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Chillicothe (1999)
bleah
An extremely dull and amateurish movie. The director's commentary is much funnier than the movie was. You get to listen to a couple of people that *really* like the movie. You also get to find out that in one scene the actor's shirt deliberately matches the stove. Yeah.
Spectres of the Spectrum (1999)
Interesting, but too scattered for me
This movie reminded me of Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees ( http://us.imdb.com/Title?0105791 ). The very loose plot was used to frame various footage that's related to electricity. Overly kitchy in many places. Sure, it's funny the first time when the main character (Boo Boo) imitates old-school sci-fi heroes, but after a while it becomes tiring.
Stigmata (1999)
The best Smashing Pumpkins video I've ever seen!
Stigmata: the new fragrance by Calvin Klein.
Yep, this movie was all about style. The plot was pretty simple, but it sure looked good! This isn't a particularly scary movie either. You know what's going to happen through the whole thing about 10 minutes in. On the up side, there is some nice, very real sounding dialogue.
If you're watching this on DVD, watch the original ending. It does a better job at closing the plotline.
American Beauty (1999)
a more balanced look **mild, nonspecific spoiler**
American Beauty reminded me most of Happiness and Your Friends and Neighbors, two other examinations of modern-day suburban evilness great and small. The biggest difference here, though, is that those two movies were completely about the ugliness and pettiness and excluded any kind of joy or sense of redemption. In those movies, every moment of hope revealed was quickly crushed. On the other hand, the glimpses of beauty in American Beauty weren't just limited to ironic beauty! These moments formed the centerpieces of the film (even though, like the others, the cruelties took up most of the screentime). This balance is what made the film work. Even the humor wasn't always relegated to a disgusted I-can't-believe-I'm-seeing-this snort.
I was also impressed by the way it kept this examination of beauty at arm's length, not letting it become overwhelmingly trite like most movies do. Note, for example, Spacey's character's narrative at the end. While the words seem emotionally over-the-top, his deadpan voice lets you know beforehand that his speech will end with something like "my whole stupid life". Another nice touch was the creepy fixation that Ricky Fitts had with beauty, culminating with the grin that crept across his face while contemplating Spacey's peaceful expression at the end. I don't think, as others have said, that Ricky Fitts was necessarily treated as a hero. We were encouraged to laugh at (and be disgusted by) his vivisections of beauty; do you really think we were meant to agree with them?
Besides one nagging hole in the plot (Why would Ricky do anything at all like that in what he knew was full view of his father?), my biggest complaint was the ending. Ya know, there doesn't have to be one of those whodunit--ha! fooled you, you were wrong--endings at the end of every drama. Did every drama filmmaker grow up watching To Tell the Truth or something? That last switcheroo seemed tacked on and had no impact on the true themes of the movie.
Not a groundbreaking movie at all, but entertaining and very accomplished for a first-time director.
Henry Fool (1997)
Painful art
The point of this movie seems to be that for art to be good, it must provoke a strong reaction. Good art isn't necessarily enjoyable. This movie very seldom provoked a strong reaction in me, therefore, on its own terms, it is fluff. (Stale fluff, at that)
Happiness (1998)
incredibly brutal
This movie ranks up there with In the Company of Men in terms of discomfort. Even so, all the characters seem real. Excruciatingly real, even. The acting was wonderful throughout.
Audience reaction was interesting: there were many instances of one or two people laughing loudly at a scene while the rest of the crowd was still stunned silent.
Orgazmo (1997)
Matt Stone must be the funny one
The movie relies too much on the passive, intrinsic humor in things (dildos, Mormons, the look on people's faces when they orgasm, the allure of Ron Jeremy), but doesn't build on this humor at all. There's far too much waiting between funny parts (e.g., long drawn-out fighting scenes).
Watch a Southpark repeat. There will be more meat in it.
54 (1998)
Glitzy and entertaining
One of the best compliments I can make about an actor is to say that I forget who the actor is during the movie. Mike Myers doesn't exude Mike Myers-ness in this movie. This is him at his best. Lots of exciting, entertaining, energetic scenes here. The only parts that sagged were those extraneous ones with Neve Cambell. (Come on, we don't need; a love interest every movie!) Oh yeah, the music was well chosen too. Not too many of the overplayed disco hits, just lots of anonymous beats, the way it was meant to be.
The Craft (1996)
Not too exciting
Nothing special here. The ending seemed tacked on. (Come on, we need to wrap this movie up.) The X-Files episode on witchcraft had a similar feel and was twice as well done.
Prince of Darkness (1987)
Perhaps my favorite horror movie of all time
I love the pacing in the movie. John Carpenter's music plays non-stop through the last 2/3 of it which sews the plot together beautifully. So the science was fluffy. So it starred someone from "Simon & Simon". Get past it. This is a scary movie.