Archive for April, 2004

Heathers

Someone once asked me to describe bad taste, and I told them that it was when someone switched the brownies with dog crap. To me, that’s bad taste. I can find humor in almost any situation, it doesn’t matter to me. I did stand-up comedy for several years, and only twice did I catch myself saying something that even shocked me. It seems I lost the little mechanism in my head that’s supposed to stop the flow of thought before it escapes. Read the rest of this entry »

About a Boy

When actor Hugh Grant was caught with prostitute Devine Brown in a car off Sunset Boulevard, instead of hiding in shame, Grant grinned and bared it. He popped up on The Tonight Show and confessed to Jay Leno. Instead of getting angry at the jokes, Grant played along. The public didn’t crucify him because they understood that was who Grant was. Read the rest of this entry »

We Were Soldiers

Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) knew from the beginning that his mission in Vietnam was next to impossible. First one-third of his men are taken away from him. Then his Calvary unit is renamed the 7th, the same unit that General Custer led into battle and to slaughter. Read the rest of this entry »

Stealing Harvard

I like strawberries. I like strawberries a lot. I hate prunes. I mean, I really hate prunes. Now for the $64,000 question: Would I be willing to endure a prune in order to feast on some strawberries?

Being a film critic means taking the good with the bad, or more precisely, suffering through “Stealing Harvard,” a porta-potty of a comedy that overflows with crappy jokes and pee-brained performances. Read the rest of this entry »

The Royal Tenenbaums

When it comes to dysfunctional families, the Tenenbaum’s wrote the book. To emphasize that point, their story is told as a fable, chapter by chapter. page by page. It’s an unique framing device, but then “The Royal Tenenbaums” is a unique movie. Read the rest of this entry »

Hans Christian Andersen

Actor-singer Danny Kaye made some wonderful films with Samuel Goldwyn, including “Wonder Man” and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” One of Kaye’s most engaging films from that era, “Hans Christian Andersen,” is finally on DVD, and what a wonderful, wonderful experience it is. Read the rest of this entry »

Ringmaster

I’ll admit it I’ve seen “The Jerry Springer Show” more times than I care to admit. Why? Because it makes me feel good about myself. My life is a cakewalk compared to the poor white (or insert any race here) trash that parades across the stage each and every day. Read the rest of this entry »

Raw Deal

In 1986, former body builder-turned actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was on a roll. It was four years after his starring role in “Conan the Barbarian” and two years after his breakout success in “The Terminator.” Read the rest of this entry »

Trucks

I liked this movie the first time I saw it…as “Maximum Overdrive.” That old song lyric “everything old is new again” is the anthem for this made-for-cable (USA Network) thriller based on the Stephen King short story. King himself made his director’s debut with “Maximum Overdrive,” a vicious little thriller about a road side diner full of people trapped by marauding trucks. Read the rest of this entry »

Mark of the Devil

What was once considered shocking and controversial in 1970 comes off as silly and pretentious in 1999. Check out the lovely insert card inside the DVD of “Mark of the Devil,” the notorious English-German co-production from director Michael Armstrong (obviously an American pseudonym). Read the rest of this entry »