Archive for March, 2006

Flintstones Viva Rock Vegas

There are few things more disappointing than paying premium prices to see a star-filled stage play, only to discover a sign in the lobby stating that due to illness, the evening’s performances will be performed by the understudies. This happened to me several times, and I always ask for a refund. If I pay for A-list, I don’t want second string. Read the rest of this entry »

Soldier

Actually, I should have done #5 before I went to see “Solider,” quite possibly this year’s worst movie. If Hollywood were to have a Crap-Fest, “Soldier” could be their opening night premiere. Read the rest of this entry »

Forces of Nature

Screenwriter Marc Lawrence is quickly becoming the Akiva Goldsman of his generation. The thing I liked least about the remake of Neil Simon’s “The Out-Of-Towners” with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn was Lawrence’s lame script, which was so full of contrivance it hurt. The pain continues with “Forces of Nature,” an amicable romantic road comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck. Read the rest of this entry »

The Last Starfighter

On the surface, “The Last Starfighter” is a sweet and unassuming movie. It’s charming and quaint, a familiar story about one young man’s dreams of escaping his dreary existence. You have to go a little deeper to understand that significance of “The Last Starfighter.” Read the rest of this entry »

Kingpin

It’s hard to believe that after the success of “Dumb and Dumber” that the Farrelly brothers, Peter and Bobby, would strike out with this simply outrageous bowling comedy. Even though they redeemed their box office clout with “There’s Something About Mary,” “Kingpin” remains a mystery. Read the rest of this entry »

Jarhead

In the 1992 film of Tom Clancy’s Patriot Games, CIA analyst Jack Ryan, played by Harrison Ford, watches from a remote command post as an attack on a terrorist camp is carried out. The thermal imagery is broadcast on a giant screen, and even though the details are nothing more than pixels on a screen, Ryan is shocked by the matter-of-fact dismissal of life. Read the rest of this entry »

Primary Colors

When writer Joe Klein’s novel “Primary Colors” (written under the pseudonym “Anonymous”) was first published, it created quite a stir. Half of the attention centered around who had written the controversial novel. Read the rest of this entry »