1993 Movies
OSCARS Won/Nominated
IMDB Top 250
IMDB Top 250
OSCARS
Best Art Direction
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Supporting Actress
|
Addams Family Values
Dir: Barry Sonnenfeld Stars: Raul Julia, Angelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Joan Cusack, David Krumholtz, Peter MacNicol, Christine Baranski The first film was a masterstroke in production design, tone, and perverse, macabre humor. This sequel is that on steroids, adding the brilliant Joan Cusack as a serial killer love interest to Uncle Fester. Add the fact that Wednesday and Pugsly have been sent off to rich-kid camp where they don't fit in one iota...this film is just fantastic. You will laugh all the way through and make you really wish they were able to continue the franchise. It was certainly something special. B+ DVD |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Actress
Best Costume Design |
The Age of Innocence
Dir: Martin Scorsese Stars: Daniel Day Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Costume drama adaptation is not the usual Scorsese genre...but it is certainly Scorsese's style. Just as Liotta and Bracco expertly narrated Goodfellas to inform us of Mob life, duty, and relationships, Joanne Woodward poetically informs us about life, duty and relationships in aristocratic 19th Century New York. The dialogue and narration crackle with brilliance and the film is gorgeous to look at. To watch Daniel Day-Lewis suffer through his conflicting desires and sense of propriety is heartbreaking and truly palpable. And the two women in his life are also wonderfully realized and performed. I did feel some of the upper echelon hierarchy and relationships were a bit unclear and the film slows down a bit in the second act...but this is an opulent piece of art that shows us that Scorsese really can tackle and genre he chooses. B+ |
Alive
Dir: Frank Marshall Voices: Ethan Hawke, Vincent Spano, Josh Hamilton The story of the Uruguayan Rugby team crashing in the Andes mountains is infamous for the fact that the players resorted to cannibalism. Well...this movie is patient and mature enough to not exploit that extreme circumstance...in a film FILLED with extreme circumstances. The need for warmth, food, water, and hope is so palpable and frightening that it makes the movie an inspirational tale of survival, not a gross-out, cannibal drama. That fact is incidental, treated respectfully, and even brings a level of understanding...and it bothers the viewer. That's a good thing. B+ |
The Beverly Hillbillies
Dir: Penelope Spheeris Stars: Jim Varney, Cloris Leachman, Diedrich Bader, Erika Eleniak, Dabney Coleman, Lea Thompson, Rob Schneider, Lily Tomlin Obvious humor really bothers me. The original Beverly Hillbillies show was just humor based on poor hillbillies reacting to the rich life and basking in their innocent naïveté. This movie...is exactly that. It is just poor southerners not understanding the ritzy life. The end. Of course there are gold diggers and con artists out to scam them...but I get their cluelessness will work to their benefit. So predictable...and it is a shame because the cast is top notch. The outtakes are hysterical though. D+ DVD |
Body of Evidence
Dir: Uli Edel Stars: Madonna, Willem Dafoe, Joe Mantegna There is no doubt that this movie is incredibly titillating....even an the verge of being pornographic. It is about a sexualized woman being accused of murdering her elder husband through sex. So she has sex with the man investigating her. And the sex keeps getting more and more intense. Sex Sex Sex Sex Sex. It is the only thing the movie has going for it. When the sex starts, the filmakers seem to dig in and pull out their artistry. When it ends...the movie is on boring autopilot. C+ |
CB4
Dir: Tamra Davis Stars: Chris Rock, Phil Hartman Chris Rock was just a comedy rookie when this film came out. He was a riot on SNL doing sketch comedy...and what he did here was take a sketch idea and stretch it into a full length film. Unfortunately, it is a one joke scenario, where a bunch of loser black kids pretend they are hardcore gangsta rappers for street credit and become huge. It is a mockumentary whose premise is funny, but it can't sustain itself. C- |
OSCARS
Best Sound Effects Editing
Best Sound Best Visual Effects |
Cliffhanger
Dir: Renny Harlin Stars: Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Michael Rooker If it weren't for the breathtaking action and direction, then the grade for this film would be a lot worse. The story is idiotic, the dialogue is incredibly cheesy, and the acting is as hammy as one can imagine. But when Stallone is climbing the mountain and the camera is swooping around, giving you vertigo, and frightening you with is incredible believability...you forgive those ridiculous shortcomings. B- DVD |
Coneheads
Dir: Steve Barron Stars: Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtain, Michael McKean, David Spade, Chris Farley The central concept of the Coneheads, where a bunch of aliens try to pass themselves off as humans, and they fool everyone, but there is absolutely no reason they should be fooling them...gets old pretty quick. But, it seems like every single comedian of the time is in this film...and each of their brief encounters with Beldar and Prymatt are very funny. Jon Lovitz, Sinbad, Jan Hooks, Kevin Nealon, Michael Richards, Adam Sandler, Phil Hartman, Dave Thomas, Jason Alexander, Julia Sweeney...they all bring it. B- |
Cool Runnings
Dir: John Turtletaub Stars: John Candy, Leon, Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba There is a great joke in Family Guy where the family is in the car and they are playing a guessing game. Lois says it's a movie. Peter asks if it's a good movie. Lois's respons is "It has its moments". Peter IMMEDIATELY guesses Cool Runnings. It perfectly exhibits this harmless Disney Sports comedy. It doesn't take any chances or throw you any curves...it just lays out the journey to the Olympics of the Jamaican Bobsled Team from point A to point B. Point B is a gloriously over-the-top finale that everyone loves. It is a movie everyone enjoys...but it is incredibly safe. B |
The Crush
Dir: Alan Shapiro Stars: Alicia Silverstone, Cary Elwes Alicia Silverstone was a sexual icon at this time because of her appearances in the Aerosmith videos. Even though she was young, she was an object of lust for millions of men. This movie is an incredibly obvious cash grab based on that frenzy. She is a sexual bombshell teenager who is lusting after the middle-aged man who is renting her parents' apartment, but when he properly resists her advances, she sets out to ruin his life. The end. It will go exactly the way you think. C |
OSCARS
Best Original Screenplay
|
Dave
Dir: Ivan Reitman Stars: Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Charles Grodin, Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ben Kingsley, Ving Rhames What a wonderful movie...and one that really exemplifies how good Kevin Kline is...and he has had some incredible roles. The story is a simple Prince and the Pauper situation, whereby a poor schlub is hired to double as the president and that job is extended when the President suffers a debilitating stroke. What follows has a lot of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington idealism that really tugs at the national heartstrings. It has the big ideas where the everyman can fix what is broken in Washington...and then it has the small ideas where life in the public eye can really drive people to cynicism. A bullseye from beginning to end. A Bluray |
Demolition Man
Dir: Marco Brambilla Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Denis Leary, Nigel Hawthorne, Bob Gunton, Rob Schneider I am a huge fan of this movie. It is one of those great Rip Van Winkle stories where the brutish cop wakes up in the future and crime is but a thing of the past. The comedy, the action, and the social commentary are all right on the money. Snipes is menacing but he is as one-dimensional a villain as you can have. The movie really shines when it is focused on the crooked savior of the city and Denis Leary's character. This movie really exhibits how strange, perverse, and disturbing the attempt at utopia can be...all while making you laugh. B+ DVD |
Dennis the Menace
Dir: Nick Castle Stars: Walter Matthau There is a reason Dennis the Menace was a successful comic strip...because his hijinks were only tolerable in small bits. This movie...about a little shit who terrorizes his neighbor, isn't funny. It's just incredibly irritating. Matthau is a great choice for Mr. Wilson...but who cares. D |
Ethan Frome
Dir: John Madden Stars: Liam Neeson, Patricia Arquette This story about a romance developing at the expense of a ill, debilitated woman is really depressing to the point that it ceases to be enjoyable. Some sad movies are enjoyable in their sadness, but this is just a slog. Everyone is depressing, even in their budding, forbidden relationship...and if it weren't for such good performances...it would have been a harrowing disaster. C+ |
Falling Down
Dir: Joel Schumacher Stars: Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey The brilliance of this movie is that it lets the audience live vicariously through Michael Douglas as he tries to right society's wrongs. Douglas is perfectly intense as he goes postal on everyone that pisses him off. The pot gets hotter and hotter until it seems to be about to boil over. It is exciting, funny, and just incredibly satisfying. B+ |
Fatal Instict
Dir: Carl Reiner Stars: Armand Assante, Sean Young, Kate Nelligan, Christopher McDonald. Carl Reiner is not a great director...and this film looks pretty amateur...but the man is funny, he knows whats funny, and quality filmmaking is not terribly important in a spoof movie. The spoofing IS solid though, but the cop/lawyer spoofing falls short of The Naked Gun...but Basic Instinct, Sleeping With the Enemy, Fatal Attraction...they are all ripe for parody and this movie will make you laugh plenty. B- DVD |
Fire in the Sky
Dir: Robert Lieberman Stars: Robert Patrick, DB Sweeney, Peter Berg, Henry Thomas The investigative mystery behind this movie, based on the real-life story of the apparent abduction of a Arizona logger, is top notch and interesting. But...the abduction scenes, are simply the scariest alien scenes I have ever scene. It is 100% an archetype...with the surgical-room-type atmosphere, the big eyed-big headed aliens, and the horror of experimentation. But it is so vicerally frightening that it is literally the highest bar that I compare every other abduction horror to...and they all fail. This is the gold standard. B+ DVD |
OSCARS
Best Supporting Actress
Best Original Score |
The Firm
Dir: Sydney Pollack Stars: Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Wilford Brimley, Ed Harris Too often, I think a film's pedigree blinds people to the quality of the actual product. This movie starred one of the biggest movie stars, had an exquisite director at the helm, had a great supporting cast, and adapted a John Grisham novel. So a young lawyer joins a powerful firm and learns they are a bit dark? Well...no shit. Why does it take 150 minutes to tell this story. It is far too long and far too familiar...but the talent that is up on the screen does make it a bit palpable. B- |
Free Willy
Dir: Simon Wincer Stars: Jason James Richter, Lori Petty, Michael Madsen I know this movie is pretty iconic, and it is epic in its presentation...but I never really bought into it. The premise of a young kid becoming obsessed with freeing an Orca from captivity is pretty obvious...and the story is told as an incredible sapfest. Also...movies where the finale and resolution are foregone conclusions often make the entire viewing endeavor pointless. Oh well. C |
OSCARS
|
The Fugitive
Dir: Andrew Davis Stars: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Julianne Moore We all know that Harrison Ford can pull off high-octane action in his sleep. But what this film does so right is that they remember that he is an affluent, brilliant surgeon. So while the action is racing along, at the center of it is a very smart, capable man, and while he uses his wits to avoid the authorities, he is also trying to solve the actual mystery surrounding his wife's death. It is such a great story told in such a pitch perfect way. I think the fact that the only Oscar this film got was Tommy Lee Jones...who is fine but incredibly one-dimensional...is a bit silly...but this is a great actioner. A- DVD |
The Good Son
Dir: Joseph Ruben Stars: Macauley Culkin, Elijah Wood Very few child actors has the chops to continue their careers. Culkin was a star simply because he was a cute kid thrown into the middle of a John Hughes comedy, Home Alone. Here...he tries to expand his reach into thriller territory with a story about a kid becoming more and more violent toward his cousin. Wood is believable as the scared, desperate party...but Culkin is laughable as the villain. The whole thing is just stupid. C- |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Original Screenplay
|
Groundhog Day
Dir: Harold Ramis Stars: Bill Murray, Andie McDowell, Chris Elliot, Stephen Tobolowsky 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die This movie is flat-out brilliant. Bill Murray has never been batter as a disillusioned weatherman who is trapped in Punxatawney, PA to relive the titular day, over and over again. The philosophy, the themes, the comedy, the drama...it just ALL seems to work. If you were in the same position...you would go through the exact same process as Phil Connors, where you use the situation to benefit, then slip into despair, then into apathy, and then into acceptance...and the journey is wonderful. This is a yearly must in February...and it will always be my favorite Murray. A DVD |
Grumpy Old Men
Dir: Donald Petrie Stars: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann Margaret The reason this comedy works so well is because Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau don't play caricatures of old men...they play real, recognizable characters that almost everyone in the audience can relate to...as we have all had grandfathers almost exactly like this. To watch these two go back and forth is a true joy, and when Ann Margaret shows up and neither of them know what to do..it is just a delight. They are mortal enemies, but when it counts...they are the best of long-time friends...and it is heartfelt. Watch out for Burgess Meredith...as he steals every single scene he is in. B DVD |
Hocus Pocus
Dir: Kenny Ortega Stars: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimi Unfortunately, this is not a movie I ever grew up with, so I don't have the unrequited love for it that a lot of people do. The three leads are certainly wonderful, but this is one of those films that are not quite funny enough to be a great comedy and not quite scary enough to be a superb Halloween movie. Its fine...but I am in the minority of those being pretty apathetic toward it. B- |
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
Dir: Duwayne Dunham Voices: Don Ameche, Michael J. Fox, Sally Field Talking animal movies are a dime a dozen...and movies about pets in danger with the consciousness of humans can be upsetting...but this film is pretty enjoyable. Shadow, Chance, and Sassy are the three pets, a Golden Retriever, a Pit Bull mix, and a Himalayan cat, are lost in the wilderness and need to find their way home. It is that simple. I like this kind of movie where the animals are just filmed with a voice-over...so much more then when they animate the mouths. The dogs are cute, the adventure is fun, and you will definitely cry. I cry every single time. B- |
Hot Shots Part Deux
Dir: Jim Abrahams Stars: Charlie Sheen, Valeria Golino, Lloyd Bridges Jim Abrahams is a funny guy, and his Hot Shot movies are a good time...but they pale in comparison to the films he did with the Zuckers (Airplane, The Naked Gun). This time around, he brings Topper Harley, and he is inexplicably not a fighter pilot anymore...he is effectively Rambo...and he is off on a mission in Iraq. There are some great jokes...there are some duds...but there are SO MANY jokes...that enough of them hit to keep the laughs coming. B- DVD |
Indecent Proposal
Dir: Adrian Lyne Stars: Robert Redford, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson Predictability is one of the worst things for me in cinema. A movie can be otherwise completely competent, but if it is predictable...I really get annoyed. Such is Indecent Proposal. The trailers gave us the premise, where a millionaire offers $1 Million to a couple if he can spend the night with the wife. Now, if you have never seen the film, I implore you to write a beat by beat outline of what you think the movie is...and I am 90% sure you will be right. When things are so obvious, and feeling and emotions are so telegraphed...I just feel like yelling out "DUH!" when I should be having an emotional response. It really is a shame because this movie is otherwise really well made. C+ |
OSCARS
Best Sound Effects Editing
Best Sound Best Visual Effects KEVIN'S PICK
Best Picture
Best Sound Effects Editing Best Sound Best Visual Effects Best Original Score |
Jurassic Park
Dir: Steven Spielberg Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Samuel L. Jackson 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #184 Steven Spielberg, more than any other filmmaker, has given us magical cinema. For my money...it was never more perfect, with a possible argument for Raiders of the Lost Ark, then it was with Jurassic Park. There is not a single misstep in this glorious masterpiece. It taps into the childlike wonder and imagination, the monetary/philanthropic excitement, and sheer, primordial terror in ways that no other movie even comes close. It has the story, it has the perfect effects (perfect even 25 years later), one of John Williams most perfect scores, and just perfect tone, pacing, and direction. Anecdotally, I remember being sick to my stomach with paralyzing fear as I sat in the theater when I was 13 years old and that T-Rex was escaping. I have never felt that way since. A+ Bluray |
Leprechaun
Dir: Mark Jones Stars: Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, Whoever thought this was a good idea should be fired. Leprechauns are mythical figures of mischief, so to try to shoehorn them into a slasher horror role makes no sense. So unwitting idiots take some gold coins, the Lerechaun wants them back, and will kill everyone to get them. Maybe with better effects to animate the Leprachaun so it can fly and rapidly jerk here and there may have made it menacing, but this is just poor Warwick Davis in a LOT of makeup, which is impressive, hobbling around and pretending he is scary. Has a bit of cheese factor to it but it is still bad. D DVD |
Loaded Weapon 1
Dir: Gene Quintano Stars: Emilio Estevez, Samuel L. Jackson, William Shatner, Tim Curry, Kathy Ireland It's time to spoof Lethal Weapon. Meh. It's fine. There are a decent amout of jokes that hit, but the only actor here that seems comfortable with the spoof style and tone is William Shatner. He is hysterical...but Estevez and Jackson just feel like everything is being forced. C |
Look Who's Talking Now
Dir: Tom Ropelewski Stars: John Travolta, Kirstie Alley The original Look Who's Talking wasn't a masterpiece...but it certainly got by on a lot of wholesome charm. Then they tried to add another kid with Roseanne's voice and it failed. Now...for some reason...they want to add dogs. Why? We don't even care about these characters, or the franchise...so why this waste of time? I have no idea. D |
The Meteor Man
Dir: Robert Townsend Stars: Robert Townsend What in god's name is this nonsense? I didn't know who Robert Townsend was back then, and I still have no idea who he is, but he made this ego-stroking piece of trash about a teacher who gets stuck by a meteor, becomes a superhero, and fights the neighborhood gangs. If it had any sense of itself, it may have got by as a movie that is purposefully bad, like Sharknado. But it thinks it is Richard Donner's Superman, so it is supremely awful. D- |
OSCARS
Best Makeup
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Makeup
|
Mrs. Doubtfire
Dir: Chris Columbus Stars: Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan This movie would never be able to be made today. It would certainly get the label "transphobic" because most of the comedy relies only on the fact that a man is dressed as a woman. Evn back in '93...that joke got a bit old...but this really exhibits, again, how talented and seemingly effortless Robin Williams is. Under a mesmerizing make-up job...Williams commands the screen with such verve and breathlessness that it is nearly impossible not to have a great time. B |
Much Ado About Nothing
Dir: Kenneth Branagh Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Kristen Scott Thomas, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Keanu Reeves Fresh off his great Henry V, Kenneth Branagh tackles his next Shakespeare story. This is a whimsical tale of love, star-crossed love, unrequited love, and all sorts of sappy, cutesy silliness. It is perfectly pleasant and fun...but it isn't until '95, when Branagh wallops us with his Iago and his Hamlet masterpiece. He is much better in his heavy drama...this light-hearted stuff, while nice, is almost beneath him in a way since we all know what he can accomplish. B |
My Life
Dir: Bruce Joel Rubin Stars: Michael Keaton, Nicole Kidman This movie will make you cry...I mean how can it not? It is about a man who finds out he has terminal cancer with a very quick prognosis right when he finds out that his wife is pregnant. Watching a father make videos for his unborn son because he won't be around is devastating...and this movie leans on this melodrama WAY too much. There are bits and pieces here and there about Chinese Medicine and out-of-body like experiences...but the movie seems simply insistent on its central premise...which will make the masses tear up. B- |
OSCARS
Best Visual Effects
|
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Dir: Henry Selick Sometime's a movie's artistry and technical mastery is what floors me. This movie is a marvel to look at. Often times, to me, stop-motion animation comes across as too much effort for too little payoff. I was just wowed by this one. While being thoroughly impressed by what the filmmakers pulled off...they did it by telling a great Christmas/Halloween mashup story and brought the classic, gothic, Burton/Elfman giddiness into the fray. It just seems to be firing on all cylinders...and can easily become a perennial October or December enjoyment. B+ DVD |
The Pelican Brief
Dir: Alan J. Pakula Stars: Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington Another John Grisham adaptation, this time with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. Think about that, and it is directed by the guy who did Sophie's Choice and All the President't Men...and this is the bland, simplistic actioner that comes out of it. It has some moments of interest...but it is just the usual lawyers doing lawyer things and pretending to be shocked when bad people do bad things. C+ |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actor Best Original Song |
Philadelphia
Dir: Jonathan Demme Stars: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Robards, Antonio Banderas 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die "Acting tour-de-force" is a term thrown around so much that it sort of loses all meaning. But I want to use it here...because this movie really is just that. Hanks is amazing as Andrew Beckett, a man suing his law firm for wrongfully terminating him because he was gay...and this is besides the massive weight-loss he went through. He is simultaneously strong, weak, vulnerable, and fearsome...and you can't ever look away. The unsung hero is Denzel, who brings such subtlety to his built-in bigotry that he seems to be excruciatingly burying in order to persue justice. This is a wonderful, important film that not only exhibits the horrors of having AIDS, but really shows how evil homophobia can be...even if it rears its ugly head unconsciously. A- DVD |
The Program
Dir: David S. Ward Stars: James Caan, Halle Berry, Omar Epps, Kristy Swanson This is a pretty fun football movie, with a bit of depravity to exhibit the dark side of college football...but it is a rarity of sports movies because you really don't care about the team's success...nor do you care about the main character's success. Craig Sheffer as the Heisman worthy quarterback with a drinking problem? Who cares? His relationship with Kristy Swanson? Don't care. James Caan as the head coach? Well acted but ultimately irrelevant. It is the supporting roles of Omar Epps as the rookie runningback, Duane Davis as the all-american linebacker who only has football, and Andrew Bryniarski as the roided out defensiveman. These three stories hold your attention and actually take you through a gauntlet of emotions...but as an entire package...the movie comes up short. B- |
Rising Sun
Dir: Philip Kaufman Stars: Sean Connery, Wesley Snipes, Harvey Keitel Another bland, buddy-cop thriller where all is not as it seems. There are just so many of these things and none of them try to do anything special. This time, an escort is found dead in a Japanese business building...and all is not as it seems. It has also aged TERRIBLY. Wait...people can manipulate photos and videos to make them appear as one wants them to? NO WAY!!! C |
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Dir: Mel Brooks Stars: Cary Elwes, Dave Chappelle, Richard Lewis, Roger Rees, Amy Yasbeck Mel Brooks has never, and will never reach the perfection of his 1974 with Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. That being said...this movie is damn funny. Cary Elwes is effectively playing his The Princess Bride character and transplanting him into spoof. Many of the jokes are a bit too broad to be funny...but there are a hell of a lot of belly laughs here...and it is all so light-hearted. One of my favorite movie-going experiences of all time involve this movie and my dad. I can still hear my dad coughing and losing his breath from laughing so hard at the fight on the bridge between Robin and Little John. It holds a special place in my movie-going heart. B Bluray |
Romper Stomper
Dir: Geoffrey Wright Stars: Russell Crowe 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Being a Nazi skinhead is bad. And these hooligans acting in the ways that Nazi skinheads would will lead to their cummupence and their downfall. This movie is a huge "well...no shit!" movie. Maniacs acting like idiots and attacking the local Asians can never turn out well...as it has never turned out well for any bigot group in history. This movie just shows their problems mounting and them running for their lives and their freedom. Are we supposed to root against them because they are skinheads? Or are we supposed to root for them since they are the protagonists in a perverse storytelling way? The movie never gives us that focus and it feels like a 90-minute asshole fest. It is intense for sure...but all for naught. C |
Rookie of the Year
Dir: Daniel Stern Stars: Thomas Ian Nicholas, Gary Busey, Daniel Stern Sure, this movie gets a bit of mileage out of the childhood baseball fantasy of playing in the big leagues. It handles those scenes of a young kid trying to pitch for the Cubs pretty well. But the film is AWFULLY acted...all around. Gary Busey as the aging pitcher? It's nonsense. And it isn't even surrealistically funny. That all being said. Every scene that Daniel Stern's psychotic pitching coach is on screen is hilarious. C |
Rudy
Dir: David Anspaugh Stars: Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty, Charles S. Dutton The best sports films are not actually about the sport. They are about the love, passion, and determination surrounding that sport and the viewer can project themselves on the character and relate it to their own lives. Rudy is one of the most sublime examples of this. Sean Astin shines like he never has portraying the true story about a small kid whose only dream is to play football for Notre Dame. He doesn't have the physical prowess or the smarts...but he will stop at nothing to achieve his dream...and every solitary second of his journey is life-affirming, heart-warming, and inspirational. This is just a fantastic story that will make you cry, cheer, and just feel great inside. A DVD |
The Sandlot
Dir: David Mickey Evans Stars: Tom Guiry, Karen Allen, Denis Leary, James Earl Jones All this movie is is a baseball oriented version of The Goonies. A great cross-section of characters, being kids, talking and acting like kids do, with a very specific goal in mind that brings them on many silly adventures. This film is so Americana that it practically oozes Apple Pie and Coca-Cola. It is funny, cute, and just a nostalgia fest. I was a young kid playing baseball, and I can relate to nearly everything these kids get themselves in to. B DVD |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Director
Best Adapted Screenplay Best Editing Best Cinematography Best Art Direction |
Schindler's List
Dir: Steven Spielberg Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #6 Without fear of hyperbole, this is one of the most important films ever made. Never before had the horrors and emotions of the Holocaust been so emotionally poignant, devastatingly clear, and ethically confusing. We all know how terrible concentration camps were...but to see it through the Spielberg/Kamiski lens tears at your heart and hollows out your sole. Elie Weisel was famous for saying the the most horrible thing in the worls is indifference...so having Oskar Schindler at the forefront wondering if he could have done more to save Jews from persecution is a great fulcrum for the story. Mesmerizingly wonderful and perfectly executed. We know Spielberg is the master of popcorn blockbusters...but here he shows he is one of the best auteurs of all time as well. A DVD |
OSCARS
Best Cinematography
|
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Dir: Steven Zaillian Stars: Joe Mantegna, Ben Kingsley, Joan Allen, Laurence Fishburne, William H. Macy One of my favorite family dramas, which takes place in the world of a young chess prodigy but is more about the problems and pitfalls about nurturing natural talent of a young man, whatever that may be. The chess stuff is exciting...and watching Josh learn the ins and outs of grandmaster level chess is on par with Karate Kid/Mr. Miyagi stuff. But when Josh's parents, and mainly Joe Mantegna, are trying to do their best with something they barely understand...the movie is glorious. There is a scene where Joe Mantegna talks about wishing he was half as good at anything in his life as Josh is good at chess...it is simultaneously wonderful and heartbreaking. This shows how even a chess movie can be near-perfect. A DVD |
Sidekicks
Dir: Aaron Norris Stars: Jonathan Brandis, Chuck Norris, Joe Piscopo, Beau Bridges, Danica McKellar Man, this is a terrible movie. It is almost LITERALLY a remake of The Karate Kid and is even worse than The Karate Kid Part 3. Brandis is an asthmatic kid, who is bullied, and fantasizes about fighting alongside Chuck Norris (the actual person, Chuck Norris). So an elderly Asian man teaches him martial arts, enters him into a competition, and he learns the facts of life through his training. Piscopo plays a looney tunes version of the evil sensei which may make you laugh in spite of yourself...but it is all so derivative and stupid. D |
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
Dir: Bill Duke Stars: Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Maggie Smith So Sister Act was a charming success. So let's remake it with down-on-their-luch high-schoolers instead of a nun-populated church choir, and call it a sequel. Ugh...it is so frustrating. Whoopi is always fun to watch...but we saw all this crap last year. C- |
OSCARS
Best Original Screenplay
Best Original Song |
Sleepless in Seattle
Dir: Nora Ephron Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan Not really my cup of tea...because the sad stuff felt sappy and forced and the happy stuff felt saccharine and corny. But there is something to be said about the grieving process and the dynamic of infatuation. Hanks and Ryan are both very good...but they were better when they met up years later in You've Got Mail. C+ |
So I Married an Axe Murderer
Dir: Thomas Schlamme Stars: Mike Myers, Nancy Travis, Anthony LaPaglia I just don't think I like Mike Meyers. He is often the most unfunny thing in his movies...even if I like them. I think he is a better writer than an actor...because whenever he is on screen...he feels like he is forcing the comedy so hard. The same goes for this movie about a loser who suspects his girlfriend has killed her old flames. And for me, it gets worse when he starts in with the grandfather with the Scottish accent schtick. It is as if he is screaming at the audience...I AM FUNNY!!!!! C |
Son in Law
Dir: Steve Rash Stars: Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino It is so easy to hate on Pauly Shore. He is an insane person whose only schtick is acting like a complete, idiotic asshole. Well...when the character is supposed to be a complete, idiotic asshole...the movie kind of works. So is this movie. Country farm girl goes to California for college and befriends Pauly Shore...and brings him home for Thanksgiving...hijinks ensue. It certainly isn't high art but the way these country bumpkins react to his shenanigans is a lot of fun. B- |
Strictly Ballroom
Dir: Baz Luhrmann Stars: Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die The world depicted in this film is incredibly ridiculous. Ballroom dancing is everything. It is life. Nothing else...and I mean NOTHING else matters. With Baz Luhrmann at the helm, the film is infectiously fun...filled with comedy, absurdity, and of course, wonderful dancing. Just as the characters in Moulin Rouge are larger than life...everything in this film is over the top. It is as if winning a seemingly pointless local dancing comeptition defines the universe. I have to say though, as you are invited to witness the dancing microcosm of this film, you can't help but be thrilled. Such a fun, unique experience...and I laughed a lot in spite of myself. B |
Striking Distance
Dir: Rowdy Herrington Stars: Bruce Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Denis Farina Bruce Willis is one of the greatest action stars of all time. This movie knows it, and like many other throwaway action films...it thinks that just having Bruce Willis on the screen is enough. It helps...but it isn't enough. There is a lot of nonsense about his father being murdered and a cop conspiracy...but let's face it. All this movie is is that a bunch of know-nothing producers wanted John McClane again...but this time lets use a lot of boats. C- |
Super Mario Brothers
Dir: Annabel Jankel & Rocky Morton Stars: Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper This movie is astonishing...in the absolute worst of ways. Of course it makes sense to make a live action Mario Brothers movie...as Mario is one of the most internationally famous fictional characters of all time. But I don't know what this is supposed to be. They are in another dimension, the goombas are weird lizard aliens, King Koopa and his motivations make no sense...and someone thought it was a good idea to name our heroes Mario Mario and Luigi Mario. What the hell? The only reason it isn't an F is because it is certainly a sight to behold...to see such incredible misfires at every turn imaginable. D- |
Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould
Dir: Francois Girard Stars: Colm Feore 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Very odd and wonderfully preformed by Colm Feore and ultimately an adequate performance-like production about the strange, brilliant pianist. Gives bits and pieces about Gould without really telling a full story story, which I guess is sort of the point. That’s it. B+ |
Wayne's World 2
Dir: Stephen Surjik Stars: Mike Meyers, Dana Carvey, Christopher Walken, Tia Carrere Wayne's World was perfectly fine, but really shined when it went of the rails and turned meta. Well...the sequel is far superior and it is the epitome of meta. Sure...there is a story about throwing a woodstock-like concert in Aurora, Illinois...but it is the intermittent sketch-style scenes that get funnier and funnier. Ralph Brown's Del Preston is the funniest part of the movie. The various movie references always hit the bullseye. And don't even get me started on the Garth/Kim Basinger love story....pure brilliance. I love this movie...it is so weirdly satisfying. B+ DVD |
Weekend at Bernie's II
Dir: Robert Klane Stars: Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman Again, not every damn movie needs a sequel. Weekend at Bernie's was supremely stupid but had enough charm to squeak by as a semi-classic cult-comedy. How to make a sequel? Put a voodoo curse on Bernie's corpse so it walks around. It is as dumb and pointless as you think it is. D+ |