Archive for July, 1999

Predator

“Predator” is a film that holds a place near and dear to many Arnold Schwarzenegger fan’s hearts. And why not? “Predator” is a lot of fun, filled with powerful action sequences wrapped up in a silly screenplay by Jim Thomas and John Thomas. Read the rest of this entry »

Wag the Dog

When the President of the United States is caught with his pants down and charged with sexual misconduct, it’s up to his spin doctors to change public perception. Sound familiar? “Wag the Dog,” loosely structured from Larry Beinhart’s novel “American Hero,” is a darkly comic film that had the good fortune of being released when real life events in the Oval Office seemed to mirror events on the screen. Read the rest of this entry »

Bye Bye Birdie

As the Millennium comes to a close, it seems that everyone with the desire to do so is compiling lists. The American Film Institute recently hauled out their picks for Best 100 Films and Performers of the Century. Every where you look, someone has a new this or that list. I’ll probably get swept up in this trend as the year comes to an end, but for now I’m trying to avoid the inevitable. Read the rest of this entry »

And then there were none

Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians” has been turned into a movie more than once, but nothing can touch Rene Clair “And Then There Were None.” The infamous French director has assembled an all- star cast to tell Christie’s gripping tale of ten strangers who have been summoned by a mysterious host. Read the rest of this entry »

Films Review July

8mm (R)

Oh, the horror! The inhumanity! The drudgery of having to sit through another neo-noir thriller that barely has time to get on its feet before it stumbles under the weight of a top-heavy performance by Nicolas Cage, seamy direction by Joel Schumacher, and a patchwork script by that guy who wrote “Seven.” Read the rest of this entry »

Bull Durham

“Bull Durham” is a romantic comedy about America’s other favorite pastime. The first is baseball, but there’s plenty to root for on and off the field in writer-director Ron Shelton’s extremely enjoyable debut. Before stepping behind the camera as a director, Shelton had written numerous films and served as a second unit director. Read the rest of this entry »