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Reviews
The Sweetest Thing (2002)
Great comedy, simple, down-to-earth fun.
I loved this movie. I almost didn't see it because I expected it to be a typical romantic comedy chick-flick. Man I'm glad I was wrong. It was good fun to see the tables turned. Also nice to see the women be in the painful R-rated situations for a change (okay, so I have a nasty streak). I find it hard to understand why so many people give this movie such bad reviews. Maybe it's something cultural, since most of the bad reviews seem to come from people in the USA, where many people are still not able to accept the revolutionary notion that women are people too.
So in short, if you're from outside the USA or have half a brain, watch this movie, dare to let yourself go and enjoy some good and pure humour.
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
A scandalous praise of dangerous antisocial behaviour
I saw this movie in sneak preview, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered watching it.
I didn't expect a lot of it... it was even worse.
The whole movie does nothing else than giving people the idea that purpously putting other people in danger can be in any way justified.
I know several people who have lost relatives to a-holes driving dangerously fast just for the heck of it, and this piece of crap is nothing else than an insulting kick in the face to their pain.
To add insult to injury, the story was worthless and the "acting" doesn't deserve the name.
only one possible rating: zip.
Iedereen beroemd! (2000)
Belgian Cinema: it exists.
When I saw this movie in avant-première, I had never heard of it before. But it soon swept me away. At first the story develops a bit like a Flemish version of "The Commitments" or "The Full Monty", but soon, the plot thickens. The second half of the movie is a great mix of action, TV-coverage of this action and comments on this coverage that can rival with "Natural Born Killers". When leaving the theater you know that news doesn't happen, it's made by the media and big producers.
All the while, there is still more than enough room for good character-development and humor. And by avoiding situations which are too Belgian or Dutch to be understood by others, the story can be fully enjoyed by everybody, making this a production that isn't dwarfed by big international productions.
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Stephen, stay out of the Director's Chair!
Of all movies based on Stephen King's Work, whether it's a novel or an original screenplay, in which King is originally involved, this must be one of the worst.
I have seen some bad adaptations of a great story or book, but that's not (always) King's fault. But this work... when I picked it up, I expected that with King in the Big Chair I would be treated with a gem of tension and surprises. Well, the only surprise was that I felt sorry I paid the rent of the video.
If this had been a small budget B-movie from some unknown moviemaker, it wouldn't have been so bad... and if you like B-movie, it can even be an agreeable experience. But from the Master of Horror himself, I would have expected something a little more refined.
The Dead Zone (1983)
Seldom, a movie excels King's work but this one does
Well, as said above, this movie manages to exceed the original work.
"The Dead Zone" is an intriguing psychological thriller, and because of this setting, which is quite unique for King, cinematic techniques are able to convey more than the original written word. Whereas the novel itself tends to drag on in some parts, because of the complex characters and visions, the movie can use quick flashes to show us what we need to know, and nothing more.
Because the real "scary" parts of this movie are all based on character development, and not on the appearance of some gruesome beast, there are no moments where the movie is spoiled by a monster that's not nearly as scary as you envisioned it when reading King's story.
Once again a clear proof that King's more psychological thrillers are written like a screenplay (compare with "Carrie", "Stand by me" or "The Shawshank Redemption")
American History X (1998)
Forget the ratings
This is without a doubt one of the most catching and life-like movies I've ever seen. I saw the movie unprepared, since it was shown at a sneak-preview, so I had no idea what to expect. But it had me at the edge of my seat in no time.
The major roles are very convincing, and the settings are truly believable. Sometimes a little too realistic. I must say that during some of the Neo-Nazi moments, the props made my blood run cold.
However, I'm sorry that there's such a high age-setting. In my view a movie like this one should be shown in all schools all over the world... and the people who should see this are the same impressionable youths the movie rating wants to protect. I'd rather see that they see what hatred can lead to before they're swept away by some racist megalomaniac with smooth words.