Apparently Hunter S. Thompson shot himself last night. I remember seeing this movie classic when I was just a kid, and I became so fascinated with Thompson's character for years. You never hear this movie mentioned when people discuss Bill Murray's best films, but it is one of his classics, and I don't think I ever saw Peter Boyle any better. I was extremely sad when I just heard of the suicide - a true American original will be missed. I never saw Johnny Depp's "Fear & Loathing", but I've always heard it was good. Maybe I'll now finally catch that one. In any event though, "Where The Buffalo Roam" is a wonderful movie and one that hopefully won't be forgotten...
Reviews
19 Reviews
The Passion of the Christ
(2004)
the passion for more...
17 March 2004
I finally just saw it. It was visually stunning, gruesome/hard to watch, and maybe an accurate depiction of what happened back then. I've stated this before and now after seeing it, all I can say is that this is one Australian man's interpretation of events 2000 years ago. It IS 'known' that both Jews and the Romans are responsible for Christ's death. I've read enough to know that it's not 100% Biblically accurate (and the Bible itself leaves much open for interpretation even if the film followed it word4word). I guess all I can really say is that it really does make you think, regardless of what you believe or don't believe in, but I would not call it a great 'film'. The flashbacks were almost comical with the way Jesus spoke and the way his followers were just staring @ him. That combined with the over-the-top violence (which again, might be accurate) and limited dialogue (I'd bet 50% of everything out of Caviezel's mouth were screams) just was not enough for me... Some quick facts: Caviezel actually suffered a dislocated shoulder during the crucifixion scene, along with being actually lashed once during another scene, along with several counts of dehydration during the filming. One can only applaud his efforts in making this film. I was also amazed to find out that a WOMAN played that part of Satan. I actually found that character to be the most interesting part of the film and I wish they had tempted Jesus more with the devil, especially during all of that torture. That would have made a better point of showing how Jesus did not succumb to evil, but the movie really never even gives him a chance to make that choice, other than when he stomps on that serpent... I found this film to be well-made, but I guess I just wanted a bit more after it was over...
Spartan
(2004)
O-VER-RA-TED
10 March 2004
This was Kilmer's worst film in quite some time. His (and basically EVERYone else) acting was that of a robot, and that's about the best thing I can say about this lackluster film. It SHOULD have been good (Mamet is usually great, along with Kilmer, O'Neill, and Macy), but it was not in the least. There were more holes in this plot than in a slice of Swiss cheese and I could not count the # of loose ends left in this film (like the girl on the sidewalk in the beginning w/the earpiece, just to name one). I guess Kristen Bell was not so bad (yeah, I definitely would have like to have seen a lot more of her), but she was not around enough to carry this boring film. 2words: "nice" and "try"...
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
(2003)
QT pays homage to, well, everything...
5 November 2003
Another entry to the 'you will either love it or hate it' genre. Personally, I liked this over-the-top film of a former female assassin seeking revenge on those who tried to put her (permanently) away. I've laughed at some of these reviews where people are saying how this is the worst film of all-time, etc. People, please pay attention here. Tarantino intentionally made this film exactly how he wanted to. It's a tribute to virtually every karate, action, drama, adventure film (or tv show) he ever liked. Yes, it does have the feel of a 70's B-movie at times. Yes, it does not exactly flow in a straight-forward fashion (as many of these reviewers would apparently like all of their movies to go). And yes, some of the action/violence is extreme and implausible, BUT THIS IS BECAUSE HE WANTED IT THAT WAY. If you have ever seen any of the films referenced in this one (click on the 'movie connections' link here on the imdb site for "Kill Bill"), then you might have a different way of looking at this movie. I have seen many of these films and totally love what QT did with this one. I can't wait for Vol. 2. For the rest of you, I'm sure "Terminator 4" is just around the corner...
X2
(2003)
not as good as the 1st...
2 May 2003
Warning: Spoilers
*mini-spoilers* I liked the film, just didn't love it. No, I am not the biggest X-Men fan and so I don't really know the inside stuff on all of the characters, and maybe that's where some of my ?'s come from. I do know these 'middle' movies of 3somes are tough, but this one really just didn't do anything. I thought Wolverine's past should have either been further explored or hardly mentioned. Why couldn't Iceman not just freeze the water & save Jean Gray? And where did Magneto & Mystique run off to @ the end? I know the purpose of this one was to leave a few questions, but I just thought that the majority of this movie was just some pretty good action thrown together a very loose plot. I'm a big fan of the 1st one and I'm sure I'll see the next one, which hopefully will be a little more smooth than this one...
Red Dragon
(2002)
basically "Manhunter", albeit with a different beginning/ending
2 October 2002
I'm sure every fan of "Manhunter" will say similar things, but "Red Dragon" is pretty much the exact same movie (which is NOT a bad thing), except the beginning & ending 5 minutes. Even many of the lines, jokes, and phrases were identical. Having said this, this is a very good film, and it's more true to the book if you read that. I will say Ed Norton is mis-cast here. Other than "American History X", he is really not able to pull off the 'tough guy' (not that Will Graham needs to be THAT tough, but...) role all that well. Anyway, Hopkins was good and not over the top like he was in "Hannibal", though I've said for years that Brian Cox was just as good when he did this role 16 years ago. I also thought Fiennes was a nice addition to the "Silence" franchise. He was excellent as Dolarhyde, as was Emily Watson's Reba character... Overall, this ranks just behind "Silence" (and way ahead of "Hannibal"), right up there with "Manhunter"...
Feardotcom
(2002)
I'm still in pain...
30 August 2002
...but not from the suspense/action/horror or anything else this flick was supposed to offer us. Stephen Dorff continues to make nothing but bad films, and Natascha McElhone (though quite attractive) is just not a good actor. Her line, "Leave me alone! Where are you?" defined the entire dialogue of this movie. I think there was a plot during the first 20 minutes and a couple of scary scenes during that time, but those all went away during the last hour or so. Could Stephen Rea have been more out of place? I got a free sneak pass to see this one, and I still wanted my $ back. There are just not enough good, quality scary movies out there these days, and unfortunately, this is a clear example of one not to see...
Minority Report
(2002)
I'm probably not in the 'minority' here...
19 June 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Spielberg (after letting us down with "A.I.") comes back with an outstanding entry in the sci-fi genre, and Cruise does not annoy us in "Minority Report" either. What a great film, and it's never slow. I'd like to say it's a combination of "Blade Runner" and "Mission Impossible" (both great films), but it really does stand alone all on it's own. I was really impressed with Samantha Morton's character Agatha (the smartest of the pre-cogs) and it was nice to see Max von Sydow appear in another fantastic film... Not a real spoiler here, but wouldn't you think that Anderton's (Cruise) real eyes would not have been granted access from security within the police building after it was clearly established he was on the run? Just my 2cents there. Other than that, I can't think of a flaw within this film. Go see it and prepare for a excellent film...
Attack of a clone of 'Empire' & 'Gladiator'
16 May 2002
Well, as I wrote 3 years ago, there is much hype and there are many expectations for this film, yet it just barely comes through. I saw a midnight showing last night and almost had problems staying awake at times. Sure, the visual effects were stunning (with almost too much going on in the backgrounds), but this was the most poorly acted of the 5 films. Hayden Christensen ("Anakin Skywalker"), Sam Jackson ("Mace Windu"), and Christopher Lee ("Darth Tyranus") sound like they are reading lines right off of cue cards. And there are WAY too many love (or, 'pre-love') scenes between Anakin and Amidala. I know that's a huge part of the entire story, but I found them sooo boring. Some of the light-saber fights are good, but many other scenes were unintendedly funny (like Yoda fighting Darth Tyranus). C-3PO is hilarious - probably the most redeemable character in the film, though Ewan McGregor does a good job as "Obi-Wan"... After the film we all discussed how this was too similar to "Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" and "Gladiator" (I kept waiting for Russell Crowe to pop up in that scene). I will say that Lucas does plant the seeds for Episode III very well, as everything will be connected between the trilogies in 3 years. At least Jar Jar's role was limited in this one... Overall I'd rank this one 3rd (behind 'Empire' and the original) and give it a 6 or 7/10. Maybe if I see it a few more times (I'm sure I will), it will improve in my eyes. Still, you HAVE to see it because it is what it is: part of our film culture...
Deuces Wild
(2002)
started bad, only got worse
30 April 2002
I saw a sneak preview of this last night. About 1/2way through the film, my buddy said "this is bad". I agreed, but I had hopes that it would have to get better. It didn't. The late 1950's setting, some vintage cars, and watching Debby Harry dance to XMas music was all this lousy film had to offer. Wasted roles for Vincent Pastore and Johnny Knoxville, too many worthless fight scenes, and a horribly underdeveloped & misused plot made this film a major disappointment in my book. With the loaded cast, this film should have been much better. Save your $...
Black Hawk Down
(2001)
Will truly keep you on the edge of your seat...
16 January 2002
Like most of us, I've seen plenty of war movies in my day. Never before, though, have I seen one that was as consistently intense as this one. For about 90 minutes, "Black Hawk Down" had me on the edge of my seat. I felt as if I was being shot at right there in Somalia... Great acting by the old vet's (is Tom Sizemore ever bad?) and by the young cast (especially Josh Hartnett). I must admit I did not expect too much from a Bruckheimer production, but I guess the excellent directing from Ridley Scott (a true master) overcame the typical no-story action films Bruckheimer usually throws our way. Highly recommended... 9/10
Memento
(2000)
In through the out door
4 May 2001
This one is for the ages. "Memento" was one I just saw on a whim and it turned out to be breathtaking. I was telling people afterwards to see it, comparing it to "The Usual Suspects" and "The 6th Sense", not in content, but in how you felt after seeing those films. Nothing pleases me more than watching a great movie and then discussing it for hours upon end afterwards. I'm going to be brief here, but I will tell you this - see it!
crouching hype, hidden boredom
26 January 2001
Wow, I posted an imdb comment the other day and been flooded with nothing but hate mail. Sorry, but I still just do not 'get' this film. What makes it so good? The story is just simply boring, the fight scenes are quite unoriginal, and the plot (assuming that is what it was) was very weak. I am still laughing at all of these people saying this is the best film of the year (or that they have ever seen). They need to hit the video store fast. Give me a big break. "Traffic" blows this sorry movie right out of the water and I'm sure that no matter how many more films I see from the year 2000, the majority will be better than "CTHD"...
are you kidding me?
24 January 2001
This movie was barely good. What is up with all of the hype? The acting was nothing special and just because they over did it with scenes straight out of "The Matrix", don't go thinking this was the Asian version. Very, very, very overrated and only watch if someone gives you a free ticket...
American Psycho
(2000)
It's hip to be square...
17 April 2000
I think the thing I love most about this movie is that most of the people and critics out there really hate it. Good. This is not the type of film for most movie-user-friendly people out there and it amuses me so much to hear everyone say, "I did not understand it and was very upset over some scenes." Stick with your Julia Roberts movies and sit-coms... It was over a year ago when I heard Mary Harron was directing this movie. I had just re-read the book and that feeling of wanting to see this story was hitting me again. Then I read something about Leonardo DiCaprio had backed-out of the lead role. I should have mailed that pretty boy some KleenX. Relieved to hear this new young to-be-star Christian Bale was going to be our Pat Bateman, I started reading everything I could in anticipation of "American Psycho" to hit the screen. Anyway, the long wait ended this Friday (twice) and again this past Sunday. The movie exceeded my expectations. Bale was amazing, along with the rest of the cast (most especially Chloë Sevigny who played "Jean"). I could not stop laughing and have been trying to tell everyone that this is a black comedy with a couple of gut-wrenching scenes. The point is that if you do not catch on to that early, you will probably not enjoy the rest of the film. People got up and left when I saw it for the 3rd time. Hahahaha. "Leave", I thought. The greed of the 1980's will never be better portrayed on screen and one will have to search pretty far to find a more unique story. Though I have been a big fan of the book for a while now, I will take nothing away from the movie, which is one of the rare cases when a good read is also a good view. I heard Hewy Lewis refused to allow his song to be put on the CD soundtrack after he heard about the scene (wonder if I need a new raincoat?) in the film it is used for. Hahahaha - Hewy have some 'heart & soul'...
psyCohn
psyCohn
Eyes Wide Shut
(1999)
my eyes are wide open
16 July 1999
Spectacular! Hey, if you want to listen to all of those stuffy critics, then stay at home. "Eyes" should be taught at the best film schools. Cruise was never better. Kubrick did not let us down at all with his grand finale. Loved how Kidman's dreams were Cruise's reality, the irony of the 'password', and those classic Kubrick settings & lights. And did it not have the best ending this decade? It is a shame new movies will never be made like that again; the film world got a little lighter after this past spring. Stan was the man and will be missed over here by his biggest fan...
Pirates of Silicon Valley
(1999 TV Movie)
good to see
21 June 1999
Saw the movie last night and I thought the story was great. With the age of computers and the society we are all in, this was simply something for everyone to see. Anthony Michael Hall really did a good job as Gates, though I do not think anyone can get Mr. Bill's mannerisms down...
Skip the critics and just go see it. D.A.R.E. to think for yourself...
19 May 1999
My buddy Dave and I were two of several hundred people waiting in line at Phipps Plaza last night around midnight, and among several thousand nuts, night-owls, and geeks around the nation hanging out in local movie theatres in anticipation of "The Phantom Menace". We became the first few of what will likely be millions of people to see "Episode I", the latest George Lucas (who shares the same birthday as I do) "Star Wars" film. I could not help but remember that summer when I was 7, also waiting in these same lines (though in Knoxville, Tennessee) to see "Star Wars" for the up-teenth time, just so I could go home and brag that I was one-up on my good buddy Chris Leonard on how many times we had seen the movie (bet I am one-up on him again). Anyway, they let us in last night 45 minutes early and the crowd did not stop buzzing until a roar went up when we all saw the words "Star Wars" flash on the screen, and then start it's slow descent off in space, followed by "Episode I" and then a short description of where we were and what was going on in the 'present time' of the movie (known for that trapezoidal text-crawl). I must say that the first half was somewhat slow and often flat, but the film really picked up speed (in many ways) in the second half. There were many shouts from the audience when we first saw a young Obi-Wan, or when R2-D2 meets C-3PO, or when we first heard the name "Skywalker". Like it or not, this is probably the most anticipated film in history and will eventually become part of our culture just as the 3 earlier movies did and just as the next 2 will. "The Phantom Menace" was certainly not the best film I had ever seen, but I did not go into it thinking it would be. The effects were what you would expect and though the acting was sometimes dull, "Menace" does not disappoint. Like me, you will most certainly leave the theatre pleased, waiting for "Episode II"...
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