Epinions Recent Reviews for markantony

Finding a Human, Hurting a Legend

Mon, 9 Jan 2006 20:46:15 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - There is always a danger when a reader wants to delve deeper into the creator of a creation he/she has come to love and adore. The danger usually entails finding out more about the creator than we really wanted to and thus not connecting those dots you...

Casanova Meets De Beauvoir

Mon, 9 Jan 2006 18:04:49 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - It's not enough these days to portray a notorious lover as a "notorious lover" unless it involves gay cowboys. While "Casanova" is more humorous than anything Ledger has ever appeared in, it does suffer from the silly feminist slant that insists men are...

Skeleton Script

Sat, 7 Jan 2006 03:52:51 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - Supposedly this bag of bones was billed as a "movie so deeply scary that Kate Hudson herself was just dying to be a part of it." Since Kate is such a horror-suspense expert I couldn't help but sprint to the nearest cineplex. I'll tell you folks if...

The Forgetfulness of Fidelity: War of the Words

Tue, 5 Jul 2005 01:27:28 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - All too often these days directors and screenwriters are fast at work making sure their pictures are faithful to the books, albeit classic books, the fans are supposedly sworn to scream at the moment of deviation. Hint to Hollywood: most people don't...

God in my Genes: Science as a Religion

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 13:23:56 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - I felt compelled to review this unique collection of essays, many first published in the New York Times, simply because like my bioethics book "The Intruder Bulletins: The Dark Side of Technology" this book "It Ain't Necessarily So..." seeks to...

The Disappointed Socialist

Sun, 24 Apr 2005 01:26:37 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - Christopher Hitchens short but vital examination of George Orwell's warning of the future police state in guise of the Soviet menace. "Why Orwell Matters" is an essential volume in any collection examining how language can be twisted to serve...

Protesting The Light

Tue, 2 Jul 2002 11:22:59 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author markantony -

Whenever you listen and review an album where the band’s name literally means “the death of deities” you know some serious counter-religious ranting is about to take place.

It certainly does. You have to applaud these guys for taking this...

Ganhdi Goes Gangsta

Fri, 14 Jun 2002 19:22:28 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - This is starting to become a trend where British film-makers paste together a non-script comprising of thick, incomprehensible accents along with big-name actors who take a pay cut to be in an "edgey" film. Ben Kingsley, perhaps one of our best...

The Finer Instrument

Fri, 8 Feb 2002 03:22:01 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - What strikes me about this film "Red Violin" is how much the violin in its own strange way becomes a character. It has a life and history that spans the centuries bringing pain and ruin upon all whom come upon it.

In many ways it reminds me of...

Womb Raider

Sun, 25 Nov 2001 20:55:06 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - A motion picture based on a video game need not be a bad movie. I reference "Mortal Combat" as a good example of decent storyline, fine special effects, artistic merit and creative fight scenes.

In "Tomb Raider: Lara Croft" they got it all...

Planet Of The Hacks

Thu, 22 Nov 2001 06:42:32 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - What you can expect from a Tim Burton movie is predictable:

1. Visually stunning.

2. Serious artistic merit.

3. Terrible story.

Nothing different here according to the Burton pattern, EXCEPT, this is a re-make...

Home Is The Center Of The Universe

Sun, 18 Nov 2001 18:56:11 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - I frequently applaud movie scripts and books that make an earnest attempt to strip away the cynicism that usually blinds our hearts and minds to the centering power of a loving home life.

The absence of a loving home life is indeed the root...

No Polish In This Pledge

Sun, 5 Aug 2001 18:52:34 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - The biggest problem going for this picture is that it is an all-too-serious Sean Penn project. The writing was rush job which prohibits the major impact the film was intended to have.

Jack Nicholson is at his best but the script is meandering...

Pay It Again, Sam

Sun, 29 Jul 2001 00:20:09 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - Once in a while Hollywood gets in right and releases a motion picture with real heart and conviction. And naturally, we reject it!

Which is why we get what we deserve, rehashed ape movies with more makeup than RuPaul on a Saturday night.
...

Finding Forrest With The Trees

Sun, 27 May 2001 15:57:21 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author markantony -

“Finding Forrester” is the best film about the writing process ever made for motion picture audiences. Period.

Newcomer, Rob Brown does an outstanding job of portraying an extremely gifted young man

in tune with the disappointing...

Toasting Some Wonder Bread

Tue, 20 Mar 2001 20:01:06 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - Douglas does a fine job with this script, though unperfect, is still miles ahead of most of the slop Hollywood attempts to shovel down the throats of movie-goers. His makeup and mannerisms are excellent in assisting his character in making us believe we...

Cell A Soul, Make A Madness

Tue, 27 Feb 2001 20:43:43 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - I read a number of reviews in the big newspaper written by the so-called big reviewers. And as usual they missed the mark a few dozen times.

While I must agree the script did not do a good job at following through some of the ideas of the...

The Day The Earth Melted: Hiroshima

Tue, 27 Feb 2001 18:24:28 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - Kurihara Sadako, one of Japan's greatest 20th century poets has released "Black Eggs," an expanded collection of poems that incorporates the original 1946 Hiroshima manuscript "Black Eggs" and the finest examples of her post-Hiroshima poetry.
...

Stupidvisors and Other Workplace Horrors

Tue, 27 Feb 2001 17:56:03 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - The social pact between worker and employer has vanished beneath the rhetoric of corporate efficiency. Downsizing is actually a cruel device meant to shelter stockholders from rapid fluxations in the marketplace. The American public is sleepy and...

Too Many Cooks Spoil....Hannibal

Sat, 10 Feb 2001 23:45:22 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - Sorry folks but it was too good to be true that Hollywood could actually stick to a novel's premise without wimping out.

After you see Hannibal you will understand why Hollywood stuck to the "Lambs" book so well was because it wrapped up...

Saints Be Praised

Fri, 5 Jan 2001 23:51:15 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - When I first heard these guys had a new album out with John Bush back as lead singer as I was both excited and apprehensive. I would have rather played “Delirious Nomad” until my compact disc melted than listen to an effort played below their best...

Roughed Up By An Angel

Sun, 31 Dec 2000 18:52:54 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - It does us great harm to water-down and simplify religious concepts. One of the most important aspects of this alternative history of angels is how it stresses the fearsome power of angels.

Every holy manuscript mentioning angels describes...

Dangers of Displacement

Fri, 24 Nov 2000 22:09:47 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - M. Night has indeed done it again with another deeply-shocking original script "Unbreakable." I am sincerely hoping this film will at least become a modest hit. I say that cautiously because M. Night has already stated he was not aiming at the...

Low Frequency

Mon, 30 Oct 2000 22:57:04 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - John Cusack is an actor I like to watch on screen. But his performance in his dumbed-down "love story" makes me want to scream to the roof tops.

"High Fidelity" was marketed as a hip-DJ, record-shop owner with a couple of...

Ghoul, Interupted

Tue, 17 Oct 2000 03:27:27 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author markantony - It's scary what passes as scary in today's "horror" movies. When Hollywood ran out of original scary themes they send up mock-horror movies more funny than scary, a la the "Scream" series--which was basically a "Murder She...