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Reviews
Conan the Destroyer (1984)
It's Wilt's Movie
The unheralded Wilt Chamberlain, is the really impressive person in this film considering he was asked to do the part at the last minute when no suitable bodybuilder matched as a villain who could intimidate Arnold. Cheesy movie made good by a unique presence. I can't see Jordan or Shaq doing a movie where they are actually cool in it like Wilt.
Some Nudity Required (1998)
Insightful and Truthful
I caught this documentary by chance, and it was an eyeopener into the world of B-Movies. This genre being nothing more than filmsy scripts, mediocre acting, and of course the all important sex(nudity,and all that encompasses) and violence. Some may say that how is that different from a Hollywood movie. I would argue mainly that it is the budget that is different. But apart from that this documentary looks at how hard it is for women particularly to move from the world of showing their body to actual decent to good acting in the mainstream cinema. Anyone who sees it, will think twice when viewing these movies.
Deep Impact (1998)
Nice and just plain watchable
This film if anything shows that a decent disaster film can be made that makes you feel something for the characters, instead of the classic contempt and eagerness one has in seeing lots of people expire in doomsday type tales that are pyrotechnic in nature. This film was very appropriately said to be a poor man's On the Beach. In a sense that is accurate because while it has some decent to good characterizations, the nihilism and acting of On the Beach put it on a different level. This film has some nice performances and a very real and probable approach(at least in North America) of dealing with an impending disaster of this nature. Duvall is excellent(the portrayal of the NASA team, in particular the Russian, is real and without idiotic stereotyping, unlike Armageddon). Freeman is strong, and Tea Leoni is quite decent. It is wonderful to catch Maxmillian Schell who is basically a walk-on, but is nonetheless good. This film leaves one with questions rather than answers. Of note the cave creation or lottery the allude is occurring in other countries is problematic considering geography, landscape, and social demographics. But it still is better than nonsense like Armageddon.
Armageddon (1998)
Atrocious in comparison to Deep Impact
When I first saw this film, I find it flashy, with action that was at times incomprehensible, but decent as Hollywood fare comes. Then I saw Deep Impact. What a difference of Night and Day. Armageddon, is an awful film when these two films are compared. It can then be seen for what it is: inane, foolishly written for five-year olds, and set for the MTV attention span,(and even they would have trouble with all the nonsense thrown at us). This film lacks the emotional content and realism that other films of this genre were able to show. It may have had more action, but who cares, most of the time no one could understand it anyway.
The Game (1997)
TRansplendent
This is a great movie of the genre. It captures the moodiness and noir qualities one needs for an experiment in paranoic fantasy role playing. It had a much more surprising ending than Seven, which was also directed by Fincher. One note, I either read this somewhere, or I am just that smart, but the ending where he falls through the I believe is a total last minute add on. If anyone watches the last sequence I think they would agree that the 'new' ending was probably in place because it would have been too dark. Nontheless an entirely satisfying movie, with an excellent performance from Michael Douglas.
Annie Hall (1977)
The King of Comedy
Woody Allen is the North America's greatest intellectual comedian. No one is able to create comedy with is wit and verve for the metaphysical and philosophical, interspersed with heavy does of freudian motifs concerning sex. This film was particularly important, when I broke up with my girl friend. Even though it was an amicable parting, I still felt gloomy. But in watching this film, it was therapy to feel liberated and proud that we know the people we know in life. It is resonant in its appeal to those who understand the true complications of relationships, and our own ego-centric desires that are helpful and hurtful in our quest for love. Woody is the verbal actualizer for those with an intellectual feel for comedy and life.
Network (1976)
Superb and Bitter
I finally saw this film and I am glad I waited this long. This film is working on many different levels of media critique. It is able to conceptualize the inherent problematic between democracy, free speech and capitalism. At the sametime it gives an excellent pre-cursor of the concept of Globalization and Multi-National Corporations, and the indelible mark they would make over the next twenty years. This movie is resonant because it realistically evaluates the content and schema behind corporation ownership and the commodification of information into bite size meals digestible to everyone, but leaving one with the feeling that there is more, but they likely won't be offered it. Paddy, I miss the scripts you never wrote.