ACOD Reviews

Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

amazing stuff

[9/10 · 5 May 2001]

Like all of Scorsese's films, Bringing out the Dead has a fierce intensity. It is in my opinion up there with his other films like Taxi Driver or Goodfellas and I find it odd that most people dont seem to think so. The film has no real plot, but I think that is one of its strengths. Nicholas Cages character drives in his ambulance from place to place with his various partners, seeing horrible things that most people don't usually see. At the same time, he is haunted by the ghost of Rose, a young girl who died in front of him, and strikes up a friendship with a girl named Mary; Frank is slowly losing his mind, he needs Mary. This movie is filled with memorable sequences, great dialogue, a terrific soundtrack, and Nicholas Cages best performance in ages, (plus the other actors are great too, John Goodman, Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore, and MARC ANTHONY! who wouldve thought he could act?)

8MM (1999)

good, but very unpleasant

[7/10 · 4 May 2001]

Well acted and directed, but this movie is filled with severely unpleasant and disgusting material, which took away any chance of me actually 'enjoying' the film. It has a very convincing atmosphere. Nicholas Cage and Joaquin Phoenix are both very good. But the ending didn't ring true for me. Joel Schumacher is a good director, I haven't seen his 'Tigerland' as of yet, but I think most of his finished products are beneath what he is capable of.

Armageddon (1998)

big, loud, and stupid

[1/10 · 4 May 2001]

This movie was very, very difficult for me to sit through. Every single scene stuck out at me as being absolutely ridiculous. I couldn't believe it when Steve Buscemi went off the rails all of a sudden for no reason. There is one disastrous problem after another on the fake looking comet, each problem being more deadly than the last! But the problem solving team of grunts continually manage to solve each problem and encounter the new one every five to ten minutes. The action scenes were poor, I had no idea what was going on most of the time. How can you enjoy an action scene, in a spacecraft, if you can't see whats happening because the camera is all over the place? Dialogue was truly awful. As deadly comet movies go, 'Deep Impact' is a hell of a lot better.

Four Rooms (1995)

the first half of it is bloody awful

[5/10 · 3 May 2001]

the second half on the other hand, is not so awful. Robert Rodriguez's section was terrific, Banderas was hilarious. Quentin Tarantino's section was average, at best. Far too much pointless Tarantino dialogue; the last 2 or 3 minutes is entertaining though, but not enough to recommend his 'room.' Rodriguez, (and his cast) make this watchable, just. Tim Roth is alternately funny and excruciating, (but to his credit, he puts an extraordinary amount of energy into his role.)

American Beauty (1999)

so, what was so great about it again?

[6/10 · 3 July 2000]

I had been waiting for this film for a long time and with all the oscar talk i expected it to be something brilliant and outrageous. I thought it was very tame, and not terribly interesting. It was quite funny in parts, but so what? Good acting though. If you want to see better movies about the underbelly of American suburbia see "Happiness" or the more bizarre "Blue Velvet". Those movies will knock your socks off.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Excellent

[8/10 · 2 December 1999]

This movie was excellent, very emotional, chilling, and it holds your interest the whole way through. There are some genuinely scary moments, (I jumped watching this and didn't jump once during the dismal "Stigmata"). Its pretty much like Maltin says, "the film is sinuous and creepy without being manipulative." Haley Joel Osment is astonishing, never has a child actor been so convincing since Anna Paquin in The Piano, who was around the same age when she won her academy award. Osment makes the film seem all the more real. I haven't seen Bruce Willis this good since Pulp Fiction. Toni Collete is great too, (although i could hear her australian accent creep through on occasion). Unfortunately, I was already aware of the twist at the end, (thanks to a tv presenter who decided to be incredibly irritating to my country by broadcasting the twist just to annoy everybody!) but this didnt diminish the power of the final scenes, which were both creepy, and touching. Ive already heard from people that this movie "sux" and it "doesnt have enough blood" and "it was boring", oh and "End of Days looks better". Hmmmmmmmmm, im sure a Schwarzenegger action vehicle will be better. Right. Im not sure if the film will get a best picture nomination, theres probably been better this year, but if little Osment doesnt get a nomination I will despise the academy awards!

Stigmata (1999)

Pretty stupid, not the least bit scary

[5/10 · 2 December 1999]

First of all stigmata is not the same as being possessed by the devil, a la the exorcist. Stigmata happens as a result of religious beliefs etc, its not a disease which can be caught from rosary beads. The film even says this and seems to blatantly contradict itself. Also, the entire film seems to be Frankie Paige walking down street, then starts bleeding, then there is some dialogue, and before we know it shes walking down the street again, and bleeding some more. Then in true "Exorcist" rip off style she talks in a mans voice, and has contact lenses put in to make her look evil. Even though the film has already said stigmata is supposed to be a heavenly thing. (And the cloaked woman who drops the baby, what the hell was that all about?!). This movie was too long and very silly, (the priest who wants to strangle Frankie, how stupid is that?). The director doesnt really seem to care what stigmata actually is, and sees it as an opportunity to make a horror movie out of, and it wasnt very scary, just unpleasent, and annoying(i.e, flashes of Jesus being crucified whilst Frankie is bleeding) The only thing I like about the film was the fact that Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne are so cool.

Carrie (1976)

scariest movie ever

[8/10 · 4 September 1999]

I saw this on television in the early hours of the morning with the lights off. This is the scariest horror film i've ever seen, nothing tops it. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie are both excellent. I could not sleep all night after watching this movie. If you want a good scare see this! this is what horror is all about.

American History X (1998)

A Stunner

[8/10 · 2 September 1999]

I went to see this a couple of weeks ago, and it was one of the better movies that ive seen this year. Even though it came out in USA last year its only just been released where i live. This was an excellent drama, some very brutal scenes in the movie. It was also very scary because Edward Nortons performance as a skinhead, was so utterly convincing. He's definately one of the best actors around. A few negative things stuck out in the movie though. For example when Derek is telling Danny about his turnaround in prison, Danny accepts he's right straight away, and if Derek was so intelligent and smart, how come he was so easily turned towards hating blacks? I know his father put a few thoughts in his head, and he was killed by a black gang, but please!! I also thought the slow motion scenes were a bit too "Hollywood". I shouldn't be too picky though, because although the movie has a few flaws, American History X is still a stunner.

Braindead (1992)

damn good horror

[2 September 1999]

This was such a cool movie, very funny, incredibly gruesome! I've never seen so much blood and guts in my entire life. Although this is a horror, it isn't terribly scary, I first saw it when i was 10 and i wasnt the least bit scared. I dont know why the American Censors had to cut it so heavily,it takes away so much from it, we didnt cut it here at all. Anyway if you liked this you should see Bad Taste, one of Peter Jacksons earliest films. Its great that he is now on to better things, that being the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Bio-Dome (1996)

damn!!!this was bad!

[1/10 · 21 March 1999]

This has to be one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. No, seriously, you just can't get much worse than this! This was recommended to me by my friends, so stupid me goes out and spends $4 on it, it wasn't even worth that! I think I might have laughed once, possibly at a noise or something. Pauly Shore is so bad! Stephen Baldwin, should think more carefully about the roles he chooses. Yeah, so basically STAY AWAY!

Mallrats (1995)

Could be better

[5/10 · 21 March 1999]

I saw this before Clerks and Chasing Amy, one of my friends lent it to me to see, with high recommendations. It wasn't too bad, I mean I've seen a lot worse, but it could have been a lot better, it was way too cheesy for its own good basically. Soon after, I saw Clerks, and in comparison, Mallrats is really quite bad, but then after Mallrats, because Kevin Smith is such a legend, he came back with Chasing Amy, which is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Mallrats is ok, but go for Clerks and Amy instead.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Hard to compare

[8/10 · 19 February 1999]

I have heard many people say that Fargo was much better than The Big Lebowski, and this frustrates me, because it really is hard to compare the two. They are both very different, and have completely different atmospheres.

The Big Lebowski is such an enjoyable movie, and is full of tremendously funny dialogue. An excellent performance from Jeff Bridges, who plays the hilarious "Dude", the stoner whose main love in life is bowling, and his main goal is to, well, do nothing. Bridges portrays the dude perfectly. His bowling buddy Walter (John Goodman) is in a word, classic, as the somewhat mentally unstable vietnam war veteran. Steve Buscemi has only a minor role as opposed to his larger role in Fargo, as Dude's other bowling buddy Donny, and Julianne Moore has an interesting role as "The BIG Lebowski's" daughter, Maude.

John Turturro is the show stealer of this film as Jesus the bowler, there is hilarious conflict between his bowling team and the Dude's team.

All in all, the Coen brothers have succeeded, again! This film is truly excellent, and should be viewed by anyone who has a video store in the vicinity!

Angel Baby (1995)

Truly Dramatic

[7/10 · 19 February 1999]

I saw Angel Baby by accident in the early hours of one morning, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.

It is basically a modern day love story, with some tragic consequences. A seemingly normal but schizophrenic Harry sees the mentally unstable and superstitious Kate, and it is love at first sight for Harry, but Kate needs some convincing. Eventually the two are infatuated with each other and are caught up in a passionate relationship, and it all goes downhill from there for Kate and Harry.

Truly brilliant and emotional performances from John Lynch (Harry), and the truly beautiful Jacqueline McKenzie (Kate), with great support from Colin Friels as Harry's brother.