THE PIRATES MAP, THE VILLAINOUS CROOKS, THE UNDERGROUND CAVERNS, THE BOOBY TRAPS, THE SKELETONS, THE MONSTER, THE LOST TREASURE, AND THE MAGIC THAT IS THE GOONIES… A group of kids in Astoria, Oregon who call themselves ”the Goonies” find an old map that could lead them to a pirate’s treasure, but they get competition from a … Continue reading The Goonies
DYING WAS THEIR FIRST MISTAKE. When Charlie McMillan (David Spade) is reunited with his high-school friend, Max Kessler (Adam (Sandler), he has no idea that Max plans to change their miserable lives forever. Steve Brill and Sandler, who’ve made some of their worst movies together, deliver an action-comedy where two men discover that assuming new … Continue reading The Do-Over
BRACE YOURSELF. THIS POLITICIAN IS ABOUT TO TELL THE TRUTH! Running for re-election in 1996, liberal California Senator Jay Billington Bulworth (Warren Beatty) decides that this is the time to have a breakdown and start telling the truth. In this comedy, Beatty finds an opportunity to tell the world what’s wrong with U.S. politics, attacking … Continue reading Bulworth
LIFE’S BEST JOURNEYS TAKE YOU HOME. Margaret and Patrick Singer (Susan Sarandon, Sam Shepard) have decided to separate after raising seven sons, but when news comes that one of them might have died in the Middle East the family is reunited. In times of crisis you can rely on your family, but spending so much … Continue reading Safe Passage
WHAT IF YOU HAD A UNIVERSAL REMOTE… THAT CONTROLLED YOUR UNIVERSE? Harried architect Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) struggles to satisfy the needs of both his family and boss; he comes across a magic remote control that gives him power over his life. A one-note joke becomes the backbone of a Capra-esque fantasy, and the results … Continue reading Click
THIS CHRISTMAS THE JOURNEY ENDS. So, we’re at journey’s end. Peter Jackson’s final chapter of his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy was hailed at the 2004 Academy Awards and many chose to see the overwhelming praise as some kind of summary reward for the whole trilogy. So do I, because there’s nothing in this film … Continue reading Return of the King: At Journey’s End
A NEW POWER IS RISING. So here’s the middle child of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. A middle child is likely to feel like they never get any attention from the parents, but this one is equal to the others. It’s just as grand. It’s just as exciting. And it’s just as intelligent. … Continue reading The Two Towers: Pillars of Evil
ONE RING TO RULE THEM ALL. Once upon a time, there was a maker of films called Peter Jackson. This rotund, bearded man had made a few films that were internationally acclaimed. Sure, a few of them were simple splatter flicks, but he also won the approval of most critics with a drama called Heavenly Creatures (1994). … Continue reading Fellowship of the Ring: The Beginning
A MEDAL FOR HONOR. A SEARCH FOR JUSTICE. A BATTLE FOR TRUTH. Lieutenant Colonel Nat Serling (Denzel Washington) looks into the case of a helicopter pilot (Meg Ryan) who died in the Gulf War; she’s set to receive the Medal of Honor posthumously, but something is wrong. Washington reunites with Glory (1989) director Edward Zwick … Continue reading Courage Under Fire
IMAGINE HAVING TO WIN OVER THE GIRL OF YOUR DREAMS… EVERY FRIGGIN’ DAY. Womanizer Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) woos Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore), but learns that she suffers from damage to her short-term memory; he falls for her, but she can never remember him. A movie that looks like it was made by the Farrelly … Continue reading 50 First Dates
