Reviews (3)

What the...........
I loved the movie, but the DVD is EDITED. There were several scenes that have been edited (I am assuming for nudity and content since the film revolves around a porn set).
I don't really have a problem with the nudity, but there were several scenes that were crucial to the story...especially right before the murder takes place (it is something Barbara Hershey finds in her boyfriends office. On video, you see what she sees, in the DVD you don't....if I wanted an edited film, I would have watched it on the Lifetime Network.

lots of screen time for Hershey
This is one of the scandalously few top billings in Barbara Hershey's career. As such, the iron-stomached film viewer will at least get to enjoy lots of BH screen time for his suffering. Other than that, not much.

Irrelevant but amusing: I read somewhere that during the filming of this movie Sam Shepard would whine every time he had to do anything involving the least bit of action. (Jackie Chan heroics are not involved, you understand.) What a wussy!

She protected others but could not protect herself
The title of this thriller is both a pun on Barbara Hershey playing a lawyer and the fact that she is being stalked, though the stalking is dropped halfway. Hershey is perceived as a flake, partly because she dresses "unprofessionally", wears wavy hair, and tends to talk to herself. However luckily for us, this perception gives Hershey a "defensive" atttitude (ho ho) and her acting has a bit more edge than usual. Director Martin Campbell keeps her moving here, rather than letting the camera settle on her, which ironically makes her look all the more beautiful. Hershey's lawyer finds herself in a bind when she is involved in the death of her married lover, who is also a client she is defending for his association with a porno racket. The porno film that opens this film actually looks pretty tame, and it seems odd to have the female as the aggressor, though I suppose this is a male fantasy. When we are told that the father of the actress seeks to punish all those involved (and this includes Hershey by association) because the girl is underage, something is off since the girl seems most willing in the footage. By having Hershey fight with her lover and attack him, the idea that she has killed him is raised, though surprisingly this is dropped quickly, all the more surprising considering how savage her attack is. What's more of a surprise is having Hershey represent Mary Beth Hurt as her lover's wife. Hershey herself says this is not possible after she reports the death, and thereby makes herself a material witness. Hurt pleads guilty to the murder, and at one point Hershey challenges her by telling her she was always a bad actress, recalling their shared college play. This line is particularly unfortunate coming from Hershey, since Hurt is so much the stronger performer. Even saddled with a ridiculous southern accent and drag-queen fly-away hair (what was the hair-stylist thinking?!), she is the best thing about the entire film, though not even she can save the pseudo-Fatal Attraction ending. In spite of the schizophrenic treatment, Campbell maintains our interest all the way through, though I could have done without Hershey spilling red wine on Mary Beth's white carpet. Even though she doesn't make much of an impression, it's still interesting to see Sheree North in the supporting cast, as a reminder of what Marilyn Monroe's later roles may have been if she had lived. Oh, and Sam Shepard's in it too, and seems very bored. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Donna Mildred Martin


I've watched this movie dozens of times, and was overjoyed to find it on DVD at last. This was (I believe) The Great One Jackie Gleason's final screen performance, and it showed the way of the future for Tom Hanks. Sela Ward also appears as a love interest, along with Hector Elizondo as his boss, and Eva Marie Saint as Hanks' mom.

The only thing that gets on my nerves just a little is the soundtrack. I think it's Christopher Cross, surely one of the most annoying alleged musicians ever to hit the big time.

The transfer to disk is good. The cast is excellent. The plot makes sense, and the script is near perfect. The story is about the relationship between Tom Hanks' character, David Basner, and his father, Max Basner. Its a wonder that anyone comes out right as an adult, and Hanks had no idea how screwed up his childhood had been until the night his father told him his mother had split. And soon thereafter his secretary gave him a message that his mother had called, and added "I had no idea you had parents."

Wonderful. Buy it, enjoy it.

A film of compassion and comedy
I found Nothing in Common to have all the attributes of a wonderful film. From its soundtrack to its cast. The subject, a selfish advertising executive, thinks only of himself, but finally learns that family is important, and old friends are the best.

It is my most favourite Tom Hanks movie.

A MUST SEE!!!
This is one of my most treasured films of all time and I can't understand why it receives so little attention. This is the story of an immature but successful bachelor whose world is disrupted when he gets an unexpected call from his estranged father, telling him his mother left him. Tom Hanks gives one of his BEST performances (comedically AND dramatically) as the carefree fellow who is forced to get to know his parents all over again while supporting them emotionally.
While many label this a comedy--and it IS pretty funny-- I find it one of the most heartfelt and touching films ever thanks to a brilliant director, soppy but appropriate music, and an extraordinary cast. There've been so many films made concerning father-son relationships but if you're looking for the most genuinely realistic one, this is it. The final line of dialogue spoken by father to son ("You're the last person on earth I would've ever expected to come through for me") never fails to choke me up.

Hanks and Gleason are a winning team
Once in a while you find a movie that mirrors your own actual relationship with someone. For me, Nothing In Common sums up my relationship with my father. Even though I do have a lot in common with my dad, I could definitely relate to the fights that father(Gleason) and son(Hanks) had in the movie.

I think that we were raised on thinking that Father Knows Best, but what happens when the father starts to lose it. Nothing In Common answers that question. This movie would make a great Father's Day gift.

Hanks starts out the movie as a grown-up child without a care in the world other than pleasing his every whim. He evolves into this mature adult who realizes that he owes more to his parents than just the occasional visit once every six months or a gift for Mother's and Father's Day.

Gleason starts out as an angry man who reluctantly asks his son for help. He becomes an enlightened father who is truly proud of his son.

I don't believe I'm giving to much away. I think that if you are a fan of Hanks, Gleason, and Garry Marshall. Enjoying this movie will not be difficult.

This movie is one of my favorites. I have lost count as to how many times that I've seen it.

Hanks' Gem
This is one of Tom Hanks' (and director Garry Marshall's) best films, yet it has received little publicity.

Among Hanks' fans I know who have seen this film, all hold it in very high regard. It's classic Tom Hanks - funny and serious at the same time. As it's promoters said, "It's a comedy and a drama, just like life." You will surely love it.

Jackie Gleason, Eva Marie Saint, Hector Elizondo, and the rest of the cast do wonderful jobs.

I only wish it was on DVD, but hopefully in time it will be. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Looks like a TV pilot
This is a fun movie to watch however it has the look and feel of a TV pilot.

Joe Keyes (Michael Beihm) is hired to find a missing husband and help him kill someone. He does his job too well and finds himself involved a mystery that involved indestructible ice-cream men and only gets weirder from their. However you will recognize the mystery and the bad guy (John de Lancie) from Star Trek. And the dialog as a substandard Sam Spade.

Take a Dive into the Deep
This movie demands your full attention from beginning to end! If you blink, you'll miss an intricate detail in this well crafted science fiction thriller. Michael Biehn's absolutely brilliant protrayal of the main character, Joe Keyes, bonds you with Keyes until you think you're immersed in the action. John de Lancie, Star Trek's Q, plays the villian with credibility and style. As the film splices it's way to its climax, all the pieces fall together and leave you amazed at the brilliance of the plot and it's stylish filming. You'll want to hit the rewind button and rewatch it again with your eyes unscaled! This film doesn't disappoint the first time nor the fifty-first time! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

For completists
The lack of money shows especially on the 'street scenes'. They're always in the same spot in the middle of the 2 or 3 buildings where all the characters live, in 'the rear window' style. This is OK given the plot's nature, the problem is there are almost no extras and no sound effects of city life either, it's like a post-apocalyptic movie where half the population are dead. The main character's room is under-produced too.
Otherwise it's quite entertaining. Strangely, the movie succeeds to hold your interest during the more subdued first and second act, but falls apart in the last act, when all the action and special effects start kicking in. I think this part was ackwardly edited and isn't very effective.
The dvd has a good widescreen anamorphic transfer, and the cast's audition tapes make a curious extra.

Rear Window and the Judas Breed
This is the weakest of the Mimic movies. A young man (23ish) is living the life of a bubble boy. Surviving Strickler's disease has left him with respiratory problems. To bide his time he takes pictures of the neighbors in the building across the way. His younger sister helps him with his hobby. But then a young boy disappears.

As the guy becomes more and more obsessed with the neighbors he sees a possible murder. He doesn't realize that the Judas Breed is behind it, but he does get the police involved. Things quickly build an it becomes obvious that the big bugs are back.

I am not sure of the ending in this one. It is a little vague. If one character was right, then the Judas has already won and humans will be wiped out. It also seemed like there was something missing from the film. Something that would explain what was going on with the birds.

Much different from either of the first two and worth seeing once but probably not more.

Not much of a film
The first MIMIC was a strong horror film, but the series gets progressively cheaper & worse with every entry.

MIMI 3 open with an establishing shot of the New Jersey shore overlooking Manhattan. Seems the story takes place in a New Jersey city, but once we see the depressing building courtyard, I immediately thought, "Hey, New Jersey looks like Eastern Europe." And sure enough, the end credits reveal the film was shot in Bucharest, Romanina.

That's okay, except that it LOOKS like Eastern Europe, not New Jersey.

The story is very "small." Everything occurs in one apartment and the couryard it overlooks. (Yeah, we also see people in the other windows.) Only a few actors, and a couple of Judas Priest bugs. I suppose some find the film "claustrophobic" or "grungy" but I just found it small and cheap.

The whole film is an hour and 12 minutes long. That's a movie? (Claims to be 76 minutes, but four minutes are end credits).

The story is a REAR WINDOW ripoff, except that MIMIC 3 acknowledges it. The sickly character (who can't leave his room) says, "I saw the movie," implicitly refering to REAR WINDOW. Essentially, the sickly character sees Judas Priest bugs killing people in the courtyard, but at first no one believes him. In the end, the bugs come to his apartment, and there's some more violence.

No-name actors, aside from supporting roles for Lance Henricksen and Amanda Plummer, who probably each shot their scenes in a couple of days.

I don't see how anyone can understand this film unless they've first seen MIMIC, since the back story isn't much explained. Newcomers to the MIMIC series may wonder where all those giant bugs came from.

This is an okay film for hardcore horror fans and horror completists, but mainstream viewers who only occassionally watch horror will want to pass on this. There are many better horror films out there (such as LOST SOULS, the Winona Ryder film released in 2000).

"Rear Window" Meets "THEM"
This is the third entry in the Mimic series; this time a shut-in and his hoochie sister have a run-in with the giant cockroaches. The movie starts off slow, maybe too slow in my opinion, but Mimic 3 gets real good at the end. The whole picture has this grungy look, contrasting the main character's immediate surroundings and lifestyle.

With MIMIC 3, director J.T. Petty becomes one to watch for!
When you rent a Dimension straight to video project, you never know what you're going to get. Sometimes you'll find a rare gem but most of the time it won't even be worth remembering. Remember all those PROPHECY sequels? That's what I thought. Anyway, I'm happy to say that MIMIC SENTINEL falls into the rare gem category. I had absolutely no idea what to expect with this one nor do I know why I even rented it after hating MIMIC 2 so much and the fact that I'm not even that big of a fan of the original. But I'm glad I did.

It goes something like this. Strickland disease (which was established in the first film) survivor Martin (Karl Geary) suffers from extreme environmental sensitivity making it hard for him to leave his room in the apartment he shares with his mother (Amanda Plummer) and his sister, Rosy (Alexis Dziena). So, he obsessively takes photographs of the world outside his window and, as you might have guessed, eventually learns that the Judas Bugs are back once again. While it's absolutely no mystery that the plot of this film borrows more than a little from Alfred Hitchkock's REAR WINDOW, the film really works. While I've always found the MIMIC bugs rather creepy, this film seemed to really capitalize on that and make a genuinely scary, suspense building movie out of them.

Rookie filmmaker and screenwriter (he also wrote and directed the as of yet unreleased indie SOFT FOR DIGGING) J.T. Petty has what it takes to tell a good story and make an entertaining film. Instead of trying to make a crappy film that requires more money than he had to work with, Petty made a good, small film that was within his means. By getting rid of a lot of the special effects (even though there are a few) and different locations, Petty lets the viewer become engrossed in the characters and lets them feel the paranoia that Marvin experiences. Instead of just watching the film, the viewer becomes a voyeur right along with Marvin. Later in the film, even after Marvin's voyeuristic journey is over, the director shoots the film with a blackened ring around the corners of the TV as if your now watching Marvin from an apartment across the street as Marvin did to others earlier in the film. For me, this worked to great effect. I felt like I was watching someone in danger and wasn't getting up to do anything about it. While I felt the whole Lance Henrisken aspect of the film was a bit unnecessary, for the most part the film really worked for me. So as for director J.T. Petty, I'm going to place him in my directors to watch book. I mean, if he can make a good sequel to a movie about giant bugs then I'm convinced he's capable of anything.

C+ ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Cartoonish, a bit of fun
Much worse than you might expect given such a sterling cast (Olin and Pullman.) Plenty of cheesy stuff with Pullman over the top as tough-guy type trying to protect "bitchy" federal judge from all sorts of bad guys.

Exceptional!!!
I'm a huge Bill Pullman fan anyways, but even if I wasn't before, I would be after this film. The urgency and intensity in this film is contagious, and leaves you at the edge of your seat. This film has everything... danger, emotional entanglements, suspense, romance, deception, explosions, and more! If you like action movies, you'll love this one. There are many unique and utterly charming scenes here that will make this film worthwhile for anyone's tastes. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Amazing and realistic look at how powerful drugs are!
There are some among us who would like to legalize drugs. They ought to watch this film. There are some who think that drug addiction is just an excuse. They ought to watch this film. In fact if you ever wanted to know what its like to be addicted to cocaine, just watch this movie.

This movie is simply the most powerful depiction I have seen of the devastating effects drugs can have on people. James Woods is brilliant, and the gradual erosion of his life seems to happen without his knowledge. Like the frog boiling in water, it all slips away subtly and quietly. In the end, he depicts the painful and harsh reality of a person who cannot see that he is in any way at fault, and if he gets just "one more break" it will all work out again.

Tremendous film and a very under-rated performance by Woods.

a great film.
James woods is excellent as a high powered salesman who's life goes of the rails as he becomes involved in drugs and high powered business deals.It shows how drugs can ruin ones life.

Cautionary Tale of Drug Abuse
Released during the "Just Say No" 1980s, this film is a cautionary tale of drug abuse. Lenny is a guy just trying to stake his claim in the world, to make a little money. He soon impresses a big wheel who moves Lenny and his wife to California where they are at first overwhelmed by the opulence but then become willing participants in it. Lenny continues to buy, buy, buy until it all crashes down. When the money stops rolling in, he is introduced to cocaine and the story then takes a dramatic turn as we watch Lenny lose it all. James Woods is fabulous as Lenny. I've seen this movie many times and now that I'm writing about it, I think it's time to pop this one into the VCR for another viewing.

WOODS AT HIS BEST
Although somewhat cliche ridden and certainly overly dramatic, "The Boost"presents a truly frightening depiction of cocaine and kinds of drug abuse. A picture of self destruction that is almost hard to believe.

James Wood outdoes himself in yet another fine performance. A film is worth seeing if only because he is in it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Looks like a TV pilot
This is a fun movie to watch however it has the look and feel of a TV pilot.

Joe Keyes (Michael Beihm) is hired to find a missing husband and help him kill someone. He does his job too well and finds himself involved a mystery that involved indestructible ice-cream men and only gets weirder from their. However you will recognize the mystery and the bad guy (John de Lancie) from Star Trek. And the dialog as a substandard Sam Spade.

Take a Dive into the Deep
This movie demands your full attention from beginning to end! If you blink, you'll miss an intricate detail in this well crafted science fiction thriller. Michael Biehn's absolutely brilliant protrayal of the main character, Joe Keyes, bonds you with Keyes until you think you're immersed in the action. John de Lancie, Star Trek's Q, plays the villian with credibility and style. As the film splices it's way to its climax, all the pieces fall together and leave you amazed at the brilliance of the plot and it's stylish filming. You'll want to hit the rewind button and rewatch it again with your eyes unscaled! This film doesn't disappoint the first time nor the fifty-first time! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

AN Awfull Film
I turned it off after 20 minutes.

Take your choice: Romance or Comedy
MAN TROUBLE gets 4 **** from me because the dogs didn't upstage the actors. I've never cared for romantic comedies which make you decide to choose between romance or comedy. That was the problem with this movie. I chose comedy and got lot of enjoyment from the 100 minutes watching Nicholson, the conster, spar his wits with Barkin, with his Asian wife, with . . . well, with the rest of the cast. I'll be watching this movie from time to time as there are many memorable scenes such as Barkin trying to give the "guard dog" commands in German. Bev D'Angelo, fruitcake mobster ex-wife,furnishes some wacko dialogue and comedy scenes.

Amusing well done little movie. Nicholson's always a joy.
I don't know why so many people slammed this movie. It's not Bringing Up Baby but it's a million times better than the moronic Something About Mary. Jack Nicholson has always been a very fine comic actor. I love The Fortune which was also written by Carol Eastman (as was 5 Easy Pieces) and was likewise trashed unjustly.

Jack without his usual bag of tricks
Jack Nicholson in this shameless attempt at comedy plays a dog trainer of all professions who gets involved with an oprea singer who is caught up in the underworld of crime. Critcally embarssing to Nicohlson's carrer but jack has done much better to cover this mistake. A minor film with good talent gone to waste, a film way below par considering the re-teaming of director Bob Rafelson & Nicholson from "FIVE EASY PIECES" ... Read more

Reviews (4)

AN Awfull Film
I turned it off after 20 minutes.

Take your choice: Romance or Comedy
MAN TROUBLE gets 4 **** from me because the dogs didn't upstage the actors. I've never cared for romantic comedies which make you decide to choose between romance or comedy. That was the problem with this movie. I chose comedy and got lot of enjoyment from the 100 minutes watching Nicholson, the conster, spar his wits with Barkin, with his Asian wife, with . . . well, with the rest of the cast. I'll be watching this movie from time to time as there are many memorable scenes such as Barkin trying to give the "guard dog" commands in German. Bev D'Angelo, fruitcake mobster ex-wife,furnishes some wacko dialogue and comedy scenes.

Amusing well done little movie. Nicholson's always a joy.
I don't know why so many people slammed this movie. It's not Bringing Up Baby but it's a million times better than the moronic Something About Mary. Jack Nicholson has always been a very fine comic actor. I love The Fortune which was also written by Carol Eastman (as was 5 Easy Pieces) and was likewise trashed unjustly.

Jack without his usual bag of tricks
Jack Nicholson in this shameless attempt at comedy plays a dog trainer of all professions who gets involved with an oprea singer who is caught up in the underworld of crime. Critcally embarssing to Nicohlson's carrer but jack has done much better to cover this mistake. A minor film with good talent gone to waste, a film way below par considering the re-teaming of director Bob Rafelson & Nicholson from "FIVE EASY PIECES" ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Amazing and realistic look at how powerful drugs are!
There are some among us who would like to legalize drugs. They ought to watch this film. There are some who think that drug addiction is just an excuse. They ought to watch this film. In fact if you ever wanted to know what its like to be addicted to cocaine, just watch this movie.

This movie is simply the most powerful depiction I have seen of the devastating effects drugs can have on people. James Woods is brilliant, and the gradual erosion of his life seems to happen without his knowledge. Like the frog boiling in water, it all slips away subtly and quietly. In the end, he depicts the painful and harsh reality of a person who cannot see that he is in any way at fault, and if he gets just "one more break" it will all work out again.

Tremendous film and a very under-rated performance by Woods.

a great film.
James woods is excellent as a high powered salesman who's life goes of the rails as he becomes involved in drugs and high powered business deals.It shows how drugs can ruin ones life.

Cautionary Tale of Drug Abuse
Released during the "Just Say No" 1980s, this film is a cautionary tale of drug abuse. Lenny is a guy just trying to stake his claim in the world, to make a little money. He soon impresses a big wheel who moves Lenny and his wife to California where they are at first overwhelmed by the opulence but then become willing participants in it. Lenny continues to buy, buy, buy until it all crashes down. When the money stops rolling in, he is introduced to cocaine and the story then takes a dramatic turn as we watch Lenny lose it all. James Woods is fabulous as Lenny. I've seen this movie many times and now that I'm writing about it, I think it's time to pop this one into the VCR for another viewing.

WOODS AT HIS BEST
Although somewhat cliche ridden and certainly overly dramatic, "The Boost"presents a truly frightening depiction of cocaine and kinds of drug abuse. A picture of self destruction that is almost hard to believe.

James Wood outdoes himself in yet another fine performance. A film is worth seeing if only because he is in it. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Love this movie
I'm a big Kadeem Hardison fan, so when this movie came on BET I watched it. I thought it was well cast, and everytime it comes on I watch it. I plan to order the DVD, and I know it will be watched often. The story is a sweet love story. Dealing with trust, forgiveness and letting go to love someone. Kadeem is a big time talk show host, who falls in love with Lark's character who owns an alarm business. She is getting over the heartbreak of her ex, but can't prevent herself from falling for Kadeem's character. When she finds out that Kadeem planned to interview her ex on the show, she gets angry and wants to end the relationship. By the end of the movie you will be a little weepy. Well I was. LOL IMHO this one is a keeper!!! In fact.....I'm going to place my order right now. :)

My second favorite
Masquerade is my first favorite. This movie was nice. I'm a huge fan of Kadeem Hardison. The acting is not super great, but the chemistry is good amongst all the actors. This is a sweet movie and you will enjoy it over and over again.

cute, funny and interesting
Unlike most love stories, this one was fun to watch. I for one don't usually like love stores, but Love and Basketball and Fire and Ice are two of the better ones out there. The acting was good and you will see some new actors as well as some familiar faces. I will purchase this movie for my home collection.

A Great Love Story
BET finally got it right. This movie was very good and the story line was closer to the book than any BET movie to date. I have watched all of these BET "books into movies" and had been totally disappointed, this was by far the best out of all of them, mainly because they kept to the storyline. If you enjoyed the movie you will love the book.
I also recommend Commitments on DVD and the book.

definately a good movie
this was very good african american movie. hats off to everyone who participated in making this movie a success. a definate keeper. ... Read more

Description

The studio that thrilled you with the SCREAM, HELLRAISER, and CHILDREN OF THE CORN movies now delivers MIMIC 3: SENTINEL, the third and scariest entry in the unstoppably suspenseful and terrifying MIMIC legacy! When residents of his apartment building begin to disappear, Marvin comes to believe the unthinkable: the mutant breed of giant carnivorous insects that once plagued society are back and beginning to revisit their devastation! Though he's confined to his room due to a severe illness, Marvin must rally whatever support he can in order to exterminate these horrifying creatures before he ends up their next victim! Filled with all-new action and incredibly eye-popping special effects, this terror-filled thriller is a must-see for all fans of intense big-screen excitement! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

For completists
The lack of money shows especially on the 'street scenes'. They're always in the same spot in the middle of the 2 or 3 buildings where all the characters live, in 'the rear window' style. This is OK given the plot's nature, the problem is there are almost no extras and no sound effects of city life either, it's like a post-apocalyptic movie where half the population are dead. The main character's room is under-produced too.
Otherwise it's quite entertaining. Strangely, the movie succeeds to hold your interest during the more subdued first and second act, but falls apart in the last act, when all the action and special effects start kicking in. I think this part was ackwardly edited and isn't very effective.
The dvd has a good widescreen anamorphic transfer, and the cast's audition tapes make a curious extra.

Rear Window and the Judas Breed
This is the weakest of the Mimic movies. A young man (23ish) is living the life of a bubble boy. Surviving Strickler's disease has left him with respiratory problems. To bide his time he takes pictures of the neighbors in the building across the way. His younger sister helps him with his hobby. But then a young boy disappears.

As the guy becomes more and more obsessed with the neighbors he sees a possible murder. He doesn't realize that the Judas Breed is behind it, but he does get the police involved. Things quickly build an it becomes obvious that the big bugs are back.

I am not sure of the ending in this one. It is a little vague. If one character was right, then the Judas has already won and humans will be wiped out. It also seemed like there was something missing from the film. Something that would explain what was going on with the birds.

Much different from either of the first two and worth seeing once but probably not more.

Not much of a film
The first MIMIC was a strong horror film, but the series gets progressively cheaper & worse with every entry.

MIMI 3 open with an establishing shot of the New Jersey shore overlooking Manhattan. Seems the story takes place in a New Jersey city, but once we see the depressing building courtyard, I immediately thought, "Hey, New Jersey looks like Eastern Europe." And sure enough, the end credits reveal the film was shot in Bucharest, Romanina.

That's okay, except that it LOOKS like Eastern Europe, not New Jersey.

The story is very "small." Everything occurs in one apartment and the couryard it overlooks. (Yeah, we also see people in the other windows.) Only a few actors, and a couple of Judas Priest bugs. I suppose some find the film "claustrophobic" or "grungy" but I just found it small and cheap.

The whole film is an hour and 12 minutes long. That's a movie? (Claims to be 76 minutes, but four minutes are end credits).

The story is a REAR WINDOW ripoff, except that MIMIC 3 acknowledges it. The sickly character (who can't leave his room) says, "I saw the movie," implicitly refering to REAR WINDOW. Essentially, the sickly character sees Judas Priest bugs killing people in the courtyard, but at first no one believes him. In the end, the bugs come to his apartment, and there's some more violence.

No-name actors, aside from supporting roles for Lance Henricksen and Amanda Plummer, who probably each shot their scenes in a couple of days.

I don't see how anyone can understand this film unless they've first seen MIMIC, since the back story isn't much explained. Newcomers to the MIMIC series may wonder where all those giant bugs came from.

This is an okay film for hardcore horror fans and horror completists, but mainstream viewers who only occassionally watch horror will want to pass on this. There are many better horror films out there (such as LOST SOULS, the Winona Ryder film released in 2000).

"Rear Window" Meets "THEM"
This is the third entry in the Mimic series; this time a shut-in and his hoochie sister have a run-in with the giant cockroaches. The movie starts off slow, maybe too slow in my opinion, but Mimic 3 gets real good at the end. The whole picture has this grungy look, contrasting the main character's immediate surroundings and lifestyle.

With MIMIC 3, director J.T. Petty becomes one to watch for!
When you rent a Dimension straight to video project, you never know what you're going to get. Sometimes you'll find a rare gem but most of the time it won't even be worth remembering. Remember all those PROPHECY sequels? That's what I thought. Anyway, I'm happy to say that MIMIC SENTINEL falls into the rare gem category. I had absolutely no idea what to expect with this one nor do I know why I even rented it after hating MIMIC 2 so much and the fact that I'm not even that big of a fan of the original. But I'm glad I did.

It goes something like this. Strickland disease (which was established in the first film) survivor Martin (Karl Geary) suffers from extreme environmental sensitivity making it hard for him to leave his room in the apartment he shares with his mother (Amanda Plummer) and his sister, Rosy (Alexis Dziena). So, he obsessively takes photographs of the world outside his window and, as you might have guessed, eventually learns that the Judas Bugs are back once again. While it's absolutely no mystery that the plot of this film borrows more than a little from Alfred Hitchkock's REAR WINDOW, the film really works. While I've always found the MIMIC bugs rather creepy, this film seemed to really capitalize on that and make a genuinely scary, suspense building movie out of them.

Rookie filmmaker and screenwriter (he also wrote and directed the as of yet unreleased indie SOFT FOR DIGGING) J.T. Petty has what it takes to tell a good story and make an entertaining film. Instead of trying to make a crappy film that requires more money than he had to work with, Petty made a good, small film that was within his means. By getting rid of a lot of the special effects (even though there are a few) and different locations, Petty lets the viewer become engrossed in the characters and lets them feel the paranoia that Marvin experiences. Instead of just watching the film, the viewer becomes a voyeur right along with Marvin. Later in the film, even after Marvin's voyeuristic journey is over, the director shoots the film with a blackened ring around the corners of the TV as if your now watching Marvin from an apartment across the street as Marvin did to others earlier in the film. For me, this worked to great effect. I felt like I was watching someone in danger and wasn't getting up to do anything about it. While I felt the whole Lance Henrisken aspect of the film was a bit unnecessary, for the most part the film really worked for me. So as for director J.T. Petty, I'm going to place him in my directors to watch book. I mean, if he can make a good sequel to a movie about giant bugs then I'm convinced he's capable of anything.

C+ ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Cartoonish, a bit of fun
Much worse than you might expect given such a sterling cast (Olin and Pullman.) Plenty of cheesy stuff with Pullman over the top as tough-guy type trying to protect "bitchy" federal judge from all sorts of bad guys.

Exceptional!!!
I'm a huge Bill Pullman fan anyways, but even if I wasn't before, I would be after this film. The urgency and intensity in this film is contagious, and leaves you at the edge of your seat. This film has everything... danger, emotional entanglements, suspense, romance, deception, explosions, and more! If you like action movies, you'll love this one. There are many unique and utterly charming scenes here that will make this film worthwhile for anyone's tastes. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
JOHNNY SKIDMARKS is one of those movies that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, and then shipped off to HBO. A shame, as this dark, disturbing film is brilliant. Director John Roffo gives us a "noir" feel with some really catchy oldies played throughout. Peter Gallagher stars as Johnny, a crime scene photographer, who is also making some money on the side by taking pictures in a blackmail scam. Things turn sour when Johnny's cohorts start turning up dead, and it looks like Johnny's next. Gallagher is at his best in his role as a man who has stopped participating in life, has stopped caring, has stopped feeling. He doesn't want to know anything about the people he photographs, either on his crime scene job or his blackmailing. He has a brother in law, played well by Jack Black, who runs a clown burger joint(...). Gallagher meets up with Frances McDormand (brilliant as always) as a newcomer who just might have some connection with his blackmailing scam. The ever chameleonic John Lithgow appears as Larry, Johnny's detective friend, who seems to encourage Johnny to feel a little more. Geoffrey Lower adds some macho depth in his role as Larry's partner, who for some reason just doesn't like Johnny. In a small role, lovely Charlie Shadling portrays Lorraine, the hooker the blackmailers use in their scams.
This is a dark and unsettling film, and the finale on the rooftop is gut-wrenching in its brutal honesty.
A very good film, overlooked, but worth seeing!

not a bad flick, but i'm Really here to praise. . .
. . . the presence of the great-named jack black, who's currently enjoying a bit of a heydey due to his record-shop turn in "high fidelity". i've noticed him for some time now in films such as "bob roberts", "enemy of the state", getting his just bazookaing in "the jackal", and of course his initially off-putting tenacious d appearances. but in skidmarks his usual, wanna-punch-him-in-the-face snideness shined brightest in what may be his ultimate perfect role- a greasy burger clown proprietor who ends up with a bullet in the brainpan! :D we LOVE this guy- he's to character-acting in the 90s what david patrick kelly was in the 80s! :) vt

A Very Cool Movie!
This is a really interesting movie that I throughly dug and enjoyed. It's part intense character study, part paranoid suspense-thriller, part chase movie. The setup is this: John Scardino is a police crime & accident scene photog who is emotionally numb inside and moonlights as the lens man for an extortion ring, taking dirty snaps of compromised businessmen in their undies with a saucy hooker named Lorraine in sleazy motel rooms. Suddenly, Scardino starts seeing the blackmail crew from his night job turning up as corpses in his day job in seemingly unrelated homicides. Scardino is the only one who notices the connection, but he can't say squat without revealing his involvement in a criminal enterprise! He rediscivers his emotional inner self by getting major league heebie-jeebies trying to figure out who the killer is. He's taken so many snaps over the years, it could be just about anybody. No one can be trusted! Halfway through, the movie explodes open and turns really grisly and intense--be prepared!

The acting--by Peter Gallagher, Frances McDormand, John Lithgow, Jack Black, Geoffrey Lower, John Kapelos, Charlie Spradling and Lee Arenberg--is great and infinitely diggable. The dialogue is really wry and darkly funny, as is the music. And the movie's look has a kind of Edward Hopper-film noir thing going that I also really dug.

Not a lot of people saw this flick when it first came out. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, then went straight to HBO. Which is weird, because it's so good. This one's a real find. Go forth and dig it!

Richard Terhune, The Movie Digger ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Letterman Deserved the Tonight Show
This is a terrific video with Kathy Bates absolutely hateful as Leno's manager. The actors portraying Leno and Letterman are good but try too hard to mimic rather than portray each.

The video is great at showing the behind the scenes maneuvering that allowed Leno to steal The Tonight Show from David Letterman. That may be harsh but I don't think there is any other way to describe what happened. The rightful heir to Carson was Letterman. Leno was (and still is) a poor pretender to the throne.

That being said, the intrigue and lies used to move the transfer of the Tonight Show to Leno is great. CBS's decision to enter the late night market and lure Letterman is played out realistically. It's interesting to note that if Letterman got the Tonight Show, CBS was ready to go after Leno.

The video is a good companion to the book. The book provides much more detail and inside information but the video hits the highlights. If interested, you may want to read the book before viewing the video.

Look forward to seeing this on DVD hopefully with some extras.

Waiting for the DVD!
Please please please release "The Late Shift" on DVD!! Its a great movie, but we need the DVD (with perhaps some extras)!

Long live Johnny
Am I the only one waiting for a sequal?

Wonderful behind-the-scenes account!
This is a fascinating movie. It attempts to accurately depict the battle over the coveted position which was opening up after Johnny Carson announced his retirement from the Tonight Show. The actors all give good performances, but the true standout is Kathy Bates. She is absolutely one of the best actresses fo her generation, and gives a brilliant performance as Jay Leno's wild manager Helen Kushnick. She transforms this movie from a really good one to a great one. HBO has done it again with The Late Shift.

The Late Shift
This video is very good. Kathy Bates performance is terrific! The actors portraying Leno and Letterman are very good as well. The video clearly shows the campaign of politicking and dishonesty that Leno and his manager Helen Kushnik used to win the Tonight Show host job. Dave never had a chance. ... Read more