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Reviews
American Beauty (1999)
Quite Possibly, the worst movie of 1999.
It's incredible how much this movie is overrated. It was like an R-rated sitcom filled with preachy messages throughout. Here is what I got from the movie: Family life sucks, so instead of living a traditional family lifestyle quit your job, smoke pot, workout, and live your old highschool dreams that you've always wanted. Forget your family, you are more important than anyone else. Well, this isn't La-La land for everyone, Mr. Mendes.
Kevin Spacey plays a 90s version of Al Bundy. His wife's character is so over the top and unbelievable it's unintentionally funny. His daughter hates her life and her parents for the sake of it. We the audience are supposed to cheer and root for Spacey's character as he lusts after his daughter's high school and underaged friend. There is even a mix up of "who's gay!" just like in an episode of "Friends" with a conclusion that is so unbelievable. I guess I just don't "get it" as just about everyone praises this movie as one of the best of 99. Ooh, courageous filmmaking! Such taboo subject matter is brought up! And the rose petals, what do they symbolize I wonder? Who cares.
Ok Mr. Mendes, I get it. Life sucks already, thanks for letting us know. I'll go and quit my job and blow my savings on a '66 Mustang and work at a local burger joint. Hey, it'll create some funny situations and I can use some witty dialogue in them.
RoboCop (1987)
Criterion Collection DVD version
Wow, I love this movie so much. I just bought the Criterion DVD edition and it is worth every penny. Lots of cool extras (audio commentary, storyboards, etc) and the violent scenes are now uncut bloodier and more gruesome than before! This is my favorite film Paul Verhoeven has made, with Total Recall as a close #2.
Hidden underneath all the ultra-violence and comic-book-style special effects there is a brilliant satire of what America was about in the 1980s. The acting very underrated as each actor gives a colorful performance which suits their characters perfectly. Ronny Cox plays a great villan and I can't understand why he is never used much in other movies. The entire cast is great. Peter Weller is the perfect choice to play Robocop. The music score and sound are done very well, and a real treat to experience on a home theater system.
One of my favorite movies, and one of the best Science Fiction movies I've ever seen. They just don't make movies like this anymore and forget about the sequels to this too.
Troll 2 (1990)
I watch this movie every day...
Everytime I walk out of a movie theater, no matter what movie I had just seen, I always think to myself, "this was no troll 2..." No movie since has been made that has left such an impact on me as a serious film critic. Why is this movie so great? Unlike 99% of movies out today, Troll 2 accomplishes something most movies don't even come close to and usually fail at, it's entertaining.
This movie has no relation to the original Troll and that is a good thing. The reason it was named Troll 2 is a mystery much like how Tarantino's movie, Reservior Dogs, has everyone guessing why it was named as that. Unfortunately, the director, Joe D'Amato, has taken that secret to the grave with him. The plot, every scene, every bit of dialouge, the acting, the costume and makeup, the music (especially the opening credits --classic), and every little detail of this movie captures your attention leaving you in awe from beginning to end. The movie is about a family who decides to go on a vacation in the small town of Nilbog despite protest from Joshua, the young son and hero of the movie, who was warned from his deceased grandfather about cruel deformed forest dwellers who live in Nilbog. As with most parents of the babyboomer generation, Joshua's pleads are not only ignored, but mocked and ridiculed. The family, needless to say, goes on with the planned schedule and the adventure begins.
One might criticize the casting of this movie. I'd rather have "regular people" in this movie, ("regular people" meaning the demeaning term used by arrogant movie star celebrities which refer to us, the people who aren't movie star celebrities), as this cast in Troll 2 has more personality than any overpaid, silicone enhanced, plastic surgery addicted, tabliod covering, tanning salon using, church of scientologist following, teen movie drama appearing, "actor" out there. Watching the cast is memorizing, especially how they react to the goblin threat.
I could go on forever about this movie, I apologize for the rambling. Go and see this movie, find it, rent it, you will be introduced to a whole new experience you probably have never have had. Until Troll 1.5 or Troll 3, I'm going to defend Troll 2 as a true unique movie experience unlike anything else. Groundbreaking filmaking...Troll 2...Cue the goblin music!