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Reviews
The Stand (1994)
King's best work ever in his Hollywood career
Back in 1994, the release of "The Stand" as a miniseries was a hotly-debated topic among Stephen King fans. There was also a large amount of backlash when some fans heard that Rob Lowe had been hired to do the important role of Nick Andros.
However, whatever problems fans had about the casting was quickly dismissed.
Gary Sinise, Ray Walston, and a number of actors raise this film above your a-typical Network Television Miniseries. The good reputation that this movie rests is firmly on the acting performances, and the outstanding casting choices made for this film. There are two cameo appearances by Kathy Bates and Ed Harris, who in particular gives a haunting and memorable cameo as a deranged Army General. There are a couple of really bad spots (Molly Ringwald, Corin Nemec, a few others) but most of the casting in this film is incredible and the casting director on this film rightfully deserved accolades.
The score of this film, done by "Snuffy" Walden is first-rate. It's an outstanding score that does the film and the book justice, and is so good that it deserves to be heard on its own.
There are a number of problems with this show, most notably the interference from the Network Censors and the weakness in production values. Sometimes both of these problems are so severe that they stick out like a sore thumb. The movie has a tendency to feel *very* cheap at times. The editing at times leaves a lot to be desired. This is easily Mick Garris' best film, but Mick's from the point-and-shoot school of film-making, and it does hurt the film to a degree.
The film opens very strongly - the opening sequence is perhaps the most memorable moment of the film and pretty much the next 90 minutes (which equates to the first "episode" of the miniseries) is actually of very high quality. However, over the next 4 hours the begins a very slow slide downward in quality until the final episode, where it finally begins to REALLY look & feel like a Network miniseries. Then we have the last 25 minutes, when there's a sharp drop into "movie hell", where the film becomes hokey, amateurish, and just plain bad. Part of this is due to lesser actors being given more attention or key scenes in the later part of the show. The other problems lie in King, Garris & co's decision to go for the full-on sentimental sappiness at the end, that just drowns and smothers the dignity the story deserved and should have kept. I think a keener director would've approached this aspect of the film with a little more restraint. One really bad example I recall is the dead character of Mother Abigail given a bad special effects cut & paste job into the upper right hand corner of the screen. All of what happens over the last 25 minutes basically drags this film away from being worthy of comparison in quality to some of the better King feature film adaptations. Still, it is the second best King telefilm (in my opinion, "Storm of the Century" beats it out by a hair)
This is only one of two really really great adaptations that Stephen King had his hands involved in substantially. Most of his producing/screen writing work is firmly below this film in terms of quality.
Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)
THE worst film ever made...
I consider myself 'experienced' in the area of trash films, having viewed Ed Wood's "Glen or Glenda" and others. (Plan 9 is actually an entertaining movie -very funny) This movie, shot by a fertilizer salesman in his spare time, is the most painful movie experience ever concieved. Excruciating is a better word, actually. Luckily, I was watching this movie with the bots from Mystery Science Theater, which made it somewhat entertaining, but what I was viewing along with my metal friends is far beyond actually describing...
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
what an awful movie
It interesting to note that, in BW2, the characters in the film make fun of the characters in the first film. Little do our sequel dwellers know that the movie they are in is not even in the same leauge as the first one. I bet you that Heather Donahuge did her trademark scream out of the movie theater after seeing this one.
The idea, plot, whathaveyou is not a bad one. But it is so poorly executed. The acting is not all so bad, but not all so great. However, the man who plays the town sheriff needs to go back to acting school. And while our characters bumble about, the pacing and editing of this film is god-awful.
If you're looking for scares, aviod this film at all costs. The only time I was startled was when a loud noise, such as objects crashing through a window, kicked out of my home theater speakers. This movie perhaps contains brief moments of uneasyness, but the film cannot sustain enough attention to actually get into.
Dead Man (1995)
The most underrated film of the 1990's
I, along with virtually all those who I know, never had the chance to view Dead Man in the theaters during it's very brief run (less than 10 days).
Jim Jarmusch is arguably the greatest filmmaker of his generation (contemporaries being Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson). And, judging by his track record of films, some of films most phenomenal talent has worked with him, from Tom Waits to Robert Mitchum. There are virtually no 'holes' in the acting talent on this film alone.
This doesn't describe the film, of course. And like most films, you have to see it to appreciate it. The movie begins in an almost existential nightmare. By the end of the film, it has reached such an intense state of beauty. You have laughed, been disgusted by gore, thought about your own life, and in general you have a much greater connection to your own mortality.
Pizza Runners (1996)
A Tour-De-Force of food service comedy!
It is my profound pleasure to say that the film, "Pizza Runners", cannot be described in simple words. I was blessed to know the main talent behind this film beforehand, and although you might think this makes me a bit biased, it doesn't.
Michael Raben, R.J. (Regis) White, and Jason Blum each slaved hard at this film, from the first days of script work, to the last minute edits and polish. I must state for the record that this film could have destroyed a mere mortal(filmmaker's)soul. But the hard-edged determination won out, and Mr. Hawk can now kiss the three's asses!
Pizza Runners is a great comedy to begin with. However, unlike most films, this film will not make you say to yourself -"I'm never going to get that hour and a half back!" The character of Lou, astoundingly played by the then-unknown Michael Anderson, is the crown jewel, the "Dark Horse" if you will, of the film. I don't think that there is another man alive that could have played the character of Lou better than Mike.
In summation, I must point out that Pizza Runners never fails to make me laugh, no matter how many times I have seen it. I wish Michael Raben, R.J., and Jason Blum the best and brightest future imaginable in this crazy world of independent features. ....and thaaank you....