jsmith96 Reviews

Green Street Hooligans (2005)

Why cast an actor in a lead role......

[5/10 · 15 September 2005]

That can't even pull off a decent cockney accent? Laughable. Was this movie set in the present day? Because no one got arrested. 50 Man U waiting outside the station just couldn't happen these days. If the film was set in about 1985 then I might have bought it. The story was OK, but just way over the top. And that kid could never run a firm. As for the "General"? Don't make me laugh. The Millwall old guard were much more believable. No mention of fashion or music and some truly awful dialogue. "Tottenham were in town last night"? What town was that then? And the flashback scene to supposedly the mid nineties? What was the deal with "The General's" Rod Stewart hairsytle? Fine if you're running an Oasis tribute band but not if your supposed to be top boy in a respected firm. An OK caper but certainly not one for the purists.

*Has anyone noticed the only people who seem to like this film are Americans?*

Laws of Gravity (1992)

Not a bad little film.

[19 November 2003]

It's not a Means Streets rip-off. It's a decent, low budget movie with some fine acting, and some realistic dialogue. These characters are not brain surgeons, they are rough, inarticulate people who live a hard life. Any predictability comes from the fact that only the inevitable can happen to people such as these. The film captures the feel of a Brooklyn neighborhood well. What appears to be Williamsburg before it became trendy. This movie made me feel I was watching what happens when a bunch of good, no-frills actors spend time together producing a very realistic and gritty ensemble piece. Check it out for yourselves.

Baseball (1994–2010)

Simply Wonderful

[24 April 2003]

Anyone complaining about the New York bias of this series is just too narrow minded to see beyond their own bias to the team they root for. OK, I live in New York, but I'm not a New York fan. I'm not even American. Professional baseball isn't played my country. This documentary begins before the Civil War, none of the New York teams moved west until the late fifties. This documentary is a masterpiece. From start to finish. I owned it on video, I now own it on DVD. I've seen it many times and I find it mesmerizing. It is about so much more than baseball. It is a modern history of the USA. It explores the social and political development of this country on so many levels. The narration and commentary are perfect. And the cinematography, albeit often shots of photographs is just beautiful. Everybody has their likes and dislikes regarding certain personalities, but I found mine were transcended here. Everyone has an interesting and compelling story to tell. Even Billy Crystal who I generally find somewhat annoying. My favorite is someone I had never previously heard of. Buck O'Neil. I'm so glad to have been able to see this man talk about baseball. "Baseball" is worth watching for him alone. I would recommend this to anyone whether they're a fan or not.

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

Dreary

[30 January 2003]

Despite the melodrama and over acting, the abundance of visual and audio gimmicks and the fact that it tries way too hard, this movie still manages to remain dull and dreary. It's like a bad episode of the X-Files. Frankly, I've seen scarier episodes of Will & Grace.

WiseGirls (2002)

Please!(Contains SPOILER)

[27 October 2002]

Who's going to ask an innocent waitress to cut up a body? Does it require a medical degree to cut a dead body into little pieces? Furio and Christopher seem to manage to do it at Satriale's just fine. What looked like a decent little film was spoiled by taking the story way over the top. Still, some great performances, including a standout by Ms Carey.

Heist (2001)

Bad "job"

[6 April 2002]

Appalling! Who the hell does Mamet think he is? How many times can you say "job" in 5 minutes? The dialogue in this film is so bad it's embarrassing! This film is poor despite a good cast, not even Gene Hackman can save it. In fact, seeing good actors spew so many cheesy one-liners and fake gangsterspeak makes it even worse. There are so many fake-outs and plot twists that the film becomes predictable and boring. A genuine stinker.