Reviews

This is one excellent Denzel film. He's a Caribbean cop investigating a murder that his childhood friend (Robert Townsend) may be implicated in. The locales and the reggae music exude quite an atmosphere, and the supporting cast (Mimi Rogers, James Fox, M. Emmet Walsh, Sheryl Lee Ralph) makes this a classic. They don't make movies like this too often. It may be a bit more style over substance, but you have to see it for your self. My personal favorite: Esther Rolle (Momma on Good Times) appears as a witch in several key scenes. She is totally awesome!

As a fan of Naked Gun-type movies, I liked Black Sheep. It's tough to find solid slapstick comedies like classics 'Airplane!', 'Top Secret!' and 'The Naked Gun'. Some come along and are mildly amusing, not as laugh-out-loud as the originals were. To that effect Black Sheep is perfect. Chris Farley is surrounded by a solid supporting cast (David Spade, Tim Matheson, Christine Ebersole, Gary Busey) which makes this film not as bad as other alleged comedies. The key point is to take this as a stupid comedy. Zucker-Abrams-Zucker don't make classic slapstick anymore, so we have to take what we can get, and Black Sheep is pretty decent fare. MUST SEE: Christine Ebersole, dead-on as the Republican Governor of Oregon, who is running for re-election no less. Tell me this character couldn't win office in some U.S. suburb? I gave it an IMDb 8.

This film basically covers 'The Abyss' territory, minus that film's awe. Here Sharon Stone poses and tries hard to show emotion, but nothing comes through. Dustin Hoffman extends his 'Outbreak' performance, while Samuel L. Jackson at least has a showy role. The Sci-Fi plot, if you do follow, is intriguing. But this film is way too complicated for it's own good. How Barry 'Rain Man' Levinson ended up directing this is anyone's guess. I gave it an IMDb '5', for decent Sci-Fi + good effects - so so acting and plot. Is this one of Sharon Stone's worst performances?

This is basically a girl-in-jeopardy thriller that happens to have some pretty good performances to spruce it up. Leelee Sobieski and her younger brother are orphaned and are taken in by their neighbors, friends of their late parents. Best of all is Stellan Skarsgard playing Sobieki's shady new guardian. Diane Lane adds a humanistic (though tragic) touch, while solid character actors Chris Noth and Kathy Baker pop up and help move this along. Only Bruce Dern is wasted, in a role that is written so heavy-handedly you are practically relieved when his character dies near the end. Overall you could do a lot worse at the video store. This could either be a guilty pleasure or or just plain bad. I liked it and gave it a '7'.

If you want to watch this because you are looking for 'The Jeffersons' or 'Amen' style laughs you will be sorely disappointed. Sherman Hemsley is annoying, and the supporting cast is mediocre at best. Only a minor network could come up with something as bad as this.

This, my personal favorite Ernest film, is arguably one of the funniest. And its holiday theme adds that extra something for a comedy franchise (like Christmas Vacation did for the National Lampoon films). Basic story has Ernest literally save Christmas, with predictable but sometimes hilarious results. If you ever thought Ernest's schtick was funny, you gotta see this. And if you wanna laugh for the holidays, you can do a lot worse than this.

At first this seemed like another African American-headlined sitcom just waiting to burst with the same tired jokes. But Bernie Mac has managed to conjure a truly original comedy which also has an awesome funk-r&b-hip hop soundtrack. A relatively new cast is also very good in a show that, hopefully, will become a long-running staple on FOX.

Sure some of the characters in this film, about a Governor (Tom Selleck) running for president, seem hollow and fake...but isn't that the way politics is? As it goes this is a decent entry, though you would be better suited watching 'Bob Roberts' from 1992. The cast here is good, with Laura Linney and Nancy Travis giving the film's best performances, while Faye Dunaway is embarrassingly bad at first, then delivers a poignant middle before settling down at the bottom again near the end. Why does this woman keep getting Golden Globe nominations for such overripe performances? I Recommend this mostly for political junkies or for viewing during election season.

This Thundercats-ish cartoon takes that show's style to space. Although it has decent heroes, the villains are the draw in this one. This would be great for a big budget live action film, considering it has more style than substance going for it. Still, the villains are original enough and the clashes between them and the bird-theme-armored heroes exciting enough to make this a better-than-average entry.

Visitors' curiosity while on a Greek island unleashes an ancient creature upon unsuspecting island goers. This very low-budget film suffers from poor lighting but has a solid cast (James Earl Jones, Jose Ferrer, Martin Kove and Oscar-winner Lila Kedrova) and an intriguing enough premise that it draws you in, even if it far from a classic.

Experiments at a local lab are connected to a series of brutal murders in a small midwestern town. Confusing but effective chiller, made on a low budget, has a cast of mostly unknowns, but it all comes together. It does leave some uneasiness, and does offer some shocking scenes that, while not elaborate, are still pretty gory. It is a very disturbing, surreal experience, with solid suspense and a good ending. It feels like you're having a bad dream: a nightmarish place, faceless persons, creepy enough to want to get out of, but intriguing enough to want to stay and see what happens. Strange indeed.

Those expecting a rollercoaster ride of thrills and special effects will be disappointed here. This film is more about faith triumphing over evil. There are good special effects and it does have good suspense, but it is mostly the drama the builds the story. It starts out slow (mostly in dramatic for) before it quickens its pace. Kim Basinger is good but Holliston Coleman and Rufus Sewell are the ones to watch. The effects are ethereal and the final showdown between good and evil is more touching than edge-of-your-seat. For an inspirational supernatural thriller, this is the film to see. Some may hate it mainly because film's like this are hard to find (compare it to another like it, if you can).

Cliche-ridden sci-fi/horror film that does deliver good special effects. But the story is so by-the-numbers, the characters so uninteresting, the acting so inept and the plot developments so predictable, that the effects alone cannot sustain the film. After a while you get tired of the same effects popping up trying to get you to react the same as you did when you first saw them. This is almost exactly like the B-movie Shadowzone (1990) in which scientists in an isolated lab unleash a special-effects laden monster who proceeds to kill them one-by-one in the corridors of the compound. At least that had the excuse of being low budget, but even that had more suspense than this recycled mess. Only highlight here are the effects used to bring an ape 'back' at the start of the film. William Devane 'guest stars' and does absolutely nothing. If you must watch, wait for the video.

The laughs in this one are very far between. If you like the Farrelly brothers and sick humor, your better off with their earlier 'Kingpin'. There's more gross humor and it has a faster pace. Bill Murray is hilarious as Woody Harrelson's bowling adversary.

Good supernatural thriller offers excellent effects, evocative music and a great performance by Michelle Pfieffer. Harrison Ford is good too, cast against type, though she is the show. Those who knock this because it rips off Hitchcock should note that it is an ode to him. See how many references to his films you can spot. Sometimes predictable, but overall a worthwhile thriller.

I have been told by some X-Men fans that the movie is not like the comic book. Honestly, how can you adapt such good story arcs into a 2 hour movie? Because the characters here are true to the comics (although some origins may have been changed) this movie is the best adaption of a comic book since Superman. Excellent special effects, good plot and crisp dialogue make this an must-see. If you think this is not the X-men you know and like, check out the cartoon. Did you like that? Why? At least the story here is more credible than those cartoons can ever be. (If you disagree, I have one word for you: Morph). Director Bryan Singer is to thank here, as his desire for good story telling has cleaned up superhero movies after director Joel Schumacher polluted them with his Batman 'adaptions'. Best of all: Mystique.

This film is very basic: predictable story, predictable characters, awesome special effects and good action scenes. That means you should watch this for the action. It has a good ending too. Schwarzenegger gives one of his best performances. Director/cinematographer Peter Hyams should be commended. The film's technical aspect is superb. All in all this isn't a classic, but it's good supernatural action where you can do a lot worse.

Deadingly slow sci-fi has crew of a salvage ship board seemingly abandoned Russian ship. The new ship is controlled by an alien composed of electricity, but the bad acting, poor story, and cheap special effects kill any potential interest in that complication. Only saving grace is Joanna Pacula, who is excellent playing a Russian scientist who is the lone survivor on her ship. The sound effects are good too, but overall you've seen stuff like this before, and better. Donald Sutherland gives one of his worst performances here, effectively making his scenes a chore to watch.

This is definitely weird. Nazis set up camp at an ancient keep (like a fort) to guard a Romanian mountain pass during WW2. Not really horror and not really sci-fi. It does have supernatural elements and benefits from a good cast (Scott Glenn, Ian McKellan, Gabriel Byrne, Robert Prosky, Jurgen Prochnow). The special effects are good too, though the film needed to be shorter (some scenes could have been trimmed). Also, the score by Tangerine Dream did the film no favors; I am sure they're great, but here, the synth-heavy music made the movie feel like a cross between a cheaply made B-movie and a low-budget music video. The story had some holes, but overall, its strange enough and has enough good turns that you wont mind the rough spots.

This is just a typical slasher film (with a very good cast thrown in)posing as an adaption of Bob Randall's suspenseful novel. But in typical Hollywood form, the story is altered, giving it a fake ending that doesn't pack the same punch as the book. This is a slow, distasteful film even if it weren't adapted. The '4' I gave this is largely because of Maureen Stapleton. She plays Lauren Bacall's loyal secretary and and gives an excellent performance. The book, however, deserves far better than this.

Ellen Burstyn gives one of her best performances as a woman who has a near-death experience after a car accident and gains healing powers. Not sci-fi, horror or thriller, but a well made spiritual drama. Eva LaGalliene, playing Burstyn's grandmother, is a treat to watch (both earned Oscar nominations for their performances). Richard Farnsworth is good in a small, key supporting role. Misses the perfect '10' because of some unpleasant plots turns involving Sam Shepard. His role seems heavy handed and intrusive in this otherwise touching film.

Slickly made paranoia thriller with Jeff Bridges, a professor who teaches about terrorism, suspecting his mild mannered neighbor (Tim Robbins) may be a terrorist himself. Good plot, unique director's touches (by newcomer Mike Pellington - who's first major feature film this was) and credible suspense can only go so far. The pace is OK, but the story gets more predictable as it goes along, and the ending isn't as heart-stopping as it should be. Good performances (especially be Joan Cusack as Robbin's creepily perky wife) help, but in the end, you aren't left with any kind of awe.

Slick visuals, mostly having to do with cyberspace, highlight this film, which came out 3 years before 'The Matrix'. This however, was hardly its forerunner. It looks very good, but is slow, incoherent and unbelievable. Keanu is his cardboard self, but Dolph Lundgren is absolutely awful. I guess producers wanted some of Lundgren's video fans to pick this up, since nobody else will. That is unless you want to see a curious 'Matrix'-like film that even has Keanu!

This is basically 'The Mummy' on a smaller budget. Some of the scenes are credible, and suspensful (thanks largely to director Mike Newell), but the bad over-acting, bad make-up (check out Heston's mean fake beard), and absurd (albeit predictable) story turns help sink it. It is fair to note that Susannah York, who plays Heston's archaeological assistant, does provide the film's outstanding performance. So thank her for helping to get this film off the bottom rung.

Paranoid dramatic thriller offers good actors doing very well in a story that unfolds with promise but winds up with a whimper. Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway and Max Van Sydow are excellent, but the story is too slow and the twists too few and far-between to keep the momentum from lagging. And that ending (or lack thereof) really sucks.