Shy, chain-smoking, insomniac Peter McGowan is an L.A. playwright with a string of hits that preceded his current ten years of failed productions Read the rest of this entry »
In October 1991, a confluence of weather conditions combined to form a killer storm in the North Atlantic. Caught in the storm was the sword-fishing boat Andrea Gail. Magnificent foreshadowing and anticipation fill this true-life drama while minute details of the fishing boats, their gear and the weather are juxtaposed with the sea adventure Read the rest of this entry »
A comedy based on the 1987 professional football players’ strike. Gene Hackman plays the coach of the team, Jack Warden is the owner, Brett Cullen is the All-Pro quarterback that goes on strike and Keanu Reeves is the “scab” who replaces the star QB. Read the rest of this entry »
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 »
Erin Brockovich is an unemployed single mother, desperate to find a job, but is having no luck. This losing streak even extends to a failed lawsuit against a doctor in a car accident she was in. With no alternative, she successfully browbeats her lawyer to give her a job in compensation for the loss Read the rest of this entry »
The James Bond franchise is 38 years old and 18 films strong. During that time, five men have played British Secret Service Agent James Bond, 007: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. Like all series, the James Bond franchise has had it’s highs (“Goldfinger,” “Thunderball”) and lows (“A View to a Kill,” “Moonraker”). Read the rest of this entry »
“From Dusk Till Dawn,” the slam-bang action-horror from director Robert Rodriguez and writer Quentin Tarantino, is one of my favorite vampire films. The film’s combination of cutthroat action and wicked humor made it much more than just your run-of-the-mill, fangs-for-the-memory film. Read the rest of this entry »
In this modern day Romeo and Juliet, kung fu action star Jet Li plays Romeo to hip-hop singer, Aaliyah Haughton’s Juliet. Li is an ex-cop investigating the murder of his brother, who had ties with the Chinese mafia in America. Aaliyah plays the daughter of the American mob boss Read the rest of this entry »
Marginally engaging thriller from director Tobe Hooper. Chad Lowe plays a psychology student who leaves school for a steady job managing an old apartment complex in Hollywood. Are there any other kind? What starts off as a promising new career turns into a nightmare as strange events begin to plague his days. His suspicions are raised when the corpse of the former manager is discovered, leading him to believe that something evil is at work. He’s right, but director Hooper fails to connect all of the dots. There are some moments that generate genuine chills, but overall the film is sluggish and predictable. Read the rest of this entry »
Hot on the tail of “Blade,” “John Carpenter’s Vampire” comes at the perfect time of year, Halloween. Unfortunately, this anemic horror-thriller is less than perfect, a vampire film that suffers from iron poor blood. Read the rest of this entry »
As a former video retailer, I was fortunate enough to attend a local Video Software Dealer’s Association event in Malibu, California. It was a regional event, where members and their families enjoyed an afternoon of food and fun, courtesy of several studios and the VSDA. These events are always a lot of fun, and beneficial. You learn a little about the industry, you mingle with people in the same boat as you, and you get to take home some neat promotional items from the studios. Read the rest of this entry »
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 »
1960, small town France. Vianne Rocher and her pre-teen daughter move into town and open a chocolate shop just as lent is beginning. The town’s small-minded mayor can’t accept this and does his best to shut her down, but her warm personality and incredible chocolates manage to win over many townsfolk Read the rest of this entry »
CROW, THE: SALVATION (R)
“The Crow” franchise continues with this third entry starring Eric Mabius (“Cruel Intentions”) as a man wrongly accused of his girlfriend’s death. After his execution, Alex Corvis (Mabius) is resurrected by a mysterious crow. Read the rest of this entry »
Martin Scorsese is such an important director that with each new film comes a certain amount of expectation. That is why his latest film, “Bringing Out The Dead,” is such a major disappointment. Read the rest of this entry »