"The Corrections" (script) "Adapting Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections" is an act of futility. Trying to fit its meandrous story into a few hours of cinema without an overpowering sense of loss and dissipation is like driving a car through a door and expecting it to not tear down the walls around it...The bottom line is this: as hard as it might be, as great as the work is, as much as you want to see it come to life, sometimes books should remain books. Sometimes letting a book exist as a book is the best gift you can give it. With sprawling tales rendering a time and place, and with lengths and depths unmatched by any movie, novels like "The Corrections," "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," "Freedomland," "The Bonfire of the Vanities," and "A Man in Full" should stay as words on a page. To turn them into movies is to cripple a favorite child..." (full review)
"Miracle" "Overall, "Miracle" ranks up there with "Hoosiers", "Rudy", and even "Rocky" (with glaring resemblance to "Rocky IV"). The camera angles and cinematography were very nicely done with nothing too extravagant. Time and time again you hear stories about how this game meant much more to America than just the gold medal, and this movie made no issue of ignoring that idea. If you want a great feel good movie to go and see, check out "Miracle" when it opens February 6. It made me want to coach again; it's something that I continue to dream about. Maybe it's a dream I should follow..." (full review)
"The Girl Next Door" "ll open up by saying right off the bat that I love this movie. It's a lot like one of those teenage sex comedies from the 80s, but it's got a huge heart. In many ways, it's like "American Pie" in that regard. I hate romantic comedies, but that's pretty much what "The Girl Next Door" is. It's a raunchy romantic comedy that no guy will bitch about being dragged to. Fellas, it has boobies and it has lesbians, what's there not to like? On top of that, the movie truly is entertaining. Sure, it's got a ton of flaws, but nothing too severe. Also, it appeals to that part of me that likes to see the geek get the hot chick..." (full review)
"The Big Bounce" "Once again nothing is horrible, it's just nothing is as good as it should be. The cast does an adequate job. The directing is standard for this kind of popcorn film. The general premise seems to half-cocked as well. Sure it would be fun to film in Hawaii and that was probably the main reason for the stars to sign on. The movie is worth a video rental but isn't worth the $8 or $9 bucks it will cost to see it..." (full review)
"Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed" "Ginger Snaps: Unleashed is that rare sequel that actually improves upon the original - though considering the caliber of its predecessor, that's not saying much. The first Ginger Snaps was a semi-entertaining look at two sisters that are transformed into werewolves, with expectedly disastrous results. While the film was effective in that it never became just another Scream rip-off, the smug tone employed by the filmmakers essentially negated any positive aspects. This sequel, thankfully, eschews the black comedy aspect of the original and plays things straight - turning Ginger Snaps: Unleashed into a surprisingly effective horror flick..." (full review)
