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Reviews
Almost Famous (2000)
No 'Almost'
There's no 'almost' about it. ALMOST FAMOUS is perfect. This movie kills me. Kate Hudson is absolutely charming, sweet, tragic, all that. Wouldn't it be nice if teenage girls wanted to look like her, all curvy and bits of baby fat left? Even though she plays a groupie, she is the one I remember the most. Patrick Fugit as William is such a cutie, you just want to pinch his cheek and give him a soy-nut butter and organic jelly sandwich with the crusts cut off. He never comes off as fake, jaded, etc. He's all big eyes and intense concentration. There's lots of other great characters in this movie (maybe Billy Crudup will get the stardom he deserves), but Fugit and Hudson are perfect. It's rated 'R', yeah, but I watched it with my dad and wasn't at all uncomfortable. Everything just seems to fit. There's no gratuitous anything. Cameron Crowe is leaps and bounds beyond Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Jerry McGuire.... it's like a pretty college girl, a flashy supermodel, and that one woman who combines grace, style, intelligence, sweetness, and quirky looks to be hotter than the co-ed or the supermodel. Five stars!
Labyrinth (1986)
Enduring and Engaging
I first saw 'Labyrinth' when I was 5 years old, and I promptly developed a crush on the Goblin King. Now that I'm older, I've learned to appreciate the whole picture, not just David Bowie. 'Labyrinth' must have been an incredible undertaking, but the love it was made with shows in every frame. With the exception of Sarah's parents, who are definitely skewed to be the stereotypical nasty stepmom and absentminded dad, all the characters were multi-dimensional, even the king. The pup- I mean, the Muppets all are original creatures, especially the Fierys ('Let's take off her head!') and the fairys who bite. The set is amazing, David Bowie steals the show, and you can't help but laugh at all the little touches you don't notice until your 3rd or 4th (or 30th or 40th) viewing. Jennifer Connelly is a little whiny at first, but gets better as the film goes. This film used to be impossible to find on video, now you can get it on DVD and VHS. What I've noticed about this movie is that either you saw it as a kid and LOVED it (acted it out, watched it over and over and over, etc), or you were sorely deprived and can't really get into it now that you're older. However, everyone who grew up on 'Labyrinth' has a strange, fanatical devotion to it (much like 'Legend') no matter the quality of the film in others' eyes. It's definitely one to dig out and relive, or show to the kiddies. It's just scary enough to keep them glued to the screen, there's no annoying slightly slow sidekick to cheese things up (Jar-Jar anyone?), and it definitely fuels the imagination. The Muppet/Jim Henson movies will endure long after the Pokemon and Power Rangers are in the trash, so just take a deep breath and go rent or buy this movie.
X-Men (2000)
And I'm not a fan-boy!
From the time I was 11 until I was 15, I admit-- I came home every day and watched 'X-Men' cartoons. And I loved them. So when I heard that there was going to be a movie, I couldn't wait. But oh, the wait was worth it. I don't care how many screenwriters it has (many props to Joss Whedon of 'Buffy' fame), or the fact that there was no Danger Room, this movie flat out rocked. Bryan Singer is an amazing director, and his touch kept 'X-Men' from being campy and heavy-handed. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine-- people, in two years, you won't be able to escape this guy. But why would you want to? He was absolutely amazing, for fan-boys and non-fan-boys alike (hey, I'm a chick!), the embodiment of everything Wolverine could, would, and had to be. Anna Paquin as Rogue? You may laugh, but she made me ache, what with the can't-touch-you problem and the inner strength. What I mean is, just because she doesn't look like Rogue in the comics doesn't mean she can't be Rogue. I think it was a great opportunity for her to flex her acting ability a bit, and hopefully in the sequels (you know there will be) she'll really get to use the whole flying aspect of her power, too. Halle Berry was not, however, the person for Storm. Growing up on the streets of Cairo? I think not. Angela Bassett would have been awesome (to borrow an idea from the Stranger). Scott Marsden played Cyclops exactly as he should be, a bit of a self-righteous jerk, but basically a good guy. Famke Janssen looks EXACTLY like Jean Grey, and Patrick Stewart was his normal elegant self.
Villans: Ian McKellan is great at whatever he does, but even the Magneto getup towards the end made him look like a little Lego man. Ms. Romijn-Stamos played a great Mystique (watch how guys in the theaters crane their necks for a better view), and Ray Park's martial arts skills, formerly showcased as Darth Maul, were missing as Toad. However, did you catch the Ep.One joke?
All in all, I very much appreciate the main arc of the story being Wolverine and Rogue, not Cyclops and Jean. They were always my favorites. It was well-written, well-acted, all that good stuff. This is definitely the new yardstick to judge all comic book films by from now on. Kevin Smith is right in saying it's one of the top five. It's plain awesome, which is exactly why I ended up dropping $16 this weekend to see it twice. You have to, so you catch all the little things you miss the first time. I can't wait for the sequel.
Almost Live! (1984)
The best American comedy show of recent years
I have grown up in the Seattle area, and my daddy weaned me on "Almost Live." Consistently funny, great timing, and some truly inspired skits make for great Saturday evening viewing. I have been known to leave parties to come home and watch it, then go back. The local NBC affiliate that shows it, KING 5, airs "AL!" at 11:35pm, then "Saturday Night Live" at 12:05am. In my almost 15 years of watching "Almost Live", I have never seen it resort to the 'dick and fart jokes' that I saw on SNL time and time again. There are so many things in the Seattle area to make fun of (Kent, Lynnwood, Ballard, the entire east side of Lake Washington), there's no reason to fall into toilet humor as the more recent years of SNL did. I guarantee that any way you can get ahold of an episode of "Almost Live", it will be worth it, a million times worth it.