Archive for March, 2003

The Matrix DVD

“The Matrix” is going to make one hell of a video game (rest assured, there will be a video game)! “The Matrix” disappoints on so many levels, but the biggest disappointment is that this hodgepodge of ideas comes from the filmmaking team of Andy & Larry Wachowski, the dynamic duo who brought us the chilling “Bound.” Read the rest of this entry »

Films Review March

8 MILE (R)
(Universal)

ABANDON (PG-13)
(Paramount)

ALIEN TRACKER (PG-13)
(Lion’s Gate) Read the rest of this entry »

Kelly’s Heroes

As I was watching David O. Russell’s “Three Kings,” I said to myself: “Oh my God, someone has remade Kelly’s Heroes.” Indeed, “Three Kings” and “Kelly’s Heroes” are the same movie. They just take place during different wars. Read the rest of this entry »

Cellular

I wonder how many times writer Larry Cohen has gotten the big hang-up. His story for Phone Booth trapped Collin Farrell inside Manhattan’s last standing phone booth, aware that a hang-up could result in sudden death. Read the rest of this entry »

Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid

After the unexpected success of “The Jerk,” director Carl Reiner and star Steve Martin segued into this hilarious spoof of classic film noir of the 1940’s. While audiences took for granted the deft blend of comic chaos by Martin and company and dozens of old clips from classic gangster films, film purists like me marveled at the seamless effort. Read the rest of this entry »

Be Cool

Despite the proclamation of its title, Be Cool is anything but. It’s like the Bizarro World evil twin of Get Shorty. Everything that was good and original in Get Shorty is bad and stale in Be Cool, a sequel of sorts that finds gangster-turned-movie mogul Chili Palmer (John Travolta) looking for a new gig. Read the rest of this entry »

Kangaroo Jack

A comedy that follows the misadventures of two friends from Brooklyn who are forced to deliver mob money to Australia. While taking pictures of a kangaroo, one of them places his red jacket on it. When the wild kangaroo bounces off, they realize the mob money is in the jacket and are forced to give chase through the Outback Read the rest of this entry »

Johnny English

Rowan plays the eponymous lead character in a spoof spy thriller. During the course of the story we follow our hero as he attempts to single-handedly save the country from falling into the hands of a despot. Read the rest of this entry »

The Muse

When we first meet screenwriter Steven Phillips (Albert Brooks), he’s on top of the world. He’s just received a humanitarian award for his body of work, which includes seventeen films, an Oscar nomination, a beautiful wife and family, and a comfortable home with a guest cottage. He also a three-picture deal with Paramount, and is anxiously awaiting word on his latest project. Read the rest of this entry »

Insomnia

Anyone who has ever traveled from one continent to another will know how difficult it is for the body to readjust to the new time zone. Someone may go days before their internal time clock catches up. Read the rest of this entry »

In-Laws, The

When prospective fathers-in-law Steve Tobias and Jerry Peyser meet for the first time to celebrate their children’s upcoming marriage, the cake hits the fan. Dr. Jerome Peyser is a mild-mannered podiatrist with a well-organized daily routine designed to eliminate all possible sources of stress Read the rest of this entry »

Weekend at Bernie’s

“Weekend at Bernie’s” was a surprise hit, a slapstick farce that caught the youth of America off guard. It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since Bernie kicked the bucket and created so much hysteria. His afterlife antics were so popular that he returned in “Weekend at Bernie’s II.” Read the rest of this entry »