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Reviews
Crash (2004)
This Movie is for the Ethnically Challenged...
Sadly, this movie was made for non-ethnic people to make them feel like they understand ethnic issues. It's contrived, it's poorly put together, and it was a complete waste of an amazing ensemble cast.
Don't waste your time. There are other movies that deal with ethnic issues much better... go watch something like Grand Canyon instead or Angels in America. Even "Higher Learning" had for in terms of real cultural issues. Don't pretend that the backdrop of 9/11 made this movie more profound... that's just a false pretense to make this movie seem deeper than it is.
-z
Beautiful Girls (1996)
The best "GUY" flick ever made...
You know how there are chick flicks? Well, this is THE BEST "guy" flick ever made... I could identify with all the characters... and the dialog was the top notch.
Great great movie... out of my collection, this, High Fidelity, and About a Boy are the only movies I always recommend when friends are over.
X2 (2003)
FANBOY EXCITEMENT! And Rant...
SPOILERS!!!!!
PHOENIX is back?? X3?? Are we gonna see Dark Phoenix as well?
Lady Deathstrike... why did you have to die?
Hank McCoy on the news!!! Where's Beast?
Isn't Sebastian Shaw part of the Hellfire Club? Since when was he a doctor?
And lastly Colossus... how hard would it have been for this kid to learn a Russian accent? I didn't like the fact he sounded like a corn fed white boy.
WOOHOO!! Nightcrawler! I always thought Jeff Goldblum would be the only actor that could play him, but Alan Cummings, you rock.
When will it be revealed that Rogue and Mystique are mother daughter?
Hey! How about getting John Woo to direct an X-Men?!?!
Siu Lam juk kau (2001)
SO FUNNY I WATCHED IT TWICE!!!
I haven't seen a movie that I could watch again right when it ends... this was one. It was SO FUNNY!!! It was very outrageous... very slapstick... and to top it off, VERY Chinese. Unfortunately it sad to think that most will never get a chance to see this movie.
Lot of fun... BRAVO!
The Devil's Advocate (1997)
Great film regards "Good vs. Evil"
Well, I have to give some serious props to Keanu Reeves for finally learning how to act!! Seems to be the first movie in which he learned how to...
Mr. Pacino as the Devil? FUN! I did not find the film scary, but a fun fantasy'ish "What If?" Has anyone else out there read the Piers Anthony series, "Incarnations of Immortality?" This movie is along those lines... so people need not take this movie so seriously!
Also, I really like movies about the apocalypse and the devil and "Good vs. Evil," so this was right up my alley!! ENJOY!!!
Xing fu shi guang (2000)
Can't Zhang Yimou Make a Happy Film?????
OK... this was supposed to be a comedy. NOPE!!! NADA!!! STAY AWAY IF YOU NEED A LAUGH. This movie was really rather sad and depressing... if there was any humor in it, it was beyond me. This movie angered me and depressed me at the same time...
Ying xiong (2002)
The Hero, once again...
In the 70's, the best martial arts film was "Shao Lin Tzu (Shao-Lin Temple)."
In the 80's, the best martial arts film was "Shao Lin Xiao Zi (Shao-Lin Kids)."
In the 90's, the best martial arts film was "Wong Fei-Hung (Once Upon a Time in China)." Well, maybe "Fong Sai-Yuk." And also "Tai Ji Zhang San Feng (Tai-Chi Master)." As well as "Jing Wu Ying Xiong (Fist of Legend)."
In the 00's... "Ying Xiong (Hero)."
Get it? Li Lian Jie rocks... he's the master.
Ni na bian ji dian (2001)
Real time Taiwan...
You know, when I visit Taiwan, I don't recall it being all that slow... this watch salesman sure has a boring life.
This movie was an interesting study of how a camera could be put in one spot, and all the actors wander around in it deciding weather or not to stay within frame while acting. Something about this method of filming cause me to have major indifference towards what the characters were experiencing... but it also had a strange voyeuristic feel about it that keep my attention.
I saw this film in the comfort of my own home one late evening. By the time the movie was over, I could swear that the sun should have been rising and it would be time for me to have breakfast... this movie feels L...O...N...G!!
Worth a viewing... maybe even a second. Make sure your comfortable... and enjoy.
Bella Martha (2001)
Best "Food movie" Since "Eat Drink, Man Woman!"
Wow... funny enough, we picked up this film thinking that it was a French movie. OOPS!!! My fiance and I were a bit disappointed that it was a German film at first, however within minutes, we were captivated.
Wonderfully filmed, beautifully written, down-to-earth yet magical plot, phenomenal soundtrack... and most of all, GREAT acting!
Oh... real quick spoiler... it had one of the SEXIEST eating scenes EVER!!! Wow. If you're into "Food Movies," watch this one, as well as "Eat Drink, Man Woman," "Tortilla Soup" (Mexican remake of ED,MW), and "Como Agua Para Chocolate." Strange... the best "Food Movies" aren't American...
Resident Evil (2002)
A pretty damn good port of a Video Game...
You know... it's always hard for fans of one media watch their beloved characters/story line be warped into the big screen.
So many comic books turned film have been God-awful... The Punisher, Captain America, Superman, Batman... they never captured the essence of the comic book. We needed a director like Martin Scorsese to direct Batman. The good thing is, films based off of comic books have finally come of age with the coming of Spider-Man, X-Men... and hopefully The Hulk.
Video games turned films seem to just be in it's infancy. We had Super Mario Bros. Ugh. Street Fighter? Ouch (RIP, Raul Julia... that should not have been your last film)! But hey, Resident Evil wasn't bad!! And look, Silent Hill is on the horizon!! I think video game films will only get better and better from here!!
Besides, Milla looked great in this flick!
American History X (1998)
This scene makes me cringe...
SPOILER!!!!
This was such a great film... however, it made me a bit wary about wandering around the neighborhood of Venice Beach for awhile though!
Ed Norton is phenomenal, as per usual. But holy crap!!!, that head-cracking scene was vicious!!! I cringe just thinking about it.
This film was so good, it is a must in for a collector.
True Romance (1993)
What's NOT to like about this flick?!?
OK... you have the GREAT dialog of Quentin Tarantino, Christian Slater in the BEST role of his life, Dennis Hopper playing a compassionate man with balls of steel, Gary Oldman being scarily phenomenal, Val Kilmer playing ANOTHER rock star, Brad Pitt being himself, James Gandolfini prepping for the Soprano's, Patricia Arquette playing a sexy Southern gal steered wrong, Chrispher Walken the Sicilian n*gger, Bronson Pinchot finally breaking free of Balkey, Sam Jackson getting his ass-whooped, etc. etc...
Doesn't that sound fun???
Wong Fei-Hung (1991)
Li Lian Jie at his BEST!
In the 70's, the best martial arts film was "Shao Lin Tzu (Shao-Lin Temple)."
In the 80's, the best martial arts film was "Shao Lin Xiao Zi (Shao-Lin Kids)."
In the 90's, the best martial arts film was "Wong Fei-Hung (Once Upon a Time in China)." Well, maybe "Fong Sai-Yuk." And also "Tai Ji Zhang San Feng (Tai-Chi Master)." As well as "Jing Wu Ying Xiong (Fist of Legend)."
In the 00's... "Ying Xiong (Hero)."
Get it? Li Lian Jie rocks... he's the master.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
awful, painful, hurtful...
What other words can I use to describe this movie? Let's break it down:
The lines were........ BAD The plot was.......... PATHETIC The action sequences.. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT The acting............ FAR BELOW PAR The girl.............. Ok... gotta give Angelina props... but just her.
I don't play the game at all, and this movie has given me no reason to ever pick up a copy of Tomb Raider to play... but I sure do hope that the game is better than the movie!
Dick (1999)
As a gen x'er...
This movie ruled. I've read about Watergate, learned about it in school... and I feel that I'm rather well informed about American history. And as someone who didn't live through the scandal, I found the movie was easy to follow and VERY cleverly written. Smart humor, as I call it... someone not as well informed would not enjoy it, is that I mean.
Anyhow, that's all! Thanks for reading my first quick review.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Very Entertaining, just don't compare it...
After seeing two really bad summer fiasco's (AI and Tomb Raider), I finally saw a movie where I smiled as I walked out. Granted, some of the lines were questionable. I saw it opening night in Westwood Village (the UCLA crowd) and when Dirk Digg... Leo said something to the extent of "I'm going to show something that will rock your world," everyone in the theater began chanting, "BOOGIE NIGHTS, BOOGIE NIGHTS." Also, that wannabe model/synchronized swimmer/waif did not need to be in the movie... what role did she play? Hmm... semi-eye-candy is what I give her. Regardless, the rest of the cast pulled this movie together rather well. Tim Roth was amazing, Helena Carter was decent, as well as Marky Mark himself. Visually, the movie was stunning... absolutely great. Props to the Prince of Weird >Tim Burton. Danny Elfman (will there be another Boingo album?) = never fails to set the mood. The flick has some good twists, good action sequences, and all in all was a good movie all on it's own... please just don't compare it to the original... watch it as it's own movie.