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Reviews
Cooley High (1975)
Disrespected Classic
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BOYZ 'N THE HOOD IS A SCENE-BY-SCENE, COMPLETE RIP-OFF OF THIS MOVIE.
Two friends in the hood, one's focused on intellectual pursuits and the other is an athlete. The friend who's an athlete gets involved with the wrong people and gets killed. (The athlete just happens to be Washington from 'Welcome Back, Kotter'.)
It makes me mad that people don't know this. It blows my mind everytime I go into a video store and Boyz 'n the Hood is in the 'Drama' section while Cooley High is in 'Comedy'. It's an embarrassing disgrace. This movie is both funnier and more dramatic than John Singleton's rip-off. At least Singleton could have had the dignity to speak out that his film was homage to Cooley High, but no, he never said a word. Boys 2 Men, however, named their hit record after this film.
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Brilliant
Excellent film. So good, I wondered how on Earth Cameron Crowe came up with it. (I'm not a big fan). However, I came to this Web Site and learned it's a screen adaptation of a Spanish flick.
Like most clever films these days:
Smart people like Retards no like
Mission to Mars (2000)
Glad To See Others Liked It Too
I didn't see this movie in the theatres because everyone said it was so horrible. Then, I didn't rent this movie for so long because everyone said it was so horrible.
Well, after finally seeing it, I really liked it. I don't understand all of the discord. Hey, beautiful science fiction films aren't released everyday, let alone every year. Was the acting trite? Sure, maybe. Were the characters well developed? No, not really. Was the movie anywhere near scientific accuracy? No, especially given that the actual "face" on Mars does not appear to resemble a face afterall... not to mention the DNA business.
However, I love sci-fi, and this movie was absolutely beautiful and filled with wonder. Any movie that gets me thinking about the stars instead of life on this planet makes me happy so long as it's not some dumb, sci-fi horror flick or Starship Troopers or something.
And besides, I'd place that scene with the Alien inside of the "Face Museum/Starship" up there with the greatest moments in sci-fi history.
One more note, sometimes sci-fi is simply over the heads of under-educated, MTV watching, conformist, psychologically underdeveloped "time wasters".
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Pathetic, Yet Apropos
Gee, aren't I interested in some rich, gorgeous, self-centered schmuck and the dweeb who actually looks up to him. I mean, come on people? Is that America? Are my fellow Americans just dying to be perfect and rich; and nothing more? Gawd! What an annoying and useless movie. If every character would have dropped dead at the end, perhaps then there would have been some redemption.
Side Note... the director's previous work is also terribly overrated. I'm a complete romance freak. I love Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas. However, the English Patient rates as about a 5 for a great romance flick. Mediocre.
Matt Damon... overrated... Gwyneth... terribly overrated. Jude Law is very good. This "Mr. Ripley" flick... Ech! Almost offensive to any person who's got any sense of individuality or intellect at all.