Archive for October, 2000

Films Review November

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 (PG-13)

In the inevitable yet ultimately tired sequel to “Mission: Impossible,” a brilliant secret agent turncoat has stolen a deadly virus and plans to use it to hold the world hostage. Read the rest of this entry »

Butterfly

Told with the assurance of a master storyteller, “Butterfly” unfolds like a spirited novel where you can’t wait to turn the page, even if you know where the story is going. Director Jose Luis Cuerda, working from a thoughtful screenplay by Rafael Azcona, delivers a heartfelt and honest story about one boy’s coming-of-age. Read the rest of this entry »

Saving Grace

“Saving Grace” strives to be one of those cute, charming foreign imports like “The Full Monty” and “Waking Ned Devine.” It’s set in a picturesque Cornish village, and features a colorful gallery of characters who do unexpected things. Read the rest of this entry »

A Nightmare On Elm Street

Classic horror villains all have one thing in common: longevity. Even if you kill them, a great villain will find a way out of the grave in order to continue their reign of terror. They must also have enduring qualities that force an audience to want to spend more time with them. They don’t have to be charming, but they do have to have screen presence. Read the rest of this entry »

Charlie’s Angels DVD

What do you call a movie that is a spoof of a television series that was a spoof of a film series that in itself had become a spoof? I don’t care what else you call it, but the big screen version of “Charlie’s Angels” is bad, real bad, and not bad in a good sort of way. Read the rest of this entry »

Braveheart

For the past fifteen years, I have had the knack to walk out of a film and know then and there that it was the Best Film of the Year. I just get this feeling, and when the Academy Awards roll around, that feeling pays off. Read the rest of this entry »

True Lies

Director James Cameron and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger are a good match. Arnold is larger than life and he needs a director who can paint on a canvas that is equally enormous. “Terminator” and “Terminator 2” proved that these two were in sync, but it was the epic spy adventure “True Lies” that proved there was life for these two together beyond killer androids. Read the rest of this entry »

X-Men

Oh no, there’s trouble in Gotham, I mean, New York City, again. A war between good and evil mutants is raging on, and only one person can stop them. No, not Hillary Clinton. Professor Charles Xavier, a good mutant who just wants what everybody else wants: he wants to be loved. Read the rest of this entry »

Shaft

Sitting on the shelves of my video library are copies of films such as “Shaft,” “Coffy,” “Truck Turner” and “Superfly.” I have these films in my video library not because of their historical significance, but because of their personal significance. Read the rest of this entry »

The Crew

In what can only be described as an attempt at counter-programming, August has seen not one but three films featuring mature actors and plot lines. What would normally be a welcome relief from the usual drudge that oozes across theater screens throughout the summer is actually an embarrassment of riches. Read the rest of this entry »