There is no possible way that I can say enough good things about this movie in a paragraph. This one just blew me away with it's originality, acting, direction, and plain old-fashioned coolness. Reese Witherspoon stars as Vanessa Lutz, a girl who "is pissed off and the whole world owes her". She begins a journey to find her Grandmother's house and along the way meets up with a sick bastard played by Kiefer Sutherland. The basic premise is a 90's take on Little Red Riding Hood with Reese as the girl with the basket and Kiefer as the big bad wolf. We are treated to catfights, women in prison, and other exploitation type aspects as well as a cleverly crafted story exploring many of the negative apects of American life without dwelling on them. There are also a large number of great actors involved in this picture such as Amanda Plummer, Dan Hedaya, Bokeem Woodbine ("Dead Presidents"), Brooke Shields, Wolfgang Bodison, Brittany Murphy ("Clueless"), Tara Subkoff ("All Over Me"), and Alanna Ubach ("The Brady Bunch Movie"). One can only hope that director Matthew Bright makes another movie in the near future. I absolutely recommend this movie as much as I can recommend a movie and would suggest picking it up on DVD for an amusing commentary by Bright.
Something was missing from this tale of four cops in L.A. Confidential era L.A. and how their leader gets mixed up in a murder that was done to protect national security. Sound confusing? Well, it isn't, it just seemed a little far fetched. I guess I will have to blame the script in this one and the casting of Nick Nolte as the leader of the cop squad. He just didn't seem to me to feel like a badass cop who would be in charge of fellow squad members Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, and Chris Penn. In real life, Nolte's character would be a little wimp compared to these other three but aside from Pamlinteri, nobody had a chance to really show how tough they are. Madsen and Penn seemed lost and their characters were relatively invisible. Rounding out the cast, there is Treat Williams as an overzealous army captain, Jennifer Connelly (I love you) as the murder victim, Melanie Griffith as Nolte's wife, Daniel Baldwin as a loser FBI agent, Andrew McCarthy ("Pretty In Pink") as a gay (I think) peeping tom, and the always reliable John Malkovich as a scientist. I was fooled by the cast into thinking that this one would be awesome but without a good story, it doesn't matter how good the cast is. "Brooklyn South" fans should look for Titus Welliver (Jack Lowry) in a small part. Oh yeah, William Petersen ("Manhunter") and Rob Lowe appear briefly at the beginning of the film and are uncredited.
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
Memories of a more innocent time in my life were brought back to me when I checked this one out again. Mistaken identity is the main theme in this flick which stars Madonna (in her "Like A Virgin" prime) as a uninhibited girl named Susan who places ads in the personals to hook up with her boyfriend Jim every once in a while. A housewife named Roberta (Rosanna Arquette) is fascinated by Susan and through the course of the movie tries to become her. I am suddenly realizing that this probably sounds kind of lame but it is seriously a pretty fun way to spend a couple of hours. This was also one of Aidan Quinn's ("Legends of The Fall", "Reckless") first roles and there are also appearances by Laurie Metcalf ("Rosanne"), Steven Wright, Richard Hell, and John Turturro. Jim Jarmusch fans can also try and pick out some of his regulars such as John Lurie, Rockets Redglare, and Richard Edson. A carefree movie from the 80's that's worth another look.
This is one I've been seeking out for a while and I must say that I was a little disappointed. It definitely had it's moments though. There was an opening credit sequence that was so cheesy as it features a nude Marilyn Chambers practicing kung fu in primary color wash. There was also an android orgy, mud wrestling, and "little people". All the ingredients for a good early 80's exploitation movie were present but I just got a little bored. Former porn star Chambers stars as Angel Harmony, a secret agent out to bust up a devious plan by a mad scientist to overrun the world with androids. I know, it sounds great if you like this sort of thing but it was just not as good as I hoped. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.
A great film from Canadian director Bruce McDonald. This was his second big feature that followed "Roadkill" and he has since made "Dance Me Outside" and on of my all time favorite movies, "Hard Core Logo". "Highway 61" tells the tale of a smalltown Canadian barber named Pokey who hooks up with a ex-roadie named Jackie. Together, they decide to drive from northern Ontario to New Orleans with her brother's dead body in a coffin on their roof. Along the way, they run into a variety of strange situations and are relentlessly pursued by Satan. Some may call this strange but I call it brilliant and I think that everyone will be able to find something they like about this movie if not just the main characters alone. McDonald has a skill to be able to portray the strangest situations so that you do not even blink an eye and you are so drawn into the story that you do not question the believability until after you watched the movie. Punk rock fans will get a kick out of Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra as a customs agent and Canadian punk rock legend Art Bergmann (The Young Canadians, Poisoned) as a wildly eccentric and over the hill rock star. Rent this one or better yet buy it.
DVD owners should all pick up this disc. I just got the remastered version of this John Carpenter classic and I must say that this is one of the best DVDs that I have had the pleasure of viewing. "Assault on Precinct 13" is a prime example of what made 70's filmmaking so great. This is a film that is not afraid to take chances and that lets suspense build naturally without all the fast paced editing and writing of today's films. This one lets you feel the suspense and allows time for it to build up before striking. Suffice to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and we can see how Carpenter has become a member of the "great directors" family as he had such a distinct style with only his second film. The acting was also great and the characters were cast perfectly with Austin Stoker as the level-headed cop, Darwin Joston as the honorable and cool con, and Laurie Zimmer as the sophisticated and gutsy female. Great characters, great writing, great directing, and great pacing make this a great movie. The DVD also has an audio commentary by Carpenter. Also, there are appearances from Kim Richards ("Tuff Turf"), Nancy Loomis ("Halloween"), and Frank Doubleday ("Escape From New York").
My first John Cassavetes film and definitely not my last. This was recommended to me by an actor friend of mine with whom I was discussing the possibility of using improvisation in filmmaking. Much to my surprise, when the closing credits rolled, I was told that the entire film was an improvisation. I am telling you this because this only added to what I already felt was a cool movie. We are taken into the life of a black family in New York and the different problems they must face. The camera is positioned in a way that just absorbs the action with what seems to be little attention paid to framing the shot. This style adds to the realism and you feel as though you are almost watching a play at times. A very difficult film to review, all I can say is that if you want to see something different that implores a great deal of talent, check it out.
For those of you who have ever dreamed of being a star, this is the movie for you. This is the story of a New York cab driver named Frank Rhinoslavsky who is hired by Troma Films to deliver some promo materials to their room at the Cannes Film Festival. Shortly after his arrival, Frank is approached by a producer named Sy Lerner who has just made a bet with his friend that he can turn any schmuck into a star. Frank is the chosen schmuck and we see Sy wheel and deal and try to give everyone the impression that Frank "Rhino" is the next big thing. This is a great flick that has a realistic feeling to it that almost had me doubting whether or not it had some truth in it. Sy is actively hyping Frank up to a number of familiar faces who all play themselves including Johnny Depp, John Malkovich, Jim Jarmusch, Treat Williams, James Brolin, Chris Penn, and of course Troma chief Lloyd Kaufmann. Some funny scenarios ensue as well as the realities of the movie making business. A clever blend of a pseudo-documentary style as well as a plot involving characters that you can sympathize with.
Ah, the Roger Corman Presents series continues. This is one that I kept overlooking because the former "Greatest American Hero", William Katt, simply does not look the same. He is now an aging wilderness guy who must hook-up with aging ex-"Baywatch" star Alexandra Paul to try and stop killer piranhas from eating the local swimmers. Most of you probably know that this is a remake of the 70's killer fish flick that was written by John Sayles ("Lone Star"). Also, most of you who follow this site will know that I love all these Roger Corman Presents movies. Something about b-movie stylings and washed up ex-TV stars always makes for a fun evening in front of the tube. I mustn't forget about the size of the fish in this movie, they look like flattened beach balls but they make a really cool sound when they are hungry. Rounding out the cast are Soleil Moon-Frye ("Punky Brewster"), James Karen ("Return Of The Living Dead"), and b-queen Lorissa McComas in a small, yet essential, part as a skinny dipper who loses more than her clothes. She loses her flesh too.
Mr. Kevin Spacey again rocks the screen with this stellar performance as Buddy Ackerman, a major prick with the most wonderful insults and general assholeness that I have seen in recent memory. He would assault me with verbal insults for an hour for using the word "stellar", I know it. Buddy has an assistant named Guy who has taken enough kak and decides to hold Buddy hostage and torture him in such ways as paper cutting his face. This is a beautiful flick that I loved. I loved it so much that I watched it twice in a week. I never, ever do that. Co-stars Benicio Del Toro as Buddy's first assistant and Michelle Forbes as Guy's girl. Seriously, I really want everyone to see this movie. Spacey fans will love it as will anybody who has ever wanted to say something but felt like they couldn't. I am starting to ramble but I can't believe what a dick this guy was.
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