Reviews

Great film! I can't believe how underrated SHINER is. I fell in love with this movie. Michael Caine's performance is Oscar-caliber. Caine plays a sleazy, selfish, money-loving boxing promoter who gets caught in a twisted game of revenge which ultimately leads to a tragic, unforgettable ending. All the actors were superb in their rolls and the fast paced plot keeps you constantly at the edge of your seat. SHINER has great acting, good directing, and wonderful dialogue. The film is full of suspense, action, strong emotion, and even humorous wit at certain parts. I've seen SHINER three times and I haven't tired of it yet. I've shown it to two of my friends, each of whom agrees completely on what a truly amazing movie this is. You don't have to be a Michael Caine fan to enjoy SHINER. *****/*****!

Also features some great cockney accents.

I had passed an eye over this video sitting on the shelf at the local video store several times. Although I consider myself to be a Michael Caine fan, I neglected to ever rent BLUE ICE, because of poor reviews and ratings. The other day however I was once again at the video store and this time decided to check out this film. I was extremely surprised (in a good way) at BLUE ICE. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. The plot was a little bit hard to swallow, but all spy movies are like that. I thought the cinematography was wonderful and I especially like the intriguing, yet bizarre torture scene montage.

Michael Caine played an ex-spy and despite his age and not being in great shape, Sir Michael pulled off a wonderful performance. The movie was so interesting (though confusing at parts) I can honestly say that I wasn't bored for a minute. Sean Young's performance wasn't too impressing, but luckily it wasn't so terrible that it deterred my interest in the movie. Ian Holm and Bob Hoskins some good scenes, but I wish that their parts were bigger.

BLUE ICE isn't Michael Caine's best movie, but God knows, it's not his worst either. All-in-all I give BLUE ICE 3 ½ out of 5.

I had never seen a film like Cannibal Holocaust before, but for the most part I knew what I was in for. Cannibal Holocaust, very graphically, shows the saga brought forth by four documentary filmmakers, who encounter a cannibalistic tribe. Cannibal Holocaust depicts the horrors of reality. Despite many very graphic and disturbing scenes (some involving rape, animal cruelty, bludgeoning and so on) this movie was very entertaining and the superb, beautiful score done by Riz Ortolani cannot go unmentioned. All in all this was an extremely well made movie. Very realistic and very true.

On thing I also love about this movie is its moral question, which is asked by Prof. Monroe as the very last line in the movie; I wonder who the real cannibals are.

City By the Sea is definately the most depressing movie I have ever seen. It's amazing to see how much troubles one man has to endure all at once. I wasn't expecting much from this film but I was surprised at the strength that this movie has. It takes your emotions on a roller-coaster ride. Robert DeNiro has an amazing screen presence and his performance is very well done and is very convincing. It was great to see DeNiro in a role like this after seeing him in somewhat demeaning roles like that in 'Analyze This'. DeNiro is truly a powerful actor and this movie reassures that. James Franco is equally convincing as Robert DeNiro's junkie son. Some parts of the movie are so morbid that it is discouraging, but the overall excellence of City By the Sea is well worth it. At first the characters seem a little one-dimensional, but as the plot progresses all that changes. This is a very well done movie with great acting, directing and cinematography. Powerful and moving.

****

Die Another Day was a good film in general, but as far as having the title of a BOND film, it sucked. It did not follow the same style as other Bond movies. It lacked all the qualities that makes a James Bond film unique. It is obvious to see that the makers of this film were focusing too much on FX and appeal than working on a intelligent plot. Good movie for Brosnan fans, bad movie for Bond fans.

I rushed to see SIMONE the first day it came out. I have spent nearly everyday since then trying to write up a review for it. Nothing I could say would ever give this movie the justice it deserves. SIMONE did more than live up to my high expectations; it surpassed them. I have never seen a movie as good as this and I have seen alot of good movies. Niccol had so much to say when he made this movie. He expressed his views on human nature, actors(degrees of shallow and selfishness), the motion picture industry and how far we have come in the sense of technology. I have seen this movie 4 times and I plan to buy it as soon as it comes out on DVD. Pacino's performance is beyond excellence and model Rachael Roberts does a fabulous job holding her own around big stars as she plays the digitally created actress, Simone. This movie definately deserves alot of recognition from the Academy. As far as all those critics who call the premise for SIMONE "unoriginal", I highly suggest you go and see it again. There is alot more here than meets the eye. If you can see SIMONE more than once and still call it a bad film than you can go through the rest of your life being proud with the knowledge that you are a moron with no sense in talent.

"Never Stop Believing"

I was sadly disappointed by this movie. With a cast of actors, which include, Peter Sellers, David Niven, Woody Allen and Orson Welles, I had a lot of high expectations for this movie, which it sadly didn't live up to. There are a few good jokes (mostly put forward by Woody Allen) but this is definitely not a laugh out loud comedy, not to mention the fact that the storyline is so inconclusive and full of holes it's ridiculous. The set designs are very well done and the musical score by Burt Bacharach adds so much needed appeal and charm to a rather boring film. It seems as though the actors each tried very hard to make their parts and the movie more entertaining, so I blame this cinematic misfire on the writing and the directing (maybe it would have helped if they stuck to having just ONE director). A valiant effort with disappointing results. 3/10

I can't begin to say enough GOOD things about this film! I love the whole black comedy genre (which are movies that place a comedic tone to a rather morbid premise). First of all, each of the actors does an amazing job of acting out their roles (with the exception of Slim Pickens, whose character can get down-right annoying), the performance of the ultra right-winged psychotic General Jack Ripper played by Sterling Hayden was Oscar-caliber, Peter Sellers does an exquisite job playing three different characters including the title character role of Dr. Strangelove and I was deliriously amused by the part played by George C Scott. Though it may seem a little taboo to poke fun at the notion of a nuclear holocaust brought forth by the Cold War, this film is a drop dead funny and entertaining compilation of great acting, a superb screenplay, excellent directing and a FABULOUS ending sequence. Some of the scenes in the fighter jet with Slim Pickens can lag and make you want to hit the ‘fast forward' button, but the highly entertaining scenes in the war room do more than make up for it. It's no wonder that this film was placed at #3 on the American Film Institutes 100 greatest comedies of all time. This is a must see for anyone studying film, or planning on being a movie critic. This movie is truly a classic and I could watch it another 16 times.

Now this is what you call a GOOD MOVIE! Seeing this movie raised an important question in my mind; why didn't Dean Martin get an Oscar for his role in this film? It goes without saying that Sinatra was great in this movie. Be it acting or singing, Frank takes the cake as the best, but in this movie, the acting talents of Dean Martin really come forward and to some extent steals the film. You can't help but feel for Shirley MacLaine's character that is constantly overlooked and emotion battered by Sinatra's character, but the end brings this into focus for Frank's character. This movie was much more than I expected and I enjoyed it some much that when I saw it was on TV I ran to my room to get a blank tape so I could tape this extraordinary piece of work. ‘Some Came Running' is endearing and enlightening. Great acting and a wonderful plot make this movie a 9/10.

First of all you can never do a remake of a movie that starred Sinatra and than expect it to live up to the original. And could they have picked a lamer cast to replace the great Rat Pack? All the actors lacked any enthusiasm and gave off the image like they were all emotionless robots with absolutely no personality. This movie was so dull and unrealistic. Not too mention ho much I missed hearing Sammy Davis Jr. singing Eee-Ooo Eleven and Dean Martin crooning to all the wide-eyed women. Do yourself a favor and pick up the original 'Ocean's Eleven' with the cast that was made to be in this movie, unless of course you enjoy watching a bunch of Hollywood pretty boys showing us yet again just how pathetic their acting skills are. They are better off just standing around looking pretty, oh wait, that's what they do in this movie. I have never written a bad review on a movie without being able to say at least one good thing for it, but it this case I have nothing good to say for it. Boring crap, nothing less.

I am the last person to watch a romance comedy and then have good things to say about it, but as I reflect back on this movie the only thing bad that I can say about it is that there wasn't enough Carroll O'Connor. This movie defiantly held its own as a romance comedy and was the only one I've ever seen that didn't bore the living heck out of me. The characters all had likeability to them and were easy to get attached to, especially the character portrayed by Robert Loggia and Carroll O'Connor. I am not going to proceed to say that this movie was `a beautiful portrayal of the triumph of the human spirit and forbidden love', because I'm not that type of person and that's not how I view this film. I saw it as a very endearing and comedic story about tragically loosing a love and them finding her again in the form of another person. This is a great family movie and not at all a `chic flick'. What really pulled-me-in about this movie was the superb choice in the music played through the film. I mean Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin! Who could ask for more? The people who made this picture had great taste in music, which in my opinion adds a lot more class and distinguishably to the story. Defiantly 8/10!

I have seen this movie three times and each time I sat there and asked myself, `How does he do this? How does Woody Allen manage to create films like these which leave me with little time to catch a breath in between laughing'? Woody Allen has such an in depth understanding of human nature that he is able to excoriate it on a very comedic and intellectual level. 'Mighty Aphrodite' offers a many variety of laughs, from poking fun at ancient Greek plays to seeing Woody Allen acting out that neurotic horny little hypochondriac that we see him as in all of his films, which are nothing less then comedic brilliance. Allen's slapstick and famous one-liners make this movie a hilarious must see. I can't give all the success of the movie to Woody Allen, because it's Mira Sorvino's portrayal of the compassionate, hopeless hooker that provides the movie with much of its wit and humor. This movie lives up to all of its well-earned high praise.

P.S. Look forward to a hilarious cameo by Jack Warden as a blind beggar.

This movie got a lot of bad reviews and is that well known. I don't know why. Each of the actors (whom I am all big fans of) put forward an amazing portrayal of their characters. The plot was not steady because it was a situational film in with the basis of the plot seems to change from each major occurrence in the film (noticed in many Woody Allen films). I thought that the movie had a lot to say about respect, morals, family values and trying to differentiate right from wrong under tense circumstances. This is definitely a must see if you are a fan of any of the three headliner stars in this film. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll enjoy it.

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, it's truly a real honourable experience to be here this evening a very wonderful and emotional moment for all of us, and I'd like to sing a song for all of you. This movie went above and beyond funny. Nothing short of a comedic masterpiece. I laughed my way right through the movie; from the machine that goes 'ping', to Graham Chapman singing "Christmas In Heaven". This movie will keep you laughing and laughing as Monty Python make their way through each stage of life up to the after life showing us the absurdity of human nature (slightly exaggerated at points). Monty Python never fails to make me laugh, be it their 'Flying Circus' t.v. series or the hillarious 'Quest For the Holy Grail'. The 'Meaning Of Life' is the epitome of all that is "Python". A darn good movie that pokes fun at just about everything, even Noel Coward. I would recommend this movie to anyone looking for a good comedy. Do yourself a favor and see this movie, you'll thank yourself for it. 10/10

I am a big fan of Sir Michael Caine's work and I find Angie Dickinson very attractive (well the younger version of Angie Dickinson), not to mention I'm not the type to pass up the chance of seeing a slasher movie. I thought this movie would be great so I ran out to the video store the second I heard about it, but needless to say, I was gravely disappointed in the film. As I was watching the movie I kept getting the feeling that I had seen it before. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was such a familiarity to the film. It wasn't until later that I realized that I had seen this movie before, but when I saw it first, it was in black and white, directed by Hitchcock and starred an actor named Anthony Perkins, oh yeah and the films name was 'Psycho'. The whole premise for 'Dressed To Kill' was extremely overused and unoriginal. Some scenes were slightly riveting but for the most part the movie was so predictable that it was hard to take in the suspense that the director tried to achieve. I wasn't anything less then nauseated during the shower scene with Angie Dickinson. I might have enjoyed it more if she was about 20 years younger. I can't bash the film entirely because I did enjoy some of it, such as the character of the detective played by Dennis Franz and also the part of the hooker played by Nancy Allen (I didn't mind seeing her in the shower). The cinematography was superb but it is hard to take in because of the extreme boredom brought forward by the lagging, predictable story line. See this movie only if you are looking for a bloodier version of 'Psycho'. Don't waste the $2.00 renting it, just wait for it to come on T.V.

FUNNY AND SMART! Woody Allen was definitely showing off his talents of how he can make his audience embrace philosophical and intellectual thoughts on life, love, death and war, while at the same time keep them rolling on the ground laughing. In the film Woody Allen does an amazing job portraying a cowardly, pessimistic, neurotic Russian who is presented with these tremendous obstacles through the movie, such as going to war, killing Napoleon and trying to win the love of his cousin Sonja (Diane Keaton) who is in love with Woody Allen's character's brother. Keaton and Allen yet again display that famous comedic chemistry between them and both pull off both of their roles with such hilarity. This is definitely on the list of my top 20 favorite movies of all time. If you are in the mood for a good comedy then this movie is just what the doctor ordered. Do yourself a favor and rent this movie or look for when it's played on T.V.

Aside from 'The Shining', 'The Manchurian Candidate' is definitely the greatest thriller ever made. So many things are revealed to us through this movie, the horrors of war, corruption in government, the strength of will power and so much more. This is the ideal psychological thriller. The acting in this film is beyond excellent, especially by Sinatra as the Major Bennett Marco who has to single-handedly prevent a political assassination done by an American vet who was brainwashed as a part of a communist conspiracy. Lawrence Harvey plays the brainwashed soldier and his performance is nothing less than astounding. When I watched this movie a second time I was still riveted even though I knew what was going to happen and how the movie would turn out. That's the kind of movie this is. The storyline, acting and directing is so superb that no matter how many times you see this, you still are at the edge of your seat with suspense. The casting for this movie was perfect and Angela Lansbury puts in a great performance as the warped mother of Lawrence Harvey. If you are in the mood for a good thriller than don't rent some dumb film like ‘Scream', or ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer', watch ‘The Manchurian Candidate'. I promise you will love this film. 10/10.

It's very clear that Mike Myers was out to see how many laughs he could get with this film. Due to this fact little emphasis is placed on the plot and character involvement. One of the big problems with this movie is that it has so many characters that there is not enough time in the movie to see as much of each character as we'd like to. Goldmember is big on laughs but does lack much of the magic of its two prequels. Many of the jokes are redundant and some are just plain dumb. In my opinion Goldmember was a mistake and destroyed the glory of the Austin Powers' franchise, but I'm sure that the filmmakers would disagree with me due to the fact that Goldmember is breaking many current box office records and making the franchise a fortune. One thing that makes Goldmember really unique and entertaining is the amazing opening sequence. I give Goldmember a 3 out of 10.

Repulsive, vile, disgusting, upsetting and at times even nauseating. This movie travels into the realm of the unimaginable. After seeing a film like this, it is hard to sit down and eat a meal. Despite its graphic images of actual events and occurrences that to this day still take place, this movie is nothing short of GENIUS. The title ‘Mondo Cane' aka, A Dog's World is the ideal label for this movie. I see this film not only as a documentary of varying cultures, but I also embrace it as an in depth, philosophical look into the madness of the human psyche and as a true living satire on the imperfections of human nature. I whole-heartedly recommend ‘Mondo Cane' to anyone studying philosophy, film, psychiatry, or world customs and religious rituals, etc. Though this is a great motion picture I would not advocate its viewing to those who are squeamish or easily offended, as many scenes can be quite unpleasant (not an overstatement). I give it a 10 out of 10!