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schwabe13
Reviews
2 secondes (1998)
So, do you like bicycles
Basically, this movie has bikes in it. Lots and lots and lots of bikes, which makes me feel very well disposed to it. Moreover, it's got good acting (mostly) and a good script. The leads both shine, but a couple of the side characters are wooden.
To love this movie, it helps to know something about bikes, they don't explain a couple things (radially spoked front wheels? Does everyone in France really know why she wants them and why the guy laughs?) and besides, there is a bicycle in almost every scene. Modern Downhill MTB fans will get a kick out of the old technology and race courses in the beginning.
Y tu mamá también (2001)
If you hate sex or are a homophobe, you won't like this movie
This is a beautiful coming of age movie, set at that magical stage in between High School and College. Two sweethearted young stoners take off with an older woman who has a troubled home life. (I won't give it away, but all those reviewers who walked out or were too disgusted to pay attention missed several important plot points.) The kids find out a lot of things about each other. The Woman finds out some things about herself.
There's a lot of sex, and talking about sex, and people going to the bathroom. I don't know about the rest of you, but I use the bathroom several times a day, and I really don't mind seeing characters in a movie do the same.
There's also a brief man on man scene. If that bothers you, you might consider getting a clue.
Spanking the Monkey (1994)
Interesting, very interesting
This movie is well worth an hour and a half of your life. It's low budget, which shows occasionally in poor production values. The cast is surpisingly good, especially the lead. And the dog is cute.
As a very special bonus, the soundtrack is taken entirely from the Morphine album "Cure for Pain".
Sexy Beast (2000)
It's a movie about being human
I understand why some people don't like this movie. It's because they hate a challenge. It's hard to understand what people say in this movie sometimes (when Ben Kingsley is shouting in the kitchen, I doubt even he understood what was coming out of his mouth). Its hard to figure out what some of the symbolism is about. Its hard to watch some of the scenes because of their brutality. Its kind of distracting how often the C word is used. But beyond that, and enhanced by all that, is a story of man in a hard situation.
Santa Fe Trail (1940)
Racist, inaccurate, and tolerably acted
The fun thing about this movie is seeing Ronald Reagan putting in a poor performance in a very racist movie. The other notables do a fine job. The script is completely racist. It does a great job portraying John Brown as a fanatic, which he was. However, it portrays anyone who shared his views (blacks are equal and slavery is wrong) as stupid, crazy, or violently insane. Unless you happen to be very racist, you'll probably find that offensive.
Fai seung dat yin (1998)
I didn't see it coming...
I was totally taken off guard by the end of this movie, and several of the twists in the middle. At the same time, it all made perfect sense, it wasn't absurdist or anything. On the contrary, it was a very gritty. The action was of the kind of action that made you glad you really never get in gun fights. The romance was kind of silly, but I like Hong Kong romance humor. This wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, but if you're in the mood for some crime, this is a pretty good bet.
Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)
Sequel Smeequal
Never mind the fact this is a sequel, despite having most of the same cast as Hot Shots part one, its mostly an independent movie. And its brilliant, one of the best of the genre Abrahams helped start with Kentucky Fried Movie. And Martin Sheen has a great cameo.
Steel Dawn (1987)
Its a Patrick Swayze action movie
OK, this movie isn't good. In fact, its really dumb. As dumb as Conan the Barbarian, as dumb as Predator, as dumb as any movie with Arnold in it. It's really dumb. But its fun. I enjoyed it a lot when I was 14. If your looking for a good stupid action double feature, I combine this with Jean-Claude van Damme's "Cyborg".
Love Bites (1988)
The funniest gay vampire comedy ever.
This movie has flaws. It is shot of video without the benefit of great actors, a great director, or a great script. But it is wicked funny, because its got a good premise and does not shy away from any joke, no matter how dumb. It'll probably offend homophobes and people who take vampires too seriously, but it made me chuckle from start to finish.
Waking Life (2001)
Trippy, very trippy
I loved this movie. It was a great experience, a lot along the line of a number of the more intellectual comics that have been put out over the years. The main character is on a quest for knowledge, not just about the meaning of life (which is expounded upon at length by many people) but to simply figure out if he's awake, asleep, or maybe dead. At a few points I got annoyed by the preachiness of some of the characters that floated into the movie, and a lot of the theories that got voiced were silly, but who cares, it made me think and it made me love the moment I was living in. "Not just immortal but infinite!"
Shakes the Clown (1991)
Funniest movie about drunken clowns ever
I was amazed to see this movie getting ranked just above a five. There's never been a movie like it. It manages to be funny and confront alcoholism at the same time, something you won't see in say, 28 Days. Instead of trying to be serious, this movie is surreal, and in being surreal, it manages to give you an accurate portrayal of the disease of addiction, and also a very funny movie about clowns who drink, fight, and wear their clown suits all the time.
The Forsaken (2001)
What a bad movie
I went to this movie hoping for some good fun. And there was some good fun to be had, but it was buried alive in crap. The script bears most of the blame, the dialogue hurt to listen to, but one shouldn't lead out flat camera work, iffy direction, and some poor acting. There was some nasty homophobia (strange for a genre that's normally homoerotic) and women in this movie barely spoke.
For a much better movie along the same lines, rent "Near Dark", which is an altogether better movie in every way I can think of.
Innocent Blood (1992)
Best vampire/cop/mobster comedy ever
This movie is in a class by itself. Its pretty funny and pretty sexy. You can't beat garlic soaked mobsters as a nemesis for a well intentioned vampire who's attracted the attention of the police. It doesn't surprise me that this movie is pretty obscure as it must have been impossible to market effectively. The tagline is atrocious, but don't let that keep you from renting it some night.
American Beauty (1999)
It's about Beauty
There are already plenty of plot capsules in this listing, so I'll just stick to why I think this is the greatest movie of the nineties:
Beauty.
People who found this movie boring, or who thought all the immorality (sex, drug dealing, etc..) somehow destroyed the message are missing the whole point. This is a movie about finding beauty in your life, and making it more beautiful if you can. Yes it is just a plastic bag floating in the breeze. Its just a plastic bag, and the kid sees it dancing for him, and that's beautiful, not perfect roses, not girls in hootchie pants, just an everyday little moment, like a dead bird, or a someone walking into their house.
A special note about the sex. If you think that two teens having sex with each other cheapens their relationship, you have a very narrow view of sex. Sex can be, and was for those two characters, an expression of trust. Again, its beautiful.
The whole movie, after all, was about Beauty.
Do lok tin si (1995)
You'll be mind boggled in a good way
I can't recommend this movie enough. The camera work is simply astonishing, as is the story and the acting. The first time I rented this movie I watched it twice in row, then twice more the next day. It manages to put onto the screen the essence of isolation, and the wistful hope we all have in every interaction with another human that we might somehow make that connection which will somehow fulfill us. I think this movie makes some people angry because its very sad, but not at all sentimental.