Archives
of Movies on Video
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Critics Choice for the Top
Movies of the 20th Century
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Movies
are listed by date of review starting with the most recent at the top.
Due to Illness of the Editior this Section has fallen behind, we are attemting to catch up.
Oceans
11
PG-13 ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Vanilla Sky
R ... 1
xxxxx
Spy
Game
R ... 3
xxxxx
The
Heist
R ... 3
xxxxx
Life
as a House
R ... 3
xxxxx
The One
PG-13 ...1-1/2
xxxxx
Jurassic
Park III
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Planet of the Apes
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Pearl
Harbor
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
The Score
R ... 2
xxxxx
Rush Hour 2
PG13 ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
A.I.
Artificial Intelligence
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Laura Croft: Tomb Radier
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Swordfish
R ... 2
xxxxx
DR2 (Doctor Doolittle 2)
PG ...1
xxxxx
The
Animal
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Bridget Jones's Diary
R ... 3
xxxxx
The Tailor of Panama
R ... 3
xxxxx
Driven
PG-13 ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
The Mummy Returns
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
A Knights Tale
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
TomCats
R ... 1
xxxxx
Blow
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Enemy at the Gates
R ... 3
xxxxx
Heartbreakers
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Road to Redemption
PG ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The Mexican
R ... 2
xxxxx
Recess:
School's Out
G ... 2
xxxxx
3000
Miles to Graceland
R ... 2
xxxxx
Traffic
R ... 3
xxxxx
The
Pledge
R ... 3
xxxxx
The
Wedding Planner
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Valentine
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Hannibal
R ... 3
xxxxx
Thirteen
Days
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
A
Family Man
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Quills
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Thirteen
Days
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Mercy
Streets Recommended Viewing
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
102 Dalmations
G ... 2
xxxxx
What
Women Want
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The
Vertical Limit
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Into
the Arms of Starngers
PG ...3-1/22
xxxxx
Men
of Honor
R ... 3
xxxxx
Little Nicky
PG-13 ... 1
xxxxx
Red Planet
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
The 6th Day
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Charlie's Angels
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Book
of Shadows Blair Witch Project 2
R ... 1
xxxxx
Bedazzled
PG-13 ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Pay it Forward
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Lost Souls
R ... 2
xxxxx
The Exorcist
re-release
R ... 3-1/2
xxxxx
The Little Vampire
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Lucky Numbers
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Goya in Bordeaux
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Luminous Motion
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
The Contender
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Luminarias
R ... 2
xxxxx
Get Carter
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Meet the Parents
PG-13... 3
xxxxx
Shower
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Love and Sex
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The Exorcist
R ... 1
xxxxx
Remember the Titans
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Almost Famous
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
An Affair of Love
R ... 2
xxxxx
Urban Legends
R ... 1
xxxxx
Woman On Top
R ... 2
xxxxx
Duet
R ... 2
xxxxx
Bait
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
The Interview
R ... 3
xxxxx
Committed
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Nurse Betty
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Five Senses
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The Watcher
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Highlander End Game
R ... 1
xxxxx
Godzilla2000
PG ... 2
xxxxx
The Crew
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Art of War
R ... 2
xxxxx
The Life and Times of
Hank Greenberg
NR ... 3-1/2
xxxxx
Bless the child
R ... 3-1/2
xxxxx
Butterfly
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
The Cell
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Space Cowboys
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
The Patriot
R ... 2
xxxxx
Coyote Ugly
PG-13 ...1-1/2
xxxxx
Hollow Man
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
The Replacements
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Rocky and Bullwinkle
PG ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The Perfect Storm
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Me, Myself and Irene
R ... 1/2
xxxxx
Chicken Run
G ... 3-1/2
xxxxx
Thomas and
the Magic Railroad
G ... 3
xxxxx
What Lies Beneath
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Nutty Professor II
The Klumps
PG-13 ...1-1/2
xxxxx
Dinosaur
PG ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Titan A.E.
PG ... 2
xxxxx
Sunshine
R ... 3
xxxxx
Shaft 2
R ... 2
xxxxx
Shanghai Noon
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Big Momma's House
PG-13 ... 1
xxxxx
Gone in 60 Seconds
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Mission Impossible
2
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The Basket
PG ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Battlefield Earth
PG-13 ... 1/2
xxxxx
I Dreamed of Africa
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Gladiator
R ... 3
xxxxx
Where the Heart Is
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Frequency
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Keeping the Faith
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
U-571
R ... 2
xxxxx
Contact
Us
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xxxxx
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Asner
Let us know what you
think...
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R ... 2
xxxxx
THE
HEIST
Rated R for violence and language
WarnersBrothers/Morgan Creek Productions
Web site:www:heist-movie.com
“The Heist” is a film on how to plan
a robbery and evade capture. Writer/director David Mamet (“Lakeboat”)
is at the helm of this movie that also stars Mamet’s wife, Rebecca Pidgeon
(“The Winslow Boy.”) However, the REAL star of “The Heist” is
Gene Hackman (“The Replacements”) in fine form as an aging crook who still
has one last heist in him. Also in the cast are Danny DeVito (“Erin
Brockovich”), Delroy Lindo (“The One”), Sam Rockwell (“Charlie’s
Angels”) and Ricky Jay (“House of Games.”) Watch for a larger
cameo by Patti LuPone, also.
Hackman
is ready to retire with girlfriend Rebecca, who is much younger than he. Hackman
builds boats as a hobby and wants to sail into southern waters after his last
bank job. He wants to leave in a hurry, because he has been “burned,”
or recognized on camera without a mask. In the meantime, their fence,
DeVito, withholds money and wants the gang to do one last job, this one involving
stealing gold from a cargo airliner and taking DeVito’s nephew, Rockwell,
along to see that all goes well. Sam is impatient and a loose cannon, so much
of the gang’s time is taken up making sure he doesn’t make a mistake.
The game of deception begins as to whether the robbery will take place, who
is actually in on it, who will double cross who and---most important---who
gets the gold in the end? As Hackman says, “I wouldn’t clear my
throat without a back-up plan.”
“The Heist”
tends to be talky, especially from Lindo’s character, who can’t seem to
do anything without a speech. The best parts of the film are the gang
getting away from a robbery. Ricky Jay, a real life sleight-of-hand
artist, steals his scenes as a person who knows how to cause a distraction
at the right time. DeVito replays his role of “Louie” from “Taxi,”
as the guy who tries to work both sides of an angle. As it stands, “The
Heist” alternates between preachy (Lindo’s character) and technical (the
airport robbery). Chopping dialogue here and cutting scenes of moving
equipment there, would have tightened this film. Also, Mamet’s direction
boxes scenes into acts with uneven transitions.
Rebecca Pidgeon is effective as a woman
who can talk her way out of any situation. Rockwell is the actor I have
a problem with; he fades into the background when on screen with Hackman,
who dominates the film. Rockwell’s moustache looks so fake you keep
waiting for it to fall off. A bad sign. In the end, it is Gene
Hackman’s film, especially the scenes when he is on a boat. This is
reminiscent of “The French Connection.” Hackman’s wry smile and
low chuckle do more than ten pages of dialogue.
Copyright
2001 Marie Asner