Change Your Image
tegarden
Reviews
Picture Perfect (1997)
Wasn't worth a buck
As tonight is the night of the last Friends episode, I was reminded that this pic existed. I saw it back in 1997 or 1998, or went to see it... and walked out after 20 minutes. No characters to identify with, no significant plot... fortunately, it was at the second-run dollar theatre at the time. Rated it a 3, and that's purely out of charity.
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
Not great, not new
To be brief, some of Zombie's music fans (I'm one) will say they love this movie no matter what; that's fine. But I expected more out of this one. It seemed disjointed (the negative-image sections really didn't add anything), and the acting and direction was so-so. Maybe on the second try, Rob.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
A.I. phone home! (spoilers? maybe)
As I tend to go view the big movie of the summer on July 4th, I subjected myself to this excruciating experience earlier today. The best description I can give is to refer to 'Batteries Not Included', which may be the only movie I've ever seen which had a more depressing resolution. And it's our boy Steve doing it to us again! Just the notion that he resorted to using a superior alien life form to resolve his plot, however Kubrick may have intended it, was just too much to take. Funny thing was, one row up in the theatre, a group of people were making much the same comments that other reviewers on here have made: chop the ending at the ferris wheel scene. Filmies will no doubt adore the pic (it *is* well acted, impressive visually, and getting to see Manhattan under 400 feet of water was a treat), but I'd tell everyone else to avoid it. Nuff said.
20 Dates (1998)
Get a grip... Myles did!
Just saw this on cable... funny movie. Yes, it was apparent that this was a put-on; the 'Elie the threatening producer with a suspect background' parts were too obvious, and he sure got great views on most of those 'hidden camera' shots, but so what? I totally believe in at least some of the filmed dates, in which the women reflected a true-to-form L.A. shallowness that can't be scripted as well as real life. Being irretrievably single, like I am, helps; the part where he resorts to using a kid as a front man for him is classic. Familiarity is a big part of humor. (Bashing the French went a bit far, but poking fun at their stupid movies is fair game in my book.)
The point is to illustrate the difficulty in such situations, and not really to wonder whether, in the end, Myles gets anywhere. Is Myles annoying? I didn't think so. (And why compare him to Woody Allen... just because he's Jewish??) He's the main character, the hero. But, the women found him annoying, and there's the conflict. Worth a look for those who have an open mind about this style of film.
Wing Commander (1999)
Who on earth would give this a 10?
My friends and I went to see this as part of seeing the trailer for 'Star Wars I'... and ever since, we have used it as a reference point for bad movies (i.e. 'Well, it's not as bad as Wing Commander'). Yeah, we played the games, most versions, so we were familiar with the story line. But Freddie Prinze's acting, and the cats!!! The hilarious cats, who should have been playing a piano at Chuck E. Cheese, they were so unrealistic... Oh, man. Enough. No more. If you want something reasonably entertaining in this genre (90210-types going to space to fight evil aliens), rent 'Starship Troopers' instead.
The Beer Drinker's Guide to Fitness and Filmmaking (1987)
Fitness? Well, emphasis on the filmmaking...
Not *too* much fitness in this movie, but really a story of an independent filmmaker, chasing his dream. I saw this movie at the Grandview Theatre (now the Drexel Grandview) in Columbus, Ohio, about 10 years ago. Fred G. was actually in attendance, plugging the film! Charming guy who exuded enthusiasm for his work.
And the reason I looked it up on imdb, and decided to comment now, was that I had just seen '20 Dates', another indy film, by an individual who just *had* to get the film made, despite a frighteningly small budget. Same vibe; both films are entertaining, in their own way, but the underlying thing was 'make the film'. A good movie to watch for those who think they want to do the same.
Army of Darkness (1992)
Possibly the best worst comedy on video.
This one's a Halloween evening favorite at my house; just watched the widescreen DVD, and enjoyed it again. It's not for everyone: if you roll your eyes at campy humor, grimace at continuity errors (how many *are* there? Count and see!), or expect flashy special effects, you may not get the proper groove out of it. It is for those who enjoy silly humor, low-budget movies, Bruce Campbell's work on TV, or for that matter TV's 'Xena' and 'Hercules', which he and the Raimi brothers have worked on. The DVD features a 'bonus' of sorts, as the Wayne and Garth types who did the special effects are interviewed.