Phone Booth

Written by:
Larry Cohen

Directed by:
Joel Schumacher

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Colin Farrell .... Stu Shepard
Kiefer Sutherland .... The Caller
Forest Whitaker .... Captain Ed Ramey
Radha Mitchell .... Kelly Shepard
Katie Holmes .... Pamela McFadden
Paula Jai Parker .... Felicia
Arian Waring Ash .... Corky (as Arian Ash)
Tia Texada .... Asia
John Enos III .... Leon
Richard T. Jones .... Sergeant Cole
Keith Nobbs .... Adam
Dell Yount .... Pizza Guy
James MacDonald .... Negotiator
Josh Pais .... Mario
Yorgo Constantine .... ESU Commander

Plot:
A fiendish publicist finds himself being held hostage in a phone booth by an extreme moralist who watches his victim's every move through the scope of his high-power sniper rifle, while speaking to the publicist via the phone booth. The caller prides himself on using force to punish corrupt people by forcing them to admit all of their lies and sins through mental games, or killing them. At the same time, he eliminates other people as well; everyday people who are guilty of brutal dishonesty and/or corruption, such as a murderous street pimp and a pushy pizza man (all of which, if you look hard enough in the film, have a guilt link). The caller himself is corrupt, and uses it defeat other corruption. It is evil fighting evil in the phone booth IMDB

Review:
Katie Holmes: BAD.
When are casting directors going to realize this???

Besides her, the film is great! Considering it takes place in a phone booth. A short movie and very exciting.

Not perfect (not many films are), but I think for the type of movie it is, and the setting, and plot.. it isn't too bad.

The Truman Show

Written by:
Andrew Niccol

Directed by:
Peter Weir

Made in:
USA in 1998

Actors:
Jim Carrey .... Truman Burbank
Laura Linney .... Meryl Burbank/Hannah Gill
Noah Emmerich .... Marlon
Natascha McElhone .... Lauren/Sylvia
Holland Taylor .... Truman's Mother
Brian Delate .... Truman's Father
Blair Slater .... Young Truman
Peter Krause .... Lawrence
Heidi Schanz .... Vivien
Ron Taylor .... Ron
Don Taylor .... Don
Ted Raymond .... Spencer
Judy Clayton .... Travel Agent
Fritz Dominique .... Truman's Neighbor
Angel Schmiedt .... Truman's Neighbor

Plot:
In this movie, Jim Carrey is Truman, a man whose life is a fake one... The place he lives is in fact a big studio with hidden cameras everywhere, and all his friends and people around him, are actors who play their roles in the most popular tv-series in the world: The Truman Show. Truman thinks that he is an ordinary man with an ordinary life and has no idea about how he is exploited. Until one day... he finds out everything. Will he react? IMDB

Review:
I am a big fan of Jim Carrey and I think he does a great job in this role.

The film itself is very sad and emotional, it really pulls at the heart string. But it isn't mushy or extremely romantic.

Jim Carrey is funny in this film without going overboard, a glimpse of things to come in his later, more serious movies.

Almost Famous

AKA:
Something Real (USA) (working title)
Stillwater (USA) (working title)
The Uncool (USA) (working title)
Untitled Cameron Crowe Project (USA) (working title)
Untitled: Almost Famous the Bootleg Cut (USA) (director's cut (DVD title))

Written by:
Cameron Crowe

Directed by:
Cameron Crowe

Made in:
USA in 2000

Actors:
Billy Crudup .... Russell Hammond
Frances McDormand .... Elaine Miller
Kate Hudson .... Penny Lane
Jason Lee .... Jeff Bebe
Patrick Fugit .... William Miller
Zooey Deschanel .... Anita Miller
Michael Angarano .... Young William
Anna Paquin .... Polexia Aphrodisia
Fairuza Balk .... Sapphire
Noah Taylor .... Dick Roswell
John Fedevich .... Ed Vallencourt
Mark Kozelek .... Larry Fellows
Philip Seymour Hoffman .... Lester Bangs
Liz Stauber .... Leslie
Jimmy Fallon .... Dennis Hope

Plot:
William Miller is a 15 year old kid, hired by Rolling Stone magazine to tour with, and write about Stillwater, an up and coming rock band. This wonderfully witty coming of age film follows William as he falls face first to confront life, love, and lingo. IMDB

Review:
I like this movie, but it bothers me in a way.
It is funny, it is cute, it shows the life of roadies..
But I still sometimes feel like it is lacking something.
Maybe I just had higher expectations.

What really bothers me is that the girl (Penny Lane) is on the cover of the film... which.. I think is wrong. Sure, the kid likes her and has a crush on her, but I find her the least interesting and least important character of the whole film. But maybe that is just me..

What Women Want

Written by:
Josh Goldsmith
Cathy Yuspa

Directed by:
Nancy Meyers

Made in:
USA in 2000

Actors:
Mel Gibson .... Nick Marshall
Helen Hunt .... Darcy McGuire
Marisa Tomei .... Lola
Alan Alda .... Dan Wanamaker
Ashley Johnson .... Alexandra 'Alex' Marshall
Mark Feuerstein .... Morgan Farwell
Lauren Holly .... Gigi
Delta Burke .... Eve
Valerie Perrine .... Margo
Judy Greer .... Erin
Sarah Paulson .... Annie
Ana Gasteyer .... Sue Cranston
Lisa Edelstein .... Dina
Loretta Devine .... Flo the Doorwoman
Diana-Maria Riva .... Stella

Plot:
Nick Marshall, Playboy and Hot Shot in advertising, thinks he's God's gift to women. After a little accident, he discovers that he is suddenly able to hear what women really think. First, Nick is pretty disappointed when he discovers that his beloved macho behaviour does not exactly contribute to being desired. Then, his upcoming dream position in the company is being given to a new team member: Darcy, not only a woman, but a man-eating one, also is a very talented ad expert. So, Nick decides to sabotage his new boss by reading her thoughts and selling her ideas as his own. Unfortunately, love gets in his way. IMDB

Review:
A fun, cute movie.

I've lost a lot of respect for Mel Gibson, but he pulls it off in this movie. He is funny without being annoying.

Not a perfect movie, but a good romantic comedy. Very funny at times and it doesn't become dull or boring.

For its genre:

Man on Fire

Written by:
A.J. Quinnell (novel)
Brian Helgeland (screenplay)

Directed by:
Tony Scott

Made in:
USA, UK, & Mexico in 2004

Actors:
Denzel Washington .... Creasy
Dakota Fanning .... Pita
Marc Anthony .... Samuel
Radha Mitchell .... Lisa
Christopher Walken .... Rayburn
Giancarlo Giannini .... Manzano
Rachel Ticotin .... Mariana
Jesús Ochoa .... Fuentes
Mickey Rourke .... Jordan
Angelina Peláez .... Sister Anna
Gustavo Sánchez Parra .... Daniel Sanchez
Gero Camilo .... Aurelio Sanchez
Rosa María Hernández .... Maria
Heriberto Del Castillo .... Bruno
Mario Zaragoza .... Jorge Ramirez

Plot:
In Mexico City, the former CIA assassin and presently an alcoholic decadent man John Creasy (Denzel Washington) is hired by the industrialist Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony), with the recommendation of his old friend Rayburn (Christopher Walken), to be the bodyguard of his young daughter Pita (Dakota Fanning) and his wife Lisa (Radha Mitchell). Pita changes the behavior of the cold Creasy, making him live and smile again, and he feels a great affection for her. When the girl is kidnapped Creasy swears to kill each one responsible for the abduction. IMDB

Review:
I really didn't know too much about this movie before we watched it. But I was very pleasantly surprised. A good plot and great acting.. everything was well done. Lots of twists and turns, including lots of blood and gore. The story was well told without being overdone.

Drive-In Massacre

Written by:
George 'Buck' Flower
John F. Goff

Directed by:
Stu Segall

Made in:
USA in 1976

Actors:
Bruce Kimball .... Detective Larry (as Jake Barnes)
Adam Lawrence .... Detective Mike
Douglas Gudbye .... Germy
Verkina Flower (as Verkina Flowers)
Newton Naushaus .... Austin Johnson
Catherine Barkley .... Kathy
Norman Sherlock .... Orville
John Alderman .... Jim (as Frank Hollowell)
Valdesta .... Arlene
Michael Alden
Marty Gatsby .... David
Patricia James .... Lori
Tiffany Jones
Myron Griffith

Plot:
Two dim-witted police detectives try to catch a serial killer stalking a rural Texas drive-in theater and randomly killing people with a sword. IMDB

Review:
Really not that bad of a movie ... not for me at least.

It is.. a little odd.. the movie does okay until they introduce the mental patient, and then the movie goes downhill, cause then the plot is completely lost, and it ends suddenly, and.. yeah..

Easy to laugh at and a good one if you like old, bad horror movies.

Sling Blade

Written by:
Billy Bob Thornton

Directed by:
Billy Bob Thornton

Made in:
USA in 1996

Actors:
Billy Bob Thornton .... Karl Childers
Dwight Yoakam .... Doyle Hargraves
J.T. Walsh .... Charles Bushman
John Ritter .... Vaughan Cunningham
Lucas Black .... Frank Wheatley
Natalie Canerday .... Linda Wheatley
James Hampton .... Dr. Jerry Woolridge
Robert Duvall .... Frank Childers
Rick Dial .... Bill Cox
Brent Briscoe .... Scooter Hodges
Christy Ward .... Melinda
Sarah Boss .... Marsha Dwiggins
Kathy Sue Brown .... Theresa Evans
Wendell Rafferty .... Melvin
Bruce Hampton .... Morris (as Col. Bruce Hampton)

Plot:
Karl Childers, now a grown man, is released from a psychiatric hospital where he has been hospitalized since the age of 12 for the murder of his mother and her lover. He returns to his childhood town and although being mentally handicapped, gets a job fixing small motors at a local repair shop. Karl befriends a young boy, Frank, and is soon invited by Frank's mother, Linda, to move into the family's garage. As a strong relationship develops between Karl and Frank, a confrontation builds with Linda's abusive and sometimes violent boyfriend Doyle. IMDB

Review:
Quite a good movie!
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I've had it for awhile but never got around to watching it and I always heard so many good things about it. This is a very sad and emotional movie. And extremely well done. Very charming with great acting.

Mad Max 2

AKA:
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (USA)
The Road Warrior (USA)

Written by:
Terry Hayes
George Miller

Directed by:
George Miller

Made in:
Australia in 1981

Actors:
Mel Gibson .... 'Mad' Max Rockatansky/The Road Warrior
Bruce Spence .... The Gyro Captain
Michael Preston .... Pappagallo (as Mike Preston)
Max Phipps .... The Toadie
Vernon Wells .... Wez
Kjell Nilsson .... Lord Humungus
Emil Minty .... The Feral Kid
Virginia Hey .... The Warrior Woman
William Zappa .... Zetta
Arkie Whiteley .... The Captain's Girl
Steve J. Spears .... Mechanic
Syd Heylen .... Curmudgeon
Moira Claux .... Big Rebecca
David Downer .... Nathan
David Slingsby .... Quiet Man

Plot:
A former police officer is now a lone wanderer, travelling through a devasted Australia after a nuclear war looking for the now-priceless fuel of petrol. He lives to survive and is none too pleased when he finds himself the only hope of a small group of honest people running a remote oil refinery. He must protect them from the bike gang that is terrorising them whilst transporting their entire fuel supply to safety. IMDB

Review:
This is Mel Gibson at his best!
A very fun and classic movie. Of the three Mad Max movies, this one is my favorite. The acting is good and so are the effects. The story is fun and the movie isn't dragged out like most newer action movies.

This is one of my favorites.