Reviews
Event Horizon (1997)
Special effects do not a good movie make
'Event Horizon' looks good, I'll give it that. But the story is lacking and the thrills are cheap. You can easily predict what's going to happen next. I was never once scared. Grossed out, yes, but not scared. 'Event Horizon' borrows heavily from 'Aliens' (minus the aliens) and 'Hellraiser' of all things. If you want to really be frightened, see 'Aliens'. It's a much better movie.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Much better than the first Star Trek movie
This sequel at least had some action to it. The special effects are impressive and Ricardo Montablan is a superb villain.
Jaws (1975)
A classic that never forgets who the real star is.
And the real star is the humans, not the shark. Which is why the movie will be (or at least should be) the cutting pattern for all future horror /suspense/disaster flicks to come. Director Steven Spielburg knows that although the audience gets a thrill from the scenes of shark attacks, we really come to care about the three men who become unlikely heroes. More importantly, they work together as a team and use their brains to solve problems.
The Quick and the Dead (1995)
It's quirky, it's different, it's Sam Raimi
The director of the cult classic 'Evil Dead' films brings his slightly skewered view of the world to the Western, shaking off the old dust of past genre pictures and infusing it with new energy. But you have to approach the film with the right attitude. Forget the fact that Sharon Stone doesn't act much here. Just sit back, enjoy the view, and laugh as she holds her own against the men of the town. Gene Hackman is suitably evil as the despot of the town who doesn't let up for a minute. Russell Crowe gives his character Cort, a former gunfighter attempting to straighten his life out, subtle nuances that bear looking for.
Heaven's Burning (1997)
It's Australian, so it's different
Aw man, Russell Crowe should stop going to the beach. Seems whatever film he's in and heading to the coast, something bad happens. I don't know if this was meant to be an action picture (if that's the case, it doesn't quite get there), but strangely enough sandwiched in between the violence there's a sweet love story happening.
Rough Magic (1995)
Not as bad as the critics would have it.
Give this little movie a break. It can actually be funny at times. Don't expect something deep and meaningful, but there are worse ways you could spend an hour and 45 minutes out of your life. Besides, it's got Russell Crowe in it.