Archive for February, 2005

The Day I Became a Woman

Somewhere in-between the propaganda and the political rhetoric lies an Iran that is seldom seen by the Western world. Most high school students would be hard-pressed to pick out Iran on a world map, much less express an opinion on the subject. Much of what we know about Iran comes from cable news sound bites. Read the rest of this entry »

Stripes

The “Service Comedy” has been a staple of Hollywood since the silent era, and has entertained one decade after another with their military hi-jinks. Everyone from Abbott & Costello (“Buck Privates”) to Martin & Lewis (“Jumping Jacks”) were recruited to keep the troops happy, a tradition that continues to this very day. Read the rest of this entry »

EdTV

“Wyatt Earp.” “Armageddon.” “EdTV.” With the exception of “Armageddon,” sometimes it doesn’t pay to be second. Literally. “Wyatt” Earp” had the bad luck to arrive after “Tombstone,” while “Deep Impact” beat “Armageddon” to the punch. “Armageddon” managed to make a bigger impact at the box office. Read the rest of this entry »

The Sadist

Written and directed by James Landis in order to capitalize on the “Psycho” phenomenon, “The Sadist” is a textbook example of what happens when money speaks louder than logic. Based on the real-life Charlie Starkweather murders, “The Sadist” features Arch Hall Jr. as Charlie Tibbs, the psycho in question. Read the rest of this entry »

Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion

“Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion” couldn’t be any more relevant than it is now. Released two years ago, the film deals with two high school outcasts who were tormented by the more popular cliques on campus. Instead of dressing up in leather jackets and killing their classmates, Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) just get on with their lives. You see, even though they’re not popular, they’re happy. Read the rest of this entry »

Rick

According to Rick, he used to be a nice guy. That was before he became a corporate shark. Not by design, but out of necessity. Company cutbacks. Survival of the fittest. Become the reaper instead of the reaped. Read the rest of this entry »

Constantine

Hellacious Acres, sung by rock star John Norman Howard (Kris Kristofferson) at the height of his popularity in the 1976 remake of A Star is Born, pretty much sums up Constantine, another epic Hollywood struggle between the forces of good and evil. Read the rest of this entry »

My Dog Skip

Anyone familiar with movie release patterns know that the end of summer is called the dog days of summer. It is here where studios dump their leftover wares, hoping they will come and go fast enough as not to become an embarrassment. The reasoning is rational. Read the rest of this entry »

Gosford Park DVD

You’re invited to a weekend of hunting, gossip and murder. Dress is formal.

Welcome to “Gosford Park,” a smashing British ensemble that blends together the best of Agatha Christie and Merchant Ivory. It’s “Murder on the Orient Express” by way of “Howard’s End,” and the end result is one of director Robert Altman’s best films in years. Read the rest of this entry »

The Godson

Intermittently funny spoof of “The Godfather” arrives too late to make an impact. Written and directed by Bob Hoge (who also appears in the film), “The Godson” is filled with obvious and dated jokes that frequently fall flat. Such a shame for a film that sports impressive production values and a cast that seems game for anything. Read the rest of this entry »