bdx2005 Reviews

Freejack (1992)

Relaax

[8/10 · 22 February 2003]

You know, one thing that really bothers me is the amount of people who just refuse to relax and watch a move without having to consider whether it should win an Oscar. I don't think Freejack was ever intended to be made for serious viewing - I think every actor in it at one time during the movie has got their tongue in their cheek.

What you do get in this movie are some spectacular effects, and I'm not talking about the end when you could just as soon go get a sandwich rather than watch the 2001-type slideshow.

It's just downright funny. Mick Jagger as the villain giving Emilio Estevez a "headstart" by counting 1-Mississippi, 2-Mississippi is priceless. David Johanson shines as the shyster in any timeframe. Rene Russo gives us an early indication of screen presence. So just relax and have fun with it.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Peeeeeeeeeuy!

[1/10 · 14 July 2002]

Who let this dog out. Artsy fartsy is one thing, but this one lives up only to the latter half of that image. I spent the first fifteen minutes waiting for the narrator to finish so they could get on with the movie. Then they had about five minutes of acting and right back to the narrator. I finally realized who the narrator was and that we were not going to see him in the movie (smart move, Al).

All right, I admit I watched the whole thing. Maybe I thought all those brilliant actors would break out of the script. No such luck. The editing zeroed that hope. Usually I like seeing popular actors like Gwynith Paltrow doing something creative. And I like off the wall stuff, too. This was just off the ground, and not very far, either. If you have to have a narrator explain the story all the way through, there is something wrong no matter how famous that narrator is. These actors could have made it work and if they had Alec Baldwin play the other brother instead this ridiculousness may not have stank.

Carnival of Souls (1962)

Eeeerie

[10/10 · 12 March 2002]

Still scary after all these years. Some movies are born to be classics. If they had made this movie 10 years ago, Candice H. would be a superstar. In my mind she is. Even in B&W you won't be able to tear yourself away. Even the music is scary.