Reviews

In light of the book just put out by a liberal New York Times writer who draws many of the same conclusions the movie does -- and traces the problems back to many of the same decisions made by those in government getting rich off crony capitalism and holes in the regulatory structure they themselves put in place, I'd say our Canadian friend who gave this a one star review might want to put on his thinking cap next time before opening his big sneering maw.

A very nice visual addendum to that book, Reckless Endangerement.

The fact is, we didn't just get where we are by accident; and though many don't want to hear it, actual decisions made by actual politicians trying to control a business sector whose job it is to make profit led directly to the current economic crisis. It's easy to promise people everything they want, to tell them they deserve it, and to run on a platform of "the other side wants to take it all away from you." But the truth is, money has to come from somewhere, and the government can't produce wealth. It can only collect it, spend it, and redistribute it after taking its cut. The sooner people understand economics, the faster we'll be able to fix what ails us.

...after all these years, Vision Quest remains a wonderfully honest and thoroughly enjoyable little flick. In fact to my way of thinking, this film just might be one of ten or so best "small" films of the 80s -- featuring a spot-on performance by Modine as the quirky and convincingly three-dimensional Louden Swain. Don't be lead astray by the user ratings on this one.

Some nice scenery, but the story itself--in which a self-proclaimed Egyptologist (Lesley-Anne Down) visits Egypt and, in the course of doing Egyptologist things in the most un-Egyptologistic of ways (e.g., flash photography in the tombs, the handling of old parchment, etc.), uncovers a black market turf war and somehow (in the span of two days, no less!) becomes that war's jumpsuit-wearing epicenter--is more puzzling than any riddle the Sphinx ever posed. Down is simply awful as the visiting British scholar (that she seems to know absolutely nothing about the culture of Egypt and even less about antiquities is the fault of the writers, certainly; but that she's annoying as all get out is her own fault entirely), and the rest of the cast, including Sir John Gielgud and Frank Langella, seem as downright confused by the proceedings as I was. In short, not what you'd expect from Schaffner (Planet of the Apes, Patton) and co.

Worth watching for a laughably dated scene in which Down rails against all male scholars, blaming them for her failure as an academic, while bathed under the softest light Hollywood could muster. To top it off, she spends the next hour of the film shrieking and harried and running into the arms of any dude she can find. Wow, talk about your performative irony!

*Note to would-be Egyptologists: take a year or two of Arabic in grad school. It'll really help out in the long run...

If Sandra Bullock wasn't so darn cute, and Michael Caine so darn talented, and Candice Bergen so darn...well, Candice Bergen-y (or is it "Bergen-esque"?), this movie would be unwatchable. Come to think of it, this movie IS unwatchable. In fact, it's quintessential Swiss cinema: A stinky lump of overpriced cheese, riddled with holes...

If you need your Sandra fix, go rent "Love Potion No. 9". And if you need your Benjamin Bratt fix...well, I suppose I pity you. I mean, I was at a Superbowl Party a couple of years ago where a canned ham gave a more animated and convincing performance (playing a meat loaf) than Bratt serves up here. Shatner, though, does a nice job with his scenes (such as they are).

And to think, Leonard Maltin gave this and "Patch Adams" the same rating as he did "Miller's Crossing." What's this world coming to? Pass the crackers.

When I first saw this film in the theater it had been sufficiently hyped, and I have to admit that I didn't find it all that scary. But I was really impressed with both the idea and the execution; the acting, in my opinion, was wholly believable, and the "documentary" / "found footage" style was likewise quite well done.

It wasn't until I saw this movie again that I realized how suspenseful it actually is (probably because I wasn't so concerned with the technical achievements the second time around)--no small task for a movie in this day and age of failed and, let's face it, mostly laughable horror flicks.

It seems to me that this movie has become something of a whipping boy lately for those reviewers who wish to affect a certain neo-hipster attitude. An Indie movie that achieved financial success? Must really rot if the masses liked it. Let's knock it down a peg. Let's all come up with a really good line about camera shake and vomit. Yawn.

An ambitious project made more ambitious by it's marketing strategy. And a truly well done film.

I saw this version of "The Thomas Crown Affair" before renting the McQueen/Dunaway version. Having seen them both now I can say honestly that I find the remake [surprisingly] superior to the original.

As a big fan of Steve McQueen, and as an even bigger fan of nuanced caper flicks of the late 60's / 70's, I have to admit I was flummoxed by my own conclusion here. But so be it. I found the original a bit uneven, a bit tedious--and the relationship between McQueen and Dunaway frankly wasn't as interesting as the Russo/Brosnan coupling, though ordinarily I'm not a huge fan of either actor. The cat and mouse game between the two is nicely orchestrated, and the action is frenetic and slick. The film has a nice visual feel to it, as well--sleek and classy.

Not sure Dennis Leary's character added a whole lot to the proceedings (and I usually like him), but overall the film makes for an enjoyable evening's viewing.

Here's a movie completely devoid of pretension, a movie that sets out to take you on a sun-drenched thrill ride and succeeds at every turn, in every respect. Wonderful pacing, nicely wrought atmosphere, competent and energetic performances (yes, even from Keanu, who can surprise you from time to time--like here, in most of his scenes with Busey), compelling stunt work...

I can almost guarantee Point Break didn't enter production with Oscar aspirations. But it's time we start recognizing those films you can throw into the VCR any time (no matter how many times you've seen them) and always, always enjoy yourself. For me, Point Break is one such film.

...And liking "Point Break" doesn't mean you have to give up glowing over "Seven Samurai," necessarily...

Perhaps because the 1970's gave birth to many of the greatest American films of all time, it's easy to overlook such a quiet treasure as Michael Ritchie's 1976 offering, "The Bad News Bears." A perennially underrated and overlooked classic, "The Bad News Bears" nevertheless showcases all that is best in 70's film making: a witty and relevant screenplay (here by Bill Lancaster), a host of fully fleshed-out characters, an honest eye (and a finely-tuned ear) for detail, a judicious use of score (Bizet's "Carmen" is particularly well employed), considered (and considerable) attention to atmosphere (with John Alonzo's cinematography perfect in it's sun-drenched suburban ease), consistently fine performances all around--in short, all of the ingredients that serve to transform competent entertainment into something approaching cinematic art.

The "Bad News Bears" is, in fact, the west coast's version of "Rocky," though critics have rarely considered the two films side by side--the result of differences in genre rather than in sentiment, most likely. Still, the two films clearly intersect (call it variations on a theme); and while the lazy afternoon sunshine of California's North Valley here replaces the gritty and bleak Philadelphia streets brought so vividly to life by Stallone/Avildsen (and John Crabe's gorgeous urban cinematography), "The Bad News Bears"--though a "comedy"--is no less serious a film as its east coast contemporary, winner of the 1976 Best Picture Oscar.

Layered performances by Walter Matthau, Vic Morrow, Ben Piazza, and Joyce Van Patten--as well as standout work by the kids, most notably Tatum O'Neal, Jackie Earle Haley, Alfred Lutter, Quinn Smith, Brandon Cruz, and Chris Barnes (as the unforgettable Tanner Boyle)--make this a must see At once a brilliant social satire, a tale of redemption, and a lovingly honest ode to the young boys (and girls) of summer, it's unlikely a film like this could be made today...

In a decade of remarkable American films, this small gem stands out as one of the best (if most overlooked) of the lot--high praise indeed. If for no other reason than to experience the hush of the crowd that accompanies Joey Turner's departure from the mound, watch this movie.