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Reviews
Brotherhood (2010)
An art-house drama with a fraternity packaging.
I was in a fraternity in college, so I enjoy watching movies about Greek life. Unfortunately, they all tend to be dumb slasher movies or cheesy sex comedies. I saw the description for Brotherhood and decided to watch it.
From the beginning scene, I was sucked in. I won't go into plot details, but the story keeps you guessing and is engrossing. The acting from the unknown cast is excellent was well- Jon Foster is especially good as the head of the fraternity.
And the twist at the end of the film was a great touch. The nice thing about the twist is that it's not easy to predict, but also did not feel forced.
I wouldn't necessarily call this a movie about Greek life, but it's a terrific indie drama/thriller set in the world of fraternities.
D.C. Follies (1987)
great political humor
DC Follies was the place to go in the 80s for fantastic political humor. The characters were funny, and the writing was very sharp. It's unfortunate that we have so little political humor on TV these days. I would like to see this show on DVD.
The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron (2003)
Greed is bad.
This movie is a decently entertaining depiction of the fall of Enron, which was one of our nation's leading companies. It's based on the point of view of a recent University of Texas MBA grad, who gets hired in the bankruptcy division of Enron. For people who didn't follow the scandal, the movie does a solid job of illustrating why greed led to Enron's demise. With shareholders and upper management demanding better numbers (and thus better stock value), everyone was under pressure to cook the books.
There is some comedy in the movie (the Arthur Anderson audit team is always playing nerf basketball or computer golf; one of the characters gets a job at Worldcom after being laid off at Enron). However, being a TV movie, there is not much time for character depth. Did anyone really feel for the woman who lost her college savings in Enron stock? Also, I understand the producers were looking for star power, but Shannon Elizabeth did not belong in this movie. She is far too pretty to be playing a down-to-earth farm girl who hates the glamorous life her fiance brings her. Overall, this is a watch able movie for those that are interested in business.
Swingers (1996)
A hilarious classic.
Many people I've spoken to don't like this movie; they dismiss it as a movie about a bunch of white guys who don't do anything. However, I quickly became a huge fan of this movie when it came out on video, and most people I've shown it to have loved it. The lines and vocabulary have been used within my group of friends for years now, and quoting the movie never gets stale (the key is moderation!). Unfortunately, the DVD is very bare, so hopefully the creators will release some sort of collector's edition soon with more features.
Fear of a Black Hat (1993)
Hilarious parody of the hip-hop world.
I don't remember when I first heard about this movie, but I rented it about six years ago, and it still remains one of my favorite comedies. I will admit, you probably will despise this movie if you know nothing about rap music. But if you are a rap fan, even a casual one, you will love the inside jokes and references. One of the best lines in the movie is about the difference between a b**** and a h**; I still use this line today and get lots of laughs with it. One of the best performances comes from Larry Scott, who played nerd Lamar in `Revenge of the Nerds'. It is unfortunate that this movie will likely never get a DVD release.
The Sex Monster (1999)
A total fiasco.
This movie was a big, bumbling mess. There were a few humorous lines, but the viewer expects more laughs from a sex farce. I don't even think the flimsy plot was worth an entire 97 minutes; it seemed like it would have felt more at home as an hour-long comedy on Cinemax. Mariel Hemmingway was severely miscast as the bisexual wife, because she walked through the role like she didn't know what she was doing there. However, the lead actor Mike Binder (also the writer and director) put in a spirited performance. He reminded me of a cross between Matt Lauer and Woody Allen, and I'd like to see what he could do in future roles. The only other funny character in the movie was a radio voice- a lesbian obsessed DJ who was imitating Howard Stern. And for those who are intrigued by the movie's title: there was very little sex or nudity on-screen.
The DVD is in pan-and-scan format, and the only extra is the trailer.
Suicide Kings (1997)
Terrible plot twists and dialogue.
"Suicide Kings" had such great potential, considering the formidable cast it assembled. However, I spent the whole movie waiting for it to get better, and it never did. The screenwriters tried to add dark humor, but all that resulted out was terrible acting and dialogue from actor Johnny Galecki ("Roseanne"). The fact that the director claims (on the DVD) that the movie's climax resulted from test audiences proves this project was doomed from the start. On the plus side, the DVD is packed with extras, including a cool feature where you can watch scenes with only dialogue, only EFX sounds, only the movie score, etc. Supposedly it shows how sounds come together for a film.
Double Jeopardy (1999)
Entertaining as Camp
There has been lots of bashing of this particular movie, but I was mildly surprised by the entertainment factor. Yes, some plot points make no sense, and the legal basis for the movie is bunk. But the acting isn't too shabby, and you get an idea of why it performed well at the box-office. And for the frat boy in all of us, there is some surprising Ashley Judd nudity in the movie (not all body doubles).
Amongst Friends (1993)
Entertaining modern day version of "Mean Streets"
Even though many critics have labeled "Amongst Friends" as just a 90's version of "Mean Streets", this is not necessarily a criticism. The acting is solid (see Mira Sorvino in an early role) and the drama level is kept high throughout the film. Basically it's a tale of Jewish Long Island kids growing up to be gangsters, and I recommend it.
Just a Little Harmless Sex (1998)
It's no "Swingers" but still mildly entertaining
"Just a little harmless sex" is a flimsy, silly sex farce. The story concerns 3 males, 3 females, and stories of infidelity and picking up mates. Everyone seems to be sexually aggressive in the movie, even one of the character's mothers.
It is mostly a comedy, but there is a fair amount of drama in the movie. Should you forgive a loved one for cheating on you? Not because they are in love with someone else, but because they are horny at a particular moment? This is the main theme of the movie.
The cast of the movie saves it. It was surprising to see Kimberly Williams (of "father of the bride fame") performing a long strip scene near the end.
And for all of you looking for gratuitous nudity, the intro scene is the only nude scene in the entire movie.