gniandra Reviews

Cube (1997)

like a rotten piece of number 2 that leaves the question "where did it come from?"

[8/10 · 12 April 1999]

This movie wasn't vague at all. Even after one viewing, I had no questions. Obviously there is the big one most people have "how did they get there?" Well, listen to what the characters say. A couple of them have their theories. The viewer might have another. It's like Star Wars. When the movie's over, you don't ask yourself "how did they all get there?" You just accept it. It's not important at that time. It's one of those things Natali leaves to your own mind.

All other questions, including why he dropped the doctor, were answered immediately by the expressions on their faces, or other factors. Excellent film.

The Promise (1996)

Very much.

[10/10 · 18 February 1999]

I loved it. No music, dirty streets, dirty city, great characters... It just felt refreshing. Very new to me and I loved it. Very much.

The Truman Show (1998)

Use your head

[9/10 · 13 January 1999]

The movie, as entertaining and imaginative as it was, still allowed the viewer room to use their own imagination, to fill in the blanks. The movie fed you just the right amount of info to satisfy, but still left room for imagination. Could have easily gone to 3 hours in length. Excellent combo, good movie.

Gummo (1997)

looking at pictures

[7/10 · 4 January 1999]

I don't see what people's problems are with this movie. It's a very simple film. No plot, little acting. It's just a series of scenes that loosely follow different people. It's completely a piece of art. Who gives a crap about plot anyway. We need more things like this. It's the only movie of it's kind out there. Not movie, not documentary (although it looks like it at times when the *actors* make eye contact with the camera), just a bunch of scenes side by side. It's great there's not a name for it's kind, because it may be called a movie, and it may be shown in theaters and rented from your video store, but it's nowhere Hollywood has ever been before.

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Mamaboobootay

[9/10 · 12 November 1998]

I really appreciate how the writers did not bother putting in a scene where absolutely everything is explained, just to get a bigger audience. It's not that hard to follow.

Godzilla (I) (1998)

but seriously....

[1/10 · 6 November 1998]

Ok, for those who have NOT seen it: Freak lizard is created because of radioactive leakage on its tropical island. It grows up and heads to New York and terrorizes the place. Uh oh, it lays eggs (it's a-sexual!) in madison square garden. Submarines chase Godzilla down in the East river (or wherever it was) and blast it with missiles. It dies but we're not sure. Then eggs hatch (200 of them) with Ferris, his pretty ex-fiancée, Hank Azaria, and french hero guy in the Garden. But godzillies get blown up without Ferris and everyone else dying. Ferris kisses the girl. But soft, Godzilla lives, and he's pissed. But Ferris and friends out-race it and lure it to the Brooklyn bridge. It gets blasted with missiles on the bridge when it gets tangled in the support wires. It dies, heroic cheers ensue, the end...But soft! A baby godzilla egg survived the blast! Part 2 look out!

Now you don't need to watch it. Don't worry, you didn't miss anything.

ok, now for the comment: this flick annoyed the hell out of me. Here's why:

-about half-an-hour is wasted to show people with wide eyes and dropped jaws, frozen stiff every time they see the thing. I realize people probably would indeed be frozen with fear, but for the movie and our sake, RUN! We don't need to see them stare every single time.

-it took an hour before we saw the damn thing's face.

-for God's sake, helicopters can fly vertically.

-cliche, cliche, cliche. It's only an action/fantasy movie, but for crap's sake, they could have used different methods in presenting this movie to us. eg, different lines, camera angles, methods of keeping us in suspense. I was rolling my eyes in the first minute of the movie.

-basically, it's been done before, only Speilberg actually presented a movie with newer methods of suspense, and too many films after it have ripped him off, this one was the last straw.

I actually yelled in the middle of the movie, out of anger, because I was so ****ed off. Every line, every scene, every camera angle, every character, was played. The effects are fine but they were done 4 years ago. I have a feeling that this movie was meant to be a cult classic. You know, bad but yet people love it. Well, I hated it. After careful consideration, I've determined that it's my most hated film. Well, at least it affected me. Movies are supposed to do that.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Oh please...

[22 October 1998]

Give me a break. The angst-ridden genius...please. As if a genius is really like this, plus it's an overdone character. Damon plays the role very well, but he could have played the character more honestly and not so cliche, maybe like how Tom Hanks played Forrest in 'Gump.'

Otherwise, see it, it's pretty ok.

Basquiat (1996)

Badly told.

[1/10 · 22 October 1998]

I couldn't finish it the first time but stuck it out the second time. Wright played it pretty bad but I figure it's a hard role to play. I don't like this movie. I really liked Benicio Del Toro especially how he talks (funny) but didn't like anything else. Story was badly told.

Dark City (1998)

Intensely creative.

[10/10 · 20 October 1998]

Amazing. Maybe I'm ignorant to Sci-fi movies, but this is the most imaginative stuff I have ever seen. Right up there with Contact, and, if my memory serves me right, 12 monkeys. Unbelievable. Awesome. Amazing. Classic.

Mallrats (1995)

Nope

[6/10 · 19 October 1998]

Gees everyone loves this movie. Well I think you should know that at least somebody out there doesn't...me.

The Doom Generation (1995)

Sick but cool.

[6/10 · 17 October 1998]

It was good I guess. Not like watching Homeward Bound or something. It's weird because it's a very dark film, but at the same time it had many bright colors in it. That's very cool but I felt queazey.

Tommy Boy (1995)

Pretty Good

[10/10 · 16 October 1998]

This is one of my most favorite movies of all time. Pretty pathetic you say? Well, yeah it is. But Chris is incredibly, incredibly funny. His innocent brilliance comes out in this film more than in any of his other films. Look at both motel scenes, when Spade gets caught with his zipper down, and the other: "JUST GO AWAY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!"

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

You'll either love him or hate him.

[10/10 · 16 October 1998]

Jim Carrey is a hyper-active freak when it comes to comedy. He is absolutely brilliant in this movie because this is obviously not about plot, or big stars, but just about displaying the genius that is Jim Carrey. You'll either love it or absolutely hate it. If you find yourself saying "well that was stupid" at the film's end, you obviously did not get it.

Soul in the Hole (1997)

The best basketball movie ever made.

[10/10 · 14 October 1998]

It's arguably better than Hoop Dreams. That said, it's about Kenny Jones, his playground dream team "Kenny's Kings," his relationships between him and his players, particularly, playground phenom, 18 yr old Ed "Booger" Smith, and life in Brooklyn during the summer of 1993. It's not all about a game. While Hoop Dreams is about an American Dream in the lives of two teens in Chicago, this one is about real life on the streets of America. It's more realistic and raw, from its language, to its soundtrack alone. Of course, it's very much about basketball, and the emotion involved when competing (note the first scene). It is a completely non-critical, fast paced film which should be seen by basketball lovers everywhere.