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Du er ikke alene (1978)
Beautiful and touching...but not absent of flaws.
I finally got a chance to watch a movie last week...it had been over a month! This movie tells the story of two young boys that fall in love, one a post-pubescent student at a boarding school, the other the pre-pubescent son of the school's headmaster.
First, the movie is beautiful. The interaction between the two main characters is touching, and handled with tender care. The two young men (who are the actual ages they are portraying) are excellent and convincing in their roles...as are the other young actors who make up the rest of the students at the school. The interactions between all the characters in the movie are incredibly realistic...not sugar coated, or worse, over dramatized.
There are issues, however, with this movie that make it less than excellent. For one, the script is terribly fragmented. For a while, you forget that there is supposed to be a relationship developing between the two main characters. The main storyline gets lost amongst a jumble of other side stories going on inside and outside of the schools walls. While these side stories don't dull down the movie (on the contrary, they are often humorous and charming), they strip any semblance of order and purpose from the narrative.
The other issue is that all the other characters are either completely oblivious to the affection that Bo and Kim share (which is nearly impossible), or they don't care (which seems equally odd). While I've nothing against a story that is simple, innocent, and charming...you'd think that these two boys would suffer some of the hardships that come along with being young and gay. :giveup Overall, I applaud the movie for approaching it's subject material so openly, in a way that would NEVER be seen in an American film. The characters are engaging and a joy to watch. Too bad the story wasn't more cohesive. Still, worthy of a 7/10.
Dragon Fighter (2003)
Watch out Dean, there's fire coming your way!
I caught this movie on Sci-Fi before heading into work. If you've any interest in seeing Dean Cain dive and avoid being enveloped in flames at least a dozen times, this movie is for you. If that doesn't peak your interest, well, I'm afraid you'll wish that YOU were the one about to be enveloped in flames, because this movie is pretty bad. The acting, to begin with, is awful, awful, awful. The characters are all completely obnoxious, and the dialogue is worse than your typical Z-grade, Sci-Fi movie. Towards the end, the movie began to remind me of 'Hollow Man' (complete with escape via elevator shaft), except with a Dragon, not a naked, invisible man. Unlike other similar flicks, however, this one wasn't even awesomely bad...it was just plain bad.
Sideways (2004)
I've tried and failed to find the appeal...
I don't know who the first person was to hail Paul Giamatti and being a talented actor, because he's one of the dullest, expressionless actors I've ever had the misfortune to watch in a movie. That said, it's difficult for me to fathom the appeal of a movie that stars him rambling endlessly on about his wine hobby/love/infatuation, unless of course the person him/herself is a wine connoisseur, and thus, finds discussions about wine interesting. I don't. I thought the writing in the movie would be interesting and witty...it wasn't. I thought the acting would be great...it wasn't. I thought there would be an actual story...there wasn't. In what seems to be a character study film, it fails miserably, because the characters never actually develop past the unlikeable jerkoff's they were to begin with, and because of this, the audience doesn't give a care for them. Apart from a few amusing one-liner's and scenes involving Thomas Haden Church's character, the movie was completely tedious and mind-numbing. It did eventually pick up, starting with an interesting mini-speech on the part of Madsen's character, but an hour and a half too late to matter.
Wolf Creek (2005)
Not a unique or interesting moment...
I'd heard reviews on both sides of the spectrum on this movie, so I thought I'd give it a shot and judge for myself. I expected most of your typical movie fare...but not THAT typical. The movie spends one hour 'building' it's characters...the only problem is, at the end of that hour, you're bored out of our mind, and you still don't care whether they each live or die. The most frightening part in the movie is when they mistake a truck's headlights for what might be a UFO, because of the ambiguity of the scene, and the not knowing. After that scene, the movie spirals downward into an abyss of worn clichés as it begins to remind you of at least 10 other movies you've seen. There is nothing original or remotely interesting about this movie. I assure you, you've seen it before, and you've seen it done better.
Mortuary (2005)
Got off in a good foot...then tripped and fell flat on it's face.
This movie seemed to have a lot going for it in the beginning. An interesting story, a great location (who doesn't love old, decrepit houses with a cemetery in the front yard), and good performances (this is the third decent performance out of Dan Byrd that I've seen...he's got potential)...and for the first portion of the film, and had a great deal of atmosphere as well. Then something went horribly wrong; I'm not sure what, but as the movie began it's last half, it began to remind me of a spoof film I saw once called "Night of the Living Bread" (which is genius, by the way)...and I'm pretty sure, despite what some have said, that the movie was NOT meant to be a spoof. The lighting crew must've gone home, because you can't see a damn thing for the last 20 minutes except various facial features. The story became very confusing, as it couldn't focus on one of two villains...a deformed crazy-man living in a tomb, or an evil black fungus...hmmm. There was absolutely no climax to the film, and the end was so unbelievably predictable, that as it played out, I began to narrate it just a step ahead...and was spot on. *sigh*
Firetrap (2001)
Decent, low-budget action flick...
This was just another in my series of, "Oh, Dean Cain is in this, let's watch it" movies...so, I didn't set high expectations, although, since it was late at night, I DID expect to fall asleep. Surprise, surprise...I stayed awake the whole time. The movie isn't half bad. Aside from some cheap fire FX at times, the movie was held up by a decent story and decent acting, and managed to keep me guessing until the very end. The dialogue was never too cheesy, which is what you might expect from this type of movie, so overall, I was pretty pleased. It was also fun seeing actors from my childhood; Lori Petty from "Free Willy" and Richard Tyson from "Kindergarten Cop" (they've both had plenty of work since then, but nothing I've seen).
An average flick, but interesting and fun to watch.
Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)
I kinda liked it...a lot.
I rented this movie on a whim, expecting to be mildly entertained. Well, to my surprise, this movie was incredibly entertaining. The cast, which included Matt Dillon, Lindsay Lohan, and Michael Keaton (not bad!), were all in top form here; nobody dropped it down a level just because they were working on a Disney movie about a spunky Volkswagon. The plot was interesting, and not overdone, as many family flicks can be. There was plenty of real conflict and real emotion to drive the story. The soundtrack was a lot of fun too. Best of all, they didn't fill the movie with a bunch of cartoonish effects on Herbie's part...they toned down his 'tricks' and made them sparse enough that it was actually cool when you saw them, and not cheesy.
Bailey's Billion$ (2005)
Cute kids movie...
I only rented this movie, because it was Dean Cain's latest, and it was 99 cent rental day at work (I didn't wish to waste a Netflix rental on it). I didn't expect much, of course...and the movie turned out as I expected...an incredibly silly kids movie with an absurd plot, but fun and charming none the less. I was mostly surprised by the movie's great cast...Tim Curry, Jennifer Tilly, Jon Lovitz, Laurie Holden, and of course, Dean Cain; not the type of cast you'd expect from a straight-to-DVD kids movie about a talking dog (well, OK, maybe you WOULD expect Dean Cain to show up in random straight-to-videos, since that's ALL he shows up in, lol). They all performed just as well as you'd expect, and I think perhaps that set the movie apart from other movies like this one. The dog was adorable, and amusing...voiced perfectly by Jon Lovitz, and everyone seemed to be having fun, so what more could you ask?
Worth the time, and the 99 cents...and I think kids will like it.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Could've been better...a lot better; but ended up being decent enough.
It wasn't bad! I actually enjoyed it a good bit. Not a GREAT movie, but good. First and foremost, I have to say that, of all the films I've ever seen, casting Paul Bettany as Silas was probably one of the best casting decisions I've ever seen...he was absolutely perfect. Each and every scene of his in the film was electric...he commanded attention, and was able to simultaneously draw fear and sympathy to the character, as in the novel. I've always noticed Bettany in his movies, but this one really solidifies it for me...the man is incredibly talented (and I hope he wins out for Joker in the next Batman...I might actually go see it if he does, ). Um, anyway, so...aside from a few wooden moments from Tom Hanks, and a few cringe-worthy lines, (ie. "No, this can't be, what I think it is" ), the movie was pretty durn good. I found it well-paced, true to its source, well-acted, and interesting. It reminded me a lot of a slower, less action-packed version of National Treasure, which I realize many people hated, but I loved it (I love historical fiction, 'treasure' hunts, conspiracies, puzzles/codes, etc). My only major qualm was that, as someone who had read the novel, it was painfully obvious in parts that they had tried their best to make the movie less offensive than its source material...one critic said the movie was "nervous about offending someone", and that's true...although I'm not entirely sure how obvious that would've been to someone who didn't read the book. That's the major reason I gave the movie a 7/10, and not an 8.
Black Christmas (1974)
Classic? Perhaps. Classic example of crap? Precisely.
After waiting all this time to see BC, Netflix finally started carrying it, and I promptly pushed it to the top of my queue. I wasn't expecting a film better than Halloween, as no horror can surpass it, IMO. I WAS expecting a creepy movie with some similar elements, though...and boy did this movie disappoint! The phone calls were nowhere near frightening or unsettling, and they actually made me laugh a few times. There was no build-up before any of the murders...I never once gripped the arm of the sofa, or felt the urge to yell, "look out, he's in the room!", which is what makes slashers so enjoyable. Th 'red herring' wasn't a very good one, because, well, WE knew it wasn't him, because we follow the murderer into the house in the very beginning, which made the revelation at the end kind of, erm, pointless. The movies was decently acted, though at times a bit overacted...John Saxon was the best thing about the movie. Overall, I was EXTREMELY disappointed with this 'classic' horror flick. I'll stick to Halloween, and many other look-a-likes, any day of the week. 4/10
Transamerica (2005)
Wow.
Felicity Huffman was incredibly convincing in her role as a transsexual woman (the sort of role normally tackled by male actors, who don't have to fake their awkwardness in the role of a female). Kevin Zegers (wow, is he cute!) was also very good in the role of a young hustler on a search for his father, living day to day with only his fantasies of a better, 'fairy tale' life. The story was perfect...relateable in every aspect for anyone who has ever experienced fear, loss, hope, love, confusion, etc...and anyone who has ever had dreamed of something better, or just a chance to be complete. Well-executed in every aspect, and never faltered for a second...up until the end, which was the films only fault...having left something to be desired. Excellent movie though...one of the best I've seen, and not just in recent years...because not only was it well made, but it's the type of movie I could watch again and again. 9/10
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
What the heck happened? Oh, that's right...Brett Ratner happened.
It's no secret that Hugh Jackman drives me absolutely wild (I've actually just been going back and forth between the computer and the television, because Hugh was guesting on, erm, Martha, ), especially as Logan/Wolverine, and in this respect, the movie definitely delivered. . The movie suffered, however, from some cheesy dialogue, the introduction of several new mutants, without any development, or much screen time at all (For instance, although Angel was the whole reason the 'cure' was ever developed, and you'd think he'd then play an important part in the movie...he was barely there, and when he WAS on screen, I think they just wanted to impress everyone with his 'wingspan'...which made me laugh innapropriately the first time), an absolutely ATROCIOUS score (I wished several times throughout the movie that I were deaf), etc etc. While the previous two X-men films displayed a balance of story/character development and action, the story/characters in this one were weak...and the movie was only redeemed by the incredible action sequences during the last half of the film...I'd rate those sequences alone an 8 or 9, but the rest of the movie a 5 or 6, or less.
Der Himmel über Berlin (1987)
City of Angels did it better.
Anyway, I am incredibly ashamed to say, that at about one hour or so into the film, I...turned it off. I had a lot of stuff to do today, and there were a lot of factors that contributed to my turning it off, but mostly it was because the movie was completely uninteresting. I'm all for beautiful cinematography, and poetry, etc etc (for example, I recently enjoyed The New World, which was very similar in that it consisted mostly of beautiful scenery and poetic, inner thoughts), but it really wasn't working for me here. First off...why was every single person in Berlin so damn depressed? Honestly? ...and why would an angel have any desire to become human after listening to all those depressed (and ridiculously 'philosophic') inner-thoughts all day? It was turning out to be this quasi-intellectual, 'art' film that I've come to despise. I love art. Yeay art! ...but when it comes to film as art, the artistic vision needs to blend with something called...a story; and ideally, an interesting one...perhaps, with dialogue, or at least some rational, 'normal' people inner thoughts (the inner-thoughts of David Spritz in The Weather Man, for example). Grrr, I don't know...I'm angry by the fact that so many people find a movie like this good just because it is 'artsy'. Anybody can make a really pretty, 'intellectual' movie...just spend all your time framing nice shots, lighting the set just right, and adding giving your characters dialogue straight out of a philosophy book...nevermind the plot, or acting, or, dare I say it...entertainment value? WHAT?! A movie can be artistic AND entertaining at once? You don't say?!
Secretary (2002)
Best romantic movie in years...possibly ever.
I totally did not expect to like it as much as I did. Now, I'm not a kinky person (except the dressing up as a nun thing, but that's neither here nor there, ), but I thought this was one of the most romantic movies I've ever seen. The director and the actors took this type of relationship that is typically controversial or misunderstood, and made me 'get it'. Do I have the desire to get into a sadomasochistic relationship now? No...well, not really (), but somehow I've managed to find Gyllenhaal and Spader's relationship the...well, one of the best and truest I've ever seen. . Not to mention that James Spader is seexxxxyyy, and the movie is incredibly comic while dealing with such a 'dark' topic, and that's my favorite kind of flick. 9/10
Click (2006)
A worthwhile trip to the movies...
Now, you know I couldn't give two *beep* about Adam Sandler...but my man is enough of a draw for me, even if only for five or ten minutes. To my surprise, Chris was in nearly half, if not more of the movie...and to my bigger surprise, the movie was pretty good! No, it wasn't a great piece of cinema...and who expected it to be? Incredibly entertaining, with some very funny moments...and some touching ones as well. I only wish they had extended and/or fleshed out the ending a little bit...especially since everyone in the theatre probably saw it coming a mile away. Still, definitely worth a look, especially if you're in the mood for a few laughs, and a few stifled tears. 7/10
Eight Below (2006)
If only people could have a tenth of the compassion animals do...
I'd give Eight Below a 9/10 if I only had to base my rating on the dogs, and the elements of the film revolving around them. The parts of the movie featuring the animals were beautiful and touching...and incredibly poignant. There is something to be said about animals...the way they care for and look out for one another, in a way that humans never have, and most likely never will. I really wish Paul Walker, and a bunch of other talentless 'humans' hadn't defaced the rest of the movie...which seemed like it was totally separate from the rest. Overall, I gave the movie a solid 8/10, despite the painful acting on part of the human performers.
Dellamorte dellamore (1994)
The thinking man's (or gal's) horror flick...
I'm always weary when I go into movies that come highly recommended over on the good ol' horror board, because it always ends up being hit or miss for me...often miss (Session 9, Dead Birds, Videodrome being a few examples)...but again, this movie was excellent. The score I have to mention first...because it was perfect. Very fitting. Rupert Everett and François Hadji-Lazaro were great with their respectable parts. The movie was a perfect blend of romance, corpses, and insanity...but mostly the insanity part. To top it off, it's a real thinker, once you get to the end, and you've got to figure out what the hell happened. I'll admit, it took me a while...but once I did, I jumped out of seat and exclaimed, 'That movie was fricken' brilliant!'. So, 9/10.
Lost (2004)
Started out strong, but fell short in the end.
I heard the movie was bad...I heard it was boring...I heard it was itself, lost. However, the mere thought of staring at Dean Cain, and only Dean Cain, for 90 minutes didn't seem like a bad idea...and at first, it seemed to pay off. The movie started off incredibly well-paced, the plot unfolded perfectly, as were learned more about Cain's character, and what he's doing lost in the desert. The movie hooked me quickly, and did manage to hold my interest through it's running time. Dean did a find job, as did Lemke, a first time director. However, the WRITING...it was atrocious. Somehow the writers envisioned the main character as a grown man, a business man, as someone who talks with people like a teenage boy to his toked up pals. I tryed counting how many times he said 'man', but I lost track. You know..."I can't believe this, man", "how could you do that, man?", "hey man, what's your problem?!". I mean, seriously...it got to be a bit much. Also, they had his character doing some of the most ridiculously stupid crap that any living person could do while lost in the desert...such as fail to ask a cop for directions, and trading in your perfectly functioning BMW for a $500 Ford truck, that you don't even know runs, for the sole reason that you want to avoid a cop that doesn't like you littering (at least, that's how it seemed, since there was really no point otherwise). Towards the end, the movie became so predictable, I was sure my assumption had to be wrong. It just couldn't be the resolution...it's too easy! Sure enough though, it was. Some great acting on Dean's part (for what he had to work with, anyway), an interesting story (before it took a wrong turn, no pun intended), and decent direction made this movie a 6/10; and surprisingly, I'd probably watch it again (perhaps something to do with staring at Dean Cain for 90 minutes, ).
Superman (1978)
My childhood hero...a disappointment?
What happened here?! I definitely recall liking this movie a lot when I was little...but I'm starting to think that the ONLY reason was because Superman was in it. I can't believe how...disappointing it was watching it again. Nostalgia definitely wasn't kicking in here. Aside from Chris Reeve, who was perfectly cast (as Superman, at least...still not a fan of his bumbling, geeky, cowardess Clark), what did this movie have to offer? If you took out all the scenes of Reeve flying around saving people, and edited them together, you'd have a better movie than this was. I mean, you have a scene that qualifies as the cheesiest movie scene of all-time (Lois and her 'can you read my mind'...umm, thinger), an actress that totally doesn't fit the mold for Lois, the longest 45-minute start up in any movie known to man (which featured a teen Clark, that for some reason, annoyed me to no end, and looked nothing like Chris Reeve...and who looked like a damn puppet racing the train), and some ridiculous notion that Superman can turn back time (and somehow, when turning back time, alter the events that took place, without actually doing anything except stand there). Not to mention that Gene Hackman as Lex is well, pretty dull...and seems to have a little too much knowledge about kryptonite and it's ability to harm Superman...how does he know this exactly? Yeaaaaa... Either way, if only for Chris Reeve and his excellent Superman, I still give the movie a 6/10.
Sleepers (1996)
Awesome, star-filled film that's seldom discussed...
How in the world did this movie manage to slip by me all these years? Seriously, with such a great cast and plot, you'd think I would've heard SOMETHING about it, but no. Anyway, I've seen it now, and that's all that matters. Though, it makes me question even more, having seen it, why I never see it mentioned around here, because it was great! The acting was superb, on part of the child actors, as well as the adults (I even liked De Niro here!), the writing was great, the directing...and overall, it packed a real emotional punch. I only wish they'd spent more time covering the boys and what happened to them, and each boy individually, not just our main guy, later played by Jason Patric, so that we could better understand the paths their lives took...as the movie did drop a little during the second half. Still, excellent...I'd say an 8.5/10.
New Rose Hotel (1998)
I'd give you reasons not to see it, but I didn't stay awake long enough to find out.
The ONLY reason I rented it was to up my quota of Chris films seen (I'm now around 70-some, in case you were interested), and after renting it and turning it on, I still really can't say that I've seen it. I saw the first twenty minutes, when I was actually paying attention to the screen, but then I decided to take a nap, set my alarm, and went to sleep with the movie droning in the background. Yea, it was pretty bad. I should've know...despite starring Chris, Willem Dafoe, and Asia Argento, it WAS directed by Abel Ferrara, and boy, can i not stand that guy. I've never seen a movie of his that I liked...even King of New York, which boasts one of Chris's best performances. Oh well, I'll stop talking about it now, since I've nothing to say, and no rating to give...only a warning...don't see this movie (oh, unless you want to see Asia Argento take her clothes off, every couple of minutes, for the span of the movie).
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
A lot of flash...but no heart.
Wellll...aside from trying to help me catch up on my sleep three or four times, the second installment to the Pirate's franchise didn't have much to offer. Johnny Depp was there, of course, and just as amusing as in the first, but without much heart. There were a few great scenes full of situation comedy that about had me in stitches...but they were few and far between. What did they fall between? A loose, empty-aired plot that wasn't near as interesting as the first...and just seemed like an excuse to have the characters, especially the CGI spectacles, on the screen. The movie did manage to make me laugh though, Johnny Depp was still great, and I'm sure some awards for make-up/costume design will be in order. So, overall, I'd rate it at about a 6/10.