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This is possibly one of the worst films ever made. But hey! Who wants to quibble? The opening credits and the title song are about the only funny things in this horrendously strained spoof of low-budget films. I'm not even going to bother with the plot (mainly because there isn't any!). This has become a cult favorite amongst the frequenters of worst film festival gatherings. However, it doesn't hold a candle to some of the films that weren't supposed to be funny (calling Ed Wood!). For those who care to be in the know about this series, this initial low-budget marvel was followed by two more low-budget sequels and a cartoon series. But don't hold your breath for any killer tomato merchandise.
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This sci-fi film has become somewhat of a cult classic. It follows the adventures of a black alien (outstanding performance by Joe Morton), who visits the streets of New York and gets into all types of misadventures. However, he's amazingly likeable and none of the people he meets seem to hold anything against him. He's a lot like Chance from Being There (or for that matter, Edward Scissorhands).Though filmed on a shoestring budget, this is certainly an ingenious mix of science fiction and social message. Morton is no less than outstanding, and director John Sayles has a funny part as one of Morton's outer-space hunters. The script is both humorous and poignant, and the supporting characters are perfect for the inner-city setting. Many kudos to Sayles for making a great film, and Morton for an amazing silent performance.
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An interesting and compassionate drama by John Sayles, following the lives of a small mining town and the labor troubles that come with the territory of life in the 1920's. Young drifter Joe Kenehan (Sayles regular, Chris Cooper) is the man that is attempting to form a united union among Matewan county. He has helpful support from the towering black coal miner "Few Clothes" Johnson (James Earl Jones), Elma Radnor (Mary McDonnell) who runs the local boarding house, and young Danny Radnor (Will Oldham) a teenage coal miner and town preacher, who is more helpful to Cooper than anybody in the entire county.Simply outstanding! Sayles has made a contemporary version of the old John Steinbeck Grapes of Wrath days, as well as recreating the era of The South during the roaring twenties. The film is full of lush cinematography by Haskell Wexler, a strong cast of characters and realistic story and dialogue. Plus, it has some memorably slimy villains, played by Kevin Tighe and Gordon Clapp as the mining companies hired thugs, who attempt to get things back in order in Matewan. David Strathairn is equally impressive as the hard-headed town sheriff, who will not tolerate Tighe and Clapp's bullying of the townsfolk. If you'd ever want to get into John Sayles films, this is the one to start with.
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Once again, John Sayles brings us an intense drama, about the various people in a fictional New Jersey city. It introduces us to over thirty characters, from political bigwigs to a lonely street crazy. The film has many assorted interconnecting stories, but the main one involves young Nick (Vincent Spano), who is fed up with his father and his father's criminal connections. However, Spano is in a bit of trouble with the local loan shark (another memorable performance by Sayles), who is planning on turning him in on a robbery charge. Sayles had organized the heist and is now attempting to save his skin by turning Spano into the cops. Another story deals with a clean-cut black city councilman (Joe Morton), attempting to calm the racial tensions among the black and white residents of the urban projects.Highly ambitious and extremely well-acted, Sayles is amazing when it comes to making original and intelligent stories. This movie is not full of the usual cliches you'd find in most city street films. The actors play their parts with such realism, it seems you're watching a documentary instead of a dramatization of city life!
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Why this was considered a great piece of work, I can't imagine! This banal comedy from Spike Lee can't seem to get its message across. It takes place around a black college campus in the south, where an extremely serious student (Laurence Fishburne) is fighting a losing battle with not only the administration, but with the students as well, who seem mostly rapped up in mindless fraternity and sorority idiocy.Well, I can't say that Lee got off on the right foot. His social message and provocative ideas are completely lost in painfully mind-boggling unfunny slapstick, agonizingly dreadful musical numbers (where did he get that nifty idea?!) and boring one-dimensional characters. The only interesting one among them is Fishburne, who usually plays people I can relate to. Ossie Davis has a funny cameo as the gung-ho coach of the college football team. Other than that, I can think of better things for you to do with your time if you're into painful experiences. Like pull your fingernails out with some pliers.
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Probably one of Spike Lee's most controversial films, this follows the day in the life of various characters in a New York neighborhood, during a hot summer day. Mostly, it's centered around the local eatery, run by Sal (Danny Aiello) and his sons (John Turturro and Richard Edson). Among the various people, we meet the local drunk Da Mayor (Ossie Davis), who offers a rather interesting philosophy to the people he meets. Mookie (Lee), the pizza delivery boy, who does a lot more with his time than deliver pizzas. And Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn), who's always carrying a large boom-box, which constantly plays Public Enemy's "Fight the Power". It's Nunn's boom-box which starts the climactic riot in Aiello's pizza parlor and brings the racial tensions to the ultimate limit.Full of Lee's interesting social insights, and plenty of stunning moments, this is to date, of all Lee's films, his cinematic masterpiece. For once, Lee acts well! And his characters are as arresting as always. The major theme, as to whether or not we can truly all just get along, is brought to intense life by the actors and the production members of Lee's troupe. If any film has caused as much controversy in the past ten years, this probably is the one.
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One of the few films that garnered immense controversy before it was even released, Spike Lee's elaborate biography of the famed Muslim leader is actually quite restrained compared to his other films. It follows the controversial minister's life, from poor childhood, to his time in prison, to his well-known journey to the city of Mecca, etc.Denzel Washington is powerful as the late minister. He is so good and so convincing, it seems that Malcolm X has been brought back from the dead. Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It) is nothing less than a pillar of strength as Malcolm's wife Betty Shabazz. But, out of the supporting cast, Al Freeman Jr. is the most impressive as the minister Elijah Muhammad, which is as equally well done as Washington's performance as Malcolm. The sets, cinematography, costume and score are all excellent (after the cast members of course). Although it's a tad overlong, Lee has been able to show us many sides of Malcolm's life, while making it consistently cinematically interesting. It evokes audience sympathy for Malcolm's plight, and in many cases, you can see where he's coming from with his feelings toward racism. I've always found Malcolm X to be one of the most influential and most amazing individuals of the 20th century. Much more so than any of his compatriots. Put this on your must-see film list.
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