Mike's Movie Tips

1.5/4 Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Ali Larter, Taye Diggs, Famke Janssen, Peter Gallagher, Brigette Wilson-Sampras, Chris Kattan Rated R for Horror Violence and Gore, Sexual Images and Language I saw this movie in high school (all those years ago) and remember thinking that it was extremely lame.  Now that I'm older, wiser, and have a more refined and personal taste for movies...I still think it sucks.  It's not scary, it's not funny (not even as camp), it's not good. Evelyn (Janssen) is the pampered wife of schlock mogul Stephen Price (Rush).  Although his reputation as being a cross between Roger Corman and P.T. Barnum nets him a lot of money, she's far from happy (the feeling is mutual).  Nevertheless, after seeing a "Twilight Zone"-ish TV episode about a haunted asylum, she convinces Stephen to throw her a birthday party there.  The guests, much to her displeasure, are not whom she invited.  Nevertheless, the game that Stephen has concocted (stay a...

2.5/4 Starring: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson Rated PG (for a Scene of Violence...I Guess) It takes a special kind of talent to be good enough to have an entire genre named after you.  While Alfred Hitchcock didn't invent the thriller, he created a template to which many are matched up.  Hitch was capable of greatness (he has more than a few masterpieces to his name, and a few that are just below that), but not everything he did worked.  "Dial M for Murder" is one of them.  While it's a smart little thriller, it falls apart at the end. Tony Wendice (Milland) has a problem.  His wife Margot (Kelly) is cheating on him and he wants to get rid of her.  The problem is that she comes from a hell of a lot of money, and he's grown accustomed to a certain level of living.  So he decides to blackmail an old schoolmate named Charles Swann (Dawson) into committing the perfect murder.  But as brilliant as...

2.5/4 Starring: Haruka Asaye, Suzu Hirose, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho Rated PG for Thematic Elements and Brief Language "Our Little Sister" is the new film from acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda.  I haven't seen any of his other films, but Roger Ebert said that his 1996 film "Maborosi" was one of the best films of the 1990's and James Berardinelli gave his previous film, "Like Father, Like Son," a rare 4/4 rating.  There's no denying that Koreeda (who sometimes only credits himself by his last name, has talent for directing actors.  But it's his screenplay, based on the manga by Akimi Yoshida, is a mess.  It's less than the sum of its parts. Three adult sisters are living in their late grandmother's house.  Their father remarried 15 years ago and they haven't heard from him since, and their mother left some time after that.  They are Sachi (Asaye), a nurse that took over parenting duties, Yoshino (Nagasawa), a ban...

1.5/4 Starring: Roseanne Barr, Meryl Streep, Ed Begley Jr., Linda Hunt Rated PG-13 (probably for Sexuality and Some Language) Don't get mad.  Get Even. It's a human impulse to get revenge on someone who has screwed us.  When a driver cuts you off, you have the urge to honk the horn or flip them off.  Movies have capitalized on this by creating an entire genre of films ("Death Wish" being the most famous example).  "She-Devil" seeks to be a comic revenge fantasy, but it completely misses the mark. There's a huge gulf between what "She-Devil" wants to be and what it actually is.  It wants to be a clever and wickedly funny comedy about a cuckolded woman getting revenge on her philandering husband and his annoying squeeze.  What it is is a tedious sitcom about a frump queen doling out uninteresting punishment to her boring husband and his self-absorbed girlfriend.  Yawn. Ruth Patchett (Barr) is a housewife to Bob (Begley Jr) and mother ...

3.5/4 Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans, Zachary Quinto, Melissa Leo, Tom Wilkinson, Scott Eastwood Rated R for Language and Some Sexuality/Nudity Oliver Stone has never been afraid of controversy, nor has he ever hidden his liberal political beliefs.  His latest film, "Snowden," shows both qualities and wears them with honor.  The film's subject, Edward Snowden, has been dogged by controversy ever since he went public with what he knew, and Stone sees him as a martyr against government snooping.  Whatever your politics may be, "Snowden" is definitely worth seeing because it is one of the year's best films. Edward Snowden (Gordon-Levitt) just wanted to serve his country.  After injury (actually, a series of them) forces him out of the infantry, he goes to work to provide computer security.  This leads him to the CIA and the NSA, and eventually a contractor.  But the increasingly terrifying behavior of the surveillance prog...

2.5/4 Starring: Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, Jaz Sinclair, Michael Kenneth Williams, Theo Rossi Rated PG-13 for Violence, Sexuality/Partial Nudity, Thematic Elements, Some Disturbing Images, and Language For a long time now, there have been calls for diversity in Hollywood in all areas; acting, directing, producing, and so on.  Finally, the studios have started to listen (or if they aren't, then independent studios have begun to fill the void).  Personally, I'm all for it.  New cultures bring new backgrounds and new perspectives on storytelling, and done right, can make for some interesting movies.  Take " The Cell " or "The Fall," for instance, two creative and ambitious movies from Indian director Tarsem.  Or " Menace II Society " from The Hughes Brothers.  Those movies had a point of view and a storytelling style that made them unique and engaging. Of course, going away from the mold is always risky, which makes studios nervous.  That l...

3/4 Starring: Amy Steel, John Furey, Kirsten Baker, Stu Charno, Walt Gorney, Betsy Palmer Rated R (probably for Horror Violence, Language, and Sexuality/Nudity) Who knew that an entry in the mega-popular but much maligned "Friday the 13th" slasher franchise could actually be good?  Now, I'm not talking masterpiece level, but for a low-budget gorefest, it has enough thrills and chills to make it worthwhile for horror fans. The plot is essentially the same as the first one (come to think of it, it's the same as just about every other slasher movie, give or take a few details).  Five years after the events in the first film, a guy named Paul (Furey) has decided to open up a new camp next to the old Camp Crystal Lake.  Two weeks before campers arrive, the counselors show up for training.  On the last night before they get to work, the majority go into town for one final night of partying while a select few remain behind.  They pair up for some hanky panky a...

3/4 Starring: Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, James Coburn, Jim True, Mary Beth Hurt, Brigid Tierney, Holmes Osborne, Willem Dafoe Rated R for Violence and Language Not all scars are physical. Sometimes the deepest wounds people carry are on the inside.  Not the result of physical injury, but from blows to the heart and soul.  For Wade Whitehouse, his odd personality and borderline paranoia come not from being, say, hit by a truck.  They come from growing up with his father. Wade (Nolte) is a small town cop.  He's a bit of an odd duck, believing things to be true that probably aren't, such as that he can rearrange custody of his daughter Jill (Tierney) with his ex (Hurt) with no apparent cause.  But when his friend Jack Hewitt (True) is involved in a hunting accident, he smells a conspiracy.  There's little evidence for it, but Wade is certain.  Then he finds out that his mother has died, which brings him back into contact with his father Glen (Cob...

2.5/4 Starring: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Mike O'Malley Rated PG-13 for Some Peril and Brief Strong Language When I first heard that they were going to make a movie based on the "Miracle on the Hudson," Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's near-impossible water landing on the Hudson River, I thought it was a bad idea.  I mean, what story is there?  A 90-second crash landing that shouldn't have been possible?  I mean, Sully deserves all the accolades he got, but turning it into a feature film would try the talents of any filmmaker.  And despite his best attempts, Clint Eastwood can't do it. The majority of the film takes place after the incident.  Sully (Hanks) is dealing with the trauma and all the attention he's getting, but not very well.  Adding insult to injury, the NTSB is breathing down his neck, thinking that maybe he could have landed the plane at another airport rather than take the insane chance and crash land on the Hud...

4/4 Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, Christopher Meloni, John Ryan The version being reviewed is unrated.  For the record, the theatrical cut is rated R for Strong Sexuality, Violence and Language A good caper will come up with an ingenious plot and call it a day.  A great one will know that that's not enough.  You have to come up with a plot that seems perfect, and then watch it go wrong in ways you don't expect.  "Bound" fits into the latter category.  That it has time for strong writing and acting makes it something of a miracle. Corky (Gershon) is a lesbian ex-con who has just moved into a condo next to a sultry raven-haired beauty named Violet (Tilly).  Violet's lover is Caesar (Pantoliano), who launders money for the local mob.  But Violet is unhappy, both sexually and personally, and when she sees Corky in the elevator, she sees hope for a way out.  It just so happens that a local mob flunkie tried to abscond ...

3/4 Starring: Ethan Hawke, Emma Watson, David Thewlis, Lothaire Bluteau, David Dencik, Dale Dickey, Devon Bostick, Aaron Ashmore Rated R for Disturbing Violent and Sexual Content, and for Language Beginning in 1982 with the Kern County child abuse case and not concluding until the mid-90's, the United States, and other parts of the world, was gripped with fear about Satanic sex abuse.  The stories the children told were as horrifying as they were bizarre.  Ultimately, it all began with accusations from a grandmother with mental illness, but exploded into social consciousness due to women's anxiety and guilt over leaving their children in the care of others as they went to work, the rise of evangelical Christianity, and the rise of pop psychology regarding repressed memories and recovered-memory therapy.  Add into that police and authority figures interviewing children and toddlers like adults, and you have an explosive situation.  Hundreds of millions of dollar...

2.5/4 Starring: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner, Alfred Molina, James Coburn, Graham Greene Rated PG for Mild Sensuality, Language and Some Western Action In comedy, timing is everything.  Especially when it's all about wordplay and slapstick.  A comedy like this is like walking on a tightrope: one element out of place and it all falls apart.  When it works, you get something like " Burke and Hare ," a comedy that achieves an almost manic energy.  When it doesn't, you end up with "Maverick."  It's not a terrible movie by any means, but you get the distinct impression that it's not able to pull all the materials together correctly. Bret Maverick (Gibson) is a quick-witted gambler looking to enter a half-million, winner-takes-all poker tournament.  Unfortunately, the game is a few days away and he's a few grand short.  So he intends to make that money any way he can, whether it be humiliating an opponent played by Alfred Molina or ca...

I was watching an old episode of "Siskel and Ebert" while at work today (yes, I'm that big of a movie nerd...you're honestly surprised?), and they had a half hour segment titled: "Is Hollywood Selling War to Kids?"  They went on and on about how R-rated movies like "Rambo III" and "Commando," both violent R-rated action pictures, were being merchandised with toys aimed at kids.  While the production of toys from R-rated action movies isn't exactly relevant these days, it did get me thinking.  Have we taken an honest look at the images in today's movies aimed at kids? Sure, an R-rated action movie that kids might possibly want to see is rare, and has been for the past 15 years.  But while the PG-13 rating is king, that doesn't mean that movies are any less violent.  PG-13 movies have images such as characters getting ripped in half ("Clash of the Titans" remake), impaled (" Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice ...

2/4 Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Mel Raido, Duncan Joiner, Lucas Till Rated R for Violent Content, Bloody Images, Some Sexuality and Language "The Disappointments Room" appears to have been made from two different scripts fused together.  Part ghost story and part psychodrama, the film suffers from radical changes in tone and jarring editing gaffes.  In this case, the two often go hand in hand. Dana (Beckinsale) and David (Raido) are moving to the country with their son Lucas (Joiner).  They've suffered a family tragedy (duh) and think that what they need is a fresh start.  Dana is an architect and David is a businessman, they're looking forward to restoring a huge mansion they just bought.  But then Dana finds an old room not shown in any of the blueprints, and she starts seeing things.  Is she hallucinating, or is she really being haunted? This isn't a movie where it was a bad idea right from the start.  No, this had potential.  With a m...

2.5/4 Starring: Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rose Leslie, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Michelle Yeoh, Paul Giamatti, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brian Cox Rated R for Brutal Violence, and Some Language "Morgan" seeks to be this years " Ex Machina :" a low budget sci-fi thriller that explores issues of identity, artificial intelligence, and what it means to be human.  But while Alex Garland's debut feature made my Top 10 list last year, "Morgan" won't be anywhere near it.  Don't take that to mean that this is a bad movie.  It's not.  It's just that it's such a letdown that even when not in comparison, it's still not worth your time. Morgan (Taylor-Joy) is a new kind of sentient being.  Born from human tissue and artificially created DNA, she's part-human and part-machine (without the abilities of Inspector Gadget, sadly).  But an incident in which she attacked one of her caretakers (Leigh) has raised questions about the viabil...

3/4 Starring: Karina Lombard, Nathaniel Parker, Claudia Robinson Rated NC-17 for Strong, Explicit Sexuality I got the distinct impression that when making this movie, the sex scenes came first.  And there are plenty of them (hence the NC-17 rating).  Actors Nathaniel Parker and especially Karina Lombard throw themselves into their roles and they look great.  But there's no mistaking director John Duigan's focus: put as much hot sex into this movie as he can.  It's not porn; it's intentions are to do something more than simply marry gratuitous sex and nudity with story.  But that's where his focus lies. Unfortunately, the only thing worth praising other than the eroticism is the film's look and feel.  The camerawork by Geoff Burton is truly evocative; you can feel the heat and humidity of the Caribbean.  Add to that the moody score by Stewart Copeland, and you've got an intensely atmospheric little film.  It's a pity that the story and the ...

3.5/4 Starring (voices): Daisy Ridley, Alison Fernandez, Dev Patel Rated PG for Thematic Elements, Some Rude Behavior and Smoking Studio Ghibli is one of the best secrets in filmmaking.  Time and time again they release complex, artistically innovative and emotionally rich motion pictures, and yet their films have never broken into the mainstream.  It's a shame because Pixar, their closest cousin, has got nothing on them.  Not all of their films are flawless, but they are compulsively watchable.  If only for the visuals. One thing that sets the studio apart is that they are unafraid of breaking the conventions of animation.  Hollywood's animated movies, even the best ones like " Beauty and the Best " or anything by Pixar, are very busy.  There's always something going on and always, always, plenty of action and broad comedy.  Studio Ghibli, which releases anime, is more patient.  It allows the characters to pause, to think, to consider wha...