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Note: 5 box rating system indicates overall enjoyment of DVD and not necessarily the picture and sound quality alone. A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Affliction - drama (1997 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Affliction is probably the best 'feel bad' movie of 1997. Nick Nolte's performance as a local law enforcer whose life continuously disintegrates through years of alcohol and abuse is riveting. He earned a well-deserved Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role that could have easily had him take home the first place prize. James Coburn, who won the Supporting Actor Oscar, plays Nolte's abusive, alcoholic father. Sissy Spacek and Willem Dafoe also star. Shot in the winter in Quebec, Canada, Affliction paints a bleak scene that makes it a difficult film to watch, but one worth seeing. SnapShot! Review Rating: American History X - drama (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Edward Norton plays a white supremacist released from prison who returns to his family to help them rebuild their lives that he helped destroy. One of the most powerful films of 1998, Norton whole-heartedly deserved his Oscar nomination for best actor. X includes other fine performances from Edward Furlong and Beverly D'Angelo. Director Tony Kaye did not approve of the final edit of the film and reportedly asked for his name to be removed. Regardless, American History X tells a gripping story about the impact and aftermath of hate and is highly recommended. SnapShot! Review Rating: Analyze This - comedy (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Robert DeNiro stars in this comedy about a mobster whose self-confidence is shattered and seeks the help of a timid psychiatrist (Billy Crystal). Both Crystal and DeNiro play against their traditional roles to fine effect. Crystal is content to cower in the background and let DeNiro mock his own tough-guy image. There is some particularly rewarding dialogue and even a flashback that parodies The Godfather series very nicely. Analyze This is light-hearted entertainment that is perhaps not worth owning but definitely worth renting. SnapShot! Review Rating: Apocalypse Now - drama/suspense (1979 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Francis Ford Coppola's surreal and almost operatic vision of the Vietnam War is not only one of the finest war movies ever made, it is one of the top movies of all time. Starring Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper, Apocalypse Now paints a terrifying portrait depicting the insanity of war. Sheen and Duvall put in stunning performances. Fans of this film will also want to check out Hearts of Darkness which chronicles the insanity behind the making of Coppola's most-famous epic. SnapShot! Review Rating: Apt Pupil - suspense (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - A young student takes a strong interest in an elderly person he believes to be a Nazi war criminal. Instead of turning him in, the boy forces the man to divulge his secrets and re-live his days of World War II. While the film never quite musters up the suspense that it could, it does have a very strong and creepy performance by Ian McKellen as the aging Nazi and does contain enough psychological twists to make it entertaining and unsettling. SnapShot! Review Rating: Armageddon - action/science fiction (1998 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - Quite possibly the worst movie of 1998, maybe even the decade. Bruce Willis and a hodge-podge crew of space cowboys try to save the world from a meteor about to crash. Sound alot like Deep Impact? Well, it is, but it is much worse and serves only as display of Hollywood excess. Steve Buscemi and the rest of the supporting cast are completely wasted in foolish dialogue and meaningless scenes. On the other hand, it will entertain those who love mind-numbing visual and sound effects and will undoubtedly be a huge hit in video stores and trade-show demoes the world-over. The biggest money-maker of 1998 -- it's amazing what 100 million in marketing dollars can do. SnapShot! Review Rating: Army of Darkness - horror (1992 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - B-movie superstar, Bruce Campbell returns to the silver screen in part three of the Evil Dead series. Directed by Sam Raimi (Darkman), Army of Darkness is the final chapter in the adventures of Ash, the shotgun-toting S-Mart clerk who just can't seem to find his way back to aisle six. In this episode, the master of the cheesy one-liners finds himself in medieval England armed with a chainsaw for a hand and his trusty shotgun. After successfully turning his Oldsmobile into a battering ram/combine (don't ask where he found a welding device in the 1300s), Ash leads two warring factions to victory against the evil "deadites." Army of Darkness has somewhat of a cult following, and most of its appeal can probably be attributed to Campbell's insanely bad acting. On a good day, Campbell makes Keannu Reeves look like William Holden. The screenplay and continuity are hard to figure out, but the special effects redeem the film somewhat. Army of Darkness is so stupid at points that it becomes a lot of fun to watch. If you are into films like Conan the Barbarian, Evil Dead, and The Toxic Avenger, you'll probably enjoy Army of Darkness. The DVD's picture isn't a huge improvement over the VHS copy, but the sound is vastly better. SnapShot! Review Rating: As Good As It Gets - drama (1997 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - Jack Nicholson gives an excellent performance as an intolerant, aging loner who attempts to overcome his failings to be a "better man." Occasionally hilarious, sometimes sentimental, and always watchable, one of the film treats of 1997. Good supporting performances by Greg Kinnear, Helen Hunt and Cuba Gooding Jr. SnapShot! Review Rating: Babe: Pig in the City - drama/comedy (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - This sequel to the 1995 hit Babe sees Babe, the talking pig, and his friends go to the big city in order to help save the farm from foreclosure. There is far less of the farmer this time around, but far more animals in very inventive situations. The set design and the special effects are simply outstanding. The sheer number of animals, all of whom can talk, in many of the scenes will leave viewers shaking their heads wondering how did they do that? Despite being somewhat 'darker' in tone with a couple scenes that may disturb younger viewers, Babe Pig in the City is pretty light-hearted fun that is an even more rewarding film for adults than the first. One of the very best of 1998. SnapShot! Review Rating: Barb Wire - action (1996 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - "Don't call me babe!" Thiss may well be the best one-liner of the nineties and you get it right here. Pamela Anderson disrobing is about all the action most of us can take, but this tries to give us a little more. Pam, fresh out of Baywatch, is a 21st century bounty hunter caught up in post second civil-war politics. Sound preposterous? Well, you haven't seen Costner in The Postman. As expected, Barb Wire has bad acting, bad sets and even some bad action -- but, who cares, they're not creating Lawrence of Arabia here. It has Pamela and for serious fans that will be all that matters. SnapShot! Review Rating: Beautiful Girls - drama/comedy (1996 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Ted Demme directs this provocative look at a group of friends in a small, frigid northeastern U.S. town on the brink of their high school reunion. Willie (Timothy Hutton) is the only one who moved away. The others still live there and still go to the local bar and hit on girls they can never hope to get. Why? I guess it's the sort of thing us guys do. Beautiful Girls does a wonderful job catching the actions and thoughts of men who refuse to accept that, yes, they too will one day be 30 (then 40, then 50, then...egads). Believe me, this one hits close to home. Hutton is joined by an impressive cast including Matt Dillon, Lauren Holly, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman, Mira Sorvino and Michael Rappaport. The Beach - drama/suspense (2000 theatrical, 2000 DVD) - Leonard DiCaprio plays Richard, an angst-ridden young man who's bored of doing what everyone else does. He wants fun, excitement and adventure and when he learns of a mythical perfect beach he sets out to find it. Directed by Danny Boyle, The Beach boasts interesting premise, exotic scenery and innovative camera work. However, it loses steam midway through, turns Richard into a character from Apocalypse Now and shifts from interesting to surreal. Still, there's enough here to make it a good rental bet and the deleted scenes and director's commentary make DVD viewing worthwhile. SnapShot! Review Rating: SnapShot! Review Rating: Blade - fantasy/science fiction (1998 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - Based on a comic-book character, Blade, played by Wesley Snipes, is civilization's last chance against bloodsucking vampires. He's half vampire, half human, and the only one with the power to destroy the enemy. Excellent effects, visual style and strong directing with lots of DVD extras make owning worthwhile. SnapShot! Review Rating: Blast From The Past - drama/comedy (1999 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - During the Cuban Missile Crisis, a brilliant scientist (Christopher Walken) and his wife (Sissy Spacek) mistake a plane crash in their back yard for a nuclear missile attack. In turn, they lock themselves in an enormous, well-stocked bomb shelter for the next 35 years. In their below-ground dwelling they raise their infant son, Adam, with the manners and values of the early sixties. In the late 1990's the boy finally goes above ground to encounter a very different and shocking new world. Adam quickly meets Eve (Alicia Silverstone) and although their attraction is immediate they must overcome the time-gap and the conflicting customs of the generations. Blast is a funny, well-written comedy that is helped considerably by an outstanding performance by Brendan Frasier as Adam. SnapShot! Review Rating: Bound - drama/suspense (1996 theatrical, 1997 DVD) - Corky (Gina Gershon) is an ex-con hired to renovate an apartment that is next door to Caesar (Joe Pantoliano), a career criminal with irrevocable ties to organized crime. Caesar immediately sizes Corky up as a fellow criminal and warns her to stay away. But it's Caesar's sultry wife, Violet (Jennifer Tilly), who has a penchant for trouble who won't stay away from Corky. Together the two mastermind a plan to not only get away from Caesar, but to take his mob money as well. Written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, the same team that brought us the futuristic epic The Matrix, Bound is a very sexy, sly and riveting suspense thriller with a wry sense of humor. Its sexual nature and occasional level of extreme violence may put off some viewers, but for those looking for a twist in their crime capers, this is bound to be the right one. SnapShot! Review Rating: Bugsy - drama (1991 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Warren Beatty stars in this story about gangster Bugsy Siegel who has an infatuation with Hollywood and is driven to create a haven in the desert -- Las Vegas. Based on a true story, the film skews some facts, but delivers an interesting tale about this charmismatic gangster who falls in love with a Hollywood starlet Virginia Hill (played nicely by Annette Bening) and his attempts to break into the Hollywood culture himself. Failing the latter he turns his attention to building his desert dream - the Flamingo. Director Barry Levinson creates good mood and atmosphere and Beatty is at his best here. Well worth renting. SnapShot! Review Rating: Bulworth - drama/comedy (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Senator Jay Bulworth is so stressed out, his marriage is so bad, and he feels he is such a sham that he takes out a hit on his own life. Bulworth is cutting political satire that is one of director and actor Warren Beatty's best in years. While it will not be favored by everyone, it will likely appeal to the same crowd that enjoyed Wag the Dog. As well, it is great to see Beatty mocking not only the establishment, but himself too. A cut high-above the usual comedy-schlock today. Casablanca - drama/suspense (1942 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - Some have called it the greatest Hollywood movie of all time -- an exotic location, a steamy love affair and excellent performances by Bogart and Bergman. Casablanca is very quickly paced and contains fine cinematography, editing and direction that will thrill and entertain audiences today. Why can't the studios make them like this anymore? DVD extras are a little weak, but contain an interesting documentary about the making of the movie that contains some eye-opening facts. Black-and-white cinematography and mono sound may not show off DVD’s potential to its fullest, but the movie is a classic worth owning. SnapShot! Review Rating: Central Station - drama (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Filmed in Brazil and directed by Walter Salles, Central Station is the story of young boy, Josué, whose mother is killed near Rio de Janeiro's busy Central Station. An old, bitter spinster, Dora, who works in the station as a letter writer witnesses the accident and reluctantly helps the boy, but ends up selling him to a corrupt adoption service. Feeling guilty, she steals the boy back and flees on a cross-country trip to help find his father he's never met. Central Station is a powerful human drama with stellar performances by Fernanda Montenegro as Dora (she was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar) and Vincius de Oliveira as Josué. One of the very best of last year. SnapShot! Review Rating: Dark City - science fiction (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - One of the rare science fiction films, like Blade Runner and Metropolis, that creates an outerwordly and believeable alternate world. Expertly shot with great visual style, Dark City takes us to a place where each night people's surroundings are altered and they awaken to confront a new life. Compelling and intriguing, director Alex Proyas keeps the pacing exactly on track. The DVD contains an abundance of extras including commentary by critic Roger Ebert who feels this is one of the very best of 1998. Worth owning in your DVD collection. SnapShot! Review Rating: Deep Impact - drama/science fiction (1998 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - A meteor is about to hit and destroy earth. Sound familiar? Well, Deep Impact came out before Armageddon and, while still flawed, is a whole lot better. Attempts to explore human emotion during a time of life-ending crisis. Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall and Elijah Wood star. A little too "Hollywood slick" with a cop-out ending, but still entertaining. A good rental. SnapShot! Review Rating: Desperado/El Mariachi - action (1995 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Director Robert Rodriguez made El Mariachi for $7000 with no intention of having it released. He wanted to make Spanish action flicks and this was his 'demo' piece to prove his talent. The studios liked it so much that they snapped it up, transferred the video edit to film and released it to high critical praise. They then went on to sign Rodriguez to a multi-picture deal and to essentially re-shoot El Mariachi with a Hollywood budget and two sizzling stars. Desperado was born with Antonio Banderas in the starring role as the gun fighting, guitar playing latin love-god and gorgeous Salma Hayek is his equally capable sidekick/love interest (yesss!!!). Both El Mariachi and Desperado are wonderful, action-packed gems and having them on the same DVD is brilliant. Desperado is obviously the more polished of the two and perhaps the more entertaining. However, most will be in awe of the ultra low-budget Mariachi and will be muttering the words most did at the time -- just how did he do that? SnapShot! Review Rating: The Devil's Advocate - suspense (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Keanu Reeves plays Kevin Lomax, a talented, young lawyer from Florida being wooed by a large New York law firm. The owner of the firm, Al Pacino, takes a special interest in Lomax and treats him as his protege. Of course, Pacino is the Devil himself, and he plays the role with even more zany and more over-the-top mannerisms than in his previous films (a feat not easily achieved). Any more roles like this and people may start thinking he's a walking, talking cartoon character. Reeves relies on his usual deadpan delivery and monotone voice, but is surprisingly effective. Devil is chilling at times and occasionally suspenseful, however, it is clumsily directed, falls flat numerous times and is far too long. For cheap entertainment, it's fine, but don't expect too much more. SnapShot! Review Rating: 8mm - suspense (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - A poorly constructed thriller directed by Joel Schumacher starring Nicolas Cage as a private investigator secretly hired to determine the authenticity of a snuff film in the possession of a deceased wealthy businessman. 8mm pretends to despise the pornography industry, but ends up being just as exploitative and manipulative. Dark and dreary sets with lots of shadows are meant to conjure suspense, but cliched characters and plot predictability ruin any chance at keeping our interest. Don't expect much. SnapShot! Review Rating: eXistenZ - science fiction/suspense (1999 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - What if everything you see is not real? Instead, it is just your mind playing tricks...yeah, yeah, we've heard this one too many times before and told much better in recent movies like The Matrix and Dark City. David Cronenberg's latest gore-fest is a foolish attempt at using artificial reality to question our existence. Using living game pods that squish and squirm, Cronenberg has once again upped the ante on just how much grosteque slime mixed with sexual innuendo he can put on a movie screen. Despite his attempt to explore the implications of technology, eXistenZ looks like it was made by people who haven't seen a video game since Pong was introduced. Actor Jude Law looks so lost that he seems to be questioning whether he's really in a movie or not. The only redeeming thing about eXistenz is Jennifer Jason Leigh who slinks and sizzles and gives the movie the sex appeal it tries so desperately hard to achieve. It should have been called eXistenZZZZZZZ. SnapShot! Review Rating: The Fifth Element - science fiction (1997 theatrical, 1997 DVD) - Plenty has been written about the technical quality of this DVD. Excellent picture transfer and great sound make it reference material. What's missed by many is that this is one of the most entertaining science fiction films we've seen in years. While the story may be a tad simplisitic and a little hokey to those who don't like space-age love stories, it's hard to deny that The Fifth Element is solid entertainment that is fast paced and laced with plenty of humor and wit throughout. Suitable for family viewing with good performances by stars Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman and Chris Tucker, The Fifth Element is well worth owning. SnapShot! Review Rating: 54 - drama (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - 54 is based loosely on the true story of the famous 70's disco, Studio 54, and its owner Steve Rubell. With a Hollywood-size budget and excellent cast featuring Mike Myers, Salma Hayek and Neve Campbell, this should have been the definitive look at the disco era. However, 54 appears to be another victim of heavy handed editing, likely the result of a vision that spun wildly out of control. I would guess that plenty of film was laid to waste on the cutting room floor judging from the apparent gaps and inconsistencies in the plot. What's left is a surprisingly short look at this famous period of the 70's with a mish-mash of characters whose purpose is never fully realized. A decent soundtrack as well as an outstanding performance by Mike Myers as Rubell are the only two high points in this otherwise disappointing movie. For a better view of this period Spike Lee's flawed but interesting Summer of Sam is much more engaging. SnapShot! Review Rating: Fresh - drama (1994 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - A twelve-year old boy called Fresh seems trapped in a life of crime as he runs drugs in a ghetto. His sister is an addict who lives with the neighborhood's main dealer and his father (Samuel Jackson) is a poor but brilliant chess player on the streets of New York. When the father teaches his quiet son the rules of the game, Fresh is bright enough to use his knowledge to improve his situation. While its premise set in this gritty environmnent may seem a tad depressing, Fresh is an exciting, compelling and moving drama that packs a powerful punch in its ending. This is one of the finest movies in 1994 that was overlooked by many." SnapShot! Review Rating: Go - comedy/drama (1999 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - While the poster for this film boasts that "Life Begins at 3am," Go takes about 20 minutes before it really gets going itself. Once it does take off, mind you, the viewer is rocketed forward in this fast-paced comedy that starts when a grocery store clerk (Sarah Polley) goes looking to make a little more cash one night. With multiple, intertwining stories that take place over a short period of time Go's been called a teenage version of Pulp Fiction. While the comparison is inevitable (and correct in ways) Go is clever, funny and supremely entertaining. Obviously inspired by Pulp, it stands on its own merits with some ingenious plot twists. This is one of the best movies of 1999 that is worth multiple viewings and likely worth owning since there appears to be great attention to the technical details of video and audio transfer as well as the inclusion of a wealth of extras including some 14 deleted scenes. Go get it! SnapShot! Review Rating: Good Will Hunting - drama (1997 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - Ben Affleck and Matt Damon won Oscars for Best Screenplay about a young math genius who can neither accept nor excel despite his gift. The film is surprisingly intelligent, mature and tender for the work of such newbie writers. Robin Williams as the prodigy’s therapist gives another standout performance (Best Supporting Actor award) and Affleck, Damon, and Minnie Driver are all very strong in their roles. Directed by Gus Van Sant, Good Will Hunting was one of the biggest surprises and most popular feel-good movies of 1997. Highly recommended with lots of DVD extras that make owning a good option. SnapShot! Review Rating: Hard Eight - drama (1996 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) is a mysterious older man who befriends a young, down and out drifter named John (John C. Reilly) and teaches him how to gamble in the Nevada casinos. John matures, learns to earn a living and eventually falls for a full-time waitress, part-time prostitute named Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow). Hard Eight moves and develops very slowly. Despite the cameo appearance of Samuel Jackson, fresh from Pulp Fiction at the time, this never evolves into any type of crime thriller like the movie poster and video box-cover would suggest. It's more of a thoughtful piece about the relationship of a small group of people. To some it will be boring, to others it will be intriguing. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson shows supreme directorial control in his debut film with confident pacing. The outstanding camera work is thoroughly engrossing. Hard Eight and the awesome Boogie Nights that followed prove Anderson to be one of the most formidable writers and directors working today. SnapShot! Review Rating: Kingpin - comedy (1996 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Woody Harrelson plays Roy Munson, a young bowler on the verge of stardom until he loses his hand when competitive bowlers take revenge on him. Years pass and Munson is in the gutter of life when he finds a young, naive Amish bowler (Randy Quaid) who he thinks he can make a champion. Kingpin comes from the Farrelly brothers, the same team that directed There's Something About Mary. Like Mary, Kingpin revels in down and dirty humor that will offend as many as it entertains. No ethnic group, religion or bodily function is sacred in a Farrelly film. Harrelson is brilliant in his role and Bill Murray creeps in for one of his funniest appearances in years. For those that enjoy this type of humor, myself included, Kingpin is hilarious. SnapShot! Review Rating: Life - drama/comedy (1999 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Murphy and Lawrence are two shady characters from Harlem desperately seeking to make ends meet amid the depressed ‘30s. When caught without the money they each owe a wealthy Cotton Club owner, they resort to transporting moonshine from the home of "white-only pies" Mississippi back to Harlem. Only, they get framed for the murder of a white gambling con artist and both end up sentenced for life in a prison where there are no walls, but secured by societal racism and a sense of defeat among the black inmates. Life is a comedy with subtle undertones of sentimentality as a story of friendship, hardship and survival unfolds. (review excerpt from This, That and The Movies - May 1, 1999) SnapShot! Review Rating: Limbo - drama (1999 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - John Sayles proves once again why he is one of America's finest independent directors. A worthy follow-up to the acclaimed Lone Star and Men With Guns, Limbo has a unique method in its storytelling. Following a murder, three people are trapped in a remote area in Alaska. Although there are some moments of tension, this is not really a thriller but a rather thoughtful and intriguing tale about seemingly ordinary people put into an extraordinary circumstance. The title reflects the lives and the situations of the characters the film focuses on. Very strong performances by Mary Mastrantonio and David Strathairn make Limbo one of the better movies of 1999. SnapShot! Review Rating: Mask of Zorro - adventure/drama (1998 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - An old tale with a few new twists. Anthony Hopkins, too old and now retired, recruits Antonio Banderas to be the newest Zorro. Banderas captures the swashbuckling magic with self-deprecating humor with the right tinge of sophistication. Catherine Zeta-Jones is simply too good-looking in this and is to die for. Anthony Hopkins puts in one of his usual strong character performances. High adventure and high fun -- one of the treats of 1998. You may not wish to own, but definitely will want to rent. SnapShot! Review Rating: Meet Joe Black - drama/comedy (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) has wealth and power, but he is about to die. Death (Brad Pitt) comes into his life, but instead of allowing him to die, he allows him to live providing he can show him interesting things and keep him entertained. Parrish is not that thrilled with either notion, particularly since Death has his eyes on his daughter, Susan, played by Clair Forlani. The problem with Meet Joe Black lies with Pitt. He plays the character of Death with wide-eyed innocence. He marvels at taste of peanut butter and speaks slowly with a limited vocabulary. One would think he's in grade school. While this may seem cute to some, it lends no credibility to the role. When Susan begins to fall for him and tells him he's so well-spoken, and actually means it, the audience is left with no choice but to laugh. Hopkins can bring a sense of dignity to almost any character he plays. Put him in an Adam Sandler movie, I'm sure he could do the same. Pitt, on the other hand, should choose his roles more carefully. SnapShot! Review Rating: Mighty Joe Young - drama/adventure (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - A King-Kongish tale about a playful, oversized gorilla, Joe, a gorgeous girl who wants to protect him (Charlize Theron) and the ruthless businessmen who want to exploit him. Not all that much is original here, but the digital effects that create Joe are marvelous and and the action is rock-solid. Well shot with sound-effects that will show off home theater systems. All in all, great entertainment that's fine family viewing and worth renting. SnapShot! Review Rating: My Cousin Vinny - comedy (1992 theatrical, 2000 DVD) - Two friends find themselves in trouble with the law in the southern states and are forced to rely on the one and only lawyer they know -- Vinny Gambini (Joe Pesci). Vinny's the cousin of one of the defendants and hasn't yet passed the bar exam. Armed with bad taste in clothes, a rudimentary knowledge of the law and a fast-talking girlfriend, Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei), Vinny attempts to free them. This is a simple, soft-on-the-brain comedy with an outstanding performance by Tomei (she received an Oscar for this role). As well, her chemistry with Pesci works comic wonders. Not necessarily a DVD to own, but a good rental bet since it's thoroughly entertaining. SnapShot! Review Rating: The Negotiator - action/suspense (1998 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey give solid and intriguing performances in what could have been an otherwise ridiculous thriller. Fast-paced and surprising suspenseful, Jackson is a hostage negotiator that must take hostages of his own in order to save his honor and his life amidst police corruption. Good entertainment. SnapShot! Review Rating: October Sky - drama (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Based on the life of NASA scientist Homer Hickman, October Sky tells the story of a teenager who dreams of escaping his poor, coal-mining town by building rockets. Except for the local teacher played by Laura Dern, everyone, including his father, expects him to do as the rest. That is, quit school and work at the coal mine. However, he defies his father and with each unsuccessful experiment is the subject of mockery in his town. Nonetheless, he persevers to follow his dream and eventually earns the respect he deserves. October Sky is entertaining but fails somewhat by being too simplistic and predictable. Though not really worth owning, it is worth renting on those nights you crave something inspirational SnapShot! Review Rating: Out of Sight - drama/suspense (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Directed by Steve Soderbergh (Sex, Lies and Videotape) and subtly inspired by Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, Out of Sight is the best adaptation of a Leonard Elmore novel put to screen. One of the best films of 1998, it skillfully weaves sex and sizzle between stars Jennifer Lopez (an absolute knockout) and George Clooney with an intriguing crime story. Missed by many movie-goers in its theater release, it is definitely worth owning on DVD. SnapShot! Review Rating: The Peacemaker - action/suspense (1997 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - Tightly paced suspense thriller about a terrorist hijacking a nuclear weapon in order to detonate it in Manhattan. George Clooney and Nicole Kidman star as the government's heroes on the case to track it down before it takes the city down. Well-directed, and for the most part believable (except for some typical movie cliches), makes it solid entertainment. Decent performances by both stars. SnapShot! Review Rating: Pulp Fiction - drama (1994 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - Director Quentin Tarantino created one of the most original and entertaining crime films ever made that manages to mix savage violence with high-humor. With an all-star cast including John Travolta, Samuel Jackson and Uma Thurman, Pulp stands the test of time and is entertaing to watch time and time again. Not for the faint of heart or those easily offended (or confused because of its non-linear timeline), but for those who really love movies, this may be the closest thing to the perfect movie in this genre. The DVD is a must-own for the film and the features. SnapShot! Review Rating: Ronin - drama/suspense (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - The Cold War is over and government killers are out of work. Laced with the disgrace of letting their leaders fall, these guns for hire now stalk Europe as mercenaries. Robert DeNiro brings in one of his usual rock-solid performances and director John Frankenheimer keeps the pacing fast. Blessed with one of the best car chase scenes filmed in years, Ronin is a good bet for people looking for action and suspense. SnapShot! Review Rating: Rounders - drama (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Mike (Matt Damon) blows his tuition in a poker game and is not only determined to win it back, he wants to show everyone he's the best player around. His girlfriend hates his lifestyle and his best-friend (Edward Norton) just got released from prison and is destined to help him sink more into gambling. Nicely told gambling tale with a great cast that also includes John Malkovi, Famke Janssen, Gretchen Mol and Martin Landau. Excellent performances all round. The only problem? It's a little boring at times, but still intriguing. SnapShot! Review Rating: The Siege - drama/action (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Denzel Washington is a special FBI agent bent on tracking down terrorists threatening New York City. As the terrorist acts escalate, the army is eventually forced to seize Manhattan to prevent further violence -- that's where things take a turn for the worse. Bruce Willis, who plays General William Devereaux and who starts the movie as a thoughtful yet firm military leader, for no explaination degenerates into a cliched movie psychopath. What begins as an interesting premise about terrorists raising havoc in New York ends up as a flag waving, all-American battle between good and evil where no one wins. SnapShot! Review Rating: Snake Eyes - suspense (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - When director Brian DePalma is good, he can be really good, but when he's bad, well, he's still generally interesting. A prominent government official is assinated at a pro boxing match with 14,000 witnesses, but nobody saw! Wonderully inspired cinematography, an effective over-the-top performance by Nicolas Cage, and plenty of snarling bad guys should have made this grade-A entertainment. However, despite a stellar opening sequence (worth renting just to see the opening tracking shot of Cage making his way through the arena up to point of the assination -- watch closely, no edits!) the story quickly develops plot holes big for Armageddon's asteroid to fit through. Too bad. SnapShot! Review Rating: South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut - comedy (1999 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny's big-screen debut will likely offend as many as it entertains. Make no mistake, though, while this is perhaps the most politically incorrect movie ever approved by the MPAA (the language, in particular, pushed new boundaries for the ratings board), it is also one of the sharpest with wit that attacks everything including the MPAA, the Baldwin brothers, Winona Ryder, Bill Gates and Canada. Bigger Longer & Uncut is a hilarious sendup of modern day culture and is one of top ten movies of 1999. You may never think about cartoon characters, or Saddam Hussein, the same way again! Only recommended for VERY mature audiences. SnapShot! Review Rating: The Truman Show - drama/comedy (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Jim Carrey plays Truman Burbank, the first person to ever be adopted by a corporation. Truman becomes the unknowing star of a TV show that broadcasts his entire life from the time of being an infant to adulthood. Truman eventually suspects something is wrong with his life and sets out to find the truth. The Truman Show contains an outstanding performance by Carrey as it effectively examines our society's fascination with television and its apparent disregard for the people whose lives are intruded. SnapShot! Review Rating: Twilight - drama/suspense (1998 theatrical, 1998 DVD) - Paul Newman plays an over the hill private investigator solving a murder-case from many years back. Starring a fine cast, all arguably in the 'twilight' of their careers (Susan Sarandon, James Garner and Gene Hackman), Twilight is not all that suspenseful but does contain fine dialogue, sarcastic humor and enough intrigue with some twists and turns to make renting worthwhile. It's good to see some of the legends in action. SnapShot! Review Rating: Unforgiven - drama (1992 theatrical, 1997 DVD) - Clint Eastwood finally received the recognition from Hollywood that he deserved with this 1992 Academy Award winner that he starred in and directed. Eastwood plays a retired, recently reformed, gun-for-hire who enlists the help of his former partner (played by Morgan Freeman) to help him collect a bounty placed on the heads of two reckless cowboys in nearby Big Whiskey. Eastwood and Freeman ride into town only to discover that the local sheriff (played by Gene Hackman) rules the territory through fear and intimidation. Eastwood has played the role of drifter and gunslinger on more than a dozen occasions, but he really shines in Unforgiven as a man struggling with his violent, alcoholic past and with what he must do to reform himself and make a life for his children. Gene Hackman steals the film with his portrayal of the bullying sheriff, and it is one of his best performances in a great number of years. Beautifully shot and extremely well-acted, this film is the best western since The Wild Bunch. SnapShot! Review Rating: Vampires - horror (1998 theatrical, 1999 DVD) - Whoa, what has happened to director John Carpenter? He used to be able to direct.! Instead, this is a poorly made film about vampires and, what else, vampire killers. Low-rent special effects, bad acting and lots of grimacing by everyone in the movie. Not even stars James Woods and the delectable Sheryl Lee can save this turkey. What's worse, it's not even scary. Get ready to laugh at the wrong times if you buy or rent it. SnapShot! Review Rating: Want to write to us? E-mail feedback@soundstage.com |
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