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KateD
Reviews
Dogma (1999)
Good, but Kevin....you can do better!
Out of all of Kevin Smith's work, Dogma has, by far, received the most media attention as a result of its religious connotations. But if there are people whose first experience with Kevin Smith's work, I want you to know that by Smith standards, Dogma is simply.....decent.
Mallrats, Clerks, and Chasing Amy are some of the funniest movies that I have seen in a long time. And I watch a lot of movies. So when I heard that Dogma was coming out, I was pretty excited. And while the movie was pretty humourous, I want people to take the opportunity that has been given to them by Dogma having received sooooo much public attention to go out and rent Clerks, Mallrats, or Chasing Amy. If you thought Dogma was funny, you just might hurt yourself while laughing at these movies.
Dogma is a good movie, I will say that much. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are hilarious as Bartelby and Loki, the renegade, vengeful angels. Chris Rock is awesome as Rufus, the 13th apostle. And George Carlin is a nice surprise as Cardinal Glick, the founder of "Catholicism Wow". Linda Fiorentino, while impressive in "The Last Seduction", is pretty disappointing here. She's boring to watch, and doesn't add anything to the film, which is too bad considering the enormity of her role. And of course, Jason Lee, who I love and who is talented beyond belief, is wasted in a seriously underwritten role as Azrael.
So yeah....Dogma is funny. But I take offence to people calling themselves Kevin Smith fans after seeing this film without seeing the others. To truly appreciate Kevin's genius, do yourself a favour and rent Clerks, Mallrats, or Chasing Amy. 'Nuff said.
Running on Empty (1988)
A beautifully acted film
Everytime I see River Phoenix on film I just cannot believe that such a wonderful actor had to die at such a young age. His performance in this movie is simply amazing.
The movie is about a family called the Popes. The mother and father bombed a napalm lab in the 1970's as a protest against the war. They are running away from the FBI, constantly moving and changing their names. The saddest part of the movie is that they also have to steal the identity away from their two sons. The main character, Danny (played amazingly by the Wonderful River Phoenix) has been moving and changing his name since he was two years old.
When the family moves, Danny meets a girl named Lorna (played triumphantly by Martha Plimpton) whom which he falls in love and doesn't want to leave when his father tells the family it's time to move again. Danny also gets an opportunity to go to a university but his father doesn't want him to go because of the situation they are in.
In the end, the father has to choose to let his son go, or to continue to steal his identity away from him.
This movie is fantastic. The music choice is very appropriate and the parts are all acted beautifully. I can honestly say that the acting in this movie is perfect. It is a definite must-see.
War of the Buttons (1994)
A good flick about cute little Irish boys.
This movie is amazing! It is a great family film. This scenic movie is also a breathtaking look at Ireland.
The movie is about two groups of boys, both from different rival towns in Ireland, Ballydowse and Carrickdowse. The boys have battles, and to shame the enemy, they cut off all the buttons on their clothes. To get back at them, the boys from Ballydowse have a cunning plan to get back at the boys from Carrickdowse. They show up at the battle naked!
You may either laugh or cry at this movie, but either way I am sure that you will love "The War of the Buttons."
Heavyweights (1995)
Fat kids on film.
This is a movie about a group of fat kids at a fat camp run by a fanatical health freak played brilliantly by the genius that is Ben Stiller. If you thought he was funny in "There's Something About Mary", you'll die when you see "Heavyweights". Although it at first appears to be your everyday, average, cheesy Disney movie, "Heavyweights" is a very funny movie that, although it makes fun of fat kids, is not in any way offensive, because it is far too stupid to actually take offense at. However, the only way I would not recommend this movie to someone is if they have a big plug up their bum, and wouldn't know a good time if it jumped up and bit them. So, if you've got an hour and a half on your hands, and want to have a nice, easy, viewing experience, watch "Heavyweights".
Stand by Me (1986)
Wonderful Movie
This movie is my all time favourite. I saw it once on tv, and loved it. I now own it and watch it all the time. This movie is great. It has great acting and it will put you in a good mood.
The final line makes me cry every time I see it.