** out of ****

I watched this knowing what it was going to be like. I knew it would be trashy, cheap, unassuming, and interesting. But unfortunately, this film is none of these things. I went in expecting these things and i had them all shoved back into my face. I wasn't expecting this film to be as good as KALIFORNIA, but i was taken agog when i discovered what it really was.

The film is basically just about a couple who hook u with a young outlaw and basically go on a trip to nowhere. While on this trip, they have some encounters with several people who they end up murdering. They don't show any kind of guilt by doing this. Just regret.

This film was too easy. It's concluding statement is that the youth of today have made their world there own personal hell. This is established from the beginning and then the film decides to show as many different ways of showing this as it can. For me it didn't work, but in a strange way, it did. I liked the way the film doesn't take or give any sort of apologies for the weird images it shows. I liked the way the film showed us a continuing spiral around repetition. I usually hate it when a film does these sorts of things, but here it fit perfect. Rose Mcgowen does a fine job in her role of what appears to be a girl with terrets syndrome.

The major problem is that the film just doesn't show enough of... well... everything. The scenes are half heartedly done, the characters are half heartedly developed, and the set design just seems to keep repeating more and more strange set tone and color, but not enough variety. Take, for instance, a surreal scene in which the teenagers accidentally hit a dog on the road and put it out of its misery. What makes this scene funny is the fact that they have already murdered several people throughout the course of the film, and yet when they hit the dog, they show more genuine emotion for hitting this animal than for murdering another human being. And yet the viewer will still get the feeling that they didn't show enough emotion for the dog either. There must be something wrong with a film when the only scene in the film where the viewer can feel anything relative to the characters in a regular human being is in a particular scene right at the very end which involves hedge trimmers and Nazis. Obviously, it is scenes like the one with the dog that drive the message of the film home.

Now, the main problem with the film is how director Greg Araki(Mysterious Skin, Totally F*ckd Up) has to add a little zing to the carnage scenes. He adds style, which should definitely not be used in a film like this. There is a scene where a store owner's head is blown off with a shotgun, right off the stump. Now this scene is pretty straight forwardly done. Two people struggle with the gun, it goes off, someone is killed in the process. The thing is, once the the head lands in the guacamole, it screams and lurches, as if still alive. Now there's nothing wrong with having something like this in a film of this texture. The problem arises when it is talked about on local news programs that begin the discussion of how the head was sworn to be talking at the scene of the crime, and how a necklace was found at the scene of the crime along wit several other dead bodies. This is the kind of stuff that isn't necessary and certainly doesn't make the film any more interesting. It makes the film slow paced. And for a film that is less than 90 minutes, that is something that a director, especially one like Greg Araki, who has made some amazing films, should definitely avoid doing. Just look at films like KIDS or BULLY. They don't fall into the trap of being stylized for the sake of being stylized.

Homosexuality also is a frequent concept that is brought up several times in the film. Now i have absolutely nothing against homosexuality in films. I don't even care if it's just a casual occurrence in a film.But in this film, the concept of the boyfriend being gay, or the drifter being gay is simply something that isn't explored to any real extent. In fact, the aspect of Rose Mcgowen or her boyfriend being a straight couple is barely explored either. For a film that has so much gay sex, straight sex, and three ways, there really should be more of an attempt for sexual exploration of the characters and less of a chore. I know that it is just a thing that these characters do, and i know that they don't care who loves who or what they want to do with each other, but they could have at least had an orgy and not just a series of weird encounters.

Having said that, i do find the film interesting in its own trashy way. And i do kind of think the film is worth seeing, but the whole awkwardness of what the film attempts and repeatedly succeeds to prove is dumbed down by its finishing touches.

(the film is not rated but is intended to be viewed by adults only. it contains overdone violence and gory images, a substantial use of strong language, lots of graphic sex and nudity, and a fair share of drug use.)


I cannot believe the lines I heard in this movie. Where did they get these lines? From a kindergarten class? Anus face and eat my f**k were really stupid lines. I could add more lines for it such as poo poo head and stinky Mcstink face. Then the acting is just wonderful if you just crawled out from under a rock and have never seen a play or movie in your life. Then some guy pops up in your car and steals your wallet but you don't even notice if you're sitting in the front seat. I would suggest making up some immature lines instead of watching this movie. I am so tired of movies where the teenagers do drugs and try to act so cool.


This movie is the younger brother to David Lynch's _Wild at Heart_. Its direction and performances are rougher and more archly surreal but I think director Araki wanted it that way. This movie does have a plot but its landscape is almost entirely psychological--especially the ending. It combines punk and pre-Goth music with a character, Jordan White, who is a kind of lovingly accepting, moment-by-moment Christ-figure. If you can accept that statement, you should watch this movie.

By the way, the opening credit "A heterosexual movie by Gregg Araki" is a bit of a flipped bird to reviewers who pigeonholed his last movie with the tag "gay film." "Doom Generation" does have a gay subtext throughout; a very interesting one, too.


Doom Generation is an intelligent satirical look at American youth culture and its relationship with the media. It's one hell of a journey into oblivion - pure teen angst on speed. With an excellent debut performance from Rose McGowan and nippy guest cameos including Perry Farrell and Parkey Posey, we are taken on a voyage into mayhem. The film has a collection of the best socially inept one liners ever-used on celluloid. It will have you repeating them in the most inappropriate of places... I was particularly blown away by the art direction - the settings are twistedly beautiful and the lighting evocative of a west end stage musical. Greg Araki's (dir) treatment of American culture and his comments on misguided but very normal youth are of astute importance. Check it and enjoy it.


I too agree with the comments made by Casey-52. But I also saw the edited version. I just wanted to add the comment that if you happen to be a Rose McGowan fan or appreciate her looks this is a great film for that. She looks better than in some of her other films and even in the edited version you get to see her having sex at least maybe a dozen times - probably more - it's a LOT put it that way. So


i really, truly regret wasting an hour and a half of my life on this adolescent piece of trash. the lack of subtlety is insulting to the intelligence, and the gratuitous nature of the sex and violence featured in this film is simply offensive. and then there is the title, which i doubt could possibly be any more contrived.


I've heard from many people that this movie is great, but I avoided watching it because it seemed too cliché for my taste. I finally sat down and watched it. Too cliché? I was right. If it weren't for the great soundtrack this movie would be, in my opinion, utter garbage. This movie has no direction. It lacks an intriguing plot and the characters aren't interesting or likable enough for the audience to care what happens to them next. I've never seen anything Rose McGowan had done before this, besides her minor role in Scream, so I was unaware of her acting capabilities. In other words: I had no idea she was this bad. What's amusing about this movie is that some actually categorize it as 'dark comedy'. I doubt childish obscenities and lines such as, `What is this, night of the living BRAIN dead?' are considered dark humor. What was the character Amy Blue supposed to be anyway, an angst-ridden teen rebel? How trite. No wonder this movie has a following of pseudo Goths.

Save your money and pride and skip this flick.


This movie has absolutely no direction. The film is obviously trying to connect with a nihilistic generation. It should be so lucky. At least nihilism has an ethos, albeit a simple one: nothing. The Doom Generation can't even live up to that. A muddled hodge podge of perverted sexuality and half-assed attempts at dark humor, this film is like a man in a darkened gas-station bathroom, randomly spraying pure waste until he hears the sound of a resonate splash. Maybe Suburbia is a good stab at explaining a lost generation. Tarantino has written four incredible films rich with gunplay and dark humor. Watch one of those. But The Doom Generation is quite simply an abomination.


The only thing that puts this movie above "manos" is that there are no 20-minute long shots of panning roadside. nowhere will you find more vapid, meaningless, heavy handed tripe than you will in the doom generation.

spoiler alert:

this movie was so bad, that i did not feel sorry for the protagonist when he was anally raped while having his penis cut off with pruning shears by a band of shirtless neo-nazis while his girlfriend and best friend were wrapped in plastic and beaten.

It is worthwhile to read the back of the box, that is worth a laugh, as it seems to have been written by a major stoner.

3000 Dinars to the man who brings me greg akari's head on a pike.


There are few things worse than "art" that wants to appear so hip that it's above it all. THE DOOM GENERATION is an empty piece of bloodied fluff, meandering its way from one "shocking" scene to another. It's boring and pretentious. Do not waste your money or time on this one.


Ok. This movie is so bad, that much is obvious. But what struck me most about it is that it has to be the worst script ever written. Every other line is hilariously cringe-worthy. Just Rose McGowan by herself probably says about the hundred worst lines ever said in the history of cinema. This movie is so bad that it is funny at times, but on the other hand, its really just painfully AWFUL and utterly sad.

A 1/10.


The Doom Generation is quite possibly the worst film I have ever seen. I personally am at a loss as to why Gregg Araki receives the critical praise that he does. But, I concede that I am perhaps looking at it from a narrow point of view. I've only seen The Doom Generation and Nowhere so I don't have too much background in terms of Araki's body of work. Never the less, it seems to me that The Doom Generation is simply a pointless tail of three young adults carrying out acts of violence that have no real point. The acting is deplorable, the dialogue is trite, and the "symbolism" is about as subtle as being poked with a white hot cattle prod. I have heard people attempt to justify this film with comments such as "...the purposely bad dialogue is excellent..." and "it wonderfully depicts the decline of American youth..." but I don't buy it. But hey, quoth Dennis Miller, "That's just my opinion, I could be wrong." Films such as A Clockwork Orange and Kids deal with vaguely similar subjects matters but are far superior to The Doom Generation. Stay as far away from this as you can...unless you're in the mood to see one of the worst films out there.


Aside from not having any plot, the dialogue was painful, and the characters were annoying. There was certainly no message contained in this movie, either. It seems as if Greg Araki couldn't come up with an entire movie, but had a "great idea" for about 3 scenes worth of material, and just repeated them for 2 hours. That recurring 666 gag was great, too. This movie isn't even worth renting as a laugh. There aren't any redeeming qualities about this movie to make it worth tolerating. Avoid this movie at all costs, you'll just end up turning it off halfway through. I know I wanted to.


This movie rules. Why? Two words, ROSE MCGOWAN!!! This was Roses first major staring rule, and playing a confused and bewildered teen seems right up her alley. The dialogue in the film is striking and highly original, and the visuals are unforgetable. No one can watch this movie and feel comfortable, and that in itself demonstrates the meaning behind this expose on culture, violence and youth.


I have always marveled at the accounts of the "obscenity" trials like Larry Flynt's in the days of old. What a quaint concept, that art or ideas can be so offensive and harmful that they should be banned. I wouldn't ban this movie, or any other. But the pure hatefulness of the presentation of violence in this this film is reason enough to keep the word "obscene" in our language.


TDG is a very, dark entertaining movie with exceptionally talented and beautiful stars. It is engaging and very funny at parts. Jonathan Schaech proves his diversity as an actor, while Rose McGowen sticks with her usual "bitch" character as she has done in many other movies. This movie is very big on symbolism (e.g. red, white, and blue, 666 (which is also the number of times at current this movie has been rated ;), etc.), which adds a twist of things to look for.


Araki has Gen X irony/detachment down to a T. His characters are so apathetic that they say, "whatev", instead of "whatever." That one bit of dialogue alone I believe makes him a genius. I can't claim to understand the whole movie in a unified sense--it's as jarring, overwhelming, prolific, fast-paced, and difficult to digest as pop culture. But particular scenes seem very deliberate and well-crafted. For instance, the three main characters go through a drive-through, which resembles a nuclear power plant, terribly unnatural. One of the characters orders "deep-fried cheese chunks... and an evian." The utter absurdity of the evian is simply delicious in this scene. Consumer culture is hypocritical, foolish, and deluded. Araki's films say, we've created such irreversible urban decay that we've reached the existential state in which nothing we do could make it worse and so let's embrace pointless violence. 10/10


A young couple of 18 years old, Amy and Jordan, in a night club that seems to say "Welcome to Hell". Meet another young man called "X" (Xavier).Drive away of the three people, 'cause X is attacked by imbecilic junkies. Stop at a QuickieMart. Alas, no dough to pay the chow they took. Not happy, the cashier. Riot gun. Intervention of X. BLAM! Cashier's head fly away in the onions(A little like in the video game "Mortal Kombat").

New drive away of the trio after X stole some money to the Quickiemart's register. Next stop: a drive restaurant. Misunderstanding with the clerk. Another riot gun. Drive away.Motel. During the night, the clerk shows up, still armed. New intervention of X. BLAM! The clerk's arm is shot off. They rush out again. On the road again... All along the film, they run away and they have sex. Alas, I think their flight will never finish.

But why the number 666 always comes back (Motel 666, 6$66)? Are the three young people damned? Why each person they meet asserts that they know Amy, the girl, by a different name (Sunshine, Bambi...)? Why do everybody is always after the three people's poor fate? Why this message, in the clothing shop: "Prepare for apocalypse"? Why are the dialogs so cool? (Heh, heh!) And why so much violence towards the male sex? (See the bar scene, and the hangar scene at the end of the film).

I think the French producers of this film would answer:

"Why Not?" Anyway, some violence scenes were really too gratuitous. The sex scenes too, but the last scene is very disturbing; It's best to take it at face value. The three actors have really well played thier role, especially Rose McGowan, (see her good performance in "Scream"), the fiancée of Marilyn Manson. She's one of the prettiest actress I know.The sceneries were really cool (see the hotel room).I think Gregg Araki is a little like the American Jean-Luc Godard of the 90's.

8/10 for this hard road movie.


This is one of the most monumentally pointless movies I've ever seen. Many have said that this is a dark look at youth, or that it is a daring indie film, and similar diagnoses. However, it's really just a movie for all the Beavis and Butthead fans out there, for whom plenty of sex and a bit of gunplay makes a film.

The utter trashiness of this movie is found in the whole 666 gag. Whenever the protagonists purchase something at a store, the bill totals $6.66. That basically sums up this movie's ambition to be daring and rebellious, but exposes how pathetic these attempts are.

Everyone who has branded this movie as dark and daring probably just read the tagline.

Maybe that's what makes this movie so 'daring.' I suppose that, in a way, making a pathetically bad film is daring, especially when you put your name on it.

Simply put, watching this movie is a painful experience. Hopefully it will claim it's rightful place on the bottom 100 before long. However, maybe that's too good for it.


The Doom Generation completely blew me away, from the first kinetic moment, to it's supercharged and ultra-violent ending. Two teenagers, Amy Blue and Jordan White lie in their car pondering the meaning of love and life when Xavier Red jumps into their car and starts the first of a string of violent happenings. The three embark on an immoral road trip through America, driving wherever the road takes them, and punctuate their journey with brutal murders, and kinky sex. Eventually, they get what they deserve when they run into a gang of crazy nazis.

The Doom Generation features some terrific performances by three very talented young stars, Johnathon Schaech, James DuVall and Rose McGowan (who was brilliant in Strange Hearts and equally enticing here). Generation X director Gregg Araki delivers a gruesome but entertaining look at what can happen when three potentially dangerous teenagers can do when they get very, very bored. The film is directed with a glossy feel and atmosphere, adding to it's overall fun. However, some scenes take it too far, and even I couldn't sit through it without wincing, and I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of people have threwn up while watching it.

I give it 2.5/4


Even if Gregg Araki didn't try so hard to be profound, his movie would still be horrible. After hearing "666" for the fourth time, it's tempting to scream, "I get it! I'll acknowledge your irony if it will mean you'll stop beating me over the head with it!" Araki's 5th rate script could have possibly been saved if he had at least hired 5th rate actors. Rose McGowan has about as much animation as a paper doll. It's almost painful to watch her act; as if you want to finish her sentences for her to save her the trouble. I'm still not convinced that James Duval is an actor. I think he's some kind of mannequin brought to life by amateur puppeteers. Johnathan Schaech is the only saving grace in this festering pile of garbage. His talent was completely wasted. Whomever gave Gregg Araki any kind of budget deserves to be shot. Hard-core criminals should be forced to read his writing as punishment.


Only heaven knows how I sat through this oh so painfully bad movie...one thing I know is that I will never do it again. This film represents everything bad in moviemaking...poor plot, bad actors, weak script, moronic dialogue and bad camerawork. The lead actress is so annoying that I wanted to clamber up onto the screen and strangle her !!

Once the lights came on in the theatre...I couldn't get to the exit quickly enough. As for the people who voted this movie as a "10"....all I have to say to them is you need to get out more often. If someone offers you the alternative between watching "The Dumb Generation" and having a manicure with a chainsaw...take the chainsaw...it will be a lot less painful !!


Why is that when a director decides to make a "Cool" film they completely ignore the things that make films enjoyable, ie a decent story and interesting characters. The Doom Generation has no real story, it is just a road movie in its most basic form, the characters just stumble from one scene to the next. Basically it suffers from the worst complaint a film can suffer it is just boring.


I caught this tonight on HBO and I'd like to express my gratitude to Oliver Stone for making this. I've been wanting someone to do this for quite some time. It wasn't until very recently that I made the discovery that this was actually available to us.

The documentary does a very good job of illustrating Fidel Castro's role in Cuba and in the world. Opinions from parties both for and against his rule are expressed, and provide a fairly balanced outlook to this important situation. I haven't seen the first part of this series yet, and I'm looking forward to it.

I would definitely recommend this to anybody, as it serves as a valuable learning tool. Anybody from an avid historian to a procrastinating student may find value in its substance.


I watched "Looking for Fidel" on HBO tonight, and thought that 'Comandante' was better done. Although 'Comandante' had less questions about dissidents, it gave you far more insight in to the way Castro thinks, than 'Looking for Fidel" does.

In this short-film, Castro is grilled specifically on dissidents, and the moment of truth comes earlier on, when questioned on the 'closed trials' and why Castro did not allow the prisoners to see their families, Castro, in his unique orator voice asked of Stone, "Why is it that over 800 prisoners held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay have not been allowed to see their families for over two years?"

If you have watched 'Comandante' and liked it, you are sure to enjoy this low key one-on-one.


"Comandante was an excellent documentary, full of interesting images and information about the figure of Fidel Casttro: his day by day, his thoughts, etc. But Stone made a big mistake: he let himself get seduced by the huge charisma of the Cuban leader (something that's pretty easy, nobody can deny it) and he forgot to tell about so important issues such as the Cuban dissidents, or the fact that in Cuba there's not freedom of speech at all. With "looking for Fidel" Oliver tries to fix that, he's interviewed several Cuban dissidents, their families, and has asked Castro about the last executions in the isle and stuff...

Now, here comes the big question: why are the USA so obsessed with Castro while they form alliances with dictatorships that are much more harmful than Cuba's such as Morocco, Arabia Saudi, China, etc.? Why do they criticize Castro if they supported Pinochet, Videla or Batista? You don't have to answer... I already know why.

*My rate: 7/10


You'll know what I mean once you've seen the doc. The level of professionalism is ratcheted up to something akin to 60 Minutes over, say, typical documentary fare like Hidden in Plain Sight, which I have reviewed. There is no narration, although factoids appear a few times. And the interpreter is fairly impressive. I think I'd like the DVD if it had additional footage, which is inevitable here I think. If you have seen Buena Vista Social Club, you already have a feel for Cuba, which many Americans may not. I already knew that, for instance, Cuba's literacy rate is one of the best in the world. They generally do not suffer for lack of food either. The film makes references to the Cuban 5 and the Cuban international trade scenario. I suppose I will research further because the intent is to focus on Fidel here and it does that admirably. I felt like it dragged a little about 3o-45 minutes in, but Fidel's passion and struggle in having to face compromises in his wish to hold to certain revolutionary principles is more than charming. Small states are traditionally virtuous because they are weaker, and vice versa for big states, a point Castro manages to put in context without using it as a crutch. Watch for the shot of Che at the end, a startling likeness to Benicio Del Toro, who has looked like many.


I haven't seen this movie in 25 years. If only some cable channel would wise up and have a Lance Kerwin Marathon perhaps a new generation of young people could be turned on to this classic cinematic gem. I remember Scott wetting his pants. If you were a teenager and that scene didn't inspire you to never become an alcoholic (pardon my double negative), then it was only because you'd already had one too many lost weekends. Ironically Lance Kerwin played a bed wetter in an earlier TV movie called "The Loneliest Runner" so maybe he gave some pointers to Scott on how to play the scene. Sadly Lance would succumb to his own demons of addiction which would lead him out of show biz and into the religious biz as a clean and sober youth pastor.


The real star is Billy Carpenter, Lance Kerwin. He supports a basically not very nice person well portrayed by Scott Baio. Billy is more convincing as the nice guy who cares, we need more of this positive role model.


True story of one Bernie McPhillimy, a determined lady who tries to negotiate an agreement between the IRA and the Brits in 1972, during the height of the fighting. She is tired of innocent children being killed and comes up with an idea of a 'daytime truce' so the children can safely get to school and back. From he modest petition drive she is thrust quickly into the limelight as a leader of the 'peace movement.' Although she is not pro-British, she is given the tag of 'anti-IRA' by the nieghbours and we see the wrath that label brings upon her and her family. Despite all the setbacks and threats, her dogged determination is inspiring and at times even fun to watch. This movie does a great job of putting you right in the thick of things in Belfast. Unlike other movies based on the troubles in Ireland which usually looks at it from an IRA standpoint, this one focuses on how the regular blokes are affected and what their daily lives are like. Not entirely uplifting nor a complete bummer, it treads keenly between an over the top drama and made for tv drama. Still, I like it.


Very good film about Northern Ireland and the early troubles. Excellent acting by Nuala O'Neill and especially Julie Walter who not only carried the accent well but acted superbly also. Thankfully unlike so many other films based on the troubles in NI this one shows a realistic view of events. Highly recommended.


I saw this at the 1998 Montreal Film Festival and found it a moving and challenging film on the complexities of personal and political response to a longstanding and divisive issue. Well acted and cinematographed, this film added a dimension that has been rarely touched upon in other depictions of the "troubles in Northern Ireland." It compliments "Every Mother's Son" and "In the Name of the Father" with a moving story of the long-lasting and indiscriminate effects of violence and an attempt to question its limits as a political strategy. This is not a simplistic film, and its power comes from the depth of its critique of all the players in this ongoing political struggle.


"Titanic Town" is the real-life story of Bernie McPhelimy, a Belfast mother who was the driving force behind an anti-violence initiative of the 1970's. (The film draws its name from its city of location, where the "Titanic" was built at the Harland & Wolff shipyards.) Bernie is a witness to several military raids within both her neighborhood and her own home. The film shows how her feelings of indignancy are ignited and herself propelled--rather too quickly--into a spiral of Irish politics and intrigue. "Titanic Town" does an excellent job of demonstrating how one's own emotions, the news media and circumstantial events work to transform an ordinary individual into a national controversy. Performances by Julie Walters (as Bernie McPhelimy), newcomer Nuala O'Neill (as her daughter), and Ciaran McMenamin (as an IRA activist) are particularly well done. Strong supporting work is given by Ciaran Hinds, as Bernie's spent and sickly husband. Adeptly directed by Roger Michell ("Notting Hill"), "Titanic Town" may be somewhat dated from a topical standpoint, but its presentation of the Irish conflict in most human of terms makes it a more than worthy watch. It is a brave story, about a brave (if somewhat belligerent) people, which will elicit compassion, sympathy and respect from nearly any viewer.


I notice that a lot of comments such as 'Yawn, yawn. Another film about Northern Ireland' were written by people who don't actually live there. Well, I was born in Belfast in 1960 and lived there till 1982, and I can tell you that when you were yawning at the news about people being murdered, tortured, kidnapped, beaten, burned out of their homes, intimidated and imprisoned without trial, the people I lived among were going through it. I think this is an excellent film and very realistic. Julie Walters' accent is spot on, and the humour is, too. People who suffer greatly stay sane by developing a kind of gallows humour. If you think it is a trite film, you must have had an easy life. You've probably spent too much of your time watching movies. This is a luxury accorded to those who live in peace; be grateful you do.


Reminds me of a Ciardi poem, "My tribe is honing knives to use against your tribe." Lord, what hatred. The Catholics and the Proddies hate one another and everybody hates Bernie, the frustrated woman who forms a peace group to mediate between the IRA and the Brits in West Belfast. I don't know how, exactly, but I suppose from documentaries and "Odd Man Out," I'd gotten a picture of strife-torn Belfast as a heap of burned out urban wrack. Andersontown, where Bernie lives with her husband and three or four kids, looks more like one of those unpretentious working-class brick housing developments with wide streets and neat green lawns that one might see on the outskirts of Allentown, Pennsylvania. But there is violence in these clean streets too. A shot rings out, a soldier falls, and residents run from their houses to help the young man who lies on the wet sunlit street with an IRA bullet in his side. An ambulance speeds him away and a few minutes later there is a raid by the army. Several of the local old men are "lifted" and taken away in APCs. Bernie is incensed. The streets are not even safe for children during the daytime! And when her former bridesmaid, Mary McCoy, has her brains accidentally blown out by another IRA bullet, she recruits a friend and they begin to lobby, first in churches and town meetings, then on TV, for a cease fire. What kind of cease fire? Mutual fund managers have two styles of investing in stocks. One is "top down," in which the manager takes into account macroeconomic variables -- the interest rate, the direction the market is likely to go, the likelihood of improvement in different sectors -- and making bets along those lines. The other style is called "bottom up" investing. The hell with the overall market themes and the Bollinger bands. The "bottom up" investor looks for individual companies with favorable cash flows, good management, and quality products, regardless of the overall condition of the market. As a peace lobbyist, Bernie is a bottom up investor. She wants a cease fire for the sake of the kids -- period. She couldn't care less about larger issues like home rule. The well-meaning Protestant women running the town hall meeting are top-downers and begin by saying things like, "We must all find a common ground between us," and, "We must get to know one another so we can work more effectively together." Bernie doesn't want to find common ground. She is the complete pragmatist. She wants the shooting to stop. Her efforts earn her the enmity of the IRA, who consider her a traitor for "letting down the Catholics in front of everybody." And then the hatred of her neighbors, who throw bricks through her window, bop her retarded son on the head, and perforate her husband's ulcer. Bernie is angry and determined, but she's scared too. Anybody would be scared. At one point a man pins her against a brick wall at night, puts a pistol to her head and drops the hammer on an empty chamber while warning her to back off. Everybody wants peace on his or her own terms. But Bernie just wants peace. After meeting with the IRA in a scene that is almost comic, she meets with the high-ranking Brits, and there is an agreement that everyone will agree to a cease fire. The movie ends on an ambiguous note.

 The last half of the movie loses its direction. Let me see. Bernie's schoolgirl daughter falls in love with a medical student. Somehow the student is lifted by the Brits because of Bernie's activities. Bernie's daughter blames Bernie for everything and tries to take an overdose of Valium. The two of them fight. They come together weeping, over the hospitalized retarded son who's gotten beaned. It doesn't have enough to do with the central issue, and brushes uneasily against soap opera.

 Overall, though, it's quite well done. Julie Walters ("Educating Rita") looks as stalwart as she acts, and does a good job conveying her panic while waiting to be interrogated by the IRA leaders. She and her colleague keep breathlessly repeating Hail Marys. The IRA men turn out to be just ordinary guys from the neighborhood, one of them a former partner of Bernie's in an Irish dancing contest. Walters' is the only familiar face. None of the faces is glamorized in any way. Bernie's daughter is by no means attractive, but she has a cherubic face and a truly sweet dimpled smile. A fat neighbor with her hair in curlers, a vociferous IRA supporter, shouts obscenities at anyone not wholly behind her, playing it mostly for laughs.

When Bernie's family, having been kicked out, are trying to load their gear onto the truck, Fat IRA Lady's young son says, well, maybe he ought to go over and help them with the furniture. "What?" she screams at him. "You dumb f****** moron b****** -- and get KNEEcapped?" She whacks him across the head and shoos him into the house and, with a glance over her shoulder, adds, "Wait till after dark."

 It would be interesting to know where these tribal impulses stem from. We are confronted, after all, with similar situations all over the world -- not just Northern Ireland, but Palestine, Iraq, and the cities of the United States. Why are we honing those knives? And why do so many of the rest of us hate people like Bernie? This movie illustrates the passions but doesn't suggest any answers, nor even suggest that there are any answers. And, of course, if there aren't, and there may not in fact be, then any exploration of human nature is going to give us a glimpse into the heart of a darkness that no one wants acknowledged. The argument takes this form. "I do what I do because I am forced to by circumstances beyond my control. My enemy does what he does because that's his nature." It's psychological manifestation is called "the fundamental error of attribution." Big concepts, tricky codes, but real enough that they may lead some day to our dissolution as a species unless we come to grips with them.


This movie was very hard to follow. The Irish brougues (sp?) did not help; maybe it was the fact that I know nothing of the Northern Irish Conflict, other than it's between the Catholics and Protestants. Being of Eastern European descent, I have no knowledge of it. Last few months, I thought I'd widen my horizons and see an occasional independent/fine arts/foreign film, but every movie I've seen I did not care for. Will try again with The Yards and eventually Mansfield Park, when it comes to video, but if I don't care for those I'll stick with the Hollywood-released films.


Floricienta is a must see series which shows you many problems of teenagers and have fantastic actors like Florencia Bertotti,Juan Gil Navarro,Benjamin Rojas,Diego Messaglio and Camila Bordonaba.Floricienta also have much fun and i recommend this series to everyone for the reasons that i referred.This series is comedy and romance and i think that the acting of Florencia Bertotti is fantastic and she is very attractive.The names of the characters are Floricienta,Federicco,Franco,Mathias,Delfina,Maia,Niko,Malala,Bata and more. Another similar series is Rebelde Way with Camila Bordonaba,Felippe Colombo,Luisana Lopilato and Banjamin Rojas.These two series are made by Cris Morena and RGB studios.


Floricienta is a comedic telenovela that can easily be watched by the whole family.

It has the typical characteristics of a Cris Morena telenovela:the magic, the musical groups, etc, and of a telenovela in general: a poor girl falls in love with a rich man,a fake pregnancy...etc

but it is fun to watch and can make you laugh.

SPOILER however (if you don't already know it) fede dies and flor's prince changes(supposedly Fede returns to earth and enters the body of Max, or something like that) That is quite annoying because after all this trouble they went through they didn't even manage to get married really (unreal weddings-cris morena again!) But in the end Flor marries her prince and they live happily ever after while the villains end up in jail.


This almost-psychedelic mix-version of Cinderella and The Sound of Music are funny and with a lot of references at the actual situation of life in Argentina (ALL the people, including The Rich and The Poor, Bads and Good Guys, are capable of any thing for a couple of Euros, including sleep on the floor and shine shoes). The music is surprising good, the actors are VERY good (Macedo is superb, the best, Stefani is THE WITCH, the boys they make its work rather well, the role of Agustín Sierra, Martín, is very funny, with his constant psychological auto-diagnoses, the psychiatrist is terrific, Lorenzo (Esteban Prol) is really good... and ... and Florencia Bertotti is an angel living in the Earth. I'm not indeed an adolescent, but definitively I have fall in love with this girl. The success of the two-year serial it has taken to continue history, in musical version, in the theaters until today.

And if you like this, be patient, they are only almost 500 chapters.


Foricienta is a greaaaat story, not only for kids.. i'm 20 years old and i loooove it.. the story of flor is lovely she is a person full of love and compassion who, without even really wanting to, changes the life of Fede, and fills it with joy and fun and makes him alive again.. makes him love her.. at times hate her lol.. but fall absolutely in love with her... i used to think this was just some kids stuff.. and then a friend of mine forced me to watch it and i became an addict... i love the songs, the characters, the charming prince.. maybe you wont like it as much cause of all the things she say may not be so understandable in other languages, but it's a very enjoyable show what so ever.. flor is the best... the one bad thing is the end of the first season =( (i won't say what it was) but it's 100% worth watching..


Ruben Galindo is one of those sneaky Mexican exploitation directors who makes quickie-movies for the the American market. The cast is filled with fresh American faces and premise as well as atmosphere are typically US high school-like. Only... the production is entirely Mexican! This technique saves the makers a few extra bucks and the fans of this type of cinema mostly don't notice the difference anyway. However, what you can't but notice about "Don't Panic" is the amateurism. The screenplay makes no sense at all as it attempts to blend the mysteries of the occult (an Ouija-board) with an ordinary high school slasher plot. A group of brainless friends summon a demon (named Virgil...not exactly a petrifying name, if you ask me) and this demon soon after possesses one of the kids. How did this Virgil ended up inside the body of the kid?? Who knows... Why does he think it's necessary to butcher everyone who joined the Ouija game?? Not explained, neither... There's no tension and no sense of humor to detect anywhere in the script. Well...at least not intended humor, because the stupidity and incompetence definitely will make you chuckle more than once! Also, if you plan to watch this film, you're better not allergic to atrocious acting. No matter how hard these teen-actors try, they have no acting skills at all. The best part about "Don't Panic" is  as usual  the gore! Screaming Mad George went nuts again and literally stuffed this film with repulsive massacre and entire buckets of blood. I'm not an expert but I sincerely doubt that an average human body contains so much blood. Oh well, if it wasn't for these gory moments, "Don't Panic" would be completely worthless. In conclusion: this probably is one of the only films ever that feature the hero (supposedly 17 years old) battling evil whilst wearing a ridiculous and utterly childish pajamas. Respect!


I thought this supernatural slasher wasn't too bad. There were a few effective bits, and even a few suspenseful moments. The killings with the dagger are cool, and the bit where Michael is being stalked around the hospital are good. I also got a scare from the part where Virgil suddenly appears at the back window of the car. There are too many boring parts however to make this a good slasher film. If they had used more shots of Virgil stalking Michael and added some more gore, it would have been quite good. The ending is rather cheesy.

Still it's better than many slasher films I have seen so if you're a die-hard slasher fan then seek this one out.


Nice guy Michael (winningly played by the affable Jon-Michael Bischof) gets an Ouija board as a gift for his 18th birthday from his smartaleck best buddy Tony (the solid Juan Ignacio Aranda). Michael summons the lethal and evil spirit of Virgil, who takes possession of Tony's body and starts bumping off Michael's friends. Writer/director Ruben Galindo, Jr. trots out all the expected endearingly hokey 80's teen fright feature clichés: we've got a couple of false scares, a corny lovey dovey montage set to infectiously bouncy 80's rock music, a generic spooky'n'shuddery ominous score by Pedro Plascencia Salinas, a tasteful make-out scene, and even the always amusing psycho in the back seat of a car bit. Moreover, the basic plot blatantly emulates the second "A Nightmare on Elm Street" movie, the pace really kicks into gear and rarely lets up after the rather leisurely opening third, the 80's clothes and hairstyles are hilariously hideous (Michael's silly blue pajamas are especially sidesplitting!), and Galindo, Jr. gleefully pours on the blood by the gallon with several pleasingly brutal murder set pieces. Additional accolades are in order for the mostly sound acting from the personable cast. The stunningly gorgeous and adorable Gabriela Hassle in particular impresses with her warm and charming performance as Michael's sweet gal pal Alexandra. Screaming Mad George's funky special effects and the reasonably polished cinematography by Miguel Arana and Daniel Lopez both hit the spot as well. A fun little flick.


I don't think you could accuse this one of being a particularly good film, but it is fun for the genre. Slasher films have experimented with supernatural villainy with varying success and in this cheery and cheesy item, a ouija board unleashes an evil being, who proceeds to kill in reasonably bloody ways. Although this one is hard to take seriously, with a muddled script,nondescript performances and a general feeling of badness, it is enjoyable. Virgil makes for a pretty cool killer, the ending is unexpected and the gore, though cheap and occasionally of the squirt gun blood variety is fun to watch and ace in a couple of places. Basically, this is a good bad slasher that won't blow anyones mind, but is worth a look for slasher movie hounds, who are likely to be the only folk interested in this anyway.


I'm reviewing this movie for the 2nd. time. After many years, I caught this movie on Mexican cable and I'm glad that I liked it better than the first time I watched it. As a kid, I hated this movie because it trashed my favorite slasher characters, Freddy and Jason.

Anywways, this is a Mexican version of "A Nightmare On Elm Street" part 1 and II and has some elements from the "Friday the 13th" sequels. Also, some little influences by "The Evil Dead".

The story follows Michael and his friends, who after Michael's birthday party decide to play with the ouija board. Unfortunately to them, an evil spirit named Virgil possesses one of them and starts a killing spree taking revenge on everyone who played with the board. Virgil makes a late appearance in the movie but manages to dispatch his victims one by one... until only Alex and Michael are left.

Could Michael stop Virgil? How is he going to use the "magic" dagger against him? (In the style of "Jason Goes To Hell"). Could it be that Virgil is really more dangerous than Freddy and Jason? Watch "Don't Panic" with low expectations and you might surprise yourself.

The movie is very cheesy, but not in a negative way. It's cheesy in an 80's manner! We get plenty of gore, some nasty death scenes, a "cool" score (I love the "Don't Panic!" song), and some creepy scenes. RYes, the "Nightmare On Elm Street" influenecs are present through all the movie. Especially from Part II: Freddy's Revenge. Michael's character is very similar to Jesse. He even has a friend who is killed in front of him and can't do anything but escape from some stupid cops. Also, Michael has this wimpy attitude but manages to confront Virgil and beware all of his friends.

The movie has this 80's feeling that we all love. This is the typical slasher flick from the 80's that spent more budget on the visuals. The f/x are cheesy but worked for me. The gore is great! (Check out a death scene similar from Dario Argento's "Opera").

The acting is way all over the top but still works for this kind of movie. Bishof delivers a good performance, Gaby Hassle delivers a cute, solid performance. She's way too pretty to be around all the gore. Virgil is a mix of looks; he has the looks of possessed Ash from "Evil Dead II", but the make-up of his face is almost the same as Freddy Krueger! Although he isn't as annoying as Freddy. He just keeps repeating "Do You believe in Satan?!". But it isn't as annoying as Krueger's one liners. His demise is very gory and great. Lots of blood through his mouth!

One of the cheesiest scenes in slasher history is when Michael goes to Alex's house, becomes mad, and starts shooting! Horrible acting in that scene by the way. I liked the ending which is very "moving" and has an extremely cheesy line that references one love scene: "As long as love exists between you two the rose shall never wither.". The scene happens when Alex is in the graveyard...

This movie took the right influences and ripped them off in almost a cynical way but still this movie is cheese for the please. Watch it if you can find it, although it will be very hard , as far as I know, it's currently out of print. Or maybe you can find it with the title "Dimensiones Ocultas". "Don't Panic" is a pleasant surprise and deserves a chance. Probably one of Mèxico's best Horror/Fantasy movies. Yes, this is quality here but still is entertaining!


Don't Panic (a confusing title which means absolutely nothing by the way) starts by introducing us to Micheal Smith (Jon Micheal Bishof) who recently moved to Mexico with his alcoholic Mother (Helena Rojo). It's the night of Micheal's birthday & the last few guests are leaving his party, or so he thinks. Some of his friends have stayed behind including his best friend Tony (Juan Ignacio Aranda) & a girl from school whom he has the hots for named Alexandra (Gabriela Hassle). Tony, being an idiot, suggests that they hold a séance with a Ouija board he just happens to have, after some goading everyone agrees & the séance begins. Tony talks about a spirit named Virgil & asks him some stupid questions, everyone goes home & that's about that or so everyone thinks... The next day Micheal is late for class but everything is fine. However that night as Micheal is trying to sleep he has a vision, a vision of one of his friends named Debbie (Cecilia Tijerina) who was at the séance, being brutally stabbed to death by an unknown assailant. Oh, & for some unexplained reason Micheal's eye's turn red. At first Micheal thinks that it was just a hallucination but when he hears about Debbie's death & that of another one of his friends at the séance Peter (Mario Ivan Martinez) on the news he becomes convinced that his vision was real. While at school Micheal receives a warning in the shape of yet another vision, a warning which tells him Christy (Melinda McCallum) will be the next to die, Micheal must try & save Christy & his remaining friends who were present at the séance before this unknown source of evil kills all of them...

This Mexican American co-production was written & directed by Ruben Galindo as Ruben Galindo Jr. & is one seriously bad film. The script tries to cross supernatural thriller with stalk 'n' slash horror & it predictably turned out to be a complete mess. Don't Panic is a painfully slow & tedious film to watch with only two murders for well over an hour of it's running time & lots of boring exposition & unnecessary character development for the rest of it. The dialogue is pretty bad, the acting is very bad & the character's are awful. The film tries to conceal the killer's identity & to be fair it might work, unfortunately the version I saw revealed the killer on the back of the video box so I knew who it was all along, I doubt it would be that much of a surprise though. No explanation is given to who Virgil is, what he want's, why he's killing these specific teenagers or how he is able to possess people's bodies. Virgil is just 'there' & we have to accept it. The character's are all stupid, the situations Don't Panic depicts are all stupid & as a whole the film lacks any sort of fore-thought or intelligence behind what's going on. The ending is awful as well, both how Virgil is defeated & that sickening & tacky 'this rose will never wilt as long as there is love between us' scene. Despite what you may have read there is actually very little on screen gore, two people are stabbed which Don't Panic depicts by having blood splash over the floor & on the victims clothes, there is a fairly decent slit throat even if I wouldn't just sit impassively in a car as someone stuck their hand in through the window & sliced my throat open with a knife & a scene in which a knife (it's the same knife in all the murder's actually) is stuck into someones chin & it protrudes from their mouth. All the kill scenes are dull with virtually no build up & director Galindo fails to inject any tension, scares or atmosphere into them just like the rest of the film in fact. There isn't even any nudity either, in fact when Micheal & Alexandra have sex it is squeaky clean stuff, Galindo merely shows them kissing each other on the lips while in bed. As mentioned already in other comments the sight of Micheal running around in his babyish pyjama's is both bizarre & very silly looking. Don't Panic is technically average, the cinematography is static & flat as are the production values in general & the horrible music seems very out of place. There are a couple of scenes where a face pokes out of the TV which is quite an impressive effect. Overall there is very little I can recommend Don't Panic by as it's a pretty terrible film all round really, maybe it's good for a few laughs & a decent slit throat but that's it. One to avoid unless it's VERY cheap & your VERY bored.


Best movie ever! That's what I'd say if I'd never seen a horror film. My God "The Dark, Crocodile, The Lamp (AKA: The Outing)" and hell even "Blue Monkey" did a better job trying to get a good scare! This one well, anyone who made this movie should take to the wood shied and put to rest! And I hope that the Director of Photography didn't get paid much. Look's like he lite it with two Mag lights in some parts and work lights in others. And now lets talk about unibrow girl... shave it! During the sex sceen you just want to tie her down and shave it off! And isn't a montage usually place toward the end... not in the first 20 min? Now for the story, there is none! Looks like they sat down one weekend and said "Hey, I have a 35mm camera for the weekend. Lets make a movie by Monday." I'm not kidding! The sound was not recorded at all for the set... ALL ADR! The only good thing is the make-up effects and death scenes. They are stylish and fun to watch. Just wish they could have been in a better movie.


This is a rare television gem that relies on originality and cleverness to bring a diverse group of characters to life without using the usual sitcom gimmicks to drag it down. The series is fast-paced going quickly from one funny little scene to another all the while showing us the quirkiness of these University of North Eastern California students. One thing that makes this fun and smart show stand out even more is the fact that the show was cast first and then a pilot was written based on the personalities of the primary actors making their characters even more funny and human than any others on TV. Make time to see this wonderful show and I'm sure you won't regret it. The writing is excellent and the cast truly shines in what I'm sure will be star-making performances. I only hope people will see this great show for what it is, appreciate it and not let it suffer the same fate of producer Judd Apatow's previous effort the marvelous "Freaks and Geeks".


"UNDECLARED," in my opinion, is an absolute FOX classic! I don't think I've seen every episode, but I still enjoyed it. It's hard to say which episode was my favorite. However, I think it was always funny when a mishap occurred. I always laughed at that. Despite the fact that it was a short-lived series, it would have been nice if all the main characters had stayed with the show throughout its entire run. It seems that no one stays with a show throughout its entire run. Everyone always gave a good performance, the production design was spectacular, the costumes were well-designed, and the writing was always very strong. In conclusion, I hope someone brings it back on the air for fans of the show to see.


I never caught "Undeclared" in its short run on Fox, but recently purchased the DVD set based on the strength of "Freaks and Geeks", Judd Apatow's too-smart-for-TV TV series from 1999-2000. "Undeclared" (like "Freaks and Geeks") is cleverly written, funny, and full of characters you'll begin to care about almost immediately.

Many of the series' funnier moments come from Ron (Seth Rogen), whose wit is a defense for his basic insecurity. If you thought he was funny as Cal in "The 40 Year Old Virgin", you'll love him here, too.

There are some great cameo performances from Will Ferrell as a speed-addicted research paper writer, Fred Willard as a bored history professor, and Ted Nugent and Adam Sandler as themselves. The DVD has a lot of really funny unaired footage, including an entire episode that never made it to TV.

My reaction to "Undeclared" was the same as when "Freaks and Geeks" went off the air - sad that I wouldn't see these characters anymore, but really glad that I'd seen the few episodes made.


If you liked Freaks and Geeks this is a must-see. Judd Apatow once again created a hysterical and touching series with characters that really become more like friends. The half hour format makes these a bit lighter than Freaks and Geeks - and when this show was canceled they weren't quite as able to still wrap things up as with the earlier show. But this certainly filled the void in my TV-viewing life left by the departure of Freaks and Geeks. Many of the members of the cast from that show appear here - some as regulars, others in hysterical guest performances. This is definitely one of those watch it in a single weekend marathon kind of shows.


this show is show hilarious! after one episode (i watched it on accident once after that 70's show, which is still the very best show on tv), i was hooked. My personal favorite episode is the one where steven and lizzie each have a respective night out with their gender, where steven, lloyd (my fav character), ron, and marshall (my 2nd fav character)go to a party and marshall gets lloyd's overflow. lizzie, rachel, and a bunch of extras go to a bar and have a good time also. hilarious episode. the most underrated show on tv, and while th andy richter show looks really good, i hope it doesn't replace the best attempt at a new show since malcolm in the middle (fox works wonders by going against convention...look at it, simpsons is a cartoon, 70's show is a period piece, malcolm introduced a new style, undeclared is breaking new ground, grounded for life is flashbacked, titus is hardcore...man i love fox)watch it, you won't be disappointed


I saw The Architect at the Tribeca Film festival earlier this year, and it has really stuck with me. It's one of those movies that asks tough questions about difficult issues like race, sexual identity and economic justice, and leaves room for the viewer to form their own opinions. Unlike the movie Crash, which deals with many of the same themes, there are no spoon fed answers in this film. Instead of one dimensional characters the Architect brings to life some complex and flawed individuals, and shows us their struggles to find the right path. Some really strong performances here, especially from Viola Davis. If you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend it.


THE ARCHITECT is a film based on a play by David Grieg that deals with social class dichotomy, lack of communication in families, gender confrontations in youths, and coming to grips with decisions of the past that later haunt. Made on a budget less than a million dollars and shot in twenty days, this unique little movie packs a wallop in the most secretive and subtle way. Directed by Matt Tauber, who also wrote the screenplay with Grieg, it has a fascinating, if at times disconcerting, format of quick scenes flashed before our eyes like simultaneous conversations - and some of the power of the film is piecing those snapshots together as the film ends.

Leo Waters (Anthony LaPaglia) is a successful architect, married to a wife Julia (Isabella Rossellini) who seems on the edge of mental instability. They have two teenage children - Christine (a very fine young actress Hayden Panettiere) who at age 15 is aware of her body and yet fearful of its implications in her interactions with boys and men, and Martin (Sebastian Stan) who has returned home from school as a drop out whose mind is preoccupied with soul searching. The discord at home is matched by the incipient calamity ongoing at a Project Leo designed early in his career, a Project now physically crumbling under the weight of drug dealing, crime, and discontent tenants - all led by activist Tonya Neeley (the superb actress Viola Davis) who has one daughter at home with an early conceived baby and another daughter who has stepped out of the Projects to better her education (her twin brother committed suicide in despair of his plight in the Projects). Two families in conflict over different reasons on the surface but sharing a similarity that is demonstrated as the story proceeds.

Christina naively begins to frequent bars and is protected by a truck driver Joe (the very fine actor Walton Goggins) who kindly introduces her to the realities facing hormonally charged yet fearful young girls. Martin, in an attempt to understand the Projects problem as explained to his father and family by Tonya, visits the Projects and meets Shawn (the very fine and handsome young actor Paul James) who cautiously helps Martin discover his sexuality only to succeed in allowing Martin to discover his true sexual proclivity but meets a sad ending when he is rebuffed.

At the peak of tensions Tonya succeeds in winning over Leo's understanding of her activist dilemma, Julia breaks and leaves her family and both of Leo's children discover life lessons that will imprint their psyches permanently. Minor victories rise out of major turmoil - and the writer and director have the courage to leave the story for us to resolve.

It is refreshing to encounter a cast of actors so sensitive as this one. From the leading roles to the most minor of characters the acting is absolutely first rate. We need more films of this caliber to remind us that one of the purposes of art is to allow us to see the problems of our world. Highly recommended. Grady Harp


In this film each unhappy family is, to a greater or lesser extent, the architect of its own demise.Many people have criticised the film for not saying much, or for being overloaded with story lines; for not following through or following through too explicitly. All in all it clearly confuses and divides people. I think there is a problem and it is not the movie that has the problem but the audience.This story touches on some of the last taboos in cinema namely the actual visualisation of homosexual sex, and even worse in the eyes of the beholders it addresses incest. The cross cultures/cross races thing seems to me to be a side issue to the main problem illustrated here which is that each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way to quote Tolstoy (apt here as Shawn the black homosexual is reading "Anna Karenina" at one point in the action, and like Anna unable to come to terms with himself and the world in which he lives, eventually commits suicide.)The film comes originally from a stage play set in Glasgow. Some of the dialogue has been lifted straight from the play and so can sound a little stilted, but in my opinion this device helps to maintain the necessary distance between the action and the audience. This plainly is an allegorical piece, each actor fulfils a function rather than a character but the story is none the worse for that; many art house movies do likewise. It is the subject matter here that is so difficult. As for the actual movie, it looks good, in fact is amazing considering it was shot in 20 days in New York masquerading as Chicago (I assume to keep the costs down). The acting by the whole ensemble is excellent. And I think one has to give Anthony LaPaglia especial praise as the Architect in question clearly in the grip of an incestuous passion. This cannot be an easy kind of role for any actor to play, but, as one has come to expect of Mr LaPaglia, he carries it off to perfection which may go a long way to explain the uncomfortableness felt by some moviegoers. Within his oeuvre this film seems almost like a companion piece to the more hopeful "Winter Solstice". My advice to anyone wishing to see "The Architect" would be to go along with an open mind, expect to be challenged and perhaps you'll come away with the same feelings as me, that this is a good film, a thought-provoking film but not one to watch just for the pure fun of it, go and see Mr LaPaglia's other current film "Happy Feet" if you want that!


Anthony LaPaglia stars as Leo Waters, a Chicago-based architect whose domestic life is not as stable as his professional; to wit: his eldest child, Martin (Sebastian Stan), has just dropped out of college and his aimlessness leads to an unlikely assignation; his youngest, daughter Christina (Hayden Panettiere, currently on NBC's hit series "Heroes" as the cheerleader impervious to pain), whose blossoming into young womanhood is proving to be a painful event; and his wife Julia (Isabella Rossellini), a homemaker whose anal retentive disposition is masquerading some still waters running deep. To add further complication, enter Tonya Neeley (Viola Davis), a woman crusading for a petition to have her housing project building be torn down. Convinced the design is the main culprit to the tragic underpinnings of her situation, Tonya elicits Leo's help by forcing him to sign her petition, figuring his name will get the civic wheels in motion. Leo naturally declines, since his ego in check will not recognize that this is the blame for the building's plague of problems (i.e. drug dealing on the premises and general vandalism). But that will not stop Tonya's quest for closure.

Based on a play by David Greig, a Scottish playwright, novice director Matt Tauber (a fellow American playwright and film producer making his debut here), adapts with a leaden storyline that mars a genuine plot point: how does housing truly affect its populace. He instead sets up one unlikely premise (Martin suddenly having a gay encounter; Christina lamely seducing a truck driver; Julia going off her nut, et al) that serves no real pay off and loses interest in Tonya's plight (it is apparent that she lost one child, while her surviving off- spring are so disparate they may as well be strangers), which should have been the central focus.

While the storytelling misses its mark however the acting is on-target. LaPaglia, one of my favorite actors, gives a complex yet sublime turn as the slightly arrogant and apparently clueless titular character. He is matched note for note by Davis (last seen on screen in a small yet memorable performance in Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center"), imbuing Tonya with dignity yet allowing her inner indignations brim to the surface not unlike a Sameul L. Jackson character.


I recently saw The Architect at one of the Blu-Ray screenings they conducted (fanastic visual quality, by the way). I wasn't floored by the film, but I was impressed.

Before I saw it, I had little idea what it was about, even when I consulted IMDb. I'm not sure I could describe everything about the movie perfectly, especially without spoilers, but here goes.

Anthony LaPaglia, with his usual gravitas, plays Chicago Architect Leo Waters. Leo's family life is far from perfect, with son Martin recently leaving school, daughter Christina struggling to balance her sexuality and innocence, and wife Julia on the verge of snapping with a compulsion for cleanliness.

Meanwhile, Tonya Neeley (Viola Davis) is a community activist who lives in one of Leo's creations, a public housing project on Chicago's south side. She is attempting to get the projects torn down in a struggle to find meaning after her son dies. Her daughter is living with more affluent friends and Viola is forced to deal with the gangs and sense of emptiness surrounding the site. She attempts to enlist Leo to help her get the project demolished.

If I wanted to be pretentious, I'd suggest the symbolism between the decaying housing complex the meticulous Leo arrogantly refuses to even visit, and his decaying family life. In any case, this movie brought to mind several other movies about struggling families in this vein: The Ice Storm, American Beauty, and The Virgin Suicides. Fans of those films will probably enjoy this little film, even without any publicity to support it. Great acting all around.


I didn't expect much from this DVD picked up in a remainder bin. I was in for a delightful surprise.

Based on a stage play by David Grieg, the story draws together the main theme of Leo Waters, played with nuance and emotional subtlety by Anthony Paglia, the architect and his design of a building project several years ago and his subsequent disconnection from it, reflected in the disconnection from his wife, Julia (Isabella Rosellini) who is completely underused, and his children.

The film begins with Leo's son, Martin, dropping out from college. Martin is troubled, furtive and secretive.

Viola Davis is the activist in the projects, eager to tear down the buildings and get the area cleaned up who butts heads with Leo.

Hayden Panatierre plays the teenage daughter just coming into her own sexuality and experimenting in bars and stranger hookups unbeknownst to her parents. An excellent performance.

How all these threads come together, and in some cases come apart, is the heart of the movie. The audience is expected to think and draw their own conclusions and the ending is very satisfying, an emotional confrontation between a father and son.

The cast are flawless as is the script and the quick incisive simultaneous snapshots of different scenes move the story arc forward.

8 out of 10. Not to be missed.


Apart from seeing his Blue Velvet starlet in a perfect role for her age group, the movie makes you ask questions. This movie really makes people look at cause and effect. It doesn't place blame, rather shows implications of well intentioned, ignorant motivations. As a viewer, you may have to do some soul searching in order to fully enjoy the movie. The meaning of each scene as it is broken up, is a definite plus. At first I was put off by the back and forth breakup of the shots but soon began to conform to the format. I liked the performances of all the actors. It was nice to see Rosselini in her usual subdued role and equally effective. To see the lead actor in a spectacular role I might suggest Lantana!


When I read the synopsis and saw that it was made from a play I wondered "How will they work into a story about a project the requisite themes of repressed women, depressed women, teenage angst, and a guy struggling w/ homosexuality but then giving in?" They do that, and so much more. Here's how: A white male architect built a project some years earlier. It's falling apart (maybe) and is dangerous.

A black woman lives there with her unwed-mother daughter. Her other daughter is an honor student and lives elsewhere. The woman heads up a group to destroy the project. Her 5-year-old son was depressed and stepped off a building to his death years earlier. The honor student comes to visit; mom gives her some homemade cake; the daughter throws it away later.

The architect's son comes home from college, makes some comments about his sisters sn*tch (his word) and his dad's lechery; then he goes to the project where he meets a gay black kid. They flirt; the son is repelled; but he gets some beer and comes back; they walk around the project at night through gang members selling drugs. The gang members don't taunt them. After much dialogue about gay things, they have (explicit) sex on a rooftop.

The 15-year-old daughter is beautiful, has a nice body, seems stable. But she's depressed because she has to go to the mall with her parents. Maybe she also has too many clothes or shoes. Or her breasts are too big.

She lies that she's in college, goes to a bar, gets picked up, gets scared, is saved by a ~35-year-old delivery guy; they ride around all night in the delivery truck, she comes on to him, he says no and takes her home.

The architect's wife is depressed - her BMW is too new, her custom house too clean and neat, her maid too careful, she has too much money - it's hard to tell. She starts breaking flower pots in the back yard at night and stares into space. The architect puts cigarette ashes on a saucer; she breaks the saucer; he gives her a neck rub; she asks for a divorce.

The black kid steps off the roof - perhaps he didn't realize that being gay meant being gay? The son goes out to the project. The architect goes out for a different reason. None of the gang members bother them, even though they've been threatening others. They meet on the rooftop.


Given the themes of this movie, it is particularly sad that it is such a boring and plodding exercise in poor film-making. The cast seems either drugged or not drugged enough, with the exceptions of Paul James as Shawn and Walton Goggins as Joe, who seemed to be breathing at least. The staging and lighting were horrific. The make-up and wardrobe were worse. The writing was stilted and paced for a depressed tortoise. Anthony LaPaglia did not seem the same actor who has done so many good roles. Isabella Rossellini appeared to have been injected with Botox and walked/talked like a robot. The soundtrack was the most annoying thing about the film. It was like Philip Glass on downers at the piano. Fingernails on a chalk board. Perhaps the portrayal of a really broken down housing project in a big city was accurate. But it seems quite pathetic that that element was the redeeming part of the movie, doesn't it? Glancing references are made to insanity, incest, child molestation, and homophobic rape. As in "Oh, by the way...." The DVD I watched had an interview with the writer/director who proudly spoke of the embellishments he made to the original play. It's scary to think he thought the movie was better than the original play.


This would be a truly great film if it weren't supposed to tell the story and convey the musical greatness of Billie Holiday. For entertainment and for a picture of life for black musicians of the time this is indeed good. But this was supposed to give us Billie Holiday's story and that story still remains to be depicted on the screen Diane Ross did prove herself as a worthy actress in this and it's sad that this movie remains as the only one of hers that showed her in that light. However, this remains a high quality fictional story of a fascinating fictional black singer. It has its great scenes.

So I stand with an 8/10 rating of this as a film. And I recommend this as a film. But sadly, I can not recommend it as a depiction of one of the great blues singers of all time. Maybe someday such a movie about the very real Billie Holiday will be made.


I have watched this movie a few times, the first time when it was first released in 1972 and I was barely 4 years old and it has left an indelible mark on me ever since. During this time, most of the films with a predominately Black cast were of the blaxploitation genre. You may think it strange or inappropriate for my parents to take a 4 year old to an "R" rated film but majority of the films with mostly Black casts of this era were rated "R", usually because of vulgarity and violence. My parents eagerly awaited this film and since they could not find a babysitter took me along. They did not expect me to fully understand the film and they probably assumed that I would probably sleep through it (they had me dressed in my pajamas). Even at this young age, I was impressed to see a film on this grand scale that elevated a historical Black icon like Billie Holliday; this was unprecedented and this was not lost on me then or now.

This is an excellent movie and by the rating it has received here (7/10) and the five Academy Awards & three Golden Globe nominations it garnered (Diana Ross won the Golden Globe for Most Promising New Actress); my opinion is not in the minority. While this film may gloss over a lot of Billie's life, the script was based on her autobiography (this may be how Billie chose to remember her past) and the screenplay was also nominated for an Oscar.

Diana Ross did not capture the look and sound of Billie Holliday nor did she attempt to. Diana Ross did not channel Billie Holliday the way that Angela Bassett did with Tina Turner or the way Val Kilmer did with Jim Morrison or how Jamie Foxx did with Ray Charles but she internalized Billie's triumphs, pain, struggles, and personal demons and depicted this exceptionally well and she interpreted Billie's voice by not trying to duplicate the inimitatable but maximized the range of her own voice using Billie's distinctive phrasing and capturing the essence of her spirit while coaxing out a myriad of emotions. The double album soundtrack topped the Billboard charts for two weeks, Diana Ross' only number one Pop album as a solo singer.

This film made me a Billie Holliday fan at age 4. After this film, in addition to Billie, I listened to Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Nat King Cole, Ethel Waters, and Dinah Washington while my peers were just starting to rock to disco. This film and its music still stands the test of time as implied by the recent success of Diana Ross' CD, "Blue" (which was previously unreleased material originally recorded for Motown as a follow-up to this soundtrack) on the jazz and adult contemporary Billboard charts. Billie Holliday is without a doubt an icon but so is Diana Ross. Most people would have to admit that for a debut performance, Diana Ross did an outstanding job, no matter what you may think of her personally. In addition, for it to be the only screenplay that she has ever written, Suzanne DePasse (who was a Motown A&R executive at the time and was the first and remains the only Black woman to be nominated for an Oscar for writing) created a great story even if it presents a slightly less gritty portrayal of the troubled singer's life.


I never quite understood the backlash this movie has received over the years. It amazes me when people always seek perfection. This movie is not perfect. But lets applaud what it does provide. A dynamic debut performance by Diana Ross, a memorable supporting performance by a young Richard Pryor. Great music and score by Michel Legrand. Great wardrobe worn by Ross in this movie.

Any good film is made up of a few really good scenes. I can easily count 5 or 6 excellent scenes in this movie. #1-opening scene where they put a straight jacket on Ross and through her in a padded cell. #2-When she first lays eyes on Billy Dee and is carried out of the nightclub. #3- The "Good morning Heartache" scene at her birthday party at the club #4-The scene where she attacks Billy Dee in the bathroom, because he won't give her her dope #5- When Piano man is beaten to death #6-When she gets the call that her mother died,while she was in the middle of getting a fix..I COULD go on. People who dismiss this film for being standard Hollywood fare are really not doing this film justice. There is really nothing standard about it. It depicted several stages of the life of Lady Day..And as we know her life was anything but standard fare...


This was a great mainstream movie with a pop artist in the starring role that had substance. Diana Ross became Billie Holiday. I felt like this is Billie Holiday and this is what she sounds like. I even like some of Diana's versions of some Billie Holiday classics better than the originals. OK, I did have some problems with the script(the script). However, it didn't really take away from the overall movie. A must see. Diana and Billie Dee Williams looked great on screen together. This is probably my favorite African American on screen couple of all time. I thought the movie had a great mix of dramatic scenes mixed with musical numbers and a little comedy (Richard Pryor) to evenly pace this film. Lady Sings the Blues addresses racism without dwelling on the issue or making it bigger than the movie. The movie should also be commended for making Diana Ross equally bad and beautiful within the same movie. She looked and sounded great. Billie Dee Williams and Richard Pryor also gave strong performances. I LOVED Richard Pryor as Piano Man. Great Movie!


LADY SINGS THE BLUES was the heavily fictionalized film biography of legendary cabaret chanteuse Billie Holliday, who rose to great stardom as one of the great blues impressionists of our time but, sadly, was never able to complete escape the multiple demons which haunted her for her entire life. Diana Ross made an impressive film debut in the role of Lady Day, which garnered her an Oscar nomination. Though her opening scenes playing Billie as a teenager are silly and unconvincing, Ross delivers a riveting performance for the most part, guided by her Svengali Berry Gordy, who makes a brief cameo appearance as a drug dealer. Billy Dee Williams officially became a star with his charismatic turn as Louis McKay, Billie's true love and Richard Pryor also received an Oscar nomination for his funny and caustic performance as "Piano Man", Billie's best friend and piano player, who was chasing demons of his own. The film is lavishly mounted with Ross draped in some stunning costumes that definitely merited Oscar attention. Ross gets plenty of opportunities to sing and though she really doesn't sound anything like Holliday did, she does capture the spirit of this tragic songbird. It's not a great guide as far as providing facts about Holliday's life. It seems to gloss over Holliday's alleged early days as a prostitute and her drug abuse, but it's a grand example of storytelling on screen with a riveting leading character who will capture your heart.


The movie's got it all: great acting, gripping story, exceptional music, drama, pathos, humor, great visuals. Besides illuminating the story of Billie Holiday and showing us early 1900's in America (fairly truthfully for Hollywood), it has Diana Ross, Billie Dee Williams and Richard Pryor. Particularly impressive since it was the acting debut of Diana Ross - what range! Young, old, successful, sick, sober, high, happy and downtrodden.


This film, which was a vehicle for Diana Ross's film career, harbors what could be described as some of the best performances put on screen. Diana's portrayal of Billie Holiday, Billie Dee Williams's acting, and Richard Pryor's performance were all Oscar calibur. This film is a gem and should have been given more attention by the Academy and by the film industry.


Superb debut performance by Diana Ross as Billie Holiday is absolutely the only reason to see this dreary biopic. Plays fast and loose with the facts, as anybody who has actually read Holiday's autobiography knows. Shockingly mediocre supporting cast, including an extremely hammy Richard Pryor, helps make this film a real snore between Ross/Holiday's musical numbers and heroin addiction scenes. If you want the real Billie, try PBS' American Masters documentary of a few years back. Ross does not exactly sing like Holiday, only getting a few of her famous vocal nuances in, but they are some of her most passionate performances caught on film. She also doesn't exactly resemble Holiday, who was rather plump early on, but she just so commands the screen...amazing how few films she has ultimately made, though the specter of Dorothy Dandridge looms large.


Stay away from this piece of garbage! The book, co-authored by Holiday and William Duffy(1956), was one of the most honest, brutal and human autobiographies ever written. Ross' depiction of Holiday is horrendously erroneous on every level. She doesn't look, sound or act like her. This movie is only for Ross fans. Billie Holiday fans will learn just as much about her by watching old reruns of The Jetsons. I'm Johnny Roulette and this movie was absolutely horrible!


I FINALLY received the DVD of a movie I have loved through the years. While we can all regale each other with stories of Miss Ross' idiosyncrasies, one thing is patently clear: She WORKED this movie and this is the best singing I have EVER heard from her (or since, for that matter and I was a Die-hard Supermes fan!) It is also especially wonderful to see some wonderful African-American treasures like Richard Pryor, Billy Dee, Isabel Sanford, Scatman Scrothers, among others. (I wish I knew Lorraine's name as the quintessential madam who was positively flawless!!!!) The production values are superior and the sound recreated for the DVD was a MUST because the movie is based on music. Listening to Diana sing "The Man I Love" and hear Billy Dee say "You want my arm to fall off?!" is worth the price of admission.

I haven't even had a chance to look at the special features or deleted scenes which I am sure will round out what I consider to be a classic African-American feature.

I HIGHLY recommend!!!


First off this is NOT a factual biography of Billie Holiday...a lot of her dark side is ignored. That aside, this is a pretty good movie. It follows Holiday from a little girl all the way up to her debut at Carnegie Hall. Along the way she deals with drug addiction, rape, prostitution etc etc. That's the big problem with the movie--it's too depressing. Holiday is a victim again and again and again. It wears one down seeing this woman just torn apart over and over. Also, the movie is too long--2 1/2 hours. Still, it's worth seeing for Diana Ross performance (Oscar-nominated). She sings like Holiday and (sometimes) looks like her. She never strikes a wrong note is her acting--she's letter perfect in every scene. So watch it for her and the music. Otherwise, it's pretty depressing. Also, there's a good supporting performance by Richard Pryor.


Nice movie. Billy Dee a heartthrob; no doubt about it. Richard Pryor a joy to see. Diana did a fine acting job. Even playing the teenage part in the beginning, she essayed it quite well. She brought forth the young-girl-skipping on the sidewalk, all the time the audience knowing that the would-be-rapist was looking for her. This was quite chilling, and only we knew or figured what was about to happen. The Mary Jane shoes, followed by the camera, would lead us to the dastardly deed that would soon take place.

I do think Diana did a great job moving through the different age ranges. She also went from innocent looking young girl to well dressed cabaret singer. She went from shy beginning singer to confident entertainer. I think Diana's overall presentation was superlative.

Scatman was a hoot. I had seen him in old codger parts, but as "Big Ben" he was quite a character. I realized that this was to shatter his stereotype of the nice old man. As "Big Ben", he was outrageously funny. Billie finally decided she had had enough of these 'tricks'.

Scatman playing the john reminds me of Shirley Jones playing the prostitute in Elmer Gantry. Shattering the nice-character stereotypes is always good for the acting resume.

I thought that Billie with her mother was good. Her mother really loved her, plus the fancy red hat, too. The mother was kind, and very sweet. She wanted Billie to have success as an entertainer.

Best of all, Billie's beginning breakdown in the prison was quite believable and scary. This proves she is an actress who can act in a lot of different emotions. The straitjacket scene was heartbreaking.

10/10.


I can remember watching this movie multiple times with my father. As a young black girl I got it!!! I've read opinions that criticize the fact that the movie didn't focus on the music or the other artist of the time. The point is. . .get ready. It was an autobiographical account of Billie's life.

I can remember seeing the movie and actually being moved to go to the library to check out a book to find out who this lady really was. I think Diana did a damn good job putting her artistic touch to portraying Billie's life, her struggles, vices, love and yes, her music. The fact is, is that the movie wasn't about Billie's making of jazz as it was about the struggles of a young black woman with a passion for singing moved by segregation and Jim crow and having to constantly adjust and reinvent herself to cope in a society that loved and hated her all at the same time.

Heavy. I'm not partial to Diana Ross one way or another. But the lady's got skills. And if the emotion she put into playing this role wasn't enough to tug at your heartstrings, then you ain't human.

Some say the film lacked non continuity. Such is life. I get it. We were made to reflect on where she had been in order to know how she got to be who she was. This movie while of course jazz inspired and musical, was a deeper reflection into the cracks and fissures that shaped a life. Billie Holiday.

I thank my father for his love of good movies and for sharing movies like, "Lady Sings the Blues" with me.

I'm out! Peace.


In continuing my reviews of African-Americans in film in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now at 1972 with the biographical depiction of Billie Holliday as portrayed by Diana Ross called Lady Sings the Blues. While the movie itself isn't very accurate in recounting Lady Day's life and career and Ms. Ross herself hardly resembles the legendary singer, it does move along nicely as a drama especially with two of her costars-Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor-providing many scene stealing moments. As Holiday's lover Louis McKay, Williams oozes great romantic chemistry with Ross as we see him trying to get her out of whatever addictions she keeps coming back to. Then there's Pryor as Piano Man as we see many of his humorous moments, with or without Diana, bring some needed levity whenever things get heavy though there's some good drama concerning him at the end. Other black performers I'd like to mention include: Isabel Sandford as the first madame that Holiday encounters as we see her tell Billie she can keep the record she keeps playing. She was already familiar to TV viewers as Louise Jefferson on "All in the Family" which would later spin her off into "The Jeffersons". Then there's Lynn Hamilton as the second madame Ross encounters. Ms. Hamilton would later that year or next become familiar as Fred Sandford's girlfriend Donna Harris on "Sandford and Son". Harry Caesar plays a really creepy man who forces himself on teenage Billie in perhaps the movie's most chilling scene. There's also Jester Hairston-later familiar to me as Rolly on "Amen"-as a butler and, in perhaps the most humorous scene, Scatman Crothers as Big Ben, a client that prostitute Billie quits on to go audition at a night club. Ms. Ross was the second (or third since Cicely Tyson was also nominated that year for Sounder) African-American to be nominated an Oscar for Best Actress after Dorothy Dandridge's previous nod some 18 years before. It was much deserved especially with the drug-induced depictions handled realistically by her. The songs Holiday made famous are handled by Diana in a way that brings you back to the period depicted here. When the score plays during the Ross-Williams dialogue, however, it brings me temporarily out of the period and into the obviously-made-in-'70s mode. Other than that I highly enjoyed Lady Sings the Blues and recommend it to anyone who loves a good drama with good music.


Diana Ross gives in my opinion one of the top ten performances on screen in the last 50 years, possibly all time. It is that good. Fresh, daring, inventive, and highly influential her acting hasn't aged a bit. You BELIEVE she is Billie Holiday by the end of the film despite the heavy star persona that Diana Ross and Billie Holiday have respectively in real life. She doesn't go for a mimic, copycat performance but channels the essence of Holiday subtly. The acting is not over intellectualized or self conscious and never once hits a false note. The fact that the movie itself isn't very good and is wildly inaccurate in the portrayal of Holiday's life only seems to benefit Miss Ross. She lost the acadamy award to Minneli in Cabaret which was a charming performance but not even in the same league. Sadly, Miss Ross's promise as an actress did not pan out well due largely to poor role choices. Coming out of the Dark, her made for TV movie comeback owes a debt to this film. She basically rips herself off (yes, its true) as a manic schizophrenic channeling all the better breakdown scenes from Lady.


Stranded premiered on Lifetime last night. Erica Durance stars as Carina, a bride-to-be on a bachelorette vacation in the Caribbean just before her wedding. Her friends Regan (outstanding performance by Bree De Beau), Nicole (Michelle Jones), Isabel (Vane Millon) and another pretty girl accompany her for what is supposed to be a fun-filled week. The girls decide to travel to a smaller island for a day trip, but their boat does not return to pick them up as scheduled and they find themselves stranded on a deserted island. Unfortunately for the girls, this is just the beginning of what is certain to be a nightmare. Talented Ashley Totin also stars as Danielle, Carina's best friend and maid of honor. Carlos Ponce and sexy Jack Hartnett also stars. The actor in the role of Danielle's boss does a nice job (and is also very good looking).

I enjoyed this movie so much. Total suspense for nearly the entire movie and a couple of twists to make it all the more better. All characters were beautiful, dressed well, and played their parts convincingly. Director Kern Knoweiser does an excellent job here. The Caribbean locations were stunning.


Have you ever turned on the TV and found that there was a film on and even though you've missed the first twenty minutes you decide to keep watching? Well that's how I came across stranded. I have to admit that the young ladies were extremely good on the eye and the story line was familiar but what kept me watching was surprise surprise the acting. This film was not about good looking women running around an exotic landscape they could act!! I recognised the baddie from the film Hitch (Boy I need to get out more!!) but I did not recognise the leading lady as being on Smallville (Boy I need to stay in more!!). All in all I liked stranded and if I come across it in the TV listings or on DVD I will certainly give it a second viewing.


Wow! If anyone is a fan of Erica Durance from any guest star appearances or from Smallville, you will definitely like this movie. I think she acted great and was amazing. You will love the end of the movie because she played some great lines and action scenes and it really seemed like a good role for her to fill. I would definitely have to give this movie a thumbs up!! I really enjoyed it, kept me entertained!!!!! Go Erica!

There were other actors that played in the movie as well, and did a very good job. I think I recognized one of them, the cop, from 7th Heaven. He did very well.

The acting was all done well and the story line was great. I have to say my favorite part was the ending. I love the twist that is made at the end. Take my word for it, watch the movie... it's pretty damn good!


Stranded is a story about 5 scantily clad women who end up on an island. There are few surprises in the plot. The scenery is nice and the camera work lacks noticeable flaws to distract from the storyline. The acting and directing are average at best. I am blessed that I had reading material to entertain me while using this movie for background noise.The most redeeming aspect of this film is the skilled use of the "chicken cutlets". My time would have been better spent reorganizing my silverware drawer. It is no wonder that no member of this cast hasn't had steady work in the acting profession. Comedy would be a more appropriate genre to be assigned this film.


I am still shell shocked, after watching this shameful waste of a beautiful island. I watched it from beginning to end as I seriously thought it was a joke, and was waiting for the big 'reveal', but it never came.

Looking through the credits and at all of those involved, amazes me how they all got paid for this embarrassment.

The acting (and I use that word with hesitation), was non-existent.

I can't even try to be witty, as my head is still spinning in disbelief.

I wonder what has happened to the cast ? Can't say that I have seen any of them on the big screen. My advice to all of them is to leave this movie off their CV's. It will do nothing for their careers.


When I first saw the preview for Hide and Seek, i thought that it was just another creepy kid movie. but after going to see it with a clear mind, i was pleasantly surprised. The movie was well-crafted and suspenseful with incredible performances from the cast. Dakota Fanning played a scarred young girl who develops a dangerous "imaginary" friend named Charlie. Her father(Dinero) moves with her to a remote place out of the city for a new start after his wife's suicide.

I loved the first hour of this movie. The characters showed true depth and the effects of what Fanning's character had seen were wonderfully shown. The neighbors were introduced and seemed very creepy.

Okey, now to the second hour...Why? Why? The writers had so many ways to go, why did they do the second personality ending? For those who hadn't seen it, the Dad was Charlie. It's not even the lazy routine ending that bothered me, it's that they had so many other choices! one, the couple who lost their child. The father saw him speaking to his daughter. When he went over to their house, he talked to the neighbor's wife who broke down, saying that her husband did something bad. What was that about? Also, the neighbor who was returning a key at 3am who seemed very suspicious. With any of these endings, they could have scared audiences with the modern fear of kidnapping and child abduction. But no, they went with the alternate personality.

This movie leaves the audience wanting their money back and wondering why they didn't see "Earnest goes to the Beach" instead. The writing is inconsistent, leaving loose ends with the neighbor's stories. I suggest watching the first hour and then leave or change the channel (if you're watching it on TV).


After the suicide of his wife, the psychiatrist Dr. David Callaway (Robert De Niro) decides to move with his traumatized daughter Emily (Dakota Fanning) from New York to the country to give more attention to her. In their huge old house, Emily finds a new and violent invisible friend called Charlie, making David very concerned with her mental state.

"Hide and Seek" is a good, but predictable thriller. Dakota Fanning has another outstanding performance, on the contrary of in the just-released "War of the Worlds", where she is histrionic. Robert De Niro is too old to act as the father of Emily, but in the end, this movie is enjoyable. The DVD shows three alternative ends, and there is a very dark one, which is excellent, with Emily in an institution. Unfortunately, the commercial end prevails and becomes the "official" conclusion of the movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Amigo Oculto" (The Hidden Friend")


After the suicide of his wife (Amy Irving), David Callaway (Robert De Niro) takes his mentally disturbed 9-year-old daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning) to a new home in the country in upstate New York. Instead of getting better, Emily begins to withdraw further, and she announces to her father that she has a new imaginary friend named "Charlie." At first, her father sees Charlie as a way for Emily to express her feelings. Then a series of vicious acts such as menacing writings appearing on the bathroom walls, and other mysterious occurrences start happening around the house. David blames Emily for doing them, but Emily says that Charlie did it. But is Charlie imaginary? You'd have to ask Emily, who is the only one who can see Charlie. Charlie may actually be both real and very dangerous. The movie is well crafted and suspenseful with a great cast. For a thriller, I did jump a few times. The ending was a little disappointing, but not unpredictable. (20th Century Fox, Run time 1:40, Rated R)(8/10)