jackdaniels1981 Reviews

Sin City (2005)

Too much style... Not enough story!

[5/10 · 10 August 2005]

Sin City is a very stylish movie, with lots of different colour effects and symbolic references but I feel the style kind of outweighed the lack of storyline. They never really went into any great detail about the characters and what was going on. The fact there are 3 different stories and it's all over in the space of about 1 hour and 40 minutes meant that each story was rushed and out of the way quickly.

What they should have done with this book was split it up into three separate movies. Then they could have spent more time getting the audience interested in the story and the characters rather than blinding them with stylish effects.

American Wedding (2003)

Very Dull.

[16 August 2003]

I thought the second one was a waste of time until I saw this one. I am now convinced that somebody is out to destroy what was once a great movie. Have these people never heard of quitting while they're ahead. American Pie was a fantastic movie. It had originality; it had a stunning cast, a funny story and a brilliant soundtrack to back it up. The direction was superb and you would never have guessed that all this came from two people who were producing their first movie. It was one of those unexpected massive hits that went down a storm. But having a movie that is successful and makes lots of money does not automatically pave the way for a sequel.

American Wedding, the third installment in the American Pie series, is set around Jim and Michelle planning their dream wedding. Jim, notorious for messing things up, is trying his very best to impress Michelle's parents at the same time as planning the perfect wedding for Michelle. As per usual, things don't exactly go according to plan and Jim and his buddies end up in some very sticky situations when Stiffler decides to invite himself to the wedding and take charge of the bachelor party. Set three years on from American Pie 2, we seem to have lost a few of the usual suspects along the way. There is no Vicky, no Jessica, no Oz and no Heather. However, we still have the likes of Stiffler, Finch and Kevin to support their buddy through this challenging task. As expected, everyone pulls together and shows us a pure example of just what true friendship is all about (yes even Stiffler). The exact same message the first two American Pie films were giving us.

One of the major problems in this film is the pure fact that we have already seen Jim get caught with his pants down, make love to an apple pie, have a very premature situation broadcast on the internet, get his hand stuck to his privates whilst having a video tape stuck to his other hand and that's just the beginning. How many more tricky situations can we sit and watch this boy get himself into before we start to get bored of it. The same goes for Stiffler. We have seen him drink a `pale ale' so to speak, we have seen him urinated on, so what next? Well I'll let you find out for yourself but needless to say, it was obvious something disgusting was going to come into contact with his body in one way or another.

As for the cast…There's not really a lot to say. I do feel they haven't put as much effort into this one as they did the first one or even the second one. Alyson Hannigan wasn't her usual bubbly, ditzy self this time and was actually playing the part of Willow from Buffy. I guess that's what happens when you spend 7 years of your life being the same character. Jason Biggs seems to be the same as always. Eddie Kaye Thomas and Thomas Ian Nicholas don't have a lot to do as Finch and Kevin but seem to get on with it. The only actor that really stands out is of course Sean William Scott as the legendary Stiffler.

There are a few parts of the movie that raised a smile but none that made me laugh. They say it is supposed to be the best out of the three but I think it's the worst. The story is dull, the script is dull, the characters are dull and well…I think it's safe to say, the film is dull. So let's just hope they have finally decided to put this one to rest now. Or are we going to see American Baby next?

Gacy (2003 Video)

More like a documentary than a film.

[15 August 2003]

I hadn't heard much about the Gacy Killings before I saw this movie. I guess you could say I'm uncultured considering he is one of the most well known serial killers of America. Anyway, I decided to give this movie a go, because I'm starting to open up to movies that aren't all about comedy and this seemed like a good contrast to try.

I was quite disappointed by the lack of depth. It seemed to just fill time with the same thing over and over again. He goes out, picks up a boy, brings him home and well...we know the rest. I suppose the main problem was the fact that we never really got an insight into him and how he thought and his real reasons for doing what he did. We had a little taste of his childhood and his abusive father right at the beginning of the film and heard a few flashback sounds throughout the film as constant reminders but that was it.

We also never really saw how this affected everybody else around him. His co-workers, friends, neighbours, wife, mother, children. I mean they were all a part of his life and even lived in the same house. It would have been nice to include this in the storyline. I feel this film was more of a documentary to tell people who he was and what he did rather than open up a bit of light as to what went on behind it all.

I've seen other serial killer movies and they all seem to at least explain a little as to what is going on. We never really got a look at it through his eyes, which is what I guess everybody will be expecting to see.

Overall, it was a pretty boring account of what happened and although my thoughts go out to those that were lost and the people that were affected by these real life events. I feel this film has done nothing but bring back painful memories for those involved. A film best left alone...

If you're thinking of watching this movie. I suggest you do it on a night where you've got nothing better to do because it really isn't that entertaining.

Dog Soldiers (2002)

Enjoyable Brit Flick!

[14 August 2003]

I'm not normally one to sit through an action packed, horror movie. I much prefer a good comedy or drama but I thought I'd give this one a go. At first, I knew absolutely nothing about the film; despite its success in the movies…I'd heard nothing of the storyline and was completely blind to what I should expect.

It starts off with what appears to be a very routine training session for a squad of army soldiers. Their mission is to seek out a team of Special Forces and eliminate them. Because it is only a training mission, they are only armed with blank ammunition. This mission soon changes shape when they come across the Special Forces team only to find a hysterical captain, claiming the rest of his team had been `torn to pieces.' Before they know it, they are forced to salvage whatever weapons they can and go head to head with a pack of extremely fast and powerful werewolves.

This British film is literally packed with action. There is never a dull moment and you will be glued to the screen from the word go. It's not particularly hard to figure out the plot though, and the plot twists were completely predictable. But what it lacks in surprises, it makes up for in action. There are no big name stars in this film either, which probably makes it that little bit better. You are more able to relate to the characters without associating them or comparing them to previous roles they have played.

Sean Pertwee plays `Sergeant. Wells' and manages to bring a lot of humour to the roll, considering he spends most of the movie with a sever case of stomach ache. I'll let you find out why for yourself. Kevin McKidd does well as `Cooper' and Emma Cleasby gives a reasonably good performance as the mysterious `Megan.' Other performances from Liam Cunningham, Leslie Simpson, Darren Morfitt and Chris Robson are also commendable. The only criticism I would make is about the actual werewolves themselves. They do appear to be very much like an old style werewolf movie and something out of a Michael Jackson video, which is a little disappointing when you think of some of the aliens and beasts we have seen on our screens over the years.

Overall, it was an enjoyable movie with a few jumpy bits here and there. Not too scary (Depending on how faint hearted you are) but definitely not boring.

Wrong Turn (I) (2003)

Was this Jeepers Creepers 3???

[2 August 2003]

There were moments in this film where I could have sworn I was watching a remake of Jeepers Creepers. The creepy truck, the deformed villain and the old man that seems to know about it but hasn't done anything about it. There were no plot twists, there were no original storylines and to be honest, the death scenes were simply pathetic with absolutely no struggling or fighting what so ever up until the very end of the film.

The film was also too short. To me it seemed like they ran out of time when they were writing this film so they just scribbled in a quick ending and took it to the studio.

There isn't really a lot to say about a film that is just over an hour and a quarter. The acting was average and the story was just incomplete. Do we ever actually find out who or what the villains are? Do we ever find out why they are killing all these people and chopping them up into bits?

Jeepers Creepers was also not that good a film but at least they explained the reasons behind the killings. As far as I can tell, this is just a case of a few beasts killing and chopping people up for the sake of it and a few people being a bit tougher than the rest.

They could have done so much more with this film – it's a pity they didn't make more of it.

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)

Cute story with a comical touch...

[30 July 2003]

Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) has now graduated from Harvard Law School and is a well established lawyer with a bright future. She is also engaged to be married to Emmett Richmond (Luke Wilson). When planning her dream wedding, she realises there is one person (well thing) missing from the guest list. She decides to track down the long lost mother of her beloved pet `Bruiser' in order to bring her to the wedding, only to find that she is the property of an Animal Testing facility.

Beauty is obviously something Ms. Woods values with all her heart but is it important enough to risk the welfare of all those cute little puppies and kittens. Elle decides that she is going to free Bruiser's mom and is soon smack bang in the middle of her biggest challenge yet. She soon realises that she can not fight the law therefore, she has to change it. Off she sets to Washington to change the law not just for this one dog, but for every animal in the country.

When I first heard they were filming a sequel to Legally Blonde, I was a little sceptical in my belief that it would be any good. The first film was great and it gave us some classic comical moments, mixed in with a very good storyline and some very important life lessons. Not only that, but it was also backed with a fantastic cast and was just one of the most entertaining films of 2001. With a film like that, it was always going to be difficult to make a sequel to live up to the name of its predecessor.

I was quite surprised when I did see Legally Blonde 2. It has all the qualities of the first movie and more. Admittedly, it is not as funny as the first movie and it has more of a serious touch to it but then what it lacks in comedy, it makes up for in entertainment value. What we have here, is a truly heart warming storyline that is sure to capture the hearts of millions worldwide. Throw in a little bit of comedy, Reese Witherspoon in a pink dress and a brilliant supporting cast and you have a great movie.

Reese Witherspoon is, once again, fabulous as Elle Woods. She brings charm, beauty and charisma to the character. Jennifer Coolidge is back as Paulette however, I felt her character was a lot different in this movie than in the first one and appears to be a little sillier now. Serena and Margot also return to grace us with their quick wit and crazy cheerleading routines. But what made me smile was seeing Sally Field in what I feel was her best role since she played Miranda Hillard in Mrs. Doubtfire, 10 years ago.

So overall, I didn't enjoy it as much as the first one and I hope they put the Legally Blonde project to sleep now because it would be a shame to wear it in to the ground like some other films that just haven't been left alone. But other than that, a well made film and one that I would definitely recommend if you are planning a cinema trip anytime soon.

Muriel's Wedding (1994)

A Great Movie!!!

[3 June 2003]

Life in Porpoise Spit is difficult for Muriel Heslop (Toni Collette). Her father Bill Heslop (Bill Hunter) is making it increasingly difficult for everyone without even realising it and all Muriel wants is a bit of normality, a nice family, some real friends and a dream wedding. Sat up in her room day by day, listening to Abba music, she gets more and more fed up and decides to take off to Sydney to find her dream. Things don't turn out exactly the way she planned and she is soon faced with the reality that is life.

Muriel's Wedding is described as a comedy but I found it more like a drama with a few comical bits in it. The film itself has got quite a simple plot to it really. It's just about a girl who's been driven mad by her family and has decided to run off to Sydney to find her dream man and have a marvellous wedding that will be remembered by everyone around her for the rest of her life. If she could do this it would be a real dream come true…But at what expense?

Muriel's life is pretty unfortunate. She is pretty much an outcast back at home and her so called friends don't want to know her because they say she embarrasses them all the time. She finally meets her one true friend, an old school buddy called Rhonda (Rachel Griffiths) and the two of them get through life as best they can..

It's not a very funny situation that Muriel is in and the things that happen in this movie aren't exactly funny either. But it is what is known as Black Comedy and if it's not taken the wrong way, it can be quite entertaining.

I find it very hard to write a review of the characters in this movie without sounding insensitive or insulting to the kind of people these actors and actresses portray. The truth is each person has a problem, whether it is mental or physical. It is very difficult to play a character that is mentally challenged or disabled and the people in this movie have done a wonderful job.

The character that probably stands out the most is Rhonda who is played by Rachel Griffiths and she is fantastic in her role. Understanding the mental and physical problems of somebody in her character's position is not something that can be done easily but Rachel has managed to portray a very convincing and sincere character. She deserved her AFI award in every way for this role.

Toni Collette is amazing as Muriel. It takes a great actor / actress to pull off this kind of role and reduce themselves to such a low, unappealing outcast. I think she did a marvellous job and was yet another actress from this movie to rightfully earn an AFI award. Jeanie Drynan is good as Muriel's mother Betty and the supporting cast are also very good.

We've had some pretty bad movies in the past about people getting married. I mean let's face it; it's not exactly the most extraordinary event of the century. People do it every day. But this team of people have managed to take this every day situation and turn it into a lovely story with lots of ups and downs.

Overall, this movie is quite funny, quite sensitive and very entertaining. The soundtrack, full of Abba classics, is very good and will have you walking away humming the likes of `Dancing Queen' and `Fernando' to yourself for ages.

I think the awards really speak for themselves where this movie is concerned. It is truly one of the greatest movies of it's time.

Bringing Down the House (2003)

Stunning performance... Poor Story

[2 June 2003]

Meet Peter Sanderson. He is a lonely attorney who has been separated from his wife and children. He lives on his own and doesn't have much of a life outside of his work. So he has taken it upon himself to find comfort in the form of an internet chat room. He has developed an online friendship with `Lawyer Girl' and he decides to invite her to his house for dinner. Much to his surprise, she is not the girl he thought she'd be. She turns out to be an escaped convict, trying to clear her name. At first he is totally against the idea of even talking to her anymore. However, the two soon bond and the friendship grows and he offers to help her out.

Bringing Down The House doesn't leave much for your imagination. The initial plot isn't exactly the most complex of stories. What makes this film so good is the performance by the cast. Steve Martin proves once again why he has been playing leading roles in blockbuster movies for the last 30 years or more. His portrayal of Peter Sanderson is very funny and exactly what you would expect. Queen Latifah is amazing. She brings so much to this film. A lot of this film's quality is down to her performance as escaped convict Charlene Morton. Eugene Levy delivers once again in his part as Howie Rottman, a close friend and colleague of Peter's. He is mildly amusing however he can be pretty annoying towards the beginning of the film.

There was a lot of criticism over the amount of racial jokes in this movie and the fact that it relied heavily on the racial aspect. I would not say that it was used out of context and I would not say that it ruined the film. I would however, have to agree with the comments made about it being plugged for everything it was worth. I do believe that without the constant racial jokes and without the stunning performance by Queen Latifah, this would have been a very average movie.

After taking everything into account, I did enjoy this flick and would probably watch it again if there was nothing else to watch. Overall, it has some nice touches to it and the story unfolds nicely. So basically, it's just a nice film.

I look forward to seeing more of Queen Latifah on the big screen.

Will & Grace (1998–2020)

A Must See...

[2 June 2003]

I have never really been that big a fan of American Sitcoms. I have often found the humour to be very dry and very boring. The only American sitcom I could stand watching for more than 5 minutes was "Friends." However, I was tempted to give this one a try and I'm glad I did.

Will & Grace is fantastic. The storylines are original, funny and interesting. The characters are adorable and each has their own uniqueness and above all, the cast are fabulous. Will is a very straight-laced, successful lawyer and you will very rarely see him do anything that isn't normal or sensible. Eric McCormack pulls this off very well. He is charming as Will and I can think of nobody better to play this part. Debra Messing is brilliant as Grace, the mad designer, control freak that couldn't get a relationship right if she had a step-by-step guide on how to do it. Sean Hayes is incredibly funny as Jack, the camp, lunatic best friend. But the best of all has to be Megan Mullally as Karen. Her character is absolutely hilarious and brings so much to the show. It just wouldn't be Will & Grace without Karen.

Out of all the American Sitcoms, I would now prefer to watch this one above all. It is also fast becoming an extremely popular show both in America and the United Kingdom. Guest stars are flocking to the show. Even Madonna has appeared on the show in her first ever television guest appearance for a TV series.

I am very glad that I was persuaded to watch this show and I will continue to watch it until it ends. Let's just hope it ends at the right time instead of dragging out as long as possible until it becomes too boring to watch, like others have.

V (1983)

Just Pure Brilliance

[2 June 2003]

One day whilst filming an attack that is underway during the cold war, cameraman Mike Donovan (Marc Singer) and his partner Tony (Evan Kim) witness the most extraordinary event of their lives. A UFO right in front of their eyes, 3 miles across and one of 50 identical crafts positioned above the major cities all over the world.

The alien visitors address the globe and assure the human race they have come in peace, to request our help in a matter that is slowly destroying their planet. It is soon discovered what the real mission is and what the aliens are really here for and a small resistance is set up by scientists to put an end to this invasion.

For it's time, V is a marvelous piece of work. V had an extremely low budget and they have made the most of this. However, it is not noticeable and it is amazing how they have accomplished such a high quality showpiece on such a low budget. The effects are very good and very surprising when you hear how they were done.

Marc Singer is very good as the daring Mike Donovan. He's always the first in line when action is required and is not afraid to get his hands dirty or fight for the survival of his people. Faye Grant is great as Juliet Parish and brings charm as well as beauty to her role. Jane Badler plays an awesome Diana, the head alien and the supporting characters are all brilliantly portrayed.

The story, which is told in two parts, takes time to unfold so is not for the easily distracted or less focused people. It takes a great deal of concentration and a lot of reading between the lines to get to the bottom of what is going on and is an incredible piece of writing. Kenneth Johnson (Writer & Director) has provided one of the most revolutionary stories in the television industry.

Blockbuster fans may remember a 1996 movie called Independence Day. The idea behind Independence Day originated here. 50 ships positioned above all the major cities around the globe and putting our planet in great danger.

V wasn't exactly the most popular of shows when it first aired but the very incomplete ending left us with a promise of things to come so a three part sequel was planned and then eventually a television series, some novels, a comic set and a large fan base.

It also features some upcoming stars that some of you will be very familiar with today. Robert Englund makes a few appearances as `William' and although he doesn't play a huge part in the storyline, his character is very much one of the many qualities of this brilliant mini series.

If you ever saw the TV series or The Final Battle or even read the books and comics then you simply have to see this. This is an amazing mini series and a must see.

Well done Kenneth Johnson for producing such a marvellous mini series with such little backing!

Big Brother (III) (2000– )

Reality at it's best!

[25 May 2003]

12 people who have never met each other in their lives are thrown into a house together for nine weeks. They are allowed absolutely no contact with the outside world... There is no television, no radio, no mobile phones, no newspapers and no computers (internet). Their only form of entertainment is each other.

It is their task to get to know each other and impress each other as much as possible. They are filmed by cameras placed in every room (even in the toilets and bathroom). The cameras are on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is NO privacy and NO hiding. There are over 40 microphones recording every word they say, they each wear a compulsory microphone which is never allowed to be switched off.

Every week (or whenever big brother decides to surprise them) they each have to nominate one person to be evicted from the house by public vote. The person who receives the most public votes gets evicted from the house until only one person is left. That person is then crowned king or queen of the house and walks away with £70,000! If they break any of Big Brother's rules, they risk eviction and Big Brother can change the rules at any time he likes!

Each week they are given a shopping budget and they have to complete a task decided by Big Brother in order to either increase or decrease the shopping budget. How much the budget is increased or decreased by is entirely up to them as they chose how much of their shopping budget to gamble on the task. There is also an ongoing task of looking after the Big Brother chickens between them.

They are locked in the house... Neither of them can have any contact with the outside world until they are either evicted or the pressure gets too much for them and they chose to leave. The only people outside of the house that they have contact with are Big Brother and Davina McCall (when she addresses them to tell them who's being evicted each week).

This is one of the biggest tests a person can put themselves through. Virtually two months away from their loved ones, family, children and friends. Most people even have to quit their jobs just to go on this show and take the risk of being back out within a week. But if they do manage to win over the house mates and the public then they come out with £70,000 and a name that is known across the country (maybe even the world) by millions of fans.

This show is very good... It may delve into everyone's private life and give them absolutely no time to themselves what so ever but if they weren't okay with that then they wouldn't have agreed to go on the show. You get to know more about the contestants than you expect, seeing them live on TV every single day and you will soon find yourself warming to them and picking your favourites.

It is the ideal alternative to a television soap opera... If you enjoy watching shows about real life situations then why not skip the writing and watch one that is actually real life. The people are real, what's happening is real... After all, it's reality TV.

It can be pretty boring towards the start of the run but after a couple of weeks, once you get used to the contestants and you know a lot more about them, you will find yourself tuning in every night for an update, or even just to see how they're doing!

Very good idea whoever came up with it and let's hope BB4 is as good as some of the others have been! Who's going to top the personalities of Helen, Jade and the original Nasty Nick himself??? We shall see!

Queer as Folk (2000–2005)

Addictive!

[22 May 2003]

Queer As Folk (USA) is very addictive. Once you start watching it, you will definitely find yourself going back week after week waiting for the next episode to see what happens next.

You will find that you start to warm to the characters and you feel like you're getting to know them each week. It's a lot like a spiced up soap opera only it's more risky, it's more fun, it's louder and it's sexier.

The only problem that I found about this is that when it first started out, the first few storylines were virtually a carbon copy of what happened in the UK version. It's all very well basing the production on the UK show but at least come up with an original version.

After time, the UK storylines began to fade out and the characters began to shine. There's Brian Kinney (Gale Harold) who is the typical, backroom boy. It's all about the sex... he doesn't care who it is as long as he's up for it! Michael Novotny (Hal Sparks) is a bit dull at times and can really annoy the hell out of me with his constant whining and moaning. Ben Bruckner (Robert Gant) can be equally annoying but is slightly more bearable. Justin Taylor (Randy Harrison), the one night stand that Brian pulled in the opening episode who just kept coming back for more. Ted Schmidt (Scott Lowell) is also a little dull and boring, up until recently, however he does have his funny moments and can be quite witty when he wants to be. Emmett Honeycutt (Peter Paige) is very funny, very witty, very lively and definitely 100% O.U.T!!! Melanie Marcus (Michelle Clunie) is the successful lawyer who's work means a lot to her, she doesn't really have any outstanding qualities that make her shine above the rest apart from her total hatred towards Brian. Lindsay Peterson (Thea Gill) is Melanie's lover and she is the very caring, very hard working, very realistic part of the duo. She thinks everything through logically and can sometimes moan a hell of a lot when she doesn't see things going her way. But the character that shines above the rest has to be Debbie Novotny (Sharon Gless). She is loud, big mouthed, hilarious and above all else, the most caring person on the show. She will go out of her way to help anyone that needs it, including Brian.

For a show that only has 2 gay cast members, I think they have done extremely well. It can be a bit overkill at times and they can make things seem a little worse than they normally would be in real life but other than that, they get on with the issue quite well.

I only have one more criticism about the show...do we really need a five minute club scene in every episode???

All in all it's a pretty good show... I will be continuing to tune in every week to see what happens next :)

Stonewall (1995)

What an eye opener!

[22 May 2003]

We are set in the year 1969 where Homosexuality is illegal and dressing in drag is likely to get you arrested, if not beaten!

Everybody has their own Stonewall story... Everyone that lived through it will have a fantastic memory to tell anybody that will listen. Well this film is La Miranda's story. La Miranda is a fictional drag queen and this film is all about how her and her friends got through the Stonewall days.

I learned a lot from this film. I never realised how tough it was for gay people living in America at that time. I never once thought about what those people did to make life so much easier for us now. As a gay man myself, I felt touched by this film and the reality of what really did happen back then.

Stonewall is a brutal film that delivers a very strong message in a very straight forward, no crap, right to the point kind of way. The characters in the film are all adorable in their own way and you can really feel what they are feeling.

You will find yourself staring at the screen in amazement at how strong these people really are. Every person in this film gives an outstanding performance... I can not fault any of the actors. There are no big names in this film either and that is what makes it even more special.

No big star actors being in this movie means that you can get really close to the characters and you can relate to them, rather than picture them in another role and another movie. It is also a very private movie, it wasn't a huge box office smash hit like Titanic or Star Wars. It's the kind of movie that nobody has really heard of but is always hooked on it once they finally see it.

Anybody that knows about Stonewall will know that the people that lived through that riot were fighting for people like myself, my boyfriend and all gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, drag queens and everyone alike. They sacraficed everything they could to pave the way for us to live with the freedom we deserve. They deserve to be respected in every way possible and this film does just that. It portrays them for what they really are.... HEROS!

I really loved this film and I seriously recommend everybody sees it... you will learn something and you will be moved!

Lee Evans: Wired and Wonderful - Live at Wembley (2002 Video)

Hysterical!

[19 May 2003]

Of all the comedians I have watched, I had to go see this one.

I was there when Mr Evans performed this 2 hour show live in front of thousands of people at London's Wembley Arena. I paid a lot of money for my tickets (being in the very front row) and I can honestly say, it was worth every single penny paid.

The guy is a lunatic! His facial expressions can be matched by no-one... His jokes are extremely funny and his interpretation of some of lifes simplest things will have you rolling around on the floor in fits of laughter.

Had I not been sat with a barrier literally 10 cm in front of me, I would have probably been on the floor myself.

Anybody that likes stand up comedy, I recommed this title!

Charlie's Angels (2000)

Pure Action, Pure Comedy... Pure Genius!!!

[19 May 2003]

Based on the 1970's television series "Charlie's Angels" we are presented with a movie based on the biggest mission the girls have ever had to complete... Can they do it??

We begin on a plane where Mr. Jones (LL Cool J) is on his way to first class, despite the flight attendants initial belief that he wasn't a first class ticket holder. Many comical events are going on in the scene... including a young couple clearly about to embark on a mission to join the mile high club.

He takes his seat right at the front of the plane and has a coded discussion with the man in the seat next to him and asks him where the bomb is…

The man reveals the bomb, attached to himself. Mr. Jones grabs the man, opens the emergency door on the plane and jumps out. We see a spectacular chain of events unfold as Mr. Jones sky dives with the villain and manages to make them both land in a boat piloted by none other than Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz) with the assistance of Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore). All at the same time as making sure the bomb is detached from the villain, exploding in mid air.

Whilst the villain is screaming his head off at the man who just threw him out of a plane, Mr. Jones removes his outfit and takes off his face (literally) to reveal that it is only a mask and it is really Alex Munday (Lucy Liu).

We are then introduced to the trio of angels one at a time and the scene is set. These are Charlie's Angels, an elite trio of secret investigators who follow instruction from Charles Townsend. Who nobody has ever met, he exists only in the form of his voice (John Forsythe).

Assisted by their friend and associate John Bosley (Bill Murray), they are to take on a new assignment. Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell), owner of Knox Technologies has been kidnapped and his revolutionary voice recognition software has been stolen. His partner, Vivian Wood (Kelly Lynch) believes that their business rival Roger Corwin (Tim Curry) may have something to do with it.

Roger Corwin is the proud owner of his very own technology firm and has a number of very powerful satellites orbiting the planet. With this voice recognition software integrated with the satellites, he would be able to pin point the exact location of any individual on the planet by a simple phone call. A Very dangerous tool in the hands of the wrong person. The girls need to make sure the voice recognition software is found and Corwin's satellites are not used for the wrong purpose.

The girls get to work immediately however, the task becomes increasingly difficult as they start to unfold the real story behind the missing software and the kidnapping of Eric Knox, who they have now rescued. They soon find themselves and their friend Bosley in great danger and discover that their very own Charlie may also be in danger…

Their new mission: to defend themselves, find and rescue Bosley, stop the powerful voice recognition software from falling into the hands of the villains and find and protect Charlie… even though they have no idea who or where he is. They have lost their office, Bosley has been kidnapped and Charlie is a mystery... They are completely on their own but can they do it?

As Dylan points out… `I have no idea what they plan to do… But I know we can stop them.'

This film is fantastic… It has an extremely good plot, with enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing the outcome right until the film is finished. The action and effects are amazing and the fighting scenes are extremely well choreographed.

Cameron Diaz exceeds in her role as Natalie Cook… She is very funny, very sexy and very athletic. This is certainly one of her best roles as an actress. Lucy Liu is great, as always and Drew Barrymore is very good as the third angel, Dylan Sanders (Also the only one to get a sneak look at Charlie).

I was never distracted away from this film, right from the word go and I would happily watch it again and again. I can honestly say I can't find a single fault in the movie. I shall have to watch it again to try and find one now….. Bring on the sequel :o)

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)

Funny and moving...

[19 May 2003]

Miss Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze) and Miss Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes) are the proud winners of a New York Drag Queen contest. After the event they bump into Miss Chi Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo), who is very upset that she hasn't won the contest.

The two drag queens are convinced to take Miss Chi Chi with them to compete in the national drag contest however; their prize for winning the local one was only two plane tickets to Los Angeles. They decide to give up their plane tickets and travel by car so the three of them can go.

On their way to Los Angeles, they encounter Sheriff Dollard (Chris Penn), who pulls their car over because one of their rear lights is out. When he asks to see Miss Vida's license, she obviously tries her best to get out of it without having to show the license, bearing in mind the name on her license is Eugene and drag wasn't exactly an acceptable thing in Middle America back then. The officer takes Vida to one side and starts trying to get fresh with her, believing she is a real woman. When he reaches up her dress and grabs a hold of her manhood, he suddenly finds himself shocked and flat on his face unconscious in the middle of the road.

The three get out of there pretty quickly as they do not really want to face the wrath of an embarrassed sheriff who is sure to want to arrest Vida for rendering him unconscious. They manage to get a little further until their car breaks down. Now they are stuck and their only way forward is for Chi Chi to try and hitch a ride.

A nice young lad, Bobby Ray (Jason London) pulls up to pick up Chi Chi at the side of the road and is quickly convinced to take her two friends with him too. He takes them back to his home town, a very small town where everybody knows everybody.

They meet Carol Ann (Stockard Channing) who allows them to stay with her and her husband Virgil (Arliss Howard), who is planning on fixing their car however, it will take a couple of days to fix it because the parts are not easy to get hold of. So now they are faced with a very small town of people, who believe they are real women and they have to keep the act up for three days. Who knows what kind of reaction they will get if they are found out.

Sheriff Dollard is soon on the hunt and is determined to find them and bring them back dead or alive to prove to his fellow officers that they were really men in dresses and he wasn't knocked out by a woman. He starts his search and it will only be a matter of time before he does eventually find them.

Whilst staying at Carol Ann's place, they discover she is the victim of regular domestic abuse, at the hands of her husband Virgil. After tolerating it for a little while, Vida decides enough is enough and fuelled by the nasty comments thrown at her in an argument with young Chi Chi, she decides to do something about it. Virgil is thrown out; Carol Ann is now able to be herself and the four start to build a friendship.

It doesn't take long for the rest of the town to join in and soon enough, the whole town has been brought together by these three mysterious girls that just appeared.

This film is wonderful. It puts out a message to the whole of the world about how drag queens should be accepted as ordinary people and how everybody in their own right should be able to dress how they like, see who they like and be who they like. It shows that anyone, no matter how they chose to dress or who they chose to sleep with, can do good and bring people together.

Patrick Swayze is relatively funny and surprisingly quite good in drag. Wesley Snipes is amazing in his role, very funny, very witty and fantastic in drag. Stockard Channing shows once again that her acting skills are never wasted and plays a very important part in the film and John Leguizamo portrays the part of young Chi Chi very well.

This film is one not to be missed. It is funny, meaningful and educational. It's well made and even quite moving in some parts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to anyone!

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

A Big Fat Masterpiece..

[20 April 2003]

Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), a 30 year old Greek woman who's future all seems to have been planned out by her family. Grow up, marry a Greek man, have Greek kids, eat lots of Greek food and keep on breeding until her kids grow up and start the cycle all over again. But this isn't the life she wants. She wants to do something with her life and make it her own.

She decides to go out to college and learn something new. After seeing a new computer and tourism course advertised, she decides to make a business proposal to her Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) and before you know it, she is running a travel agency. She is finally pursuing the kind of life she always dreamed of.

Things get even better for Toula when she meets Ian Miller (John Corbett). Unfortunately, there is only one thing standing in the way… He is not Greek. As much as Toula loves him, she just can not convince her father Gus (Michael Constantine) to accept him. Ian decides to get himself baptized in the Greek Church in an attempt to win his way into Toula's family. Gus eventually gives in and allows Toula to go ahead and marry Ian.

Ian and Toula begin making their plans for a nice, intimate wedding but they are forgetting one thing…Toula is Greek and Greek's do not have small weddings. They have Big Fat Greek Weddings!!! The wedding planning is soon taken over by Toula's family and Toula has less and less say in what goes on.

This film is a great piece of work by Star and Writer Nia Vardalos. It just goes to show that no matter what happens in life, your family is your family and nothing can ever change that. There are some very funny moments in this movie and even a guest appearance or two from N*Sync's very own Joey Fatone as Angelo.

Andrea Martin is extremely funny as Aunt Voula and Lainie Kazan is good as Maria, Toula's very wide and caring mother. Nia Vardalos herself is very good as Toula and carries the film well.

The rest of the characters in the film are all good and the cast do a great performance. The people must have had lots of great fun filming this movie.

Film Quote: Now give me a word…Any word… And I will show you how the root of that word is Greek – Gus Portokalos (Michael Constantine)

Chicago (2002)

Completely Razzle Dazzled!!!

[9 April 2003]

"Give 'em the old razzle dazzle... razzle dazzle 'em." Well that is certainly what the cast and crew of this fantastic movie have proceeded to do.

Having seen the West End production myself many times, I was kind of skeptical about how it could be justified by bringing it to Hollywood. I couldn't have been more wrong. Never before have I seen such a wonderful interpretation of a stage show taken from the stage and put into film. The cast were magnificent and the screenplay was superb.

The film (or show) begins with a large audience and a big band playing. We head backstage where Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) appears, almost late for her show and without her "double act" sister. When asked, she claims her sister is ill and she can do the show on her own, however we soon see that this may not be the case, as she proceeds to wash blood from her hands in her dressing room.

Catherine then amazes us with her superb rendition of the famous "All That Jazz" and the crowd seems to be loving every second of it, especially Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) who is seen staring dreamily at the stage, imagining herself doing the show. Roxie is then rushed out by Fred Casely (Dominic West) who tells her that he can pull a few strings to get her on stage.

A few weeks later, Roxie is trying to find out when Fred is intending on helping her get into showbiz. Fred decides he's had enough and admits that he is simply a furniture salesman and he doesn't believe she has an act. When confronted, he tells her that he would have said anything to get her into bed. In a fit of rage she shoots him dead!

When the police come to the scene to investigate, she has already managed to persuade her husband Amos Hart (John C. Reilly) that Fred had broken into the house and she shot him in self defense. Amos takes the blame, until he finds out who the dead man is and realises what Roxie has been doing behind his back. He loses his temper and completely blows her cover and Roxie is sent to Jail.

Roxie arrives in prison and is introduced immediately to Matron 'Mama' Morton (Queen Latifah). Mama looks after her inmates and would be happy to help them out in any way she can, providing they pay her of course! It isn't long until Roxie gets to meet Velma Kelly, who was sent to prison for killing her sister and her husband after she found them in bed together. Velma isn't the lady Roxie imagined her to be. She is rude, self absorbed and has no time for Roxie at all.

For a small fee, Mama decides to help Roxie out and introduces her to top lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere). For $5,000 he promises not only to get her out of Jail, but to get her on the front page of every newspaper in the city of Chicago! Amos takes pity on his cheating wife and decides to make a deal with Billy. Impressed by Amos's devotion to his wife, Billy decides to take the case, regardless of the fact Amos does not have $5,000 to give him.

Soon enough, as promised, Roxie is in all the papers, her stuff is being auctioned and she is a city-wide celebrity. Velma starts to realise that the limelight is not hers anymore and figures out the only way to make it is to suck up to Roxie. Roxie is eventually free from Jail and realises that she is no longer a celebrity now that her case is done and dusted. Trying to make it in the world of showbiz, she is visited by Velma at an audition and they finally agree to become a double act.

Stick that storyline together with a variety of fantastic songs and dances and you have the hit blockbuster "Chicago."

Catherine Zeta-Jones is absolutely superb as Velma Kelly and deserved her Oscar in every way. Her talent is wasted in Hollywood and belongs on a West End or Broadway stage! Renée Zellweger is brilliant as Roxie and carries the show very well. Richard Gere pulls of Billy Flynn in a strange but effective way. At first, I thought he was a little old for the part but was pleasantly surprised by his performance. Queen Latifah, as always, portrayed her role wonderfully and almost stopped the show with her version of "When You're Good To Mama." Mya makes an appearance, as does Lucy Liu and Christina Baranski.

Overall, a marvelous piece of work. Definitely worth the Oscar that it won for best picture. All credits to the cast and crew for making this film such a success and of course to Mr. Bob Fosse for this wonderful creation.

Meet the Parents (2000)

How unlucky can one man be?

[7/10 · 9 April 2003]

Meet Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller), a very genuine but unfortunate guy. Gaylord, better known as Greg, is madly in love with his girlfriend Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo) and wants to marry her. But before he can win her hand in marriage, he has to win her parents approval; a task which proves to be extremely difficult.

Greg and Pam go on their way to meet the parents. Greg doesn't exactly get off to a very good start when he manages to break the urn that holds the remains of a late relative. Pam's father Jack (Robert Di Niro) takes an instant dislike to Greg and makes it his business to push Greg to the limit and see just how far he can go to get him as far away from his daughter as possible.

The film is full of exceptionally funny moments. The unfortunate events that unfold and the stupid ways in which Greg tries to cover them up, make this film worth a shot. Granted, it's not the funniest film out there but it is very good for a laugh and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Robert Di Niro proves that he is still one of the most talented actors around, taking on the role of the control freak father and Ben Stiller settles in nicely to yet another role as the geek, trying to win his girl (Something About Mary).

Family Guy (1999– )

Whacky!!!

[9 April 2003]

This show is a little bit of everything. It is one of those shows that can put out a serious message without losing its comedy value. No matter what the family goes through, no matter how thick Peter is, no matter how evil Stewie is… They always manage to show just how much this family actually do love each other.

I was one of the unfortunate people who missed the earlier episodes of this show and have only recently caught it. I've been trying to catch up on what I've missed and have watched quite a lot of it over the last few weeks.

Some of the jokes can be quite controversial; others can be very tongue in cheek. But the majority of the show is very funny. I would have to agree with the majority and say that my favourite character has to be Stewie. He is just so sarcastic and funny. He never comes out with anything that doesn't make me giggle.

Peter can be quite annoying at times. I especially get wound up when he just repeats certain things about 15 times before they move on to the next line, like the time he fell over and hurt his knee and said ouch over and over again for about 5 minutes before cutting to the next scene. Chris is so stupid it can't be anything but funny. I particularly liked the one where Peter said Chris was working on a way to get to the moon and we saw Chris sitting in a tree trying to reach for the moon, before falling to the ground.

Lois is brilliant, I love it when you get the occasional episode where she just loses her temper and goes mad at someone, like Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jerry Springer. Meg doesn't have much of a character in my opinion. She never really seems to have much to do with the show. There was the one where she made out Stewie was addicted to crack and the one where she took the family on Jerry Springer but other than that, I don't really see her having much to do with the show at all.

And then there's the talking dog, Brian. This is one of the great things about this show. We have a talking baby, who doesn't even have the same accent as the rest of his family and a talking dog and nobody ever blinks an eyelid. I'm sure I would if I saw a talking dog. Wouldn't you?

The neighbours in the show are also quite funny in their own little way. Quagmire and his obsession with getting Lois (and every woman in sight) in to bed is always entertaining. Cleveland, with his incredibly boring and non interesting lifestyle always manages to raise a smile and Joe is just like some maniac control freak, who can't stop shouting.

Final Summary: A very good show, well written, original and extremely amusing. I hope it sees out a few more seasons before ending.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

All the way from Transexual Transylvania...

[8/10 · 9 April 2003]

If you ever run out of petrol in the middle of the night and the only house nearby is a grotty old building, where the butler looks like he should be in Notre Dame, I strongly advise you to stay away and do not enter the house!

Clearly, Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) and Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) hadn't taken their sensible tablet before leaving the house that night. They drive along the road and low and behold, the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. There is one lonely house nearby and they decide to go to the house, seeking a telephone. They are greeted by Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien) who invites them into the house and proceeds to tell them about a gathering, being hosted by the master. They also meet a wild maid called Magenta (Patricia Queen). Together, Magenta and Riff Raff sing them a song that will probably be loved by every generation…. Yes it is of course, the Time Warp.

After a while, a little excitement fills the air, someone is coming. The elevator is coming down to the ground floor. In it we can see a tall, long legged person, tapping their feet to the rhythm of the music. It reaches the bottom, the doors open and out steps Dr. Frank N Furter (Tim Curry). Wonderfully dressed, he (or she) greets everybody with yet another song (Sweet Transvestite). It is clear that Janet and Brad are not comfortable however, at the end of the show they have their clothes removed and are invited to the lab to see whatever is going on.

Once in the lab, they see that Frank N Furter has created a life form, in the shape of a very well toned, muscular man named Rocky (Peter Hinwood). The rest of the film/show is just a series of crazy events, all orchestrated by the mad doctor and his gang of nutters, including an appearance and a song from the legendary Meatloaf.

Another one of the very few stage shows which has been taken off the stage and transformed into a Hollywood blockbuster movie. This film has seen many ups and downs. It flopped many times before finally becoming one of the biggest cult movies of all time. The best thing about this movie is that it has kept most of the original cast members from when it was first put on stage in London. Tim Curry began his career playing Frank N Furter on a tiny stage in London, a few nights a week and he has gone on to be one of Hollywood's most successful actors.

The music is fantastic, the dance routines are mad, the characters are brilliant and the storyline is warped; the perfect ingredients for cult madness. You will come away singing the Time Warp – that is guaranteed!!!

Another great thing about this film is the fact that the whole thing was filmed literally 2 miles from my house at Oakley Court (Better known as Frank N Furter's Mansion).

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2001–2011)

Brilliant!!

[19 March 2003]

I missed the first two series of this but luckily, I was tempted to watch it and did so when the third series started recently on Digital TV.

I have to say, I was quite impressed. Each character has their own unique sense of humor and are all funny in their own little way. Louise can be pretty annoying at times but it is quite amusing listening to her way of thinking. Janet is hilarious, especially when she hasn't had a cigarette, Donna is very sarcastic and extremely funny (my kind of humor, hehehe), Johnny is dense beyond belief (you only had to listen to his story about Janet's Mud Pack to figure that one out), Gaz is just Gaz and Munch.... well what can I say apart from "HIYYYAAA."

But the best character out of them has to be Flo... I just love the way she's been there and done everything and is quite proud to shout about it too. Although I am intrigued what happened with uncle Joey and the Kangaroo....

I have heard that Will Mellor is now working on the fourth series of two pints so perhaps we should see some DVD's being released soon as it is obviously doing very well and quite rightly so.

Cruel Intentions (1999)

Love it or Hate it!

[19 March 2003]

Cruel Intentions is one of those films you either love or hate. I haven't met anyone who has classed it as an "OK" movie. I personally loved it. I thought it was funny, sexy, touching and realistic as well.

Sarah Michelle Gellar portrays a spoiled little B***H who always has everything her own way and goes through life manipulating her way into everybody's lives. She thinks she has it all worked out when she decides to bet her step brother Sebastian (Portrayed by Ryan Phillipe) that he can not get together with the girl who is quite open about not wanting to have sex before marriage. Accepting the challenge, Sebastian makes it his mission to win the bet... only one thing gets in the way... Real feelings!!

The story unfolds very nicely as we watch a group of people go through lots of different emotions and in the end it is very moving. A fantastic drama with comedy value!

I commend the writers of this movie for telling the story in such a fetching way! Not too wild, not too boring and certainly some very funny bits along the way to keep the audience watching so that final message can be delivered.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)

Long live Buffy???

[19 March 2003]

Well I hate to say it but unfortunately, it's not going to be long live Buffy. After reading the reviews on this site, especially the last one. There is not a lot more that I can say about the first six seasons of Buffy. We have gone from seeing a teenage fantasy show to some of the best moments seen on television.

As for Season Seven - Well I am totally speechless. It has already been made clear that this is the final series of Buffy and the story will come to an end one way or another. I think it's pretty obvious from the stories that we have been seeing that Joss is making sure this is the biggest bang a TV show has ever gone out with.

This last series has seen every single character (Old and New) pushed to the limit and we shall soon see even more fantastic storylines when a few old faces return to the show for it's final send off.

A truly amazing piece of work by all involved for this last series. The way every single episode fits into place and all forms part of the large picture. Individually, the different storylines would have made for a good few episodes anyway but putting them all together and making them all form part of one huge storyline that we are only a part of the way to uncovering has got to have taken some doing.

I can not wait to see the final five part storyline and i believe that Buffy The Vampire Slayer will be a show remembered for a long time!

Bring It On (2000)

Good for a laugh!

[17 March 2003]

A movie about a bunch of cheerleaders after a national championship trophy... How funny can that be??? Well the answer is VERY! I really enjoyed this movie. It had a great cast and a very simple but cute storyline.

The moral behind the whole thing is very good and, all be it very predictable, the ending was very honorable. It didn't carry on in the trend that seems to have been set by portraying all cheerleaders as blonde, skinny, airheads like most films have done in the past... It actually showed you realistic characters.

The music could have been better however, the choreography was superb and looked fantastic! Whoever came up with these dance sets has one hell of a creative mind! Great work!

Comedy value - very good. I laughed out loud quite a few times during the film. It is also quite true to life as well and isn't incredibly over the top and stupid.

Overall... It was quite predictable however, I really enjoyed it and thought it was very well done. Certainly not a contender for movie of the year but all the same, a very good film to watch!