thefuzzydan

I was four or five when this series originally aired and I was super excited to watch whenever I could catch it (which was difficult considering how sporadic its schedule was). But, even back then I could see how lackluster the effects were. That, combined with the lack of comic book super villains, makes it all that more of a disappointment to watch as an adult. Even with the obvious low budget they were dealing with, it just feels so pedestrian when Spider-Man is constantly fighting street level bad guys in office building apartments. Spider-Man versus the evil coin dealer is considerably less thrilling than fighting the Green Goblin. The only thing that still holds up is the cast, especially Nicholas Hammond's portrayal as Peter Parker, which is so earnest. He truly embodies the character even though they took away a major part of his motivation to become a superhero in the first place (the murder of Uncle Ben that he could have prevented). For that reason alone, I would at least recommend one viewing. It will be up to the viewer to decide whether or not that this is a interesting look back at the times when superhero television did not have millions of dollars for effects or if it is something that is so awful they want to wipe it from their memory.

This movie is easily one of Columbo's best. With an amazing performance by Janet Leigh (Psycho) as a faded silver screen star desperate enough to kill to return to the spotlight, this story is one of the most emotional and heart wrenching of Columbo's cases. A must watch.

Friday the 13th, the movie that spawned a franchise that was the bane of Roger Ebert, is exactly what it set out to be: a visual rollercoaster of jump scares and suspense. Unfortunately, it is nothing more than that.

The trope of teenage characters with, well, no character development serving as slasher fodder for the psycho killer may not have started with this film, but it sure as heck perfected it. The dialogue has no bearing on story or the characters themselves. The only character with any depth to them at all is the killer (and even that would be removed in all the films following this one). The problem with this is that the killer is never introduced or even hinted at until the reveal toward the end.

The impact of Friday the 13th on cinema horror is undeniable and this film does have thrills that even jaded viewers in the 2000's can enjoy, but that just doesn't make this movie any better than the series of gruesome murders the filmmakers set out to create.

It has become more and more a trend in Hollywood's idea of romantic comedies to show all the reasons why a couple should not be together and then show a "love conquers all" ending. This not only is juvenile, but is ultimately frustrating and License to Wed bases its entire premise on proving why the two main characters, though happy and in love in the beginning, shouldn't spend the rest of their lives together only to dump a sap-happy ending on us.

Yes, romantic comedies are not reality. They never have been. But License to Wed goes the extra step of painting the two main characters as so self-centered that the ending of them miraculously wanting to live their life for the other person feels unforgivably phony. In particular, Mandy Moore's character is criminally written as a woman who listens to everyone else's opinions except the person she plans to spend the rest of her life with. It actually makes John Krasinski's character sympathetic to the point that a viewer may actually hope he finds someone else at the end of the movie.

Anyone who has ever been in a meaningful relationship will just find themselves angry by the end of this movie. Skip it.

This film is an adaptation of the novel Red Dragon, the first book in Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lecter series. While the change in the title was requested by the studio that produced the movie, it is completely appropriate because while the story remains faithful to the source material (the ending is the only major change), this is absolutely a Michael Mann film. The look and soundtrack of the movie is far more Miami Vice than Silence of the Lambs and the film is all the more interesting for it. The later film adaptation Red Dragon, starring Anthony Hopkins in an enhanced capacity as Lecter than seen in the novel, is a pale comparison to Mann's engrossing take. Brian Cox's performance as "Lecktor" (as the film calls him) is a slimy, devilish trickster and does more with the role in the limited screen time he has than Hopkins is able to bring in the later film. Definitely worth watching.

Anyone watching this "movie" expecting a layered comedy in the vein of the Clue theatrical film is going to be sorely disappointed. Admittedly, the no-budget, community theater ambiance to the sets and cast does have a charm to it and the actors chew the scenery in an entertaining way but this was produced as a cheap game first and a watchable movie second.

I saw The Mangler in theaters when it was first released and I was rather surprised by its rich cinematography and production design. The movie lives within its own reality where every place looks like a sound stage and characters wear trenchcoats even while eating dinner. This will either be completely enveloping to a viewer or off-putting or, as it was to me, strangely fascinating to the point I saw the movie again days later.

The script contains some wonderful themes on class warfare and the sacrifices the rich must make to stay rich and the poor unwittingly makes to keep others rich. Unfortunately, these themes are nearly lost in a meandering screenplay that goes to many different places before deciding to finally become a gothic monster movie in the last ten minutes (despite some outdated effects, the mangler chasing the heroes is a rather chilling sight).

I can't say this is a good movie. Good looking? Oh yes. And Robert Englund is always a treat to watch especially when given something else to do than Freddy Kruger. But this movie ultimately won't stand up after one viewing and, depending on your appreciation for well-crafted cinematography, may be a chore the first time around.

This cartoon is just silly fun that doesn't take itself seriously. You shouldn't either.

Mulholland Falls shares a trait with another 90's film, Backdraft, in that both films have excellent casts, a good story but suffer from some of the worst dialogue ever put in a motion picture. Every thought a characters has is spoken on screen. Every line is written with no more substance than what is immediately on the surface. And every single attempt at humor is telegraphed so far in advance that the punchlines fall flatter than Jennifer Connelly from a plane.

It is almost heartbreaking watching stellar actors like Nolte, Palminteri, Malkovich and Dern spit out lines that sound like a fifth-grader wrote them. It is all the more shameful that the central mystery of the film is a rather intriguing one and not easily solved in advance.

Mulholland Falls is potentially great film that, due to lack of a good script doctor, turned out to be just painful to watch.

In the interest of full disclosure, I not only worked briefly on the set of this movie but I consider several people involved in the making of it good friends. However, as a movie lover and a supporter of quality independent films, I can look at the final product with an objective eye.

Mountain Mafia is, at its center, a gangster story. You have the typical characters in place: the "Don," the hit-man/enforcer, rival families, and so on. The story revolves around Dwight, top enforcer for a gangster nicknamed "Mr. Italy," who decides to move on past his life of crime after a botched collection attempt almost sends him to an early grave. The film follows Dwight's treacherous journey through the crime circles in his hopes to get him and his loved ones out in one piece.

While this may sound like a story you've seen before, the characters and setting make the film fresh. While Dwight is the focus of the movie, the surrounding characters add a much needed complexity to the story. Two standouts are Billy, another enforcer and friend who cannot keep his jealousy of a former girlfriend in check, and June Bug, Dwight's mentally-challenged brother.

Another element that is almost a character in-of-itself is the setting of the Appalachian hills of Eastern Kentucky. The movie takes great care in making its world feel real without delving into redneck stereotypes (too much). It is a setting that few gangster movies explore and Mountain Mafia takes full advantage of this.

If you love true independent cinema, I would suggest giving this movie a go.

I saw Pumpkinhead when I was a teenager and, while impressed by the effects and atmosphere, felt it lacking in any resonance at the time. Recently, I saw it was available on Netflix and, having little to do one evening, watched it. It was like a revelation.

Movies sometimes need the proper audience to be appreciated. Most blockbusters cast as wide a net as possible with action, romance, or what have you. Other movies need a very specific type of viewership. While being a horror film with a lot of appeal to that audience, I needed to be a father before the true emotional impact of the movie hit me.

This movie isn't about monsters (though one is in it) and not about vengeance (though it is the driving force behind the monster). This is a movie about the love a father has for his child and the uncontrollable, unfathomable grief that comes when the child is taken away. Mr. Henriksen's performance as the grieving father is heartbreaking as his sorrow drives him to vengeance and, shortly afterward, regret.

It is a shame Pumpkinhead wasn't given the chance to find its audience in theaters but, like most great stories, it found it regardless. A terrifying, touching film that should not be missed.

Strike two for Mark Stephen Johnson. Why does this guy insist on making campy films based on Marvel's grittiest characters? To be fair, the director's cut of Daredevil was worlds better than the butchered version he was forced to release in theaters. However, even that contained many elements that just didn't match the hard-boiled superhero and the environment he inhabited. Ghost Rider, unfortunately, is much worse in this regard.

To sum up, there is a cheesiness to this film that oozes off the screen. From acting to dialog to plot, this film falls flat and is so laughable in all the wrong spots. The only shining moments come when Ghost Rider himself is on the screen and even then he is, at times, dumbed down to cracking puns.

Normally a comic-book based film is so bad I would say it is only for the die-hard fans. This is the first case where the film is so far off the map, only people who know nothing about the character should see it.

The Fuzzy Dan Speaketh