niryuu/sni-each-converted huggingface dataset:
as fairy tales go , cinderella has to be one of the most famous .
almost everyone knows it , well at least in north america .
so it is natural that someone will try to make a movie out of it .
it has been done before with varying results .
this version of the story is both similar to the original and different at the same time .
the basic story remains unchanged but , one thing that seems to vanish with this version , and that is all the fantastical elements of the story .
there is no fairy god mother or anything even remotely of that nature .
after the fantastical elements are stripped away what is left is a realistic believable rendition of the cinderella story and an interesting love story at the least . .
unlike in the fairy tale , the prince plays a much larger part than just that of the masked ball at the end .
the ? prince ' , who happens to be the crown prince to the throne of france , meets ' cinderella ' , known as danielle , on a few occasions , most coincidentally
and he becomes smitten with her .
although this seems to be a far cry from the traditional story it allows for the main plot to proceed with enough room for some imaginative story telling . .
the story takes place in a renaissance setting ; in france , with leonardo da vinci providing some comic relief on more than one occasion .
this addition of leonardo da vinci , was quite successful in that it added some color to the movie , since some of the roles are a bit stereotypical .
for example the role that was scripted for the prince leaves a few things to be desired .
for instance the character seems to be a bit too unstable and fickle , a crown prince should not be anything remotely like that . especially since he is portrayed to be in his mid twenties at the least and almost ready to take the throne .
the characters of danielle ( cinderella ) played by drew barrymore , and that of the evil step mother , played by anjelica huston , are well developed and well played by the two women .
although the part of danielle is a bit stretched it is not too unlikely and not totally unbelievable .
the nuances of the character are brought out well by drew barrymore and from watching the movie it seems like she had fun making the movie .
as a contrast the part of the evil step mother is clearly seen from the very beginning and is almost clique .
but , anjelica huston seems to add a certain flair to the role that makes it suit the movie nearly perfectly .
the actual story is fairly predictable since it is after all the basic story of cinderella , but there are more than enough twists in how the story is told to make it interesting and enjoyable .
the acting is of high caliber and seems deserved of praise .
all in all this movie takes you back into history , into a seemingly magical fairy land .
but , do n't get me wrong
there is nothing but reality , it is just refreshing to watch a movie that is not based in a familiar setting with everyday familiar things happening .
so although the story is basically familiar the world it is set in is not , and that adds a dimension to the film which in this humble reviewers opinion makes it worth seeing
Output: P
this movie was one of the first american films done by director paul verhoeven .
he has done films since then such as basic instict and starship troopers .
all of his movies have one main thing in common-
they do n't skimp on the violence .
in a verhoeven movie a guy does n't get shot once in the chest- he gets shot many times all over the body .
robocop takes place in detroit in the future .
things are pretty bleak .
the company ocp rules the city with an iron fist and is moving in on running the police force .
peter weller plays a cop who goes on a mission with his partner , nancy allen .
peter weller goes in an empty room alone and gets killed .
meanwhile ocp has a failed demonstration of a ed-209 model robot crime fighter .
someone comes up with the idea of having a cyborg robocop so they use any parts worth scalvaging from peter weller and make him into the robocop the movie is titled after .
the plot of this movie generally runs at a decent pace .
it drags a bit towards the end with robocop wanting to finish everybody off , but plot twists keep it exciting .
the acting is bad from weller when he is human , but very good when he is robocop .
nancy allen does a decent job .
this movie does n't leave itself open for a sequel exactly .
but they made one anyway .
enter . . .
robocop 2 starring :
peter weller and nancy allen directed by : irvin kershner detroit is in a more bleak state than it was in the first film .
ocp is trying to develop an improved ' robocop 2 ' that will be more than a match for criminals .
most of the police force is on strike due to ocp taking it over , leaving robocop to be the police force in the city .
this film is pretty bizaare .
it has a 13 year - old drug - lord who curses as much as eddie murphy , even more violence than the original , and some more humor .
the plot of this movie is pretty large , almost too much so .
there are three or four plot lines weaving around that do n't really match up .
the effects are still decent though .
this sequel is n't more of the same really , just a darker version robocop dealing more with drugs than with armed criminals .
if you liked the first one , watch this .
but be dissapointed .
so later comes . . .
robocop 3 starring nancy allen and robert john burke ocp is now owned by a large japanese company .
robocop joins a band of rebels to counter - attack the evil empire ,
i mean ocp .
the japanese send a cyborg - ninja to deal with robocop . among other things . . .
this movie is easier to follow than the last one .
which means the plot is n't quite as crowded .
this movie is n't anything special though .
just more of robocop blasting things up in a more kid - friendly way .
really not reccomended .
Output: P
jamaica is a hot vacation spot .
the exchange rate encourages delusions of wealth ( approximately 30 jamaican dollars to one american ) , the sea is a brilliant blue , the air is warm but lacks humidity .
and as tourism is unfortunately jamaica 's biggest trade , foreigners enter and leave with a sense of relaxation .
life and debt takes a brassy look at life inside this impoverished country .
while normal documentaries take the sally struthers approach of underlying scenes of starving children with tearful music , this film guides the viewer with a sarcastic voiceover that brings the troubles home without begging tears to the surface .
the voiceover is written by acclaimed author jamaica kincaid .
it guides the audience along a tourist 's journey and the story of the native inhabitants .
instead of telling you what you are already seeing on screen , it quips , " you do n't see what happens after you flush the toilet .
" this engages a viewer to see and think about devastation instead of merely being told it is there .
this strong , sparse storytelling approach runs throughout the film .
stephanie black is also intelligent in how she chooses to disclose the problems faced by the locals .
this is n't just another talking head show of people moaning about their horrible lot in life .
people are interviewed from all sectors of occupation , from field to factory , as well as social theorists and the banking organizations that continue to invest in the country .
the variety of discussion perpetuates a compelling internal dialogue with any viewer , whether they are seeing jamaica for the first time or not .
of course , as can be expected , the united states is slammed , owing to its involvement with the international monetary fund and the world bank .
officials look moronic as they explain why their plans for jamaica 's economy will help the country back on its feet , but only if they are willing to follow the advice word for word .
the next moment we see why and how each of these initiatives has failed , usually due to imports being cheaper than local labor or whether or not the soil is appropriate for the next agricultural trend the u . s . is forcing on the citizens .
admittedly , some of the back and forth between the business - minded organizations and the failures they produce gets repetitive , but it also drives home the impact ignorance can have on both sides of an international argument .
but jamaica is n't against the united states , and this documentary does not accuse the u . s .
of being the sole perpetrator of its grief .
if anything , it begs for a better understanding of the nature of jamaican society before stepping in to change it based on foreign regulations .
Output: P
the happy bastard 's quick movie review me tarzan . . .
you happy viewer .
for a minute there , i thought i was going to be groaning over the release of disney 's latest , another adaptation of a legend from the past .
( remember the pathetic pocahontas ? yikes ! )
but guess what- disney , a company that 's been on a roll lately with animated films
, strikes again with another wonderful tale that pleases the eyes as well as the inner kid in you .
the story is pretty basic- tarzan is left orphaned and a female gorilla who 's lost her young adopts him into her group . as he matures into a much older man , tarzan still wonders just why he 's so much different from the clan , and then arrives a hunter , a professor , and the professor 's lovely daughter , jane- who meets tarzan rather quickly after getting in trouble with a group of feisty babboons .
from there , tarzan faces tough choices-
should he stay with the ones that he grew up with or go join his own kind in england ?
the voicework here is pretty top - level .
tony goldwyn is very convincing as the ape man ; minnie driver adds a delectable touch to the already - beautiful jane ; nigel hawthorne makes for a pretty nasty hunter voice ; rosie o ' donnell keeps the laughs rolling as tarzan 's best ape friend terk ; and wayne " newman " knight has his moments as a panicky elephant .
the movie is superb throughout , mixing a great script with incredible computer - assisted visuals .
when tarzan tree - surfs ( a twist that was added on top of the same ol' vine swinging- and a great one , i might add ) , the camera twists and turns , allowing the trees all around to come to life vividly .
i could n't believe my eyes- disney has come a long way since starting in a ballroom for beauty and the beast .
and the music 's not half bad , either .
fortunately , there 's no ridiculous singing characters here , just a great set of songs by phil collins that perfectly fit the mood .
there 's some great action sequences here as well , including a wonderfully done chase between tarzan , jane , and the aforementioned babboons .
but , of course , it 's not all action-
there 's a message here as well that has to do with family .
this is easily one of disney 's best animated films of the decade
and it 's one i ca n't wait to put in my home library .
. .
that is , if my vcr still works in the year 2000 .
Output: P
one of the funniest carry on movies and the third with a medical setting .
the main story is about dr .
james nookey ( jim dale ) who is disliked by his superiors , frederick carver , head of the hospital ( kenneth williams ) , and dr .
ernest stoppidge ( charles hawtrey ) who seems to dislike everyone .
they attempt to cause him as much trouble in the hospital as possible and all the blame is laid on nookey .
carver learns of a possible job opportunity from wealthy ellen moore ( joan sims ) on a distant tropical island and gets nookey trannsferred there .
when nookey arrives at this island , he meets gladstone screwer ( sid james ) who has lived on the island just about all his life .
screwer is in possession of a wonderful slimming drug made from natural ingredients .
dr .
nookey returns with the drug to england and sets up a new slimming business with ellen moore 's financial backing .
however , nookey and moore face opposition from screwer who goes to england to cash in on the drug , and carver and stoppidge who want to know the ingredients to create a rival drug .
the performances are all very commendable .
sid james has a slightly ambiguous character to play this time and he excels in his role .
kenneth williams , as usual , plays the unpopular and cunning head of the hospital .
joan sims is entertaining as the wealthy benefactor and jim dale should really head the cast with his excellent portrayal of bumbling nookey .
charles hawtrey plays an ' out - of - character ' role as dr .
stoppidge , the nasty and evil practitioner who wants to knock nookey off his perch .
some critics have said that this combination of hawtrey and stoppidge does not work well , but i think that it at least gives hawtrey a new part to play instead of the usual dimwit characters .
as a matter of fact , hawtrey is suitably cunning in the part .
other regulars in the movie include hattie jacques as the matron yet again ( but this part is probably her most boring ' matron ' ) and barbara windsor as nookey 's love interest and unofficial ' women 's lib ' campaigner , goldie locks .
both jacques and windsor play their parts well
.
patsy rowlands appears briefly as miss fosdick , and there are very small cameos from wilfrid brambell ( from ' steptoe and son ' fame ) and peter butterworth .
the jokes are mostly very funny , the story is quite appealing , and the regulars seem interested in what they 're doing .
although it is another medical carry on movie and some of the jokes are borrowed from previous movies , it still comes out on top
( it is the best medical carry on ) because of the above factors .
a must - see carry on movie .
Output: P
errol morris , critically acclaimed director of the 1997 documentary fast , cheap and out of control ,
vaults to new heights with mr .
death .
this film , an examination of the life and work of controversial execution equipment designer and revisionist historian fred a . leuchter , jr . , is sure to draw audiences out of their malaise , stunning even the more jaded minds among us .
do n't let the film 's cheesy dissuade you .
following this sideshow of horror - lab special effects we are plunged quickly into a non - stop exploration of the weirdness that is leuchter 's life and mind .
morris follows the trail of leuchter 's madness with appalling lucidity , revealing in a surprising and frightening way what most of us could have guessed to begin with : this leuchter guy is seriously messed up . virtually raised within the american penal system by a father who worked within prison walls , leuchter seems to have come somewhat naturally into his profession ; designing and maintaining execution equipment for state penitentiaries , in spite of his lack of credentials .
after a moderately successful career making electric chairs and designing gas chambers and gallows , leuchter came to the attention of neo - nazi and revisionist historian ernst zundel , who was facing criminal charges in germany for publishing his ` theory ' that the holocaust never happened .
morris 's interviews are surprisingly congenial , drawing the subjects into a carefree banter that gives them more than enough rope with which to hang themselves .
zundel speaks to the camera as though it were his mensch .
leuchter seems completely at ease , sometimes jovial .
part of this effect may be due to morris 's new interviewing machine , called the interrotron , which is responsible for creating eye contact between the subject and the interviewer .
this was the first time morris had used the device , and the results are startling .
combine the irony of these interviews with leuchter 's reenactments and reels of creepy stock footage of his trip to auschwitz and birkenau , not to mention a haunting clip of thomas edison electrocuting an elephant , and
you 've got one compelling and disturbing documentary .
while this film is n't for the feeble - minded or weak - hearted , it is a valuable addition to the cultural landscape . aside from a few dragging minutes toward the end of the piece , morris has given us a fresh look at a dismal subject and i , for one , feel bettered by the experience .
Output: P
in " magic town " , jimmy stewart is in peak form playing a pollster who heads to a " perfect " town to gauge their reactions on the sorts of issues that only poll - takers care about .
however , as time progresses , and he finds himself falling in love with the town ( and a woman ) , he begins to see that what he 's doing is wrong .
the plot is standard stuff , but that 's not important .
in a film like this , it 's the calibre of the actors that make or break it .
obviously , since stewart stars , that 's practically a non - issue .
he 's great in the film , as usual .
there 's just something about him that always manages to be endearing , even when he 's deceiving the town folk .
you 're always on his side , and you desperately want to see all of his goals come to fruitition .
the film was directed by a longtime frank capra script - writer , and it shows .
this is the type of feel - good picture that capra is famous for .
by the time " the end " shows up on screen , everything has been wrapped up very nicely .
there are no loose ends , and virtually every character gets a happy ending
( those that deserve one , anyway ) .
in this age of cynicism , it 's refreshing to see a movie so upbeat .
" magic town " is a delightfully entertaining motion picture .
if you believe all old movies are slow - paced , you 'd be well - advised to check this one out .
Output: P
us critic - type people are always shaking our heads and telling everyone that movies are n't thrill rides , but i think that " back to the future ii " is one of the few exceptions .
if the original film had the spirit of the 1950s , then this has the spirit of the 80s : full of fights ; chase scenes ; cliff hangers ; special effects ; some detective work ; and of course the vision of the high - tech future .
the film picks up exactly where the first film left off , with doc ( lloyd ) , marty ( fox ) , and jennifer ( elizabeth shue ) travelling 30 years into the future , because something bad is going to happen to marty and jennifer 's kids .
doc tells marty he must take his son 's place at an incident that will cause a chain reaction if marty mcfly jr .
says yes to griff ( wilson - in one of four different roles ) .
whoever said history tends to repeat itself was n't joking , especially when it comes to the movies .
essentially the same chase scene that marty endured in the 50s takes place again in the year 2015 , but it 's not as authentically exciting this time because it is so obviously a parody of itself .
at the end of the situation marty has changed the course of history for the better , and it seems like everything 's copasetic right ?
wrong .
since when do things go according to plan in the " back to the future " movies ?
there are so many minor conflicts and details that effect the plot and the direction of the story i wo n't even bother to list them all .
basically we get to see marty as an old man , his house , his family , etc .
we also go back to an alternate 1985 , and then back again to 1955 , with everything happening so fast the film never stops to catch a breath .
the films ' best aspect is the fact that it actually goes back to the first movie and shows a lot of the action that occurred from another angle .
it 's difficult to convey the sense of wild and zany fun without describing every little detail .
the only thing sacrificed in this film is the suspense .
instead of a grand finale , we get lots of little victories .
by the end everything is back to normal , but something happens that leads to yet another sequel , but it does n't seem gratuitous .
" back to the future part ii " is a really great adventure movie .
it certainly has more originality than other films but it lacks a certain charm that was dominate throughout its predecessor .
Output: P
one year has passed since the last time we saw them , and but wayne campbell and garth algar are back
but , they 've moved out of their parents homes , and now have their own pad in an abandoned warehouse .
wayne 's still hopelessly infatuated with his girlfriend , cassandra , and of course garth is still having his own , personal growing pains .
they guys are just finishing off one of their shows , and head off to an aerosmith concert where they run across cassandra and her new manager , a stereotypical industry slime not unlike the character rob lowe portrayed in the previous film .
again , the promoter is not only after the money that cassandra 's talent can bring in .
the storyline quickly degrades to a parallel of the original , " guy loses chick , guy realizes mistake , and guy gets chick back .
" fortunately , there is more to this movie than this somewhat sheer plot .
the wit and humor in this film are surprisingly intelligent and fresh
with many inside jokes on the film and music industries as well as just a lot of hilarious scenes of wayne and garth showing their true color .
highlights of the movie include a spoof of jurassic park , garth 's seduction by a married woman , a surprise appearance by charleton heston , a 1960 's batman setup in the guy 's pad , and some pretty groovy chats with jim morrison and some " naked indian guy , " an unexpected lip - sync of ymca ( you could see that one coming a mile away ) and of course a hilarious parody of those badly - dubbed kung - fu movies we love to laugh at .
and if you 've ever wondered why there 's always boxes of watermelons , chickens , and people walking plate glass in the middle of streets , you 'll find out here .
this movie also explores wayne and garth a little more .
garth has somewhat of a " coming of age " and wayne gets to learn a little about himself ( with a little help from our old friend , jim morrison ) .
a few old jokes from the previous movie are explored here again , but this time with a few twists to keep them fresh , and luckily , few , if any of them are overused .
overall , the movie has plenty of continuity flaws ( especially in the fight scent between garth and cassandra 's dad ) , but these are easily overlooked as this is , after wayne 's world .
the plot is flimsy but manageable .
there are a few special effects , but they are fairly seamless , and fill nicely into the plot .
the acting is good
, for this sort of movie , but there are some very bright spots .
in the big picture , this movie is just plain fun .
there is lots of intelligent humor that makes this film special .
during the whole one hour and 40 minutes , i did n't even think about looking at my watch a single time .
silly , but riotous at times , this is an excellent movie even better than the original .
Output: P
john carpenter directed this stylish and gory vampire flick to which has it 's good side
and it 's bad .
it 's held up by some good performances and dazzling special effects leading up to an ending that 's pretty satisfying
.
james woods gives an outstanding performance
that almost covers up the movie .
the good side : some neat scenes of vampires and violence .
the bad : no scares .
yes
that 's right ,
even though being directed by one of horror 's most cherished directors , ' vampires ' is the least bit scary , if not at all .
james woods stars as jack
a vampire hunter out to stop the plans of the ' master ' vampire valek played by thomas ian griffith whom wants vampires to walk in the daylight .
daniel baldwin plays his sidekick montoya , a wise - cracking guy who really is n't that funny .
in the opening scene jack along with montoya and the team of vampire hunters , find an abandoned house to which vampire occupy .
of course we all know sunshine kills vampires , and that is just how they kill these vampires : hooking them to ropes and dragging them outside letting them burn to death .
after throwing a party for what happened , the vampires that did not die come back to trash it .
they kill almost all of jack 's team , leaving only a few alive .
sheryl lee plays a prostitute katrina who was bitten by valek , but not yet turned into a vampire .
she is rescued by jack and ?
flees with them on their search for valek .
they have to fight they 're way against vampires , leading up to a finale that is well - done with great special effects . '
vampires ' definately could have been done better .
the make - up , special effects and story are first rate , but there is no scares or terror that the film could have had .
it to me had more humor than horror , almost being compared to ' fright night ' with the mix of violence and comedy .
john carpenter does a great job of directing this film .
he eases through some tough times and saves the flaws , which are noticeable but forgettable .
the script is clever and funny , with many lines that make us laugh out loud .
i much enjoyed ' vampires ' with a few exceptions .
it 's one of those films you see but do n't take to heart .
you enjoy the time you spent and go on .
the recently released ' psycho ' is the same way , it 's not as good as you 'd hope
but it is fun and entertaining .
' vampires ' is a good horror flick with no scares but plenty of other content to please the viewer .
Output: P
at first glance , three kings looks to be just another war movie , the 90s version of all those favourite war movies with names i can not remember .
the 90s version , it definitely is , just another war movie ? not in your dreams !
imagine pulp fiction approach to saving private ryan , tha 's three kings for you .
believe it or not , it bears the cool of the former and the stark humane meaning of the latter .
the story brings us to the twilight of the gulf war , with the allied troops victorious .
majpr archie gates ( clooney ) leads an enterprising bunch of grunts to a rather unorthodox post - war looting spree ; the millions in gold bars secretly stowed away by saddam in a desolate village in the desert .
as the rest of the troops are celebrating their victory and getting ready to be shipped home , this ' wild bunch ' goes awol on an armed hum - vee ( the vehicle of choice of the us army ) .
they soon find out that they have much resistance , as they get tangled with the local rebellion against saddam 's forces .
frequently switching their modes between looters and robin hood 's merry men , they become consciously attacked by their own morals .
as the film begins to roll , it seemed to have a rather ' light ' mood to it . ' special ' effects such as when gates describes to his men how a bullet can kill simply paves the way for a light - hearted funny action movie .
three kings is much smarter than that .
as the conflict becomes more and more complex , the audience will be trapped in a limbo , trying to stay focussed on that light - mood / serious - mood that the film seem to portray .
i personally found this analogous to the same feelings of the main characters involved in the film ; trapped between their initial plan paved by greed and their own sense of humanity .
this simply made the entire experience of watching three kings
truly brilliant .
action sequences are not shot as your old - fashioned war films nor anything like steven spielberg 's in - your - face war violence .
they are carefully built to generate tension with just the right tight close - ups and pauses , right before the action starts .
not john woo for sure but more of sergio leone 's spaghetti western style ( tons of them starring clint eastwood ) . great performances by clooney and wahlberg but
the brilliance have to lie in the conception of this film ;
the screenwriter and the director .
three kings ranks among the best films of the year ,
well , for me at least . highly recommended .
Output: P
a miracle of filmmaking , " some like it hot " is a brilliant film , and maybe the foremost example of slapstick comedy brought to screen with clever sight gags and plot twists .
it is the pinnacle of writer - director billy wilder 's career , a stunning feat considering the vast catalogue of films he had helped make .
jerry ( lemmon ) and joe ( curtis ) are two stage musicians who go from gig to gig , trying to earn enough money to feed themselves .
one night , as they 're playing at a banned prohibition speakeasy , the place is raided . as it turns out , the owner , spats columbo ( george raft ) was ratted out by toothpick charlie ( george e . stone ) .
several weeks later , on valentine 's day , jerry and joe go to a garage to pick up a car and end up witnessing a gangland murder of charlie by columbo in a parking garage .
eager to escape , the duo are forced to take a job in florida with all expenses paid .
the only catch . .
its a girls band .
so josephine ( curtis ) and daphne ( lemmon )
, make their way onto the train and go to florida .
on the way there , they meet sugar kane ( monroe ) , a bombshell singer who is looking for love .
jerry and joe immediately fall for the singer , but there 's two problems : 1 ) they 're in drag , and 2 ) millionaire osgood fielding ( joe e . brown )
falls madly in love with daphne .
what follows in pure hysteria , still complicated further by the arrival of spats columbo to florida for the " italian opera lovers festival " .
tony curtis is hysterical as joe / josephine , especially in his preposterous attempts to woo sugar .
marilyn monroe , in a wonderfully comic performance , is sugar , providing incredible timing and sex appeal , along with true sincerity .
the scenes , however , are all stolen by either brown or lemmon .
lemmon is hysterical as daphne .
cast as the less rational one , lemmon 's performance is ridiculously crazy , it is disorder in the style all billy wilder 's .
brown is particularly hilarious as osgood , as we are treated to the finest kind of comedic irony .
he manages to use lemmon 's ingenious performance as a springboard for an even loonier performance as a completely eccentric millionaire .
every set - piece is flawless ,
as wilder brilliantly changes settings constantly , and uses every comic trick in the book to make his picture .
wilder 's script is stunning , as he carefully combines gangsters , cross - dressing , romance , sex , music , gender roles , and social taboos in a riotous blend of wit and oddball craziness .
wilder manages to create scenes of utter hysteria , so pitch - perfect that the audience is dying of laughter with the last comic piece , the final line of this absolutely incredible film .
wilder 's is dead wrong when he says nobody 's perfect : billy wilder is , especially when he makes something this disastrously funny .
nobody 's perfect but billy wilder .
Output: P
there is a scene early in soul food , george tillman 's comedy - drama about a large african - american family and the ordeals they go through during a crisis , that caught me completely off guard .
during a wedding , the groom is flirting with some tramp , and in an attempt to to prevent a scene , his mother in law , played by irma p . hall , comes to the rescue .
the way in which she does this makes me think irma p . hall is one of the greatest actresses around right now .
however , this is just one magical moment in a movie filled with them .
vanessa williams , vivica fox , and nia long star as three sisters who have each gone their own way in life .
williams is teri , a successful lawyer , who is frustrated by her husband miles attempts at a music career .
fox is maxine , the strongest of the sisters , which can be confirmed by the stability of her marriage and the wisdom of her son ahmad , who narrates the film .
long is bird , a hairdresser who is the last of the three to get married .
her husband lem is an intense passionate individual whose temper gets the best of him sometime but never stops loving .
at the center of everything is irma p . hall , as big mama jo .
every sunday , the family gathers together for dinner at mama jo 's house .
there is lots of conversation , lots of laughs , and the occasional controversy .
mama jo presides over the family like all mothers should .
she is stern and disciplined , but also caring and forgiving .
everything is going fine , until a tragedy befalls mama jo .
all of a sudden , a chain reaction of events begin to destroy the family .
it gets so bad , sunday dinner is even cancelled .
without mama jo 's guidance , there is noone to keep the family together , which frustrates ahmad .
miles and maxine 's marriage begins to fall apart , as he focuses on his music and flirts with the troublesome faith .
lem 's temper gets the best of him when his convict past starts to catch up to him .
and teri tries to prevent maxine 's efforts to sell mama jo 's house .
the third act of the film deals with ahmad 's attempts to patch things up .
he decides to take over where mama jo left off , and tries to get the family back together for one more sunday dinner .
the acting by everyone in the ensemble is outstanding , with special notices to irma p . hall and brandon hammond .
hall gives a performance that deserves to be recognized by the academy .
her mama jo is one of the most memorable characters i have ever encountered in a movie .
brandon hammond is an actor with a bright future .
he is wise enough not to play cutesy and shows an admirable range and depth , and speaks the final lines of the movie on the perfect note .
tillman obviously based this movie on his own memories of growing up .
every scene in the movie is purposeful and convincing
( except maybe an odd flashback sequence ) .
the dialogue is beleiveable and funny .
and then there 's the food .
tillman gives us several close ups of the soul food , and it indeed looks very tasty .
i can see why sunday dinners became such a tradition for this family .
soul food is one of the most purely entertaining movies of the year .
Output: P
originally launched in 1978 , this popular film was re - introduced in 1998 to a whole new generation of moviegoers .
based on the mighty successful musical from broadway , grease was followed in 1980 with the less stellar grease 2 ( 6 . 5/10 ) , starring a young michelle pheiffer in one of her first feature film roles .
plot : high - school musical set in the 1950 's showcasing the relationship between the cool danny zuko of the t - birds ( travolta ) and the innocent and pure sandy olsen ( newton - john ) from australia .
the film follows the couple and their vivacious friends during their last year at rydell high through song , dance and humour .
critique
: fun - loving , energetic and innocent look back at times much simpler .
this movie effectively juggles a thin romantic story line and the overall experience of the 1950 's , with a superb soundtrack and some great dance numbers .
admittedly , i am somewhat biased in this opinion , since this film blasts me into my past as a rebellious youth ( grease was one of schmoe 's first big - screen experiences , and every other scene sends me reeling into the times of my elaborate grease bubble - gum card collection ) , and the lesser responsibilities that i possessed at that time .
but apart from the nostalgic vibe , i was still extremely impressed by this film , as it continued to amuse me , despite my previous dozen or so viewings .
this film took john travolta from a dim - witted " sweathog " on tv 's welcome back kotter , and transformed him into a movie - star of spectacular proportions ( saturday night fever ( 7 . 5/10 ) in 1979 confirmed that sudden popularity ) .
unfortunately for the rest of the cast , his popularity was not terribly contagious , despite their effective showings in this classic movie .
on the down side , some of the absolute innocence in this film might bore or turn people off ( like when sandy sings about " drinking lemonade " and " staying out until 10 " with danny in " summer nights " ) , and the plot is n't exactly the most elaborate story - line ever created , but despite these small reservations , this movie carries enough great music and high energy to keep anyone amused through its rapid 110 minute running time ( and believe me . . .
i am not a fan of the musicals ! ! ) .
make sure to look for a young lorenzo lamas in the static role of the brainless football player , as well as the national bandstand dance contest as one of the film 's absolute highlights .
and do n't forget to buy the popular soundtrack afterwards , so that you could listen to its peppy tunes whenever you 're feeling a little blue .
little known facts : henry winkler , of tv 's happy days ' fonzie fame , turned down the part of danny zuko because he did not want to be typecast for the rest of his career .
both travolta and conaway were smitten by newton - john during the filming of this picture .
conaway eventually bowed out of the woo - fest , and married newton - john 's sister a year later ( divorced after five years ) .
Output: P
one of the best movies i 've ever seen .
i 'd heard extremely good things about this movie , and though the previews did n't really intrigue that much , it was a movie i 'd been anticipating for a few months now .
for some reason i 'm not sure of - this movie was not that big a sucess over in the u . s .
it was a definite hit with the critics , but did n't exactly set any box office records .
after viewing this incredibly well directed , written and acted movie , i ca n't help but wonder - why ?
the strength of this film is it 's gritty realism .
the main characters are all human with individual flaws , no stereo - type hollywood heroes .
you may not agree with many of their actions in the movie or their approach to life , but that is what makes it so real .
i had expected this movie to be more of a drama than a thriller , but i was mistaken .
even the interrogation scenes moved at such a pace so that it felt just as thrilling as any car chase .
and the ending .
.
. . . . whoa .
i 've never seen a movie in my life where everyone in it acts brilliantly .
the three male leads - guy pearce , kevin spacey and russell crowe are all just terrific .
the ' best actor ' oscar talk surrounding this film should have netted one of them a statue , but there is one problem there .
how could they have chosen between these three actors ?
there is no way i could look at this film and say one of them was better than the other two .
it 's impossible .
kim bassinger 's performance is also a revelation .
i 'd never been a big fan of hers before and always thought she was , well .
. .
what 's the word - a twinky ?
that impression has changed , as she complemented crowe and pearce perfectly .
the depth to the story and characters is truly astounding .
no cardboard characters here .
the plot is full of twists and turns and some very clever sequences .
pearce 's interogation of three seperate suspects is nothing short of brilliant .
i really ca n't fault this movie at all .
i was so glad to see fellow australian 's pearce and crowe star in
such a breathtaking movie .
i had been very familiar with russell crowe beforehand from his many australian films , but had not seen much of guy pearce .
i intend to change this next time i visit the video store : )
Output: P
i 've always been told that there are two things in life that are unavoidable - death and taxes .
oddly , i 've never given much thought to either of the two .
maybe if i did , at least i 'd stop getting collection notices from uncle sam .
yes , let me make a resolution to devote myself to better record keeping , hold on to all my receipts , and to do what it takes to have the satisfaction that my returns are mistake - free and will keep me from incurring penalties .
it seems that the issue of death may not be so different , at least envisioned here in this film .
as this tender love story goes , if you do good things and have a clear conscience when you die , you ascend to a place of great peace and beauty .
the dreams , wishes , and fantasies that you had when you were alive come true .
for those who die with a burdened soul , however , they wind up in that other place .
chris and annie ( a winsome robin williams and a radiant annabella sciorra ) seem like the perfect couple that deserve all that heaven has to offer .
their love for each other is strong and their bond is undeniable .
but tragic events eventually tear apart the fabric of annie 's happiness .
and when chris dies after a terrible car accident , she commits suicide - a tortured soul who blames herself .
despair is perhaps the greatest sin , and she will wallow in her guilt throughout eternity .
chris , on the other hand , has made it to heaven , and upon learning of annie 's fate , he journeys to hell to find her and to try to free her from her nightmare .
this film brims with imagination , containing a lush imagery that shows the arcadia that is heaven and the bitterness and frightfulness
that is hell .
it seems that heaven and hell could very well be a product of our fantasies or nightmares .
it 's shape and look is as infinite as our imagination .
as chris explores his new fantastic world and discovers things both amazing and wondrous , he also begins to learn more about himself .
certain questions baffle him at first .
why does his home in heaven ooze with paint ?
what is the significance of the asian stewardess ?
why does he have an all - too - willing guide ( cuba gooding , jr . ) to help him find annie ?
but as he slowly begins to realize the answers , it makes him stronger and gives him a greater chance to save annie .
"
dreams " is both visually and tellingly beautiful .
alas , i have one regret .
the movie did well to gather more and more emotional speed , but the denouement was curiously unsatisfying .
it seemed as if it was racing to some kind of great finish , but its intensity seemed to wane in its final moments .
however , your eyes will still well up with tears and
you 'll find lots to savor .
the storytelling is purposeful and well constructed .
the journey is imaginative .
and i was surprised by how much i enjoyed this film .
Output: P
director : penelope spheeris ( decline of western civilization ii -
the : metal years , dudes , & suburbia ) cast :
mike myers ( wayne campbell ) , dana carvey ( garth algar ) , : rob lowe ( benjamin oliver ) , tia carrere
( cassandra ) summary : wayne and garth have a public access show called " wayne 's : world .
"
the show is a underground hit , until benjamin : oliver comes onto the scene .
benjamin wants to turn the : show into a big hit nationwide , possibly destroying the : essence of " wayne 's world " in the process .
[ expectations - medium ] long review =
= = = = = = = = = = i must admit being a bit reluctant going into this film .
i did n't believe that they ( mike myers and dana carvey ) could hold it up for an hour and a half , i figured that perhaps the first half - hour would be great , and the rest would be " fluff .
" however , i was really surprised about
how well they were able to keep the laughs going for the virtually the whole film , with the exception of the ending .
( which i wo n't discuss for obvious reasons , but it 's not * that
* bad . ) story :
the plot was quite thin , but it really was n't that noticeable , because of the rapid - fire jokes that myers wrote in .
alot of the jokes are very similar to hot shots ! , in being very " parodyish .
"
( okay , bad term . )
extremely witty throughout , although ( as in hot shots ) it got a bit repetitive in the middle .
acting : as in many comedies , the acting is n't really * that * important . however , myers turns in a good performance as wayne , playing the character perfectly , ( although i still liked him better back on much music , in a more " canadian " type of mode . )
carvey is okay as garth , but he lacks the spark myers puts into wayne .
tia carrere is mediocre as cassandra , playing it very stilted .
lowe is fine as ben oliver , but is nothing to write home about .
without a doubt , this movie is mike myers all the way .
direction : spheeris is a classic " music " movie director , making dudes , and decline of western civilization ii -- the metal years .
( she also directed the boys next door , which is different , to say the least . )
she is very capable , knows how direct a comedy , the correct camera movements it instill laughs , etc .
one of the better jobs i can remember for a comedy .
overall : i would suggest to anyone that likes snl 's skits to go see this film in the theatres .
however , my personal opinion , as in most comedies , is that they work just as well on video .
you definately have to be fan of music , and all forms of media in general to enjoy this film .
without a doubt , this is the best comedy so far this year .
it 'll make tons ' o ' dough for everyone involved .
let 's just hope they make a thousand sequels .
[ sorry , i had to get the lame joke in . . .
forgive me . ]
Output: P
this sometimes - tedious and often - moving documentary charts the life and times of anne frank , the young diarist and most - famous victim of adolph hitler .
writer / director / producer jon blair has collected a staggering amount of historical material on both anne and the frank family .
we meet miep gies , one of the family 's protectors who is still alive .
she recounts how she found the diary in the days after the germans captured the franks .
we watch otto frank , anne 's father and surviving family member , in interview footage filmed before his death .
blair
successfully combines these clips , footage , and other historical records to recount exactly what happened during that terrible period of european history .
as narrated by kenneth branagh and with diary excepts read by glenn close , anne frank remembered retells more than just anne 's story .
we meet and learn about the * many * friends , family members , and acquaintances whose lives were touched by this young woman and her writings .
winner of the last year 's academy award for best documentary .
Output: P
in ` enemy at the gates ' , jude law is a gifted russian sniper made hero by a political officer named danilov ( joseph fiennes ) who uses him in a propaganda newspaper to raise the hopes of the soldiers and people of stalingrad .
it 's world war ii , and the russian - german standoff in town could determine the outcome of things for the motherland .
law 's vassili is the russian 's top pawn to victory .
lots of war stuff happens .
an older , german version of jude 's character played by ed harris shows up halfway into the proceedings .
he 's equally talented , and the two men play a cat and mouse game trying to kill each other .
they constantly switch roles , as the war fades far into the background .
the cast also includes the terrific rachel weisz as a love interest for both vassili and danilov the set - up is decent , and so are the production values . boasting a wide range of grimy locales , greasy hair , and tattered costumes , the art direction prospers .
the actors , however , suffer the problem matt damon had in ` saving private ryan ' .
either their eyes , teeth , skin , or a combination of other features looked too white and clean .
with dirt and blood all around , the blinding teeth or bright eyes of these actors divert attention from the action .
that said ,
the players are mostly good in their roles , although i do n't think ed harris was really trying .
maybe he realized his role struck a difficult chord in one - notedom .
while the film is technically about snipers , there are far too many predictable sniping scenes .
director jean - jacques annaud expects us to view each tense situation with jude and some cohort in a tight spot as edgy and exciting , but after about the sixth time , in which we realize that jude is not going to die , it 's relatively pointless .
we get that he 's talented , okay , let 's move on .
that 's the problem with ` enemy at the gates ' ; it just does n't know when to stop .
witness the wasted seventeen minutes that could have been spent elsewhere . reestablishing his title as the most beautiful ( and often talented ) man on film , jude law carries the movie .
without him , this costly production would have gone into the ground .
the story and acting are of good quality , but there 's never a sense of authenticity or reality .
something about this war movie is undeniably modern , and it loses its feeling .
strange enough , the screenplay is based on the true story of a real russian sniper .
Output: P