Epinions Recent Reviews for M.S.

Studio comedy done right

Fri, 9 Aug 2002 21:16:49 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - A fairly usual disclaimer: The following piece was written for the newspaper, but they chose not to run it; that explains a couple lines throughout.

I liked “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,” and hated its sequel, “The Spy...

A nice new entry to "The Saga."

Fri, 24 May 2002 13:34:04 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - I’m not a huge “Star Wars” fan, and never have been. “The Empire Strikes Back” is a terrific movie—a fairy tale that in its chilly darkness is worthy of the Brothers Grimm. But the other entries in the series (“A New Hope,” “Return of the Jedi,” and “The...

A promising debut

Thu, 2 May 2002 19:52:27 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - This is my fifth requested review. Please see my profile for details.

I first saw Bottle Rocket in mid-1999, on the Independent Film Channel. At the time, I liked it a lot. I knew that its director and co-writer, Wes Anderson,...

Seven Notes on Se7en

Sun, 7 Apr 2002 18:10:29 GMT
rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Spoilers follow.

- David Fincher is a helluva talented director. So why are his movies so often unsatisfying? It's because his technique is so stunning -- too distinctive to be called "perfect" -- that he more often than not ends up...

The whole world's wild at heart and weird on top...

Sat, 22 Dec 2001 21:35:25 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Blah blah blah, see my member profile for details on my review request thingie.

David Lynch can do a lot of things, but flashbacks aren't among them. Whenever Lynch tries to give exposition, the transition is abrupt, out of sync, and...

Requested Review Number Three: "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me"

Sun, 25 Nov 2001 19:52:41 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - As always, check out my member profile for details on my review request thingie, etc.

David Lynch has long been known for bringing nightmares and daydreams to the screen, for exposing the places that the mind wanders to when it is...

[SAFE]

Sun, 28 Oct 2001 17:50:55 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Public Service Announcement -- this is the second requested review I've written recently. For details on submitting requests, see my member profile.

Carol White (Julianne Moore) lives in a house that seems to swallow her up every time...

Requested Review Numero Uno: Reservoir Dogs

Mon, 22 Oct 2001 02:49:51 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Please note that I am doing this "request reviews" thing for real, as a means of attempting to escape epinions-related lethargy. Check out my member profile for further details.

There’s a certain kind of movie that’s a pleasure both to...

Memento and the art of the twist ending

Sat, 19 May 2001 18:12:45 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Disclaimer: The following was not really written to be read as a review, per se, but rather a commentary on an interesting vogue in current movies. Anyway, the thing was never posted to the Santa Cruz Sentinel's website, despite having been run in the...

Stunning visuals! Surprisingly sophisticated direction! Toilet humor!

Thu, 12 Apr 2001 18:57:40 GMT
rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Early on in Spy Kids, I found myself amazed at just how much I was enjoying what I was watching. After all, when I first saw the film's trailers, I was sure it would be pure and utter trash (I'm thoroughly tired with directors making lame attempts...

"In the Mood for Love" (and other recent releases)

Sat, 31 Mar 2001 18:38:16 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Note: The following review was written to appear in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. However the papers' evil big-shot publishers (actually my extremely amiable editor Bob) rejected it, since the two primary films reviewed have already closed here in SC. And...

A Real Teen Film

Tue, 13 Mar 2001 00:11:02 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - I did not see The Virgin Suicides during its theatrical run. I was on vacation for the two weeks it played in my town, and returned to find it gone.

How very appropriate that indirect experience of the film is; The Virgin...

Thoughts on O Brother, Where Art Thou

Sat, 24 Feb 2001 18:02:25 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Note: This piece was originally published as a column in The Santa Cruz Sentinel. However, it has yet to go up on the Sentinel's homepage, and so I've here published it for my 'net readers.

Since making their film debut with 1985’s...

De Palma Takes a Trip to the Red Planet

Sat, 10 Feb 2001 21:48:10 GMT
rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - How can I ever write about Mission to Mars? How can I resolve my feelings for this ludicrous, hammy, brilliant, poetic film?

When I saw the movie in theaters, I wanted to jeer it off the screen, and yet when I gave it a second look on...

Minor Polanski, but well worth seeing

Sun, 21 Jan 2001 01:32:18 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Bitter Moon is the kind of film that fascinates some and confounds others. And, to be perfectly honest, I fall into both camps. I don't think that director Roman Polanski is simply indulging his fantasies, but his scenes of sexual experimentation...

A Great Production of a Great Show

Tue, 17 Oct 2000 23:21:24 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - When Broadway shows go on tour, they often feel lifeless and regurgitated. There's a reason for that: touring companies don't get the same kind of talent that the theatrical capital of the world does. And while the old rag that real innovation in the...

Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts Ivan

Fri, 11 Aug 2000 15:11:18 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - (Note: Since the database inexplicably includes Ivan the Terrible, Part Two, but not its predecessor, I'm using this space to review both).

If there's anything for which we can thank Joseph Stalin, it's Ivan the Terrible...

If Egoyan Was a Hack

Sun, 6 Aug 2000 20:13:41 GMT
rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Hey kid -- c'mere. I see your face. I know what you're wondering: if Atom Egoyan was a hack (instead of the best filmmaker currently working in the English language), what kind of films would he make?

Wonder no longer -- instead, run to your...

Sturges' Best

Sat, 29 Jul 2000 01:36:48 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - When reviewing a film as brilliantly constructed and deeply entertaining as The Palm Beach Story, it's hard to know just where to start.

Do you tip your hat to the uniformly wonderful performers?

Do you pay tribute to the...

The Skeleton of a Great Story

Sun, 2 Jul 2000 17:22:43 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - In Bag of Bones, Stephen King builds a web of mystery that draws the reader in slowly and then disappoints in the final two chapters. The book recovers because King remains as good as ever at keeping the reader glued to the page. In fact, it's...

Mission Accomplished

Wed, 28 Jun 2000 20:44:10 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Action films are usually mindless summer fare, but both Mission: Impossible and Mission: Impossible II achieve in their running times a kind of effortless grace that makes up for their sometimes confusing plots. The thrill of the first film...

Fascism In Action

Thu, 1 Jun 2000 00:50:37 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - At first, Starship Troopers comes across as painfully banal. Its cast is comprised of bland teen stars offering up howlingly bad dialogue (Casper Van Dien: "Aww, mom, don't get mushy on me"), its story line is mostly about blowing up...

Fight to the Finish

Fri, 5 May 2000 21:58:56 GMT
rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - I do not know what to make of Fight Club.

When I first reviewed David Fincher's film I was curtly dismissive, but memories of the movie plague me. I know this much: I didn't like it. The problem is that I'm still trying to figure...

Scorsese's Winning Hand

Fri, 28 Apr 2000 23:11:54 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Recently compiling a list of my favorite comedies, I found myself torn over how to rank The King of Comedy. It's funny, yes -- but like Sunset Blvd., a film it resembles both in story and final effect, its laughter eventually turns empty as...

The Frequently-Stumped Video Renter's Bible

Fri, 21 Apr 2000 15:53:03 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author M.S. - Anybody who has ever wandered the aisles of their video store, wondering what suits their mood tonight, examining disheartening staff picks and finally going home with garbage ("I'm tellin' ya, Network is one of the ten greatest films of all...