The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)
Posted on August 14, 2006
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Tommy Lee Jones directs and stars in this ISA-nominated story of a man’s impossible journey to fulfill a promise to bury his murdered best friend in Mexico. Barry Pepper stands out with his astonishing performance, Guillermo Arriaga’s script is beautifully written, and the film is a magnificent directorial debut.
Grade: A+.
IMDB: The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.
Lean on Me (1989)
Posted on August 12, 2006
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Morgan Freeman stars as Joe Clark, an eccentric disciplinarian brought in to clean up a crime-ridden, drug-infested high school in New Jersey. Exceptional acting performances pervade this gritty drama based on a true story. This inspiring story shows how one determined person can change everything, despite overwhelming odds.
Grade: B+.
IMDB: Lean on Me.
40 Days and 40 Nights (2002)
Posted on August 10, 2006
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A ridiculous barrage of stereotypes, generalizations, cheap “poignancy”, and painfully foolish moments, this romantic comedy centers around one guy’s impossible task to give up sex for Lent. The movie was badly written, fumblingly executed, and piled up with unnecessary special effects. The few chuckles save this sinker from completely drowning.
Grade: D.
IMDB: 40 Days and 40 Nights.
Memphis Belle (1990)
Posted on August 8, 2006
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A dramatization of a mission of the Memphis Belle, this wonderful period picture brings a level of tension, danger, and risk that make it absolutely riveting. It is perfectly cast, wonderfully scripted, and beautifully shot. Great acting makes this epic a realistic depiction of bombing missions in World War II.
Grade: A.
IMDB: Memphis Belle.
Clerks II (2006)
Posted on August 6, 2006
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Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson are once again clerks Dante and Randall, but ten years later. Humor abounds, yet it relies more on gross-out jokes rather than the cleverness of the original. This is a worthy sequel to Kevin Smith’s classic comedy. Fans of the original will appreciate this as well.
Grade: B+.
IMDB: Clerks II.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
Posted on August 5, 2006
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Johnny Depp stars, once again, as Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack owes his soul to Davy Jones and must act fast to remove his debt. Keeping in the tradition of the original, this is a fun, action-packed movie with plenty of humor. All of the major characters reprise their roles.
Grade: B.
IMDB: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
Jesse Rose presents More Than One (2006)
Posted on August 4, 2006
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Jesse Rose launches the Front Room Recordings label with a compelling set of collaborations that run the gamut from acid house to downtempo to IDM to breakbeats. Solidly standing in several electronic subgenres, this record seems, at times, reminiscent of the late 90s, but delivers a nice collection of work.
Grade: B+.
eMusic: More Than One.
Sounds of Om, 3rd Edition (2002)
Posted on August 4, 2006
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Kaskade puts together a compelling mix set for Om Records, that features some of deep house’s best artists — Johnny Fiasco, Soulstice, Rithma, Afro-Mystik, Andy Caldwell. The track selection is excellent, with several beautiful vocal tracks that will induce you to smile and get you excited for a hardwood dancefloor.
Grade: A.
AllMusic: Sounds of Om, 3rd Edition.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Posted on August 3, 2006
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Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes the hero who rescues the future savior of the world in this sequel that improves on the pathetic original by a staggering margin. The special effects in this one were decently realistic, the story was far better written, and the acting was decent, given the subject matter.
Grade: B-.
IMDB: Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Posted on August 1, 2006
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A tongue-in-cheek attempt at a mockumentary about a Jacques Cousteau analog, this bungling, incompetent picture was an absolutely grueling endurance test. The directing was ridiculous, the comedy scenes bellyflopped (despite an all-star cast), the script seemed written by high school students, and the premise was completely idiotic.
Grade: D.
IMDB: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
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