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VAN WILDER
with Ryan
Reynolds, Tara Reid, and Curtis Armstrong is about a professional student (Van
Wilder) who's the big dude on campus with a heart of gold, kind of. Dad cuts
off the funds and Van has to raise his own tuition to support his life
style-he has to start growing up, ends up finding the love of his life. In
between, there's plenty of gross out jokes and scenes.
Who Should See It?
-Definitely not the kids and definitely not Gramma. Maybe not you either.
½ Golden
Egg.
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CHANGING LANES
with
Ben Affleck, Samuel L Jackson, Sydney Pollack, William Hurt, Toni Collette and
Amanda Peet is a quasi suspense thriller that starts with a minor accident
created by the distraction of a Gen X also quasi-hot shot lawyer played by Ben
Affleck. Jackson's character is trying to get his life back on track-no more
booze, reconciling with his wife and two kids. The accident triggers a series
of nasty events, with Affleck and Jackson as antagonists. In the end, they get
it together.
Who Should See It?
-Not the kids and probably not Gramma. 2½ Golden Eggs.
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BIG TROUBLE
with
Tim Allen, Rene Russo, Stanley Tucci and Janeane Garofalo (plus lots more), is
an off the wall movie adapted from humorist Dave Barry's first novel. Allen
plays a canned Pulitzer Prize winning journalist now in advertising and
recently divorced; Russo plays a miserable housewife, Tucci a corrupt
businessman married to Russo and Garofalo a hip cop. Mix in a couple of thugs,
teens, the FBI, a large suitcase, a psychedelic toad, and you've got trouble.
Lots of laughs, at least I did.
Who
Should See It? -Anyway one who wants some relief from stupidity
(the Van Wilder flick) or a gruesome tale (Frailty), this may be the perfect
antidote.
3½ Golden Eggs.
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FRAILTY
with Matthew
McConaughey and Bill Paxton is pitched as a thriller. I think it goes in the
category of gruesome, combined with a mysterious super natural theme. Widower
(Paxton) believes that God has told him through messenger angels to seek out
demons and ax them, which he does. Paxton has two sons-Fenton and Adam. Adam
buys into God wanting Dad (and him) to lead the demon demolition charge;
Fenton views it is murder.
Fenton refused to participate in the killings and tried
to persuade his brother to do the same, even run away from Dad-who Fenton
viewed as crazy. A flashback shows that he finally goes to the Sheriff…but he
doesn't believe him when he says that there are bodies in the Rose Garden.
Presented in a series of flashbacks and set in Texas, it opens on the FBI's
search for a serial killer who calls himself "God's Hands" and Fenton
approaching the FBI saying he knows who the killer is-his brother Adam. Oh
well….now Fenton is an adult and wants to stop the carnage . . . or is it
Fenton, or could this be Adam, was Dad acting for God?
Who Should See It?
--Absolutely not for the kids, Gramma, anyone on the edge, etc. I always fear
that this kind of movie can breed copycat events. 2
Golden Eggs.
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MURDER BY NUMBERS
with Sandra Bullock as homicide detective Cassie Mayweather, a crime scene
specialist tacking two high school dudes who may have committed the perfect
crime. The dudes are full of themselves and believe that by combining
Richard's cunning nature (Ryan Gosling) and Justin's smarts (Michael Pitt),
they can create the perfect crime and fool the law. Bullock has a history (her
first spouse was abusive and in jail) and is known as a hyena-a woman who is a
tad aggressive sexually. She's landed a new partner fresh out of detective
school, who leans to the cautious side and she's known to solve cases with gut
instinct. The kids murdered a woman-she has to figure out how to nail them.
Who Should See It? --not for kids again;
this is not a Bullock light comedy.
2 Golden Eggs.
© Dr. Judith Briles 2002, All Rights Reserved
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