The Uninvited

Classy, fun and, yes, kind of scary
The Uninvited begins with our protagonist, Anna, in a mental ward after dealing with the emotional trauma of losing her mother in a freak fire. As the film begins, her psychiatrist believes she is ready to go back into the real world and she is allowed to move back in with her father and her older sister, Alex. Unfortunately, father is now seeing Rachel, a nurse who was in charge of Anna's mother. This weird situation is further complicated by the fact that Anna is becoming more and more convinced that her mom wasn't killed in a freak accident...maybe she was murdered.

So if you have watched ghost movies over the last ten or so years, you basically know this film. It hits all of the major plot points, has a couple requisite twists and throws weird scares at you (it is based on a Korean film, you know). I expected all of this. I even expected one twist that I thought was revealed very early on. Even so, the ending still surprised me and I have to say that this film was...

READ ME FIRST
DON'T READ ANY OTHER REVIEWS as it may ruin the movie for you. This is a 5 star suspense/drama/horror/mystery. Just go watch it. Knowing about the movie will simply ruin the ending. Trust me. Just watch it, don't even read the box.

one of the better psychological thrillers
I love classic ghost stories and psychological thrillers - the ones that don't have a lot of gore but do have sympathetic characters you can feel anxious for plus an element of mystery. A number of people have pointed out that this is a well done movie but doesn't have a lot of new elements. I have to point out that there have been no truly surprising plot twists in ghost movies since "The Sixth Sense" came out - the best ghost stories since then have all had plot twists that are some variation of that famous movie or older horror films. There has also been a deluge of remakes of Asian horror films, the Ring and the Grudge being the most famous, plus a host of others I can't even recall right now. The Univited contains elements from everything: Asian horror films and your favorite old thrillers: The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Poison Ivy, Hide and Seek - I could go on and on.

None of this impeded my enjoyment of the movie. All the necessary elements are there: 1. A huge...

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This Property Is Condemned

A Southern Gothic Treat
How could a movie fanatic go wrong with this one? Sidney Pollack directing, with Francis Ford Coppola helping out with the adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play? A great cast , with especially memorable performances from Natalie Wood, Kate Reid and Mary Badham (as younger sister, Willie Starr)? Roberts Redford and Blake and Charles Bronson thrown in for lagniappe? Sounds like great gumbo to me.

Natalie Wood is absolutely alluring in this one. She and Redford, who also teamed together in the memorable INSIDE DAISY CLOVER, did indeed appear to have a lot of screen chemistry. He is the cynical company man who appears like the Grim Reaper in a small, shabby, depression-era southern town, carrying pink slips with him, instead of a scythe. The role has a lot of resonance now, what with all the corporate downsizing currently going on. Needless to say, the townfolk don't much cotton to Mr Owen Legate, with his fancy suit and self-assured ways.

With a couple notable exceptions. Tom...

I loved it as a kid and I love it still today!
When I first saw this film, as a preteen, I thought it was the ultimate romance. Well, I got older ... and saw it again. And it's still pretty romantic. In fact, it's still a film I watch over and over.

The performances are really juicy. Everyone in it seems to understand the over-the-top quality of Tennessee Williams, and no one disappoints. You'll find Charles Bronson and a very young Robert Blake in supporting roles here. Both Kate Reid, as Wood's driving, ambitious `Mama' using her beautiful daughter to hook the town's men, and Mary Badham, as `Willie', the not-so-beautiful younger sister who idolizes Wood, are quite simply superb. Every move, every look from both are truly sublime.

Natalie Wood has always been one of my favorite stars, and she is every inch the star in this one. It's clear from her first closeup how special, how different, and how exciting Alva Starr is to everyone she comes in contact with. She meets her match in Robert Redford, the man who has no dreams,...

Wish me a rainbow, wish me a star ...
A year after Tennessee Williams's 1945 breakthrough success with "The Glass Menagerie," a collection of his then-existing one-act plays was published under the title "27 Wagons Full of Cotton." Included in that collection was "This Property Is Condemned," a two-person play describing a chance encounter between a boy named Tom and an orphaned school drop-out named Willie by the railroad tracks outside a near-abandoned, post-depression-era Southern town. During their conversation, Willie tells Tom about her sister Alva, who was once the town's "Main Attraction" with suitors galore, fancy clothes and always out to party; but died young when her lungs "got affected." Yet, everything about Willie already spells "doom" as well: Her dreaminess and lack of realism, her cheap rhinestone bracelet and raggedy old-fashioned party dress (which were once her sister's), her shabby doll, and of course the fact that she still lives in her family's old railroad-side boarding house, long-since shut...

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The Little Prince

This charming and faithful film thoroughly "tamed" me.
I cannot too highly praise this 1974 film of "The Little Prince" produced and directed by Stanley Donen. The presentation is rather that of an American musical or a "Singspiel": spoken dialogue interspersed with musical numbers. The lyrics and music of Lerner and Loewe do not terribly impress me but they are suitable and essentially effective. To my surprise and delight, everything else works: Richard Kiley is absolutely convincing as The Pilot. His acting is first rate, he sings very well indeed, and his handsome, expressive face and athletic body present a Pilot who is at the same time very strong and very gentle. I think of the exuberance of the scene in which he and the Little Prince playfully splash about in the water of the oasis or of the final moments when his sense of loss and sorrow comes across so powerfully as he carries the Little Prince in his arms after the snake has given its gift of transformation and the essence of the child is no longer in his body. Stephen Warner...

The Spirit of the Little Prince
This movie captures the spirit of the book, The Little Prince. It is utterly captivating and charming. The music is outstanding, of course, Frederick Loewe. Richard Kiley is excellent as the Pilot. The direction is worthy of Broadway by Stanley Donen. Bob Fosse is amazing as the Snake. Gene Wilder sitting in the wheat field is heart-wrenching; and his dance scene with the Prince is delightful. The slightly surreal atmosphere only adds to the magic and truth of the story. The Little Prince himself is truly this little boy. What a great job everyone does! Kids will enjoy this movie, but I think it's the adults that will get the most out of it. Who has not had a childhood vision crushed by grown-ups? This movie will restore your vision and dreams.

ENCHANTING!
This is one of my favorite films. I had read the book, and bought the video to share with my French classes since we do not have time to read the book. Not knowing anything about the film, I was shocked at the faithfulness of the film to the book. The little boy is stunning--he IS the Little Prince! I loved Gene Wilder as the fox, but I could have done without the LONG presentation of the snake--BLAH! My three children (7,5,2) have each been mesmerized by it several times. WARNING-Pass on the cartoon version!

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Thirteen

Terrifyingly real...
The litmus test for the realism in this one - watched it with a group of 12-18 year old girls and they all said it reflected the reality of being teenagers, with all the actual pressures and stresses of their high school and social lives. This is, quite simply, one of the most honest (and painful) movies about adolescence that I've ever seen..and it was written by a teenager who also stars in the movie...amazing!
At the start of the movie, Tracy (played by Evan Rachel Wood) is a good student with a not-so-great family life. Her mother is struggling to put food on the table and under a lot of pressure to hold family and home together.
So it makes sense that Tracy would be drawn to "the coolest girl in school", Evie, a wild rebel with a penchant for danger. Evie gladly takes Tracy under her wings, often pushing her into Tracy into situations she isn't prepared for (parents should be aware that some of the scenes are graphic, including sexuality and nudity).
It is...

Thirteen as told by a thirteen year old
While reading other customer reviews, I was stunned by the tendency of cynical college types to dismiss this movie as "eager to be hip" and "exploitive garbage". If one has not been through an experience, rejecting it when it is displayed must be easy. However, for those of us like myself, who are thirteen years old, this movie was shockingly real. And who better to be the judge of that than a thirteen year old, rather than a pretentious college student, now too cool to believe in teen "angst" as they call it.

Tracy's (the remarkable Evan Rachel Wood) descent into the world of drugs, casual sex, and smiling lies is a descent I have seen far too often in real life. Some reviewers were suspicious of the quickness of her progression into this world. However, one must remember that these are middle schoolers, not twenty-somethings, and the overwhelming insecurity of most 13 year olds allows them to change their images daily. Also, Tracy is not necessarily a "good girl" when the...

SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT...SORT OF
Tracy is a sweet yet troubled teen who meets the alluring bad girl Evie and falls into a life of drugs sex and crime but this is not some dreadful after school special version of teen issues with cute and tidy resolutions. Thirteen is a bold, gut-wrenching film about the crumbling American family and the current generation of overexposure, MTV, reality shows, and disillusionment. Tracy is astonishingly portrayed by Evan Rachel Wood who gives such an amazing performance it should take child-acting to new heights. Evie is portrayed by Nikki Reed (who also co-penned the script) is a vibrant screen newcomer. The Oscar nominated Holly Hunter ,as Mel, is brilliant as a bohemian, alcoholic single mom who watches her daughter Tracy descend into self-destruction right before her eyes. The director Catherine Hardwicke directs the film with relentless, edgy appeal giving the film it's power and drive.

Although most critics give the film massive acclaim, some have shuddered at the shocking...

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Sleepy Hollow

Spooky, stylish film -- Excellent look and sound!
This was a very enjoyable telling of the classic tale that is very heavy on atmosphere. The DVD has several extra features that really add to its value beyond the straight movie too.

The look and feel of the film are great. We are taken back to the late 1790s to a very convincing Sleepy Hollow that has lots of fog and smoke, distant lightning, scary jack-o-lanterns, and twisted trees. The movie has a great deal of suspense built into it, and we are treated to lots of tense moments when the horsemen is near, along with some fairly short, but sometimes very intense scenes of decapitation. The film is much more of a drama than a horror film -- the plot is quite complex and usually laid out well.

For me, one of the best parts of the film was the Danny Elfman score -- it was very rich, with lots of interesting effects built into -- brooding strings, eerie children's chorus, and tinkling bells. It added both suspense and humor to the film.

The acting was good. Johnny Depp...

Tim Burton does Hammer horror, with stunning results
Loosely based on both the original Washington Irving story as well as the Disney version, Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow takes a revisionist approach and ends up with a genuine horror classic. Johnny Depp stars as "Constable" Ichabod Crane, an 18th century detective keen on using scientific methods (unheard of in this period) to solve crimes. Annoyed by his unconventional methods, Magistrate Christopher Lee sends Depp upstate to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a string of grisly murders-by-beheading. Depp/Crane becomes involved in a supernatural situation that tests his lack of faith (a sub-plot resulting from a childhood trauma involving his mother [Lisa Marie] and sinister father) and makes him a full witness to the goulish decapitations. Christopher Walken is absolutely frightening as the horseman, and Christina Ricci and a cast of classic British actors flesh (pardon the pun) out the story with hints of shady business among the town's statesmen. The commentary by...

GREAT FUN now in HIGH DEFINITION!!! can you ask for more?
I love this film. Tim Burton really did a wonderful job creating that kind of atmosphere no other director can create... and the cast is superb!

Johnny Depp delivers one of his most offbeat performances... and Christopher Walken as the headless horseman... and Michael Gambon... all are great.

Now about the things you want to know... the image here is top notch. Crystal clear, high definition picture as you've never seen - which is interesting: since the film has a dark cinematography you'll be amazed how well the High Def takes advantage of all it can do to give you a kind of image you'll think you only get in a movie theatre.

In fact, to see the forest with all the fog and those trees in gorgeous high definition is a trully cinematic experience. And I do believe this is one of those movies who beg for high definition - And this HD-DVD edition delivers it just as you'd expect: flawlessly.

And when it comes to sound... boy, this is...

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Pontiac Moon

Very Underrated movie
This must be one of the most underrated movies of the nineties. Fabulous story!! I was out of town on business, and I stumbled into the ole Blockbuster, and I thought I would give this un-known movie a try, as Im a big Mary Steenburgen fan. I was so delighted by this funny, serious, and heart touching movie, that I couldn't understand, why I never heard of it? Did it come and go in the movies? Great acting all around, with a lot of unknown actors. My favorite was the car mechanic living out in the desert played by Arthur Senzy, who I saw again in (I also rented) "A Few Good Men".Ted Danson, the Kid, and Eric Schweig were great as was Mary Steenburgen. All in all, a great cast, and a very delightful movie for this weary traveler.

a movie treat watching a good story unfold
PONTIAC MOON is a movie treat watching a simply good story unfold. I haven't had a movie catch my interest as much as this one for quite some time. It a film which relies on strong acting and strong script, with a few Greek-Navaho special effects tossed into the scenes now and then. It is a humorous quest with a story of Apollo moonwalk that is counterpoint genius on film; father and son in a 1949 Pontiac whose ignition starts a journey the moment America's Apollo first moon landing blasts off. From that point the counterpoint of Appollo and Pontiac continues until the quest is . . . well, I'll let you see the movie and find out if father and son reach their quest. To be a real quest, of course, the father and son must be detoured--in this case literally, then stranded under a desert starry sky, next stalled at a supper club which features an Americana singing contest--how I enjoyed hearing the vocal of "Kansas City"--then the Pontiac is off the trail for the father to...

Love this movie
As a movie collector for decades who considers himself very critical & picky about films, I can't help myself, I love this movie. Yeah, it's maybe a little far-fetched or sentimental sometimes but there isn't a second of it that's not enjoyable - it's just too charming and well directed with exactly that effect in mind, and with a beautiful musical score, superb cinematography and a tight script. I think Ted Danson possibly gives his best performance ever as Washington Bellamy, an enraptured-with-knowledge elementary school teacher who also collects beautifully oddball classic cars. The story line described above about trying to match the distance the Apollo crew travels by simultaneously driving over a large part of the country to the Spires of the Moon National Park is already a remarkably charming idea. This will be his "one perfect act"

Washington Bellamy is a Don Quixote character, an idealistic and highly enthusiastic lover of nature & science who throughout the film...

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Angela's Ashes

Wonderful child actors....
Well, I have to disagree with those who don't like this film. I read the book and I saw the film and the film is actually easier to take in some ways than the book. Both are pretty grim, there's no getting around that. Frank McCourt's childhood was a difficult affair.

The film and the book are works of art. The job of the artist is to shake us up, to make us see what we did not see before. The Ireland that Frank McCourt experienced was poor, dirty, downtrodden and very Catholic. Although I am not Irish, I grew up Catholic, and his depiction of the RC clergy was right-on. I can remember at the age of eight having a nun scream so hard she grew red in the face. I was terrified.

Well, read "Irish Immigrants and Exiles" if you think Mr. McCourt is exaggerating.

The film faithfully follows the book and I thought the film was more "hopeful" than the book. The child actors who play Frank at three different ages are wonderful. Mr. Mccourt said that...

Affecting look at the human face of poverty
The trouble with making a movie out of a Pulitzer Prize winning book is that no matter how good and true to the book it is, it will usually be a disappointment. This has a lot to do with the difference between reading a story and seeing one. When one reads a book, it is usually done over time, perhaps a week or two. The words stir the imagination and the scenes described become images, usually more illusory than real. There is plenty of time for this process to work. A film, in contrast, is viewed over a period of about two hours, where the viewer is perceiving rather than imagining. The portrayals are well defined and no matter how creative the director, it is very difficult to create scenes that equal those of readers who have previously conjured fantastic images in their heads.

I believe this is the reason this film was such a disappointment to so many viewers who had read the book. Thankfully, I saw the film first, so I had no preconceived notions. With that...

Great movie
I enjoyed the movie, and of course movies sometimes are a bit of a let down from the book, but for those who rather just see the movie it does a fine job of telling the story. I read the book before seeing the movie and I thought they did a pretty good job, I do agree that there were some parts missing in the movie that was in the book. Emily Watson did a great job in this movie as well as each actor that played Frank McCourt. So regardless if you read the book or not I think you will enjoy this movie. And as for those, who think this movie is too Hollywood, well if that was the case then Frank's mom would have been played by Julia Roberts, his dad Tom Cruise, his aunt Britney Spears, and Frank would have been played by Will Smith, not to mention all the special affects they would have added to the movie. So I think it's a pretty good movie and recommend it.

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