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Reviews
The Lion in Winter (2003)
Worth the remake attempt with a stinky queen
How can you beat the original? Certainly not with the worst performance by Glenn Close I've ever seen.
It all just seemed to be off kilter somehow. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers was refreshing as Phillip. Patrick Stewart's makeup was awful. Still well worth watching if you can extract the storyline.
I rated it at 4. What ever happened to the talent of staging, scenery, and proper props? Thank you Hallmark for the attempt.
Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor (2003)
Note the bullet size!
This was a cleanly filmed background story of Benedict Arnold, trapped by conflicting circumstances, and judged harshly by history. The photography was simple, colorful and crisp, although some of the direction gave the characters an overly terse feel. The made for TV movie aspect contributed to its choppiness. Simply told, it helps us to ponder the complexities in early American history.
Dead Silent (1999)
Horrible in all respects...
Rob Lowe must have eaten up the entire budget, but I can't fault him for running with the money. Even he would have to agree, there was nothing good about this movie. Filming, editing, direction, dialogue, sets, makeup, writing, casting (especially the young girl and imposter child psychiatrist), and the story all were just the worst. I have never seen such a horrible movie. Pass this one up for any other rental selection, or find yourself shouting out vile comments at the TV. Dead Silent should be silenced for all time.
Signs (2002)
Similarities to Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds".
SIGNS was about a ball of other things than crop circles or aliens which were really a vehicle for the movie's message about family and coping with your situation. All the characters were genuine with imaginable dialogue. The best thing about it is the things it didn't have. There is no stupid secondary love story added, no portrayal of bratty mouthy disrepectful children, no blood or gore, no techno overload, and no helpless women. Location, sets, script, filming and casting were superb. From the interesting method of credits at the beginning, the special effects were exactly right and in the right quantity to help pull you in without typical overload of most movies. The use of sound and the unseen were most effective. There were plenty of places this movie could have gone, but the package presented was perfect. Of particular note, the movie theater crowd itself seemed very diverse and older with very little audience chatter. Later, I thought this had similarities to Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds".