Reviews

Shane Carruth, almost a one-man show behind the camera (including writing, directing, and composing), came up with this provocative head trip of a film. An obviously VERY low budget but intriguing indie, it shows what happens as Aaron (Carruth) and Abe (David Sullivan), a pair of young engineers, spend their free time inventing a device originally intended to reduce mass. They find that it is capable of so much more - leading to far-reaching consequences.

The kind of story that requires you to pay attention, and watch again (if you're so inclined) to pick up on what you might have missed, "Primer" is a small-scale sci-fi film made with conviction and intelligence. Carruth made every dime of his approximately $7,000 budget count, and ultimately ended up with about 80 minutes of usable footage. (The films' run time is just over 77 minutes.). "Primer" will definitely NOT be for people who crave action set pieces & spectacle; they are likely to simply find this boring. But people who prefer their genre films to be about *ideas* should be reasonably impressed. Without my revealing too much, the story has our two main characters endlessly caught up in attempts to rethink their plan of action.

Much like Robert Rodriguez' "El Mariachi" of a dozen years previous, this proves that mega-budgets are absolutely not necessary to create something truly interesting.

Seven out of 10.

Real-life kickboxing champion Curtis Bush plays an aspiring fighter named Alex Hunter, whose police detective father (George James) and fiancee are brutally murdered by thugs right in front of him, thugs who represent a crime kingpin named Hawthorne (Tom Story). Alex is tortured and left for dead, then restored to health by a disabled Vietnam vet (Rodney Suiter) in order that he may get revenge someday.

A labor of love for Bush that was several years in the making, this is obviously pretty tacky and incredibly low-budget from beginning to end, but it never stops being very amusing. Like many movies of its kind, it's the very cheesiness of the picture that makes it so damn fun. It's impossible to take seriously, with a routine plot, inane characters, and amateurish acting. That said, Story is hilariously reminiscent of Mr. Burns in both appearance and voice, and Suiter is an utter hoot. The music is silly & repetitive, and everything about the film looks cheap, but the fights *are* reasonably well done. Kim Reynolds, playing investigative reporter Cassie, does provide a bit of nudity. Alex, who takes on the persona of a masked vigilante dubbed The Dark Angel, doles out a LOT of savage punishment to various expendable goons and lowlifes. Those two radio personalities (who apparently are just playing themselves) are annoying in the extreme.

Whatever its flaws, however, the film does have a certain earnestness about it that makes it endearing, if not "quality" stuff.

Five out of 10.

In this wintertime episode, the temperature inside the precinct is even *colder* than the temperature outside. While the detectives wait for engineering to do something about this, a self-loathing flasher (Ron Feinberg, "A Boy and His Dog") is brought in, only for the guy to attempt suicide in the john. And Wojo agrees to babysit the payroll for Siegels' department store, and a problem arises when some of the money goes missing. Barney himself is considered for a promotion, although he tries not to make a big deal out of it.

While not as out-and-out funny as the previous episode, 'Snow Job' does have some good laughs. What's impressive is how breathlessly the cast delivers their one-liners and witticisms. Detective Yemana answers a phone call with "Nanook speaking", for one thing. Jack Soo has another great deadpan moment when he quips "Sorry." to a coroner (who had been put on hold). One of my favorite moments had a young stick-up artist (Jeffrey Kramer, Deputy Hendricks in the first two "Jaws" movies) boggle at the cash spread out on one of the desks, and by reflex, tries to stick everybody up, despite being behind bars and not having a gun!

Towards the end, there is another good twist when the temperature in the precinct goes way UP, and now the detectives are sweltering!

Seven out of 10.

It's cheap and cheesy genre time again, folks, with this giddy, goofy spaghetti sci-fi flick from the prolific Antonio Margheriti, who left his mark in various genres over the decades. The legendary Claude Rains stars as Professor Benson, who has plenty to say about the arrival of "The Outsider", the name he has given to a wandering planetoid that could come perilously close to Earth. The heroes must do battle with alien "discs" before finally exploring the bowels of this Outsider - which the military is poised to destroy.

Although it is certainly tacky in some key ways (like the typically *hilarious* dubbed-in vocal performances), "Battle of the Worlds" is on par with other, later Italian sci-fi features, such as Margheriti's own "Gamma One" series. If nothing else, the filmmakers show that they can create some interesting visuals when our heroes have set foot on The Outsider. Margheriti may indeed be no Mario Bava (whose "Planet of the Vampires" is a high water mark for this niche genre), but damn if he doesn't manage to give it some fun atmosphere. As "B" level filmmakers go, Margheriti has to rank up there as one of the greats.

Still, the main reason to watch is Rains. If you're a fan of the actor, he gives this 100%. While some people may be grateful that it wasn't his absolute final film work, his presence automatically gives this genuine gravitas. He starts out as snarky and derisive, puttering around in his greenhouse with a pet dog, and gets more sincere as the story plays out until he's like a wide-eyed kid in a candy store.

Yes, for some of us this may only have appeal as a "so bad it's good" type of affair, but I'll gladly admit to having a real soft spot for stuff like this, considering that it was usually made with the best of intentions.

Five out of 10.

Glenn Ford ("The Big Heat") stars as Jim Killian, a reformed gunslinger who comes to a small town in the hopes of becoming a preacher. He finds that there are tremendous tensions between the ranchers, some of them cattle men and some of them sheep-herders. Jim aims to show them that they CAN all get along, just as their herds can. However, things get out of control anyway, thanks to terminally stubborn cattle rancher Asa Beck (John Anderson, "Psycho") and his trouble-making son "Coke" (David Carradine, "Kill Bill"). The wannabe holy man must make a choice between being the peaceful man of God and using his gun again.

While it is true that some of the characters could have used more fleshing out (Carolyn "Morticia Addams" Jones in particular is under-utilized as a saloon / brothel owner and former flame of Jims'), "Heaven with a Gun" is a thoroughly decent Western with an entertaining (if undeniably absurd at times) story. Ford doesn't have to stretch himself here, but the actors playing the villains are clearly enjoying themselves, and that includes J. D. Cannon ('McCloud') as a slimy hired gun who relishes relating Jims' sordid back story to the townspeople.

Director Lee H. Katzin ("Le Mans", "World Gone Wild") is no master stylist, but is certainly capable enough. What IS surprising is how nasty & gory this gets at times; as well, the lovely Barbara Hershey ("The Entity") and Angelique Pettyjohn ("The Lost Empire") provide some welcome nudity. There is also, however, an ugly scene with Carradine & Hershey (who, as buffs well know, were a real-life item for a while).

"Heaven with a Gun" is likewise worth watching for an eclectic supporting cast consisting of Noah Beery Jr. ('The Rockford Files'), Harry Townes ("Fitzwilly"), William Bryant ("McQ"), Virginia Gregg ("Operation Petticoat"), James Griffith ("The Amazing Transparent Man"), Roger Perry (the "Count Yorga" films), Ed Bakey ("Dead & Buried"), and Barbara Babcock ("The Black Marble").

Although some of those aforementioned elements will displease lovers of classic Westerns, they may well intrigue viewers with different sensibilities.

Seven out of 10.

"New Jersey Drive" is set in Newark, NJ, the unofficial "car theft capital of the world", where two young black friends, Jason and "Midget" remain unambitious and don't think of much in life other than stealing vehicles and going on joyrides. This, of course, sets them against the cops, who launch a VERY aggressive offensive; one particular white cop, Roscoe, is a thuggish racist who proves especially troublesome.

"New Jersey Drive" is a potent crime drama and slice of urban life, as directed by Nick Gomez, who does a fine job of following up his breakthrough film, "Laws of Gravity". It benefits from the natural performances of the stars; Shar-Ron Corley ("The Substitute"), who plays Jason, and Gabriel Casseus ("Black Hawk Dawn"), who plays Midget, have a good chemistry. Tensions arise between the main characters when Jason is showing signs of wanting to grow up and leave this life behind, and Midget just won't let it go. Saul Stein ("Open Water"), who plays Roscoe, is a worthy adversary, and Gwen McGee ("Coach Carter") is effective playing Jasons' concerned mother.

Executive produced by Spike Lee, and distributed by his "40 Acres and a Mule" company, this independent production feels a lot more authentic than what you would likely get from a typical Hollywood picture. It's well-paced, convincing, and easy to watch throughout, with great moments both comedic and serious. Obviously it's not as well known as other films of this kind, so see it whenever you can.

Eight out of 10.

The first project for Warner Bros. For "Master of Disaster" Irwin Allen, this TV movie stars Martin Milner ('Adam-12') as Paul Burke, who just KNOWS that leaks in the local dam mean BIG trouble. Their local lake is already overflowing with rain water. Naturally, when town mayor John Cutler (Richard Basehart, "Moby Dick") keeps mum about engineering problems with the dam, it ends up bursting and flooding their whole town. Burke has no time to say "I told you so" what with all the chaos that erupts.

There isn't much room here for large-scale death & destruction given that Allen probably didn't have a big budget for special effects. The story itself, written by Don Ingalls ('Honey West', 'Fantasy Island') is as routine as you can expect, and awash in cliches: too many of the characters remain Stubborn Dummies (with Cutler being the worst offender; he's a profit-minded politician who thinks that Burke is just being an alarmist) until everything happens that Burke said would happen. Still, there are people like hard-working Sam Adams (Cameron Mitchell, 'The High Chaparral') who never give up trying to solve the problem.

Directed in strictly workmanlike fashion by Earl Bellamy ("Part 2: Walking Tall"), 'Flood' is nevertheless reasonably entertaining, although it does naturally get more involving once the disaster is underway.

The cast of familiar faces gives it all the gravitas that they can muster: Robert Culp ('I Spy'), Barbara Hershey ("Black Swan"), Teresa Wright ("Shadow of a Doubt"), Francine York ("The Doll Squad"), Whit Bissell ("Creature from the Black Lagoon"), Leif Garrett ("The Outsiders"), Ann Doran ("Rebel without a Cause"), James Griffith ("The Killing"), and Gloria Stuart ("Titanic" '97). Also among the guest stars are Carol Lynley and Roddy McDowall (Roddy is given practically nothing to do), from Allens' "The Poseidon Adventure".

'Flood' is far from the best or the worst of its kind; at its best it's basically a decent example of this genre. But it should entertain you if you dig disaster flicks.

Five out of 10.

The Bedford is a Naval ship on security detail in the Arctic that plays a *relentless* game of tag with a Russian submarine that's sailed into the territorial waters of Greenland. Richard Widmark plays the ships' captain, who becomes absolutely obsessed with forcing the sub to surface - even if it means going against orders, and even once the sub reaches international waters. Sidney Poitier plays Ben Munceford, a photojournalist / civilian observer on board to document a typical mission for the ship.

If you haven't seen this Cold War thriller before, do it as soon as possible! This is a superb, expertly crafted film with lots of genuine tension, and it also functions as a keen psychological study. Here, we get a memorable example of how people can get pushed right to the brink. Many of the men aboard go about their duties as efficiently as possible, but some begin to crack under the strain. One is a sonar man played by Wally Cox, another is an ensign played by James MacArthur who gets so much grief from Widmark that it's no wonder things end up the way they do.

Full of intelligent dialogue (this was scripted by James Poe, from a novel by Mark Rascovich), "The Bedford Incident" features some riveting scenes with Widmark and Poitier, and Widmark and Martin Balsam, who plays a newly assigned doctor whose presence Widmark does NOT appreciate.

The acting is superb all the way down the line. Eric Portman plays a former U-boat commander who's now working as a NATO observer; other supporting players include Michael Kane, Gary Cockrell, Shane Rimmer, Brian Davies, Ed Bishop, Paul Carson, Phil Brown, and a young Donald Sutherland, in one of his earlier feature film appearances.

This was a very fine outing for James B. Harris, who'd produced films such as "Paths of Glory" and "The Killing" for Stanley Kubrick, but remains rather under-valued as a filmmaker himself; his other directorial efforts are "Some Call It Loving", "Fast-Walking", "Cop", and "Boiling Point".

This builds and builds to a real corker of an ending, one that's not easily forgotten.

Eight out of 10.

Peter Horton of 'thirtysomething' and Linda Hamilton of the "Terminator" series star as Burt & Vicky, amiable couple traveling the back roads of rural America. They are waylaid by the murdering children of a tiny Nebraska town called Gatlin, children who began praying to a mysterious entity dubbed He Who Walks Behind the Rows, and slaughtered all the adults three years ago because they believe that that's what He commanded.

The beginning of a surprisingly lucrative film series, spawning several sequels and more than one remake, "Children of the Corn" is a comedown from earlier Stephen King adaptations (this is based on one of his short stories). Overall, it's cheesy and utterly laughable, and hardly scary. But it's the very tackiness and absurdity of the film that makes it so damn hilarious and FUN. You sure can't take it seriously.

Hamilton is endearing, while Horton is required to be your typical Stubborn Dummy who won't get out of town while the getting is good. Old pro R. G. Armstrong ("Predator") is typically solid in a brief bit as the aged proprietor of a run-down service station. Standing out, in their film debuts, are the young men playing the antagonists: John Franklin ("The Addams Family"), a 24 year old playing a 12 year old, who's priceless and creepy as Isaac, the boy preacher ordering these kids around, and Courtney Gains ("The 'Burbs") as his thuggish henchman Malachai. John Philbin ("The Return of the Living Dead") also makes an appearance, as a 19 year old all too willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Robby Kiger ("The Monster Squad") and Anne Marie McEvoy ('Invitation to Hell') are appealing as basically the only two GOOD kids in town.

The film never does top its opening set piece, the bloody murder of the adults in Gatlin, but it does provide plenty of laughs, so that's at least good for something. Overall, it's a waste of excellent art direction, by Craig Stearns, and haunting music, by Jonathan Elias (not to mention a message about the danger of blindly following a leader).

Worth watching if you are a Stephen King completist, or just want to have a bunch of chuckles for 93 minutes.

Five out of 10.

Kirk, Spock, and Bones beam down to a planet because it is quite possible that the survivors of a space catastrophe have ended up there. They find that the society of this planet is modeled after ancient Rome - complete with gladiators and slaves - except that it's been given a 20th century twist. (These people are fond of television.) Our trio of heroes are going to end up participating in the "games" before there is any chance of escape.

By this point, it was clear that the series was in something of a rut, with too many stories set in representations of moments in Earth history, and too many stories in which the Prime Directive is broken. A former associate of Kirks' is involved, a man named Merik (William Smithers, "Papillon"), but he's not the true villain; rather he's a weak character dominated by a man named Claudius (Logan Ramsey, "Walking Tall"), who comes to respect Kirk but who is still determined to see him die for his defiance.

I do understand Roddenberry's following of a formula, as it allowed him to examine various social & political facets of our own history through the funnel of a science-fiction series. It just comes as disappointing if one is hoping for more tales of a cosmic nature. Certainly the tales are provocative, however, and do get us talking about them afterwards.

There are pleasures to be had, of course: the ongoing arguments between Spock & Bones (including a dramatic moment where Bones believes he's gotten to the heart of Spocks' character), the sight of Spock & Bones carrying swords & shields, Kirk romancing yet another woman (gorgeous blonde Lois Jewell), and appearances by two other top character actors: Ian Wolfe ("Witness for the Prosecution") and Rhodes Reason ('White Hunter').

Even though these kinds of episodes do tend to get repetitive, they're always "interesting" in the way that they hold a mirror up to our own lives - if not "fascinating".

Seven out of 10.

With his first decisive step away from the ultra-gory and outrageous films with which he'd made his name, Peter Jackson gave us this disturbing, distressing and compelling character study of two unbalanced characters.

Inspired by a true story that took place in New Zealand in the mid-50s, it shows us how bright, imaginative teenagers Juliet (Kate Winslet) and Pauline / "Paul" (Melanie Lynskey) meet and embark on a friendship. Together they create an elaborate fantasy world, exclusive to the two of them, but their friendship proves to be so intense that it causes their parents much worry. This all culminates in an act of murder that was pretty shocking back in its day.

Kudos to Jackson for his excellent visual treatment of the story, with the fantasy sequences containing some creative prosthetics and visual effects. But the style enhances the content rather than overwhelming it, making this a journey worth taking.

Sarah Peirse, Diana Kent, Clive Merrison, and Simon O'Connor are very good as the concerned parents, with Peirse getting the meatiest moments as Paulines' strict mother. But it's Winslet & Lynskey who are truly something to see, giving award-caliber performances as the deeply connected duo at the core of the story.

"Haunting" is indeed an apt word to use to describe "Heavenly Creatures", one of the most memorable depictions of a twisted friendship that I've ever seen.

In real life, Juliet was eventually outed as the real person behind the fictional mystery novel author "Anne Perry", which is certainly one very interesting postscript.

Eight out of 10.

This sequel to the 1998 slasher "Urban Legend" is set in a prestigious film school, where students determinedly vie for the coveted Alfred Hitchcock Award, which practically guarantees them an entry into Hollywood. Could one of these people be insane enough to actually murder for the sake of this award? Young wannabe filmmaker Amy Mayfield (Jennifer Morrison, 'House M. D.'), daughter of a deceased, acclaimed documentarian, finds out that this is indeed the case.

Despite Morrisons' appeal, and sincerity in her performance, and the encore appearance of Loretta Devine, reprising her security guard character, this is all VERY routine and VERY uninspired. The script is bad, the acting nothing special, and the characters pretty inane. These writers even toss in one of the lamest, most over-used twists in the genre, which you'll know when you see it. Hell, this sequel can't even boast creative death scenes, and it doesn't really have much to do with the whole "urban legend" premise.

The cast of familiar faces also includes Matthew Davis ("Legally Blonde"), Hart Bochner ("Die Hard"), Joey Lawrence ("Pulse"), Anson Mount ('Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'), Eva Mendes ("The Other Guys"), Jessica Cauffiel ("Valentine"), Anthony Anderson ("The Departed"), Michael Bacall ("Inglourious Basterds"), Marco Hofschneider ("The Island of Dr. Moreau"), and Jacinda Barrett ("Ladder 49"). But nobody here can really make this something worth watching. Even diehard horror fans may be underwhelmed.

The first film was no classic of the horror genre, but it was an above average entry into the flood of youth-oriented horror flicks post-"Scream". It at least offered more fun in the use of the urban legend gimmick, more style, and more atmosphere.

This marked the feature debut for John Ottman as a director; usually he is a film composer (for pictures such as "The Usual Suspects" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"), and this wasn't exactly an auspicious change of pace.

Followed by "Urban Legends: Bloody Mary".

Five out of 10.

Written & directed by George Tillman, Jr., "Soul Food" is a heartfelt drama about a tight-knit black family that threatens to get torn completely apart after the rock-solid matriarch Mother Joe (Irma P. Hall) slips into a coma. Her daughters (Vanessa L. Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long) start fighting with each other; the busy plot also encompasses such relatable topics as infidelity, the search for employment and a mans' pride, and the need for self-fulfillment (Miles (Michael Beach) is about to leave his well-paying job as a lawyer for a career in music). As things start to get their worst, Joes' grandson Ahmad (Brandon Hammond) does his best to keep this family together.

Tillmans' film really does make a very strong case for the NEED for family. It's true that family members can drive each other crazy with the problems between them, but deep down, they do love & need each other. In fact, Ahmad points out that this family's traditional Sunday dinners are a time for sharing sorrows as well as joys, like their ancestors before them; cooking became an all-important element in their lives.

A first-rate acting ensemble (also including Mekhi Phifer, Jeffrey D. Sams, and Gina Ravera) brings life to these sometimes flawed but still interesting, compelling, and believable characters. Hall is wonderful in her time on screen, but young Hammond is truly something special as the young man despairing over the friction among his kin; he also does an engaging job of narrating the story.

The presence of sex & profanity might not make this ideal to watch for your youngest family members, but overall this is a potent picture that may make a viewer appreciate their own kin more.

The music score is by Wendy Melvoin & Lisa Coleman; music industry notable Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds is executive producer and composer of a number of the songs; he also appears on screen briefly.

Followed by a cable TV series three years later.

Eight out of 10.

Story author / producer / director Peter Bogdanovich kept the spirit of 1930s "screwball" comedies - "Bringing Up Baby" in particular - with this riotous farce set in San Francisco. Ryan O'Neal plays Howard Bannister, an uptight, nerdy musicologist in town to apply for a grant, and he gets mixed up in an elaborate plot involving four identical plaid overnight bags - one containing his collection of igneous rocks, one containing valuable jewels belonging to Mrs. Van Hoskins (Mabel Albertson), one containing secret government documents, and one containing the wardrobe of carefree Judy Maxwell (Barbra Streisand), a kooky character who keeps involving herself in Howards' life and causing all sorts of chaos.

The ingenious, cleverly convoluted screenplay is the work of Buck Henry, David Newman, and Robert Benton. It's the kind of story where credibility is gleefully tossed right out the window (nobody ever bothers to check the contents when they first acquire one of the bags). It's all a set-up for some absolutely hilarious gags, and while it would behoove me not to spoil them all, this plot *does* involve one memorable set piece, a masterfully orchestrated vehicle chase through SF locales.

O'Neal is actually very good here, while Streisand is a delight playing her attention-getting, scene-stealing character. They receive *excellent* support from Madeline Kahn (in her film debut), Kenneth Mars, Austin Pendleton, Michael Murphy, Sorrell Booke, Stefan Gierasch, Liam Dunn, John Hillerman, George Morfogen, Graham Jarvis, Randy Quaid, and M. Emmet Walsh.

This is top entertainment with high energy and an impressive amount of genuine belly laughs; it's appropriate that it takes its title from Bugs Bunny's catch phrase, since it has a zany comic sensibility to also match any Looney Tunes short.

Highly recommended.

Eight out of 10.