Reviews

Notable among guy-in-rubber-monster suit epics for the fact that this is a Korean film, rather than Japanese. Some of the building-trampling scenes are impressive by standards of the genre, but other than that this is pretty much formulaic with cheap visuals, toy tanks and aircraft, and silly dialogue. Monster tramples buildings, annoying little boy teams up with scientist to stop the destruction. The ending with Yongary's slow death despite the boy's grieving is oddly moving.

Take one Star Wars film, cover liberally with Wonka sweets, add in a dash of Cinderella (the evil step-family is pure cliché), and you've got a recipe for a meal of Hollywood leftovers. But a tasty one!

The storyline is an almost blatant ripoff of Star Wars (which this film franchise clearly aspires to being). Featuring Harry as the Luke Skywalker character: prodigal youth unaware of the mystic power he possesses, and occasionally using it recklessly; Hagrid as the Obi-Wan sage (though he looks more like Chewbacca); Dumbledor as Yoda; and Hermione as Leia. What it lacks is a charismatic villain to play the Darth Vader role. And you'll feel it, especially at the ending.

The film is worth seeing if only for the gorgeous visuals. Hogwarts is incredible and almost begs to be explored. Prepare to be amazed. The Quidditch scene is the only letdown, overblown and uninteresting. Tacked on to liven up a draggy part of the film. Kind of like the pod racing in Episode I. Oops! There's that Star Wars comparison popping up again!

Blessed with a talented cast and crew, and cursed with repeated stabs at "significance" and Big Issues, this was a unique import. Somewhat of a North-of-the-Border Room 222 with it's multi-ethnic cast and issue-driven story lines. While Room 222 is mostly forgotten today, Degrassi is still fondly remembered cult fave around the world. That's in part due to the talent in front of the camera. It's reputation ultimately hinges on the shows handling of the many weighty issues it tackled during its run: abortion! child abuse! suicide! It felt at times that the show's writers were a bit too determined to distance Degrassi from the superficiality of American teen TV. Many had a superficial tv-movie feel to them. Caitlin's epilepsy was never referred to again, for instance. All in all, a quality show that bowed out - or graduated - gracefully, rather than limp along like its fluffy American contemporaries (Saved by the Bell and 90210) did.

If there was ever a genre AND generation defining flick, this is the one! It was actually on cable TV 15 years after its release, that I finally saw this film. In many ways it has grown more powerful and gut-wrenching over the years, with the feuding between Judd Nelson's metalhead outsider and Emilio Estevez' all-American jock eerily precedes Columbine by over a decade. The movie's realistic handling of teen angst and clliquishness is as fresh today as it was in the '80s. And it takes on an almost claustrophobic feel over time, with most of the movie being filmed in one room. But the film has many glaring flaws. The Bowie quote at the intro defines pretentiousness and a seemingly tacked-on dance scene looks absurd. Ally Sheedy's character never really develops and feels more like a punchline, and Molly Ringwald - wonderful in her portrayal of awkward brainy outsiders - is miscast as a princess here. The school's guidance counselor's scheming as he digs through the files looking for dirt on his students also reaks of TV cop show villanry. Most movies that spawned sequels in the '80s were barely worth the trouble to begin with. Here was a case of a movie that left you hanging on the edge of your seat as it closed, and dreaming of a sequel that was never to be.

Filmed on location at the long-abandoned (and since demolished) Essex County Sanitorium in Verona, NJ. The film boasts some incredibly creepy atmosphere. The asylum itself is the real monster here, enormous, labyrinthine, scarred by neglect and vandalism, and scary even when filmed in broad daylight. This could have been the perfect locale for a low-budget horror classic. Give the producers THAT much credit. All that great scenery is squandered on another witless rundown of '80s slasher cliches. The special effects are nothing special either. As for Essex County Sanitorium, you may have seen some of the smaller buildings were used in episodes of the Sopranos. For a far better, but far from perfect abandoned asylum flick, see Session 9 with David Caruso.

Excellent popcorn movie that serves as a perfect introduction to silent cinema or to Mary Pickford, who at age 34, and still looking youthful, gives a top-notch performance in her final juvenile role. Pickford stars as Molly, ingenious caregiver to a band of orphans held captive on the bayou farm of evil Mr. Grimes - played with steely menace by Von Seyffertitz. The film's title is a reference to Matthew 6:26, a Bible verse Molly teaches her children when they complain about their situation. The film's religious symbolism goes even further, when one of Molly's youngest dies and Christ appears to carry the child home. Grimes strikes a deal with kidnappers to keep the infant daughter of a wealthy young widower until the ransom money can be collected. He assigns the baby to Molly after the death of her "sparrow". When one of the orphans escapes, Grimes plots to dispose of the whole group in the alligator-infested bayou. When Molly learns of Grimes' plan, she plots a daring escape with her band.

An all around excellent film, and a strong influence on many kids adventure films such as vastly inferior big-budget blockbusters like Goonies or Spy Kids.

Silly '50s style juvenile delinquent flick with a '70s Eurotrashy touch. Three teenaged punks kidnap a rich girl and force her to accompany them as they terrorize the streets of Milan. Fun car chases in dumpy Euro-subcompacts and a surprise ending add to the fun.