Video Pick(s) of the Week:
The Evil Dead Trilogy: This is arguably the greatest horror/comedy trilogy of all time. These films revolve around the hero/coward man child Ash (Bruce Campbell) and his run- ins with the living dead. The dead are reanimated by reading from the Necronomicon (the book of the dead), and once resurrected have a goal to "swallow your soul". The first two films Evil Dead & Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn take place in a secluded cabin in the woods, but the third film Army of Darkness takes Ash to medieval times curiosity of a time warp. Using stop motion animation, very skewed camera angles, grotesque amounts of gore and violence, and lots of Three Stooges slapstick humor, all of these films work on many different levels. "Gimme some sugar, baby" All three films: A
Darkman: A comic book like story structure introduces us to Peyton Westlake (Liam Nesson) a scientist looking to perfect a synthetic skin formula for burn victims that only works for 99 minutes in the light. In a cruel twist of fate the doctor and his lab are badly burned by thugs. Consumed by rage and revenge Westlake ingeniously uses his deformed state and formula to make masks of the gangsters, confusing them into killing one another. This movie was about a decade ahead of it's time. If it were to be released today it would be hailed as a masterpiece, it sill is in my opinion. A
The Quick & the Dead: A western about a quick draw competition. Why was this not thought of sooner? The casting of Sharon Stone as the wronged desperado was pretty much a misfire. It's a good thing the supporting cast was dead on. Gene Hackman plays essentially the same character he did in Unforgiven, and it still works. Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio also turn in fine early career performances as a preacher and the kid, both a couple of crack shots. The plot (who cares?) is a revenge saga. The real reason to watch this movie is for the shootouts, there are plenty of them with style to spare. B
A Simple Plan: A black as night thriller involving three men, a downed plane, and four million dollars up for grabs. Greed is the name of the game, and how even the most normal men can be easily corrupted. Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton play two brothers that the money first brings together, then tears apart. Bridget Fonda is chilling as a "Lady Macbeth" that goes from rebuking the idea of keeping the cash, to becoming the mastermind who most desperately wants to keep it. A
The Gift: A deep fried southern Gothic mystery with multiple characters, all involved in the disappearance of a local woman. Cate Blancett stars as a single mother of three that works as a psychic on the side. When all roads of finding the missing woman lead to a dead end Blanchett is called in to help by using her second sight. It's not exactly original, The Sixth Sense and Stir of Echoes were just released the previous year. What it does have is excellent mood and performances. Keanu Reeves gets his best role to date as a horrifying, abusive, redneck who loves to make life hard for everyone. B+
Spider-Man 1&2: In the first film we witness Peter Parker's transformation from high school wimp to web-slinger. He also finds his first nemesis in The Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) who just happens to be his best friend's father. We learn just as Peter does that the more power a person gets, the more problems they have to deal with. This results in him having to reject the advances of his dream girl Mary Jane (Kristen Dunst). It works, but is not nearly as well as it's follow-up in which Peter finds a new enemy in Doc Octopus a scientist who was deformed by his own creation, and becomes obsessed with following through on his work. This one has much more heart and better effects than it it predecessor. Spider-Man: B Spider-Man 2: A-
(Yes, I am well aware that there is a third Spider-Man film. I can't review it because I haven't seen it. I've been told that it pretty much ruins everything that was good about the first two films. I also have never seen For Love of the Game, but haven't heard too many good things about that one either.)
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