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Reviews
Ghost World (2001)
The most entertainingly boring movie of the year
Like an overlong episode of Seinfeld, but with less plot and zero punchlines, I kept waiting anxiously for the movie to begin. Maybe there's some particular tone to the "Ghost World" comic that I completely missed out on, but this is the most rambling and incoherent script that's been made in quite a while. (Snippets of plot, like the Batman hat or the controversial chicken-art, simply disappear rather than being wrapped together.)
You can easily manage to forget all this, however, by admiring the scenery: Steve Buscemi, as well as most of the supporting characters, are quite entertaining. But it felt like watching the setting for a really good movie...and the good movie never showed up. Thora Birch's acting? It seemed like she mastered the don't-make-a-facial-expression schtick in "American Beauty" and pushed it into overdrive here - I was unconvinced by her.
And finally, the reason why my love for this movie was limited from the beginning is that I DIDN'T LIKE the main characters. Were we supposed to be charmed by Enid's consistent, unwavering self-centeredness? Don't get me wrong, I think it can be funny to show a couple of high-school grads driving around and being bitchy to everyone. With "Ghost World," however, I just wanted them to shut up. Maybe if, at some point during the movie, they had actually DONE something I would have felt differently.
Looks like IMDb's rating is sitting at 8.7 currently. I'm feeling very lonely down here at the bottom of the 10-scale, I need some friends! Come on now, say it with me: This movie is not, that, good.
The Others (2001)
A lesser "Sixth Sense"
The similarities between this film and everyone's favorite Haley Joel Osment vehicle are too numerous to mention. And the key difference between the two movies - one that allows "The Sixth Sense" to stand out despite Ms. Kidman's command performance - is that it was a viable movie prior to the whiz-bang surprise ending. "The Others" (what a dull title) managed to scare and entertain me most of the way, but it didn't make much sense until our requisite surprise ending came out. This is not a bad thing in and of itself, but my appreciation of the movie was blunted by its incoherence much of the way through. That's my two cents, anyway.
Battlefield Earth (2000)
Dollar for dollar, the worst movie ever made
"Waterworld" had a cool catamaran and a nifty premise. "Last Action Hero" had a few funny jokes and special effects. "Plan Nine from Outer Space," meanwhile, only cost about $25 to make. My conclusion: "Battlefield Earth" is that rare mix of a film that has NO appealing qualities - not even little ones - and a big-ass budget. I hereby christen it the biggest waste of money in Hollywood history. Not much else needs to be said; the film mocks itself. However, I did have a rollicking fun time at the movie theater, laughing my head off most of the time.
Lake Placid (1999)
Ignore the first guy
As long as you're looking for a nice brainless B-monster movie to chew on, "Lake Placid" is a hoot of a flick. Brogan seems to forget that, as bad as it was, "Anaconda" was a hell of a lot of fun for that exact reason. Well, this movie isn't as bad as "Anaconda," and it knows just how stupid to get without getting under your skin.
In short: don't expect anything more than typical monster movie fluff - all cliches intact and kicking - and you'll have a good time.