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Doctoro44
Reviews
The Spanish Prisoner (1997)
Typical Mamet, but not quite as good...
I've found that if David Mamet is credited as writer or director on a film, I pretty much know what to expect. This film was no different. He has a unique approach to dialogue, and his films have a unique atmosphere and pace. Often his actors seem to be detached and unemotional, and speak in very clipped phrases and sentences. Sometimes this type of dialogue can be distracting, but I like that his work is different from the norm and non-clichéd. Mamet is definitely an acquired taste. Just the same, I don't think his style worked very well in this film. He does caper films very well - he's an expert at the unexpected twist. I felt that "Heist", "Spartan", "House of Games", "Homicide" and "Glengarry Glen Ross" were much better films where his style worked much better.
I didn't like the missus, Rebecca Pidgeon, in this film. I thought she was great in "Heist." I thought his ex-wife, Lindsay Crouse, was excellent in "House of Games" because the dialogue style worked for her character. I always give Mamet projects a look, partly because he casts so well.
Unseen Evil (2001)
Unseen Silliness...
Man...what can I say about this film? When I saw the cast included Richard Hatch, and the King Of B-Movies Tim Thomerson, I thought it had potential. I was wrong. Almost immediately, from the look of the film, I could see it was low-budget. Still I held out hope. Then I saw how cheesy the prop "artifacts" looked, I smelled trouble. Upon seeing how weak the monster effects were, I KNEW I was in trouble. Only some classic B-movie gratuitous nudity could redeem this film (hopefully from Cindy Pena, who plays a Native-American guide), but once again I was disappointed. If you see this film on the shelf at your local store, RUN. It has poor production, a weak plot, and generally poor acting performances...