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neil_fraser
Reviews
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Terrible. Absolutely terrible.
Saw it opening weekend going in with zero expectations and walking out of theater at that time I would have given it a 5 out of 10. Rewatching it on Netflix over the weekend made me realize how deeply flawed it is and made me reevaluate my rating. The humor is misplaced and hacky. The whole vibe is wrong for most of the movie. Just when you think it feels like a Star Wars movie, the movie derails and goes off in a different horrible direction. Aside from a few examples, most of the characters are awful and you don't care what happens to them. Kelly Marie Tran is simply awful. She can't act. She has terrible dialogue. Her character is annoying. Her story arc is pointless. What they did to Luke is unforgivable. I totally agree with Mark Hamill's anger at the direction Rian Johnson took with Luke. He would never abandon the force. He wouldn't just toss a lightsaber over his shoulder. He would act like such an immense pr*ck. What were they thinking when they made this garbage!?
I'm shocked at the controversy this movie has caused. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. If you liked it, I have no problem with that. I'm not going to start calling you names. Having said that, wow, this movie suuuuuuucked. It's hard for me to believe after billions of dollars spent on production over the span of 20 years, that nobody can make one single good new Star Wars movie. A consistently good movie from beginning to end. They all have at least one good part, but a part doesn't make a movie. As a fan, I have to balance my expectation of what I would like to see happen in the franchise vs what creative direction and feel the creative team wants to go in. All directors have a vision. I get it. I just don't understand how nobody else making these movies "gets it". Lord of the Rings got it right for 3 movies. Harry Potter got it right for 8 movies. Why is it so hard to make all the elements, direction, story, dialogue, characters, tone, action, suspense, special effects, all come together to make a great satisfying movie?
Ratatouille (2007)
awesome
Out of all my reviews I have done for IMDb, this is the one review i'm most happy to be typing right now. If you are reading this, I can't tell you enough to go see this movie. It's that good. Easily one of the best, if not the best Pixar film to date. Animation is awesome, script is awesome, scenery is awesome. Not only that, but it really benefits from being on a big screen too. Voice acting is great, not to mention the casting. Good on ya. They really chose the right actors for the job. Never are you distracted with that annoying feeling that you heard that voice before. (i.e Woody Allen as an ant.) Personally what I really appreciated most about this movie was that they truly made a family film, a film every age can enjoy. I always felt that with "Cars", even though a great film, wasn't made for adults. Just look at all the toys and products that had Lightning McQueen's face on them and you will see what I mean. This film has an off-beat, yet adult story of a young chef/rat trying to make it as a cook. It deals with bad bosses, relationships with co-workers, and job stress. In fact you replace the rats with kids from a rough neighborhood, and you have a drama/comedy about class struggle. The fact is, this was a film about real life (minus cooking rats). Not a cute story about a world run by talking cars. If I had to nitpick. And it really would be nitpicking. I would have to say that the film felt about 15 minutes too long. Also the basic story formula was familiar movie territory. Fish-out-of-water mixed with a pseudo-Cyrano de Bergerac story. It worked, but I was very aware of what I was watching. The evil chef sorta felt like Dean Wormer from Animal House. Thats all. Just little things here and there sometimes felt very familiar. I will say this. I am proud of Pixar for maturing in their storytelling. I was starting to notice that every film by them was a rescue story, again! Thank you for not making another. It is a welcome change. Also, to it's credit, Ratatouille was not nearly as gaggy as the earlier Pixar releases. Instead they relied more on clever facial expressions and situation comedy. Plus gags, when present, were more visual. Nothing like the stupid one-liners, i.e "find a happy place" in other Pixar films. (Hey it's a fish that needs therapy, yuk yuk!) I'll say this, Pixar used to really emphasize the novelty aspect of computer animation. It seemed like they use to make a game out of reproducing cheese puffs, or toy packaging, or making sea turtles into stoners. This was getting old for me. I really enjoyed the change of pace in Ratatouille. Lush scenery, realistically detailed rats and objects, and perfectly rendered lighting. Very impressive. I wouldn't be surprised if this won for best animated feature at next years Oscars. Well done!
1408 (2007)
Not "The Shining for 2007"
I could easily go off on this film. The potential was there from the start, but as with many of the Steven King films, the great storytelling is smothered by a thick layer of cheese. Horror films have always had the potential to be so much more than the industry or public has let them be. I really believe that 1408's story lends itself to more way subtlety that it is given in this film. Sure its billed as a psychological thriller and definitely deals with some dark subjects. However the overall tone of the film is just not creepy enough for me to be convinced that it is a thriller. Once he entered the room, I more or less just sat in the dark and waited for sh*t to pop out. Where's the creepiness in that? Where's the women in the tub, like in the shining? If this room makes people go mad, why not show some serious hallucinations? Not just a wide angle lens and camera wobble? It seems as if the director wanted this to be a fun film that could appeal to a non-horror crowd. A scary, fun-house kind of entertainment that constantly reminds you that nothing you are looking at could be real. At one point Samuel Jackson tells John Cusack that "thats a evil f*cking room". Well? All I can say is, show me! Don't pull punches. Give me evil, not a tales from the crypt episode. My advice is, save your money and rent the DVD
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)
Not without problems
Where do I start? Lemme say I find it curious that some people find this to be the best star trek series ever. Of course everyone has their own taste, but I personally think DS9 was a grave miscalculation. I find the entire series somewhatlacking and slow-paced. There are so many missed opportunities and bad judgments calls in my mind that I can't see it as more than bad gamble from an otherwise great franchise. In short, my major complaint with DS9 is that there's so much good with so much bad. It comes across as unfinished and untested. It seems at times that the writers are constantly holding back on us to give the feeling that subtlety is in the air and that this star trek is has more going for it than just cool explosions and angry Klingons. Really what they are doing is not giving the audience what they want. Call me crazy, but if you make a show with a changeling in it, shouldn't you have him change shape? It seems like they never took full advantage of this cool gimmick. So Odo, an otherwise great character, rarely is shown using his best trick. That's like Worf saying he won't fight because he does want to rip his starfleet uniform. Boring right? Dax seems to be a cheap ploy forced on the audience by the writers to open your mind on the meaning of gender, so that you see a beautiful woman but she talks like your grandfather giving you advice. Stupid if you ask me. The wormhole is totally fake looking, every time it opens up it looks exactly the same every time with no variation. Nothing in nature with clouds and mist and stuff forms that way every time you see it.. and for all 7 seasons? C'mon, am I the only one who find this annoying? Then there's Kaiko, the worlds most annoying wife. I cringe every time I see her appear on-screen, smothering Miles with her own brand of needy love. And that's another thing, O'brien was bad enough on TNG, but here he just acts like a grumpy old man and gripes about work while downing a pint at Quark's. Really the only solid, interesting characters are Quark and Garak. Any episode about them is gold.
Update: It has been several months since I originally wrote this review. Since then I have watched more of deep space nine because I wanted to give it a second chance. I might have been a little judgmental in the beginning because the show appeared to be going absolutely nowhere. However, I think the writers figured out most of the major problems by season 2 and I'm happy to say ds9 got way, way better. The characters are more fully realized in the later seasons. Instead of wasting episode after episode telling you about some old bajoran war, they finally have the characters show you what they are all about in well written story lines. You begin you feel connected to the characters and see them as something more than just stereotypes in the show's many lessons on diversity and politics. Which star trek tends to do, IMHO ;) Having said that I am going to give you this advice. Skip the first two seasons! Watch the pilot, then pull out the season 3 box set and start from there. Seriously, it will make all the difference. I would even argue start with season 4 but that might be overkill. If you ever get lost read the synopsis's from star trek.com, they will fill you in. But, honestly nothing happened for the first 2 years. So don't feel like you are missing out. However, if you are feeling adventurous. I would recommend only a "best of" seasons 1 and 2. (1x11 - The Nagus, 2x07 - Rules of Acquisition, 2x20 - The Maquis, Part I and II, 2x22 - The Wire, 2x26 - The Jem'Hadar, and possibly 2x23 - Crossover).
Veronica Mars (2004)
Great Surprise
To anyone that says advertising is pointless, listen to this story. One day on the way to work I saw the "free to be fearless" veronica mars ad on the side of a bus. I thought the picture of her making a silly face was funny, so I said what the hell, and I grabbed the pilot episode that evening. I knew nothing at all about the show, and probably would have watched it if I hadn't seen that ad. Well what do you know, it was a great show. Two weeks later and I'm almost done with the second season. I've got the theme song on permanent loop in my brain cells. get in on, get it on...thanks cw I won't make this a review, because whats been said has already been said many times over. Instead, i'll throw in my 2¢ and hopefully get you interested or give someone a laugh who's already a fan of the show.
Veronica struck me as the kind of girl you're hot for but would be too afraid to date. I 've never been out with a girl that wasn't nosey for dirt on their boyfriends and I can't image the character of Veronica Mars would be any different. Imagine hopping out of the shower and catching Veronica digging through your hidden porn collection, laughing, and asking you why you find "totally shaved college co-eds" a turn-on. Get my point. Cute or not cute, that girls got a mean streak. Just pray when things go bad she leaves you first.
When it comes to bad guys, Logan is great. I love the unexplained nature of his angst. Sure, his dad's a jerk and quick with a belt, but why help him out when he has what's coming to him. Why risk yourself, for a guy you have no respect for. Weird. Second, I love his complete unpredictability, it adds to the show.
Kendall cracks me up too. She originally was this scandalous, gold-digging wife in over her head with shady deals. You only saw her in spy photos carrying bags and doing cardio. It gave her a mysterious quality. Now the writers have penned her in as a running gag which I couldn't enjoy more. She has no tack or selfawarenes. She has no job and keeps coming over to Logans place like a dog without a home. Kendall is every girlfriend your old roommate had that's using the shower when you need to get to work in the morning. I can only imagine what's happening in that bedroom if Logan and Duncan keep coming back for more punishment. But as a duncan says, she'll do pretty much anything.
Beer League (2006)
What you expect and no more
If I were to say the movie was just OK than you would probably tell me that this is boring review and I don't blame you. But I have to say, seriously though, it was just OK. Not going to be on Roeper's 2006 picks, but good enough for a Sunday afternoon on Showtime. If you go see it, I would recommend this to put you in the right spirit; alcohol and a packed theatre. The movie is funny but not clever. You definitely need a little something to wash it down with. There's a lot of bad herpes jokes, guys calling each other fags, and a painfully bad callback involving a guy vomiting. The jokes are abundant though and for every miss there's a solid hit or two.
My major complaint with the movie is the sense that it was missing something or parts where I felt there was missed opportunity. Every scene seemed to play like the next and I think it would have been cool to see something that was set apart and memorable. For example a fantasy/dream/passout sequence with Artie in a major league game with bikini chicks handing him beers at the plate and one of the Yankee's pitching to him, but it's a softball. I don't know, something like that. If not that, they could of had a really good crazy prank scene somewhere in the half way through to take you away from the main plot for 5 minutes. Along the lines of the horse in the deans office in Animal House, or the police car in American Graffiti. Just something to contrast with Italians tossing around softballs and drinking in a bar.
As for Artie, he was great for the role of "Artie" and after 20 minutes you easy got lost in the character, forgetting the Stern show aspect. Forgetting of course they named the character Artie, gave him a girlfriend who he can't commit to, had him drink too much, smoke too much, and have issues with his father's death. Nice Stretch. Why not give him a Sirius t-shirt?
Hostel (2005)
Better than Cabin Fever
Wow! What do I make out of this? I hated but loved it all at the same time. For anyone reading this, just be warned that this is an colossal, uber gore-fest. There are more hacks than amateur night at the Apollo...(cough). Don't feel the least bit a wuss if torture and blood and comedy don't mix for you. This is off the f*****g scale, and thats coming from a guy who loves horror movies. Would I recommend it? Welllllll. Don't get too excited by the Tarentino stamp, this one's a renter. I don't need to see severed fingers and eyeballs larger than my own head on a big screen. *spoilers* Clever directing, clever visual storytelling, and a good slathering of revenge. I can't say I felt jipped. But the humorous treatment shows it's wounds halfway thru when you are left wondering when the Amsterdam weed will finally wear off and the plot will finally surface out of the bathroom in a red-eyed stupor. Party or no party, we got a frinkin' horror movie to watch.
Most Haunted (2002)
Can an TV show truly be objective?
I fell in love with the series after stumbling on an episode from season 7. I've seen shows like it before, but I was really taken in by the "scientific" approach they took to the investigation and the serious balls of the crew to sit in the pitch black for hours with just a camcorder. Sadly, I just finished watching the last of my discs yesterday, but now am working on getting the rest. Living in the states I never knew about this show at all and am excited that I have six more seasons to look forward to. Having said that my comments are limited to what I have seen so far.
-Spoilers- Derek Acorah makes the show for me. Simply put, I could watch him all day. He manages to keep you enthused about what he is experiencing whether in a trance or not, and yet always stops to explain his feelings clearly and what he has learned from Sam. I get a laugh from him scaring the crap out of Yvette with his creepy trances. It seems you could create a drinking game based on the amount of times she either bursts into tears, grabs Derek's arm, or feels a cold spot. Marcelle cracks me up too.
I guess part of the fascination the show's producers play on which keeps people watching, is the question, Is this whole thing for real or not? You wait for someone to slip up or to see the piece of string tied to the moving haunted chair. But yet you are never disappointed by a fraud. Instead you are always left with more questions than you started with and walk away trying to find your own explanations to these big mysteries. I must admit I entertained the thought of visiting some of these places myself. Why, you ask, would someone purposely go to someplace to share the s**t out themselves? Besides TV ratings, I feel it is because, subconsciously we want all to believe in ghosts no matter how scary or unpleasant the supernatural seems. Gimmicky camera shots aside, I think the show captures this curious desire very well.
My favorite memorable highlights from season one are: - Derek going into a trance as a chimpanze, totally hilarious - The cross moving at Derby Gaol, watch the way the paper curls from underneath! very creepy. Too bad about the camera angle. - "Cloggy" from Blackpool pleasure beach - Cameraman getting scratched by a spirit at The Red Lion - The dungeon of Charleville Forest Castle. I really felt the evil Derek was describing esp the brutality of the jailer - The elemental of Leap Castle and Derek's amazing description - Yvette completely freaking out at Levins Hall - The ghost detector made out of what seems to be a laser and a doorbell patched up with gaffer's tape that they rigged up in a lot of locations. The grip who patched it together seemed so proud. It's a shame no one had the heart to tell him it didn't work.
I'm glad to hear they replaced Jason Karl after the first season. He really started to annoy me because he never shut up. It's seems as if the crew felt the same way.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Yay! It's Over
What can be said that hasn't been said already?.. Plenty!. OK, firstoff, you must see this film. You can't get around it. Just go see it. Don't put it off. Otherwise, you'll find that people will slowly and surely, through no fault of their own, only assume you have seen episode 3 and bit by bit reveal spoilers will make you want to turn to the dark side. This happened to me with episode 2. So take my advice. Go now. Oh, and avoid the digital screens, you will only run into crowds and sold out seats (digital makes no difference, really).
Having said that, this contains all *spoilers*.
Like many people I think this was the best of the three films. The special effects were fantastic, but a bit busy and confusing. The story was excellent. The acting and dialogue, dreadful.
Performances seems forced. Character bonds were scripted but not felt throughout. Really the only time I felt for a character was when Anakin was hacked and left for dead.
I'm not one of those people that expect great dialogue from a film like Star Wars. Nor would I want to sit through a monologue from a CGI Yoda. My complaint really with this film was the wasted opportunity and the tacky one-liners. C'mon, If a force field dropped down on me I don't think this would be my response, "How did this happen, we're smarter than this!".
Even worse, the audience seemed to get a rise from the moments that were never intended to get any laughs, and yet they sat quietly still as scene after scene of tragedy unfolded. I remember one perfect example, Yoda walks in a room to battle the Chancellor. He force throws two guards to the ground. Everyone in the theatre roars into laughter. Why was that funny? Because it wasn't meant to be funny! That's why! OK, Here's another example, Darth Vader is horribly injured. They have to operate. Dramatic moment, here it is, the famous suit. The helmet goes on. Someone giggles. Vader get mad! He's in pain, he rips from the restraint table. Wait a minute...he looks like Frankenstein. Someone in the theater yells "that's awful". People groan.
So what did I like?.
Well, I though the General Grievious lightsaber dual was great. Even though I have issues with adding more lightsabers just to get the audience going. (What next Darth Centipede?).
The Mace Windu death scene was great. It didn't disappoint.
R2-D2 giving the two droids "the slip".
A real planet of Wookiees! not Ewoks.
No one stepped on anyone's tail ;).
Thank God, they didn't try to create a back story for Han Solo.
Ian McDiarmid's performance was excellent, I was very impressed.
No more movies! We're done! We have our story of Vader. We now can all appreciate the original trilogy as the best. (just not the special edition)
EuroTrip (2004)
Eur in for fun!
If you have seen Road Trip, then you are pretty much in for the same ride with Eurotrip. Borrowing a premise that is unignoribily similar to the first film and combining characters that are equally similar, we once again travel the road to disaster that along the way is filled with plenty of laughs (and cameos..I could have sworn I saw Mindy Sterling). I found that much like the first one, what made this film hilarious are the bits, gags and one-liners, and not so much the general dialog. The filmmakers go out of their way to work the bigger-better-faster sequel formula, which luckily for us, keeps the clothes coming off and the pace never slowing. To add to the fun, most of the scenes look like they're actually shot on location, which makes it all the more funny when you realize that the world of Eurotrip is only filled with ridiculous stereotypes. Once in a while you see a few of the jokes coming at you a mile away, and some of the plot devices are glaringly bad (i.e. email blocked) but overall you are treated to a lot of pleasant surprises. I was laughing constantly from beginning to finish, as was most of the audience. To me, that makes any film worthwhile. One of the funniest comedies I have seen in the past year, if not the most twisted. So go see it.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Good:.. Johnny Depp's one-liners, surprisingly lush digital cinematography, oggling Salma Hayek, the third arm, only a 100 minute running time.......The Bad:.. the script, the storyline, the characters, the action scenes, the ol' quake arsenal in the guitar case bit, the shear existence of this film......and The Ugly:.. Willem Dafoe, Willem Dafoe with half his face missing, a guaranteed future DVD release with even more scenes, and very.. long.. 100 minute running time.
Save the Last Dance (2001)
Enjoyable
I really liked this film and was definitely won over from my skepticism very early on. Julia Stiles was perfect for the role. I don't know her background, but she was amazingly convincing as a dancer/ballerina. Not to mention absolutely adorable. All the cast were great. The beauty was in the films simplicity with dialogue and in genuine characters. I liked that even when the filmmakers slipped in a few cheezy lines here and there, or some fill-in-the-blank dance scenes, I never faulted the characters. My appreciation for the story and my journey with the cast never was spoiled. As a message film, it surely got points (or should I say props) for realism as well as a smooth delivery.
It has the something-for-everybody charm as well as a cuddle-with-a-girl-on-a-first-date element. Good job MTV, this one you got right.
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Craptacular, Craptacular
Every so often something comes along, whether music or film, that takes an audience and polarizes them, to where they either love or hate the work completely. There is no middle ground. It's a rare phenomenon, but it happens. Here are some examples of what I mean. Prince. Tom Green. Howard Stern. Phish. Think about them. You either love or hate them. Nobody buys into any of these artists half-way. If you like what they do, you love them, and spend all your free time trying to convince your friends how great they are. I'm sure Prince is a genius, I'm glad you think so. I've heard it a million times. I can't stand him. That said...
I don't fault Baz Luhrmann as a filmmaker, I have no hard feelings towards the guy. His films are just not for me. I've seen strictly ballroom and Romeo and juliet. I hated both. Like I said, his stuff is not for me. I saw this in the theatre when was released. I was so motion sick after ten minutes, I left the building and had to kill an hour and a half 'till my friends came out. Months later I watched a friends dvd and still had the same impressions of the movie (and yes I watched the whole film completely to the end, painfully)
- First of, it is cut way too fast for a movie screen. Even a bit much for a tv screen
- The contemperary music was really really irritating. A horrible device to express whatever Baz was trying to get across.
- The film was a series of pointless scenes connected together with no pause for anyone not drinking a tanker of mountain dew to comprehend.
I really hated this film. This was a beautiful film ruined by two major things. It should have been conceptualized without the horrible dimes-store covers of classic rock songs, and edited completely completely different.
How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980)
Did I dress that bad in 70's
Look at those clothes! Look at that wood paneling! Right on!
This movie has everything: ugly shopping mall, kids swearing, an anique shop accually called "the olde antique shop-ee", references to retainers being tightened (not a pleasent memory :P), people smoking everywhere, Jane Curtain exposing herself!
The writing is some of the worst I have experienced. You're in for a treat. The exposition is clumsy. The jokes are so corny. The storyline is literally held together with a wad of scotch tape and long string of contrived gags, dated jokes, and tired film conventions.
However, I liked it. Call me crazy. It had heart. The comedic timing is right on. All three of the female leads are genuinely funny and they had true chemistry. Jane Curtain is hilarious, she can really take some pretty bad writing and work magic with it. (hey just look at Saturday night live!). In the end, there's always a generous supply of stock characters for all the ladies to play off of. Not only did I get a kick from the endless economy jokes, but the endless wardrobe changes, and endless earthtones. (The whole movie is one big blur of brown and green.)
I honestly can't rate this movie, because it is beyond classification. Just wait until it comes on cable and tune in
Ed's Next Move (1996)
Nothing new
Cute, but not very memorable. The problem is this is big budget idea, with a small budget production. That, and the dialog could used little more inspiration and work. I'm not saying it's bad, but there is nothing at all unique or quirky about a guy living in New York and finding it hard to meet women. done before. The beauty should be in the details and unfortunately every bit of nuance is quashed with bad new-yorker stereotypes, hammy gags, akward dialog, and boring editing.
Had the casting been a little more on the ball, the scenes where random characters offered their life wisdom to Ed could have been more convincing and meaningful. Matt Ross as the naive newcomer, has the charm and likeability to pull off a nice-guy, but dosen't seem challanged or lively at all in the role. However, I really did like the scene where her band was jamming in the apartment, very cool. Probably the most genuine moment in the whole film.
A good sitting-around-the-house-on-a-saturday-afternoon,-hey-what's-on-hbo kinda movie. Nothing I would go out of my way to recommend.
The Shining (1997)
Wretched
I want two and a half hours of my life back! First rate crap, over advertised, CGI laden, a poorly directed stinkfest. What a terrible waste of a great, insightful novel. If you are reading this than I can assume you have read over the countless previous reviews and are tired of hearing amatuer writers cut their teeth, so I will try to cut to the chase of why I thought this was purely awful movie:
- Steven Weber was a poor choice of casting, he brings nothing to the character, and had no range what-so-ever. Urkel storming the beaches of Normandy would have been more believable.
- The film has no mood and sence of cinematography, the colors blow out at you like a 50 cent postcard
- The vision of the topiary animals coming to life was elegant and interesting, until they resorted to CGI and completely killed it.
- The child actor that played Danny was too eager to please and always looked like he was reading cues off camera (I know, I know he's a kid).
- The cheap thrills that "director" Steven King employs to give us all a scare, are like every county fair spook-ride where someones stoned cousin jumps out of the dark in a "scream" mask. How many times do we need to see a door close by itself after a character leaves the room. Okay...we get it, its a haunted hotel.
- Who setup these tired, boring array of shots? Item out of focus in the corner of the frame, talent in the back. Almost every stinkin scene has this, forced, kodak-10-steps-to-easy-photography approach to composition.
- How could these people sleep? The Kubrick version had the good sence to save the ghosts, hallucinations, and danger until the very last act. This version seems nonsensical and non-sequier, because the characters constantly run into every pants-wetting experience you can imagine, only to cut to a nice close-up of Danny laying there all nicely tucked in at the end of the day. Tomorrow... more ghosts chasing them all over again.
- The few parts where they decide to take creative liberty on the book are stupid and pointless. That bad "but wait...the bees aren't stinging me" part in Danny's room. Awful.
- They couldn't leave us seeing the hotel burn down. no. They had to leave room for a sequel. They had to do it. They couldn't leave it alone. Whew! So glad thats all over ...........................or is it!!!
- And finally, it's a real shame they didn't try to include the scene from the book where Danny crawls into the playground cement pipe and gets trapped. That scared the living crap out of me!
What I did like:
- The room 217 scene was very unnerving and creepy, which captures more of terror the book got across. A lonely, desperate, hungry spirit trying to have one last fling with youth from beyond the grave. eeesh
- Rebecca Demornay is the only talent in the entire film, and it shows. Seeing her act next to sit-com level talent makes you really appreciate the subtlety, conviction, and presence of a real actress.