1992 Movies
OSCARS Won/Nominated
IMDB Top 250
IMDB Top 250
1492: Conquest of Paradise
Dir: Ridley Scott Stars: Gerard Depardieu, Armand Assante, Sigourmey Weaver I have equal parts and simultaneous admiration and disappointment for this film. The story about Christopher Columbus and his voyage to the new world is one known by every elementary school kid...and Ridley Scott really delves into the all-encompassing story with fervor. I admired that he chose to cover everything from the original exploration commission to Colombus's death...but I was disappointed that a lot of the most important aspects of the story (namely the sea voyage) is incredibly truncated. Depardieu is sometimes perfectly serviceable...and sometimes he is ridiculously terrible. Vangelis's soundtrack is at the same time beautiful and anachronistic. Still...this film is something else and pretty epic. B |
Aileen Wuornos:
The Selling of a Serial Killer Dir: Nick Broomfield 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die It was a pleasnt surprise to see that this film was NOT a documentary about what Aileen Wuornos did (I GREATLY enjoyed that dramatic account in the film, MONSTER) but rather a documentary about how her newly adoptive mother and lawyer seemingly pimped out her story to the highest bidder, all the while preaching forgiveness, innocence, and love. Of course, what Wuornos did was worse, but to see the british documentarians given the runaround because they haven't paid sufficiently for the Aileen Wuornos story, its pretty damn disturbing. If nothing else, the film shows how brilliant Charlize Theron was in portraying Wuornos in 2004. Solid Documentary!! B |
OSCARS
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Aladdin
Dir: Ron Clements & John Musker Stars: Robin Williams In the seemingly infinite coffers of animated characters and their celebrity voices...to this day...no one comes close to the perfection of Robin Williams as the Genie. This is simply one of my favorite animated films of all time. The genie is enough...being one of the funniest, most electric animated characters of all time. But the film has fun romance, great comic relief, a wonderful villain, exciting action, and some of the catchiest songs Disney and Alan Menken has ever churned out. I can't praise this film enough...and after writing this little blurb...I want to go home and watch it again. A DVD |
OSCARS
Best Editing
Best Original Score |
Basic Instinct
Dir: Paul Verhoeven Stars: Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone Paul Verhoeven is a unique filmmaker...and he takes a lot of chances. Sometimes his movies just click (Starship Troopers, Total Recall, Black Book) and sometimes they crash and burn (Showgirls). Arguably his most famous film is this one, and it just never QUITE clicked with me. It is suspenseful and well acted...but when a movie relies so heavily on titillation (of the audience and the characters)...it just comes across as exploitative and dirty. It is as if the storytelling wasn't strong enough to stand on its own and needed to rely on sexual and psychological gymnastics to keep us interested. B- |
OSCARS
Best Makeup
Best Visual Effects |
Batman Returns
Dir: Tim Burton Stars: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken It was an impossible task to try to live up to Tim Burton's 1989 Batman. With Keaton doing a fine job and especially with Nicholson chewing scenery in the most perfect ways possible...it provided us a fun but still dark romp into the world of Gotham City. This sequel tries its hardest to live up to the first and it just can't. It is still a great looking film...but that is a guarantee with any Burton film. Keaton is still doing his schtick...but neither Pfeiffer nor DeVito can inject enough into their iconic villains to elevate the film. The fun is gone, and the dark is ramped up...and this is the first example of how going full dark in a DC movie can suck the life right out of it. B |
OSCARS
Best Original Song
Best Original Song |
The Bodyguard
Dir: Mick Jackson Stars: Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston I think this movie is as good as it can be...pretty much because Whitney Houston is not much of an actress. He voice is as good as there has ever been...and the soundtrack to this film is pretty brilliant...but for this story about an ex-secret service agent tasked with protecting a pop-star to work...the leads need to have an incredible amount of chemistry. Costner and Houston don't. Written by Lawrence Kasdan...the story is pretty solid and the movie keeps your interest...but that lack of chemistry really keeps it from being great. B- |
OSCARS
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Bram Stoker's Dracula
Dir: Francis Ford Coppola Stars: Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die There are two very specific things, mind-boggling things, that keep Coppola's take on Dracula from being a masterpiece...and that is Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder as Jonathan Harker and Mina, respectively. It is such a shame that the two of them are so terrible, so out of place, and so out of their league that it is like a shining beacon of failure. Dolman is brilliant as the titular character, and Hopkins is great as Van Helsing. Coppola is still a master director...and you can hardly find a better LOOKING movie than this. But just as you get comfortable and mesmerized by brilliances in the film...here comes Reeves and/or Ryder, with their horrible accents, and spoiled the effect. B+ DVD |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Dir: Fran Rubel Kuzui Stars: Kristy Swanson, Luke Perry, Donald Sutherland, David Arquette, Paul Reubens, Rutger Hauer, Hilary Swank This film is kind of a mess. Sure...it is a bit meta-aware of its own ridiculousness...but it isn't made well enough to capitalize on said self-awareness. Kristy Swanson is not much of an actress, and obviously only hired because she is a bombshell, and Luke Perry is even worse. The only saving grace with this film is the supporting cast. Sutherland is the straight man and its pretty fun. Hauer is kind of a perfect vampire villain, and especially Paul Reubens...who steals every single scene he is in. The one thing I most remember from this film is Paul Reuben's death scene...it is inspired. Other than that...the original film pales in comparison to the TV show that lasted so long. C- |
Candyman
Dir: Bernard Rose Stars: Virginia Madsen, Xander Berkley, Tony Todd 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I've said it a million times, but it takes a lot to scare me...and the slasher genre is usually the least successful. This movie is no different. It is about a scholarly woman, researching urban myths, finds out that if you say "Candyman" into a mirror 5 times, a killer with a hook for a hand will appear and wreak havoc. That's it. There is a lot of style here...and you will freak yourself out in the bathroom mirror soon after you watch the film...but once the Candyman is summoned...no one really cares who/what/when/where/why and how people get killed. C- |
Captain Ron
Dir: Thom Eberhardt Stars: Kurt Russell, Martin Short I really enjoy Kurt Russell and Martin Short...and they really are perfect comic foils in this ridiculously stupid comedy. A family inherits a yacht once owned by Clark Gable, and since they are not sea-farers...they hire Captain Ron...who is so colorful and obnoxious that he gives Ace Ventura a run for his money. To watch Kurt Russell act crazier and crazier against the always insane Martin Short...and out Martin Short-ing him is a lot of fun...but it really is pretty stupid. B- |
Consenting Adults
Dir: Alan J. Pakula Stars: Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio, Kevin Spacey, Forest Whittaker Simply put...the premise of this film just can't sustain itself and it all becomes stale and boring. New couple moves in, befriends neighbors, and the two couples eventually agree to couple swap...and it ruins their lives. It really is that straightforward. It isn't a pleasant experience and people are making accusations and it all just feels so slapped together and simple. It is a shame because the past is superb but they can't even elevate this thing. C |
Cool World
Dir: Ralph Bakshi Stars: Kim Basinger, Gabriel Byrne, Brad Pitt Imagine this. Someone watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit and thought to themselves..."Hmmm, what if we made this rated-R and someone fucked Jessica Rabbit?" Well...they essentially did that with this horrifically terrible film. Holly (the Jessica Rabbit) wants to be real and needs to have sex with a real man to do so. Brad Pitt is a toon cop, or something, hell bent on preventing such depravity. Can you believe this movie exists? It is as awful as you think it is...and probably worse. D- |
The Cutting Edge
Dir: Paul Michael Glaser Stars: DB Sweeney, Moira Kelly This film really is a cliche-fest...either creating or submitting to almost every cliche, trope, and expectation as one would have when considering the story. A figure skater fails at the olympics. A hockey player fails at the same olympics. Now they are paired together in paired figure skating. How do you think it will go? When they hate each other in the beginning...do you think that will last? When they suck in the beginning...do you think they will improve? Still...it has a bit of charm. Cliches and tropes are cliches and tropes for a reason. C+ |
OSCARS
Best Visual Effects
|
Death Becomes Her
Dir: Robert Zemeckis Stars: Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn, Isabella Rossellini Sure...I have a bit of a specific, subjective love toward this film. It was the original film my wife and I bonded over to the extent that our dogs are names after Streep's and Hawn's characters. Still...this is a fantastic black comedy of the highest order. it is the funniest thing Robert Zemeckis ever directed, the funniest thing Streep ever did, and the funniest thing, by FAR, that Bruce Willis ever pulled off. You know you have a quality comedy when Hawn, the only real comedienne, is coming up third in the humor. All this, and the special effects are Zemeckis perfect as usual. To watch the hysterics as Willis tries to come to terms with the two immortal women in his life is inspired and I can watch it over and over again. A- DVD |
Delicatessen
Dir: Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Equal parts a nightmarish Amelie and Sweeney Todd, this tale of a post-apocalyptic, microcosmic apartment complex where people use food as currency, and the delicatessen in the ground floor serves something a little sinister to the tenants. The entire film has an odd rhythm, an odd tone, and an odd sense of orientation and cinematography...but it is certainly unique. B DVD |
Encino Man
Dir: Les Mayfield Stars: Sean Astin, Brendan Fraser, Pauly Shore So a couple of idiots dig up a caveman in California and now said caveman is running around modern day Encino. Whatever. I have a weird history with Pauly Shore...because whatever movie he is in, he owns, and if you can swallow his schtick, then the movie is fine. I don't quite swallow it here, but Fraser and Astin are talented enough to get a few laughs on their own. Son in Law is an outlier and its the only movie I like Shore in. Here, once again...he is irritaying as hell C |
Far and Away
Dir: Ron Howard Stars: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman This is seemingly a forgotten movie in Ron Howard's filmography...but it is certainly among his best. Let's forget the somewhat absurd Irish accents and focus on the beautiful story of a couple oif Irish Immigrants out to stake claim to their own slice of paradise in America in the late 19th century. it is heartfelt, exciting, and the chemistry bewteen Cruise and Kidman was at its height. Also...this movie was filmed in the rare, glorious, 70mm film and it is a beautiful as cinema can provide for us. An epic if there ever was one...and one that Howard is so often forgotten for. A- DVD |
OSCARS
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor Best Editing Best Sound |
A Few Good Men
Dir: Rob Reiner Stars: Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollack, Keifer Sutherland Rob Reiner's critical darling is really nothing more than a courtroom drama. That term is thrown around a lot but this film truly is one of them because every single scene of not takes place during a trial. A handful of Navy JAG prosecutors are trying to get to the bottom of the death of a Marine soldier who was seemingly killed because he couldn't keep up with the rest of his squad. Even though it's courtroom jargon and cliche's...Aaron Sorkin's screenplay shine incredibly and makes the film as exciting as any action movie. Every actor is working their ass off to bring all sorts of gravitas to each confrontation and it works incredibly well. It doesn't hurt that Nicholson mutters one of the most famous cinematic quotes of all time....and sells it perfectly. A- DVD |
Forever Young
Dir: Steve Miner Stars: Mel Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Elijah Wood Since it is written by JJ Abrams, this movie seems to keep its head above water. It involves a pilot from 1939, cryogenically frozen and awakening in 1992...only to have his body start to deteriorate and age in keeping up with his actual age. It is a sappy melodrama...but Abrams, Gibson, and Curtis really do bring their A-games and it makes it pretty decent. B- |
OSCARS
Best Supporting Actor
|
Glengarry Glen Ross
Dir: James Foley Stars: Kevin Spacey, Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alec Baldwin 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die The plot of this movie is simply about a group of Real Estate agents, given a severe ultimatum, and their desperation to perform and save their jobs. Who cares right? Well...David Mamet's script crackles with brilliance in a way you would never believe. The fact that this screenplay was not nominated for an Oscar is so confusing. Also...Pacino was the one nominated for the Supporting Actor Oscar...but the reality is that the 5 men in the cast could have been the entire category that year...they are all SO good in such different ways. Baldwin's ferocity in the opening, Lemmon's pitiful loser...all wonderful. This shows how the right words, the right tone, and the right performances can really elevate a group of men in an office into high cinema. A |
The Hand that Rocks the Cradle
Dir: Curtis Hanson Stars: Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca DeMornay Just another one of those run-of-the-mill thrillers in 1992 that want to tell us..."bitches be crazy". The other film is Single White Female. This one is about a deranged nanny out to ruin the lives of her employers...because she has had a dark past. There is nothing incredibly special about it but the tension does ratchet up pretty well. Probably because it involves kids. B- |
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Dir: Chris Columbus Stars: Macauley Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, Brenda Fricker, Tim Curry, Rob Schneider This sequel both benefits and hurts from being almost the same exact movie as the original. The McCallisters go on vacation and leave Kevin behind, this time Kevin gets on the wrong plane and winds up in New York. Pesci and Stern are stiull robbing and out to be foiled by Kevin. There is a scary figure that Kevin learns is harmless. John Williams still orchestrates a wonderful score. There is nothing new here...but it all worked so pleasantly in the original and it still works here. The violence is ridiculously over-the-top to the point that the bandits should be dead much sooner. Also...the stuff in the Plaza hotel is also charming. Perfectly fine and will give you those good Christmas feels. B- Bluray |
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid
Dir: Randal Kleiser Stars: Rick Moranis, Lloyd Bridges, Keri Russell Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was an utter delight, and to this day, is one of the greatest, most magical movies about being shrunk down. Someone thought it was a good idea to reverse the premise and make a toddler a Godzilla-type nuisance when Wayne Zalinsky screws up again. That person, and maybe all 3 of the writers, should never work in this town again. D- |
Honeymoon in Vegas
Dir: Andrew Bergman Stars: Nicholas Cage, Sarah Jessica Parker, James Caan Honeymoon in Vegas is a perfectly pleasant comedy, whereby Cage and Parker are a couple who FINALLY decides to get married in Vegas, until Caan shows up and Indecent Proposal''s them. It really is that simple. Parker is charming, if a bit too much damsel in distress. Caan is wonderfully intense if a bit corny and unbelievable. Cage is PRIME cage, and it shows us how the man can do anything...even if in modern cinema he has devolved a bit into doing anything. B |
Housesitter
Dir: Frank Oz Stars: Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn Sometimes it is so obvious that a comic or comedienne has so much power and clout that they are injected into a stupid comedy and it is expected, that just by their mere presence, the movie will work. This is one of those movies, and Goldie Hawn is the figure who no one seemed able to say no to. She plays a woman who basically squats in Steve Martin's house and family...and seemingly hilarity ensues. Almost the entire time, when Hawn is expected to be funny, she was irritating. It isn't to say the movie is a total disaster...it IS Martin and Hawn directed by Frank Oz after all...but it just doesn't quite work like it should. C |
Ladybugs
Dir: Sidney J. Furie Stars: Rodney Dangerfield, Jonathan Brandis When the premise is so idiotic, it is hard to really like a movie like this. Dangerfield is a doofus who thinks he can climb the corporate ladder by coaching the company's all-girl soccer team (that's apparently a thing) and using his finacee's son dressed as a girl to help out the team. It is a little creepy and misogynist...but Dangerfield does make me laugh. However...he kind of makes me laugh is spite of this movie...not because of it. C |
OSCARS
Best Sound
|
The Last of the Mohicans
Dir: Michael Mann Stars: Daniel Day Lewis, Madeline Stowe A dying tribe lives in peace with a bunch of British Colonists, until one of their own kidnaps a Colonel's daughter...and now the tribes extinction seems imminent. Enter Daniel Day-Lewis...doing his patented Daniel Day-Lewis-ness as the half-white Mohican...and he is at the forefront of a beautiful, emotional epic. There are a lot of tumultuous relationships and loyalties that keep everything exciting and emotional. It is pretty straightforward, grandiose filmmaking and one of my favorites from Michael Mann. A- |
The Lawnmower Man
Dir: Brett Leonard Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Jeff Fahey This is one of those films about a dullard, getting some sort of procedure to become brilliant. It has been seen many times before...but this time it has a bit of techno-Stephen King flair. Jeff Fahey plays Job very well...as an innocent simpleton who Brosnan wants to use his virtual reality machine to help him normalize. It is a little hokey and obvious....but there is something horrifying about Job's transformation. The climax, by today's standards, is corny as hell...but back then...it was state of the art, creepy, and well designed. I guess this could be a lot worse. B- DVD |
A League of Their Own
Dir: Penny Marshall Stars: Genna Davis, Tom Hanks, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell, David Strathairn Outside of Major League, this is my favorite baseball movie. Penny Marshall brought us the wonderful story about the women's baseball league that was initiated when all the men went off to war. Like the best sports movies, it is not simply about the sport (which is great on its own). It is about defying expectations, overcoming misogyny, and women really stepping it up at home when the men were away fighting. Every supporting role is great and shows how different women had different perspectives...especially Gennea Davis and Lori Petty's sisters. Also...this has one of Tom Hanks's funniest and most heartfelt characters of the ex-player drunk who takes the managing job. Just such a fun, feel-good one. B+ |
Love Potion #9
Dir: Dale Launer Stars: Tate Donavan, Sandra Bullock, Anne Bancroft You all know that song..."I took my troubles down to Madame Ruth..." Well...this is a fictionalized version of that song. Donavan and Bullock are incredibly nerdy and socially awkward scientists and unlucky in love. Donavan gets a potion of the gypsy, they test it in the lab...and then head out to the real world to try it out in the field. The results are astounding and there is a lot of fun to be had. The dynamic of how Bullock benefits incredibly well and DOnavan is less than impressed really exemplifies the power a woman can have over men who find them irresistible. When the hijinks start with strippers and exes...it all gets a bit dumb and over-the-top...but most of the time, the lead pair have a lot of fun chemistry (no pun intended). B- |
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Dir: John Carpenter Stars: Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill I don't know why John Carpenter settled on Chevy Chase for this role about a man in an accident that causes him to disappear...but it is what it is. He is not much of an actor, and therefore Hannah isn't doing well either...but the effects and the adventure of this film are stellar. It even has more believable and enjoyable invisibility effects than Hollow Man which arrived almost 20 years later. Don't come for much character or story at all...come for the effects and the fun with the day in the life of an invisible man. C+ |
The Mighty Ducks
Dir: Stephen Herek Stars: Emilio Estevez, Lane Smith, Joshua Jackson Disney has a fine history of the feel-good sports movies. They are never very remarkable...but they are perfectly fine and sweet. One of their most iconic is this film about a youth hockey team. So iconic that it spawned an NHL franchise. The story is as typical as you can. Misfits learn to work as a team and become champions...and the coach who doesn't want to be where he is who comes to love his job. It hits all the marks no matter how familiar those marks are. B |
Mom & Dad Save the World
Dir: Greg Beeman Stars: Teri Garr, Jeffrey Jones, Jon Lovitz If a movie is so outlandishly ridiculous and stupid...it can provide a bit of fun. This is a movie where Jon Lovitz is an evil leader, who kidnaps Teri Garr before he destroys the world...and Jeffrey Jones is reliving Flash Gordon episodes to get around to foiling Lovitz's grand plans. It is so corny and childish...but everyone seems to be going for it full tilt, so I smiled a few times. C |
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Dir: Brian Henson Stars: Michael Caine After the original Muppet Movie is 1979, this is the greatest thing the Muppets ever did. It is so great how well all the Muppets fit into the roles of the Charles Dickens classic. Gonzo and Rizzo as the narrators is the real home run...but Kermit as Bob Cratchitt, Fozzie as "Fozziewig" and Waldorf & Statler as Jacob and Robert Marely are also great. Another plus is that they really try to tell the classic story with Muppet humor peppered throughout...not a Muppet movie with A Christmas Carol peppered throughout. But the real triumph of this film is Michael Caine as Scrooge. He is arguably the best Scrooge ever put to film...and that is amazing for a Muppet movie. This film is so good that is has become an annual staple in my Christmas film repertoire. B+ DVD |
OSCARS
Best Supporting Actress
|
My Cousin Vinny
Dir: Jonathan Lynn Stars: Joe Pesci, Marissa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, Fred Gwynne What a damn funny movie. This is essentially a fish-out-of-water story where a couple of Brooklynites head down to Alabama to defend their cousin from a bogus murder charge...and nearly every single comment and interaction is laugh out loud hysterical. And as good as Pesci and Tomei are...each and every supporting character have their moments to shine...and Austin Pendelton's two scenes as the public defender might be the best of the entire thing. This is just one of those classic comedies that you can watch over and over and never get bored. A- DVD |
Passenger 57
Dir: Kevin Hooks Stars: Wesley Snipes, Bruce Payne, Tom Sizemore, Elizabeth Hurley Full disclosure: This is a complete guilty pleasure for me because it is an AWFUL movie. I have an undeniable affection toward the film though because it was the first R-rated film my father took me and my friends to for my 12-th birthday. The film is literally one of those dime-a-dozen "Die Hard in a ..." movies. Where airplane terrorists didn't expect Wesley Snipes, conveniently an airline security expert, to screw up their plans. But the nonsense is all worth is for that wonderful line..."ALWAYS BET ON BLACK!!" It is glorious. C+ |
Patriot Games
Dir: Phillip Noyce Stars: Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, Patrick Bergen, Sean Bean, Samuel L. Jackson Harrison Ford took on the role of Jack Ryan for the first time with this movie...and I always thought he was the wrong choice. Jack Ryan is a CIA analyst often thrown into situations above his pay grade...so Alec Baldwin in Hunt For Red October and Ben Affleck in The Sum of All Fears worked better because they weren't action stars. Ford is the Superman of action stars...so that out -of-his-element tone is gone. Still...this story about Ryan foiling an IRA assassination only to become the target is fine. Ford can do this find of action in his sleep. B- |
Poison Ivy
Dir: Katt Shea Stars: Drew Barrymore, Sara Gilbert, Tom Skerrit There is something creepy about this movie that is other wise well done. It is nearly impossible to enjoy for me because Barrymore, one of the hottest actresses in my book, was only 16 when filming this movie. The story is about a teen seductress trying to infiltrate her new friend's wealthy family...but it is told and filmed in such an exploitative sexual way that it is hard to enjoy the film in any other way. And if you are enjoying the sexualization of a minor like this...there may be something wrong with you. That all being said...it is still well done but the enjoyment is hard to come by. C |
Reservoir Dogs
Dir: Quentin Tarantino Stars: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Tierney, Chris Penn 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #76 Tarantino cannonballed onto the scene with this film...showing us not only how good of an eye he has behind the camera, but how electric his screenwriting is. This is basically an ensemble piece that takes place in essentially one setting...an abandoned warehouse in the aftermath of jewel robbery. Tarantino has the talent to not only put us on the absolute edge of our seat with tension and laugh and cringe at over-the-top violence, but he has the courage to take several minutes to go on time jumping tangents to have his characters really develop and entertain. This is simple in comparison to the rest of Tarantino's filmography...but it is simply brilliant. A- DVD |
Shadows and Fog
Dir: Woody Allen Stars: Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, David Ogden Stiers, John Malkovich, Madonna There is almost NOTHING to appreciate or remember from this Woody Allen farce. He was inspired by German impressionism like Nosferatu and M, but the movie feels so meandering and shallow that the entire time, I felt shame. Allen is so much better than this...and this ranks among his worst efforts. I didn't laugh or learn...I just watched scene after scene trying to understand what Allen was trying to do. Whatever it was...it didn't work. C |
Single White Female
Dir: Barbet Schroeder Stars: Bridget Donda, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Steven Weber After The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, this film is the other 1992 "Bitches be crazy" entry. This time, a woman gets a new roommate who wants to take over her life. That simple, that plain. It is blatantly obvious where it all goes but JJL and Fonda are superb as they act through the mediocrity. C+ |
Sister Act
Dir: Emile Ardolino Stars: Whoopi Gildberg, Maggie Smith, Kathy Najimy, Harvey Keitel If you can get past the ridiculously stupid setup of a lounge singer put into the witness protection program after witnessing a mob hit, only to make the church choice famous enough to gain audience from the Pope...and that is a LOT to get past...then you will enjoy this film just fine. The role of Sister Mary Clarence is tailor-made for Goldberg..and she really does shine in it. Also...watching this old, eccentric group of nuns sing their buts off is always a lot of fun. B- |
Stay Tuned
Dir: Peter Hyams Stars: John Ritter, Pam Dawber, Jeffrey Jones The Seventh Seal this is not. It isn't even Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. What this is is a drastically terrible "comedy" about a couple that gets sucked into their hellish television only to have to battle for their immortal souls as each channel provides a new challenge. Nothing is funny, nothing is clever, and it is just embarrassing to watch. D- |
OSCARS
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Unforgiven
Dir: Clint Eastwood Stars: Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #118 Not only is this a perfectly executed modern western...but it is a perfect allegory for Clint Eastwood himself...and that raises this work to Masterpiece. Eastwood plays William Munny, an elderly gunslinger with a notorious past, who has hung up his gun because he is too old and he promised his late wife as such. It isn't until a madame who had one of her girls slashed by a bunch of ruffians comes calling that Munny feels that he should come out of retirement to exact revenge. It parallels Eastwood's career because he used to make these westerns all the time...and then he got too old, and then the perfect opportunity came to make this original gem written by David Webb Peoples...so Eastwood saddled back up and did what he does best. While doing so...he arguably made the greater western of all time. A DVD |
Wayne's World
Dir: Penelope Spheeris Stars: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Tia Carrere, Rob Lowe Translating SNL skits to the cinema is tricky business. It works sometimes, as with this franchise, and a handful of others (A Night at the Roxbury, MacGruber), but more times than not it fails. Wayne's World just kind of barely keeps it's head above water with it's great meta attitude and 4th wall breaking. It doesn't quite hit its stride until the second film...but this story about a couple of layabouts who get corporate sponsorship for their stupid little cable access show is pretty damn funny on its own. B DVD |
White Men Can't Jump
Dir: Ron Shelton Stars: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez The rapid fire dialogues and trash talking in this movie is a godsend. As I watch Snipes and Harrelson trade barbs as they try to play basketball, break down race barriers, and hustle people because of those trade barriers...I can't help laughing my ass off. The movie even has the courage to have a few moments of drama where Snipes needs to get out of the ghetto for his family and Harrelson desperately needs his money to pay off a few gangsters. This is a movie that has it all...and Snipes and Harrelson are totally believable in their basketball skills. B+ |
Vegas Vacation
Dir: Stephen Kessler Stars: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid The Griswolds have provided great comedy for years...as their hi-jinx is relatable and recognizable to all of us who have been on vacation with their families. This addition to the franchise is no different...but Clark and Ellen are getting a bit old and bored with their own schtick. Even though there are good laughs to be had...a lot of the time you see the leads, Chase especially, goofing to the camera just a bit too much...like a clown. Clark Griswold is a classic because he is the everyman...not this silly, unrealistic character he seems to have become. B- DVD |
Volcano
Dir: Mick Jackson Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche, Don Cheadle Better than the other volcano movie of 1997, but still not that great. Apparently, a massive volcanic explosion is about to burst forth from under downtown Los Angeles...and only Tommy Lee Jones can save the city. It's really stupid, but at least you get some fun destruction of a populated city. C+ |
OSCARS
Best Actor
Best Adapted Screenplay |
Wag the Dog
Dir: Barry Levinson Stars: Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Anne Heche The brilliance behind this movie is that it paints an outrageously cynical picture while daring you to disagree with it. It was perfectly timed as well. This is a movie about a President accused of sexual misconduct and therefore creates a fake war to distract the public before the election. It came out the weekend after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke and President Clinton was dropping bombs in Bosnia. Every time this movie has the audacity to take its ruse to the next level, like special-effects newsreel footage to a song for the troops, it sticks the landing. I love this movie...and think it is WAY too close to the truth. A DVD |
Wishmaster
Dir: Robert Kurtzman Stars: Robert Englund I really dug this horror movie. Sure it's a bit corny , the acting is laughable, and there are virtually no surprises...but the same can be said for classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. This film is a take on the whole "Be Careful What You Wish For"/Monkey's Paw trope and introduces the Djinn as the villain. The Djinn is great and his voice is phenomenally creepy. And Havinbg Makeup Pioneers Robert Kurtzman and Greg Nicotero behind the mayhem, you get some creatively fantastic kills and gore. This was a lot of fun. B+ |