Exciting blend of martial arts and Shakespeare in this tale of star-crossed lovers played by Jet Li and AAliyah. Li plays the son on an Asian crime lord trying to seize control of Oakland’s waterfront district. AAlyiah plays the daughter of a African American crime lord looking to get out of the business but not until he settles a score with the Asian crime lord. Jet Li excels as the ex-Hong Kong who went to prison so his father and brother could escape to the United States. Read the rest of this entry »

Hawaiian sea life park veterinarian Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) enjoys the benefits of vacation romance: love them and they leave. Perfect modus operandi for someone who prefers short term relationships. Henry’s a nice guy, but he’s not looking for anything long term. Read the rest of this entry »

I was anxious to see “American History X,” and that was even before the controversy over director Tony Kaye’s dismissal from the film during the editing process. I have seen several outstanding movies dealing with skinheads and white supremacists, so I was anxious to see if these film makers could bring anything new to the forum. Even though my friends and family liked “American History X,” I personally found the film lacking. Read the rest of this entry »

Vincent is a businessman. He dresses sharp, speaks with authority, and with his steely, prematurely-graying spiked hair, is a presence to be dealt with. Vincent is in Los Angeles for the night with a few hours to kill, and unsuspecting taxi cab driver Max is going to be his personal chauffeur. Read the rest of this entry »

Giant mechanical tarantulas. Crude flying machines. Damsels in distress. Literal booby traps. This isn’t your parents “Wild Wild West.” While the latest big screen adaptation of another 1960’s television show is no better or worse than the original, it’s also not the cattle prod up the butt that most critics are claiming it to be. Read the rest of this entry »

The journal of short films continues with issue two, titled “Dreams.” Twelve short films, interviews and documentaries flesh out the second collection, including a behind-the-scenes look at director Jane Campion’s “Portrait of a Lady,” with Nicole Kidman and John Malkovich. Read the rest of this entry »

I really liked “The Other Sister”…the first four or five times I saw the exact same film on Lifetime Cable. I can’t even remember the titles of those efforts. I think one starred Melissa Gilbert, or maybe they all did. Who knows, and who really cares? Read the rest of this entry »

“The Matrix” is going to make one hell of a video game (rest assured, there will be a video game)! As a film, it sucks more than Monica Lewinsky. Read the rest of this entry »

DANCING AT LUGHANSA (PG-13)

Even though it failed to create a ripple at the box office when it was released last December (in an effort to garner some Academy Awards heat), the film version of Brian Friel’s award-winning play is a beautiful tale of five Irish sisters living in the 1930’s. Read the rest of this entry »

JOHN Q. (PG-13)

Good intentions aside, “John Q.” is a heavy-handed drama about the horrors of HMO’s, an easy target for anyone who has had to deal with one. No one likes insurance companies and HMO’s, so it’s easy to rally the troops. Read the rest of this entry »