Reviews
Korgoth of Barbaria (2006)
Super Great
If you like Heavy Metal The Movie, Bakshi's Wizards, Conan, etc, you will love this. It was surprising how similar it is to those 70's/80's animation, with today's need to use so much digital animation.
I understand the episode I saw is a pilot, but I think this show has a lot of potential.
Since there was a lot of graphic violence it is appropriately rated 'MA'. However, very few language and sexual situations.
There were a few references to modern items (chewing gum, newspaper, etc.) in the show, but they weren't enough to spoil the feel.
My vote is for more episodes!
Friday Night Lights (2004)
Not very good
I don't see where the hype is for this film. My local store had 50 of them and they were all rented out for weeks.
The entire film was shot through what I call a tunnel-vision cam; that is, extreme close-ups and a cameraman who is constantly moving around (stop giving that guy coffee). I got The acting was great on BBT (of course) and pretty good on the rest. The story was fine, and it was refreshing to see the ending.
The film did an excellent job of showing the intense pressures placed on the coach & players. But had little else.
The special feature on the real players, though a great opportunity to show the real life characters, did a mediocre job. Most of the featurette was spent on clips from the film.
-Alex
Resident Evil (2002)
Not bad, not great, very stylish
I'm not a fan of horror, and hate zombie movies. I didn't know anything about this except it was a popular video game many years ago.
This movie is not bad if you can get past the zombie slaughter fest. The plot is actually quite a good sci-fi story.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the lack of gratuitous violence which accompanies such schlock, especially since there were so many opportunities to show things like beheadings.
I didn't really need to have the fast-forward button close at hand to zoom through the zombie parts as they seemed to be fairly quick.
-Alex
The Truth About Charlie (2002)
Better than I thought it would be
I saw this film on the plane from Europe to the US, so it was an interesting cap to the trip. After reading the description, I thought it would be a chick movie, but it wasn't.
Though there was a lot of art-film stuff, it didn't seem to distract too much from the plot. (as a matter of fact, there is about 10 minutes of gratuitous art-film stuff that)
Not a great movie, but the acting, story and cinematography were good and overall, I had a good time watching it.
Siu Lam juk kau (2001)
A fun Chinese soccer film
If you enjoy soccer and kung-fu you will get a kick out of this movie.
This film was cute, funny and entertaining. There was a lot of the slapstick humor typical of Chinese movies (though flatulence was mercifully omitted) as well as typical kung-fu effects.
I guess it could be said that this is a typical Chinese movie with soccer as the backdrop. The script, cinematography, editing and sound were acceptable, though the acting was good.
Heck, if Crouching Tiger can get an Oscar, this should get a Golden Globe!
Greenfingers (2000)
A great Sunday evening movie
My wife and I caught this nice, heartwarming film quite by accident. We started watching it as there was nothing else on. Then, as the story progressed, quite rapidly, we were engrossed.
The was quite good, as should be expected by British actors, the cinematography and settings were great and the story was superb, though simple.
Too few of these nice little foreign films get airplay in the States (we are currently living in Taiwan), and it's a shame, because this is a great little film.
"Daysees, pahnsies and buttucups, you blokes are a disgrace to the prison system."
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
I don't get it
After reading all the dripping comments left by others, I feel I have to voice my opinion.
I tried watching this film several times, even after the recent pop song. The first couple times, I just turned it off in favor of cleaning the house.
All I see are a bunch of Hollywood hype dopes chasing after things which are unattainable. Not a unique concept. The Japanese character is disgusting, and I think it was even back then for non-whites.
Sure, the camera work was good, and the acting was ok, and the lifestyles portrayed by these rich guys was well done (I guess, since I wasn't a jet-setter in 1956). But was this intended to be just fluff? Is it supposed to be a precursor to "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous?"
Nah, I don't want to try again. Well, maybe when my daughter is older.
Weekend Warriors (1986)
Laugh your prop off
I saw this while in a Taiwan hotel and had to phone down to the desk for the name.
This is pretty much a typical comedy romp through the Air Force Reserves, similar to Police Academy, and it is funny. A great party movie, this film has a lot of great gags.
It's not the greatest film ever to be produced, but it's simple and fun.
Mask (1985)
A great film about a great person
This film is a little sad, a little happy, and a little funny, but has a lot of good feelings. Rocky is a good kid in a bad situation, and keeps everything together to show that people can overcome any obstacle and succeed.
Mask has some great acting, and though it doesn't have action, the story is excellent and shows some real people.
Taxi 2 (2000)
See this before it disappears
Though it isn't burdened with a heavy plot or serious acting, it's a great comedy. I don't know how it did in the USA, but here in Taiwan it was a hit. It's fresh and clean, and shows some nice French locations. But it's funny. Certainly, there are things taken from other films, but it really is funny.
This is a film which the whole family can enjoy, as there is very little violence and, as far as I could tell, no foul language. I rented the DVD, and unfortunately, it did not have an English soundtrack, only subtitles, but the translation was excellent, bringing a lot of the play on words into the mix.
I wonder how much those Peugeots go for...
Planet of the Apes (2001)
A high budget low budget film...Craptacular.
I haven't seen such a beautiful piece of crap since Armageddon. Being a big fan of the original POA film & TV series (& cartoons), I was looking forward to this film, though with some apprehension. I kind of enjoyed the parallels to the originals: "Get your stinking paws off me, you damn, dirty human!" My favorite was C. Heston: "Damn them...Damn them all to Hell!" and of course, he had a gun in his room.
While watching this film, I had a problem with almost everything. From the gigantic halls of the space craft to the pathetic sound stage of Ape City. Don't you think that by the 22nd century, people who work with primates would figure out the difference between apes & monkeys? How many USAF captains would disobey a direct order from a 4-star general by flying out into danger? Probably half of the ape actors really walked correctly (as an ape's pelvis would allow). It sure was great that the spaceship worked after so many thousand years. Boy, they don't make 'em like that anymore. At least the apes bungee jumping around didn't look as pathetic as Crouching Tiger.
I still can't tell if this was supposed to be a serious sci-fi drama or a spoof on the original. I guess I should have guessed what was in store when I saw in the opening credits "Based on A novel by Pierre Boule" and not "Based on THE novel by Pierre Boule."
On the plus side, Helena Carter was excellent, the ape costumes were fantastic and the cinematography was very good. However, they didn't save the movie or the world. Avoid this film unless you are a hopeless Apes fan...like me.
Varsity Blues (1999)
A genuinely good film
I was surprised that this was actually a very good film. It wasn't just another teenager football movie, and it wasn't another "overcoming the odds" football movie. The acting wasn't great, but it was very good. The story wasn't great but it was very good. Everything else blended together to produce this film which is a good look at some good kids. I didn't like the ending, however, which was too formulaic, but it didn't ruin the film.
Though the coach could qualify, there was no evil character, and no major conflict. Moxon, the main character, was a genuinely good kid who, under tremendous changes managed to keep his head throughout the whole thing.
The First of May (1999)
Great family film
The story was well written, the acting was well done, the cinematography was well done. Charles Nelson Reily was great as an old clown, and Mickey Rooney was in his usual top form, even at this age.
Heck, I'm not one for family films, but this one was pretty good. My wife caught it on the Hallmark channel, and we just ended up watching it.
Sure, it has a happy ending...it's supposed to. Anything else would have been a disappointment.
Contagion (2002)
Pretty trite, but ok
The story is simple and predictable. The acting not great, but not terrible. Though it is a simple film, it works well in the background; I didn't turn it off as I was doing other things.
The US President is hit with a dart filled with a contagious disease, and is rushed to the local hospital. The hospital is quarantined (along with the local military). The expert doctor must find a cure before the last second.
If you like this kind of thing, there are several other, much better, productions.
Dune (2000)
A visual feast: Watch it with the volume off
How do you script the greatest science fiction novel of all time for the silver screen? This miniseries holds closer to the novel than the 1984 film, and it can because it has much more time. However, most of that time is wasted on dead air and poor acting.
The first part was so poor, I almost stopped watching it right then. However, I thought I would give the whole production a chance, and watched it through. A combination of poor acting and poor direction did not save this visually stunning film.
The visuals are great, the special effects are pretty good and the styles are excellent. The exception is the horrible attempt at blue Fremen eyes, which are straight out of the Dr. Who toolkit of video effects.
I believe that the director needed a cast with low compensation demands, so he dug up these Europeans who can barely speak English. Even the British and American actors couldn't hold this cast together, and probably gave the worst performances of their lives.
I think the director was trying to go for a melodrama. Unfortunately, it comes out like a boring visual feast. The actors are so poor that they leave huge
gaps between lines, and
. just don't click.
In conclusion, if you are going to subject yourself to this production, have a great deal of spice coffee beforehand, and be sure to consume large quantities of sapho juice while watching it. The buzz from the spice will be the most enjoyable part of the interminable six hours.
Detroit Rock City (1999)
Great 70's retro film
If you spent any of your childhood in the 70's, you will enjoy this film.
If you spent any of that time as a rocker, you must see this film!
I guess that about says it all.
Any Given Sunday (1999)
Another over-directed film by Guess Who
I was waiting to see a good football movie, but ended up at a college art film instead. The over direction is sometimes cute, definitely advanced but very distracting
and it goes on throughout the entire film. Some folks like this, and that's ok, but do you watch a film for the story, acting, production or to be inundated with motion. By the second half, I felt like I needed motion sickness pills.
The acting was excellent in parts, and good in others. The story was pretty good. It was obviously high-budget. Would I see it again? Nah, I'd probably go out and rent "The Longest Yard" instead.
-Alex
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Craptacular
I saw this as a chick movie with some nifty battle scenes thrown in for the guys. Seemed to me that they were going for the romantic drama/historical feature/action film, but missed all three.
I saw this in Taiwan. Did I see the US or Japanese PC version?
The Haunting (1999)
Pretty good film
The excellent special effects couldn't pull off the thin plot. The story, though somewhat plausable and interesting, seemed a little formulaic. And, the ending was way too simple.
The special effects were great and the settings in the house were amazing.
I tried to match this film with "The Legend of Hell House" which was pretty well thought out and had an excellent ending.
The Lost Empire (2001)
The twisting of a Chinese classic
It seems to be from the producers of Cleopatra, The Odyssey, Jason & the Argonauts, etc. Great adventure and special effects.
This is an adaptation of the Chinese classic "The Journey West" which includes the monkey god "Sun-wu Kong." I thought it was ok, but my wife was angry at the misappropriation of the story.
There were so many holes (the Monkey god had no makeup to look like a monkey, or crown, which Buddha uses to control him) and the story was changed so much that she was upset. She said it was kind of like making a Cinderella story with Cinderella being an unpleasant person.
If this is the only way for Americans to get exposure to Chinese classics, then it is a good start.
Mystery Men (1999)
Great trip through Superhero Land
Personally, I love superhero spoofs. There are so few, and this is one of them. I watched "The Tick" on Fox when I returned to the States, and when Mystery Men first came out, I had to see it. I wasn't disapointed.
This film is not for the serious film critic. It is a comedy spoof with a great line at every turn, ie: "We are number one, all others are number two or lower." Is that classic or what?
The graphics are all digital and for the time, quite good. The setting is somewhere out of a William Gibson Sprawl dream and reminds me somewhat of Akira.
Great movie for a Friday night TV party!
Metropolis (1927)
My favourite film of all time
I have been into movies and science fiction since I was a kid. When people ask me what my favorite film is, I have to say (the 1980's version of) Metropolis.
Though this film is "silent," or because it is silent, it brings so many aspects into sharp relief. It has a great deal of passion, character development, magnificent sets and a great story. The cinematography is excellent and the quality lasts to the end.
If you are a sci-fi fan and have never seen this film, go out and rent it tonight.
The Spirit of '76 (1990)
A campy romp through the 70's...for those of you who can't remember them.
I was quite surprised that I liked this B film, as the start is pretty corny. Once you get over that fact, you see a pretty fun film, one which anyone who lived through the 70s will appreciate.
Apparently, this film is a 2nd generation's project. The executive producers are Copalla and Riener, the sons of Francis Ford Copalla and Rob Riener. I think that accounts for the relatively large cast of 70s stars. The music was great as there were snippits from many 70s tunes. I went looking for the soundtrack, but, unfortunately, it doesn't exist.
The main star, David Cassidy, was the lead singer for the Partridge Family, among other things. It would have been very easy for the producers to harp on that topic, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the film didn't turn into an inside-joke factory.
This is a fun film to coast back to the 70s on. If you can get over the campiness of the beginning, you're in for a treat. Have a nice day!
1941 (1979)
Supoib
A hilarious romp through those madcap days that were December of 1941. This film could almost be a documentary of the state of California following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Spielberg created a masterpiece of comedy, using a stable of stars that are still active today.
I guess all anyone can say is "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"