, well then I guess you are better off with this us trashy version. If you are not, then get the original from 1998 with Samy Naceri and Peugeot. It is sooo much better.The problem here is that for some reason, the bank gang just had to be a bunch of out of control Russian models. Yes! Beacouse that is going to happen! This movie is just an inch from these evil mafia walking around naked, it is hardly believable at all.Plus, I am sorry, but Queen Latifah is not really convincing as a racer person and in to the car kind of a person.Sorry, folks, I say you could just put less money into dubbing the original, than throwing them away for a poor try-out. I am NOT saying all this just because I am from Europe.\"", "id" : "\"20523_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3487" }, "review" : "\"The Belgian comedy, \\\"L'Iceberg,\\\" is such a head-scratching little oddity that it is virtually impossible to describe it for anyone who hasn't already seen it. It's a highly stylized tale of a young restaurant manager who decides to break away from her stultifying and humdrum existence after she inadvertently locks herself in a freezer overnight - only to discover, once she gets out, that her husband and their two carbon-copy young children have failed to notice her absence. Realizing her utter insignificance to those around her, Fiona strikes out on her own, abandoning her job and staying away from home for long stretches of time - eventually setting out to sea with a mysterious deaf/mute sailor she meets along the way.Utilizing concepts straight out of the Theater of the Absurd, \\\"L'Iceberg\\\" pokes fun at the sterility of modern life, as Fiona finally breaks free of the bonds of domesticity and goes on a quest for love and adventure. Directors Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon (who play the husband and wife in the film) have composed their film almost entirely of straight-on block shots, perfect for emphasizing the surreal spareness of the drama and setting. The lanky, bug-eyed Gordon, who looks for all the world like a cross between Frances McDormand and a stringy-haired Olive Oyl, plays Fiona with a mouth-breathing, deadpanned seriousness that enhances our empathy for the character and heightens the satirical nature of the piece.Original in concept and bold in execution, \\\"L'Iceberg\\\" is irrepressibly imaginative and visually inventive in its cockeyed portrayal of the world around us.\"", "id" : "\"8017_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3488" }, "review" : "\"BEING the second entry into the Fleischer Brothers Studios' line of SUPERMAN Cartoons, 'The Mechanical Monsters (Fleischer Studios/Paramount Pictures Corporation, 1941) was released for theatrical exhibition to the movie going public in November of 1941. This gave it the distinction of being on the theatre screens when the Sunday morning sneak-attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th.CLEARLY this would mark an abrupt change of direction that the series would be taking as the Fleischer animation operation would join in with the rest of Hollywood in the War Effort. The story lines from hence forth would be as populated with Nazi Soldiers, Imperial Japanese Agents and 5th Column Saboteurs as the were with all of those Mad Scientists.MUCH in the same manner as the other entries into the SUPERMAN Series, there is no wasting of time. The trouble with the giant, metal creatures are in progress of wreaking their brand of havoc on the Good Folks of Metropolis when the Cartoon Short opens. They are in the middle of an in-progress menace. Much of the necessary exposition is put into place by means of headlines in the Daily Planet. (A clever use of the visual medium; as the inclusion of any Title Cards would be considered strictly passĂŠ and a throwback to the days of the Silent Movies.) FOR all of the magnificent scientific marvels that were embodied in the invention of the giant metal robots, the Mad Scientist is concerned only in looting bank vaults, pillaging jewelry establishments and repelling attacks from Tommy Gun wielding Uniformed Coppers. Perhaps this is due to poor pay, working conditions and lack of employment opportunities for brilliant, albeit Mad Scientists that they are forced to supplement their meager incomes through such unlawful means.FURTHERMORE no one ever has truly explained just what makes these eggheads so 'Mad', anyhow! ALL kidding aside, the short is fast moving, well plotted and rendered in such a manner as to be an animated equivalent of a museum quality painting from one of the Dutch Masters. (No, Schultz; I didn't mean the Cigars!) 'MECHANICAL MONSTERS' comes complete with all the accoutrements that are needed in a series entry. First of all, the above mentioned renegade scientist is there for starters; along with some spectacular method of exacting the plunder on an otherwise helpless Metropolis. The regular Daily Planet gang gets involved in the natural manner; coming to the danger with hopes of getting \\\"a Scoop!\\\" MISS LOIS LANE, in order to have a chance to \\\"Scoop the other Scoopers\\\" gets a little too close and is abducted unwittingly by the baddies; having slipped and fallen into the iron giant's convenient and cavernous trunk space. (What's an Editor to do? She seems to get caught up in similar fashion time and time again! SPEAKING of recurring patterns, Superman manages to save the day, saving Miss Lane and her headline story. All's well that ends well, especially in Metropolis; as the episode closes out with a wink from Clark Kent to the audience.WE suppose that we could brand the Superman Cartoons as being formula and even clichĂŠd, but that may not be fair, either; for after all, the Fleischer/Famous Studios' productions were essentially blazing new trails in the field of the animated movie. Whereas here to for, virtually all of the animated cartoon out put was done using highly caricatured human characters, anthropomorphic talking animal's characters or both. The idea of writing an action-adventure story featuring realistically rendered human characters in fantastic, albeit serious short subjects hadn't been done before, unless it would be highly obscure.* THE Fleischer SUPERMAN Series changed all of that by paving the way for so many of those adventure cartoons that we have enjoyed over the years on Saturday morn. Like most of the rest of this series, we rate it very high on the scale.NOTE * We can think of Walt Disney's FANTASIA (Walt Disney Productions/RKO Radio PUctures/1940) as being an exception; several of the segments having been done in a realistic style. Are there any others? POODLE SWCHNITZ!!\"", "id" : "\"18052_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3489" }, "review" : "\"It is not true that invisible men have to blind. It it true that light passes through the retina of an invisible man, but in most \\\"invisible man\\\" movies I've seen one way of locating an invisible man is using night-vision goggles witch show the sub-red part of electromagnetic spectrum. This fact suggests that whatever turned him invisible, it rendered him hollow only to so called visible part of electromagnetic spectrum with wavelenght between 380 and 780 nm. Shifting the range of wavelenght sight to sub-red (780nm to 1mm) during the process of making invisible could produce a proper seeing (or even better) invisible man.And last but not least the invisibility in James Bond \\\"Die Another Day\\\" works only from a long distance and uniform background. Otherwise changing the point of view will uncover hidden object.\"", "id" : "\"26014_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f348a" }, "review" : "\"This comedy was touching, scathing and educational. The film addresses the stereotyping of Latinos, and the tremendous economic power the Latin population has in the state of California. Few films are brave enough to take on this sort of subject matter. We see the decimation of the police force, agriculture, and the entertainment biz. But the message is not given in a preachy or cynical style. It's a really great movie for younger audiences because the satire has tremendous heart. It's good for adults too because it's biting and intelligent. Tremendously entertaining and informative. I loved the \\\"surprise ending\\\" and the basic message that family is not defined by blood alone.\"", "id" : "\"25603_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f348b" }, "review" : "\"I really don't know why Eddie Murphy signed on to do this movie. The script was terrible, and he didn't seem to be trying in the least. When I'm watching a movie that tries to be funny and fails, I can usually at least see where they were trying to make me laugh. He, however, I couldn't see one instance where Murphy was trying to be funny. I did laugh a few times, but it was at the surprisingly funny Randy Quaid as his robot Bruno, and the brief apperence of John Cleese.\"", "id" : "\"45086_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f348c" }, "review" : "\"Ever since the mid-70s, I have had a nostalgia for Woody Allen's early films. Everyone needs to grow, it's just that I think Woody has grown in the wrong direction. In the films that followed \\\"Annie Hall\\\" he seemed to be trying to be Bergman at times and Fellini at others, when I always thought he was better just being Woody. Why? Because he was funny, and this film is the funniest of them all.This is Woody at his zaniest, his most anarchic, his most irreverent, his wildest. It is zany in the same sense that the Marx Brothers were at their height. He isn't afraid to have segments that are just plain crazy and unbelievable. I wonder if David Reuben realized that Woody was actually mocking his book when he sold the rights. A classic. 8/10\"", "id" : "\"32234_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f348d" }, "review" : "\"A small group of dimwitted poachers stumble upon a cache of strange looking eggs stashed in a cave. One of them gets killed by an unseen creature. Then, a young boy with a weird girly voice and a menagerie in his bedroom discovers one of the over-sized eggs and takes it home to hatch it. Meanwhile, the worlds worst rock band decides to go camping in the same woods. When the sluttiest girl in the group runs afoul of both poachers and unseen creatures and takes a plunge off of a cliff, the unmusical losers take refuge in the house of Molly and her - husband? brother? who knows? - and her young son, the same boy who has just hatched an alien creature called Trumpy out of the egg he found in the woods. Trumpy looks like a cross between a plucked turkey and a vacuum cleaner, and does a lot of dippy things like levitating toys and allowing the cat to play with his nose. When people start turning up dead with strange glowy marks upon their foreheads, it seems to be the work of Trumpy. But soon the truth becomes apparent: there is another creature on the loose in the woods, killing anyone who crosses his path. This is a very stupid film. Even with the assistance of Joel and the bots, this is still a very painful viewing experience. None of the actors can act and none of the characters are likable at all. All of the girls are either sluts, bitches or doormats and all the men are jerks. The plot is nonexistent, the script seems to have been written by an imbecile...it just roundly sucks. Avoid it, unless it's the MST version. Or unless you're a complete masochist.\"", "id" : "\"43227_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f348e" }, "review" : "\"I don't go in for comic books or their hero's, but this is a real early '04 gem. Original, funny, sad and doesn't take itself too seriously.With a cute daughter with glasses it hit all the right Coaker/Peck notes.\"", "id" : "\"42853_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f348f" }, "review" : "\"Perhaps the worst film I've seen in a long time. All cliche all the time. Leslie Nielson plays his Airplane, Naked Gun, etc. etc. character, Judge Reinhold is awful and those are the good things abut this bomb!\"", "id" : "\"33518_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3490" }, "review" : "\"Jack Smight must have been distressed at getting such cheesy directorial assignments such as \\\"Airport 1975\\\" and, a few years later, this weak science-fiction entry. Once a solid TV director with a few interesting feature films to his credit, Smight's resume tailed off in the 1970s with lame titles such as \\\"Damnation Alley\\\", a second-feature if there ever was one. Survivors of the nuclear holocaust roam the desolate wasteland in a futuristic van, searching for others. Nice to know in the future we'll still have second-rate casinos in this country, equipped with slot-machines circa 1977. One revolting sequence involving blood-sucking cockroaches might have become a classic among splatter aficionados had the special effects budget been larger (when the roaches, en masse, chase Jan-Michael Vincent on his cycle, it looks like a carpet being pulled along by a wire). The cast of actors, George Peppard and Jackie Earle Haley among them, do OK work in an obviously inferior product. *1/2 from ****\"", "id" : "\"8428_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3491" }, "review" : "\"Hainan ji fan (2004), shown in the U.S. with the title Rice Rhapsody, was written and directed by Kenneth Bi. It stars Sylvia Chang as Jen, the proprietor of a Chinese restaurant in Singapore.Jen's professional life is going well, but she is depressed because her two older sons are gay, and she believes her youngest son may be gay as well. The script introduces an outside character--Sabine, played by MĂŠlanie Laurent--who is a French foreign exchange student living with the family.The plot is fairly predictable--the gay sons are very gay, the rival chef who wants to marry Jen is very persistent, and the exchange student is very sophisticated and very French. Unfortunately, the movie goes in several directions. When you read the promotional material, you expect Sabine's relationship to the family to be pivotal. Actually, her character sort of drifts in an out, making worldly and adorably French comments as she goes past. Without that plot anchor, the film more or less drifts aimlessly along to a Hollywood-style conclusion.However, Singapore is--for me--an exotic and unknown location, and I enjoyed the fabulous views of the city. The cooking scenes were very well handled, and the acting was solid. Production values were high.This film was shown as a 35mm print, which I think is the best way to see it. It will work on DVD, but not quite as well. It's not worth making a great effort to seek out the movie, but it's still worth seeing. (We saw it at the Rochester NY Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival.)\"", "id" : "\"2968_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3492" }, "review" : "\"During his early career Fabian had some extraordinary luck to get to work with such screen immortals as Bing Crosby, John Wayne, Stewart Granger and James Stewart in between turning out fluff for the teenage market. As his teen idols had passed him by, Fabian must have wondered where those other guys were and how he could get into another film with any one of them while doing Maryjane. The plot here's been done a gazillion times before for the drive-in trade. Fabian's a new art teacher assigned to the small town high school where a clique of 'cool kids' rule the school. The cool kids are headed by rich and spoiled Kevin Coughlin who can always get a good supply of marijuana which of course is Spanish for Maryjane and its got a lot of other nicknames as well. Fabian's of a different generation than the older teachers and he admits to actually trying the stuff once. That gets him down as marked man for law enforcement. But it doesn't score him any points with Coughlin and company.Fabian's got other problems as well, he's trying real hard to romance another teacher, Diane McBain, but she turns frigid on him. And he's trying hard to help young Michael Marotta who wants so desperately to fit in with Coughlin's bunch.If you've seen these teen drive-in dramas before you know pretty much how it will all end. Except for McBain, she's a bit of a shocker, especially considering the times. Let's just say that this woman has some real issues.Maryjane did not revive Fabian's career in Hollywood, when good teen idols are passĂŠ, they usually stay passĂŠ. What he wouldn't have given for another film with Jimmy Stewart right about then.\"", "id" : "\"45192_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3493" }, "review" : "\"This was one of the most dishonest, meaningless, and non-peaceful of the films I have ever seen. The representation of the other, of the Israelis, was racist, backward, and unfair. For one, the song played on E.S' car radio when pulled up alongside a very right-wing Israeli driver was \\\"I put a spell on you\\\" by Natacha Atlas. The song's style is quite Arabic, but it was released on an Israeli compilation CD, and I have even heard it on the radio in Israel. Many Israeli songs (as well as architecture, foods, and slang) are influenced by Arabic culture, and there is no reason an Israeli Jew would be offended or angered by a nearby car playing that song. The way E.S. appears so calm and collected with his sunglasses and cool glare, via a long, still shot, is meant to force the viewer into seeing the Jew as haggard and racist, and E.S. as noble and temperate.I have traveled all over Israel, and I have never seen an IDF recruitment poster, since service is mandatory. But in the film, not only is there a recruitment poster, but it depicts a stereotypical image of an Arab terrorist and the words \\\"want to shoot?\\\" This is an extremely inaccurate depiction of the mentality of the majority of Israelis as well as Israeli soldiers, and such an \\\"advertisement\\\" wouldn't even exist on a random Israeli highway. In including it, the director aims to convince the audience that Israel is a society of anti-Arab racists hell-bent on murder.The ninja scene was gratuitous and needlessly violent. A Hollywood-style action scene involving Israeli soldiers shooting Palestinians would be just as unwelcome in an Israeli-directed film as the ninja scene should have been. But for some reason, images of an unrealistic, non-comic, and violent scenario manage to elicit applause from the audience since the director has smeared the Israeli side so much beforehand, that any shot of Israeli soldiers being killed would be welcome. The director shows absolutely no attempt at building bridges, portraying the \\\"other\\\" as human, or working towards peace; violence is made to be the only solution. This is furthered by scenes of exploding tanks, falling guard towers, and other random acts of destruction. One of my best friends serves in the Israeli military, and the targets in firing ranges are never Arab women dressed in black, or any other quasi-civilian on canvas. Soldiers at checkpoints are instructed not to fire at the head of an approaching Palestinian unless it is clear that their own lives are in danger; the method, according to my friend, is to provide a warning shout, fire into the air or around the area, and then if all else fails, shoot in the leg and then interrogate and hospitalize. Arbitrarily targeting a woman in the head, as shown in the film, is not the proper procedure.Besides these inaccuracies, the directing style was also poor. Repetition became repetitious, and no longer captivating. Symbols, such as the balloon with Arafat drawn on it, are forced outside any plot structure or effective integration in the setting; the balloon is Palestine penetrating and regaining Jerusalem, and it is created for no reason by E.S. The ambulance being checked for permits by Israeli soldiers followed by subsequent Israeli ambulances flying past the checkpoint is an overly-overt claim of an Israeli double standard by the director. The attempt by the director to show life in Nazareth as dreary and pointless is done with overkill; showing the routines of random people over and over again, even with a slight change each time, and emphasizing that not one member of the cast ever smiles and is minimalist in dialogue almost screams out the purpose of such scenes, the dreariness of life, without allowing much room for personal interpretation. By contrasting one \\\"section\\\" of the movie, daily life in Nazareth, with the second section, the checkpoint between Ramallah and Israel, the director subtly blames this dreariness on Israel, but never provides any direct evidence as to why such blame can be properly argued.I spent hours trying to figure out why music ended abruptly and began abruptly, and why many modern fashion-show-like and metal-action tracks were included in the score. I still cannot come up with an answer. I felt that the music was out of place in this film; the contrast between more silent scenes and intense scenes was actually annoying and not affecting or thought-provoking. I can understand if the director intended for the music to provide some comic aspect to certain scenes, but I found that there was nothing comic to be found in Israeli soldiers shooting at targets or fighting a ninja, or a woman having to suffer another walk through a checkpoint, albeit defiantly. In fact, I was tempted to close my ears during intense scenes, and annoyed by the lack of a score during quiet scenes. Whatever the director's intent, it provided only an audial displeasure throughout the film.This film has no legitimate political message because it provides an inaccurate and extreme representation of the other, and neglects to actually address any issues. It is a propaganda film, because the director intends various symbols, styles, and scenes to draw sympathy for the Palestinian side, while displaying the Israeli side as cruel and inhuman without exception; the vibrant atmosphere of an action-packed Hollywood scene or of intense music is displayed in every act of violence by Palestinians against Israelis, such that the almost inevitably positive and thrilled feelings the music and cinematography elicit from the audience are directed to one side. There is no thought, reflection, or deepening of the understanding of the conflict by the audience; emotions are simply pulled to one side, and kept there, in a \\\"good vs bad\\\" clichĂŠ scenario. I believe this film lacked the depth, quality, and power of other Palestinian films, such as \\\"Paradise Now\\\" and \\\"Wedding in the Galilee.\\\"\"", "id" : "\"32414_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3494" }, "review" : "\"After wasting my time on this pathetic movie, I have made a decision not to ever watch another movie with Sara Jessica Parker. She has continued the exact same one dimensional acting in every single part she has ever played, this movie being no exception. She can't seem to get past playing \\\"Carrie\\\" no matter what the subject matter. One of the previous posters rightfully acknowledged SJP's habit of clutching at her abdomen and chest for effect in every single role she plays. Her high pitched screaming in every performance is the most irritating of all. I wonder how she continues to be cast in movies when she has no range as an actress.While watching this movie I had the feeling that they must have rushed the production just to get it made. There are tons of errors and hardly a single thought is completed. All of the actors seem as though they would rather be somewhere else. It is not funny, clever or entertaining. Don't be drawn in by the trailer or any previews of this movie. It is the bottom of the barrel.\"", "id" : "\"45230_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3495" }, "review" : "\"If you haven't seen the Beatty/Bening remake of An Affair to Remember - don't! This review is for readers who have seen the original and know the basic premise. I was drawn to the movie because of Bening - I enjoy her other films, but this one is a mockery of her talent! The on-screen chemistry between her and Warren just isn't there. The taboo of engaged couples \\\"cheating\\\" on one another is stale and the premise that Bening selflessly gets on with her life after her accident is implausible in today's world. The chance that Beatty would have a little auntie (even if that auntie is Katherine Hepburn) living on a tropical island that just happens to be close to where the plane he was flying in makes an emergency landing, is too much of a coincidence even for a fairy tale. This movie is beyond real! The jazz vocal narrative is annoying and out of place. As for the tear jerker ending, Warren can't even come close to replicating the look on Cary Grant's face when he realizes the devastating truth about Deborah Kerr. Oh what I'd give for a really good love story!\"", "id" : "\"46575_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3496" }, "review" : "\"As a fan of the extreme japanese cinema i was really excited to finally get my hands on this film. But it was simply not worth the wait. The film is very slow and boring and as a matter of fact i had to fast-forward most of the film. Also most of the film's action is in the last 30 minutes and even when you finally reach that point of the film you are simply not interested anymore. It would have been way better if they had cut out about 45 minutes of the film ! and also , the scene at the end where a guy goes crazy is far too long. we dont need to see the guy jumping up and down for 10 minutes to understand there is something wrong with him\"", "id" : "\"32492_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3497" }, "review" : "\"A mediocre film, rather predictable film, not helped by lazy imagineering work on the spoken form of the alien language - it consists simply of lists of Swahili words read from a phrasebook, and distorted by some kind of vocoder. Plain to anyone who knows the language.\"", "id" : "\"42508_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3498" }, "review" : "\"When I saw the box I thought I was in for a very big action/fighting movie.Dang was I in for a big surprise.Here is what you are in for if you rent and fall for this very different movie that seemed like a very non-u.s.a. made film with very lazy camera work,stupidish dialog, very weak atmosphere and very little action that seems really poor planning that doesn't work! In the beginning you see these two guys arguing about nothing.The one guy says BS about 10 times. Its like he wanted your attention or that was his favorite thing to say. And then we see Gary Daniels fight this chunky guy.The camera poorly shows them fight like almost the whole time we only saw a part of their body's plus the camera was sideways and nearly upside-down. There is a lot more of this great camera work in other parts of the film. On the box Gary Daniels has a katana sword,I didn't see him use it in the film,where in the heck was it and according to the box his family is in a house and he wanted to get them out because bad guys were going to blow the home up and after all of the fighting you never saw him get them out or at the end or at any time at all. Daniels talks to this guy who in prison on a filthy bench for 15 plus minutes!What a waste of film and time.Is all the guy was talking about was I gotta stop taking drugs and get out of here.If I wanted to a conversation like that I'LL talk to MY next door neighbor. There was so much silly talk,some of the worst camera work and it looks like some one was rubbing the color on the film,oh it was so messed up.It looked like this was a practice feature instead of a movie.I can't even describe how horrible the score and music was. This movie was so dang bad I laughed and laughed and I said I can't believe this,that someone actually made a film like this.What a terrible piece of film,I just can't believe it.Its some of the worst I have seen.Do you believe ME?If not just rent Black Friday and see for yourself.Black Friday is one of best of the worst films ever made! So the bottom line is if you like really bad films this is thing is for you otherwise if want a really big time action flick but I rented Black Friday and gave the film another chance. The results was that it made Me laugh even more! The fight scene between Gary Daniels and co-fight coordinator Tsuyoshi Abe was even funnier in the green lighted car garage. The scene was a slow fight but Daniels delivers with a great kick with a mean look on his face to the sturdom area of Tsuyoshi Abe's character as he hits the wall hard. The conversation on the bench did last almost fifteen minutes! The villain I thought was better than before but he still said BS about six times during the beginning:) The music was very bizarre but yet it grows on you as the films goes on. I am glad I saw Black Friday again. Its an action film that's serious but make you laugh which is fine with Me!\"", "id" : "\"23038_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3499" }, "review" : "\"No one alive will convince me \\\"Mike Pipper\\\" isn't Steve Smith, better known as character Red Green on \\\"The Red Green Show\\\". Yeah I realize he's billed as Ron Anderson (III). That's Red Green, unless like 50% of Canadians look and sound like Red Green.The movie is about some dork who's dorky father was killed by a dorky cult. The dork snoops around and finds his dorky father's notes on a dorky cult. Dork investigates. Not surprisingly the entirety of Canada must be part of the dorky cult because somehow they show up at dork's house, looking for dork and the notes. Dork escapes and meets bigger dork. Chasing continues and rather bland uninteresting dialogue ensue until they run into Red Green. Right around this time dork finds out that bigger dork used to be in the cult, and in fact may have killed his father! Dohwell... didn't expect that now did we? In the end, some dork ends up burning and some really dorky thing happens. Perhaps the oddest thing is the apparent alien abduction of about 10 of the dorky cult members. I couldn't really figure out what exactly took place, and how this fit into the err..story? Perhaps they were walking towards the light? The story is horrible, acting is terrible, there are no effects, and the script is 1st to none. The only thing I can say there are actually quite a few \\\"motion\\\" cinema shots. That's about the only thing that get's this film a 1. It's dated 1990. I seriously wonder how many decades this sat finished before release? 1/10\"", "id" : "\"46098_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f349a" }, "review" : "\"It is said, that this human race is always progressing but after a point all is destroyed and God will again create it from the very beginning. So I can imagine that it is not possible that this kind of movie can be made again ever. The world has to be created again by God and only than this kind of movie can be made. I slute Shakti Samant Sahib and his team for their eternal contribution to the society. It is not possible that these people will born again for thousands of years. This film also shows Indains have talent and qualities as these people were born and brought up in India and were Indian by heart.I admire Mughl-e-Azam but in Mughal-e-azam there is king, armies, and glamour to support the story line and creenplay but Amar Prem is purely natural and close to common man therefore it is a lesson and a great satire on our society specially in the subcontinent.\"", "id" : "\"19493_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f349b" }, "review" : "\"So I watching TV. on the net and I came across this show called \\\"Reaper\\\". I immediately became intrigued because it seemed like the title of show that could possibly be somewhat interesting. However, from what I've seen this show is nothing but a rip off on Dead Like Me which was made five years earlier. It has the same idea of a young person being torn from \\\"normal\\\" life and being forced to deal with the question and curiosities of death. The only difference between the two shows is that this reaper works for the devil, and this show is not funny and the actors leave much to be desired. If you like this type of stuff (tastefully morbid and ironic things), then I highly recommend you check Dead Like Me Out. It is only amazing.\"", "id" : "\"5562_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f349c" }, "review" : "\"I found this to be a very entertaining musical with some decent mixture of songs, comedy and romance. There are no less than three leading ladies and they all look good. Two of them are big names: Irene Dunne and Ginger Rogers.There's Fred Astaire in here, too, so I guess we can call this another \\\"Astaire- Rogers film.\\\" If so, I think it's one of their best and certainly one of their most underrated. You don't hear much about this movie, and that's unfair.Rogers and Astaire both have some funny lines in this film and I wish Ginger's role had been bigger. She and Astaire do a couple of tap dance numbers that are excellent - some of their best work together. Dunne's first two songs aren't bad but you have the rest. Her soprano voice almost broke my eardrums, especially with \\\"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.\\\" Randolph Scott, Helen Westley and Claire Dodd also star in this dated-but-generally fun movie.\"", "id" : "\"1682_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f349d" }, "review" : "\"I'm not going to try call the art 'where are thee?' because Avatar isn't trying pretend to be deep anyway. However I'm very concerned about the amount of the 10/10 reviews here at IMDb. It probably shows something. People don't think anymore, they want candy. So they got it. But you can't feed on candy only, you know. At the time when I'm writing this review, Avatar sits on the 24th position of the TOP250, between 25th Silence of the Lambs and 23th Once Upon a Time in the West. If this won't change, it's quite obvious where the TOP250 on IMDb is going.OK, so why it sucks?Story - Main character, Jake, infiltrates a tribe of aliens on some planet. This tribe resides on the source of some highly expensive mineral. The tribe must be wiped out because of it. Jake starts to like his new friends, because they seem to be cool and in harmony with their nature. He also fell in love with female alien, Nscho-tschi, er... Neytiri. Battle between humans and aliens. The end. -- Well, not only has been this around thousand times over and over again, but it (go figure!) might have taken some bits from the history as well. Dances with Wolves have been mentioned in some reviews and I can think of even more accurate example - Enemy Mine (1985). Wiping the native Americans was a damn shame from any angle, but please, we all have got the point that it was wrong, OK? Get over it and don't breed the hate among the dumb mooing cattle. If you need some movie history lesson from this area, go see the Little Big Man (1970), the plot is exactly the same, only you won't need the 3D goggles.Script - None. The pattern could have been written by anybody, who has seen the standard action flicks. First few minutes, we get the direct explanation about what, where, who and why. And you know this type of explanation, right? Actors talking to each other and explaining the situation, like they never met before. The lecture from Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) given to Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver, why?) in their first dialog raised my palm to my face. The intellect of the audience has been lowered down again. Then standard romantic part with a twist in second part, the main character is obviously the chosen one, because some force says so and of course we have a baddie from the army and the stupid leader who just wants money too. The aliens win the final battle and the lead character becomes one of them. Duh.Actors and setting - Who the hell need actors when we've got CGI? I was in the theater with my brother, who plays computer games a lot. After we came out of the building, he named me several things, which have been taken out straight from several PC games, like Command and Conquer, Heroes of Might and Magic, Warcraft and so on. So another rip-off. Visual effects - You've got this right. But wait another 20 years. It's like silicon breast. Now it looks good on your 20 years old body, but wait another 20. I still can't believe the score on IMDb is based solely on visual effects. It's so wrong!I have a theory about the whole thing. I think Cameron has been paid a fortune to do this. Why? Let's say the movie entertainment industry has a problem, that people don't go to theaters anymore, because they can watch movies from home, especially when they can get it on piratebay, right? So the industry needs a new type of movies. Movies with lame story, lame script, lame everything, but top CGI, 3D, IMAX, ultra-mega-realistic screening, so the movie downloaded from the internet is, in fact, useless. I've got nothing against this strategy. I don't give a damn about these mindless flicks, but they just don't belong among the TOP250, that's why I went to see Avatar. Out of curiosity. And my jaw did drop. From a shame where the intellect of the majority is going. I'm also ashamed that I went there and paid the money to see it. It's utterly trash. It's like porn movies. Only this time we jerk the eyes.0/10.\"", "id" : "\"47802_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f349e" }, "review" : "\"I've seen hundreds, possibly thousands of movies. I sat through the abomination that was Tomb Raider 2. I watched the blindness producing Torque all the way through. But this.....this was just unwatchable.I love action/martial arts movies...who doesn't? But this is just awful. First it starts off with some exciting action, then degrades into a truly spectacular piece of crap, with a giant, a wizard, and a monkey man.Yes, I'm being serious.Once we met the wizard, I turned it off. No action in the world was good enough to make me keep watching.This movie had some truly awful acting, even for Thai movies this was bad. The action? boring, with one or 2 memorable scenes which I already saw on the trailer. The hero? only uses his knees. watching him kick the crap out of people the same exact way for 20 minutes gets boring...fast.Special effects? My god, they were bad...i mean we had the hero riding a rocket like a surfboard....Christ almighty can you believe that crap?! I feel stupider just having watched this movie, I urge you to save some brain cells and skip it. Watch Ong Bak, watch Tom Yum Goong, heck watch em twice, just don't watch this movie.-Inferno\"", "id" : "\"29894_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f349f" }, "review" : "\"This is an extremely funny movie! Jamie Kennedy is awesome! I always laugh hard at this movie! Kennedy plays Brad \\\"B-Rad G\\\" Gluckman, the rapper-wannabe son of Bill Gluckman is running for the office of Governor of California. He shows up at his dad's campaign and starts rapping. Members from the campaign hire two black actors named Sean and PJ to scare B-Rad into acting like a white boy again. PJ gets his smokin' hot cousin, Shondra to help, but B-Rad is hard to change. B-Rad finds out it's not real, and begins to take matters into his own hands, but when a real gangsta' named Tec holds the actors and B-Rad hostage, Bill Gluckman forgets his campaign and tries to find his son, along with B-Rad's wannabe-gangsta' friends. If you love comedy, Jamie Kennedy, and 'da hood, you'll love MALIBU'S MOST WANTED!!!\"", "id" : "\"8582_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34a0" }, "review" : "\"Here is a movie I've been a fan of since it's release in 1990. Gary Oldman is the gem of this film. He plays a long-haired Irish-American thug in New York's Hells Kitchen, employed by an Irish mob headed by his brother played by Ed Harris. This group is backed by the Italian Mafia, and Ed Harris's character is always trying to impress the Mob Chiefton. Sean Penn plays Gary Oldmans child-hood friend and fellow gangster, who left town one day years ago without notice. Now he's back, and welcomed heartily. Without question, he is accepted back into the gang, and put to work. Only problem is, when he left, he went to Boston to become a cop, and now he's undercover and infiltrating his old friends. A tale of loyalty, betrayal, and murder, done with a style befitting a New York gangster flick. And for Irish-Americans such as myself, it's a great movie to drink to on St. Patty's. This is a good film with a solid cast full of action and drunken Irishmen which leads to one of the best endings to any movie ever; a bar room shoot-out with New York's St. Patrick Day parade as the back drop. If this movie had a flavor, It would taste like whiskey. Speaking of whiskey, I have been celebrating St Patricks day every year since '95 by downing several glasses of Jameson, and viewing STATE OF GRACE.----now thats Irish.\"", "id" : "\"23605_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34a1" }, "review" : "\"OK, I will admit that since I am descended from Mary Boleyn (and most likely, Henry VIII),I do have a bit of family honor at stake here....I knew the film was going to take liberties with historical truth, but REALLY. The Other Boleyn Girl is almost PURE FICTION from beginning to end. Why did they bother to tack on SOME accurate historical outcomes (in written sentence form) of the characters at the end, just before the credits rolled? Just to name a couple of examples: Mary Boleyn was married to William Carey as depicted, and Henry took her as his mistress with Carey's approval as he was richly rewarded. Maybe emotionally conflicted approval, I don't know. I rather doubt it. Anyway, in the film Mary marries a commoner at the end. The film never explains what happened to Carey, it would seem to suggest she is committing bigamy! In the closing \\\"write-over\\\", we read that Mary lived happily ever after with the lower class guy; in fact, her family looked down on her and even rejected her because she brought down their status. She suffered emotionally and financially due to the marriage, but was still glad she finally married for love. Other things that are totally false: Anne and Mary did not hang out all the time as is suggested in the film; I understand that serves the plot well so maybe I will let that one go. Can't let this one go: Henry raping Anne before she surrendered to him. That is ridiculous. And Anne convincing her brother to have incest with her so as to produce an heir? That is even more ridiculous. She would never have broken the incest taboo; also, if Henry was really shunning her bed by that time, as Anne suggests in the film, then if she turned up pregnant she would be accused of adultery and sent to the Tower! Speaking of being sent to the Tower, in real life Anne conducted herself with great dignity and restraint before and at her execution, likely she was trying to protect her daughter Elizabeth and better secure her daughter's future relationship with Henry. She was innocent of adultery but kept her mouth shut when she knew her fate was sealed. This is not at all how Anne is portrayed in the film. Cardinal Wolsey is left out of the movie entirely, and he played a MAJOR role in the whole drama of the divorce from Catherine of Aragon and Henry's desire for Anne Boleyn. I just don't see why this same type of movie could not have been made with FICTIONAL kings and queens and other characters--no authentic names. Then it would not be a particularly good movie but it would be less aggravating. Of course, it could not then claim to be based on Gregory's book about Mary Boleyn. I don't plan to read that; there are too many accurate books about Henry VIII that are no doubt more interesting, and I can read about poor Mary Boleyn, the pushover, in those.\"", "id" : "\"45157_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34a2" }, "review" : "\"It has been over thirty years since I first saw this movie and I still remember its effect on me. I bought the novel soon after and read it until the pages fell out. Someone asked me at a job interview who my most influential person and I said Jacquelyn Helton because she had the courage to do what she thought was right all the while knowing what the outcome would be. This movie is an inspiration to anyone who takes life for granted and makes you realize that no matter how long you live whether it is 20 years or a hundred, its not the length but the quality of that life, make it count, and above all else, love.\"", "id" : "\"22892_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34a3" }, "review" : "\"Like I said, my friend and I decided to watch The Prince and Me and The Prince and Me 2 back to back to see what they were like. While, the second Prince and Me started off fairly like a sweet movie, it turned from a teen audience into a little girl's fantasy world. Especially more like a typical Disney princess flick that was unbelievable and I couldn't take seriously, even for a little kid.It takes off where Paige is now in Denmark and is learning the language, the culture, and the perks of being a queen, including the paparazzi stalking her 24-7. She's also studying still to become a doctor. Edvard is working hard as well to become a good king and is doing the best he can to contain a good king image. But when an old childhood royal friend, Kirsten, gets in the way of the relationship believing that it should only be royalty who becomes king and queen... you can take off with the rest of the plot.The new girl who played Paige was totally unbelievable as a workaholic study bug, and didn't have the same presence and grace as Julia Styles. The guy who played the prince actually looked irritated to play the role again, I think he knew that this film was a mistake. Oh, well, for the little 5 year old girls who love fairy tales, this is the film for them, let's just pray they don't make a third installment, otherwise with all the making out these two do, it'll be a porno.1/10\"", "id" : "\"6636_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34a4" }, "review" : "\"Of course, I'm saying that lightly. It's actually not that bad, but it could have been better. What they do need to work on is the accessibility of this movie to others.Watched the DVD and it's the most basic dvd out there. No menu (couldn't believe that one) Standard screen no subtitles no extra's of any kind. Basically, if you find it on dvd, it's one step better than vhs, but unless you collect on a actor bases only, it's a rental only. 4/10 ps: even in this case, the dvd is better than vhs because it'll never get screwed like tapes will. Although if you smash it.. oopsy.\"", "id" : "\"43095_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34a5" }, "review" : "\"Based on a William Faulkner story, this movie has the dark, gloomy, but realistic look of his work. The art direction, lighting, and costume design shows that this is a low-budget film, but it doesn't make it corny. In fact, this adds much to the authenticity of what the South was like in the late 1800s. In addition, the film is in black and white; this helps make the depressive mood of the story.Like much of Faulkner's writing, the film is done in flashback form. It opens with a murder of a young man and the trial of the man who committed the killing. It then goes back twenty years earlier to a poor, Southern farmer, Jackson Fentry.Robert Duvall is simply wonderful as Fentry, a man who is cut off from most of the world. His character is lonely but yet a naive and caring individual as he finds an ill pregnant woman (Olga Bellin) while working on a farm as a caretaker. He takes her in and cares for her. Everything seems normal for awhile, but then two tragedies happen they lead up to the present opening of the film. Everything is tied in together nicely, making a great, yet sad ending. It brings up the questions: Which is better for a child? Heredity or environment? This sounds like an excellent film that I would give a 10/10. But what made me give it a 7 was the pace. The movie was incredibly slow. This is no action, and I knew it wasn't one, but the dry, drawling, Southern monotones that the actor's spoke made it boring.\"", "id" : "\"10184_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34a6" }, "review" : "\"I was studying at the University of Amsterdam last year when I would pass the movie theater in Haarlemstrat(sp) and see the announcement for the film. I wanted so much to see the film especially because of Monic Hendrickx, but the film was not subtitled yet for English. Recently I found it on Amazon. It had English subtitles and it was in PAL, but since I own several PAL movies, I now own a portable DVD player that plays all regions. Alas, after a long wait, I was not disappointed. It is a celebration of life and I felt inspired by it. I hope this film is more widely recognized because it was perfect in every way. A few years back Zeus and Zo, another Dutch film, was nominated for the Academy Awards. I have nothing against Z&Z;, but Leef should not be overlooked.\"", "id" : "\"11304_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34a7" }, "review" : "\"If you liked Freaks and Geeks this is a must-see. Judd Apatow once again created a hysterical and touching series with characters that really become more like friends. The half hour format makes these a bit lighter than Freaks and Geeks - and when this show was canceled they weren't quite as able to still wrap things up as with the earlier show. But this certainly filled the void in my TV-viewing life left by the departure of Freaks and Geeks. Many of the members of the cast from that show appear here - some as regulars, others in hysterical guest performances. This is definitely one of those watch it in a single weekend marathon kind of shows.\"", "id" : "\"31370_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34a8" }, "review" : "\"I only got this movie because I collect movies that are related to the beer and brewing business as part of my breweriana collection. The connection (involving the \\\"Mumblin' Jack Malt Liquor) turned out to be very weak (although I would like one of the 64 oz bottles used as props for my collection).What I got instead was a picture that was a little too real to have you believe it was an attempt at fiction, but too \\\"fake\\\" to have you believe it was real. It was just out there in no man's land.Let's face it, whether it is alcohol and fast food or facial tissue, advertising transcends sex, religion and race and targets (exploits?) some group the product is aimed at. It is not the advertisers fault that certain groups tend to buy more of certain products. It's called exploiting a market and that's their job.Bottom line - this is a confusing movie and I would strongly recommend giving it a \\\"pass.\\\" unless you are a huge fan of one of the actors.\"", "id" : "\"13636_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34a9" }, "review" : "\"Cast in Gray is an extraordinarily poetic work. Every aspect of it, from the narrative conception to the sense of movement to the editing and (not least) the cinematography, strikes a stunning balance between dazzling clarity and a vague dreamy quality. I found myself clinging passionately to its every moment. How rare that a film nowadays can carry off such daring lyricism, holding us in the cup of its hand with an absolute minimum of dialog, incident, cutting, scenic variety, or any of the other strategies utilized to make films move along. There is a tough-minded discipline to this film that gives it enormous credibility. But it is also a heartbreakingly kind and gentle film. It is truly not to be missed.\"", "id" : "\"20621_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34aa" }, "review" : "\"Even casting aside memories of the infamous summer of 2005, (during which the Internet Movie Database's Film General message board was overrun for months by the director's friends relentlessly hawking this documentary - and getting extremely unpleasant when challenged about their behaviour, trolling the board - in a monumentally misguided attempt at viral marketing that ensured everyone who encountered them waited for it to arrive on television rather than pay to see it) this film is impossible to like.Much of that stems from the unlikable Brian Herzlinger, a man with no personality to speak of. He's a poor enough actor to betray the fact that at times he's clearly reading scripted material or improvising imaginary see-I-got-you-back phone conversations with an ex girlfriend who cheated on him. And that's not even his most pathetic moment.Every attempt is made to enliven the concept but because it simply doesn't lend itself to a feature length film these attempts are doomed to failure, even if they weren't so hopelessly amateurish and inappropriate. They frequently employ six degrees of separation graphics as if they expect the audience to care that some guy's friend is a friend of some other guy's agent who knows someone who once worked with Barrymore. This kind of information is often presented in dramatic freeze frames as if to underline how important it is.Presumably resulting from a dearth of imagination and creativity we're left with seemingly never-ending footage of Herzlinger approaching teenage girls outside malls and telling them what the film's about. \\\"Oh, cool\\\" they respond unenthusiastically - and this footage made the final cut! Next we see him unsuccessfully stopping people in the street and asking them to take part in \\\"A survey about Drew Barrymore.\\\" It continues like this until the final scene, which I won't spoil. Things get mildly interesting (and decidedly awkward) for a few minutes and then - thankfully - it's over.\"", "id" : "\"42156_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ab" }, "review" : "\"Ah, the old days when movies were really, really bad. No, wait, this was made this year... Hmm, wow, I didn't think a movie about the great American dream versus the Evil Empire (tm)(c) could hold water -- no longer the evil U.S.S.R, now it gets to be China. Nor one of those shows about how the evil alien which is about to kill everyone in the world and suddenly learns to love us because some w****r scientist kisses some gal in the heat of the moment, and leaves despite the fact that it's been shot full of holes by missles and been exposed to nothing but a constant stream of violence from the majority of the \\\"dominant\\\" human population (remember, we are great, while dinosaurs sucked!). Or one where the military so predictably wants to blow up the thing-we-don't-understand with a nuke ordered by a panicked President even though the resident scientist (who's of course a totally smug jerk) says not to. How do these awful movies keep getting made?? Isn't it possible for someone to present a good, non-predictable plotline to a Hollywood producer and actually have it made? Sigh, not going to happen, I guess...\"", "id" : "\"35904_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ac" }, "review" : "\"Coach Roy(Martin Lawrence) is a famous college basketball coach who's anger leads him to a indefinite suspension from the league. His life is spirals downhill and ends up coaching the middle school that he used to attend's basketball team.Once again, Martin Lawrence proves himself to be a horrible actor. I can honestly say I have only enjoyed one of his movies(Blue Streak). And now he takes a totally different approach: The Family Movie. Martin when will you learn? You are not funny unless you are absolutely vulgar! Besides Martin Lawrences performance the movie was actually not the worst kid's movie ever. I laughed at a few of the kid's remarks, just never at Martin Lawrence. The movie can be very closely related to Like Mike(Starring Lil Bow Wow) but the scenes in which they place basketball are not even as exciting. Overall, the movie is not anything worth watching even for a family film.I do not recommend this movie.\"", "id" : "\"47255_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ad" }, "review" : "\"This is a pretty disappointing movie, coming on the heels of Alan Arkin and Peter Falk's terrific performance in \\\"The In-Laws\\\". That was a great movie. This is not. It seems like the entire production was under financed and thrown together. The production values are sloppy. In one scene you can actually see the lighting cables and c-stands as the stars chase through a hallway. I can only assume Arkin and Falk agreed to do this film out of friendship for John Cassavettes. This \\\"Double Indemnity\\\" parody is just not worthy of any of them though. However, there is one great, great moment in \\\"Big Trouble\\\" that stands out: the world's longest spit take. This is done early in the picture when it seems the movie might actually recreate the fun and excitement of \\\"The In-Laws\\\". Watch as Alan Arkin samples some of Falk's herring liquor. It's a show stopping, side splitting moment.But after that, stop the tape. There's nothing else worth seeing.\"", "id" : "\"33360_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ae" }, "review" : "\"An overlooked masterpiece. Not only did Gillian Armstrong's direction serve the material superbly, but Judy Davis's Sybilla was one of the boldest film debuts I've ever seen. The gasps heard all over the theater when Sam Neill is first seen (from Sybilla's POV in the tree) also made an indelible impression.Perhaps most impressive is the screenplay, which greatly improves on what turned out to be a good novel so dated that it is all the more amazing that anyone ever thought to make it into a film. The musical score was also a delight.Most confusing to me is that it has taken so long for it to be released on home video. A major addition to any thinking film-goer's home library.\"", "id" : "\"24953_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34af" }, "review" : "\"This delightful female cast, brings back to the screen an excellent, entertaining, funny, and dramatic wicked elegance of The Full Monty phenomenon with a feminine twist. Julie Waters in a Supporting Actress Oscar performance together with Helen Mirren easily capture the British wry humor and the typical stuck-up attitude of old English propriety its predecessor. There are great moments of laughter and sobering moments of reality and realization of sacrifice, loss, betrayal. One of the best movies of the year. Nine out of ten stars.\"", "id" : "\"6226_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34b0" }, "review" : "\"This is like a school video project and a propaganda film that puts the whole class as well as the teacher to sleep.Utterly boring long silent(yes, silent) strings of unrelated video clips.Instead of this movie watch the paint dry or the grass grow- it will be more interesting unless you enjoy seeing Arabs being malicious to everyone around them.Sulieman (the Director) should be embarrassed of this lame waste of film.It deserves a one for the movie quality, a zero for the ridiculous propaganda message and a negative number for the script (or lack thereof.)\"", "id" : "\"32410_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34b1" }, "review" : "\"This was almost exactly like a run-of-the-mill porn movie (except there was precious little porn in it, except for at couple of bare-boobs shots), what with the incredibly bad acting, utterly pointless plot and ridiculous scenes completely unrelated to the rest of the story (case in point: the singing hippie priest)Avoid at all cost! 1/10\"", "id" : "\"38057_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34b2" }, "review" : "\"\\\"The Godfather\\\", \\\"Citizen Kane\\\", \\\"Star Wars\\\", \\\"Goodfellas\\\" None of the above compare to the complex brilliance of \\\"The Sopranos\\\". Each and every character has layers upon layers of absolute verity, completely and utterly three dimensional. We care about Tony Soprano wholeheartedly, despite the fact that in the simplest model of good vs. evil, he is evil. Soprano is the most provocative, intricate, and fascinating protagonist ever created to this point in history. If you're in the mood to be overtly challenged as a viewer, and to be forever altered on your feelings toward entertainment, watch \\\"The Sopranos\\\". I defy anybody to sit down and watch the very first episode of Season 1, and not want to continue with the series. Each season is completely brilliant in its own way. DVDs are essential to anybody's collection **** of out 4\"", "id" : "\"14875_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34b3" }, "review" : "\"It was wonderful of Fran Drescher to open up her spectacular Malibu home to hold a reunion for the much loved,and never forgotten characters of the hit sitcom The Nanny.Although Fran still has that somewhat annoying,thick Queens accent,her appearance has dramatically changed since the Nanny.However,with long straight black hair,and style still in tact,Fran Drescher makes the 40's look fabulous,and was the gracious host for 'A Nosh to Remember' A must-see for all fans of the Nanny. All actors from the Nanny were present except for Daniel Davis (Niles the Butler) who unfortunately couldn't make it.His absence was noticeable too.The stars had a meal together on the balcony overlooking Malibu beach,as they reflected on memorable moments from the show.It was a real treat to see Maggie,Brighton and Gracie all grown up and it was obvious that the actors truly formed long lasting friendships during the series that remain in their hearts.It was wonderful to see the cast all together again,and great to see hilarious and 'special' Nanny moments relived again.\"", "id" : "\"10981_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34b4" }, "review" : "\"I had tickets for this at the Toronto International Film Festival last summer but was side-tracked by an obscure little film called Slumdog Millionaire instead, so only got around to watching it last night on pay-per-view. In a strange way, the two films have a good deal in common. In an era in which everyone seems to want either tense thrillers, puerile comedies or awesome special effects (the only one here, as has been pointed out, is a cheaply put together tornado), both movies offer little more than a thoroughly improbable plot and a focus on character development. But both work remarkably well. I am puzzled by those who found that the movie dragged. While most of the plot development was telegraphed not once but several times, the acting from all three leads was both believable and very deft. At first I thought that Rachel McAdams' character was simply too naive to be true but it soon became apparent that she was much wiser than we (or even she) knew. She plays it beautifully. Tim Robbins is wonderful too, and rather pathetic, in a down-to-earth role as an aging war veteran, happy to have survived and soon to be confronted with some harsh realities. But Michael Pena was the real surprise. He is completely captivating in his portrayal of a proud young vet from a military family on his way to meet his girlfriend, with his masculinity compromised by a war injury. His character is the most subtly poignant as he confronts his own fears about his manhood, on several levels.Like all movies based on the Iraqi war, this seems to suffer from America's desire to ignore the war altogether, just as they ignored the Vietnam veterans a generation ago (Coming Home, The Deer Hunter). America seems to be much less willing to address its failures now than it was then, or even the lesser failures in the wake of World War II.\"", "id" : "\"6776_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34b5" }, "review" : "\"It had to happen someday: a movie about people who DIDN'T succeed with their ideas.At least they got their fifteen minutes of fame.In \\\"Gizmo\\\", the excitement and virtue of creativity is embraced in full as a multitude of inventions from a ways back are shown, via newsreels. Some are pretty viable (indestructable head gear) while others are just plain silly (inummerable flying machines) but all show a lot of imagination behind the madness.You have to hand it to the inventors, though: they were trying to better mankind. At least it wasn't through weapons of war.All in all, \\\"Gizmo\\\" is a lot of fun, for the whole family, even. If you can find it, rent it, or even catch it on TV, watch it. Especially if none of your ideas ever succeed.You'll feel better.Ten stars. Let's hear it for the entreprenurial spirit!\"", "id" : "\"6306_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34b6" }, "review" : "\"The daredevils/heroes are: Gene-- the brains of the outfit, Tiny – a gifted strongman, and Bert -- an agile escape artist. They are aided by Carole Landis who plays Blanche Grandville – the granddaughter of Horace Grandville whose multimillion dollar industrial complex is under attack by master criminal 39013. This film is twelve chapters of action packed cliff-hanging fun. I particularly liked the fact that these circa 1939 daredevils did almost all of their action scenes in double breasted three piece suits! The history of the major actors is quite interesting: Dave Sharpe,Bert, became an Army pilot during WWII and a major stuntman; having a long and celebrated career in the industry. He has been ranked with the great Yakima Canutt. Charles Quigley, Gene, had a good career but died of cirrhosis of the liver before he turned sixty. Bruce Bennet aka Herman Brix, who played Tiny, was a 1928 Olympic champion who went on to a very long career and lived to be over 100 years old. Carole Landis was 29 when she committed suicide. I bought this film because of the multitude of glowing reviews found on this forum. I was not disappointed!\"", "id" : "\"3751_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34b7" }, "review" : "\"Just like \\\"Moonraker\\\" (1979), James Bond actor Roger Moore seemed to watch out for a new role opposite to his cool gentlemen-like 007 fame. So it's no wonder, that his role as Rufus Excalibur Ffolkes is miles away from 007, but it's still Moore. After a bunch of high-tech terrorists has taken over three oil rigs and threaten to blow them up if the British government won't pay a few million pounds, it is Moore's turn to save the western world. Leading a squad of professional anti-terrorist submarine fighters, they are planning to storm the rigs, running out of time and fighting against thunderstorms and the cleverness of the gangsters.The cast is superb, with Anthony Perkins as gang leader, playing some kind of crossover between Norman Bates and the Bond villains. Supporting roles are played by James Mason and David Hedison, who played Bond's American CIA sidekick Felix Leiter two times. The plot is influenced by the rise of modern terrorism and the energy crisis in the seventies, but also by the Bond films and the fashionable disaster movies of its time.The best about the film is Roger Moore's Ffolks - a cat-loving, alcohol-drinking, women-hating, bearded Englishmen without a sense of humor and gentleness. The pacing is alright, and the story keeps the film thrilling until is too-fast ending. And while James Bond is rewarded with the most beautiful girl after having saved the world, Ffolkes receives a completely different gift at the end of the film... All in all, \\\"North Sea Hijack\\\" is the perfect action thriller for a stormy and rainy autumn evening in front of your TV set.\"", "id" : "\"8144_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34b8" }, "review" : "\"This film does not show Bud and Terence at their best. The combination of awful acting, awful wigs and superbly irritating synthesizer music all combine to make this film an effort in endurance to stay watching.I'm not sure where this comes in the Bud/Terence line up of movies, but, much like the early plot where the two characters team up again for one final mission, this movie has the feel of a movie made after the heyday of the pair. Perhaps even a film made to reunite the two actors in the hope of regaining the magic of the pairing.Whatever the reason, it doesn't work. The film is a mess and the acting by the non-principals is just plain dire. You know the sort of thing - advertisement acting quality. Add in the lamentably obvious hairpieces, which might as well have had neon \\\"WIG!\\\" signs above each of them and dubbing which, whilst OK in the main, only serves to remind you that it is, in fact, dubbing and you have the recipe for an 80's movie disaster.Unfortunately, the disaster becomes a calamity of epic proportions when the music is factored in. Some bad films benefit from a synthesizer soundtrack - Hawk the Slayer, for instance - but here, the repetitive and, it has to be said, mindless chord sequences only jar the nerves. Anyone who's ever played an arcade machine from the eighties will quickly recognize the type of \\\"music\\\" that becomes increasingly annoying the more you have to listen to it whilst trying to complete that difficult level.As for the plot, I was too busy gaping open-mouthed at all the wrongness on display to really pay it much heed. Some hokum about the pairing teaming up again to complete a previously unfinished mission......hmmm....the arcade machine analogy again. And, much like those \\\"difficult-to-complete\\\" games, this movie depends for its completion on how many mental \\\"dimes\\\" you have left to put into it. It really is an exercise in endurance.I expect fans of the duo will like it nonetheless, but it isn't a patch on \\\"My Name is Nobody\\\" and, like so many other films of the time, it really shows its age now.Summary: Mindless \\\"Miami Vice wannabee\\\" music, hack acting, awful wigs and so-so dubbing. Not recommended except for the most stalwart of fans.\"", "id" : "\"4997_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34b9" }, "review" : "\"My top 10 Problems with this movie...1 Peter Fonda looked like he was on 'ludes the whole movie... especially when his missing granddaughter turns up and he blurts \\\"lily. i'm so happy to see you\\\". I've never seen a actor emote less.2 Alec Baldwin. Not that he is bad in this. He seems to be about the only actual actor trying to act. But all I could think of was GlenGary Glen Ross. I was dying for him to scream \\\"YOU THOUGHTLESS LITTLE PIG\\\" to the Lily character. I wonder how far they got into shooting before Alec realized what a major piece of crap he was involved in.3 Was the Native American driving the train supposed to be some sort of lame joke? You know.. an injun driving an engine. What was he even doing in this movie? 4 The Yahoo Serious brother or cousin or whatever. Simply annoying. Although the \\\"Shell Phone\\\" joke was good.5 What exactly are the rules about who shrinks and who doesn't when they travel thru the magic railroad. They're definitely not consistent.6 How exactly did Patch get all that coal to the cave? 7 The engines are barely in this movie at all. And when they are, some speak with a brit accent and others don't. WTF? Plus the engine with the most lines (Diesel 10) isn't even one of the main Thomas and Friends characters.8 What was Diesel 10 doing there in the first place if he was such a pain in the a..? 9 The opening sequence at Shining Time with the James Taylor-ish music and the juggler was simply lame. At least it was big waving red flag at the beginning of the film alerting me to keep my expectations low.10 What was with Lily climbing on things? Was it foreshadowing some event that never happened? 11 The whole Gold Dust concept confused the hell out of me. What it's for, where it comes from, all of it... was frustratingly unclear.Well I could go on and on. I'm not going to cheap out at this point and say \\\"but my kid liked it\\\" like everyone else. Yeah, he'll sit and watch it. But he'd sit and watch just about anything that had Thomas in it and it is a shame that they totally squandered an opportunity to make a decent feature movie with some beloved characters. Too bad.\"", "id" : "\"4468_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ba" }, "review" : "\"Blood Dolls starts as eccentric billionaire computer developer businessman Virgil Travis (Jack Maturin) discovers he has lost a billion dollars after losing a legal battle leaving him financially ruined, obviously not best pleased about losing a billion dollars he sets out to kill his competitors who made it happen as well as the corrupt judge. In his spare time Virgil has also created horrible little killer dolls to do his bidding, first George Warbeck (Nicholas Worth) & Mercy Shaw (Jodie Coady) are taken care off then Virgil turns his attentions to Harrison Yulin (Warren Draper) & his scheming wife Moira (Debra Mayer) who just happens to be a dominatrix... Has Virgil met his match at last?Written, produced & directed by Charles Band & made under his Full Moon company this is yet another killer toy flick one maybe cynically would suggest is more interested in starting a new line of collectible toys than entertaining. Band has experience in the killer toy genre, Dolls (1987) & Puppet Master (1989) & it's sequels, unfortunately Blood Dolls is terrible in pretty much every way. The story is absolutely none existent, seriously there is no story to speak of or worth mentioning at all. It's just a few random scenes cobbled together more than a coherent film. There are some really bizarre things in Blood Dolls, for instance a four girl rock band who Virgil keeps locked in a cage & has them perform songs at regular intervals for no apparent reason. The fact that Virgil has an extremely small head, there's absolutely no reason for it & it looks stupid but it's here anyway. The fact that Virgil's servants consist of a guy in clown make-up & a dwarf add another unusual spin on proceedings without ever making any sense in their own right. Then there's the fact that Moira is a dominatrix, the film comes alive when she goes into mistress mode & abuses her husband & her scenes are the only reason I'm giving Blood Dolls 3 stars instead of 1. Unfortunately her dominatrix scenes are few & far between & once her husband is killed off she becomes 'normal' as it were & the film then dies a slow painful death. There's also a pointless double ending like in Clue (1985) where one thing happens & then an alternative it could have also happened like this ending is shown which just makes the whole film even more pointless.Director Band was obviously working on a low budget, the doll effects are poor & they have little movement. There's hardly any blood or gore, someone gets bashed over the head with a lifting weight, someone gets a scalpel in the eye, a guy is killed when wires dig into his flesh & a drill burrows into someones chest with lots of blood splatter. Otherwise this is virtually bloodless. There's nothing here scary, there's no atmosphere or tension & the story sucks. Apart from a few fun scenes with Moira as a dominatrix Blood Dolls has nothing going for it & is utterly forgettable. Even the dolls themselves are bland & look cheap, none of them stand out as being 'cool' or particularly threatening.Technically the film is basic, it appears to be shot in the same few rooms & the special effects consist of nothing more than a few plastic dolls moving their arms & heads. Every so often the rock group perform a song, they can't sing & all I can say is thank god for the mute button! The acting is OK, dominatrix Debra Mayer steals every scene shes in.Blood Dolls is a cheap, poor, plot less attempt at starting another killer toy franchise by Charles Band, do yourself a big favour & watch Puppet Master, Dolls or Child's Play (1988) again instead. Apart from Mayer's dominatrix scenes this is pretty damned bad & as far as I'm concerned has nothing going for it.\"", "id" : "\"15760_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34bb" }, "review" : "\"I'm not sure HOW this was accomplished, but Blood of the Vampire is both ghastly AND dull. I had taped this off AMC during the 2002 Halloween marathon and finally had a chance to watch it and while it had the look and feel of a Hammer movie it was amazingly, painfully dull. The fact that Dr Callistratus is resurrected from the dead is the only supernatural element in the movie and somehow it never becomes an issue or is talked about again. (SPOILER AHEAD) Although the visual elements of the Doctor's secret laboratory is stark, there is no attempt to generate any fear in this movie. Dull dull dull.\"", "id" : "\"40828_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34bc" }, "review" : "\"(mild spoilers)I had heard that this was a \\\"tearjerker,\\\" but i was completely taken in by the simple story and the incredible relationship between Dink and The Champ.I spent the last half of the movie with tears rolling down my cheeks, and i was really struck by a lot of the little details that made the film play much better than a lot of movies nowadays. (And i am not saying that all movies today are bad, hey, i liked the Matrix and Lord of the Rings like everybody else.) But there are little moments, such as the way they hold hands walking out of the gambling joint, or the way Beery takes off his son's shoes and gets him ready for bed, then sits up and looks out the window in despair over having lost everything at the craps table. Just blew me away. The scene in the jail DESTROYED me, as did the final scene. Just such amazing characters, and you couldn't help but feel for them. Beery is such a terrific on screen presence , and Cooper was just a joy to watch. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED\"", "id" : "\"9561_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34bd" }, "review" : "\"this 1997 film of an earlier play is the proof. there's just too much real absurdity going on. Genevieve Bujold as the disconnected mother is the best thing in it, but these days, that isn't saying much, because so many people are disconnected. What there is of a plot about sibling incest and insanity is today totally predictable. A few (too few)funny lines. no one seems to know quite what to do with Parker Posey, except Christopher Guest, in his wonderful mockumentaries, in which she's very funny. Here, she just seems strained. Tori Spelling is quite appealing as the only normal character, a donut shop waitress who lands in a pretentious upscale family.\"", "id" : "\"44911_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34be" }, "review" : "\"More banality not worth wasting many words on.The same inspiration for this show must have been the same inspiration which caused Ms. Grey to transform herself with surgery from a very attractive woman with looks of character to a commonplace \\\"Plain Jane\\\".Just like Jennifer Grey's appearance has become commonplace and plain, so is this show. Not bad, but just another show, and another face, in the crowd. Nothing special.\"", "id" : "\"48259_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34bf" }, "review" : "\"I have seen Lookwell (the television show) which was canceled years ago without it been given a chance by NBC. Let me tell you that this show would have been bigger than Seinfeld, Married With Children, ER, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Super Bowl VI, The Larry Sanders Show, Live With Regis and Kelly, Dallas, and Live With Emeril Lagasse COMBINED. OK, maybe I'm exaggerating, but Lookwell was the funniest thing I've ever seen. To my pleasant surprise I found out, right on this web site, who wrote the script for Lookwell. It was a young Conan O'Brien AND the guy who does the voice for Triumph The Insult Dog (Robert Smigel). I just pray that that show, the little of it that was recorded, becomes available on video so that I can buy it. People this was FUNNY with a capitol T. Americans should be making long lines in Macys department stores all across America to kiss Conan O'Brien's, Robert Smigel's, and Adam West's ass. No animals were hurt during the making of this memo. Enough of this, let me go make a sandwich. Sincerely kneeling FrankPenab@AOL.com\"", "id" : "\"31128_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34c0" }, "review" : "\"You don't leave the theater untouched by this movie. It reached me and didn't let go. I saw this movie five times and for those among you who missed it, be sure you can get your hands on a video or dvd.It will stimulate al least three of your five senses...\"", "id" : "\"27419_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34c1" }, "review" : "\"i had wanted to see this film for MANY YEARS! well Mainly cause John Carradine was in it. & it was a movie that i was curious to see? & no need to say who's 1st film it was! :) well one of his 1st films i mean. & i was QUITE bored watching it. the acting was as BAD as it got! & iactually almost bought this piece of crap of a film on DVD a few years ago. & NOW I'm glad i did NOT! so anyone who hasn't seen this film, watch it only for curiosity, NOT cause people have said it's good. & the 2nd reason i forgot to mention was the #1 reason i watched it off Cable was it's an Early film that \\\"Roger The Man Corman\\\" produced when he had NOT long before had quit directing films.\"", "id" : "\"36895_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34c2" }, "review" : "\"This is a great movie for those who grew up in the 1950's. I didn't. I wasn't born until 1962, but when I was a young tyke, I had to see this movie from the moment I saw the TV spot advertising it on television. Dad and I went out to the newest theater in Austin-- the four-plex was the newest and biggest theater in the Austin area, with an name to mystify those reading the ads ~~~~The Aquarius 4, it was called. The movie was loaded with all kinds of footage from the 1950's, and included in this footage was some ancient looking film clips of the students in High School in Hicksville, NY. These students were demonstrating good and bad dress codes. On the left of the teacher were the ones dressed poorly with t-shirts, 'dungarees', open toed shoes, etc. And on the right, a group of kids that would make today's 90210 crowd look like the Peanut Gallery. In addition to this footage, there was other footage showing the fads of the day, the cars, Chuck Berry's tour bus sitting in a junk yard, and all kinds of things that I had never seen at the age of 11 or so. It was a collage of old films and reminders of an era past that people were trying to remember by the early 1970's. The makers of this film used a technique where they had one inmage on one side of the screen and another image on the other side. So, while the footage would roll on the right, you would see a modern-day Chuck Berry singing in concert. The film was half concert and half archival footage. It was a great film. The Shirelles were in the show live as was Little Richard, Fats Domino, Bill Haley, and Chuck Berry. The 5 Satins did a set too and let us not forget that 'guitar playing fool', Bo Diddley. Bo was there with his rectangular guitar, a pimp's hat with a feather and his uniquie timekeeping abilities. It was a memorable show. For some reason the makers of this film never released this again. It isn't on video, I have never seen it on television that I know of and all attempts at finding it on my favorite film guage (16mm) are futile. The only thing that I have been able to locate is a tv spot from the movie and this is valuable to me for the reasons above. I recommend this movie highly and I will never forget my experience with having seen this movie.\"", "id" : "\"17140_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34c3" }, "review" : "\"This is not just a \\\"kitchen sink\\\" film. It's an thriller with an edge, a story and believable characters.It is a fairly violent film, but that violence is given a realistic, documentary treatment, which is some ways makes it all the more shocking. There is no gore splatter, just cold, well-defined revenge. The trailer did leave me with the impression it was going to be much bloodier, but I feel that Shane Meadows got the balance right.Paddy Considine's script is very good, and leaves enough room for the audience to be surprised at the next turn, and his portrayal of a vengeful brother is spot-on. Provided they are happy with the lack of Hollywood polish, this is a film I'd recommend to any lovers of the thriller genre. It's well-paced and there are sufficient surprises to keep you guessing throughout.Overall, it kept me well occupied and it gets a good 8/10 from me.\"", "id" : "\"2569_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34c4" }, "review" : "\"Having a child with severe autism, i approach every autistic related movie with caution. The trailer pulls on your heartstrings, the movie however spells out things that parents and siblings experience on a day to day basis. The movie running at 93 minutes, can't ever convey a life with autism, but with the director, seems to have brought her life experience to the screen in a thoughtful and observant way (small observations only people touched by autism would recognise and find funny and painful). Im not sure if viewers with no experience would understand these, which is the most heartbreaking aspect of the whole movie. I wish, i really wish everyone could see this movie, and if one single clip could make a difference, i think the world would be a better place. Overall, its an uplifting movie, but unfortunately it wont change the way most of the world think of this disability. Siblings experiencing or who have lived with autism, I think, will see this movie differently. it does seem to preach to them, how they should behave and what their responsibilities are. We (parents, siblings and autistic children) are still waiting for the definitive movie, that will open the world's eyes.\"", "id" : "\"21737_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34c5" }, "review" : "\"This is about Spain in the 70s, with the falangists still in power. A salesman of dictionaries about the civil war is about to be fired. But his boss gives him another opportunity: Start making porno films together with your wife for my company.They start doing so, but there are conflicts of course. This movie can't decide if it is a comedy or a wannabe tragedy and it ends in neither. This could have been mostly funny if the creators had done more of the 70s feeling, but they don't. And in the end you laugh more at the persons you ought to feel sorry about. Not a must.\"", "id" : "\"30221_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34c6" }, "review" : "\"Mindblowingly gruesome and gory and thoroughly entertaining roller-coaster ride – takes the updated atmosphere of the 2003 remake and notches it even further in a prequel that effectively delineates the origin of Leatherface and his cannibalistic family. R Lee Ermey returns as the \\\"sheriff\\\" we met in the 2003 remake, realistically caring for his family in his own misguided and brutal way. Especially of note in the cast is Jordana Brewster, who beyond being devastatingly beautiful, is really outstanding in the role of the major female heroine – convincingly and movingly portraying the terror and the resilience of an innocent girl struggling to survive while confronted with unimaginable horrors and witnessing the brutality done to her closest friends. Probably her best moment – beyond the scene where she hides under the table as Leatherface has his way with her boyfriend, is the quiet moment where she stands at the door to the Hewitt home, staring at freedom, inches away, and then reluctantly does the right thing and turns to proceed haltingly upstairs to help her friend. And as her friend, Diora Baird was also quite convincing - and a dynamite screamer. The two young male leads were effective and likable, and sympathetic in their own back story.The effectswork is terrific yet not overdone, fitting seamlessly into the storyline to visually tell the story of the horrors committed by this family, and the film is very well supported by the music score of Steve Jablonsky, who develops the atmospheric tonality developed for the 2003 remake and crafts a musical design that maintains a constancy of dread and a rhythmic, panic-inducing pulse during the action scenes. The main theme, a horn melody intoned over a rhythmic underworking of fast-moving violins, really drives the film's excitement when it's not creating haunting tonalities during the suspenseful moments. Jablonsky's reprisal of Leatherface's theme is especially moving when he puts on the face of one of his victims, wearing the human mask (the \\\"leather face\\\") for the first time – the score crescendos in a slow ascent of triumph, yet tinged with the horror relevant in that triumph. John Larroquette's narration at the end neatly tied into his opening monologue for the 2003 remake – not to mention the original 1974 film.As the latest take on the TCM franchise, the film, beyond being a terrific and not-for-the-squeamish horror picture, adds to the TCM mythology and illuminates the dementia behind America's most ghoulish family, although it fails to provide an truly adequate psychological explanation or rationale to the events of the family's cannibalistic origin beyond suggestion that they were a survivalist reaction to circumstances. THE BEGINNING covers the events that started the family's rural rampage of murder; real insight into what makes the family, and the character tick, wasn't really what this film was about.\"", "id" : "\"17324_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34c7" }, "review" : "\"As a college instructor of modern problems and history- I am appalled by the total lack of knowledge today's students ( and fellow instructors ) have regarding the issues surrounding WWII. Moreover- many of these same persons have no ability ( or desire ) to make the connection of those years( 1933-1945 ) as to how the world is now formulated. Director Dan Curtis has exhibited both the will and ability to take both Herman Wouk's novel and incorporate it so successfully into this massive, and titanic film. I believe, that both WoW and W & R, along with \\\"Saving Private Ryan \\\" should be required film watching for all graduating high schoolers. Admittedly many of the films realistic and gritty scenes are difficult to watch- but unfortunately reality is often a cruel place. Both WoW and W&R; give an honest lesson on the eventual triumph of the forces of good over evil which the world faced in the middle of the 20th century. The side stories of the characters involved and their individual romances and escapades only solidify the historical significance of the film. My favorite scenes involved the accurate depiction of the battle of Midway. Midway probably saved several years of hard Pacific fighting and thousands of lives as a result of the American victory. Grade A+ performances for Robert Mitchum and Jane Seymore. Steven Berkoff was masterful as Hitler and Jeremy Kemp continued his credible role as the sympathetic and loyal General Armin von Roon. Barry Morse also deserves credit for being able to switch roles from the slimy Wolf Stoller in WoW to a wise but challenging General Halder in W& R ( One goof- Halder was not executed in the aftermath of the July 22, 1944 attempt on Hitler as depicted in the film- he survived the war ). Both the Winds of War and War and Remembrance are films that must be seen!\"", "id" : "\"28665_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34c8" }, "review" : "\"Even if Gregg Araki didn't try so hard to be profound, his movie would still be horrible. After hearing \\\"666\\\" for the fourth time, it's tempting to scream, \\\"I get it! I'll acknowledge your irony if it will mean you'll stop beating me over the head with it!\\\" Araki's 5th rate script could have possibly been saved if he had at least hired 5th rate actors. Rose McGowan has about as much animation as a paper doll. It's almost painful to watch her act; as if you want to finish her sentences for her to save her the trouble. I'm still not convinced that James Duval is an actor. I think he's some kind of mannequin brought to life by amateur puppeteers. Johnathan Schaech is the only saving grace in this festering pile of garbage. His talent was completely wasted. Whomever gave Gregg Araki any kind of budget deserves to be shot. Hard-core criminals should be forced to read his writing as punishment.\"", "id" : "\"31400_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34c9" }, "review" : "\"MY SWEET Satan is a low-budget short directed by and starring Jim Van Bebber (DEADBEAT AT DAWN). This outing has atrocious acting, and is really only good for laughing at all the horrible haircuts on display...The story is about a Satan-loving jerk-off (Van Bebber)who kills one of his friends for stealing drug money from him. That's it. But I guess you're not gonna get TOO much plot in a 20 minute \\\"film\\\"...Other than a few decent gore scenes - which are really the ONLY reason for watching this one - MY LITTLE Satan is a dud. ALL of the characters are completely annoying, and the Satan \\\"side-plot\\\" is stupid and unnecessary as it's never really explained or built on. Give DEADBEAT AT DAWN a shot instead, or hopefully you already got the Synapse release of DEADBEAT AT DAWN, and MY LITTLE Satan was on the extras...4/10 - only for the head-stomp scene...\"", "id" : "\"36435_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ca" }, "review" : "\"I have just finished watching the Complete Series DVD collection of \\\"Freaks and Geeks,\\\" one of the best high school television series on televisions that, thanks to idiotic network executives who continue to make the decisions that make network television more and more unbearable to watch, have truly missed out on a gem. And, thanks to a healthy fan network, I was able to enjoy every bit of the series (as short as it was) on DVD.Freaks and Geeks was one of the most honest portrayals of high school life, pleasantly departing from the overrated attention given to other television series and films who consistently focus on the \\\"untouchable\\\" classes of the dreaded high school social caste system that we are all likely too familiar with. The assorted teen dramas, and the difficulty of just subsisting in the often passively rigid classes within the high school social scene. This television series presented things from two perspectives: a group of freshman friends marked as \\\"The Geeks\\\" and a group of older friends, underachievers known as \\\"The Freaks.\\\" The Geeks often provided the comical element to the show, while the Freaks often explore more dramatic story lines such as problems with parents (a constant subplot), self-esteem, drugs, and more. Although the Geeks confronted their own share of problems, their youth and easygoing attitude often made the situation more light-hearted.Other commentators have often posited the question (on the \\\"Freaks and Geeks\\\" board along with other short-lived television series) why shows like these never last long on television. While \\\"Saved by the Bell\\\" might have been the only show to be quite successful with it (though only after significant retooling of the original series, \\\"Good Morning Mrs. Bliss would NBC even agree to pick up the show), my guess is that this show may have initially had a difficult time finding a loyal audience in the crucial early days of the show. There were issues of drug use and teenage sex which some might not have found ideal for the younger viewers of this show (people in their very early teens as this show tended to sometimes celebrate drug use...even though there was one episode that was clearly anti-drug). Five years ago was a different time, however. And shows like \\\"The O.C.\\\" (on Fox) seems to get away with stories surrounding its \\\"young\\\" characters and attitudes towards casual sex. Sadly, however, the network, too, is to blame, as it shifted the show into unrecognizable time slots, airing a show that was ideal for young audiences at a time when they would least likely be watching television--Friday and Sunday evenings. I cannot say that this would be why other television series surrounding high school would also be canceled.It might also be that the show was never given a fair chance. Some might have quickly judged it as a rip-off of \\\"The Wonder Years\\\" (John Daly and the Geek Gang--especially Neil and Harris--did look like characters you might find on that show, not to mention the high school looking just like that in The Wonder Years).My other guess for the reason that shows like these are often short-lived is that they are too expensive to produce. \\\"Freaks and Geeks,\\\" like \\\"My So-Called Life\\\" filled a lengthy time slot of fifty minutes or so. Filmed partially on location and partially on a set (like \\\"Sqaure Pegs\\\" and \\\"My So-Called Life\\\"), a show like this becomes very expensive to produce and, may unfortunately force some hasty decisions about how long a network would ride out slack ratings.I still think NBC passed up a good thing, and possibly other networks if it was pitched to them once being canceled. It was a great show that tried to produce a very dynamic set of characters and stories and did well.I would also like to say while I adored nearly every character on the show (except for Nick who's obsession with Lindsay transformed him into not only a bizarre, but a boring character), I thought Martin Starr was the best as the witty Bill Haverchuck (I love his Bionic Woman bit when he is getting his costume ready in the Halloween episode). Though I thought him to be needlessly bizarre in the beginning (particularly due to his gawky appearance), he turned out to be one of the best characters. He always tried his best to be a good friend to everyone and, he always had some of the funniest lines in th show (Joe Flaherty, as Sam's dad, also had a bunch of good one-liners). And, while he was not in the show but sporadically, I also loved 'Harris,' the Geek mentor who always seemed so confident about everything.Long live Freaks and Geeks! May the television show's creators reconsider trying this one again (even if you have to start over with a new cast, since everyone has aged six years--as of this writing).\"", "id" : "\"15259_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34cb" }, "review" : "\"Such a witty movie, lot's of 'moments'. Clive Owen, a ronin sort of being, has a baby - actually the delivery scene is a hoot - and he sets out to feed it and protect it. This is much better humor, drama and better visuals than 800 and yet in the same comic book-style genre. But live.It's exciting and very fast-paced. But mainly tongue in cheek. Great editing and direction.The editing and film effects can throw you off at the start but hang in there - it's worth it. Once you get into the idiom you're hooked.If you don't laugh you're dead.See it.\"", "id" : "\"24597_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34cc" }, "review" : "\"I helped make this movie.. It was a very fun film for those interested in darker side of magic and the devil... And.. What lusts life has to give to create the devil's child.. What things you could have happen if you really were in a cult.. Who would save you?? Or would you fall to the evil within yourself?? I feel truly inspired by David's work... He has a brilliant and dignifying diabolical ideas that really set your mind to thinking! I hope I can work with him again!! I have many many more great ideas..Right now I'm helping put together another film on magic and I'm going to be in this one!!If ya don't like the 18th Angel, then you never understood it in the 1st place. You never know maybe some of the movie has some truths in it... Maybe you'll get it after you see it a few more times..Syncerely, 18th angel Antichrist\"", "id" : "\"19093_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34cd" }, "review" : "\"\\\"Escape from (the) Brothel\\\" is one of those Hongkong films that mix drama with action, nudity and pure terror to make a notorious \\\"Category-III-classic\\\". In a way, it's also a love story, but don't expect to get a Hollywood-standard happy end here.A man falls in love with a prostitute who works in a brothel. He wants to get her out but there is no way to do that. The more he tries to help her, the more violence he witnesses and he has to fight against it. In one scene, he is attacked by a kick boxing nude amazon blonde (sic!).The second half of the film is a violent \\\"tour de force\\\", and as bodies are piling up during the action-packed climax, this film also becomes one of the goriest Hongkong films aside the great \\\"The Untold Story\\\" and the viciously funny \\\"The Ebola Syndrome\\\".I recommend this film to everyone who likes \\\"Category-III\\\"-movies from Hongkong. However, people who are easily offended by the blending of sex and violence surely should let this one be.\"", "id" : "\"5053_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ce" }, "review" : "\"Just an awesome movie with awesome special effects for 1977. When watching remember it was 1977, not 1997 when it was made. The effects were years ahead of its day. Worth every second to watch. Now if they'd only release it on DVD!\"", "id" : "\"8423_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34cf" }, "review" : "\"I have foolishly viewed far too many of these \\\"8 films to die for\\\" DVD's, from both the first go-round & the second. I think that perhaps \\\"Lake Dead\\\" is the nail in the coffin of my interest in these films. There were a few goodies in among the crap, like \\\"Reincarnation\\\", \\\"The Abandoned\\\", and \\\"Frontiers\\\", but as for the rest, well, utterly forgettable with little in the way of any redeeming values.Three girls inherit a hotel from their grandfather that they didn't know was alive. Their father may well be a drunken fool, but he at least tried to protect them from the knowledge of grandpa's existence. Why? Well, because there were some unsavory family ties that he didn't want his daughter involved in.And how unsavory were these ties? Well, grandpa gets it at the very beginning of the film, when he decides enough is enough, apparently, although a little late, I'd say. The girls, of course, head off to view their inheritance in a big RV that belongs to an old frat buddy of one of the daughter's boyfriends. Also along for the ride is a friend of one of the daughters, of the female persuasion. There is a bit of dismay expressed by the RV owner's girlfriend, since her boyfriend has cheated on her numerous times, and he's not done yet, you can bet.When they reach the hotel they're greeted by the shriveled manager, a sweet old lady who really isn't all that sweet. And after tangling with some deformed looking locals they're picked up by the nice sheriff, who really isn't so nice. And then it's sort of revealed that the girls may have a few family ties with these folks and they're due to keep the family line going.I guess there's not a lot of good things that I can say about a movie where the highlight is a guy giving his mom some tongue...I won't say who it is but if anything in this movie was scary, that was it.An abysmal piece of work, not to be bothered with. 2 out of 10.\"", "id" : "\"23791_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34d0" }, "review" : "\"I was against film censorship and film ratings less than zero until I saw the aptly named Five Gates of Hell.As a previous critic noted, 'A shabby little shocker'. When asked to name a movie I wanted to 'unwatch', this is at the top of my list. Oh, and just when you thought the sociopathic film couldn't be worse, there's Nancy Kulp(Miss Jane Hathaway from the Bev Hillbillies) with a hand grenade, and Neville Brand in oriental blackface. If you're interested in the fates of women in World War II and Asian prisoner-of-war camps, I suggest you watch the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) miniseries 'Tenko'.\"", "id" : "\"12769_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34d1" }, "review" : "\"Ichi-1 is the prequel to Ichi The Killer. It's not the best movie in the world, but it's a lot better than I thought it would be. It's about Ichi in high school. He gets bullied and that's when he starts to go nuts. It's got some great fight scenes too. It's also of course got a few nasty scenes. The baseball scene was pretty disturbing. The main problem I had with this movie though was the fact that there were no teachers at the school. I can't believe not one teacher stopped any fights at school all those kids had. I didn't see one teacher at all at the school period. I guess all the kids scared them off or something. Ichi-1 is a low budget movie, but much better than most low budget movie I've seen. It's also got a bit of comedy in the movie too. The movie is all in Japanese though, so unless you can speak Japanese you'll have to read the English subtitles. It's worth checking out if you liked Ichi The Killer, but it might disappoint some people. I recommend renting it first.I give Ichi-1 a 7/10\"", "id" : "\"17467_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34d2" }, "review" : "\"i do not understand why this movie is so often overlooked. it may not be a classic, but it has it's moments. true, sometimes the humor can be sophomoric, even down right childish at times, but there are the occasional jokes that an adult would to think about to understand. it has a goofy plot, but is surprisingly well acted. it will not change your life in any way, but it is pointless entertainment and (for the most part) non-thought provoking fun.\"", "id" : "\"30825_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34d3" }, "review" : "\"The problem with 'Only You' isn't so much that this low-budget fare is structured upon ever romantic comedy clichĂŠ you can think of. Andrew McCarthy plays the misguided fool who is torn between the insincere bimbo (Kelly Preston) that he spends the Christmas holiday at a tropical resort after being dumped and in a drunken haze, travels there with his new companion. The clerk at the travel agency (Helen Hunt) who wouldn't give him a refund for his trip earlier in the evening coincidentally shows up there too, on a freelance photography gig (seriously, these people must be traveling on supersonic rockets to get from Chicago to the beachside resort so quickly). And of course, the gold-digging bimbo treats him like crap and he slowly starts to realize that perhaps, the real girl for him, is the genuine travel agent/photographer he spends a lot of time with on his vacation when the bimbo is constantly hanging out somewhere with more manly men who swoon her. And yada, yada, yada... the foolish protagonist must make up his mind about what kind of lady he wants, and well... it's not only typical to romantic comedy plots, it's typical Andrew Mccarthy.Granted the movie does offer at least a few laughs, but the movie would've been much more believable had all of this not happened in the course of about ten days. True, McCarthy's character was impulsive, but it didn't seem to square that Helen Hunt's character was, too. But of course, this is a movie. And not even a really good one, either.\"", "id" : "\"45580_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34d4" }, "review" : "\"On the surface, this tale of a brutal gang who rob a gas station (hence the name!) and take the workers hostage appears to be just another been-there, seen-that Asian thriller, but underneath there's a soft centre waiting to be discovered - short vignettes give us clues as to how these thugs came to be this way, one of the hostages learns to stand up for himself, characters who are even nastier than the robbers end up worst off, and even the thugs themselves get a shot a redemption. OK, it's not especially profound, and like so many Asian films, it suffers from an inconsistency of tone (lashings of violence, swearing, slapstick comedy and musical numbers make for a strange mix) which might alienate some western viewers, but it's fast-moving, never boring, surprising in all the right places and a definite recommendation for a fun evening's viewing.\"", "id" : "\"10229_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34d5" }, "review" : "\"Saawariya isn't a perfect film... actually nowhere near being perfect.... BUT hey......this movie isn't a TRASH either.... i was really stunned by the Cinematography and the art direction of the movie.... it was beautiful.... many people say they were confused of what time period the story took place in???? Well this is a land of imagination...a far far away land........ time period wasn't the crucial thing in the movie... YEs the story is FLAWED......... i hated the ending............ anyways.... Sakkena- SOnam Kapoor wasn't really impressive........... she tried..........but she convinced me that she was crazy... and thats the only reason why i liked the movie.... Ranbir kappor is GOOD, not great but surely he will get BETTER...soon.... as for RANI she is never BAD.... Sanjay leela Bhansali made a beautiful looking movie... not necessarily a great movie.... but if u watch it with it with Open minds then maybe u will LOVE it.... or lets say Be able too see something more meaningful in the rather Simple Ending???? the ending is a bit IFFY and OPEN ended i guess.... well thats the reason why i liked the movie....though i bet Sanjay leela Bhansali dint intend the movie to imply so.... Anyways I don't Think of Sanjay Leela Bhansali as a terrific Director though KHAMOSHI made me cry like hell....and moreover he was the one who hired ASH and Salman in his SUPERB film Hum dil De....WHo are both the WORST actors India has ever seen... anyways i hope Sanjay leela Bhasnsali gets a Original script and SOME Better actors to work on his next movie.... getting back to Saawariya... One thing that cant be denied is that this is a very important movie in the History of India... many Firsts in this movie.... I hope people instead of criticizing, learn some things from this movie...and make more imaginative and beautiful films...which Indian cinema Absolutely LAcks....\"", "id" : "\"22728_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34d6" }, "review" : "\"I'm not a big fan of Leslie Howard but THE PETRIFIED FOREST is his best film, in my book.He was great in THE 49th PARALLEL and OF HUMAN BONDAGE, and he's great here too. In this film, he is a lazy writer gone awry, trying to live out his dreams in Bette Davis' character (who is a painter).In a way, he's totally opposite of Humphrey Bogart's Duke Mantee character, and the dichotomy really is the justification of 'classic' given to this film.Bogart's and Davis' performances are just average in this film - although at the time of the release, this was Bogart's best film. I think the old man - Charley Grapewin - and Genevieve Tobin (as Mrs. Chisholm) do a great job with their small parts. Tobin is also a very attractive lady! I enjoyed the banter between the two drivers as well, both African-Americans cast in a \\\"white\\\" movie at WB in '36. It's a shame they weren't given larger roles.Talky and melodramatic - and certainly unbelievable (the middle-of-nowhere desert gas station is almost always FULL of people, for starters), this stagy, yet classic film is not for everyone. Your kids will hate this film. But to me - this is good stuff. This **is** prototypical 1930's cinema.\"", "id" : "\"14355_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34d7" }, "review" : "\"I was actually an extra in this film, as the school scenes were filmed at my junior school, St Leonards Church of England School in Chelsham, Surrey. I remember having to wear my best school uniform and do as I was told. I was 8 years old, I suppose, and it was all very exciting with the lights and the trailers and all the people buzzing around. I don't remember whether we were allowed to meet the stars; I somehow doubt it!This is a great film, very atmospheric, very spooky, and totally believable - kids in the 1960s were obviously very resourceful (and full of very odd ideas). Needless to say, I wasn't allowed to watch the film until I was much older than when I was in it.\"", "id" : "\"8294_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34d8" }, "review" : "\"I've seen \\\"My Cousin Vinny\\\" a thousand times, and it always does the trick...it entertains me to no end. I still laugh at the same scenes I laughed at when I first saw the film over fifteen years ago.Marisa Tomei is flat out FANTASTIC as Mona Lisa Vito--the wise cracking, marriage wanting, car fixing, pizza chick who accompanies Vinny (Joe Pesci--also brilliant) to Alabama in order to get his cousin (Ralph Macchio) and his friend (Mitchell Whitfield) off from murder charges when their car matches the suspect's car in a Sac-o-Suds homicide involving the clerk.The comedic exchanges of Pesci and Fred Gwynn (the stuffy, Southern Judge) are gut busting. Tomei and Pesci, on paper, would appear to be the oddest coupling around, but, once you see the film, you quickly become aware that their pairing is a casting triumph.In short, everyone pulls out all the stops to make this a movie you just can't get sick of no matter how many times you watch it (I just saw it AGAIN last night). I, personally, would like to \\\"Thank the Academy\\\" for honoring Tomei with a Best Supporting Actress award for her performance. If you can find a more worthy recipient--that year, or any other, for that matter--I'd like to know who you'd come up with.\"", "id" : "\"7213_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34d9" }, "review" : "\"Story was relatively boring. Directing was definitely boring. Some of the dialogue was a little too predictable.The one clever item was the deal with \\\"Ritz\\\" and trying to figure out for a moment how someone found Henry after he took off by himself. (I won't write a spoiler.)This movie is _not_ worth the two hours spent on it.\"", "id" : "\"47096_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34da" }, "review" : "\"I must admit that I rather enjoyed this Sherlock Holmes fantasy story. Nicholas Rowe is, in my mind, the perfect Holmes physically. His acting was also spot on, perfectly capturing Holmes' enormous ego. The only negative about this story is that it falls back on some of the Holmes film clichĂŠs. For example, the bumbling Dr. Watson, which I think is an insult to the well-written, intelligent character of the novels. I'd like to see Watson used as something more than just comic relief. Another bad clichĂŠ is the action-hero side of Holmes. It doesn't work for his character, I find. Although it sometimes relies on the fact that the viewer hasn't read the novels and thus doesn't understand the real characters, I loved this story. While a bit violent, it perfectly captures the brilliant feel of the novels.\"", "id" : "\"3148_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34db" }, "review" : "\"What a massive desception this flick is, A movie based around a plot as thick as ice is on a hot-Summer night is usually something you don't want to step on, normally there would be some leverage before the layer breaks but beware step on this and you won't need a peddle you'll be swimming.\"", "id" : "\"48317_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34dc" }, "review" : "\"You know those twilight zone episodes where you are instantly enraptured into the plot and then at the end there is a surprise twist, and all of a sudden the episode come across differently? And you are shocked and awed by what happens.. Well I think the makers of this movie were going for this but instead decided to fire the writer halfway thru and get someone else entirely that could bandage the rest of the plot and jam the contents of their script in with the previous writers story. It reeks of it. The ending is one of the worst I've ever seen. (SPOILER/ It says hey look we took this amount of time to tell this story and since we have no resolution whatsoever with the characters or the story we are just going to kill the lead off. WTF??!!It is extremely sloppy and it completely leaves entire script holes that without resolution or at least acknowledgment become Script sinkholes! Like for instance why is the \\\"dad\\\" shown in the photos at the end the doctor at the beginning? Why does the blackmailing girlfriend have a wound that is freshly bleeding in 2002 from a wound that happened in 2000 In the alternate reality?? /SPOILER)Arghhhh This is just a frustrating movie in which you think the lead is just psychotic then you learn no it's really you, you are the crazy one who bothered to see this Ryan Phillipe movie! I want my 90 minutes back!\"", "id" : "\"4264_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34dd" }, "review" : "\"JOAN CRAWFORD returned to MGM for TORCH SONG after a decade of other films at other studios, in a role that paints her character as tough-as-nails--in fact, so tough that you expect her to take out a gun at any moment and shoot anyone who disagrees with her bossy persona. Not only is she tough, but the script is trite from beginning to end and the whole film is garishly lit in bright Technicolor to show off Joan's wardrobe and a neat pair of legs. It all seems like a warm-up for JOHNNY GUITAR in lush settings rather than a saloon.That she can't sing is obvious because it's immediately apparent that a professional singer is doing the songs (India Adams). And despite her early days as a hoofer doing the Charleston and other dances during her flaming youth, it's also easy to see that dancing is not her strong point. So she seizes the bitchy role of a dame who treats a blind pianist with such scorn that even his dog growls every time she comes near him.An appalling blackface number is enough to gag on (using a leftover track from a Cyd Charisse film that never made the final cut), and her confrontations with MICHAEL WILDING (the blind pianist), GIG YOUNG (a drunken playboy, what else?), HARRY MORGAN (a stage manager/agent) and MARJORIE RAMBEAU as her plain speaking mother, are all strictly theatrical, harsh and unconvincing.One thing I'll say--she does \\\"haughty\\\" and \\\"overbearing\\\" so well, that it's hard to remember that in real life she was so afraid of further humiliation by the cast and crew of HUSH...HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE, that she left the film and feigned illness to get out of playing the role of Cousin Miriam. She also pleaded illness when she was afraid to attend the Academy Awards--afraid she might lose--but put her make-up on for the cameras when the radio announcement came that she won.Nobody looks good in this one--but speaking of Academy Awards, MARJORIE RAMBEAU got nominated for her mother role here. She's not bad, but it must have been a dreary year for Best Supporting Actresses.This one belongs near the bottom of Joan's career and surely any sane person would want to miss it--leaving it entirely to Crawford's ardent die-hard fans who think this is high camp.Particularly unbelievable and jarring is the ending, which has Crawford and Wilding realizing that they love each other after all the harsh words and deeds are over!! Total rubbish.\"", "id" : "\"14098_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34de" }, "review" : "\"This is a movie directed at young children (I watched it with my little brother), who will eat up the slapstick and inept adults. If you have seen the first contemporary version starring Mason Gamble, don't see this. Justin Cooper (\\\"Liar,Liar\\\" and \\\"Home Alone 3\\\") in not even half as good as was Gamble in the first.This movie would be totally worthless if not for the cinematography of Christopher Faloona. He uses strange camera angles (lots of overhead shots) and employs some cool tricks with the focus. This is the only thing that kept me from rating this movie a 1.My Grade: 2\"", "id" : "\"49777_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34df" }, "review" : "\"As a comic book fan... you know what? Forget as a comic book fan. As a person who enjoys watching television, this thing is absolutely ridiculous. Seriously, this is implausible to a person who has spent their entire life being raised on television and comic books.Let's start out with costume talk. These things look like costumes my mother made for my brother and me when we were twelve and eight and wanted to be DC superheroes (Technically, he was a villain, but Slade Wilson was always such a cool character, you know?). What is that thing that the Atom is wearing? It's like the costume designer just said, \\\"How much Styrofoam can I fit into this costume? I need more.\\\" And what's up with putting green paint under Fire's eyes? It just looked stupid.The writing is god-awful. Let me get this straight on the whole \\\"I'm not Fire\\\" thing. Leaving alone the fact that this woman looks exactly the same in and out of costume in front of the Martin guy, there's just the fact that when she's rejecting him, she's still wearing his earrings. This just threw me for a loop, man. If a guy gets you a present, telling you he spent a ton of money on it, and then you reject him? You give the present back. Especially if you're rejecting him within a minute of getting the present. The earrings thing should never have been a problem, cause the fact that she was wearing the earrings was ridiculous.Plus, I love that ending, man. Everything winds up happy, right? Barry gets a job, Lantern gets his girl back, Martin gets a girlfriend, and Ice and Atom seem to have a beautiful relationship starting. Plus, there's the last shot of the League walking forward, each of them moving so stiffly that I think it might be a group superpower.And don't get me started on the J'onn J'onzz thing. I know that David Ogden Stiers is a good actor, and I don't mean to be a purist or anything, but when I think about words to describe the Martian Manhunter, obese doesn't come to mind.I watched this movie for free, and for shear camp value and maybe a laugh, it's good for about half an hour. (Not the first half hour, that's the slowest damn beginning I've ever seen.) But a half hour somewhere in the middle, if you're really bored, watch it on You Tube. But if you like the Justice League you should be willing to watch cartoons. Just go for JLU and enjoy yourself for 22 minutes.\"", "id" : "\"43038_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34e0" }, "review" : "\"Joe Gould comes across as an annoying and irritating character.Unfortunately, the character has no warmth to it. Instead, it grates on the viewer.The movie started OK, but as the Gould character came into itself, its shenanigans became too much to bear. The incessant bickering, the tantrums, the mood swings were just too much. At one point, the character was vandalizing a phone booth, and it was just not believable that the barkeeper did not kick his ass out of the establishment.Also highly irritating is the fake accent employed by Stanley Tucci for his Mitchell character. For some reason, it just doesn't work.All in all, I pretty much hated this movie, and could not wait for it to end. Some movies are not great, but are serviceable. After about 15 minutes, the Gould character makes this movie completely unwatchable.Todd\"", "id" : "\"49361_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34e1" }, "review" : "\"Based on a Broadway play, ANOTHER LANGUAGE is one of those gems from yesteryear that few have heard of. It has much to recommend it, chiefly: believable and detailed interaction among members of a rather large and unpleasant family, mostly given to self absorption but with moments of genuine compassion and caring that surface unexpectedly. One of the members of this family is Margaret Hamilton (who was in the Broadway original) in one of the few roles that allowed her to enact a somewhat complex human being. Louise Closser Hale is perfectly cast as the controlling, selfish mother who sets the tone for her whole brood. Helen Hayes, a supremely skilled actress who could play ordinary people and make them fascinating, wins the viewer over completely as the bride who runs afoul of her in-laws. I wanted to marry her myself! The standout, however, is young John Beal who delivers a passionate performance as Robert Montgomery's younger brother. ***POSSIBLE SPOILER FOLLOWS*** His character is introduced well after the conflict between Hayes and the family is established. He is appalled that his family is treating Hayes so shabbily and falls madly, dangerously, recklessly in love with her. His vital, fresh-faced, youthful innocence and earnestness captivate the viewer. He too had played the same role in the stage version. This performance might have launched Beal to the top of the Hollywood firmament, but Hollywood didn't suit him, and he settled into a 60-year career of minor films, regional theater and numerous TV roles. Montgomery himself is top notch, as usual, playing the insensitive product of his narrow-minded mother's upbringing. Don't let the conventional opening scene as Hayes and Montgomery disembark from their honeymoon cruise fool you. It gets better fast. The theme is similar to that of HOLIDAY, based on a Philip Barry play, in which a free-spirited outsider clashes with members of his fiancĂŠe's stodgy, traditional banking family. Although not cinematically daring in any way, ANOTHER LANGUAGE delivers the emotional goods.\"", "id" : "\"1009_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34e2" }, "review" : "\"Don't know what all the hype was about. All in all I cried about wasting my time watching this over-hyped film. Did absolutely nothing for me.As for the big surprise, it certainly was not a secret to me. It was telegraphed way ahead of time, so that my reaction at the fateful moment was \\\"is that all there is?\\\". I actually kept watching the rest of the movie since I was expecting something bigger or more shocking.Nothing at all special about this movie.\"", "id" : "\"40514_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34e3" }, "review" : "\"Firstly, some reviewer has claimed the events of the movie are dated to 1789. It is wrong. By that time Diderot was already dead (1713-1784). The year 1789 appears in the beginning of the movie as a date of French revolution to which Diderot was a kind of forerunner. The right dating seems to be 1750's, when Diderot should have been about his 40, as it comes also from his daughter age and from Boucher's painting, which the company views during the sideshow in the end of the movie. This painting was executed in about 1752. Now despite all these historical correspondences, the viewer must understand - this movie is not about Diderot's real life, it is a fantasy, which includes personage named Denis Diderot, who in some instances has some common features with historical person Denis Diderot. Now, when you come to see the movie, try to forget all you know (if you do) about the real Diderot and just enjoy the jokes, the funny situations and delightful absurdities of the movie. If you'll do this, you will really love the film. To some sever judges I would suggest reading Rabelais. Humor is a special genre, with its special rules and demands, and most important, with a lot of very diverse faces. You can not evaluate it departing from your personal ideology, philosophy or whatever, you should concern it in its own terms and believe me, such are exist. Le Libertin is a light and wonderfully filmed comedy. It leaves you with a kind smile on your lips when the last frame makes its place to titles and a strong wish to watch it again immediately. The cast is incredible, especially Fanny Ardant who (as she always do) manages to create truly complex personage. Nudity is natural, not hidden, not shaming - in a painful contrast with puritan Hollywood. The same is true regarding the matters of sexuality. Gabriel Aghion made a good job, and thanks to Le Libertin, PĂŠdale Douce and Belle Maman I am ready to forget his disastrous PĂŠdale Dure. Really recommended to anyone who is ready to open his mind to things that may be not exactly of his style.\"", "id" : "\"16929_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34e4" }, "review" : "\"Some of the comments left by people on here show just how clueless movie goers can be. As if you can't tell that there's a slight tongue-in-cheek feel to the movie. Doesn't the stupidly high kill count or OTT methods used to kill people make that obvious to you? Does a movie with the title \\\"Shoot em up\\\" sound like a serious piece of work? Come on some of you just need to relax and use your brains a little.I haven't much to say on the movie itself since its ones of those \\\"entertained me but probably won't buy the DVD\\\" films I so often see in cinemas. Acting was good, action was good, plot was OK. Go see it. If you love it - great, if you don't - oh well. It really is one of those kind of movies. Just remember not expect a serious film reminiscent of James Bond or Die Hard, OK?.\"", "id" : "\"24611_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34e5" }, "review" : "\"The whole reason I picked up this movie in the first place is that I just adore low budget made horror movies because in my opinion they normally turn out to be better than the big budget horror films (examples: \\\"Campfire Tales\\\" and \\\"Dead End\\\"). This movie just gives ALL low budget films a bad name. Many people before me have talked about how horrible it is, but it was just so bad I can't resist to write about it.Where do I even begin? The acting. Wow. Just plain out HORRIBLE. Even Jamie Lynn's performance made me sick and from what I hear she's supposed to be good. But just, wow. I am just blown about how horrible it was. Then, there's the \\\"special effects\\\", my saying is, \\\"if its not good don't even bother with them\\\". I mean, the background of a full moon in the second story didn't even look real at all. Next, the cameras. Whatever type of cameras they used just made the movie worse. It looked like I was watching a documentary at times because it was so horrible.The plot line wasn't even that good. The only story that even made me a little creeped out was the third one. Thats only cause I put myself in the girl's position. And even that one had a thousand plot holes. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that if you like watching horrible acting, filmed with horrible cameras, with horrible effects, about a horrible plot line this is will be your new favorite movie.\"", "id" : "\"38743_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34e6" }, "review" : "\"Looking at this movie, I wondered if I did not already see it. The theme is not original (anymore), we have seen the setting in other movies, the acting is poor, as is the story. So, there is no reason why I should recommend this movie to anybody.\"", "id" : "\"49010_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34e7" }, "review" : "\"This movie \\\"Love From a Stranger\\\" is based on a story written by Agatha Christie. It is similar to \\\"Love From a Stranger\\\" made in black and white in 1937 starring Basil Rathbone and Ann Harding.This one is from 1947 black and white. The stars of this movie are John Hodiak as Manuel Cortez and Sylvia Sidney as Cecily Harrington.The premise is the same in both movies. A woman wins a sweepstakes/lottery, drops her boyfriend, and meets Mr Wonderful who sweet talks her, marries her in a short time and prepares to kill her at sometime in the near future at 9:PM.Cecily is the target. She finds out more about Manuel her husband while he is away one night and gets scared. She sees a hole like a burial hole down in the cellar where no one is allowed to go. I like the ending in this one too is was like a bar fight but much better. The one with Basil Rathbone had a ironic ending too. You can watch this with John Hodiak on this IMDb site http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039586/ which will link you to Hulu. You can download the one with Basil Rathbone at Archive.org for free or watch it on line with the same name. http://www.archive.org/details/LovefromaStranger\"", "id" : "\"42040_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34e8" }, "review" : "\"Ah yes Slavoj Zizek a man who is a household name but only in his own household . Apparently he's the most famous Slovenian in the world which is surprising since I've never heard of him and I have heard of Milan Kucan . Perhaps the hype should have said \\\" Most famous Slovenian to have appeared in a 73 minute documentary by Astra Taylor \\\" ? From what I've learned from this documentary all you have to do in order to be credited as a philosopher is point out something no one has noticed before as in \\\" Fascists don't clap while Stalinists clap themselves \\\" Hey Zizek might actually have a point until you watch an edition of FAMILY FORTUNES . It might actually be that people who clap themselves are educationally subnormal rather than believers in one country socialist democide The second point about being a philosopher is being able to state the painfully obvious , as in \\\" the more coke you drink the more thirsty you feel therefore the more coke you will drink the thirstier you will become \\\" To be fair to Zizek he does point out out that there is decaffeinated coke but no one spends a great deal of time and money drinking decaf , we drink coke because caffeine is an addictive drink and thirst has nothing to do with it . If I point out that the apple of knowledge is a euphemism for drug addiction does that make me one of the world's greatest living philosophers ? There is some unintentional amusement to ZIZEK like for example he describes a child watching television as \\\" narcissistic amusement \\\" ( WTF !?)and he lies in bed waxing lyrically about the human condition . Yeah that's right he cannot go to bed without having his great thoughts recorded for posterity . In fact Mr Zizek comes across as one of those people who if he were discussing films shouts down everyone else's opinions because \\\" The lighting makes San Francisco look like Los Angeles so that's not the Golden Gate bridge in the background \\\" You can't disagree with his arguments because you're not sure what he's talking about And as a footnote Mr Zizek apparently makes a considerable living on touring seminars . It might be a good idea to watch ZIZEK before you pay money to attend one of his classes because I'm sure you'll here the same things said down the pub\"", "id" : "\"40426_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34e9" }, "review" : "\"I'm a huge fan of Jack Lemmon. I loved him in the Apartment and the Odd Couple. Out-of-Towners is a timeless classic comedy in my opinion. I mean come on! Jack Lemmon in a Neil Simon story? How can you go wrong with that? There are alot of funny lines that Jack Lemmon uses that makes the movie what it is. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the role of George Kellerman. This movie is a definte classic comedy that will never be forgotten.\"", "id" : "\"4374_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ea" }, "review" : "\"Robert Crumb is not everybody's cup of tea. He has been accused of being a racist and a misogynist. This film does much to deal with misconceptions about the artist, but not all the misconceptions are negative.As typical for a documentary like this, there are several artists/critics interviewed about Crumb's work. Invariably, there is some sort of analysis given. Crumb's compared to Brueghel, to Daumier, he's spoken of as a great political satirist.The fact is the first thing discussed in the film is what motivates Crumb's art, what is he trying to express. After a slightly amused, slightly annoyed \\\"Jesus! I dunno...\\\" he speaks that he doesn't think of his work in conscious terms until _after_ he's drawn it; then he figures out what it's about.This film very subtly points out Crumb is not really anything he's been accused or praised for being. His work \\\"is the purest form of his id,\\\" his wife, Aline, comments.The film is really his triumph to be himself through a number of horrendous hurdles: a brutal father and drug addicted brother; being rejected by women; being tempted to sell out; and legal problems over cartoons. While his two brothers, Charles and Max, both show in differing degrees how their youths were permanently scarred then, Robert Crumb emerges whole, even admirable, in spite of the uncompromising nature of his art. He is unique, his work not easily separable into allegorical meanings or expression of political beliefs.Crumb is a great artist, and he cannot be understood from a few interviews and his art can't reduced into something understandable in clichĂŠd artistic terms. Zwigoff's film shows Crumb in every way available and tries to express his art similarly. At the end, all we can do is be astonished that the man not only survived but flourished, and marvel at the wide range of what he's produced.Zwigoff's style is so seamless, it doesn't feel like his film, but Crumb's. Of course, it is not Crumb's, but that impression is an indication of Zwigoff's mastery of the form. If his own personality intrudes in the fabric of the film by what he shows and how he orders it, he complements rather than obscures Crumb's genius.The result is unforgettable, not just for its exposition of Crumb, artist and human being, but for the experience of letting Zwigoff's work flow over the film and us.\"", "id" : "\"15916_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34eb" }, "review" : "\"Oh my god what rubbish some people say about some crap filmsThe film is a remake of ANGELS WITH A DIRTY FACES and is so bad it makes you cringeSrk plays a Bachchan type of goon role and tries hard but his weird voice and his utterances at every sentence gets to the nervesThe goons to even the cop are cartoonsThe film shows RAM JAANE as a big hero praised by Bhasti Vale Like Bachchan in AGNEEPATH, SARKARRajiv Verma direction is bad Music is okaySRK as said before tries hard but his weird voice and also expressions at places are a give away Juhi is okay Vivek Mushran is okay the rest ham even the talented Pankuj Kapoor\"", "id" : "\"11861_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ec" }, "review" : "\"Jerry Seinfeld is one of the funniest stand up comedians out there today. Sure he may not be a saint (buying a whole building just for his cars)- but we do need to cut him some slack as he provided millions of people with millions of laughs for a long time. I saw \\\"I'm Telling You For The Last Time\\\" before I actually got into the series itself (I was young when it first aired and so now I am feasting off reruns). The fact that I had not seen nearly every Seinfeld episode (which now I have see most of) made this bit of stand up even funnier as I had never heard most jokes before. But still, It aired again a little while later and even though it was my second time seeing it, it was still very funny. Definitely recommended to all Seinfeld fans and I believe that many others will also be entertained. If you liked this and the Seinfeld series I would also recommend Jerry Seinfeld's book \\\"SeinLanguage\\\". Of course it's much funnier when you can can see and hear him tell the jokes and so if this ever comes on TV again you can bet I'll be taping it.\"", "id" : "\"3126_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ed" }, "review" : "\"The Italian people probably felt a moral degradation knowing that their government had participated in exterminating Jews during WWII. \\\"The Garden of the Finzi-Continis\\\" was probably their way of showing that they were atoning for it. It tells of the Jewish Finzi-Contini family in Ferrara in the 1930s. They are a very well off family (with a false sense of security), and many of the people within the family are falling for each other. Unfortunately for them, not even their social status can protect them from the doom that awaits them.Much like in \\\"The Bicycle Thief\\\" over 20 years earlier, Vittorio De Sica shows the desperate existences of a few people, surrounded by what many incorrectly assumed to be a joyful world. Wonderful.\"", "id" : "\"6286_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ee" }, "review" : "\"As much as I hate to say it, Saawariya did disappoint me. It had everything, new stars, lovely songs, a magical and enchanting set...but it lacked soul.There are many \\\"whys?\\\" and \\\"hows?\\\" raised in certain parts of this film and for the purpose of those reading I shall not include any spoilers within my review but if we look away from these things then all in all Saawariya is an average movie. If anything is going to bring this movie forward it will be Ranbir Kapoors acting. He is simply superb...you almost see shades of Raj Kapoor kicking in at times (which my mum was very happy about!) and of course shades of his own Dad Rishi which was excellent.Ranbir Kapoor is truly an absolute Gem in this movie and I felt that if he wasn't in the frame that something was missing... thats the impact he made on me. He's innocent eyes and charming persona really will make a few hearts flutter! Sonam Kapoor is again a good actress although I don't think we really got the chance to see what we she made of as her character didn't really have much to do...but from what we see things are promising.Salman Khan was quite wasted in the movie, he is looking older (and bigger) but nevertheless I will still remain a fan of his.Rani Mukerjee I feel does bring some life into the otherwise dull blue surroundings, especially in her song. She has done well in her short but important role.All in all, although Saawariya fails to meet our expectations from a great director like Bhansali, it still has that pulling factor I feel to make it do well at the box office.Go watch it for Ranbir Kapoor, he deserves it.\"", "id" : "\"22733_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ef" }, "review" : "\"Lies is a story of two people who have a sexual obsession. That is the whole plot, in a nutshell. They don't come together for any other reason than to have all out, straight up, kinky, beat-each-other-up sex and they're not pretending there is any other reason. They glory in it, they obsess about it, they talk about their last encounter and look forward to the next one. The best thing about it is the way it draws you in and makes you watch just to find out - where will all this end? To all the reviewers who complained about the grapehic sex, so, why did you watch it? You can't see five minutes of this movie without getting the idea, so what were you doing? Tied to your chair, maybe? Couldn't get free to turn it off? Held at gunpoint? What a bunch of hypocritical goober heads.Neither of the protagonists is particularly attractive, not in the conventional way, and I didn't feel that anything was shown for pornographic purposes (although that would have been OK with me). It is simply an account of an intense sexual relationship, where the whole reason for being together is kinky sex, and this idea is followed through the film. You may not have any sympathy with the characters, or like them, or even be able to empathize at all; but you have to watch because you just know it is going to get more intense, and it does.Each time J and Y come together, the sex gets more intense, more brutal, kinkier and nastier. They beat each other unmercifully, finding ever more severe objects to whale on each other with. Sounds kinda fun, doesn't it? The intent, though, is to show such a relationship and show how it develops, where it can go, and how it could happen. It even goes one better by making J an older man, an artist who is very class sensitive and somewhat tormented. Y is a schoolgirl, and her motives are never completely clear, as they probably wouldn't be to someone her age in this relationship.I would never have watched this except for the reviews complaining about the graphic sex and violence. That got my interest quick, but then I was sucked in by the plot. I just had to know where this was going and predicted some big blow up at the end. I thought that possibly one would kill the other during a beating, or their families would intervene. Either way, I had to know what happened, and that, to me, is the best part of this movie.\"", "id" : "\"25227_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34f0" }, "review" : "\"First of all, Alex Sanger and Karen Craig should be loathed and possibly incarcerated for ever writing this. In fact, everyone involved here deserves a, if not physical then atleast a verbal, lash or two.The plotline; Mila Kunis (yes, That 70's girl) plays Rachel Newman, who, thanks to the fact that the writers who obviously never quite understood the original flick, as a child witnesses the final murder of serial killer Patrick Bateman. After growing up, she attends the FBI Academy for serial killer profiling. However, it soon becomes clear that she is quite the psycho herself and starts to hack 'n' slash her classmates that seems to pose a threat to her. Very soon it's just a brainless teen slasher, and not even as a teen slasher is it worthy of your time, however little your time may be worth. Fast forward.There are not many highlights in this movie at all. If you have seen American Psycho, do not, under any circumstances watch this, the flagrant script is enough to eject this straight-to-video release. I don't think that the original screen adaption surpassed the book in quality, but for this sequel the term \\\"art pollution\\\" comes in handy. Heavens no.\"", "id" : "\"36191_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34f1" }, "review" : "\"This film is actually better than it is being credited for. It's number one strength is definitely the skill of Lucy Lawless(although it's somewhat wasted in many emotionally light scenes), and the script can, at times, be slightly inept. However, it's an interesting story with something to say. Introducing some very thought provoking themes and ideas about the boundaries of science and human power, it shows a rather creative way in which nature can punish us for our own idiocy. A surprising bonus is the high quality of special effects involved. There's really nothing that comes off as fake. Campy, maybe... but not fake. In the end, this film is satisfying. Especially when compared to the vast sea of other made-for-TV-movies, it stands out ahead of the pack. It's sequel \\\"Vampire Bats\\\"(while still far from perfect), draws on this film's strengths and builds upon them. Both movies are worth a watch, and worth owning if you are a fan of Lucy.\"", "id" : "\"3835_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34f2" }, "review" : "\"I saw \\\"The Road Home\\\" more than a year ago, and the film, its themes, and its content, have stayed with me. This movie moved me deeply, and there are times I still think of it fondly. It had moments of intense humor, and moments of deep sadness. The emotional roller-coaster this movie put me on was one very few films can achieve, let alone sustain throughout the length of the movie. \\\"The Road Home\\\" is a movie that should be seen by masses. It is an exceptional film, one that deserves to be shown to the public at large. Drew Johnson has the markings of a major-league film-maker and with this movie he hits one out of the park!\"", "id" : "\"11177_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34f3" }, "review" : "\"Futuristic Films Production and Terry Lofton give us this extremely low budget movie that should be avoided at all cost, it's a complete waste of time, no matter if you're looking for a horror movie or a comedy, this doesn't fit in any category, I've seen better kindergarten plays. The nails are clearly made of rubber, the \\\"special\\\" effects are cheap, sauce used as blood, etc. The acting, you can't really call it acting but anyhow, it's non existent, not one single line of text is said in a natural, convincing way. The killers synthesizer voice is annoying and what's with the helmet.The director wants us to think that the killer is the girl that was raped in the beginning of the movie, it would make sense if it was, when you look at the body of the killer it pretty much matches the body of the girl but then turns out that when they remove the helmet we find out that the killer is the girls father. Not likely, he's taller and larger, I'm guessing in an attempt for a final twist they just decided to make him the killer.\"", "id" : "\"25680_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34f4" }, "review" : "\"A firm favourite of mine during my nursery school years, 'Button Moon' had a large following of fans in those who were tots in the early Eighties. It was a very low-budget show with the characters were put together using wooden spoons and tin cans but it worked when complimented with simple story-telling and a solid musical score.There was something very surreal about 'Button Moon' that I loved as a child (although I could see why people now link it to a drugs' trip!) but it was a show that proves you don't need high-quality CGI to keep small children (and adults!) entertained. Upon viewing it recently, after a friend bought the DVD, it certainly brought back memories and would no doubt be equally as popular with today's toddlers as it was with kids in the Eighties.\"", "id" : "\"3090_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34f5" }, "review" : "\"This movie has to be seen to be believed. It fails miserably on every level. Fortunately, Joe Brooks handled the direction, writing, and lead acting role himself, so there are fewer people to blame for it.As a romantic lead, Joe has about as much appeal as a potted plant. His leading lady, Shelley Hack, acts as though she were posing for the picture on front of a box of All Bran. It's pretty bad when the most professional acting performance in a movie is delivered by a little girl (Danielle Brisebois).Joe plays a jingle writer who dreams of being a serious musician, even though all of his \\\"serious\\\" songs still sound like extended jingles, and the classical piece he composes to show off his true talent would be better suited for a group of musical saw players instead of an orchestra. Watching his dramatic gestures as he conducts this ear-splitting opus in the recording studio, as the dazzled Shelley Hack grins at him like a stuffed loon, is one of the most unintentionally hilarious scenes ever filmed.Joe was obviously hoping for another big chart-topper like \\\"You Light Up My Life\\\", but its inexplicable success was not to be matched by the cringe-inducing dirge that is this film's theme song. I don't know who performed it, but he doesn't sing it as much as he suffers through it. He seems to be battling his way through a particularly intense bout of constipation as he strains to expel the stomach-churning lyrics. But I doubt if even Debby Boone could've made this song any more tolerable.When I saw this movie on HBO several years ago, I just had to have it. I watch my tape every so often just to gape in wide-eyed amazement at how truly awful a movie can be. As a bad-movie lover, I hold this perversely-entertaining cinematic messterpiece in high esteem -- it's the PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE of romantic movies, and truly one of the worst films ever made.\"", "id" : "\"6687_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34f6" }, "review" : "\"200 Cigarettes is a bad movie, no doubt. But bad movies can be interesting, sometimes even addicting to watch. For me, and the small group of people who watched it with me a couple of nights ago, it was a struggle to avoid hitting the STOP button halfway through it.This movie was just horrible. The characters were not likable or interesting, all whining and repetitive. The many intertwined stories seem like they came out of some stupid WB show, only to be painfully stitched together at the end to give it all some phony 'full circle' effect. This movie is just fluff, the enemy of substance. There is nothing here hasn't been done before a thousand times - in many better films.I wish I could find one redeemable moment, one glistening quote, one interesting subplot, but there was literally nothing at all. Just an awful movie that wasn't even worth the rental price.\"", "id" : "\"34464_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34f7" }, "review" : "\"I came away from Dead Man's Shoes with a sense of pride; a sense of acknowledgment; a feeling that British film at its lowest budget level and at its grittiest and simplest is very much alive and active. The reaction I had also affected the way I perceive Hollywood a little bit more; it's true that films like Zodiac, Blood Diamond and Apocalypto occupy my top three of 2007 but even some of them and the many others on that list do not match the fondness and recognition that I had for Dead Man's Shoes upon seeing it – the great thing is, this was extensively levelled down in terms of funding but pumped up in terms of quality. Make no mistake, Dead Man's Shoes is very good.I suppose in order to identify this film, I'd have to borrow from America somewhat but that is no shame; this film is 1988's Rain Man meets a hard as nails, gritty revenge film – perhaps something staring James Cagney in his pomp. But it is a revenge film with an air of indifference; the film is often funny, often touching and often heart-warming in its portrayal of inept small time crooks, its nasty flashbacks of bullying and its small inclusion of scenes in which someone with special needs is present and displaying his innocence. While I have only seen the rather underwhelming Once Upon a Time in the Midlands from director Shane Meadows, this isn't so much as a jolt back in the right direction as it is a full blown shove back onto the correct tracks. Meadows directs and unfolds his story in a brilliant manner but in a manner that utilises so many techniques that we the audience flip from happy to sad to anger to disgust and in such a way that we have time to appreciate what we're seeing; feeling and what we think of it all.Paddy Considine plays Richard, a soldier fresh back from, what I can only assume to be, the horrors of Iraq and the Iraq war going on. But where road side bombs and ambushes have been erased, Richard is psychologically stuck with constant explosions going off in his mind – anger, rage, sadness and that lust for revenge when he learns his younger, more simple brother has suffered torment and bullying at the hands of the local drug dealers and young adults who have not matured enough to shake off that 'chav' mentality. Needless to say, he brings home the horrors of Iraq with him in all their bloody infamy in what could be one of the best post-war syndrome studies since Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. The film poster of said film on someone's flat wall perhaps hints at this.But apart from the horror and the tragedy, which does grab you thanks to some flashbacks that I eventually came to fear popping up, everything is revealed in a satisfying and balanced way. Initially, the users of the boy call him over and tap him on the back and invite him in and everything seems very harmless; we even think he is close enough to these people to go out and get some groceries for them if nothing else is on. But whatever we thought is quickly presented to us over and over in a, frankly, quite brilliant piece of directing and pacing as we realise these people are not what they are cracked up to be. Further utilisation of the kid follows; then it gets more serious when drugs and women come into play. Meadows also gets across the element of humour early on in his film; indeed, when you see Herbie (Wolfenden) trundle down the road in his Citroen 2CV with the other guys in the back, you cannot help but smirk at how real this all feels; at how these people are presented as people who live, breath, hang around in apartments and drive obscure cars.But then again, you get the feeling of disturbance. We are not aware of the true extent of things until much later but looking back at the events in the opening hour, the leisurely way in which the gang hang around and talk about nothing in particular considering what they have done is shocking. Meadows also gets across his feeling of foreboding and the sense its all building up to something. Richard's initial work that he carries out on the gang all feels as if it builds up to the big showdown with the final gang member; the one member we will feel a juxtaposition toward since he has a wife and two children. Onto the wrongdoers in question; initially, Herbie is introduced but then we get two of his lackey accomplices living in an apartment; onto a further pair of heavies that come over and finally, Sonny (Stretch) who is the chief antagonist in the bullying of the brother – to him, it goes beyond a joke; it turns into an actual hatred, a hatred of those with special needs with elements of fascism towards those who are not 'normal' starting to creep into the film and its character's psyche.So this is Meadows introducing to us the villains in stages; the targets Richard must deal with if he is to get his revenge – we are systematically told what Richard is up against but there is also that nice little touch of Richard showing up now and again with scare tactics. But with a hero on a mission and a twist that packs a punch Dead Man's Shoes is a big success. When he confronts the family man at the end, Richard himself says that he \\\"is now the monster\\\" which tells us that we do not have to root for him any more if we don't want to as he is confronting an apparent innocent but the film is brilliant in its build up, its finale and its attention to detail - great stuff.\"", "id" : "\"2548_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34f8" }, "review" : "\"Honest, Scathing look at alternative cartoonist and his family. His relationship with his brothers Charles & Maxon and the genesis and motivation for his art are well captured by Director Zwighoff. Sometimes disturbing, but always entertaining, \\\"Crumb\\\" represents one of the best documentaries of the 1990s.\"", "id" : "\"15900_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34f9" }, "review" : "\"Few know that this film was the studio's biggest \\\"blockbuster\\\" until \\\"Jaws\\\" was released 20 years later. The film does chronicle some of the exploits of Audie Murphy, who having grown up dirt poor in Texas, went on to become the most highly decorated soldier of WWII. The film is somewhat dated and was definitely cleaned up to appeal to a larger audience, but nonetheless, it gives a pretty accurate version of this man's damn near suicidal bravery. Because Murphy was rejected by the Marine Corps, and was a fairly small man in stature, an under current of the underdog story develops as the young Murphy attempts to do just about anything in order to improve himself. This was not Murphy's first film, so perhaps this explains his above average performance and seeming comfort on camera. He is supported by a crew of veteran performers, (Marshall Thompson, Jack Kelly) who do there best to let Murphy be the center of attention. It's a terrific story, enhanced only a little by the fact it's true, and if you're able to imagine a remake of this film, I don't see how it couldn't be successful.\"", "id" : "\"17475_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34fa" }, "review" : "\"I have not seen this picture and probably never will. I am disappointed that Richard Tyson is unable to be cast in a decent movie. I feel he has the chops and when younger was a sexy, bad boy, actor. I hope as he has matured he will be offered rolls as a mature romantic lead or second banana. That I would go see.The other members of the cast are mostly unknown to me. I admit to being an older woman but do enjoy movies that have a realistic story line good actors and well written dialog. The teen crowd isn't the only demographic that enjoys a good thriller but not the crud they produce now-a-days. Lets put our brains to work and come up with some good stories for the viewing audience.\"", "id" : "\"37581_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34fb" }, "review" : "\"The first thing that needs to be said about this movie, is something that should, and shall, be said about all Reb Brown movies. REB BROWN RUNS LIKE A GIRL. There, I am glad I have got that out of the way. This is something that is apparent from the word go in this movie. Yor dramatically enters, and proceeds to skip across the desert, arm flailing about, and generally he is looking like he has never ran across rough terrain before. I sure this wasn't the intention. I'm sure, that the intention was for Yor to come across as quite adept and at home in this barren landscape. Equipped with nothing more than an axe, a loincloth and a fantastic theme tune, I sure he was supposed to appear to be some kind of natural hunter, at one with his surroundings and senses. But unfortunately, as I have said before, REB BROWN RUNS LIKE A GIRL.That said, everybody should be like Yor. Everybody should have their own them tune. A theme tune that not only can inspire you to achieve great things in your life, but can also inspire those around you to become better people, and put their absolute trust in you. Yor's theme tune is great. It does all that a personal theme tune should do. It spontaneously burst into play whenever he does something slightly random, like killing a giant bat and using it as a hang glider, or performing fantastic trapeze stunts with an ageing, fat caveman who has man-boobs. But more about those incidents later.Yor is a hunter. Quite what he hunts is a mystery to me. With this movie apparently set in Pre-historic times, surely everybody is a hunter, therefore making the term 'hunter' meaningless. Nonetheless, yor is a hunter. In this, his first and only movie, he quickly befriends the saggy old man, Pac, and a very clean cave woman called Kala. Together, they travel through prehistoric lands, accidentally destroying every single tribe, village or civillisation that they happen to come across. I mean all. Sorry to give that one away, but seriously. Yor is the cause of the destruction of no less than five tribes of people. Sometimes intensional, sometimes purely by accident. He is one of those people that you really would try your best to divert from your village. He is however, quite adept at killing mutated paper-mache dinosaurs. I say mutated, because they are quite simply like no dinosaurs I have ever seen, and react like no creatures I have ever heard of. The first being a cross between a stegosaurus and a triceretops, a tristegoceretops if you will. But after killing it, he does what every hunter would do, drinks it's blood, but as he so wisely puts it, \\\"drinking the blood of your enemy makes you stronger\\\". Then there is the giant bat. The most useful creature in his entire world. Not only does it fly past at just the right time, but this creature conveniently goes into instant rigour Mortis, even before it hits the ground. This allows Yor to use the said bat as a hang glider to fly into a cave, rescue Kala, and you guessed it, entirely wipe out the tribe that kidnapped her. Fantastic stuff.This is a very interesting world, it has to be said.There are a few things that can be learnt from this movie. the first being you can make absolutely anything out of straw. Straw seems to be the most versatile substance in the entire world. Pac's bow and arrows are made from it, villages are entirely made from it, they even sail a boat made from straw. Which bring me to my next learning point, if you are planning to sail to a place called 'The island of Storms', don't do it in a straw boat. That really is just asking for trouble.But it is at the island of storms that the movie takes an unexpected twist (at least it would be if the blurb on the back of the video box din't tell you the entire plot of the movie). The movie gets invaded by a completely different movie altogether. But not just any movie, it gets invaded by a cheap remake of Star Wars. Led by the 'Overlord' who is a dead ringer for the Emperor, and his team of robots, who are dead ringers for Darth Vader, they capture Yor and demand to take over the movie. Despite futile efforts to resist, Yor is eventually forced to submit to there demands and pick up his blaster rifle to continue the battle. Something which he learns to use confidently in a very short space of time. It is a skill he uses efficiently in his other movie, Space MUtiny, where he also RUNS LIKE A GIRL, SCREAMS LIKE A GIRL and generally acts ALL GIRLIE LIKE.\"", "id" : "\"18736_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34fc" }, "review" : "\"Joe Dante's The Howling is a classic Werewolf movie with some good effects and I loved it but it wasn't close to the novel and they even said so. It's still a good film. So when Clive Turner decided to do a third Howling sequel he decided to make it closer to the novel which was fine.Howling IV is about a writer named Marie who after having a metal breakdown goes to a town called Drago with her husband Richard. Once there Marie begins to hear howling noises from outside, her husband think's she's making it all up due to her breakdown and the townsfolk are not too concerned about the noises. Soon an ex-nun arrives and tells Marie about a friend of her's that was attacked in Drago and Marie has seen her in her mind. The two soon go off searching for info about the town's history.Her husband soon catches an eye on the art owner who resembles a similar look to Marsha from The Howling. After meeting her again in the woods she changes into a Werewolf and bites. After telling Marie it was a wolf that attacked him the next day he tells her he fell and scratched is shoulder.Soon her nun friend discovers that the town people are Werewolves and hurries to warn Marie, meanwhile Marie's publisher Tom also tries to warn Marie but sees Richard in the road thriving in pain. He tries to help him only to get killed by a Werewolf in the bushes. It's not long before Marie and the ex-nun hide in the bell tower where Marie must wait outside while she summons the Werewolves with the bell.Doing so Marie has no choice but to burn the tower with her friend, and after looking at the burnt body of her husband a Werewolf jumps out at her.Although I haven't read the novels reading the reviews and seeing the film gives me a clue what the novel is like. Howling IV isn't a bad film, the transformation is kind of good and the Werewolf in the tower isn't that bad. The one thing is that the Werewolves don't show themselves until the final twenty minutes of the movie but I wasn't that bothered. I enjoyed the film.I also love that theme song \\\"Something evil, something dangerous\\\"\"", "id" : "\"26007_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34fd" }, "review" : "\"OK, first off, Nell's lakeside idyll is a TVA lake, made for generating hydroelectric power in the 1940's. So much for untouched by civilization. And where'd they come up with the idea that twentieth-century mountain people practiced these crude bronze age cave burials? Bogus and manipulative all the way through, it's a patronizing rip-off even without its condescending and wholly fraudulent ideas about Appalachian history. Jodie Foster tries desperately to gimp her way to an Academy Award, and surprisingly, it didn't work (unlike Dustin Hoffman's one-note performance in Rain Man or Al Pacino's self-parody in Scent of a Woman). Michael Apted should know better, having done a half-decent job portraying mountain life in Coal Miner's Daughter. An altogether horrible film, the worse for its pretensions and delivering some \\\"profound\\\" truths.\"", "id" : "\"34552_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34fe" }, "review" : "\"Having always loved his knockout performance as the egoticstical producer in \\\"The Band Wagon\\\" and being familiar with his recordings I watched this latterday Jack Buchanan movie with great expectation. A parody of the Johnny Ray type celebrity it's based on a long running stage show that also starred Buchanan. The idea itself isn't bad and with the right handling it could've been a British equivelent of \\\"The Girl Can't Help it\\\" (it even features Britain's own blond bombshell - Diana Dors, in a cameo) But the satire is limp, and J Lee Thompson is far more at home in gritty thrillers than froth like this. What we end up with is a silly (in the annoying sense) witless piece typical of the mediocre stuff Rank was churning out in the 50's.The film is dominated by constant mugging and bad performances (the teeth grindingly unfunny psychiatrist rates special mention) clumsy slapstick (Joan Sims repeatedly swooning whenever she sees the singer, Buchanan falling into a fish pool, or falling onto a trampoline, or repeatedly getting his hat pressed down over his eyes etc.) This might sound mildly amusing and maybe it was back in the 50's but now the whole thing is so predictable and laboured, with most gags being repeated ad nauseum that the only reaction is to groan. Furthermore it's a musical of sorts and our (minimal) enjoyment is dampened by some tedious songs. Of these only \\\"Cry\\\" hit's the mark being exactly the type of song Johnny Ray would've sung and this provides the sole amusing scene in the film when a slightly drunk Buchanan decides to have a crack. Apparently this was a real show stopper on stage. Here it's a brief chance for Buchanan to shine and he milks it for all it's worth.By the last 5 minutes I was longing to fast forward this particular turkey when out of the blue the film gave us a few minutes of vintage Jack, in a brief song and dance number after all the plot points were been resolved.If the whole movie had been like this few minutes of good humoured hoofing from a guy who knew how, then it would've been a very pleasant experience indeed. Unfortunately it isn't and although everyone tries hard (too hard) it's a laboured piece and unworthy of it's star.\"", "id" : "\"23440_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f34ff" }, "review" : "\"Well, it may be fun to see this soft-porn for you, but politically speaking, this movie is the perfect example of hatred against Turkey where the story took place. This is not how it works in this country. Also, the picture of Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, was \\\"defaced\\\" and played on to make him look like a monster. And, you should note that the girls are very well treated in Greece, and very bad treated in Turkey. I wonder where the producers of this film are!\"", "id" : "\"39233_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e1d40a732e502f3500" }, "review" : "\"I like the movie but I does NOT do the book justice. I actually saw the movie before I read the book. THere is SO MUCH the movie runs together and leaves out at the same time. It is TOO obvious that this movie was \\\"made for TV\\\". It would be better if the director took the time to read the book and actually \\\"see\\\" the layout of 'remember house'. The movie is good, if you have already read the book and have an inkling to what is going on in the first place. It is an awesome book! I have read a few of Mary's books, and they are great. Bu this version to be transformed into a movie... Not such a good choice with so LITTLE detail. This movie was made for people who have read the book, and then they still need a little help. The movie is in my opinion a POOR rendition of the book, although I would LOVE to know where the house is that it was filmed at. That is the ONLY thing that serves my imagination from reading the book (outside only of course).\"", "id" : "\"38693_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3501" }, "review" : "\"The title (and the cover of the DVD box) refers to the famous painting by Grant Wood, Gothic meaning the style of the picture, less the content. Being a great fan of Rod Steiger, I could not resist buying the DVD. It is a mixed bag. I just suspect that with a few touches here and there this could have been quite a good movie.The start is promising. A young man gets his wife out of a mental institution where she was kept after her baby drowned accidentally. The psychiatrist is really smug, he obviously enjoys telling the husband that with his wife anything could happen. The husband decides to visit with her a place where they spent their honeymoon. Together with a few friends they board a seaplane - an old and dirty and rickety seaplane. I repeat: a seaplane that is OLD and DIRTY. They take off – and guess what happens next. I give you a hint: splutter, splutter.That is the typical start of a Good Bad Movie in anyone's language. The subject is well known in the American horror genre: young, innocent people meet old, frustrated yet colorful country folk. Scenes of gore ensue. Added to this is the classical island theme of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians – the young and innocent get killed one by one. The last surviving member of the „involontary expedition\\\" fuses with the murderous opponents. Follows a gory finale. The end.Several points are worth mentioning that make American Gothic partly watchable. The movie is very beautiful. The plane flying over a group of islands in the opening sequence is visually great, and the dark, mossy virgin forest of the island where the group gets stranded reminded me of John Sayle's Limbo (whose story has some similarity with American Gothic here and there). The set design is also excellent. An interesting aspect in the story is the fact that all the inhabitants of the island turn up out of nowhere. First, Ma and Pa surprise the youngsters in their house which they had entered in a clear case of trespassing, opening cupboards, taking out clothes etc. Later, suddenly a daughter turns up, then a son, then another. This strange and unexpected multiplication of characters has a stimulating effect on the viewer (are they ghosts, only existing in the imagination, are they some kind of mutants?) but is left unexplained.The acting is not bad – at least on the part of the strange family. Rod Steiger is quite good as the head of the family, Yvonne de Carlo is OK as the matriarch. Janet Wright and Michael J. Pollard are great as the demented kids. But unfortunately the story leads to nowhere. As I said, I think with little changes much more could have been made with this confrontation of new and old, today's and yesterday's values.\"", "id" : "\"37952_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3502" }, "review" : "\"Of course this was one these movies your girlfriend make you sit through, which, normally, is ok. Normally they aren't this flat and usually these films is more determined at which genre it's going for. This film starts of with the prospect of a Romantic drama, sprinkled with some comedy here and there, which would have been ok. The setup is of course obvious, but there might have been some interesting things to show had it been allowed to continue that course. To me it seems as if this film is being instructed by two VERY different directors, because the depiction of Alabama population in the last 2/3 of the movie reminds me most of all of cartoon characters rather then actual homo sapiens. This way to go would also have been fine if it had been taken all the way, in stead of betting on two horses like this. Had the movie gone for either the farce or the drama, I'd probably have given it a 5/10, but it didn't - it mixed up the two and got a cocktail of boring and flat out failure. 3/10\"", "id" : "\"33462_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3503" }, "review" : "\"This is a harmless though brainless film. However, due to the many logical errors in the film, I can't recommend it as anything other than a time-passer--and only if you can manage to turn off your brain for a while while you watch. Otherwise, what happens in the last portion of the film might make you either throw something at the TV or curse yourself for investing this much time in a dopey film. Now I know that there are many Loretta Young and probably more Tyrone Power fans out there and I don't mean to offend them. Heck, I usually love these actors, too, but I also can't lie and say it's one of their better films.The film starts off well enough and I really liked the first half. Adolph Menjou is the co-owner of this restaurant but he needs to pay off a \\\"loan\\\" FAST or lost his restaurant. So, on a lark, he gambles and actually earns enough to pay off the money he lent himself (illegally) and save his butt. However, it turns out that the young guy (Tyrone Power) who he won the money from is broke. Instead of sending Power to jail for writing a bad check to cover his losses, Menjou decides to force Power into becoming his slave. And, as his slave, he has Power pose as a Russian prince so they can both bilk a rich young lady (Young) of the money to save the restaurant. So far so good.Now the fact that Power didn't do so well with impersonating a Russian wasn't a problem--after all, he wasn't supposed to be perfect and she was supposed to eventually figure out that he was a phony. However, and here's where the film gets dumb, although she knows he's a criminal, she falls in love with him(????) and insists she must marry him. Now we could assume that either Miss Young's character is schizophrenic or suffered a massive brain injury, but when her aunt agrees with her and they work hard to get Power (even after he's robbed them), this strains common sense way beyond the breaking point. She barely knew the guy and most of what she knew about him was terrible---yet she insisted on marrying him and having everyone live happily ever after. And on top of this, Ms. Young yells and bellows and over-emotes like mad when she argues with her father about this. Oh, brother, give me a barf bag!! The only reason I even gave the film a score this high is that despite being brainless, the film had some nice moments and the actors seemed to try hard with material that was simply beneath them. Also, the film deserves no better than a 4 because some excellent dance scenes with Bill \\\"Bojangles\\\" Robinson were in the film but they were cut before it was released!! Fortunately, they are included on the new DVD version of this film. You'll find the first one simply brilliant--and probably better than anything Fred Astaire ever did. The second cut scene is less brilliant and rather politically incorrect, but it's still a shame it was eliminated.\"", "id" : "\"3031_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3504" }, "review" : "\"First, I want to come out and say that I only watched one episode of this show, \\\"Death Before Dishonor\\\". Frankly, that was enough for me, and I have since used that episode as the lowest end of the scale by which I judge Sci-Fi. From Otherworld to VR5 to the current Flash Gordon, this remains the bottom of the proverbial barrel. I remember the initial buzz this show created, what with the resumes of some of the lead actors. I also recall that the visual F/X were not bad for the early 90's. While the actors were doing the best with what they had, the writing was severely lacking, and reminded me more of a Saturday morning cartoon script than anything else. The only thing I took away from this show was that I never wanted to see anything like it again. I was also gravely concerned that this show would make the networks more reluctant to take chances on future Sci-Fi oriented series, due to it's quick demise. Fortunately, that did not happen in the long run, but to me Space Rangers remains the type of show that gives Sci-Fi a bad reputation.\"", "id" : "\"37466_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3505" }, "review" : "\"I don't seem to understand how so many people have given 10/10 to Kisna. Rather I think the only people who can give 10/10 are Subhash Ghai, Vivek Oberoi, and the remaining cast of the movie, purely because they were in it. I think it is one of the soppiest movies I have seen in quite some time. The movie hardly had a plot, and whatever the plot was, it was extremely clichĂŠd. Also, it wasn't even a decent period film as it mentioned. All the movie had was songs, gymnastics, songs, songs, crying, gymnastics, songs songs. Honestly, if there was a negative rating, then I would have given this movie a -100 or something. It was a complete waste of 8$ and 3 odd hours.\"", "id" : "\"29471_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3506" }, "review" : "\"One of my favorite aspects of this film is how you are fully drawn into 'Hell'. In short it some what reminds me of a mad max crossed with the movie Legend on an HBO budget. However all those elements come together for a very entertaining and interesting far fetched story line. I hope this one gets put out on DVD! Gave it a 10!\"", "id" : "\"2199_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3507" }, "review" : "\"I am not in the habit of writing a review for a film that I don't like but I was honestly shocked at how horrible this movie was.I couldn't tell what was more atrocious. The horrible acting or the laughable script. I love the idea that Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs is finally getting a starring vehicle but his performance here made me see why he never took off in Hollywood. It was truly THAT bad.The writing was wooden and incredible. Normal people don't speak like these guys did. They go from laughing to crying to anger in minutes. Why would you beg a hitchhiker to get back in your car after 20 minutes of driving? Why would you reveal such incriminating details of your life story after knowing someone for an hour? Why would you allow a stranger with a gun in your car?Horrible. And the camera work didn't help, either. I'm no expert but here's a tip: when showing a gritty, close up scene, try taking the camera off sticks and going hand-held to get an edgier, more nervous feel. I felt like I was watching public access theater for a while there.Overall, this is a good concept for a film. The execution, however, drowned the story in a sea of amateurish and obvious mistakes that kids in their second month of film school are warned against.I wish the actors and crew of this film long, fruitful careers in the entertainment industry but you'll need to bury the masters of this stinker for that to occur. Two words: Alan Smithee.\"", "id" : "\"46669_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3508" }, "review" : "\"I recently viewed this film for the first time and found it to be intriguing if not especially satisfying. I apparently viewed this film from a somewhat different perspective than many other IMDb voters. I don't know the director's intent, but I felt the film exemplified the drawbacks and pitfalls of extreme positions and/or lifestyles. The central character, vividly portrayed by Mimi Rogers, leads a very loose lifestyle in the initial stages of the film and converts to an overly rigid lifestyle in the latter stages after becoming disenchanted and seemingly depressed with what was transpiring in her life. Viewers can judge for themselves whether one type of extremism is preferable to the other. In my opinion, many types of groups or cults (politically or religiously inspired) capitalize on people searching for a person or group who can dramatically change what they perceive as an unrewarding existence. This film may draw, intense positive or negative, response from people with extreme religious positions. Not placing myself at either end of that spectrum, I was deeply interested in the film but felt that it lost some of its impact and possibly a couple of rating points, over the final half hour of the presentation.Mimi Rogers gives a strong performance in a film in which she is required to shoulder the burden. It's not that the other actors give sub-par performances. It's just that the film is so primarily structured around Mimi's character that she is required to carry the load and does so extremely well. In my opinion, an IMDb rating of between 3 and 8 would seem to fit this religiously provocative drama. I personally gave it a 4 out of 10 and would recommend it for viewers who are not offended by loose sexual lifestyles or exploring intense religious attitudes.\"", "id" : "\"42990_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3509" }, "review" : "\"I loved this film, it absolutely spoke to me in a way that few films I've seen do.My biggest fear throughout was that at any moment the next scene would see Sam (sean Penn) and Rita the lawyer (Michelle Pfeiffer) deciding that the best solution to their problems would be if the both united in a marriage / pseudo-marriage, so they could lay happy families and all live happily ever after, blah balh blah ad nauseum. Thank God Nelson had more sense to drop a large hunk of semi-soft cheese into the middle of an outstanding masterpiece. Such a cliched and trite twist would have aboslutely ruined the film for me. Obviously, Nelson did not want to pedestrianise her masterpiece and so consciously steered away from such a soap-opera style conclusion.Penn's performance is highly commendable - more Rainman than Forest Gump. Indeed, it represents what must surely be a turning point in his career direction. Full credit also to young Dakota Fanning (Lucy) who carried off a superb portrayal of her character and simply stole the movie!I'll keep this short but suffice to say if you haven't seen this film you're missing something big. Not everyone will go to see this film but those who do will know that they have seen a truely magnificent piece of cinema.\"", "id" : "\"12205_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f350a" }, "review" : "\"Well I just got done watching this movie, thankfully for free on the SciFi channel. I must say I feel sorry for anyone who actually paid to see this movie. Although I have learned to not really expect much from the weekend Horror movies on cable, this one is really near bottom of the barrel material. The beginning was okay, and could be considered somewhat good by horror movie terms. However there was very little building on almost any of the characters in the movie. While Phil Jenkins, does have some background/build, mostly from just a couple scenes where he revealed some information about his past; as well as Pamela's constant nickname of \\\"big city\\\" for him. All of the other characters just seem like cannon fodder. There to be picked off at a moment's notice. I wasn't impressed by the gore in this movie either, it wasn't in the least bit frightening. That of course, could be the effect of seeing a few hundred different horror movies. I think this movie was mostly just slapped together hurriedly with a second rate script and mediocre actors. The acting in the scene where the girl gets out of the car and is crawling across the ground while being \\\"eaten\\\" by the werewolf is actually laughably bad. The attempt at a good plot twist at the end was pretty lame and very predictable if you've seen any kind of horror/suspense movie similar to this one. The fact that evil thing turns out to be the main character's love interest is pretty dried up in terms of plot twists. It also seems to come very suddenly, without any building whatsoever. My overall view of this movie is that it should definitely be avoided at all costs. Unless you're an absolute die-hard werewolf or random horror fan, don't bother with this movie.\"", "id" : "\"37968_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f350b" }, "review" : "\"The premise of this movie is so similar to 2003's Seabiscuit, you'd think you're watching yet another biography of a real horse in some extraordinary, inspiring film that might just make you want to head down to the nearest race course and observe a real race.But Dreamer (or Sonador as the horse is named) takes a slightly different angle in this tale about second chances and comebacks. If compared to Seabiscuit, yes, we have a horse with great potential faced with the troubles of breaking a leg during a competitive race. As with all race horses, this means instant death, as they have no future value, and are bred for the sole purpose of racing.We also have a superb trainer, Ben Crane, played by Kurt Russell, and the doctor (Holmes Osborne), the written-off jockey (Freddy Rodriguez), the stable-hand (Luis Guzman), etc. But here's where the similarities end. Dreamer is a more personal film, with family friendly characters, like the daughter (Dakota Fanning), the wife (Elizabeth Shue), and the grandfather (Kris Kristofferson). Nursing the horse back to health had actually brought the family closer together, and that in itself makes this film quite clichĂŠ in its many \\\"been-there-done-that\\\" before moments to touch.Dakota Fanning has held her own against \\\"father-figure\\\" heavyweights like Robert De Niro, Denzel Washington, and Tom Cruise, though many would have pointed out that she had rivaled Naomi Watts for the 2005 Scream Queen honors with her performance in War of the Worlds. Here, Fanning has returned to more credible acting, albeit in a safer role.Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, is a heartwarming tale about believing in oneself, having dreams, believing that you can achieve, and take action to achieve those dreams. While watching the movie, I can't help but chuckle at the parallels in seeing how my team and I are sticking together, just like those characters, in wanting to see our dream of making a short film, and entering it into competitions (in this case, the Breeder's Cup) come to a reality.It's that kind of film, an inspiring one. It might be clichĂŠd, the premise might be too good to be true, but hey, success might come to those who dare to dream, believe, and more importantly, do.\"", "id" : "\"13201_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f350c" }, "review" : "\"Storyline: Will Ferrell as Dr. Rick Marshall designs a machine to take him through time and space and he uses it to travel, with a female love-interest and a trailer trash sidekick, to a world with dinosaurs, giant bugs and monkey-people. They lose the machine and have to find it in order to return home.That's the premise, but this film is truly, truly awful. There are NO laughs, NO smiles. It seems that every character has lines spoken to Ferrell telling him how wonderful he is, and the whole thing is one huge ego trip.Under no circumstances should ANYONE pay to see this film. It's not even worth a DVD rental.To be honest, it's not even worth the time to download it from the internet! Yes, it really is that bad.\"", "id" : "\"42461_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f350d" }, "review" : "\"Thinking about it, I'm not a very big fan of Michael Crichton. Westworld is a good film, but Coma was disappointing; and this film, Looker, isn't up to much at all. The early scenes and music indicate that the film is going to be another trashy eighties thriller, which is fine by me; but suddenly the film slows down to snail pace, and despite a few nice murder sequences early on; there really isn't much to remember Looker for. For this film, Crichton has took ideas from the worlds of plastic surgery and advertising, and attempted to blend them into a horror/thriller. To say he wasn't successful would be an understatement, as the plot requires a huge stretch of the imagination and the murders that happen early on never get anything in the way of an explanation. The film focuses on an eminent Beverley Hills plastic surgeon named Larry Roberts. After performing slight surgery on a number of almost perfect young women, he is surprised to find them turn up dead. After doing a bit of research, he stumbles on an advertising company called Digital Matrix, who have their own uses for 'perfect' women.Given that this is an early eighties film, you've got to expect some tacky visuals and an even tackier soundtrack; but the film takes these elements and then delivers a story that is far too serious in tone, and it doesn't bode well at all. Furthermore, Crichton's plotting is awful as the film quickly becomes boring when the writer-director starts forgetting to explain things properly. You can't fault him for imagination, as plastic surgery usually leads to an interesting film, and there's no end of social commentary that can be sprung from the world of advertising; but in failing to capitalise on the story's strong elements, Crichton has made what could have been a masterpiece into a dull and boring film. The acting isn't bad, but again; nothing to write home about. Albert Finney is good in the lead role, and he receives welcome feedback from the likes of James Coburn and Susan Dey. The film isn't all bad (just mostly), and there are a few memorable sequences; most notably a young girl falling several stories onto a car roof, and a scene at a dinner table towards the end; but I'm really surprised that this is given praise as an \\\"unsung movie\\\" - it certainly doesn't deserve it!\"", "id" : "\"905_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f350e" }, "review" : "\"I haven't seen this film for many years, but the performances by Edna May Oliver and James Gleason are memorable. Miss Oliver's performance was brilliant enough to command the release of other movies starring her as Hildegard Martha Withers. This group of movies also represented, I believe, an attempt by the studio to make Edna May Oliver (who was not British, by the way, but solidly American) a leading lady. That attempt failed, probably because she was not a sex symbol. But in the Penguin Pool Murder she wins over James Gleason by the sheer force of her character, and when he finally succumbs she characteristically responds, \\\"I thought you'd never ask!\\\" Or perhaps she was not cast more as a leading lady because she was, simply put, unsurpassed as a character actress. It isn't that she wasn't a box-office draw; for, as a gentleman who lived through the golden age of Hollywood once said to me, \\\"Who didn't love Edna May Oliver !\\\"\"", "id" : "\"18003_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f350f" }, "review" : "\"Geez, I LOVE this movie. It's got just about everything a great (sort of) B-movie needs: Killer dolls, caged women rock bands, a psycho dwarf with an eyepatch, an assassin/clown/ordained priest, and, of course, a crazed billionaire with a shrunken head. Like the tagline says, 'Revenge, lust, and Dolls', all in an hour and a half.\"", "id" : "\"15751_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3510" }, "review" : "\"Misa Kuroi is the new mysterious girl at a Japanese High School, who knows about witchcraft and this, is what has drawn her to this place. Something evil is lurking and she's there to put an end to it. She gains respect from her fellow pupils when she confesses to being a witch, when she performs curse on a hated teacher and it works. However it all changes, when the teacher actually turns up in a very severe accident. She gets the blame, as gossip spreads that people close to her die. During an after school exam, Misa and twelve students get locked in for the night and their teacher has disappeared. When they try to escape, there seems to be some sort of force stopping them from leaving and trying to kill them off. There only chance rests on Misa, but trying to convince them to trust her is another matter.We get a change of pace with this quirky, surrealistic, lurid and highly bold low-budget occult / supernatural / slasher J-horror film, which is inspired by Shinichi Koga's 70's Manga comics. Yes, there's no vengeful spirits here. The film basically exploits its risquĂŠ moments at every opportunity with candid lesbian acts (teacher and student relationship) that follow onto unpleasantly gruesome details in what you can call spicy camp. Director Shimako Sato stylishly paints an edgy shocker with grisly set pieces worked into a claustrophobic atmosphere of dread, which hangs over the latter half of the film. The cheap feel to it all works to its advantage with its limited sets (basically all set in the school grounds), and the adept special effects and macabre make-up comes off extremely potent and well organised. While the majority of the pacing in the opening half slowly kicks off in first gear, it's not until just after the halfway mark where the tempo gets frenetic and the blood splatter hits the fans. Lurking within the haunting context is a cold and creepy tenor, which makes the inventive deaths incredibly blood curdling. The sweeping camera work that's dreamt up can capture some uncanny frames and lighting is kept rather under-lit to breath a really unsteady gloominess. In the background is a faintly effective and wistful music score. The story is nothing we haven't seen before, but it still comes off fresh and stable with its interesting idea, which silly overtones can feature and convoluted actions creep up. Nonetheless it keeps a disorientating and tense feeling on how things are going to turn out in the end. There's not much of a background to the witch Misa in this story, as she's pretty much thrown right into this one and we got to accept it, even though this vagueness could frustrate. This would be the first of four chapters of this character. And the second entry (which isn't too bad and reminded of \\\"The Terminator\\\") would go onto be a prequel, which explained a lot about Misa's past and how she became to be a witch. The static script throws around plenty of witchcraft mumbo jumbo and lets the mystery unfold perfectly fine with few well-disguised red herrings and pawn-figures. The usual twists are also thrown in for good measure.Performances range from brooding to flamboyant, but either way it always amused. Kimika Yoshino in the lead part brings a quiet determination in her strong performance as Misa. Naozumi Takahashi lives it up, in the part of the jealous, wannabe wizard student and Miho Kanno keeps it all innocent and soft as Misa's friend. A stellar Ryoka Yuzuki looks steamy, but strikes up a flinty barrier in her small part and Mio Takaki makes for a stoically steely turn as the teacher Shirai.A dark, foreboding teen J-horror film in the area of black magic, which it's bumpy pacing can get just too causal. Well worth the peek for fans.\"", "id" : "\"20841_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3511" }, "review" : "\"One would think that the BBC and ITV would be out to milk every last penny from the great TV programmes of the past. The Glittering Prizes ranked along with such greats as I Claudius, Fall of Eagles and Days of Hope. I doubt that the tapes have been lost or discarded. If the BBC could produce the old blotchy 50's recording of George Orwell's 1984 for its anniversary, they have got this one tucked away in their vaults.The plot reminded me of the Up series, where a group of children are visited every 7 years to examine how they are faring in life. The Glittering Prizes was a work of fiction, but obviously based on real life characters who attended Cambridge in the 1950's and went on to careers, some successful, some not. I will never forget the scene with Tom Conti in his cheap rooms, with \\\"Oh Mein Papa\\\" playing on the radio, or the young boy when asked what kind of car the family had, replied that they had feet. The evocation of the 50's and 60's brought back so many memories. The script was sparkling, the acting superb and the concept predated all the ensemble films and reality shows.TV has really gone downhill since programmes like this were made. We may have more channels, but the result in mediocrity. Best of all, they were able to get the message across without resorting to gutter language. Like others, I would like to see this on DVD.\"", "id" : "\"29597_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3512" }, "review" : "\"Trying to conceive of a \\\"Left Behind\\\" style film happening to a specific race in a specific State is pretty out there. But director Sergio Arau does so admirably in A DAY WITHOUT A Mexican.Part comedy, part mockumentary, the film's liberal leanings are sure to turn some viewers off. Taking consistent jabs at prejudices (and hitting their target more often than not), the film takes on the premise that a strange, magical fog has surrounded California one fateful day, blocking all incoming and outgoing traffic, internet access, and all forms of communication. And this weird atmospheric disturbance has also taken away all of the Mexicans. The disruption to the Sunshine State is evident as fruit rots on trees, vegetable aisles in grocery stores go empty, and car wash patrons have to dry their own cars! Lilia Rod(riguez) played by Yareli Arizmendi (LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE) is a television news reporter who DOESN'T disappear. The supernatural phenomenon seems to have passed her by even though she's Mexican. Or is she? More unseen prejudices arise as we learn that most Anglos label anyone with a coppery-toned complexion as \\\"Mexican.\\\" Lilia learns her true genetic heritage along the way but feels, in her heart, that she's Mexican and promptly vanishes in front of a television audience.John Getz (BLOOD SIMPLE) plays Senator Abercrombie who has to take on the position of California Governor Pro-Tem, as the current Governor and Lieutenant Governor were Mexican. Thrown into the spotlight, the new Gov has to deal with all of the chaos caused by the disappearances as well as the disruptions to his own household when their maid/nanny/cook vanishes.Other characters include two border patrol officers who are forced to deal with their prejudices when they learn that they no longer have a viable job. This is one particularly hilarious portion of the film that will really tickle audience's funny bones.As California tries to deal with the loss of an entire race, the remaining folks come up with some great reasons for the Mexicans' disappearance. Some say that the sombrero is shaped like a UFO for a reason {wink!} Others believe it's a form of the rapture, and the apocalypse is upon us. Still others believe that it is because the other races didn't appreciate the Mexicans and so they just up and left. Regardless of the reason (true or not) the effect is felt throughout the State. Anglos and other nationalities turn to looting and diving into black-market fruits and vegies in order to save their restaurants. Talk shows swing from one extreme to the other, some saying their glad that the Mexicans are gone while others struggle to stay on the air with a skeleton crew (many camera operators were Mexicans).The film's faults are that this probably won't be for those who live outside California. A Day Without a Mexican has a fairly specific target audience. But the great message, often funny and poignant at the same time, cannot be denied: we all need each other, regardless of race.Special mention of the film's musical soundtrack MUST be made, too. The mariachi version of California Dreamin' is outstanding, as is the theme song A Day Without A Mexican.\"", "id" : "\"25608_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3513" }, "review" : "\"New mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless WaltZ is the movie sequel to the perfect Anime. I would recommend this movie to anyone!!! I love it! It's so great! I can't believe how perfect it is!!! Wow!!! Mothers reading this to see if it's a good idea for their kids: This movie is really good. If your kids are sensitive to blood, Dekim Barton gets shot and a bit of blood is visible. But that shouldn't matter because this movie is GREAT!!! Oh yeah, and Quatre will um, teach them to be nice and stuff.\"", "id" : "\"20334_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3514" }, "review" : "\"This review covers both versions of \\\"Flatland\\\" released in 2007, one by Ladd Ehlinger, Jr. with a mostly unknown voice cast, and the other by Jeffrey Travis with some Hollywood big names providing the voices.The source material for both is the 1884 novella by Edwin A. Abbott, but the approaches of the two films differ radically. The book is a staple of science fiction, and one of the few to address mathematical issues at its core. Being a product of its time, the book is technically naive, and politically incorrect based on current sensibilities.The Travis film is visually slicker, but significantly shorter, and tackles philosophical issues relative to the passage of time from initial publication. As such, it tampers with the plot to mixed effect. Unlike some others, I have no problem with some of the revisions to the underlying plot since they do help bring some of the book's major issues into somewhat sharper focus. On the other hand, they also add a \\\"feel good\\\" and politically correct sensibility that seems out of place.The Ehlinger film is much truer to its source material, which is both a strength and a weakness. Given a current perspective, its 19th century depiction of the political and social subjugation of women is a distraction that the Travis film avoids. It's also a longer film and could have been more effective with some of the same plot and editing license employed in the Travis film. Where it does tamper with the plot, some of the decisions are questionable as other reviewers have pointed out.So which is better? In my opinion, the short answer is the Ehlinger film. Despite its length, political incorrectness, and technical inferiority (the animation of the Travis film is much more sophisticated), it resonates at a technical level to a degree that the Travis film can't match. As a scientist, this means a lot to me. On the other hand, the Travis film resonates on an emotional level that the Ehlinger film can't match. So the answer may be whether you're looking for technical insight or emotional satisfaction.Most jarring in the Travis film is that, unlike the Ehlinger film, the animators never quite caught on to the implications of a two-dimensional universe. It is filled with objects which are instantly recognizable to us, yet would be clearly impossible or meaningless in the film's reality (e.g. the protagonist's daughter has toys which only make sense to someone with a 3-D perspective, and how does he open his briefcase?). The cover art is an obvious first impression example. The Travis film's characters look more human, but ask yourself how their eyes work. One detail of the book is that looking at a Flatlander from above, all of his internal organs are clearly visible, as they should be. Travis' animators hint at this, but don't meet it head-on. The Ehlinger film's animators may not have had the resources to make as slick a film as Travis', but they obviously gave a great deal of thought to what they were doing (or maybe not, since the necessary designs were all in the book). In short, Travis had the budget, but Ehlinger had the passion for the project - albeit perhaps a bit too much respect for the source to create a truly superior adaptation.The differences reflect different target audiences, though. The Travis film is an educational short film which was obviously meant to be viewed by classrooms of middle school and high school students. As such, it had to be socially inoffensive while conveying concepts of geometry that would never occur to non-mathematicians. That it includes recognizable names voicing the characters will help it grab a bit more attention - an educational short film for the \\\"X-Files\\\" generation. The Ehlinger film would mostly appeal to people with a college level interest in mathematics, or others who are already familiar with the book.Neither film is perfect, but I'm giving the Ehlinger film a rating of 8 and the Travis film a rating of 6. Depending on your sensibilities, your conclusion may be exactly opposite of mine, so I hope this review includes enough information to guide you to an informed selection.Or, like me, you could simply buy both... ;-)\"", "id" : "\"28263_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3515" }, "review" : "\"I was 9 went it was released and I still have more emotional attachment to it than any other movie of childhood, even over Rocky or Star Wars. We had a \\\"second run\\\" theater nearby where you could see films for a dollar or 50 cents before 2 o'clock, so I know I saw it at least a dozen times (it played at the theater for about 3 months). My Father coached little league for years for my older Brother and myself. Both are now deceased and I finally took a view at the DVD this week after not having seen it in more than 2 decades. To call it memory evoking is an understatement.Dad was neither a Buttermaker or a Turner as a coach. He would come right from work to the field and would be knocking out balls for fielding practice with his dress pants, Florshiem shoes, and always puffing that pipe filled with Middelton's cherry-blend tobacco. We won our share of games and he always made it a priority that everyone played, and that the game was first and foremost, fun. We had our share of \\\"Turner's\\\" in our leagues, and dad disliked those types to no end. I don't know how many times later in life when meeting someone and they heard my last name, they would ask \\\"Did your dad coach little league? I had him one year as a kid, he was such a cool guy to play for.\\\" Dad thought that BEARS was a bit over the top with the drinking and language, but always admitted that gave him more laughs than any movie he had seen.I never saw any of BEARS sequel's, the TV show, or the 2005 remake. There was just no point. Without Matthau, O'Neal, or Morrow, I'm sure they are as substandard as can be.BEARS really pushed the envelope for it's time, forever shattering the Disneyesque mode of kid-films. What was inappropriate for 1976 is now intolerable, and deservedly so. But it is those attributes that makes the film so unique.I think the character that stands out the most for me is Roy Turner, having been the son of a \\\"coach-dad\\\". I always left the theater loving dad even more for not being like him. Turner gave us a look at what I call \\\"Lombardi-isim\\\". Vic Morrow was such a great actor. It was hard seeing him playing a villain character when I always thought of him as the heroic Sgt. Saunders of COMBAT. When the championship game is over and the Yankees win, I picture that huge trophy sitting in an apartment years later, collecting dust and being just about as worthless as the wood and plastic it's made of. Still in the possession of a bitter old lonely man wondering what happened with his family.Some time back, I spent a lazy Sunday just driving around and came across a league game of 13-14 year olds. I felt compelled to stop and watch a few innings. Oh how things have changed. The \\\"game chatter\\\" has been replaced with vulgar trash-talking. I saw a verbal exchange between a pitcher and hitter that led to a head hunting pitch. Nothing was done about it, and on the next pitch the batter took one to the helmet. The batter ended up being OK (I guess helmet technology has come a long way thank goodness), and the pitcher was ejected. I left the game feeling pretty disgusted, and for a brief moment I asked myself where was Roy Turner when you need him.\"", "id" : "\"17590_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3516" }, "review" : "\"The premise of this film is about a man appointed to be President under unusual circumstance. The current President and Speaker of the House tour a building in Europe, which colapses and kills them both, the vice-president is ill and can't fullfill the office. The Presidency falls to a surprizing fourth in line.It's a great story and I don't understand why it isn't on video yet.The only small flaw is that it is time dated with the premise of Apartied in South Africa. Everyone write to the studio and get them to put it out on video. It has appeared on TV but they cut it to ribbons and destroy the continuity. -ARBY\"", "id" : "\"19119_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3517" }, "review" : "\"I hadn't seen this film for a long time so when it was on television recently I decided to watch it again. I expected it to be cheesy with some fairly ropey special effects... I was wrong, the story was good enough and what special effects there were were decent enough. The real highlight though was the lack of CGI, this means we get to see a wide range of real US Navy aircraft.The plot about the USS Nimitz, a modern nuclear powered US aircraft carrier, going through a strange storm which leaves it back in 1941 on the eve of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. A pair of the carrier's F-14s intercept and shoot down a pair of Japanese Zeroes which have strafed an American boat which happened to have a Senator on board. A rescue helicopter picks up the senator, his aide and one of the Japanese pilots, all of whom are shocked at the technology they see.The senator is adamant that they must warn Pearl of the imminent attack and the Japanese pilot; who has managed to grab a gun and take a hostage wants to warn his fleet. The captain and senior officers must decide whether they should intervene and change history or stay out of the fight and leave history to take its course.The action is pretty exciting and seeing all of those Navy jets would have been enough to get anybody who likes military aircraft watching. The acting was good enough with Kirk Douglas putting in a good performance as the captain of the Nimitz. I think it is a shame that there was less discussion about what the consequences of stopping the attack might be; both good and bad, still it was a pretty good film; a must see to any fan of military aircraft.\"", "id" : "\"12353_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3518" }, "review" : "\"Although it doesn't seem very promising for a long stretch, Renoir's French Cancan ends up being an effortlessly charming film. The story is clichÊ: a laundry girl, Nini (Françoise Arnoul), is discovered by a night club owner, Danglard (Jean Gabin). Danglard steals her from her baker boyfriend and drops his current girlfriend, both of whom come back for their former lovers. Nini has to choose whether to go back to her humble life with the baker, go on with the show with her employer, oh, or become a princess, as a prince falls in love with her at one point, too. I'm glad the film didn't go for the most obvious choice, as a lesser film certainly would have. The film ends with the opening of Danglard's new night club, the Moulin Rouge, and a couple of gorgeous song and dance numbers. The first of them, \\\"Complainte de la Butte,\\\" which also provides the base of most of the film's musical score, is simply one of the most gorgeous songs ever written, and Renoir himself wrote it. If you're a fan of Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film Moulin Rouge!, you'll recognize the tune, as it comes up near the beginning of that film, sung by Rufus Wainwright. Although it isn't very prominent in that film, everyone I know who owns the soundtrack loves it. In addition to having one of the most lovely songs ever written, French Cancan also boasts one of the cutest leading ladies ever to grace the screen. It's hard not to fall head-over-heels in love with that girl. 8/10.\"", "id" : "\"14224_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3519" }, "review" : "\"A generic cop thriller. The boys in blue hunt down a killer/stalker who likes to play sadistic games of \\\"hangman\\\" with the cops to give them a chance to save his victims.The only thing in this movie I thought was good was Lou Diamond Philips, who seems to be great in everything i've seen him in. Why he chose to do this, I have no idea.The basic premise could have gone somewhere, but there was a great deal of cheesy, cliche dialogue and I thought the actor playing the killer was miscast.And I have a problem with the director here. Was he and crew doing shots of whiskey with the teamsters right before shooting began? I don't like giving overly negative reviews, but to tell you the truth, after seeing this, I think I will pass over anything with Ken Girotti's name on it. This was just a very poorly directed film. Even with the cheesy dialogue, it could have been good with Lou Diamond Philips and a director who knew what he was doing.\"", "id" : "\"42628_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f351a" }, "review" : "\"Bad, bad, bad. I don't know what these film-makers were thinking! Bringing back Linda Blair to reprise her role as Regan couldn't save this. Bringing back Kitty Winn as a tougher Sharon couldn't save this. The Georgetown house and infamous staircase couldn't save this. So, let's bring in Richard Burton and Louise Fletcher. We'll make Burton a priest and Fletcher's character a mother figure for Regan. Why not? She's the closest resemblance to Ellen Burstyn we're going to get. I am not even going to go into the whole locust idiocy. Let's just say that the producers must have used every locust in the free world to film this movie. Bad script, bad acting, cheesy special effects and a horrific (not in the good way) ending make this one of the worst films ever made in the history of Hollywood movies. On the plus side, Max von Sydow is the only watchable player in the film. My rating: 2 out of 10\"", "id" : "\"34003_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f351b" }, "review" : "\"Its so sad to see some of the dreck that Tom Berenger has been making in the last ten years or so. Occasionally he pops up in something interesting like \\\"Training Day\\\" but in small roles. But the projects that he stars in is usually low budget junk and \\\"True Blue\\\" is absolutely junk! Berenger plays Rem who is a burnt out cop who drinks a lot and smokes even more and looks completely out of shape. He's a widower and his wife was killed by an Asian gang. While investigating the disappearance of a girl he gets mixed up with Nikki (Lori Heuring) who is connected to the case. The usual investigating takes place as Rem goes to strip joints and S&M; clubs and of course everything leads to the Asian gang. ****SPOILER ALERT**** The ending to this film is so bad, and so preposterous and contrived that as a viewer I got a little angry. Why do writers and directors continue to have plot twists with his co-workers involved and setting him up? Its ridiculous! Its unbelievable! They did the same crap in the film \\\"Along Came a Spider\\\" and ruined that film as well. This wasn't a very good film to begin with but this atrocious excuse for an ending makes it even worse. Please! I beg you writers and directors out there, no more convoluted plot twists! Twenty five year veterans of the force are not going to set up other officers for some money and commit murder. No one has ever bought it! And no one ever will!\"", "id" : "\"46856_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f351c" }, "review" : "\"As with many High School English classes, we had to watch this over the past few days. Unlike most \\\"school\\\" movies, however, I quite enjoyed it. Robin Williams was great as usual, a pleasant change from his typical over-the-top comedy roles. He is one of my favourite actors, as he can play so many types of roles so perfectly. The supporting cast was great as well, each having their own moments to shine. The film had a very good message, to always stand up for what you believe in, and to seize the day, Carpe Diem! Part of the ending bothered me, to avoid spoilers I wont go into why, though the final scene certainly made up for it. Overall, I was pretty surprised with this movie. Who knew they'd actually make us watch something good in school!7/10\"", "id" : "\"19161_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f351d" }, "review" : "\"I don't know where to begin. Darryl Hannah's performance was the true highlight of this film. Jonathan Taylor Thomas was very mis-cast and the audience laughed every time he came on screen, trying to play the bad boy. He just didn't work in the role. The plot was thin. Poor editing and continuity. I really couldn't recommend this film. If you want a good film to recommend to a gay/bi/questioning youth I would suggest Beautiful Thing or Get Real. Far superior films...\"", "id" : "\"41037_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f351e" }, "review" : "\"Britain from time to time produces brilliantly realistic urban films, and here in Paul Andrew Wiliams' debut feature we have a truly great genre entry that is awash with realism.Joanne is a 12 year old runaway befriended by young prostitute Kelly, a tragic event leads to them fleeing from London to Brighton on the train, in furious pursuit is a pimp and a gangsters son, and all of their lives are hurtling towards a night of reckoning.This film contains prostitutes, paedophiles, drugs, and violence, yet to even think that this film panders to genre stereotypes would be doing it an injustice. This is a gritty realistic picture that thru its bleak story telling manages to make the viewer feel a part of the events unfolding, it's harsh and unrelenting in its portrayal of the dark parts of city life that do exist in our world. The screenplay is as lean as a prize featherweight boxer, no saggy tag ons, no sub plots to bog the story down, just a hard as nails story culminating in a wonderful final reel.Lorraine Stanley, Georgia Groome, Johnny Harris, and Sam Pruell, your names, I hope, will get to be known outside of England, because you all excellently realised characters that reminded me of people I have encountered during my life. I do hope that you will not be consigned to the forgotten filing cabinet that contains the one film wonders. Excellent and unforgettable picture 9/10\"", "id" : "\"11270_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f351f" }, "review" : "\"Classy romantic comedies about African-Americans that neither deal drugs nor go on booty calls were unusual fare for Hollywood in the pre-Tyler Perry era. \\\"Waiting to Exhale\\\" (1995) charted this change of attitude in the depiction of blacks that caught on in later movies like \\\"Soul Food,\\\" \\\"Eve's Bayou,\\\" \\\"Love Jones,\\\" and \\\"The Wood.\\\" Director Malcolm D. Lee's witty, sophisticated, but dramatically well-rounded yarn \\\"The Best Man\\\" is the latest to capitalize on this trend. Despite some profanity and raunchy sexual allusions, \\\"The Best Man\\\" endorses marriage, fidelity and religious values. Nobody gets shot, stabbed, or coked up the nose. The characters qualify as intelligent, positive, upscale role models and stereotypes appear conspicuously absent in this seriocomic account of a weekend college reunion before a classmate's wedding.Happily, \\\"The Best Man\\\" shuns racism either as a political issue or as a narrative theme. Actually, this lighthearted but occasionally down to earth comedy of errors looks and sounds like something Oscar Wilde or George Bernard Shaw might have penned. The point is that \\\"The Best Man\\\" emerges as a polished mainstream comedy where the characters are first and foremost people with all of the foibles and frailties of mankind. A strong ensemble cast headed by charismatic Taye Diggs, who won over audiences in \\\"When Stella Got Her Groove Back,\\\" distinguishes writer Lee's accomplished directorial debut. Unlike his famous, more often controversial brother Spike Lee, Malcolm sticks to the story and avoids tangents.Chicago author Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs of \\\"Go\\\") has just written his first novel. Appropriately entitled 'Unfinished Business,' Stewart's about to be published story has been picked up by Oprah Winfrey's book club. Life couldn't be better for the novice novelist. The froth of Harper's success fizzles when he learns that his ex-college flame, BET-TV producer Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long of \\\"Friday\\\") has circulated an advance copy of his semi-autobiographical effort among his close chums. When Harper arrives in New York City for the weekend festivities surrounding the impending marriage of football star Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnut of \\\"Half Past Dead\\\") and Mia Morgan (Monica Calhoun of \\\"Love & Basketball\\\"), he finds himself up to his ears in hot water.Naturally, Harper's friends have perused his novel. They bicker about who he used as models for his fictional characters. Things come to a boil when Lance suspects the worst. He believes that his sweetheart Mia may have bedded down with Harper, the guy he chose to serve as his best man. Reluctantly, Harper confesses, and the once philandering football star blackens his eye at their stag party and then threatens to throw him off the balcony. Lance calls off the wedding without warning Mia and then storms out of the party. Harper realizes grimly that he must patch things up. The next day everybody shows up at the church in their finest garb, but poor Mia has no idea why Lance is tardy.\\\"The Best Man\\\" is the equivalent of Terry McMillan for guys. They form a closely-knit group of friends who have achieved success of their own right after college. Predictably, their reunion sparks old rivalries and bitter jealousies. Harper finds himself in trouble long before he arrives in the Big Apple to celebrate with his friends. Just as his publishing career is gaining momentum, Harper's girlfriend goads him about a commitment that he balks at giving. Quentin (Terrence Howard of \\\"Iron Man\\\") is a cynical career drifter who cannot find a woman for himself but who doles out advice to Julian Murch (Harold Perrineau, Jr., of \\\"The Matrix Reloaded\\\") about how to deal with his prima donna girlfriend Shelby (Melissa De Sousa of \\\"Biker Boyz\\\"). Finally, Lance has decided to settle down now that he has inked a $5-million contract to play for the New York Giants.\\\"The Best Man\\\" towers as a four-star romantic comedy in the tradition of \\\"The Big Chill\\\" with characters who never get short-changed and an ending that is agreeably believable.\"", "id" : "\"3530_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3520" }, "review" : "\"This cod mockney melodrama from the director of Bridget Jones Diary fails at every level. It's clearly a film involving working class characters made by middle class people with both characters and plot lacking any authenticity and credibility whatsoever. In fact, the basic premise of Bridget Jones is transposed to this disastrous attempt at making a serious drama. Instead of writing a diary she writes letters to Osama Bin Laden. Instead of getting caught in a love triangle between Colin Firth and Hugh Grant she gets caught in a love triangle with two equally wet englishmen, uncomfortably played by Ewan MacGregor and Matthew Macfadayen, and all this, after her poor husband and son have been blown to bits in an unconvincing attack on Arsenal football stadium whilst she was shagging the local taloid newspaper reporter! The mawkish sentimentality that ensues is unbearable. In a preposterous celebration of London's blitz spirit, the faces of the victims are printed on the side of WWII air balloons which float above the city in every shot. And Michelle Williams, who miraculously found her sons toy rabbit in the ruins of the football stadium, clutches it to her chest in almost every scene. I find it hard to believe that this ill conceived script ever made it past treatment stage, particularly when so many established UK film companies like CH4 were involved in its development and finance. I find it equally hard to believe that the film was selected to screen at prestigious festivals like Sundance.This film is a worrying indictment of the failings of a the British film industry.\"", "id" : "\"18904_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3521" }, "review" : "\"I cant go for long describing this tittle, simply because I do not feel strong about it. I read a few comments and I see that only proud and patriotic Frenchmen seem to like it, that's all I can say...Boring Long Sometimes even stupid...p.s. 7.4 out of 10, the viewers must be going crazyI cant go for long describing this tittle, simply because I do not feel strong about it. I read a few comments and I see that only proud and patriotic Frenchmen seem to like it, that's all I can say...Boring Long Sometimes even stupid...p.s. 7.4 out of 10, the viewers must be going crazy\"", "id" : "\"43279_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3522" }, "review" : "\"Can a movie be so awful it's actually physically harmful to watch? \\\"Sprängaren\\\" comes close. I had never watched any of Colin Nutley's pictures before this one, and I can safely say that I will never deliberately watch another one. This is so bad it should be used as a user manual for how not to make a movie. I honestly can't think of a single thing in this tedious waste of film that doesn't suck to high heavens. The story, which isn't that interesting in the first place, unravels at the pace of a dead man running a marathon. The direction is standard fresh-out-of-film-school, \\\"hey-look-I-just-found-a-camera-in-the-garbage-can\\\" stuff, stunning in its ineptitude and seemingly aggressive refusal to be interesting. The acting is so good it almost rivals the works of Ben Affleck in terms of charisma and enthusiasm. To be honest, for the first half hour I could've sworn I was watching a satirical comedy about zombie journalists. As for Helena BergstrÜm, she deserves a special mention because it really boggles my mind how she EVER became as famous (even by Swedish standards) as she is now. She has no acting talent whatsoever and she has a face like the rear end of an infected hamster. Sorry Helena, but it's true and you know it, no matter what your husband says.Moving on to smaller, yet crucial aspects of the film, the sound, musical score, and lightning is so sickeningly off in almost every single scene that it hurts to watch. The music, for the most part, has nothing to do with what's going on on-screen, the dialogue is muffled and there is a very lazy (and ineffective) use of natural lightning throughout. To be honest, only one scene didn't make me want to gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon, and it was a five-second shot of some trees. I guess this is a major achievement for someone like Nutley.The stunning amount of reviewers here who gave the film more than 3/10 makes me want to commit acts of terrorism myself. How can you find anything about this movie good??Send this film to Guantanamo where it belongs... as a torture device.\"", "id" : "\"30609_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3523" }, "review" : "\"This was one of my first \\\"Disney Midquel\\\" experiences, the very first being the Fox and the Hound 2. I haven't a clue why Disney has taken up this hideous trend. Their midquels spoil practically everything about their original counterparts.I was (and I'm sure that others were too) hoping for a story about Bambi's twin fawns Geno and Gurri from the novel Bambi's Children. Instead I received this nightmare. I'll not spoil the story for those interested in this garbage, but I will say that every classic character was ruined by a chatty, modern attitude. The character that bothered me most was the redone Faline. She was not at all her adorable old self, but quiet, reserved, and having a slightly darker, more dullish-brown coat, thus erasing all of her original appeal. Despite the lovely animation, I could not enjoy how Disney made such a lackluster and unoriginal followup to one of their most successful films of all time.\"", "id" : "\"13896_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3524" }, "review" : "\"I suppose to fully appreciate Amelie, one would first have to appreciate the work of Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Jeunet creates characters that are sweet, simple, and (of course) interesting. Amelie, as the full title suggests, takes place in France. But not quite the France you may know. The France in Amelie is borderline between surreal and real, making the story of Amelie much like a fairy-tale. The main character, Amelie, is struggling to find her place in a world in which she does not seem to fit in. She feels finally at peace with her life when she finally feels she has found her goal in life...changing people's lives for the better. I don't want to give too much away, but overall, Amelie is a uniquely sweet story, with a uniquely sweet soul; just like...well, Amelie.\"", "id" : "\"9575_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3525" }, "review" : "\"Having won the PR war, there is now no means by which a viewer can allow himself to judge a Pixar product as wanting or in this case, horrid. A movie so underscripted (and over messaged) that if you wasted five words describing the plot you'd give everything away. Audiences still don't know when they're being narratively cheated, or when a slightly promising idea has gone off the rails, or become a bloated, maddening mess. I never ever imagined when I rented this that I would be swearing at the screen as the unbearable latter two thirds of this movie wore out their welcome.So here we are (AGAIN) with the unpromising clichés of a robot who wants to feel love, a ships computer issuing a self-destruct countdown, a crowd that requires one person to save them.Wall-e himself makes sad eyes over and over. The movie milks this in every scene - Put \\\"robot\\\" and \\\"love\\\" into the big Hollywood script writing machine and you always get something like this. The movie becomes bloated with surface activity whose conception calls for dragging out tired computer animation, and the familiar set of unnecessary/lookalike obstacles to be overcome. It devolves into the usual thought (and time) wasters. In the end, things have reached the same frantic, overproduced excess that execs have been pushing for 50 years. Wall-E is exactly as bloated as Hello Dolly was in 1969. (& I challenge you to sit through that forgotten dud.)In the 1968 movie Oliver, at an emotional bottom, the title moppet sings a song called \\\"Where is love?\\\" Lionel Bart was criticized for writing a song with sentiments too developed for a child to voice. While a child may seek the love a missing parent, they don't seek love in general as a disembodied ideal. Likewise for Wall-e. Here, barely three minutes after Wall-E is introduced, he's dreary little headcase pining for love, which is a limp idea dramatically for a kids film, and forces half the problems that ensue. The other half come from the wearying agenda, and this is coming from someone who is relieved we are finally in the green era.Vain, high-concept viewers have taken pride in their ignorance of a device here, which is old news; large stretches of silence are novel only to audiences who are unfamiliar with Jaques Tati, the 28 silent minutes that open 2001, enormous silent stretches of the ingenious Blow-Up (& countless other examples) and who can't fathom the silent era.The movie asks two tiny things of an audience; to nod in agreement with its simpleton moral pronouncements, and to pass the time distracted by a bunch of surface activity. Right in the middle, between those two things, is where any good movies soul resides, what the movie ask you to cogitate over; ideas! Sorry no ideas here, just an abundance of messages: Towers of garbage taller than the skyscrapers we built (check, message delivered) An indictment of bignesss and Wal-mart (check, message delivered) Headed by a craven CEO (check, message delivered) A single remaining plant (check, messaged delivered) A space-ark filled with helpless fatties (check, message delivered) etc. etc. etc. etc. (message delivered).A glimpse into the future has never been so hopelessly stuck in the narrative past, and never looked so much like Victorian corn. The movie just cannot rest until a parade of morals has been pounded home. There is little sense of wonder in it. It ain't surprising that it was directed by the guy who made Little Nemo.The movie becomes exactly as dreary, tiring and preachy as the premise of a largely wordless movie about ecology sounds. It does not overcome its major decisions. Regardless of it's popularity now, no one will be watching this in ten years because no one will be able to trudge through it. It is grotesquely unsubtle… hideously preachy.Wall-E is is as insufferable as a dinner guest who explains the correct moral stance on every topic that comes up. Message delivered.\"", "id" : "\"41930_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3526" }, "review" : "\"I think this movie was totally worth seeing. It's shaped around one character who's entire life is centered around fitting in. Then the filmmakers take this concept of anarchy and throw this guy into the middle of it. He wants to just fit in but \\\"how far will he go?\\\". The story twists around his wanting to fit in and his conscience of what is actually right and wrong. The characters are by no means Abercrombie and Fitch, but more normal everyday looking people.This movie has depth that some people might not be able to see...and even though sometimes it might get slow maybe they did it on purpose for you to reflect or so you can say yeah I'm not just watching another mindless movie.Also this movie points at social issues like the 60's hippie movement. And how it's shaped us now, instead of hippies were anarchist. Or how were always trying to rebel against something. It's very interesting to see the \\\"new age hippie\\\" mixed in with the radical 60's hippies (who are now adults).So if you don't want to see another mindless Hollywood carbon copy this is definitely an interesting movie to see.\"", "id" : "\"9234_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3527" }, "review" : "\"\\\"Wax\\\" is very likely the oddest film I've ever seen. Marvelously, beautifully, lyrically, and profoundly intellectually stimulating in all respects. Breathtaking in its scope and achievement. But very odd.I have read medical reports containing sodium pentathol interviews and transcripts of schizophrenics' monologues. I have read memoirs and fiction by schizophrenics and hard drug users. I have read Surrealist and Beat Movement literature. I have read James Joyce and Gertrude Stein. I have read the visionary poetry of Charles Williams and H.D. I have watched films by Kenneth Anger and David Lynch and Maya Daren. I have read Yoruba ethnic literature from West Africa and studied Aleister Crowley's skryings on the Enochian aethyrs. I have read H. P. Lovecraft and also Kenneth Grant's post-Crowleyan magickal writings describing journeys behind the Tree of Life which would have preempted H.P.L.'s usual nightmares had he but known of them.\\\"Wax\\\" stands tall in that company. A hypnotic, hallucinatory, purely poetic fusion of words, images, political ideas, and mystical transformations, nothing quite resembles it. \\\"Pi\\\" (1998) tried for something as distinctive, but that film gave us a glowering, paranoid, tortured vision shot in deliberately painful close-ups. \\\"Wax\\\" makes a complete contrast in its joyful freedom of eloquence in narration and visuals.\\\"Wax\\\" enhances life while critiquing it. The film employs early, simple computer graphics. It juggles idiosyncratic desert architecture, prosaic photography, and absurd juxtapositions of common images. It tells a story of Middle Eastern honey bees along with offering a hard view of the original U.S. military actions against Iraq in 1991 (a time so simple in retrospect as to seem the good old days). It links Los Alamos with transformations in consciousness. \\\"Wax\\\" leaps beyond the merely political in its luminous metaphors for human existence.You can find stronger films, more beautiful films, more linguistically spry films, but you will probably never find anything quite like this fireworks display of language and image. Think \\\"2001: A Space Odyssey\\\" on a home movie budget. Your grasp of reality (and cinema) may never feel the same.\"", "id" : "\"26888_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3528" }, "review" : "\"Overall, it's a nice movie for Xu as her second movie as both the director and the leading actress. The adaptation is so natural that nobody would regard the story as a \\\"non-Chinese\\\" one. The music is great with Lin Hai, the outstanding composer. The sound of Pipa goes smoothly with the movie, typical Chinese which fits the time background. As for the actors...Well, here is by what I mean \\\"it could be better\\\". Jiang Wen isn't that suitable for this part as \\\"the man\\\", Xu Jinglei(the director herself) isn't mother-like enough for the part as \\\"the woman\\\". Some supporting roles are quite good, eg. the old servant... Voila.\"", "id" : "\"21576_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3529" }, "review" : "\"Strictly for fans of the King this movie is one of the worst I have ever seen. It looked as though it was written and directed by Ed Wood without the props falling over. Elvis' hair changes from one camera angle to another, there is no real plot, all of the characters are predictable. The only saving grace was.....well....there was no saving grace. It's bad.\"", "id" : "\"34329_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f352a" }, "review" : "\"Enjoyed this 1950 film which dealt with a mental patient who thinks he was a soldier during WW II and has a legal license to kill any one he decides to kill. This crazy person is played by Marshall Thompson, (Gunther Wyckoff) who is riding in a bus and sitting next to a lady who is trying to be friendly, but Gunther just looks straight ahead and views a gun that the bus driver had on his sun shade and just gets up and blows this driver away. Gunther eventually goes into a bar and locks all the customers in the bar and starts killing the bartender and threatens various other women in the bar. Gunther wants to have his Doctor John D. Faron visit him in the bar in order to prevent him from causing all this death to innocent people. There is plenty of tension in this bar and the women in the bar do their very best to try and over power this nut case.\"", "id" : "\"29717_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f352b" }, "review" : "\"I'm surprised this film is not higher rated. This is a great film about America and certainly one of the great comedies. Walter Matthau was born for this role. The kids are impeccably cast. Hilarious, moving and inspirational.\"", "id" : "\"17597_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f352c" }, "review" : "\"Or you'll hate or you'll love it, simple as that and I am quite afraid that I rather hate it. The story itself could have been interesting as we follow a couple who have to escape from their hometown (I suppose due to political reasons but that's never been explained) but everything is seen through the eyes of a boy who is called Harry (his new identity) as in his own created world his hero is Harry Houdini. Oh I wish I could escape from sleep during this movie as it's so dull and slowly filmed that you constantly watch the clock till it's going to end. Naaah sorry, films with a different view are always more than wellcome but they must have been made good as well otherwise...yup, otherwise you're bored.\"", "id" : "\"34970_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f352d" }, "review" : "\"This show was extremely pathetic, but I would buy the DVD of the aired shows in a minute because they are unintentionally hilarious! For one thing, Chevy Chase seemed to have been strung out on antidepressants, horse tranquilizers, or something; because he was so inept as a host as to seem deliberately horrendous.He sat down at a desk with a huge 500-galloon salt-water tropical fish tank behind him. This was a novel concept and I liked it. Unfortunately, during one episode, the water had a brownish tinge to it and the fish were obviously dying. It seems that a stage hand with an axe to grind had dumped a cup of coffee into the aquarium. The next show, the tank was gone.His interviewing skills were so bad as to make Carson Daly seem like Mike Wallace. I remember one interview with Dean Cain where Chevy actually smirked at him and suggested that Cain was gay. You could tell that Dean Cain was visibly restraining himself from punching out the inept host.This show was quickly cancelled and it's no mystery as to why.\"", "id" : "\"29221_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f352e" }, "review" : "\"This TV made film that I saw on Cartoon Network wasn't that bad for a Scooby-Doo film. Basically Scooby, Shaggy and the very punchable Scappy-Doo are going to a mysterious house to collect some kind of fortune or treasure. While they are looking in this house there is a spirit trying to stop them. So they decide to get a ghost hunting team to get rid of it, The Boo Brothers. They are ghosts themselves, but they call themselves frighteners of ghosts. I basically like this for the treasure hunting. Scrappy is the only thing ruining this cartoon. If I ever saw Scrappy again, it would be the last, he has so got to die! Apart from that though, not bad. Scooby-Doo was number 8 on The 100 Greatest Kids' TV Shows, and he was number 49 on The 100 Greatest Cartoons. Worth a look!\"", "id" : "\"37940_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f352f" }, "review" : "\"This is just possibly the most \\\"perfect\\\" movie ever made. There is no meaningless dialog; not a single extraneous character; and every plot twist is rational and reasonable. Not to mention a superb soundtrack. Because of the intense violence, particularly against women, it is a disturbing and difficult film to sit through. But if you care about the cinema, you must watch without interruption! Characters get what they deserve...in the beginning and at the climax. Let Kubrick take you on the emotional rollercoaster of your cinematic life. And don't forget to breathe.\"", "id" : "\"6414_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3530" }, "review" : "\"While I was on Thanksgiving Vacation visiting my relatives in America. I saw the film \\\"In his Life\\\" The John Lennon Story. Being a big Beatle fan I enjoyed it alot.I was impressed with the Dramatic performances from Irish ActorPhillip McQuillan. I thought he represented Lennons esscence quite well in this movie. What I would like to know is when is he making a Sequel?\"", "id" : "\"8110_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3531" }, "review" : "\"i saw this movie on October 28 of 2005 and i have tosay that its a very great movie because it was 10 years older and its most impressive than others \\\"when i saw this movie i think was real becausewas SO real that i have change the channel to CNNand other news ,i want to buy this movie or recorderfrom TV but i cant but unless a question a have only say that this is that type of movies that youneed to see because the simplicity is the bestthis is a drama movie but i have to say that thismovie scared me a lot more than other how scream or that type of movies\"", "id" : "\"5401_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3532" }, "review" : "\"When this movie was made - in 1971 - Sean Connery was certainly best known for playing the ultimate good guy - super spy James Bond, who kept the world safe from every bad guy you could imagine. I can understand why Connery would want to re-image himself, especially since his time as James Bond was approaching its end. What I have a hard time understanding is why he would choose such a poor movie to do it with. Here, he plays Duke Anderson - a career criminal who has just been released from prison and immediately begins plotting his next job - robbing the six wealthy residents of the apartment house in which his prostitute girlfriend (played by Dyan Cannon, in a role that accomplished little except to give a sort of logical reason why this place would be targeted) lives. He puts together a team made up partly of guys he knew on the inside, partly of old cronies from the outside and one guy from the local mob. Throughout the movie, it seems as though everyone's being taped (thus, the title) - but to no end, since the tapes really end up playing no role whatsoever. And, in the end, I wondered about the police - it looked like half the NYPD was on this job!I thought this movie was poorly written, poorly acted and poorly paced. It's hopelessly dated, reeking of the 70's and with an absolutely dreadful musical score. It lost me right from the beginning with the silly scene of Anderson's last group therapy session in prison. It was dull throughout - a total waste of time. 1/10\"", "id" : "\"47866_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3533" }, "review" : "\"After their grandfather is violently killed, three dysfunctional sisters and their friends take a vacation to the old man's hotel on the lake, a part of their inheritance. Once there, however, they're stalked down by a group of murderous psychopaths who have taken up residence in the grandfather's former home.With a plot reminiscent of a great '70s Italian slasher (like Bay of Blood, perhaps), I was very much looking forward to this. As usual, the poster was pretty cool, but I still didn't have my hopes set high. Lucky for me, with hopes set low, there's less room for them to fall when I'm inevitably disappointed. First off, the biggest flaw with the film: The acting. I just don't get it. There are thousands upon thousands of simultaneously talented and attractive actors/actresses in Hollywood and beyond that wouldn't refuse a role in a theatrically released horror flick with a $2.5 million budget. Instead, we get a reasonably attractive cast without enough talent to fill a proverbial thimble. The writing is terrible and unoriginal, and the dialogue is worsened with these actors. The setting, however, is absolutely beautiful at the southern California ranch in Santa Clarita. First-timer George Bessudo worked well with the film, creating some good suspense and utilizing some cringeworthy gore. Unfortunately, teamed with the amateurish script and embarrassing cast, it turned out to be a rather muddled mess. The script & acting cannot be made up for, and the majority of the film feels like a subpar combination of The Hills Have Eyes, Cabin by the Lake (remember that one?), and any lame teens-in-the-woods horror with Rob Zombie's Michael Myers as the killers. I'm left with just one question to ask: 'Where did the other $2.4 million go from the projected budget of $2.5 million? Booze & hookers? If so, I would've asked the latter to replace the current cast.Final verdict: 2.5/10. Dreadful!\"", "id" : "\"23782_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3534" }, "review" : "\"Girl Shy is phenomenal. It really has it all. It is a fantastically funny movie about an innocent \\\"girl shy\\\" everyman who ends up at the end with the big break and, of course, the beautiful girl. The romance is absolutely breathtaking. The pathos is inspiring--practically had me in tears. The comedy is genuine-indeed, the fantasy sequences are very, very interesting to say the least. The ending chase scene is cinematic genius. Its similarity to the ending of The Graduate is eerie. Released 82 years ago, this film had me on the edge of my seat throughout. One of the greatest movies I have ever seen. Harold Lloyd is a forgotten Hollywood icon. With the 2005 DVD release of his greatest films (including Girl Shy), that will undoubtedly soon change.\"", "id" : "\"20265_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3535" }, "review" : "\"Not filma making's finest hour. I felt this movie was just to obviously silly. Nothing really memorable or interesting about it, in an odd way it reminded me of \\\"Weekend at Bernie's\\\". I think the movie tried to be funny in a very obvious,contrived way. Not the worst film ever made but certainly not one that makes it's mark in any way, shape or form.\"", "id" : "\"38965_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3536" }, "review" : "\"This, being the last Abbott and Costello film, I'm not surprised that it went downhill. In my opinion, Abbott was a minor character, and I didn't laugh once in watching this movie. We've gone from good old slapstick and walking into walls to making fun of the stupidity of Lou. He loses everything, and we get that horrible tragedy atmosphere. Then they squeeze a 2-minute happy ending in, and you never lose it. All in all, this movie, although it has a nice blurb on the back, stinks.\"", "id" : "\"39951_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3537" }, "review" : "\"This was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Absolutely no suspense. A lot of really bad acting. Very poor special effects. Avoid wasting your time with this one. Nothing more to say, but here's the required minimum 4th line anyway.\"", "id" : "\"44839_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3538" }, "review" : "\"After the suicide of his wife (Amy Irving), David Callaway (Robert De Niro) takes his mentally disturbed 9-year-old daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning) to a new home in the country in upstate New York. Instead of getting better, Emily begins to withdraw further, and she announces to her father that she has a new imaginary friend named \\\"Charlie.\\\" At first, her father sees Charlie as a way for Emily to express her feelings. Then a series of vicious acts such as menacing writings appearing on the bathroom walls, and other mysterious occurrences start happening around the house. David blames Emily for doing them, but Emily says that Charlie did it. But is Charlie imaginary? You'd have to ask Emily, who is the only one who can see Charlie. Charlie may actually be both real and very dangerous. The movie is well crafted and suspenseful with a great cast. For a thriller, I did jump a few times. The ending was a little disappointing, but not unpredictable. (20th Century Fox, Run time 1:40, Rated R)(8/10)\"", "id" : "\"31593_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3539" }, "review" : "\"But then again, I completely HATED the first one.The children of Gatlin, who killed their parents back in CotC1, are rounded up and bused to the neighboring town. No investigation, trial, psychiatric evaluations - just taken in by idiots. Along comes reporter Terence Knox, who's having a terrible road trip with it estranged son. They decide to stay in town so dad can get the story and son can act like a whiny punk. Soon enough, the freaky Gatlin kids start getting' religious again and kill a few adults. No one seems to notice they all stand in a pack and brood next to the person who ends up dead. Most of the idiot town gets burned alive at a town meeting but not before some toxic corn subplot is introduced. The movie ends with a good old-fashioned showdown.In spite of a few decent gore scenes, the grossest scene in the movie is a Terence Knox sex scene that may hold the record for fake sweat in a mainstream movie. Actually, I'm still not sure if this was supposed to be a comedy or not.\"", "id" : "\"38138_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f353a" }, "review" : "\"While this movie was not exactly earth-shaking, it was a well-made film that held my attention. It's about 4 lady friends who are waiting for their husbands to meet them at their summer retreat. While waiting, they begin to tell their innermost secrets about their marriages--particularly the details of boredom or infidelity. The most memorable one of these is the final segment with the husband and wife stuck in the elevator, though they all were well acted and interesting. Those who are great fans of the later depressing work of Bergman may find this movie a bit of a letdown, it should appeal to those in the audience who want greater depth in the plot without the hopelessness that accompanies many later Bergman films.\"", "id" : "\"410_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f353b" }, "review" : "\"Feestje! has all the characteristics of a bad Dutch movie: it's main actor is a 38 year old playing a student, there's meaningless, unfunctional sex in it and the story doesn't make any sense. You can have worse times though...Ruud van Hemert brought his dynamic duo from his previous flop, 'Ik Ook Van Jou' back into this one, and I must say that Van Erven Dorens is likable in his role, although one can tell it's not acting which he does for a living. Kamerling meanwhile isn't the actor a lot of people once thought he would be, and picking roles like this one won't help either.The story: Ben (Van Erven Dorens) is about to marry Talita (Chantal Janzen), and is been bragging to her parents about his best friend and best man Thijs (Kamerling). He does this so well they want him to plan the weddingparty. While Thijs really is a sloppy student only believing in one night stands and hating couples and marriage...Things complicate when social worker Susan (Daphne Bunskoek) steps into his life and he wants to start off his own bar/restaurant...The movie at times is extremely messy (watch the scene where Thijs and Susan are in the kitchen at night, talking. It seems that in every shot they are standing in another part of the kitchen) and the acting, as said before, is only so and so. Still, I had an OK time with it what couldn't be said about Ik Ook Van Jou.PS If you're a big Chantal Janzen fan, you can skip this one as she has about 1 line in it.4/10.\"", "id" : "\"45466_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f353c" }, "review" : "\"What a lovely movie to look at. Wonderful costumes and sets make this movie a real treat to the eye. Some of the best I've seen in a period horror film. The acting is also quite good. It's just too bad that this is all The Son of Dr. Jekyll has to offer.It's easy to see why this film was titled The Son of Dr. Jekyll and not The Son of Mr. Hyde. Other than the opening scene where Hyde (I'm not entirely sure it was Hyde) has about five minutes of screen time, we see him for less than 10 seconds in the rest of the film. Very disappointing. Without Hyde, Dr. Jekyll has a tough time carrying a movie by himself.The movie is really more of a crime mystery than a horror regardless of how it is listed on IMDb. The \\\"son\\\" spends the majority of the movie tying to figure out who is framing him as mad killer. While it is a decent enough idea for a movie, the killer's true identity is given away so early that there are few dramatic or tense moments later on.\"", "id" : "\"47671_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f353d" }, "review" : "\"Mediocre performances aside, there were a lot of missed opportunities in this movie.The miscasting of Finney and Dey is a big problem. Finney is not the right actor for the role of the protagonist/romantic lead and you can't help feeling he's just picking up a paycheck. He certainly doesn't put any effort or sincerity into the part. Dey is just plain wrong in a role as a model with supposedly \\\"perfect\\\" and symmetrical features. Dey is cute and great in many roles, but Crichton really needed someone who actually has a symmetrical face.As a director (and, unfortunately, also as an author) Crichton puts much effort into some details and none at all into others. Why, for example, does the main bad guy/thug move items unnecessarily when searching an apartment? The victims always notice that the items are out of place or missing. That's just stupid. Plus, why kill off people under such obvious and suspicious circumstances? It's not like the police don't investigate murders. An intelligent assassin also wouldn't use a submachine gun in a doctor's office, the Looker weapon wouldn't fit in a standard pistol holster, a sink won't spray water out of the drain when hit by an errant bullet, yada-yada....There are some creepy sequences, but far fewer than Crichton intended. Worth seeing if it's on SciFi, but don't waste a rental on it. I never did understand why it was necessary to kill any of the models, either.\"", "id" : "\"906_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f353e" }, "review" : "\"Haunted House (2004) is a waste of digital space upon a D.V.D. disc I have ever seen. I have watched crappy movies before but this has to be worst thing I have ever seen. This did not even resemble a movie in the least. The structure, lighting, writing, acting and direction is the pits. I cannot believe this \\\"movie\\\" was even distributed in a major video rental chain store. I mean I can not find one thing good to say about it. The flick was padded out to the extreme and the film makers seemed to have run out of ideas and other ways to extend the running time past seventy minutes.The \\\"movie\\\" begins with some thirty something frat boys hanging outside of what appears to be a spooky \\\"house\\\". They seem to be reliving and old urban legend about people disappearing inside a ghost house. If you have heard the tale before it's old news (a \\\"kid\\\" walks in and never comes out and the frat boys come and and find him dead of fright, the boys soon fall victim to a death curse). The tale is told by a really bad film maker, he convinces his friends (A group of old teenagers) to hang out inside and outside an empty structure that looks like a cross between a barn and a large doll house. After torturing the audience with some of the worst movie making the world has ever since (I have seen Cable Access shows with better film making skills and production) they give us a cheap payoff by repeating what happened in the beginning. The movie ends with voice-overs, still pictures and rehashed footage.They should take all the copies of this movie and bury them with the million copies of unsold E.T. Atari 2600 games out there in the New Mexico desert. Asylum should also be punished for helping to release this garbage. This movie failed all the simple logical steps that are needed to create a watchable movie. Haunted House had no acting, lame writing, terrible direction, no lighting and gutter level production values.Avoid like the plague!\"", "id" : "\"33853_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f353f" }, "review" : "\"Having watched all of the Star Trek TV series episodes many times each since the 1960s, most being quite good to superb, and only very few being mediocre, my opinion is that this one is the worst of all.In fact, I think it's so poorly executed as to be an embarrassment to the series. It's not that the story is so bad, although it's not particularly outstanding in any way, but the acting is just abysmal on the part of the two lead characters, meaning those other than the regulars in this case. Barbara Anderson gives her weakest performance ever as the daughter of a mass killer, and who is on a mission of a sort. She practically calls in the role from a phone, and shows no real emotive abilities here. Although usually she's never used as more than a pretty face in most of her film/TV roles,usually small parts, she has done much better.Arnold Moss as her father gives new meaning to the term 'Ham' and is the only actor ever on a 1960s Star Trek episode that outdid William Shatner in this area, and actually makes Shatner look superb by comparison. And he gets to play a Shakespearian actor no less, which gives him more impetus to overact, and he does so.Other than these two leads being so weak, the story is such that anybody with any sense at all can tell who the killer is within the first 15 minutes. I say this because I told my brother the whole plot ending at the first commercial break when we were watching the original 1966 broadcast as pre-teens. His reply was, Yeah, you're right.Skip this one and watch the much superior Menagerie episodes which were originally televised right before.\"", "id" : "\"36669_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3540" }, "review" : "\"This movie has exceeded my descriptive capacity. It is, without a doubt, one of the WORST movies I have ever seen. Not the worst of the year, not the worst of the decade--one of the worst EVER. Despite the \\\"name\\\" cast, the acting was simply embarrassing. It wasn't acting as much as posing. I never did really decide if the dialogue was supposed to be that cliched for its campy effect, or if they really meant it--and the dialogue was the high point of the writing. (Listen to Donald Sutherland's accent, and tell me he wasn't doing a parody.) The script is as disjointed as it is--well, \\\"silly\\\" is the only word that comes to mind. The editing is so clumsy that you feel you are looking at a 1st year film school project--and not a good one, at that. Roger Ebert gave it a minimal one star rating, and I can't believe he was so generous. This is a real stinker.\"", "id" : "\"33040_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3541" }, "review" : "\"This film was a waste of energy, time and money. In a sense, this movie is interesting, but mostly intense. The four quarters of the film did a so and so job. The one I find the most disturbing is the part where a group of Hispanic youths decide to loot (a disgrace to Hispanics everywhere), along with all other riot scenes and junk. I find it hard to believe that one of the Latino kids would thank and praise Rodney King for this (looting). King didn't want this and he didn't say to riot. MLK Jr. would turn over in his grave. I can't try hard enough to understand this garbage (racism and riot). To Bse-1, it's OK to say your opinion, but try not to be racist you twit, OK. The Latino boy didn't suck, though he played the looter. I can't believe I wasted my time posting this, though it stinks. Some junk for your head.\"", "id" : "\"34576_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3542" }, "review" : "\"Now here is a film that that makes the most of this medium and gives it its worth beside or, if you like, above a book. The settings were so beautiful: the environments, the historical portraying, the story, the clothing and, not the least to mention, the acting. I so much admire the skill of creating such a masterpiece; it's like depicting one's dream to become reality. There has been paid so much attention to every detail, you can tell the director is a true artist. And I must say, the play of Jolie and Banderas is excellent and they fit so well in their roles! What's that with the low ratings? Have people lost their sense of beauty? Or is this site mainly used by that flat type of action lover? Is recognition of quality a dying feature? Let's not hope so; for it would be an eternal sin to be, for lack of interest, restrained of these kind of movies in future.\"", "id" : "\"29421_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3543" }, "review" : "\"Its could be that my love of cult Japanese films in general gives me a bias, but I rate this film among the all time greats of cinema. Lady Snowblood takes a good old fashioned period revenge story and turns it into something greater than just a good genre film. The direction and cinematography are top notch throughout with evocative use of reds and whites in the color scheme, in keeping with the character of Lady Snowblood. The acting is solid in general, with Meiko Kaji standing high above the rest in her as the eponymous heroine. Her combination of divine looks, cool demeanour and bloody sword wielding skills is never less than hypnotic and by the end of the film her impact is breath taking. For the lead character alone this is a great film but it has other virtues. There are great sprays of blood during the fighting and a decent body count, with the action pretty well choreographed. It isn't quite as manic as the Lone Wolf and Cub pictures (highly recommended), but more effective than the action in something like Sex and Fury (also highly recommended. The action scenes are tempered by a poignant edge, the way that Yuki is kind of a tragic character and the ultimate sadness of her quest and the way her principles end up working out in practice. Though her revenge is depicted in the finest most righteous manner, the film continually questions the point of it. The quality script adeptly walks a line between mythologising and realism giving the film greater depth and intelligence than a lot of its kin. I can'tthink of anything that I don't appreciate about this film, it is one of my all time favorites and I can't recommend it enough, to pretty much anyone.\"", "id" : "\"1858_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3544" }, "review" : "\"This movie is a real turkey. While almost nothing happens, R. Burton looks scared from the beginning until the end. The girl who plays Regan is miscast (I wouldn't rely on her to save the world), the \\\"new age\\\" message is absolutely laughable and the whole movie is as pretentious and empty as one of Nicholas Roeg's. One has to be VERY IMPRESSIONABLE to like (or even be scared by) this one.\"", "id" : "\"34001_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3545" }, "review" : "\"'Lust for a vampire' is the second film in the Karnstein Trilogy based on the novels by Sheridan le Fanu. The sequel to 'Vampire lovers' starring Ingrid Pitt, and prequel to 'Twins of Evil' starring playboy playmate twins Mary & Madeline smith, 'Lust for a vampire' was hindered in its production from the off set. Legendary Hammer director Terrence Fisher was forced to pull out and Peter Cushing was replaced by Ralph Bates in the lead role. Yutte Stensgaard plays the truly beautiful Mircalla, a lesbian vampire who is torn between her love for her teacher and her lust for blood. This film has a very cosy atmosphere very traditional of hammers work around the late sixties early seventies. The sets are reasonable and although highly criticised for her performance, Yutte does her job well.I could go on for pages but as an overview I would HIGHLY recommend this film even if it does dabble in as much romance as horror.\"", "id" : "\"2488_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3546" }, "review" : "\"I first saw this movie when I was five years old, and I LOVED it! For many years afterwards, this movie remained in obscurity to me, it seemed I was to never see it again, until one day, I put it on request. I know own it on DVD, I whenever I'm in the mood for something funny, I watch this movie! Abbott and Costello are my favorite comedy duo, they made some of the funniest movies I have ever seen! Though Martin and Lewis had beaten them out of the top ten box office in the later years, the are still considered the best.That Martin and Lewis team, they are very funny, but they cannot hold a candle to Abbott and Costello the greatest of them all! Abbott and Costello are the kings of comedy! Very Funny! 10/10\"", "id" : "\"11536_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3547" }, "review" : "\"Bruce Willis stars as John McClane a NYC cop who finds himself the only one who can stop a terrorist Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) who has taken over an office building and is holding thousands of people hostage in this exciting and jaw dropping actionflick which isn't only a movie but a pulse pounding experience. Die Hard is a genre classic best watched on DVD with excellent sound effects to test your speakers.\"", "id" : "\"4045_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3548" }, "review" : "\"This flick has one of the most incredible casts ever assembled for a B-movie! You've got Christopher Lee, Donald Pleasence (fresh from \\\"Halloween\\\"), Barbara Bach (former Bond Girl), Woody Strode (those who've seen \\\"Spartacus\\\" aren't likely to have forgotten him), Capucine (Inspector Clouseau's wife in \\\"Pink Panther\\\"), even the legendary director John Huston (not his first useless supporting role; remember \\\"Tentacles\\\"?). Unfortunately, none of those performers get a chance to stand out and do anything memorable, the story is confusing (although the main villain's \\\"hidden\\\" identity is easy to guess) and karate expert Lewis, who stars, knows all the right moves but has little acting charisma. (*1/2)\"", "id" : "\"31512_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3549" }, "review" : "\"Floricienta is a comedic telenovela that can easily be watched by the whole family. It has the typical characteristics of a Cris Morena telenovela:the magic, the musical groups, etc, and of a telenovela in general: a poor girl falls in love with a rich man,a fake pregnancy...etcbut it is fun to watch and can make you laugh.SPOILER however (if you don't already know it) fede dies and flor's prince changes(supposedly Fede returns to earth and enters the body of Max, or something like that) That is quite annoying because after all this trouble they went through they didn't even manage to get married really (unreal weddings-cris morena again!) But in the end Flor marries her prince and they live happily ever after while the villains end up in jail.\"", "id" : "\"31383_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f354a" }, "review" : "\"This episode is very interesting and it is start of a new era. This is the beginning of the Scully abduction story line, which increased and became a great success. Without the abduction, half the story line wouldn't have happened, all thanks to Duane Barry. Duane Barry is a very interesting character. Anyway, now I will say Good and Bad things about this episode,The Good: Wow, that was very brave of Mulder to go in there. =ODuane Barry talking in 3rd person. xDFinding out her might me lieing in the end. Wow.The Bad: The torture scenes. =[[Conclusion: A good episode all over. 8/10\"", "id" : "\"794_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f354b" }, "review" : "\"Plot: A special strike force team is sent in the jungles lead by Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger), for what he believe to be a rescue mission. But come to find out they were sent to stop a small army from crossing tons of weapons into the country. After they destroy the camp they soon relies they were tricked and expendable. Thinking this is the end they proceed to the check point where the Helicopter will take them home. But they are then hunted down one by one by an invisible enemy. Then find out this thing isn't human and is a hunter of unstoppable and futuristic tactics never seen on are planet. A Hunter from another world!My Spiel: This movie is absolutely one of my favorites. From a time I watched this movie for 3 straight months, for every day. Some days I watched it more then once. I had this on a terrible VHS tape. But for some reason having to rewind it and in the rewinding time span I wanted to watch it again and again. This movie is full of everything from blood/guts/bullets/knifes/aliens/war/soldiers/death. All those mix to make the true \\\"Guy Movie\\\". Granted this movie has it's flaws but come on, this is one of those ultimate badass movies where none of that crap matters. There have been tons of movies to try to duplicate this movie and all fail. I can't urge people enough to just watch this for what it is. The ultimate what the hell else could go wrong for a special elite team lead by Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger). That has already been tricked into doing a job, also in 115+ degree heat, and then to top it off a out of this world galactic hunter wants there bones for collectors pieces. From the attack on the base camp that they completely demolish, to the destruction of a square block of jungle with the mini gun scene. But this movie true message is the fact that Dutch is left to fight the Predator without the use of military weapons, but has to make his own out of the supplies and natural surroundings around him, which completely throw the Predator for a complete loop, or does it!After screening this movie to many times to count I have come up with a conclusion about the end. I believe that Poncho (Richard Chaves) the soldier with the automatic grenade launcher, Survived at the end. Well I believe he was in the lap of Anna (Elpidia Carrillo) in the helicopter at the end. Because you can see the hair of someone laying down but no face. And the only one with that short of hair at the time was Poncho, and heck I think Anna came back for him, granted he did get hit by a huge log, but who the hell else could it be. Also on another note in \\\"Predator 2\\\" they talk about only two special mission force members survived and I don't know what this means to you, but Anna is no special forces member! This is truly something that has bothered me for some time. But this movie had given me days of satisfaction and a must watch for anyone who likes Sci-fi/Horror/Action. Predator (1987) Review: 10/10\"", "id" : "\"10417_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f354c" }, "review" : "\"I rented this movie from my public library along with Beverly Hills cop 1 and 2.The first two were really great and when I was about to put it in I had a thought of 'how bad could it be'.Well the first 10 minutes were good but then all the comedy and good acting got taken away.I only became excited once when they had George Lucas has a cameo so thats not really saying much. My suggestion is see the first two movies and dont ruin them by renting this god awful one. The bottom line is that it had a very bad plot,very bad acting,not enough comedy my rating 2/10.\"", "id" : "\"39883_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f354d" }, "review" : "\"The Music is a very pleasant adaptation of several Western Medieaval tunes.The Magic Realism which North America has laid somewhat of a claim to, is lovely used here, of course giving a 'true' canine touch to the supernatural stuff.The scenery and imagery is breathtaking !! And the many boys, who's story this is, are a delight. With it's colorful, comic events and adventure, it became my favorite.Mama plays great too, and the director has a gentle and good touch for all the other kids, which means he is a fine craftsman.Though details elude our memory, I recall an inexplicably cheerful little man and people in colored saran wrap. I fail to see what was \\\"great\\\" about the land, other than a volcano that burped glitter. Moments after viewing it, I need only say the title to send everyone into fits of laughter and gagging sounds. This earns \\\"The Doghouse Fire\\\" my resounding two thumbs way up. Were we to judge it on a star ratings system, it would be a spangled banner.Soft, laid back, nostalgic and utterly charming, this story is a heartwarming winner, and can't be recommended enough !! What an enormous pleasure !\"", "id" : "\"33746_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f354e" }, "review" : "\"This has been one of my top five favorite movies since the first time I saw it. Steve Martin and Carl Reiner are a pair... nothing less than genius from two of the best. It is hard to imagine what the editors must have been thinking when splicing together all of the scenes in this movie. The writing fits perfectly and melds Steve Martin's Rigby Reardon character with scenes from some of my favorite film noir. Favorite scenes include Rigby inviting himself to a party hosted by Ingrid Bergman, the scenes with Humphrey Bogart (talking about Bogey's tie... too funny), Rachel Ward's Juliet removing the bullet from Rigby's arm, and it goes on and on. This is a must see for fans of Steve Martin, Carl Reiner, and all of those wonderful old movies.\"", "id" : "\"1505_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f354f" }, "review" : "\"\\\"Iron Jawed Angels\\\" follows the true life stories of Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, and the other brave suffragettes who fought for a woman's right to be heard in the government. What a fabulous movie!! A topic that could have been boring was brought to life by director Katja von Garnier, as well as wonderful performances by Julia Ormond, Molly Parker, Vera Farmiga, and the amazing Hillary Swank, who brings chills with her powerful monologues. The soundtrack, despite not being from the 1910s or 1920s, is also a great listen.An important piece of history brought to life that all women should see and appreciate.\"", "id" : "\"30252_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3550" }, "review" : "\"Though moderately entertaining, there are too many things you have to overlook to make it one cohesive movie. So let's begin. Let's first overlook the fact that the movie butchers physics- you would think they'd at least bring someone on staff that knows SOMETHING about wormholes etc. to at least attempt to ground this movie in science. They didn't. Since it's a fictional movie- this is forgivable - we'll overlook that it (producing wormholes) can't possibly happen and the science behind it is laughable. Secondly, they never really explain why there are two of him - is this some sort \\\"The Prestige\\\" rip-off? My thought is if you send someone into the past - that's changing the past and there is only one of the person- you're not cloning someone - they use all this fake science mumbo-jumbo to make you try to answer your own question or just ignore the fact there's two of him. Give me a concrete answer on why there's two of him (and how he makes it back to the future when it hasn't worked before--why this time? because it's Denzel?) It also seems they kind of just ignore the fact he most probably killed his partner, probably 40-50 people on the highway by driving recklessly(if not killed, paralyzed) to save the girl that he had a crush on (real romantic). Let's also overlook all the scenes where they spied on the girl in the shower and changing - because they should be arrested for that considering that's pretty illegal and inappropriate. I'm going to start rambling so bear with me- she pulls a gun on him- and he makes a joke that he didn't know that was going to happen - but he really should have, they pass it off as a joke because they can't explain that scene. The ending where they drive the truck off of the boat - in a stroke of divine intervention- they crash through all the immobile cars -with the distance they had - maximum they could be going 15 MPH - yet they plow through and manage to not only drive the truck OFF the ship, but get it way up in the air to flip around. That's impressive! My last huge qualm about the movie is- when he heads towards the bayou at the end, he's in SUCH a hurry - yet - at the girl's house they spend so much time bandaging him and are in no hurry. That scene would lack ANY suspense if they hurried up at her house and didn't park right out front of the Bayou.In my opinion, this movie would have been better served having Denzel die - the girl get sucked into the ships propeller (to have her fingers cut off) and wash up on the ocean shore to show that you can't mess around with the past or to elaborate more on the 'human sacrifice' line of the movie.\"", "id" : "\"3620_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3551" }, "review" : "\"This film, directed by Eric Styles, has the distinction that it has reversed the emphasis from a woman, to a man, for being the object of sexual desire. Otherwise, it doesn't make much sense. The best redeeming factor is some of the great views of Paris.Sarah, as played by Melanie Griffith, is annoying. That little girl voice in a grown up woman is a turn off. This is a mature woman that has taken up with a much younger, and attractive young man who is seen naked, and or, in different stages of it, in the film. Sarah makes a grave mistake in taking the train back to Paris and holding the precious coin in her hand while she falls asleep! Hellooo! She could have hidden in some other part of her body!Jack, the young man about town, is attracted to the newly arrived American ingenue, Jenny. They immediately fall in love and are seen having sex without any protection. Sorry, but has anyone heard of AIDS? Jenny is made to look terribly provincial with that horrible permanent and her even uglier pigtails.The film doesn't go anywhere, as we figured what was going to be the outcome early on. The direction doesn't help matters at all. Other than a vacation in Paris, what is Malcom McDowell doing in this movie? He only appears in one scene and is seen in another! This film could have been cast with lesser known actors and probably would have been better than what one sees on the screen.Better luck to Mr. Styles next time out.\"", "id" : "\"49521_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3552" }, "review" : "\"The made for TV film Primal Force begins with Frank Brodie (Ron Pearlman) waking up from a recurring nightmare about his mate being killed by some Baboons. There is a knock on Frank's door, he answers it & standing before him is a guy named Scott Davis (Mark Kiely) who has been told that he knows San Miguel Island better than anyone else & that he needs his help to lead a rescue mission as a plane recently crashed there. Eventually Brodie agrees, together with a female medic named Tara Matthews (Roxana Zal) a computer guy named Stan Kovacs (Julian Sedgwick) & Eddie Mendoza (Guillermo Rios) who carries a gun, gets in the way & does very little else, they set off for San Miguel Island. Meanwhile on the Island itself the three survivors, the pilot (Jimy Hefner), a real estate guy named Deutsch (Richard Fancy) & a pretty young girl named Kelsey Cunningham (Kimberlee Peterson) whose Father is interested in buying the Island, are deciding what to do when a group of vicious genetically altered Baboons kill the pilot. Kelsey & Deutsch just sort of run away. Our heavily armed group of rescuers, lead by Brodie, arrive on the Island via boat. Scott feels Brodie is withholding some information but they troop on regardless of all the human & animal skulls they find. They find Kelsey & Deutsch but they are all attacked by the genetic Baboons. The Baboons now know they're on the Island & will stop at nothing to kill the intruders as Brodie has to use his experience & firepower to keep everyone alive, with varying degrees of success. If that wasn't enough the guy (Bruno Danza) driving the boat has buggered off leaving them stranded & the Baboons have killed Kovacs & destroyed the radio equipment. As the survivors run low on ammo & morale they decide to fight back against the Baboons!Directed by Nelson McCormick I thought Primal Force was an OK time waster but nothing that overly impressed me. The script by Micheal Thoma is about as clichĂŠd as you expect of this sort of low budget TV production. First the characters, there's the moody, unshaven hero with personal demons to exorcise but turns out be be a throughly decent chap in the end, the clean cut hero, the computer whizz, the tough female character, the token nobody who is there to die & nothing else just so something happens & the character who has other more mysterious motives for being on the Island. The innocent plane crash victims aren't any better with the young pretty girl who screams a lot & the annoying selfish fat guy who doesn't care about anyone but himself. Then there's the story, a group becomes stranded in an isolated location & can't call for help, sound familiar? Group encounter living threat that wants to kill them all for no real reason at all, group run low on ammo even though they never actually run out & have to come up with other ways to defeat their enemy in a nail-biting (not) climax, been done yeah? Genetic experiments gone wrong. One character who gets abducted by the enemy & is not killed for some unexplained reason unlike everyone else who are killed on sight. You probably get the message. Having said all that for what it is I thought Primal Force was OK & rolled out the clichĂŠs with a certain degree of entertainment value. Ron Pearlman as the muscle bound, wise cracking Brodie is great & almost makes Primal Force worth watching on his own, everyone else is utterly forgettable. Unfortunately one area where Primal Force loses a couple of stars is in the violence department, basically it hasn't got any. This was obviously made with a fairly young teenage audience in mind as the blood, gore & nastiness is kept to an absolute minimum. The killer Baboons are just people in monkey suits, nothing particularly spectacular. Technically Primal Force is OK, it's very MTV in style with quick cuts, jerky hand held camera movements during the attacks, slow motion, bleached colours & every other flashy pointless trick you can think of. On the plus side the Mexican locations on occasion look stunning & a few nice shots here & there captures it well. Overall Primal Force isn't particularly good, but it ain't particularly bad either just sort of average & I think a decent helping of blood & gore would have helped no end to improve it!\"", "id" : "\"36549_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3553" }, "review" : "\"This show , \\\"Freaks & Geeks\\\" , is so good and it's just like real life. This show is realistic in some ways and it always has a funny side to it. I think \\\"Freaks & Geeks\\\" is funny and that's the reason why I watch this. I wish it was never cancelled and I wish there were more episodes. They should keep making more episodes because it is very kool. I think everyone should be watching this great TV programme. This is one of the best programmes I've ever seen.\"", "id" : "\"15233_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3554" }, "review" : "\"Whatever you do, how intoxicated you might be, do not return to Salem's Lot! Even if you've been there in 1979, and somewhat liked it, you're going to be horribly disappointed if you return. If you want mainstream-horror, there's always Carrie (1976), Cannibal Holocaust (1979) and Cannibal ferox (1981), just to name a few. If you enjoy the acting of Michael Moriarty and the writing of Larry Cohen, you should check out Q (1982) instead.The only thing I liked about this movie (haven't read the book), was the unorthodox portrayal of the \\\"vampire race\\\". It's always enjoyable watching on-screen stereotypes being torn apart.\"", "id" : "\"27309_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3555" }, "review" : "\"This movie was terribly made. Of course, it was a little too much like Puppet Master, though the characters, I mean the dolls as characters were too much like Demonic Toys. Oh, what the heck, they are mixed up. Like I said, this was a terrible movie. The clown faced and the small-headed dude were kind of silly characters, now I know why small-headed dude wore a mask, because his head is too small. This movie does not deserve a sequel, at all. These characters should be in the Demonic Toys series. And where do they get the \\\"actors\\\" to make these movies? Are there that many persons working at odd jobs around the movie business...? to say nothing of the director, who also wrote this mess.\"", "id" : "\"15748_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3556" }, "review" : "\"A great story that should have been a great movie. It's unfortunately pretty poorly directed, and the writing could have been tighter. I can still appreciate it for what it is, and hopefully writer/director Nichols, whose debut this is, will come up with something as good in the future and do better by it. Michael Shannon, Douglas Ligon and Barlow Jacobs play three men named Son, Boy and Kid. Their father left them when they were kids, which led to their mother abandoning them emotionally. Son, the oldest, basically raised them, and their lives are pretty lousy, though seemingly normal for the setting, rural Arkansas. When they hear their father has died, the three men attend his funeral and speak badly of the man who couldn't have cared less about them. This deeply offends the old man's second family, consisting of four brothers, and a war begins between them. What the film really has going for it is the great characterizations, very well performed by mostly amateurs. I pegged Michael Shannon last year, with his performances in Bug and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, as being one of this generation's finest actors, and he does well by that promise here. Nichols almost undoes it all with awkward pacing and way too much wallowing in the town's redneckiness. The film is mostly pitched as a serious indie with copious comic moments, all involving how trashy everyone is. The movie probably does not play well in the South. I think maybe the script's biggest problem is that it really contains only one idea, and Nichols doesn't want to spend it all in one place.\"", "id" : "\"12011_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3557" }, "review" : "\"LEO is the kind of film few people will have heard of--and that your local video store dealer will try to get you to rent because he knows nothing about it, either, and wants you to check it out for him. That's what happened to me, at least. And with a cast this interesting, why not? Let me tell you why not. This is a very ambitious attempt to deal with themes of identity, child abuse, guilt, redemption and acceptance (all wrapped around James Joyce and his Ulysses, for Christ sake!)--with almost none of the requisite writing or directing talent to back up all that ambition. The director appears to have relied upon his good cast, who undoubtedly came aboard due to the ambitious script. But acting talent can only go so far; here, it stops well short of productivity. Elizabeth Shue is particularly wasted--emoting to beat the band in a role that is one-note (well, one-and-one-half) and tiresome. A young actor named Davis Sweatt does wonders with the main character as an adolescent, and Joseph Fiennes is fine, too. Deborah Kara Unger gets abused again (she's got to stop this sort of thing), Dennis Hopper is his usual nut case, and Sam Shepard's laconic and macho. By film's end, almost anything good has fallen away and what is left seems like pure pretension. It's rare to see so much possibility come to so little.\"", "id" : "\"22049_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3558" }, "review" : "\"\\\"Salt Water Tabby\\\" is another nice little classic by the duo Tom & Jerry. It is one of their funniest, apart some violent gags.For one thing, the designs, general quality and artwork of this short is quite pleasant, like in much of the cartoons from those times. Because this one takes place in a beach, on a Summer day, it gives the impression of being a ÂŤSummer blockbusterÂť. He he he!There's lots of humor and funny gags on this one, starting by the way Tom introduces himself to that pretty female cat and the way he tries to impress her. Another funny thing about Tom is that he eats her hot dog and drinks her soda.Right after that, there comes more comical moments: our little rodent friend Jerry is in the picnic basket, throws a tomato and a banana peel and eats salami from a few sandwiches. Next, Jerry throws a couple of eggs to Tom's eyes. Tom's eyes sure look funny with those eggs and some \\\"decorations\\\" - lol.However, the most hilarious moments of this short are when Tom drinks sand instead of sugar in the coffee. That is so funny! And then Tom, tormented by the sensation of having his mouth full of sand, drinks water from the bucket, but it's ocean water and Tom spits it straight to the female cat's face! Oh my God, that is hysterical! It's true that Jerry is kinda mean by doing those things to Tom, but it's just so hilarious!Overall, aside the violent gags with a crab and some of other kind, this short is among the most amusing by Tom & Jerry.\"", "id" : "\"4252_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3559" }, "review" : "\"I'm a little shocked that Michael Madsen was in this movie. He is one talented actor. He could have done much better than getting involved with Vice. I tried to keep from stopping the DVD player to pull Vice out. But that's what I did. The movie is sloooooooow. It moves at a crawl. Super boring action. I don't know when I officially had to turn it off before it put me to me sleep. I do recall Daryl Hannah talking to Michael Madsen in car then getting out. Daryl Hannah is way hotter with curves than she was in Wall Street. She's a timeless beauty. Even Michael and Daryl could not save this one. The plot written on the DVD sounded like it was was going to be smoking like a inferno of action. It was more like a match of boredom. The DVD was only playing 20 minutes before my GF asked me what's this about. It was taking so long for a plot to develop that it lost us. If you need help going to sleep one night rent Vice. It will do the trick.\"", "id" : "\"42898_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f355a" }, "review" : "\"While this movie is slow in some scenes, I highly recommend this movie for anyone who loves romance, light humor, and music. If you remember hearing the lyrics \\\"You light up my life,\\\" then you should also enjoy the soaring lyrics \\\"If ever I see you again\\\" by the same composer. Of course there are other pretty songs to hear. The story line of this movie is clear, a widower with two children who is tired of his work as a \\\"jingles\\\" writer. Meeting a former very beautiful lover is a romantic way toward change. It's certainly nice to watch a movie that people can calmly talk without yelling at each other. The movie also encourages you to fly coast to coast without fear.\"", "id" : "\"6695_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f355b" }, "review" : "\"Pretentious storytelling such as this always uses the same technique: 1) Throw opaque, unstructured threads around to perplex the audience. 2) Deal only in `big' topics such as life, death and God. 3) Make it appear profound with scenes of life, death, sky, etc. 4) Depend on an intellectually weak audience to give you the benefit of the doubt. 5) And finally, laugh all the way to critical acclaim.This movie is pretentious faux-intellectualism at its boldest. Not only do these filmmakers not answer any questions, they're afraid to pose the questions to begin with. The film is held together by wisps. Directions are raised and dropped awkwardly. Pop cultural references are jolting and arbitrary. There is so little to point at, that any critical stabs will miss.Critics who found an intellectual base to this movie are afraid to admit the truth: they have no idea what this movie is about. Good news: neither do the filmmakers. Satisfying attempts at answers to profound questions about human existence demand wit, intellect, poetry, and genius. Sadly, this movie demonstrates none of these traits.\"", "id" : "\"43912_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f355c" }, "review" : "\"With movies like this, I wonder how no one thought to stop thething long before shooting wraps. Movies like Yor force me toargue for a referee who can bring a halt to shooting a troubledmovie, much in the same way a referee saves a boxer in danger. When would the ref have brought an end to things? Reb Brown'sfirst appearance might have ended it, or maybe the first papier- mache dinosaur would have brought the ref's arms up. Eitherway, we would have been saved from 100 minutes or so of thisdrag.\"", "id" : "\"18714_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f355d" }, "review" : "\"As an old rock&roll; road dog who played for years and later went into production and management of younger rock bands, I think this movie has a lot to say on many levels. I'm not going to comment on a review as such BUT the internet TV view listing I saw when I went to see if it was going to play again said that these kids had gotten good \\\"dispite\\\" the way the teacher had gone about doing it...To me it's funny how a little rough language towards the kids says somehow the teaching method was a failure.Without giving away anything about the movie I will say this: I remember going to a school as a young child where I was in a talent show. I rehearsed for weeks and won!...After it was over I realized that EVERYONE had won something.....all 50 kids!I was placated into thinking that was how life worked, then wham, the reality of musical life hit me when I went on the road in the real world.Let's face it, people as a rule (and young people in particular) are basic under-achievers. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of \\\"frustration love\\\" to make it all click. Music itself is a passion, not a method, and rock music even more so than most.As a parent myself I would suggest this movie to anyone who has a musically inclined child not matter what genre' they wish to pursue.Competition is within ones self, not against everyone else. If the fire of music is in a child it will come out if handled right, if not, then thats OK also, but don't let it just die as a faint ember of creativity...fan it into a full flame of artistic expression.\"", "id" : "\"1051_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f355e" }, "review" : "\"GREAT NEWS! Someone is selling DVDs of the entire series on sell.com ($55 plus shipping) and I bought the series. She obviously spent a lot of time on them, since the discs are really well done. My husband & I had forgotten lots of details of various episodes and it's like seeing old friends again. It's hard to believe that 10+ years have elapsed since the show ended....We love(d) various other police shows such as Homicide and we're also devoted viewers of Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU, but *nothing* can compare to High Incident. We've remarked that not only was the acting superb (and very *natural*, which was rather amazing when considering that many of the actors were relative \\\"unknowns\\\" at that time), but also the *action*; it's like we're literally right there with the officers. There's not one fake moment in that series and every episode is terrific, with one exception; the foggy highway episode, which we thought really dragged. But all is forgiven when we consider the other episodes. :)\"", "id" : "\"22894_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f355f" }, "review" : "\"For a John Woo film, this one is pretty redundant. It's not usual to watch two attackers point weapons at each others' faces, but BROKEN ARROW sure could use a \\\"face\\\"-lift! The acting needs better work! Neither of the two leading men can act as tough as they should, with John Travolta in the worst-case scenario. Samantha Mathis, while attempting to be the leading action lady in a few parts, suffers from a nervous breakdown. What's interesting is the suspense of preventing a nuclear catastrophe, but that premise is overridden by too many borrowed cliches from other action-adventure movies. Listen for Travolta shouting \\\"Hush! Hush!\\\" in a softer, keener voice when he's the one plotting the destruction. Woo fans can woo over FACE/OFF or any of his original material. Some things are meant to be broken, and this movie doesn't put itself back together.\"", "id" : "\"16989_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3560" }, "review" : "\"Next to Erik Van Looy, Dominique Deruddere may well be our, at least internationally, best known director. With his \\\"Iedereen beroemd\\\" or \\\"Everybody Famous\\\" as it is called in English, he was even nominated for an Oscar in the category 'Best Foreign Language Film'. Personally I haven't seen that movie yet, but I liked \\\"Hombres complicados\\\", the movie that he made before \\\"Everybody Famous\\\", a lot. Since then I've decided that I'll try to see all his other movies as well and this \\\"Crazy Love\\\" is the first step into the right direction.The story of this movie has been divided into three time periods. The first period is situated in the 1950's, when Harry Vos is still a young kid. He's already very interested in everything that has got something to do with love and sexual relationships, but doesn't really know anything about it. An older friend learns him everything there is to know about how to approach a girl and what to do when his method doesn't work. But in all his naivety, Harry finds it very hard to understand that the romantic world which he knows from the movies, doesn't exist in real life. To him the real world is an awful place. In the second part of the movie, we are in the 1960's. Harry has grown up into an intelligent adolescent, but he has one mayor problem. He suffers from an incredibly extreme form of acne, which makes that all people stare at him, that the boys laugh at him, that the girls don't want him and that he is afraid to appear in public. That's also the reason why he still hasn't experienced physical love. Even though he still has one close friend who supports him as much as he can, Harry slowly becomes a bitter, introvert and pessimistic person. In the third part, situated in the 1970's we see him again. This time he is a drunk who is unable to express his feelings towards anybody. When he meets an old friend and they leave a bar, they do something incredible. As as joke, they steal a corpse out of a motor hearse that is parked in front of a hospital and take it home with them. When they open the body bag, they see that this dead body isn't an old man or woman, but a young and very beautiful girl. Harry is so overcome by her beauty that he does the worst thing he could do with the body...In my opinion this movie was a bit of a slow starter and the first part (the 1950's) didn't always do it for me. Somehow I had the feeling that the story in that part could be developed better. But that 'problem' was easily overcome by the second and the third part. When you see in the second part how he suffers from his acne, you can only feel very sorry for him. And then he comes up with that excellent idea which allows him to dance with the girl of his dreams. That part was absolutely brilliant, funny and sad at the same time and I don't think that it will leave anybody untouched. The same about the third part, although this story is something completely different from the second. When I saw them steal that corpse, I had to laugh with it, but was disgusted by their behavior at the same time. And when you know that he has committed necrophilia, those feelings of disgust only increase. But than the director counters those feelings perfectly by letting him step into the sea, to disappear forever with the dead girl in his arms. Somehow that is a slap in your face and so touching at the same time. Really very strange.If you are interested in 'foreign' cinema (I mean non-Hollywood movies, because for us Belgians this isn't foreign of course), than you should definitely give this one a try. This isn't the kind of movie that will offer you some big explosions or car chases, but the emotional roller-coaster that it puts you on, the intriguing story and the good acting, will definitely do the trick. Belgium may not be known for its many quality movies, but this one certainly can stand a comparison with other European movies. I give it a 7.5/10.\"", "id" : "\"13264_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3561" }, "review" : "\"Film starts with an intriguing premise: a group of teens is terrorized after a party by a pack of masked Satanic cult members known as the Shadows. Their nerves are frazzled throughout the night as the cult members close in on them.But then morning comes, and what could've been an interesting horror film degenerates into a talky, predictable, seen-it-all-before cliche.*1/2 out of ****\"", "id" : "\"12000_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3562" }, "review" : "\"Mickey Rooney's performance is what makes this film terrific. I'm always amazed at the talent of Mickey Rooney. In my opinion he is a much underrated performer. He could do it all.Make you laugh, make you cry, make you jump for job. Mickey Rooney is the star of this movie, Men Of Boys Town. His performance is tops. He ease and dramatic and comedy talents are well on display here. In my opinion, he far outshines Spencer Tracy in both Boys Town and Men Of Boys Town. Mickey should have one the Oscar for this one. If you want to see more great acting by Mickey Rooney check out Young Tom Edison, Drive A Crooked Road, Huckleberry Finn etc. You wil be glad you did. Mickey Rooney, forever may he shine. He was and is the tops. The King Of Hollywood!\"", "id" : "\"23187_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3563" }, "review" : "\"During the late 1940s and early 1950s musicals acquired a distinctly noir-ish quality, and the life of singer Ruth Etting was made to order.Born in 1896, Etting was a hardknocks chorus girl when she caught the eye of small-time Chicago hood Martin \\\"Moe the Gimp\\\" Snyder, who married her in 1922 and proceeded to promote her career--occasionally, according to rumor, at gun point. By 1927 Etting was a popular singer and a major Broadway star, and when talkies arrived the couple moved to California, where Etting became a favorite for the musical shorts that were then in vogue. But the marriage was volatile, and when Snyder found Etting was having an affair with pianist Myrl Alderman, Snyder shot him. Alderman survived and Etting wasted little time in divorcing Snyder and marrying Alderman, but the scandal was so shocking that it effectively ended her career. She died, largely forgotten, 1978.As you might expect, LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME plays fast and loose with the facts, presenting Etting as an innocent (she wasn't) and Snyder as a major crime figure (he wasn't); even so, it does seem to capture something elemental about both the era and the characters. Much of this is due to the on-screen chemistry between leads Doris Day and Jimmy Cagney, who spark and sizzle in a truly surprising way.It will not surprise viewers that Cagney plays Snyder extremely well; he is, after all, best recalled for his numerous crime-drama roles. But it may surprise viewers that Day had the acting chops to match him. Today she is most widely remembered as a master of light comedy, but in truth Doris Day's films of the 1940s and 1950s were more often hard drama than fly-weight amusements, including such heavy-hitters as YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN, STORM WARNING, and YOUNG AT HEART; she would continue her string of dramatic roles in such films as Alfred Hitchcock's THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. Her performance in LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME is often considered her high-water mark as a dramatic actress: she gives it everything she's got, and the sparks really fly when she and Cagney square off.The look of the film, which was directed by Charles Vidor and sports art direction by the legendary Cedrick Gibbons, is beautiful, and the film moves at a smart clip; its one failing is that censorship issues of the era left several scenes--including a legendary rape sequence--on the cutting room floor. The music, drawn from Etting's most famous recordings, is also memorable, and Day pulls out all the stops for her songs. The DVD is not flawless, but you'll never notice it, and it includes several bonuses, two of which show us the real Ruth Etting. Recommended.GFT, Amazon Reviewer\"", "id" : "\"10020_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3564" }, "review" : "\"quite possibly the worst film of our generation: no plot, no character development, absolutely no story to be told. This is a sketch movie, and a very bad one at that. Michael Cera is top bill, he's in 1 scene, he really regrets being involved now.this is an awful movie, and not just bad in the sense of it's ironically funny, it's just EXTREMEly bad, avoid like the plague.Mathew Lillard was this movies only saving grace. His attempts at sexual health tapes were pretty funny.the musical scene at the end was also a bit humorous, but again severely lacking.\"", "id" : "\"39423_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3565" }, "review" : "\"What does O.C. stand for? In the vastly superior National Lampoon articles that ran from 1980 to 1984, it stood for \\\"Out of Control\\\" the nickname of the character William \\\"O.C.\\\" Ogilvy. In the lame Altman film it stood for \\\"Oliver Cromwell\\\" Ogilvie. That is the whole problem with this movie. It should have been out of control fun, but it ends up as a lame reference to social significance. Altman tries to take a tried and true formula of a wacky teen sex comedy (a valid, wonderful and meaningful genre of American Cinema, just like film noir) and violates it by bringing in bad actors, crappy cinematography, and, worst of all, some sort of message of what this aged and senile director thinks is the problems of youth in Reagan era America.At least the previous NL effort, \\\"Vacation\\\" they had a good director (NL alumni Harold Ramis) satisfactory actors, and the story was fairly close to the original John Hughes piece. None of the actors here, (save Jon Cryer) are interesting, funny or even remotely close to the few characters brought over from the NL articles (they added other lame characters for no reason, such as OC's grandfather, wasting the talents of Ray Walston). Not even the amazing sounds of King Sunny Ade can save this film (they are only in this film for a five minute cameo). What I cannot understand is that by 1984 when this film was made (it was so bad it was quietly released three years later), why did NL not give this film to a reliable director such as Harold Ramis, John Landis, Amy Heckerling, or John Hughes? All I can say is to look over the thirty some reviews of this movie and see how the lines are drawn. Those who loved this movie have never read (or had it read to them) the articles of OC & Stiggs that graced the pages of National Lampoon. Those who abhor this movie are those who can read and have enjoyed and lived their lives according to the gospel of OC & Stiggs as written in the brilliant National Lampoon articles. If you want the story of OC & Stiggs, read the original articles, they're on the net and should be required reading in all schools, churches and drinking establishments. If you want to see a funny teen sex comedy, rent classics \\\"American Pie,\\\" \\\"Porky's\\\" or \\\"Private Resort.\\\" If you want to see and here King Sunny Ade and his infectious ju-ju sound, rent \\\"Konkombe\\\" or buy \\\"Roots of Rhythm,\\\" you will not be sorry. However, stay away from O.C. & Stiggs, at all costs.\"", "id" : "\"1902_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3566" }, "review" : "\"Sorry, but it's not...This is the WORST film ever made! I picked it up one day and made the mistake of watching this thing through, but it was quite a struggle to get to the end.The plot is bad; the acting worse; and the writing would seem to have come from a Chimp with Down Syndrome.If you watch this, I salute you for watching from start to finish. I had to take the batteries out of my remote to keep from hitting eject. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.Unlike those films that are \\\"So bad, they're good\\\" this is the kind of movie that even a few pints can not make enjoyable...\"", "id" : "\"48051_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3567" }, "review" : "\"Now we're on the weak end of the 'Lone Star' westerns. Unless you've never seen any of them, this is a retread of several tropes from earlier films in the series. If this is your first, the surprises at the end (which is well edited) will be new. Sorry to have to spoil your fun.We get that dynamite is needed to clear the trail; dynamite is used to get water flowing in the superior first film 'Riders of Destiny' (1933). We get that John Wayne has really been sent by the government to work undercover and infiltrate the gang of outlaws; as also seen in 'Riders of Destiny,' and countless other early thirties westerns such as 'The Man From Hell's Edges' (1932) with Bob Steele, etc.We get Lucille Brown as the \\\"Prairie Flower,\\\" and Leroy Mason as the head villain, also from the better 'Texas Terror' (1935) in which Lucille gets more screen time than the villain, and when finding out that John Wayne is indeed a good guy at the end, rushes to his cabin to spend two hours alone with him! Unfortunately, she's wasted here with little to do. We get the Tin Lizzie driven by George Hayes, also featured in 'Texas Terror.' Note: In this film he sings a song! Now, if you don't think he's acting trying to walk and talk like an old geezer, watch him as the nasty, dastardly villain in the awful serial 'The Lost City'( 1935) ! We get shots of Yakima Canutt jumping on a horse, and plunging off a cliff into a river, among many shots repeated from earlier films in the series.So what does it all mean? A weak Lone Star. When you have two extensive shootouts between the road workers and the villain's gang of henchmen behind rocks in a canyon, nobody, not even the camera, is moving. Surprise, that means that the film isn't moving either! It's better to spend your time on the 'Lone Stars' with either better character development or better action such as 'Sagebrush Trail' (1933),'The Star Packer' (1934), 'The Trail Beyond' (1934), 'The Dawn Rider' (1935) or 'Texas Terror' (1935). Despite the well paced ending, this one gets a 3.\"", "id" : "\"10697_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3568" }, "review" : "\"Takashi Miike makes a samurai movie as a western. The Japanese cast speaks in English, the music is eclectic with strong spaghetti western influences, and the material is referential and full of homage and send up.It begins with a Quentin Tarantino cameo, then switches to the story of two clans fighting over the supposed treasure in a small town. Into the stand off rides a stranger with no name.Forgive the brevity, but if you've seen any number of spaghetti westerns then you've probably seen something like this story that spins out here. The tale of gold lust and warring factions isn't anything new. What is new is how Miike dresses it up. Clearly the Japanese could make a western if the wanted to. Its a clever re-imagining of the genre and is interesting enough to warrant at least a brief look see.The problem with the film is that its 30 to 45 minutes too long. A very good first half hour gives way to long exposition in the middle hour, and while there are some genuinely nice moments its a little too plodding as it tries to cover one clichĂŠ too many. The film then picks up in the final 40 minutes with a huge shoot out. Its a schizo movie at times as things just go on and on. However when the film works- which it does at the ends and for a chunk of the middle, this is some of the best film making I've seen this year so far. The characters, the action, some set pieces are simply stunning, not to mention touching, there are several moments of real emotion.And make no mistake, this is a spaghetti western, and the film is a bit more fun if you know the genre. For example the Django in the title will alert anyone who's seen the Franco Nero film of Django what is inside the coffin that is dragged around. You don't need the know the genre but it will help you identify what they are stealing from.7 out of 10 for the mixed up and down nature of the film.Probably the only one who could have pulled this off was Miike and he did it wonderfully.\"", "id" : "\"29300_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3569" }, "review" : "\"Minotaur - the word itself explains most of the entire movie.As it happened, my girlfriend bought the DVD-release at a local rental-store (used DVD), and thought it would be a good one. Sure, it has a good looking cover-art, and a nice fancy title/logo, but the rest just lacks content.The introduction and start of the movie makes it feel like at least a partly good one, though during its continuation, it clearly shines through as what it really is: A piece of utter wasted time and money.Do not buy or watch this movie, it's so bad you sit there thinking if you should have done the dishes or mopped the floor instead - as that would really give more excitement than this flop.To sum it up: if one could give a movie a dice-throw instead of the 1-10 rating, I would not even have thrown the dice.Oh, good thing about the DVD-buy on our side: We got a spare DVD-cover for something else - a bit expensive perhaps...\"", "id" : "\"33246_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f356a" }, "review" : "\"\\\"Matador\\\" (which means Monopoly, i.E, or Monopol as we say in Sweden) is what \\\"Dallas\\\" or \\\"Falcon Crest\\\" are to the US viewers and what \\\"Varuhuset\\\" or \\\"Rederiet\\\" are to the Swedes. This being said, \\\"Matador\\\" is better than all of them!! \\\"Matador\\\" belongs up there among the best TV-series EVER produced in the world, in my opinion. Starting in the 1920s (I believe) we get to follow the people in the small Danish town of Korsbaek, particularly the families Varnaes and Andersen-Skjern (who are constantly at odds with each other) up to the 1950s. This is an important period in the Danish - and Scandinavian - history (with the 2nd Worl War; the occupation of Denmark) and even though I'm not Danish I really enjoy learning more about Denmarks national and local history in this way as well. The gallery of all colorful characters (played by the greatest Danish actors of the time) really is what makes this story and TV-series work. They all have their individual story and a dept; no one is one-dimensional. You really care about these people and want to see what happens with them.I grew up with this series through my teenage years as it was shown at Swedish TV4 daily during the afternoons when I got home from school, and I became totally addicted to it. =) My favorite character in the whole series - and the heroine I root for - is Elisabeth (played by Helle Virkner), although her neurotic/hysteric/weepy sister Maud (Malene Schwarz) is kind of priceless too! ;) (and that's why Elisabeth is my heroine; for putting up with her!! and *spoiler- spoiler - spoiler* why, oh why, didn't she marry Dr. Hansen - he is just so cute! - and SO in love with her.. ;) Ah, well... Kristen is cute too, I suppose... =P) Except for being a great historical mirror of these decades, this series more so shows what gossip, narrow-mindedness, intrigues, too much money, family pride and man-egos =) do to people and what effect it has on friends and family in a brilliant way... especially between the banker Varnaes and the store manager Andersen-Skjern. Because underneath it all you really feel and sense that these two families, especially the central male characters of Mads Skjern and Hans Christian Varnaes, really could be best friends and really would have like each other if things had been a bit different... it's really both ridiculous and sad. But that is whys this is one of the greatest TV-series of times!! I hope it's available on DVDs for people worldwide with English subtitles, cause it definitely deserves it.\"", "id" : "\"11658_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f356b" }, "review" : "\"i bought this because it was cheap and i had read up on it and i realised it was a continuation of the 90s Batman cartoons i had grown with.I've always liked the character of Batman and i enjoyed this muchly. the use of flashbacks to show Bruce Wayne's life before he took up the bat and the woman he was with. then another flashback shows Bruce starting to want to fight crime but not knowing how to go about it right.there is a mysterious killer that is going around Gotham that is murdering a gang of now old gangsters and Batman is being blamed. The Joker is also involved in this movie and is very entertaining to watch. voiced by Mark Hamill. oh and Kevin Conroy was a great voice for Bruce Wayne/Batman.the movie has a good twist, decent animation, good voice acting and great plot. all in all a great edition to the Batman collection.\"", "id" : "\"8499_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f356c" }, "review" : "\"There are so many things to appreciate in this movie. First and foremost, Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren give outstanding performances as the First Couple of London's underworld. He, with the Cockney-made-good aspirations for status and the \\\"class\\\" he can never attain, epitomizes the hands-on manager overtaken by larger events. She, the cool-headed savvy- tough-and-sexy moll, is almost on top of things enough to redeem the situation but not quite. The key elements of the underworld ruling coalition-- dirty councilor and policeman, lieutenants of varying backgrounds both tough and educated-- make you believe in how this man has achieved peace through strength.The film's plot is Byzantine whodunit, with gangland-style violence as an accent piece that seems downright tame in the age of \\\"Pulp Fiction\\\". The real hidden star, though, is late-70's London-- oh so run-down and yet full of the potential that drives Harold's ambitions. The views from boating on the Thames are unrecognizable to those who have only seen modern London--- the sole landmarks in common are Tower Bridge and the Savoy hotel. The towers of the City and modern Docklands are just a twinkle in dreamers' eyes.Overall TLGF is a modern tragedy in the true land-of-Shakespeare tradition, somewhere between Macbeth and Hamlet and King Lear: ambition, betrayal, and the sweep of history interact richly without being heavy-handed in symbolism or over-artiness. This is a satisfying and complex film that invites re-viewing and reflection.\"", "id" : "\"15119_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f356d" }, "review" : "\"I'd say this review was going to be a spoiler, but...well, to be honest, it's a slasher movie. You know how it's going to go.Friday the 13th: the Final Chapter features a small family made up of a relatively young mother, the movie's \\\"innocent\\\" girl, and a young video game player and mask-making prodigy (a young Corey Feldman) that lives out into the woods. A bunch of teenagers rent the house next door for a night of debauchery. Jason Voorhees, being a slasher, wasn't adequately killed last time, so he gets to come back now. The non-character teenagers in the house, like most people in this film, exist only to increase the body count and have no discernable character traits except for degree of sexual experience, which is enough to get them all killed by the end of the film, playing straight by the rules.This episode of Friday the 13th follows the slasher cliches to the letter, but the only times suspense is even attempted are during a few \\\"false scare\\\" scenes early in the movie and in the final chase sequence. The actual killings just aren't all that scary--Jason murders again and again. It's a badly shot, poorly lit, trashy fast-food slasher with wretched acting. You can pretty much not only call every death, but from time to time predict the exact manner of the death.As far as gore and T&A; go, Friday 4 delivers, but in that \\\"fast-food\\\" style. As a result, it doesn't even hold a lot of fun for slasher fans. It reeks of lack of effort, and really wasn't entertaining as teen-killer fare goes. Avoid it--you'll find a slasher that does it with more style pretty easily.\"", "id" : "\"43389_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f356e" }, "review" : "\"I've bought PROFIT on DVD. Genius. I've bought THREE's COMPANY on DVD. Wonderful. I bought FREE ENTERPRISE on DVD. Fun All from the same video label. They put out THE GRAND and I bought it. It's easily the worst comedy ever made from an unfunny man named Zak Penn. Zak, please stay away form comedy as you're not talented at it. Stick to lousy comic books and filling in the dialog bubbles. Awful, awful, awful!!! You are not Christopher Guest. What are you trying to prove? Listen to the astute TV critics that scolded you and said funny was not in your DNA. You are not talented as far as humor. Stick to garbage comic books where the upside is spelling things correctly.\"", "id" : "\"42272_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f356f" }, "review" : "\"I must say! I didn't realize that the hair comb was invented even before fire was?! And I certainly didn't know that the prehistoric women walked so upright, and with such grace. No wonder people started evolving. I mean such well cared for women even had men taking up the hygiene - for they're all squeaky clean. It's all so very accurate (including the giant).OK, the movie has some naive and primitive charm, but I guess the main reason for making it was to show a bit more feminine skin then the regular movies would allow. Still not accurate. The costumes look more like sleeveless fur coats then the clothing actual prehistoric people would wear.I'd be really surprised if the maker of this movie ever even saw a book on the prehistoric world. It's just so silly.Still, you might get slightly entertained by this movie, trying to sell itself like a national geographic documentary (including the most appealing part - the showing of the native women), but I'd recommend you just about any other movie.\"", "id" : "\"41055_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3570" }, "review" : "\"I wasn't expecting this to be a good movie and I don't think anybody involved in it was either, or else they would have--for one--called it something else. At the very least, I was expecting this movie to be amusing in a campy way. Instead it was dreary, boring, and downright OFFENSIVE in its extremely gratuitous attack on religion.Yes, yes, it was the 80s and with Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker, I could see what it would be tempting to Hollywood to portray televangelists in a not-so-positive light. The aunt? No excuse. Maybe she was supposed to be \\\"amusing\\\" and \\\"over the top,\\\" but I didn't see it at all. It was just disgusting.The best thing about this movie was that I saw it at home for \\\"free.\\\" If I had paid even a CENT, I probably would have demanded my money back.\"", "id" : "\"38525_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3571" }, "review" : "\"\\\"Peyton Place\\\" hooks me from the first scene to the end. Every time it appears on television, I always have difficulty changing the channel.The movie have its share of dated trappings and mistakes (as a previous IMDb user commented, the film is set during WWII and the 50's fashions don't match the 40's setting) as well as the Hays Office mandates were still in effect, which also explains why some story lines were purposely watered-down or even censored. In spite of the flaws (or even because of the flaws?), many of the performances, including Lana Turner, Hope Lange, Arthur Kennedy and, especially, Lloyd Nolan as the town doctor and the voice of reason, were outstanding. (The movie was nominated for 9 Academy Awards including 5 nominations in the acting categories. Nolan should have been the 6th.)Beautifully photographed by William Mellor and a very memorable and still classic musical score by Franz Waxman, \\\"Peyton Place\\\" is an entertaining drama that still has an effect on this viewer.\"", "id" : "\"19687_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3572" }, "review" : "\"The description of Mind Breakers (The title of this movie in it's Australian release) on the back of the VHS container is quite misleading. It makes the movie sound like it will be a dodgy and innocuous Thing/Ten little Indians variation with the last survivors of the human race trapped on a spacecraft fleeing the earth getting picked of one by one by one of their own, who might not be human. It doesn't mention the meat of the plot which involves the humans being used in experiment in copulation by some mysterious (and horny) aliens. If it had I mightn't watched it not having acquired a taste for having my sci-fi b-movies spliced with soft core pornography. The presence of real actors such as Robert Englund and Adam Baldwin here is a little surprising- okay, they're not hugely respected actors or stars and generally appear in B-movies but I would have though they were both above soft core porn like this.Basically 70% of the movie consists of soft core porn scenes or stock footage from other sci-fi and action movies clumsily reinserted into the movie with some pitiful attempts to fit in to the narrative. I didn't realise to now Roger Croamn was involved. The opening 5 minutes of the movie is a compilation of snippets from different movies clumsily spliced together with a bit of voice over narration- a mixture of space battles, some contemporary war stuff, strip club sequences and what looked like some kind of genetic experimentation and surgery footage. I'm not sure but I think this was meant to indicate the breakdown of civilisation on earth as we know it and/or be the nightmares of the main characters. It is really hard to tell. Later on there is a lengthy space battle that clearly came from a different movie awkwardly stuck into the movie in between sex scenes and more of the same footage from the introduction used when the aliens are giving a lecture of the downfall of humanity (Which is awfully preachy for a movie like this). Each of the characters is given an introduction which seems to consist of snippets from other movies the actor/actresses were in- one guy was clearly in a few Kick-boxing movies.Basically a bunch of humans, consisting of scientists, soldiers and exotic dancers, wake up on this space ship with no idea of how they got there. They soon meet some aliens, who have taken the form of humans, lead by Robert Englund who is pretending to be a priest of some sort, who corral them into a breeding experiment, which is basically an excuse for a whole lot of sex. The ostensible reason of this initially is to rebuild the human race but with only 8 people that is going to be one limited gene pool. It is later revealed that the aliens have some plan which involves interbreeding with the humans, I forget why. There is a confused subplot about a faction of the alien dudes wanting to stop the experiment to maintain genetic purity. It makes less sense than you might think as the only alien seen to get down and dirty with the humans is the one who wants to kill them all because her faction is opposed to the interbreeding thing. There is one head scratching scene with her and Englund, the only two aliens onboard the ship at this point- the other having been randomly killed by an android (Don't ask), in which he explains how he thinks one of them must be from the rival faction but doesn't seem to come to the logical conclusion. Given he presumably knows he isn't the guilty party himself it leaves him with a suspect pool of one and he is warning her he knows. I'm generously presuming this is maybe meant to be a warning on the part of Englund to alien chick to quit it already rather than the writers for this thing being the dumbest people ever (It brings to mind Danny De Vito's attempt to write a two character murder mystery in Don't Throw Momma From the Train). Anyway, there is a whole bunch of screwing, most of the characters die and there are some really bad make effects for the alien transformations and killings- I was starting to fall asleep toward the end of the movie so my memories of the conclusion I kind of hazy.There one or two weird bits of note relating to the alien tech on the ship. You only have to mention what food you want to eat and a plate of that food will instantly appear in your hand. There is a scene in which Robert Englund orders a plate of meatloaf and mashed potato 'the way his mother made it' and gets it right down to the amount of garlic his mother put in the spuds. Other than this one godlike piece of technology none of the rest of the equipment the aliens use is quite as impressive- they can instantly create matter based on the sensory memories in someone's head but only if it is in the form of food. Strangely enough nobody else is seen to take advantage of this wonderful device- I guess they were all to busy screwing. The other strange device are these lasers that pop out of the ceiling the second that anyone dies and burn the corpse to dust (Leaving the clothing). Why, I'm not sure. I'm also not sure why if they have sensors and weaponry that sophisticated they don't just use it as a security system.Basically, unless you want to see some generic soft core porn involving Adam Baldwin intercut with shots of a leering Robert Englund or you're some kind of sick, sick masochist stay away.\"", "id" : "\"1193_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3573" }, "review" : "\"Frank Tashlin's 'Porky's Romance' opens with a special pre-credits announcement: \\\"Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Leon Schlesinger's new Looney Tunes star, Petunia Pig\\\". Petunia introduces herself in a routine not dissimilar to the nerve-wracked recital that shot Porky Pig to fame in 'I Haven't Got a Hat'. Just how seriously the studio took Petunia's potential is unclear but, if she was intended to be a new cartoon superstar they didn't give her much of an opportunity to endear herself to the audience. In 'Porky's Romance', Petunia is cruel, selfish, idle and greedy and, while this may not have been beneficial for the character's longevity, it is extremely beneficial for the cartoon. 'Porky's Romance' is a great and handsome piece of work in which Porky goes through an emotional roller coaster which even includes a suicide attempt when his proposal to Petunia is turned down. While Porky spends most of the cartoon being dumped on by everyone, he finally gets the last laugh in one of the most satisfying final moments in any cartoon. 'Porky's Romance' is a film that aims to make audiences laugh, cry and wince in equal measure as we empathise with the nightmare of Porky's heartbreak and then the even more horrific glimpse at the possibilities of married life (a slightly sexist representation by today's standard but this was the 30s!). Tashlin's talents as storyteller and crafter of characters is much in evidence but, despite turning up in a few more cartoons, Petunia never got to be that new cartoon star. That title was snatched from her just two cartoons after 'Porky's Romance' when Tex Avery's 'Porky's Duck Hunt' introduced a certain little black duck with a penchant for scene-stealing.\"", "id" : "\"13465_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3574" }, "review" : "\"The Milan fashion world is rocked by a serial killer, wearing leather gear and motorcycle helmet, stab-killing those involved with Albatross studio..it coincides with the unfortunate accidental death of a model receiving an illegal abortion. Carlo Bianchi(Nino Castelnuovo)is a very successful photographer enjoying the sexual kicks you receive from being a big-shot in the industry. He literally beds one gal he suckers into a sauna not but shortly after meeting her, promising of a healthy career as a model(..naked nearly the entire film, Femi Benussi shows she's unafraid to bare it all for the audience for almost her total screen time), but she'll, like others, gets stabbed multiple times after discovering the water faucets running in her employer-to-be Gisella Montani's(Amanda)abode. The constant with all these killings revolve around Gisella..her heavy impotent husband(Franco Diogene), her homo-sexual photographer Mario(Claudio Pellegrini), and eventually herself are targets for the mysterious homicidal maniac. Gisella is also being black-mailed by someone in her inner circle(..of the remaining still alive). Others will follow as Magda Cortis(Edwige Fenech, whose character is an apprentice to Carlo)and Carlo become civilian detectives with their own lives endangered in the process.As mentioned in practically every user comment, \\\"Strip Nude for Your Killer\\\" lives up to it's lurid title. Ample nudity from uninhibited actresses, the lives of those associated with the fashion world(..particularly those who will do anything to gain success and fame)are skewered and every character in the film embellishes in sex and hedonism. Fenech delivers the usual tasty nudity and looks fantastic even with a short hair cut. Her lover Carlo is the complete anti-hero, he treats Magda like a sex toy, even choking her not once but twice. He was one of those who left the dead model's body left in a tub with running water(..the image of this dead model is displayed quickly before every murder scene takes place with the director letting the viewer know that this is the motivation behind the stabbings). The stabbings themselves are often gushing wounds, but the final attacks show the aftermath of a castration and breast removal, pretty potent, shocking stuff. There's even some sad humor portraying Gisele's portly husband(..who is quite a danger driving on the roads of Milan with director Bianchi's camera following with a POV shot of the car passing through endless traffic, red lights, and even threatening civilians walking on the streets)as a clown in heat who can not deliver in the clutch. Nice job by Blue Underground bringing giallo fans a print of true quality and the film looks great..with good use of color and sound photography, Bianchi really provides the film with style. Yet, this isn't particularly any different than the endless chain of gialli circling the market, so to combat this Bianchi put naked flesh across the screen almost through the film's entirety. This giallo does have your typical wacky twist revealing why this killer is so viciously killing his/her victims, but this time, the revelation might be underwhelming considering it's a person who isn't as significantly drawn as other characters in the plot. This is indeed a true treat for those with an appreciation for smut. Film suffers for not having a likable character to root for, but Fenech once again portrays the endangered character in pursuit(..and being pursued)of the killer.\"", "id" : "\"3589_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3575" }, "review" : "\"After you get used to the idea of the then 29 year old Mary Pickford playing a boy, you'll find this silent film is a classic in its own right. Miss PIckford also plays the lads mother incorporating techniques quite clever for its day. Tricks like forced perspective, over-sized sets, and double exposures that reportedly took many hours to film to get it right. The sentimental story's acting is superb all around and encompasses quite a bit of humor as well as drama. The sets are very good and it's amazing how Miss Pickford acts a bit naive like a young boy would but full of genuine heart and compassion for others. Claude Gillingwater is excellent as the cantankerous Earl who sends for the American boy who he had disowned because his late son had married a American commoner. Also excellent is Joseph Dowling as the Earl's lawyer who handles his affairs including being the bearer of bad news. The film has been restored by the Mary Pickford Foundation and a very nice orchestra soundtrack was added in recent years. It all adds up to a timeless movie fill of charm and it's easy to see why Mary Pickford was a superstar in her time. Another note: She became so popular that she formed her own company and along with others like Charlie Chaplin was a founder of United Artist which is an organization of independent film companies.\"", "id" : "\"6809_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3576" }, "review" : "\"Russell Crowe at his best as a Kentucky tobacco executive in Eric Roth and Michael Mann's masterpiece, \\\"The Insider,\\\" is one of the most underrated American films ever. Not only is it important historically for its political implications - not about tobacco, but about conflicts of commercial interest that control freedom of speech along the airwaves in the U.S.- it is a great story and it is true. Disney had no idea how to market \\\"The Insider\\\" and essentially sold it as tobacco movie and it is so much more. Pacino gives a grand A plus performance as a Long Island Jewish producer and halfway through the movie I forgot he was Al Pacino. Even better Christopher Plummer masterfully captures the full essence of Mike Wallace. Gina Gershon could turn lust from a stone as always. Michael Mann seems to always pull strong performances from his actors, and Eric Roth who brilliantly adapted \\\"Forrest Gump\\\" did the same here with Mann. Though long, \\\"The Insider\\\" is never boring and a movie all Americans should see twice to make sure they fully comprehend regardless of how you feel about the tobacco debate.\"", "id" : "\"15208_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3577" }, "review" : "\"Three wives and one husband in one house! What a mess! Apart from the moral issues I have with this situation, it seems detrimental to nearly everyone involved. This guy doesn't have three wives. He has three concubines and no wives. Not one of these women can possibly be having a fulfilling relationship with her husband. The guy has variety in bed and doesn't seem to really care about anything that goes on in the house, let alone the children. The most important problem with this arrangement, in my opinion, is with the children. You'd think having three moms would make it easier for the kids to get attention, but... NO!! The women are so busy competing for their husband that they don't have any time for the kids. The kids are just there kind of on their own. It's awful! The husband asks his wives to be sisters. EWW!! He's just crazy. He tries to order his wives around as if they were his children. I don't know how this situation can possible work. It is certainly REALLY messed up! It seems like the buy wanted to have a lot of slave labor so he can go out and play pool. I just don't get it.Overall the whole situation is just weird! The man seems like he's been very creative in trying to justify his unwillingness to commit and have just one wife which is what man's and God's laws decree.\"", "id" : "\"39370_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3578" }, "review" : "\"This has probably become Feild's most underrated film. It has a few clumsy scenes, probably the most questionable racial \\\"jokes\\\" (through, given the milieu, probably quite true to life), and a lot of screen time goes to Edgar and Charlie. Still, it is quite a wonderful film; and it retains the fundamental wacko universe that defines top Feilds. Some of the circus stuff is pretty amazing too, and they get a fine performance from the Lion tamer. I think the ending probably must have looked so bad in the editing room they just said the hell with it and went for the sort of non ending with Mortimer. No matter, it's a jem, and if not \\\"A\\\" grade W.C., it's very close.\"", "id" : "\"19908_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3579" }, "review" : "\"This is an excellent movie. I had to hunt it down while visiting LA, but Judy Berlin is definitely worth catching. Eddie Falco, Barbara Barrie, and Madeline Kahn are excellent leading ladies. Kahn especially makes an impact as a worrisome and somewhat philosophical housewife who goes on a long walk during the eclipse. Beautifully shot in black and white, Judy Berlin is wonderful, definitely one of my favorite movies. Too bad it didn't get a wider release.\"", "id" : "\"7891_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f357a" }, "review" : "\"I admit it, the sole reason I wanted to see this was because of Marlon Brando but once you see his appearance you can't imagine that this is the man from Elia Kazan-movies or Don Corleone...at contrary, he plays like an idiot... Okay, George C Scott is the kind of actor that never works on my nerves and he also was the only reason why I kept watching as this movie sucks... You can write thrillers and spionagescenarios but please don't forget that an average watcher cant follow thousand plots in 100 minutes, director John G Avildsen doesn't even give us the time to let us discover who is who as from the moment a new personage appears he ends up being shot three minutes later plus you are wondering what the hell it's all about.... There used to be a formula created during the Third Reichregime that creates synthetic oil and cos that's quite nasty for those who gain their money with oil, everyone must be eliminated who comes in touch with the formula...that's it...and the big problem is that after 10 minutes you know who did it (you probably already know it yourself, not?) but before all this you have to watch thousands useless plots... Bad cinema!\"", "id" : "\"18216_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f357b" }, "review" : "\"Disney added on to the Disney Afternoon lineup with \\\"Darkwing Duck\\\" in 1991. It is about a duck who is an action hero, fighting danger, saving the world!!!!! His headquarters is on top of a bridge, if I remember correctly.Although I have seen the show as a little kid, I can't remember everything about it exactly. Yes, this is another one of those \\\"GOOD\\\" things to come from Disney! That I agree. I'm sure kids everywhere loved this too!!!!!So, for a great cartoon that is never dull and full of thrills, look no further than \\\"Darkwing Duck!\\\" It'll have you saying \\\"Great!\\\"10 stars!Oh, and one more thing: Good Job Disney!!!!!\"", "id" : "\"29168_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f357c" }, "review" : "\"What a waste of a great cast and lots of money! I love historical costume dramas but I was truly appalled at the soap opera-level of this script. There were such great historical events taking place at that time, such as mad King Henry's lust for an heir and willingness to plunge his country into a religious war, betrayal of his wife, intrigues of his court, black plague, etc. Yet we are subject to sex, sex, and more sex every third scene. I did find the Henry vs. the Cardinal plot line interesting, and Henry vs. his wife. But these subjects are dealt with in a very heavy-handed manner, with such obvious dialogue and no subtlety. Part of the reason I love English drama is the usually intelligent dialogue. I felt like I was watching a soap opera like \\\"All My Tudors.\\\" You know you are watching trash when the characters keep jumping in bed to keep you interested.Rhys-Meyers was probably miscast--he scowls and screams and overacts throughout. Sam Neill and Jeremy Northam are good, as usual, It is a shame to see them wasted on such a poor script! I won't be watching the new season.\"", "id" : "\"34171_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f357d" }, "review" : "\"To sum everything up: the inexplicably popular Hulk Hogan, washed-up can't-believe-it's-not-porno star Shannon Tweed, Apollo Creed, the cop from \\\"Last House\\\" (who was cool before I saw this) and some other guy who is cleaning up vomit at Wal-Mart while you read this shoot for hours and hours and hours from open spaces without getting a scratch. Usually writers try to make it remotely believable by having one guy shot in the arm or something like that but no, none of that for the indestructible Hulk Hogan. There's just something bothering me about Hulk Hogan being surrounded by twenty guys and just shooting them one by one with his painfully slow moves. It's a way-too-common trend in action flicks that villains with machine guns who are off-screen immediately stop existing. At least Seagal hides behind a crate or something. It's also pretty hilarious how none of the people who get shot appear to bleed, they just fall down. It looks like a bunch of kids playing cowboy and Indian. For people who think wrestling(which in Hogan's case, is not a lot more than soft punching) is real.\"", "id" : "\"21582_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f357e" }, "review" : "\"All right, enough with the MST3K-ing, people. I of course saw this movie through the show, and I thought their treatment of it was hilarious. It's one of my favorite episodes. Surprisingly enough though, unlike many other movies ridiculed by Mike and the bots, this one is far from bad. Maybe it's just the sheer number of times that I've seen it that has made it grow on me like some kind of low-budget lichen.Of course the acting is sub-par and at times could wilt flowers on the side of the road. I wouldn't expect stellar performances from a collection of actors coming out of rural Vermont. The whole time travel concept involving a small engine aircraft is laughable I'll admit. The portrayal of the future is hardly better than a shot of a present day main-street strip. There are a number of minor holes in the plot, one of which involves how Nick managed to get a gun after falling into a lake out of the plane. Another would be the way that the future was unaltered even though automatic weapons and the wreckage of a plane/time machine were left in Revolutionary War-era America.Honestly though, I believe that these shortcomings were inevitable given the budgetary constraints of the film. The film was cut and edited well, which are aspects I believe to be important in a film of any budget. Take a look at the shoddy editing in some films with budgets over 100 million dollars and it's almost shameful by comparison. Corny by mainstream Hollywood standards, I believe that this film should be viewed for what it is: an impressive achievement by an unknown low-budget filmmaker. I think we should be asking ourselves, given a camera and a few thousand dollars to make a movie about time travel, \\\"could we have done better?\\\"\"", "id" : "\"9979_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f357f" }, "review" : "\"This wasn't a bad movie, but the end was ridiculous! The end scene with what I assume was the sheriff was unnecessary, and repetitive.That said this wasn't a bad movie. I am a fan of B horror, and I have certainly seen worse, much worse. But there were a number of inconsistencies, that could have easily been cleared up without adding any extra time to the film; though at one hour and twenty minutes another 15 or 20 minutes to give us some backstory certainly wouldn't have made this film overly long.MY biggest complaint is what were Billy Wirth and Matt Schulze doing in this film! Both are good actors that weren't even given the chance to rise above the mediocre script.\"", "id" : "\"2513_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3580" }, "review" : "\"This is the worst pile of crap I've seen in a very long time. I like Judge Reinhold, and I couldn't even take HIM in this movie! The drama was dry, the story was predictable, the special effects were anything but special, and the continuity was horrific! You couldn't pay me to sit through this disaster again. STAY AWAY - too terrible to become a cult classic. This movie has no redeeming social value whatsoever, has no good acting, has nothing at all. My dog is more fun to watch. I had an ant farm once - it was more fun. If you have the choice between this movie and dry meat loaf, take the meat loaf. I've been to better high school plays.\"", "id" : "\"27193_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3581" }, "review" : "\"Poor horror recommended only for real fans... other people would hate it. I still can't believe that Robert Zemeckis took part to this fiasco called Tales from the Crypt. A combination of some horror and some funny scenes, with a non-concludent plot and few twists and turns... this is good to watch only if you like special effects, with hearts torn out of chests, blood spreading everywhere and thirsty vampires. Still a horror must be a horror and if you try to combine one with comedy the result will s*ck. Still i liked the idea with the water guns :) funny. Vote: 4 out of 10. Vote: 4 out of 10.\"", "id" : "\"26590_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3582" }, "review" : "\"The story started off well enough, but after just a bit, the FBI's NetForce started looking like a bunch of nerds playing in cyber-space. Trying to bust someone in a VR environment just wouldn't work. They TOLD the guy, and he just logged off!  Oh, well... then they went on to imply that the Internet was actually controllable... and could be shut off by someone attacking hardlines, satellites, or fiber optic lines... as if the users could actually tell what medium was being used for the transmission of their signals.  It could have been better, but I couldn't rate it too low, after all, it DID have a very good twist at the end (no spoiler here!), but even that part wasn't played out very well.I hope to see more like it (but with better technical advice/support).\"", "id" : "\"859_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3583" }, "review" : "\"What can I say? Ving Rhames takes a paycheck, Freddie Prinze Jr. demonstrates the limitations of his acting abilities, and the script tries to simulate the coolness of the \\\"insider\\\" but serves mostly as the embodiment of its own title, providing easy targets for ridicule. I was glad I got this one at the library. It's not badly produced, granted, and some of the green felt action is well-shot, but this dog ain't no hustler, if you catch my drift. Small wonder this went direct to video. One thing is certain: its shelf life will depend strictly upon the durability of Ving Rhames's career. I surely hope his career never depends on this film.\"", "id" : "\"46177_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3584" }, "review" : "\"I watched this old 'talkie' late one night on the classic movies station (couldn't sleep). I figured this movie is 77 years old. It was pretty weird watching a movie with young actors that are all dead by now. The movie was semi-interesting but the end was disappointing. Andy is going to leave 'Bingo' when she shoots him in the shoulder. WTF? And he immediately changes his mind about leaving and decides that she is the woman for him. The movie ends about 40 seconds after 'Bingo' shoots Andy. Again, WTF? The two actors never had any chemistry to start with. Andy was good looking...but scrawny and effeminate. Joan Crawford looked good, but what was up with the sweat stains? And the singing? The movie is for the very bored only....definitely not a classic. It seemed like they were filming in sequence and run out of budget or were just sick of making the movie by the end of it.\"", "id" : "\"25233_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3585" }, "review" : "\"I think Jay Leno's Tonight Show was considerably better. Conan does a decent job on the show, but somehow Leno's style worked better, and Conan's style worked more on his Late Night program. While they can be funny at times, Conan's jokes and routines (with the possible exception of in the year 2000, which I believe has now been renamed in the year 3000) aren't as funny or as clever. Admittedly, it can work sometimes, and his interviewing style is passable, but I prefer Leno and can't wait for Jay's new talk show to debut in the fall. My final verdict:passable. Just barely. His off-beat wit is Conan's saving grace.\"", "id" : "\"31558_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3586" }, "review" : "\"The finale of MASH was tepid at best, stale at its worst.There were allegations that the show had run its course several years before they finally decided to end it. It just wasn't the same for me when Radar left.I Love Lucy ran for 7 or 8 years, Beverly Hillbillies for 9. MASH ran for 11 years.This was the highest-rated finale because people wanted to see the train wreck. Would someone die? The big clincher was supposed to be Hawkeye going crazy. Oh, that was without a doubt the worst one here.Alan Alda just ate it all up trying to be in denial what 'he had done' and then fall apart and then become defensive, but it was so flat, it was forgettable.What he had done was supposedly caused a Korean mother to kill her own child. The insensitivity was that nothing was shown any further of the mother.Yes, this was all Hawkeye's anguish wasn't it? I think we were all looking at it and going 'what about the mother?' This became something of a staple in 1980s television at this time; become overwrought over the actions of someone else, then watch how it pains me and not them.A popular soap actor would talk about how he was torn up over the Viet Nam war for about three weeks. He didn't enlist, but he was trouble for that time period over whether he should or not, as tho this compared to vets who served two years or more over there.Hill Street Blues would manage to make fun of people like this, with a character on the show stating pretty much the same thing (seems like it should have been Keil Martin's character), saying they were torn up for 24 days over the Viet Nam war, telling this to a vet.It would go even further when a soap opera had a character operating a crisis hotline become overwrought when a person committed suicide over the phone. See our young star's anguish, how upset he is? Any viewer watching was going, hey, what about the kid on the phone? Funniest by far was Fame, one of the worst shows around, when Nia Peeples character left the show, she was killed off in an episode involving drunk driving.Jesse, another character, tormented the driver about his actions, until finally Danny, who was also in the car, had to tell him \\\"what about MY responsibility? I was in the car too?\\\" Funny thing was, they stood in the snow, Danny and Jesse, sobbing as they hugged, but no one was hugging the poor kid who did the driving. He just stood there alone, crying to himself.Television likes to think that these characters just go away; the suicide phone caller, the drunk driver and the Korean mother.Hawkeye just skipped away back to America, cured by Sidney.In the end, eveyrone's fave was the Korean band. They were the biggest stars, not Hawkeye's remorse.\"", "id" : "\"47393_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3587" }, "review" : "\"THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED (Jacques Audiard - France 2005).It's usually the other way round, but this time the French took a shot at remaking an American film, James Toback's FINGERS (1978), which starred Harvey Keitel. And the result is excellent. This riveting human drama by Jacques Audiard features an impressive performance by Romain Duris as Tom, a 28 year-old hoodlum who seems destined to follow in his father's footsteps as a property shark working in a sleazy, barely legal twilight zone of the dodgy Parisian real-estate world. But a chance encounter with a former music teacher leads him to believe that he can become, like his mother, a concert pianist. With the help of a young virtuoso pianist, who just arrived from China, he starts preparing for a crucial audition, but soon the pressures from his former pals mount and he gets trapped between two opposite worlds. But Tom is not just a sensible artistic young man desperately trying to escape the world he lives in. He's not entirely sure he wants to leave his old life behind him. He's got a mean streak and when necessary, he takes care of some unresolved matters using whatever means he deems appropriate to take care of unwilling partners, squatters or whoever gets in the way of his (or his father's business interests), really putting the squeeze on people unwilling to cooperate. Romain Duris injects his role with an enormous amount of vibrancy and energy. I've never seen Duris in another role before, but his character is complex, perennially nervous, strained, angry, but incredibly charming. One moment he's in leather jacket, wiping the blood of his face after a little bashing with some squatters. The next, he's in suit and tie and negotiates with real-estate moguls. The film's atmosphere is dark, moody and downbeat, but Tom's vibrant energy and aggression firmly keeps the viewer's attention. Jacques Audiard's direction is remarkable assured. He seems to know exactly what he wants to present on the screen, never showy and a keen camera eye to give the already top-notch performances maximum impact. What's so refreshing, is that the film doesn't make a big point out of the human relationships. It never becomes overly sentimental, but at the same time all these characters are real and completely believable, just incredibly vivid characterizations. Sharply written, stylish, expertly paced, directed and performed, this is definitely one to catch.Camera Obscura --- 9/10\"", "id" : "\"28850_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3588" }, "review" : "\"Are you kidding? Dawn of the Dead was such an entertaining flick, by no means an Oscar Winner but certainly a well thought out display of zombie gore and emotional interaction between likable and interesting characters.. Dawn of the Dead even ended well, paving the way for an intense sequel with a spoiler sneak peak of what's to come for the characters at the end of the movie. Day of the Dead is not that sequel.Day of the Dead is almost laughably terrible. The acting is shallow and boring at best. Yes, Ving Rhames is in this, but somehow the producers managed to make Ving look amateurish and uncomfortable. Not only is Ving not the same character as he was in Dawn of the Dead but then they had the audacity to kill him off with the first thirty minutes and turn him into a pathetic, eye-eating, legless zombie. The zombies look fake and in no way menacing. The editing is sloppy and choppy and quite frankly, by the end of the movie I was really just hoping to see all of the unintelligent main characters end up zombie feed. The only thing that saved this movie from making me really angry was the fact that I had it recorded it on DVR and I could fast forward through most of it and then have the satisfaction of hitting 'DELETE' when it was over.Don't waste your time. Try again Steve Miner and Jeffrey Reddick.\"", "id" : "\"46742_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3589" }, "review" : "\"Home Alone took everyone by surprise when it became the top money-earner of 1990. Director Chris Columbus, writer/producer John Hughes and most of the cast and production staff reunited two years later for this sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. But the cynic in one has to ask, did we really need a sequel to Home Alone?It feels like everyone has returned because they knew they had a sure-fire hit on their hands rather than any pressing concern to continue this story arc. This was Chris Columbus' first time directing a sequel, and as expected, he falls into the exact same trap that cripples many a sequel. He fails to do anything different with it.It may have traded in being left at home for the city of New York, but its still the same exact story as last time. Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin, obnoxious as ever) is separated from his family at Christmas. He enjoys the freedom to do whatever he wants. Until things turn sour. The burglars are back, and just happen to be in New York as well. He sets up another mine field of home-made booby traps for them. The lonely snow-shoveller from Pt 1 has been replaced with a lonely pigeon lady. She rescues him. He gets reunited with his family.Home Alone 2 feels like a much more calculated attempt to recreate the successful elements of Home Alone. The first was not quite a holiday classic, but it was reasonably successful. Due to John Hughes' fine screenplay rather than anything on Columbus' part. Pt 2 sticks to the formula laid out by Pt 1 with an almost alarming reverence.It ticks off each situation like a check-list. And I'm afraid the fault for that lies with John Hughes. His script has none of the tiny amusements or sharp insights that propelled the first film. He's just copied his own screenplay, and grafted it onto a new setting. I think it was around this point that John Hughes sold himself out to Hollywood. Nowadays he only churns out increasingly formulaic fluff. Merely the same concept with whole different actors.Chris Columbus has also borrowed an idea or two from his debut feature, Adventures in Babysitting. The story of four kids lost on the streets of Chicago one night. That film always seemed like a missed opportunity to me. Chris Columbus is far too bland as a filmmaker. He played the whole situation too safely, and never really got the best out of it. In fact when I first saw it, I thought if it had been made by John Hughes, it could have been a much better film. I was hoping for that with Home Alone 2, but unfortunately I didn't get it.This is an even greater disappointment. Columbus' blandness coupled with Hughes' lack of imagination all adds up to a very boring film. Home Alone 2 never really ignites. It misses the natural warmth and amusing developments of the first film by a mile. There is something almost mechanical to it all. Like watching different plot points clicking into place at exact moments. But the one thing that really works against the film is Macaulay Culkin.Home Alone got a lot of mileage from young Kevin's innocent, wide-eyed view of his predicament. By this point, that innocence has all but gone. Culkin's precocity has completely taken over, and now he's just an obnoxious brat we couldn't care less about. Its impossible to feel for his plight because he's so unlikable. And having him mouth inane sentiments in a shallow attempt to make him seem wise only irritates. They lack any conviction and hollows out an already empty film.We do get a few amusements from some of the new members of the cast. Tim Curry gets a few laughs as the manager of the Plaza Hotel. In a performance seemingly modelled on Basil Fawlty, his growing suspicion of Kevin is pretty funny, even if he's a bit stupid to be suckered in by Kevin's tricks. And Dana Ivey and Rob Schneider fill out the cast nicely as the equally suspicious (and equally stupid) hotel staff.But nothing else works. There are times when Home Alone 2 thinks its being really clever, by dropping in knowing references to the first film, in a vain attempt to make you think this is not a rehash. But it is. And its not above reusing the same gags either. We even get another film that Kevin uses to dupe people with. Which also happens to be a sequel. You can almost imagine Chris Columbus and John Hughes patting themselves on the backs at times like that.Of course what people come to see the movie for is Harry and Marv (Joe Pesci & Daniel Stern) going through another of Kevin's obstacle courses. But where it proved to be the comic high point of the first film, Chris Columbus has blown it up to absurd proportions for this one. The traps in Pt 1 were at least kept within the boundaries of plausibility, but sadly Columbus has thrown all that out the window. Its amazing they're still breathing, much less walking after the things they go through this time. They even fall off the top of a building with no apparent after effects. Its at this point you realise you're watching the live-action equivalent of a Looney Tunes cartoon. Only not as funny.I don't even want to talk about the improbable, contrived happy ending. Home Alone 2 is a real stinker. Its never as funny as it likes to think it is, or as warm either. Its just a pointless sequel that only reveals a blatant calculation at the heart of the enterprise. Another bland film from the drab Chris Columbus, and the start of the sad decline of John Hughes' once proud career.\"", "id" : "\"4330_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f358a" }, "review" : "\"I had SO much hope and hype over this film. Watching it finally nearly drove me to suicide. What in the name of the planets is this? I thought they were playing some kind of 80 minutes episode of a parody of Hercules. The plot of the film is absurd. Some unknown barbarian who hails from Atlantis (yes, Atlantis of all places) tries to join a noblemen's army, gets rejected and humiliated, and ends up being their King because the dying King thinks its comical that a barbarian should take a crack at it? We get to see the real Kull now after he gets the crown. The typical and oh so unoriginal hero who has no flaws, treats women with respect, thinks there should be no slavery and he makes it a point, and gives an occassional grunt to remind he is after all under all that heroic visage, a barbarian. Gimmie a break. The dialogue is hilarious when the movie builds. Some good moments when Herc.. I mean Kull insists there is no Island of whatever the frozen wastelands is and Ascalante with a quick retort, \\\"yes there is!\\\" Or, the excitement and the adrenaline building up in your body watching Kull clumsily trying to escape from the guards and mouthing the infamous word, \\\"S**t.\\\" Needless to say, when any of the characters begins to talk, it kills them right there.\"", "id" : "\"49595_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f358b" }, "review" : "\"A police officer goes undercover in a prison to discover why inmates are disappearing at a fast rate. The investigation is going all fine and dandy until the serial killer that this particular cop caught is transfered therefore putting him in jeopardy and blowing his cover. Good thing the cop knows kickboxing. This is one of Jean-Claude's lesser efforts, it lacks the overall excitement of Bloodsport and Kickboxer as well as the visceral enjoyment provided by his later movies like Universal Soldier and Hard Target. The story itself is too routine and although at times Death Warrant has a grisly twist that give it a jolt, Death Warrant is very forgettable stuff. I myself enjoy a good action flick but I like them more upbeat and it's only the action sequences which make this mildly diverting.* * out of 4(Fair)\"", "id" : "\"39115_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f358c" }, "review" : "\"Turner Classic Movies showed this silent, B&W; flick today (Aug 29, 2007) on TV.Solid classic adventure story, complete with all of the key ingredients: exotic plot locations, a beautiful woman in peril, a pair of dauntless and resourceful heroes (one of them handsome, the other colorful) grossly outnumbered by badguys, sprinkled with comic relief. Great costumes and sets; as good or better than those of current movies. Surprising variety of camera craft and directorship; pans and zooms including overhead angles, and closeups of key characters and objects. In this regard again it seems like a modern movie! Actions convey the story very well; without the benefit of a soundtrack. Of course, this entails a considerable degree of live type acting (similar to that seen in plays), but I did not get a feeling of melodrama like is all too common in most silent films and early sound movies.The most enjoyable performance is played by Louis Wolheim as the rough edged but colorful Sgt. Peter O'Gaffney, who was *perfectly* casted for the role; considering both appearance and skill.There were at least a few peculiar facts about Muslim society that I had previously learned over the past several years, which added to my appreciation of the story in the area of historical accuracy.My favorite scene was when the heroes are fleeing a swarm of dangerous, sword wielding Arabs through the narrow streets of a busy Muslim city. Suddenly though the chase is interrupted by an oblivious imam who pops out onto an exterior balcony to announce that it's time for afternoon prayer. Everyone out on the streets (except for the heroes) religiously obeys Islamic law and momentarily kneels down, which allows the heroes to escape. That scene was just one example of the film's many expressions of originality.After seeing this movie I better realize how extensively modern movies contain rehashed ideas that were pioneered decades earlier.\"", "id" : "\"5_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f358d" }, "review" : "\"I will just make a few comments about this film.This is a highly irrational and illogical film noir. It's something quite rare I must say that, but in a good way? The answer to that is more or less yes. A lot of it was genius but some of it was quite poor. It was also way too sarcastic. Felt like they tried to make a joke about, well just about everything. I did laugh a few times though, but it didn't fit! This wasn't a black comedy though it could have been one hell of a genius black comedy if they changed a few things.It's both unexpected in some parts yet quite predictable in others.I love Mankiewicz and his direction was fabulous, that must be said! But I'm not so sure about the story.I will say this though. It is good! See it if you have a chance! I won't directly recommend it since I only like to recommend films I love but yeah it is a nice little film!\"", "id" : "\"18336_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f358e" }, "review" : "\"I've been a fan of John Dye, since his performance in Touched By An Angel on TV and when Once Upon A Christmas first premiered on family channel it looked like a charming Christmas movie. Kathy Ireland's role as the younger daughter of Santa Claus was touching and sweet. What can one expect from two talented stars this movie is about the power of having faith again in the Christmas spirit and at an hour and 30 minutes it's enjoyable without being overdone.Christmas is about to be canceled because there's a majority of children out there who have been more naughty then nice and Santa Claus (Campbell) is deciding to go away on vacation putting his oldest daughter Rudolfa (Haskell) in charge. However his younger daughter Kristen (Ireland) doesn't like that plan one bit, she makes a deal with dad that if one family's name is returned to the \\\"nice list\\\" then Christmas will go on as planned.But the task is more challenging than ever because the family chosen is the Morgan clan Kyle (Kirk) & his sister Brittany (Prout) are two spoiled brats because their father widower & workaholic Bill (Dye) is always too busy. Then there's Uncle Johnny (Yorke) who is goodhearted but not the ideal guardian. Once she becomes the nanny the two siblings try everything in their power to get rid of her. During a vacation mostly to do with work the car breaks down and they're stranded at an old house in the middle of nowhere. They try to make the most out of this holiday soon everything begins to change not just in the kids but in Bill whose fallen in love Kristen.When Rudolfa's plans to stop Christmas goes out of control Kristen will make the ultimate decision for the family she loves.filled with heartwarming moments and romance Once Upon A Christmas is the ideal holiday movie.\"", "id" : "\"6816_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f358f" }, "review" : "\"I don't care if people say it's a chick flick. I don't see it that way. I think this movie was a great start for Houston's acting career. The character of Rachel Marron was complex, and her personality clashing with Fram Farmer's set the tone for this movie.I quite enjoyed the soundtrack as well. The music as well as Rachel's performances at various stages of the plot fit perfectly with the mood. The \\\"Queen of the Night\\\" performance was out of control, as was the situation at that point in the movie.What can I say about the end? A perfect ending for a chick like me, I suppose. On a more serious note, I liked how the movie wasn't perfectly happy and warm at the end. It was obvious that these two could not be together at this point in their lives, because they got in each other's way. But, that does not rule out the possibility of them finding one another again later on down the line.\"", "id" : "\"29390_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3590" }, "review" : "\"First, let me say that I'm not usually into these types of film. I prefer the popcorn movies with lots of action and not too much to think about. Every once in a while, however, I'll rent a \\\"high-brow\\\" movie and often I am bored to tears. Not with this movie. I am unfamiliar with most of Michelle Williams work, but she does an excellent job here displaying a woman dealing with a deep guilt, and remorse over the loss of her son (she doesn't seem to miss her husband much, however- but I digress). I honestly believe that if you cannot relate to her character here, then you are a soul-less creature and definitely have forgotten the tragedies of 9-11-2001. Terrorism is just murder on a grand scale, and murder benefits no one. Grief is universal. Go back into your caves and let those who still have the capacity to feel relish in the tragedy portrayed by an up-and coming actress. See this one!\"", "id" : "\"18891_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3591" }, "review" : "\"This movie is soooooo underrated. It should have won all it's oscar nominations and should have, at least, been nominated for best picture. I loved(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) this movie. Cher puts on an extraordinary performance, as usual, and proves that she can act, this being her first film. Kurt Russle, i am surprised to say, wasn't nominated for an oscar. This movie was great. If you haven't been able to see it, see it!!!!!!!!\"", "id" : "\"8644_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3592" }, "review" : "\"I wonder why so typically French a story was transferred to Budapest. In the novel, the opera house is as much a star of the story as the characters. It makes no sense to shift the story.The acting is OK at best and often quite silly. Overall this is a rather cheezy and lame attempt at the story, with the usual attempts to rewrite and revise the story.I often wish that someone would attempt a version that is truer to the original book, even though it was penny-dreadful claptrap. All too often they try to make the Phantom so sympathetic that they lose sight of his psychopathic side. However, in the original novel Christine is such a stupid drip that she does get quite annoying.\"", "id" : "\"35534_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3593" }, "review" : "\"Never have I seen beautiful women like those who appeared in this film fall in love with an ugly skinny brute with no sense of commitment like in this movie. This movie has awful audio and video. It was shot poorly and had a very ugly main character. It however did make the audience feel better. If a really ugly person could get hot women, then anyone could sleep with super models.The main character is your classic example of an ugly man with a very small penis. He should be given extreme help from psychologists and plastic surgeons. If you want to watch a horrible movie than knock yourself out with this.\"", "id" : "\"36566_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3594" }, "review" : "\"SATISFACTION is not a great movie by any shakes, but taken for what it was meant to be - a slightly naive tale of a girls' band that has a summer of adventure, love and opportunity for the big time nut opts instead to become just a group of life-long friends - it is a well done bit of pastiche. Thanks to the simple script by Charles Purpura and to the sensitive direction of Joan Freeman the little story works well.The interesting aspect of the film is the cast. The band consists of leader Justine Bateman with Trini Alvarado, Britta Phillips, Scott Coffey as the token male, Deborah Harry and yes, the movie debut of Julia Roberts! Liam Neeson serves as the love interest for Justine Bateman's character and Michael DeLorenzo has a small part, too. The music is fun and the cast commits to the idea of the film well. Strange to see a film from 1988 with the established stars disappearing and the 'newcomers' taking flight. Grady Harp\"", "id" : "\"34834_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3595" }, "review" : "\"While I've always thought of Meryl Streep as a great actress, she surpasses my praise in this film. To see her speak her lines, to hear the delicate phrasing of not only her Polish, but her German with a Polish accent, then later, her English with a Polish accent, an altogether brutally difficult accomplishment, leaves me breathless. Beyond that skill, there's her transference to the character, Sophie, and to the main test as an actress, the absorption of the unspeakable atmosphere of a place -- the camp at Auschwitz -- of wholesale pain, indescribable humiliation, and the final acceptance of death of her child to save another. I'm sure the author of the book wept too in seeing his creation come to life as Meryl Streep.\"", "id" : "\"13672_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3596" }, "review" : "\"Just watched the movie at the LONG ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM EXPO on Long Island, New York. What a great film! More films should be made like this one. Audiences wait for a movie like this to hit the screen as it gives them a reason to feel a film, instead of just watching one. I really enjoyed the story and the depth of the characters. I learned after the film that it was semi-autobiographical of the writer/director Carl Thibault. I also learned that this was his first film, and what a way out of the gate! His direction was flawless and the performances he got from his ensemble cast came together to execute a story that was truly heartfelt! The photography alone is a reason to see this film!\"", "id" : "\"2898_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3597" }, "review" : "\"\\\"Enlightenment Guaranteed\\\" is a wonderful film. Funny, visually interesting and intelligent. However, education about Buddhism is required, I think, for real appreciation of the film's layers of story telling. The independent film feeling was really charming. Ochsenknecht and Wohler work well as a comic team. The monastery scenes were fascinating and fun. There is a whole self consciousness of the play as a play that I really liked. It seemed more like small, alternative theater than film at times. I don't think this could be a commercial hit, simply because it takes a certain level of education and understanding of philosophy to get many of the jokes. The small audience, with whom I saw the film, were split down the middle. Half of them seemed as delighted as I was. Half seemed bored and restless. The German speakers near me were laughing as often and as loudly as I was. My own education in Buddhist practices was a major source of my appreciation for the film, I think. Well worth seeing, if you can find it.\"", "id" : "\"17018_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3598" }, "review" : "\"If there was ever any iron-clad proof that Britain is the most uncultured and TV-addicted society in the world then the dredge that is Big Brother is it. The basic idea of this show tanked in other countries where the people are more intelligent but somehow, five years after the rank original, the people of Britain still buy into this crap. They still fall for the same old, same old rubbish that was boring first time around. It boggles the mind. Are we really all that stupid? I blame the Sun newspaper.Big Brother is a wasteland of coma-inducing boredom consistently starring a deliberately PC and multi-ethnic group of people (with an absolute MAX of 1 token Scottish person) with no personality outside of the stereotyped image they were 'cast' to present. There MUST be one (if not many) gay person. One arguer. One sexist. One extrovert party animal. Etc, etc. They are caricatures of real people. Thus nullifying any genuine sense of 'reality' TV. And, 'at the end of the day', 'no offence to anyone', 'I don't mean to be funny but', 'correct me if I am wrong', 'you know what I'm saying', they NEVER ever speak outside of clichĂŠs. And whenever they DO say something interesting it's edited out for 'legal' reasons. Whatever happened to free speech. I don't believe it really exists my good fellow. I know I'm not unveiling a sacrilegious revelation when I say this trash is edited and directed to the Nth degree. Thus nullifying any genuine sense of 'reality' TV. It's a saga of nothingness. And when something DOES actually happen (they call it 'Fight Night' as there is THE such night every year) the screens go black and we don't get to REALLY see what happened until Channel 4 okays it and edits their way around the truth. Thus nullifying any genuine sense of 'reality' TV. Every Friday night is 'eviction night' in which the people of this once mighty and powerful land spend money phoning in who they want evicted from the house (and trust me, Channel 4 REALLY likes it when you phone many times in one night 'just to make sure'). That fame-grabbing, wannabe, desperate individual then begins their definite, inevitable, inexorable descent into well deserved obscurity. Davina McCall, who apparently has nothing better to do with her life as she's 'hosted' this mince since the very beginning, interviews that person with eyes and attitude that loudly suggest 'Who the hell are you and why are you taking up so much airtime?' before showing them the mandatory and expected 'best of' their bits scene. Watching this pointlessness is how most people in Britain prefer to spend their summer weekends.Even the narrator has THE worst accent one can possibly imagine. To make matters worse he basically repeats the same lines on every show. 'Dee 486. De ooder 'ouzmaits r een de gah-den'. I presume the producers of this show are deaf and thought this guy wasn't unintelligible.For the past few years I keep thinking that 'THIS has got to be the last one' as BB constantly goes from bad to worse to even worse then to absolute hell. It's cheap, brain-dead tripe that only appeals to the lowest common denominator who are vegetablely unaware that Channel 4 are laughing at them. They spend nothing, yet YOU make them millions.Be a real human-being. Turn this long, long, so incredibly long past it's 'prime' rubbish off and go get a life!\"", "id" : "\"27012_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f3599" }, "review" : "\"If a tree sucks you up in a haunted forest, would there be a reason to watch it? There really wasn't much to appreciate from this film.Three friends go into a forest in search of a haunted tree that one of the groups grandfather had written about. Forests are scary by themselves, but you never really felt that in the film. Even the moments that were supposed to be scary, weren't.The actors were very forgettable, and the pace was as slow as a tree growing.IT just didn't deliver. It just seemed to be so many leaves in search of a tree.\"", "id" : "\"49543_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f359a" }, "review" : "\"Great White isn't to bad of a film. I was expecting worse if they had to sue a law-suit.Anyway, i watched it online and loved it! Plot: Writer Peter Benton soon finds out a shark has been terrorizing there beach and wants to put a stop to it. his daughter, Jenny, loses her leg to a shark, a toy helicopter crashes replacing real one, a man's legs is torn of, oh and it made me smarter because in the movie, sharks roar, are made out of rubber, bob up and down, and look real fake.the shark looks real fake, and roars which disappoints me. i did enjoy the film, and am probably going to buy it.I think it was a decent film.10/1o stars.\"", "id" : "\"22429_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f359b" }, "review" : "\"This is the worst movie we've ever rented for our kids. We kept watching to see if it would eventually get better, but were disappointed. We can put up with bad behavior by main characters in a kids' movie as long as at least some of them learn their lessons and make changes. However, this never happens, except in reverse - a mother who seems to have the right values loses them. Even the baseball scenes were sub-par, though our 5-year-old \\\"heavy hitter\\\" did enjoy them. Thankfully, neither of our kids ever wants to see the movie again. If you want a GREAT baseball film suitable for the family, check out \\\"The Rookie,\\\" with Dennis Quaid. Not only is it a great movie, it is very faithful to the true story upon which it is based. Our whole family loved the movie and it may soon be found on our purchased video shelf. Avoid \\\"Perfect Game\\\" like the plague!\"", "id" : "\"41329_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f359c" }, "review" : "\"The idea of splicing the cat's genetic material with Grieco is an interesting idea (similar to Cronenberg's Fly remake), but it just isn't carried off real well here. What could've been a nice little exploration into the psyche of a human who is picking up the traits of a cat, is instead just boring.\"", "id" : "\"35160_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f359d" }, "review" : "\"Well, I know about Hitler and all the bad things that Germany did at WWII.But still, I don't understand, why 60 years after-wards, we still have to suffer by having awful German cinema ! (I do like some Fassbinder films)Why are there only films about Hitler/DDR or these empty theater films for bored bank-workers?Why only these \\\"Quality Films\\\"? Films that imitate the \\\"Good Taste\\\" of the past? Films that imitate the film language of Bresson, only taking out the content and the originality he had?God, please help Germany.Give us ART! no more Endless Restorations of the past!\"", "id" : "\"32729_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f359e" }, "review" : "\"This has got to be the worst film I have ever seen. I would have thought with the likes of Dennis Hopper, Michael Madsen and Charles Derning that it would have had some hope. Nope, not here. This movie is so bad I don't know where to start. Six people in a closet shooting at each other and no one gets hit. Not even a hint at police procedures. Moronic writing at it's best. I don't think any of the police cars even had matching light bars. Using lights and sirens on a code 2 call. I am going to have to look to see who was technical adviser, as who ever it was they know nothing about the LAPD, or even Mayberry PD much less Barney. Just a complete waste of 98 minutes of my life I will never get back.\"", "id" : "\"29867_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f359f" }, "review" : "\"There's something about movies that are produced by, directed by, and staring the same person. Maybe it stifles the rest of the cast and crew from giving any honest input. It would have been helpful if someone would have spoke up and mentioned the totally unrealistic gun fights were a bit much. Gunfights can be cool, but please, even the most squeamish pacifist would understand guns need to be reloaded from time to time. Shotguns don't hold 100 shells nor do 9mm hand gun clips provide that kind of firepower. Also, bullets follow a straight trajectory and don't do their best to avoid the target.This is the type of film that leaves one wondering if the producer-director-actor thinks the audience is so mental as to take the movie seriously. I ended up giving this film a 4/10 because it had it's moments. Annie Wu did a decent job with what was available. She was even able to sprint, without favoring her bad leg, minutes after being shot in the thigh. It could have been a decent film with a bit more character development and shorter, more realistic gun fights. I could only recommend viewing to have a few chuckles.\"", "id" : "\"16045_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f35a0" }, "review" : "\"First of all, full disclosure: I worked on this movie. I'm gonna give inside info: The original cover (what it was peddled with) was a humorous one. The distributors chose to go with a more ominous cover that would indicate a more gore-based movie (which it's not, but does have a couple of CGI moments that are real enough not to be noticed, thank you Rob Rugan and Jimbo...).The quote that it was better than \\\"Shaun of the Dead\\\" contains ellipsis that belie the original statement which was along the lines of 'it has moments that are even better than Shaun of the Dead'. These are choices that the distributer makes. They have nothing to do with the movie makers.This movie was not made as a response to \\\"Shaun of the Dead\\\": technically, it was released the day before \\\"Shaun of the Dead\\\". It premiered at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham AL the Thursday before \\\"Shaun\\\" was released on Friday. That's not to say it's success wasn't related to \\\"Shaun\\\" at all, it totally was in my opinion, but again, that's the distributer, not the makers.I've only said this for the commenters who took fault with these points. If you don't like it for other reasons, that's totally reasonable.And for 25K, you can't expect a better outcome for a bunch o' folks with day jobs.\"", "id" : "\"2956_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f35a1" }, "review" : "\"I had expected to be impressed by the landscapes, charmed by the story, engaged by the politics. But no. The plot, dialogue and characterisation were as featureless as the scenery. The filming was unimaginative. I was bored by every minute of this film.\"", "id" : "\"49429_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f35a2" }, "review" : "\"Stoo-oo-pid! If the plot had had some actual effort put into it, the movie might have been almost bearable. But it was so trite and clichĂŠ, you can't help but snicker at how dumb it all is.On its slight plus side, it did have some nice eye candy, And the desert landscapes were quite impressive. Downright beautiful, in fact.But otherwise, this laughable excuse for a \\\"movie\\\" is total sloppy slosh from beginning to end. Basically, it's a chick flick for those who read trashy romance novels and like to believe their inane glop can be real. But for anyone else, there's a whole lot of groaning and guffawing involved trying to get through this thing.I barely managed to get through this mostly to the end until i finally declared, \\\"Enough is enough! I can't take it anymore!\\\" And then i turned it off and feel much better now for having done so. MUCH better.I sort of enjoy Willie Aames' ability to play characters that are earnestly stupid, and he does that in spades here, but the chick flick format just got to be too much for me.\"", "id" : "\"33055_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f35a3" }, "review" : "\"When a movie can make you laugh and cry, it's a rare quality. Many people don't have a high tolerance for adults, but are suckers for kids. I am proud to say that I fall into this category, as does Richard Pryor's character Joe Braxton in this film. He plays a foul-mouthed, ill-mannered ex-con, who is, let's face it, a bum. For some reason, though, he is likable. Maybe it's because he still has an optimistic outlook about his life. His biggest strength, which almost proves to be his undoing, is that he is willing to do more for others than he is for himself. This is what I felt made \\\"Bustin' Loose\\\" such a touching movie.Joe Braxton is a parolee who has been given a second chance to rebuild his life. His only problem is, he can't really seem to find a purpose on the outside, and just doesn't know how to make it. In a hilarious courtroom scene where he is about to be sent back to prison for larceny, in violation of his parole, he is given ten years probation by the judge.His parole officer, however, is amused, but not at all fooled by the courtroom shenanigans. So, as a favor, his parole officers needs a favor. A group of disadvantaged Philadelphia youths have had their school closed as a result of budget cuts. Cicely Tyson, who portrays her character brilliantly, plays their supervisor who is also the girlfriend of Joe's parole officer. She and the kids need to be driven across country to her family's Washington state farm to start over. Joe is asked to drive the bus and return in 15 days.This is where the movie takes a wonderful turn for the better and gives some pleasant surprises. It could have been a silly Disney-like movie with cute, fake dialog that cuts corners and makes you want to throw up at the end (like Dead Poet's Society). Instead of all that nonsense and garbage, we heard words of truth, and witness some convincing changes.At first, Joe sees this as a chore and the kids as nothing but a bunch of losers. Later though, he begins to bond with the kids and discovers, as does the kids, that he actually really does care about them because he doesn't want what happened to him to happen to them. He finds a purpose, and a reason to be happy. He becomes a pleasant, and is actually a warm person after all who just needed the right people to bring out the goodness in him. Perhaps this is because his love for the kids makes him forget about his problems and worry about their well-being. There are some tough scenes, too. There is boy who has experienced a tragedy, not intentionally, but because of a problem he cannot help. Another one of the youths solicits prostitution to Joe. There are also about whether the kids will be able to keep their new home, or if Joe can actually make it on the outside. All of these scenes show reality and how people find the courage to deal with their own lives. Richard Pryor plays these scenes with a quiet, subtle brilliance. He is not just a funny comedian, he is also a good actor. The only flaw the movie has is that it seems to lack some little scenes to make Prior's character develop his relationship and bond together with the kids and Cicely Tyson's character. Don't get me wrong, it's usually better to keep an audience wanting more than to drag a movie out, but I think this one may have benefited from more running time. The transition from con to nice guy seemed just a little bit too quick, and I think this could have been the difference between making this a great movie instead of a good one. It's as though the screenwriter didn't sit down and rewrite quite thoroughly enough. That, however, is easily forgiven and forgotten. I will not give away what happens, I will say only this: I was pleasantly surprised because this movie wasn't just a comedy. There are a lot of serious scenes, too, and the ending is very perceptive about human behavior. Bustin' Loose is not a masterpiece, but it is an entertaining, convincing movie, and it works because of the performances. If you pay attention, you'll be surprised at how moved you are at the end of this delightful comedy, and you might even shed a tear.\"", "id" : "\"12395_0\"" }
{ "_id" : { "$oid" : "564528e2d40a732e502f35a4" }, "review" : "\"\\\"The Empire in Africa\\\" is a courageous examination of a tragic and complex topic, the civil war in Sierra Leone, its propaganda-driven portrayal in the international media, the global commercial interests at stake, the regional and international contribution to the continued violence and the effects on the civilian population of war and poverty in a country that is extremely wealthy in natural resources. (See, I said it was complex.) The events, the various parties and issues could easily have become hopelessly confused to a viewer --so much of the film's success is that its many interviews with people from all sides and a remarkable collection of footage from various sources, is edited so that it that manages to tell the story in a clear way. It is guaranteed to arouse the viewer's indignation at the role of the rest of the world (including other African countries as well as Western states such as the UK, France and the USA, exercising political and economic influence through bilateral relations and through the United Nations) in prolonging the war in this small country. It is also an indictment of the international news media for accepting the easy answers and official stories and not digging deeper for the truth.Warning: The film has some very gory images; however I don't feel it was gratuitous but necessary to tell the truth of a story that has been much misrepresented. Some of the most disturbing footage was of violence by regional troops aligned with the government, which Director/Producer Phillipe Diaz revealed (during the Q & A after the screening at Slamdance Film Festival) had been given to him by a Sierra Leonian government official who wanted the truth revealed, although it clearly meant he had to flee his country forever. M. Diaz, who has faced a good deal of pressure not to show this film, and who himself cannot return to Sierra Leone or to Nigeria, had to disguise the true focus of the film he was making from the authorities as long as possible, finally handing over a set of 'dummy' tapes and smuggling the real ones out of the country.\"", "id" : "\"22789_0\"" }