Hey guys, I thought I could start posting short movie reviews on the SKMB, usually about a paragraph long. I usually tackle films that I have in my collection, but I will do the odd recent release. I utilize a system similar to Leonard Maltin's, where I rate movie from a star and a half to four stars. For absolutely dreadful films, the rating BOMB is used.
The Seventh Sign (1988) **
Pregnant Demi Moore and husband Michael Biehn allow mysterious stranger Jurgen Prochnow to reside in their guesthouse, all while signs of the apocalypse appear throughout the globe, from earthquakes and crimes against humanity to frozen deserts. Religious horror/thriller is glossy, but unpleasant and fairly incoherent; it crams so many plot points and elements from Judeo-Christian lore that it's hard to follow. Shame, because Prochnow actually has some appeal.
Tango and Cash (1989) **1/2
Mismatched cops Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell get set up for murder by drug kingpin Jack Palance. The two brawny action stars reluctantly join forces to clear their names. Cartoonish, big-budget actioner had a very troubled production thanks to the meddling of producer Jon Peters, going through rewrites and four directors(!). Has its moments of musclehead charm and plenty of graphic violence and explosions, but its all so familiar. Perhaps a better script would've helped.
Menace II Society (1993) ***
Watts teenager Tyrin Turner has just gotten out of high school, and while his girlfriend and grandparents want him to get out of the gang life, he can't seem to escape it. The debut feature of the Hughes Brothers is an uncompromising and forceful look at the horrors of the ghetto. It's well-acted and powerful, but be warned: the violence is terrifyingly realistic, and as a whole, it's not for the faint of heart.
To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) ***1/2
William Petersen is Richard Chance, a reckless Secret Service agent out to apprehend slick counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe) for killing his partner. Chance is willing to do whatever the hell it takes to bring Masters down, whether that means employing sexual extortion on a pretty parolee, going behind his superior's backs, or speeding down the wrong side of a freeway in rush hour traffic. Director William Friedkin's spiritual successor to his own French Connection is a heavily stylized, cynical cop thriller, where the "hero" is arguably part of the same scarred coin as the villain. Doesn't get four stars for it's sheer eighties-ness, but makes up for it in spades. A true adrenaline rush.
New Jack City (1991) ***
Wesley Snipes plays a scumbag NY crack kingpin, pursued by narc cops Ice T and Judd Nelson. Directed with flash by Mario Van Peebles, with a crackling rap soundtrack, this is an enjoyable throwback to Blaxploitation gangster films of the seventies, and refreshingly doesn't glamorize Snipe's character. A must see for hood movie fans.
Zombie (1979) ***
A woman and a reporter travel to a jungle island to search for the former's father, only to find it overrun by the living dead. Marketed in Italy as a sequel to George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, Lucio Fulci's bloodbath has the usual flat characters expected of the genre, but he handles it very nicely, with attractive tropical scenery and a very danceable disco score. Not for those with weak stomachs; the splinter scene in particular has entered the realm of horror movie lore.
The Entity (1981) BOMB
Barbara Hershey is a single mother of three who is repeatedly raped by an invisible being. From the director of such high caliber fare as Iron Eagle and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, this is as irresponsible a filmmaker can get with the treatment of rape for purely exploitative purposes; during the many assaults, we're treated to leering shots of Hershey's buttocks and sweaty thighs. Utter trash.
The Breakfast Club (1985) ***
Five troubled teens gather for Saturday detention, talking about their lives, problems with families, and growing a bond that may not last. Well-acted John Hughes chamber piece, a classic of the teen movie genre. Marred somewhat by the fact that most of the characters are either deeply dysfunctional or downright scummy, as well as the overkill anti-authority sentiments.
Die Hard (1988) ***
A pure, unadulterated action extravaganza. On Christmas Eve, off-duty New York cop John McClane comes to LA's Nakatomi Plaza to patch things up with his wife Holly when a team of criminals, led by the devilish Hans Gruber (the late Alan Rickman), storm the building and take everyone hostage, intent on stealing $640 million in negotiable bearer bonds from the company vault. It's up to McClane to save the day, whether he likes it or not! Masterfully directed, with entertaining characters, hilarious dialogue, and plenty of thrills. Sheer escapism-- in a good way.
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990) **1/2
Unabashed star vehicle for controversial comedian Andrew Dice Clay has him play a self-described "rock 'n roll detective", entangled in an irreverent mystery involving the death of a rock star. Critically firebombed for its vulgarity, but let's be serious: were people expecting a film with a title like this to have complex character development, Oscar worthy acting, and a Mamet-style screenplay? I think not. Silly and foul-mouthed, but harmless, really. Clay has some knucklehead appeal.
Die Hard 2 (1990) **1/2
How can the same thing happen to the same guy twice? John McClane is back at the wrong place at the wrong time; while waiting to pick up his wife in a snowed-in airport on Christmas Eve, he uncovers a plot by the really evil Colonel Stuart (William Sadler) to spring a captured dictator. Entertaining, but it lacks the consistency and humor of the first, replacing it with cruelty and even greater violence instead.
The Seventh Sign (1988) **
Pregnant Demi Moore and husband Michael Biehn allow mysterious stranger Jurgen Prochnow to reside in their guesthouse, all while signs of the apocalypse appear throughout the globe, from earthquakes and crimes against humanity to frozen deserts. Religious horror/thriller is glossy, but unpleasant and fairly incoherent; it crams so many plot points and elements from Judeo-Christian lore that it's hard to follow. Shame, because Prochnow actually has some appeal.
Tango and Cash (1989) **1/2
Mismatched cops Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell get set up for murder by drug kingpin Jack Palance. The two brawny action stars reluctantly join forces to clear their names. Cartoonish, big-budget actioner had a very troubled production thanks to the meddling of producer Jon Peters, going through rewrites and four directors(!). Has its moments of musclehead charm and plenty of graphic violence and explosions, but its all so familiar. Perhaps a better script would've helped.
Menace II Society (1993) ***
Watts teenager Tyrin Turner has just gotten out of high school, and while his girlfriend and grandparents want him to get out of the gang life, he can't seem to escape it. The debut feature of the Hughes Brothers is an uncompromising and forceful look at the horrors of the ghetto. It's well-acted and powerful, but be warned: the violence is terrifyingly realistic, and as a whole, it's not for the faint of heart.
To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) ***1/2
William Petersen is Richard Chance, a reckless Secret Service agent out to apprehend slick counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe) for killing his partner. Chance is willing to do whatever the hell it takes to bring Masters down, whether that means employing sexual extortion on a pretty parolee, going behind his superior's backs, or speeding down the wrong side of a freeway in rush hour traffic. Director William Friedkin's spiritual successor to his own French Connection is a heavily stylized, cynical cop thriller, where the "hero" is arguably part of the same scarred coin as the villain. Doesn't get four stars for it's sheer eighties-ness, but makes up for it in spades. A true adrenaline rush.
New Jack City (1991) ***
Wesley Snipes plays a scumbag NY crack kingpin, pursued by narc cops Ice T and Judd Nelson. Directed with flash by Mario Van Peebles, with a crackling rap soundtrack, this is an enjoyable throwback to Blaxploitation gangster films of the seventies, and refreshingly doesn't glamorize Snipe's character. A must see for hood movie fans.
Zombie (1979) ***
A woman and a reporter travel to a jungle island to search for the former's father, only to find it overrun by the living dead. Marketed in Italy as a sequel to George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, Lucio Fulci's bloodbath has the usual flat characters expected of the genre, but he handles it very nicely, with attractive tropical scenery and a very danceable disco score. Not for those with weak stomachs; the splinter scene in particular has entered the realm of horror movie lore.
The Entity (1981) BOMB
Barbara Hershey is a single mother of three who is repeatedly raped by an invisible being. From the director of such high caliber fare as Iron Eagle and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, this is as irresponsible a filmmaker can get with the treatment of rape for purely exploitative purposes; during the many assaults, we're treated to leering shots of Hershey's buttocks and sweaty thighs. Utter trash.
The Breakfast Club (1985) ***
Five troubled teens gather for Saturday detention, talking about their lives, problems with families, and growing a bond that may not last. Well-acted John Hughes chamber piece, a classic of the teen movie genre. Marred somewhat by the fact that most of the characters are either deeply dysfunctional or downright scummy, as well as the overkill anti-authority sentiments.
Die Hard (1988) ***
A pure, unadulterated action extravaganza. On Christmas Eve, off-duty New York cop John McClane comes to LA's Nakatomi Plaza to patch things up with his wife Holly when a team of criminals, led by the devilish Hans Gruber (the late Alan Rickman), storm the building and take everyone hostage, intent on stealing $640 million in negotiable bearer bonds from the company vault. It's up to McClane to save the day, whether he likes it or not! Masterfully directed, with entertaining characters, hilarious dialogue, and plenty of thrills. Sheer escapism-- in a good way.
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990) **1/2
Unabashed star vehicle for controversial comedian Andrew Dice Clay has him play a self-described "rock 'n roll detective", entangled in an irreverent mystery involving the death of a rock star. Critically firebombed for its vulgarity, but let's be serious: were people expecting a film with a title like this to have complex character development, Oscar worthy acting, and a Mamet-style screenplay? I think not. Silly and foul-mouthed, but harmless, really. Clay has some knucklehead appeal.
Die Hard 2 (1990) **1/2
How can the same thing happen to the same guy twice? John McClane is back at the wrong place at the wrong time; while waiting to pick up his wife in a snowed-in airport on Christmas Eve, he uncovers a plot by the really evil Colonel Stuart (William Sadler) to spring a captured dictator. Entertaining, but it lacks the consistency and humor of the first, replacing it with cruelty and even greater violence instead.
