SodaGuy Reviews

Apt Pupil (1998)

A disappointing movie that didn't do much for me

[30 April 1999]

Sir Ian McKellan and Brad Renfro star in this film about what happened during the second world war through the eyes of a Nazi war criminal. Brad Renfro plays Todd Bowden a student who wants to probe into the life of a nazi war criminal who lives next door to him. Todd uses everything he can to get info from Arthur Dussander played by McKellan. Todd uses blackmail in order to get what he wants but it soon backfires as McKellan reverses the game as he plays with Todd's mind. This movie missed with me because all it did was skate around what happened and instead of taking something away from it, I saw nothing but psychological games being played that didn't quite cut it for me. If I wanted to see better psychological games I could have rented The Silence Of The Lambs. Apt Pupil wasted the talents of McKellan and Renfro with a lame story. It had a lot of room for improvement. This is not a movie I would jump out of my seat and go to the video store to rent the movie again. * out of ****

American History X (1998)

The best performance of Edward Norton's young career

[15 April 1999]

Edward Norton gives the performance of his career as a reformed Neo-Nazi determined to deter his brother, Edward Furlong, from the life he once held. American History X starts with a bang and ends with one as well. Edward Norton is Derek Vinyard a skinhead sent to prison for murdering two black boys in front of his home for trying to steal his truck. Norton's performance in American History X reminds me of an earlier film called Primal Fear. Edward Furlong plays Derek's younger brother named Danny. Danny, who has always looked up to Derek enters the life his brother Derek led. Derek leaves prison with the knowledge that Danny is in the hateful life he once led and he makes it his mission to get him and his family out of the life. American History X has a lot of detailed scenes of violence, and language that opened my eyes to this awful lifestyle. I thought to myself, How could people be so ignorant as to hate others because of their skin. When this film was first being released in theatres, there was a storm of controversy surrounding it due the violent and graphic content; however, American History X turned out to become even less violent than one of the most violent films of the 1990's Natural Born Killers. American History X was an eye opening, powerful, emotionally moving film that had everything from great acting to good plotlines. This is one of the top movies of 1998. Everybody who watches this film is in for a real treat because there is a twist at the end, which is needed to make the story come complete circle. American History X is a film of the journey that travels from the deepest depths of darkness to peak of doing what is right.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

One of the best war movies ever made

[14 April 1999]

Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, and Jeremy Davies star in one of the best war films ever made. Tom Hanks stars as Capt. John Miller, leader of a public relations mission to bring home the last of four brothers Sean, Peter, Daniel, and James who fought in the war. What makes this so hard is that three brothers, Sean, Peter, and Daniel are dead and the mother was going to receive all three letters at once. The opening scene of the old man walking in the war veteran's cemetary with his family a few steps back. Unless people have seen the film before, we don't know who this man is or what significance it has on the film; It gets tied in at the end of the film. I saw Saving Private Ryan twice and the opening scene had such a powerful impact on th rest of the film, but it was one of those things that you must watch it more than once to fully understand it as I did. Saving Private James Ryan turns out to become something more than what Capt. Miller had bargained for. Tom Sizemore is Miller's loyal right hand man Sgt. Horwath. I love the loyalty that Tom Sizemore's character, Sgt. Horwath, holds for his boss Capt. Miller. Wars are one of the worst tragedies of America and to bring it to life with such a realistic view really shocked me. The way Steven Spielberg brought to life the 20 minute war scene at the beginning was eye-opening to say the least. At first, I hated that part since it was so long and drawn out; but, when I saw it the second time just a few days ago I understood why it was done this way. I think Spielberg wanted to bring out emotions and make a statement to the audience that war is something that was devastating and something that should never have happened. Matt Damon was superb as Pvt. James Ryan. Matt Damon continues to produce box office hits as does Tom Hanks and the incomprible legend Steven Spielberg. Saving Private Ryan is one film to savour over and over.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The brilliance of Anthony Hopkins comes through with his performance as Hannibal Lector

[14 April 1999]

I have been a fan of Anthony Hopkins since I saw Meet Joe Black, which really showed me how great he was; I started renting films in which he starred in and it seems his performances have been really consistent and never lost the magic touch that makes him such a good actor. Anthony Hopkins leads an all star cast that includes Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn, and Anthony Heald in a psychological thriller. Hopkins is Dr. Hannibal Lector, a psychopathic serial killer and the only person who could help Jodie Foster finding the whereabouts of Buffalo Bill another serial killer. Jodie Foster portrays an FBI agent in training who gets handed this case by her superior officer played by Scott Glenn. This is such a good film because Lector is playing psychological games with Jodie Foster asking her questions instead of having her ask the questions. I got the feeling that by asking her these questions about her personal life, which by the way was against the rules, he was helping her locate the serial killer Buffalo Bill. Even the escape scene involving Dr. Lector was a work of genius by Jonathan Demme. What a great film, cast, and script. I hope they make a sequel.

The Godfather (1972)

A truly epic masterpiece that was informative too

[11 April 1999]

This was a great film in every sense of the word. I loved it because it was so believable and everything that was done was most likely true. Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, James Caan were excellent. Brando's voice, Pacino's youthful look, Duvall's innocence, and Caan's brutality all drew me in and it never bored me. In only his third film of his long and brilliant film career, I saw Al Pacino's attitude gradually change for the worst. First we see Pacino the war hero, then as he gets into the Corleone family business he becomes a changed man and starts to gain the right to put his two- sense in. I also saw the innocence of a young looking Robert Duvall that I felt compelling and most interesting to watch. Also, the way that all the scenes of violence were orchestrated I could tell it was accurate or Francis Ford Coppola and the rest of his crew spent time researching the accuracy and made it as close to accurate as possible. Everything about this film was disturbing and that is what made it so darn good because it was so true. As great as the Godfather series of movies were it is my opinion that the first Godfather could have stood on its own without making two more parts. By the end of the first part, two family members have died, and one makes a significant climb in power inside the Corleone family; for the answers, you must watch the film. This was a great film and I first saw it in my college film class and since I loved it the first time around I re-rented it. I also plan to rent the following two parts at a later date so I could soak this first part in. Nine hours of The Godfather is a lot to take in at one time so enjoy this wonderful epic, but over time. My suggestion to people who haven't seen this film is to go and see it because no matter what type of film you enjoy, I guarantee you will like this one.

Krippendorf's Tribe (1998)

Can we say stupid mistake

[8 April 1999]

Richard Dreyfuss and Jenna Elfman made a stupid mistake when they decided to add their names to this disastrous and lame film. Krippendorf's Tribe is the type of film that falls under the category of films that shouldn't have been made. Everything stunk about this film from the script to the costumes Richard Dreyfuss and Jenna Elfman had to wear. Even the supposed romance between Dreyfuss and Elfman was a mistake in the script. I gave this film my full attention for 90 minutes but it didn't live up to what I was expecting. One thing I noticed lacking from this film was comedy, true comedy. The jokes were not really jokes but attempts at jokes. I don't remember laughing at all and if I did it was at them instead of with them.I'am really sorry I wasted my time on this mistake of a film. The Razzies were correct in making this dullest comedy of 1998. They should have given worst actor awards to Dreyfuss and Elfman, too. No way would anyone make me recommend this film.

The Avengers (1998)

Say CHEESE-E

[8 April 1999]

From beginning to end this film was so cheesy that it made me puke. Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman made the BIGGEST mistake of their professional careers as did the great Sean Connery. Sean Connery was supposed to be the villain, that was a shock because it didn't seem like Connery did a good job at convincing me. The dialogue between Fiennes and Thurman was so stupid and terrible jobs at falsifying their accents. I kept asking myself when will the writers tie all the dialogue together. The script was so uneven that I almost needed an interpreter to watch the film with me in order to help me understand the dialogue. A terrible film at best and the worst film ever made at the very least.

The Deep End of the Ocean (1999)

It did not quite the hit the mark

[5 April 1999]

The Deep End Of The Ocean was a movie that was supposed to bring tears from people's eyes but the director failed to do so and it sunk in the ocean after thirty minutes after it left port, meaning after it started. The Deep End Of The Ocean starred Treat Williams, Michelle Pfieffer, and Jonathan Jackson among others. The cast billing is better than the film itself; and that says a lot for the writers and director. I was disappointed in Michelle Pfieffer, I thought she would do a decent job. I was mistaken; she was so selfish and wouldn't listen to anyone who thought her son, Ben was alive. This is just another movie about a kidnapping, no real mystery or suspense to speak of or no real tears came from my face. I mean if the director wants to make a movie surrounding this type of situation I would think that there should be more sentimental moments and cut out the arguments with the child that was kidnapped about what he should and should not do. The only thing that people should bring is a bag so they could put it over their heads to avoid watching it. Treat Williams really is the only actor worth recognizing in this bad mess they call a movie; though, there are good parts in this movie. Williams, your typical villain, plays Pat Cappadora the husband and father who keeps the family together after Ben was kidnapped. When, the mother (Pfieffer) was near a breakdown it was the father who held everything together and eventually was the one who snapped his wife into reality again. My other favorite scene occurred between the two brothers because the older one blames himself for not holding Ben's hand tighter. Ben told his brother that it was alright. I wouldn't force this film on anyone but it wasn't all that bad because I found that it did have its moments.

Executive Power (1997 Video)

An average film with high level cover up

[5 April 1999]

It starts out like Absolute Power with Clint Eastwood, but ends up no better than an average mystery thriller. Craig Sheffer stars as Nick Sager a former secret service agent who is brought back to investigate the suicide of one of the members of the President's inner circle. This is an okay mystery/suspense thriller about a guy who is trying to find out if it was suicide or murder while keeping himself and the ex-girlfriend alive. John Heard, a bad guy in almost every movie, plays one in Executive Power as drug dealer Cyrus Walker. Walker's job is to get rid of the ex-girlfriend and retrieve a tape from her that was left behind, which had something incriminating on it for someone in power. This is just a run of the mill, typical film that I may or may not see again. I think this is a film for die hard movie buffs.

Permanent Midnight (1998)

A different type of film that I found to be interesting

[1 April 1999]

Permanent Midnight is the autobiographical story of the life and times of Jerry Stahl. This was a movie that tested the boundaries of what could be shown on the movie screen. Ben Stiller's performance as Jerry Stahl was dramatic to say the least. Stiller's performance was excellent and really showed me the flipside of what could happen to somebody when they get hooked on drugs. The whole cast from Maria Bello to Elizabeth Hurley were solid support for the main character, Jerry Stahl. The real Jerry Stahl actually had a role, which surprised me, as Dr. Murphy from the drug rehabilitation clinic. Stahl recounts his life from a hotel room while having a sexual encounter he met while he was working at a restaurant drive-thru. The way that the director lays out the film is perfect; it is different than what I have seen before. The way Jerry Stahl recounts his life the way he did pleasantly surprised me. I warn anyone who wants to watch Permanent Midnight to brace themselves for extreme drug use by sticking needles in arms and sensual love scenes. I recommend this film for its stars' performances.

Nixon (1995)

A talented cast that didn't quite hit the mark

[1 April 1999]

I expected Nixon to top JFK, but I was let down by Oliver Stone. Anthony Hopkins did his best to make this film success; it seemed that it worked for everyone else who saw it but not me. It didn't quite pack enough punch for me as JFK, Oliver Stone's previous historic film. did. Joan Allen was the biggest surprise to come out of this movie because she showed her true talent as Richard Nixon's loyal wife, Pat. I guess if I had to isolate the flaw it would be that it didn't appeal to me in the way JFK did, Nixon wasn't as interesting to watch. I expected the film to be set up as JFK was but it wasn't. Normally one would enjoy watching a film that flowed through but with films such as JFK and Nixon it needed to be almost as if it were a documentary. Nixon had the potential to be a better movie than what it turned out to be. In my opinion Anthony Hopkins did his best to make Richard Nixon into just like anyone else; it worked, at times it seemed as if the real Richard Nixon came out as a regular person with real feelings. Oliver Stone created a masterpiece with JFK but failed to do so with Nixon. I guess the cliche' "You win some and you lose some" holds true with this film.

Almost Heroes (1998)

Almost the perfect send-off for Chris Farley.

[31 March 1999]

From the opening credits, I had a smile on my face because of the graphic and introduction the film gives its viewing audience. I thought to myself what a delight it is to see a film where your mind does not have to stress over thinking of who did what to whom. This was Chris Farley's final and it was too bad that he died so suddenly because this was his best film performance ever. It showed how he dominates the film by his brand of physical, in your face comedy. The script was hokey at best, meaning it wasn't trying to be the best movie; if it did that task failed. Based upon the story of Lewis and Clark's expedition, Chris Farley and Matthew Perry embark on a journey to do the same as Lewis and Clark did, but beat him to it. Perry and Farley play Edwards and Hunt a fumbling pair of wannabe explorers that want to make a profitable discovery. Almost Heroes is a fun movie to watch and a pure delight for everyone wanting stressless viewing.

JFK (1991)

An important film about a historic event that opened my eyes

[31 March 1999]

When I saw JFK, I realized I wasn't seeing just another film based upon real events. JFK was an eye opening film that told another side to the assassination of our 35th president. It featured two of my favorite actors; Kevin Costner who played Jim Garrison and Tommy Lee Jones who portrayed Clay Shaw both played an important role in bringing facts to light that may or may not be true. Jim Garrison was responsible for bringing the only prosecution in the JFK assassination. Garrison didn't have it easy looking for answers to his questions; he had to battle a lot of governmental red tape, and he still didn't get his answers. There were other Hollywood heavyweights who had added their names to this film besides Costner and Jones: Jack Lemmon, Donald Sutherland, the late John Candy, Gary Oldman, Joe Pesci, Walter Matthau, and Kevin Bacon. These actors might not have had major parts but they are tremendous talents and they all had important contributions to get this story out in the open so the American people could make their mind up as I did. In my opinion, this is one event that had to be brought to light in film so we could visually see what the real story had been on November 22, 1963; it also gave me information to base my decision on whether or not there was a cover-up or among the ranks of the government or not. With the flashbacks to that fateful day in November, I understood what the movie was about. Oliver Stone did a flawless job in recreating the events surrounding the JFK assassination. After watching JFK, I have reason to believe there was a conspiracy but I'm not sure because it seemed so one sided. This was definitely an eye opening history lesson that was told that everybody should see.

One True Thing (1998)

One truly unsatisfying movie

[30 March 1999]

I was expecting to see a film of the heart; but instead all I saw was a mediocre film. I do admit this movie had an adequate enough plot; after all a daughter moving back home to take care of her mother is quite alright. Renee Zelwegger, Meryl Streep, William Hurt, and Tom Everett Scott star in a film that was supposed to be one of the heart and togetherness. Instead, I saw a mother who relied on her daughter for everything, a father that was stubborn and wanted to see things done his way, a daughter who had a life of her own, and a brother who is off doing his own thing in college. This is definitely a well meaning movie with a plot that I can tell needs definite work. It also brings together a fine group of actors. The one thing I would add is the development of family coming together and rally around each other for support as their mother's condition worstened. If there was one part in the whole film that I really liked it was the interview with the district attorney; my opinion was that if the director just had this in the film instead of the acting portion, I could get a mental picture of what she was saying very easily. I can only give this film a weak, marginal thumbs up for this film because it is like reading a severely undeveloped essay that has good ideas but no real thought to it.

There's Something About Mary (1998)

This is the funniest movie I've seen all year

[15 March 1999]

There's definitely something about this film. When I saw this film, I was thinking of The Wedding Singer because both movies were set relatively the same time and both lead actresses happened to be blonde. I thought Ben Stiller played an excellent character in Ted as he tried locate the girl he had a crush on in high school. Cameron Diaz was superb in her role as Mary and the actor who played her brother was an excellent addition to the movie because he played his part as a disabled man really well. I'm not a real huge Matt Dillon fan and his role in this movie didn't do much to change my mind. He was very despicable as the sleazy private investigator who has the task of tracking the high school crush down; however, what he doesn't tell Ted when he does find her makes this film more interesting. Who would think that this film has twists that would blow the audience away; it does and not just one, it has two. These twists are really something of a shock, especially to me who was not expecting it to occur the way it did. Overall, this film was enjoyable I wouldn't mind seeing it a second time.

The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (1998–1999)

Too bad it's only on once a week

[14 March 1999]

I think this show is one of the best on television. Mark Dacascos is a young and refreshing actor that proves he is not just an action star who survives by starring in no story action films. Dacascos branches outside of what he is used to in order to play a reincarnated soul of dead man brought back by a crow in order to set things right after his girlfriend is killed. The ongoing battle of good vs. evil continues as Eric Draven is brought back to life to set things right. Mark Dacascos is great in the television version of the film that would turn out to be Brandon Lee's last. Every week, I can't wait to see the next episode because it is a unique series in that the writers come up with new stuff to write about. I like how the series goes back and forth between the world as it currently is and the way it was when Eric Draven and his girlfriend Shelly lived in happier times. Everything about this show from, storylines, music, and setting scream HIT!!!!! From its star Mark Dacascos to the supporting cast which includes the police detective whom he helps out by catching criminals; this series deserves to be seen during the week when everyone has the chance to see how great it is.

She's All That (1999)

This movie is definitely All That

[11 March 1999]

Freddie Prinze Jr. definitely proves he can be a leading man in this movie. I love the storyline of this movie. It melts my heart; I mean I knew what was going to happen going into it. I love how the "jock and cool guy" risks his reputation to talk with people not of his social circles. It is as if thi girl played by Rachel Leigh Cook is coming out of shell and turning into a butterfly. I like how the director make it seem real and how believable each scene. All the young stars are refreshing to see for a change. I really give this movie a high recommendation because it is really refreshing to see the new and upcoming stars break out and show what they are made of as well as the believable storyline; and how well it flows together into one long continuous scene. Also, making it seem as if it the teen audience had a part in this movie playing one role or another.

Jawbreaker (1999)

How awful can this movie get

[11 March 1999]

This movie only owns two good qualities: the performances of the three lead actresses and the storyline albeit doesn't lead the viewer in any direction but out of the theatre. The director of this movie must have been thinking of something else because he doesn't develop nor present this new and great plot into anything but mush. Rebecca Gayheart and Rose McGowan are both terrific in their roles. Gayheart as the good girl and McGowan as the villanous girl. Rose McGowan was superb because she was in a role that was familiar to her. McGowan is so good in fact that she made me angry and felt like going through the screen and strangling her to death. If only the writer's added a bit of mystery to this film like covering up the identity of the killers. It would become more enjoyable and interesting if it ened up this way. I cannot in good faith recommend this movie.