The Manchurian Candidate 2004, is an exceptional movie that gives the moviegoer the ultimate thrill ride. I have not seen the original film in 1962, but I have heard a lot about it. Anyway this version is a virtual tour-de-force of acting by the three leading players. Meryl Streep is awesome as always and should receive her unprecedented 14th Oscar nomination for her work here. Denzel is brilliant and Liv Streiber is his match. A corporation taking over the political process and putting a sleeper in the White House makes for great filmmaking as well as disturbing because this has actually happened to a certain degree with the whole Enron scandal. That be as it may, this film is a masterful depiction of the political process with all the nasty details. Johnathan Demme of Silence of the Lambs' fame directs a superb adaptation of the Richard Condon novel of the same name. **** stars.
Reviews
17 Reviews
The Village
(2004)
A harrowing movie experience from the modern master of suspense!
2 August 2004
M. Night's film the Village is indeed a frightening suspense film that has you guessing at every turn. Night is a master of foreboding and chills you at every turn in his movies........this film is no exception. It makes you think and wonder at all times.......why do these people live the way they do? It constantly makes you think about what is happening here and why these creatures live in the woods. The cinematography is exceptional by the many times Academy Award nominee Roger Deakins, who shot my favorite film, the masterful Shawshank Redemption! This film is genuinely terrifying at times especially when you do see glimpses of the terrible creatures and their doings. And as you already know about Night films there is a twist ending that will spellbind you to the very core..........Night also has an amusing cameo! **** stars.
Holiday Heart
(2000 TV Movie)
A very sweet film.
17 May 2004
Holiday Heart is a very heart-wrenching drama about a Drag-queen played beautifully by Ving Rhames and a crack addict mother and her young daughter. Ving loves the little girl as a father and tried to protect her. But soon the little girl's mother gets a boyfriend who sells drugs and her mother starts doing more crack and disappearing for days. Ving tries to help the little girl and her mother but things get very complicated when the girl's mother owes money to the druggies. Fantastic family film that will make you laugh and cry. This sensational film gives you a sense of happiness and is highly entertaining. Watch this with your family and watch it again and again. ****stars
Sling Blade
(1996)
A devastating performance by Billy Bob!!!!!!
17 May 2004
Sling Blade is a great film that is very thought provoking. It stars Billy Bob Thornton-- in the role of a lifetime-- as Karl a mentally challenged man who has a violent past. He gets out of a institution and meets a young boy named Frank who is raised by a single mother with a cruel boyfriend-- magnificently played by country crooner, Dwight Yoakam. Frank and Karl become fast friends and Frank invites him to stay with him and his mom. But, mean Doyle played by Yoakam insists on making their lives miserable. He is very mean to Frank and his mother so Karl kills Doyle out of love for Frank. This is a must see film that will sadden you as well as make you laugh. **** stars
The Passion of the Christ
(2004)
A haunting film.
8 March 2004
This film by and large is one of the most violent pictures ever put on the silver screen. Jesus Christ's torture and death is shown in frightening detail and is very difficult to watch at times. Very well acted on a grand scale; Mr. Cavaziel was the perfect choice to play Christ. Mel Gibson shows that he is a master filmmaker in this engrossing cinematic triumph of the last twelve hours of Christ's life. What ever your faith this is a movie that will keep you glued to the screen and you will feel every flogg and every nail Jesus had to endure. Taken directly from the gospel and filmed beautifully in perfect detail. This film will go down in history as a masterful story that will keep filmgoers thinking about it for years.
Runaway Jury
(2003)
A thrilling drama!
6 March 2004
Runaway jury is an exceptional film with many great qualities. Firstly, it is very well told and exciting at every turn. Secondly, it has first-rate actors that really absorb you in the subject matter which is very sentimental(gun control). Dustin Hoffman and especially Gene Hackman deliver believable performances that carry the film from beginning to end. Based on the John Grisham novel of the same name this film is just as engrossing as the many other films Grisham has brought to the screen. The end has a very thrilling twist that makes your blood curl with emotion. John Cusack is also very good here. To me he is a very underrated actor that has not been given his due yet. It is a shame. ***1/2 stars
The Mission
(1986)
A heartwrenching film of mesmerizing beauty........
6 March 2004
What can one say of "The Mission", but that it is one of the most beautifully photographed films I have ever set my eyes on. I first saw this epic film in 7th grade and it still haunts me to this day. If you are a lover of historical films this is a feast for the eyes. It is also very sad because it shows you the demise of the native American peoples of Central and South America as a result of colonial Spain's conquests. Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons give great performances here as Jesuit priests that yearn to save and teach the Indians. Nominated for 7 Academy Awards and winning for Cinematography this film is a treasure that should be seen by everyone to remind us of how imperialism destroys civilizations and the beauty of other cultures. A definite tearjerker at the end. **** stars.
The Life of David Gale
(2003)
A cinematic triumph you will never forget!
7 February 2004
"The Life of David Gale" is an astounding film that goes where few other movies dare to go. Kevin Spacey is a professor at a University in Texas that his students and faculty alike respect. But in a swift moment his life changes as he is arrested for a murder. He is a passionate death penalty nonadvocate and believes that he has been set up by figures of a higher authority. Kevin Spacey has won two Oscars for a reason and he is nothing less than superb in this performance. If you are passionate in what you believe in this is the movie for you. The final scene in my mind is one of the most chilling scenes in the history of cinema. A shocking reminder of the frailty of human life and its battle against its oppressors. **** stars.
Coma
(1978)
A creepy medical thriller!
7 February 2004
"Coma" is an absorbing medical horror film about patients that are for all medical purposes young and fit but somehow go into irreversible coma in surgery under bizarre circumstances. Michael Douglas and Genieve Buhjold star in this very scary movie that puts you on the edge of your seat at every turn. Very amusing cameos by future stars Tom Selleck and Ed Harris. Based on the novel by Robin Cook, a master of medical thrillers,this movie puts a chill up your spine and is definitely one of the most entertaining of its genre. Directed by Michael Crighton of Jurassic Park fame, this movie is not to be missed.
The Gate
(1987)
A spine-tingling horror film.
6 February 2004
This horror flick is highly underrated for its genre. It is a fantastical story about a young boy(played beautifully by a young Stephen Dorff) who by chance in a dream awakens evil demons from a hole in his backyard. The whole film follows his journey to destroy the demons and send them back to hell. The young boy is helped by his best friend(who is as nerdy as a young kid gets) and his naive sister to rid his house of the minions of evil. First rate visual effects are very good and the demons are very life-like and mobile. A great fantasy film for kids that liked to be scared out of their wits. ***of **** stars.
A Christmas Story
(1983)
A seminal classic!
24 December 2003
What can one say about this film? It is quite possibly the best Christmas film ever. I have seen this many times and it seems it gets better and better with each multiple viewing. It makes you feel good about Christmas simply because it brings back so many childhood memories and the euphoria it brought all of us as well during that time of the year. A powerhouse of a film for its genre directed by a powerhouse director of Porky's fame, Bob Clark. No matter what your age this is a poignant film that never gets old. 4 stars.
The Edge
(1997)
The master at work
27 November 2003
The Edge is an engrossing motion picture starring the master himself,Sir Anthony Hopkins and co-starring Alec Baldwin, who does some nice work here. Action is intense int his story about a billionaire,Hopkins, who decides to go on a modeling trip with his wife played by real model, Elle Machpherson and her fashion photographer-lover Baldwin.......unbeknownest to Hopkins. They go to a remote location in snow-filled Canada and stay at a cabin. Hopkins and Baldwin go out and crash a plane in the wilderness that starts a long adventurous trek back to the cabin complete with a mankiller bear tracking them to their death. Great action sequences and bravura acting keeps you on the "edge" of your seat. One of Hopkin's best performances.
Falling Down
(1993)
A modern day masterpiece
27 November 2003
Falling Down is a film about one man's struggle against the injustices of society and his one man war against it. Michael Douglas, in a devastating performance, plays a recently laid off defense worker who loses his mind in traffic in downtown Los Angeles. He wants to get home to his ex-wife and daughter so that he may attend the little girl's birthday party. Along the way he systematically with gun in tow executes a Nazi, shoots up gangmembers, and trashes a Korean guy's convience store. Robert Duvall who is excellent as always is the cop who pursues him. Dynamic film that deserves more accolade than it received for director Joel Schumacher. 4 stars.
Mississippi Burning
(1988)
A inspiring true story
27 November 2003
Mississippi Burning is a magnificent, harrowing true story about three young civil rights workers who disappear in the racial segregated 1960's Mississippi. Two FBI agents played by veteran actors Gene Hackman, in a Oscar-nominated performance and Willem Dafoe are sent to Mississippi to investigate the disappearances. They are soon grappling with the local,racist people and Sheriff's office who does not want them there. Beautiful Oscar-winning cinematography amazingly brings this fast-paced story to realization. Every student of life should watch this movie about one of the most troubling times in American history.
Scent of a Woman
(1992)
Al Pacino's finest hour!
26 November 2003
Scent of a Woman contains a masterful, Oscar winning performance from Al Pacino and watching this delectable actor at the top of his form work is a true feast for the eyes. He plays a blind, retired colonel who meets a young college boy played nicely by Chris O'donnel. Their seemingly volatile friendship buds into a pure loyality as they learn about each other and their respective lives. A drama of immense proportions that is destined to be a classic.
Nobody's Perfect
(1989)
Interesting film
25 November 2003
This film is a putrid example of not how to do a movie. It is childish, moronic, and detestable in every way. It is a complete waste of time and the only redeeming value to me is the background of tennis of which I play regularly. BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hannibal
(2001)
The ten year wait is over and boy was it worth it!
12 February 2001
Hannibal is back after a ten year hiatus and better than ever! This is one of the best sequels I have ever seen. The Silence of the Lambs was superb and this sequel is its match. Sir Anthony Hopkins is absolutely brilliant again as Hannibal the Cannibal and is the whole movie here. His presence alone makes this movie *** stars already and this time he is very funny and scary at the same time! The scenes in Italy are breathtaking and a feast for the eyes as is the performance of Hopkins. The film is very gory intentionally but is directed magnificently by Ridley Scott. His camera angles and the lighting he used in the gory scenes are a step above any other director out there but maybe Steven Spielberg being the only one who can top him. In conclusion, one must see this movie it is a gem that will eat your heart out! **** stars.
Tell Your Friends