Quick Reviews

INFECTION (Kansen)
Written and Directed by Masayuki Ochiai.  Stars  Michiko Hada, Mari Hoshino and Tae Kimura.
 2004, 98 minutes, Color.  Rated R.

This has some great parts, but was ultimately much ado about something I've seen before.  Some good imagery, but not a lot of coherency.


MATCH POINT

Written and Directed by Woody Allen.  Stars Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Emily Mortimer.
2005, 124 minutes, Color, Rated R.

Absolutely positively the most un-Woody Allen-like film he's ever made, and Scarlet Johanssen comes the closest yet to being nude on film...and yet I found the film tedious and even worse: annoying.  Still, it was clear everybody was trying on this one. 

EXTREME MEASURES

Directed by Michael Apted.  Written by Tony Gilroy.  Stars Hugh Grant, Gene Hackman, Sarah Jessica Parker.
1996, 118 minutes, Color, Rated R.  

A medical thriller with an offbeat cast.  Kind of works while you're watching it, but falls apart badly when you try to think about it.  Still, Grant is surprisingly good in the stereotypical "hero" role.  I kind of wish he had done more in this vein.  Reminiscent of COMA, at least in approach and subject matter.

THE JACKET

Directed by John Maybury. Written by Massy Tadjedin.  Stars Adrien Brody, Keira Knightly, Kris Kristofferson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kelly Lynch, Brad Renfro, Daniel Craig.
2005, 103 minutes, Color, Rated R.

This was reasonably interesting, reasonably well acted, reasonably intelligent...but I didn't care for it much.  An interesting idea, but I think it took too long to make explain what was happening.   The DVD contains 3 alternate endings which illustrate that the filmmakers had no idea how to end the movie.  The ending they used was best, IMO.  Well made, but depressing. 

INCIDENT AT LOCH NESS

Directed by Werner Herzog.  Written by Werner Herzog and Zak Penn.  Stars Werner Herzog, Kitana Baker.
2004, 94 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13.

 A fake(?) documentary about a film crew investigating the Loch Ness monster.  I liked this a lot, although I can't see why I'd ever watch it again.  (Is that a recommendation? I dunno.)

STAY

Directed by Marc Forster.  Written by David Benioff.  Stars Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling.
2005, 99 minutes, color, Rated R.

Well acted and directed but ultimately very familiar.  Stylish with some effective scares.

PULSE (Kairo)

Written and Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Stars Haruhiko Katô, Kumiko Asô and Koyuki.
2001, 118 minutes, Color, Rated R.

Ah yes, another Japanese horror film...well, actually I think this is a horror / science fiction hybrid.  Regardless, it has a bit more scope than usual for these films.  Creepy as all get out and downright  frightening at times, this is marred by somewhat unlikable characters.  Also, it is written in stone that Japanese horror films can't have any sex?  Jeez.  Still, I liked this. 

DEAD HEAT

Directed by Mark Goldblatt.  Written by Terry Black. Stars Treat Williams, Joe Piscopo, Lindsay Frost, Darren McGavin, Vincent Price, Keye Luke, Martha Quinn. 
1988, 86 minutes, Color, Rated R.

DEAD HEAT  is truly a bad movie, but it's bad enough to be fun.  One of the many problems the film has is that Treat Williams simply can't play this type of comedy.  Darren MacGavin blows up at the end.

MISSION TO MARS

Directed by Brian De Palma. Written by Jim Thomas, John Thomas and Graham Yost.  Stars Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Don Cheadle, Connie Nelson, Jerry O'Connell.
2000, 114 minutes, Color, Rated PG.

I watched this the other night, and while it is not a good movie by any stretch, there are parts of it I like, particularly the emergency evacuation sequence.  Most of the rest just feels like a less intelligent 2001 rehash.  One thing that really stood out when I watched it this time was how awful Gary Sinise looks in this.  I mean physically bad.  In the face area.  It was distracting enough to take me out of the movie most times he was on the screen.  Trying to look at it objectively my issue is mostly with his hair.  Petty, I know.

CREEP

Written and Directed by Christopher Smith. Stars Franka Potente, Sean Harris and Vas Blackwood.
2004, 85 minutes, Color, Rated R.

Had nice moments, and I'm sure there was a really good movie in there somewhere, but I didn't much care for it.

THE HULK

Directed by  Ang Lee. Written by John Turman, Michael France and James Schamus.  Stars Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliot, Josh Lucas and Nick Nolte.
2003, 138 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13.

I had put off seeing this because I thought I wasn't interested.  Well, color me green, 'cos I thought it was a great movie.  I can't help but suspect, however, that it plays better at home--those quiet moments (even the climatic verbal showdown between the father and son) are VERY quiet and a bit incongruous with the Sturm und Drang of the rest.  Still, I didn't have a problem with any of the actors, and found the effects surprisingly believable.

THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX

Directed by John Moore.  Written by  Scott Frank and Edward Burns.  Stars Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Giovanni Ribisi, Miranda Otto, Hugh Laurie.
2004, 113 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13.

Reasonably well done (the crash especially), but I can't imagine ever watching it again.  On the other hand, I get a hankering to watch the original every couple of months.


THE UNINVITED

Written and Directed by Soo-youn Lee.  Stars  Shin-yang Park, Gianna Jun and Seon Yu.
2003, 127 minutes, Color, not rated.

A Korean horror film, I thought it was intelligent and disturbing although I'm not entirely sure of what it meant.  Still, well done if only for providing the necessary mood and scares.

16 BLOCKS

Directed by Richard Donner.  Written by Richard Wenk.  Stars Bruce Willis, Mos Def, David Morse.
2006, 105 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13.

 Richard Donner directing Bruce Willis--I figured it would be at least okay.  I was wrong.  Willis is simply awful and the other casting is just as bad (David Morse as ANOTHER bad guy? C'mon).  Not at all a good movie.  I nominate Mos Def as the most irritating actor ever.  He plays his role in this movie like Mike Tyson.

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE

Directed by Scott Derrickson.  Written by Paul Harris Boardman and Scott Derrickson. Stars Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo.
2005, 119 minutes, Color, not rated.

Someone I worked with swore this was a good movie.  This was almost unbearably scary until it showed that it was going to follow the rules, and then became ultimately predictable and bland.  I like Laura Linney, however, and she was quite good in this.


LADY IN THE WATER.  

Written and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.  Stars Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard.
2006, 110 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13.

This is not without its flaws--it begins very awkwardly, and uses an utter contrivance to convey important story info--but I liked it.  As per usual with Shyamalan's films there is a depth of emotion running under the surface of things.  I suppose if you don't tap into that depth it can seem a pretty pointless enterprise, but I did and so I liked it.  The plot construction is not as polished as it probably could have been.  Paul Giamatti is REALLY good in a somewhat poorly written role--I thought he was all wrong for it at the beginning of the movie, but he really delivers by the end.  Bryce Howard is okay--she isn't really asked to do much.  M. Night himself has a good role, too.  Not perfect, but still much better than a lot of stuff out there.  Although if you didn't like THE VILLAGE I imagine you wouldn't like this one either.

BASIC INSTINCT 2

Directed by Michael Caton-Jones.  Written by  Leora Barish and Harry Bean.  Stars Sharon Stone, David Thewlis.
2006, 114 minutes, Color, Rated R.

I didn't like this much.  I simply didn't like Sharon Stone in it.  The rest of it was okay, and the twist at the end WAS well done, but she pretty much killed it for me.