| Title |
Overall |
DVD |
Review |
| The Bone Collector (1999) |
•• |
••• |
I hate mysteries that have surprise endings. Denzel Washington is surprisngly animated and the Angelina Jolie is beautiful and under-directed; her character development is so condensed as to mimic mental illness. Cut off her hands, baby, and take your moment. 11/00 |
| The Fly (1986) |
••••
|
•• |
David Cronenberg films usually make me feel like I've just thrown up but can't remember exactly when. They're revolting in a clean, well-lighted way, sort of like finding a maggot in a spotless white tile kitchen. The Fly is the warmest of Cronenberg's tales, mostly due to the chemistry between Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum. The latter's sense of comic timing and bizarre delivery style make for fine moments. 1/01 |
| The Fly 2 (1989) |
• |
•• |
I can't guess what the distribution company was thinking when they put this on the flipside of The Fly DVD. It isn't worth mentioning. 1/01 |
| The
Haunting - Special Edition |
• |
•• |
Amazingly
bad. The cast is horribly misdirected, the special effects
are ridiculously elaborate, and the soundtrack stomps on your
head. The sets, however, are incredible. 06/01 |
| The Lair of the White Worm (1988) |
•••• |
•• |
A first-rate, cut-rate satire/horror story from Ken Russell, the king of filmed hallucinations. This is an English film about a "white worm" from a director who loves metaphors. Hmmm. Amanda Donohoe plays the campy lead role with gusto, all the way down to her leather thong (and then some). Hugh Grant, Peter Capaldi, and Catherine Oxenberg all come along for the ride, but this is strictly Donohoe's vehicle. The climax is hilarious and worth seeing, if only for the "props." 12/01 |
| Seven (1995) |
•• |
•• |
Surprisingly mediocre given its success, this is a buddy film wrapped in a murder-mystery. The latter is given short shrift, and is far less intriguing than the Bone Collector. The murders are interesting in a Dr. Phibes way, but since they occur so frequently—without the option of solving the crime ourselves—not engaging. 10/00 |
| The Thing (Collector's Edition) |
•••• |
•••• |
The effects in this remake are first-rate when you put them in context; they changed expectations of all monster movies that have come after it. Acting is consistant amongst the all-male cast, and that little guy with the beard is hot as hell. Kurt Russell reveals himself to be a bit of a stooge in the commentary track, which is fairly banal except for Carpenter's unabashed chain smoking. 12/00 |
