“Mars Attacks!” (1996) [PG-13]

     This is positively one of the best campy comedies ever made. It’s full of purposefully awkward acting even by some of the best actors of the time. There are many very odd moments of actions or dialogue where the characters sort of know that they’re in a movie. Comedy fills this film in different forms, and proves to be very hilarious.

     Some movies really do have bad acting from those who play in them, however this is an exception. The acting performances in it aren’t necessarily bad, but they are in a way awkward. The cast features a great deal of incredible actors of that time, including Jack Nicholson, Michael J. Fox, Martin Short, and Glenn Close. Their performances are more than entertaining, and they demonstrate that they are flexible with their abilities in cinema.

     It is also full of scenes that are odd in a funny way. They have things like when an actor or actress says something that’s sort of to an audience that isn’t there, or makes a comment only for the purpose of making a bad joke. This is abundant in scenes when the aliens are trying to figure out the human’s technology, and they break the machine or something of the sort.

     The comedy in this movie is one of a kind, and is arguably the most entertaining of that decade. It’s very campy style comedy, and in a way is surprising its makers were able to get such famous actors for it, however it works out in the end because of the amazing abilities of those actors. With any other cast this film probably would have been a flop, but instead it is one of the funniest movies of the time. There is a chance taken when trying to make campy comedies and it just works with this one.

          My overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Carrie” (1976) [R]

     “Carrie” is still a scary movie, being one of those classics that will hold together through the times. It is a decent adaptation of the Stephen King novel, for there are a few key differences between the two, however it does stand out for itself. It focuses a major part on the characters and their development so that the audience really begins to understand the main character and even begin to feel sympathy for her. It can, to some point, be considered more of a drama than a horror for all the time it spends showing all the torment that Carrie is put through, however the true horror comes out when she finally lashes out at her those who put her through such anxieties.

     At first, the movie is sort of slow, as it puts a lot of focus on character development. Most of them change throughout the movie, especially the protagonist, Carrie. The audience is shown the traits of the characters by their actions. This is a very classic kind of story line, having the better part of the story concentrating on characters and the developments of their personalities and finally bringing on the climax as one big explosion of action or horror. It’s good to know that there are at least some movies that hold true to that style of storytelling, although that is mostly due to the fact that that’s how Stephen King wrote the book.

     From the start of the movie, the audience will begin to understand the situation that Carrie is in, being treated horribly by her classmates, and treated even worse by her over-religious mother. At some point in the film the viewers will start to sympathize with Carrie as well. They will truly feel sorry for her and wish that something would happen to make them feel better about it all. Then as the climax approaches, they get their wish. When Carrie finally lashes out at her tormentors, the audience is completely on her side and hoping she gets the last laugh, so to speak.

     In a way, this film can be considered more of a drama than a horror. It does spend more time on showing how she is treated by the other people at her school and by her mother. The drama almost takes over until she rallies back and takes everything out on everyone around her. That’s when the true horror begins. Just as in King’s book, the climax is more or less when all the horror comes out from hiding, and when it does it is thoroughly shocking. This film is still considered by many to be very scary, which is a feat by itself because of how much the horror genre has changed since this movie originally came out.

          My overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Space Cowboys” (2000) [PG-13]

     Produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, this is one of many other astronaut films that came out around the turn of the century, “Space Cowboys” is one of the most entertaining. Starring Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner, “Space Cowboys” was a new turn on the idea of the astronaut movie at the time. Everyone in this film, not only the stars, gave moving performances, and there was a new dramatic side to the story with the comical rivalry between Eastwood and Jones’s characters. This brought a new angle on space pictures in general with its entertaining story, however it wasn’t the first movie with the basic premise of retired men having to get out of retirement and conquer old age for an exciting mission

     It’s not every time that a motion picture comes out and every actor in it gives an incredible performance. However, this film is one exception. Every actor was believable, even those who didn’t have an important role. From start to finish, the audience will feel as if they are actually a part of the story. The mesmerizing performances and effort given by all of the actors, not just those with starring roles, will cause the audience to forget they’re actually watching a movie.

     Throughout this film, there’s a sort of fun sibling rivalry between Eastwood’s and Jones’s characters. It’s like their way of showing happiness in their friendship is to bicker about insignificant things. At first, to the audience, it may seem that they are bitter enemies; however, as the movie progresses, it becomes very clear that it’s only their way of laughing with each other. The conflict is a more dramatic approach than other shows of this kind. This is all simply part of the bigger picture which is the exciting story.

     Written by Ken Kaufman and Howard Klausner, the screenplay for “Space Cowboys” wasn’t the most groundbreaking story so far, although it was entertaining. It molded two different types of stories which have been done before into a whole new tale. They took the ideas of astronauts going into space to fix a satellite and retired men having to get out of retirement and train to do an exciting mission, and it actually worked. Looking at the script by itself most people would probably have thought that it was a gamble to make a film out of it, but Eastwood liked the idea and turned a gamble into a blockbuster. The only drawback, if there is any at all, is that the basic idea of the tale isn’t really anything new or groundbreaking; however this is one of the most entertaining space movies out there.

          My overall rating 3.5 out of 5

“Barton Fink” (1991) [R]

     “Barton Fink” is one of those movies that usually don’t show up on people’s radar. Some people probably won’t even remember much advertising for it either. This period piece set in the forties is an excellent look into a writer’s life. It is an intriguing drama with some of the best dialogue seen in any of the Coen brother’s movies. It is also filled to the brim with symbolism, including things in the dialogue and objects in the scenes. This film is truly deserving of the Oscar-nomination it received, however the only bad thing about it is that the way it was laid out can be a bit confusing at first to anyone who doesn’t quite catch the symbolism.

     The story, set in the forties, did a remarkable job of taking the audience back to that time. It is one of the most entertaining period pieces that have been made so far. The Coen brothers proved themselves yet again as incredible filmmakers. They also gave an excellent look into the life of a writer, and what it can be like struggling through writer’s block. The whole movie, in fact, is set over the writer, played by John Turturro, who is trying to write a script and can’t because of the block. John Turturro really became the character in this movie, acting like writers of that time.

     Dialogue is an interesting thing to pay attention to in movies, and can be a stressful thing when writing it out. It’s hard enough to write out a dialogue for a movie, and it’s just as hard, if not harder, to act it out. The Coen brothers did an amazing job on the dialogue, and the actors did just as good when acting it out for the cameras. Much of the dialogue is filled with little conversational fillers that were true to that time such as “I sure am sorry there,” and “Well ain’t that a kick in the head.” The conversational fillers were simply ways of making your conversation longer, and were popular in that time, which only does more to make the audience feel like they really are in that era.

     Another thing that can be a hassle for filmmakers to put in their movies is symbolism. It can be a hard thing to remember throughout the story and it can also put up a struggle because of the assumption that everyone in the audience will pick up on it right away. The Coen brothers took the gamble of filling the film with symbols from start to finish, and for the most part it worked. Much of the symbolism is very entertaining, some of which can also be comical, however there is a risk that they run in putting so many symbols in it. Not all of the viewers are going to catch on so easily to some of the symbols. This means that the symbols will go either unnoticed or may even confuse the parts of the audience who don’t catch on. All in all it was a highly entertaining movie worth watching more than once.

          My overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Secret Window” (2004) [PG-13]

     “Secret Window” was made when Johnny Depp was making his big appearance into fame through the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie, and it is just another film through which he has shown the world how good an actor he is. His performance in this feature wasn’t the only entertaining one, John Turturro also proved once again that he can pull the audience into the character. Other factors for which this film is very notable is its soundtrack, the orchestral music placed behind the cinema sucks the audience into every suspenseful moment. This show is a great paranoia horror story, it plays with the viewer’s senses. It is one of many movies that have been made out of one of Stephen King’s stories; sadly, this one isn’t much like King’s story at all.

     The creators of “Secret Window” couldn’t have picked any better actors for the roles of the protagonist, Mort Rainey, and his nemesis, John Shooter. Johnny Depp was making his comeback to fame about the time he starred in this film. He shows that he can rise to the occasion of being able to play any role and do it well. John Turturro acts as the antagonist, John Shooter, and verifies as he always has that he can pull the audience into the moment whenever he appears on the scene. Purely believable, Turturro has never been better that he was in “Secret Window.” However, it’s not actor’s portrayal of characters alone that makes for an entertaining film.

     The soundtrack for this movie is just one more thing that will take hold of the audience. In the most suspenseful scenes the music will draw viewers in and can scare them just as much as what’s going on in the story. Character’s action will scare the audience, but the without the soundtrack, none of the suspense gets built up nearly as well. There are many movies which would be nothing without their music. This film isn’t one of them, but its quality is increased greatly just by adding the suspenseful orchestra in the scenes.

     “Secret Window” is a tale of extreme paranoid horror, and the cinema version of the story somewhat does justice to it. The suspense builds behind every turn and during every moment of the movie. It’s one of the few pictures that can truly scare the viewers, instead of just grossing them out. As good as this flick is, it has one flaw. It is one of many that have been based on a Stephen King fiction, but sadly it is not very much like the original tale. There are many differences between King’s short story and the 2004 enactment. Reading the short story version gives more satisfaction than watching the movie.

          My overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Airheads” (1994) [PG-13]

     This movie is one of many that some people call a “hidden treasure.” It’s not an extremely well-known movie, but it deserves more credit than it receives. The actors did very commendable jobs, the movie personifies most musicians of that time, and this is simply put the best comedy of its kind since “Wayne’s World” (1992). The only drawback to this movie is that the story is barely believable even for a comedy.

     Actors for “Airheads” gave commendable performances through the whole movie. The main cast members were both funny and convincing; they didn’t stop the greatness of their characters even once. Even the secondary cast, who played the less important characters, gave noteworthy performances. Viewers can find themselves liking the less important characters just as much as they like the lead roles.

     In addition to the actors’ performances, the movie itself easily personifies most musicians of that time and musical genre. The performances and script shows character traits and dialects that are true to that time and style. The story epitomizes the rebellious scene of the eighties and nineties Californian musicians’ life, and heavily coats it with wacky comedy.

     As far as the comedy of this film goes, it is amazingly entertaining. This is definitely the best “goofy buddy” comedy since “Wayne’s World.” It’s full of wacky, hilarious moments and almost slapstick humor. However many good things there are to this movie, there is one very bad factor. The story is barely believable even for a comedy; there is no way that most of the stuff in the movie could actually happen in real life.

          My overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

“The Mummy” (1999) [PG-13]

     “The Mummy” is certainly one of the more intriguing movies of the past fifteen years. It draws viewers in with an interesting screenplay, many connections to Egyptian mythology, and attention-getting visuals. Considering the date and the underdeveloped computer effects that were available when this movie was made, there aren’t any bad things to find in this movie except that it doesn’t stand up to the original “Mummy” of 1932.

     One of the most important things to look for in a film is its screenplay and this movie has an interesting one. The screenplay shows an amazing combination of drama, action, horror, and even romance. Few movies combine so many different genres and styles, and the creators of the screenplay have succeeded in doing exactly that. Its screenplay isn’t the only noteworthy factor of this film, either.

     The creators of “The Mummy” threw in many connections to actual Egyptian mythology. They used several real locations of Egypt including ones with great mythological ties in their history. Dialogue also includes more than a few mentions to Ancient Egyptian mythological names. The references made in this film shows that its creators studied up some on the myths of Ancient Egypt.

     Another thing the creators of this movie used to further enhance the viewers’ experience is their use of computer effects and visuals. This means even more than what it sounds like because of the more restricted and underdeveloped computer effects of the time. As many commendable things in this movie as there are, the one underlying truth is that it simply does not stand up to the original 1932 version. The original “Mummy” will always be the better one, although the newer version isn’t all that bad.

          My overall rating: 3.5 out of 5