Reviews

What a mystery! This film has great scenes with great dialogue, from a great script by talented Joe Eszterhas. I really like his work on this film, Basic Instinct, Sliver and Jade. They are four very, very good thrillers. I don't understand why so many people don't like Joe Eszterhas. He is a very talented screenwriter. This film is truly suspenseful, and his script presents enough clues and evidence to tear your mind in a million directions, suspecting multiple people. The acting is very well-done, including Jeff Bridges' impressive breakdown scene when he is trying to explain to Glenn Close how he found his wife's body. All around a very well made mystery thriller with enough suspence to keep you riveted. I really hope Joe Eszterhas writes another one, even though I heard he's quit Hollywood. But we need you some more, Joe!

I went to see this because it didn't look bad. It turned out to be not only not bad, but very very good. It takes a lot to make me tense and bite my fingernails in suspense, and to the film's credit I did during this. Well-plotted and acted, and the direction deserves mention as well. Leelee Sobieski has a future. Has anyone else noticed how much she resembles Helen Hunt? I've heard other people mention this around Hollywood so I know it's not just me. Anyway, the film is a slick, taught thriller. If you're looking for something to make you chew your nails in suspense, this is a good one. I particularly liked the double-meaning of the title and the metaphor the house was - a glass, very unstable house that could shatter - literally and figuratively. Impressive.

Alot of people will tell you that film noir is dead. That they don't - nay, can't - make it anymore because films are made in color. Well, film noir still exists today. There are films that contain the elements of noir. Film noir isn't just defined by black & white, despite the fact that it means "dark film". Plenty of noir has been done in color: "Jade", also by "Basic" screenwriter Joe Ezsterhas; "Palmetto", a brilliant, horribly-underrated film that is to me THE definition of modern noir; and this film, "Basic Instinct". With this, it of course contains the femme fatale of Catherine Tremell, played like a sly snake expertly by Sharon Stone. Michael Douglas is the cop who gets in too far and ends up risking himself and his life for the woman he falls in love with, despite the fact that she's within all plausiblity guilty of the crimes he's investigating. But he already knows it. Come on! He has to. That's part of what excites him about Catherine - her daring. And she knows it, too. So one could say that "Basic Instinct" is a great example of subtlety between characters and showing how they feel each other out, like cat and mouse, waiting for the other to crack first. Instead the two take that energy and use it for great sex. The sex scenes in this film are wonderfully shot and very, very necessary. People say that all nudity is gratuitous. Alot of nudity is; but some isn't. Some nudity is used expertly. Here it is, as it is in "Jade". In "Jade" the nudity is undeniably a part of the film's plot and is needed to heighten the sense of panic felt by certain characters in the story. Here, in "Basic", it's used to create the intoxicating feel of falling absolutely in lust and desire over a predator, a spider, if you will, such as Catherine Tremell. "Basic Instinct" is a script that has been studied and talked about in film classes, and I have a copy of it and hope to discuss it in my future screenwriting classes I'll be taking. It's a great, clever, wicked script. And so is the film.

I write this today, September 11, 2001, during the crisis of the terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center, and the Pentagon. When I first heard of the attacks this morning I immediately remembered this film, which depicted horrifying terrorist attacks on New York City, and the equally horrifying sights of the Military being called in. While the film takes creative license, of course, it is still an eerie premonition of what was to come.

I rented this a long time ago and never finished it due to the fact that I had to go with some friends late at night and teepee. Not that it didn't draw me in. I really liked it but never finished it for some reason. Ever since then I've heard so many good things about it and remembered liking what I saw, so tonight I rented it. Whoa. The film is one of the creepiest and chilling films I've seen in a while. It could even be classified as horror. The menace of the lions wading through the thick, tall African grass, which are like shark-infested waters. They stalk the hundreds of people working on a bridge and pick them off one by one. Chilling. The scenes involving their massacres on people are seriously disturbing and jarring, and executed well by all filmmakers involved. I was emotionally involved through the whole thing, screaming at the tv or pulling at my hair. That's the sign of a really good film. Particularly one sequence involving Val Kilmer's wife visiting, which I won't divulge here for the sake of those of you curious but who have not yet seen the film. Nevertheless I was literally calling out to the tv. Movies that can draw you in like that and leave you breathless really leave a mark. This spooky, well executed film will stay with me for some time. Great script by William Goldman!

I read most, not all, of the book around the time the film came out in theatres. Loving the book, I went to the movie. I never finished the book for whatever reason, but I'm gonna go back to it now. Because I love both the book and the film. While they're both different, they're both strong for what they contribute to this charming story. I had only seen the film once while in theatres, and didn't see it again until a few weeks ago. The night I watched this I happened to be in a fragile, emotional mood and the beautiful, emotional score composed by Alan Silvestri made me literally cry. The film eased my worries and depression somewhat and made me feel better. Now I own the film and am glad I do. The story between the two sisters as well as the aunts, the townspeople, and Gary Hallet is a warm and charming story, and looks kindly upon the craft of Wicca (Witchcraft). I will never completely stop being frustrated by the endless amount of ignorance that surrounds the subject of witchcraft. People assume it's evil and buy into the ignorance of those who claim it's evil while really knowing nothing themselves about the actual craft. If they actually opened a book on the subject they'd know it's an age-old religion (religion's actually a wrong word) that has been around since the time of the ice ages, and is ten times older than Christianity and is a beautiful SPIRITUALITY that worships the earth, the sun, the moon, the grass, the bark on a tree. It worships the power of the human being and the power of the animal. Funny how such a beautiful craft could get tangled up in bad media and be labeled as "evil". The main reason I love this film is for the scene between Sally and Gary in the greenhouse, when she says "There's no devil in the craft". Bingo. One of the books i have on Wicca lists the rules involved in representing Wicca. The number one rule is "Harm none." And the book goes on to explain that there is, literally, NO DEVIL in witchcraft. Witches do not even BELIEVE in a devil. Then she goes on to take out his badge and explain "It's just a star. Your talisman. It can't stop criminals in their tracks. It has power because you believe it does." The cross in christianity holds power because of the power placed upon it by its believers. A pentacle in wicca, which is a symbol of the earth and life, has power because wiccans place energy and power upon it. Just like eveything else in life that holds any power for anybody of any belief. And "Practical Magic" exlains that wonderfully. It's a delicious, charming, and yes, "magical" movie.

I tend to not label movies as simply awful. I try and look for some kind of quality or something that's worthy of, well, anything. However, this simple piece of trash is not worth your time, money or use of brain cells. It's much like Austin Powers 2: Spy that Shagged Me. Another movie that relies entirely on elementary, cheap potty jokes. "Jay and Bob" does all that, as well as fill in the abhorrent dialogue with "f&@!-f@^@!-FW*W*!" every chance they get. It got to the point where I couldn't even follow where a scene was going because I was busy being hit with every obsenity ten times in the space of five seconds. Come on, people, that's not quality film. That's trash. OK? And I'm shocked George Carlin lent his face to this, and even more so Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. Others had cameos from previous Smith films, but I noticed the great Linda Fiorentino did not, no doubt wanting nothing to do with this filth.The film was filled annoyingly with pop culture references and "oh, I get it, they're making fun of themselves" jokes. COme on, this doesn't make me laugh. You gotta come up with something a little more inventive and witty to make me even remotely laugh. Shannon Elizabeth dancing crazy in glasses and falling down does not make me laugh, because I'm not five years old. Ok? But it appears that's the level of humor the cast and crew share who made this absolutely, simple awful film. You know what's even more sad?? There are hundreds, no, thousands of scripts locked in volts with some intelligence that will never see the light of celluloid. And something like this gets made and sells out seats everywhere. Sad. Just plain SAD.

I watched this a while ago and recently was thinking about it again, so I decided to rent it once more. I remember it being a nice, even cute, film that was very enjoyable to spend an evening watching. And it was even more enjoyable the second time. Now I'm buying it. One of the big reasons this film stuck with me is the well-written script and its characters therein. They're very real, mainly because, well, they have problems. I like seeing that I'm not the only one with insecurities, fears, depression, etc. And I especially relate to the character played by Hope Davis. In another Lawrence Kasdan-directed film, "French Kiss", I identify with Meg Ryan's character. She's inhibited, afraid of flying (that's me!!), and generally afraid to be brave. That's one of the reasons I enjoy watching THAT film as well, because of the fact that I relate to its central character. Something like that is very therapeutic to me. And that's appropriate, after all, because the film Mumford is about therapy. Watching it is a very therapeutic experience. It depicts real-life characters with real problems, and they get help. But the film also gets humor and enjoyment out of its eccentric characters, having fun with it and being able to step back, look at it, and even laugh. A very nice film. One of my favorite scenes is between Loren Dean and Hope Davis on the baseball field, while they're stretching, and Mumford explains about having two conflicting thoughts in your head, and how that can tear bits of your brain tissue apart. To this, Hope replies: "Well, then my whole life's been one big rip." What a profound scene for her. I wish I could see more films like this, meaning I wish they made more. It's profound, moving, relatable, funny, and simply a nice film.

I just got back from a sneak screening of this, and I have to say I am absolutely breathless. My heart was pounding in my ears toward the end, and that hasn't happened since "The Gift", coincidentally another ghost film. But "The Others" is riveting in the classic sense that absolutely no special effects were involved, except for a few papers in the air briefly, which worked. I sensed no studio intervention. The brilliant writer/director was able to make his film the way he wanted, which comes across clearly in the remarkable, original, and stunning way this film is written, shot, acted and directed. A truly terrifying ghost story. All of the details are there that make it perfect: the children are dependent for their lives on the curtains; they can't bear the sunlight or they die. The mother gets migraines easily at any loud noises; one of the houskeepers is a mute. Every day is thick with fog, shrouding the house in even more of a sense of forebodness and confusion. While I knew early on what the twist was, this is not to say that it was predictable at all, only that I have read plenty, and I do mean plenty, of ghost stories, so I pick up early on a lot of the time. But that doesn't change the fact that this film is sheer and utter brilliance. Perfect camera angles involving the ghosts, which I, of course, will NOT be revealing here. Dark figures walking through fog to dark, spiraling gates, with rotted trees next to graveyards, postmortem pictures of the dead in the house. Absolutely PERFECT. I tip my hat to the director, who was talented enough and lucky enough to make his film with practically zero intervention of any outside force. Do you realize how little that happens nowadays? But then again, I can almost be sure that everyone who read this spectacular script knew it had to be made the way it was. It just had to be. And it was. And I will watch this film and love it for the rest of my life. It was simply the most stunning ghost film I have ever seen.

I just got back from a sneak showing of this film and it's still running through me. First of all the film moves so quickly and is edited so smoothly that the force of the ruling apes pulses through each frame. Thade, the fierce leader played by Tim Roth, intimidates the viewer and flies through the air to viciously end any who oppose him. I found myself recoiling everytime he took flight to horrify and kill a human. His is a villain I was truly afraid of, which is a first in a long while. The visual style of this film is uncanny, the colors and the tones of each scene and setting a complete feast for the eye. I could spend my life looking at this film and never tire of it. The sets and costumes are absolutely stunning and gorgeous - alot of it looks like it was designed by costume designer Eiko Ishioka (Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) and The Cell). Lisa Marie as Nova was hysterical. Miss Helena Bonham Carter is very pleasing to watch as always, and surprisingly Estella Warren, the blonde beauty, has very, very few lines and a very small part. An unnamed child who tags along has more lines than her. The film's pace is so brisk I thought by the first twenty minutes they were almost halfway through the movie, but then more and more happened and began to unfold. Some of the best discussions about religion, politics and slavery can be found in this film, making such a bold and correct statement about how though species may differ, their ideas that allow them to live due to belief in a higher power are all the same, on this planet or elsewhere. Religion is an invention of higher intelligence, though that's not to say that religion itself is intelligent - in fact it's rather illogical and nonsensical for a "higher" species such as ourselves. We consider our species so much "better" and "perfect" that we assume that if there is, in fact, a God, it made us in its likeness. If you think about it, we have never even entertained the notion that the higher power may in fact be something of a different species, if any at all. No, THAT'S absurd. (Roll of eyes). The action sequences were powerful and well directed, but that goes without saying, seeing as this IS a Tim Burton movie. I rather enjoyed that it wasn't Sleepy Hollow 2. Although that film is genius and Tim Burton's trademark, I'm glad he stretched his creative muscles and ventured into a different territory of filmmaking, at least in its style. Although his films carry a very similar theme - someone lost in a world of absurdity with very few but existing traces of sympathizers and saviors. Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes stands as its own film, and not a remake. It's powerful, philisophical, moving and fierce. It will leave its mark. In me it already has.

I had been looking forward to this film for a while. I remember about two years ago the theatre I work at got the poster for it...wow, has it been that long? Well at first I laughed at the idea, I admit, "A third Jurassic Park?! Come on!" But then as time went on and I saw footage, I was very impressed. And now, after watching a sneak preview of it at my work tonight, I still am impressed. The sequences with the dinosaurs are effective and jolting. The raptors are truly as awesome as ever. The new spinosaurus is also quite scary, and the pteranodons are WICKED. The scenes with them are truly new and something not seen before. Showing the young boy attacked by the baby pteranodons was freaky and makes you shiver. My favorite scenes will always be those involving the raptors, because they are the most vicious and therefore the most satisfying in these kinds of movies. My only complaint - which is very small - is that this film didn't have ENOUGH chase scenes. It had a lot, it's true, and all of them were very impressive, but I still left feeling like there should have been MORE, LONGER chase and strategy scenes. Scenes like in "Lost World" where Ian is fighting a raptor off in the car while Sarah and Kelly are digging away in the barn, then Ian races from the car into the glass room, the raptor jumps through, Ian races into the barn and fends off another one...Scenes like this where it was nonstop: "Watch out!..WATCH OUT! OH!! WATCH OUT!!" True, the raptor scenes in Jurassic 3 were the best in the film, where Alan stands, turns around and comes FACE TO FACE with one, and then suddenly he's surrounded. That's the good stuff! And it needed more! Of course I'm not dissatisfied with the final film, it just would have been EVEN better with more. ANd Laura Dern was a pleasure to see as always. She reminds me ALOT of a past girlfriend I used to have - they look almost EXACTLY alike. Speaking of her, interesting fact, her brother came to visit the set in Hawaii and disappeared. They never found his body and he's presumed dead. At least, that's what's reported on IMDb. Interesting and chilling. Anyway, the film was good fun, and I'll be seeing it many a more time, as well as buying to add to my JP collection. Well worth a look.

This film has the chilling and exciting feel to it that belongs to the old, silent, dark horror films from the early days of cinema - which is exactly the point! The filmmakers involved have done a highly credible job in capturing the essence of the story and the time period. Watching it is being transported back to another era, and it's fun. It, of course, starts with the originality and strength of Steven Katz's script. It then found itself in the hands of a director who understood what it was trying to show and say. And then great actors got onboard, obviously the always wonderful John Malkovich as the obsessed director F. W. Murnau, and Oscar nominee (rightly so) Willem Defoe as the real-life vampire/actor Max Shreck. I won't go on and on with the plot details because I always skim through other reviews that have them, because if I'm looking at a movie I tend to know the plot. But I will touch on the originality OF the plot and say that it proposes the idea that the actor is actually "a vampire playing the part of an actor playing the part of a vampire." What a breath of fresh air in film plots! It's a fun, exciting film to see, and a feast for the eyes. It has wonderful color schemes and sets and shots. I have to say, the actor who stood out to me above the rest and stuck in my mind long afterwards was Catherine McCormack as Greta Schroder!! She LOOKED like a silent film actress. It's all in the eyes, and the face. She had a perfectly pale face matched with heavily-black eyes. In certain shots she looked strikingly like an actress from the twenties. This film also succeeds with perfect casting! I hope to see more of Catherine McCormack. Overall, this film is a fresh, original, daring piece of work that is gorgeous to think about, watch, see and hear. And that is what cinema is all about. How appropriate, for a film all about the dawn of cinema.

I remember loving this when it first came out and I was only about 10 years old. I recently came upon a couple of the books that I had saved of the movie and that got me thinking back on this. I haven't seen it in years, but I just bought it and can't help but love it. I love the visuals, colors and overall look of the film. And of course, Robin Williams as Batty Koda was hilarious. In describing humans, "They walk around like 'Hi Helen!'" I love the message most of all, and it does a good job of representing the greed and destruction of our times through images, actions and dialogue. I especially love how the fairy Crysta is so in touch with nature and its feelings that she can touch a tree and we literally see its energy flow into her. She shows this to the human, Zak, who, like every other human, is out of tune with nature and its feelings. Gradually, though, he too feels it, and all it took was for someone to wake him up to it. That's all it takes for us, too. We needed something like this movie to be made in order to wake some of us up to what we're doing. It may sound cliche or like a lecture, but it's one that needs to be said and for that I'm thankful to Ferngully and the people behind it who believed enough in the message they were attempting to get across. I read it loud and clear.

I rented this film after a friend called me and said how in love with it he was. The first thing that stuck out to me were some of the spooky, haunting visuals, such as the vibrating faces, which is a tool I loved. I remembered seeing something almost identical to it in 1999's House on Haunted Hill, which the filmmakers on 'House' must have obviously been influenced by this movie or borrowed the imagery. Because as far as I've heard or read, Jacob's Ladder is the first to use the vibrating heads, even though they, as well, were influenced. But they took it from a Francis Bacon painting. To me, it's better in Jacob's Ladder, though it's also very, very cool in Haunted Hill. The thing that makes it better in Jacob's Ladder, however, is the fact that it has more than one simple meaning. It represents madness, fear, helplessness, which are all emotions experienced by Jacob, played by Tim Robbins. So it stands for more in this film, therefore it's spookier and more effective. I love the concepts of this film, conceived by writer Bruce Joel Rubin in 1980. It took him ten years to get it made. It's about a man coming to terms with his life, the tragedies in his life, and the wonderful things in his life. He needs to let go of his fears before he can find peace. If this kind of sensitive, unusual material were in the hands of a more careless director, it could go over the top. Fortunately, Adrian Lyne dealt with it on a more human, reality-based level. He took the scary imagery out of real life, such as the frightening aspects of human deformity (i.e., a doctor with no eyes, just skin; a nurse with scab-like horns on her head; midgets and dwarves in an insane asylum.) And another good thing as far as imagery goes, the filmmakers understand that oftentimes, less is more. As striking and haunting as the vibrating heads are, and as much as I'd have loved to see more, I'm glad they only used it three brief times or so. You can impress the same emotion/idea upon the viewer through showing them one image for five seconds as you can by beating them over the head with it for ten minutes at a time, over and over. So, in short, Jacob's Ladder was an idea that was put into the right creative hands, starting with Bruce Joel Rubin, even though his screenplay was evidently more conventionally Biblically visual, including more demons and beaks and wings and fires, etc. which is all very cool as well, though familiar and therefore not as threatening, as Adrian Lyne wisely pointed out. This movie is a deep, deep deep one with a deep message on life and death. You don't see many movies out there that deal with the kind of material like this in this way. It's a very sad, forlorn film, but in an unconventional way. And that's what makes it unique. ELizabeth Pena was a striking Jezzie, possessing a rough kindness. She cared for Jacob and loved him, but there was a certain oddness to her that throughout the film you don't know whether she's good or evil, or a little of both. Danny Aiellio (spelling?) was, in essence, Jacob's angel helping him through the events that were driving Jacob crazy. He was the leader showing him through the Inferno, much like in Dante's Divine Comedy, which is deeply rooted in this film. So again, this film has many, many depths, which is why it will be talked about and appreciated for a long, long time, as it should be. It stuck with me immensely after I saw it only once. I have since bought it. And the imagery, as well as the aspects of the story and messages with always stay with me.

This film, as a whole, borders on campy. That's not to say it's not good, in fact it's very entertaining and one of those films you just like to sit back on the couch and enjoy. And who doesn't love Miko Hughes brandishing a butcher knife and looking like Chucky? "I played with Jud Crandell, I played with Mommy, and now I wanna play with YOOOOUUUUU..." This is one of those films that will always be in my consciousness from watching it as a child, and being truly scared. Not that many films manage to truly, truly make me chill, but there are a few aspects to this film that manage to achieve that difficult, difficult task, and both of them almost have nothing to do with the general, overall plot. One of them is Jud Crandell's flashbacks to childhood, and showing the maid hanging laundry, when a man they buried only a few days before stumbles into the yard and the maid screams running back in the house. He then prowls around the outside of the house. For some reason, this is scary to me. Much of it is in the way it's shot. Which leads me to the next and scariest aspect of this film. The flashbacks to Zelda, the dying sister of the wife, who is suffering from spinal meningitis or something, and she is shown withering away to bones on the bed, croaking out her sister's name, "Racheeeellll..." But in the present, when Rachel is looking for her son and she goes to an upstairs bedroom and opens the door, she sees her dead sister Zelda lying away from her on the bed. But suddenly Zelda jolts around and stares right at us-- at Rachel, with eyes that are more frightening than any I've ever seen. Then they cut to her crouching in the corner and cackling across the room at Rachel, saying "I'm gonna break your back so you'll never walk again!" and she races across the room towards us. Much of the shockingly terrifying impact of these scenes is due to the camera angles. Nothing CGI, but extremely effective. Out of all the millions of CGI-covered 'scary' movies coming out, the footage of Zelda remains some of the most terrifying I've ever seen, even now and I just watched it two days ago. When I first saw it as a child, we had to turn it off because it was scaring my sister and me so bad. While lying in bed that night, I could see out into the hallway, and I was so scared I'd look out and see Zelda ready to charge in at me cackling. So overall, Pet Semetary is good campy fun, but continues to contain some of the scariest footage I've ever seen.

I don't overuse the statement: "Best movie I've seen in years!", because I tend not to compare movies, I just appreciate each one for what THEY are. But I have to say it here, I can't remember the last time I left the theatre with my heart still pumping. "The Gift" provides everything a GREAT movie needs. Cate Blanchett's character is a misunderstood and somewhat meek woman who is picked on by every closed-minded, ignorant person in her town, and it broke my heart each time. Her character, Annie Wilson, and her psychic abilities, are based on screenwriter Billy Bob Thornton's mother. I think that's the main reason this movie has something most movies lately have not had: a soul. This movie has more emotion, heart, soul and power in each frame than any whole movie in the past year has all together. Every scene flows with the plot and builds up the mystery. I love deep southern gothic mystery tales, and "The Gift" is the epitome of them. I can't even find the words to describe how this film moved me. The courtroom scenes are the most riveting I've seen, and the ending is as surprising and shocking as "The SIxth Sense", not that I'm comparing Sixth Sense with this merely because each has ghosts. No. Both of these films are fantastic, but again, I'd have to go with "The Gift" out of the two. Same with "What Lies Beneath", another GREAT film. That's why I hate comparing, because I normally don't believe in it. But this movie is so great I have to. No other movie has moved me and literally kept me glued to my seat through the entire thing. You always hear people say "It will keep you on the edge of your seat!" but you're like, "Yeah, whatever." With this, it's damn true. And it's all in the writing, directing and acting. I won't even really go into Keanu Reeves, except to say he was actually VERY GOOD for once in this. I can't stand to look at his face after his character in this. But that's a good sign, he actually managed to convince me he was his character. I wanted to jump through the screen and harm him for harming Annie. That's why I was almost cheering aloud when Giovanni Ribisi trashed his truck with a crowbar after threatening one of Annie's little boys. One of Annie's dreams where she has visions includes her walking down a path, her clothes off her shoulder, as if she's half dazed. She looks around and sees white flowers, a fence, and a fiddler, which is one of the spookiest and most chilling pieces of the film, as they speed up the film when the fiddler fiddles. That whole sequence was the most beautiful sequence I've seen in years. And it leads the investigation to that exact spot when they're looking for the socialite girl who has disappeared, played wonderfully by Katie Holmes. I can't say enough about how wonderful and powerful this film is. It's one of those rare movies where each and every minute detail falls perfectly into place and there's not a weak link in the whole thing. In short, "The Gift" is nothing short of a masterpiece.

First off, let me state that Elizabeth Taylor is Cleopatra incarnate. She was not only born to play the role, but I believe she was Cleopatra in Egypt around 300-some B.C. She is exactly how I picture Cleopatra looking and acting and being. In short, beautiful. This film has been a part of my life for quite some time. I remember being in sixth grade or so and renting this over and over. I simply loved it. I'm sure at that age I didn't understand everything that was going on, but I remember loving it nonetheless, taking in the beauty of the absolutely ASTOUDNING set design and the beauty of Cleopatra/Elizabeth Taylor. Plus I've always been fascinated by Egyptian history. And the story of Cleopatra is equally fascinating. When one thinks of Egypt, Cleopatra is synonymous. When one thinks of Cleopata, Elizabeth Taylor is, or should be, synonymous. Though I haven't seen her in much else, I don't feel I have to. I have seen her play the role she was created to do. Many actresses have before and since attempted to slip into the shoes of Cleopatra. Sorry. Uh-uh. Nobody has or ever will be the striking image of Cleopatra that Elizabeth Taylor is. There's something about this film...it capures the realism of life in Egypt, so much so that you forget it's a film made in 1962, and you seriously believe it is showing you video record of life in Egypt. The filmmakers did a superb job in every area. By the way, I wanna know who her handmaiden is, not the blonde, but the one who has the last line in the film, right before she dies. What a beauty, too. She embodies an Egyptian just as much. No Egyptian film has captured the art and essence of Egyptian history as much as this one. It is an epic that, like Ancient Egypt itself, will outlast time. And will be a record of Egyptian history for historians centuries from now!

I just saw this film tonight and I was stunned. To start off with, the visuals were amazing. Very well-done and well designed and put to very good use. I read somewhere that someone thought all the visuals were 'pretentious'. Whatever that means. It's a very imaginary film. And I think of this as a film. There are certain movies that I regard as 'movies' and not 'films', and the highest, most well-done cinematic experiences rich in certain details are 'films'. This is a 'film' in many senses. I read the script a while back and new that it was intensely original (no matter what the ignoramous critics may say) and that the person who wrote it possessed a love and knowledge of all things of the art and mind. "The Cell" deals with the issues of the mind combined with art. And the way different art reflects different states of mind. Brilliant. My favorite part would probably have to be when Vince Vaughn (footnote, he has terrible bags under his eyes, but anyway..) first goes into the mind of Carl Stargher. He wakes up in a pond and sees three women shrouded in black and sitting staring up at the sky reminiscent of an Egyptian painting. At least to me. And they each turn to him simultaneously and whisper something like "Have you seen my son?" Spooky and very imaginative. I like the whole idea of his victims populating his mental universe. Of course they would; they're on his conscience and subconscience, either out of guilt or simple memory. And they've become helpless prisoners and victims of his world forever, and his latest victim was destined for that unless they could save her. I won't spoil the ending here, but I have to say about one aspect of the film's ending: Jennifer Lopez returns to Carl's mind as the Virgin Mary in a very sweet and gentle scene and cleanses young Carl before he dies. In this film, they don't just find the serial killer and kill him, they cleanse him. (And I'm not religious or anything, but I still found that very profound and wise.) Roger Ebert said he felt this is one of the best films of the year because you really care about the characters. He's absolutely right. And it's one of the best films of the year for every other reason. Kudos to Eiko Ishioka, costume designer. She won an Academy Award for her work on Bram Stoker's Dracula. Do I sense another Oscar coming?

Forgive my title for sounding like one of those cheesy critic's quotes that would be on the tv spot, but it's true. This film is in the same vein as "Jurassic Park" and such, in the sense that you sit there with the person you took with you and you both scream out "Don't do that!! Stupid!" and "Look behind you!!" WHich is a helluva lot of fun. Of course the film is receiving bad reviews, but I'm used to it. They don't like anything anymore. And what's wrong with a film that is FUN? This takes the invisibility concept and deals with it in a very necessary fashion: by questioning what you would do given that sort of immense power: "The question is, what would you do if you knew you couldn't be seen?" We see what Sebastian Cane (Kevin Bacon) would do. At first he slowly turns into a pervert, undressing women and fondling them, then retreats into simple evil as he rapes a woman and begins killing off his colleagues. True, the film doesn't delve into much of the scientific angle of the whole invisibility thing. I don't remember hearing anything about the specifics of exactly HOW they figured out to make people and animals invisible. But people aren't exactly GOING just to hear about that. They're going for the thrill ride - the fun part of it. WHich is people being pursued by a maniac who happens to be invisible. The very thought is frightening. And it's carried off well. There is a line in the script by Andrew W. Marlowe that I wish had ended up in the final film. While they are searching for the mad Cane, Linda (Elisabeth Shue) says to everyone, that if he gets out into the rest of the world invisible, he becomes the most powerful man on earth. That very concept is horrifying, and would have given the audience an extra chill. Oh well. The film is still satisfying. Very exciting, and had my heart rate racing quite a bit. I work at a theatre and had the privilege of seeing it early, Thursday night, the 3rd of August. Everyone in the theatre, my co-workers, enjoyed the film, too. During one particular scene where a muscle- and bone-exposed Sebastian forces Shue to kiss him, one girl in the audience said out-loud "Sick, dude!" True, there are a lot of graphic scenes in this film, some appalling because you weren't expecting it, but others simply adding to the overall effect of the very circumstances you'd have to see in dealing with this subject matter. Overall a very well-done film, a heart-stopper, and just plain GOOD FUN. (Also, Elisabeth Shue, as always, is a great actress and a pleasure to watch.)

I just saw this film tonight and it was very entertaining. For some reason it doesn't seem like a Roman Polanski film. I love "Ninth Gate" and "Chinatown", and this film was neat. Although I would have maybe done more with the plot. Emmanuelle Seigner, Polanski's striking wife, is impressive in her American debut here, and I enjoyed her even more in "Ninth Gate" as the Girl, who may or may not have been The Devil. Has anyone else noticed how much this beautiful woman looks like equally beautiful Michelle Pfeiffer?? I mean, ALOT! In this and especially in "Ninth Gate". She is like a French-speaking Michelle Pfeiffer. Another interesting note on that is that Harrison stars with Emanuelle in this, and with Michelle Pfeiffer in the upcoming "What Lies Beneath", which I will also be at opening night. Overall, this movie was good. But Polanski is at his best with "Chinatown" and "Ninth Gate". I hope to see Emanuelle Seigner in more to come.

I went to see "The X-Files: Fight the Future" the summer of 98 with great expectations, and every one of them was fulfilled, and then some. One of the slickest and fastest-moving sci-fi thrillers I have ever seen, "The X-Files" contains the perfect amount of thrills and visuals and also some very good character development, including further development on our heroes, Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Mulder learns that the "plague to end all plagues" walked the earth in alien form years before the dinosaurs. It has been hidden underground, waiting to resurface using humans as hosts. The virus will be let loose on a national holiday - unless it can be stopped with the vaccine. Scully is kidnapped and it brings Mulder to Antarctica to rescue her and save her life. One of the more engaging scenes takes place in a limo between Mulder and the Well-Manicured Man (W.M.M.), where the W.M.M. goes into great detail about Mulder's sister's abduction, his father, and the virus. Intense writing on Chris Carter's part, this script's strength shines through in every second of this film. It is one I will watch and treasure always.

This brilliantly-written film has everything a great film noir movie needs. First and foremost, the femme fatale Rhea Malroux, played with cunning accuracy by Elisabeth Shue, and the sucker who gets screwed over, Harry Barber, played by Woody Harrelson. Another important and necessary element is the sticky, hot Florida climate, that adds to the erotic atmosphere. The money is the object of everyone's desire as well. Because of all this and much more, "Palmetto" achieves what every film noir film shoots for. Thrills, surprises, murder and steam. Trailers and reviews made the film sound like a sex romp, when in reality there isn't one nudity shot in the whole thing. Because "Palmetto" is not about nudity. It's more than that, like any good film noir is. It's about TEASING. About strutting and never showing all the goods. Rhea Malroux struts her stuff alright, but never strips. And that's much better than gratuitous sex and nudity. Much better. The film focuses more on the plot, about a fake kidnapping scheme that is sure to please everyone...if it goes smoothly. And of course, it doesn't. Bodies turn up, and people are not who they seem. Harry Barber quickly realizes he's gotten too deep in something he never should have gotten involved in. But after serving two years of a four-year sentence in an 8X10 jail cell for a crime he didn't commit, he feels someone owes him. So he agrees to participate in a fake kidnapping that will get the wife of rich Felix Malroux 500,000 dollars and Harry a nice whopping 50,000. But because Harry is not naughty by nature, he doesn't do well disguising his innocence and his guilt comes through, sweating profusely when the DA Renick calls him in to act as reporter, Harry can't take the "heat". He attempts to call the whole thing off, but once told the money's already been delivered, he can't help it. He wants back in. E. Max Frye is the brilliance here, for his script says it all. Based on an old pulp novel "Just Another Sucker" by European author James Hadley Chase, the film is directed by Volker Schlondorff, who should also be commended. The acting is first rate, and purposefully over-the-top by brilliant Elisabeth Shue as the best femme fatale I personally have ever seen grace the silver screen. This is not a must rent, it's a must BUY!

Andrew W. Marlowe wrote a very good script about a girl named Christine York (played by excellent as always Robin Tunney), who

was born when the stars were in a particular allignment that meant she was the woman who would bring about the End of Days when satan came to earth on the eve of the new millennium to impregnant her with his son. Of course, because of this, all the religious freaks are out to kill her - not with cop Jericho Cane (Ahnuld) on the case. He protects her, guarding her and even keeping her hidden when he is being tortured by Satan himself, played with cunning sharpness by Gabriel Byrne, who has had a great year with religious thrillers (the stunning 'Stigmata' with Patricia Arquette, and this). A favorite scene of mine is early on, when Gabriel goes to the bathroom in a restaurant to go to the bathroom, then washes up, only to be thrown around and posessed by the Beast. With Satan now in him, Gabriel walks out to his table, where his colleagues await him, and he grabs ahold of the woman's breast, plants a hard passionate kiss on her lips, then walks outside -- the whole place EXPLODES behind him as he walks off with a smirk on his face. That's Satan for you! I appreciated the color schemes used in this film, and loved the eerie cinematography - great use of angles in the hospital room after Satan has crucified priest Thomas to the ceiling, using medical scissors. Some look at this film as a simple Ahnuld action flick. They're missing the whole point.

I have heard people complain that the film '28 Days' is flawed in the sense that it uses "too much humor" and offends those who have a serious alcohol abuse problem. Well, those who have actually undergone the seriousness of the disease can probably tell you, seeing as a recovering alcoholic I know told me, the element you need the most is most likely a good sense of humor. Otherwise a lot of people couldn't get through it. The person I know who is a recovering alcoholic also told me that the film did a beautiful job in portraying the events that occur during withdrawal, etc. When Gwen (Sandra Bullock) throws her Vicatin pills out the window, then climbs on the tree to retrieve them, she sees an image of herself sitting at the window watching herself with pity. The same exact thing happened to the recovering alcoholic I know. Screenwriter Susannah Grant (who also did an excellent and tasteful job scribing 'Erin Brockovich') obviously got to the core of what goes on during withdrawal of an alcoholic who doesn't think they're an alcoholic, or who refuses to admit it. But the humor is an element that everyone needs, especially in cases of crisis. Gwen stumbles in a drunken stupor to her sister's wedding, late, with her also drunk boyfriend. She manages to topple onto the wedding cake, ruining it, and also saying some regretful things during a drunk toast to the bride and groom. After destroying the wedding cake, she says to her stunned sister/bride, "Don't worry. I'll replace it." She stumbles into the "Just Married" limo and takes off, swerving in and out of oncoming traffic, swerving into a yard, veering out of control, smashing over a lawn jockey and to top it all off, driving straight into a house. Needless to say she is sentenced to either jail time or 28 days of rehab. She takes the rehab, with much reluctance. The humor in this opening sequence is one of the things that attracted me to the film. It's funny because it shows just what fools drunks can be. And all you can do is basically pity them and laugh. When she reaches the rehab center and sees the members holding hands and singing "Lean on me", she quickly dials up her boyfriend in desperation: "They, they CHANT!" She is searched and registered and put in a room with a doomed young woman, played by Azura Skye. It's a long time before she comes to settle down and allow herself to take part in the rehab. But she does it. And her bitter sister also tries her best to forgive, but can't at first. The film had a great mix of drama and comedy, in the right places. For me, the funniest parts were early on, when Gwen denied and denied her addiction and snarled at everyone around her. She finally at one point snuck out to the nearby pond and found a man with a couple cigarettes, and begged him for one. The man watched her light it up and said, "You know, if your counselor catches you with that you could be in big trouble." She replies, "I don't plan on discussing it with him!" He stares at her: "Too late." This leads to her insisting she can control her addiction: "If I wanted to! I can...I CAN! I CAN!" He doesn't believe her. So she throws her relief pills out the window...but can't make it for very long. One of the best lines from the script that didn't end up in the film is when her sister walks up to her, after she has reached the wedding drunk and late and says calmly, "When you're sitting home alone on holidays with nothing to do because you've alienated everyone in your life, just remember, you make it impossible to love you." Gwen's sister later restates it: "You make it impossible not to love you." "28 Days" is a great film, which deals with a very serious problem, but also is smart enough to know to add the much-needed humor aspect of the whole situation.

Part of the fun of going to see a movie in a theatre that is full of people is the amount of response from the people around you. I don't need to be told when to laugh, but sometimes it's still enjoyable. With the excellent film "Erin Brockovich", it was fun. Julia Roberts stars as the sharp-tongued Erin B. who won't flinch at screaming "Bite me, crispy cream" to an uptight secretary, or "Fuck you!" to her boss. She says what's on her mind, and that's precisely why she gets as far as she does. People respect her. Especially those dying or who have dying children due to poisoned water in Hinkly, which is a town that is right beside PG&E, a huge plant. Erin is working for a small law firm and finds the case intriguing, and decides to study up on it. She gets further and further invovled, and spends months and months on the case, while also supporting her three children and trying to pay attention to a devoted boyfriend. Two stiff, cold briefcase-carrying, suit-wearing lawyers are brought in without any consent of Erin's, and she wastes no time speaking her mind. After one of the stiff, corporate lawyers calmly says to her, "I'm sorry, I must have gotten off on the wrong foot.." Erin retorts, "That's all you got, lady! Two wrong feet and some ugly shoes." She has the upper hand in the entire case because she possesses what the others lack, the human touch. She relates to the dying victims and reassures them she is trying her hardest and most sincere. Julia Roberts shines as Erin Brockovich, and it shows she sincerely believed in the film, the script, and the story, and wanted to get the real deal across about the real town that had a real, severe cancer problem as well as many other diseases creeping into people's homes due to the plant. Wonderful script by Susannah Grant, who above all should be commended, as well as terrific acting by all, especially Julia herself. Excellent film. Smart. Sassy. See it.