Epinions Recent Reviews for CATSocialD

The Descent: Scariest Movie Ever? Could Be . . .

Wed, 5 Jul 2006 20:23:44 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - I am not a fan of horror movies. However, I still mark this movie as a must-see for this year. Any plot summary would be a little pointless, as any good horror movie depends almost entirely upon its technical elements, but I give one anyway. A group...

I'm Laughing

Mon, 4 Feb 2002 01:40:34 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - “Slackers” is a reprehensibly awful movie with only one thing going for it: it made me laugh out loud a lot. It hangs its plot on a tepid and lame romance and includes several disturbing scenes. But it’s funny and original and shameless and I had a...

Finally-- You Knew I Was Going to

Thu, 1 Nov 2001 18:35:35 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - I have seen “Better Than Chocolate” at least four times. Every time, I’m excited to realize it’s on HBO. And yet, I’ve resisted writing a review of it. It’s time.

There are three levels on which to review this movie as far as I can see. The...

The Adjective of Genre-Like is Generic

Fri, 17 Aug 2001 17:43:30 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - "The Others" is a genre film. That's the best way to describe it. Like "The Score," it's a classic entry into an entertaining genre that shows a high level of craftsmanship. "The Others" is a solid haunted house film that follows all the rules without...

What I Dream About

Wed, 25 Jul 2001 05:59:55 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - Life is not easy to navigate. As difficult as it is to achieve what we want, it is perhaps more difficult to know what we want. Many movies have tried to capture this concept of malaise. Some achieve it with a healthy dose of humor like “American...

When the Best Get Together

Sat, 7 Jul 2001 19:08:58 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - Nick Hornby’s collection “Speaking with the Angel” gathers some of the greatest young talent to write short stories. Dave Eggers, Irvine Welsh, Roddy Doyle, Helen Fielding and Hornby himself are hip, cutting edge writers. And it is a fine collection with...

Genius Turns in and Destroys Itself

Sat, 30 Jun 2001 07:22:38 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - Never have I seen a movie get a bigger reaction. Both positive and negative, the people I saw this with were blown away. Opening night at Mann’s. The audience includes everybody in LA, even Quentin Tarentino. And the audience was at times spellbound, at...

A Movie Far Better Than It Had to Be

Sat, 30 Jun 2001 06:52:26 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - I did not walk into this movie expecting to be impressed. Truth be told, I have a crush on Kirsten Dunst and just wanted to see her in something I could laugh at and still gaze upon the wonder of her face, body and emotions. I was disappointed. Because...

Just More Questions

Mon, 25 Jun 2001 09:59:45 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - The assassination of John F. Kennedy is one of the profound moments in American history. Sometimes, it’s difficult to understand why, seeing as how I was born long after it happened. It might have been the first sign of the cynicism about politics and...

Mindless Entertainment That Really Entertains

Sat, 23 Jun 2001 09:16:26 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - The key to a great action movie lies in making us care. Who cares what kind of jeopardy you put people through unless we care what the outcome is? Great action movies have great characters. John McClane of the “Die Hard” films represents an entire...

Don't Just Waste Time! Waste it with Angelina Jolie!

Sat, 16 Jun 2001 21:48:20 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - There is a certain breed of movie that you can enjoy immensely and then never think about again. These movie operate in the same way as surfing the web without purpose. You’ve filled your time, enjoyed the event and now you go do something more...

Comedy or Philosophy. Maybe Just Plain Anthropology

Fri, 15 Jun 2001 07:13:10 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - This is quite simply a landmark book. It is a gut-wrenchingly accurate view of the male psyche as far as I know it. It totally captures the world of the fanboy, be it in the realm of music, movies or comics. It has true statements to make about Western...

Jon Favreau Betrays His City

Fri, 15 Jun 2001 05:00:37 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - Let's get the title of my review out of the way. "Swingers" was about a New York guy trying to deal with LA. "Made" is about an LA guy trying to deal with New York. Jon Favreau has gone native and it kind of sucks. Not the movie. Just that fact.
...

Christopher Pike Has a Ray Bradbury Moment

Sat, 9 Jun 2001 04:40:42 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - My philosophy of life is swiped from a Ron Shelton movie. To paraphrase, it is that the shines on everybody once in a while. I apply this philosophy to authors like Tom Clancy and, yes, Christopher Pike. These are writers who consistently give us...

I'm Going to Get Beat Up For Saying This

Mon, 4 Jun 2001 10:22:30 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - I think "Alien 3" is the best of the "Alien" movies. I know. I'm opening myself up to all sorts of attacks, but I have to say it. Now, I just have to prove it to you.

The "Alien" series is easily one of the best in science fiction, spawning...

When You Shoot For Brilliance . . .

Sun, 27 May 2001 07:40:18 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - A wise man once said, "A movie can ask you to suspend your disbelief once. If you can buy it that once, everything else should not be a leap of logic." For example, if you believe that dinosaurs are brought back to life, you should have no trouble...

Scattered Traffic

Mon, 8 Jan 2001 20:14:31 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - Entertainment Weekly's review of "Traffic" says that each character feels as though they deserve their own movie. I agree. I just wish they each had their own movie.

Soderbergh and company had an enormous undertaking in filing down a...

Entertainment

Sun, 22 Oct 2000 07:42:49 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - NOTE: Due to the retitling of this film, my earlier review of it does not show up here, so this is a reprint of it. I checked to see that the film has not been changed since I saw it, just the title, so here is a reprint of my previous review, just under...

If Only They Gave an Oscar for Best Soundtrack

Fri, 20 Oct 2000 20:55:07 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - Use of music in movies has been honed into its own art form. So many scenes are defined by their music: "Flight of the Valkyries" in "Apocalypse Now," "Danger Zone" in "Top Gun," and "God Only Knows" in...

Fun or None

Sun, 17 Sep 2000 01:02:44 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - John Ottman was kind enough to invite me to a screening of his film at the Academy of Science-Fiction and Horror. This may account for why my review tries very hard to focus on the good points. Please note my overall rating of three and a half out five...

I Remember When I Was A Rock Critic

Sat, 16 Sep 2000 06:55:37 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - Twice now, Cameron Crowe has made the best romantic comedy of the decade. He owned the 80s with "Say Anything" and got an Oscar nomination for "Jerry Maguire" in the 90s. "Almost Famous" probably will not be the best...

Another Good Second Choice

Mon, 7 Aug 2000 05:20:10 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - "Bless This Child" is like so many movies that come out. I saw it for free and it was entertaining enough. I might even rent it if everything I wanted was out. But it's nothing spectacular.

As a horror movie, it depends on standard...

What Lies Beneath A Standard Story is Skill

Mon, 7 Aug 2000 04:56:13 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - Robert Zemeckis is a great director. His films range from the brilliantly executed popcorn fare to the subtly amazing. Michelle Pfeiffer is a gifted actress with some great roles under her belt. Harrison Ford is one of the biggest stars of the last...

Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition

Wed, 26 Jul 2000 15:13:09 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - This film is an interesting concept. Much like the giddily fun Marvel comic "What If . . . ?" the makers of this film decided to explore how great a difference can be made in one second. In "Sliding Doors," it is the simple question...

Not for Lightweights

Tue, 25 Jul 2000 11:57:25 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author CATSocialD - In the opening moments of “Magnolia,” several coincidences are explained to us. They range from the mildly mundane to the totally amazing. We are informed that these things happen every day. Then, we are thrust into a film about several intertwining...