polsci/sentiment-polarity-dataset-v2.0 huggingface dataset:
though it is a fine piece of filmmaking , there's something about elizabeth . . . that 
left me a bit cold , and i think it is something that bugs me quite often in films , particularly these days ; i just didn't care about the characters . 
to me , the first and foremost job of a filmmaker is to create characters ( be they imagined or historical as the case may be ) that the audience gives a hoot about . 
and though elizabeth works well on many levels , it falls short of excellence because of that very reason . 
elizabeth takes place in england in 1554 , as queen mary , half sister of elizabeth and a monarch on the side of catholicism is dying . 
before she dies , though , she cannot bear to sign a document which would condemn her half sister to death because of her heretical protestant beliefs . 
as a result , amidst much anger within the council , elizabeth becomes the queen of england . 
the film chronicles her rise to power as she fights for a unified church of england and tries to bring order to her personal and political life . 
much of the film deals with elizabeth's love for lord robert , a mysterious man who thrusts his lordship onto many a woman as he continues to proclaim his love for the queen . 
there is much ado about her lack of a husband , and political pressures from spain and france enter into the equation . 
the problem with the film lies with this as its centerpiece , as love interests are such a character driven element . 
i didn't much care about the characters ( perhaps aside for elizabeth who is played quite well by blanchett ) and so i didn't have much interest in who would join her in her nuptials . 
the cast is rounded out well with the marvelous rush who plays the queen's most loyal advisor , sir francis , and attenborough as a well-meaning but old-fashioned lead council . 
why then , you must be asking , do i recommend elizabeth ? 
simply because it is the result of a perfect pairing of director and cinematographer . 
kapur and his cinematographer remi adefarasin ( neither of whom i have heard ) create a beautifully realized piece of filmmkaing from the technical side . 
the light streams through each frame as in any painting from the period and beautifully captures the realistic light sources that would have been found in churches , cellars and castles in 16th century europe . 
each frame is rich with color contrasted with blackness or blown-out white light from windows . 
the costumes by alexandra byrne deserve a mention as they are such an inportant aspect of each shot . 
indeed , elizabeth is one of the most visually beautiful films of the decade , ranking with kundun and braveheart . 
watch also for the incredibly " godfather-esque " mass murder scene . 
it made me think in retrospect of the similarities between the two films .
carolco pictures and dutch director paul verhoeven ( robocop ) came together to create the 1990 mega hit that is total recall . 
the film is a masterpiece of sets , action , and special effects . 
action and science fiction just don't get any better than this ! 
the story involves a construction worker named douglas quaid ( arnold schwarzenegger ) who lives on earth with his beautiful wife lori ( sharon stone ) . 
quaid is obsessed with mars and decides to go with the second best choice ; a brain implant ( fake memory ) of a two week vacation on mars . 
while being implanted a memory cap is triggered and the doctors realize that quaid's memory has previously been erased . 
now the people who did it are after him . 
quaid must find out who he really is and why these people want him dead . 
the plot unfolds at a rapid pace explaining itself through great action , special effects , and twist after mind-boggling twist . 
it grabs you and never lets go ! 
this film is a winner from beginning to end . 
the plot is superb ; combining the best elements of science fiction and psychological mystery to create a rip-roaring saga . 
schwarzenegger gives his best performance ever , and the supporting cast is good too . 
the action and stunts are terrific . 
the sets are huge and elaborate with a lot of attention payed to detail . 
the music and sound effects are perfect for the film and really add a certain level of impact to the action . 
the make-up effects by rob bottin ( the howling , the thing , and robocop ) are top notch , not to mention extremely outlandish . 
the visual effects by dream quest ( the abyss ) and industrial light and magic ( star wars trilogy , jurassic park , and terminator 2 ) are phenomenal ! 
the visuals had such a state of the art " slickness " that they won an oscar . 
of course the film isn't always realistic ; it's more fiction than science . 
for example , it is true that a body won't explode in the vacuum of space but in total recall they do . 
who cares ? 
it's a movie . 
movies are supposed to entertain . 
and in my opinion this film achieves an entertainment level in film that is so terrific , it may be impossible to beat .
with the abundance of trite , recycled movies in the late '90s , there is a tremendous demand by movie lovers ( never mind movie critics ) for movies that present the wide film audience with something truly original : perhaps audaciously , perhaps purely thematically . 
for the former , you need look no further than director tom tykwer's incredible german thriller run lola run , a movie that may make some viewers need a cooling off period afterwards . 
lola , a contemporary goth-girl with blazing red hair receives a desperate phone call from her boyfriend manni one day . 
it seems that because she was late delivering something he lost a bag containing a hundred thousand marks , and if he doesn't deliver a hundred thousand marks within the next twenty minutes , he will be killed . 
this gives lola twenty minutes to come up with 100 , 000 marks , or her boyfriend dies . 
so she runs -- not just jogs , sprints -- in hopes that somehow , someway , she'll be able to obtain the money and save a life . 
>from there , as critic steve rhodes described it , run lola run plays a bit like " sliding doors on steroids . 
with a non-stop techno soundtrack , wierd camerawork , all kinds of insane zooms and a truly breakneck pace , anyone that is bored with run lola run has to be smoking something . 
indeed , the movie is often outrageously exciting , as well as bitterly ironic and subtly serious . 
very much like titanic , run lola run is an achievement with filmmaking much more than it is an achievement in film . 
the way the movie is made , for pure visual style , tykwer's movie is breathtaking ( literally , sometimes ) . 
thematically it does leave something to be desired ; it toys around with some intriguing ideas but does occasionally seem as if there is little substance behind all of the flash . 
while you are watching , this will not matter . 
running a breezy 81 minutes , this is one movie i wished was longer because it was so damn good while it lasted . 
it is the equivalent of a roller-coaster in the amount of thrills and fun that it offers . 
 ? 1999 eugene novikov&#137 ;
to paraphrase a song title from an earlier disney movie , mulan is a whole new world . 
the mouse factory's latest feature is a treasure , featuring magnificent animation , a strong story and finely drawn characters . 
mulan is the story of a fiesty , head-strong young woman who , unlike other disney heroines , isn't seeking her prince charming , 
mulan's motivations are simple ; to save her father , serve her country and find a place for herself in a world in which females have no say . 
the story of mulan takes place in ancient china at a time when the huns have invaded the nation . 
the emperor has called for a conscription , one man from each family to join the army and defend the nation . 
mulan's crippled father is called , but mulan sneaks off , steals his armor and takes his place . 
mulan is a saga of courage and self-discovery . 
yet , despite the grim backdrop of war , it is a lively tale of self-reliance and brain-over-brawn that even the smallest child can appreciate and enjoy . 
the movie utilizes a strong corps of asian-american talent as the voices for the main characters , including the wonderful ming-na wen ( the joy luck club ) as mulan , b . d . 
wong as shang , mulan's commanding officer and later love interest , pat morita as the emperor and the veteran soon-tek oh as mulan's proud , but loving father . 
also adding to the proceedings is eddie murphy as mushu the dragon , sent by mulan's ancestors to watch over and help the young woman . 
his fast , wise-cracking , hip-talking mushu may seem out of place , but it's a crowd pleasing performance , especially for the youngsters . 
the movie features only a couple of songs , fewer than most previous disney animated flicks , but mulan's are winners . 
the music by matthew wilder and lyrics by david zippel fit nicely into the plot . 
the overall score by jerry goldsmith also is a plus . 
mulan is a treat , more powerful than hercules , with more heart than the hunchback of notre dame . 
at about 85 minutes , mulan moves rapidly , and will hold the attention of youngsters from beginning to the end . 
mulan will set a new standard by which future animated efforts by disney and other studios will have to work hard to attain . 
also , it is hoped that the success of mulan , and there is no doubt that it will prove to be a popular vehicle , will spur an interest for more movies with oriential or asian-american themes so as to provide more substantial roles for the talented performers who gave their voices for this production . 
it would be nice to see them on screen as well as hear them . 
committed to lifelong learning through effective communication
you don't want to be like mike . 
mike has been doing badly . 
embarrassingly bad . 
he broke up a six-year relationship six months ago to move from n . y . to l . a . and he's still not over her . 
as a result , his jokes fall flat when he tries to impress , and he's a comedian . 
well , an unemployed comedian , one of hollywood's little fish , and it has gotten so bad he's asked for an application at starbuck's . 
actually , the starbuck's thing gets even worse . 
and worse . 
you won't fail to like mike , however , played endearingly by jon favreau . 
swingers revolves around mike's half-hearted and awkward efforts to get back in the social swing of things . 
to this end he is enthusiastically assisted by his equally underachieving twentysomething actor friends , such as trent ( vince vaughn with the film's most animated performance ) , who has the gift of gab bordering on the disturbing side of motivational speaking , gun-toting sue ( patrick van horn ) , and rob ( ron livingston ) , who once played hamlet but now longs to work as goofy in disneyland , but doesn't succeed because of his lack of " theme park experience . " 
together they talk about women - how to make eye contact , which involves avoiding it , and when to call so as never to appear desperate , two days being " industry standard . " 
after talking the talk , they walk the walk , strutting like the cool swingers they aspire to be , always to laughable effect . 
to get mike out of his funk , his friends persistently convince him to get outside , whether it be to a quickie night trip to a seedy vegas casino or a cutthroat hollywood party with the beautiful people or a 50s swing lounge . 
everywhere they encourage mike to look for a replacement " honey " and then keep vigil over his progress , or lack of it . 
like dotty doting parents , mike never leaves their company without being the recipient of their confidence cheerleading ( " you're money , mike , and the honeys know it . " ) or equipped with their eccentric dating philosophies , such as an analogy of flirting with the bear and the bunny . 
with the unwavering support of friends like these , maybe mike's not doing too badly after all . 
favreau also doubled as the film's screenwriter , and he proves he has the gift for creating engaging characters and witty banter that goes beyond today's bon mot . 
there is a reassuring honesty to the friendships , even when it hits its low points and the friends commiserate . 
when mike gets the gumption to look for love , you will join his cheerleading section as well . 
swingers is light , unassuming fare , sweet candy you will want to bust your gut with - laughing - again and again .
susan granger's review of " songcatcher " in the midst of this summer's fare of dinos revisited and romantic fiascoes , there are a few thoughtful movies - and this appalachian period drama is one . 
oscar nominee janet mcteer ( " tumbleweeds " ) stars as dr . lily penleric , an accomplished musicologist who , back in that pre-feminist era , was refused a full professorship at her university . 
determined to prove her worth , she ventures deep into the rugged mountains of north carolina , where her younger sister elna ( jane adams ) runs a school . 
there in bear creek , she discovers a treasure-trove of traditional scots-irish and english folk ballads , given a unique interpretation by the insular locals . 
excited , she sends for recording equipment and persuades vinie butler ( pat carroll ) and other self-sustaining mountain folk to share their musical heritage on her edison phonograph cylinders . 
their music , as she puts it , is " as much a part of life here as the air you breathe . " 
that's the main thrust of writer-director maggie greenwald's occasionally uneven culture-clash story , which is loosely based on olive dame campbell's foray through the blue ridge mountains in 1908 , but there's also some melodramatic romantic spice . 
ornery , bearded , banjo-picking aidan quinn falls for the statuesque , passionate " songcatcher , " while elna secretly engages in a lesbian relationship with a colleague ( e . 
katherine kerr ) . 
i'm ready to buy the soulful soundtrack with vocalists like emmylou harris , iris dement , taj mahal and young opera star emmy rossum who plays a pivotal role as mcteer's wide-eyed prot ? g ? . 
rated pg-13 , there's an intense scene of primitive childbirth . 
on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , " songcatcher " is an intelligent , extraordinary 8 , transported by the transcendent power of song .
making his directorial debut , actor jon favreau brings along his swingers co-star , vince vaughn , for this tale of two mugs on a career trajectory to nowheresville . 
favreau , who also wrote the script , is bobby , vaughn is ricky . 
by day they are construction workers . 
they also are wanna-be contenders , but neither has had much success . 
their last bout pitted them against each other and was a draw , leaving bobby's record at 5-5-1 . 
these two l . a . not-so-wise guys also work for max ( peter falk ) , a mid-level mobster , who is patient and understanding with bobby , but who hates ricky's guts . 
max has an easy job for bobby ; fly to new york and make a simple delivery to a gangster named ruiz ( a smooth and silky sean combs ) . 
bobby , because of his lifelong friendship with ricky , pleads with max to give his pal another chance and let him tag along to the big apple . 
against his better judgment , max agrees . 
of course ricky , a motormouth who inserts both feet everytime he speaks , nearly screws up everything . 
while bobby tries to stay calm and professional , ricky begins swaggering and throwing money around as if he was john gotti or tony soprano . 
the constrast in styles and the chemistry between favreau and vaughn is what makes made so enjoyable to watch . 
favreau with his hound-dog face and slow-burn personality could be a modern-day oliver hardy , only much wiser . 
vaughn is like someone vaccinated with a phonograph needle , he just keeps yakking and yakking , unaware of the havoc he creates . 
yet despite bobby's constant aggravation and agitation with his partner , a bond of affection and loyalty binds them . 
the contrast between the two friends is interesting to watch . 
bobby is button-downed , tightly-wound , always waiting for the next shoe -courtesy of ricky - to drop . 
ricky is mostly oblivious to the problems he creates and is genuinely surprised when he comes under attack for his faux paus . 
in new york , the two lackeys are like fish out of water , stumbling from one situation to another , trying to keep alive . 
combs is elegant , cool and low-key menacing as the gangsta they are sent to meet . 
falk is amusing in his small role , while famke janssen nearly breaks your heart as bobby's lowlife girlfriend . 
more than anything , made is a movie with heart . 
it is loud , obnoxious and very talkative . 
but the cameraderie between bobby and ricky holds the key to its interest . 
favreau does a commendable job in his directorial debut . 
he is a player to be watched as he can only improve with experience .
set in the wild west , this carry on centres around the arrival of the rumpo kid ( sidney james ) and his cronies in stodge city . 
his dodgy dealings and summary shootings aggravate judge burke ( kenneth williams ) so much that he asks sheriff albert earp ( jon pertwee ) to drive rumpo out of town . 
instead , the rumpo kid shoots the sheriff dead . 
therefore , judge burke sends for a law marshall to come in and clean up the city . 
due to a misunderstanding , an english sanitary engineer called marshall p . knutt ( jim dale ) is assigned , without knowing it , as the law marshall for stodge city . 
he arrives at the same time as annie oakley ( angela douglas ) who is seeking revenge for her father , the sheriff's murder . 
when marshall arrives at stodge city , he soon becomes aware of the misunderstanding and due to his rather limited intellect , he is manipulated by the rumpo kid and always ends up getting things wrong . 
in the end , there is a head-to-head between rumpo and marshall . 
with the rumpo's past experience , it would seem that marshall is out of his depth , but using his sanitary skills and learning the ways of the west from annie oakley , he at least stands some chance ! 
sid james , with an american accent , is perfect as the rumpo kid , a part which suits him down to the ground . 
jim dale provides one of his best carry on performances as the stupid sanitary engineer , and angela douglas is very effective in her role as the revengeful daughter . 
other regulars that appear in this movie include charles hawtrey and bernard bresslaw ( in his debut ) as big heap and little heap respectively . 
big heap is the local indian leader and the crazy casting of hawtrey for this part is very amusing , as is his performance : - he steals every scene he is in even though he does not enter the film until thirty minutes past . 
joan sims provides useful and amusing support as belle , the local bar owner who takes a fancy to the rumpo kid . 
however , the part of doc played by peter butterworth and sheriff albert earp played by jon pertwee are not really necessary , and pertwee's performance is rather poor . 
kenneth williams uses a new voice but struggles with the weak part of the 'judge' . 
even so , this carry on was sid james and kenneth williams' favourite . 
a very different carry on film , in that it is played more seriously by the actors and possesses more realism than any other carry on . 
the death count is the highest of any carry on film . 
sets , costumes and action sequences are all very commendable . 
the songs that are included in the movie ( the title song and annie's song ) are very impressive . 
a strange but therefore very interesting carry on film . 
not the best of its kind but it is certainly the most distinctive film of the series .
" the end of the affair " is a dark and moody romantic period piece , that neil jordan exquisitely writes and directs . 
although it's slow and sometimes confusing to follow , it still manages to give audiences a moving experience . 
based on graham greene's novel of the same name , the film mainly follows 3 characters . 
there's maurice bendrix ( ralph fiennes ) who has an affair with henry mile's ( stephen rea ) wife sarah ( julianne moore ) . 
sarah finds henry to be a bore , because well , he's just a normal guy . 
it's all work and no play with him . 
while maurice on the other hand falls madly in love with sarah , and would do anything for her . 
unfortunately the two break up . 
this is all witnessed in a serious of flashbacks , so that leads us to the present . 
it's a few years later , and they both still think of each other , so maurice hires a private detective ( ian hart ) to see what sarah is up too . 
while this may sound straight forward it's not . 
it's a deep dark tale of the jealousy that lies in the two men , unhappiness , and the ever lasting love . 
all this may sound like a drag , but it really captures your interest . 
with great performances by ralph fiennes ( doing another english patient type of film , only this movie is better ) and julianna moore who definitely deserves an oscar because out of all 5 films she did in 1999 , i believe this was the role , she had the most passion for , and you can see why . 
the story was also well written thanks to neil jordan . 
even though i didn't read the book , there's no doubt in mind that it was just as moving and descriptive . 
what's so moving about it you ask ? 
the tragedy of it all . 
it's not the typical romance , in which a guy finds a girl , they fall in love and all is well , this is more complicated and depressing . 
it really shows the complexity of a relationship , because nothing is ever perfect . 
everyone feels a different way and that is what tears us to pieces . 
back to neil jordan's script , it wasn't only red roses . 
there were times when i felt it too be a little slow , but most romances are . 
it also tended to be a bit confusing , especially at the start . 
it keep jumping around from past to present , so it obviously took awhile to get a grasp of things . 
also a notable was the superb direction by neil jordan . 
i'd have to say this is his finest achievement to date , because quite frankly i've never really found his work to be up to par . 
it just never did anything for me , until now . 
when it ends , it leaves viewers a little saddened , but provoked nonetheless . 
this is definitely one of the best films of 99 , and had some of the best acting , most notably by moore . 
not for all movie goers , but for those who are film buffs and want something of value .
okay , let me first say , this is a beavis and butthead movie . 
if you do not like beavis and butthead , do not go to see this movie ! ! ! ! ! 
however , if you do like them , i recommened you get out right now and go see it . 
the movie starts off with the boys wondering what happened to their tv . 
they notice that it has been stolen and they vow to find it . 
this wind their way through america searching for dallas ( she is a woman ) . 
they look for her because as they are searching for the tv , they find a drunk who wants them " to do " his wife . 
well , of course they think he wants them to score with her when actually he wants them to kill her . 
and the fun starts their . 
this movie is a mix of funny gags that anly beavis and butthead could pull off . 
it is quality entertainment that only fan of beavis and butthead would enjoy . 
i enjoyed this movie alot because mike judge knew how to keep pace . 
even when they were crawling through the desert and i thought the movie started to lag , he manages to keep the laughs coming . 
if you expecting changes from the show keep looking . 
the same character , the same voices , the same everything from the show and that's what makes it good . 
you might think with a movie from a tv show , you can change a few things . 
often times this spells disaster for films because the film makers veer away from what made the show popular in the first place !
there's a moment in schindler's list when a number of jews are trudging through snow , clean and crisp , dark edges and frost on the ground . 
one girl waltzes through , wearing a red dress that stings the eyes . 
it is probably the finest moment through out the film . 
when i first saw it i began to cry , though i could not say why . 
this landscape is the setting of many small moments that add up to one big whole . 
when one man is shot in the head we see blood oozing out onto the ground -- so black and murky , its almost pomegranate red . 
at another time we follow a young boy as he runs , searching for a hiding spot before finally squeezing into a toilet -- which is already occupied . 
like so ( citizen kane , fargo , the godfather , the godfather part ii , greed , ) many of the greatest american films , schindler's list plays with the concepts of money , power , and soul . 
but this is a movie about a man who does the right thing . 
starkly emotional , and brutally powerful , schindler's list strips away everything on the outset and leaves us ony feelings . 
the following that it has gained is not suprising -- this is probably , thus far , the best film of the decade . 
steven spielberg has always been a skilfull filmmaker -- his assured hand churned out both jurassic parks , jaws , the indiana jones films , and e . t . 
-- but it wasn't until 1993 that we saw what a brilliant man he can be . 
the product of his genuis is really something to see -- it can bring tears to your eyes just as it uplifts you . 
throughout , we sense the deep control which he so masterfully spreads . 
we watch oskar schindler ( liam neeson ) grow from an arrogant , self important man who hires jews only to save money into a moving figure , with a deep sense of pride and accomplishment . 
the film requires much work , and can be a harrowing experience -- go expecting a quick entertainment and you'll be bitterly dissapointed . 
it does reward the patient viewer . 
this is a mature spielberg , and his deft hands shape an absoloute masterpiece . 
this eqsuisite , beautiful film is a rare gem . 
it does a good job of summarizing why i love movies . 
it leaves one breathless , uplifted , and with much to think about . 
afterwards you can reflect on individual images , visions , and people . 
laconic , removed , schindler strides through the film a detached prescence who watches all , does much , and leaves feeling as if he could , should , have done more then he did and was able to . 
the change seems natural -- in the hands of a lesser filmmaker , it would be crude and would cheat the audience . 
instead we are told a tale , told a story . 
the film is punishing to watch , yes . 
but anyone who allows themselves to get involved will experience a miracle , and a genuine masterpiece of a movie .
oliver stone's latest feature is the last one standing in the long line of biographies of american presidents . 
it's a three-hour long saga about the life of one of the most hated and misunderstood leaders of the 20th century . 
stone doesn't hold back anything as he digs deep inside politics and legal maneuvers of the white house . 
the director holds nixon responsible for everything he has done . 
at the same time he creates a very human character , a brilliant and tortured man that is caught in the dirty game of politics , which is here pictured as a wild animal . 
he is simply trying to tame it . 
but the occasional switch to the raging sky and the clouds swiftly fleeing over the white house as events run ahead of the president's ability to control them . 
stone doesn't in any way apologize for nixon . 
he blames not only nixon's own character flaws but also the imperial presidency itself , the system that , once set in motion , behaves with a mindlessness of its own . 
 " nixon " is a modern shakespeare story - a saga about a ruler destroyed by his fatal flaws . 
there's something almost majestic about the process : as nixon goes down in this film , there is no gloating , but a watery sigh , as of a great ship sinking . 
sir anthony hopkins is staggering and plays nixon with incredible honesty and understanding , creating a very emotional picture of the 37th american president . 
joan allen's magnificent and captivating performance is certainly worth an oscar statuette . 
she is strong and loyal as mrs . nixon . 
the rest of the cast is equally magnificent , including : james woods , j . t . walsh , paul sorvino , ed harris and bob hoskins . 
everyone does a serious and demanding job , no one are disappointing . 
stone never loses focus and his direction is steddy , honest and determined . 
he is displaying the historical facts and at the same time concentrating at the human element . 
at times he is showing to black and white showing flashbacks from nixon's youth and childhood . 
the flashy editing by brian berdan and frank corwin , robert richardson's rich cinematography and john williams' musical score create a hectic and bizarre atmosphere . 
the film's only fault is that it's a bit tiering and overloaded with too much political material and legal maneuvers . 
still it's an honest and captivating - a solid piece of movie making .
ok , i admit i had a bad attitude about this film from the start . 
a romantic comedy about the trials and tribulations of single working parents ? 
with a couple of incredibly cute kids thrown in for good measure ? 
yuck . 
but it's not really too bad . 
it has a lot working against it , for me at least . 
in addition to the above , it is typical of a lot of recent movies in that it is really just a glorified made-for-tv movie , but longer and with bigger stars , and you have to pay to see it . 
it does win you over , though , even if it is painfully predictable . 
just think about it : two single parents , with their cute kids , are thrown together due to a missed field trip . 
through a day of near disasters , they cont inually meet , get in one another's way , cause trouble for one another , and generally insult one another at every opportunity . 
in fact , they hate each other so much that we know that they are , or soon will be , in love . 
the only people who hate each other more than lovers are married couples . 
so this film is predictable , just as the screwball comedies of the classical hollywood cinema were predictable ( and the screwball genre is obviously hoffman's model for this film ) . 
will they get fired from their yuppie jobs ? 
will they make the big soccer game that is so important to their kids ? 
will pfeiffer realize what a jerk her ex-husband , a drummer for bruce springsteen , really is ( aren't they all ? ) ? 
will they finally kiss ? 
well , what do you expect ? 
but there is a certain amount of satisfaction in having our expectations fulfilled , especially when it is done with as much humour , along with a lack of sticky sentimentality , as it is in this film . 
pfeiffer and clooney have a certain chemistry together that is surprisingly charming , and the kids are neither shoved into the background nor allowed to steal the show . 
one word of caution , though . 
this film is being billed in some places as a " family " movie . 
don't let that stop you . 
however , i think most kids , especially boys , would be pretty bored by this move . 
after all , nobody gets killed and there are no explosions . 
all in all , a good , non-offensive date movie . 
the flying inkpot rating system : * wait for the tv2 broadcast . 
 * * a little creaky , but still better than staying at home with gotcha ! 
 * * * pretty good , bring a friend . 
 * * * * amazing , potent stuff . 
 * * * * * perfection . 
see it twice .
i know it already opened in december , but i finally got around to seeing rushmore last weekend , and it was one of those rare oppritunites that i got to leave the theatre feeling proud about paying the expensive ticket price . 
as the final scene closed out in happy slow-mo fashion , i felt happy to have been priveleged enough to watch such a good display of filmmaking . 
jason schwartzman , his face oddly intriguing behind those large braces and glasses , steals the show as max fischer , the most well known rushmore academy student who gets terrible grades , but compensates for it by organizing most of the school's clubs and organizations ( i . e . 
the fencing team and writing and producing school plays ) and often pulling outrageous stunts , one that eventually earns him an expulsion . 
this stunt , building an aquarium on the school's baseball diamond , is a plot to steal the heart of widowed elementary teacher rosemary cross ( olivia williams ) . 
he funds this aquarium with the help of millionare herman blume ( a very oscarworthy bill murray ) , who eventually finds himself falling in love with miss cross . 
rosemary and herman begin dating-and the fun begins ; herman and max go at it head to head in a battle for miss cross . 
herman manages to destroy max's bike , while max cuts herman's brakes , and it goes on like this . 
but eventually max realizes he is too young for miss cross , and he can't stand in the way of two people in love . 
the academy of arts & sciences really messed up this year ; they completely overlooked rushmore ( and , if you ask me , it wasn't an accident ) . 
it maybe wasn't best picture material , but it certainly deserved a screenplay nod ( instead of elizabeth ) , and bill murray's absense from the ballot is a complete snub . 
the entire mood of the film is one reason it is so good ; at one point it's fun , and the next scene can turn serious and dramatic . 
the cinematography gives the movie an important feeling , as well . 
i hope rushmore can overcome its' oscar snubs , and be enjoyed by intelligent film goers .
there was a huge crowd - so many over 100 people could not be admitted - at a premiere screening of " the nephew " ( first screening with a major general audience admittance ) . 
this was a movie premiere at the santa barbara international film festival . 
pierce brosnan ( 007 ) , produced his first movie with beau st . clair . 
it was a constantly mind-moving and personal movie with lovely scenes of ireland . 
chad ( hill harper , beloved ) is a cute 17 year old mixed race ( african american and irish ) nephew , who's irish mother died . 
he comes " back to ireland " , living with the curmudgeon uncle , tony egan ( donal mccann ) . 
he meets pierce brosnan's character , mr . o'brady ( or just brady ) , because he falls in love with the beautiful daughter . 
there are many scenes ( ah , character scenes ) to laugh at , others pull some tears . 
the three mentioned above were at the premiere in the flesh , with the director eugene brady . 
after the movie they took questions . 
the movie was very good , it not fantastic . 
the nephew has not been " picked up " in north america but has been in the rest of the world . 
the nephew is generation secrecy of a " titanic " proportion . 
let's hope the rest of america will be able to see the nephew . 
contact given in the program guide : " print source : irish dream source , inc . , tel : ( 310 ) 449-3411 "
melvin udall is a heartless man . 
he spends his days inside of his spacious manhattan apartment writing romance novels . 
it also seems that melvin will never change . 
one day he dines ar his favorite restaurant , and is a little too mean to his normal waitress ( the only waittress that will serve him ) , carol ( played to perfection by a lovely and sexy helen hunt . ) 
she threatens not to serve him if he doesn't shut up about her asthmatic son . he does shut up . 
to make matters considerably worse , melvin has obsessive compulsive disorder . 
one day his gay artist neighbor simon ( greg kinear , of talk soup fame , in an oscar-worthy role ) 's dog threatens to dismiss himself at melvon's door . 
the dog meets the garbage chute . 
soon simon is sadly beaten by thieveing burglars , and ray ( cuba gooding , jr . ) , simon's agent , takes the dog , verdell , to melvin , so that melvin can dogsit him . 
and through the dog and a rather heartwrenching car trip that involves simon , carol , and himself , melvin learns to emerge from his cantakerous shell . 
jack nicholson gives yet another oscar-caliber performance as the film's cynical lead , and is back at work , not playing a goofy u . s . president or a comic book villian , but instead playing jack nicjolson , and playing him full force . 
all of this adds up to this year's funniest comedy , a creative , witty , and scathing film from james l . brooks , and brooks gets award-worthy performances from the entire cast . 
a winner in every aspect , and a truly delicious slice of cyncial life .
the first thing you notice about this movie is that it's cold . 
placed in minnesota and north dakota during the winter , many of the scenes take place outside with long scenes of snow-covered ground against a background of white . 
just what we need as bloomington struggles out of the endless long cold night . 
as with most coen brothers films , this features outlandish characters in nefarious schemes , each of which works out in the oddest way possible . 
a car salesman hires a couple of hoods to kidnap his wife so that he can collect the ransom from her father . 
along the way everything that can possibly go wrong does . 
in brief scenes of vicious violence , people get shot through the head , in the back , face , chest and various other areas of the anatomy . 
there is also one of the most unpleasant body disposal scenes yet seen on the screen . 
remarkably enough , most of the movie is played for laughs . 
even more remarkably , it works . 
the only likable person in the film is the very pregnant sheriff ( frances mcdormand ) who hunts down the killers while eating at every possible opportunity . 
with every good film the audience gains new knowledge . 
here you learn _two_ things . 
everyone in minnesota speaks in an annoying whining accent that would drive you crazy . 
and don't do violent illegal business with low-life amoral degenerate scum-sucking losers . 
oh yeah , if you get shot in the face , using a brightly decorated napkin to stop the bleeding just makes you look goofy .
defending your life is an imaginative vision of the afterlife from the twisted mind of writer-director albert brooks , who also stars in the comedy . 
after dying in a car crash , on his birthday of all days , brooks wakes up in judgement city , a satirical rendition of purgatory where higher beings evaluate the lives of newly deceased earthlings . 
brooks has five days to convince two judges that he's worthy of passing on to higher plains of existence . 
enter rip torn as the slick lawyer who defends brooks in court against prosecutor lee grant . 
during his " trial , " brooks must view episodes of his life on a movie screen , and these scenes are both hysterically funny and painfully poignant . 
it's impossible to resist chuckling ( and cringing ) at brooks as he and torn try to explain away his cowardly behavior on earth . 
torn , in particular , is in vintage comic form , and he walks away with the picture . 
the movie also features meryl streep , appealing as the love-interest , and shirley maclaine , who pops up in a hilarious cameo . 
while the film is uneven , many of its gags are price less . 
take , for example , the food in judgement city : it's always the most delicious you've ever tasted . . . 
and it's also calorie-free--so chow down !
the happy bastard's 30-second review : 
american pie 
the summer of raunch continues to spread into theatres with this latest yuk fest , filled with sick jokes and teen dialogue aplenty . 
if you go expecting dawson's creek , you're in for a problem . 
if your expectations are lower ( and better , i might add ) , you will enjoy the hell out of american pie . 
the movie casts several unknowns , with the only real recognizable one being sctv's own eugene levy as a happy-go-lucky dad . 
the story revolves around four high school seniors who have one goal before the school year gets out- get laid . 
that's pretty much it . 
throughout the movie , little sick comic bits are sprinkled throughout , including a memorable scene involving an apple pie ( i won't give it away , but you probably know what it is ) and an internet broadcast gone horribly awry . 
of course , the movie has some slightly sentimental bits , but they don't drag the movie's humor content down that bad . 
most of the actors get their job done , but it's levy who's a hoot , a father who tries to talk sex with his son with the help of some curious " visual aids " . 
i couldn't stop laughing during this movie , and if you can stand all the raunch and the sex references , then american pie is for you . 
if you're one of those " conservative " types , well , i'll bet you're having fun at home while this , south park , and austin powers ii plays in theatres , now aren't you ?
my fellow americans is a movie that at first glance looks to have little substance ( or a movie that we've all seen a million times ) , two lifetime rivals thrown together and then the fun begins . 
this is exactly what happened in this movie , but fortunately , they managed to do it in an interesting and funny way . 
the movie starts with a quick ( and i do mean quick ) glance of two presidents russell kramer ( jack lemmon ) and matt douglas ( james garner ) . 
william haney ( dan aykroyd ) and ted matthews ( john heard ) are the new president and vice president . 
there is a scandal that arises involving a kickback from a contractor and haney is positive that he buried that years ago . 
he finds a scapegoat in kramer and now everyone wants kramer and douglas dead . 
this movie was exceptional for many reasons . 
one being that they found people ( lemmon and garner ) that have good chemisty together . 
they worked very well as a unit and they mirrored each other perfectly , one being a ladies man and one being the old man ( i'll let you fiqure which is which ) . 
also , they found people that know their parts as govenment officials well . 
it seemed to me that garner played almost exactly the same role that he played in the distinquished gentleman ( except then he was a congressman ) . 
experience counts for a lot ! !
in , " the muse " albert brooks plays steven phillips , a hollywood screenwriter who after winning a humanitarian award for his work is dumped by his studio . 
they claim that he's lost his edge and his agent is quick to agree with them . 
he knows that he needs to write something fresh and original and quick or else his career will be over . 
so he turns to his " best " friend , jack ( jeff bridges ) another screenwriter who's enjoyed success after success . 
on the way over to jack's house steven sees jack helping an attractive woman ( sharon stone ) into a cab and begins to think : is he having an affair ? 
when confronted , jack relunctently tells him that this mystery woman is , in fact , a muse , a mythological figure who is believed to have inspired all creativity , and has helped him garner his success . 
 " she doesn't do any actual writing , " he is told , " but inspires you . " 
steven is excited by what he's hearing and asks jack to call her up to see if she'll take steven on as a new client . 
jack arranges a meeting between the two and suggests that steven bring her a present , preferably something from tiffany's . 
after the meeting the muse , sarah decides to take on steven , but at a price : she wants a suite at the four seasons and wants steven to perform odd tasks for her ( like bringing her salads in the middle of the night . ) 
steven's wife ( andy macdowell ) sees him at a food store and questions him about why he has tampons in his wagon . 
steven confesses everything and , although at first suspicious , she later allows sarah to move into their guest room and eventually into their life . 
the only question for steven is if the muse is worth all the trouble he's going through for her . 
and that's a question only time will tell . 
 " the muse " is albert brooks' sixth film as writer/director/actor ( he co-wrote with monica johnson ) and although it's a good movie it's not up to the level of his best works ( " defending your life " and " mother " ) . 
the problem lies in the script , and for a movie that relies on its dialogue for its humor , there aren't nearly as many laughs as they are chuckles despite a few good one-liners . 
it has a great premise but doesn't deliver up to it's full potential . 
but , i like albert brooks in this film and i think that we can all identify with steven phillips a little bit . 
he may whine and complain , but he just wants to support his family and be happy . 
and i like sharon stone in this movie too ; it's a nice change of pace for her . 
and i also enjoyed the cameos featuring the likes of rob reiner , james cameron and martin scorsese . 
and although " the muse " doesn't have as much to say about hollywood as robert altman's " the player " i still left the theater feeling good . 
and that's something i wish i got out of more movies .
plot : good ol' texan kid suddenly gets to play first-string quarterback on his high school team's football team , in a town where football is considered religion . 
the coach is just about the biggest a-hole you'd ever want to meet , who will do practically anything to win . 
the good ol' texan boy does not approve of said man's methods . 
critique : a fun football movie . 
this film was obviously geared towards the teen market , with mtv behind its production , a big tv star actor in the lead role , rockin' hip music galore , and plenty of t&a . 
having said that , i enjoyed the look and feel of the movie , thought james van der beek gave a solid performance , loved the slick sounds , and yup , loved that t&a ! 
i actually thought this was a comedy going in , but overall , it plays more towards the dramatic , than a comedy . 
i also enjoyed jon voight's performance as the stubborn dick coach , as well as many of the other character players on the team . 
this is not a classic film by any stretch of the imagination , but it might teach some kids the hard lessons behind the " fun " game of football , or just allow them to have a good time for about an hour and forty-five minutes in the movie theatre ( or in the comfort of their own home , depending on where you watch this stuff . ) 
all in all , i would definitely watch this movie if you like football , play football or want your kid to succeed in high school football . 
you could also watch it if you like teen flicks with a lot of cute guys and girls running around doing their stuff . 
and did i mention the t&a ? 
 : ) 
little known facts about this film and its stars : james van der beek actually started acting after a concussion stopped him from playing football in real life . 
he is the oldest of three children , and his father is a cellular phone salesman while his mom runs a gymnastics studio . 
he's born in connecticut and received $200 , 000 for his role in this film . 
actor scott caan , who plays football player " tweeder " in this film , is the son of famed actor james caan in real life . 
that's right , he's sonny's son ! 
actress amy smart , who plays van der beek's girlfriend in this movie , also played the main star's girl in the 1999 film outside providence ( 6 . 5/10 ) . 
screenwriter w . peter iliff also had a part in writing the screenplays for the 1992 harrison ford film , patriot games , and the keanu reeves surfing flick , point break . 
director brian robbins might be best remembered as the " cool dude " from the tv series " head of the class " . 
his name was eric mandrian and he generally wore a long , black trench coat on the show . 
the book mox ( james van der beek ) is reading on the sidelines in this movie , hidden inside the team's playbook , is " slaughterhouse-five " by kurt vonnegut , jr . the high school fight song played at the pep rally is the texas a&m war hymn .