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Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Documentaries are not news reports
There seems to be this misconception that a documentary HAS to show a balanced view of a particular issue. That isn't the case. Obviously, one can choose to go that route, but Moore should not be faulted for his admittedly biased views on Bush, or that this is a politically motivated film. Do you think Bush presents more than his side of any particular issue in any of his speeches? The job of a good documentary, and a good documentary filmmaker, is to present his views and theories and fight for them. As long as the facts are sound and correct, then there is nothing wrong in presenting a film this way. If anything, this is the way a good documentary SHOULD be made.
I also don't agree with those that say that he focuses too much on entertaining, and not enough on informing. I found Moore's film as having a terrific balance of entertainment and education, which has always been the way that I personally learn and pay attention the best. Where is the rule written that we have to be bored to tears?
I've heard a lot of people make the point that Moore's facts are at best flimsy, and at worse, fabricated, but I haven't heard anyone present proof that his facts are inaccurate. Whether or not you agree with Moore's political views, whether you're anti- or pro-Bush, it all comes down to just the facts, ma'am. And the facts are sound.
The Lyon's Den: Pilot (2003)
Disappointing
I had been looking forward to this show quite a lot when I saw it previewed during the summer as a new fall offering. I watched the first few episodes, and was continually saddened to see such a boring show. Next week's episode always seemed like it was going to be exciting and dramatic, but every "next week" turned out to be as bland and blah as the last one. I was disappointed because I liked Rob Lowe on The West Wing (apparently he left over contract and money disputes), and I am a fan of legal thrillers, and this one seemed promising. It might have been a case of the show needing some more time to find its rhythm and build momentum and a fan base, but it was yanked from the network lineup fairly quickly. It was taken off during November sweeps, then brought back, then officially canceled. Overall, I think it was a show with a lot of potential and could have been a good one, but in the end, it just didn't hold my attention. And evidently didn't hold the attention of a lot of people.
Spider-Man (2002)
Are you kidding?
This movie was quite a disappointment. I obviously wasn't expecting Shakespeare, but this movie was just corny and cartoonish. The performance of Willem Dafoe was over-the-top overdramatic and laughable. Many people in the packed theater that I saw the movie in with laughed at many of his supposed intense scenes. Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst were just boring, flat, and lifeless. I suppose I was expecting a "cooler" movie, in the vain of Batman. Then again, Tim Burton directed that movie, and this one had Sam Raimi at the helm. Obviously, these are two very different directors, but even so, I wasn't expecting the heavy-handed cheesiness that Spider-Man delivered. Sam Raimi is quite overrated in my opinion, directing such terrible movies as, The Gift, For Love of the Game, and The Quick and the Dead. He was definitely no better here. I have no problem with Spider-Man raking in the record-breaking bucks that it has so far and will seemingly continue to for a while (and I have NO problem with ANY movie breaking the all time record of Titanic), but that does not make this a good, or even entertaining, movie. Overall, just a lot of talented actors in a bad blockbuster. (Not the first time).
The Gift (2000)
Same-old, same-old
I was pretty disappointed in this film, especially after all the great buzz and reviews surrounding it. It wasn't so much that I didn't like the story, characters, acting, or direction, its just that I left the theater thinking, "so what?" "I've seen this before". A person has a special psychic gift, she's the only person that can help in solving a murder or other violent crime, they catch the person that her visions point to, then questions still surround whether or not the right suspect was caught. I don't want give away any spoilers, but if you've seen one, you've seen them all. All the familiar characters are here. The psychic, the redneck wife-beater, the beaten wife, the sheriff, the beautiful country club slut, and on and on. I guess I was just expecting a little more, or a little different, from Billy Bob Thornton, the writer. I will say that Katie Holmes' bare breasts were a nice surprise. I wasn't expecting to see them. But, of course, they make you sit through almost the entire movie before they make their entrance. Anyway, to the guys, if you don't want to wait 6-8 months for the video or DVD, this might be worth the price of admission. Maybe a matinee.
Titanic (1997)
Special effects weren't enough
I think the reason I was so disappointed in this movie was because I didn't go to see a ship sink, or to awe at the "spectacular" special effects. I went to see it based on terrific earlier performances by Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Basketball Diaries", "This Boy's Life", and "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet", "Marvin's Room", etc...; as well as Kate Winslet's roles in "Hamlet", "Jude", and "Sense and Sensibility". She's also since done great work in "Hideous Kinky" and "Holy Smoke". In hindsight, though, that may have been a bit credulous.
I knew going in that the main pith of the movie was the state-of-the-art effects showing the preeminent Titanic sinking. I had hoped that that was going to be an added bonus, not the only thing worth mentioning. I found the whole storyline of Kate Winslet, the rich, upper class socialite, "Rose", falling in love with DiCaprio's rag-tag, wrong-side-of-the-tracks, "Jack", very cliched. As the formula goes, he repulses her at first, then they grow to love each other, then they realize they can't have each other because of their class differences, but love perseveres. And, naturally, there has to be the evil boyfriend, played here by Billy Zane as "Cal", who seems charming and elegant on the surface, but has a mean and jealous fervor in him. There are a lot of other ingredients to be interpolated into the formula, but this is the gist of it, and the material never strays too far off the beaten path.
Now, I have been to movies where all I expected to see is great action & special effects, and conceded that the acting and story weren't exactly on the front burner. "Mission: Impossible II" comes to mind. However, I was so disappointed that this movie, which I don't think you could classify as "action", and with all of its potential, turned out to be so mediocre. The story and plot were very hackneyed and trite, and the actors really had no room to move in such a formulaic offering. If you want some good titles to look at from 1997, try "Good Will Hunting", "L.A. Confidential", or "As Good As It Gets".
In the end, for me, the special effects weren't enough.
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000)
A Pleasant Summer Surprise
I went to this movie with my three younger brothers, thinking they'd have fun with it. I was surprised how much I liked it as well. I remembered how much I liked the original cartoon and how the humor was aimed more at the adults. I had figured that the humor would be a little watered down for the kids in this big summer theatrical release, but was pleasantly surprised to find the opposite was true, and I was actually laughing more than my brothers.
De Niro's sendup of his own "Are you talking to me?" scene was great, and I liked Jason Alexander & Rene Russo as Boris & Natasha. The combination of computer graphics & live action was seamless and convincing, and the goofy puns and traditional Rocky & Bullwinkle banter was top-notch. The only real complaint I would have would be Piper Perabo as Karen Sympathy. Other than that, its a great summer treat for all ages.......especially adults.
Inside the Actors Studio (1994)
A wonderful & unique approach to celebrity interviews.
"Inside the Actor's Studio" offers something that virtually no other interview program does: an interview. The actors, directors, and writers that appear as guests get a chance to actually discuss their craft and their particular approach to it. James Lipton is a great interviewer, offering up questions & observations that you're not going to hear from the majority of other television interviews, as most of those are usually 4 or 5 minute snippets that rarely get past the current projects. Either that or its the same stupid anecdote that has been given on every other show. You don't have to be an actor or director to appreciate & enjoy this program. You don't even have to be a big movie fan to enjoy Lipton's insightful interviews. And for those who are interested in this business, what better way to learn than by hearing it from the masters.