Scream-11 Reviews

In the Bedroom (2001)

Don't Waste Your Time In The Bedroom (spoilers)

[4/10 · 10 February 2002]

I really wanted to like In The Bedroom. Fine performances from the whole cast, most notably Sissy Spacek and Marisa Tomei, and the whole thing seemed so believable. It was difficult to watch the first half hour, 45 minutes because they were doing such a good job making the Poor Dead Boy so likable and you just knew he was going to be killed, so you didn't want to get attached. And yes, it was uncomfortably slow for almost the entire movie, but I think it was supposed to be that way. The movie starts out passing like long, slow days of summer, then it seems to lose all momentum and curl up into a fetal position for an hour or so, which does an excellent job of reflecting the desires of the main couple. It really adds to the experience when you can hear people talking in the halls outside the theater -- they're living their lives while you're not, and you want to be, but not badly enough to actually get up and do something about it. You are forced to be Sissy Spacek. It's not a pleasant experience, but I think it is right that it happens the way it does. The direction is excellent, lots of storytelling through casual details, like a shot with Marisa Tomei talking to her ex-husband, and it's clear in the frame that he still wears his ring while she doesn't even have a tan line anymore. Subtle and effective. Also, in the grieving scenes, all the characters do more communicating with facial expressions or simple tasks like mowing lawns or doing other chores, and it makes it painfully clear that they're trying to deny their grief. You want them to stop piddling around with the stupid lawnmower and talk about any guilt feelings they might have, but they don't, and you can't make them, much like the situation would be in real life. All of this, while uncomfortable, makes In The Bedroom a marvelous film.

The end ruins everything, though. What could have been a serious and thoughtful piece worthy of viewing as a mandatory component of grief counseling becomes a mind-bogglingly inappropriate revenge crime drama. Because while we the audience had been thinking we were watching the story of how a couple deals with their son's death, we had instead been watching the story of his murder, which changes the situation significantly. While the last half hour or so serves to provide the only action in the film (all the violence in the beginning is off-screen, and it works really well that way, forcing the viewer to admit that he is not the heroic elf having the romance with the beautiful and fragile woman, he is instead a helpless bystander, like the parents, and later their friends), it just feels tacky. Why bother trying to learn to help those who are grieving if revenge is the only thing that works (not that it necessarily does, I think the very end is somewhat ambiguous)? Why sit through a practically silent movie in a silent movie theater (and I found that the audience around me was respectful enough of the subject matter and the style to sit quietly for almost the entire time) if the end makes you feel like you stepped into the low-budget stepchild of the Arnold Schwarzenegger flick playing down the hall? I would not recommend this film to anyone who lacks a specific need to properly grieve or assist someone else in the grieving process, and even for those people, I recommend walking out when the movie makes its abrupt change of tone.

Vanilla Sky (2001)

See it, but don't expect it to be good.

[4/10 · 14 December 2001]

I wouldn't say I liked it really, but I am glad I went and that I went before anyone could spoil it for me. I think you should go, although I don't know that you'll like it, and I wouldn't go back with you, and I don't know that any of your friends will like it and I highly doubt that any of mine will, but I think you should go. Things you will like:

Penelope Cruz is, as always, absolutely adorable, and maybe, just maybe, this will finally be that promised film that rockets her to legitimate Hollywood stardom. But most likely not because the rotten word of mouth from the masses will keep everyone away.

Tom Cruise does a fantastic job playing a role that fits him well.

Cameron Diaz is funny, desirable, unnerving, and sympathetic all at the same time.

The twists and things are well explained by the end, although the one major clue doesn't happen until about two hours in. Still, the clues along the way should give you some idea of what's going on, maybe. The final explanation at the end is quite satisfying.

Kurt Russell is good, especially at the end.

There's a part where you as an audience member are specifically referenced, although it does fall rather flat.

It is at times gleefully surreal, switching from dreams to reality with little warning.

Things you will not like:

It is at times dreadfully surreal, switching from dreams to reality with little warning.

Bloated. It's over two hours long for no good reason, lots of dead time when you're sitting in your seat trying to will the thing to move like it's a drowned kitten. You know, maybe that's a good analogy for the movie. It had some real potential to be a kitten everyone would love, but poor little Cameron Crowe gave it a bath for too long trying to get it all pretty and it just kinda drowned and it's a shame, but that's the way it works.

Jason Lee is not at the top of his game, although he does seem to have taken efforts to pluck some of the unibrow.

No one who sees it with you will get it.

It's not nearly as clever as it (and we, really) would like to think it was supposed to be.

The complete shift in gears an hour an a half into the movie is so jarring that it feels like you're trying to teach a teenager how to drive a stick -- mental whiplash is not a pretty thing, although they try to explain it away later.

It's just not worth more than two hours of your time. If it had been shaved to an hour and a half, maybe, if it had put more substantive material into its actual length, maybe, but as it stands it is not worth your time or money from the perspective of entertainment or life education.

So if you're intrigued, go see it because nice people won't spoil it for you, but keep those expectations low and go alone.

The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue (1998 Video)

Wretched Waste of Time

[1/10 · 5 July 2000]

As other reviews have noticed, this flick is a slap in the face of those of us who loved the original movie as kids. The animation is truly Saturday-morning level, and I was cringing every time a familiar character popped in -- they had been stripped of whatever edginess they had previously possessed and given voices that grate harshly on the ears of long-time fans. The songs were painful and completely inappropriate every single time, and the story was just plain dumb. I am a camp counselor for kids aged 6 to 10, and even they hated the movie. Parents, please don't subject your kids to this drivel, and fans of the original, don't even think of even picking up the box to this shameful waste of time.

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

What a great summer movie!

[10/10 · 24 May 2000]

Wow. This is what I think I've been expecting the Bond franchise to evolve into. There's a damsel in some degree of distress (although she's quite plucky and can take care of herself most of the time, which I love), numerous gratuitous car chases (where the creators faithfully adhere to the law that any time a vehicle is struck while not currently being driven by the star, the vehicle must explode), fun gadgets, a pretty formidable bad guy, some great fight scenes... Ah, it's awesome. The plot is much simpler than the previous installment, but it's still got some elements that will likely confuse the crowd that kinda wants that. It's got a nasty genetically-engineered virus, and there's even a part with Tom kind of giving a nod to fans who remember his scene from the first movie where he's suspended from a rope and must maintain his balance (of course, due to the nature of the sequel, this time the scene is even more action packed and audacious if not quite as intense). Basically, this is just a caper movie with great technology and lots of explosions, which is what I think I wanted without knowing it. There are no major life lessons, there's no uplifting love story... I kinda buy the Tom-Thandie chemistry a little, but mostly because I absolutely have to in order to really get the most out of the movie as a whole. There's really no believable reason for these two to have any connection deeper than purely physical stuff, and once they are together, the chemistry doesn't really work for me. But she is the Love Interest and as such does a great job, so I am content to nod my head at the screen, chuckle a little, and say, "Yes, I know they're meant to be a great couple, Woo, thanks for the good try, now I'm ready for some more explosions," and Woo of course provides them. So anyway, I highly recommend this movie to bring out everyone's inner 8-year-old boy who still wants to see stuff blow up and stare in thankful amazement at the show.

Cookie's Fortune (1999)

Dark Southern Fun *spoilers, sorry*

[8/10 · 17 May 2000]

Cookie's Fortune is a very dark comedy mistakenly billed as a drama bordering on a whodunit. It's got Julianne Moore, who as always is outstanding (she's the reason I picked the film, although I had heard of it before because it's the one that made Liv Tyler cut off all her hair a while back), Glenn Close, who has a memorable part as a kind of a Cruella DeVille meets Scarlett O'Hara, Liv Tyler, who is in an out-there cute bad girl role which is delightful, Ned Beatty, Chris O'Donnell (another great performance, and I'm not what you'd call the biggest Chris O'Donnell fan in the world), Charles S. Dutton, Lyle Lovett as a sleazy fisherman, the guy who played the pedophiliac beauty pageant judge in Drop Dead Gorgeous, the guy who plays the senile ex-lawyer on The Practice... Excellent ensemble cast, and they really make the movie. See, the whole story revolves around the characters in a small Mississippi town, and it wouldn't work if you didn't feel like you know what it's like to live in the town, but the familiar cast really helps with that. Plot-wise, it's about a woman named Cookie who commits suicide, but as her sister Glenn Close says, "Only crazy people kill themselves." In an effort to salvage her family's reputation, Glenn Close gets her mentally challenged but adorable sister Julianne Moore to help her fake a robbery/murder, and the movie revolves around the investigation of this crime and how all the characters react. But what really makes it work are all the small touches, the little things people do, like having a candle-lit dinner in a jail cell or hogging the bedside electric fan (you'd have to see it to really understand). This may not mean much to most people, but in one scene, Julianne Moore looks out a window and points out a Magnolia tree, and I absolutely freaked out (I became a rabid Julianne Moore fan because of her performance in Magnolia). It was a very cool moment. Anyway, I give the movie an 8. Not exactly ground-breaking and unforgettable, and it's got some really unnecessary but harmless plot twists towards the end, but it's lots of fun throughout.

Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (1991)

Could be a lot worse...

[4/10 · 19 April 2000]

Okay, this is one of those harmless family movies, and nothing I can write will turn anyone away -- if you've seen one movie of this style, you know exactly what you're getting into. For those who may wonder, you're getting into a movie where the best acting comes from the horses, where the writing is about TV-movie quality if not a little worse, where the good characters are flawless and the bad ones are irredeemable... But there are a few surprisingly good lines, the costuming and sets are faithful to the Depression Era, and the inevitable Overly Dramatic Climax (it's in all of these) is actually rather touching. It's followed by an ending so abrupt you might get whiplash, but it is the moment that defines the movie, and for that, this movie merits a viewing, if only to have something positive to occupy your family's evening.

Jungle 2 Jungle (1997)

Surprisingly Fun

[9/10 · 20 February 2000]

I admit, I did not expect to like this movie at all. I loathe Martin Short, and I'm not really keen on the whole "put the 'savage' in the city and watch him say 'Oooh...'" thing, but I found this movie to be surprising. It wasn't on the surface anything particularly memorable or exciting, but everything was presented with such a sense of fun that I couldn't help but laugh at even the obvious gags that I would've just ignored in a movie that seemed to take itself more seriously. There was just something about Tim Allen's scene with the comatose cat that had me laughing much louder than I thought I would. I admit, the storyline didn't reveal anything particularly ground-breaking about the nature of fatherhood or Tim Allen's materialism (it invades all aspects of his life, even his choice of girlfriend, but that really had more of a place in the 80's), but Tim Allen is just such an honest, likeable actor that anyone watching couldn't help but feel some level of empathy and concern for his situation. I recommend this movie to anyone wanting some innocent, rather mindless fun, even those of us who don't like Martin Short.

Scream 3 (2000)

A Little Disappointing

[7/10 · 5 February 2000]

I understand that my expectations were so high walking into the theater that practically no movie could've satisfied me, but I'm still a little disappointed at the long-awaited finale to the Scream trilogy. While the first two were character-driven with murders to increase tension, this film was blood-driven with minimal characterization -- it felt like only Williamson could write these characters as being kinda wacky and out there but believable. I don't deny that Scream 3 delivered on the tension and scares -- it definitely did, and once again, the ending was a surprise to me, so I don't consider my time wasted, but I feel rather let-down by the flaws in the characters I have come to know and love.

The Hurricane (1999)

Poor execution of a promising story

[5/10 · 16 January 2000]

After a couple of hours, this movie gets good. It becomes a courtroom drama where the emotional parts become genuinely emotional. The young boy doesn't get as many lines (which is good. I'm sorry, but he just can't act), and maybe it's fatigue from being in my seat for so long, but the lines of dialogue that everyone else spouts become believable for the first time. Other than that, I can say very little in favor of The Hurricane. The writers obviously killed perfectly good trees writing hours of dialogue for characters who will only be remembered as Good White Man 1 or Bad White Policeman 3. Dan Hedaya does a decent job with what he's given, but every line amounts to "Grr... I don't like you because you're black. By the way, have I mentioned lately that I'm evil and corrupt? I'm afraid the guy asleep in the back row may not have picked up on it yet." The 3 Canadians have nothing to do but stand in a group like some obscene 3-headed beast, one being surly and dark (Liev Schrieber), one being the stereotypical pretty blonde, and the third being at times mildly accented and other times so British I honestly thought he was going to wrap himself in a British flag and dance around. As expected, Denzel Washington does an incredible job, and he's helped by the fact that his lines are the only ones that sound like they were written by someone who has actually come into contact with people in the real world. I mean, there are some really good lines ("You know, not all white people are racists." "Yeah, and not all black people are murderers."), and some funny moments (they really don't warrant to more than a mild chuckle, but they're good attempts, and I'm really reaching for reasons to like this movie that is Socially Conscious and that everyone else will, as usual with Socially Conscious movies that ride the coat-tails of their capital letters, love and weep over and use as an excuse to pick a fight with me over my tastes in films), but I'm not someone who watches movies purely for the story being told. For a movie to get to me, the story is just one factor. I need something that is well done as well, something with good writing and good acting. Aside from a couple of good lines and a great performance by Denzel Washington, this movie didn't have anything to like other than the emotional force of its story, and I'm truly sorry to be admitting this, but that's just not enough for me. I can't recommend this movie. I'm sorry.

Magnolia (1999)

Wow

[10/10 · 7 January 2000]

There's not much more I can say to add to the review on the opening page, but I can point out some of the thematic elements that make this film mindblowing. It has no plot, no central point, no real purpose or depth as far as that goes, but it's art at its best. The film raises issues about what it means to be a father, a daughter, a son. What does it mean to be a wife or a mother, and what happens when a woman finds her responsibilities as both in conflict with one another? What happens to the kid who never gets his promising future? What does one focus on in the moments before death? What is love, anyway? What happens when we've been down so long we can't understand the opportunities before us? The film (and if anything on this site deserves to be called a film and not a movie, it is Magnolia) deals with guilt and reconciliation and the nature of relationships, be they marriage or simple attraction. While I left the theater not feeling particularly enlightened or enriched about my life, I can not deny that I have been able to think about little other than Magnolia for the last four hours. What an incredible film...

The Omega Code (1999)

It's a Sad, Sad, Day for this movie-lover

[2/10 · 30 October 1999]

I truly wish I was not writing this review. I'm a Christian, so I waited anxiously to see this movie. It seemed great -- a Christian movie with some fairly famous stars and a plot that seemed intriguing (not that I buy the Bible Code itself -- you can make it say anything you want. I do, however believe everything inside the Bible). So I'm sitting on the edge of my seat enjoying the previews, when the movie comes on and manages to destroy my mood in a matter of minutes. I had to bite my lip to stop from commenting on the terrible writing and acting while I was in the theater (I would have been torn to pieces by the people cheering at the rather clumsy but basically uplifting scenes and gasping at the insanely obvious and predictable Tension Scenes, I'm sure). Once the final credits began to roll, however, I could reflect. There were many parts of the movie I liked -- some mostly unexpected plot twists, some effects that were indeed special (I'm not counting the Visions. Those were poorly done), and some interesting technical work -- fades, sets, that type of thing. Unfortunately, I got the distinct impression that if I read the book of Revelation to a monkey and set the monkey in front of a typewriter for an hour, I could've gotten a better script. And the music was beyond cheesy (even for a Bond fan who likes kinda cheesy music in scenes of action and intrigue). So I wish I could be like everyone else in the theater -- like the people who came out crying and breathless because of how incredible it was -- but I'm not someone who can be appeased by a writer who throws some words over a Biblical shell and slaps a Christian stamp on it. I need a good plot and believable dialogue before I can enjoy most movies, and this just didn't have either. I'm sorry, but I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone. And that's the tragedy. When will we see some intelligent Christian fiction? It has to be out there somewhere...

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

This Project gets an A for effort, but it fails everywhere else

[1/10 · 30 July 1999]

I knew when I got to the theater that the movie I was about to see would be shot on video -- I got that much from magazine articles and commercials on TV. What I wish I had considered was how much I hate watching other people's home movies. That's the problem with this film (other than that pesky it's-just-not-scary thing): rather than making me feel like I was there with the actors, I felt like I was in someone's living room watching their home movies of an outing that gets creepy towards the end, but never delivers any legitimate scares. Most of the film involves character development that is agonizingly slow and annoying to boot. Believable, yes, but not interesting, entertaining, or worth watching. Skip the Blair Witch Project.

The Haunting (1999)

The Haunting is a flawed, but still entertaining movie

[9/10 · 26 July 1999]

Okay, so the movie may not be as scary as it claims to be. There's definitely an unsettling, creepy feeling throughout, but I admit that the Haunting only delivers a few good scares. That, however, is no reason to avoid this film. See it even if for no other reason than an incredible set and effects that are beyond special. Okay, the face-in-the-sheet trick definitely gets old, and the story leaves something to be desired, but the effects are great, as anyone who has seen the previews knows. The acting is terrific most of the time, especially Catherine Zeta Jones and Lili Taylor (who looks eerily like Jamie Lee Curtis did in the original Halloween). If you let it, the Haunting can definitely keep you entertained for a couple of hours.

Bride of Chucky (1998)

Know what you're getting into

[7/10 · 25 July 1999]

I'm warning you -- this movie is not scary. If you're a horror movie fan, especially a Child's Play fan, you'll think it's incredibly funny, but you won't be scared. It's not a bad movie, but it's not scary.

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

A Real Winner

[10/10 · 23 July 1999]

Drop Dead Gorgeous is one of the funniest movies I have seen for a long time. The acting is great -- everyone sounds just like my friends from Minnesota -- and the writing is terrific. I love the documentary style because it allows for some great character development. While it may not offer any earth-shattering revelations about the beauty pageant life, this film definitely delivers some unforgettable characters, along with some great laughs.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

My Main Problems

[2/10 · 31 May 1999]

I'd like to start by stating that I am not a Star Wars fan. Thus, my views are incredibly biased and should not be given the same weight as a fan's views. Also, I know that there is absolutely no excuse at all for not seeing this movie -- you just have to go. You do not, however, have to like it -- and I really didn't.

1 -- I loved the scenes with almost nothing but computer animation, like a few of the battles, but the computer-animated characters didn't blend with the real actors at all. It's very visually painful to see a person walking in shadows next to a character whose very animation style requires that he have spotlights on him at all times. I feel that remote control creatures would have been superior in many instances.

2 -- Little Anakin Skywalker. Yes, I know, I'm a horrible person for critiquing a little boy's acting style, and I know he'll probably turn out to be great one day, but he's not there yet. The boy gives every single line in an "Oh, wow" tone of voice, whether the line calls for it or not. It's something I truly believe he'll grow out of, but if the kid can't handle the lines yet, don't give them to him. Let his mother give more of his background or let things come up in conversations between the two Jedi Knights.

3 -- Once again, I'm a terrible, horrible person, but I absolutely loathed Jar Jar Binks. I am far from a violent person, but after less than a minute of screen time, I wanted to tear the thing's ears off and walk out of the theater. Maybe it's because I'm 18, but I found absolutely nothing redeeming about a character who skips along, spouting gibberish and doing incredibly annoying things, like eating random objects or sticking his head into energy beams. I really hope he doesn't ever see a sequel...

I realize that none of this will (or should) stop anyone from seeing the film, but I just couldn't idly stand by while it got unanimously rave reviews from everyone I know.

Oh, and anyone who can recognize Natalie Portman will be completely unimpressed by one of the "major" plot twists.

'Til There Was You (1997)

A very nice surprise

[10/10 · 26 May 1999]

I would like to state for the record that I personally hate romance movies. I find that the characters are usually one-dimensional and the stories are extremely poorly written. This movie, however, was great. I know, a lot of the "coincidences" that happen are pretty cheesy, but overall, the movie is incredibly well-written, so it all seems completely believable. The characters are likable, and it's a very funny movie as well. I recommend this as an exception for anyone who hates romances.

The Game (1997)

Just not enough

[8/10 · 16 April 1999]

The Game is by no means a bad movie, but it isn't particularly good, either. Oh, I admit that it has some nice acting and intriguing plot twists, but the whole film has a very confusing feel (yes, I know that's on purpose, but that doesn't make it good). The main reason I saw it was because I'd heard the "huge shocker" ending would leave me breathless and make me want to watch it all over again. While I won't spoil the end, I do need to say that it fell FAR short of my expectations. It felt rather tagged-on, a disappointing end to a mediocre film.

If These Walls Could Talk (1996 TV Movie)

Doesn't change my views, but it's still a good movie

[9/10 · 8 April 1999]

Although this film does a good job of showing both sides of the abortion issue in positive lights, it definitely has a pro-choice bias. Despite the fact that I am pro-life, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The writing is great, and the creators do an excellent job of making the audience think about abortion from various angles. From Demi Moore's attempt to give herself an abortion with knitting needles to a pro-life crowd outside a clinic, If These Walls Could Talk provides powerful images and intriguing characters. The three sections don't flow together particularly well, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this movie is a must-see for pro-lifers and pro-choicers alike.

The Scarlet Letter (1995)

Does this movie have ANYTHING to do with the book?

[2/10 · 25 February 1999]

Okay, not that I'd know or anything, but if you're supposed to read _The_Scarlet_Letter_ for English and you watch this movie instead, it doesn't help you at all on the test. Most of this movie deals with how Hester Prynne gets pregnant and her life before she has her baby (the book starts right after Pearl is born), the little girl is characterized totally differently, and the movie MAKES UP A WAR WITH THE NATIVE AMERICANS THAT WAS NEVER IN THE BOOK (not that I'm bitter).

Congo (1995)

This movie makes me want to cry

[2/10 · 25 February 1999]

The book, while not particularly great, was decent, but this movie completely changes it. A lot of the elements of the story are consistent between the book and the movie, but Dr. Ross' character goes from a creatively written character who lives for money and ends up causing the volcanic eruption with her greed to a heart-on-her-sleeve damsel in distress who won't do anything if she even catches the slightest hint that it might be less than noble. When movies change the book that much but keep the same name, it should be a crime.

The Practice (1997–2004)

Missing this show should be a crime

[14 February 1999]

The Practice is the only show on television that never fails to make me reconsider my views on some of the controversial issues in society today. The writing is the best I've ever seen on television, and I love the characters, but the best thing about the show is that it deals creatively with important topics, like euthanasia and attorney/client privilege. As long as The Practice continues to take my breath away every week, I will be a devoted fan.

In Dreams (1999)

A good movie

[8/10 · 18 January 1999]

This movie was great -- it had a very Silence of the Lambs feel to it (not particularly scary, but unsettling and creepy), and it had a pretty original story. All of the artistic elements are beautiful (little things like how the dreams have brighter colors than the dull waking world), the acting is great, and the writing is well done too. I definitely recommend this movie.

Repossessed (1990)

A quick warning...

[8/10 · 9 January 1999]

If you haven't seen the Exorcist yet, watch it first. I saw this first, and it made the Exorcist totally boring and predictable. If you see the two in the reverse order, though, I think you can really enjoy them both.

Godzilla (I) (1998)

This movie is so bad it's painful

[1/10 · 1 January 1999]

Ouch. I show up at the theater, innocently expecting a movie about a big lizard running around eating people. Unfortunately, I get a movie about a bunch of poorly-written characters trying to deal with Godzilla. Come on, Godzilla is who we all came to see, not a bunch of pathetic characters! The damsel in distress flops her way through every scene, amazing me with exactly how little energy she can have. I don't even see Godzilla until about an hour or so into the film (yes, I know, that was a marketing ploy for the commercials to make people want to see the movie, but once you're in the theater, they've kind of got you), and I'm in serious pain from the gargantuan plot holes. Godzilla leaves his/her home in the middle of the Pacific, swims through the Panama Canal and around Florida to New York because that was the most convenient place to lay eggs??? Matthew Broderick is brought to the group because he specializes in mutations caused by radiation, but when he suggests that Godzilla is perhaps (this is a shocker) an animal mutated by radiation, everyone acts shocked and thinks he's crazy! What??? This movie is just so horrible until the end, so my suggestion to anyone who hasn't seen it is to show up with only a half hour left in the movie. That's the only possible way I can see someone enjoying Godzilla.