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Braveheart (1995)
What's with this fake ending?
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT (for a 20+ year old film) Terrific film which I saw in the theater. I re-watched it last night as part of my Amazon Prime subscription. But the ending in the cut I saw through Amazon has him beheaded in the end. The version I saw in the theater has him drawn and quartered, which I'd never seen in a film previous. Are all cuts like the Amazon butchery? It's an outrage if it's trimmed like that in all media.
Bloodfist (1989)
Small budget, big canvas
Okay, let's say it up front, Bloodfist is on the cheesy side, mostly a product of its budget. But that being said, it generates a whole lot of horsepower for the four cylinders it's running on.
I found it in a re-release bin a few weeks ago and had a blast watching it with my karate-taking kid. It boasts volcanoes, a spectacular bay, a cock fighting arena as martial arts arena.
But the fights themselves are terrific (nothwithstanding the occasional whiff) -- the camera is constantly on the move, the editing is sharp and drives the action, the music expands what's on the screen.
The acting is passable -- these are fighters, including the great Billy Blanks. Don "the Dragon" Wilson is green, but so is the character he's playing.
What struck me the most is how the movie presages the MMA era we're now enjoying. Bloodfist helped bring back the martial arts movie, and sprang loose the early fittings for the relentless stuff in Strikeforce and others.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Some Must Watch While Some Must Sleep (2009)
Bad bad trip
I have been looking at the whole show again to see/appreciate how much I'd miss it... and I've been really disappointed in the second year. Yes, Summer Glau is more glamorous than the previous year, they brought in extra people to bring out her attributes, but that's about the only positive aspect.
This sleep episode is its nadir, unquestionably. I kept stopping and wondering what I'd missed. It's incomprehensible across the board at a time when the series needed to be peaking and sparking sponsors to be screaming for it to be kept alive.
Writing this makes no difference. The show is gone. But it's a reality check. I'll miss what they had the first year. The showrunners killed the show; the director killed this episode.
MegaFault (2009)
Megfault dangerous...
Dangerous name because it sets up so many chances to make fun of this garbage merely based on the name. I won't go that way. There are so many poor aspects, it makes you wonder if anybody involved has ever seen a good movie by which some guidance might be found.
Clearly not. The performances are dreadful beyond belief. What in God's name has happened to Brittany Murphy? The hair, the lips, the inability to create a single believable moment. All the rumors suggesting that she's difficult, re:nuts, must be true.
The FX aren't awful but the storytelling... the lack of empathy for anyone is astounding. The suggestion that the chopper can't fly because the earth below is splitting is so ludicrous.
This was hands-on produced by the head of Sy-Fy, Tom Vitale. It's a joke. Has he lost his mind? Usually he doesn't take a credit. He can blame the incompetence on someone else. This is all on his a$$.
The Westing Game (1997)
Eccentrics unravel clues toward winning an odd game.
When I was young I was forced to read "The Westing Game" and couldn't stand it. So I was curious that somebody made it into a movie. Well, forget the book -- it was incomprehensible and petty -- it talks down to people. Not so the movie. It actually condenses the feelings and essence of the book and tells it in a fashion that makes it make sense. Whatever weaknesses it has are a result of trying to stick to the horrible book. There are universally good performances, particularly Ashley Peldon and the funny Billy Morrisette. It has some beautiful photography, odd but effective angles and transitions. There's not much to watch with your kids out there, but this is one you can enjoy together.
Chicago (2002)
Brain Dead Heroine Dreams Electric Cheap
This was an atrocious attempt at a movie. I became an ex-pat a couple years ago, and now I know why. Is America that afraid to look within, to say anything at all? Miramax was the single hope for American distribution. Now it's this garbage and The Boss's Son. Some try to compare Chicago to Moulin Rouge -- my God, what a slam to Moulin Rouge. No, truly, this Chicago thing is wholly unoriginal, offensive, old-fashioned, shallow, and the music sucks. This movie is proof that Hollywood has been consumed by a brand of people who can't live in their own skins. Can't look past the reflection in the mirror. The horror. Please, stop.