Hey folks... Wow. Ya know... I am well aware of the
fact that I am way way waaaaay behind in my
reviews. There is a ton of new films out there that
you need to see asap.

THE INSIDER: for me it’s a fantastic film that not
only takes a look into the insidieous world of BIG
TOBACCO, but an amazing look into the world of
bigtime televised journalism, ethics and producing.
Pacino and Russell Crowe are at their best, and I will
write a full review of this movie.

BRINGING OUT THE DEAD: This movie isn’t for
everyone, but then, what Scorsese film is. The film is
introspective and personal. Imagine being an
ambulance driver in ‘the bad area of New York’...
Crack death after Crack death... Gunshot wound after
gunshot wound. I disagree with most every review
written about this film on my site, and
whole-heartedly love the movie. I will write a full
review on this movie.

THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL: Whoa! This is a total piece of shit. I loathe this film. I think the opening 5-10 minutes are pretty good. It's a terrible Haunted House... Some of the pre-computer ghost effects and concepts are ok. The Dick Smith eyeless creature is awesome... BUT these are a few rubies buried in greasy shit. Stay away... play the lottery... it's cheaper and gives you better odds. It doesn't suck hours of your life along with your money.

LIBERTY HEIGHTS: This is the best Neil Simon
movie that Neil Simon has never made. My fave of
Barry’s BALTIMORE movies. An immensely
enjoyable film... and I will be writing a full review for
this.

THE BONE COLLECTOR: This is an entertaining little mystery. It's funny to me how some people seem to be wanting great things out of what is ultimately a 'B' movie mystery. This isn't REAR WINDOW... this is Charlie Chan or Mr Moto... It's a mystery that is smart enough to be entertaining. It isn't a brilliant film. This isn't THE USUAL SUSPECTS or SEVEN. This isn't gritty angst cinema... it's just a mystery. And Angelina Jolie and Denzel are really quite entertaining in the film. I might end up writing a full review for this film, but no promises... I did enjoy the movie though.

JOAN OF ARC: While many hate this movie, I
swing the other way... I love it. I think Milla’s
performance is haunting, scary and powerful... some
think she can’t act her way out of a wet paper sack...
I disagree. Besson has made a stunning film of a girl
driven by visions to throw herself in the midst of
blood and mayhem.... She is not prepared for it...
Confused and lost, trying to be as strong as her
visions, but lost in a hypocritical world bent on blood
lust. I love this one... and will be writing up a full
review...

MANSFIELD PARK: An ‘ok’ corset movie, it just
didn’t work on all pistons for me, but hey... that
happens sometimes. A few beautiful moments and
scenes made me like the film. But it just didn’t
resonate for me. I won’t be writing a full review for
this.

PRINCESS MONONOKE: I think I’m just going to
let Robogeek write this review instead of me... He’s
more passionate about the film, and I’m waterlogged
as it is. I really really like the film alot. I’m not
completely in love with it though. I felt that it was
missing some of the emotional resonance of
Miyazaki’s other work, but the sheer complication of
the politics, mysticism and character relationships...
added to the beauty and enormity of the universe he is
painting make me a very big fan of this film. I just
don’t think it’s in his top 3 films for me. PORCO
ROSSO, KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE and
LAPUTA.

MUSIC OF THE HEART... While I liked it, I didn’t
quite love it enough to spend my time writing up a
full review for it. For me, the film tries to do too
many things... Meryl Streep’s lack of a personal
relationship with a man plotline just felt like
unnecessary filler that was.... BORING. However,
the moments of her teaching, her relationships with
her students... that world of bringing beauty to east
Harlem inner city youths, and giving them the ability
to create their own beauty... was dead on for me. I
won’t be writing a full review for the film.

ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER: This film is a joy.
There is not a single normal male character in the film
that survives to the second reel, and the movie is
fantastic in it’s embrace of the strange and unusual.

Pedro Almodóvar, the director loves all his
characters completely and without any hedging.
Brilliant use of taking American pop culture iconic
works and making them seem both warm and foreign.
Should be nominated for BEST FOREIGN FILM...
I’ll try to write this one up.

BODY SHOTS, I really loved pieces of this film
quite a bit. But the movie didn’t do it as a whole. I
think that it’s because I would have preferred to have
stayed with a couple of the characters, and didn’t care
for some of the others at all. Of course that’s a bit of
the point with this Gen X/RASHOMON work here. I
won’t be writing a full review for this.

Meanwhile, this weekend... check your local
schedules... First on your viewing list should be
BEING JOHN MALKOVICH if it’s playing in your
area. The movie is... BRILLIANT.

Second... If you live in New York or Los Angeles....
Find MAN OF THE CENTURY.... And give this
movie your attention. It is a perfect beautiful film.
You will not regret one second of your time spent
with this film. If the movie doesn’t do well this
weekend in NY and LA, it will never play the rest of
America. True Fact my friends.

Meanwhile, to you good folks in Minneapolis/St.
Paul.... Drag all your friends to see PRINCESS
MONONOKE multiple times (if you love it) so the
movie can get larger distribution and advertising. It
could be a triumph for Illustrated Cinema.

And.... In AUSTIN, TEXAS...

Tonight, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5th.... at the
Alamo Drafthouse... They are showing.... RUN
LOLA RUN (if you haven’t seen this... you must),
CLOCKWORK ORANGE (duh!) and fucking
WARGAMES.

I went tonight to WARGAMES and ya know what.
WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU PEOPLE!!!???

Ok.... First off, this print in an Archive MGM print
of the movie. This is the movie that harkens back to
that first computer... the fears of the Reagan era....
For me at least... this was a pivotal film in the
development of me. It isn’t a jingoistic exercise in
Rah Rah AMERICA FIRST mentality. This is a film
about learning what it is to grow up.... live under the
bomb.... be that outside teenager.... Staring mortality
and extinction in the eye.... Learning the futility of
nuclear war and any war. The movie has GALAGA
featured prominently!!!

This is the REAL Matthew Broderick teenage film. It
also happens to be, in my opinion, his best character
work. He wasn’t quite playing the whines for self
parody yet. I love FERRIS BUELLER, but the
hacker kid wanting to play PROTOVISION games....
Playing around with his computer trying to see what
is going on out there....

Hell... I’m willing to bet most of you had never heard
of a MODEM before this movie. There was no
Internet... it was direct dialing into computers that
weren’t even networked yet. Hell... I remember that
voice box as being something I felt was complete
Science Fiction.... heh... Not today.

Hell... The
Alamo Drafthouse is not only showing this
masterpiece of early eighties cinema, but has a special
on buttered corn. Hell... see Dabney Coleman in a
really really good movie.

Dammit! Go see this movie! It’s only playing 2
more nights in Austin. If you live here... go see the
movie. I’ll be there both nights. If for nothing else...
the damn trailer for STRANGE BREW rocks!

Sigh... Hope to see you folks there.

There’s a lot of good film out there right now. It’s
not all evenly spread out... but until I can write up the
whole reviews on these films... I figure this is the best
I can do.

Me sleepy now!