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B.Thayer
Reviews
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
Replay value is greatly depleated.
Those who enjoyed the original film will be graced with a rather decent sequel. Austin is still a woman-chasing spy, Dr. Evil is still trying to take over the world, etc. It relys on the same sexual inuendo humor that kept you chuckling through the first, with some added twists.
Unfortunately, this is one of those films you can only see a couple times before you grow tired of it all. Also, unlike "International Man Of Mystery", the extra scenes (included on the DVD version) might have HELPED this film gain more depth and possibly made it one of the rare "better than the original" sequels.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Ha ha ha ha ha... Oh, I'm sorry. This is a horror film?
This film is among the absolute worst I have ever seen, and I am taking into account things like Sandy Frank's "Time Of The Apes". What makes it bad? The plot was far too loose, leaving way too much to the imagination - plus key elements of the story's development were few and far in between. One CRUCIAL element is only mentioned ONCE, near the beginning.
The acting was beyond horrible. It was more than obvious they were just putting on a show for the camera. Truthfully, the only part that WAS good is in all the commercials - the extreme close up of the girl crying.
I have never laughed so hard in my life. This is supposed to be scary, right? Perhaps it would be if I were given a reason to be scared... or they lead into some major plot points a bit more.
One thing I found very funny - at least about the VHS version - was the "newly discovered" footage. This extra scene would have saved the film overall, except for the fact it obviously wasn't done rest of the film. The quality alone shows it.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Burton + Elfman = Perfection Again
Happily, the film starts with action - then lets you breathe. Humorous elements are thrown in at appropriate times to keep you from messing your pants. Overall, I found it suspenseful - and the ending a complete surprise. The visuals are greatly enhanced by Danny Elfman's haunting score. After all, what's a Burton flick without Elfman tunes?
Otherworld (1985)
Interesting, in a "Logan's Run Meets Sliders" kind of way.
The Sterling family was transported to another dimension, exactly like ours... but... different! The military is hunting them down for some crystal as they race from city-state to city-state, each with its own laws, customs, and so-forth.
Each show was set the same way. Find the crystal/have the crystal, run, hide, screw up the laws in the current place, escape strange punishment rituals or military trap. Move on to next town. I won't beat around the bush, there's a REASON this show was cancelled. It's not exactly the BEST series to hit the airwaves, but by far not the worst. Worth watching just for the fun of its predictability.
Inspector Gadget (1999)
Go Go Gadget Movie!
Anyone who was a fan of the original TV show will probably get a kick out of Disney's big screen version. Granted, those loyal to the cartoon will pick it apart for not sticking true on some key Inspector Gadget details (which I won't mention here due to possible spoiler - e-mail me if you want details). Storyline eventually stuck true to the `toon, after a lot of side detail and back story. The visual effects were very well placed, meaning they were not overdone or exploited for the sake of mindless entertainment.
Overall, I liked it enough to see it again.
Blade Runner (1997)
Immerse yourself in Los Angeles, 2019
I loved the film, and hoped the game would live up to it. I soon found it did, and very well I might add. You don't play Deckard, which was great because it means you aren't going to just re-create the movie. There are several different outcomes (endings) to the game all based on your actions within the environment. Gather clues and evidence, interrogate suspects and witnesses, follow and discover leads... all in the forever nocturnal and rainy world of Los Angeles 2019.