Reviews

For the most part, when "family" and "movie" are right next to each other in the same sentence, my first instinct is to run as fast as I can the other way. But with a movie pass about to expire, and nothing else in the theater that piqued my interest (Christmas With the Kranks? NO THANK YOU!), I sat down in my seat with no expectations. I haven't seen the original TV series in years, but I've always been a big fan of Bill Cosby, and I was immediately put at ease when the credit "Written by Bill Cosby" came up. Bill's script keeps the spirit of the original characters intact, and incorporates them into the real world without an overkill of "Oh, wow! Things are so different now!" style of jokes. This movie is made for kids, not at kids. Things are kept simple without being condescending, and at no time will adults have to talk their way out of explaining something "adult" to the kiddies. In the end, while this movie won't win any technical or artistic awards, it's still a fun little movie that the whole family can enjoy, and for once, that's a good thing. B-plus.

Let's get things straight right off the bat: I LOVE Mystery Science Theater 3000! It was, is, and forever will be my favorite television show of all time, in all its incarnations. And the movie is very funny and good and you should see it.

That said...

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (hereafter called MST3K:TM for time-saving purposes) could of been a LOT better than it was, and it's NOT the fault of the folks at Best Brains, Inc. (The production company that made the TV show, hereafter called BBI). I place the blame entirely on the fine (HA!) folks at Universal, who forced several changes to the movie and it's wonderful riffing, forcing the folks at BBI to "dumb down" their product, mess with their tried-and-true break format, and shoot an entirely different (and stupid, compared to the original) ending, as well as trimming it down to 74 minutes (because at 88, it was TOO LONG! As Servo would say "...the HELL?) When you come right down to it, BBI makes MST3K one way, and the studio told them to do it a different way. And ANY other way is the WRONG way! I really wish that BBI had held out for an offer with more creative control, but if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, etc. I don't blame BBI for taking the offer, but the selfish part of me would of rather the film never got made than compromised so radically. Then the realist in me tells me to be grateful that it DID get made, and succeeds (somewhat) in spite of (and believe me, not BECAUSE of) the restrictions placed on it. 4 stars to the fine folks at BBI, -1,000 stars to Universal, 2 1/2 stars to the movie itself. It hurts me to say that about the movie, but it's true.

Yes. This film is disturbing. Yes. This film is disgusting. Yes. This film has no "plot". Yes. This film is one unrelenting, nerve-rattling experience. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Harmony Korine has made a film that if anything, makes people think and talk. And that's what all great art is supposed to do. Many write this film off as pure exploitative trash, and there's really no way I will be able to make them change their minds. But at the same time, there are those who praise this film as super-high art, and I can't fully agree with them either. This film is another in a long line of "shocking" films, and by shocking, I mean it makes the "establishment" mad because they just "don't get it". There's nothing to get. This film IS a mish-mosh of random disgusting acts, and if you can't see beyond that, it has nothing to offer you. I grew up relatively poor in rural Minnesota, and still am living paycheck-to-paycheck. But I was raised by self-reliant, moral, go-to-church-every-Sunday, loving parents, and I've always tried to keep a positive mental attitude, and that's what's kept me from becoming one of the characters in "Gummo". But all around me, I've seen people who while not AS terrible as the people in "Gummo", come pretty damn close. I know brothers who beat each other up for fun, I've seen chair-wrestling at parties, and even I remember having to recycle cloudy bathwater. We never had Hamburger Helper or Ragu spaghetti sauce in the house, we ate a lot of "generic" food, we were thrilled when we got a clock radio for Christmas, and even when she saved every last penny, my sister only had $500 in her bank account when she graduated. My grandma always used to tell me: "Just because you're poor, doesn't mean you have to be filthy." Looking back, I'm actually pretty lucky to have come from such a strong family base. A person is as much a product of his environment as his upbringing, and they say it's easier to be poor in a rural area than an urban area. When someone has no positive family base, they lack a moral compass, and they turn into people like the ones in "Gummo", albeit some creative license was used by Harmony to make them even worse. Sometimes you have to exaggerate to get people's attention, or they simply refuse to believe such things even exist. They want to believe in the American Dream that anyone can become President through hard work and perseverance. But for every person who "pulls themselves up by their bootstraps", there's an infinite number of people who fail miserably, and not just because they "didn't try hard enough". Nobody ever said life was easy, but some people have way too many obstacles to overcome to make it intact. In summation, "Gummo" IS bleak, depressing, disgusting, and paints a perfect picture of the futility of many people's lives. If you still want to see it, you have been warned.

Tom Green has the personality of a serial killer. His unofficial motto: "If they won't love me, at least I can make them hate me." Thus, Freddy Got Fingered was born. A slap in the face to mainstream cinema, and an even bigger slap to his fans, Green has chosen to make a film with no redeeming value. It's a no-win situation. If you say you hate it, Tom wins. If you love it, Tom wins, but you lose all your friends. Green wants you all to himself, and he'll do it any way he can. I won't go into all the disgusting shenanigans that Tom gets into, because you all know them by now. People can try to defend this movie as a classic example of neo-surrealism all they want, the fact remains that Tom doesn't care, as long as you watch it. He's the little boy who just wants attention, no matter what it takes to get it. So why do I like it so much? Simple fact is, I don't know why, and there's no way to defend my position even if I knew. This movie is sick, disturbing, and just plain wrong. Thank the Lord for the Internet, so I can tell you all this without getting funny looks. I really want to recommend this movie, but if I did, those who hate it will tan my hide, and I'm kind of afraid of the other people who would like it. So I leave it up to you weather to see it or not. This is one person you're NOT going to blame for renting (in YOUR opinion) a crappy flick.

I've tried to get my friends to watch this movie with me, but they just can't get over the fact that there are CLOWNS everywhere! GROW UP! "Shakes the Clown" is a truly love-it-or-hate-it movie, with each side taking their stand solidly. Put me in the love column. The fact that everything is played dead serious despite the fact that they're clowns is what keeps this movie from just being stupid. Tom Kenny is PERFECTLY cast as Binky, the best comic villain I have ever seen. Most comic villains are either so bad they're cool, or so bad you can't bear to watch them. Mr. Kenny achieves a perfect balance of being totally unappealing, yet you want to keep watching to see him get it in the end. The best villains feel their actions are completely justified, and Binky is no different. His actions are completely self-preserving and in his mind justifiable. Shouts should also be given out to Adam Sandler and Julie Brown. While Adam often resorts to the easy laugh in his starring vehicles, he's perfect as the insecure clown with no confidence with his ability with the opposite sex. You can easily see why P.T. Anderson chose him to star in "Punch Drunk Love". People have a tendency to hate Julie Brown, and I can understand why, but I've always been a fan of hers. Her role as the put-upon barmaid/girlfriend of Shakes would have been annoying in any other movie, but given the circumstances involved, I find her absolutely adorable. The characters of HoHo, Boots, Stenchy, Owen Cheese, the two cops, the rodeo clowns, etc. are all perfectly cast. Especially memorable is the late Sydney Lassick as Peppy, the forcibly retired host of the TV show that Binky takes over. It's a crying shame that more people don't like this movie, as it would have given Bobcat more opportunities to do films HIS way. Why didn't this film make EW's top 50 cult movies? Until people get over their phobia of clowns, this flick is never going to get the respect it truly deserves, and that is a crying shame. 10/10

I caught this on of all places Encore's Action Movie Channel! It was 2 in the morning and I was having trouble sleeping. I was tired, but my eyes were watery and uncomfortable. And then this came on. I went into it fully expecting a total all-out crap-fest, but it really wasn't that bad! It was by no means good, but I've seen much worse pictures. I didn't laugh very much, but I did do a lot of inside chuckles and head shaking. In the hands of other people, it would of probably been REALLY bad, but Kattan's energy and Chris Penn and Peter Falk being the actors they are rise the muck up just an inch. I'm not giving this film a thumbs up, and certainly do NOT recommend seeking it out, but if it ever shows up on TV, and there's nothing else on, and your DVD/VCR is broken, give it a chance. Can't hurt.

Some movies are good. This is good. Some movies are bad. This is bad, but can sometimes be good. And then there are movies that are okay. Nutty Professor II: The Klumps is okay. And by okay, I mean the most mundane, middle-of-the-road average movie I've seen. It's neither bad nor good. I watched it and was left feeling neither pleased or displeased. It is simply filler. The occasional extremely gross gag is put in to trick you into thinking you're watching something other than a simply okay movie. If this review seems vague, that's because that's how this movie made me feel. I don't like it or hate it, I just know that I have seen it, and it hasn't affected me in any way. So if you just want to see something that will kill 90 minutes, you could do no better or worse than to see Nutty Professor II: The Klumps.

I put off seeing this film until just 2 days ago, and now I wonder why I waited so long! This is a GREAT flick! Superb acting all around (Tarantino had the sense NOT to give himself an on-screen role!), more twists than a really twisty thing (I've never been good with analogies), and an EXCELLENT soundtrack make for pure movie watching enjoyment! The "N" word is peppered pretty liberally thoughout the flick, so if you're not into that, you've been warned! All others, enjoy the show!

Townies is not a movie that is easily fitted into any particular genre. It's not a comedy. It's not a drama. It's not a horror film. Yet there are elements in it that are comedic, dramatic, and horrifying. And I for one like a movie that does that. As my idol Lloyd Kaufman often says: "Why are we so limited in the emotions we can arouse with movies? We can make you laugh, or we can make you cry. Why can't we make you cringe, or groan with displeasure?" While not an exact quote, it does summarize perfectly what I feel about Townies. Townies will make you laugh. Townies will make you cry. But Townies will also make you cringe and groan with displeasure. But if you're up for the adventure, it is well worth it. If you come in expecting ONLY to laugh or ONLY to cry, and to NOT cringe or groan with displeasure, don't waste your time. I for one am going to go watch it again. And you're welcome to join me.

I read the original book for a Freshman English class, and was enthralled by a unique character study from a Second Person perspective. Then, the teacher showed us this, and now I understand why "film snobs" always complain "The book was better." In this case, it most certainly IS. There's a major plot point toward the end of the book (which I won't mention here, not so I won't spoil the movie, but the book), that puts all that you read into perspective and makes it all worthwhile. Here, the point is revealed in the first 5 minutes, and it ruins any reason to sit through this motion picture. Instead of reading and wondering "Why is he like this?," which was one of the main reasons the book was such a page-turner, the movie tells you why he does it, and you just sit there and watch him do it, knowing why. Remember how people say they hate people who reveal the endings to things? Well, this movie just up and DOES IT ITSELF! If you still want to see the movie, first read the book, then have some fun with friends picking apart this mish-mosh of a noble failure.

As I look at some of the reviews posted here, many view Angus as an "Oh, look! Fat kids can fit in too!" kinda movie. It's NOT! It's about a boy with low self-esteem finding it. At first, he thinks "fitting in" will make him happy, but as the story progresses, he realizes it's not about fitting in, it's about accepting himself as he is, and not letting what others think of him dictate how he feels about himself. By standing up to Rick, Angus does not suddenly "fit in". He simply asserts that HE is control of his life and how he feels, not others. It's this self-realization that boosts his self-esteem, not "fitting in".

That said, it's still a funny, touching, and leave-ya-feelin'-good kinda flick. And that's why I luv it!

This is NOT a movie to see if you're contemplating suicide. From the opening scene to the final curtain, this film is scene after scene of open cruelty. Yes, life sucks in junior high, and it's even worse if you're not "normal", but who's the director trying to kid when he passes this off as a comedy? There is nothing to laugh at here. As a gut-wrenching look at the futility of life, it's excellent. As a comedy, I see none. But it's often said we laugh to avoid crying, and that's probably what you'll do, as well. In a way, by advertising itself as a comedy, it shoots itself in the foot, as if it's saying "Look at her! What a loser! Let's all laugh along at her misery!" I can't do that, and only extremely bitter, cynical people would. But if it was advertised as a heartbreakingly real slice of life, I probably would've loved it. If you want a better look at life from the losers eye, watch "Freaks and Geeks".

In 1972, John Waters made "Pink Flamingos". He was a child of rich parents embracing the lower class. In 1996, Mr. Ballot created "The Bride of Frank", a film I see as the "Pink Flamingos" actually made by the lower class. And I don't mean that in a bad way in the least. Mr. Ballot and his associates have created a shot-on-video film definitely worth a look. Frank is an elderly homeless man hired as a watchman and stock-boy by Mr. Ballot's trucking company. Frank grows tired of his lonely, mundane life and seeks a wife through an ad in the paper. Hilarity and mindless violence ensue. His momma taught him at an early age "It's all right [to kill people] if you warn them first!" And that's exactly what he does! One of the most notable scenes involves Frank warning "the Nerd": "I'll cut off your head and [poop] down your neck!" And you can guess what happened! Some scenes border on porno, but you learn in the behind-the-scenes footage it was all done with the help of prosthetics. Most notable stand-out in the cast is Chick Carter, who played 3 roles: "the Nerd", a transvestite, and "Bob". Bob is hideously deformed in a rather unconvincing makeup job, and is the master of over-acting. You get the feeling that all the people are really just playing themselves, which was part of the appeal of "Pink Flamingos". I'm not putting this on-par with "Pink Flamingos" but it will definitely cross your mind upon viewing. See it NOW!

I would never have even considered watching this movie until I heard that Crispin Glover was in it. At that, I ran to the video store and got it. As others have stated: Crispin's geek dancing IS the reason to rent this. Everything else is pure crap, though I got a kick out of the TV smash, and the way Corey Feldman looked like a midget John Denver when he had his glasses on! Recommendation: Fast Forward 20 minutes, watch Crispin's geek dance, and Be Kind, Rewind.