forsyth Reviews

Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show (2005)

good clean funny stuff

[27 March 2005]

This show is a hark back to the halcyon days of sketch-variety-show TV--all the way from Laugh-In and The Smothers Brothers to the early Saturday Night Live. There's nothing like it on TV today. No, they don't hit one out of the park with every sketch, but neither did SNL every time, did they now? And no, maybe it's not cutting-edge or avant-garde or whatever y'all seem to be looking for who don't like it, but you know what? It's darn funny. It's simple humor, and if there's not an audience out there these days for simple humor, well, that's just their loss. I for one thank Kelsey Grammar for taking a chance. And Lee What's-His-Name, the British guy, is the next big thing or I'll eat my hat. (And when was the last time you heard somebody say THAT?) Just sign me...Somebody Who Still Reads Robert Benchley For Laughs

50 First Dates (2004)

silly but sweet

[21 June 2004]

I'm not your typical Adam Sandler fan--in fact, I've only seen two of his films, this one and The Wedding Singer--and they were both SWEET. Call me a sucker for romance, but I teared up at the end of both these films. Sandler imbues his character with real human emotion, and as always he and Drew Barrymore have undeniable chemistry. They both have wonderful comic timing and watching them together is pure pleasure. I also enjoy seeing a lead actress who isn't stick-thin--long live Drew Barrymore and her voluptuous beauty! If you can ignore the obligatory toilet humor, this is a bit of highly enjoyable, pure romantic fluff. Rent The Wedding Singer and have a double-feature!

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

Not bad if you didn't see "Pitch Black"; terribly disappointing if you did

[11 June 2004]

There are two kinds of people out there: those who saw and loved "Pitch Black", and those who missed it. (Okay, maybe three kinds: those who saw "PB" and didn't love it, but then will they bother seeing the sequel?) I saw and loved it. It was a small, focused, human film, a beautiful character study thinly disguised as a monster flick. And like others of my kind, I've been clamoring for more. Where did Imam, Jack and especially Riddick go after leaving the planet? I'm very sorry to report that they went to "The Chronicles of Riddick."

"Chronicles" is a terrible film for the exact opposite reason "PB" was a great film. It has absolutely no humanity whatsoever. It's a huge, sprawling, epic, mechanical, soulless film. It's a video game thinly disguised as a summer blockbuster. Somebody had WAY too much money to spend here, and unfortunately it all went to the special-effects budget.

True, we are thrown a few crumbs of Riddick lore: why he was abandoned in a dumpster as an infant, for instance, and where Jack's been in the five years since they left the planet. (By the way, what happened to the wonderful Rhiana Griffith? Who the heck is this new chick trying to make us think she's Jack? Apparently they knew no one would believe her, so now they're calling her Kyra.) But these bits of information, tossed off casually in a few sentences near the beginning of the movie, are certainly not worth sitting through two hours of fights, explosions and dialogue bad enough to set your teeth on edge. The only good thing about the whole movie was Vin Diesel with his biceps exposed, and even for me that can only go so far. David Twohy, you disappoint. Vin, I love you, but get some better scripts. "PB" fans, forget this bloated behemoth of a movie and make up your own sequel. That's what I'm going to do.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

It IS the greatest movie in the whole wide world!

[14 February 2004]

I have seen a LOT of movies in my life and nothing, nowhere, ever ever ever has compared to the effect that Dead Poets Society had on me. At the end, when the theatre lights came up, I looked at my companion and she looked at me and we were both literally speechless with emotion. That's never happened before or since. Everything just fell into place perfectly in this film and I'll go down with my last breath defending it! So there!

Pitch Black (2000)

it's a HUMAN story

[6 May 2003]

(May contain spoilers) OK, it's a sci-fi/monster movie, and a pretty good one--but beyond that, it's a HUMAN story. The characters, specifically Fry and Riddick, are what this is all about! It's a story of growth and redemption, of courage and faith, and it DEMANDS a sequel. We must know what Riddick's going to do now that he's rejoined the human race.

And if nothing else--Vin Diesel!!! Come on, girls, ANY excuse to look at him! Right?

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

The funniest movie I've ever seen!

[10/10 · 24 August 2001]

This is literally the funniest movie I've ever seen. All the actors were superb in their roles, especially George Clooney, whom I never imagined could play such goofy comedy. From the moment he opened his mouth (the boxcar scene) I fell over laughing and didn't stop until the closing credits. Besides humour there was sweetness, pathos and drama, plus the best music in a movie in years. I cannot recommend this highly enough! A WINNER!