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rabauer08031
Reviews
Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)
A pleasant film
That's about the best that I can come with, and that is a good thing...just a pleasant film. I watched it on On Demand the other night for the first time since I originally saw it on cable back in 1978. I was a teen ager who wanted to write movies, and this is one of the films that I recorded onto an audio cassette to listen to over and over again to help with my visualization.
There is nothing overly funny about it, it doesn't leave me in stitches, but I do smile a lot while watching it. It is also interesting to see some of the old bit players from the 70s who have either died off (Anne Ramsay) or stopped getting work. For some reason, it is a pleasure to watch. I think there is a sense of living vicariously through this couple that makes it enjoyable to watch.
Seeing it as an adult, there are jokes that I now get that I didn't as a pre-teen, but it is still a film that I would let a child watch. It's entertaining...nothing I can overtly say than that it is an entertaining movie, and I am interested to see what Jim Carrey does to the remake.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
What was all the fuss about?
First, to all the people who complained about the gore and violence -- go watch your boxed set of "the Sopranos". To those who felt the movie should have been just more than the last hours of Jesus' life -- go rent "King of Kings", "Jesus of Nazareth" or "The Greatest Story Ever Told". This was about one very small portion of his life -- the final 12 hours -- nothing more and nothing less. We all know the backstories, so why cry for it?
Now, what was all the fuss about? There is nothing new here that I hadn't seen in other adaptations of the story. I was compelled to see it because of the story itself. Gibson's vision was to interpret what he felt it must have been like for Jesus to go through what he had to go through. As a deeply religious individual, he wanted to drive home with the notion of how Jesus died for us. Nobody will ever know for sure what exactly happened at the time, but Gibson was compelled to do it with such ferocity as to say, "Look, this is what this man did for you!" And he makes the point.
I do not believe this film is Anti-Semitic in the least. The Jewish Rabbis of the time were threatened by Jesus and his teachings, and they successfully manipulated the Romans into giving in to their demands. Every movie that I have seen has shown me the same thing. Pilate in each movie offers a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, and every time, the Jews choose Barabbas...not the Chinese, not the Norwegians or the French or the Egyptians...the Jews. What does a group to when it's leader calls for something? It follows the leader. There's nothing wrong with that. And Pilate, whom many say was barbaric in his ruling of the area, certainly didn't crucify or put to death anyone just because someone asked him to do so. To think otherwise would be "Anti-Roman" and making the Romans to be totally barbaric. Remember, these actions are those of the rulers, not the common people. To lump all Jews and all Romans together as being accountable is absurd.
I think Gibson does a good job of using the flashbacks, and does so through the mind of Jesus, who finds release from the torture he is enduring. It gives the viewer a glimpse into the backstories that we all know.
The cinematography, the lighting and the S*Y*M*B*O*L*I*S*M was on the mark. Slo-mo is used for a purpose, which is why they use it in sporting events, to drive the point home, to analyze. Nothing wrong with the use of it here.
What surprised me the most was the pace of the film. The film seemed to move rather quickly, and did not feel like it was a 2:15 movie. However, as a recovering Catholic, it did nothing to re-establish any faith lost. It didn't stir me to rethink my values or to begin going to church again. This was one man's interpretation of the Bible, like so many others before him. It came from the heart, but it hasn't changed my mind about the one thing that I believe to be true: Religion is a dangerous avenue that has created many wars in its name. I will choose to believe in my own way, at my own pace, and where I choose. I do believe that Jesus would appreciate that about me, having seen the corruption of the Temples of his time, and the corruption of the religions of my time. And no movie can make me rethink that.
Mr. Rice's Secret (1999)
Fair flick
First, I think what Mel Morris is looking for that distinguishes the Canadian film is the accent. There's not too much that is tougher on the ear than listening to a Canadian adolescent male's voice change with that accent. No offense to the Canadian folk...it's extremely distinctive.
Otherwise, a decent film, and I think the message that is sent in the film is that kids, even 12-13 year-olds who should know better, still can be cruel, even to terminally ill cancer patients who are trying to live out their lives as normally as can be. The one problem that I have with the film is the lack of adult intervention, especially the fight at the tennis courts and at the Little League tryouts. The directors went a little too over the top to drive the point across.
Deuces Wild (2002)
Is it possible to give a film a ~ negative ~ rating
The only thing worse than this movie is the fact that I spent 90 minutes out of my life watching it! It's a shame, too, as there is so much young talent in this flick that is gone to waste. That being said, I think the biggest problem with the film is that it's overacted, but what can you expect with a poorly written script.
Why do they continue to put little Stephen Dorff in the role of tough guys and bad asses? As great as he was in "Backbeat" he's equally poor in this flick. He just can't get over in the role of the tough guy. No muscle tone and a puppy dog face will do that to you.
Has Matt Dillon ever taken an acting lesson? If he did, who was mentor, Eric Roberts?
I also don't understand the concept of Scooch getting a bike from Marco, then suddenly turning up at the brawl, wanting to fight, and tossing the pipe to Leon. Big plot hole.
Poorly made film. No other way around it. Next time, kill the cheesey Brooklyn accents.
Slap Shot (1977)
Happy 25th Anniversary
"Slap Shot" turns 25 on March 25, 2002. So many people have seen this film and can quote lines from it, perhaps more than any other movie. I think the movie is one of the most underrated pictures ever made. There's more to it than the foul language or the violence. It's about a hockey team's last ditch effort to save itself. Reggie Dunlop may con and manipulate his way to the championship, but that's what is great about his character and this movie, and that is the psychology within. There's something in all of us that is like Dunlop and his players...we're all underdogs, we fight for what we believe in and may even be a little underhanded to get to where we need to get. More important, Dunlop has something to prove...that he can be a winner, and he can be successful. It's what he wants for himself, and for his players. Fans of Paul Newman criticized his decision to play this role, but nobody else could have pulled it off. It was one of his best efforts, and in interviews over the years, he has maintained that it was one of his favorite films to work on, and Dunlop was one of his favorite characters.