ajm9511 Reviews

The War at Home (1996)

A Dramatic Indie Classic

[10/10 · 25 December 2006]

The Vietnam War era is certainly far before my time, but it has always interested me, and I have seen many films about it. All of the others I'd seen had dealt strictly with the front-line of battle. When I read a description of "The War At Home," I found the concept intriguing. No Vietnam War movie I'd ever heard of talked about what happens to a soldier once the fighting is over with.

One night, while flipping through channels, the movie aired on The Sundance Channel. I set down the remote and settled back to watch it. I did not move from my seat during the entire two hours; it's one of those movies that keeps you very interested because there is no way to predict what is going to happen next.

This movie made me a huge fan of Emilio Estevez. I had enjoyed him very much as Billy the Kid in the "Young Guns" movies, but I never saw anything he did afterward. Emilio proved to be very talented at writing and directing as well as acting.

The pacing of the movie is done extremely well. I am hard-pressed to think of a point where it drags.

What amazes me is that it didn't get an Oscar or any real recognition when it came out. It is a dramatic story about parents trying to cope with the fact that their son is not who he used to be and probably will never be as they remembered him again. Definitely worth seeing.

P.S. Your Cat Is Dead! (2002)

The perfect cure for the blues

[8/10 · 19 June 2005]

I picked up this film at my local Blockbuster following a bitter breakup. I was in such a depressed mood I didn't think anything could help me out. I decided to take a chance since I'm a big fan of the novel.

The gamble was worth it. Within two minutes, I was smiling and having a wonderful time. The movie helped me put things into perspective. Things could be more dire than my situation; I could be Jimmy (or worse, Eddie).

Lombardo Boyar should have gotten an Academy Award for his role as Eddie the would-be cat burglar. He made this a lot of fun to watch. Steve Guttenberg fared well at both directing and playing the half-crazed Jimmy Zoole.

I highly recommend it for anyone who's a fan of the novel or has just had a horrendous day. I must warn you, however, that you have to have a sort of strange sense of humor to appreciate the movie.

50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs... Ever (2004 TV Movie)

Awesomely funny

[17 August 2004]

I don't get why people keep ragging on this show. I admit the song reviewers got a tad carried away sometimes, but they were just playing for a laugh. I actually cried laughing the first time I saw it. The one thing the show could've done without was the show would be the diss-fest on "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "The Heart of Rock and Roll." Another thing that could've been better was including more of Lombardo Boyar. We don't get to see much of this guy, which is a pity, because I think he's SO funny.

Still, the show is a stellar effort on the part of VH1.

8 Seconds (1994)

How can it be legal to make movies this bad?

[3 August 2003]

I should say right off I'm a big fan of bull-riding and rodeo. Since the Karate Kid's director made this movie, I thought it would be really great. I wouldn't make a convict watch this movie. There were more dirty jokes/scenes than I ever expected. I bet there's cowboys out there who are EMBARRASSED by this movie. Lane Frost starts out as a nice guy, but he turns into a (pardon the pun) bull-headed, conceited jerk overnight. The reason I hate it so much is it's so danged depressing. I mean, in some movies, the hero DOES become a conceited jerk, but they grow out of it, and they certainly don't end up dying in the end. I have no idea idea how long it was, but it felt like THREE DAYS. This is NO exaggeration, it just stinks. I give it a bucket of bull manure.

The Ring (2002)

What the H-E-Double Hockey-sticks was THAT supposed to be?!

[8 June 2003]

I am thirteen years old. I should first say that I'm not easily frightened. I devour books and TV shows featuring ghost stories and can watch an 'Emergency Vets' marathon without flinching. But this movie just about did me in. I covered my eyes during most of the end. At first, I didn't think it wasn't too bad. After the first half hour or so, it became incredibly gruesome. The whole Rachel-puking-her-guts-out thing was just sick. It had the stereo-typical twisted, evil, physco kid that you can find in almost any slasher flick. (Actually, TWO evil, physco kids).

My advice: Don't waste your time and money on 'The Ring'. No one should see it unless they have NERVES OF STEEL. 0/10