Reviews

Wow! The parallels to today's USA politics is frightening. "Make Germany Great Again", "Fake News" and "the press is the enemy of the people" are all quotes translated from some of Hitler's actual speeches. Sound familiar? Then there are the other scary and disturbing similarities to todav's political environment.

This is probably the most intense and frightening short docu-series I've ever seen about the rise and fall of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party I have ever seen.

This should be required viewing for all schools as early as middle school when the events and consequences can be more fully understood.

I was going to give "PEN15" a solid 8 but bumped it to 10 to try and offset stupid reviewers who gave it 1 star because of the "too old actresses".

First of all, the leads are also the creators and writers of the show.

Second, the WHOLE POINT is that they are playing their 13 year old selves today as 30-something adults. It's the premise of the show!

Did you genius 1 star reviewers also give "JAWS" 1 star because the shark was actually made out of latex?! Ugh.

CUTIES is no worse (nor better) than any other "mature audiences" film involving young actors. First off - it's a French film and Europeans are MUCH more comfortable with this subject matter than Americans. This is obvious due to the number of triggered "conservatives" posting their pearl-clutching reviews. Most, if not all, of these reviewers didn't even watch the film and only heard about it from some rant on Facebook.

Secondly, the fact that the main character is a Black Muslim girl might have a teeny tiny something to do with the conservatives' disgust. Please.

Ironically, if it wasn't for all the righteous indignation about CUTIES most of us would have never even seen it. Thank you for the heads up.

I'm glad I caught this documentary/live show on Apple TV. My eyes have definitely been opened and I see the Beastie Boys in a whole new light.

Literally had tears in my eyes from the laughs and the stories about Yauch. What a class act he was - all of them actually. Stellar job Spike Jonze!

A good episode overall but what was up with the makeup on the actor playing Henry Lee Lucas?! It looked like he had a wad of gum stuck to the side of his head.

The show must go on and they did a very good job with the re-reboot. Sure it was odd without Roseanne but the sadness in the characters (and actors) really came through. I'm curious as to how long the show will continue. It's very obvious, at least with the first episode, that the writing and characters have taken on a deeper mood. Good job!

The other IMDb-ers have really hit the nail on the head in their positive reviews of this film. This film left a heavy feeling in my heart and a burning in my stomach at Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Wolfowitz, Rice and Powell for their lies and deception. It is a must see for those still not understanding what the controversy is over the Iraq war or those who are still undecided about whom to vote for in November. The segment in F9/11 about the stolen 2000 Florida election is one of the most moving, powerful and disturbing things I have ever seen in a film. I believe that Michael Moore is a true American patriot because he questions those in power and he exposes those that abuse that power. Any Bush-lover who calls Moore a traitor or un-American or says he hates America (love that one) is just showing that they, themselves, are being un-American. Remember and live by the following quote from a great American: "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." [ Theodore Roosevelt ]

I used to watch these episodes in high school when they aired on MTV. I loved them and was instantly hooked. Just as other Brit-coms are brilliant - this one is a gem! I had not seen the show since the mid-80's but every once in a while I would remember how funny they were and wish that MTV would re-air the show. FAST-FOWARD to August 2003: I'm at Best Buy and accidentally discover *GASP* the complete series in a 3 DVD set!!!! One disc is NOTHING BUT special features like cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes, and two bonus episodes of spin-off shows!!! Needless to say I bought it and rushed home to see it excited as a pervert leaving Kandy Kink's with a copy of Bam-Bam Girls #26...

What a joy, man!!! It all came back to me and was EVEN FUNNIER than when I was 14 cuz I actually "got" some of the stuff I didn't understand back when I was a kid. Vyvyan the Punk, Rick the Anarchist, Neil the Unhappy Hippie and Mike the Cool Cat - they all sprang back to life and I was happy as can be. Watching Neil, after finding clones of himself growing in a pile of manure say, "Anybody watching that must've thought it was a negative reality inversion" then watching from a distance a woman says to her mate, "Hey, that looked just like a negative reality inversion" had me laughing out loud.

This show is a riot! You've got disco-dancing ants, an atomic bomb in the kitchen that Vyvyan tries to detonate with a sledgehammer as Neil builds a fallout shelter 5 feet away, washers that spit-out the guys' filthy clothes, lots of gratuitous violence and cursing, live performances by bands-du-jour and lentils, lentils, lentils. It was great to see Jennifer Saunders pre-AbFab in a couple of cameo roles.

All in all - if you love Brit-coms such as AbFab, Faulty Towers, French & Saunders and Keeping up Appearances then you will love THE YOUNG ONES.

I, like the majority of reviewers of this film, found myself confused and frustrated at the end, but not disappointed. MD is visually stunning and had me in its grasp to the very end - even after the 180º turn in the last third of the film. What makes a masterpiece? Undoubtedly we can say that Schindler's List and Citizen Cane are in that category. But who had to watch them repeatedly to figure out what they meant? I saw Schindler's List twice only because I wanted to experience it again. I've seen Citizen Cane about four times because it's a fantastic work of cinematic art. The majority of reviewers sat through MD more than once because they were so confused by the ending that it became a quest to decipher Lynch's story. Granted, they (and me) enjoyed the film and it was a labor of love to understand. But is that a characteristic of a masterpiece?

The Sixth Sense and MD, though barely in the same category, share IMDb traits. As of April 28, 2003 The Sixth Sense scores an overall rating of 8.2 and is #72 in the top 250. MD scores an 8.0 and is ranked at #139. These are very close scores which means that, in general, they are regarded almost as equals in their viewer approval. However, The Sixth Sense is superior of the two thrillers - both being of the kind that pull a major, unexpected, even confusing plot twist near the end. Shyamalan explains the twist using flashbacks. You come out of the movie shocked and loving that fact that Shyalaman "got ya". Lynch's end is so confusing and the flashbacks only make it more so. This is not just my opinion - read the other reviews. It took me two viewings of MD, hours rummaging through the IMDb message boards and several external websites before I finally found the blue key that unlocked Lynch's vision. Now that I understand his story I really like it but I don't believe that a "masterpiece" should have to be viewed repeatedly and broken down scene by scene to be understood. Still...Rebekah del Rio singing "Llorando" as Betty and Rita break down in tears was a mesmerizing moment in the film. 7 out of 10 stars.

This animated film from Japan has a surreal dreamlike quality. I enjoyed it so much that I'm buying the DVD for my collection. Usually when watching a foreign film I prefer to hear the language it was filmed in and read the subtitles. However, the producers did an AMAZING job with the English language version! The DVD special features shows you the behind the scenes of the English version recording. Trust me - you'll love to hear this in English. It's the only foreign film that I will say that about.

The many negative reviews of this film astounds me. I must admit that its been over 10 years since I read the book and I do remember that the movie fails to live up to the novel. But The Hunger is still a beautiful and haunting movie. A lot of reviewers are poo-pooing the fact that these vampires don't act like vampires. The author, Whitley Streiber, seemed to suggest in the novel that the character of Miriam Blaylock (Deneuve) was a sort of humanoid and not your classic lives-by-night, fanged blood-sucker. That's why the vampire lovers hate this film so much. In all fairness, I don't think The Hunger is a vampire movie at all. It's a story of an eternally young and beautiful humanoid woman with vampire-like qualities. The soundtrack is awesome. I was lucky enough to have met the woman who sings in the scene when the skater is attacked by Bowie. Funny story: I was at a party in Alta Dena, a suburb in northern Los Angeles. I knew the hostess was a singer but did not know of her connection to the film until I saw that she had been awarded (a Grammy or AMA, I think) for her work on the soundtrack. Of course, as a big fan of the movie, I was quite impressed and happy that my roommate had invited me! I will love this movie...forever and ever.

I was really disappointed in this film. Usually I will give a film a fighting chance but this one sunk to the bottom of the Marianas Trench. I found it tedious, boring and rather silly at times. The quick strobe-shots of the "Wendigo" almost had me laughing out loud. I am a great lover of indie films but this one has more of a sophomoric student film feel about it. Even the sound quality seemed student level. I'm not sure how this film (supposedly) garnered such praise from LA Weekly and the New York Times. It baffles me. The acting was second rate - even from Erik per Sullivan, Malcolm in the Middle's "Dewey" - who I usually find very funny and lively on the TV show. In this film it seemed like he slept-walked throughout the whole film. I'm not even sure that this would have been a better film with a different writer/director because this story seems to have been told before. The Shining meets Prophecy meets The Sixth Sense combo just did not work here. 2/10 stars.

I have read several reviewers complain that Caucasians have been denied their place in Baraka. However, director and cinematographer, Ron Fricke already covered that angle in 1983's Koyaaniqatsi. In that film Frick photographed Los Angeles, Manhattan and Las Vegas. Caucasian faces abound so I disagree with that argument. It's obvious that Fricke wanted to move on to other parts of the world. What a success it proved to be! Every aspect of this film is amazing.

I first saw it in 1993 at the Laemmle Sunset 5 in West Hollywood. When viewed in its full 70mm glory with that thunderous score coursing through your body it's truly an amazing experience. *BLUSH* OK. I admit I was moved to tears at one point near the end. The images and music became so powerful. Those time-delayed tracking shots are amazing. I love the awesome photography of the inside of mosques, cathedrals and synagogues. Places and people that many of us will never see in our lifetimes have been lovingly captured by Ron Fricke. I watch this DVD at least once a month but it's not the same on the small screen. You should check local movie listings in your area because sometimes it'll pop-up at smaller, art-house type theatres.

Here's something interesting: Has anyone else noticed the similarities in some Madonna videos to Baraka and Koyaaniqatsi? Specifically, "Ray of Light" (1998) is very similar to many of the sped-up shots in Koyaaniqatsi. "Nothing Really Matters" (1998) has some very stark similarities to the Japanese section of Baraka i.e. white-faced Japanese with tortured faces and slow-moving geishas. "Bed Time Stories" (1995) included shots of a twirling Turkish Muslim man...as Baraka did 3 years prior. Seems like the material girl is a fan of Mr. Fricke. Who isn't?

The film was rather slow for my taste but I did enjoy it. Great acting all around. History and Hollywood buffs will REALLY love this movie. It was great to see Joanna Lumley play a character other than Patsy Stone from AbFab. She's proved to me that she is a REALLY good actress! CHARLESTON ANYONE?!?!

This film was a great idea. It's dark, disturbing and mysterious. The problem is with the dreadful dialogue and the God-Awful acting. I was captivated from the very beginning. But once the characters got together and began to interact with each other I began to squirm. GEEZ this would have been a GREAT film if it had been better written and better acted. EVERY SINGLE actor in this film was bad except for the first "cubed" victim and Rennes, the escape artist, who was killed off in the first third of the film. Hopefully someone will remake this film and do it correctly.

This is, by far, the best screenplay that Mamet has created. It is adapted from his play and it is amazing. Every single performance deserves a standing ovation (even in a movie theatre). It has a stage-like feel about it that actually works. The confrontation scene between Pacino and Spacey ("YOU ARE A CHILD") makes you squirm. The final scene between Lemmon and Spacey (Lemmon: My Daughter. Spacey: F**k you.) is gut-wrenching. "Will you go to lunch. Will you? Will you GO TO LUNCH!" still echoes in my mind. Awesome, amazing film. Bravo, Mr. Mamet.

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this film which the director claims in a DVD interview was made for $2300! The writing, music and special effects are fantastic. Sometimes the editor would stay too long on some of the gore shots, though. Great performances by Beverly Lyn and the mother, who for some strange reason, is hilariously played by a female impersonator. The two bad guys (Carnage and Assassin) were really weird and creepy yet made me laugh as well. If you love lo-budget horror films you will find this one of the better ones.