Author: Puppy

The credits announce the introduction of Edward Furlong.  ‘American History X’, seven years later, announces the farewell of Edward Furlong, for legitimate movie purposes.

From the very beginning, you can tell that this sequel has something the original was completely lacking in: humor.  That is, INTENTIONAL humor.

Special FX are excellent, the complete role-reversal for Arnold is at the same time amusing and compelling, it’s not nearly as cheezy, and it’s aged a lot better.

But it’s still just a fairly fun-to-watch sci-fi-ish action flick, and it’s certainly not as good as the best of the genre, such as Cameron’s ‘Aliens’, which also featured (a different) “The Company”.

Grade: B-

Henry Hill and friends.

Pesci is amazing, DeNiro is great as usual, Liotta’s good, and the supporting cast is good.  “Truth is stranger than fiction”…sometimes, I guess.  But sometimes truth is exciting and sometimes truth is just kinda fcken dull…therefore, so is this movie.

But it’s great more often than it is dull, and that’s enough.

One comment, though…it’s REALLY sad when someone like Henry Hill, a womanizing drug addict who thought it was great to “live by the sword” but who ratted out his “friends” so he wouldn’t “die by the sword”, is looked upon by some as ANY kind of hero: tragic, flawed, or otherwise.

Inspirational Scene:  Do I have to say it?  He’s a funny guy.

Grade: A-

For once, Kevin Costner’s achievement equals his grand vision.  Unlike most of his pretentious “epics”, this doesn’t seem to go on way too long.

For those few recluses that don’t know already, it’s a very non-romanticized (from the European-American perspective) depiction of “How the West was won”:  not just through brave pioneering, but also by (let’s be honest) grand theft.

While the length isn’t a problem, there are parts that lag…but for the most part, this is a brilliant film.

Interesting to see, in particular, how similar ancient wisdoms can be.

Inspirational Quote: “And the only word that came to mind was ‘Harmony’.”

Grade: A

Hopefully this isn’t the chicken of tomorrow.

It’s a Troma film.  If you don’t know, that means it’s really low budget, really tasteless, and really cheezy.  But it does have some wit to it, in an appallingly disgusting sort of way.

To measure your tolerance level, watch ‘Dead Alive’ first.  If you can get through that, try ‘Hobo With A Shotgun’.  If you like BOTH…then try this, if you also don’t mind some nudity and tasteless (if somewhat witty) musical interludes.  And, let’s be honest…if you’ve got nothing better to do.

Inspirational Quote: “Shhh…you had me from “sh1t-covered mongoloid”.”

Grade: C-

Kevin Spacey is completely brilliant, as he usually is.

It’s very cleverly written, and because of that it makes you feel. 

It makes you feel sadness, loneliness, humor, desperation, longings for things past and long gone, brief moments of exhilaration…the same way the characters do.

But the characters seem to exist simply for this purpose.

They’re not very multi-dimensional at all…but in order for a movie to exist, there have to be characters.  So they do what they do, and you feel what you feel, and you think what you think…messages sent, points made, mission accomplished.

So it’s brilliant…but in the end, it all feels just a little bit empty.  And all the messages and points it makes fade away from your memory and emotion almost as quickly as they arrived, making them irrelevant. 

But that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to watch.  And it’s quite a glow, while it lasts.

Inspirational Quote: “Sometimes there’s so much…beauty…in the world…I feel like I can’t take it…and my heart…is just going to cave in.”

Grade: A-

The reason I avoid most Disney movies is quite simple: the songs.

I realize that such movies are made mainly for children, and that the songs’ simple melodies and simple portents/character sketches are good for short attention spans…but for me they are, at best, tolerable interludes between scenes from the actual movie.

So for me to willingly sit through them, the story has to be very interesting, and the songs have to be…well, kept to a minimum.  And at least of the “tolerable” variety.

This story is extremely interesting.  It’s simple enough for pretty much anyone to understand, but it’s not “childish”…a source of child-like wonder, if anything.  And I’m not so jaded that I’ve completely lost that part of myself.

Interesting, and somewhat heartwarming…but a few touches overly dramatic and simplistic.

And the SONGS…sigh.  Tolerable, but what a waste of time.

Inspirational Quote: “Allo.”

Grade: B

Has aged beautifully.

Why?  Because it was dated when it first came out.  It was SUPPOSED to be dated, it was SUPPOSED to be derivative…of all the things Lucas loved watching as a kid.  Nothing more, nothing less.

And it is a complete success at that.  It’s got action, adventure, thrills, chills, explosions, chases, true love (well, sort of).  In that way, it’s sort of like a less-funny, less-romantic, but much more EXCITING ‘Princess Bride’.

I loved it the first time, when I was seven.  I loved it the fiftieth time almost as much.

Grade: A

Morgan Freeman is absolutely brilliant, both as the narrator and a prisoner. 

Tim Robbins’ performance is like nothing I’ve seen him do before or since…Andy Dufresne is a monument of resiliency, ingenuity, and complete determination. 

The idea and script are brilliant and the whole “experience” is compelling.  A true cinematic achievement.

Parts of this are extraordinarily moving and/or extraordinarily sad…films that actually make me SAY “Wow…”…not just think it…are quite rare.

The warden and the head guard are pure sadists that hide behind the Bible, but there’s nothing Christian about them.  MUST be pure fiction, of course…I mean, people in positions of power flagrantly and sadistically abusing their power???  Some of the guards are very decent people…in all seriousness, both things are just as completely believable.

The effectiveness of patience and humility over pride. 

Epic.

Inspirational Quote: “Some birds aren’t meant to be caged.  Their feathers are just too bright.  And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice.  But still…the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they’re gone.”

Grade: A+

6/12/14: Thinking back to it, and on it, the roof scene seems a bit contrived.  The dialogue seems weak during the exchange and the guard’s performance is wooden.  That’s always sort of bugged me, and I think it’s bad enough to make me alter my grade.  Still a great movie, but it could’ve used just a tiny bit more polish to the script.  Grade: A

8/8/14: Robbins holds his own with Morgan Freeman. By the
middle I can’t even remember the tarring scene. Good enough for me.

Epic. And thank you for making me cry, again.

IQ2: “There’s something…inside…that they can’t get to, that they can’t touch. That’s yours.”

Grade: A+