tdinan Reviews

The Sweetest Thing (2002)

Worst I've Ever Seen

[1/10 · 23 December 2002]

This was the first and only movie that I ever walked out of. Boring, mindlessly numbing, and so annoying that I can't ever watch another Cameron Diaz movie again.

Well, maybe not.

Terror in the Wax Museum (1973)

Scared the @#$^% out of me as a child

[8 October 2002]

The basic premise is not far removed from the many remakes of the classic "Mystery of the Wax Museum"...there are some gruesome murders at a famous house of wax featuring the likenesses of such infamous characters as Jack The Ripper, Lizzie Borden, Bluebeard the Pirate, Marie Antoinette, and Ivan the Terrible. Who's responsible? Who's next? Who's real? Who's wax?

With a distinguished cast of great actors from Hollywood's Golden Years, this would be a great find for real movie buffs who don't mind a good scare. One scene standing out in particular is one where a woman of ill-repute is stalked by Jack the Ripper. I last saw it 20 years ago, and still get the chills.

On Tiptoe: Gentle Steps to Freedom (2000)

A beautiful, moving experience

[10/10 · 22 March 2001]

This short film packs more emotion into 45+ minutes than most films pack into 145. The cinematography, editing, and audio of this film is as good as it gets. You'll immediately become a fan of Joseph Shabalala, the leader of the amazing Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the South African group best known for their incalculable contributions to Paul Simon's "Graceland" album in the mid-1980's. The beauty of this film, apart from the production values, lies in it's storytelling, transcending typical objectivity found all too often in documentaries similar in nature. As with all good documentaries, "On Tiptoe" takes you on a journey, making you feel as though you are side-by-side with the filmmakers. It is a journey you are likely never to forget.