This is the movie review item, where we post reviews of movies we have 
seen either in the theater, or rented, and have genera film discusion.

165 responses total.

Okay, here's a terrific film recommendation to start things off:

AFFLICTION--  This is writer Russell Banks followup to the "Sweet 
Hereafter" (if you saw that movie, it was a very very dark, character 
study about the residents of a small town in Canada-- great film)  
Anyway this stars Nick Nolte as a policeman in a small upstate New 
Hampshire town.  The dominant relationship in his life is with his 
father who hates him.  His daughter is afraid of him.  His girlfriend 
doesnt understand him.  The film chronicles his slow, steady breakdown 
over a period of weeks, as he becomes a prisoner of alcoholism and 
paranoia.  The movie starts with Nolte's character on the edge, and 
shows him going straight over.  Nolte is deservedly the favorite to win 
the Best Actor Oscar this year, and James Coburn is simply haunting as 
the brutal father who dominates his life and will certainly be up for 
Best Supporting Actor.

"AFFLICTION" is a very intense, dark and disturbing film.  Not one that 
everyone will enjoy therefore, but it is a beautiful work and great 
cinema.  ***** (five stars-- highly recommended)

Patch Adams was a sorry film. Sappy.

  please tell me that that didn't come as a surprise to anyone..  

Robin Williams is either on or he's off. Obviously in Patch Adams he's off. It
looked good, but then again, so did Plan 9 ;)

We recently saw "Armageddon".  It was sappy, unbelievable, and filled 
with holes.  The characters were cardboard cutouts.  The plot was 
nonexistent.  We hated it.  Really terrible.  Miss it if there's any way 
you can.  

Then we saw "Lost in Space".  It was sappy, unbelievable, and filled 
with holes.  It had unsympathetic characters.  The plot zigzagged around 
a lot.  However, it was a likeable movie, really very well done.  We 
both liked it.  We're even looking forward to the sequel.

My daughter (age 12) has declared Patch Adams to be the best
movie she's seen since Titanic.  "Better than Titanic," were her
exact words.  My son (age14) spent the entire ride home reciting
funny bits from the movie, which he thought was hilarious.  "He's
standing behind a skeleton while he's talking this cute girl and he
goes, 'I've got a boner.  Wait, I *am* a boner.'   HA HA HA HA!"
I think the movie has its audience.

Re #5:  I was at a lecture once by a computer guy who was asked what software 
was going to be like in the future, and he said we can't really say, because
we don't know how to think right; after all, if you went back in time to the
50s and told a programmer how fast computers were going to be in the 90s, he'd
say, "Wow!  Think of the matrices we could invert with one of those!"

All the way through Lost in Space, I was thinking that if you went back in
time to the 50s and told a TV producer how spectacular special effects would
be in the 90s, he'd say, "Wow!  Think how cool we could make Lost in Space
then!"

I thought there must have been an incredible budget wasted on such a miserable
excuse for a plot.

(Given that "Lost In Space" premiered in 1965, why would anyone in the 50s
know anything about it?)

This isn't a review; it's pure speculation.
 
I'm not saying "Varsity Blues" will necessarily be bad. But let's take a 
look at its pedigree...
 
* Produced by MTV Films, whose previous credits include "Joe's Apartment" 
and "Dead Man On Campus".
 
* Directed by Brian "Eric From Head Of The Class" Robbins, whose last film
was "Good Burger".
 
* Possible mitigating factor is Jon Voight. Although he has some impressive
roles behind him ("Deliverance", "Midnight Cowboy", "Catch 22") he's not
immune to the occasional serious misstep ("Anaconda", "Eternity", "The
All-American Boy").

this is now linked to the movies conference...type
"join movies" to join

My little brother loved "Good Burger"

Why must I always hit the post button before I'm ready??

My little brother loved "Good Burger"

I want to go see "You've Got Mail"  Anyone have any opinions?

I pride myself on the fact that I STILL haven't seen Titanic.  Plot 
summary (from what I can tell) 2 people meet on unsinkable big boat.  2 
people fall in love. Boat sinks.

You've Got Mail was pretty good, as a romantic comedy.  It wasn't the geek
flick that I expected, but that's probably a good thing.

This response has been erased.

Re #8:  Whatever.  It was dumb, whenever it ran.

Consensus between sekari, phenix, allida, maeve, and I was that You've 
Got Mail would be unwatchable by us for a myriad of reasons, most of 
which relate to our occupance of grex and the various social 
entanglements that tend to go on around here.

  hey, I liked Joe's Apartment. It was guilty fun. We all can't be high minded
and arty all the time. Lighten up.

Rat: me to!
</aol>
 
At first, the main reason I didn't see Titanic was that it didn't interest
me. Then, when everyone kept gushing about it and pledging slavish adoration,
I stayed away.
 
Omni: I love dumb-fun movies! But dumb movies aren't necessarily fun, and the
few minutes I spent watching "Joe's Apartment" on TV convinced me I could be
doing something a lot more fun. Without that movie, I may never have done my
taxes.

Sometimes you need the dumb movies.  Nothing like simple gross humor to make
you feel better.

Dumb movies are great, so are chick flicks. (though chick flicks are
dangerious cos I seem to rent a large quanitity of them and watch them all
in one sitting, feeling sad and depressed and sobby afterwards... which is
always cleansing)

i liked joe's apartment, too.  but then, i auditioned for the lead role. 
didn't get called back, but didn't expect to either...

   Give me an example of a chick flick?

My Bestfriends Wedding, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Emma, Pride and
Prejudice, How Stella Got her Grove....

Chick flicks.

I define a chick flick as any movie in which no cars or buildings blow 
up.

Titanic was a chick flick.  Do sinking ships count?  Sleepless in
Seattle was a postmodern chick flick: it said, "Look, see how silly
chick flicks are, and the chicks who bawl over them?  Okay, now
we're going to make . . . a chick flick."

 "you got mail"
  is the lastest... which makes me think that a *lot* of Meg ?Ryan flicks are
chickie
... nut I love that woman.

(My favorite scene in "Sleepless in Seattle" was the guys waxing
sentimental over "The Dirty Dozen".)

I have still managed to escape seeing Sleepless In Seattle.  Even though 
it has taken up residence in my house and gets regular rotation in our 
video player.

Congrats, senna!  Have you also managed to avoid Titanic?

The best movie I've seen recently is The Game.  Excellent,
and definitely not a chick flick...

"Thelma and Louise" was a great chick flick.  I especially
like the part where they blow up the tractor trailor rig. ;-)

explosions?  In a "chick flick"?

Thelma and Louise is a fantasy chick flick.  Different genre.

I saw and enjoyed Titanic on opening night.  Alone.

What about "My Little Pony"?  That's a fantasy chick flick; does it go in the
same category as "Thelma and Louise"?

Nah, "Thelma and Louise" wasn't a chick flick. It was a remake of
either "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" or "Laurel and Hardy".
Haven't quite figured out which, but I'm leaning toward the latter.
There were several points at which I expected Susan Sarandon to
say "That's another fine mess you've gotten us into" to Geena
Davis.

[md narrows eyes and nods slowly]

I think that line is in the film.  Really.  

Chick flicks are feel good films where women can associate
with the characters.  They are filled with females making poor
choices and/or being victimized.  The formula usually includes
a great wardrobe and the woman eventually manipulating it so she
gets to have or dump the man (her choice), lands the job, or dies
like a saint.  Woman love this stuff.

My comment is that sometimes, in the process of becoming a saint
and dumping the guy, cars get blown up. ;-)

   Well, I now have a new phrase in my head.

  Did anyone see Hit and Run on Lifetime? Ugh. formulaic all the way, and
completely brain dead. Whoever made that dog should've been shot. But it was
a good chick flick.

Rented "High Art".  Excellent.  

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