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Reviews
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Fascinating, but depressing...
To my surprise, "Girl, Interrupted" was one of the better movies I've seen in 1999, but it's not exactly what you call a "feel-good" movie. When I left the theatre, I felt rather depressed, which shows that the film had an effect on me.
Many critics have compared this film to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", while the only similarity in the two films is its setting. "Girl" takes a life of its own, and becomes a fascinating character study of a young woman trying to live life how she wants to live it. Winona Ryder gives one of her strongest performances as Susanna Kaysen, while Angelina Jolie is brilliant as the sociopath Lisa. Though Ryder and Jolie are the two central characters in the film (with the scene-chewing performances), there are several other supporting characters that we learn to sympathize with as the film progresses.
Though there isn't much Oscar buzz for this one (except for Jolie's performance), I think that Ryder should at least get an Oscar nomination for her daring, original performance. It's been a while since I've seen her do something this good. 8/10
The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993)
Intelligent and thought-provoking satire on the media.
"The Positively True Adventures..." is a surprisingly smart and effective look at how power-hungry and ruthless the media can be on such a small matter. Even though the film looks like a screwball comedy, it's actually a satire not far from the similarly themed "To Die For".
Holly Hunter and Beau Bridges are excellent in their roles, deserving the praise and awards they got for them. Even though the documentary-style outtakes are distracting at first, it shows that Hunter can easily become the character she's portraying.
The last half hour of the film is the best, when the central characters are all being confronted by the media to sell their stories, and most major networks are planning to make a movie. Hunter's character claims that she doesn't want her life to be made into a cheesy TV movie-of-the-week, and it hasn't: it's been made into an intelligent satirical look at the mass media. 8/10.
Showgirls (1995)
It's not THAT bad...
When Showgirls was released, it was welcomed with a barrage of bad reviews, which led it to be the reigning champ of the 1995 Razzie Awards. Following all of the criticism and bad-mouthing, I finally decided to rent it one night with a friend of mine. And I was surprised - it wasn't that bad.
No, I didn't like it for the gratuitous nudity (my friend and I happen to be gay, but that's beside the point). It was so overdone that it has a campy, cult-classic quality to it. Elizabeth Berkeley and Kyle McLachlan were bad in the movie - but they were meant to be bad - it's like a parody of the kinds of people that make a living in Las Vegas. Only Gina Gershon shows any real promise (before anyone heard of her), and now she's building herself to be one of the more promising actresses of the late 90s.
Sure, the writing is horrendous. The direction is lame. (Most of) the acting is laughably amateurish. But I was never bored by the eye-dazzling set designs and the inspired dance numbers. Just expect the worst movie ever made, and "Showgirls" will surprise you. It's not that bad. **1/2 out of ****.
Resurrection (1999)
More than a rip-off of "Se7en"
While I sat through the first half-hour of "Resurrection", all I could think about was how closely it resembled "Se7en". It had the same basic theme: two cops investigating a series of brutal (and unsettlingly gory) murders that follow a common theme. I couldn't help but dismiss it as a pointless, direct-to-video rip-off, but soon I found myself strangely immersed.
"Resurrection" is better than I thought it would be. Once the story started rolling along, I was surprised at how well the movie was made. The suspense scenes are first-rate, the screenplay is smart and intriguing, and the acting is well above average. Though it's not a great movie, it's definitely well worth a watch if you're into the serial-killer subgenre. 7/10
Jawbreaker (1999)
Not as bad as the critics say...
"Jawbreaker" is one of those movies that the critics will immediately hate, no matter what. When it was released, many critics said it was one of the worst films of 1999, but in reality it's not THAT bad. It's not a great film, by all means, but I found it to be fresh, original, and fiercely funny.
Rose McGowan is great at playing a mean-spirited bitch, and she camps it up here. The whole film is campy - intentionally cheesy acting, colourful set designs, hilariously bad dialogue - it all depends on how you take it.
"Jawbreaker" has what it takes to be a cult film - it reminded me a lot of "Nowhere" (the Gregg Araki film), except not as acid-trippy. See it if you dare: you'll love it or hate it. 7/10.
Children of the Corn (1984)
One of King's lower-scale films.
Why everyone calls this one of the scariest films ever made is beyond me. I admit - when I first saw it I was young and it scared me (because it involved violence being committed by, and to children). I watched it again recently and I realized how dopey it really is.
The first half hour, with Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton stumbling across the deserted Nebraska town - was pretty creepy. It's like a ghost town, and Hamilton keeps seeing children running around. Then, the film goes to the pits. The lead bad kid, Malachi, is so cheesily acted that I just laughed instead of shuddered, and the ending is rather stupid (with Hamilton about to be fed to He Who Walks Behind The Rows). Why there's four sequels (to date) is also beyond me. This one's for die-hard King fans only.
The Opposite of Sex (1998)
Look out, Jodie Foster...
Look out, Jodie Foster... there's a new child actress emerging into an excellent adult actress, and her name is Christina Ricci. In a role far from her sweet-tart roles in "Casper", "Now and Then", and "That Darn Cat!", Ricci absolutely OWNS this film as Dedee Truitt - the foul-mouthed 16-year old nymphet who "doesn't have a heart of gold and doesn't grow one later".
Though the screenplay is a bit far-fetched (the story takes place all over the country, and characters always seem to "find" each other anyway), it has some of the sharpest dialogue to come out in years.
Ivan Sergei is hilarious as the oh-so-dumb boyfriend, and Lisa Kudrow takes a respectable dramatic turn (though she still can't shake the Phoebe mannerisms, even with the tied back hair and matured look). But it's Ricci's show all the way.
Rating: 9/10
Female Trouble (1974)
John Waters at his peak...
Though it's one of John Waters' less notorious films, "Female Trouble" finds him at his peak. It's funny without being too sick (as in "Pink Flamingos") and interesting without being too campy (as in "Hairspray").
It's a big technical step up from "Flamingos", and has much better dialogue. Where "Flamingos" had long, boring stretches between the shockingly hilarious scenes, "Female Trouble" is interesting all the way through.
Divine is good, as always, but it's Mink Stole who steals the show as her hyper-active daughter Taffy (I was in stitches when she was squirting ketchup all over herself, playing "car crash"). Edith Massey is also good (well, not good... so bad she's good, I guess I meant) as the bitchy next door neighbour, always dressed in tight, revealing leather clothes. I still want to know where Waters found this woman - she's a hoot!
Rating: 9/10
Deep Impact (1998)
MUCH better than "Armageddon"...
Of the two asteroid-headed-for-Earth movies released in 1998, "Deep Impact" is by far the superior of the two. Where "Armageddon" was an annoyingly over-testosteroned over-patriotic mess, "Deep Impact" takes a human approach. It focuses on normal people's reactions to the fact that their society will soon end once a meteor strikes Earth.
It forces the viewer to think, "What would I do if I learned I only had a few days left to live?". The characters are realistic and the screenplay keeps our interest without having to throw millions of dollars of special effects at the screen to keep our attention span.
The acting is great - any movie that pairs Robert Duvall and Morgan Freeman is worth seeing and Tea Leoni shows a solid dramatic side - and the special effects are amazing (without being over-abundant, like that other movie...).
Highly recommended - I gave this one an 8. (For the record, "Armageddon" got a 2).
Armageddon (1998)
What a horrible movie...
By the time "Armageddon" was about halfway through, I was hoping that the asteroid DID strike Earth and wipe out those damned annoying characters in the movie. When it ended, and its supposed tearjerking ending took the life of Bruce Willis, I cheered. I don't mind Willis ("Die Hard" and "Pulp Fiction" are two of my all-time faves), but in this one he was so annoying I wished I could reach in the TV screen and punch him out, just like most of the other characters.
"Armageddon" is a testosterone-overloaded special-effect-laden mess, with a horrible screenplay and bad direction. The soundtrack is ok (I'm a big Aerosmith fan), and there were 2 characters who I didn't feel like shooting (Billy Bob Thornton and Liv Tyler's characters were close to normal).
Also - I'm Canadian, and I hate these huge American movies (a la "Independence Day") that seem to tell the world, "Without America, you'd all be toast!" - and throw American flags in our faces while blowing up everything in sight.
The thing that gets me is... Thornton won an Oscar in 1996 for writing the screenplay to "Sling Blade". Co-star Ben Affleck won an Oscar in 1997 for co-writing "Good Will Hunting". Couldn't they have worked on the screenplay together to make it better? Don't we deserve at least THAT???
2 out of 10.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
The most shocking cartoon I have ever seen.
I have been a longtime fan of the controversial TV show South Park, and I went to see the feature-length movie the first night it came out. Well, Trey Parker has done it again - shocked me to the point that my jaw almost hit the floor (and I do NOT shock easily).
Even those (myself included) who believe that the show has lost its novelty (the new episodes have kinda sucked lately) - are in for a treat with this one.
"South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut" has absolutely NO barriers in its comedy - it pokes fun at gays, straights, blacks, whites, Jews, Christians, the handicapped... you name it. It even pokes a LOT of fun at Canadians (which I am), which makes it a hilarious free-for-all that is NOT for children or the easily offended.
Most of the characters are here (except Mr. Hankey - a shame, but I can't really see where Parker could have written him in), and there's a LOT of hilarious musical numbers (including the side-splitting Terrance and Phillip song, "Uncle F--ka"). If you think you can handle it, go see this movie by all means. If you're prudish and easily offended, stay home and rent "The Horse Whisperer".