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. 

144 responses total.

  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.

   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.

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".

"Monkey Business", starring Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers, is another
very funny film.

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.

  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

  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?

I want to be Michael Medved so I can rant about how movies are destroying
the moral fiber of America.

I saw "The Man in the Iron Mask" and I thought it was good if you don't
know French history.  I liked it.

  So many things are improved by not knowing French history..  

  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. 

        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.

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.

I recently watched a re-run of "My Cousin Vinny" on cable. It's one of
my favourites.

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.  

 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. 

        agora 30 <-> cinema 20

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.

Re #16:  Thanks, Jim.

"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. 

 You're welcome, Mark.

"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.

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.

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.

 Yo Michael. Sci-Fi channel at 3pm. Be there.

"The Big Lebowski", the latest from the Coen brothers is 
worth it just to see Jesus (John Turturro).  If South Beach
had bowling gods, he'd be it.  B

"In the Company of Men" was hard to watch and even harder
to find credible.  C+

  Bargain-hunters can find "the Big Lebowski" already showing at
  Ann Arbor's 2nd run theater, Fox Village.  I suppose whether or
  not it's a bargain at 2nd run prices depends on how much you
  enjoy it but it's still gotta be a better deal than seeing it
  1st run (and for that matter, is cheaper for individuals than
  renting it when it comes out on video..)

Fox Village is where we saw "Big Lebowski", in fact. Not one of
the best Coen brothers films, but enough of it works that it's
definitely worth the $1.50 per person if you like their style.
In addition to Turturro, John Goodman turns in a fine comic
performance.

  Haven't seen the movie yet but if I do I'm not sure I won't be too
  distracted, waiting for Goodman to start screaming "I'll show you
  the life of the mind!!"

Goodman is an excellent actor who never should have done "King Ralph"

We rented Boogie Nights (B-), Kiss the Girls (B), and In the Company
of Men (F).  "Men" featured cardboard characters and a preposterous
plot.  It's a kind of lowbrow fantasy piece.  Kiss the Girls was
okay, but I'm starting to get bored with Morgan Freeman's one facial
expression and one tone of voice.  Boogie Nights was barely okay.
I have no idea why Burt Reynolds got nominated for an Oscar for it.
Julianne Moore was very touching and pathetic.

WAG THE DOG:  I found it a hoot to watch, with splendid performances 
from Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman.  I'm not paranoid enough to 
buy into its conspiracy theories.  With its total cynicism, it makes
a great matchup for PRIMARY COLORS, which at its heart is a very 
optimistic film.  
 
William H. Macy is in *everything* these days, it seems.

  I recorded a movie today called "America, America" which was made in 1963
by Elia Kazan. The movie is the retelling of the story that his grandfather
told about how he came to America. I didn't get a chance to see it all the
way through, but from what I saw it is a very powerful and emotional story.

  In case you are not familiar with Elia Kazan, he directed "On the
Waterfront" among other movies.

rented 'kama sutra'
i didnt expect much, but i was really surprised!
it is set in 16th century india, and follows the
stories of 2 women from childhood as they come of age.
one is a princess, the other isnt.
i'd give this an 'a'.

(I enjoyed it a fair bit as well, particularly given the lively, analytical,
        and pleasant conversation I was able to have w/ my viewing partner
                afterwards.)

I saw "The Big Lebowski" Friday night and enjoyed it.  There were a few
loose ends that they didn't quite tie up, but it was still funny.

I saw 'In and Out' and 'Mrs. Brown' yesterday..In and Out was funny in spots,
but it wasn't a great movie...but it's worth seeing for lines like "But I
promised Issac I'd do his show! I have to go shower and vomit." from a
supermodel...

Mrs Brown was also more interesting than good...Judi Dench(sp) was very good,
but it was a ponderous movie..

I rented three movies this past weekend.

The first one was "Mrs. Brown."  It was well-crafted and interesting,
with strong, if understated, performances.  The one thing I didn't
like was the pacing towards the end -- no sense of closure.  Well, I
suspect the film makers were trying to be historically accurate.


Film two was "The Game" with Michael Douglas.  Entertaining, but not
nearly so intense as some of his other films.

Film three was "The Full Monty," which was funny in parts and very
depressing in its accurate depiction of life in Yorkshire, England.
This was a good film.  I'd have to agree that it should not have
been a strong Oscar contender.  

that it should not have? or that it should have?
nb. in the same-ish vein as The Fully Monty is Brassed Off, also good..

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss