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Reviews
Still Breathing (1997)
...was flipping channels and it caught my eye
Unfortunately I missed the beginning of this film, so I couldn't tell what was going on at first, but the girl, the gun, the dead guy and the black & white dream sequence caught my eye. After that I was unexplainedly hooked into watching the rest of this film--I simply could not stop watching it. It was like reading a good book you can't put down.
Privateer 2: The Darkening (1996)
Interesting engine, poor streaming video
The first time I heard of this game the title was only 'The Darkening' and the preview of it interested me. When it got the Privateer label I thought it would be even better, but I was confused because the preview described a game that took place in a different universe than that of the Wing Commander series, which is where the first game is set.
Regardless, this game has an interesting and stylish flight engine which I thought was really cool--except the fact that you can't hyper-jump when enemies are around, forcing you to fight them (very annoying). Not to mention some of the cool landing cutscenes and interesting computer interfaces in port.
However, the video scenes are pretty bad and have poorly mixed audio--half the time I couldn't understand what anyone was saying.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
parents hate it, which means I love it
this movie was funny, I loved all of the references to pop culture especially the "are weeza gonna die?" Jar-Jar Binks reference from one of the "operation human shield" soldiers. I couldn't stop laughing when the American general called in Bill Gates and shot him in the head--that was excellent!! I didn't stop clapping for at least a minute.....poetic justice indeed. Just one question - What's the deal with the movie theater carding me to get into this flick?!? That was lame.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
a good film despite what critics say and Jar-Jar Binks' annoying behavior
First of all, I have to say that I liked this movie and plan on seeing it again. The visual fx were stunning, and the movie was entertaining except for the Jar-Jar character. I realize that this character was aimed at kids, but the slapstick comedy was too idiotic and I had a hard time understanding what he was saying--that just got on my nerves.
One thing I should say is that I left the theater feeling unfulfilled, (I never thought I'd say that about a star wars film) but maybe that's the point. I then realized that the balance of seeing BOTH the empire and the rebellion was a key part of the original trilogy. This film focuses a great deal on the Republic and the exploits of the two Jedi and I realize that showing too much about the rising evil sith lords and the beginnings of what will eventually become the Empire would be tipping Lucas' hand too much.....but I just felt that the film was very one-sided. The scenes that included the "trade federation" activities were just not enough.....just a thought...
In the end I still think this is a good film and despite what critics have said, it does not JUST set us up for the following two films but stands alone on its own with its own plot which is resolved by the end credits.
In a sentence: Just go see it, it's a good film. You won't be disappointed.
Wing Commander (1999)
...stands on its own, but not true to game's storyline.
This film does a good job of standing on its own - it doesn't matter whether or not you've played the games to throughly enjoy it. I was disappointed to see that it was not true to the established story line in the game series, especially since the "maniac" character is someone I, and many other fans, love to hate. However, I enjoyed the throwback/retro style of the entire film. The rapier space fighter model was a nice touch....kind of a cross of a japanese zero and p52(?) in space.
Chantilly Lace (1993)
Linda Yellen could NOT do what Francis Ford Coppola did with Apocalypse Now
Coppola explains that towards the end of the production of Apocalypse Now he was forced to improvise many of his shots, and the end product shows his success. However, Linda Yellen fails to make this movie work. The lack of close-ups makes this movie drag on and on and her shot improvisation is painfully obvious. My final thought - spend the money for the steadycam!!
Kung Fu Rascals (1992)
mostly bad, except for that part with the toupee...
This movie is sooooooo bad.....but that part when the bad guys are torturing Lou-Z and start cutting up his toupee is just too funny--I could not stop laughing!! You gotta see it, just for that part alone!
Batman & Robin (1997)
Injustice to the Batman franchise
Joel Schumacher ruined the Batman franchise with this campy recreation of the film version of Batman that Tim Burton brought us. I could barely stand his "Batman Forever" and this film was even worse. The dialogue was tired, the action was completely unbelievable, the sets were more like a circus than Gotham interiors/exteriors, and Clooney couldn't play the tortured duality of Batman to save his life. As if that weren't bad enough, Bruce's flashbacks were merely trivial--a poor attempt to keep continuity within the series of movies. Someone's going to have to tell me how this one ended, because during the scene when both Batman and Robin are in Ivy's hideout and Robin is struggling to get out of the water, I had to turn it off. Why Schumacher decided it was a good idea to reverse the film in this shot is beyond me. Joel, don't insult my intelligence.....
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Average, or a little above....maybe
I've always wanted to put this film's parts in order....just a strange interest of mine. Never mind....it would just make it even more boring.