seamus-7 Reviews

Underworld (2003)

An incoherent montage of other movies

[1/10 · 16 September 2003]

I'll be straight: There's nothing good about this movie; it's like a montage of reenactments of scenes from other movies. Take the Prague settings from Blade 2, the costumes and "bullet time" effects from The Matrix, and mix in some atrocious acting and dialogue that can only aspire to comic book quality, and edit into oblivion.

Nothing exciting, nothing remotely scary (except for Shane Brolly's acting attempt). The audience laughed throughout. Blech.

Frailty (2001)

Good start, great middle, laughable ending

[7/10 · 15 April 2002]

I was completely taken with this movie. I loved the whole good-and-evil thing, the feeling of powerlessness in childhood, the dark places, the doom.

Paxton's performance is terrific, but his direction takes "Hitchcockian" too far. "Inspired by" is one thing. "Shameful ripoff" is another. And then, suddenly, the last 10 minutes of this terrifying tale of delusion and isolation turns into "The X-Files." Disappointing.

But it's still worth seeing, if you can handle the gloom.

Resident Evil (2002)

Loud and weak 'Aliens' rip-off

[3/10 · 14 March 2002]

This movie rips off "Aliens" is so many ways that James Cameron should consider calling his lawyers. While the producers of "Aliens" successfully pulled off a techno-thriller paramilitary action flick trapped in a monster movie, Paul W.S. Anderson just chooses to crank up the music and turn on the blood spigot instead of delivering actual thrills or story. The script is a joke, and the zombies just aren't scary at all.

Blah. What a waste of Milla.

Baby Boy (2001)

Singleton's best yet

[8/10 · 27 June 2001]

John Singleton finally realizes his promise of "Boyz N the Hood" with "Baby Boy." Full of complex and rich characters and a simple yet engrossing storyline, Singleton's vision weaves unpredictably. That's a good thing. Almost helps me forgive "Higher Learning."

The Tao of Steve (2000)

Entertaining, until the ending

[6/10 · 13 August 2000]

This is a very clever movie about male psychology, a topic that doesn't get much attention in the movies aside from the most primal, storybook ways.

Great writing and some truly hilarious moments mark this film throughout. But the ending gets sappy and predictable and more appropriate for the type of movie that would star Robin Williams these days.

Hurlyburly (1998)

Fabulous

[26 July 1999]

As stated by Andrew below, this movie evokes Neil LaBute's works. The difference is that this movie has real thinking, feeling, breathing, fragile characters, as opposed to the unlikable allegorical cartoons that populate LaBute's works. The performances in "Hurlyburly" are fabulous all-around. It's hard to imagine that two scene-stealers like Penn and Spacey can do a great scene together, harder to imagine that Shandling steals every scene from them!

Highly recommended, especially for those who want to like LaBute but think his movies are crap (like me).

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Terribly over-anticipated

[2/10 · 18 July 1999]

What a disappointment. The story is dulllll, the performances are cold and inhuman, and even for Kubrick, the pacing is lethal.

I love Kubrick, but I found nothing redeeming here. Save yourself eight bucks and two hours and forty minutes.

Nashville (1975)

One of the greatest movies ever

[27 March 1999]

A stunning achievement. A sprawling, colorful, disgusting display of country music, politics, country music as politics, politics as country music, the American heartland at the funeral of the '60s, and the obsession that comes with working in a one-note town.