Albert Brooks’ movies have consistently been intelligent and hilarious, without compromising either quality. Upon hearing his latest movie was about a divorced man moving back in with his mother, I feared that Brooks would “sell out” and attempt a movie that would appeal to the sitcom crowd. Thankfully, I wasContinue Reading
(Note: This is a review of the Special Edition released to theaters in 1997) Ok, maybe this movie was the reason to retool the entire Star Wars series. The original Return of the Jedi was my least favorite of the trilogy. The cuddly Ewoks grated on my nerves. Luke SkywalkerContinue Reading
The 1980’s produced a lot of “teenage sex” movies, most of which are inane and revolting. 1989’s Say Anything is a complete surprise. It’s intelligent, funny, and full of wisdom. John Cusack plays Lloyd Dobler, who is a teenager with the unique goal of being a champion kickboxer. He doesn’tContinue Reading
Movies about the Mafia usually end up either making the mobsters into heroes or degenerating them into caricatures. Donnie Brasco shows the human side of the Mafia, which makes it seem all the more brutal. Johnny Depp plays Joseph Pistone, an undercover FBI agent sent to infiltrate the mob. AsContinue Reading
What if corporate entities took over the police force of a major city? According to Robocop, it opens it up to subversion and mismanagement at the expense of innocent lives. In the near future, Omni Consumer Products, who owns the police department of Detroit through a company called Security Concepts,Continue Reading
(Note: This is a review of the Special Edition released to theaters in 1997) After seeing the original Star Wars just a few weeks ago, returning to the theater to see its first sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, gave me a real feeling of what it must have been likeContinue Reading
(Note: This is a review of the Special Edition released to theaters in 1997) Twenty years ago, Star Wars entered theaters with little fanfare and virtually no backing from its distributor. Now, two sequels and $1.3 billion in revenue later, Star Wars isn’t just a movie, it’s a cultural phenomenon.Continue Reading