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Firestarter (1984)
Steven Spielberg Is A Great Director Of Children
Unfortunately, this film wasn't directed by him, and the young Drew Barrymore's performance is flat. It really makes you appreciate what a great job Steven Spielberg did with her and all the kids on ET.
For those who said this is one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever, did they not see The Shining, Carrie, Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile or It?
As for the film itself, it really requires a tour de force performance from its lead actress to carry it, which as I've said is not delivered. And without that, it's just a bunch of exposition and special effects. Pretty dull and boring, just one in a series of second-rate films turned in by director Mark Lester. But at least the climax delivers.
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Jim Almighty
I don't really care to waste too many words on this film. Suffice to say that Jim Carrey plays Jim Carrey in a very one-dimensional performance. The great supporting cast, including Jennifer Aniston, Morgan Freeman and Steve Carell, acquit themselves nicely in fine performances. But since you, as the audience, are basically forced to empathize with a one-tone, jerk of a main character, it's very difficult to get behind the phony sentimentality of the climatic scenes. I highly recommend reading Mick LaSalle's review from the San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfgate.com and on the external reviews link of this web site) before you waste your time on this film.
The Sweetest Thing (2002)
90 minutes you'll never get back
The sweetest thing about this movie is when it's finally over. One wonders why Cameron Diaz would even allow herself to do this second rate movie with second rate actors and a second rate crew. This film is a poor girl's SOMETHING ABOUT MARY. The director, Roger Kumble, was even on the crew for SOMETHING ABOUT MARY. Too bad he didn't pick up some tips from the Farrelly brothers while he was at it. Whoever raved about how well this film worked and the quality of the acting must either be starved for entertainment or not have seen many good movies. It's not that the movie is Ed Wood bad. It's just that it wants to be a wacky, gross out romantic comedy, and fails miserably on all counts. My advise is if you go to the video store and see this video sitting on the shelf, DON'T DO IT! Instead, see SOMETHING ABOUT MARY a second time. You'll be glad you did.
Quick Change (1990)
A great little movie
This is a great little movie. What's important to keep in mind though is that it is little. But that's an amazing accomplishment to pull off when you've got stars like Bill Murray and Geena Davis. If you you're looking for the Bill Murray big movie experience, stick with Ghostbusters. If you're willing kick back and open yourself to the little, idiosyncratic world created here, you're in for a treat.
Almost Famous (2000)
Good things do come in small packages
It's nice to see that a great movie can be made which has no special effects and no death defying (well maybe one) stunts or pyrotechnics. Cameron Crowe is so effective at taking you to another time and place, that when the end credits started rolling, I couldn't remember where I actually was. I don't want to say too much more about this film, lest I set your expectations too high. However, the ensemble cast is great. All the main characters are fully fleshed out, real and wholly believable. A job well done!
Twister (1989)
Another Vestron film
I used to work at the company that originally put out this film, Vestron Pictures. Vestron had the same problem that a lot of small independent film companies had, they didn't have a lot of money to put into the production values of their films. Not that money alone will buy you a good film. Look at Kevin Costner's Waterworld, for instance.
Sometimes, if you have a talented person in-house doing the acquisitions or development, you can create your own new talent. But at Vestron, there wasn't such a person and they always skimped in some crucial area. In this case, it was on the director and the writer. Which makes it pretty hard to have a decent movie, even with the great ensemble cast this film has.
I think the basic premise of this movie was "Let's put a bunch of quirky characters in a room and see if anything interesting happens." It's an intriguing idea, but not worth your time watching.
Most Vestron films ended up having a very distinctive look and feel to them. My wife and I developed the ability to spot this quality even in non-Vestron films. Many times, we were even able to spot that quality from watching only the trailer or TV ad. We'd sit there, watching the trailer or ad, and afterwards, we'd turn to each, and almost in sync, we'd say, "Now that's a Vestron movie!" This is a Vestron movie.
Big Man on Campus (1989)
Guilty pleasures
This is one of those films that's so stupid, it's funny. It's a little slow going at first, but once you get into it, you realize that Allan Katz is a master at subtle physical schtick. His character is at once endearing and funny. This is the sort of film where you'll come away reciting lines for years to come. Unfortunately, almost no one else will know what you're talking about, because hardly anyone has seen this film. But that's okay, you can just keep it as a little joke for yourself, and the few others out who know.
Message in a Bottle (1999)
Mopey Costner
If you're a big Kevin Costner fan, then you will probably like this film. But, if watching Costner mope around on screen for nearly two hours is not your cup of tea, this film will probably be a very tedious experience for you.
Paul Newman is great. The film flies by while he's on screen. When he's not, the film drags. He deserves an academy award nomination for best supporting actor next year. But seeing as how this film is such a trifle, I doubt it will be remembered next week, let alone next February.