Change Your Image
JJS
Reviews
Dog Pound (2010)
Unrelenting violence and an unbreakable cycle of revenge
Warning -- spoiler
First, I want to point out that the 1 star rating is only because IMDb does not allow a zero. I found this nothing but a display of violence, hatred, and revenge from the time the three new boys were admitted to the facility until the last survivor was beaten (presumably to death) by the guards. "Trustees," the inmates who had earned some degree of trust by their honorable behavior, were shown to not be worthy of any trust, because all they did was use it abuse lower-level inmates. There was only one half-hearted attempt at any kind of counseling, and it ended in a fistfight because the "teacher" let insults fly without even bothering to encourage civil discourse. Other than that, it was unreasoning hatred, violence, and revenge from first frame to last. A complete waste of time.
The Wizard of Oz (1925)
Most egotistical actor/director in history?
Larry Semon, who plays a farmhand and the scarecrow, also directed this version. He has managed to give himself at least 4 times as much screen time as Dorothy, who I believe is supposed to be the main character here. Most of his screen time is filler, which slows down the story greatly without adding anything worthwhile. Other than that, it isn't too bad a movie.
This version has a lot of politics in Oz which is not in the 1939 version, but since I have not read the original book I don't know whether it was added here or omitted in 1939. The good and bad witches make no appearance here either, nor does Toto. I find it hard to believe that this movie and the 1939 version actually came from the same book, but I guess it's possible.
The Last Mimzy (2007)
Only because there is no zero.
I rated this a one only because there is no zero choice. It is one of the worst movies I have ever seen, and that is really saying a lot since I have been going to movies for over half a century. It belongs on a list of really bad movies made from good stories: 1) Isaac Asimov's Nightfall 2) Ray Bradbury's A Sound of Thunder 3) this piece of tripe. If you want to see the real story, look up "All Mimsy Were the Borogoves." You will see a slight resemblance to this "movie" but that is about it. It is not science fiction, but a mishmash of bad science and new age pseudo-religion. I also rate it two thumbs down. Three if I had them. See this movie only if you need a cure for your insomnia, or if a group of friends has a bad movie party.
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
Judge it according to its time, not ours
This film is sometimes denounced as racist, and it appears to be when judged by a time following the race riots and black civil rights movement.
The black citizens are often shown as illiterate and ignorant. They were, not because of any failing of theirs, but because of laws forbidding their education. The carpetbaggers came to take unfair advantage of a beaten people and a large uneducated population. Their activities caused a great deal of backlash, much of which was unfairly directed at the former slaves. That backlash happened at the time, it was not invented by Griffith. The Klan is shown not as the gang of thugs and bigots most people consider it now, but as an army saving the people from the carpetbaggers. This also must be judged both by the situation at the time, and with the realization that there were real wrongs to be righted (the carpetbaggers again).
Now that a DVD with essentially the whole movie is available, watch it again, trying to put yourself in the place of someone who has heard stories of the civil war (the Southern viewpoint) and reconstruction all your life, and who probably had a father or uncle(s) who fought for the Confederacy. It looks a lot different that way.
Saved! (2004)
Quite funny, actually
I liked it. It gently pokes fun of the type of Christians who totally immerse themselves in "Christian" organizations until they forget that there are other people. I especially liked the Christian Gun Club (motto: "An Eye for an Eye"). It won't have you rolling in the aisles, but it is funny. Macaulay Culkin even played something close to a real person for once.
Some humorless types will probably find this offensive, but as a born-again Christian myself, I quite liked it.
Signs (2002)
Stupid aliens invade town full of stupid people!
This is pretty much the opposite of "Sixth Sense." Where it was good, this is bad. Where it was clever, this is stupid. Where it was well scripted, this is thrown together out of ideas that don't even fit well together.
A couple of reasons for my summary: These aliens have the intellegence to travel through interstellar space, and they have been here enough times, supposedly, for their scouts to leave giant billboards to guide the invading force, but they are too damn stupid to bring any kind of protective suits against the dangerous water that is all over the place.
And the so-called ex-minister is so stupid he needs a supernatural warning to get the idea of hitting this alien with a baseball bat when the bat is right there in the room and the alien is stealing his child.
Bad all the way around. No redeeming characteristics at all.
Broken Arrow (1996)
Mindless crapola
This worthless collection of anti-military cliches is so bad that it actually makes Battlefield Earth look good by comparison. It demonstrates that the writers and director were completely ignorant of nuclear weaponry, military procedures, and even basic geography. One of the very worst movies ever made.
Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)
I walked out in the middle
In the over 40 years that I have been old enough to go to movies without my parents, I can't remember ever walking out before. This time, however, I did.
The only funny parts in the entire movie were in the previews, and they were taken out of context. In context, even those weren't funny. It was total garbage from beginning to middle. From middle to end, I wouldn't know.
If you are considering going to see this movie, do yourself a favor and see something else. Anything else.
K-PAX (2001)
excellent book, dumb movie
I happened upon this book in the library last fall. I very much liked it, so I made sure to see the movie. Unfortunately, the producers hired one of the many Hollywood hacks who think that they can always make every story better than it originally was. WRONG! Dump this stupid movie, and go get the book. It is at least 10 times as good.
There's Something About Mary (1998)
Crude, stupid, tasteless, and hilarious
Some of what the detractors said is true. It is crude; it is stupid; it is totally tasteless; but I just about laughed my butt off. Crude and stupid are incredibly funny, IF THEY ARE DONE RIGHT. Unfortunately, they usually are not. Tastelessness is a fine line -- it can completely ruin an otherwise funny movie. This one does it all right. Don't go looking for great dramatic entertainment or you will be disappointed. Gone With The Wind it ain't. Just sit back, relax, let it happen, and laugh.
The Cold Equations (1996)
great story destroyed by hack writers
This was a great story when it was written. Unfortunately, this movie is anything but great. A straight-forward chilling science-fiction story has been turned into yet another "all businesses are run by greedy b****rds with no morals" piece of trash that resembles science fiction only superficially. I recommend against watching it, unless you are bored out of your mind and nothing else is on.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Rehashed episode
When I paid out money for this movie, I at least expected a new story, not a bad rehash of one of the dumber series episodes (The Changeling).
The only good thing about this stupid movie is it showed Paramount that Star Trek had a future. Other than that, it was a complete waste. I came out feeling like someone had stolen an evening from my life.