JWBly Reviews

Damage (2009)

What a waste of Laura Vandervoort's beauty.

[4/10 · 19 January 2024]

I admit - I watched this to see the lovely Laura Vandervoort in one of her earliest roles. What a disappointment! Not only are her clothes not particularly flattering, but even the camera angles and the unfortunate placement of the large bag she carries all the time seem designed to keep your mind off her beauty.

So - no eye candy. How about the rest of the film? Austin does a passable job in the fighting sequences, but just about any Scott Adkins film is better. I like Walt Coggins, and he turns in his usual above-average performance here. But the storyline is awful. A kid who needs a heart transplant, which she can only get if Austin pummels a bunch of bad people? Seriously? I found myself fast-forwarding past the kid scenes, just because the entire plotline was so obviously contrived. So no eye candy, not enough Walt Coggins and too much choreographed fighting make for a relatively unenjoyable experience. I watched it, but only once and never again.

Persuasion (I) (2022)

More good than bad

[6/10 · 4 September 2023]

I have no idea why there are so many 1-star reviews of this movie. Perhaps I am more objective, having never read the book. It's definitely more good than bad.

First, the bad. This being a Netflix production, of course the viewer must be bludgeoned with woke ideology. No LQBGTR whatever the letters are now - in this case, the wokeism is purely race. Apparently, high society in Britain two centuries ago featured many people of color, including interracial marriages and even black priests in the Church of England. Wait... what? That's right, kids! And society in those days - TWO CENTURIES AGO mind you - was so enlightened that race was never even mentioned. How far we have fallen since those halcyon times!

My advice is to just roll your eyes and remember - this is Netflix. If you can get past the woke ideology, the rest of the film is quite enjoyable. Dakota Johnson is excellent as the main character. She often speaks directly to the viewers, which in some other films can range from annoying to unnerving. In this case, her observations are quite witty and add greatly to the film. The other actors are decent, albeit forgettable, in their roles. Dakota Johnson carries this film, and does it well. It's no Casablanca, but it is a pleasant, uplifting story that's worth a watch. A good "date" movie.

65 (2023)

Avoid this. Just.... avoid it.

[2/10 · 20 April 2023]

Adam Driver is a marginal actor at best. Here, he is asked to carry virtually the entire film, and he simply is not up to the task. It's not entirely his fault, of course, since the story is hackneyed and boringly predictable. "Space Man in Jurassic Park" might have been a more appropriate title. The production values are high and the dinosaur effects very good, but that isn't nearly enough to rescue this picture. I was checking the "time remaining" within the first half hour (never a good sign), and by the end of the hour I was saying (out loud), "Oh my GOD, this is so stupid!" Kids under 10 might like it, but for adults.... {sigh}

The Long Summer of George Adams (1982 TV Movie)

A pleasant little film, perhaps most noteworthy for its normalcy.

[7/10 · 24 September 2022]

A pleasant little film, perhaps most noteworthy for its normalcy, it reunites costars James Garner and Joan Hackett from 1969's SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF, this time as a middle-aged couple living in a small town in Oklahoma in the 1950's. Director Stuart Margolin easily coaxes an excellent performance from his ROCKFORD FILES co-star. Hackett (who sadly would pass away the following year) shines as well, as a still-pretty but obviously aging housewife. This film has no intricate plot, no real drama, nor a stunning twist to wrap it up. It really is just the average life of lower-class folks in middle America, made all the more real by being filmed not in Hollywood, but in three small towns in Texas. Garner encapsulates the thoughts and dreams of a man who realizes that his best days are behind him, and his dreams were just that - dreams. In the days before the Internet and smart phones, the viewer gets to see the daily humdrum life that was small-town America. Boring, tedious, uneventful... yet beautiful, and worth hanging on to. This is not a film that will sear itself into your memory, but you'll be glad you saw it - especially if you're old enough to remember what that life was like.

The Mortal Storm (1940)

Ham-handed propaganda

[2/10 · 26 July 2021]

Released in the early days of the Second World War, this piece of ham-handed propaganda is truly awful. Starring Frank Morgan, fresh off his role as the Wizard of Oz, along with a young Jimmy Stewart, the story revolves around a very well respected professor who is idolized by the town, his family, his students and his colleagues. Then, literally overnight, they all turn against him as Adolf Hitler is sworn into office in 1933. Apparently in Germany at that time, everyone instantly became uniform-wearing Nazi stormtroopers. Robert Young (better known as Marcus Welby, MD) ironically plays a medical student who immediately becomes nothing more than a party thug, as does Robert Stack (aka Eliot Ness). Longtime character actor Ward Bond plays another Nazi, although he is able to pull it off slightly better than the other two. Jimmy Stewart is the Good Guy, and he does a passable job with the material he is given. Sadly, even he is unable to rescue this train wreck. The characters are one-dimensional, the story is 10th-grade drama club bad, and the propaganda is like a sledgehammer. Perhaps that is what was necessary during that time, but it pales badly next to other wartime classics such as Casablanca. It is somewhat entertaining to see so many recognizable actors in other roles, but this film is ultimately a waste of time.

Lost Boys: The Thirst (2010 Video)

Better than I expected

[6/10 · 1 January 2019]

I thought I would close out 2018 by watching some (what I expected to be) typical Hollywood straight-to-video garbage. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was! The equal of the original LOST BOYS? Hardly. But this held my interest with a halfway decent script, above-average production values, and enough gratuitous eye candy to get one past the plot holes. Corey Feldman is not a good actor by anyone's standards, certainly not enough of one to carry an entire film. Here, he doesn't need to be. The producers (including Feldman himself) kept the running time very short in order to not stretch the one-dimensional characters any more than was necessary. Feldman sneers and growls his way though his lines almost exactly the way he did in the original. I really didn't believe that the teen-age Edgar Frog character would translate well into a 40-year-old man, but Feldman brings it off surprisingly well. He is the only noteworthy actor here - there is no Kiefer Sutherland or anyone else of similar screen presence to make a mediocre film into a great one. This is straight comic-book level. But it will make you smile at times, while some of the horror scenes are truly horrific. Above all, it is entertaining - just like good comic book. Destroy All Vampires!

The Island at the Top of the World (1974)

God-awful waste of time

[2/10 · 22 December 2018]

Reading through the reviews here, I see several people give this a rating of 7, 8, even 10. Did anyone watch the same film I did? I only recently became aware of this movie, despite being 14 years old when it was released. Since I had always enjoyed Disney films as a child, I went into it last night with high hopes of action, adventure and G-rated thrills. Sadly, this film provides virtually none of these. A boring storyline, wooden acting and ridiculous special effects all serve to make this a waste of time. The constant switching between scenes filmed outside and those on poorly-disguised soundstages became quite jarring. Some scenes had characters who were obviously standing outside in the sun supposedly interacting with characters on a soundstage. But the most horrifying scene for a Disney movie was the kidnapping by the "heroes" of an obviously terrified Mako to force him to aid them in their quest. A stern look of reproach by David Hartman was the only acknowledgment at all of this crime, and it was never mentioned again. Ridiculous.

A very few moments of excitement with the Hyperion serve to bring this rating to a 2 rather than a 1. But just barely.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Deserves a sequel, but won't get one.

[6/10 · 4 December 2017]

Some critics have savaged this film for no reason. It's entertaining! Yes, it has almost nothing to do with the traditional legend of King Arthur, other than some character names as well as the name of the sword. Viewed through the lens of English history, the plot would seem ridiculous. So what? Just set that aside, and enjoy it for what it is – a rollicking good fantasy adventure! I have always liked Charlie Hunnam, and he does not disappoint here as the sword-wielding hero. Some of the CGI creature effects are simply stunning. OK, so the story isn't Lord of the Rings – nothing else is or will be. But it's fast- paced and exciting, and that is the point of entertainment. So forget Jolly Olde Englande, grab a bowl of popcorn, and enjoy the show!

The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)

DEADPOOL lite

[7/10 · 4 December 2017]

Ryan Reynolds seems to always play the same type of character, much as Clint Eastwood did in his early days (albeit a much different one). Do you know why he plays the same type of character? Because it works! His comedic dialog is the perfect complement to the bullets flying, car chases and bad guys dying that make up the rest of the film. Realistic? No way. Exciting and enjoyable? Absolutely! I admit, there are times when you think "Those bad guys just shot a thousand rounds from 20 feet away and didn't hit a thing. Pffft!" But then another spectacular stunt reminds us why we love films like this – because the good guys always win! The lithe and exotic Elodie Yung provides the eye candy, although sadly in a rather small role. Samuel Jackson is a bit too long in the tooth for this type of action hero, but the comedic chemistry between he and Reynolds is good. All in all, a rollicking good time!

Wonder Woman (2017)

Gadot - wonderful! The rest of the film? Not so much. :(

[4/10 · 21 October 2017]

I finally got around to watching WONDER WOMAN last night. Despite its popularity and all the rave reviews, it is mediocre at best. Gal Gadot herself is wonderful and a perfect choice for the part. She is able to project both the strength, courage and determination of a superhero, as well as empathy, love and happiness with equal ease. Her lithe, athletic form fits well into the costume, highlighting her natural sexiness. She is every bit the fighter you would expect, the worthy successor to the warrior tradition of her mother and her aunt.

The scenes on her home island are the best in the film. I enjoyed watching the character as a young child and later beginning her training. Robin Wright again demonstrates her acting skills in a small but memorable role as Antiope. The training and battle sequences on the island are a pleasure to watch. The use of super slow-motion is truly amazing.

But then of course, it is time for our young heroine to leave the island....and the movie promptly falls apart. The entire storyline becomes absolutely ludicrous. And I don't mean "comic-book" silly, I mean downright stupid. The grossly-overrated Chris Pine is hopelessly overmatched by Gadot, and the ancillary characters are the predictable group of politically-correct caricatures. Half the characters in the film could simply have been written out completely. The final superhero battle does restore some dignity, but not as much as it should. By that point, the ridiculous plot had so insulted my intellect and wasted my time that I had already begun to check my watch – which is always my personal gauge for a film's success or failure.

Watch this film, just to see Gal Gadot. She really is the embodiment of a superhero. But even her superior strength can't drag the baggage of this train wreck through to the end.

Eloise (2016)

God-awful!

[1/10 · 10 February 2017]

Oh, dear Lord – where to begin? A horror film? The only thing horrific about this movie is that it was filmed at all. The plot is nonsensical to the point of being laughable. The acting is forgettable to say the least, and this from a guy who has tremendous admiration for Eliza Dushku. But even her fading skills cannot resurrect this travesty. The plot holes are so huge and so numerous as to belie description. Let's start with the asylum itself, supposedly abandoned for 30 years. Amazingly, it still has power to all the lights, although they all are flickering constantly. Having all the red EXIT lights still visible and functioning after three decades was a nice touch. The hospital medicine cabinet is still fully stocked after 30 years, which allows one of the ridiculously unnecessary characters to accidentally absorb some LSD. Say what? I found myself regularly saying "Seriously?" out loud, even though I was alone. It was that bad. Not even any gratuitous sex scenes to liven things up, nor does the still-luscious Eliza even wear any form fitting clothes for some desperately-needed eye candy. This film disappoints on virtually every level. I would give it a zero rating if I could. The only thing you will want after watching is to somehow get that wasted hour and a half back. Eliza, Eliza ... are times really that hard now?

Open Graves (2009)

Eliza Dushku needed some extra cash?

[3/10 · 2 November 2016]

Oh Eliza! Whatever possessed you to be part of this nightmare? The only "horror" about this film is that it was made at all. A group of nice-looking booze and sex fueled 20-something's play an antique game, and then start dying. Luckily for them, even though the box containing the game was passed down from the 15th century Spanish Inquisition, all the cards are in pristine condition AND conveniently printed in English! WOW, what luck! There are absolutely no surprises or suspense whatsoever, as this has been done many times before in many better ways. Sadly, even the gratuitous sex scenes generally associated with this genre are almost non-existent, apparently to devote more screen time to the horrible deaths. Out of deference to Eliza Dushku, I cannot give this the one star rating it truly deserves. The rest of the actors are mediocre at best, God-awful at worst. All are completely forgettable, as is the film itself within fifteen minutes of viewing. Skip it, even from the bargain bin.

Pathology (2008)

Mildly entertaining

[5/10 · 31 October 2016]

Did you ever come across a movie that you have had for years and yet have never watched? Maybe something you picked up in a bargain bin once and can't even remember why? OK folks – who's with me here? Anyway, that's the category that PATHOLOGY falls into for me. I think I picked it up just to see Alyssa Milano in something other than WHO'S THE BOSS. Her ten minutes of screen time here is mostly just for eye candy, which she actually provides well enough. The rest of the film is a bunch of forgettable actors playing one- dimensional characters, in this case resident doctors in pathology who are involved in a murder game. The idea is to kill people in creative and undetectable ways while the others try to figure out how it was done. When the obligatory new guy is introduced to the group, it is amazing to see him struggle with the morality of cold- blooded murder for all of ten minutes before deciding to join in. Throw in crack pipes and the now almost obligatory lesbianism and bisexualism, and you have yourself a movie! That being said - the production values are high, the actors are competent with the material they have, and there is even a plot twist that I did not see coming. If the purpose of a film is to entertain, than this one accomplishes that goal, albeit barely. It chugs along at a good speed before you really have time to consider the gaping plot holes. I probably would never watch it again, but it held my interest for 90 odd minutes.

Hard Candy (2005)

Superb thriller

[9/10 · 26 December 2011]

What can I say? Mesmerizing! I had never heard of this film before today, but I highly recommend it. It is a crime that it was not better publicized at the time of its release. Ellen Page (of Juno fame) gives an exceptional performance as the 14 year old girl who matches wits with a deadly pedophile. No special effects here - this movie is completely driven by dialogue and story, both of which will have you on the edge of your seat. Despite being 18 at the time, Page looks and acts the part of a 14 year old girl to perfection - and beyond. I will not put any spoilers in here, other than to say there were several interesting plot twists that caught me completely off guard. Page's story is vaguely reminiscent of Clint Eastwood's role in High Plains Drifter, in that her back-story is only a series of subtle hints. Is she even real? You be the judge, but watch this film. It's worth it.

The Long Voyage Home (1940)

Swing and a miss for John Ford

[19 September 2011]

I came across this John Wayne/John Ford collaboration only recently. I had never even heard of it before, but being a fan of both Wayne and Ford, I was anxious to watch it. Two hours later, it became painfully obvious why this film is not a classic. While it was mildly interesting to see so many of the character actors who have often been associated with John Wayne films, this particular one is a boring, plodding waste of time. Within 20 minutes, I had begun to look at my watch. No action, no real character development - and John Wayne trying a Swedish accent? Seriously? Mercifully, Ford kept Wayne's lines to a bare minimum as his attempt at an accent is laughable, not to mention completely unnecessary. The part could just as easily have been written as an American or even an Irishman. But a Swede? Get real! Despite receiving top billing, Wayne's character was only a minor one. The main role went to Thomas Mitchell, fresh from his Oscar-winning role in the Ford/Wayne classic STAGECOACH and before his most memorable role as Uncle Billy in the timeless masterpiece IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Here though, Mitchell is wasted, as indeed are all the otherwise talented ensemble. It was interesting to see several players from the much more successful THE QUIET MAN, but this film does none of them any justice. Avoid it if you can.

The Girl Next Door (2004)

Timothy Olyphant shines

[7/10 · 1 December 2010]

This is an enjoyable yet ultimately forgettable film. The "boy rescues cute girl from terrible life" plot has been done many times before, no doubt in many better ways. Emile Hirsch performs passably well with the material he is given, and the luscious Elisha Cuthbert provides plenty of eye candy that she could not show in 24. The rest of the characters are one-dimensional and barely worthy of mention. But the show belongs to Timothy Olyphant. Although he does not even appear until halfway through the film, his role makes the entire movie worth watching again. He screen presence is palpable as the ultra-cool bad boy that every man secretly wishes to be. Scruffy, chain-smoking, alternately funny, friendly then dangerous, he owns every scene in which he appears. Seeing this film makes one that much more anxious for the next season of JUSTIFIED to begin!

Bring It on: All or Nothing (2006 Video)

Pleasant, fun, and wonderful eye candy!

[6/10 · 23 June 2009]

I expected this movie to be stupid. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise. While it isn't exactly Oscar-worthy, this film entertained me for an hour and a half, which after all is the point of entertainment. The storyline is predictable, and most of the characters are one-dimensional. But the cast, led by the adorably cute Hayden Panettiere, manages to pull it off in a fun way without resorting to foul language or gratuitous sex. The script never takes itself too seriously, and the actors seem to realize that the story (such as it is) is simply to bridge between the cheerleading performances. Those are phenomenal, and a joy to watch. If you enjoy watching a group of very attractive young women and men performing some wonderfully choreographed and very athletic routines, then this movie will hold your interest. This was my first time seeing Hayden Panettiere, and I was impressed. Most of the rest of the performers, including Beyonce Knowles younger sister, provide similar eye candy. I don't know if I will ever watch this again, but I'm glad I saw it this time.

Changeling (2008)

Runs well over 2 hours, feels like 4.

[3/10 · 5 June 2009]

Boooooor-ring. That's about all that can be said. Running time of over 2 hours feels like four by the end. Not even good as a chick flick, due to the total lack of romance. Angelina Jolie performs passably well in the hopeless task of breathing life into this corpse of a film, but even she cannot do much with the material. Worse than that, the 1930's era clothing doesn't even give one a chance to appreciate Jolie's physical beauty. No sex, no violence, no romance, no action - to whom was this movie meant to appeal? The sets were almost laughable, as apparently everyone in 1928 drove perfectly immaculate, polished cars that look like they were driven directly to the set from a 2008 antique auto show. The clothing and interiors were the same - perfect, clean, polished, immaculate. Better throw in surreal and fake. As a big Clint Eastwood fan, as well as an admirer of Angelina, I had high hopes for this film. Sadly, none were met. Don't even bother to rent it. It's just not worth it.

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Boring, plodding and excruciatingly long.

[3/10 · 1 April 2008]

Hollywood, like the rest of society, has its own political correctness. This is one of those films that everyone is supposed to admire. Supposedly, the characters are deep and dark and very complex. Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the best actors working today, blah, blah blah.

Almost all of this is garbage. This film has the worst attribute of anything in the entertainment industry - it is not entertaining. Boring would be a better term. Dull, plodding and excruciatingly long. The moments of interest are few and far between, and far too fleeting to make this movie worth watching. One leaves the film primarily with a sense of wonder as to why Hollywood thinks it is so noteworthy. It is not, except perhaps as a example of the bad films Hollywood increasingly tells us (the public) that we SHOULD like. There is a growing disconnect between the films celebrated at the Academy Awards and those films that the public actually enjoys. No wonder the audience for the Awards dwindles each year. Continued celebration of boring, forgettable films such as this will ensure the Academy's increasing irrelevance.

Spencer (1984–1985)

Gone WAY before it's time.....

[8/10 · 23 March 2008]

This show was a rare gem and went off the air all too soon. I rate this right up there with the Jason Bateman comedy "It's Your Move" for funny, clever mid-80's teen comedies. My best memory of Spencer is the New Year's Eve episode, where Spencer has a date with a very lovely girl, who just happens to be several inches taller than him. That was the first time I saw 6-foot tall Terry Farrell, who later went on to play Lt. Dax in "Star Trek: Deep Space 9." Despite her being on that show for several years, I never forgot the first time I saw her. Fortunately for me, I am lucky enough to have a copy of that episode of Spencer that I taped the night it was broadcast. I wish I had others. I would gladly buy a DVD of it if one is ever released, although with so few episodes, I doubt one ever will be. But if you ever get a chance to, watch any episode. I don't remember any bad ones!

Cry-Baby (1990)

What a waste of Johnny Depp's talent.

[2/10 · 23 March 2008]

Swing and a miss for John Waters. This follow-up to his mildly successful effort "Hairspray" falls flat on it's face. What a waste of a young Johnny Depp's talent! Water's forces his cast to overact to a ridiculous degree for comic camp value, but the effect is more painful than funny. Depp's strength is his natural ability to flow into each character he plays, so the forced camp in this film is all the more tragic. Only in his first two dance numbers does his natural talent shine through, albeit briefly. Although he does not actually sing the songs during the performances, his dancing and movement are as close to natural for him as you will see in this film. No 50's stereotype is overlooked here. This film feels far more like a bad theme-park version of the 1950's, complete with one-dimensional characters and a hackneyed plot. The catchy soundtrack at least makes the film tolerable for a time. Former SLA terrorist Patty Hearst is good for a couple of chuckles in her cameo, as is porn star Traci Lords as her daughter. Ricki Lake, at the zenith of her weight problem, is wasted in a throwaway role. Actually, except for seeing Depp in his pre-megastar days, the entire movie should be thrown away. Thank God it was only an hour and 15 minutes long. It seemed much longer.

Cold Mountain (2003)

Ridiculously predictable and BORING

[2/10 · 24 October 2007]

This is the kind of film that women almost universally like, and men generally hate. Jude Law gives a wooden performance as a deserter from the Confederate Army whose one mission is to return to Nicole Kidman, a woman whom he barely knows. Along his merry journey home, he meets a collection of other cowards and deserters, and has many adventures. Historical inaccuracies abound as apparently the entire Confederate Army was trying to desert, and the film lovingly celebrates these acts of cowardice. Kidman herself, whose meager talent has always been grossly overrated, gives another forgettable performance here. The one bright spot is Rene Zellweger, who gives the film some welcome comic relief. She plays a woman who apparently is one of the few people in the South with a Southern accent. Her performance is marred only by one over-the-top antiwar speech, intended to be a dramatic highlight of the film but which turns out to be unintentionally hilarious. Ethan Suplee and Giovanni Ribisi are also good in minor roles, as both apparently are developing their characters for use in MY NAME IS EARL. Except for some interesting battle scenes early on, there is nothing at all in this movie to hold a man's attention. It plods on at such an excruciating pace that Jude Law's death is a welcome signal that the end of the film is near. An hour of the film could easily be cut with no loss of quality.

The Favor (1994)

An amusing bit of fluff

[6/10 · 18 August 2006]

An amusing bit of fluff for a "chick flick." Guys, this is a good date movie! Enough Brad Pitt and silly love crap for them, but amusing enough for us. No gratuitous nudity but HEY, you can't have everything.

An unknown actress named Harley Jane Kozak is the star of this film, portraying every man's dream wife - sexy, intelligent, feisty and funny (all in a charmingly unpredictable package) - while at the same time being a great mother. It is sad that Kozak soon gave up acting for good to raise her own family. Watching this film makes me believe she deserved better than obscurity.

As usual, Brad Pitt displays the talent that would soon make him a superstar, and Bill Pullman also gives a decent performance. The least talented of the four major players is Elizabeth McGovern. She doesn't necessarily give a bad performance, but rather fails to make the role her own. She could have easily been replaced by any other competent actress without altering the chemistry between the characters. Perhaps another actress would have turned in a more memorable performance. McGovern is one of those actresses of whom most people have heard, and yet few can name anything she has ever been in.

As usual with movies aimed toward a female audience, the plot is silly and at times nonsensical. As always, at least one man has to be portrayed as a manipulative scumbag with one thing on his mind while all the female characters are decent and loving and emotionally complex. Thankfully though, this film doesn't take itself too seriously. All in all, despite being a "chick flick," this movie is worth watching - perhaps even twice.

Ghosts of Mars (2001)

Not Carpenter's best work

[4/10 · 5 May 2006]

The John Carpenter movies that I have seen are more enjoyable than brilliant. He does not rank among the titans of directing, but several of his movies have been memorable. ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK and VAMPIRES come to mind right away. He often writes the musical score to his films, which is unique among directors - and the music is sometimes surprisingly good.

This film, however, will not be long remembered. The actors do the best they can with the script they are given, but they are washed away by a terrible script and an uneven plot. Ice Cube, who was brilliant in such films as BARBERSHOP, is wasted here, and many of the other roles are comically miscast. Pam Grier and Natasha Henstridge, while beautiful, are totally unbelievable as police commanders. The entire idea of Mars being a matriarchal society, which Carpenter deems important enough to tell the viewer at the beginning, is totally irrelevant to the plot. The rest of the characters are cookie-cutter supporting roles. When they die, you not only don't care, you can't even remember their names. Neither do Henstridge or Ice Cube, who don't even mention that all of their friends were horribly killed, sometimes decapitated. They don't even seem surprised when they wind up alone at the end, as if the others never existed anyway.

There are a few good action scenes, but they do not make this film worth even a rental. Avoid it if you can.

Body Double (1984)

Melanie Griffith nude, but that's about it.

[2/10 · 5 May 2006]

Brian de Palma has certainly directed some brilliant films. CARRIE was bone-chilling and SCARFACE was memorable. THE UNTOUCHABLES gave us one of Sean Connery's best "middle-aged" performances.

Unfortunately, like most talented directors, de Palma also has made some spectacular failures. BODY DOUBLE falls into this category. The plot is silly and predictable and the acting is atrocious. If you like Melanie Griffith, she does appear nude, but even this early in her career she proves that she simply cannot act at all. Add her lack of talent to her mediocre looks and one wonders why her career did not end with this film.

I just wasted 2 hours of my life watching this idiotic film. Despite Griffith's appearance, it's not even a good "chick flick," so there is no reason to even rent it. Watch CARRIE again. That is de Palma at his best.