buff-18 Reviews

Get Well Soon (2001)

Gallo delivers again; film succeeds in many areas

[8 February 2003]

I must admit that I was captivated by Vincent Gallo's performance in "Buffalo '66" and that is the only reason that I was drawn to "Get Well Soon" when I saw it on the video rental shelf. So maybe I wanted to like this film more that others.

Regardless, I feel that "Get Well Soon" succeeded in many areas. The plot was a blend of dark comedy and soul-searching, much like "Buffalo '66" and Gallo gave almost as good a performance as the desperate, haunted protagonist. Courtney Cox delivers a solid performance as his old flame whom he's seeking to reunite with in hopes of getting a hold on his life again. Thrown into the mix are the mental illness of her mother and brother and latent homosexuality of her live-in boyfriend. Always troubled by the constant exposure to Gallo's "Bobby Bishop" character who's now a late night talk show host, Cox's character "Lily" cannot find solace in a world of overwhelming emotions.

This film is a success, despite the fact that it's not entirely original. However, the plot lines are intriguing and the characters are just short of mesmerizing. The story is told in a reverse pyramid fashion where the viewer has to deduce exactly what the relationship between the characters are.

This is by no means an outstanding film... but as far as Vincent Gallo movies go... I don't feel at all disappointed.

Rating: 7/10

S1m0ne (2002)

Requires some suspension of disbelief ... but succeeds in raising questions.

[7/10 · 8 February 2003]

I must admit that I was instantly intrigued by the plot of S1m0ne. As the Entertainment editor for a university newspaper, I'd just written a column this week about America's obsession with celebrity worship. This film served to support a lot of the ideas that I'd formulated.

Deceiving the masses to such a degree as Al Pacino's character "Viktor" does in this film is also a very interesting concept to me... and I think it makes for a good film. Obviously, without Pacino's genius this film would never have been what it was but, overall, S1m0ne points out the gullibility and superficiality of the Amnerican public. Simone is quickly raised to a goddess-like symbol worshipped by everyone. Also, the film accurately points out the effect that hype can have on otherwise lackluster events.

However, I think that the film did require a few too many leaps in logic to achieve maximum success. But if the basic story is taken for what it's worth without trying to base everything in reality, the film proposes some interesting questions.

The ending left something to be desired, however. I believe that this film would be much more effective if it had a darker ending.

7/10

Vanilla Sky (2001)

Makes you think in some parts, refuses to let you think in others.

[22 December 2001]

My initial reaction to my viewing of Vanilla Sky was that I liked it. Though it was not a completely original storyline (it was both a remake of the 1997 Spanish movie "Abre Los Ojos" and had Matrix and Sixth Sense elements to it) it was a very intriguing movie. As I left the theater, I turned the events of the movie over and over in my mind. I haven't seen a movie that made me think that much in a long time.

However, there are aspects of the movie that really insulted the viewer. At the end of the movie, the "tech support" guy explains the entire movie so completely that it leaves little room for interpretation by the viewer. It insults our intelligence and is reminiscent of the lame ending to another Cruise film "Eyes Wide Shut."

Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Jason Lee and Penelope Cruz are all impressive in this movie although their characters (other than Lee) have many holes in them making them hard to understand in some parts of the movie.

Overall it's a fun movie but not a very good movie. I hope to see Abre Los Ojos to compare and contrast between the two and see which aspects of the Spanish original Cameron Crowe fudged up!

6 1/2 out of 10

Unbreakable (2000)

Better than the 6th Sense

[9/10 · 5 December 2000]

I may offend thousands of thriller fans who completely loved the 6th Sense, but I feel that Unbreakable topped it.

With the 6th Sense, other than the twist at the end (which everyone seemed to eat up) there wasn't really much there. I saw everything in the previews for that Oscar nominee that I cared to or needed to see save the big surprise ending. I give the creators of that film kudos for the twist but feel that it takes more than a big surprise ending to make a film. Unbreakable had what it takes...a developing story along with a twist at the end.

Granted the ending of this film wasn't as great a shocker but still gave me a great deal to think about. The camera work in this film was outstanding. We watched scenes take place through the chairs on a train, in the reflection of a TV screen, and through curtains blowing in the wind. The lighting in the film was also beautifully done. I loved the dark, sinister feel the movie had which coincided with Willis' inner turmoil. And the acting was very well done. I became very attached to each character...and Willis' son was a much more convincing and less pitiful character than Haley Joel Osmont's "I see dead people..." motif.

I liked this movie...I liked almost everything about this movie. I even appreciated the bit of romance that it contained near the end. It was so precise and completely "un-sappy."

See this movie...it's worth it.

Natural Born Killers (1994)

This movie will make you question yourself! Wonderfully done!

[10/10 · 16 March 2000]

I'd always meant to see "Natural Born Killers". I remember the hype when it first came out and always wanted to see it. Last night I finally got around to renting it and sitting back with my girlfriend and watching a Oliver Stone film. From the start I was blown away by this movie! It is a full assault on your senses. I was afraid to blink for fear that I'd miss something. I loved this movie because of what it does to the viewer. After the movie my girlfriend said, "Isn't it sad that we're so jaded that we don't even have any emotional response to this movie!" I was floored because it was then that I realized that that's exactly what Oliver Storm wanted! In this satirical movie he depicts how blood-thirsty the media is...even more blood-thirsty than Mickey and Mallory! Oliver Stone wove this movie in such a way that the viewers almost cheer for the twisted mass murderers. Supporting roles like Skagnetti (the murderous and sleazy cop/hero), the prison guard (Tommy Lee Jones), and the shallow reporter (Robert Downey Jr.) are shown in such a negative light that the viewer almost hates them and cheers for the natural born killers. At the same time that it shows how demented the media it is it shows how society as a whole may be as mad as Mickey and Mallory Knox! It even makes the viewer wonder why their cheering for the dubious duo and why they aren't disgusted by what they are seeing. This movie is worth the time and buck and half to watch it. Go out and pick up a copy. The visual effects alone will blow you away but it will tantalize your mind and eyes and the same time.

American Beauty (1999)

I was in awe!

[10/10 · 13 March 2000]

I'm so glad that they re-released American Beauty in the theaters. I missed it the first time around and since all my friends loved it, felt I needed to go see it on the big screen. I knew about the Oscar nominations and felt that it would really have to deliver to impress me and live up to the hype. When it was over...I was in such a state of awe that I could barely move!

This movie is possibly one of the greatest of all time. I've seen great movies (Citizen Kane, the Graduate, Taxi Driver, Clockwork Orange, Silence of the Lambs, etc.) and this movie definitely ranks up with the big boys. First of all, the acting was superb. Kevin Spacey is brilliant and we see some of the insanity in his character that we saw in SEVEN. Annette Benning is easy to hate but at the same time you feel so sorry for her. Every actor in this movie delivered. The cinematography was wonderful as well. It had a "film-noir" look at times. I loved the rose petals and the other symbolism.

With that said, this was an unbelievably well written movie. There were so many twists and turns. You were on the edge of you seat even though we all knew the main character was going to die because he told us so in the first minute of the film. Having a dead character as the narrator is quite original as well. I loved this movie more and more as it went on. Almost every character is despicable but yet it is easy to sympathize with each. Even the horrible marine officer neighbor is a truly woeful character.

This movie is so great because it is not the typical movie. It does not have a happy ending nor any truly happy moments. It carries a resounding message that things are not as they seem and people suffer. Yet at the same time it shows that beauty can shine through ugliness. I was speechless after this movie! Go see it on the big screen while you have the chance! It deserves all the numerous Oscars that it's nominated for!!! A masterpiece!

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Good...not Great!

[8/10 · 13 March 2000]

I was surprised to see the Sixth Sense nominated for best picture. It was a very very good movie but no where near good enough for this award. The ending was very well done. Bruce Willis was nothing special but the little boy (I forgot his name) was convincing!

This movie had it's moments but was not as much of a thriller as I thought it would be. It was not scary of even that exciting. However I really did like this movie. It was a nice change of pace for other horror/thriller type movies. Good but not great...8 out of 10!

200 Cigarettes (1999)

Great fun, great movie!

[9/10 · 13 March 2000]

I was skeptical as I sat down to watch 200 cigarettes earlier tonite. I was prepared for the worst. At least I knew I'd get to look at Christina Ricci. But this movie surprised me and left me with a sense of fulfillment for having watched it. I did not waste my time after all!

The story takes place on New Year's Eve 1981 and incorporates 3 storylines into one. All the characters are tied together in one way or another and the movie centralizes around the New Year's Eve party and a woman's apartment (which no one shows up at until she's drunk and passed out).

This tale of sex, booze, and cigarettes showed the ridiculousness of these things and made us laugh at the same time. Despite the party being the central theme of the movie...we do not get to see it at all. This leaves a lot to the imagination. The movie was shot so that it alternated between characters and storylines but intertwined them beautifully. Every member of the star studded cast put in a great performance and this movie was truly well done. I enjoyed it very much and give it a 9 out of 10. If you're not offended easily...go out and rent this movie today!

Reindeer Games (2000)

Decent movie that could have been very good!

[5/10 · 27 February 2000]

I sat down in the theater last Friday prepared for the worst but somewhat hopeful that "Reindeer Games" would be a pleasant surprise. I was worried it would be a cheesy attempt at an action film that would be no deeper than the puddle I stepped in on the way into the theater. But I still held out hope that it would deliver.

I walked out of the theater content. It was a good movie. The plot had many twists and turns. The character of Ashley took on many different forms and she was always a mysterious character. Ben Affleck played a somewhat convincing role in his crude yet heroic character of Rudy. The acting in this movie was fairly good. The action wasn't the entire basis of this movie. It did have a solid plot and was enjoyable to watch.

However, there were some missed opportunities to make this movie great. First, the special effects at the end with cars flying off cliffs was pathetic. It looked like a toy truck falling down the stairs! But I can handle that. What really bugged me was the 'bad guy' at the end explaining the whole plot of the movie in a 3 minute speech to Ben Affleck before his impending doom. A true film artist would have wound the movie in such a way that this plot all came together and made sense without it being handed to the audience on a silver platter. Make us think, damnit! That made me angry. It was a missed opportunity that only made this a decent movie instead of a very good one.

This movie delivered entertainment and quite a few twists and turns. It was more than just a flaky movie but could have done so much more. I won't dissuade you from going to see this movie. It's fun. But if you wait for video you won't be missing a great opportunity like the director of this movie did.

Scream 3 (2000)

Wonderful finish to a breathtaking trilogy

[7/10 · 13 February 2000]

I'm a big Scream fan! However, I'm also a big movie fan and a big movie critic! I don't like cheesy, commercialized movies. Anything that could possibly live up to the first Scream would have to be great, but after a second Scream movie, a third would have to be near perfect. Therefore, despite the fact that I'm a fan, I'd have to be very impressed by this third edition or else I wouldn't feel Wes Craven did it justice. I was very impressed.

This movie was not just a feeble attempt to make more money on the same hit storyline. This movie had a new and innovative plot and was definitely the final chapter in a trilogy. This movie series was groundbreaking when it came out and has now completed a wonderful finish. It brought out secrets from the first installment of Scream and completed the entire story! Nothing is left secret! All is exposed!

Great movie. Go out and see this quality horror flick!

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

AWESOME...SCARY...REFRESHING!

[8/10 · 9 August 1999]

I loved this movie. I guess there's no way that i couldn't! I'm a big movie buff and i like new things plus i love horror movies! This movie was a breath of fresh air. Enough with the Wild Wild West movies that cost $200 million to make and are total fluff. Blair Witch cost $300,000 to make and the actors used their real names but it was real! It wasn't flaky! Plus it scared the hell out of me! Watch it!

Se7en (1995)

One of the best ever!

[10/10 · 31 July 1999]

This movie is awesome! For once...a movie that doesn't have a happy ending. I loved this movie! It gave me chills and my heart was pouding so hard at the amazing finale! I can't say enough about this movie. Morgan Freeman is always good but i actually liked Brad Pitt in this movie too...and with Gwyneth Paltrow you can't go wrong! Rent this great movie tonite!

Armageddon (1998)

Nothing too special!

[5/10 · 30 July 1999]

This movie was released about 2 months after DEEP IMPACT similar movie with the same storyline. Big falling rock gonna wipe out earth! I liked DEEP IMPACT better. It showed the psycological and cultural reactions to the impending doom and made the disaster seem a lot more realistic and scary compared to bruce willis saving the day in a movie where there was no acting present only special effects. Sorry but special effects are okay but they don't make the movie. Armageddon is okay but if you really want to be scared by the idea of an asteroid hitting earth rent DEEP IMPACT!!!

Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988)

Quite the movie!

[6/10 · 30 July 1999]

I admit...this is the only sleepaway camp i've ever seen. It is entertaining. The acting is horrible and the deaths are overly elaborate. But it's funny. Cheesy is the best word for it. I love how the camp director believes the story that all the missing (dead) campers were just sent home. Everyone in this movie dies! It's funny...at the end the one surviving girl appears as though she will be killed as well...leaving the door open for the next sequel which i did not see unfortunately.

I liked watching this movie. It is classic 80's horror. Nothing but a slasher flick. I liked the numerous topless scenes and the gratuitous sex scene (in the woods). I liked how everyone's death was supposedly justifiable in the killer's mind. The drowning in the camp toilet was the best...see this movie if you want to see gore but not be scared. It's good for a laugh...

Scream (1996)

Brought the slasher film to new heights!

[10/10 · 29 July 1999]

Just as movies like Friday the 13th and Halloween were getting tiresome as they finished their 7th and 8th sequels...Scream comes along and brings the slasher film to new heights! It created comedic killing. There were many very funny parts in Scream but it was still scary. It made slasher films cool!

I loved this movie and was disappointed it was so copied by movies that sucked like I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. URBAN LEGENDS is near SCREAM caliber but not quite. Rent Scream...it'll make you laugh...and it will make you scream!

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Unbelievable! One of the best movies ever!

[10/10 · 29 July 1999]

Anthony Hopkins is the greatest in this movie. His character, Hannibal Lecter if frightening with his unbelievable intelligence yet his savage brutality that has caused him to be locked away as a viscious serial killer.

Jody Foster does a great job in this film to as a wet behind the years but smart FBI agent who is trying to catch a serial killer and befriends the crazed Lecter to receive any psychological information (he used to be a psychologist). This movie is very scary but is not a horror movie. It is your classic thriller and you might not have nightmares but it will scare you. Watch this movie! It's oustanding!

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

As good as the original!

[9/10 · 28 July 1999]

I'm a huge Mike Myers fan! Wayne's World is genius and the original Austin Powers was great! Myers totally reinvented the word 'shag' and has created a cult classic. The second installment of austin powers is just as good as the original. My vote still goes with the original because it was the first... but dr. evil is even funnnier in the second movie and with the addition of fat bastard...this movie is great fun!

Big Daddy (1999)

Not as funny as "Happy Gilmore", not as heartwarming as "The Wedding Singer", but still a great film.

[6/10 · 27 July 1999]

What can I say? I love Adam Sandler!I'm a big fan of all of his movies but I've noticed a bit of a declining trend in their quality lately. BILLY MADISON and HAPPY GILMORE are cult classics and really could never be expected to be beaten. They are Sandler at his best in my opinion. I also loved THE WEDDING SINGER which displayed Sandler's romantic side as well as a few laughs. To me, the WATERBOY was a bit of a disappointment and I expected BIG DADDY to be the same. However, I found BIG DADDY to be very enjoyable and I came out of the theater feeling good about it. It wasn't nothing great but it has proven its worth already by remaining in the top 5 movies in the nation for an entire month. This movie contained some depth that was lacking in Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore but that just might be what made it less funny. Sandler's films now contain more drama which may not be an entirely bad thing but they make the films more of a dramatic comedy than simply a comedy. I thouroughly enjoyed returning actors and actresses from past Sandler films who made their appearances in this movie. It was neat to see. For instance, the WATERBOY's mud dog quarterback and the WEDDING SINGER'S fonzy-like limo driver play a gay couple in this movie and Principal Adamson from BILLY MADISON is a social worker in BIG DADDY. All in all, it is a fun movie and above average from anyone but Sandler. I thought it could have been better coming from him but I still enjoyed myself.

Notting Hill (1999)

Hip, funny, romantic, refreshing!

[9/10 · 27 July 1999]

I love Notting Hill. Hugh Grant is by far one of my least favorite actors but I love him in this romantic comedy. It was a refreshing movie to see and I enjoyed every minute of it. Dynamic dialogue, interesting situations, lots a laughs, and lots of love. Julia Roberts is awesome and i can tolerate and even enjoy hugh grant in this flick. Go see this with your girlfriend, guys. It's romantic like they want and hilarious too! You'll enjoy it!

The Graduate (1967)

Greatest movie of all time!

[10/10 · 27 July 1999]

<p> I'm not the biggest Dustin Hoffman fan in the world but I loved him in THE GRADUATE! This movie is possible my favorite movie of all time. This movie has the greatest dialogue ever and Hoffman is brilliant in his portrayal of Benjamin Braddock! The twist in this movie is ofcourse Benjamin's affair with Mrs. Robinson and then falling in love with her daughter later. <p> Simon and Garfunkl give this film its identity and no one will ever forget the "Mrs. Robinson anthem". I'm not a big Simon and Garfunkl fan either but for this movie...it works. <p> I love this movie because they don't try to wow the audience with anything...its all just straightforward and though it's not action packed...it's addicting. You can totally fell what Benjamin feels and the symbolism in this movie is amazing and fun to figure out. This movie does require the viewer to have a few brains but it is easy for anyone to understand if not completely comprehend. I love this movie. Rent it tonight!

American Pie (1999)

Surprisingly fruity and filling under a flaky crust!

[6/10 · 26 July 1999]

A movie about teenagers and sex. This is nothing new. It would be no surprise that this movie would spend it's opening week at #1. But would there be substance to PIE or just flakes. As it began there were a few laughs. I enjoyed the opening tube sock scene and the ordeal with the beer at Stifler's party but it didn't impress me. Funny yes,...substance no! There more I watched the more I was impressed. It defined the teenage male so accurately and comically while at the same time creating some substance. Oz, a jock, explores his sensitive side in chorus and falls in love rather than just lusting. Ofcourse there is lots of shallow humor but that can be lots of fun too. I was especially impressed by "Sh*t break's" scene with Mrs. Stifler...the "Mrs. Robinson" song playing (in reference to Dusitn Hoffman's 1967 movie "The Graduate" about his experience with an older woman ) blew me away! I loved that a movie like this would pay tribute to such a classic! All in all, great flick for the younger generation to enjoy mostly. I was surprise by the depth in this movie. AMERICAN PIE is more than just flaky crust!!!

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

An overzealous attempt at an intellectually stimulating movie!

[6/10 · 26 July 1999]

For the first time in a long time I was actually excited to see a movie. The hype surrounding EYES WIDE SHUT and the irony of Kubrick's death before the movie even came close to opening brought out the butterflies in my stomach as I walked to the box office and purchased my ticket. I even had to wait a week after it came out to go so that I could see it with my girlfriend who couldn't go see it with me the week before. We wanted to tickle our imaginations by seeing Kubrick's "final masterpiece". I walked out of the theater utterly disappointed. I like movies with intellectual stimulation. Movies that don't impress the viewer with computerized special effects (the Mummy) or gross-out comedy (There's something about mary) though those movies can be really great to see once...I like movies that become better and better every time you see them and leave you walking out of the theater thinking about the story.

EYES WIDE SHUT left me walking out of the theater saying...what just happened. I've concluded...nothing. Nothing happened. This movie tried to create a complex web of internal angst but it was only confusion. Tom Cruise gets mad at his wife for having fantasies so he walks the streets for 2 days, shell out about $1000 loosely, doesn't take advantage of the two opportunities to get back at his wife which is his mission in the first place. He stumbles across a nightmarish orgy which is totally unrealistic and a complete a completely opposite turn from the way this movie was going. The orgy seemed to pose a threat to him and his family but near the end we find out that it was only to scare him into staying quiet.

When all is said in done, nothing had happened. This movie fired blanks! I waited the entire movie for a plot and it just wasn't there. The sexual content of this movie was used in excess. Sex was everywhere and in such unusual and degrading forms that it made 'making love' look like a thing of the past. The closing line by nicole kidman "we have to do something we haven't done in a while...f**k" left me totally hating this movie. Even sex with his own wife is considered animalistic and degrading.

EYES WIDE SHUT did not deliver at all. In the end, everything was the same as it was at the beginning except that tom and nicole (bill and alice) had a marriage that was even rockier than in the beginning. This movie had a chance to be great but failed dismally...a little bit of it was enjoyable but for the most part, if I wanted to spend 2 1/2 hours watching nothing happen, I'd watch paint dry!