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Reviews
Thrilla in Manila (2008)
Joe Frazier whines for an hour and a half
I was excited to hear Joe Frazier's side of the story. However, this documentary is so one sided that it loses it's credibility in it's first 15 minutes.
Early on, Joe Frazier claims that Parkinson's Disease is Muhammad Ali's punishment for the way Ali behaved early in life. That's just disgraceful. The film seems to be trying to rewrite history, to cast Joe Frazier in a kinder light. But it backfires by exposing the bottomless well of bitterness and resentment that fuels the endless complaining done by Joe Frazier and his camp throughout the film.
And I think Ferdie Pacheco is the most entertaining thing in the movie. He calls out the filmmakers for their lack of knowledge of their subject numerous times, and at one point asks "Are you in boxing at all? I mean, are you coming from covering the stock market or something?" Right on, Ferdie.
Feast (2005)
Much better than expected
This film was actually quite nicely made, which was a surprise coming from the Project Greenlight turd factory. That might sound unfair, but the first film had corn in it and the second one had flies on it.
The script for Feast, however, is funny, scary, thrilling and, for the most part, held my interest. Good choice.
The film looked great and was paced very effectively. Good job on the part of the director, John Gulager. I hope he gets the chance to do more now. Great editing too, by Kirk Morri.
The casting is almost perfect. My only complaint is with Navi Rawat, who tries to play the part of Heroine but can't act. Really, she can't. Watching her struggle to get through her lines took me right out of the movie.
The Weinsteins really should have gotten behind this film and given it the push it needed. I don't think they knew what they had.
Always san-chôme no yûhi (2005)
Wonderful film
I had the chance to see this film because a friend brought the DVD back from Japan. Otherwise I don't think I would ever have had the opportunity to watch it.
The cover of the DVD says "Over 270 million people have cried" over this film. I don't doubt that for a moment. This movie is funny, serious, sweet, suspenseful, hilarious and totally satisfying.
The special effects are beautifully rendered and reminded me of what Steven Spielberg might have done if he were making this film. The setting of Tokyo in 1958 is seamlessly recreated, as characters in this film are placed into footage of a 1950's Japanese film.
I would love to know how they did this, and I'm going to research it. As soon as I find out I'll update this post.
Everything about this film is romantic. Don't miss it.
A Patch of Blue (1965)
Powerful film
I just saw this film and I could not stop watching it. No breaks! That says a lot about a movie these days, when you can just pause the DVD and come back whenever you want.
Yes, it's dated. Melodramatic to a fault. And yet if you cut it some slack, remember the time it was made and don't try to update it in your head, this is a great film.
Two outstanding lead performances from Sidney Poitier and Elizabeth Hartman. The other characters are cartoons but they establish the peril for Selina and make it a great show.
Wonderful ending! Please watch this film, you will be glad you did.
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
A Few Amazingly Funny Segments in a Basically Lousy Film...
...but see it anyway for those segments.
It looks like a first film for EVERYONE involved in the making of this movie. For example, the crosscutting between people in the same scene where one person is standing in the sun and the other is getting rained on is hilarious! An homage to Ed Wood, perhaps?
However, there are a few scenes that are explosively funny. I don't want to give them away by describing them, but I promise it is worth your while to sit through the rest of the dreck to get the good stuff.
If these guys ever figure out how to write a proper script they are going to make a classic. Hang in there!
Monsoon Wedding (2001)
Not Monsoon Enough
I agree with an earlier reviewer. The script for this film seems to have been created with a cookie cutter, with the writer concocting the familiar shapes of stereotypical characters we've seen many times before.
The result is film in which the actors speak their lines and then listen for their cues so they can speak again. For all the action, there is very little interaction. Bad writing undercuts the ability of the characters to generate any compelling drama.
The director seems very competent, though, and I think we can expect better work when better scripts become available.
The Windigo (2000)
Not a bad short film...
...but it did look as if the filmmaker rushed to finish. Great scenery, wonderfully shot and some great action on the ice. Obviously great care was taken with the production. The story is a bit confused and the ending seemed added on as an afterthought. Odd soundtrack, too. But an interesting film nonetheless.