Reviews
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Brilliant film
I find it interesting that among 87 comments on this film, there is only ONE negative comment, and that from a "film student" who saw it in a room full of other "film students."
Well, I'm not a film student, I don't overanalyze or compare films to Truffaut or Goddard -- I just watch them, and this film lived up to all the hype I'd heard going in. I saw it at a free preview in Portland, and the entire audience was held spellbound, dead silent during the final five minutes of this movie.
If your idea of a scary movie is Jason hacking at someone with a garden weasel, then skip "Blair Witch." You will be disappointed. Go see "I still know what you screamed about the summer before last" or whatever the current dead-coed movie is called, because that's probably more your speed. If you prefer subtle horror that doesn't shove dead bodies in your face, splash blood all over the camera lens, or rely on a shrieking string section for suspense, then you will probably like "Blair Witch Project."
In other films, technical crudity is a negative. In this, the unsteady camera, the uncertain delivery, variable film stock, etc. all help make the movie more believable. The characters are all believable and sympathetic, and the horror goes on almost entirely in the audience's minds. The last five minutes are, like the rest of the film, devoid of blood, SFX, music and monsters and yet are, unquestionably the scariest five minutes I've ever spent inside a theater.
As the release date approaches and the buzz builds, I see "Blair Witch" as being the biggest sleeper of the year. Kudos to the filmmakers, and to those fans who have been promoting it all these months. Go see this movie, or the Blair Witch will get you :)
Wild Wild West (1999)
It Wild Wild Sucks!
Great FX, sets and costumes can't save this movie. It took six story and screenplay people to make this big a mess, and I hope that it creeps into the cinematic obscurity it deserves. A great cast is wasted - Wil Smith plays James West as a lucky bungler, Kevin Kline looks embarrassed to be there, Salma Hayak is there primarily so we can see her ass; the only person who seems to enjoy himself is Kenneth Branagh, who's given the opportunity to chew all the scenery he wants. His beard is probably the best effect in the movie. There's supposed to be burning sexual tension between Salma and the two leads, but there is absolutely none.
The problem is the meandering and confusing script that completely shuts down several times, and gives us some REALLY embarrassing moments (the "touch my breast" scene, poor Wil Smith in drag, the endless "wandering in the desert" sequence) and in the end goes nowhere. The direction is terrible, too; there isn't an ounce of chemistry between the characters, and I found myself rooting for Dr. Loveless.
What a mess. It's 1999's "Godzilla."
Alfred the Great (1969)
A personal fave
Though I'm quite aware of this film's shortcomings (length and the multitude of exotic names, etc.), I must say that I think Leonard Maltin does this film a disservice. It accurately portrays some of the most important events in English history, and also paints a fine portrait of a monarch torn between earthly passions and the desire for spiritual purity. It is only by truly balancing these two forces that a man can succeed, and Alfred did so.
The conflicting forces in the film also symbolize Alfred's inner struggle -- the church representing his spiritual desires and the Danes standing for the passions and lusts of the physical world. Certainly the Battle of Athelney Marsh, one of the pivotal events in British history, is stirringly portrayed, particularly when the peasants and commoners rise up to save their king. This film, despite its flaws and its abysmal box office performance, remains a personal favorite of mine.
Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)
One of the Best!
I think the commentary here is WAY too negative. Rather than calling it one of the worst movies ever made, we really need to say that "Manos, the Hands of Fate" is actually the 3,443,229th BEST film ever made!
Seriously (ha), isn't watching this movie sort of like having a bad dream you can't wake up from? Certain movies have that quality, making me suspect that hell will actually be much like MST3K but without the funny commentary...