Stu-5 Reviews

The Pandora Directive (1996 Video Game)

An exemplary interactive movie from the highly-acclaimed Access Software team.

[9 August 1999]

The Tex Murphy series of interactive movies has become one of the most prestigious and respected in the business of computer games. Access are always keen to reach a new paradigm in gaming technology (they were the first to release a game on DVD), but the most important thing is that they deliver a solid, strong and entertaining game. Out of the three 'Tex' games made, The Pandora Directive is the best.

Tex Murphy (played by producer Chris Jones) is possibly one of the most legendary characters in the gaming world. He is a bourbon drinking, stereotypical private-dick, right down to the cigarette stubs and the five o'clock shadows. Slowly, he is drawn into a web of bizarre, corrupt characters, and the plot establishes itself to be quite complex and convoluted. After some game time, a mysterious 'Pandora' device emerges, and it becomes known that it has the answers to the Roswell mystery of 1954 (or is it 1952?).

The game is set in San Fransisco, 2043, and from what we gather in the introduction, there has been a schism between the humans and the 'mutants,' a character class that emerged after a nuclear bomb was dropped on the town. Tex lives with the mutants, though he isn't one himself, and tries extremely hard to court the elusive and beautiful Chelsea Bando, the mutant newspaper stand salesgirl. Access Software have done a good job of establishing a believable, likeable protagonist and landing him in a compelling, intriguing plot/sub-plot line.

But all in all, the Pandora Directive is a very entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable experience that can be played multiple times as it has seven different endings.

Nine out of ten.

Rounders (1998)

A compelling, interesting and exciting film.

[1 August 1999]

Matt Damon stars as Mike McDermott, a highly-skilled poker player that knows all the in's and out's of the game, insisting that its 'not a game of luck, but rather skill.' He frequents the many seedy bars and cleans up on naive, first time players, but one night he loses 'three stacks of high society' (30 grand) to the notorious Teddy KGB (John Malkovich), and resolves that enough is enough- no more gambling. That is, until his slimy friend Worm (excuse the pun [Edward Norton]) gets out of prison and reintroduces him back into the world of gambling.

Slowly, the storyline develops and it is learnt that Worm is neck-deep in a fifteen-thousand dollar debt to Teddy KGB. Mike, between juggling law school and his girlfriend, vouches for Worm that the debt will be repayed. What follows are some intriguing, compelling and above all entertaining poker scenes. Its interesting to hear Mike use the poker player vernacular, saying things like "I've got the wheel," and "gimme three stacks of high society ($30000)."

Rounders is a very well acted, stylishly filmed movie. All the performances are very solid, notably Edward Norton as the infuriatingly arrogant Worm. Martin Landau, Gretchen Mol and John Turturro also make appearances, although John Turturro is criminally underused.

Above all, Rounders is quite a different motion picture. If you can look beyond pervasive language and see the film underneath, then you won't be disappointed.

Eight out of ten.

Eric (1997)

Absolutely hilarious. Every single episode.

[26 June 1999]

This Australian TV series is one of the best to come out of our fair country for quite some time. After a string of dud sketch comedy shows like Totally Full Frontal, Big Train, Mad TV and O'Loughlin on Saturday, this is a refreshing change. The comic genius behind it is Full Frontal alumnus Eric Bana, whose irreverent, rapier wit is contrasted beautifully with a fantastic television show. His is supported by an experienced cast of fine Australian comedians, notably sketch comedy veteran Michael Veitch, as well as The Castle's "Dale Kerrigan": Stephen Curry.

There is no plot as the show is comprised totally of sketches, although they are cleverly linked together by preceding skits. Some of the jokes are absolutely hilarious, though they are made from nothing at all. One of the best jokes simply comprised of an ethnic man who continuously suggests to his son that he see 'Chelsea Brown' and 'Englebert Humperdink,' and that he tries some of his mother's apple strudel. It may seem devoid of laughs in this review, but the accent and timing made it a piece of comedy gold. Therein lies the ingenuity of Eric Bana.

Initially, this show was one hour long and spanned a mere six weeks. But channel 7, showing a bit of initiative for the first time in Australian history, cut it down to 12 half-hour episodes. Good things come in little doses.

This was a welcome change from the deluge of American sitcoms we are constantly bombarded with. It seems every week we get a new one. Shows such as "Veronica's Closet", "Friends", "Suddenly Susan", "Caroline in the City" and "Full House" are so bad that I have to turn the television off. Its a shame that Eric had to finish so soon.

Boogie Nights (1997)

A very well told story; "Short Cuts" with lots of sex.

[28 May 1999]

This is an excellent movie that is vibrant, colourful and powerful. The performances are all very good, but the big surprise is the return of Burt Reynolds. His performance is the most notable, and he duly rewarded with a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination. Boogie Nights is about the pornography industry in the 70's, and how it all fell apart in the 80's. The first half, revolving around the 70's, is plausible and believable; entertaining and informative. Although the film falls apart in the second half, and descends into a lot of unnecessary, graphic violence.

Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg) is the protagonist of the movie. He is spotted one night at a club by porn king Jack Warner (Reynolds), and is offered a deal to star in a movie. Warner remarks that, "I just know there's somethin' wonderful under those jeans just waitin' to get out." And that marks the entrance for Eddie into the sleazy, slutty, though human world of porn and sex. Boogie Nights follows his first appearance as a naive young actor to a drug hampered, egomaniacal lunatic who spirals down into the world of crime and Cocaine. Along the way, it deals with sub plots dealing with pornography and the surrogate families that establish themselves amidst the echelons; the prejudice that society carries to porn stars and the dirty, utterly disgraceful life they lead.

Although the film deals with sex and porn, there is not an obscene amount of it, and the director censors these scenes so it is not explicit. The viewers gather that Eddie Adams (or Dirk Diggler, the pseudonym he assumes for acting) has a prodigious member lurking under his jeans. But, until the final scene, all we see to indicate that is the stunned reactions by peers and onlookers.

The script is very good, but the film is overly long. It could be called an epic at a length of 155 minutes, but the time passes quickly. Despite Boogie Nights' flaws and shortfalls, it is a very good movie worthy of the acclaim it received.

Nine out of ten.

Hamlet (1996)

Brilliant.

[28 May 1999]

This is a highly intelligent, beautifully photographed retelling of arguably William Shakespeare's best work, 'Hamlet'. Branagh acts with panache as the bizarre, mysterious Hamlet, and he is supported by excellent bravura casting, including Jack Lemmon, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Derek Jacobi. Branagh also writes and directs this 4 hour epic.

Denmark is just about to be taken over by assailing countries, and there is chaos inside the kingdom. Hamlet is the prince, son of the insidious, murderous king. He is disturbed by the fact that his father murdered his first mother, so in his heart burns flames of revenge. The story branches off into various sub-plots and is backed nicely by brilliantly choreographed marching and fighting scenes.

The language is certainly not altered or abridged to suit the (putting it bluntly) dumber contemporary audience. It is kept pure, the way it should always be, and with the help of Branagh's masterful direction, it makes for a wonderful 4 hour sitting.

Ten out of ten.

Wild at Heart (1990)

So violent, bizarre and mysterious that it actually works.

[9 April 1999]

The opening scene to Wild At Heart features Nick Cage ferociously beating an assassin to death. Heads are rammed against walls, fists are lunged into guts and what results is a brutally bashed corpse with brains pouring out of it's head. This kind of high-octane violence which is fueled by maniacal characters and deranged intervals creates a fantastic effect. One which has so much impact and so much individuality to it's merit that it turns out to be one hell of a movie.

This is simultaneously a thrilling road movie and a revelation of small town, American country folk. The two protagonists, Sailor and Lula (Nicholas Cage and Laura Dern) are so in love with each other that they'd go to extreme lengths not to be separated. Their separation is exactly what Lula's crazed mother wants, as she believes that Sailor is a cold-blooded murderer who is putting her daughter in danger. Her anger is so fierce that the viewer becomes slightly scared by her: her manic fits of rage where she plasters herself in red lipstick; her bizarre paroxysms fueled by numerous cocktails. All of her slight idiosyncrasies and mannerisms well up to create a very intimidating mother. She sends out a hitman to dispose of Sailor and bring back her daughter, but the lovely couple are on the run from her and the law.

Sailor and Lula meet up with some very strange characters whilst travelling far away from Lula's mother. The eccentricities of 'Tuna Town' in Texas, the insane car accident victim and Lula's nutcase cousin who believes that "the man with the black glove is coming to get him". It's all rudimentary David Lynch fare. He has mastered the art of contemporary film making: a clever blend of black-comedy, violence and fantasy.

The viewer builds an empathy for the two main characters, as it would be a terrible thing to see their undying love for each other shattered. The other characters in the movie all seem to want to destroy that love. Sailor's character, although violent and hardbitten, seems the most normal of the lot. It takes a sane man to make sense of all the insane folk in America's underbelly. He puts up with a lot from everyone, but all he really wants to do is escape from it all with Lula.

After all, who can love in a world that's wild at heart?

Nine out of ten.

The Ice Storm (1997)

A chilling, confronting and altogether well-made expose on American family in the 1970's

[7 April 1999]

When one of the characters breaks down and cries, we realise that the people we are seeing in The Ice Storm have no direction. Their lives comprise of wandering aimlessly through a haze of extramarital affairs, experimentation with drugs and sex and taking everything they have for granted. The Ice Storm shows how children mimic their parents, one character is portrayed brilliantly by Christina Ricci, who plays a young nymphomaniac obsessed with sex. She is a teenager in an uncertain time, and we eventually realise that the children in the movie have more direction and more control over their lives than the adults, who hasten to reprimand the kids for things they otherwise do.

It's 1973 in America and two upper class families collide head on in a tale that illustrates American family with so much integrity that you'd swear it's a Robert Altman piece. It's told by Ang Lee, a Chinese man who immigrated to America, and it's his perspective of family back then. The Ice Storm delves into how people were quick to adulterate because it was the thing to do, and the sordid key parties, where woman fish car keys out of a bowl and sleep with other wives' husbands.

Each of the characters in the movie are played brilliantly, notably by Kevin Kline who delivers a portrayal of a man with no control over his life. He has two kids of whom he rarely sees, a wife whom he's cheating on and a life that is utterly perfuncatory. Also, there's the WASP vixen played by Sigourney Weaver, whose numerous affairs result in her totally losing control over her family. There's the kids who are gradually learning the in's and out's of life like sex and drugs. Lastly, there's the teenager who narrates the story: he has control over his life, and it takes one who is in control to tell a story about people out of control. The two balance perfectly.

All of these problems come face to face in an extremely confronting denouement, which results in each of the characters to analyse their own lives. It's a really sad story. We have pity for these characters.

The climax is amplified and emphasised by the ice storm which hits where they live. Ang Lee captures each icicle which dangles from the tea leaves; the slick roads; the chilly air. It's shown with such precision and such care that it heightens the emotional impact in a film that was already charged with it anyway. It's a deep film that requires much concentration and thought.

Each of the performances are brilliant, the script is first class, the impact is phenomenal and the visual side is breathtaking.

Ten out of ten.

Don King: Only in America (1997 TV Movie)

A compelling, riveting and humourous drama

[6 March 1999]

Ving Rhames, a largely unknown actor, whom most would remember from Pulp Fiction, gives his role of Don King all he's got, and it really does pay off. It results in one of the decade's best telemovies, leaving the viewer hating yet strangely drawn toward the eccentric King.

It revolves around King's rise to stardom through strongarm tactics. His violent itchy trigger finger deals it's wrath to anyone who gets in the way, and it's his no nonsense approach to boxing which gets him where he is.

The story is revealed through flashbacks, being narrated by an older King. Those are the film's funniest moments. Watching Rhames strut around the ring, whilst smoking a huge cigar and speaking in a near-scream make for extremely humourous moments. Rhames' conviction to the part makes King a character that's both funny and threatening at the same time. He relishes in hyperbole, taking the good with the bad and seeing what you get.

The idiosyncrasies and mannerisms of King are all portrayed masterfully, right down to the wavy Kramer hairstyle. Each of the supporting characters are great, but, watching Jaleel White (that guy from 'Family Matters') play Muhammed Ali just reminds you too much of his sitcom character.

It's a highly satisfying, yet powerful movie. One of the telemovies which can be recommended, which is a rare occasion. This would be a wise choice if Saturday night's viewing is not up to standard.

Nine out of ten.

The Butcher Boy (1997)

An extremely Powerful, well acted and brilliantly written film.

[6 March 1999]

Neil Jordan, famed for such hits as Michael Collins and The Crying Game, returns to a much more conventional style of filmmaking. This time he leaves out the stars: no Liam Neeson, no Aidan Quinn, no Julia Roberts. This time it's cinema verite: a sotto-voce cast (barring Stephen Rea) which takes the mind off the actors and onto the film.

Which is good, because the film is a ripsnorter. It's a powerful expose on how children can turn out horribly wrong through a tough childhood. There is no fancy cinematography or cutesy-pie moments; no Hollywood endings or Schwarzenegger stick-ups. This is pure black comedy which relies on a fabulous script.

It revolves around the life of Francie Brady, a young Irish boy who gets up to all sorts of mischief. Him and his friend, Joe, are the local troublemakers in Dublin. But, there's more to Francie than one would think. His is a soul which is black at the core, and the passing of prominent figures in his life, as well as time spent in and out of juvenile detention centres, plus the dirty priests which govern the schools, sends the boy over the edge.

He paints a picture of hyperbole. Francie always seems happy, energetic and ready for action, yet boiling up inside of him are bloody demons and unimaginable violence. It's that hyperbole which creates so much tension in the movie, just wondering what he'll do and when he'll do it.

The film is narrated by an older Francie, one who has spent his life in a prison for the mentally insane. His narration is humorous and ironic, yet occasionally it derives some of the power from the movie because of its light-hearted, schmultzy comments. Francie sometimes talks to his older self, making one remember "Ferris Beuler's Day Off", but apart from that, the film is fantastic.

It lags in parts. Occasional scenes are drawn out and lengthy, and you just want to scream out, "pick up the damn butcher's knife and kill someone!" To make the film increase in pace. But that's not a major problem, that might just be my attention span, if you didn't have those scenes you wouldn't have such a poignant movie.

The Butcher Boy has a very satisfactory denouement. We all took our childhood for granted. It had its ups, it had its downs. This is a film which portrays what sort of childhood arises from continuous downs, dominated by misery and loss, and how much of an effect it can have on such an impressionable mind. This is a wonderful, black, violent, dramatic and hilarious movie. A rare offering, indeed.

Nine out of ten.

The Boys (1998)

A disappointing, slow and uneventful movie.

[8 February 1999]

I had such high hopes for this film. "Powerful", read the Sydney Post. "Mesmerising", "Frightening", "Terrorfying!". None of the above. What "The Boys" is, is a slow and boring piece, similar to the frayed edges of a shoelace: it goes all over the place.

Brett Sprague has just been released from jail, and arrives back to re-establish himself into the family. Living at home are his two deadbeat brothers, his mother who's 'proud of her boys', and his girlfriend. He makes himself noticed again by flaring up his violent temper.

I don't know what exactly this film is about. It's just so vague and pointless. I can't recommend it to anyone except arthouse fans, which I am, but was sorely disappointed by this film.

Four out of ten.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

A brilliant film, despite it's shortcomings.

[4 February 1999]

Saving Private Ryan opens amidst the flurry of panic and madness of Omaha Beach. The US troops trying to make it past the shore and up to the elevations of the enemy, who fire machine guns at the defenceless troops whilst sitting behind fortifications. It's a graphic, powerful, stirring and extremely violent 25 minutes. An unrelenting barrage of gunsmoke, blood and gore. It captures the futility of war through it's no holds barred methods.

Tom Hanks plays Captain John Miller, assigned to find a missing private, by the name of Ryan, whose three brothers had recently been killed. He takes a team with him to find Ryan, and along the way runs into a lot of trouble.

Unfortunately, the film trails off into the American patriotism rigmarole that seems rudimentary in each war film. Saving Private Ryan becomes boring in the middle of the movie, with contrived, blatant 'war is so pointless' and 'this shouldn't be happening' sort of thing.

The finale is very violent and doesn't have as much impact as the opening sequence. The film loses it's impact due to the overlong middle.

Seven out of ten.

Schindler's List (1993)

Poignant, powerful, bone-chilling, mesmerising.

[4 February 1999]

This is a film which challenges the human nature. How is the human race capable of such babaricy? Such genocide and mindless, unnecessary slaughter, just because of religion. It makes you sick. Schindler's List is a film which tackles the issues of war, religion and the human spirit with emotion.

It revolves around Oskar Schindler, a factory kingpin who, amidst the chaos and slaughter of the war, decides to help the defenceless, enslaved Polish Jews. He makes a list, comprising of 1100 Jewish people, whom he shall liberate and set free. Hence, Schinder's List.

Spielberg's direction is first class, and he tells the story with emotion, yet the film is totally in-your-face. One scene which captures the poignancy is where the red dress of a little girl is shown in colour, even though the film is shot in black and white. It sticks out and captures the essence of innocence. A master stroke.

I loved the movie because it was so heartfelt and so deliberately graphic, it just stirs so many emotions and shakes the finger at ourselves. It is a brilliant movie.

Ten out of ten.

The Player (1992)

The best satire I've ever seen in a movie

[2 February 1999]

The scathing satire and rapier witted black comedy in this film is in the calibre of "Catch 22". The expose on the dog-eat-dog movie world is of top quality, at the same time delivering a story which is perfect for exacting all the satirical connotations of the film.

Tim Robbins plays a slimy executive producer, who starts receiving threatening postcards from a writer whom he did not call back in regards to a pitch. He gets increasingly worried about it, and eventually loses his cool and tries to hunt down the writer.

The following series of events are all perfectly timed and impeccably delivered, each of the performances rock solid, especially Robbins' character, Griffin Mill. The film has many, many cameos (66 all up), so keep your eyes out for some big name stars that appear for a mere second.

Altman is at his best here, as he is in "Short Cuts". But some of his recent works, "Pret-A-Porter", "Kansas City" and "The Gingerbread Man" have all been flops. It's good to see what he can do when he's in the zone.

Ten out of ten.

Mars Attacks! (1996)

You're scraping the bottom of the barrel renting this one

[1 February 1999]

Oh dear. Looks as though the talented Mr. Tim Burton, of "Batman" and "Ed Wood" fame, has fallen in a hole. This film is supposed to be somewhat of a satire on those old B-Movies made in the fifties, you know, the ones with the flying saucers suspended by a piece of string. Anyway, the film is nothing more than a terrible mess of too many characters, a seriously underdeveloped plot and a terrible storyline.

The main attraction to the film is the tremendous cast: Jack Nicholson, Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Michael J. Fox, Pierce Brosnan and Tom Jones. How could you go wrong with a cast like that? Easily. A bunch of aliens come down to earth and start blasting everyone away with their laser guns, and the mayhem begins!

I hated the film because it was just over the top ludicrousness, and terrible, strained comedy. Forced, canned laughter. It was quite a shocker, indeed.

So, I advise you well, avoid this film. Two out of ten.

The Harvest (1993)

A well done thriller, if not improbable.

[1 February 1999]

A screenwriter goes to Mexico and gets his kidney stolen! Along the way, searching for that appendage which did a vanishing act, he meets a girl and they have a sexual liaison. It all spells trouble with a capital T, as he finds out that his other kidney is about to be targeted!

Miguel Ferrer, a lesser known supporting actor whom you may of seen in such flops as "Another Stakeout", "Royce", "The Stand" and "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me", does a great job as the smitten man frantically searching for the nabber of his kidney.

Another woman, dubiously surnamed "Ferrer" as well, plays the sexual interest. She was the lesbian offsider also in Basic Instinct, this girl surely does get around! Going from ice-pick crazy millionaire lesbian to kidney stealing enthusiast is a leap at both ends of the spectrum.

The intrigue builds through a plot that develops relatively devoid of action, and builds up to an abrupt climax which halts the film. But, I found myself strangely drawn to the movie. I liked it, I really did!

I hope that Miguel Ferrer makes something of himself, because seeing someone of his acting calibre would be very satisfying.

Eight out of ten.

The Linguini Incident (1991)

An offbeat, quirky romantic comedy with many twists.

[1 February 1999]

David Bowie is fairly promising as a bartender frantically searching for a green card. He meets a contortionist/hopeful escape artist and she and him begin an affair.

The hijinks of trying to get a green card aren't that funny and the film doesn't move too quick at all. Plot points introduce themselves towards the end of the movie and nothing really gets resolved. But, other than that, it's a light hearted film that would warrant watching, that is if you're a Bowie fan.

There are some good roles, played by Buck Henry and Marlee Matlin, but the script doesn't do the actors' justice. The music isn't too bad, a good score as usual from Thomas Newman, alumni of The Player and Shawshank Redemption fame.

It's just one of those romantic comedies with a twist! Nothing much else to it really.

Five out of ten.

Blue Velvet (1986)

Intriguing, suspensful and mysterious. A gem!

[1 February 1999]

David Lynch returns with more of his warped ideas, this time revolving around a bizarre triangle between three people. A shy man who found an ear in the woods, and triggers a murder investigation; a tortured cabaret singer and a psychopathic killer fueled by his own manic sexual obsessions. The three of their lives collide and intertwine creating a very tense and well done thriller.

A local student finds an ear and triggers a murder investigation, and later finds the investigation connected to a woman whose apartment he investigates. He witnesses, whilst hiding in the closet, an awful rape by the psychopath (played brilliantly with verve and character by Dennis Hopper) and he vows to help the tortured woman.

All the murder and mayhem tie unsettlingly back to the fabric Blue Velvet, which Dennis has quite a fetish for.

Blue Velvet is an expose on small town America: exposing the underbelly of a seemingly harmless town. One scene gives you that notion perfectly: a man driving by on a fire engine, waving to the camera with a huge smile on his face. Obviously a nice man, but underneath, like the rest of the people in the town, there's a dark side. That's essentially what the film's about: our dark side.

Through disturbing imagery and a cunningly devised plot, also backed by strong performances by all the characters, namely Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Laura Dern, Dean Stockwell and Dennis Hopper, "Blue Velvet" proves to be an interesting film experience. It's one of David Lynch's better movies.

Nine out of ten.

Waking Ned Devine (1998)

Side-splitting and heart warming!

[31 January 1999]

This is quality Irish comedy. They have such a knack for humour. Waking Ned is about a small village of 52, whose just had a winner of the lottery. The protagonist of the film, Smith, invites the village over for drinks to see if he can find the winner. But, he doesn't find him.

Turns out that the winner died of shock. An old man, Ned Devine, holds the winning ticket in his hand. Smith and his friend, Michael, devise a plan to trick the lotteries commission into believing that Michael is actually Ned.

The whole village gets involved in the scheme and hilarity is the result. There are some priceless moments in the film, such as naked motorbike riding. It's hilarious!

Nine and a half out of ten!

Sliders: Pilot (1995) Season 1, Episode 1

An exemplary explanation to how the series started.

[31 January 1999]

One thing I find quite amusing about the series "Sliders". One of the characters, Rembrandt Brown, started off as an optimistic, happy pop singer. He was then transported into the world of the other sliders, and then began his downfall. Throughout the many episodes of Sliders, Rembrandt's optimism has turned to eternal pessimism, and now, into the final season, he is a cold-blooded and and icy character. All hope is lost. The TV-movie is very good. It explains how the Sliders got started, although the process is somewhat sketchy. The boy genius has already invented the vortex when we enter the film. He's managed to crack the hardest physics equation ever! All in a day's work. Then, we are brought along the usual Sliders plot path. They go to a parallel world, they get in all sorts of trouble, and escape at the last minute. It's great stuff! Six out of ten.

Weapons of Mass Distraction (1997 TV Movie)

A prime example of satire gone awry.

[31 January 1999]

Weapons of Mass Distraction proves to be an inconsequential mess of loose plot points and unanswered questions. In what was initially supposed to be a satire, it only gets lost in it's web of lurid, superfluous, irrelevant occurrences.

Two billionares rival over ownership of a famous American football team. That's what we understand from the blurb. Unfortunately, the references to that are just so vague that it is somewhat of a sub-plot. There really is no plot. It goes nowhere!

On one end of the spectrum we have Robert Altman's fine satire "The Player", focusing on big business and movies. On the other end of the spectrum we have this.

Combine this: helicopter accident, closet gay businessman, jewish holocaust surviver, appendage enlargement, trans-gender wife and adulterous cable repairman newly fired. That's precisely what the film is!

It's awful. One out of ten.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

The Coen brothers do it again!

[31 January 1999]

You can't describe this movie. It's so weird, it's so inconsequential. It's so darn funny. Call it what you will: Comedy, black-comedy, film-noir, thriller, action, drama, fantasy... but what lies at the heart of this movie is a genre all of its own. The Coen brothers' genre.

Each of their films are distinctive and have that radiant flare about it. Classics such as "Fargo" and "Barton Fink", all of them unique. The Big Lebowsky does not disappoint.

Jeff Lebowsky, or 'The Dude' as he likes to be called, gets involved in a case of mistaken identity. Two hoods trash his apartment and one of them urinates on his rug. "It really tied the room together!" he whines to his bowling buddy, Walter.

So, seeking compensation for the rug, he finds the real Jeff Lebowsky: the millionaire, and demands that he is reimbersed. He's turned away, and from there the plot spirals out into an hilarious and delightfully contrived mess.

Nine out of ten.

Death and the Maiden (1994)

A taut, tense and unsettling thriller.

[31 January 1999]

Roman Polanski, director of "Frantic", returns with a cast of three in this remake of a popular stage play. The action heats up when Helen, a prisoner during the reign of the dictatorship in South America, hears a familiar voice. It's the voice of her torturer. The man who raped her and bashed her repeatedly during her captivity. She intends to get her revenge.

The action is sparse, yet the film keeps up a good pace. It leads to a somewhat unsettling yet unsatisfactory conclusion. Seven out of ten.

Against the Wall (1994 TV Movie)

A good thriller. An exemplary TV movie.

[31 January 1999]

For a TV movie, this is quite good. It's the true story of the Attaca prison break, which caused a hell of a ruckus back in the seventies and started all sorts of prison rights and liberation talk. The film is a tautly trimmed, suspenseful and well acted production with a good cast including Sam L. Jackson and Kyle MacLachlan.

A rookie prison guard at Attaca finds himself immersed in the awful treatment of the prisoners, and has a hard time reprimanding the prisoners. He's then unwittingly slung into a violent prison break, and held hostage by the prisoners.

There are some unnecessarily offensive and crude moments in the film, which are not relevant and are entirely superfluous. The violence is quite impactful, and the film deserves a high rating.

Six out of ten.

Short Cuts (1993)

A Brilliant expose on life in America

[31 January 1999]

Robert Altman has made a three hour work of art. It revolves around 22 characters, each with their own problems, and intertwines them via various occurrences. Each character is delightfully contrived, each plot point seamless.

Without spoiling anything, all that can be said about Short Cuts is that the satire is first class, the comedy is brilliant, the drama powerful and the character study impeccable. Do not miss this one if you're a fan of the drama genre.

Ten out of ten.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)

Bizarre, weird, yet you can't take your eyes off it.

[31 January 1999]

David Lynch is either fantastic ("Blue Velvet") or terrible ("Lost Highway"). Twin Peaks is somewhere between. It's an undescribable mixture of fantasy, thriller, suspense, mystery, black comedy, satire and horror. It's a prequel to the television series, where the body of Laura Palmer was found wrapped in plastic.

It focuses on the last seven days of her life, and what a bizarre life it is. All sorts of weird things happen to her, like paintings which move, or dreams of dwarves that talk in reverse. Her seedy life consists of topless dancing in a club that emphasises red lights, illicit drugs and promiscuity.

But, instead of creating a good film, what's happened is that Lynch has made such a bizarre film and wasted so much that it had going for it. Other than that, it's very intriguing.

Watch out for the cameo role (although somewhat superfluous) that David Bowie plays.

Seven out of ten.