Reviews

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (2003) is a very stylish and decently scary remake of the cult classic original "TCM".

The story, if you seriously don't know already, consists of: five group of friends (Kemper, Andy, Erin, Pepper and the very sexy Erin)traveling through rural Texas to go to a Skynard concert in 1973 when they spot a hitchhiker who looks like she was just face to face with Satan. They pick her up and shortly after she becomes frantic, screaming "He's a bad, bad man", then pulls out a revolver concealed between her thighs and blows her brains out all over the backseat. This leads the five friends to make a decision to search for help, which brings them to a flea small town and a run down mansion containing a family that looks like the Beverley Hillbillies meets the Manson Family. The rest, as you can guess, contains a lot of running, a chainsaw wielding murderer, body parts and high pitched screams.

The film is highlighted by very cool cinematography, including a grainy b & w camera look that makes the beginning and ending of the film seem like real footage (actually fooled some of my friends!), several ultra-cool hand-held camera shots that make you feel as if you were the one being chased, and a few quick-cut shots that seem to pulsate with fear.

Then there's Jessica Biel. Not only is she incredibly beautiful (even with blood splattered on her), but she is a very good actress and I think, if given the chance, could be a great of the future. I'm sure the director, Marcus Nispel, feels the same way (tons of Biel ass shots).

If you're a huge fan of the original, I don't know if you'll love the modern "TCM", but I'd be surprised if you hated it. Some things have changed (More gore, modern cinematography, Leatherface's ACTUAL FACE, no grandpa, the gorgeous Jessica Biel), but the new "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" still contains what the original had and what frightens us most as a horror movie audience: a believable story that will stick with us every time we're driving through the middle of nowhere.

A good film to watch.

"Center of the World" is a very well photographed drama and is highly worth a viewing, but has several flaws.

"Center of the World", an almost mirror image of "Leaving Las Vegas" (better film), is about a computer whiz named Richard's (Peter Sarsgaard) three day escape from his everyday life to Las Vegas with a stripper named Florence (the lovely Molly Parker), who he pays to go with him under the conditions they won't have sex.

But Richard's promise eventually gets the best of him and he begins to obsess about having the best sex of his life with Florence. Florence, meanwhile, holds Richard back with teases and a "Fire and Ice" (Don't ask me) routine off screen.

With each tease, the characters' chemistry builds up and we begin to wonder if Richard and Florence are actually falling in love.

"Center of the World" has beautiful cinematography. The entire film was shot on tape and a few scenes are in one of the best shades of black and white I've ever scene.

Peter Sarsgaard is very good as the naive but extremely polite computer whiz and Molly Parker (although very better in "Pure") pours herself into the tough role of Florence almost as good as Jennifer Connely portrayed Marion in "Requiem for a Dream".

The film does have several flaws though. It has far too many sex scenes (often gratuitous), the chemistry between the two characters blooms and dies at any given time and the surprise ending is almost ruined by two scenes directly after the surprise (you'll have to see for yourself).

"Center of the World" is a good film worth watching once.

"Freddy vs. Jason" is an epic slasher battle flick and possibly one of the best horror films of the year.

It gives you basically exactly what you want to see in a horror movie from beginning to end: tons of blood gushing from head to toe, a lot of T & A, several dumbasses getting their heads decapitated, ill advised skinny dipping and unprotected sex, B acting from the characters and good acting from the villains and Hollywood Horror's two poster childs, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees, going at it like Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali from hell until the bloody end.

Better then nearly every one of the title characters' individual films with the exception of the first, Wes Craven done "Nightmare on Elm Street" and a couple "Friday the 13th"s, "Freddy vs. Jason" is definitely worth a theater viewing and even a purchase when it hits the video stores.

Freddy's dream world, smarts & razor claws vs. Jason's immortality, huge machete & "Chhhh...Kaaaas".

Who wins?

You'll have to see.

"The Rules of Attraction" is a well crafted and very entertaining look at college life today.

Written and directed by Roger Avary ("Killing Zoe", co-screenwriter on "Pulp Fiction"), the film focuses on three characters through the false hopes and bitter hells of one year at their average cross-city college.

The first character, Sean Bateman (yes, Patrick "American Psycho" Bateman's brother [Played by James Van Der Beek]), the college drug dealer, is looking for love in all the wrong places when he begins to receive letters from an anonymous classmate. The second character, Lauren (the underrated Shannyn Sossamon) thinks she has found the right guy but in reality has no clue while the third character, Paul (Ian Somerhalder), is just looking for someone to screw (I won't go into details).

Each of the three main actors threw in beautiful performances as the angst-ridden college students. James Van Der Beek, who I thought was pretty good in "Varsity Blues", especially turns in a good performance (hopefully he'll hang up the cheap lines and long hair of his Dawson's Creek phase). Also look for brief but good performances by Eric Stoltz and the sexy Jessica Biel.

The thing I was impressed most by in "The Rules of Attraction" was Roger Avary's adaptation of the dark Bret Easton Ellis novel. The script, exsqusite cinematography, and direction all combine to make this a very interesting look on the darker side of college life.

If you're in the mood for another "Animal House" horny college guy movie, skip this one. But if you're in for a darker look on college, I highly recommend this picture.

It amazes me how writer-director Richard Linklater writes these great films of pure dialogue and true human stories and still makes them interesting to the average movie-going audience.

Such is in the case of "Waking Life", a visionary tale of a man who is stuck in a continous dream of which he cannot wake from. In each of these dreams, the man finds himself in conversation with or looking in on a variety of deep thoughted people who have perspectives on life, death and why we're really here.

Wiley Wiggins (Mitch Kramer from "Dazed and Confused") gives a good performance as the dream-woven main character. There are also several brief but very good perfomances in the movie, including Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in an update on what happened two their characters Jesse and Celine in "Before Sunrise".

The animation (shot on regular film and then animated over) offers a beautiful dreamlike feel while you're watching it, as does Linklater's always great scenes of dialogue and direction.

If you're in the mood for a really thought provoking film or you're just a big Richard Linklater buff, I highly recommend "Waking Life".

'Memento' is simply the best movie of 2001. It is unlike any other picture I've seen. First of all, unless you haven't heard already, the entire movie goes backwards. It starts at the end and ends at the beginning.

It is done this way because the main character, Leonard (Guy Pearce),has a condition where he cannot make any new memories since he witnessed the rape and murder of his wife. Since then, the only thing he's lived for is to find the murderer and give his wife justice. Things get complicated though when Leonard starts to challenge who he can trust between his sometimes friend Teddy (Joe Pantoliano) and sometimes lover Natalie (Carrie Ann-Moss).

Writer-director Christopher Nolan does an excellent job in direction, never letting us know what happened before the current scene; much like Leonard. The screenplay, which Nolan adapted from his brother's short story, is beautifully crafted.

I hope the Oscars do not ignore this film, it is highly worthy of at least Best Director.

'Memento' is a must see that I highly reccommend.

P.T. Anderson's debut feature film, Hard Eight, or Sydney, is an excellent picture from beginning to end credits.

I saw Hard Eight after I had seen Boogie Nights and Magnolia (two of my all time favorite movies) and loved it. I think it highly ranks up with his following films.

One thing that I really love about Paul Thomas Anderson, especially in this movie, is his focussing on people and emotions.

Hard Eight follows the story of a young man down on his luck (John C. Reilly) and his unlikely meeting with a veteran gambler (Philip Baker Hall) and their friendships and confrontations in Reno, NV.

I liked Hall and Reilly's performances, some of the best of both of their good careers. Look for Samuel L. Jackson and Gwyneth Paltrow's performances as well.

This is a great movie that ranks high with Boogie and Magnolia. One of Anderson's best!

Run Lola Run is a magnificant picture. I loved it from beginning to end. I think writer-director Tom Tykwer is a great combination of Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary. In fact, I saw a lot of similarities between this film and two of my favorites, Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Killing Zoe (1995).

It follows a beautiful young girl named Lola who is trying to save her boyfriend from an overwhelming debt to some local mobsters.

If you're in the mood for a great action/drama story, take a look at this picture. Or if for nothing else, check it out for Franka Potente, who plays Lola. Not only is she a great actress in this film, but she is also super hot!

New coming writer-director Michael Stein (who played the original Dirk Diggler in P.T. Anderson's The Dirk Diggler Story) does a great job in Rituals and Resolutions. This is a great achievement that any fan of P.T. Anderson or Quentin Tarantino would love.

Sofia Coppola's debut film, The Virgin Suicides, is a great masterpiece of 1999.

It has some of the darkness and frankness of her father, Francis Ford Coppola's, films but then goes off into a style of her own.

For all those who said that Sofia Coppola has no talent because of Mary Corleone in The Godfather Part III, I say to check out this picture and be proven wrong. She has definitely in my opinion put herself on the list of great new writer-directors like P.T. Anderson and Quentin Tarantino. Hell, even Tarantino studied to be an actor at first but found out where his true talent lied.

With great performances by Kirsten Dunst, James Woods and Kathleen Turner and wonderful writing and directing, Coppola's debut picture is a magnificant ride that deserves to be hailed as one of 99's best.

Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous is a remarkable picture, I think the best one of the year. I knew from the start of the beginning credits that I was in for a true treat. It was great in the beginning and it just got better and better.

I also believe I have a 5th favorite director. I've always loved writer/director Cameron Crowe's films, but I've never put a face to them. Fast Times at Ridgemont High was a classic, Singles was great, and Jerry Maguire really explored the people more than the plot. And that's what Almost Famous is about too. It explores the rockers, the Band-Aids, and the young Rolling Stone writer, William, perfectly and lets us see how they act and feel. And those are the type of films I truly love: ones that explore the people more than the plot. Cameron Crowe now holds his place with Scorsese, Tarantino, Kubrick, and P.T. Anderson as one of the best of the best directors.

Also Kate Hudson shows that she is as great of actress as her mother, possibly better. She's great as Penny Lane.

This has my vote for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars this year.

ALMOST FAMOUS RULES!

Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights is my second favorite film of all time. It is just such a cool and great movie that I can't help but watch it all the time!

I first saw it a year ago last summer. I recorded it because I knew it was gonna be cool. And sure enough, I got a great film!

I hate when people say, "Oh, Boogie Nights is that movie about porn that everyone's talking about." Sure, Boogie Nights is about porn, but it is not a porno itself. It follows a colorful group of porn makers: the stars (Dirk Diggler, Reed Rothchild, Amber Waves, Jessie St. Vincent, e.t.c) and the filmmakers (Jack Horner, Little Bill, Kurt) through six very colorful years: '77 to '83. There we see their heyday when an unknown teen, Eddie (Mark Whalberg) is transformed into Dirk Diggler. Then we see their fall (Dirk is almost replaced by his director, Jack [Burt Reynolds]). I would tell you more, but...well, you just have to see it for yourself.

This is my and my best friend, Tony's favorite film. We've both seen it a million times and know it by heart: from "Jackie, Jack, Jack" to "I'm a star of a star of a star".

With colorful characters like Rollergirl (sexy Heather Graham), Dirk Diggler, Rahad Jackson, e.t.c and great performances from Graham, Reynolds (I'm shocked), Whalberg, Moore, and Macy added to writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's pure artwork, forget Titanic! This is the best picture of 1997 and I believe one of the best films of all time.

GO SEE BOOGIE NIGHTS!