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tibejordan
Reviews
Freaks and Geeks (1999)
Great Show and a Damn Shame
I can't say much more than others have. I didn't catch this show until it was nearly cancelled (sort of a trend here among reviewers I think--great scheduling by the folks at NBC). Anyway, by the time I realized how wonderful this show was it was off the air. I've been watching the reruns on FOX FAMILY and what can I say: Great Writing, Great Acting, the best ensemble cast I've seen in a long time, characters and situations that people can relate to, and moments (in the same episode no less) that will make you laugh out loud and feel misty as well. Every episode I've watched has been fantastic but I watch it with a sense of regret knowing there are only 18 of them out there. Had NBC actually promoted this show and allowed it to find an audience (and it would have) this would have been the breakout hit last season (and it would have been well deserved). Anyway, if you get a chance, catch the reruns because the show is (just maybe) the best thing on television.
The Replacements (2000)
Pleasant Surprise
Honestly, I wasn't expecting much of this film, but there are a lot of funny moments (I haven't laughed this much at the movies in a long time). You will quickly find yourself rooting for this ragtag group of underdogs. Like others who have left reviews, the preview crowd I saw this with laughed uproariously throughout the film and applauded every touchdown. Lots of fun and a nice way to spend two hours.
Cube (1997)
Doesn't Quite Follow Through on Great Start/Premise
I have to agree with a lot of points made by my friend from Escondido. Cube has a great premise and starts off really well: a disparate group awakes to find themselves in a cube-like prison of connecting rooms, some of which are laced with (delightfully cinematic) deadly booby-traps. The film begins as a mind game as this group attempts to work out how to find a way out. Yet about halfway through one of the characters makes MAJOR changes to his personality, and the film becomes less a thinking-man's horror film then a standard evade the psycho flick. Still, its still more inventive, and interesting, than the majority of Hollywood schluck. A seven out of ten.
Two of Us (2000)
Nice Surprise
I admit I had some trepidation when I first saw the previews for this film. Was VH-1 treading on hollow ground here? I mean, Harris and Quinn don't really look or even sound like John or Paul. But I have to admit, this film really surprised me. It's far from the exploitation film I expected. Instead, it's a character study, a low-key, whimsical, and ultimately bittersweet look at friendship, and the ultimate lesson we all learn: it's hard, if not impossible, to capture what we once had, and what has passed us by.
Red Dwarf (1988)
Who Wouldn't Want to be Trapped in Space With These Guys?
Red Dwarf is for anyone who enjoys a good laugh, and doesn't mind taking their science fiction with a grain of salt. Yet I think it's necessary to break the show up into three distinct parts.
Part One encompasses seasons one and two, which revolves primarily around the relationship of Rimmer and Lister. The first two seasons have a great low-budget appeal (most of the scenes take place on a couple of sets)and really mixes sharp wit and satire with a sense of loneliness.
Part Two is seasons three to six, and a new character, Kryten, is added to the list (this is not bad at all: Kryten gets a lot of the best lines). With the show's growing popularity and increased budget, the characters venture more and more outside their giant spaceship and explore "strange new worlds". Action and physical comedy take more and more precedence during these seasons. This is the high point of the show's run.
Part Three includes seasons seven and eight, and in all honesty, are best avoided. Several years elapsed between seasons and six and seven, and it shows. The show's creators made several mistakes in plot, story, and character, and the actors appear to be going through the motions, and much of their character traits, which made the show so great in the first place, are missing or warped in very disappointing ways.
Still, I highly recommend the first six years of this program. They're just the motley crew I'd want to be lost in space with.
Magnolia (1999)
Gutsy Filmmaking
Magnolia is for viewers who like their films to take chances. P. Anderson stretches the boundaries of conventional Hollywood filmmaking and rewards viewers who come into his film with open hearts and minds. Stellar camera work, editing, and music abound in this truly superb effort, with an amazing ensemble collection of actors. A must see.
Stryker's War (1985)
The Best Bad Film Ever Made!
I remember seeing the trailer for this film in the theater when I was fourteen or fifteen and laughing my head off. Unfortunately, I didn't come across the film again for several years until my best friend in high school ran across a copy in a small video store. Boy what a find! I was completely sober and on the floor laughing for ninety minutes! Terrible acting, horrific sound effects (laser-like sounds in the Vietnam scenes), miss-placed blocking by the actors (one guy jerks BEFORE he's shot)and total lack of coherency or logic make this a must see! I mean, Vietnam vets take revenge on Manson-like killer in the middle of a forest? What's not to love? Bye the way, if you like this, check out a film called "Hard Rock Zombies."