Director-producer Moustapha Akkad and actor Anthony Quinn just can’t seem to get their head out of the sand. After “The Message,” the two teamed up for this epic portrayal of the 1929-1931 war between Mussolini’s troops and a group of Bedouin patriots in Libya. Read the rest of this entry »
His name is Prot (rhymes with vote, not rot) and he claims he’s from the planet K-PAX. The declaration leads to two possible hypothesis: either he’s telling the truth or he’s crazy. Forced to make that distinction is Dr. Mark Powell, chief of psychiatry at the Psychiatric Institute of Manhattan. Read the rest of this entry »
Kicking and Screaming reminded me of the kid whose father takes him to a hooker for his first time. A quick in and out and it’s all over. With any luck, fond memories are all the kid will take from the experience. That pretty much sums up this latest family-friendly sports comedy starring Will Ferrell as a man who agrees to coach his kid’s soccer team. Read the rest of this entry »
Before I begin, It must be noted that I have nothing against “white trash.” It’s not a term I generally use, but coming from a questionable lineage I feel I can use the term without prejudice. While I’ve never lived in a trailer, I have several relatives who do. Read the rest of this entry »
John Irvin’s “Hamburger Hill” arrived on the heels of Oliver Stone’s “Platoon,” and somehow got lost in the rush of imitators. Unlike the endless stream of Chuck Norris and Michael Dudikoff Vietnam action films, “Hamburger Hill” had something more serious on it’s mind. Read the rest of this entry »
Corporate responsibility and greed have ruined horror movies. Pressured by public and political groups to clean up their act and stop marketing adult material to teenagers, Hollywood has gone to such extremes to comply that most of the horror films of the last couple of years feel like shadows of their former self. Read the rest of this entry »
While not the laugh factory that was “Liar! Lair!,” Jim Carrey’s latest comedy “Bruce Almighty” does manufacture enough humor and heart to produce a consumer friendly product. After having flexed his dramatic muscle in such under-appreciated films as “The Majestic” and “Man on the Moon,” Carrey is back on terra firma, and “Bruce Almighty” should find his collection plate full. Read the rest of this entry »
Like most Alfred Hitchcock films, the lead character in “Spellbound” is haunted by something in his past. In “Marnie,” Tippi Hedren went over the deep end every time she was exposed to bright red. Jimmy Stewart learns that he has been stricken by “Vertigo” after he lets his partner fall to his death off a high rooftop. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s hard to believe that “Judge Dredd” was released only three years ago. It seems like more. It feels like a late 80’s film. Based on the English comic books, “Judge Dredd”is comical all right. Director Danny Cannon spent a lot of money and time to bring “Judge Dredd” to the screen, and what he delivered is a film that can’t make up it’s mind if it wants to be a hardcore action film or a live-action cartoon. Read the rest of this entry »
