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Grex > Cinema > #20: The Spring Movie Critique Item. |  |
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omni
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The Spring Movie Critique Item.
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Mar 26 06:59 UTC 1998 |
Been to the movies recently? What did you think of it? This is the item
where you get to be Leonard Maltin,Gene Shalit, Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert, or
maybe even Michael Medved.
Please write a short review of any movie (old or new) that you have seen
recently.
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| 144 responses total. |
omni
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response 1 of 144:
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Mar 26 07:11 UTC 1998 |
I saw 2 good movies on cable recently.
Things Change- 3.5 Stars. In one of his last roles, Don Ameche plays an
Italian shoemaker who is to take a prison sentence for a mob kingpin. However,
before he goes to court, he is taken for one last fling in Lake Tahoe by a
henchman-on-probation played by Joe Mantegna. The fun starts when they arrive
at the hotel and is mistaken for the kingpin. I won't spoil the ending, but
it was worth recording. Even better was that Bravo showed it uncut.
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omni
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response 2 of 144:
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Mar 26 07:20 UTC 1998 |
The second one was "His Girl Friday" with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.
I'll give this one 4 stars. I'm getting to appreciate old movies, and even
better, the screwball comedy. This movie is the one on which all screwballs
are based. It was later re-made as Switching Channels with Burt Reynolds and
Kathleen Turner, and was still achingly funny, perhaps even moreso. AMC showed
it uncut, and I was happy for that.
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aruba
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response 3 of 144:
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Mar 26 08:08 UTC 1998 |
I've always heard that "Bringing up Baby" is the epitomal Screwball Comedy,
though I don't know whether or not it predates "His Girl Friday".
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tao
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response 4 of 144:
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Mar 26 15:54 UTC 1998 |
"Monkey Business", starring Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers, is another
very funny film.
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remmers
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response 5 of 144:
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Mar 26 16:16 UTC 1998 |
It's interesting to note that all of the screwball comedies
mentioned so far -- "His Girl Friday", "Bringing Up Baby", and
"Monkey Business" -- had the same director, the legendary Howard
Hawks, who also distinguished himself in other genres: crime
thrillers ("Scarface", "The Big Sleep"), westerns ("Red River",
"Rio Bravo"), action adventure ("To Have and Have Not", "Only
Angels Have Wings", "Hatari"). All of these films are widely
regarded as classics today.
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omni
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response 6 of 144:
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Mar 26 16:27 UTC 1998 |
I have yet to see "Sullivan's Travels" directed by Preston Sturgis, which
is at the top of my "to be recorded off cable" list.
It is worth mentioning that TNT will be turning into TCM for one day and
as a result will be showing some really bitchin movies UNCUT!! Some of the
movies that will be shown are: Mister Riberts, Dial M for Murder, East of
Eden, The Great Santini, and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, among others.
For details check out http://www.tnt.turner.com
It also occurs to me that Media One should carry TCM as a basic cable
channel, which it already is in the Detroit area. I suggest a call in
campaign. 973-2266 is the number. They will never add it if you don't call.
/s/Riberts/Roberts
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mcnally
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response 7 of 144:
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Mar 26 17:00 UTC 1998 |
I love the old screwball comedies.. I just have a bit of trouble
seeing them as I don't get cable and have exhausted the supply at
the local video stores..
BTW, back in #0: "This is the item where you get to be Leonard Maltin,
Gene Shalit, Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert, or maybe even Michael Medved."
My question is, do we *have* to?
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krj
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response 8 of 144:
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Mar 26 18:13 UTC 1998 |
I want to be Michael Medved so I can rant about how movies are destroying
the moral fiber of America.
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okuma
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response 9 of 144:
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Mar 27 01:10 UTC 1998 |
I saw "The Man in the Iron Mask" and I thought it was good if you don't
know French history. I liked it.
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mcnally
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response 10 of 144:
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Mar 27 02:47 UTC 1998 |
So many things are improved by not knowing French history..
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omni
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response 11 of 144:
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Mar 27 03:09 UTC 1998 |
You don't have to be any of those critics, but I know each of us listen to
one certain person to guide us along when we see movies. I for one am a fan
of Leonard Maltin and Gene Siskel. I feel that these two guys have thier heads
on right and know what movies are about.
I didn't list Joel Siegel. He likes everything he sees, and gives it 4
stars. To me that is not being a critic, it is being a hack. Roger Ebert is
on my list because he sometimes sees the light and other times, I cannot
imagine what is on his mind. I don't know much about Michael Medved, but he
seemed like a good choice. Gene Shalit is there just because of his mustache.
Anyone who wears one like that cannot be all that bad.
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gibson
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response 12 of 144:
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Mar 27 04:59 UTC 1998 |
Way back in the dark ages it was easy to know what to go see, if Rex
Reed didn't like it, it had to be great.
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aruba
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response 13 of 144:
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Mar 27 07:33 UTC 1998 |
Re #6: Jim, do you know what day that is that TNT will become TCM? I'm
wondering if it will affect showings of Babylon 5.
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atticus
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response 14 of 144:
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Mar 27 11:32 UTC 1998 |
I recently watched a re-run of "My Cousin Vinny" on cable. It's one of
my favourites.
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krj
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response 15 of 144:
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Mar 27 17:55 UTC 1998 |
Michael Medved and his brother deserve to go down in film critic
history for their series of books on bad films: THE 50 WORST FILMS
OF ALL TIME, THE GOLDEN TURKEY AWARDS, THE HOLLYWOOD HALL OF SHAME.
As far as I can tell, the Medveds brought Ed Wood and his films
to the level of stature that they now enjoy: I don't think too many
people had encountered PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE before the publication
of 50 WORST FILMS.
btw: I need a copy of 50 WORST FILMS, should any of you be haunting
the movie section of used book stores.
These books tend to leave me rolling on the floor, howling, when I
read them.
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omni
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response 16 of 144:
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Mar 27 18:28 UTC 1998 |
Mark, from what I understand, TCM will take over TNT for Saturday only.
Babylon 5 appears to be on tonight at 7pm, according to my guide.
It looks like I'm going to be taping the following:
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
Dial M for Murder
The Great Santini
Mister Roberts
I'm a sucker for a good movie.
I read Roger Ebert's book on movie cliches and it had me rolling on the
floor as well.
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giry
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response 17 of 144:
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Mar 27 19:04 UTC 1998 |
agora 30 <-> cinema 20
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remmers
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response 18 of 144:
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Mar 27 19:45 UTC 1998 |
Speaking of "Dial M for Murder" -- for folks in the Ann Arbor area,
Hitchcock's classic will be shown at the Michigan Theater on Wednesday,
April 1 at 7pm IN THE ORIGINAL 3-D FORMAT. An experience not to be
missed.
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aruba
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response 19 of 144:
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Mar 28 03:44 UTC 1998 |
Re #16: Thanks, Jim.
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mary
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response 20 of 144:
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Mar 28 03:45 UTC 1998 |
"Primary Colors" is a fun film. Very cynical. Kathy Bates and Emma
Thompson put in wonderful performances. This film is not as intense and
thought provoking as "The Candidate" but the scenario seems so, er,
possible. Imagine that.
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omni
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response 21 of 144:
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Mar 28 07:11 UTC 1998 |
You're welcome, Mark.
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maeve
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response 22 of 144:
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Mar 28 16:30 UTC 1998 |
"The Newton Boys" is very very good. It's got all the things you'd expect from
a movie about bank robbers, but it's even better than you would think.
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ephraim
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response 23 of 144:
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Mar 31 18:49 UTC 1998 |
Hendrik Hertzberg in "The New Yorker" wrote that "Primary Colors" is the
best U.S. political movie of all time. He specifically pointed to "The
Candidate" as an example of the dumb ideas that "Primary Colors" overcame,
ideas that started with "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington".
In the review, he also revealed that he had seen the movie "Being There"
in the White House family theater with Jimmy Carter and a bunch of
Senators. When the president's wife in the movie complains about his
impotence, and said, "You never had this problem when you were a senator,"
Hertzberg says, the U.S. Senators in the audience were howling and
slapping high-fives. Carter only smiled tightly.
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md
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response 24 of 144:
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Apr 11 22:49 UTC 1998 |
LOST IN SPACE (C+): If you grew up watching the TV series,
I'm told the movie is a hoot. I've never seen an episode
of the TV show, however, so I must've missed a lot in this
movie. Mediocre acting, ridiculous plot, wonky science.
Major special effects, though. My son said he thought it
was almost as good as the "Back to the Future" ride at
Universal Studios. So, if you like that stuff...
SPECIES II (C-): Talk about wonky science. This one takes
the cake. It's so silly it might be worth seeing just
for that reason. (Plus Natasha Hestridge's boobs.) My
main complaint about it was what I saw as a nasty racist
strain that kept coming to the fore. You can kill the
monster by jamming a pitchfork into a black person who
carries the sickle-cell trait and then spearing the
monster with it. Ooga booga, magic African blood.
MY GIANT (D): Got off to a good start, then collapsed in
false pathos. I'm sure I'm not the only person who found
the cameo by Stephen Segal, playing himself in a movie-
within-a-movie, the funniest thing about My Giant. He
must be a good sport to do something like that, and he
did it with exquisite self-mockery.
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