Showgirls

If I had to make a list of movies that were personal favorites, movies I could watch over and over as opposed to movies that I thought were made well and acted well, I would put Showgirls (1995) in the top five.

From the moment you meet Nomi Malone in the opening scene, you know you're in for a trip. The story follows a female hitchhiker who makes her way to Las Vegas. After being abandoned by her ride she meets the tailor for one of the glitzy, adult Vegas shows. Long story short, Nomi gets into the show and that's when all of her new troubles start. The movie itself is not all that bad. The direction and cinematography are wonderful and most of the acting is above average. The problem comes with the overall feel that things are pushed too far in the wrong directions and with the editing choices including several cuts and scenes that are wholly unnecessary.

Despite its faults, I think Showgirls will come to be seen as a classic and I cross my fingers that one day studios will embrace the NC-17 rating as an open door for creative filmmakers. (8.3/10)

The Sixth Sense

I was never an M. Night Shyamalan fan and The Sixth Sense (1999) was where that started. Even at my young age upon seeing this in theaters for the first time, everything seemed overacted or forced.

The story is something everyone knows by now: "I see dead people." Yes, the little boy can see spirits (something that has been popularized by every ghost show on late night cable) and they play a part in his everyday life. He doesn't tend to react to them in any way a child should; maybe he's used to them, or maybe it's bad direction - either way it all got nominated for undeserved Oscars. I decided to give M. Night another chance as I thought Unbreakable was good enough, but after getting completely sucked into Signs only to be let down, I put in the towel for this director.

I am willing to give Devil (2010) a chance when it comes out, but that one is only produced by M. Night. (5.8/10)

The Blair Witch Project

The first time I saw The Blair Witch Project (1999) was years after its debut. By that time I'd read up on the movie and nearly ruined my experience by knowing as much as I could ahead of time. That is, until I decided to try watching it as though I'd known nothing about the movie in advance.

The movie is paced like a bad late-night cable documentary. You're following some people along to find out about an urban legend you've never heard of. They interview locals and try to find some people with a connection to the legend. Then, after failing to come up with much more than they already know, they decide to go straight to the source of the legend... the middle of the woods near the town. By now you know they get lost and all hell breaks loose as the legend comes alive around them. My only hesitation is the near-constant swearing which distracts a bit from the creepiness of the movie.

I do think this is a solid horror film and one of the top 5 to come out of the '90's. (8.6/10)

Misery

I think Misery (1990) is one of the greatest horror/thrillers ever made. I love simplicity in movies, especially when it works out to feel like there is a deep complexity, which, there is in this movie.

The story, by now, is well known. An author is abducted by his biggest fan after he crashes his car on a snowy road and after she is angered by his new novel, she does everything she can to keep him captive and make him rewrite it. The claustrophobic atmosphere almost chokes the viewer throughout the movie. The only breaks come in the form of comedic pauses provided by updates from the local sheriff as we see his investigation into the matter progressing through the movie. In my opinion, this movie is among the top Stephen King adaptations we've ever seen.

A great film and a well-deserved Oscar for Kathy Bates's performance. (9.0/10)

Eyes Wide Shut

My love affair with Stanley Kubrick didn't begin until several years after his death. I'd seen The Shining and loved it, but was unfamiliar with most of his other work. It still pains me to this day that I was not able to see Eyes Wide Shut (1999) when it came out in theaters (I remember the radio advertisement calling it the most controversial movie of the year.) I was also only 10 years old at the time and probably wouldn't have understood most of the plot anyway.

That said, I love this movie. It keeps a slow pacing that builds and builds with each scene. You're never really sure what or why anything is happening, but neither does the main character you're following. It really is a dramatic thriller in every sense. Most people seemed to hate this movie when it first came out, but that was the case with all of Kubrick's films. He was at least a decade ahead of his time with every picture. The same is true with this one, people are just now beginning to look back on the experience and appreciate it for the art it truly is.

I love this movie, one of my all-time favorites and one of Kubrick's best. (9.2/10)

Happiness

The first time I saw Happiness (1998) I think I was about 15 years old. I had figured out that my local library carried some off-the-wall movies and did not discriminate as to who checked them out or how old they had to be. Within a couple of weeks I had picked up Pink Flamingos and Happiness. The experience was surreal. I knew I didn't quite understand why or what was happening in every scene, but it always stuck with me. Just recently I re-watched the movie and had an entirely new experience.

Where things seemed heavy and disturbing when I was 15, I was laughing at 22. The movie is darkly funny and straddles the line between hilarious and stomach-churning concepts. There are too many storylines to summarize here, but it's safe to say that the movie has become a personal favorite of mine and will warrant many repeat viewings in the future.

I will always wonder what might have happened if the Academy had the balls to nominate this movie for Best Picture that year. (8.9/10)

12 Angry Men

A few years ago I watched the original version of this movie in a college English class and loved every minute of it. When it was going to be shown on a movie channel, I recorded it so I could watch it later. As it turns out, the version on TV was actually this wonderful remake.

The newer version of 12 Angry Men (1997) was a made-for-TV movie that deservedly won plenty of awards. I was skeptical of a remake and questioned some of the casting, but everything came together perfectly; proving that the original play still stands the test of time. Jack Lemmon is perfect for recreating Henry Fonda's original role, but the star of the show is really George C. Scott as Juror #3. He really did just as well, if not better than Lee J. Cobb in the original role. The story moves along at a perfect pace and I could not have asked for anything better.

I still do, however, prefer the older version. I think the supporting actors were a bit better, the setting of the story was more appropriate, and I loved the use of black and white. Despite all of that, this is still a very good show. (7.8/10)

Now & Then

There was a free preview weekend for Starz this past week and I took the opportunity to record some movies I knew I'd want to watch later. This movie was one of them.

Now & Then (1995) was one of my favorite movies when I was younger. I can't imagine now what compelled me to sit through it then, but it still sticks with me as a good movie. The story follows four girls as they experience a life-changing summer back in the 1970's. They go through everything together and even when they grow up and grow apart, they still return to each other when one of them is in trouble. It's kind of a storyline for the ultimate chick flick, but I love it nonetheless.

A definite favorite for lazy Sunday afternoon viewing. (6.8/10)