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Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Richard Dreyfuss' Opus
I first saw this movie on video in late 1996, I was 19 years old and I thought that I would hate it. What kind of sappy, sentimental crap was this? Why should I like it? Well, I'll tell you. Its because this is the story of a man's life work and how he made a difference in the lives of those people around him. I think that some day many years from now we would all like to look back and say that we made the difference in the life of even one person. Dreyfuss gives us the performance of a lifetime as the titular Mr. Holland. Watching him transform from a frustrated, half-hearted, hot-headed young teacher to a man of wisdom, compassion and caring is a wonderous sight to behold. His battles with his hearing impaired son pull at your very heart strings. Mr. Holland is a man we all know and love, he might not have been your music teacher but he/she was someone special in your life that made a difference in your education. I was lucky enough to have a multitude of great teachers just like Mr. Holland that changed my life and made me appreciate the great place a teacher holds in our society today. Mr. Holland's Opus might be silly and sentimental but I can't help but love this movie. I'm not ashamed to say that I cry big crocodile tears everytime I watch it. This movie hits you right where it feels good, it makes you proud to have shared this experience. You were there to watch him grow and become the stuff of legend. You were there for Mr. Hollands Opus, no, you were there for Richard Dreyfuss' Opus. Because in the end the real opus is not his music but his effect on the lives of his students. Now thats beautiful music.
Down with Love (2003)
Falls short in the end.
I must say that I thought that Down With Love was smart and funny and pulled off its 60's theme as well as any movie ever tried to do. The characters were well written and the set pieces were fantastic. McGregor was perfect as the ladies man, man's man, man about town Catcher Block. He dripped charisma and had the audience eating out of this hand, of which when I seen it the theatre was 98% female. Zellweger was a good choice for the prissy Barbara Novak if for no other reason than that little pushed up nose look she get when she smiles. I'm not her biggest fan but she did well in this role. The biggest treat here was probably David Hyde Pierce as Catcher Blocks boss, best friend and biggest admirer. He was hilarious in the puppy dog way he hung of Block's every word and syllable. The movie had me laughing all the way until the final sequence.
***** BEGIN SPOILER *****
Just when you think that Catcher Block has his victory over the Down With Love girl Barbara Novak she stands up and delivers one of the longest monologues I can remember in recent cinema about how she planned for every little detail of what has happened in the entire movie, know the whole time that he was Catcher Block and NOT Zip Martin. I can only describe it as the Psycho ending, much how at the end of Hitchcock's classic we get the whole scenario explained to us. It was just too much, even for a movie. Are we the audience really supposed to go along with this highly uneventful plot to capture the heart of one Catcher Block. And it doesn't get any more realistic or likely after that. The whole movie spirals wildly out of control as the writers fumble for a way to bring this faltering film in for a landing. The one bright part of the ending was watching McGregor and Zellwegger perform a short musical number over the end credits.
***** END SPOILER *****
First 85 minutes - A (as in Amazing), Last 15 minutes - F (as in awFul)
So I can't avoid recommending Down With Love even if I had to recommend leaving 15 minutes early.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Doesn't maintain the standard of the first film.
The Matrix Reloaded will never stand on its own as a great film like the original The Matrix will. The storyline is great, most of the action sequences are amazing if not a little over the top and the ending if definitely a cliff hanger of epic proportions but its missing what made the original a classic, atmosphere. While the original film had it in bunches this film seems to have it in places. The Agents don't seem as unstoppable as they did in the first film and the movie doesn't have that greasy look that the first film did which helped give it that wicked feel. But I'll admit its hard to tell the middle stanza of a 3-part story and have it stand on its own as a film. The Empire Strikes Back is one of the few films to do this very well. Late last year I felt that The Two Towers suffered from the same thing. The Matrix Reloaded is definitely rife with eye candy and will boggle the mind and the senses, but don't expect it to be as good as the original, it just isn't. But good none the less.
Elevated (1996)
A lesson on doing more with less.
Canadian director Vincenzo Natali is an expert at getting more out of less. The short film Elevated is a prime example. It manages to do more with its 25 minutes than many films can do in 2 hours. The story follows three people confined in an elevator avoiding the monsters in the building that are stalking them. The only problem is that only one of them believes in the monsters, the other two just want off. The tension grows until it finally explodes and only one is left standing. The entire short is filmed using only a single set piece, yeah one, thats right. Rumor has it that when Natali filmed Cube he also used only a single set. And if you've seen the film you can see how it could be done. So if you have the chance to see this short don't waste any time, because if you do it'll probably be over. Check IFC it plays on there from time to time. 10/10 My highest praise!
Cyborg (1989)
High octane action from the future!
Cyborg is one of Van Damme early films, which is to say that it is one of his better films. This film is personally one of my favourite JCVD films, along with Bloodsport, Timecop and Hard Target. JCVD is Gibson, a guide in an apocalyptic future where society has broken down and its strictly the survival of the fittest. Gibson is hired to guide Pearl Prophet to the capital where she can give the scientists there the cure for the plague that ravages the world. But it appears that Gibson might have some trouble getting Pearl there but surviving the trip as well. Fender is the leader of a group of pirates and they have other plans for the cure. Fender knows that whoever controls the cure will be the most powerful man on earth, and who doesn't relish the thought of god-like power. This all leads to an action packed showdown between Fender and Gibson, and only one can survive. Van Damme not only delivers one of his best performances ever he strays from his movie mold with this one. Unlike almost all of Van Damme's other early films this one is not based on a tournament of some type where Van Damme has to overcome all odds to beat the ultimate fighter. Its sci-fi storyline is easily the best and most original of Van Damme's early films and maybe the best JCVD story period. Originally the film was entitled Masters of the Universe II this film was to be the sequal to the 1987 Dolph Lundgren action flick.
X-Men (2000)
Simply X-cellent!
I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that Hugh Jackman is going to go on to become a huge Hollywood star. Jackman plays Wolverine in Bryan Singer's silver screen adaptation of Marvel Comics super-group the X-Men. The story is set in the not so distant future where genetic mutation has created what mankind comes to know as mutants, a person born with special abilities or powers. Senator Robert Kelly (Bruce Davison) is the leader of a group of people that fear the "mutant menace" and is championing the introduction of the Mutant Registration Act. Senator Kelly fears for mankind should the mutants ever decide to strike out in anger against the rest of society. Meanwhile, on the other side of the coin there is an ongoing battle between the two major factions in underground mutant society, Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and his X-Men, and Magneto (Ian McKellen) and his Brotherhood of Mutants. Xavier is in favour of a peaceful co-existence between man and mutant and Magneto favours the idea of ruling the inferior homo sapiens. When Magneto's brotherhood attempts to kidnap two newly discovered mutants, named Rogue (Anna Paquin) and Wolverine, the X-Men have to intervene. Wolverine and Rogue are offered asylum inside Xavier's School for the Gifted which serves as a window dressing for a school where mutants can learn to control and harness their powers. The school is also the base of operations for the X-Men. Xavier is troubled by Magneto's apparent interest in these two new faces. What could he have in store for them and what would the implications be on the future of mutantkind. Singer directs a wonderful film that concentrates more the characters and the story than the action but never ignores the need to spice up the plot just a little. Setting the tone here is Jackman in his first major film role and what is sure to be a breakout role. Stewart and McKellen deliver powerfully restrained performances as the leaders of the two mutant groups, never appearing too campy or over-bearing. The rest of the supporting cast was simply X-cellent in their respective roles including Ray Park of Star Wars fame as the menacing mutant Toad and former supermodel Famke Janssen as the beautiful Dr. Jean Grey. Long time fans of the Marvel Comics series will take special interest in some of the cameos made by their old favourites and new fans of the story will marvel at the complexity and humanity of a wonderfully crafted story. So in the immortal words of Wolverine, "Hey bub, get your ass out of that chair and go see my movie!"
The Bone Collector (1999)
Chills you to the bone!
Universal has a given us one of the best suspense thrillers to come down the pipe in a long time. The Bone Collector is a fantastic crime thriller about a killer that wants to be caught. Angelina Jolie plays Amelia Donaghy, a NYPD beat cop that discovers a grisly murder one day. A man buried beside the train tracks with only his hand sticking out of the ground. His index finger has been stripped of its skin right down to the bone and his wife's wedding band placed on it. The clues to finding the wife are there and Donaghy knows it. Thinking quickly Donaghy gets pictures of all evidence that she believes is important, even going as far as to stop a train travelling through the crime scene. When Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington), NYPD's best forensic scientist and a recent paraplegic, hears of what Donaghy did at the crime scene he makes her a proposition that she can't refuse, as much as she wants to. She is to be Rhyme's eyes and ears on the crime scene while he offers her the tutelage and knowledge that is needed to solve this weird case. You see the murderer in question has gone to difficult lengths to make sure that the forensic team finds out where his next victim is going to be found. Director Phillip Noyce (The Saint, Patriot Games) has given us another winner! Washington gives a powerful performance even though he is a confined to a hospital bed for 99% of his scenes. Jolie blossoms as an actress right before your eyes, destroying any doubt that she is one of the most talented young actresses in the business today. This film pulls no punches at the crime scenes, in the same way that Seven shocked audiences a few years back. Definitely not one for the squeamish, but if you enjoy a little well placed gore in your movies then this is right up your ally. So do whatever you can to see this film while its in theatres, just don't take a cab!
House on Haunted Hill (1999)
The last truly great horror movie of the 90's!
If you enjoy being scared out of your wits then this is the film for you! Just in time for Halloween comes The House on Haunted Hill. Its the story of five people lured to a spooky old house by the possibility of becoming rich over night, literally. You see, whoever survives the night gets an equal share of the $5,000,000 in cash put up by millionaire trickster Steven Price (Geoffrey Rush). But surviving the night is not going to be as easy as it sounds. The house itself has other plans for our guests, like an unpleasant ending. The visual imagery reminded me a lot of Event Horizon and the chills come a mile a minute, so hang on to your hats and prepare to have the pants scared off of you.
InHumanoids: The Movie (1986)
A dark & horrific animated tale...
This movie is a culmination of the first 5 episodes of the Inhumanoids television series. This was a great cartoon series although I would have to recommend it to more mature viewers. Extremely violent with elements of supernatural horror this cartoon was far different from many of the other cartoons of the time. D'Compose's minions are in fact zombies transformed at his mere touch! In seconds what used to be human is transformed, graphically, into a walking nightmare. With rotting flesh and exposed bones easily visible. But this is one of the things that makes this cartoon so incredibly pleasing to watch for the mature viewer. The story is filled with incredible mythos and fantastic creatures. The only disappointment you will find here is the end credits, in the sense that you will be sad that they seemed to come so soon.
The Mod Squad (1999)
Hip and refreshing!
This is easily the coolest movie of 1999! The dialogue and the cast are beyond fresh. Scott Silver has delivered the perfect update to this classic 60's TV show. For me the movie was everything that the Psycho remake should have been, fresh, hip and updated. The story centers around a group of young criminals that Captain Greer (Dennis Farina) of the L.A.P.D. has taken under his wing and turned into his secret weapon against crime. To use Greer's words, "these kids can get into a thousand places that we (the cops) can't." The trio consists of Linc Hayes (Epps), Julie Barnes (Danes) and Pete ???? (Ribisi). Before they know this mod squad finds themselves embroiled in the middle of a bad cop police drama straight out of the movies, ah, bitter sweet irony. A constantly evolving storyline and some of the best "90's" dialogue in recent memory this flick is a can't miss hit. So do yourself a favor, get out to your nearest theater and as they say in the movies, "assume the position!"
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
A real page turner!
This is, in my opinion, the best horror movie of the 90's! It has an incredible script by Michael De Luca and the direction of John Carpenter is top notch. It ranks with the top films of the genre, such as The Evil Dead, Phantasm and The Exorcist! Sam Neill gives a stirring performance as an insurance investigator that goes out looking for missing horror novelist Sutter Cane. Never knowing what is around the next corner and never liking what you find is what makes In The Mouth of Madness a very horrifying yet enjoyable 90 minutes.
The Evil Dead (1981)
I was never the same again...
I first seen this movie in 1983 very soon after if was first released on VHS. At the time I was about 6 years old and I lived a 4 room shack out in the boonies. This shack had no running water and the washroom was an outhouse, the shack itself consisted of a kitchen, family room and 2 bedrooms. While I watched this movie I was horrified, but it was the long lasting effect that it had on me that was the worst. I had nightmares for almost ten years, never being able to get the image of the deadite girl sitting on the floor, chanting "We're going to get you", out of my head. I am 21 now and I still get scared watching Evil Dead to this day, and my fiancee refuses to watch it because she can't get to sleep that night if she does. This is the effect that The Evil Dead has on people, and that is the reason that it is the greatest horror movie ever made. Any movie that can leave this sort of long lasting effect on a life is truly a great movie, in any genre. Thank you Sam Raimi, thanks for showing the world what fear is all about.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
A brutally accurate drama of epic proportions...
Everything that I thought this movie was going to be changed in the first 5 minutes. Saving Private Ryan is an unwavering trek into the deepest darkest horrors of war. Spielberg pulls no punches in his telling of the tale of 8 brave men on a mission to save a mothers last remaining son. Hanks delivers a performance that is sure to bring him his third Best Actor Oscar, and Tom Sizemore is superb as a hard-nosed sergeant that stands at Hanks' side. Powerful performances and incredible special effects make this one of the best films of Steven Spielberg's career.