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One of the most controversial (and intensely grim) made-for-TV movies of all time, the story follows the events leading up to, during and after the atomic bombing of Lawrence, Kansas. It follows the various survivors, as they band together to face the inevitable effects of the fallout.Though unendingly downbeat, this is remarkable in its realistic look at the results of a nuclear war. The performances are just as good, with Jason Robards as the doctor in charge of helping the survivors, Amy Madigan as an expectant mother-reluctant to have her baby in a nuclear ravaged country-and a once-in-a-blue-moon great performance by Steve Guttenberg, as a survivor who helps various others on his way to Lawrence. It benefits by not having political viewpoints (which would be unwanted in a film of this magnitude) and simply looks at the events from the people who have to experience them firsthand, and leaves behind a devastating impact on the viewer.
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A fine updating of It Happened One Night starring John Cusack as a young college student, who plans to travel cross-country to California to meet the "sure thing" (Nicollette Sheridan), a lusty what every male desires sex object. However, the story takes an interesting left turn, as he travels on the road with a smart, attractive fellow student (Melrose Place's Daphne Zuniga). As in most romantic comedies, they don't hit it off at first, but they eventually find they have many things in common and fall in love. There are also the usual assortments of mishaps along the road to California and to the "sure thing".Yes, it is predictable. But it's a refreshing antidote to a long era of movies, featuring women as either mindless topless bimbos or mindless topless bimbos waiting to be chopped up by maniacs in hockey masks. Zuniga and Cusack also offer two intelligent, well-rounded lead performances. The supporting cast is relatively useless, save for Tim Robbins in a hilarious turn as a show-tune loving driver.
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A movie that has remained something I've loved since I was very young, this is one of the few good adaptations of Stephen King novels. Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation), the late River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell (of the television show Sliders) portray a group of misfits in the late 1950's, who go out on a long trek through the countryside in search of a dead body.One of those films that leaves me with a smile, no matter how often I see it. It leaves me with a smile, mainly for the fact that these kids remind me of my friends, and what it was like growing up with them. Narrated by Richard Dreyfuss (who sounds not unlike Daniel Stern's voice over on The Wonder Years), this is true to the book almost word for word. It has four daring and difficult performances by the young actors, a touching air of nostalgia and a harrowing moment involving the ultimate train dodge. Oh, and Kiefer Sutherland isn't half bad as the hateful bully.
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"My name is Inigo Montoya. You Killed my father. Prepare to die!"-Line from The Princess Bride, repeated throughout the picture by bandit Montoya (Mandy Patinkin).Rob Reiner directed this fine spoof of children's fairy tales, which involves the adventures of Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) and her true love Westley (Cary Elwes), as they attempt to escape from the nefarious Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon) and Count Rugen (Christopher Guest). They are helped along by the Spanish sword fighter Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) and the hulking, marble-mouthed Fezzik (wrestler Andre the Giant).
Full of wickedly funny sight gags that would have made Monty Python proud, this is a film with Elwes and Wright providing some fine romantic-comedy, while Andre and Patinkin furnish some truly memorable moments. There is the problem of the unwanted cameo from Billy Crystal (covered in pounds of latex), basically redoing his usual old-cranky-Jewish-man impression. Still, as an added bonus, there are plenty of references for film buffs, especially ones who enjoy Errol Flynn's swashbuckling adventures.
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A delightful romantic comedy, which would boost Meg Ryan into a series of (sometimes good, sometimes anemic) romantic films like Sleepless in Seattle. Ryan and Billy Crystal star as two people, who over the years develop a friendly relationship and try to make sure nothing messes it up. Could it be perchance romance that they want to keep out of the relationship?Filmed in a style not unlike Woody Allen or Paul Mazursky, Crystal and Ryan offer two winning lead performances, and the script is full of memorable one-liners. One scene in a restaurant, involving the results of Crystal's claim that women can't fake orgasms, is already considered a classic moment in comedy. But that one-liner at the end of the scene (provided by Director Rob Reiner's mother) is the icing on the cake.
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Rob Reiner and Stephen King collaborated again on this movie, an adaptation of King's novel about writer Paul Sheldon's (James Caan) worst fear. Meeting his Number one fan! This fan, Anne Wilkes (Kathy Bates), is not quite in her right mind and desperately wants him to publish his next book, part of a series of romantic soap operas. She has many ways of making him write, and she will do anything to make him do what she wants. Anything!!A King thriller with plenty of chills and suspense to please the most avid horror fan. Bates is superb in her Oscar-winning lead as the psychotic fan. Caan is fine (if a bit miscast) in the role of the meek writer, driven to desperation in his attempt to escape from this madwoman. The camera work is quite good too, with beautiful scenery thrown in for good measure. I think I must warn those of you with weak stomachs, you probably don't want to see what Bates can do with that sledgehammer of hers.
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A slightly overrated courtroom drama, but not-bad showcase for the various talents in the cast. Tom Cruise and Demi Moore star as two idealistic navy lawyers, assigned to defend two Marines, who may or may not have been ordered in a "Code Red" to murder a fellow soldier. The key to the case lies in hot-blooded Col. Nathan Jessip (Jack Nicholson).Cruise is good, Moore is okay, but Nicholson is excellent in a role of a lifetime for him. That climactic courtroom scene, though done better in many other films of its type, is still a stunning one. The only problem is its tendency to overplay certain scenes, so as to heighten the dramatic impact. Some of them tend to be unintentionally funny (like Cruise's drunk scene). But that in itself doesn't make this bad. Fine performances and an interesting story keep things flowing.
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