Category: ★★½
-
My expectations for Superman Returns were incredibly high (especially since everything Bryan Singer’s done since The Usual Suspects with the exception of the “House” pilot has been dreck). Three stars. I don’t bother putting star ratings on The Stop Button, since whenever I see them in reviews, I look at them and then at not…
-
When I was in middle school, I read most of the comic strips in the newspaper, Blondie being one of them. I remember seeing, in the TV listings around the same time (probably a little later), some station running a bunch of Blondie movies at five o’clock in the morning. I missed taping them, but…
-
Very cute adaptation of Annie M. G. Schmidt’s children’s novel about a cat who (through a chemical serum) becomes very human Carice van Houten, who then helps aspiring journalist Theo Maassen. She’s still able to talk cat so she gets all her old friends to dig up news around town. Lovely sets–rooftop are very important…
-
Beautiful, dialogue-free film about a family living on a desolate island without any potable water (the daily trips to the mainland for water figures in). Director Shindô zooms out the narrative distance so far the people are just living creatures as opposed to human beings. Lots of successful elements, both generally (wonderful score by Hayashi…
-
Entertaining comedy-Western has Clark Gable trying to find some hidden treasure. Only thing is he’s got to convince, seduce, or steal from the original thieves’ widows. Adding to the trouble, besides there not being enough Gable to go around, is their very protective mother-in-law, Jo Van Fleet. Too thin but nice stuff with Gable, Van…
-
Decent, albeit predictable thriller about Val Kilmer waking up with amnesia and surrounded by shady characters. Plus he’s got a wife (Neve Campbell) he can’t remember; she doesn’t like the waitress, played by Amy Smart, who’s been helping Kilmer out. Definitely needs a better title–there are no horizons, no one’s blind–but strong performances from everyone,…
-
Pretty good car chase action movie with cops vs. car thieves in fast cars. Great cast (save Christopher Eccleston and Angelina Jolie). At least she’s more mediocre than bad. Lead Nicolas Cage never visibly counts the paycheck; Giovanni Ribisi’s great. Ostensible director’s cut adds little–certainly not where it needs help; instead, there’s some padding and…
-
Pretty good adaptation of Laurie Halse Anderson’s young adult novel features a great performance from Kristen Stewart as a high school freshman struggling in the aftermath of a sexual assault. Some strong direction from Sharzer. The short running time hurts it. DVD, Streaming.Continue reading →
-
Fun but creatively lazy comedy Western about aging lawman Henry Fonda teaming up with amateur gunslinger Terence Hill to take on “The Wild Bunch.” Sergio Leone came up with the story, produced the picture in some uncredited but important capacity, and even directed some scenes. Or just one. He can’t doesn’t save it. In addition…
-
Just okay class comedy gets by on Cary Grant’s considerable charm as he tries to win ex-wife Katharine Hepburn back before she gets married again. Thin characters and stagy adaptation limit Hepburn most (Jimmy Stewart’s manifestly miscast). The rushed finish doesn’t help things either. Some nice direction from Cukor, though never in the pacing. DVD,…
-
Well-made but problematically scripted sequel has William Shatner and the gang gallivanting across the galaxy to try to resurrect a fallen comrade. Along the way, the Klingons (led by an enthusiastic but underwhelming Christopher Lloyd) go after Shatner’s kid (Merritt Butrick, back from II) and Robin Curtis (taking over from II’s Kirstie Alley). It’s a…
-
Okay but overlong noir has insurance investigator Edmond O’Brien sure there’s more to his claim involving Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, and Albert Dekker. Flashbacks galore don’t add up to a good character arc for anyone involved. Ostensibly based on the Hemingway short story, but not really. DVD, Blu-ray, Streaming.Continue reading →
-
Gentle, deliberate dramatic mystery/thriller (reuniting director Yates with BREAKING AWAY writer Steve Tesich) has custodian William Hurt lying about witnessing a crime so he can cozy up with TV reporter Sigourney Weaver, who he’s got a major crush on. Excellent performance from Hurt, sometimes excellent, sometimes not performance from Weaver. Not quite successful but a…
-
Problematic, reductive adaptation of Maxim Gorky play about residents of Russian flophouse and their successes and failures trying to get out of poverty. Great performances from Jean Gabin and Louis Jouvet, but director Renoir loses track of the film when away from them. DVD.Continue reading →
-
Lee Jung-Jae starred in the first Korean film I watched, Il Mare, and I’ve seen another one with him in it. Some bad one that was half-gritty cop movie and half English Patient. I probably did I write up, I remember typing that slight before. Over the Rainbow is, therefore, his first good film. You…
-
It’s the perfect time for the White Nights post I’ve been slacking on. Why have I been slacking? A combination of things. First and foremost, White Nights is a Columbia Picture. Sony releases Columbia Pictures on DVD and has not released White Nights in the US yet. If and when they do, those twits will…
-
So, I guess David Fincher wasn’t that upset about the “Assembly Cut” Fox did of Alien³ for their moronically-titled “Alien Quadrilogy” DVD set a few years ago, because he left his name on it. Fincher’s always badmouthing Alien³ but hasn’t got the balls needed to Alan Smithee a film (like Michael Mann has). Now, was…
The Stop Button 