New York Minute "Coasting on their cherubic looks for far too long now, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have finally been brought back down to Earth. “New York Minute” is a blatant attempt to move these two girls into the hotly contested game of teenage stardom, but without the slightest bit of acting ability from the sisters, the movie fails. Shrill, far too quickly paced, and wasteful of good comedic supporting talent, “New York Minute” is one long bore..." (full review)
Troy "All that said, you can do far worse for summer entertainment (hello Van Helsing). Big battles, big stars and big special effects add up to something worth seeing on the big screen. It's entertaining, but I wanted greatness. In the movie Helen says to Paris, "Last night was a mistake." That sums it up perfectly: some great sweaty fun that you don't feel nearly as good about the morning after..." (full review)
Van Helsing "Hugh Jackman is the only one to get good marks. Super charismatic he is nevertheless underused (in a role similar to Wolverine), and has unfortunately as many bad lines to say as the other actors. In a word: Frustrating. So is unfortunately the whole film, like a bad funambulist constantly looking for his balance between superb scenes (saving the whole project) and wrong choices (actors, register, etc.)..." (full review) "The saddest thing about Van Helsing is to watch all of the potential this film had going to waste. Rather than making an intriguing and unique monster movie, Sommers decided to make something Vin Diesel should be starring in. Next time I attend a Stephen Sommers' film, I'll bring along a game pad. At least then I can pretend to be controlling the non-stop, noisy and characterless action..." (full review) "Writer/Director Stephen Sommers has produced another action packed adventure that is extremely entertaining and fun. Unlike his other films however, Van Helsing doesn't quite have enough in the plot department or in the main villain to make this as memoriable as The Mummy movies. He should have really gone with one or at a push two of the iconic characters because their screen time and the story do suffer for this making Van Helsing more of a short lived roller coaster ride than a memorable adventure..." (full review) "Van Helsing is a staggeringly lame, bloated action comedy. If you're looking for a fun monster mash, check out Monster Squad from your local video store. If you want quirky Dracula and Frankenstein horror-comedy, check out the Paul Morrissey and Andy Warhol cult classics, Blood for Dracula and Flesh for Frankenstein. While Van Helsing is the first film in this Summers's blockbuster lineup, it is most likely the most forgettable. I sincerely hope it doesn't set a precedent for what's to come over the next three months..." (full review) "To that extent, it makes perfect sense that Sommers and Jackman would put all their eggs in one basket for a box office sure thing like "Van Helsing," but as to whether or not it's any good, it all comes down to a matter of taste. On paper, the prospect of giving the classic Universal Monsters a big budget, special effects-laden facelift may sound promising, but where my taste is concerned, the end result is a convoluted, overloaded, uninspired and rather exhausting cinematic experience..." (full review) "Its an enjoyable movie, if you like pork or are still in grade school. Otherwise, wear a strand of garlic and carry a silver cane if you go to the movies this weekend, less this movie run up and bite you in the posterior. The only redeeming quality I see in this movie is that is should be a safe monster movie to take your kids to see..." (full review) "You don't care about the characters, you don't care about the visuals, and you don't care about Van Helsing. All you care about is that uncomfortable chair (which strangely isn't all that uncomfortable when the movie you are watching is even semi-engrossing), and how many more on screen lightning strikes your retinas can withstand before they pop or how many horrendously overacted vampire-bride shrieks your eardrums can take before you swear off over-hyped Hollywood summer movies forever..." (full review) "Representing every last aggressive impulse a summer movie can possibly hold, "Van Helsing" is writer/director Stephen Sommers's latest assault on the senses. Noisy, atrociously acted, poorly written and arrogant in the assumption that it's pleasuring the audience with an endless cluster of special effects, "Van Helsing" represents the very worst in American cinema today. What a way to start off the summer..." (full review)
Salem's Lot (TV) "“Salem’s Lot” proved to be a good candidate for a remake if only to take advantage of the technology and update the story for the twenty-first century. I had no problems with the 1979 original though. When I was a kid it really scared me. As an adult I found this new dramatization to be a bit disturbing at times, but not enough to revolt me..." (full review)
