Reviews

This short film is full of warmth, charm (really!) and plenty of laughs. I was amazed by the incredibly thin line this thing chose to walk. One slip, and it would have been a complete disaster. So, in addition to being a completely satisfying film, it also winds up being a small miracle. Everyone on board understands what's at stake, from the photography to the direction to the great cast, all the way to the phenomenal score, set so perfectly that one has to wonder if the composer had his tongue in his cheek or not. The film looks great, feels great, and is great. The subject matter, a man's behind, is handled tenderly. But it is so much more than butt. It is a complete story, with not a hole left unfilled. I am not just blowing hot air when I say you must do yourself the favor of being swept up by "The Wind".

I was impressed by the way this movie told two stories, one about a down-and-out fighter and another about the Great Depression. Either story was important enough, but when woven together it becomes one of the greatest American stories of all time. Each was told well enough to stand on its own, but again, together they comprise a truly great motion picture. As if this story and the way it was told weren't enough, the movie is spectacular to look at, and the acting jobs are transcendent, particularly Paul Giamatti, who takes a simple role and infuses it with something riveting. Russell Crowe, who I've never liked, is fantastic, and Renee Zellweger is, well, Renee Zellweiger. Nothing beats a story that should be told when it is told really well. Sit back with your popcorn and take the ride. Opie has done it again.

While I agree that this was an anachronistic nightmare, and while I'll take everyone's word for it that they mixed up the characters, the fantastic spirit which took the potential train wreck of "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion" and catapulted it into instant cult status remains intact here. With the exception of the two male leads who were dropped in from "I-Don't-Quite-Get-It-Ville", every actor involved is right with the program, Katherine Heigl as Romy and Rhea Seeborn as Ashley Schwartz in particular. I recall when "RaMHSR" ended, I wished I could have spent more time with Romy and Michelle. Well, I got my wish (more or less). I spent the better part of this movie smiling like an idiot, laughing occasionally, and wishing I had a friend like that...one who got me, and made me better. I also found myself wishing, again, that it wouldn't end. True, this lacks the sophistication of the first one across the board; production, research, writing (they managed to slip in a fart line just minutes before the end), but if you are someone who appreciates substance over form and you were a fan of the first movie (if you haven't seen it, please see it before this one), then you should truly appreciate this and take it for what it is...a cheap, but shiny, gift from the gods.

This is the Batman you've been waiting for. If you were as stunned as I was by the previous attempts, you will be, at the very least, relieved. Everyone is on their game here, from the production all the way down to the actors. This movie has the feel that everyone was on board the same ship and heading in the same direction, and it really floats. If you don't know who's in this movie, you'll get a kick out of having them pop up one by one, each more a kick in the butt than the previous. This is story driven, and it makes you wish that more Hollywood movies would take the fundamental importance of the story more seriously. It's always such a letdown to watch all the hollow, pointless explosions and such, and let's not forget that empty, horrible feeling you have leaving the theater knowing you've been had and that you just fed the machine your money. B.B. will not let you down. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride, safe in the belief that you won't be slinking quietly back out into the real world like a one night stand gone bad.

I saw a 12:45 a.m. show last night, and I would've walked out 20 min. in, but there was nowhere to go! Blatant product placement, juvenile script, so much talent gone to waste, gay-bashing...what didn't they do? The movie is also insanely long (we got out at 3). As a person who rarely pays full price at the movies, imagine my chagrin doling out $22 for this self-indulgent, mean-spirited nightmare (plus $2 parking). I woke up today still feeling depressed, and haven't been able to shake it all day. I love Vince Vaughn, and he seemed straight up lost in this thing, as was I. When Cedric the Entertainer is the high-water mark (a man so un-entertaining that he has to call himself "the Entertainer" so you'll understand what it is he thinks he's doing), you have a serious problem. Also, the appearance of Robert Pastorelli is down-right creepy, since he died almost a year ago (March 10). This should give you an idea how long they've been polishing this turd. This movie is mean to the bitter end. We stayed just to make sure they didn't give Robert an "In Remembrance", which they didn't. Save yourself! Save your money! Save your soul!

I believe the idea behind this flick was to show beautiful women getting naked in ludicrous situations, and it achieved this effect. There is plenty of nudity, as well as fun bonus features like casting calls where the women improvise with the director and actors (also getting naked). There is a good spirit to this thing, but one gets the sense that some of the tongue that was supposed to go in the cheek got cut off and left on the cutting-room floor, leaving the movie looking more stupid than anything. There is no sex in this, it is just a whole lot of fun nudity. So, if beautiful women finding any excuse to take off their clothes is your idea of a good time, wrapped in some cheesy space effects and a few good gags, this could be the thing for you. The brunette doing the striptease for the ridiculous, pizza-eating Elvis was the highlight for me. Everyone I've talked to who has seen this seems to have their own favorite goofy moment. Enjoy. 8/10

This movie is truly inane, which is unfortunate as so many of the performances are good. It starts out not knowing what it wants to be and overburdened with narration. There is a basic lack of commitment pervading, evident by Macaulay Culkin's wheelchair-bound performance and its spindly little arms. Susan Sarrandon's daughter is a treat and biologically fascinating to watch on many levels, but given nothing but recycled trash to work with. The movie hits an unfortunate stride for about thirty minutes which lead me to believe it had struggled out the gate and found itself. It was this stride that kept me from walking out and going to see "Dodgeball" again. The movie crumbles and falls apart so drastically at the end that I actually grasped a leg of the person on either side of me for support. There are too many good movies out right now to do this to yourself. Save yourself. Go see "Anchorman".

This is a great little comedy with fantastic bits of humor you have to pay attention to get. If you enjoy earning your fun, this is your idea of a good time. All of the actors are the sharpest on the comedy scene today, and all are nailing their bits to the wall. The movie has a nice little story, too. This should be on your shelf, next to "Guffman" and all that. Also, if you love a good cameo, this is for you. It's easier to say who DOESN'T make an appearance, which shows you just how much respect the people who made this movie garner from the comedy community. David and Bob are on fire, as usual, and all the "Mr. Show" supporting cast are on the money.

This is the movie we all wish we had made. It was made for $500,000, and inspired by a location the director/writer passed by in New Jersey. It was written specifically for the three principle actors, and the organic quality of all these elements comes together in a whole. The choice to have a dwarf lead actor is beautiful, and the sense you get that the actors are tearing it up while at the same time supporting eachother is refreshing.

I don't know who's cuter in this movie, Scarlett Johansson or Bill Murray. They are truly fun to watch. Who knew Sofia Coppola had the brains to pull this off? My only confusion was the fact that, when I was in Japan, it was explained to me that almost everyone spoke English but were reluctant to do so as they believed they were not very good at it. I tested this theory and found nearly everyone I encountered very capable, which this movie would lead you not to believe.

I'm not a big "Douglas" fan anyway, but my girlfriend and I wanted something easy to digest, and the guy at Blockbuster said it was cute. Now I know why he works at Blockbuster. This is a mean, stupid movie about mean, stupid people. I figured, "At least Bernadette Peters is in it, and she'll be adorable". Sadly, she plays a truly unadorable woman, so I didn't even have THAT going for me. That's everything nice I can think of to say.

I believe Tom Cruise is the most underrated National Treasure since the Jefferson Memorial. I just read another imdb review claiming that Tom didn't have to do much acting in this movie as it was more action. I'm not sure which cut this person saw, because in mine Tom was acting his butt off. You forget how good an actor has to be to not get swallowed up and lost in all that plot and all those special effects. I was riveted by the performance, and by most of the movie. I felt let down at the end, to the point where I didn't even bother trying to discuss the troublesome ending with anyone. I just let it go, dropped onto the pile of all the other movies that died at the end. Still, this movie kicked so much before then that I would see it again. Not bad for a movie with no clear ending.

When you have Steve Zahn and William H. Macy in a movie, does it have to be any good to make you happy? Heck, no! But guess what! This movie decided to go ahead and be great anyway. It's a cool, little movie with a great cast and a whole lotta low-key funny. Macy fans, get it on DVD, though, 'cause you may want to keep your eye open for a tiny (barely noticeable) little moment he has toward the end that made my girlfriend and me have to replay it 6-8 times before we could carry on. I'll bet this movie will make you happy even if you're IN Texas.

Any movie that has three of my favorite people in it doesn't need to do a whole lot else right. But this one went ahead and did anyway. This is a small movie with a big plot, great characters and great dialogue. If you dig off-beat, this is for you. In addition to the "Big Three", there is a whole cast of great people, some you know, some you don't.

This comedy, starring Dave Foley and directed by David Steinberg, is as charming as it is surprising. I've been a Foley fan since "The Kids In the Hall" first aired on HBO and on through the sitcom "News Radio". If he's ever done any bad work, I've never seen it. I've been a Steinberg fan since I got his comedy album "Disguised As A Normal Person" when I was a kid. Again, any bad work got passed me. This movie also stars Jennifer Tilly, who is only adorable and great in comedies. Slick, quick and funny, it also features David Higgins (for you "Malcolm In the Middle" fans), though not one of my Daves, very funny none the less. A surprise treat...like finding a pony in your garage on Christmas morn!

If you like low-key humor and a writer/director and actors totally getting what they're doing, you'll love this movie. My only complaint is that it could have been longer and explored some more aspects of the main characters, but other that that, this is a gem.