U List of Movie Reviews
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U Turn (1997)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
3/04, 4/18, 3/22
4/18:
The editing is the most impressive aspect of U Turn, so that's why I wanted to see it again.
The movie was holding steady for a rating of '9' from me until Jake McKenna was murdered. Things fell apart right after,
sputtering badly toward the finish line. Yet the acting is terrific, and everybody is perfectly cast. Even Sean Penn is
fantastic as Bobby Cooper. My favorites are him, Billy Bob Thornton, Claire Danes, and Joaquin Phoenix. Their stupid,
tacky characters are amusing to watch.
It's a clever story: how things can be so fucked up for a fuck-up like Bobby Cooper. And they just do. I don't pity him.
It's how I feel about Sean Penn. This one has great lines such as:
"You like Patsy Cline? I just love her. I wonder how come she don't put out no more new records."
"See, that's the difference between you and me, and why you live here and I'm just passing through."
"I don't think you know who I am. The name's Toby N. Tucker. People 'round here call me TNT. You know why?"
"You think bad, and bad's what you'll get."
"Darrell's dumb as a sack of hammers."
I have to give it to Oliver Stone who refuses to be pigeonholed by making many movies with different styles. He's
always changing things up, and it has been interesting, to say the least. Although his gamble doesn't work out every time, they
have been watchably entertaining and provocative.
All in all, U Turn is a funny movie in a bad Oliver Stone way with uniformly excellent editing, but it's a damn
shame about the last twenty minutes.
3/22:
I'm going from '6' to '7' for my rating of U Turn although the last twenty minutes still doesn't work for me.
It's better this time around with terrific performances. Everybody is well-cast. Look at the names: Sean
Penn, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte, Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Voight, Powers Boothe, Joaquin Phoenix, and Clare Danes. It's
unbeatable. Plus, the edgy editing is almost reminiscent of Natural Born Killers.
All in all, U Turn is a fun Oliver Stone flick.
U.S. Marshals (1998)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
9/18
9/18:
What's left over from The Fugitive is a formula for the sequel to follow with Tommy Lee
Jones returning despite his pretentious sidekicks.
U.S. Marshals seems to work for a while, but the longer it goes on, the more mechanical everything feels. It's like I
have to have a checklist.
Wesley Snipes is usually fun to watch because of his magnetic personality. In this, he's plain and wooden like never before.
Because of his reputation for playing good guys, I couldn't tell if I was supposed to root for him or Tommy Lee Jones.
Why am I being made confused for so long?
When Robert Downey, Jr., was brought on board, I immediately predicted the ending and was therefore correct. My regret is wasting
over two hours to find out. Speaking of predictability, the Judge Reinhold look-alike is finally killed. Because of his face,
he really had it coming to him.
All in all, U.S. Marshals is a repeat of The Fugitive.
U-571 (2000)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
2/15
2/15:
The first ten minutes of U-571 has all the indications of being a rip-off of Das Boot.
Yet soon after, it turns out to be a much different submarine picture from the incomparable German classic. The strength lies
in the ingenious story that propels me to feel the tension and suspense as experienced by the American submariners. If anything,
the low-key cast is the clincher because no one tries hard to outdo each other.
Although Matthew McConaughey is the headliner, he's, more or less, the same as others. Rather, the film is about the
transformation of his character Andrew Tyler's decision-making skills and teamwork.
At first, Tyler yelled "I don't know!" in the face of a serious situation. Then, Chief Petty Officer (Harvey Keitel) confronted
him privately and gave him a life lesson in why he, the leader of the submarine, should never say something like that. Taking it
to heart, Tyler became a better decision-maker in the ensuing do-or-die situations. As a result, the crew's teamwork improved,
showing a purpose toward the end. There are dramatic moments here and there that make U-571 worth the time. Yet it
has some negatives such as:
One, I've seen Das Boot and think of it as the gold standard of submarine pictures. Hence,
there's too much familiarity here.
Two, for a WWII picture, it's modern in many ways. Even Tyler uses the Weaver stance with the gun, but I've never
seen it done in 30's or 40's films.
Three, there's absolutely no way in hell the U-boat would have survived the constant battering from depth charges.
A few of them would've ended it much sooner than anticipated. That being said, the submarine must have been made of a
special material not known to man.
Four, the German destroyer wouldn't blow up that easily after being hit by a single torpedo.
Five, after everything had happened, I expected the U-571 to be blown out of the water, but the typical cheesy Hollywood
ending is a disappointment. It's why Das Boot was a brilliant classic by going the opposite
direction.
Six, it wasn't the Americans but the British who captured the Enigma machine. People just can't rewrite history for
convenience's sake.
All in all, despite the flaws, U-571 is a thrilling submarine picture that kept me entertained to the end.
The Ugly American (1963)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
11/06
11/06:
The Ugly American is an absorbing political picture with a great buildup of international tension.
When a country, that's under the yoke of another, wants to declare independence but is faced with obstacles while being
dissuaded by superpowers like the United States, some of the governments seem to forget themselves they once went through
the exact same thing.
Too often, politicians have been accused of being too much of themselves when they try to tell others how to behave
accordingly. It's what The Ugly American was trying to convey. Of the cast, Marlon Brando shines, and a good deal of
credit goes to Eiji Okada as Deong.
All in all, The Ugly American is a worthwhile political picture that has something important to say.
UHF (1989)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
4/14
4/14:
I saw UHF during the late 80's and had probably revisited it a couple of times afterwards.
Since then, it's been over twenty years since I last saw it, and I haven't forgotten much. UHF isn't a great comedy
piece; it's slightly hilarious and can be sometimes ineffable. Perhaps the skit with Raul's Wild Kingdom that's filmed in
his apartment perfectly sums up what I mean: not exactly funny. After seeing the animals and insects be abused, I feel relieved
to learn the actor died around that time.
Although Al Yankovic is spoofing Rambo, Sylvester Stallone can laugh at him because his movies had literally made over a
billion of dollars. At least, the rubber physique suit looks effective on Al. During the same summer, as Al was spoofing
Indiana Jones, the third part killed UHF at the box office by a wide margin.
All in all, UHF is a weird film.
Ulee's Gold (1997)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
12/08
12/08:
Come on, this is crap.
The premise of Ulee's Gold is basically this: return the money to the people who stole it, let them get arrested, and
reunite the family as a result. In between, Peter Fonda, with his metallic glasses, walks around as if he got kicked by a horse.
And that's pretty much it.
Heavily praised with an Oscar nomination to boot, Peter Fonda's performance is overrated. Patricia Richardson doesn't translate
well on screen for cinema, and Jessica Biel overacts although it's not clear why her character is uncooperative and combative.
The family problems aren't explained well, either. Henceforth, I've stopped caring anymore.
All in all, Fool's Gold sounds more like it.
Ultraviolet (2006)
Rate:
1
Viewed:
7/07
7/07:
I think of Ultraviolet as Ultracrap although Ultraviolent hits the spot as well.
The heavy reliance on CGI is bombastic like a broken record while the acting is akin to looking at the puke inside a toilet.
Whose bright idea was it that Milla Jovovich would have a career in movies? She is like a plastic model who's employed by upscale
designer clothing companies.
Milla's character says, "I was born into a world you might not understand." Um...yes, I do, and her world sucks. The abuse of
physics laws makes death virtually impossible to achieve. Sometimes, I wonder if watching violent pictures has a deleterious
effect on the intelligence quotient.
All in all, it's Ultracrap.
Ulzana's Raid (1972)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
2/22
2/22:
Like The Wild Bunch and The Hunting Party,
Ulzana's Raid is a brutal Western picture.
The talgine on the DVD cover gets it right: To defeat the Apaches, they had to be just as savage. In response to "What we have
to determine is how many of them there are, and whether they are hostile," Burt Lancaster says, "Well, the first is open to
question. The second you can bet money on." To later drive the point further, he stresses, "He don't mean to fight you nowhere.
He only means to kill you."
A lot of the movie reminds me of The Searchers. Giving another outstanding performance,
Burt Lancaster plays a
world-weary scout who has seen it all. When he gives advice, everybody should heed it, but Lieutenant Garnett DeBuin (Bruce
Davison) is too idealistic to believe him, hence the ending that's not thought-out well. DeBuin keeps asking why the
Apaches are like this, but the answer is obvious: the United States stole their land.
I love Rob Roy with Liam Neeson and Tim Roth, and the script came from Alan Sharp who should
have won the Oscar for it.
Well, what do you know? He did the screenplay for Ulzana's Raid which is outstanding with many great lines. It's
a thinking man picture for sure. Believe it or not, the fighting between the U.S. Army and various Apache nations in the
southwest from 1849 to 1886 is the longest war ever in history which ended with the surrender of Geronimo. The brutality shown
by the Apaches did happen for real.
By the way, I didn't know Bruce Davison went that far back as he looks young in this movie. Here's how Davison got cast:
"I went in to see Robert Aldrich and said, 'Mr. Aldrich, you have no idea how much
The Sand Pebbles meant to me.' He
said, 'Thanks, kid, but Robert Wise made that film. But you're just dumb enough, you have the part.'"
All in all, Ulzana's Raid is among the most overlooked Western movies from the 70's.
Umberto D. (1952)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
8/06
8/06:
Although Umberto D. is considered as a classic of world cinema, I beg to differ.
While the movie is emotionally moving at times, it's never fulfilling because of the lack of depth within the protagonist.
Worse, he doesn't seem to be in any state of despair. The explanations aren't clear, either. So, the dog takes over in an
attempt to manipulate my feelings, so I can say, "Oh, how cute!"
By eliminating the animal from the equation, I doubt Umberto D. would be the film as it is. Hence,
Ladri di biciclette is more honest about a working class male who's desperate to do
anything given the deplorable circumstances. Vittorio De Sica tried to do the same with the old man and his dog, but it's
rather tacky.
All in all, to like Umberto D. is to fall for the trap that's laid by the dog.
The Unbearable Lightness
of Being (1988)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
5/08, 5/15, 2/22
5/08:
What should have been a '10' picture, The Unbearable Lightness of Being lacks direction and plot.
How it ends is also disappointing. In truth, the film merits a second viewing because I think it's that good. Daniel Day-Lewis
is excellent as the serial womanizer, and Lena Olin is hot, hot, hot. Yet Juliette Binoche's performance leaves a
lot to be desired.
These three are what makes The Unbearable Lightness of Being a sexy yet frustrating picture. I think it's due to the
abstractness of what was happening during the Czech uprising that's hard for me to relate to. Also, it relies more on emotion
than literalness. In comparison, Mickey Rourke and Kim Basigner have both of them which came across clearly in
9½ Weeks.
Of the direction, having seen a lot of Philip Kaufman's films including Quills,
Twisted, Invasion of the Body Snatchers,
The Right Stuff, and Rising Sun, I feel he's wrong for
The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Kaufman is an able director, but his films lack completeness.
All in all, The Unbearable Lightness of Being shows promise, and I hope my opinion is better the next time I see it.
5/15:
I realize now The Unbearable Lightness of Being isn't a great movie.
I've tried hard to like it for the sake of Daniel Day-Lewis, Lena Olin, and Juliette Binoche, but Philip Kaufman's misdirection
proves too much for me. The first hour was going well until the street protest changed everything. Thereafter,
things gradually got worse. It went in a bland direction, throwing me off what the story should be all about. The
chief problem is the three-hour running time, creating a significant looseness in the material.
Lena Olin is perhaps granted too much screen time despite her character setting the tone by being mysterious in a sexy way.
However, the longer she is shown, the more ordinary she becomes, undermining her effect in the long run. Regardless, Lena Olin stands
out the most, being the originator of passion that's kept at a high level, thanks to Daniel Day-Lewis' helping hand. Together,
they have the best scenes and rightfully so. In fact, because of their chemistry, the movie should be more focused on them.
Although I regard Daniel Day-Lewis as an excellent actor, his character is sadly almost one-dimensional. He keeps giving the
same look that's supposed to be a turn-on, but is there anything else? Not for a second Daniel is believable as a brain surgeon
who has the propensity to slip in and out of his womanizing habits so to emulate the modern-day Don Juan.
Juliette Binoche's performance is above average, but her Tereza is more stupid than childish. For somebody
as pretty as she who has the ability to make a living as a photographer, I find it hard to believe. Hence, I wish she's
more like Sabina but in a different way to give her a run for the money in vying for Tomas' attention to spice up things.
Philip Kaufman should've stayed with the material from the first hour, so he can finish out with a moral lesson. That
way, The Unbearable Lightness of Being will work out better. But it's the Prague Spring demonstration that undid
it although I understand this event is part of the story. Sometimes, it's better to leave it out and go in a different direction
in the hopes of making a timeless classic. At the same time, the characters should've been further developed, so the film can
appear poignant with a tragic finish.
If there's anything I love, it's the different, unique shots, hence the sexy foreign look. Having Daniel Day-Lewis (English),
Lena Olin (Swedish), and Juliette Binoche (French) on board helps a lot. There are many scenes that are unlike anything in
American films. Perhaps it's why The Unbearable Lightness of Being continues to be revisited. However, by taking them
away, it's nothing but a soft porno with little plot. By the way, I read the book, but the film version isn't the same.
That's why Milan Kundera refused the rights to have any more of his works adapted into film.
All in all, despite the well-done performances, director Philip Kaufman is wrong for The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
2/22:
The Unbearable Lightness of Being is an erotic classic with three unforgettable players.
The first hour is absolutely terrific. Then, the invasion of Czechoslovakia (Prague Spring) comes which ruins the
momentum, making the second hour merely okay. The final stretch is when I start to say it had gone on far too long
while wondering what the heck happened to Lena Olin.
At first, I thought it was a '8' or '9' movie with moments of '10'. But ultimately, '7' is the ceiling, and it'll never break
through it. Don't get me wrong: Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche, and Lena Olin are unbeatable. You can't mess up with these
people giving sexual best of their careers. Rather, it's been the case of poor direction or bad editing...maybe both.
It's too bad about what happened to Tereza at the end, but I don't care much for Tomas. He was an inveterate womanizer, and I
thought Tereza was already beautiful. I can understand why Tomas couldn't have Sabina. The scene when Sabina left the apartment
with nothing but mirrors perfectly explains why: she's unattainable, can't be held back by commitments, and must always be a
free-spirited artist.
All in all, the book The Unbearable Lightness of Being is basically unfilmable, but if they had the right
director, it could've worked out.
Uncivil War Birds (1946)
Rate:
1
Viewed:
12/07
12/07:
Can the Three Stooges be any more lame than in Uncivil War Birds?
All in all, I'm starting to realize how much the Three Stooges suck.
Uncle Buck (1989)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
11/05
11/05:
Uncle Buck is a funny but uneven comedy picture.
There are some hilarious moments, especially when John Candy's character has some fun with Bug. However, there's the lack of
momentum afterwards which hurts the continuity of the film, hence the unevenness.
Garrett Brown, who plays the father, looks out of place and doesn't blend in well. Some relationships, especially with
Buck and his girlfriend, aren't clear for me to understand the ongoing tension.
All in all, Uncle Buck isn't a great John Candy picture as I have better memories of him as Del, Chet, and Harry Crumb.
Uncommon Valor (1983)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
2/24
2/24:
Before there was Rambo: First Blood Part II, there was Uncommon Valor.
The story is essentially the same. Instead of Rambo, it's Gene Hackman who leads his own Dirty Dozen team to rescue
Vietnam P.O.W.s. Of course, it would be disappointing if the camp turned out to be empty or there were no prisoners after all.
The first hour is fine but corny in the 80's sense. By the time the show is underway during the second hour, it's when the movie
comes alive. The action is fast and furious that doesn't look altogether different from
Rambo: First Blood Part II. Then, the story clicked with me, and I started
rooting for the good guys, hence the terrific ending. It's too bad about those who died trying to be heroes.
Gene Hackman is the man and has a great moment by reciting a paraphrased line from Julius Caesar. That's when I knew
he took interest in the script from the get-go. Everybody else isn't bad: Fred Ward, Reb Brown, Randall "Tex" Cobb, Patrick Swayze,
Harold Sylvester, and Tim Thomerson. What a rag-tag collection of actors. I think part of the reason why their characters went
back is to recapture what they lost there in the first place.
All in all, Uncommon Valor is a surprisingly good "stand-up-and-cheer-for-the-heroes" picture.
Under Milk Wood (1971)
Rate:
3
Viewed:
12/18
12/18:
If there's an impossible accomplishment in cinema, it's making a great film out of a poem.
I honestly didn't know what I was in for when I started playing Under Milk Wood and thought of it as another
movie with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor plus Peter O'Toole.
Don't be fooled by the movie poster because it's anything but. Clocking at 87 minutes, it's a torture to
sit through which took me four nights to complete. Admittedly, I didn't understand the nonsense that was being
spewed out. Filmed in Wales, Under Milk Wood was a massive box-office failure against a budget of $300,000
which was mostly financed by Richard Burton. Unsurprisingly, everybody wrote it off as a tax loss.
All in all, Elizabeth Taylor, who makes a scant appearance in Under Milk Wood, said it the best: "The final
effect is to leave one wondering what, precisely, is the point of the exercise."
Under Siege (1992)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
6/03, 1/20
1/20:
Under Siege marks a dramatic shift in style for Steven Seagal by going from low-budget policiers to big-budget
blockbusters.
I wish I can say the move was good, but honestly, I prefer him doing more of the same. If he had to do five or ten
more like the first four films, then so be it; they made money, period.
Like I said, Under Siege is a big-budget picture, undermining the uniqueness of Steve Seagal as he's transformed into
a mainstream martial arts star. Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey provide a lot of star power. Wanting to follow (?!?) Casey Ryback
into the middle of gunfire, Erika Eleniak starts off as annoying, but after changing her behavior in fifteen minutes, she
becomes tolerable but inexplicably wears a Navy uniform during the funeral at the end.
I find it hard to believe that a team of 30 bad guys can take over a battleship of roughly 2,000. While this was happening, I had been
thinking, "Why are the sailors surrendering so quickly?" They should be fighting back. Yes, some of them are going to die, but
it's part of the price they agreed to pay in exchange for their service. And the bullets going through the steel corridors,
will they be ricocheting off them all the time?
By the way, the battleship shown in the film is the USS Alabama. It's retired, having been converted into a museum, which
is currently situated in Mobile Bay, Alabama. Because the battleship is permanently docked there, the filmmakers had to use a
60-foot high black drape to block out the city in the background to give the idea the action was taking place in the middle
of the Pacific Ocean.
Notice Steven Seagal doesn't sport a ponytail this time. It's because the Navy has a regulation against hair that's longer than
four inches. In the movie poster, he wears his whites but ironically never does during the film, expressing his disdain
for such ceremonies.
All in all, I can watch Above the Law many times to death, but I'm always unenthusiastic
when it comes to Under Siege.
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
1/20
1/20:
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory is basically a remake of the original, but this time, it takes place on train.
Opting for high-budget blockbuster films, the paunchy Steven Seagal has now rendered himself bland. Whatever he
does, it doesn't matter: the result is the same every time. Not a single person has a chance to put the big hurt on him.
That got me wondering who'll win in a fight: Steven Seagal or Michael Myers? Both are indestructible, and they feel
no emotions whatsoever.
Meanwhile, Morris Chestnut as Zachs takes over Erika Eleniak's position to be the most annoying character of the
day. I had been like, "Just kill him already." It's hard to believe Zachs is capable of doing advanced
military stuff when he has no experience or training to speak of. When the porter left the train, he should've stayed away
for good. On the other hand, Katherine Heigl is snotty and annoying.
Everett McGill did impress me with his big man performance until the showdown with Steven Seagal and is quickly killed just like
the others. I guess military training is overrated. His partner, Eric Bogosian, is a weakling who'll die in mere seconds.
When one of the men at the Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting heard the U.S. President had been safely evacuated, he said,
"Thank God." Um, yeah...okay. But he seems not to have a problem with the possible death of many train passengers.
Coming in a close second to underscore the awfulness of Under Siege 2: Dark Territory is the low quality of special
effects. It had a budget of $60 million, but they couldn't make the action scenes real enough? The last ten minutes of the train
wreck is both awful and unbelievable.
All in all, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory is guilty of spewed Hollywood crap.
Under Suspicion (1991)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
5/25
5/25:
Under Suspicion is a unique British neo-noir because of the sudden switch from femme fatale
to homme fatale.
That being said, Liam Neeson succeeded in fooling me. Because I was used to seeing people wrongly
accused and convicted of murder, I thought it would be one of those stories that had been done so many times.
So, kudos to everybody for bringing something new to the table. If you don't believe Tony did it, then you need
to rewatch the last ten minutes.
What a dramatic last-minute save for Frank to grab Tony from being hanged. I wonder if the latter felt supremely
worried while the clock was ticking away. Of course, the whole thing is at once terrifically neat and implausible,
but I can't be complaining about the high production value of the film which was mostly shot on location in either
Portmeirion, Wales, or Brighton, England.
There are a few things to go over. One, why was Tony okay with his wife being killed? I guess we'll never know
he did love her or not, but it's an undeniable fact that he's totally corrupt. Two, the barrister who said Tony
did it after all...was that more than convincing enough to point him as the true murderer? Three, why would
Angeline leave behind the severed thumb in some bottle if it was going to incriminate her? All she had to do was
burn it or throw it away.
All in all, great performances, story, and cinematography make Under Suspicion worth watching.
Under Suspicion (2000)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
5/25
5/25:
After working together in Unforgiven, Morgan Freeman and Gene
Hackman deliver a new film that promises to let everybody down big time.
Think of 12 Angry Men. Everybody is working so hard to convince
each other of the boy's guilt. The longer the show goes on, the more dramatic it becomes. All of a sudden,
with minutes left, the bailiff opens the door and says...the case has been thrown out. That means your time
has been thoroughly wasted for nothing. That's Under Suspicion in a nutshell.
I don't know what to say. Actually a remake of Garde à Vue, it has good acting, a solid story, and strong
editing. I was with everybody the whole time, but there were a couple of issues that kept gnawing at me. One,
if Henry Hearst, an educated man who happens to be a tax attorney, is really guilty, shouldn't he lawyer up
and be quiet instead? Two, there's no way the police is allowed to interrogate his wife due to spousal privilege.
All in all, you should resist the urge to see Under Suspicion, no matter how much Morgan Freeman and
Gene Hackman are prominently featured.
Under the Cherry Moon (1986)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
8/21
8/21:
Under the Cherry Moon is a playful follow-up to the massive success of Purple Rain.
I didn't realize until the movie was over that Prince directed it. Hence, the man was a magnificent talent. What a unique
perspective he had. In a way, both are similar when it comes to romance. However, Under the Cherry Moon is completely
different in how the material is presented. I can't help but feel the strong influence of
La dolce vita.
By far, the best artistic decision is turning it into a black-and-white picture. Michael Ballhaus should've been recognized
for the job well done. His extensive résumé includes Goodfellas,
Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Quiz Show. Had he shot
Under the Cherry Moon in color, a lot of the power would've been lost.
After that, Prince takes care of the rest. Too cool for words, he's fun to watch. So is Jerome Benton as his sidekick. Kristin
Scott Thomas makes a stunning debut, and she'll go on to have a long, great career in acting. The chemistry between her and
Prince is electrifying. What sets him apart from others is the unpredictability.
Looking up the internet, I'm dismayed to see a lot of negative reviews heaped on Under the Cherry Moon.
They've missed the point as the film isn't far off from Purple Rain. In fact, both are
highly creative and artistic, and there's a lot of poetry in what Prince did.
Interestingly, a woman named Lisa Barber became the 10,000th caller for MTV's "Prince Under the Cherry Moon"
contest. As a result, she won the right to host the film for its world premiere at her hometown of Sheridan, Wyoming. It
must have been an experience of a lifetime for her which is something that never happens with other stars of Prince's magnitude.
All in all, although Purple Rain got the most press of Prince's filmmaking career,
Under the Cherry Moon warrants attention because it's quite good.
Undercurrent (1946)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
2/24
2/24:
Undercurrent is a terrible film noir picture that's a good remake candidate.
The story concepts are fine, but the script is awful with tons of words. The first hour was so boring that I
zoned out. Then, the second came that partially saved the movie, but it's still talky and keeps reminding me of
Gaslight and
Rebecca. However, I like Karl Freund's cinematography in certain points.
The other problem, which is actually the biggest, is Katharine Hepburn. She's the worst and is more of a lesbian
than anything. Ugly and not attractive to begin with, she dominates the first half and then tones it down when
Robert Taylor saw his chance to take the show away from her. Thereafter, the film becomes tolerable for a while
by getting to the bottom of the mystery. Finally, Robert Mitchum shows up for what's been the longest time
and shows why he's a better actor than Katharine Hepburn.
If given the chance to redo Undercurrent, Katharine Hepburn should be replaced with Ingrid Bergman. She
would've been perfect and on equal ground with Robert Taylor and Robert Mitchum, two fine-looking guys. Absurd
and stupid to begin with, the script needs to be fixed up with less words while letting the initial relationship
go longer like a month before marriage happens. It'll clear out the logic problems.
A longtime mediocre actor, Robert Taylor has surprised me the most. I've never seen him act like this; it's a fine
performance. A film noir legend who's at home here, Robert Mitchum is too good but ends up wasted.
Katharine Hepburn thought he couldn't act. Ha! Look who's talking; she's the one who ruined the movie. Mitchum
later said what Hepburn said about him was false. By the way, Jayne Meadows makes her screen debut but is rather
memorable for turning Lady in the Lake, which was
made during the same year, into the most convoluted movie ever.
All in all, Undercurrent doesn't work although it has plenty of untapped potential.
The Underneath (1995)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
7/14
7/14:
Fifteen minutes into The Underneath, the only thing I could think of was Criss Cross.
At least, Steven Soderbergh won't be accused of being a hack because he'll go on to implement many techniques in
Out of Sight, The Limey, and, most notably,
Traffic.
Hence, the ripped-off plot is annoying to sit through because I'll rather see Burt Lancaster, not
Peter Gallagher whom I like but prefer him in a supporting role. I'm not sure what the deal is with Elisabeth
Shue since she adds nothing to the grand scheme of things. Of course, the ending isn't a surprise.
All in all, it's best to see Criss Cross, not The Underneath.
Underworld (2003)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
2/06
2/06:
Underworld is full of boring drivel with an okay story and not-so-bad acting.
Basically, it's about a fourteen-century long battle of fifty vampires versus several werewolves. I've noticed there's
no sun the whole time. How can life exist then?
The werewolves should've figured out that vampires are afraid of the sun and then exploited their weakness
by hunting them down during the day, thus effectively ending the war sooner than expected. Of course, the idiots in Hollywood
want to make a movie in order to ensare other idiots to fork over their money and thus count the dollars.
All in all, Underworld is a "whatever" movie.
Unfaithful (2002)
Rate:
3
Viewed:
8/08
8/08:
Richard Gere was voted the "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine in 1993 and again in 1999.
In Unfaithful, Diane Lane's character decides to cheat on him. And why? It's because his face looks like a botched
plastic surgery job with hair transplant to complete the look. In other words, Richard Gere is appearing more like a Chinaman.
At the same time, it's a crying marathon for him.
Once again, Adrian Lyne can't let go of the 9½ Weeks formula that's been failing
him over the years although the mainstream audience constantly falls for it. He probably had a stroke of
genius one day by exclaiming, "I have an idea! How about Fatal Attraction, but this
time, we switch the genders?!?"
Diane Lane is a classic textbook example of Pathetic Acting 101. She lets her eyes, sighs, and several facial expressions do
the work for her. As a result, Diane Lane is simply unbelievable. Her co-star, Olivier Martinez, is one-dimensional and does nothing
special to justify her character's adultery. There's no way they'll get away with the murder of Paul Martel.
All in all, there are many scenes and moments that are reminiscent of 9½ Weeks,
making it hard for me to sit through Unfaithful.
Unforgettable (1996)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
8/20, 5/22
8/20:
Unforgettable?
Unfathomable is more like it. The premise starts out as intriguing with tons of potential in the idea of
injecting one person's cerebrospinal fluid into somebody else to retrieve memories. However, it stops there
after the first half-hour and starts going terribly wrong the rest of the way.
Ray Liotta is guilty of being typecast as a psychotic character. It's all about his eyes, and he never fails to
deliver the crazed look he's (in)famous for. Why can't he continue doing nice, heart-warming films like
Dominick and Eugene and
Field of Dreams?
In Unfathomable, his medical examiner character, Dr. Krane, has the chance to inject fluids, not from one
but four people, into himself, which is all unscientifically proven, so he can find out who killed his wife.
While at it, he does it four separate times within two days. Heart attack is a side effect of this, and it's
not surprising the guy ended up permanently comatose. By the way, did somebody say his blood alcohol content
was 2.5? That's crazy; he would've been declared dead. At least 0.30% will put somebody into a coma, and any
higher is crossing over to the death valley.
The editing feels gimmicky, pushing the envelope from plausible to weird. In other words, the plot is
increasingly convoluted that's on par with Desperate Measures.
Many far-fetched events are jam-packed in a short amount of time, and Krane never experiences a single positive
memory that's stored in any of the four deceased characters?
All in all, some things are best left alone, and that's what Krane should've done in Unfathomable.
5/22:
Upping my rating from '4' to '6', the plot of Unforgettable is easier to swallow this time around.
Maybe Unfathomable was a bad title because I now see it's about avenging the death of his wife. Then again,
who knows if they did love each other? I'm only saying this because it's been through Dr. Krane's perspective
the entire time. The movie is fine for the most part, but Linda Fiorentino is a dead weight. Anybody else
but her would help a lot. She was only cast because of her connection with the director from
The Last Seduction.
All in all, Unforgettable works well as a mystery thriller, but you should leave your brain at the door.
The Unforgiven (1960)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
1/25
1/25:
Uh.............The Searchers, anyone?
That makes sense because Alan Le May wrote the books for it and The Unforgiven in 1954 and 1957,
respectively. Both are the same story except this time the child was taken from the Indians. Instead
of Natalie Wood, it's Audrey Hepburn who has the honors of assuming the brownfaced role. How her character
would be proved this way by being stripped down is beyond my comprehension. Ironically, Audrey Hepburn turned
down the role in Sayonara because she couldn't see herself playing an
"Oriental," but what's the difference here?
For the longest time, I thought about giving the film a '7' because of the high quality. Then, the thinkable
happened: Ben ordered his brother to shoot one of the three Kiowas dead despite them coming peacefully for a talk.
I was like, "Uh, John Huston...you just lost me, dude." Forget the rest of the film as it made zero sense to
support a white family of killers. All they had to do was give up the woman because she rightfully belonged
to the Kiowas. Even Rachel rejected her biological Indian brother (I thought that was the father, but either
way, it didn't make a difference) by shooting him in cold blood.
There were a lot of things that I didn't understand. Why now? Why after twentysomething years when the Kiowas
could take the baby back at the beginning? How could Rachel and Ben's mother be left alone when he and
others were preparing to go away to Wichita? Whatever happened to Johnny Portugal afterwards?
During the fighting, why not the Kiowas come up with a better battle strategy by taking the house from
the rear? That couldn't be hard because the cows were on the roof which meant the back had to be
filled with a dirt ramp leading up to the roof. If Rachel loved Ben the whole time and they weren't even
siblings in blood, then why didn't they get married? That being said, how about giving up Rachel to the
Kiowas so everybody could live? Then, Ben would marry her, creating an alliance between his family and them.
Anyway, the performances are fine. I have no issue with any of the players except for Audrey Hepburn and
John Saxon for being brownfaced. Anyone can tell that Rachel looks different from her white counterparts.
The Unforgiven is actually an infamous film because of what happened to Audrey Hepburn. She fell
off a horse and subsequently broke her back which led to miscarriage not long after yet was smoking
three packs a day at the time. Hence, it's the only Western movie of her career.
All in all, whatever the point John Huston was trying to make in The Unforgiven, an appropriate
title after all, simply has come down to this: "The only good Indian is a dead Indian."
Unforgiven (1992)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
5/03, 6/06, 8/11
6/06:
A perfect film for Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven is possibly the last true Western classic in cinema history.
An ode to the dying genre, it does well enough to dispel the misconceptions that countless Western movies have established for
so long. I can see the blind-as-a-bat boy representing the audience while the old-timers Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and
Gene Hackman's characters show him what the life is really like out there in the West. There's a clear-cut difference in what
makes men stand apart from boys.
The acting, the mood, the setting, and the somberness are well-constructed. What makes the film great is the realism of the
ambience as the mood rides heavily on William Munny's mystique. Throughout, there's a touch of wry humor, and the final climax
is a monster roller-coaster ride.
Morgan Freeman proves he makes an outstanding supporting actor for Clint Eastwood as he'll repeat it in
Million Dollar Baby. Jaimz Woolvett gives a standout performance as the Schofield
Kid, and Gene Hackman is just like as he was in The French Connection but older
and wiser.
All in all, Unforgiven is a genuine Western neo-noir.
8/11:
Probably the last true Western picture made, Unforgiven corrects many myths about the Old West.
The film boasts of an all-star cast which includes Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Gene Hackman. These three
are the reasons why I watched the film again. More importantly, Clint Eastwood brings along a solid résumé of Westerns
to give credence to what he's doing in order to wrap up the dying genre with a nice bow-tie. An underrated performance comes
from Jaimz Woolvett as the blind-as-a-bat Schofield Kid, and it's too bad that he didn't receive an Oscar nomination.
All in all, Unforgiven is a Western neo-noir masterpiece that finally recognized Clint Eastwood as a great director.
Universal Soldier (1992)
Rate:
2
Viewed:
7/12
7/12:
Only if Dolph's performance could be expanded to a 90-minute solo, I think we'll have a winner in Universal Stupid.
The supermarket insanity is arguably the funniest thing I've seen out of Dolph other than Rocky IV.
In Universal Stupid, his character cuts ears and makes necklaces out of them, screams racial epithets about the
Vietnamese, and reminds everybody of his real name which is, mind you, Andrew Scott.
On the other hand, Jean-Claude Van Damme sleepwalks through his role, eats a dozen of dishes in one sitting, and shows no
emotion. Being used to his Belgian charisma, I find it a dreadful bore. Who in his right mind said it was a good idea to
involve Ally Walker? And why? She does nothing for the film. Intelligence is routinely abused throughout, too. So, let me
enumerate some only to give up on the list due to the feebleness of trying:
1. Notice how the reporter made her way to the center of the military base. That'll never happen because it's the most
heavily guarded location there is.
2. Soldiers need to be cooled down, or they'll go bust. I wonder what the duration is for between because the two
principal characters went too long while being engaged in heavy-duty work.
3. Inside the trunk of three cars at the desolate gas station, they are packed with bags of ice.
I understand one...but two...and three? Why?
4. Remember when Van Damme's character ordered the handcuffed woman to jump off the bus. Yeah, it's probably
moving at 60 to 70 miles per hour, and her body, at that moment, will be going at the same speed as soon as she's in
the air. Afterwards, there's not a single scratch on her, let alone a multitude of broken bones.
5. Luc is reunited with his parents in Louisiana, yet they hardly show any feelings for him. I guess human emotion is
overrated in cinema.
6. The two soldiers serve in the U.S. Special Forces, but one is Swedish and the other is Belgian.
7. When Dolph is throwing grenades into the bus, they don't explode for another thirty seconds unless tossed out. Then, when
Dolph throws them by the side, they explode right away.
8. As Dolph and Van Damme are fighting for the last (steroid?) injection shot, I thought it would've been priceless to see
Arnold and Sylvester doing the same thing instead.
I can go on and on, but what's the point? Anyway, looking up Universal Stupid on the internet, I cannot believe
the franchise managed to produce five...six sequels. Is it really that popular?
All in all, Universal Stupid is beneath Jean-Claude Van Damme's and Dolph Lundgren's lackadaisical talents.
Unlawful Entry (1992)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
11/03, 7/15, 5/22
7/15:
Unlawful Entry is a believable thriller about a police officer who abuses his position of power.
When somebody is as helpless as Michael Carr, there's not much he can do about the situation. Apart from
Goodfellas,
Officer Pete Davis is my favorite Ray Liotta performance although he has been unfortunately typecast during the rest of his career
due to the famous psychotic look he always sports.
In the film, Pete starts being nice, resourceful, and helpful, going out of his way. Then, he has a moment that
seems both rational and irrational because Carr was literally asking for it. Finally, all bets are off, and there's no
telling what Pete will do even he's been calm the entire time. That's why Ray Liotta plays a very believable character.
Kurt Russell and Madeleine Stowe are both excellent thespians and make their situation as real as possible. I like the fact
that the writers made him a highly articulate, cerebral everyman which feels refreshing. He has a way of putting
words together that sound lucid and educated.
There are a couple of complaints. One, Madeleine Stowe's character is Karen which evokes memories of Lorraine Bracco
from Goodfellas. I wish she had a different name. Two, notice how Pete set up the double
murder by firing the gun
at his partner and then the drug dealer. It'll never work because the shooter has no gunpowder residue on his hands and
forearms. A simple forensic analysis will conclude neither shot the gun which makes Pete the only suspect.
All in all, Unlawful Entry is one of the best thrillers from the 90's with an underrated performance by Ray Liotta.
5/22:
What a surprise that Ray Liotta suddenly died at age 67, and one film I thought of that he gave a top five performance is
Unlawful Entry.
In a way, it's Something Wild all over again. Instead of Jeff Daniels and Melanie
Griffith, it's Kurt Russell and
Madeleine Stowe having their own thing. Then, out of nowhere, Ray Liotta appears and steals the show effortlessly.
He's effective, and the story is believable given the huge amount of power that cops have over the citizens.
What's particularly nice is how intelligent Kurt Russell's character is. He speaks well and thinks rationally. Sure, his wife
may not believe him at first, but she will soon when Officer Pete Davis keeps encroaching their territory. That alone should
give her a pause despite his infinite supply of charisma. Then again, it's the genius of Ray Liotta's acting.
All in all, it's too bad about Ray Liotta, and he was a gifted actor.
The Unsaid (2001)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
6/25
6/25:
Made for $22 million, The Unsaid was never theatrically released in the United States.
Well, the public missed out on a good one. For a while, the story seemed to be a mix of
Silent Fall and Primal Fear, but
it kept getting better and then went into a unique direction. The last fifteen minutes is quite shocking because
of the revelation. I never expected the "why."
I've always maintained my stance that Andy Garcia is an underrated actor, close enough to be in Al Pacino's league.
He proves it again in The Unsaid and plays a psychiatrist in the most credible manner (he grew his
beard for real). I love how his character is confused in treating the kid patient because he reminds him of
his son who committed suicide and wants to save his son through him.
But really, the situation is rather more complicated than that. Enter Tommy with a completely different set
of issues on his own. Villains are created, and they know what they are doing. They've accepted that fact,
continuing their path of lawlessness. But Tommy isn't a villain. He's simply a dangerous individual with
repressed trauma that has gone untreated for so long. Michael Hunter (Andy Garcia) just happens to come along and
finds a way to unravel the mystery for the first time, and the result is powerful that unexpectedly costs
people lives.
If there's a glaring negative, it's the camera work. I hate when they have to shake it in crucial scenes.
There's absolutely no need for that. Let the acting take over, and The Unsaid will be better for it.
Had that happened, I would've rated the film '9'. By the way, the ending doesn't mean Michael Hunter is
continuing the treatment; it's only a dream. His job ended due to too much water under the bridge.
Regardless, Miguel Tejada-Flores and Scott Williams deserve credit for adapting the screenplay from a story by
Christopher Murphey. Everything feels real in terms of social work and counseling. As for the acting, Vincent
Kartheiser stands out, and it's a fine supporting performance by Linda Cardellini.
All in all, The Unsaid is among Andy Garcia's best films.
Untamed Heart (1993)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
11/16
11/16:
If Christian Slater's awkward acting can be ignored, Untamed Heart is actually moving, thanks to Marisa Tomei.
Marisa Tomei has always been easy on my eyes, and she's a fine actress, having won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in
My Cousin Vinny. It has everything to do with her personality. I normally don't like
Rosie Perez because she's too much and has the face of the Joker. But she's okay here and doesn't try to get in the way.
Christian Slater, who's usually easygoing, appears awkward. The choice of him staying mute for a long time (it'll take a
good half-hour before he finally speaks) and not having a lot of lines to work with makes some of his scenes hard to watch.
Therefore, he's lucky to be helped out by Marisa Tomei to get through it.
All in all, Untamed Heart is an enduring romantic picture that's much better than Love Story.
The Untouchables (1987)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
1/04, 1/05, 3/08, 8/11, 7/20
3/08:
The Untouchables is a classic gangster picture that's richly defined by two unforgettable scenes.
However, I still can't get over the casting of Charles Martin Smith. It's like seeing Michael J. Fox in
Goodfellas.
What a mistake. At times, Kevin Costner looks somewhat overwhelmed to lead the picture but manages to pull through.
Believe it or not, The Untouchables is his first major film with a strong ensemble cast, and his success will
virtually solidify his A-list status going forward.
Andy Garcia isn't bad, but I wish he had more screen time. The man in white, Billy Drago is captivating as Frank Nitti,
making for a quintessential noir villain. Sean Connery's performance is absolutely overrated. I would've given the
Oscar to Robert De Niro instead considering how much work went into his hair, looks, and mannerism. Every scene he has is
priceless, so it's safe to say he stole the show.
The cinematography is breathtakingly beautiful, and none is better depicted than the Odessa Steps scene at the train station
which ought to be studied extensively in film schools. It's among the ten greatest scenes ever. Sad to say, whenever
From Here to Eternity is mentioned, all anyone can think of is the beach scene with Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr.
That's exactly what happened to The Untouchables which is the main reason I would see it over and over.
So, what else has been harmful? It's the poor character and plot developments. They don't feel deep enough, and without the
two famous scenes, one of them being De Niro's teamwork speech, the film doesn't have a whole lot going for it. Brian De
Palma may have been obsessed with the look most of the time.
All in all, despite the faults, The Untouchables is a classic gangster picture.
8/11:
Raising the bar higher in the gangster genre, The Untouchables is an exquisitely shot picture.
And of course, two key scenes are the main reasons for its high rewatchability factor. Also, a lot of it has to do with Kevin Costner,
Billy Drago, and Robert De Niro by giving excellent performances. Still, my biggest gripe is Sean Connery winning
the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. What he did is overrated.
As much as I liked Charles Martin Smith in American Graffiti, he doesn't belong in
The Untouchables, but Andy Garcia does and is intimidating in a sexy way. Hence, he'll go on to star opposite Michael Douglas in
Black Rain and Richard Gere in Internal Affairs
before landing the lead role for The Godfather Part III,
the biggest of his career. Hence, it's interesting to see Andy Garcia and Robert De Niro in the same film given their line
of succession in the Corleone family.
All in all, whenever The Untouchables comes to my mind, I think of the two unforgettable scenes.
7/20:
Brian De Palma is the master of the shot.
The Odessa Steps scene is brilliantly filmed. So are the performances by a stellar ensemble cast, most especially
Robert De Niro. The casting of Charles Martin Smith still throws me off, so...whatever. When I see fancy costumes, they should
either be part of the scenery or add more to the film but never be the distraction. Therefore, I'm happy to say
The Untouchables passes the test, hence the much-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design.
All in all, The Untouchables scores high in replayability.
Up at the Villa (2000)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
1/21
1/21:
After liking Angels & Insects and
The Blood Oranges so much, I sought Up at the Villa, and
the results were decidedly mixed.
The first mistake is Sean Penn who's clearly miscast. Regardless of his star power, he doesn't belong in pictures
like this. They require a certain acting pedigree in order to assimilate into the period, and the British
thespians are often successful in doing so. Unfortunately, Sean Penn doesn't have what it takes; more attention was
spent on his perfect haircut than anything else.
Up next is Kristin Scott Thomas. I like her, and she was perfect in
Angels & Insects, giving the best supporting actress performance of
the year in 1995. But in Up at the Villa, she's too old for the role: a 40-year-old trying to play a
character who's supposedly in her young 30's. Otherwise, her performance is fine, perhaps demonstrating a bit
more forced acting than usual.
Third, what's with Jeremy Davies? That guy is the biggest goofball ever. I can't still forget what he did in
The Million Dollar Hotel, and I mean it in both good and bad ways.
In Up at the Villa, his character shoots himself in the heart, and all of a sudden, everybody's life has
been fucked over for a few days.
Fourth, back to Sean Penn and Kristin Scott Thomas, they have no chemistry whatsoever. These two may look handsome
in appearance, but there's nothing between them. What an unconvincing display of love. In fact, she got it down
pat with Jeremy Davies, and it wasn't that hard.
On the bright side, like Angels & Insects and
The Blood Oranges, the visuals are stunningly pleasing, especially the
costumes and in/exterior sets. As a result, it's an easy movie to watch. However, I'm not sure about the rows of
tomatoes atop the wall alongside the tennis court. It seems rather pointless. On the other hand, Anne Bancroft
gives a decent effort, but James Fox is too old for Kristin Scott Thomas...eek. The problem with the supporting
players is they're allocated maybe ten minutes of screen time to develop their characters before disappearing
for the most part, leaving behind a sum of unsatisfying resolutions.
All in all, despite the nice cinematography, Up at the Villa isn't a great Philip Haas picture.
Up Close & Personal (1996)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
7/17
7/17:
This time, John Gage doesn't have to offer one million dollars for the privilege to fuck his next catch of the day.
That sly bastard. He's 22 years her senior, and I bet he still likes that line: "The man was a fucking stallion." Michelle
Pfeiffer is the same terrible actress from Scarface. Her character's meteoric rise in
Up Close & Personal is 100% bullshit and will never happen in real life.
Who goes from an administrative assistant to a weatherwoman to a reporter at a flunky news station and then from a news
reporter to an anchor in Philadelphia before being promoted to the top job for a national TV news show that's all in one or two
years' time? The trouble is: Tally has shit for brains.
Even stupid is the professional anchorwoman taking the job in Cincinnati, a top thirty market, which is a
huge step down from a top five market. There's no reason for her to do that; she's a lot more seasoned
and professional than Tally who seems to be intent in wanting to feed the lines of schmaltzy garbage to the public mass.
What the hell was John Gage thinking? Oh, right. It's the fucking that clouded his mind. Up Close & Personal was made
for $60 million, but I wonder where the money went. It looks like a simple movie with no special effects. By the way, I first
thought it was Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, but it's actually Holmesburg Prison which is located twelve miles
further northeast, having been closed since 1995. I didn't know the place existed the whole time.
All in all, I'll take Broadcast News over Up Close & Personal any time of the day.
Up the Down Staircase (1967)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
7/12, 1/20, 4/22
7/12:
Ah, Up the Down Staircase.
The movie reminds me of my first year teaching at a Title I school for the inner-city black students and the very reasons why I
quit the job ten months afterwards. Forty-five years later, after the film was made, the situation hasn't changed at all. In
fact, it has gotten much worse today.
Being a teacher in an urban school is an impossibly hard job. It didn't make things easier when the subject I taught was
mathematics: a double-edged sword. I came to the school with the best of intentions and left there as an enemy.
It's the irony of my situation: I still have no idea what made me the enemy to these kids. I can safely say around 80%
of the students I had will end up either in jail, poverty, welfare, drugs, and/or six feet under the ground within ten
years of their high school "graduation." That's why it's labeled as "school-to-prison pipeline."
No matter what I did, nothing I said or taught went through the kids' empty heads. Academic expectations were nil. Common
sense was thrown out of the window. Everybody passed, no matter what they did, because handing out F's wasn't allowed.
It didn't matter if somebody knew virtually zero about anything or did nothing in school.
That's the sorry state of the education system in the United States of America. I ended up quitting the job because
of the worthlessness of it. The majority of the time I spent throughout the academic year filling out a mountain of paperwork,
creating lesson plans, and orchestrating the class had gone wasted.
Amidst the trials and tribulations, I realized that, after trying everything as possible, I had become a highly paid
professional babysitter instead of a mathematics teacher. Now, I'm not surprised at why public and private schools have
difficulty recruiting or retaining top-notch teachers who actually know the ins and outs of their subject. The money is
simply...not worth it. The frustrations are simply...not worth it. The kids are simply...not worth it. The teachers and
administrators are simply...not worth it.
Anyway, I'm glad a film like Up the Down Staircase exists because it's exactly what I went through. However, I'm
peeved by the contrived ending because I know for sure Sylvia Barrett would've tendered her resignation, regardless. It's
the most realistic outcome, but I will give it a pass since it's only halfway through the year. She'll come to her senses,
believe me.
I think Sylvia did not because, simply put, there was no other job she would've been qualified for
unless it had something to do with writing. Then again, why not become a secretary? No matter what, the situation
is much more improved today than it was during the 60's as women have many avenues, professionally speaking.
Cakewalking through a four-year university, taking out an ungodly amount of loans just to become a teacher, and then finally
realizing the job isn't worth it is a rude awakening for many education majors, and it's their own fault for seeking
shortcuts in life. Meanwhile, Sandy Dennis was a phenomenal actress back then because she was unusual, and it shows in the film.
All in all, Up the Down Staircase reflects very well the reality of what it's like to be a teacher, especially in
an urban school.
1/20:
Fifty-three years after its release, Up the Down Staircase remains the most realistic movie about what really goes
on in public schools.
In fact, nothing has changed. The apathy and indifference shown on both sides are real. You may see a lot of emphasis on
paperwork and forms in the film: that's the big part of it; hence, there's no actual learning going on. Speaking of it, notice
how students are engaged in a lesson while the principal is observing the class. To me, it's all staged with the stuff being made up.
Anyway, Sandy Dennis should've been Oscar-nominated for her performance; what she did is perfect. So is everybody else.
There's always a Joe Ferone in every school. I've worked in three different schools, and I've had him in every one of
them with exactly the same makeup: high IQ but full of trouble and too lazy to do the work.
Perhaps the weirdest character is Paul Barringer who led a female student to her suicide attempt. His biggest mistake is
allowing himself to dance with her. Besides, why will teachers dance with students? Eileen Heckart's Henrietta Pastorfield
is dead-on; there are teachers like her who care too much for some students; therefore, they get arrested for
sex crimes which is becoming common nowadays.
I normally frown on contrived Hollywood endings that show teachers having a change of heart and deciding to return
the following year. But in the case of Up the Down Staircase, I'll let it slide because Sylvia Barrett made
the decision mid-year. If I were her, I would leave the school after one full year and look for a suburban school
with an all-white student body whose education is highly valued which isn't hard to find anywhere in the Northeast region.
All in all, Up the Down Staircase mirrors the realities of education all too well.
4/22:
Up the Down Staircase is still the most realistic movie ever when it comes to teaching in urban schools.
If you think the students are confused or something, it's because their parents were never there for them, hence the
attention-seeking behaviors which can be converted into sexual attraction. Many of them are loathsome to work
with based on how they act like animals, and that's why I'll never go back again. Of course, the administration is the other
problem: they just don't care; it's all about keeping the assembly line moving while preventing future lawsuits.
Sylvia Barrett should've followed through her intent to resign because things aren't going to get better. Where
she belongs is a school with well-behaved kids who actually want to learn. Doing so, Slyvia will find it much,
much easier and therefore live longer. Whoever wrote the note in regard to the last part was correct. Meanwhile,
Sandy Dennis gives the best performance of her career although she did win the Oscar for
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
All in all, Up the Down Staircase will always stand the test of time because it's a true representation of what goes
on in urban schools.
The Upside of Anger (2005)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
3/09
3/09:
I have a mixed bag of feelings about The Upside of Anger, but one thing is for sure: the movie is lame.
For a while, it was going okay, forcing me to lean toward a rating of '6' until the final ten minutes. The way the family
reacted to the bizarre death of their father has soured my mood. Sometimes, there are moments that leave me feeling confused or
just plain out of it. Such instances are the spontaneous moments of laughter, the irrelevant scenes, and the brief subplots
involving the daughters.
The chemistry of the cast is good as it slowly develops over time, and thanks to Kevin Costner, The Upside of Anger
is glued together very well. Although Joan Allen gives a good performance, it's still thin and superficial. She fails to
convey the depth of her emotions, especially in the last ten minutes. Moreover, it gets boring when she acts like a bitch and
then watches how everybody is reacting to her. It's probably Mike Binder's fault for his poor direction.
On the other hand, Kevin Costner is as fine as he can be, and he's dependable. Without him, it's hard to see Joan Allen
surviving this one on her own. Mike Binder is another treat as he plays Shep the Sleaze and has a
Scanners moment.
However, the four seemingly perfect but robotic daughters are distracting and therefore drain away the energy; that's why
they turned out to be unlikeable.
All in all, The Upside of Anger works well in certain areas but leaves me cheated in the long run.
Urban Cowboy (1980)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
4/05, 4/07, 2/15, 2/22
4/07:
Urban Cowboy is the Saturday Night Fever of the honky-tonk genre.
Slowed by the pace, the film seems confused by the direction it wishes to take. Hence, everybody has to find his or her own way
for a while until the mechanical bull riding contest which takes 132 minutes. So, that's a long time to wait.
Although the two have little chemistry, I like the romance between John Travolta and Debra Winger, yet the
complexities of their relationship feel underdeveloped. Oddly, the other female lover (Madolyn Smith Osborne), who has money
and, more importantly, class, is a hell lot prettier than Sissy. So, why did Bud turn her down? Is he stupid or what?
All in all, I wish Urban Cowboy has better direction.
2/15:
Urban Cowboy is still the best honky-tonk picture made.
It's the relationship between Bud and Sissy, who are played superbly well by John Travolta and Debra Winger, that makes the
film a romantic classic. At the same time, it's cool to see the characters dress up as cowboys and mix in with the ambience of
dance hall that's drenched in country and western. That's why the film is a great slice of Americana in a
Junior Bonner way.
Not many movies go through the gamut of the Seven Deadly Sins, and there's no better example of it than Urban Cowboy.
Bud lets his pride nearly wreck his marriage which evolved out of a romantic relationship that's practically days old. In
that process, he's consumed with wrath by seeing Sissy trying out things that are normally reserved for men.
Then, he becomes jealous when she's ogled at by Wes Hightower, who's memorably played by Scott Glenn in the role of his career.
To get even with Sissy, Bud hooks up with a pretty gal from Houston. After separating from her, Bud lets drinking get the
best of him as he loses his balance in a fall during work which subsequently finds him boarded up, causing his house
to go pigsty.
Finding motivation to win Sissy back during the mechanical bull riding contest, Bud works on his technique. In the
long run, he's rewarded with a showdown against Wes for the top dog honors. His temporary girlfriend takes the win as a sign
that it's been all for his wife by showing off. Hence, Urban Cowboy should be seen repeatedly because
it's not an easy film to appreciate from the get-go. As a result, I've been increasing my rating every time I see it.
The performances are authentic and in tune with the honky-tonk scene. It also has great music that puts me in
the mood. I love how the lives of the patrons revolve around Gilley's Club in the same way as the disco club did for
Saturday Night Fever.
All in all, Urban Cowboy is a classic.
2/22:
Urban Cowboy is an underrated 80's classic with memorable performances.
Not many pictures can capture the smoky club ambience so well like how Reynaldo Villalobos did for Gilley's. It's almost
like being inside for real. Located in Pasadena, Texas, it was the largest Honky-Tonk club in the world which was the
size of a football field, having been opened in 1971, reaching its zenith during the nationwide showing of Urban Cowboy,
and closed down in 1989 when the owners, Mickey Gilley and Sherwood Cryer, had a falling out.
Three thespians are famous for appearing in this: John Travolta, Debra Winger, and Scott Glenn. Their characters are
unforgettable. They're made to be unintelligent on purpose but have true intentions that are much along the lines of honor.
All of Gilley's patrons are obviously fake cowboys; only Wes Hightower passes the eye test and has the experience to match reality.
It's funny to see John Travolta walking around mad all the time; sheesh, he needs to learn how to relax once in a while. For
the two-step dance, Patrick Swayze's mother taught him how. Of course, they lived in Houston for many years. Turning down
the lead role for American Gigolo which thankfully went to Richard Gere, John Travolta
learned how to ride on the mechanical bull and then decided on not needing a stunt double afterwards.
The prison rodeo scene in Huntsville, where all death row inmates are currently housed, is for real, but it closed down
in 1986 after fifty-five years in operation. Michelle Pfeiffer was the prefered choice for the role of Sissy, but director
James Bridges wouldn't budge from insisting on Debra Winger. Hence, she became a memorable 80's actress, thanks to the timeless
romantic films that she was part of. As for the story, it happened for real, but the marriage didn't last long, which is no shit
anyway, and I predict the same, too, for Bud and Sissy.
All in all, like how Saturday Night Fever did for disco, Urban Cowboy
captures a period of honky-tonk at its best.
Urban Legend (1998)
Rate:
2
Viewed:
4/03, 5/25
5/25:
What a fucking dumb movie Urban Legend is.
And it takes place in college with only one person, a black female idiot at that, handling security?!? There
are barely any students shown when they should number in the hundreds. Why would there be a boarded-up building
on the campus?
Anyway, I was thinking of '4' until the final twenty minutes. The killer is shot in the chest and falls
out of the window from three floors above yet survives intact afterwards? Um...yeah. In the meantime, what are
the odds of some people wearing the same coat constantly?
You shouldn't believe people when they say the movie is predictable. It's not. There's no way of knowing until the
end. When the killer was revealed, I was like, "Impossible. Everything was done by a man." Then again, why
murder everybody but Natalie who was primarily responsible for the death of a male driver during high school?
The rest had nothing to do with it, but they were most certainly losers.
Ironically, Rebecca Gayheart didn't learn much from the film. In 2001, she was behind a stopped car somewhere
in Los Angeles and lost her patience, deciding to get around it in a hurry. Just right after, she fatally
struck a nine-year-old boy who was chasing a soccer ball. As a result, she pleaded no contest to vehicular
manslaughter and was given a three-year probation, and her Hollywood career was pretty much finito afterwards.
All in all, if you saw I Know What You Did Last Summer, you've
seen Urban Legend without having done so.
Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)
Rate:
1
Viewed:
5/25
5/25:
Urban Legends: Final Cut never lives up to its title.
Last time, there was a lot of emphasis on urban legends. Not that it made the movie good, but at least, try
to make sense in terms of title selection. Here, we have a run-of-the-mill slasher picture that can't stop being
low in energy. It's highly doubtful Alfred Hitchcock would be pleased about having his name used in such dreck.
Jennifer Morrison, a Julie Stiles lookalike, is among the major downfalls. She's in nearly every scene, but who
cares about her character Amy? As a result, everybody else disappears for a long time that I've forgotten the
existence of them. By the time they return, death is imminent to keep the body count running. No matter what
happens, the black female cop always appears on time.
Hard to overcome is the poor editing. Many scenes are totally random. Sometimes, there are big jumps from one
moment to another. For example, Amy looks up to see the killer climbing down, and the next shot has her just
behind him midway. Another is when she entered a simple storm drain and it turned out to be an elaborate system,
replete with flashing lights, that's befitting of a major city. How about when Amy was examining a reel of
Travis' film and then she's on the road waving at Toby to stop driving?
Of course, the premise makes no sense after the killer is revealed and explains why. It's even hard to imagine him
wearing the silly fencing mask beforehand. The whole Travis/Trevor deal is stupid as well. I can tell it's the same
actor playing both roles. If there's anything I'm surprised by, it's the appearance of Marco Hofschneider as Simon
because he's famous for playing the Holocast survivor in Europa Europa.
All in all, Urban Legends: Final Cut sends out a strong signal that the slasher genre has been thoroughly
exhausted.
Used Cars (1980)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
5/06
5/06:
Welcome to the automobile underworld of sleazy sales in Used Cars.
It's a funny comedy with many hilarious moments. Kurt Russell is terrific and so are Frank McRae and Gerrit Graham.
It's nice to see This Is Spinal Tap's Michael McKean as the go-to man of illegal
cable hook-ups. I love how the scenes are wacky to defy logic.
Sadly, the film falls apart during the last half hour. Robert Zemeckis has never been a great director because
he can't tie up everything together to make a complete picture, no matter how many great scenes he shoots.
All in all, Used Cars has the miles but can't quite make the distance.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
12/04, 1/20
1/20:
The Usual Suspects is maybe the most overrated film of 1995.
When I initially saw it at that time, yes...it was great, and it was the first time I got introduced to Kevin Spacey,
prompting me to say he's destined to be an outstanding actor.
Ever since then, because I now know the identity of Keyser Söze, The Usual Suspects is a linear film with
the rest being bullshit. In short, Kevin Spacey is Keyser Söze, and the end. Notice the matching initials...har-har-har.
The story starts off slowly and won't take off until Kevin Spacey gets going which is why he ended up with the Oscar win.
While at it, Chazz Palminteri deserves credit, too. The ending is terrific and surprising and is among the best ever. Also,
the lineup scene is quite funny and authentic because the actors couldn't stop laughing after Stephen Baldwin went ballistic
saying his line.
If I was fooled by anything, it's how well Kevin Spacey passed himself off as a straight man. I never knew he was gay until the
allegations of sex harassment came out in 2017 which also occurred during the filming of The Usual Suspects.
When Kevin Spacey uttered the famous line which was actually originated by the 19th century French writer named
Charles Baudelaire, I was thinking of "the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he wasn't gay."
All in all, in spite of the overrated "twist," The Usual Suspects is the film that made Kevin Spacey an overnight star.