Change Your Image
CarolCC
Reviews
Dogma (1999)
Funny- not threatening to anyone's beliefs.
Kevin Smith's movie, which examines faith, religion, and the nature of God, is not offensive to this Catholic, nor to many others I know. The film shows the Catholic faith for what it is; an all-too human institution that,on occassion, needs to be reminded of how simple faith really is. The outward trappings and organizational aspects sometimes cloud our view of how simple our religion really is- love one another and believe that God loves us. Beyond that, this is also a very funny and well thought out story.
Lastly- a comment for all of those people who felt they had to protest this movie because of its criticism of the Church- anyone whose faith is so weak that it can be destroyed by a movie, really has no faith worth protecting.
The Fisher King (1991)
A film of power, substance and poetry
I recently saw this movie again. (actually I felt compelled to buy it at a video sale). I have always loved it and I continue to be moved by it. The story has such a romantic and poetic quality. It examines the nature of redemption born, not out of guilt and obligation, but out of a truly selfless act of love for another person. The film rivals "The Shawshank Redemption" in its vision of the triumph of the human spirit, and the elements of fantasy are absolutely breathtaking, especially the scene in Grand Central Station. Definitely one of Robin Williams' most moving performances.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
A brilliant and scary satire.
I recently saw this film after only having seen it chopped up with commercials years ago, and I can't remember the last time I so thoroughly enjoyed any movie. It is Kubrik at his finest: meticulous, cynical, and probing the depths of human nature. The difference, is that this time he used dark humor to force us to look at ourselves and our jingoistic fears.
Especially brilliant in this film are the remarkable Peter Sellers (especially in the role of President Merkin) and George C. Scott, whose blathering, self-righteous character is a joy to watch. This is a good reminder to all of the absurdity of war,the ludicrous nature of government and the dangers of fluoridation.
If you have never seen this gem, do yourself a favor and run, don't walk, to the nearest video store. You won't regret it.
The Creeping Terror (1964)
Makes Plan 9 look like Citizen Kane
This is, by far, the most remarkably bad film ever made.
The use of American rocket launches shown in reverse to simulate the space craft's landing is mind boggling.
The creature devours its hapless victims with little difficulty (they actually assist the creature by crawling into its open mouth).
If you look closely, you can see the feet of 10 or so people creeping along under the moldy quilt that passes as the alien. When in doubt, it seems the director would insert a shot of the afternoon sky, with no explanation.
The narration that replaced the dialogue is perhaps the strangest touch of all. And what kind of town is this where teenagers have sock hops and dance contests in the middle of the afternoon??
While Plan 9 is a very bad movie, this looks like a movie made by someone who has never even seen a movie before. A guilty pleasure that can help you appreciate the millions of mediocre films out there.
Payback (1999)
I want MY money back!
After suffering through this rage-fest which pretends to espouse the principle of "justice", I felt I needed to take a shower. The unrelenting violence in the pursuit of regaining money he had stolen in the first place, made me question what Mel Gibson was thinking. I realize that, in our culture, violence sells, but I had thought Gibson was better than that. The complete amorality of every character in the film boggled my mind, and I did not, as they suggested, "root for the bad guy". I was, however, tempted to get a gun and go after Mel to get my $7.50 back. After all, it's not the money, it's the principle that matters.