I liked some parts of the films but strangely they never did seem to come together in the appropriate way. Some parts made me laugh out loud but other times I was sitting there with a serious look on my face, maybe even an embarassed look ... I guess the script could/should have been a lot better, the story is just not that funny in general as I don't think people breaking up and getting back together 3-4-5 times during the same movie is amusing, rather depressing instead ! The actors were good in general though, especially Pierrette Robitaille. 2.5/5
Reviews
16 Reviews
Listen
(1996)
Pretty good sexy thriller
9 March 2000
I rented this movie knowing it could have been real bad or real good ... and I tend to lean towards the "real good" side right now ... so it's thumbs up.. but no waaaaay up !! ....
It's not the greatest erotic thriller in the world of course but what you have here is a twisted tale of murder, sex, jealousy ... that is rather effective ... in part !!
I liked it also how the movie keeps you guessing the whole time wondering who is the real killer ... all the main characters could have been the one... although I guessed who it REALLY was at the halfway point myself ... oops ! .. Well, I had doubts later if I had made the right "prediction" ... so this one is better than the usual sexploitation film noir of the month...
I was reminded of Basic instinct (1991 ?) and Bound (1996) (among others !) while watching this one and even though "Listen" is not at the level of those other 2 movies it is still a fairly enjoyable one ... my guess is you'll like it if you pay attention to all the little details and enjoy a few twists and turns along the way ...
Wild things (1998) also appears to have been an "influence" here ... 3.5/5 for "Listen" ... ;o)
It's not the greatest erotic thriller in the world of course but what you have here is a twisted tale of murder, sex, jealousy ... that is rather effective ... in part !!
I liked it also how the movie keeps you guessing the whole time wondering who is the real killer ... all the main characters could have been the one... although I guessed who it REALLY was at the halfway point myself ... oops ! .. Well, I had doubts later if I had made the right "prediction" ... so this one is better than the usual sexploitation film noir of the month...
I was reminded of Basic instinct (1991 ?) and Bound (1996) (among others !) while watching this one and even though "Listen" is not at the level of those other 2 movies it is still a fairly enjoyable one ... my guess is you'll like it if you pay attention to all the little details and enjoy a few twists and turns along the way ...
Wild things (1998) also appears to have been an "influence" here ... 3.5/5 for "Listen" ... ;o)
Body Count
(1998)
Not THAT bad !
29 February 2000
I had delayed seeing this movie because of all the bad reviews and comments it received but I thought it wasn't THAT bad after all ... I mean I picked it up basically because I had seen everything else so I thought ... why not this one ... especially since it was in the "Nobody wants to see this,
right ??" section of the video store ...
I have to say that despite some goofy dialogues ... scenes ... acting ... script ... I was actually "entertained" enough to recommend it ... Some nice twists and turns along the way as those awful people just can't BEHAVE !!... I mean it would be sooooo easy to just shut up and drive all the way to wherever there going ... (was it Florida, not sure ?? But the story doesn't appear to be so important here !! ) ... you don't make a movie with that .. do you ?? hehe !!
I was surprised that with all the recognizable faces in the cast this movie slipped through the cracks ... marginal recommendation ... too bad the last third is kind of a let down ... but before that I thought this movie was actually pretty "intriguing" .. especially if you like movies like Fargo, Reservoir dogs and Pulp Fiction (Although Body count is really faaaaaaar from being as good as those three !!) ...
All those movies just have similar styles ... gruesome violence and sometimes amusing dialogues ... 3/5 and I am pleased considering I was fearing it would be a turkey when I popped it in the VCR ...
right ??" section of the video store ...
I have to say that despite some goofy dialogues ... scenes ... acting ... script ... I was actually "entertained" enough to recommend it ... Some nice twists and turns along the way as those awful people just can't BEHAVE !!... I mean it would be sooooo easy to just shut up and drive all the way to wherever there going ... (was it Florida, not sure ?? But the story doesn't appear to be so important here !! ) ... you don't make a movie with that .. do you ?? hehe !!
I was surprised that with all the recognizable faces in the cast this movie slipped through the cracks ... marginal recommendation ... too bad the last third is kind of a let down ... but before that I thought this movie was actually pretty "intriguing" .. especially if you like movies like Fargo, Reservoir dogs and Pulp Fiction (Although Body count is really faaaaaaar from being as good as those three !!) ...
All those movies just have similar styles ... gruesome violence and sometimes amusing dialogues ... 3/5 and I am pleased considering I was fearing it would be a turkey when I popped it in the VCR ...
Taxi
(I) (1998)
Another disappointing movie from Luc Besson
18 November 1999
Here is another movie that I popped in the VCR simply because Luc Besson was involved and I was AGAIN disappointed greatly. How did the same guy who made this no brainer also was responsible for the great Nikita, I'll never know ... I'm beginning to wonder if someone else did make Nikita ... would explain a lot !
Taxi is one stupid movie. The acting is horrible, the dialogue is ludicrous, the characters are made of cardboard. The only thing this movie has going for it is a couple of nice action sequences but as soon as they are over it turns into mush ... the film maker also appears to be obsessed with women showin us countless scenes of women partially dressed/undressed.
To avoid ... don't think I'll see "Taxi 2" ... hehe !!
0.5/5
Taxi is one stupid movie. The acting is horrible, the dialogue is ludicrous, the characters are made of cardboard. The only thing this movie has going for it is a couple of nice action sequences but as soon as they are over it turns into mush ... the film maker also appears to be obsessed with women showin us countless scenes of women partially dressed/undressed.
To avoid ... don't think I'll see "Taxi 2" ... hehe !!
0.5/5
Disturbing flick ...
18 November 1999
What we got here ... is failure to communicate !!
This is certainly a disturbing movie. All shot inside the apartment of some junkies after a botched police raid. The SWAT team goes in expecting this will be an easy bust but they meet with a few junkies and crack heads armed with machine guns.
Pretty soon they have to back up leaving one cop wounded and another one taken hostage. The cameraman of a TV crew that was taping the bust for a local "trash TV show" is also trapped inside the apartment. So they begin to talk among themselves and their problems while the cops outside try to figure out a way to make them surrender and/or release the hostages.
Pretty interesting idea, especially having the cameraman shooting film inside the apartment the whole time. Hand held and very shaky camera of course but this suits this type of movie.
Lots of profanity (think they were trying for a world record !) and drug use as well. We get a glimpse into the life of a few of the characters. I would have liked for a little bit less of those repetitious "swearing, making speeches and shooting up" scenes and a little more character development, especially the character of Mado who is the most interesting for me (The actress playing her was also the best of the group, too bad we don't see more of her !)
The ending is also appropriate and believable although I would have liked some scenes of the cops outisde and how they were dealing with this big whole mess.
Good movie although a bit too repetitious in parts and certainly not for you if you are kind of squimmish (One character spends the whole film laying down on a couch, half awake or asleep as his mates shoot up drugs into his veins from time to time ... he provides some "comic relief" for them from time to time like when he soils his pants near the end of the film which makes them quite giggly !)
For those who appreciate "dark humor" ... to say the least !
3.5/5
This is certainly a disturbing movie. All shot inside the apartment of some junkies after a botched police raid. The SWAT team goes in expecting this will be an easy bust but they meet with a few junkies and crack heads armed with machine guns.
Pretty soon they have to back up leaving one cop wounded and another one taken hostage. The cameraman of a TV crew that was taping the bust for a local "trash TV show" is also trapped inside the apartment. So they begin to talk among themselves and their problems while the cops outside try to figure out a way to make them surrender and/or release the hostages.
Pretty interesting idea, especially having the cameraman shooting film inside the apartment the whole time. Hand held and very shaky camera of course but this suits this type of movie.
Lots of profanity (think they were trying for a world record !) and drug use as well. We get a glimpse into the life of a few of the characters. I would have liked for a little bit less of those repetitious "swearing, making speeches and shooting up" scenes and a little more character development, especially the character of Mado who is the most interesting for me (The actress playing her was also the best of the group, too bad we don't see more of her !)
The ending is also appropriate and believable although I would have liked some scenes of the cops outisde and how they were dealing with this big whole mess.
Good movie although a bit too repetitious in parts and certainly not for you if you are kind of squimmish (One character spends the whole film laying down on a couch, half awake or asleep as his mates shoot up drugs into his veins from time to time ... he provides some "comic relief" for them from time to time like when he soils his pants near the end of the film which makes them quite giggly !)
For those who appreciate "dark humor" ... to say the least !
3.5/5
The Blair Witch Project
(1999)
The Blair witch effect
4 November 1999
Ok, time to add my 2 cents about the "Blair witch project phenomena" ... and I have to say that I reallllllly loved this movie ... This was indeed an original film with lots of scary moments that are quite effective even if nothing *really* scary is ever shown on screen (Use your imagination folks... geesh !)
I understand how some people (most people ??) would dislike it though ... harsh language, minimal plot, shaky camera ... etc. etc. But for me all those elements are waht make it really intriguing and believable.
People in this movie talk as ordinary people ... not like they are reciting lines of dialogues from a script written by someone else. The plot is really not so important either as the documentary aspect of the project is only a way to get those 3 in the woods and show what happened to them in a realistic way, without some phony twists and turns ... and the shaky camera aspect is the icing on the cake ... making it look even more "real" ...
The acting is top notch, especially by Heather in the lead ... some really good scene especially the one where she "apologizes" to her mother and the mothers of her friends ... extreme close up of her face in the middle of the night, brilliant !
This is the kind of movie that you either love or hate and I am certainly in the 1st category. It is also a movie that would appeal more to people who see a lot of movies I think ... People who watch a movie per month will probably hate it ... but if you have a little more "experience" it will probably be a better experience.
Some really chilling scenes and tension building up all the time make this movie one of the scariest of all times, if you are willing to "think" a little of course because it is not really what you see on screen that is frightening .. it is what you imagine seeing the situation those people are in.
4.5/5
I understand how some people (most people ??) would dislike it though ... harsh language, minimal plot, shaky camera ... etc. etc. But for me all those elements are waht make it really intriguing and believable.
People in this movie talk as ordinary people ... not like they are reciting lines of dialogues from a script written by someone else. The plot is really not so important either as the documentary aspect of the project is only a way to get those 3 in the woods and show what happened to them in a realistic way, without some phony twists and turns ... and the shaky camera aspect is the icing on the cake ... making it look even more "real" ...
The acting is top notch, especially by Heather in the lead ... some really good scene especially the one where she "apologizes" to her mother and the mothers of her friends ... extreme close up of her face in the middle of the night, brilliant !
This is the kind of movie that you either love or hate and I am certainly in the 1st category. It is also a movie that would appeal more to people who see a lot of movies I think ... People who watch a movie per month will probably hate it ... but if you have a little more "experience" it will probably be a better experience.
Some really chilling scenes and tension building up all the time make this movie one of the scariest of all times, if you are willing to "think" a little of course because it is not really what you see on screen that is frightening .. it is what you imagine seeing the situation those people are in.
4.5/5
The Substance of Fire
(1996)
Boring as hell ...
26 October 1999
I saw this movie just recently and was certainly disappointed ... not that I was expecting a masterpiece either but it was sooooooo long and uninteresting I nearly fell asleep at the 2/3's point ...
A whole lot of pointless dialogues going round and round ... discussions about some old book that we don't care for anyway ... annoying characters on the screen (like the author of that Holocaust book that made me cringe 10 times at least during the movie wishing he would shut up and stop whining about everything from the coffee he was drinking to the editors he was meeting) ...
The stubborn old man in the lead was also quite boring (not too mention hard headed) and then last part of the movie where he finally goes off his rockers (big surprise, pretty clear from the get go this guy has serious "issues" !) for good is really bad ... lots of scenes that made me think "oh, come on" and wish I could slap the old dude back into reality at once... or maybe send him to an asylum ...
I couldn't wait for this "thing" to end ... 1.5/5
A whole lot of pointless dialogues going round and round ... discussions about some old book that we don't care for anyway ... annoying characters on the screen (like the author of that Holocaust book that made me cringe 10 times at least during the movie wishing he would shut up and stop whining about everything from the coffee he was drinking to the editors he was meeting) ...
The stubborn old man in the lead was also quite boring (not too mention hard headed) and then last part of the movie where he finally goes off his rockers (big surprise, pretty clear from the get go this guy has serious "issues" !) for good is really bad ... lots of scenes that made me think "oh, come on" and wish I could slap the old dude back into reality at once... or maybe send him to an asylum ...
I couldn't wait for this "thing" to end ... 1.5/5
Earthly Possessions
(1999 TV Movie)
What a dumb trip it was ...
15 October 1999
Wowo ... I am suprised to read so many positive comments about this movie that is soooooooooo predictable and gets dumber and dumber by the minute ... especially near the end where that annoying girlfriend of Dorff shows up ... God, help me ! Definately one of the most annoying characters I have seen in a long time !
I thought this movie was almost a waste of my time and give it a 1.5/5 mainly because I am usually a fan of Susan Sarandon (She was the only reason I was interested in seeing this movie in the first place !) but in this one she is really wasted.
What can you do with a story and some dialogues like that ... no one could save such a turkey ... Lame storyline and dumb situations made me cringe often ... I should have watched Dead Man Walking, White Palace or Bull Durham again !
I thought this movie was almost a waste of my time and give it a 1.5/5 mainly because I am usually a fan of Susan Sarandon (She was the only reason I was interested in seeing this movie in the first place !) but in this one she is really wasted.
What can you do with a story and some dialogues like that ... no one could save such a turkey ... Lame storyline and dumb situations made me cringe often ... I should have watched Dead Man Walking, White Palace or Bull Durham again !
Les amoureuses
(1993)
Bye bye love !
15 August 1999
This movie is a bit too slow and teary eyed to appeal to most people in my humble opinion. I was never really bored nor interested, just sitting there watching people trying to straighten out their messy love life. Lots of silences, actors thinking on screen, looking as if they really cared ... sorry, I'm a bit too cynical !
Most of the actors only give ordinary performances ... Louise Portal sounds a bit phony in parts as if she is reciting her lines (but she ain't the only one unfortunately !) ... I was often reminded of "The decline of the american empire" but that one is a much better film of course.
This film however is very formulaic and predictable so it is less interesting as I could see the plot twists coming really easily.
Les amoureuses could appeal more to older folks as my parents saw it and highly recommended it to me ... I can't say I have the same opinion though... only 2.5/5 for me !
Most of the actors only give ordinary performances ... Louise Portal sounds a bit phony in parts as if she is reciting her lines (but she ain't the only one unfortunately !) ... I was often reminded of "The decline of the american empire" but that one is a much better film of course.
This film however is very formulaic and predictable so it is less interesting as I could see the plot twists coming really easily.
Les amoureuses could appeal more to older folks as my parents saw it and highly recommended it to me ... I can't say I have the same opinion though... only 2.5/5 for me !
Dance Me Outside
(1994)
Totally boring !
3 August 1999
I am surprised to read so many people saying how this movie was soooooo great ... to me it was incredibly boring ... the "actors" (notice the quotes there !) are all terrible ... some dumb dialogues ... a story that I never really cared for ... a few silly scenes ... fights, people beating on an old car, typical drunken indians who want to pick a fight stereotypes ... this was a major disappointment ... at least I like the cover box ! ... I am only glad I just spent 1$ to see this ! 0.5/5
A Cool, Dry Place
(1998)
Good actors in a so-so movie ...
5 June 1999
I liked the actors in this one but what they were doing and saying wasn't as good in my humble opinion ... we have seen this story lots of times and better done too (I was often reminded of Kramer Vs. Kramer while I was watching it but obviously that movie is a better one ...
Vince Vaughn is a good actor and should have known better than to appear in a movie like this one that very few people will see ... only movie nuts like me could possibly be interested in watching something like this ...
Some unbelievable scenes near the beginning and a lot of corny moments, especially near the end but by that time, the movie was so far gone, I didn't really care what happened anymore ... and it's a shame because the actors were all doing their best ... but the ship was taking water too rapidly ...
2/5
Vince Vaughn is a good actor and should have known better than to appear in a movie like this one that very few people will see ... only movie nuts like me could possibly be interested in watching something like this ...
Some unbelievable scenes near the beginning and a lot of corny moments, especially near the end but by that time, the movie was so far gone, I didn't really care what happened anymore ... and it's a shame because the actors were all doing their best ... but the ship was taking water too rapidly ...
2/5
The Big Hit
(1998)
Soooooooooo bad !!!
6 March 1999
Well, what can be said of a movie such as this one ... A total disaster, a car wreck, a complete crash landing...
This movie is a total waste of celluloid and gets my vote as the worst movie of 1998 so far ...
All the actors are so terrible, especially Lou Diamond Phillips that I have never seen so bad before. Clearly his worst performance ever. But what can you do with a script that is a joke from beginning to end. What can you do with dialogues that seem to have been written by a 12 years old kid obsessed with masturbation (one of the characters keeps talking about this !!!) and some old King Kong movie ...
0/5 for me ... which means I would rather have watched a blank tape than to see this !!!
I was tempted at one point to be "generous" and give a 0.5/5 for a couple of nice action sequences near the end and the presence of a couple of gorgeous ladies (clearly not chosen because of their acting abilities !!) but when those action scenes don't lead to anything else it seems like such a waste after all ...
Sorry for such a negative review ... but I can't find any positive aspect to this movie ... even Wahlberg's performance was just a big let down especially after his great one in Boogie nights, The basketball diaries, etc.
Look for Wahlberg's wife's parents as the most annoying couple I have seen on screen in a loooooooooong time !!! ... maybe as a hitman he could have "taken care" of them ... I wish ......
This movie is a total waste of celluloid and gets my vote as the worst movie of 1998 so far ...
All the actors are so terrible, especially Lou Diamond Phillips that I have never seen so bad before. Clearly his worst performance ever. But what can you do with a script that is a joke from beginning to end. What can you do with dialogues that seem to have been written by a 12 years old kid obsessed with masturbation (one of the characters keeps talking about this !!!) and some old King Kong movie ...
0/5 for me ... which means I would rather have watched a blank tape than to see this !!!
I was tempted at one point to be "generous" and give a 0.5/5 for a couple of nice action sequences near the end and the presence of a couple of gorgeous ladies (clearly not chosen because of their acting abilities !!) but when those action scenes don't lead to anything else it seems like such a waste after all ...
Sorry for such a negative review ... but I can't find any positive aspect to this movie ... even Wahlberg's performance was just a big let down especially after his great one in Boogie nights, The basketball diaries, etc.
Look for Wahlberg's wife's parents as the most annoying couple I have seen on screen in a loooooooooong time !!! ... maybe as a hitman he could have "taken care" of them ... I wish ......
Denise Calls Up
(1995)
A comedy with an edge ...
6 March 1999
Having just finished watching Denise calls up (my 2nd time for this one since it was released) ... I feel it is an excellent comedy that everyone can relate to.
Having lots of friends but never enough time to actually meet them, get together.
Making plans but always cancelling at the last minute for some obscure reason ... this is something most people can relate to.
I was impressed again by the performances of all of the actors which are excellent. Especially the actress who plays Barbara which I think was giving a wonderful and believable performance.
Definitely the best performance of the movie in my mind.
Some funny moments, some sad ones ... this one is a little rollercoaster ride that is quite pleasant to watch ...
Rating : 3.5/5
Having lots of friends but never enough time to actually meet them, get together.
Making plans but always cancelling at the last minute for some obscure reason ... this is something most people can relate to.
I was impressed again by the performances of all of the actors which are excellent. Especially the actress who plays Barbara which I think was giving a wonderful and believable performance.
Definitely the best performance of the movie in my mind.
Some funny moments, some sad ones ... this one is a little rollercoaster ride that is quite pleasant to watch ...
Rating : 3.5/5
A Bronx Tale
(1993)
Oh ... This is a good one !
6 March 1999
I really like this one. A nice story with some funny moments, some sad ones too ... a little bit for everyone. DeNiro is also my favorite actor of all times which doesn't hurt at all (obviously !) ...
I like the fact everything is not black or white ... there are some grey areas too. The gangster and the father influencing C both in different ways and about a lot of different aspects of his life.
I really like the love story between C and the black girl. Especially the part where Sonny talks to C about it ... telling him to do what makes him feel good and forget about his rowdy friends who don't know anything but to act like creeps with anybody they don't like. Nice material there.
4/5 overall for the picture. I recommend it to you highly, seen it about 4 times since it was released.
Marc
I like the fact everything is not black or white ... there are some grey areas too. The gangster and the father influencing C both in different ways and about a lot of different aspects of his life.
I really like the love story between C and the black girl. Especially the part where Sonny talks to C about it ... telling him to do what makes him feel good and forget about his rowdy friends who don't know anything but to act like creeps with anybody they don't like. Nice material there.
4/5 overall for the picture. I recommend it to you highly, seen it about 4 times since it was released.
Marc
Barton Fink
(1991)
One hell of a movie ...
1 March 1999
I just finished seeing the movie Barton Fink. My 3rd time seeing this one (not tonight ! ... since it was released I mean) ...
Very good film ... I find myself liking it more and more each time I see it... mainly because of the excellent screenplay and the excellent actors too.
John Goodman is so good in this one ... possibly his best performance ever... although he was also excellent in The Big Lebowski...
John Turturro is marvelous also and all the supporting actors give excellent performances ...
Really a good movie with some hilarious moments and some tragic ones as well...
Try seeing it twice ... if you don't like it that much the 1st time around...
Marc
Very good film ... I find myself liking it more and more each time I see it... mainly because of the excellent screenplay and the excellent actors too.
John Goodman is so good in this one ... possibly his best performance ever... although he was also excellent in The Big Lebowski...
John Turturro is marvelous also and all the supporting actors give excellent performances ...
Really a good movie with some hilarious moments and some tragic ones as well...
Try seeing it twice ... if you don't like it that much the 1st time around...
Marc
Bad Boys
(1983)
Not that generous ...
11 February 1999
I just finished watching this movie and I wasn't that impressed
Only Sean Penn and Ally sheedy are excellent in this one ... all the other actors give only so-so performances. Nothing too spectacular...
And the plot itself is mildly ludicrous ... to believe that such a thing could happen is a sign of mental weakness ... Keep on watching wrestling and believing it's real ... haha !!!
2/5 overall. A little disappointing for myself who is a big Sean Penn fan but what can you do with a script like that and some slightly uninteresting dialogues ...
Better luck next time ...
What was Esai Morales doing in there ... still trying to figure it out ... would this "marvelous" plan of his work ?? wowo ... I was reminded of Wile E. Coyote (Morales) trying to catch the Roadrunner (Penn) ... but with a home made ice pick instead of a fork !!!
Only Sean Penn and Ally sheedy are excellent in this one ... all the other actors give only so-so performances. Nothing too spectacular...
And the plot itself is mildly ludicrous ... to believe that such a thing could happen is a sign of mental weakness ... Keep on watching wrestling and believing it's real ... haha !!!
2/5 overall. A little disappointing for myself who is a big Sean Penn fan but what can you do with a script like that and some slightly uninteresting dialogues ...
Better luck next time ...
What was Esai Morales doing in there ... still trying to figure it out ... would this "marvelous" plan of his work ?? wowo ... I was reminded of Wile E. Coyote (Morales) trying to catch the Roadrunner (Penn) ... but with a home made ice pick instead of a fork !!!
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