Change Your Image
Treypole
Reviews
The Judas Project (1990)
Bad community theater on film
One of the selling points of this movie was "Made entirely apart from Hollywood," and, boy, does it show. So much so, I only sat there for the first third of the movie.
As an actor and soon-to-be filmmaker, I was interested in the whole "apart from Hollywood" angle. As a Christian, the idea of a modern Gospel intrigued me. Both parts of me were offended by this well-intended turkey.
The filmmaker in me was offended by the tedium of the story - this is the Greatest Story Ever Told, and they couldn't make it interesting. The acting could only be likened to bad community theater put on film.
The Christian in me was offended by the treatment of various parts of the telling. First of all, Jesse (Jesus) was a sensitive, weepy-eyed Gap ad, not the strong, passionate carpenter of the gospels. The point at which I walked out was this: At the transfiguration, Jesse reveals his true self, glorified, to the apostles. Two of the apostles do a jaw-drop-then-faint-like-a-board take, like a WB cartoon, with similar sound effects. Wow. This proud-to-be-Christian director reduced one of the high points of Jesus' life to a slapstick routine. Revolting.
The Christian filmmaker in me was offended because all I could think was, "OK, great. Now everyone who sees this is going to think that THIS is what Christian filmmakers do - make crappy movies."
Deep Impact (1998)
Not all that deep...
Morgan Freeman was one of the best movie Presidents ever, IMHO. Robert Duvall was outstanding as the old guard pilot. However, the central story line (at least as it seemed to me) of the reporter could have been lost completely, which would have made it a better movie. They should have removed the reporter's story and made more of the young couple torn apart story with Elijah Wood and Leelee Sobieski.
Armageddon (1998)
Deeper impact...
Saw "Deep Impact." Cared for none of the characters, except Morgan Freeman as the President (one the best movie Presidents ever, IMHO). This movie had focus, characters you cared about and some style. Sure, it lacked in some scientific detail (I noticed it has quite a few more goofs than "D.I."), but that's not the story. The story is what makes a movie good and/or entertaining or not.
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
One of the best ever screenplays
Steven Zaillian has written two of the finest screenplays ever, this and "Schindler's List." The hallmark of a great screenplay is that it rarely (if ever) tells you what it is showing you. "Schindler's List" had a few places where it told you as well as showed you, but these seem to have been directorial decisions (leave it to Spielberg to make that sort of thing work!). However, this movie never told you what it showed you. It simply showed you.
Also, how many other screenwriters could have made chess an edge-of-your -seat *sport*!