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seakman4
Reviews
Sideline Secrets (2006)
It take a lot for me to actually write a bad review. BE WARNED!!
THIS FILM IS LAME, LAME, LAME!!!!! It takes a lot to bring me to over-exaggeration about a movie, but this movie stunk up my house!! I haven't even finished the movie yet and I had to stop to comment on how bad this movie is. I'VE NEVER DONE THAT!! As a consumer, do not spend your money on this film. Wait until it comes out on a cable channel or something. It's barely TV worthy. I REALLY HATE TRASHING A MOVIE, BUT THIS MOVIE IS TRASH! Barely above porn. Should have and X rating! Good plot, some frontal nudity (if that floats your boat), but HORRIBLE high school level acting. Don't know how this movie received distribution. (Must have been a contractual thing.) Really, if you really like watching good movies, don't waste you time with this one. From one movie lover to another. YOU WILL BE MAD AT YOURSELF! Let me say this as well, if you've been through something like this perhaps you can relate and it will have some value for you. In that case I say watch it, you may take something away from it, if not just seeing something that's happened to you being acted out by someone else (has therapeutic value).
FAQs (2005)
Low, low, low budget.
Had a free movie rental coupon, was in a hurry, and picked this movie out. Sounded like a good story and, over all, it was. But it took soooo much to get through this movie because of the acting.
The two key characters, India and Destiny, were the strongest performances and thats not saying a whole lot. When India first meets Destiny I thought I was watching "Jackie Brown" or "Christie Love", come to someone's rescue. It was so retro and amateurish, something, I feel, a few more takes could have solved. Clearly, from watching other scenes, these actors were able to deliver convincing performances, but for whatever reason the director settled.
The same can be said for the sex scenes. Some were great while others were mediocre at best. Yes, there was a good deal of flesh and as someone else commented the guys looked like your everyday "joe" hot guy and not some groomed, tanned, perfectly figured porn guy. This gave the movie a reality feel, which also kept me watching. I felt like these were people I could relate to, touch, walk with (be apart of my life).
But the thing that held me the most was the message of the movie. Now, of course, I can't tell you what that is, but suffice it to say that as the movie unfolds the message, like a painting out of a cylinder container, is layed out. Even though its done in an idealist, and somewhat corny, way.
In a nutshell, worthy material, with some good, and some bad scenes. Good amount of nudity, if you're into that.
I'll keep an eye out for future movies by this director/writer. Hopefully with a bigger budget and maybe more time another good story, with better performances, will go to theatre.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Incredible
Finally had the chance to see this movie. Though it didn't live up to the complete hype the media was giving it, but it was an exceptional movie. Apparently many others thought so as well. (Everytime I went by the theater where it was showing the parking lot was full, even the early matinées.) The three main characters were great. Between Heath and Jake, I thought Jake was more convincing, as a man yearning for the man that he loved and wanted; and dealing with it in his own way during the times he couldn't be with him.
This is one of those movies where the tormenting pain of love is expressed in a way not often seen. I think it reaches people who are in love or who've loved and lost. And I mean REALLY been in love with someone to the point that when they're around they are the focal point and everything and everyone else is out of focus. This movie brought back some memories that I'm glad to have.
Ethan Mao (2004)
The cover of the DVD case was better.
Saw this at the video store and thought I'd give it a try. Sounded like a good story and the cover looked good. That was it. The characters looked good, and the actor who played "Noel", was the most convincing, though he didn't have any heavy time in the movie. I find it really hard to give a movie a bad rating, but this is one, in a minute number, that gets it my book. As the movie went along I kept wanting it to get better but to no avail. Asthetically, it was good. The sound and lighting was good, but the acting in this film killed it for me. It was like watching a low grade soap opera. I just kept saying, "I can't believe they released this move like this". I paused several times out of sheer unbelief that the acting was that bad. There's so much I want to say but I'll just say this, everything else, for the most part, was good, it was the acting, as a final cut, that really did this film in.
Eden's Curve (2003)
Good movie, just some sound and lighting issues.
I happened across this movie at the video store. I'd never heard of it and thought I'd give a shot. Turned out to be a good story about a guy getting a lot more out of his first semester in college than he anticipated. He's a nice guy that doesn't seem to have much direction and gets into a relationship thats great (from my point of view), but he really doesn't know what he's getting into. That's pretty much his character in a nutshell. His attitude in the opening scene is pretty much what you see throughout his experiences (and you'll want to see his experiences). I really liked this movie as I found it refreshingly different. It's set in the sixties during the war, but you really don't get the feel for that, so much, with the exception of some of the music and a story or two being told by other characters in relationship to the war. The cinematography was great. I loved the campus setting and the wooded area in which one of his professors presided.
There's a lot more I want to say, but I don't like telling too much as it destroys the experience for some. But, if you like the independent film feel you'll like this movie. If you like what Hollywood cranks out all the time then you may not like this movie. It has a small, but impacting, feel.
This film reminded me a little of, "Dreamers", with less fun and more intimacy between certain characters.
Ordinary Sinner (2001)
Took a long time to finish watching
It was a good story, but not very well told. I liked the themes and the main story line, which wasn't as clear as it could have been. Maybe there was too much going on and a lack of ability to reign it all in. The acting was okay to cheesy, some were stronger than others and even the stronger actors had their moments of lesser quality acting. It took me a couple of months to get through the entire movie because it didn't keep my attention and the flow was just bad. I only just finished watching it and I'm glad I did as the movie finally gets moving and has some continuity toward the end. Again, a good story, but the delivery was sub par. Would recommend it for the story line and maybe a little eye candy, and I do mean, a little.
The Trip (2002)
What movie were the people with good reviews watching?!
I'm just in from seeing the movie. I thought I'd checkout what other movies the two lead roles have done and couldn't help but to respond to all the good reviews that are listed about this movie. It was a good story but it came across as so low budget I wished I'd waited to rent it on video. THE MOVIE SUCK!!!!!! (No joy intended from that last statement.) If you value your time wait til it comes out on video when you have nothing else to do and you feel like its okay to see something that resembles a partially well done love story. I liked the characters and I wanted to believe them, but the only believable ones were the activist and the mother. Everyone else sucked. Could have been done much better.
Phone Booth (2002)
Good movie
This was a cute movie. Not the level of intensity I was expecting. There were some funny lines. It had a good plot. They should have exploited Colin's character a little more to give, "the caller", greater authority, reason.
It did make me think about "telling the truth".
I never would have guessed who the caller was. I guess I'm just not familiar with his voice. I've never heard him speak in that tone. Others who are fans of his will probably easily recognize him. I would have guessed someone older.