bobjohndave Reviews

Memento (2000)

Remember Sammy Jankis

[6 August 2002]

Let me start this off by saying "Whoa! This movie is absolutely spectacular!" ... After you watch it several times. I first heard of this movie from a friend in my Drama class. He was incredibly ecstatic about Memento. He rambled on about it for twenty minutes, giving praise to the creators of this masterpiece. I decided, being the quality film buff that I am, that I should check it out. This first time around, I found the plot to be cumbersome and hard to follow. I didn't want to brush it off as some sort of elaborate gimmick film just yet, so as soon as the ending credits rolled, I started the DVD over and watched it from the top again. The second time through, I was able to follow the complicated plot twists with better ease. I had this same problem with Pulp Fiction, but, as with Pulp Fiction, watching the movie twice helped to alleviate my worries.

Memento drops you into the mind of a man named Leonard, who runs around playing detective while hot on the heels of John G., the man who he believes is one of the two men responsible for the rape and murder of his beloved wife. John G., who escaped from the crime scene unscathed, didn't leave empty handed. With him he took away Leonard's ability to make new memories. Now Leonard stumbles around in a world of delirium and uncertainty as he searches for the man who killed his wife. Without a short term memory and the ability to make new memories, Leonard is forced to rely on scattered notes written on paper, tatoo facts, and Poloroid pictures to make his life liveable. The life of John or Jack G.(Leonard's not sure of which name it is) now depends upon Leonards "notes". Sadly enough, Leonard isn't even aware of how long his wife has been dead. He doesn't even know if he'll remember that he has killed John G. after he finds him and kills him.

Along the way Leonard meets Natalie, a bartender, and keeps bumping into a mysterious man named Teddy who claims to be Leonard's friend. These two are constantly pulling Leonard in different directions, which leads to an interesting question. Who should he trust? And a tattoo on Leonard's left hand reminds him to "REMEMBER SAMMY JANKIS.", a man with the same short term memory problem as Leonard. What's the connection between Sammy and Leonard? Watch the movie to find out!

Overall, this is a great film that is worthy of a lot of your time. And trust me, it's going to take a lot of your time to figure this movie out. The acting is wonderful, the cinematography works great with the memory loss angle, and the telling of the story in reverse breathes a fresh breath of air into the movie industry. Guy Pearce(Leonard) is at his best in this film, as is Joe Pantoliano(Teddy). Carrie-Anne Moss(Natalie) deserves an honorable mention as well. If you're looking for a movie that will keep you guessing to the final moments of the film, then look no further than Memento.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Brilliant masterpiece of gang film proportions!

[3 August 2002]

Very few films today bring a true feeling of realism to the silver screen. Most modern-day efforts are made up of scattered plot points and cheesy popular culture, which leaves viewers with a hollow, bored feeling.(This applies only to serious movie-goers) But every once in a while, a film comes along that has characters that work so effectively that it literally consumes your thoughts and emotions. One such film, is Pulp Fiction. The plot of this film will totally envelope your interests and eventually bring you to a point of understanding why the characters do what they do.

The cast of this film is one of the most impressive that I have ever seen. Everyone(down to the smallest player)in this film is a recognizible Hollywood actor/actress. And each of the personas are remarkably believable. What I mean by this is that when you see Vincent Vega on screen,(mobster; Travolta's character) you don't see John Travolta performing as the character Vincent Vega, you see Vincent Vega. The same goes for the rest of the cast.

The soundtrack is another high-note for this film. The music for this film sets the mood perfectly for every scene of this masterpiece. From the Spanish sounding, Tango inspired "Miserloo" beginning to the soulful sounds of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" permeating in the barroom scene, this film's soundtrack soars high over any big orchestra crescendo.

The story takes place in L.A., one of the most crime-ridden cities known to man. The story surrounds two hitmen, two disgruntled bank robbers, a crime boss and his wife, and a burned out boxer at the end of his career.I would love to blabber on about what happens in this brilliant indie film, but I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone who has yet to see it. All I can do as a faithful servant of the cinema is to highly recommend this film to all film-goers. It is quite a long film that is broken into chapters, so if you find it hard to follow the movie "Memento" (which I also highly suggest)you should just watch this movie several more times and pay closer attention!!! Please, do yourself the favor of a lifetime and see this movie!

Shoot to Kill (1988)

A triumph!

[29 July 2002]

I would just like to start off this review by giving Sidney Poitier the recognition he deserves. He is most definitely one of the most distinguished and talented actors of our generation and a role model for all aspiring actors! Now, on with the review. I first saw this movie during a vacation to the beach with my friend and his family. I had seen several other Poitier efforts such as "In the Heat of the Night" and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?",and I stumbled upon this thriller while watching television on one of the nights that it rained. I stopped at TBS and I'm certainly glad that I did! This movie is one of best Poitier movies I've ever viewed! This film incorporates comedy into a genre the usually takes itself a little too seriously. The movie has an overall seriousness about it, but there are a few cheeky moments between Poitier and Berenger. Some of these comedic moments include: a scene where Berenger and Poitier are in an ice tunnel during a snow storm. Berenger is laying on top of Poitier to keep him from freezing to death. Poitier asks something like : "What are you queer or something?!" and Berenger says something like: "What's the matter? Haven't you ever heard about us mountain boys?" Another funny moment comes when Poitier is trying to scale a wall even though he is exhausted. Berenger is at the top trying to convince him to go back. The look on Poitier's face is more than enough to inspire a chuckle. The performances, the direction, and the cinematography are all well done in this film. The beautiful mountain landscapes inspire sort of a wistful feeling that can often be distracting. I'll also give a thumbs up to the sound effects department of this film. The sound of the rope snapping when Berenger was plummeting from the cable extending across the gorge was enough to make me wince with agony. This movie was executed well and my only complaint was that the villain's identity was revealed earlier than I thought it should have been. All in all I think it was a solid effort that I think anyone who is a fan of suspense films will enjoy. Your best bet as far as renting this movie is to go to a hole-in-the-wall movie rental store that never throws any movie away because, as other reviews have said, it is very hard to find. You may get lucky once in a blue moon and catch it on TBS or TNT, but the edited for TV versions are never as good as the uncut versions. If none of the mom and pop movie rental outlets still carry it, go to blockbuster and demand that they order this movie for you! This movie is a definite must-see for any fan of the suspense genre! FINAL SCORE 9/10

Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders (1996 Video)

have you seen my monkey?

[30 May 2002]

First off i'd like to say that i enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. now, now don't start throwing rotten fruit and stones at me just yet! i will say that i viewed the mst3k version and i found that it was without a doubt one of the most hilarious episodes i've ever seen! there's nothing like sitting back and enjoying a good ernest borgnine movie that looks like each story takes place decades apart! one part squeezes us onto the couch of the overly bulbous ernest borgnine. he's telling the story to his grandson who looks like he's only nine. the story is wrapped around a family theme and a horror story. now what kind of a sick grandfather would tell his grandson a story in which people are being mauled by magical monkey dolls and accidents caused by magic spells? the funniest part comes when the 1980's scenes are taking place and the monkey doll is purchased. tell me this. why, in the name of god and all that's holy, would a twelve year old boy want a monkey doll? if i had been given that at age twelve, i would have kicked my parents in the face! but i did enjoy the middle-aged balding father figure who wore bell- bottoms and was always triyng to save the day. he solves that oh so problematic problem of getting rid of devil monkey dolls. do you have a devil monkey problem? no worries! just throw him in the trash! and another thing, that kid was way too big to be riding a big wheel.his disco queen lookalike mom must have babied him!!!!! then we've got merlin himself running aimlessly around town mumbling and sputtering out sentence fragments like: HAVE YOU SEEN MY MONKEY? do you have any idea how fast that b*****d would have been arrested in real life if he would have said that. not to mention that merlin is married to MIMI BOBECK from the drew carey show. not to complain too much, but in the original king arthur saga Merlin had no wife. this movie is absolute garbage. >

The Pumaman (1980)

you'll never get away with this puuuman it's pumaman!

[30 May 2002]

jesus jumped up tap dancing christ what were they thinking! my god! this "film" is an abomination! but it's also one of the most brilliant comedies i believe i've ever laid eyes on! i mean how many other superheroes are you aware of that possess the power to fly vertical to the ground? try to name five! betcha can't do it can you? and donald pleasance! woooooow! what superb comical talent! he completely took advantage of his accent to mispronounce pumaman every chance he got! and pumaman must be much more powerful than any other puma since puma's obviously lack the necessary means to be able to fly! wow! and the talent of the special effects crew! they must not have a serious bone in their bodies! Awards this movie should be honored with::

BEST COMEDY BEST HISTORICAL ACCURACY AWARD LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARD(PLEASANCE) WHAT A COMIC GENIUS! BEST IN-FLIGHT MUSICAL SCORE AWARD BEST SIDEKICK THAT PHYSICALLY OVERSHADOWS THE HERO AWARD SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT TO PUMAMAN FOR ABILITIES BEYOND THAT OF PUMAS BEST MASS MURDERER SIDEKICK IN A COMIC PIECE AWARD BEST COSTUME FOR PUMAMAN BEST JEW AS A SUPER HERO IN A COMEDY

WHOA! MAN, THIS IS A GREAT COMEDY PIECE! .... WHAT? WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT? YOU'RE KIDDING RIGHT? IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY? IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SERIOUS? OH, GOD! I'VE BEEN A FOOL! THIS MOVIE IS TRASH! IT IS A PLEBIAN! A DITRIDUS!!!!!! STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Hobgoblins (1988)

HUH? MUST BE THE PIZZA GUY!

[10 May 2002]

Did anybody else really see this movie? I just thought it was all just a bad dream. First off, this movie scored lower than sorry porn movies on my scale of one to ten. it got a half a star as far as I'm concerned. and another thing, is it just me, or was that guy named kyle (the one with the faggy red shorts on) gay? and the horny camo clothed one, was he immortal??? the idiot was a flaming inferno when he blew up, but at the end he stumbles onto the screen with only minor injuries! this whole film is garbage! i would rather have sat in my backyard watching my dog s*** than watch this "movie". RICK SLOANE IS THE ANTI-CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!! AND THE PUPPETS !!.... NEED I SAY MORE? and i also found it amusing how the 80's chick and the army dude had 5 second sex in the van when the army guy first got back. i would normally give an intelligent sounding review but this film was so damn ridiculously idiotic that it in no way deserves it. the mst3k version is much better with the hilarious oneliners from the shadowed trio.

QUOTES FROM HOBGOBLINS: SPOILER!!!!!!

KYLE:" HUH? MUST BE THE PIZZA GUY? OLD SECURITY GUARD(IT'S ACTUALLY TOM SERVO) " OH WHERES MY EGG SALAD SANDWICH?"

This movie should have been called MUPPET LOVE on account of that the damn puppets really seemed to like rubbing against the (cough) actors.

STAY AWAY FROM THIS ABSOLUTE DISASTER OF A FILM!!!!!!!! IT'S PURE GARBAGE! IT'S LIKE POOP FROM A CAMEL'S ASS.

Batman Forever (1995)

Val Kilmer didn't cut it.

[6 April 2002]

First off, I'd like to say that this isn't a particularly bad movie, it's just that it came after a very good movie. The Batman films that followed the original all left much to be desired. This third installment seemed campy and foolish like the 1960's television series. Also, as i'm pretty sure everyone noticed, Two-Face/Harvey Dent was portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones, a caucasion actor. But strangely,in the first Batman, Harvey Dent is portrayed by Billy Dee Williams, an African -American actor. Not that there's anything wrong with that, other than it strays far from the original film. And I also felt that Jone's portrayal was very much in the vein of Jack Nicholson's in the first Batman film. Yet and still, I think his role saved this movie from that darkened pit of movie trash already packed full with movies like Drop Dead Fred and Car 54, Where are You. I don't know if it's just me , but I feel that the batman series went straight to Hell after the first one. I think the reason why this movie wasn't necessarily greeted with open arms was because of the absence of Michael Keaton donning the famous black cape and cowl. Also, I just can't picture Val Kilmer as Batman. He just doesn't possess that shady persona thatis necessary for the role. Jim Carrey's portrayal of The Riddler was commonplace, since it seems that every character he has ever done seem eerily similar. Then there's Nicole Kidman, who shows a lot of skin in this one. Hmm... Could that be a way to mask bad acting? I do give praise to Michael Gough(Alfred) and Pat Hingle(Commisioner Gordon) for staying faithfulto this movie series and enduring this stinker. Chris O'Donnel made the perfect Robin, but I've never cared too much for Robin, so I could have done without his appearance.Overall, I give this movie two and a half stars.