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PennGirl
Reviews
My Own Private Idaho (1991)
don't waste your time
This movie is F*@#ed up. Don't try to be deep or see any profundity in it. Just skip it and rent Road Trip or something. Seriously. Anyone who tries to compare it to Shakespeare or find anything existential in the fact that two male prostitutes traverse the world while occasionally falling asleep in the road is clearly cracked-out.
Body Shots (1999)
a true depiction of the post-college age club scene
As a 21-year old club-hopper, this movie was such an accurate picture of what happens on the nightlife scene in a major city. The girls in the movie totally reminded me of myself and my friends on a night out, and the guys they meet are just like the guys we encounter. The whole "to date or not to date" dilemma is also a true-to-life depiction, as girls just want to date casually while guys see any kind of committment as a threat and a step towards marriage. If you're under 18 or over 35 you probably won't appreciate this film.....but if you're in between those ages, do NOT miss it!
Stand by Me (1986)
I wish I had friends like these
I was 7 when this movie came out, and it was one of the first movies I ever saw that wasn't "Care Bears". It still sticks with me, and I watch it every chance I get. I'm constantly amazed by the poise these young actors had, particularly River Phoenix, who was phenomenal as Chris. I'd give it a 10, but I hate that scene with the leeches!
City Slickers (1991)
My Friend's Dad Wrote this movie...therefore it rules!
C'mon...ya gotta love the NY humor in this flick. Besides, like I said, my friend's dad wrote it. =) But just to make this a legit review, I will say that the rapport between the three friends, Mitch, Phil, and Ed, is classic and acted so naturally. They remind me of my uncle and his friends, who are all in their 40s but have known each other since childhood, and still act the way they did when they were 8. It's a beautiful thing.
EDtv (1999)
NOT a copy of Truman Show!!!
Just to clarify some previous comments, I am friends with the son of one of the screenwriters for EdTV, and the concept for this film was developed long before Truman Show came out, but it took longer to finish and release. In fact, my friend expressed to me the concern of TPTB at EdTV that if Truman Show came out first, people would assume that EdTV was a copycat, when that is not the case. BTW, I really liked this movie.
Gladiator (2000)
Russell Crowe is a Roman god
This movie was fantastic. Far from just a typical guts n' gore warrior flick, the actors succeeded at portraying genuine feeling, emotion, and motivation for their actions. While on the surface, the plot line may seem implausible, the characters' passion brings it to life and a shocking reality. You walk out of the theater honestly believing that Maximus' desire for vengeance, combined with his skill as a general, could lead him from slavery to the doorstep of the emperor. And as if that were all not enough, Russell Crowe is a modern-day Adonis. I'll be first on line when the DVD comes out.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
I'll Never Be the Same
Anyone who comments on this movie as being "too graphic", "lacking in character development", or as having "scenes that could be cut" is missing the entire point of the movie. While we sit here in the 1990s, in a comfy movie theater watching a fictionalized version of the horrors of the taking of Omaha Beach, there were hundreds of young men barely past high school age who had to LIVE IT.
To say that a scene was too graphic is to belittle the men who had to witness it first hand and did not have the option of turning off the VCR or leaving the theater.
Sometimes, a movie is supposed to make us think. Sometimes things are not always laid out for us--we have to pick them up ourselves. And finally, bravo to Spielberg for making one of the few truly honest war pictures ever. War is not pleasant. It is not about this super-human nobility and clean victory. No matter which side "wins", everyone loses.
This movie made me think long and hard about what people my age (20) had to go through just 50 years ago. When I saw this film in the theater, I was surrounded by members of the WWII generation, and I could see in their eyes that this was almost too real for them. The ability to create a movie that makes a 20 year old girl in 1999 feel like she was at Normandy in 1944 is an epic talent that should be cherished. "Saving Private Ryan" is beyond a 10. Anyone who doesn't see that should really watch it again.
Reality Bites (1994)
Who are we supposed to sympathize with here???
Am I really supposed to feel sorry for a valedictorian FILM MAJOR who can't get a job she adores on the first time out? Or a lazy, self-centered pseudo-intellectual whose only joy in life is belittling other people? I guess that is what they had in mind when they made this flick, but it went over my head somewhere along the way. No, I don't agree with Lelaina picking Troy over Michael. Michael was a nice, well-meaning guy, while Troy was selfish and expected Lelaina to be there to love him only on HIS terms. The most interesting characters, the other two roommates, were sorely underused. Save yourself the trouble and just buy the soundtrack.
A Few Good Men (1992)
makes me wanna hug a marine
WHAT a fantastic movie! There is drama, humor, emotion. Whatever conventional wisdom says is needed for a great movie, A Few Good Men has it: a great cast that acts to their best abilities, meaningful dialogue, intriguing plot, well-developed characters...One of the few movies I could watch over and over again. I don't think Jack Nicholson is capable of making anything but super high-quality flicks. I highly recommend this movie to anyone.
The Godfather (1972)
An epic for all time
I could watch this movie again and again. Marlon Brando is spectacular, and you envy and pity the Corleones at the same time. They seem to have such a strong sense of loyalty and family, yet they are constantly watching their backs and wondering when their time is up. The struggle of the Corleones to eventually become legitimate is dramatic and sad, but beautifully portrayed.
Varsity Blues (1999)
inaccurate stereotyping galore
Can Hollywood PLEASE get over the whole quarterback + blonde cheerleader bimbo cliche? It is BEYOND old. I guess people never tire of seeing mindless adolescents acting like stupid whores. Were all of the world's intelligent teenagers only in MY high school?
Oleanna (1994)
This was like a night at the Community Theater
This movie was so obviously converted from a play. The dialogue was stiff and unmotivated, and by the end of it, I wanted to beat the girl up, too. Plus, people DON'T TALK LIKE THAT!!! A little emotion from the characters would have helped, too.
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Best movie of all time!!!
This is beyond the best movie of all time. Scarlett O'Hara is one of the primary influences in my life. (after my mother, of course) This movie is timeless and beautiful.