Reviews (18)

Independent Cutes
This is another example of an independent film that depends on inexplicable behavior from its characters to mind humor and drama. As usual, it fails miserably. Heather Graham stars as a woman who will do anything to keep her marriage intact. This includes stalking her husband once he has left her. The movie is a complete mess. IT never decides what it is. Characters come and go for no apparent reason. Luke Wilson as the husband is attractive, but he's given nothing to do. There's a romantic subplot involving ER's Goran Visnjic, but that goes nowhere. Visnjic is the best thing in the movie. His car seat seduction of Graham is the best scene in the movie. However, This movie is a real mess.

Quirky and Cute
Okay, first of all I loved this movie, and Heather Graham definetly plays her role well.Yeah the movie is a little on the strange side but it is still awesome. This movie will definetly keep a smile on your face whether your laughing at Joline (Heather Graham) or with her. Basically it's a story about a woman who is so utterly commited to her vows to her husband that she'll do anything to keep him safe and sound. All the characters you meet along the way are awesome!! Gotta love the friendly neighbor of her husband played by ER doctor, Goran Visnjic. Just trust me on this one you'll love it. If you don't buy it, rent it, or borrow it, just watch it once. Luv it or hate it all you want. I luved it!

The Story Goes Nowhere, But Shows Lovely Heather Very Well
Lisa Krueger's second feature has Heather Graham as Joline, New York club owner who is married to a struggling phographer Carl (Luke Wilson). But this film is not your usual work of romantic comedy, because it has plenty of eccentric characters. Joline is just one of them, and the strongest one, for she is a committed person to the bone. Very committed to her action and words, she lets a "band" play on the stage even if all the member except for the bass player quit the band and left for Japan.

But her belief is to be tested when her newly-wed husband left her without obvious reasons, afterwards sending only a postcard with a blurred postmark. But she has to believe what she has believed, so she decides to hit the road, goes to El Paso, and tries to find something she has been missing in her life.

The story is interesting, but you soon find that the film has little to offer except the heroine's engaging personality. However, the whole film is somehow sustained by Heather Graham's presense, which almost compensates for its meandering plot. Of course, this means that if you don't like her character, or just don't get it, you lose interest in the film, but for Heather Graham's fans, it is not a bad thing to watch this one for once.

Another merit of the film is the unique cast of the film, which includes Casey Affleck, Golan Visnjic, and Alfonso Arau as male players, but more amusing are females, the cameos of Clea Duvall, Summer Phoenix, Patricia Velasquez (one of the best players in the sequel of "The Mummy"), and Mary Kay Place, who was in the director's previous film "Manny & Lo." Whether or not they are used in the most suiable way remains a point to be dabated, but it certainly is good to see them showing up on the screen. And the photography of the film captures the beauty and climate of El Paso very well.

"Committed" is not a good film, but still has original concept and lovely Heather Graham, last of which would anyway justify my defending the film. For her fans, or those who are looking for something totally different.

What a waste
Waste of talent, waste of money, waste of time. All this film is is a big budget student film. And not even a good student film at that. Plus, anytime someone uses the word "cute" to describe a movie that isn't animated you should know to steer clear.

Anyway, it's dull, misguided and a bit sexist. Your husband leaves you, you see him making out with another woman, why on earth would you be spineless enough to want him back? Sure, more power to keeping your committments, but how could you ever be committed to someone who isn't committed back? This is not a love story, this is teenage obsession.

Upbeat
I don't tend to like romantic comedies but this one was different. Heather Graham plays Jolie a night club owner who never fails to keep her promises. When her husband asks for leaves her, Jolie starts to go to great lengths to convince him that she still loves him.

What really makes this film work is the character of Jolie. Some romantic comedies stretch creditably to the limit to ensure a happy ending. In "Committed" it is the fact that main character sees everything in such a positive light, despite what is happening to her, that makes it refreshing upbeat. Jolie is a wonderfully, engaging, proactive character and I haven't watched such a loveable character in long time.

"Committed" is a great little film. ... Read more

Description

Outrageously sexy and frankly hilarious, CHASING AMY is another hit comedy from Kevin Smith, the critically acclaimed director of CLERKS. Holden's been looking for the perfect woman -- funny, bright, and attractive. When he finally meets Alyssa, the woman of his dreams ... she has someone a little different in mind -- another woman! But together, Holden and Alyssa share the kind of relationship they've been looking for all along ... and soon discover that the confusing ups and downs of love, sex, and friendship in the '90s have never been so complicated ... or so funny! Audiences and critics cheered this provocative and lively comedy ... you're sure to enjoy every entertaining moment. ... Read more

Reviews (355)

Simply Fabulous!
"Chasing Amy" by director Kevin Smith is such an triumph. This movie about love, friendship and taking chances hits with so many punches. It's well rounded, it doesn't take the easy way out, NOR does it go for the safe laugh. The story surrounding comic book writer Holden (Ben Afflect) , his best mate and partner Banky (played beautifully by Jason Lee), and Holden's love for fellow comic book girl, lesbian Allyssa (Joey Lauren Adams) Who SO deserved the Golden Globe Nomination. It's sweet, lovely and such a testament to true love. Conflict between these three characters carries this movie with such intelligence.

One of the BEST love declaration speeches in movie HISTORY is in this movie, when Holden spills his cuts (in the rain, no less) to Alyssa. That scene sums up the whole movie. It's just such a good movie. Supporting cast includes the performance of Fan Fav. "Jay and Silent Bob" in a wonderful moment that sums it all up. Truly inspired writing on Smith's part.

I hope everyone appreciates it like I do. It's fabulous!

blech!
Why did this movie get such good reviews?? Maybe it would've been clearer when it came out, but I honestly thought it was terrible.

The main plotline made no sense whatsoever. There was no chemistry between Ben and Joey's characters, and suddenly, after about 10 minutes, he found himself deeply in love with her and had to make a 5 minute confession to her. Then it turns out she, a former lesbian, was in love with him all along too, and suddenly they're kissing in the rain. There was no build-up to this, and as such I felt nothing for their relationship or anything they were going through.

The drawn-out monologues in the movie are pretty silly as well. The characters talk at each other for long periods of time while the others just stare at them blankly. (Ben Affleck has indeed mastered the blank, gaping stare.) And parts of the movie are so silly that I wasn't sure if any of the movie was supposed to be taken seriously at all. Sometimes it seems it has a message, but then it's just stupid.

It was kind of entertaining at times, and the supporting characters were amusing. So that's why it got 2 stars. But overall it was a pretty bad movie.

another popular release.
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edotion of the film.

This film the third release in the Jersey "trilogy" (quintilogy to be exact) is also the one where Silent Bob speaks more than any other release. In this film,(Ben Affleck) a comic book artist falls in love with young women who is also a comic book artist, only to discover that she is lesbian. The film is not for children and like the film "Clerks" almost got an NC-17 rating based solely on sexual dialog.

The Criterion DVD has numerous special features.
There is a new DVD edition video introdiction for the audio commentary explaining a comment made by Kevin blasting DVD's (The audio commentary as originally recorded for the laserdisc edition.)
The is full length audio commentary by director/actor Kevin Smith, producer Scott Mosier, actors Ben Affleck and Jason Mewes, associate producer Robert Hawk, Miramax executive Jon Gordon, and Vincent Pereira. There is also a Theatrical trailer, 10 deleted scenes with introductions. There is also a set of outtakes.

The Criterion Collection remains the exclusive distributer for the film's DVD format as of the time this review is being written.

'Till the other shoe drops
Interesting but pretty improbable, and ultimately it will be unworkable. It should have been written as a tragedy instead it is a farce.

ok but no clerks
this was an ok film, but still highly overrated i recommend clerks, clerks the series, or maybe mallrats instead of this. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Much better than I'd heard
Honestly, the criticism of this movie has been so exaggerated. Before seeing "Gerry," I'd heard that the movie contained only two or three bits of sparse dialogue, that it was suffocatingly slow, and even that it contained a sunset shot "in real time." All of this is false. Someone else even suggested that the whole film was a practical joke, and that Van Sant, Affleck, and Damon were laughing all the way to the bank. Yes, because this movie is SO commercial. I'm sure it was a HUGE moneymaker for all of them. (That was sarcasm, in case you couldn't tell.) As you've heard, this film is about two young men who get lost in the desert, and the movie does a good job of approximating what that would feel like. There is quite a bit of dialogue, although a lot of it is idle chatter or strategizing about how they're going to find their way back to the highway. Some of it, however, is pretty funny. The acting is great, the scenery is so beautiful and beautifully shot it's like a moving painting, and the end of the movie is haunting. I was still thinking about it the next day. No, this isn't wall-to-wall action or hilarity; don't go into it expecting that. Go into it expecting an interesting experimental film, and you won't be disappointed.

Visually stunning...but very drawn out.
This film would make the producers of National Geographic proud. It is a lonely and beautiful view of the desert we are given hear but the dialogue and purpose of this movie is vague and sparse. Alot of hopeless wandering in a big empty landscape devoid of anything.

Not for Everyone -- But...
Frustration. To me the goal of art is to delve into a human emotion or feeling, to make the viewer of the art feel what the creator of the art is trying to visualize. Unfortunately for this film, frustration is the emotion and feeling that is being portrayed. The frustration of being lost in the desert, the frustration of being a run-of-the-mill person. The two Gerrys know each other so well, you can't really tell what their relationship is, which adds to your confusion, but ah.... is this intended as well? Two sides of the same psyche? They barely even have to talk to each other. But the one scene where one Gerry is stuck on a rock, and they try to figure out how he's going to get down is the whole point of the film. Very memorable.

Through watching it, I found myself fidgeting, fastforwarding, losing interest, pausing... I felt like I was lost in the desert... oh! All sorts of rants went through my mind, "Oh would you two just have sex with each other already;" "Oh I don't care if you get out alive;" "Well what the heck did you leave the path for anyway!"

Existential, situational, experiential. If that's not your cup of tea, stay away. But if you like a thinking game and like to share the feelings of the characters in the film, have at it.

Oh and yeah, the desert is almost as beautiful as Matt Damon.

What a Beautiful Film....
I rented "Elephant" and "Gerry" in the same night. "Elephant" was a let-down, great concept and experiment, but all in all a failure as far as I was concerned. The first half of the film was brilliant, and probably the most authentic cinematic view of high school life since, well, Wiseman's "High School". But the second half turned into what I can only describe as a school shooting on demerol--the actors portraying the shooters did not have the capabilities to pull off the dimensionality of character Van Sant was going for, and the ending flopped as a result.

So next, I popped in "Gerry". Considering the reviews and media attention had been favoring "Elephant", I figured I wasn't in for much. Instead, I was treated to one of the most daring and original films I've ever watched.

The film is slow, but intentionally so. It portrays to the psyche of the viewer what a film like "Cast-Away" never could--the sheer monotony, hopelessness, solitude and fear of being lost or stranded. The vistas are beautiful in widescreen and become a character themselves, playing the antagonist off of the two protagonists, Affleck & Damon.

I won't go into the big question in this film, because it's a spoiler. But just keep in mind that certain characters in this film may not be characters at all, at least in the physical sense. It's this metaphysical and existential play that makes this film so interesting; the only work in cinema I can think to compare it to is Antonioni's "L'Avventura", which it pays homage to, but actually exceeds in its purpose, in my opinion.

If you can appreciate cinema that challenges you, check out this film. If that's not your thing, you probably won't like it.

interesting concept, tests your patience, but a once-view
Two guys. One desert. Little plot or dialog.
With that said, one knows some people will love it and some hate it, whether it be for their hipster pretentious flair or lack of attention span, either is debatable, which i shall not waste my time doing.
Listen-- if you want Gus Van Sant to get you into the mindset of a person who beleives they will die in the desert, this film accomplishes that with its sheer monotony and relentlessly slow pace. The long shots, in my opinion, serve this effect, and this definatly isn't for one who enjoys and defends conventional film making.
This also isn't a revolutionary idea, as I've seen student films go something like this (of course, at a lower quality, since they don't have the funds of Gus Van Sant), and it is rather pretentious to hail this as revolutionary or profound, since it has been explored in other films as well as other forms of media.
When it comes down to it, if you are turned off by the lack of events listed in all the reviews you'll see on this page, don't buy the DVD. Maybe shell out 4 bucks and rent the darn thing. And don't complain if you don't like it: you know by now what you're getting into.
That's just my opinion. I could be wrong. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Kevin Bacon Rocks!
I am amazed that I had never heard of this film before - it is really exceptional! I picked it up because it won a Sundance prize, and now I know why - the acting is fantastic and the story is really interesting, with a good twist at the end. Definitely worth checking out.

Excellent--Worth the 16 year wait!!
I was afraid this production was obscure enough it would never make it to video or DVD. The sets, staging and props are fantastic and capture the feeling of late 1950's southern California perfectly but that's minor compared to the talented casts' performance which is beyond 5 stars. It all comes together to create an amazing film that most are probably not aware of.

The DVD with its extras offers great insight into the making of this film. "The Making of Lemon Sky" with director Jan Egleson takes you through the creative process from start to finish and lets you in on why the finished product is so captivating and moving.

This is Kevin Bacon at his best. But the entire cast is riveting without exception. If you haven't seen or heard of "Lemon Sky" treat yourself to a unique film experience. ... Read more

Reviews (103)

Surprisingly good
A lot has been made already about horror movies post-'Scream', but this movie does surpass expectations. It begins unoriginally, with a girl killing her boyfriend in a car accident after the argued about her 'last kiss' with her ex. After the death though she can't help but keep coming back to that night back at the eerie nightclub and the subsequent car accident and her life begins to fall apart.

Okay, so the story at first doesn't seem anything special. However, there's a great deal more than meets the eye. First of all it manages to put its audience on edge without resorting to blood and gore tactics. Even if it never scares, it certainly creates a loaded tension. Secondly, the various dream sequences are genuinely disturbing and really help to give an idea of the hallucinatory hell that the character goes through. Plus there's an efficient cast, including Wes Bentley ('American Beauty') and Eliza Dushku (Faith in 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer') although inexplicably these more bankable stars aren't given top billing. Those honours go to Melissa Sagemiller and Casey Affleck (Ben Affleck's brother), who are certainly good enough.

Although the movie does steer off course for a while with a contrived scene where the leading ladies get to shower together, it's unoriginal start punctuated with an underlying nastiness make it seem like a wink to its audience. What's most impressive though is its twist, which will make you look back at what's gone on before in a different light. This may not be as constantly innovative and frightening as 'Scream', but it sure does beat most of the other teen horrors out there.

Yuck.
Is she dead? Or isn't she? Did anything in the movie really happen, or didn't it? Who knows? The real question is, how in the hell did I sit through 83 minutes of this junk? Who knows? Boredom? If only I always I had that much time on my hands.

Cassie(Melissa Sagemiller) is about to leave for college, but not before spending one last night partying with her boyfriend Casey Affleck(Ben's brother), her ex-boyfriend Wes Bentley(American Beauty, The Four Feathers), and her best friend Eliza Dushku(Bring It On, The New Guy). The party goes bad when first, the new boyfriend catches Cassie kissing the ex-boyfriend(how soap opera!) and then they all get into a nasty car wreck. Cut to a few months later, Cassie's in college, her boyfriend is supposedly dead, and things basically degenerate into one big incoherent mess of a movie. Let's see, there are creepy guys chasing Cassie around the college, Eliza Dushku is having sex with Angela Featherstone for no apparent reason, the dead boyfriend keeps showing up, there are flashes of an operation, and Cassie meets a young priest(Owen... no wait, Luke Wilson) who seems to know a lot more about what's happening than he's letting on. That's the movie!

Throw in some Twilight Zone, a little Jacob's Ladder, and a dash of David Lynch, and you get a movie that's not as good as any of those three things. In fact, this movie [is bad]. While someone like Lynch throws in weird images and disjointed logic for a specific reason, this movie is basically weird for weird's sake. The acting was pretty decent, considering what they had to work with. Eliza Dushku, in particular, is a young actress with real potential. She is much better than most of the flicks she's been in, and here again, she's the best part of a bad movie. Wes Bently, another good one, stick with American Beauty, son.

In the end, I think that instead of being a Jacob's Ladder or Mulholland Drive, Soul Survivors is gonna go down with Blair Witch 2 as a wanna be mind bender that didn't quite work.

Confusing and stupid
This may look good after reading the back cover, but it's not what it seems. I hate when that happens. The whole movie is some kind of dream/alternate reality that just makes NO sense! Don't bother even renting this one. It's very stupid.

messy ripoff of better horror films
The packaging & marketing made this film sound like (the much superior FINAL DESTINATION). Group of college-bound kids suffer an accident, but then...who's dead? Who's alive? asks the box. Also sounded a bit like THE SIXTH SENSE (is she a ghost and doesn't know it?) And a bit like CARNIVAL OF SOULS (are other ghosts trying to pull her back).

All fine films, unlike this crud. SOUL SURVIVORS was a boring mess. After the accident, the girl grieves her dead boyfriend, and is stalked by supernatural hoodlum types. At one point, midway through the film, I thought, "You know, these supernatural hoodlums are kinda like those demon-things stalking the still-dying Tim Robbins in JACOB's LADDER. I suppose the girl could still be dying in the car accident, and she's imagining all this ... Naw, that'd be a real lame ripoff. I'm sure the filmmaker is more original than that."

NOT!

Yes, this film turns out to be JACOB'S LADDER in FINAL DESTINATION packaging. Except JACOB'S LADDER was creepier, more atmospheric, darker, and had a stronger ending.

Soul Survivors
Soul Survivor is the most confusing film I've ever seen.The cast is great.Eliza Dushku is a does a good job as she does in most everything she plays in.Actually alot of the acting is good.The plot started of well but soon just ended up confusing itself.The dialogue is also confusing.I couldn't find heads or tails on this confusing flick.There was also practically no gore; even though it was only rated PG-13.It was a little better than I had heard but it still only gets a two.By the end of the film you feel just as confused and lost as the main character.Melissa Sagemiller acts like she has no frecking idea what she's doing in this movie.I don't reccomend this flick unless your extremely bored.

After surviving a car crash that killed her boyfriend (Casey Affleck), Cassandra (Melissa Sagemiller) finds herself haunted by his ghost. A priest (Luke Wilson) tries to exorcize these frightful visions from Cassandra's mind, but her college friends see her vulnerability as the perfect outlet for their malicious plans. She tries to carry on her life like all the other college freshmen, but it unravels when she begins to believe she is being stalked. Then Cassandra has horrifying hallucinations; during a midterm, she bleeds profusely all over her desk, and the drain in her shower explodes with blood. Gradually, Cassandra understands what is happening to her, but will she be able to survive?

"Twenty or more minutes of this movie could put you into coma."
-- Dave White, IFILM ... Read more

Description

Norman Reedus (BEAT) stars as Van, a young man whose life was shattered when he was sixteen by the car accident which severed his father's legs. His mother, unable to cope, abandoned the family leaving Van to care for his embittered father.As Van's life disintegrates, he finds himself abandoned once again, this time by his affluent girlfriend who does not understand the toll of his losses have taken on him. As he slips into a life of petty crime, he meets Doug (Chad Lowe), an all-American swim champion, who has moved into Van's old house. As their friendship deepens Van soon learns that the "perfect life" isn't always what it seems. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

pointless
I think my title says it all. It was directionless and pointless. The only character that elicited any sympathy at all was Doug, and even he seemed to be drifting without any purpose. Even the gay issue failed to elicit any tension between the characters. I kept wondering when the plot would start, but it didn't

fulgar language at the utmost
I bought this video based on the reviews and was so disappointed that I never got past the first 20 minutes. I am not a prude, but to use the f word in every sentene as an adjective, verb and however else it may be used was a complete turnoff. I put the video in my recycle box. Maybe it had some substance, but I could not get past the first 20 minutes

Fun, Spunky, & Cool..
Norman Reedus just might be the new River Phoenix in this sweet & heartfelt film. I personally liked the way the Writer didn't base this movie with a strong "Gay Issue", he kept Doug (Chad Lowe) in the closet to his pals & I love the way Van (Norman Reedus) finds out his new friend is homosexual. I sympathized with Doug in many ways, as from being out & seeing how a father can live in denial for so long. I felt the script as well as the characters themselves did a great job! My hats off to you, the makers & actors/actresses of "Floating". A must buy/rent!

someone in MA
This is one of my favorite movies of all times... i hope to see more from William Roth in the near future!

'Your Recommendations' Comes Through!
I had never heard of this movie before Amazon listed it on their welcome page as one of their 'Your Recommendations' for me. After looking into the movie, it sounded intriguing. I wouldn't call it one of my favorites, but I'm certainly glad Amazon suggested it. Despite a dark and sometimes tragic story, this movie offers some great moments of friendship, warmth, and humor. It's a quiet film that relies mostly on acting, setting, and an occasional surprise. ... Read more

Reviews (286)

Hilarious!
The first American Pie started the trend, but American Pie 2 has even more laughs. And it has retained and amplified one important aspect of the original, a somewhat cornball sentimentality that offers a nice counterbalance to the gross sight gags and pervasive atmosphere of salaciousness.

Jason Biggs continues to throw himself into the most embarrassing of situations with admirable gusto, and the movie hinges on his ability to play Jim's most humiliating shenanigans with an odd but appealing, dogged dignity...even when wearing only his drawers. His comic timing is even better than last time, and the movie's best moments come of his straight-faced delivery. And in this sequel you can see how Alyson Hannigan managed to walk off with the most famous line in the original: Given much more weight in American Pie 2, Hannigan is a delight, playing Michelle's offbeat geekiness but hidden warmth to perfection. And her deadpan delivery (the "trumpet" line is bound to become another classic) is beautiful as always. Shannon Elizabeth is surprisingly lacklustre, and Tara Reid is still stuck with the most boring character of the bunch, but otherwise the rest of the supporting cast (Seann William Scott is especially good, reprising uber-jock Stifler) is great, and the sight and verbal gags come faster and tighter than in the original, with the benefit of familiar characters. The famous central gag (won't give it away) had me belly-laughing for a solid minute, something I haven't done since the first time I saw Clerks.

No, it's not cerebral, nor is it an unprecedented classic. But for a good rowdy night of teen comedy, American Pie 2 hits the spot.

Go see this! Best sequel of the summer!
I've seen many movies this summer. As many of you know, there has been many dissapointing movies out there this summer.(Tomb Raider, A.I.,Scary Movie 2,and Planet of the Apes to name a few.) Sequels have been horrible lately, like Scary Movie 2 and Jurassic Park 3. Rush hour 2 was one of the better sequels this summer. When I went to see AP2 with my friends yesterday, I was expecting another sequel that was put together way too fast and didn't have any thought in it. I loved the first one, and I probably have watched the American Pie DVD about 100 times! I bought my popcorn and my drink and was ready for another bad sequel. Man, was I so wrong. AP2 was probably my favorite movie of the summer. I barely ate any of my popcorn or drank any of my drink I was laughing so hard. I thank Universal Studios for giving Eugene Levy a bigger part in this movie. Seann William Scott is extremely funny in this movie, with all his comments. I don't want to spoil it for all you people who haven't seen this movie, but there will be lesbians, some phone sex between Mena Suvari(Heather), and Chris Klein(Oz), a "champagne" bath for Seann William Scott(Stifler), an accident with superglue for Jason Biggs(Jim), the rule of three, and more of Eddie Kaye Thomas and Stifler's mom(What a MILF!just kiddin!) Go see this movie, You will not be dissapointed. It is the funniest, crudest movie of the summer. NOT for Kids!

Awful
Maybe the worst movie i've ever seen. Boring, very TALENTLESS actors, and bad jokes. Primitive film for primitive people.

Wow....what a great sequel!
I loved the first American Pie movie; I would watch it almost weekly with friends. I didn't think any movie could top it, but American Pie 2 comes very close, and at times, is better than the original. I also wanted to start off by saying, to the viewers who complain about such movies having too much raunchy humor, and therefore rating it low, you have to know going into these movies that they will be like this. Some people need to seriously lighten up, quit being a stiff, and have a good laugh every now and then. Also, to the last 1 star guy on here, you need a reality check. I'm not saying that the military is a bad thing, but you can't underrate the value of a college education/experience. It gives people who aren't born for the military (which is most of us) a chance to get a career and contribute to society, and it's also a social experience (the social experience aspect of college is probably more beneficial in the long run than even the educational aspect). And Road Trip was a great movie as well; LIGHTEN UP! (or quit your complaining). The only people that make your generation look bad are people like you!!

Anyway, Jason Biggs is in his usual role as Jim, despite getting laid last movie by a band geek, of having zero confidence in his ability to score (or do much else, for that matter). I disliked the opening scene, especially with that cheesy line "this is my first time......since my.....first time....so....technically, it's my second time," which made me weary about this movie. However, when Jim's dad (Eugene Levy) enters the room, the scene became hilarious, as Eugene perfectly plays the nimwitted father who is completely inept to the fact that no kid wants his/her father to see him/her naked. The movie continues as Stifler (Sean William Scott) and Oz (Chris Klien) discuss how many girls a man is supposed to have sex with during one year at college. This scene could have been a waste of a few minutes, but Scott, being the acting prodigy that he is, knows how to play the cocky card while not coming off as a complete a$$hole. When the four boys Oz, Jim, Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) later meet at their local diner, Finch comes off as this sex god, having gotten laid with a Japanese girl in an art museum, his psychology professor, and of course, Stifler's mom. Finch and Stifler steal the show this time around, as the two have amazing chemistry as enemies. Stifler constantly makes fun of Finch's practice of tantric sex, and Finch constantly practices his tantra in various places just to piss off Stifler (like the plant in the house that the boys rent for the summer), as well as.......well, I won't reveal the ending. They rent this house to throw monster parties, and to help Jim have amazing sex with Nadia when she plans to visit him at the summer. Jim also gets practice from the nerd he "scored" with last time around, and when she told him that he sucked, I laughed my ass off! (not only at how she said it, but Jason Biggs needs to be told he sucks, and I relished that moment). Also, the scene where Jim is mistaken for a trombone king Petey is very poorly done (what a surprise, since Biggs is a the forefront of the whole scene). He isn't as bad in this sequel as he was in the first one, but overall, Biggs isn't even close to the talent of the others (which is how he usually is). However, I do have to admit that the superglue scene was quite funny, mostly because we expect lousy things to happen to Jim, though I have to give him credit for putting effort into at least that scene. Despite any other minor flaws this movie may have, it overall comes across as a strong comedy that often goes for the gut, and succeeds about 98% of the time, with viewers in constant pursuit of fresh air after laughing so hard.

The Best Part of the Pie
American Pie 2 is a sequel that is better than the original and better than the 3rd one.No denying that this one is the best one of the series. FAMOUS SCENES

1)Lesbian Scene 10/10
2)Super Glue 10/10
3) Trumpet Scene 9.2/10
4) Jim on Stage 8.5/10
5) Phone Sex 8.7/10
MORE!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (79)

Underrated Excellent Black Comedy.
An Middle Age Woman by the name of Mona Dearly (Bette Midler), which she drove everyone crazy in the small town from the state of New York. But when Mona dies, while driving herself into a river. But it's turns out to be an act of murder. Chief of Police:Wyatt Rash (Danny DeVito) starts to invesgate the murder but Mona had herself a town full of enemies, including her cheating husband (William Fichtner), her heartless dimwit son (Marcus Thomas), her husband's mistress (Jamie Lee Curtis), the chief's daughter (Neve Campbell) and the chief's daughter fiance (Casey Affleck). Although People did hated the late Miss Dearly alot, it's up to the Chief to find, who's the blame for the murder but the town's people rather wants to know who to thank.

Directed by Nick Gomez (Illtown, Laws of Gravity, New Jersey Drive) made a Clever Off-Beat Black Comedy that was a Box Office Disapointment in the Winter of 2000. It's also One of the Most Underrated Comedies in Years. DeVito, who is also One of the Executive Producers in the film, He gives a good-hearted performance in the movie. Affleck is also good as the nervous fiance to the chief's, who might have been involved with Mona's Death. The lighlight of the film is the highly good comedic cast. The Canadian DVD has an sharp Pan & Scan (1.33:1) transfer and an good-Dolby Stereo 2.0 Surround Sound. While the Canadian DVD has no extras. While the American DVD is Presented in an anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) Presentation with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD Extras are a Trailer, Director's Commentary and Deleted Scenes with/without Commentary. This Misunderstood Comedy is a Forgetten Gem, don't miss it. Will Farrell has a Cameo in the film. Written by Peter Steinfeld (Analyze That, Be Cool). Grade:A-.

Bette Midler as Royal "Pain" with 9 Lives
Bette Midler, once again playing herself, gives everybody and their brother daily doses of annoyance. An entire family, including the in-laws want to do away with "Mona". Set among trailer park country bumbkins, the story is one rollercoaster ride of physical and mental abuse. Fans of Bette Midler and Danny DeVito may have the stomach to sit through this whole fiasco. Comedy fans with somewhat lofty standards may want to pass on this jumbled-up non-sense. A few quick laughs will keep you from getting angry about your time investment, but most folks sure can do much better than this. It'll do in a pinch.**

Best comedy ever!
This is one of my favorite movies. I can watch it over and over and still crack up. I like dark humor and this movie is hysterical. It deserves a watch.

Dark Humor Aint for Everyone
This is a hilarious movie. The actors in this movie should all be commended for giving subtle, laugh-your-tail off funny performances. The folks who gave it low ratings don't get dark comedy and/or were expecting typical character portrayals from the big name stars (particularly DeVito and Midler).

My husband and I hadn't expected much from this film because the trailers were so cryptic and we personally aren't too into Bette Midler, but from the first to last scene we were in stitches. Example: Neve Campbell's character freaks out when her fiance (played by Casey Affleck) tells her he killed Mona. As she storms off, saying that now she has to deal with her fiance being a murderer while taking care of wedding plans, he weakly calls after her, "We need milk." Another example: Mona's two sons go to her gravestone and see that the inscription says, "Demoted mother, wife, and dressmaker." One guy looks at the other and says, "I didn't know mom was a dressmaker," and the other says, "Me neither." Although I'm sure I'm killing the humor by trying to relay it without context, comic timing, or nonverbal communication, this is the kind of humor that you'll find in "Drowning Mona." If you're offended by this kind of thing, don't bother. Everyone in the town hated Mona, so a lot of the jokes center on her death.

And I've gotta' respond to reviewers who didn't see the point of the Yugos' omnipresence, even though it sort of detracts from the funniness. As a plot device, it's necessary precisely because Yugos were such cheap and unsafe cars that Mona's brakes could possibly have failed due to manufacturer error. If everyone had been driving Porches, there wouldn't have been any mystery at all. Also, you can't help but laugh when every character in the movie jumps in a colorful little bumper car, which sometimes needs a running start, to get around.

My friends took it, I left it
I rented this video with my four girlfriends on one of our annual weekends away. Three of us fell asleep and thought it was a horrible movie (and I'm a Bette Midler fan). The other two laughed their heads off and swear to us that it is the best movie ever. We tease each other about it to this day (two years later). ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Wow, wasn't expecting a GREAT movie!
I had no idea what this movie was about or anything before I watched it. I didn't even know who James Belushi was before this. Yah, now I know he's the Soprano guy. He's actually the best one out of all of them. Even though, Eliza Dushku is my favourite actress, she's only 15 years old here, so she still has a bit of her childhood left. Meaning, a little more whining then she usually does. Casie Affleck, later to become her ... partner in Soul Survivors, also stars in here as her step-brother. And of course, Halle Berry, who is almost always delivering at least a fine performance. This movie was predictable, but it reminded me of the movies I used to watch as a child, but without the cheesy dogs talking and stuff. So, it was a little more realistic. The Sun, is a motorized-vehicle that they built for a science project. Turns out, they race in Hawaii and win so they head off to Australia to compete for the championships. It's a really fun movie and I do plan on buying this if I find it. This movie is one of the best I've ever seen, I love it!! TWO THUMBS UP!!

A great movie about accomplishing your dreams
This movie is about a hopeless group of high school kids whocan't seem to do anything right until a new teacher comes to theschool and wants them to be in the science fair. They get an idea to build a solar-powered car to race in the big solar-powered car race which is in Hawaii, where they live. And when they win this race, they go on to the championship race in Austraila where they compete in a six-day car race with other top solar-powered cars around the world and they find out that they can accomplish their dreams. Oh yeah, and Casey's character (Daniel) becomes captain of the team because he designed the car. (Daniel's a terrific artist). It's a fun movie to watch and to see all the troubles that the kids face in this movie. And of course, every movie has to have comedy and romance....and this movie has a lot of both! I'm a teenager (16), by the way and I recommend this movie to anybody. It's a really great and mad funny film! END

a extraordinary movie
this movie was the greatest movie considering it took place in a small island. this shows that it dosen't matter where you are from but it shows how much time and effort you put into something and you really have to want it to win! This movie is great for educational reasons and is very good. I recommend it to anyone! (ps it has J.Moki Cho in it along with halle berry)

We watched this for science class...and wow!
Wow, we just watched this today in science and I was amazed. This movie is really entertaining, with a cast of some major actors to back it up (Jim Belushi, Halle Berry and Casey Affleck who is Ben Affleck's younger brother). The story is really inspirational. Based on a true story, it follows a group of high school students who come together in detention class. Things happen in the beginning, giving these kids the motivation to build a solar car and race in the world championships. After overcoming many obstacles, the team eventually makes it into the big games.
Here's where things get interesting, as we look into each character's personality. For instance, we have the stereotypical fat guy whom no one would expect to fit into a car, let alone race. Then there's the troubled girl with the alcohol problem, who gets disqualified from the races. Next comes the nerdy girl, who finds love in interestig places.
Jim Belushi and Halle Berry once again prove how good they truly are in this wonderful movie (based on a true story). I hope everybody watches this because it is really exceptional.

the best movie
I loved this movie, I thought it was brilliantly done and the drama mixed with the comidy I thought was amazing. This is a must see movie. ... Read more

Reviews (79)

Underrated Excellent Black Comedy.
An Middle Age Woman by the name of Mona Dearly (Bette Midler), which she drove everyone crazy in the small town from the state of New York. But when Mona dies, while driving herself into a river. But it's turns out to be an act of murder. Chief of Police:Wyatt Rash (Danny DeVito) starts to invesgate the murder but Mona had herself a town full of enemies, including her cheating husband (William Fichtner), her heartless dimwit son (Marcus Thomas), her husband's mistress (Jamie Lee Curtis), the chief's daughter (Neve Campbell) and the chief's daughter fiance (Casey Affleck). Although People did hated the late Miss Dearly alot, it's up to the Chief to find, who's the blame for the murder but the town's people rather wants to know who to thank.

Directed by Nick Gomez (Illtown, Laws of Gravity, New Jersey Drive) made a Clever Off-Beat Black Comedy that was a Box Office Disapointment in the Winter of 2000. It's also One of the Most Underrated Comedies in Years. DeVito, who is also One of the Executive Producers in the film, He gives a good-hearted performance in the movie. Affleck is also good as the nervous fiance to the chief's, who might have been involved with Mona's Death. The lighlight of the film is the highly good comedic cast. The Canadian DVD has an sharp Pan & Scan (1.33:1) transfer and an good-Dolby Stereo 2.0 Surround Sound. While the Canadian DVD has no extras. While the American DVD is Presented in an anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) Presentation with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD Extras are a Trailer, Director's Commentary and Deleted Scenes with/without Commentary. This Misunderstood Comedy is a Forgetten Gem, don't miss it. Will Farrell has a Cameo in the film. Written by Peter Steinfeld (Analyze That, Be Cool). Grade:A-.

Bette Midler as Royal "Pain" with 9 Lives
Bette Midler, once again playing herself, gives everybody and their brother daily doses of annoyance. An entire family, including the in-laws want to do away with "Mona". Set among trailer park country bumbkins, the story is one rollercoaster ride of physical and mental abuse. Fans of Bette Midler and Danny DeVito may have the stomach to sit through this whole fiasco. Comedy fans with somewhat lofty standards may want to pass on this jumbled-up non-sense. A few quick laughs will keep you from getting angry about your time investment, but most folks sure can do much better than this. It'll do in a pinch.**

Best comedy ever!
This is one of my favorite movies. I can watch it over and over and still crack up. I like dark humor and this movie is hysterical. It deserves a watch.

Dark Humor Aint for Everyone
This is a hilarious movie. The actors in this movie should all be commended for giving subtle, laugh-your-tail off funny performances. The folks who gave it low ratings don't get dark comedy and/or were expecting typical character portrayals from the big name stars (particularly DeVito and Midler).

My husband and I hadn't expected much from this film because the trailers were so cryptic and we personally aren't too into Bette Midler, but from the first to last scene we were in stitches. Example: Neve Campbell's character freaks out when her fiance (played by Casey Affleck) tells her he killed Mona. As she storms off, saying that now she has to deal with her fiance being a murderer while taking care of wedding plans, he weakly calls after her, "We need milk." Another example: Mona's two sons go to her gravestone and see that the inscription says, "Demoted mother, wife, and dressmaker." One guy looks at the other and says, "I didn't know mom was a dressmaker," and the other says, "Me neither." Although I'm sure I'm killing the humor by trying to relay it without context, comic timing, or nonverbal communication, this is the kind of humor that you'll find in "Drowning Mona." If you're offended by this kind of thing, don't bother. Everyone in the town hated Mona, so a lot of the jokes center on her death.

And I've gotta' respond to reviewers who didn't see the point of the Yugos' omnipresence, even though it sort of detracts from the funniness. As a plot device, it's necessary precisely because Yugos were such cheap and unsafe cars that Mona's brakes could possibly have failed due to manufacturer error. If everyone had been driving Porches, there wouldn't have been any mystery at all. Also, you can't help but laugh when every character in the movie jumps in a colorful little bumper car, which sometimes needs a running start, to get around.

My friends took it, I left it
I rented this video with my four girlfriends on one of our annual weekends away. Three of us fell asleep and thought it was a horrible movie (and I'm a Bette Midler fan). The other two laughed their heads off and swear to us that it is the best movie ever. We tease each other about it to this day (two years later). ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Independent Cutes
This is another example of an independent film that depends on inexplicable behavior from its characters to mind humor and drama. As usual, it fails miserably. Heather Graham stars as a woman who will do anything to keep her marriage intact. This includes stalking her husband once he has left her. The movie is a complete mess. IT never decides what it is. Characters come and go for no apparent reason. Luke Wilson as the husband is attractive, but he's given nothing to do. There's a romantic subplot involving ER's Goran Visnjic, but that goes nowhere. Visnjic is the best thing in the movie. His car seat seduction of Graham is the best scene in the movie. However, This movie is a real mess.

Quirky and Cute
Okay, first of all I loved this movie, and Heather Graham definetly plays her role well.Yeah the movie is a little on the strange side but it is still awesome. This movie will definetly keep a smile on your face whether your laughing at Joline (Heather Graham) or with her. Basically it's a story about a woman who is so utterly commited to her vows to her husband that she'll do anything to keep him safe and sound. All the characters you meet along the way are awesome!! Gotta love the friendly neighbor of her husband played by ER doctor, Goran Visnjic. Just trust me on this one you'll love it. If you don't buy it, rent it, or borrow it, just watch it once. Luv it or hate it all you want. I luved it!

The Story Goes Nowhere, But Shows Lovely Heather Very Well
Lisa Krueger's second feature has Heather Graham as Joline, New York club owner who is married to a struggling phographer Carl (Luke Wilson). But this film is not your usual work of romantic comedy, because it has plenty of eccentric characters. Joline is just one of them, and the strongest one, for she is a committed person to the bone. Very committed to her action and words, she lets a "band" play on the stage even if all the member except for the bass player quit the band and left for Japan.

But her belief is to be tested when her newly-wed husband left her without obvious reasons, afterwards sending only a postcard with a blurred postmark. But she has to believe what she has believed, so she decides to hit the road, goes to El Paso, and tries to find something she has been missing in her life.

The story is interesting, but you soon find that the film has little to offer except the heroine's engaging personality. However, the whole film is somehow sustained by Heather Graham's presense, which almost compensates for its meandering plot. Of course, this means that if you don't like her character, or just don't get it, you lose interest in the film, but for Heather Graham's fans, it is not a bad thing to watch this one for once.

Another merit of the film is the unique cast of the film, which includes Casey Affleck, Golan Visnjic, and Alfonso Arau as male players, but more amusing are females, the cameos of Clea Duvall, Summer Phoenix, Patricia Velasquez (one of the best players in the sequel of "The Mummy"), and Mary Kay Place, who was in the director's previous film "Manny & Lo." Whether or not they are used in the most suiable way remains a point to be dabated, but it certainly is good to see them showing up on the screen. And the photography of the film captures the beauty and climate of El Paso very well.

"Committed" is not a good film, but still has original concept and lovely Heather Graham, last of which would anyway justify my defending the film. For her fans, or those who are looking for something totally different.

What a waste
Waste of talent, waste of money, waste of time. All this film is is a big budget student film. And not even a good student film at that. Plus, anytime someone uses the word "cute" to describe a movie that isn't animated you should know to steer clear.

Anyway, it's dull, misguided and a bit sexist. Your husband leaves you, you see him making out with another woman, why on earth would you be spineless enough to want him back? Sure, more power to keeping your committments, but how could you ever be committed to someone who isn't committed back? This is not a love story, this is teenage obsession.

Upbeat
I don't tend to like romantic comedies but this one was different. Heather Graham plays Jolie a night club owner who never fails to keep her promises. When her husband asks for leaves her, Jolie starts to go to great lengths to convince him that she still loves him.

What really makes this film work is the character of Jolie. Some romantic comedies stretch creditably to the limit to ensure a happy ending. In "Committed" it is the fact that main character sees everything in such a positive light, despite what is happening to her, that makes it refreshing upbeat. Jolie is a wonderfully, engaging, proactive character and I haven't watched such a loveable character in long time.

"Committed" is a great little film. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

this movie stinks really badly
i do not like this movie because it is about stealing which is bad.

Cool name
This movie has a cool name, so I'll slap the 5 stars rating onto it. Also, I enjoyed the first film so this one should be pretty good hopefully. I look forward to it, especially after seeing some of the leaked footage of the first 6.23 minutes of the film. It was amazing. This movie has the potential to be a winner. ... Read more

Reviews (103)

Surprisingly good
A lot has been made already about horror movies post-'Scream', but this movie does surpass expectations. It begins unoriginally, with a girl killing her boyfriend in a car accident after the argued about her 'last kiss' with her ex. After the death though she can't help but keep coming back to that night back at the eerie nightclub and the subsequent car accident and her life begins to fall apart.

Okay, so the story at first doesn't seem anything special. However, there's a great deal more than meets the eye. First of all it manages to put its audience on edge without resorting to blood and gore tactics. Even if it never scares, it certainly creates a loaded tension. Secondly, the various dream sequences are genuinely disturbing and really help to give an idea of the hallucinatory hell that the character goes through. Plus there's an efficient cast, including Wes Bentley ('American Beauty') and Eliza Dushku (Faith in 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer') although inexplicably these more bankable stars aren't given top billing. Those honours go to Melissa Sagemiller and Casey Affleck (Ben Affleck's brother), who are certainly good enough.

Although the movie does steer off course for a while with a contrived scene where the leading ladies get to shower together, it's unoriginal start punctuated with an underlying nastiness make it seem like a wink to its audience. What's most impressive though is its twist, which will make you look back at what's gone on before in a different light. This may not be as constantly innovative and frightening as 'Scream', but it sure does beat most of the other teen horrors out there.

Yuck.
Is she dead? Or isn't she? Did anything in the movie really happen, or didn't it? Who knows? The real question is, how in the hell did I sit through 83 minutes of this junk? Who knows? Boredom? If only I always I had that much time on my hands.

Cassie(Melissa Sagemiller) is about to leave for college, but not before spending one last night partying with her boyfriend Casey Affleck(Ben's brother), her ex-boyfriend Wes Bentley(American Beauty, The Four Feathers), and her best friend Eliza Dushku(Bring It On, The New Guy). The party goes bad when first, the new boyfriend catches Cassie kissing the ex-boyfriend(how soap opera!) and then they all get into a nasty car wreck. Cut to a few months later, Cassie's in college, her boyfriend is supposedly dead, and things basically degenerate into one big incoherent mess of a movie. Let's see, there are creepy guys chasing Cassie around the college, Eliza Dushku is having sex with Angela Featherstone for no apparent reason, the dead boyfriend keeps showing up, there are flashes of an operation, and Cassie meets a young priest(Owen... no wait, Luke Wilson) who seems to know a lot more about what's happening than he's letting on. That's the movie!

Throw in some Twilight Zone, a little Jacob's Ladder, and a dash of David Lynch, and you get a movie that's not as good as any of those three things. In fact, this movie [is bad]. While someone like Lynch throws in weird images and disjointed logic for a specific reason, this movie is basically weird for weird's sake. The acting was pretty decent, considering what they had to work with. Eliza Dushku, in particular, is a young actress with real potential. She is much better than most of the flicks she's been in, and here again, she's the best part of a bad movie. Wes Bently, another good one, stick with American Beauty, son.

In the end, I think that instead of being a Jacob's Ladder or Mulholland Drive, Soul Survivors is gonna go down with Blair Witch 2 as a wanna be mind bender that didn't quite work.

Confusing and stupid
This may look good after reading the back cover, but it's not what it seems. I hate when that happens. The whole movie is some kind of dream/alternate reality that just makes NO sense! Don't bother even renting this one. It's very stupid.

messy ripoff of better horror films
The packaging & marketing made this film sound like (the much superior FINAL DESTINATION). Group of college-bound kids suffer an accident, but then...who's dead? Who's alive? asks the box. Also sounded a bit like THE SIXTH SENSE (is she a ghost and doesn't know it?) And a bit like CARNIVAL OF SOULS (are other ghosts trying to pull her back).

All fine films, unlike this crud. SOUL SURVIVORS was a boring mess. After the accident, the girl grieves her dead boyfriend, and is stalked by supernatural hoodlum types. At one point, midway through the film, I thought, "You know, these supernatural hoodlums are kinda like those demon-things stalking the still-dying Tim Robbins in JACOB's LADDER. I suppose the girl could still be dying in the car accident, and she's imagining all this ... Naw, that'd be a real lame ripoff. I'm sure the filmmaker is more original than that."

NOT!

Yes, this film turns out to be JACOB'S LADDER in FINAL DESTINATION packaging. Except JACOB'S LADDER was creepier, more atmospheric, darker, and had a stronger ending.

Soul Survivors
Soul Survivor is the most confusing film I've ever seen.The cast is great.Eliza Dushku is a does a good job as she does in most everything she plays in.Actually alot of the acting is good.The plot started of well but soon just ended up confusing itself.The dialogue is also confusing.I couldn't find heads or tails on this confusing flick.There was also practically no gore; even though it was only rated PG-13.It was a little better than I had heard but it still only gets a two.By the end of the film you feel just as confused and lost as the main character.Melissa Sagemiller acts like she has no frecking idea what she's doing in this movie.I don't reccomend this flick unless your extremely bored.

After surviving a car crash that killed her boyfriend (Casey Affleck), Cassandra (Melissa Sagemiller) finds herself haunted by his ghost. A priest (Luke Wilson) tries to exorcize these frightful visions from Cassandra's mind, but her college friends see her vulnerability as the perfect outlet for their malicious plans. She tries to carry on her life like all the other college freshmen, but it unravels when she begins to believe she is being stalked. Then Cassandra has horrifying hallucinations; during a midterm, she bleeds profusely all over her desk, and the drain in her shower explodes with blood. Gradually, Cassandra understands what is happening to her, but will she be able to survive?

"Twenty or more minutes of this movie could put you into coma."
-- Dave White, IFILM ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nestor Carbonell, a supporting actor on the sitcom SuddenlySusan, wrote and stars in Attention Shoppers, about a day in the lifeof a supporting actor on a mediocre sitcom. After a night of fighting with his wife, he leaves to make an appearance at the opening of a K-Mart in Houston. His limo driver in L.A. criticizes the authenticity of his character's accent; on the plane, he gets recognized as "that guy ... on that show"; he meets a soap opera star (played by Luke Perry from Beverly Hills 90210) who talks about the philosophy of Nietzsche and themovie Scarface; and when he arrives at the K-Mart, the entire appearance is a bust. He even gets beaten up by some local toughs. As a story, there's not much to it, but what rescues Attention Shoppers is the authentic texture of Carbonell's experiences as a minor celebrity. There's no vanity to either the script or his performance. If anything, he's ruthless in depicting his own need for attention and the indignities that result from it. At best, he learns a little humility by the end of things, and maybe that's all anyone can hope for. Attention Shoppers features some sharp cameos from Martin Mull, Kathy Najimy, Casey Affleck, and particularly Lin Shaye, who's best known for her comically frightening roles in Kingpin and There's Something About Mary. Her appearance as an offended fan of the sitcom's leading man is one of the high points of Attention Shoppers. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (6)

An unusually good movie
Maybe the only flaw with the movie is its title and cover. Viewers may expect a snappy comedic romp rather than the personal odyssey film that it is. Maybe that explains the negative reviews. I agree whole-heartedly with the two four-star reviews written below.

Worse than I thought it would be
The subject line says it all. Don't go there!

bad bad bad bad bad
By far the worst movie I have ever seen. I was physicially painful to finish it. I feel cheated over the loss of 2 hours of my life.

The worst film I have ever seen.
I can't believe this film ever got made. I cringe every time I see it in a video store. I'd like to sue the producers to get something for the couple of hours of my life I spent on this.

Summary: I'd give it zero stars but it won't let me.

Chicago Sun Times
I had the pleasure of watching this movie and I enjoyed it very much. I also ran across a review by Bill Stamet on April 9, 1999 in the Chicago Sun TImes, which expresses my sentiments exactly. Directed by Philip Charles Mackenzie and written by Nestor Carbonell, this exceptional independent feature stars Carbonell (co'star on NBC's "Suddenly Susan") playing the role of Enrique Suarez, a Cuban actor from Connecticut who plays the role of Francesco on a sitcom called " Two Guys, Two Gals and a Cuban," So many indie films dwell too cutely on indie wannabes as wacky, quirky heroes aiming to make it big. Such self-indulgence is rarely illuminating. What makes "Big K" unique is the deep sympathy it builds for Enriques's plight. His career teeters and his marriage cries for repair. Yet this perceptive comedy never resorts to cheap sarcasm. When Enrique jets to Houston for an in-store autograph signing at a new Kmart, Carbonell depicts his humiliation with excruciating precision. The film's absurd wit manages to celebrate the American dream with a bit of Nietzschean philosophy. The cast includes serious turns by Luke Perry, Casey Affleck, Michael Lerner and Martin Mull. I would go out and buy this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Wow, wasn't expecting a GREAT movie!
I had no idea what this movie was about or anything before I watched it. I didn't even know who James Belushi was before this. Yah, now I know he's the Soprano guy. He's actually the best one out of all of them. Even though, Eliza Dushku is my favourite actress, she's only 15 years old here, so she still has a bit of her childhood left. Meaning, a little more whining then she usually does. Casie Affleck, later to become her ... partner in Soul Survivors, also stars in here as her step-brother. And of course, Halle Berry, who is almost always delivering at least a fine performance. This movie was predictable, but it reminded me of the movies I used to watch as a child, but without the cheesy dogs talking and stuff. So, it was a little more realistic. The Sun, is a motorized-vehicle that they built for a science project. Turns out, they race in Hawaii and win so they head off to Australia to compete for the championships. It's a really fun movie and I do plan on buying this if I find it. This movie is one of the best I've ever seen, I love it!! TWO THUMBS UP!!

A great movie about accomplishing your dreams
This movie is about a hopeless group of high school kids whocan't seem to do anything right until a new teacher comes to theschool and wants them to be in the science fair. They get an idea to build a solar-powered car to race in the big solar-powered car race which is in Hawaii, where they live. And when they win this race, they go on to the championship race in Austraila where they compete in a six-day car race with other top solar-powered cars around the world and they find out that they can accomplish their dreams. Oh yeah, and Casey's character (Daniel) becomes captain of the team because he designed the car. (Daniel's a terrific artist). It's a fun movie to watch and to see all the troubles that the kids face in this movie. And of course, every movie has to have comedy and romance....and this movie has a lot of both! I'm a teenager (16), by the way and I recommend this movie to anybody. It's a really great and mad funny film! END

a extraordinary movie
this movie was the greatest movie considering it took place in a small island. this shows that it dosen't matter where you are from but it shows how much time and effort you put into something and you really have to want it to win! This movie is great for educational reasons and is very good. I recommend it to anyone! (ps it has J.Moki Cho in it along with halle berry)

We watched this for science class...and wow!
Wow, we just watched this today in science and I was amazed. This movie is really entertaining, with a cast of some major actors to back it up (Jim Belushi, Halle Berry and Casey Affleck who is Ben Affleck's younger brother). The story is really inspirational. Based on a true story, it follows a group of high school students who come together in detention class. Things happen in the beginning, giving these kids the motivation to build a solar car and race in the world championships. After overcoming many obstacles, the team eventually makes it into the big games.
Here's where things get interesting, as we look into each character's personality. For instance, we have the stereotypical fat guy whom no one would expect to fit into a car, let alone race. Then there's the troubled girl with the alcohol problem, who gets disqualified from the races. Next comes the nerdy girl, who finds love in interestig places.
Jim Belushi and Halle Berry once again prove how good they truly are in this wonderful movie (based on a true story). I hope everybody watches this because it is really exceptional.

the best movie
I loved this movie, I thought it was brilliantly done and the drama mixed with the comidy I thought was amazing. This is a must see movie. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Fun!
First of all, I don't know why critics were saying such horrible things about "200 Cigarettes". Okay, it may not be Oscar-worthy, but the cast is funny (especially Courtney Love as Lucy) and lovable.

The film follows a bunch of young, 20-something people in East Village on New Years Eve 1981. The costumes are very eighties, the music is great and my favorite actress Kate Hudson was adorable in one of her first movie roles. The all-star cast; including Paul Rudd, Gaby Hoffman, Christina Ricci, Casey Affleck, Ben Affleck and Janeane Garofalo gives more stars than sneers. I also liked Martha Plimpton as cynical, grumpy Monica. The cameo by Elvis Costello was fine as well.

Fun ensemble flick
This arty quirky film about a New Years Eve gone wrong in the mid- 80s is one of my favorites. Was the first time I saw Kate Hudson and she is so sweet and funny in this one.
Martha Plimpton is a riot as the overwrought hostess with a failed party on her hands.
Ben Affleck is actually semi-funny for once- he is trying desperately to get into someone's pants- watch and see who he starts the new year with.
Courtney Love and Paul Rudd are friends- she wants to be more but she scares him....

Indy gal J. Garafolo is her dark and dismal chain smoking wisecracking self and fun again.
Dave Chappel is the cabby who tells the tale.

Fun! Romantic comedy a guy will like!

You need to see this
200 cigs is one of the most fun and invigorating movies of its era. Only a hardcore cynic could fail to enjoy this one. Lively, burdened, and infinitely interesting (in a mundane way) cast make this a "must see". I'm not kidding!!

The Best NY New Year's Eve film
Being from NYC and living downtown in the 80s, I found this movie to be a true NYC experience on New Year's eve with the exception of never being able to find a taxi. I love the cameo by David Johansen as a bartender as well. It is a very fun-filled movie.

BRAVO!
This is one of the best orginial films of its time. ... Read more