Change Your Image
andyrichterismissing
Reviews
Anything Else (2003)
It's very personal.
Anything Else is, seemingly, one of Woody's most personal films. He might say something else, but that's how it seemed to me. Especially when you take into account how closely it echoes one of his most successful films, Annie Hall. There are a great many similarities, the young man in analysis, (who addresses the camera), writes material for other comics, is obsessed with death, and has a crazy yet charming girlfriend. Also similar is scenes-we first see Amanda arriving late, just as we first see Annie Hall arriving late. Plus, the motif of Woody's character telling those old jokes, mirroring how Annie Hall begins and ends. And there's a cocaine scene, remarkably similar to the classic one, to boot! Some might take this as Woody simply repeating himself, but it's not that. It's as if the older, more mature Woody is talking to the Woody of old, and saying, "If you only knew what I knew now." This one's really deep, and not just the simple romantic comedy some would make it out to be.
Cursed (2005)
Cursed, and rising below the burden of expectation.
There's a problem I think many of us, sometimes myself, have when it comes to movies like Cursed.It's the burden of expectation.Some of us have incredibly high expectations, expecting every movie to be perfect in every way-expecting every movie to be Citizen Kane. Now, for some films, those made by the elite artists of film, ie Scorsese or someone of that ilk, this is fine. But for films such as Cursed, a goofy horror movie that aims no higher than to have a few laughs and scares, judging them on such a scale, expecting them to meet such high expectations, is just plain ludicrous. For those among us who have such expectations, you know well before you see a movie like this that you won't like it. There's no way you possibly could. As such, there's no real point in calling it a "real travesty of a movie". On the high expectations scale, of course it is. But as far as your average, low-brow B-horror movie goes, it's par for the course. A fun romp, full of blood, guts, loud noises, and cheesy dialogue. Pauline Kael once said it's important for everybody to enjoy a piece of "good trash" every once in awhile. This is the kind of movie she was talking about. It's not the best movie ever made, but it's certainly not the worst. It's too light and insubstantial-it's fun while you're in bed, but you won't remember much about afterwards. That being said, there's no way it could be a real travesty of a movie-if it were, you'd remember it for years to come. You remember a Pearl Harbor or a Matrix Revolutions-movies that should've been great, or at least good, but were, in reality, travesties. You won't remember Cursed-it has modest aims, and if you can enjoy it as it pursues those aims-you'll enjoy it. If not, then you won't. But either way, there's nothing either uniquely brilliant or awful about it, so you won't remember it. So ease up on the harsh words-save 'em for real, honest to goodness crap-the kind of real, honest to goodness crap that aimed to be much, much more than honest to goodness crap.
When Will I Be Loved (2004)
What a waste.......
James Toback's When Will Be Loved has a very, loose, ramshackle quality that it is ill-suited for. As the film opens, it cuts back and forth, jarringly, between Fred Weller rambling on his cell phone, and Neve Campbell taking a shower. The music even changes between each cut..and it's just so sloppily done, and unfortunately, the rest of the film, for the most part, is just as sloppy. Between the music being way too damn loud (whoever mixed the sound on this film did a lousy-ass job!), or certain scenes being more or less pointless, the film is a just a ramshackle, sloppy mess. Does the scene where Neve runs into Lori Singer in the park add anything? Other than perhaps killing time...no. Is the scene with Mike Tyson necessary? No, again it adds nothing, wastes time. And the threesome in the park scene? Not needed either...as we already know Weller is a small-time bum, out for his own gratification. Why is Chianese's character a Count? That's just ridiculous..and it seriously undercuts the believability of his character...and yet his sequence with Campbell is the only one in the film that really works. The rest of it......not so much. This is primarily because of the tired,tired stereotypical small time hustler character that Weller is given to play. Weller does what he can, and is occasionally amusing, but on the whole, we've seen this character too many damn times...we know right away that he has no connections, is a liar, a loser, etc. Knowing that, watching this character is quite irritating, as it offers no surprises, but plenty o' stale crap we have to sit through. This movie is just a mess. Not completely bad, but mostly, a ramshackle mess.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Genius.
This is the most inspired dumb comedy to come our way in many a year. While
the past few years have son tons and tons of stupid comedies, such as Dude,
Where's My Car? and things of that ilk, they all lack with this movie has in
spades, inspiration and joy. The movie firmly establishes it's silly and
occasionally surreal tone early on, and sticks with it all the way through. For example, the ending of this film has to be one of the dumbest endings of all time, and yet, it works perfectly, as though there's no other way the film could have ended. And the actors are all top-notch, with Ferrell giving his best effort to date, and Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell also kicking ass. All in all, this was the
funniest movie of the summer, (She Hate Me is a close second...but for different reasons entirely...), and one of the funniest movies we've seen in a long time.
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Dodgeballtastic!
Sure, the very concept of making a movie about dodgeball, and one with a good chunk of it devoted to watching people play dodgeball, sounds like one of the most asinine ideas ever conceived for a movie, but then again movies have also been made about a duck from a parallel universe with a duck-themed version of the earth coming to the regular human-version of the earth and the ensuing culture clash, adaptations of terrible 60's cartoons about prehistoric blue-collar families or an idiotic group of teenagers, their rascally dog, and their fabulous van solving mysteries involving haunted amusement parks, as well as one about a guy and girl who have a tormented relationship and undergo a futuristic form of treatment to have each other erased from their memories, only to eventually get back together, and repeat the process over and over again. Alright, that last one was swell, as is Dodgeball, the little dodgeball movie that could. For a movie about what this movie is about, it couldn't possibly be any better. It's one of those rare comedies that maintains a strong level of laughs all the way through, many of them being of the best kind, the random, unexpected bizarro gags that always drive audiences wild! Why anyone would think the vastly inferior BASEKETBALL is better than this is beyond me. While both are spoofs of traditional sports movies, Dodgeball tells a real story with real characters we root for and in some cases, especially in the case of Steve the Pirate and Patches O'Houlihan, that we haven't seen before.
BASEKETBALL, on the other hand, is just bits of pieces of other spoof movies, with no real creative pulse of its own, and a result, despite the sterling work of master actor Bob Costas, is wildly uneven, and after about ten minutes or so, pretty damn boring.
Where Dodgeball flies by with its own goofy sense of itself, BASEKETBALL plods, taking us on a lame journey to nowhere particularly interesting. If you like your movies watered down and half-assed, (the game of BASEKETBALL, the basis of the movie, isn't particularly funny, and doesn't even make much sense), then BASEKETBALL is the one for you, or just watch MAJOR LEAGUE or any of its sequels, which are more or less the same movie, and are just about as uneven and not worth your time. If you want to have a good time, and laugh hard and often, then go with DODGEBALL.
The Stepford Wives (2004)
A Waste. That's all there is to say.
What a waste. Instead of the subtle, chilling, satiric style of the
novel, this filmmakers opted to use a campy, over the top,
annoying style that sinks the entire film. It's a big joke, and a bad
one at that. All of the characters have not only been turned into
jerks, but also into complete idiots, so any suspense or intrigue
the film might have had is completely lost. And why oh why did they
have to work in all those lame jabs about reality shows? I think
most of us are not only tired of seeing them, seeing more and
more idiotic looking ones being produced, but also of being
subjected to lame, half-assed satire of them. And why have
Walken and Lovitz in the film and give them nothing interesting to
do? Aarrgh! This movie annoyed me on many, many levels, but I'll
add one more thing: Do we really need any more movies with Larry King cameos?
What is it about Larry that makes him so irresistible to
filmmakers? When will Larry get his own movie, and not have to
carry the dead weight of Kidman, Midler, etc? It's obviously what
the public wants, seeing as how we don't need any more movies
that turn classic novels into garbage.......
Blame It on Rio (1984)
The Pinnacle of 80's Cheese!
This film couldn't have been made at any other period of time than that tumultuous, garishly colored, love affair with dubious, cheesy excess known as the 1980's. At any other period of time, this movie would simply be overlooked as a horrid piece of meaningless crap. But not in the 80's, oh no. As a fine work of pure cheese, in the decade of cheese, this film is a sort of masterwork. Everything about this film is total cheese: the acting, the writing, the directing, and cheesiest of all, the music. Has a movie ever had a more grating theme than this movie? It even trumps "I Had The Time Of My Life" and "She's Like The Wind" from Dirty Dancing, which is no small accomplishment. And not only that, but the song is repeated several times throughout the movie. And oh, what else is there? Michael Caine's horrible hair, enormous glasses, and that whacky blue underwear he wears. And Joseph Bologna's insane overacting! Demi Moore's insane attempts at acting! And Michelle Johnson's ample nudity, ample bosom, and insane attempts at being seductive! One could charitably call this film an awkward misfire, but if you're up for it, it's a fine helping of cheese, and a good reminder that as bad as movies can be now, the 80's were the true decade of crap! Crap would never again be as hilariously crappy as it was in the 1980's, and Blame It On Rio is the king of 80's crap!
Mean Girls (2004)
Math Enthusiast/Bad-Ass MC
While the trailers for this certainly give you the disturbing feeling that it's going to be god-awful, it rose above that early bad impression and was actually pretty solid. It's not exactly the greatest movie ever made, and has two or three lulls, but for the most part it moves quickly and is quite funny, sometimes even hilarious. And perhaps best of all, it brings back Tim Meadows, who's sharper and funnier in this than anything he's been in for a long time. The girls are all solid as well, especially Lindsay Lohan, who hopefully will continue to do more interesting work like this, and less bland Disney comedies-she proves here that she can do more than that. Finally, there's a refreshing dark edge to the material that most movies of this sort hint at but tend to avoid. It's not done in a one-note mean-spirited way, but it definitely has an edge to it. The last joke of the movie is priceless. Tina Fey rules!
Jersey Girl (2004)
Jason Biggs Dominates The Screen In A Big, Big Way.......
Ah, not really. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this going in,
but I was pleasantly surprised with everything, from the much
improved visual style of the movie to Affleck's performance, which
is his best in a long, long time. All in all, despite a somewhat
rushed beginning, this is one Kevin Smith's best films, and is a
very moving experience. And if Jason Biggs isn't nominated come
Oscar time, the world will surely end. It's that simple. Biggs is
amazing beyond any previously reached levels of amazingness.
Jason Biggs is, and will continue to be, the greatest actor in the
history of the cinema.
The Goonies (1985)
Another fine showcase for the brilliance of Corey Feldman.
I remembered seeing this and hating it as a kid, but seeing it now, probably
about 15 years later, I liked it. It's funny, whacky and absurd, and definitely a product of that miraculous decade known as the '80's. It's as goofy and
memorable as most of the popular '80's classics, such as Better Off Dead, St. Elmo's Fire, The Breakfast Club, etc, mostly because it has that "it couldn't have been made at any other time besides the '80's' charm. Great fun.
At the Circus (1939)
First Marx Brothers Film I Saw..and it was amazing.
This is one of the most hilarious comedies I've ever seen. Sure, as others have said, the romantic stuff isn't so great, but the stuff with the Marx Brothers, especially Groucho, is genius. One of my favorite scenes was the one where Groucho walks on the ceiling with that highly attractive circus perfomer. Plus, the ending, with the gorilla and the whacky final fate of the orchestra, is awe inspiring, as far as comedy goes. (Which is damn far!) Anyway, a great film.
Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat (2002)
Raunch, Raunch, Hilarious Raunch...
My best friend isn't exactly a fan of Martin. In fact, he sort of
despises Martin. While this year I did cover his cover his
Christmas presents with pictures of Martin, I knew I could still milk
his dislike of Martin for my own devious enjoyment. And when I
heard there was a Martin stand-up concert film coming out, I knew
I had to make my move. It felt so perfect, and with the commercials
featuring pretty much just Martin making goofy noises and being
generally kind of annoying, it just sweetened the deal. And I had to
transpire to somehow force my friend into seeing Martin's film.
With the Mel Gibson alien movie sold out, my dream came true.
We saw Martin. But something suprising happened, we both liked
it. Aside from a somewhat lubrigious opening, with phony news
broadcasts about Mr. Lawrence's crazy exploits, came the
stand-up, and it was damn funny. And incredibly raunchy. Oh the
raunch indeed. My friend didn't go for all the raunch, ( I did, it's
pretty funny...), but he did indeed laugh a lot. At Martin. So, it turns
out that Martin is actually funny. So see this film, you'll laugh, or as
Martin would say, ride this mutha till the wheels fall off!
Return to Oz (1985)
It seemed like a good place to return to....
My friend and I rented this on a whim, and got something very, very
strange in return. What's really weird about this film is how
depressing and creepy it is, especially with it being a children's
film and all. But the film's being depressing and creepy really isn't
the problem, it's also incredibly dopey. The sense of awe and
wonder that the first film has, (despite how old it is) is completely
gone from this one, it's replaced by rampant cheesiness ( e.g. "A
Lunchpail Tree?!?Now I know we're in Oz...", that is just too much
to bear. You'll spend more time staring at the screen in a state of
stunned disbelief at the immense lameness than you will caring
about the story. The old stalwarts of the first film, the Cowardly
Lion, Scarecrow and Tinman are all more or less misused or not
used, replaced by a talking chicken, pumpkin head guy, a gump ( a
sort of half moose/half couch, really...) and a ridiculously illogical
robot. I missed the old guys, hell, I even missed the Wicked Witch
of the West. ( The bad guy this time out, the Gnome King, who's
not actually a Gnome, leaves a lot to be desired...) Maybe it
seemed like a good idea at the time. But after hearing all the
terrible jokes the chicken makes, and the fact that Toto was
replaced by a talking chicken, I'm lead to the conclusion that
perhaps it was never a good idea. But despite the many
miscalculations of the film-makers, the film has some high points.
The scene with the villanious princess who has a room full of
heads she can wear is so odd it's memorable. And Fairuza Balk is
pretty good Dorothy, and there's Ozma, the only good new
character. Ultimately though, and not just because I feel guilty for
trashing the film, as film-making is pretty hard to do well, I
recommend the film. It just so strange and misguided that it's
endlessly fascinating. Things to Watch For: The Talking Chicken, the way the robot moves, the stones,
the room full of heads, the way Dorothy and company escape
Princess Mumbie's evil clutches, how goofy the Scarecrow and
pals look, and the ending, which is so completely ludicrous (one of
the most ridiculous endings in film history), which I wouldn't dare
reveal. So, if you want to see a film where you simply won't believe what
you're seeing, ( you may not like what you're seeing, but you won't
be bored...), check out Return to Oz.
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
Suprisingly Good...
Despite having a trailer devoid of almost anything funny, which filled me with doubt about this film, I still saw it, as I still have faith in the genius of Mr.Myers. ( You know, Mike, if you're not terribly into the whole "NEW IDEA" thing, a lot of us are still waiting for Wayne's World 3!) . Anyways, so, um, yeah, I laughed a lot. That was suprising, even the mole bit, which wasn't funny in the trailer, was somehow funny in the film. Dr. Evil, like in the last one, gets the funniest stuff, but Fat Bastard has a moment of glory. Goldmember himself is just plain odd. He's half the goofy, oldies-quoting Canadian Premier character that Myers did on SNL, and the other half, you just have to see for yourself. All in all, lots of fun. But for the love of all that's holy, DON'T MAKE ANOTHER ONE! Remember Ninja Turtles 3, Godfather Part 3, Batman and Robin, Men in Black 2 and all the other movies that were unneccessary sequels, and their horrors they brought to audiences. Seriously. Think about that. But, um, Goldmember was wicked fun.
The President's Analyst (1967)
Bizarre..Brilliant.
This film is so insane it just might be brilliant. That's all there is to say. Seriously, not much else can be said, it's just that odd. Full of paranoia-tacular paranoia. And some weird music, and much, much more. Brilliant stuff.
The World According to Garp (1982)
Absolutely Astoundingly Amazing..and Sad...
This has got to be the absolute best, most excellent thing Robin Williams has done. At times I've both marveled at Robin's talent both comedic and dramatic ( he's the best comic who can both..he totally kicks Carrey's ass in this department, and will probably always be the best at this..unless, Sandler has a deep connection to drama that he's always kept hidden from some strange reason), and bemoaned some of the things he's done, wondering why he'd waste on his considerable skills on such lesser works. But once I saw this film, it was only a reminder of how truly brilliant Mr. Williams can be. He truly is Garp, there's no touches of his improvisational comedy like in Dead Poets or Good Will Hunting.
He's tragic, shy, goofy and heroic all in one, which is incredible, especially the shyness aspect, as it's been portrayed by the one most outspokenly outrageous people on the planet. But this film is more than just a showcase for Mr. Williams skills, the story cooked up by John Irving is just insane, and has to be seen to be believed.
Good stuff. See this. Now.
The Wedding Singer (1998)
Sandler Gets Married
This is, I think the best of Sandler's work on film. Sandler is always best when gets to play a real person (or at least something very close to that) and he does it best here. While his other films all have decent laughs, (even the vastly overrated 'Happy Gilmore' has its moments), this film has a bright, beating heart and rings the truest. Some critics will complain about predictability being a negative,but, honestly, in this kind of film, it's reassuring. That and Sandler is truly hilarious here, as are Covert and Buscemi. Drew Barrymore is sweet and adorable, and the old guy here is a lot funnier than the old guy in Big Daddy. All in all, so far, this is best Sandler film.