> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
>
>
> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
> [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2001 09:24:42 -0800
From: "Marc Claude Desbiens" <marcdesbiens@apolloguide.com>
Subject: [MV] Monsieur Hire - 1989 - 4.5/5
Hi !
I watched this film last night and it was an amazing one.
It is difficult to talk about it though as there are many very intriguing twists and turns along the way despite the rather short running time (80 minutes, maybe even a bit less !)
I saw the french version but it is available with english subtitles as well (Alternate title : M. Hire), certainly worth a look as I found it really intelligent and interesting from the first until the last minute. I give it a 4.5/5 and place it very close to 5/5 actually, around #30 in my list of favorite films of all times.
Michel Blanc plays a lonely man around 50 years old who likes to watch a young woman after hours (The lovely Sandrine Bonnaire never looked better than in this one !) ...
He never turns on the lights in his apartment just accross the street for hers so she thinks nobody lives there, walks around half undressed, cooks, clean, makes love to her fiance who is not very nice to her ... etc.
She may be in danger as we are lead to believe early that Blanc is a killer. A young woman around her age has been killed in the alley nearby and the police suspect Blanc because he is such a weirdo and his neighbours make sure to tell the cops they should check him out ... but is he really a killer ?? Some clues seem to point towards him but he looks so harmless ...
Fairly soon Bonnaire discovers by accident that Blanc is watching her and at first she is shocked and angry but soon she feels flattered and actually "toys" with him ... pretending she doesn't know he is watching her, getting off on it ... etc. But does she really like him or does she only want to flirt with him to find out what he knows about her fiance that may or may not have been involved in something shady ...
I just love this film because nothing is black or white, plenty of grey areas and there are so many times you think you actually know what is going on in the mind of each of the characters but then something else happens that makes you realize you were wrong ... wonderful script !! (Based on a book written by George Simenon)
It can be interpreted in so many different ways.
The acting is superb by the two leads in a movie that is often rather silent ... not a lot of dialogues so it was wonderful to watch these fine actors at work. Good soundtrack as well, mostly classical music.
Apollo Guide: The Best in Movie Reviews, DVD & Home Video
Click Here for intelligent reviews online -> http://apolloguide.com
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2001 17:20:16 -0800
From: "Marc Claude Desbiens" <marcdesbiens@apolloguide.com>
Subject: [MV] The gun in Betty Lou's handbag - 1992
>Oh my ... this was TERRIBLE !!
Saw it the other day, I was in the mood for a NO BRAINER I guess !
>
>Awful comedy (Besides the first 15 minutes that are ok ... then it's on a major downhill ... almost 45 degree angle, like you see in those extreme skiing videos !!)
>
>Penelope Ann Miller is usually likable but in this one she is wasted as a LIBRARIAN who has "issues" because her husband is a no good creep who ignores her more often than not ... so what does she do ?? Of course she confesses to a murder she didn't commit **just to get him to notice her** .. oh yeah !!
Then it gets awful when it turns out the guy who was killed was black mailing a mafia type and now he's after poor Betty Lou ... the horror !! ;-)
>
>Unfunny situations, dialogues, so-so acting ... etc. Even a couple of unnecessary violent scenes, especially in a light comedy like this one .. (A bad guy is killed in a very gruesome way, and it's not even relevant to the story ... The mafia type wastes a lawyer !)
Luckily I recorded this one on late night TV so it didn't cost me a DIME to see it ! (A dime was about what it was worth in any case !)
>
>1/5 !!
>
>Marc ;-)
>
>"A guy told me once ... Don't let yourself get attached
>to anything you are not willing to walk out on in thirty
>seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner ..."
Apollo Guide: The Best in Movie Reviews, DVD & Home Video
Click Here for intelligent reviews online -> http://apolloguide.com
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2001 21:01:56 -0800
From: "Marc Claude Desbiens" <marcdesbiens@apolloguide.com>
Subject: RE: Re: [MV] Danielle's top 50---1990's flicks (response)
*** Adding comments !! Marc ;-)
>>**** I have a "Top 40 from the 80's" list somewhere in my "archives" ...
>>I'll send it to the group sooner or later ... ;-)
>
>ooh, i wanna see that one!
*** I'll send it in a few minutes ...
>
>> >4.) Scent of a woman (1992) 4/5
>
>This one is also in my top five (all time). Of course, Pacino is my fave
>actor, but I also think it has a great storyline. The tango scene is
>definitly one of my faves. :)
***** Yes, that scene was memorable ... but one that I think is amazing is near the end when Pacino wants to shoot himself and O'donell won't let him ... I actually think I'm going to watch it again now (I own it !)
>> >15.) Galaxy Quest (1999) 3.5/5, surprisingly good !
>
>haha, I wasn't sure what kind of a response I would get with this one. I
>got dragged into this movie, when the one I wanted was sold out, pouting and
>sure I was going to hate it. I ended up laughing the whole way through.
>This was one of the best clean comedies I've ever seen. IT's too bad it
>didn't do very well in the theaters, I don't think they marketed it very
>well.
***** Yes, I wasn't even sure if this movie was worth seeing so I was pleasantly surprised. It was quite funny and entertaining, some good special effects, one liners, etc.
>
>> >29.) Point of No Return (1993) 3/5
>
>Haha, I know. I saw this one a long time before I ever saw the original
>version. And I used to watch it a lot, I guess it's kind of cheesy..but
>it's just one of those movies, you see so much, you start to love it. Even
>since I've seen La femme Nikita, I still like the "hollywood" do-up better.
>Bridget Fonda is my fave actress so that could be part of it. I was sure I
>would get flamed for this choice because this list bashes it so much; I'm
>surprised you gave it the rating you did!! ;)
**** Yes, I liked Fonda in a lot of films as well Example : A simple plan, Jackie Brown, etc. I thought Point of no return wasn't so bad (3/5) but I like the original french film better, hard to make a bad film with a story like that though ... ;-)
>
>> >34.) Good Will Hunting (1997) 2.5/5
>> >35.) Shakespeare in Love (1998) 2.5/5
>
>What didn't you like about these two?
**** Mmmmmm ... Good will hunting, I didn't really care for that story at all, plus Damon was getting on my nerves, same with Affleck ... also a lot of unnecessary swearing ... I was wondering what Minnie Driver liked about that guy ?? 2.5/5
**** Shakespeare in love ... first it's a period piece, 2nd, deals with Shakespeares so people talk a bit ... well , you know ... those are REPELLENTS ... I liked the sets, the costumes, etc. But the story was a bit silly sometimes ... I felt it was the least interesting of the nominated films that year ... The thin red line and Saving private Ryan are so much better .. no .. REALLY !!
>
>> >46.) The hand that rocks the cradle (1992) 4/5
>
>Was it your list I saw this one on? I had totally forgotten about it, but
>really liked it when I watched it. I remember it being one of the movies
>where at the end I wished the "bad guy" (or bad girl? ;) would have won.
>I'm so terrible!
***** Yes, that was on my list, I knew it would annoy some people too as **normally** you are not supposed to say you liked such a film ... lol !! Well, I rated it at 4/5 and found it very entertaining myself ... Rebecca De Mornay was good as the EVIL GIRL !!
"Silence of the Lambs might not be most people's idea of a laugh riot, but director Ridley Scott, whose sequel Hannibal, is released this Spring, is adamant that his psychotic protagonist has hidden humour.
>
> Talking to Jonathan Ross, the director explained why he agreed to follow in Jonathan Demme's footsteps. 'It's a risk but we're all in search of good material. I was approached by Dino and Tom Harris to take a look at the book - then in manuscript form, pre-publishing - and I thought a lot of it was quite witty. That's what I picked up on and so I've incorporated it in Hannibal.'
>
>'Hannibal's a very charming character and of course Anthony...is an incredibly charming man, that's part of who he is. He loves this character - it's part of him.'
>
>When asked how he reacted to Jodie Foster turning down the opportunity to reprise her role as Clarice Starling, Scott maintains that Foster's decision wasn't that much of a shock.'We half-expected it,' he says. 'We mustn't forget Jodie's a fairly accomplished director. She'd just finished a big movie, Anna and the King. She'd planned to direct the next which was Flora Plum, which ironically was going to have Russell Crowe in it, and she was good hearted enough to wait round and read my version or Steve Zaillian's draft of Hannibal. I anticipated that it would happen anyway, so I already had thoughts [of other actresses in the role].
>
>When quizzed about the film's release in the States, Scott was typically bullish. 'It has a large release on 4,700 screens on February 9th which actually is the anniversary to the day - that's why we're going out then. It's also a great time to run because there's nothing around.' "
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 22:37:13 -0800
From: "Marc Claude Desbiens" <marcdesbiens@apolloguide.com>
Subject: [MV] Brendan Fraser
Ok, I checked it out in the IMDB and here are the movies I have seen with Brendan Fraser in the cast ... He is indeed a MAJOR "repellent" for me ... I have nothing against him as a person, I saw interviews with him and he seems like a nice guy but I just can't stand any of his movies !
Actually I was surprised as I haven't liked ANY of his films and among the ones I haven't seen I don't think I would like any of them either ...
They all seem unappealing to me (Not necessarely only because he is in them but because of the stories, the subject matters !) ... a total disaster !! (Examples : Blast from the past, The mummy, Dudley Do-Right, In the army now, George of the jungle ... he's on a roll, a "streak" ... oh yeah !)
By order of preference :
- - With honors - 1994 - 2/5
- - Twenty bucks - 1993 - 2/5
- - Gods and monsters - 1998 - 1.5/5
- - Encino man - 1992 - 1/5
- - Son in law - 1993 - 1/5
- - Airheads - 1994 - 0.5/5
I saw those last three films before I started really getting more "into" movies in 1994 ... I wouldn't even bother watching those terrible films today as they would clearly be a waste of time for
me !
Marc ;-)
"A guy told me once ... Don't let yourself get attached
to anything you are not willing to walk out on in thirty
seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner ..."
> "Wow! So that is what all that extra space on the movie screen is
> for!" reaction to "Gladiator"
> ______________________________________________
>
>
> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
> [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2001 08:32:20 -0800
From: "Marc Claude Desbiens" <marcdesbiens@apolloguide.com>
Subject: [MV] The diary of Anne Frank - 1959
** Minor spoilers **
Hi !
I saw this classic black-and-white film the other night ... No need to describe the story in lenghty details as everyone knows it !!
How Anne Frank was hiding for a long time in a room above an office in Holland in 1942, trying not to get picked up by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp !)
I thought it was very good but certainly a bit on the long-ish side ... almost 3 hours ! It was dragging a bit in part with some unnecessary details added.
Example : When Anne gives presents to everyone in there, one-by-one-by-one, with long "speeches" as well for each person ... Took 15 minutes to do that ... phew ! And then they started singing ... I was going NUTZ ! (Exaggerating for effect !)
The acting was appropriate, I was indeed being forgiving with little details sometimes though because the story is quite touching of course.
Good tension as well in some scenes where the group has to remain very quiet while the office below is being visited by a burglar after hours, or when the german soldiers come in to investigate and they are so close to being discovered ... then that darn cat starts moving around ... Wow, those scenes were great !
Also how they were arguing with each other, bickering ... suspecting each other of stealing food ... well done.
It was cutesy as well when Anne and Peter (the teenage boy) were meeting in that room alone ... kind of a first date, and the parents were worried ... I was laughing when her mom was asking Anne to "keep the door open" !! Man, they would have a heart attack these days (The film was set during the war in 1942 and it certainly showed there !)
Anne admitted to Peter she had been kissed twice ... once on the cheek and once on the hand ... ;-)
I also saw "Anne Frank remembered" narrated by Kenneth Branaugh about a year ago and that was a 3.5/5 film as well. Looked more like a documentary of course and certainly worth watching !
Marc ;-)
"A guy told me once ... Don't let yourself get attached
to anything you are not willing to walk out on in thirty
seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner ..."
Apollo Guide: The Best in Movie Reviews, DVD & Home Video
Click Here for intelligent reviews online -> http://apolloguide.com
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2001 11:12:57 -0700
From: "Gregory A. Swarthout" <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: Re: [MV] Brendan Fraser
Say what you want about the rest, but Airheads was funny!
Marc Claude Desbiens wrote:
>
> Ok, I checked it out in the IMDB and here are the movies I have seen with Brendan Fraser in the cast ... He is indeed a MAJOR "repellent" for me ... I have nothing against him as a person, I saw interviews with him and he seems like a nice guy but I just can't stand any of his movies !
>
> Actually I was surprised as I haven't liked ANY of his films and among the ones I haven't seen I don't think I would like any of them either ...
>
> They all seem unappealing to me (Not necessarely only because he is in them but because of the stories, the subject matters !) ... a total disaster !! (Examples : Blast from the past, The mummy, Dudley Do-Right, In the army now, George of the jungle ... he's on a roll, a "streak" ... oh yeah !)
>
> By order of preference :
>
> - With honors - 1994 - 2/5
> - Twenty bucks - 1993 - 2/5
> - Gods and monsters - 1998 - 1.5/5
>
> - Encino man - 1992 - 1/5
> - Son in law - 1993 - 1/5
> - Airheads - 1994 - 0.5/5
>
> I saw those last three films before I started really getting more "into" movies in 1994 ... I wouldn't even bother watching those terrible films today as they would clearly be a waste of time for
> me !
>
> Marc ;-)
>
> "A guy told me once ... Don't let yourself get attached
> to anything you are not willing to walk out on in thirty
> seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner ..."
> Apollo Guide: The Best in Movie Reviews, DVD & Home Video
> Click Here for intelligent reviews online -> http://apolloguide.com
>
> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
> [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2001 11:04:31 -0800
From: "Marc Claude Desbiens" <marcdesbiens@apolloguide.com>
Subject: [MV] Brendan Fraser & Gods and monsters
*** Marc ;-)
>> - Twenty bucks - 1993 - 2/5
>
>I would rate this one slightly higher than you. I thought the concept was
>great, although the execution left something to be desired.
**** I agree, the basic idea is fine but it goes into all sorts of directions, too bad !!
>I rate WITH HONORS pretty much the same as you. It was just another bad DEAD
>POETS SOCIETY clone (a sub-genre which still hasn't died off...FINDING
>FORRESTER, anyone?)
**** Yes, everybody is saying how they are looking forward to Finding Forrester, bla-bla ... what is so special about it ?? Must be the acting cos' I feel like I have already seeen that one ... Good Will Hunting wannabe ?? I just hope it's not boring.
I am simply astounded, however, that anybody could find
>it better than GODS AND MONSTERS, even by a small margin. I'd love to hear
>more on why you hated G&M so much...
**** Mmmmmmm ... I saw G&M only once and that was 3 years ago (approximately !) so it is hard to be very specific. I was annoyed by the characters, the story, the actors ... Everyone in that film was making me cringe ... Fraser, McKellan, Redgrave ... (Why an Oscar nomination for her, she has like 6 minutes on screen and I was annoyed by her antics the whole time anyway !)
*** The story was quite boring too, I didn't have any interest in the subject matter and only rented the film because I had read some good reviews that made me think it would be good despite the so-so subject matter ... I know that I am one of the few who doesn't like that one anyway as sevral of my friends are saying 4/5 or more !
**** I was cringing watching the ol' man painting Fraser, or when he was remembering those wild pool side parties for example, dream-like sequences that made me roll my eyes back !! ... naked men walking around and the ol' guy is in a daze ... or when he asks the journalist to undress to ask him question ... he was really an old pervert in disguise, like everyone should kiss his butt ... This wasn't because the film had bad actors in it, it was their characters I loathed, not the actor's themselves or their performances ...
*** It's not the fact he was gay at all as I have liked other films with gay characters in them ... This particular one was just not interesting for me, that doesn't mean it was a bad film, just that I didn'T care for it !! Same as I don't care for "The english patient" or "The piano" and others "Legends of the fall" that are usually regarded as "quality films" ...
