wardcullum's Reviews

Oil Storm (2005 TV Movie)

4/10

6 June 2005

"Oil Storm" is the latest made-for-TV movie to use what is rapidly becoming a tiresome technique: a faux-documentary retrospective that details the events that led up to a disaster.

The story opens in the near future, Labor Day weekend of this year, and describes a chain reaction that leads to global economic turmoil. Drawing from a collection of worst-case scenarios, the film portrays an America in chaos after the oil supply chain is disrupted. Political efforts to alleviate the problems caused by the oil shortfall predictably fail, and the result is a crisis that makes Americans (at least the ones portrayed in the film) question their reliance on oil.

While some may portray the film as anti-Bush, it feels more anti-oil, anti-conspicuous consumption. Political actions in the movie are framed within the context of the current behavior of many of the major global political players - US, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia - and generally might not be too far off the mark.

The contingency planning and consideration of viable alternatives is simplistic, but thankfully, the writers at least avoid the "Mexico closes the border" cliché. In short, the film is about as interesting as watching a tanker spill cleanup.

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Second String (2002 TV Movie)

5/10

Second Hand

11 August 2003

Warning: Spoilers

** mild spoilers within **

Your level of enjoyment in watching this film will depend to a large degree on how you watch it. The casual football fan who has not seen too many underdog sports films will probably find it enjoyable. As someone who has seen many of the countless similarly-themed films, I thought it was OK, but nothing new (and nothing that had not been done better elsewhere).

Someone who follows the Bills and knows their history of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory may be amused by the way the plot line overlaps with some of the more angst-ridden moments in Bills history (everything but O.J.). Scott Norwood and the Music City Miracle both come in to play.

One ironic component of the film is that the Bills (and Doug Flutie) qualify to play the Chargers in the playoffs. In the off-season after the movie was shot, Flutie left the Bills for the Chargers, and a lot of bad blood flowed between the teams as the result of some back-office dealings.

The script contained holes that were obvious to someone with a more than casual interest in the game. There were some subtle and not-so-subtle flaws in the way the games played out--some decisions just would not have been made as they were in the film. There was also a shocking lack of media hype surrounding the NFL post-season (not that there's anything wrong with that, but it takes away from the realism). Any athlete in Heller's shoes would be surrounded by reporters at every turn (which would have provided an opportunity to explore his ambivalence and growth through the film).

My main problem with the film is that the story line reflects a less than thorough understanding of the game. The subtle flaws and relentless plays on Bills historical references pulled me out of the mood and flow of the story. There was very little original content, and since the plot was pretty predictable, the way the story moves from point A to point B should be cleaner.

Overall, the film was watchable, but nothing special. I saw it in the middle of a sports film marathon on cable, though, and I found most of the other movies more compelling.

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Sweepstakes (1979)

who wants to be a millionaire?

28 July 2003

This short-lived TV series followed the changes in the lives of people after they were the winners of a million dollar sweepstakes. While some of the changes were positive, many guest millionaires found their lives not so great after winning the prize.

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Hot Pursuit (1987)

7/10

the big chase

30 January 2003

The consensus opinion on Hot Pursuit seems to be that the first half is superior to the second half. While I enjoyed this film a lot, I can't argue with the opinion. The tone changes in the middle, and the second half is just not as much fun, though I would still recommend the film as a whole.

John Cusack's character is the focus of this film, and he does his part in carrying the load. His character is preparing for a dream, tropical vacation with his girlfriend and her family, but he learns that he must stay at school after failing an exam. His professor lets him off easy, and he races after his girlfriend, but he misses his flight by a hair. From there, he proceeds to spend the film trying to catch up with the girlfriend and family, trailing just behind as he enlists "local color" to help in his quest.

In the film's second half, the chase grows darker and more serious, and that's where some may find the film not as rewarding. A lot of the 80s era "chase" cliches find their way into Hot Pursuit at this point. The film does eventually recapture its earlier tone, however, and I found the end quite satisfying.

Hot Pursuit provided some noteworthy supporting performances as well. Robert Loggia was solid as a crusty old seaman with whom Cusack spends time in the course of his misadventures. Also look for Ben Stiller (with father Jerry) in his first film role. 7/10

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