Reviews for the week starting on Monday, May 1, 1995

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MOVIES IN THEATERS

Kiss of Death (1995)

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This is a remake in name only to a 1947 crime classic. In the original, a tough hood, played by Richard Widmark, made a scene famous by pushing an old wheelchair bound woman down a flight of stairs. In the new version the hood is played with amazing cruelty by Nicholas Cage of "Honeymoon in Vegas". Here, Cage is pumped up and badder than a lot of screen villains. The guy he reminds me of most is Dennis Hopper in "Blue Velvet".

The reason is because of all that testosterone. He gets angry too fast and causes brutal things to happen. The story does not center all around him but around David Caruso (of "NYPD Blue" fame) as an ex-con who is asked by a D.A. to infiltrate Cage's brutal crime ring and get close to him to find out information.

Many had wondered if Caruso was going to be any good after he left NYPD Blue and headed for Hollywood. Wonder no more, because his acting is good as anybody else's in the movie and he works well with the other actors. The supporting work is excellent too including Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction as a cop, who at first isn't sympathetic to Caruso but becomes his friend and partially a protector to Caruso. Cage is also great in a stand out performance as Little Junior, a gangster with a bad attitude. You should definitely see this because it's better than the film classic of which it was based on.

My Rating =

Rent

MOVIES ON VIDEO

These are three movies out on Video and/or Laserdisc for the week.

Fritz the Cat (1972)

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This was a very interesting rental. I had heard of this video for a long time but could never find it until a couple of weeks ago. It was the first animated film ever to get the X rating for using graphic content like strong language and sexual situations. Basically, it was the first animated cartoon to use profanity and nudity.

The director, Ralph Bakshi of Cool World fame, adapted this film from the underground comics by cartoonist R. Crumb about a cat just looking for love in all the wrong places. The animation is nothing special except for a few surrealistic scenes involving drug trips. The film is good in the first half but, by the second half, it becomes very violent and depressing and just isn't worth seeing. The first hour or so is still very funny and worth seeing simply because you are seeing early film history being made.

Footnote: The film was later rated R, so it's easier to rent.

My Rating =

Rent

Forrest Gump (1994)

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Most of you don't need to know the story about a simpleton (Tom Hanks) with an I.Q. of 75, who has the most amazing adventures through a period of three decades. First question on many critics mind: Why did a film about a slow-witted man become so popular with the public? Simply because he's honest and very kind. His heart is the real brain inside him and that's why people like him so much.

Winner of six Academy Awards, and a box-office sensation, it has excellent performances by Hanks as well as Gary Sinise as Lt. Dan, a good friend of Gump's. What surprised me the most is that the two women of the film didn't get Oscar nods for their performance. Robin Wright puts a lot of heart and soul as Jenny, Forrest's best friend and Sally Field also is good as Forrest's "Momma". People of all ages can enjoy this film.

My Rating =

Rent

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

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This sequel to the original Night of the Living Dead almost tops the original in character development. The film is now in color and much more graphic than the original. It tells of four people who barricade themselves in a shopping mall full of hundreds of flesh eating zombies. The feeling of this film is less depressing than the first film by making the Zombies comical as well as scary. Sure, you might think they're not so scary when you're just watching it. But, what you should really do is try to imagine yourself in the same situation as the people who are on the movie screen.

The original director, George A. Romero, once again helms this horror masterpiece. I said at the beginning of this article that it almost tops the original. The reason for my saying this is it goes on a little long and it could have rapped up in quicker time. But, there is never a dull moment in any scene in the film.

My Rating =

Rent

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