Archive for July, 2002

Pinero

Movies about writers are so rare that to find two of them in wide release at the same time must be one of the signs of the Apocalypse. There aren’t many movies about writers because the art of writing is boring. Most of us would rather see a movie based on a great book than see a movie about a great writer. Read the rest of this entry »

Blood for dracula

While wrapping up production on “Flesh for Frankenstein,” director Paul Morrissey secured financing for another film. He decided to lend his personal tough to the Bram Stoker legend of “Dracula,” which seemed like a natural follow-up to “Flesh for Frankenstein.” Morrissey secured the services of most of the previous cast, and set out to create a “Dracula” that would turn the legend upside down. Read the rest of this entry »

Exorcist: The Beginning

How else do you explain Exorcist: The Beginning, a belated prequel (shades of Alien Vs. Predator) that serves no purpose except to exploit the good will of the original? Read the rest of this entry »

Deuces Wild

“Deuces Wild” is so mind-numbingly bad you wonder if any of it is supposed to be taken seriously. The sophomore effort of director Scott Kalvert, who hasn’t been behind the camera since 1995’s “The Basketball Diaries,” “Deuces Wild” plays like a junior high school drama production of “West Side Story” minus the music, or the talent.
Read the rest of this entry »

Three Kings DVD

Somewhere in the middle of the Iraqi Desert, four American soldiers have taken leave from the Gulf War in a quest to find Saddam Hussein’s private stash of stolen Kuwait gold. Their plan seems foolproof. A quick in and out and they can give up their day jobs after the war. Read the rest of this entry »

A History of Violence

When director David Cronenberg makes a point, it’s usually with a red hot poker. Cronenberg’s A History of Violence is another searing convergence of shock and awe, horrific images of violence smothered in hot, consensual adult sex, all guaranteed to make you feel queasy and uncomfortable. Read the rest of this entry »

You Can Count On Me

In the sideshow that is her life, single mom Sammy Prescott has become a master juggler. She’s so busy juggling the men in her life that until recently she has had little time for self reflection. Sammy is so afraid that if she drops one ball her whole life will come crashing down. Read the rest of this entry »

First Blood

It took writer David Morrell ten years from the publication of his novel “First Blood” to see it leap to the big screen. Little did he know that his creation, Vietnam Vet and former Special Forces Green Beret John Rambo would go on to become an international icon. As a matter of fact, Morrell killed Rambo at the end of the novel. Read the rest of this entry »

The Thirteenth Floor

If indeed there are 13 levels of hell, the filmmaker’s behind “The Thirteenth Floor” make no apologies for dragging us through each and every one of them. A dull, dreary exercise in futility, “The Thirteenth Floor” is another example of style over substance. Read the rest of this entry »

Knock Off

What do the following things have in common:
» A chainsaw enema…
» Flossing with barbed wire…
» Skinny dipping in lava…
» Sky dive using Ernest Borgnine as a parachute…
» Sit through a live performance of Joan of Arc starring Pia Zadora… Read the rest of this entry »