Movie Review: Rich Man, Poor Man (1976)

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Brian Wright

The epic TV series to end epic TV series __ 6/10

No quotes on the IMDb page for Rich Man, Poor Man, probably because the DVD has only been released this year (2010). Even if you surf the Web, not much comes up that improves on the IMDb information; and I don’t remember anything on the DVD’s bonus material. So all that stuff on background of the miniseries remains a mystery. Wikipedia gives us a little about the book written by Irwin Shaw. Too bad about the lack of insider Hollywood info, too, because the series must have launched the acting careers of Nick Nolte (Tom Jordache), Peter Strauss (Rudy Jordache), and others into celebrity status. Several actors earned awards, notably Ed Asner playing the repressed father of the two Jordache boys. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Sex and the City 2 (2010)

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Brian Wright

100% better than #1, but doesn’t soar __ 6.5/10

Has it already been two years since the first Sex and the City movie?! Actually two and a half years. That’s amazing! In the summer of 2008 we were subjected to the first—I must say deeply flawed effort—by Michael Patrick King… where one of the culminating events is “Charlotte [having] an embarrassing incident with her bowels [bringing on] the guffaws [and taking] Carrie out of her funk.” Thinking back on #1, I remember distinctly hoping every scene after the first five minutes would be the last. Still I gave it a 4 (out of 10) for old time’s sake. Continue reading →

Movie Review: They Live (1988)

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Brian Wright

Libertarian cult classic or just not so good? __ 6/10

Frank: I’ve walked a white line my entire life, I’m not about to screw that up.
Nada: White line’s in the middle of the road, that’s the worst place to drive.
Nada: Brother, life’s a bitch… and she’s back in heat.
Nada: I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass… and I’m all out of bubblegum.
Nada: Wooo. It’s like a drug. Wearing these glasses gets you high, but you come down hard.
Nada: [seeing a politician on TV for the first time (with his special sunglasses)] Ha, figures it’d be something like this. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Pay it Forward (2000)

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Brian Wright

Inspirational tale of cosmic cooperation __ 8/10

Trevor: Were you just being nice?
Eugene: About what?
Trevor: About my idea. Do you think it’s good, or were you just being teachery?
Eugene: “Teachery”?
Trevor: Bullshitting.
Eugene: Do I strike you as someone falsely nice?
Trevor: No. You’re not even really all that nice. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Twilight (2008)

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Brian Wright

Teen supernatural flick has ‘potential’ __ 5/10

Isabella Swan: Clair de Lune is great.
Edward Cullen: [Edward spins Isabella around and she gives him a look] What?
Isabella Swan: I can’t dance [laughs]
Edward Cullen: Hmm… Well, I could always make you.
Isabella Swan: I’m not scared of you.
Edward Cullen: [laughs] Well you really shouldn’t have said that. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Robin Hood (2010)

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Brian Wright

Prince of Thieves rallies the Magna Carta __ 5/10

Prince John: [sarcastically] Would every man have a castle?
Robin Longstride: In England, every man’s home *is* his castle.

So whatever you think you know about Robin Hood, throw it out the window before inserting this DVD in the player. Otherwise, it will conflict with not only history but with every account of the band of merrie men we all grew up with… from the 1950s TV series on Disney, to Robin and Marian with Sir Sean Connery (1979), to Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991. And I guess there’s a Robin Hood BBC TV series available, who knew? Finally, another one I haven’t seen but may be the best of the bunch, the original Hollywood Errol Flynn version the Adventures of Robin Hood. It’s a trip to browse Robin Hood on Netflix or Amazon. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Julie and Julia (2009)

Posted on December 25, 2013 by Brian Wright

Enchanting parallel-universe concoction __ 10/10

Paul Child: [to Julia] You are the butter to my bread, you are the breath to my life.
[later echoed by Julie Powell to Eric Powell]

Unfortunately, the quotes section on IMDb for this movie is nowhere near adequate to some of the marvelous lines coming from nearly every actor, on nearly all the significant occasions in the lives of the principal characters. And for that, whoever is responsible for such things, the person should be unproud. In any event, what a lovely and outstanding movie, that draws you in and causes you to fall in love with not only the celebrated Ms. Child, but the “servantless American cook” Julie Powell… even their respective husbands, a friend here and there, and one or two family members. Continue reading →