Description

This comedic and touching family film follows the adventures of a shy young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who is sent to spend the summer with his eccentric uncles (Michael Caine, Robert Duvall).At first shocked by his uncles' unconventional behavior that includes ordering African lions through the mail, the boy soon becomes enthralled with unraveling the mystery that has followed the uncles for years. Hearing tales of their exotic adventures involving kidnapped princesses, Arabian sheiks and lost treasure, not only brings him closer to his uncles but also teaches him what it means to believe in something... whether it's true or not. ... Read more

Reviews (168)

Something for Everyone.
The best way to describe SECONDHAND LIONS is that it's like an independent art film for families. The movie is a hodge-podge of genres and varies between the sublime to the parodical. The plot revolves around a young boy named Walter and how he ended up being raised by two crazy bachelor uncles in the mid 1960s. The uncles (played by Duvall and Caine) have been missing for forty years and have recently returned to Texas to live out the rest of their days. Rumor has it that the old coots have millions of stolen loot stashed away somewhere and every salesperson and relative within a thounsand miles is trying to get their hands on some of the cash.

Children will like this movie especially for the cheesy flashback scenes that appear to be a cross between Indiana Jones and Saturday morning cartoons. However, cheesy as those scenes appear, they fit for the purposes of the film.

The movie also has something to say about faith and honesty. In fact, this is probably the best film I've seen about faith since SIGNS. It takes faith to believe the unbelievable, but when you find out what you were believing really was true, it becomes even that much more amazing.

Highly recommended for families, old codgers, and eccentrics like myself.

Wonderful family film! Rare these days.
This was a great movie. I just saw it last night -- for the second time. With Robert Duvall, Michael Caine, and Haley Joel Osment, how could they go wrong? But there's many a film out there that boasts a multi-talented all-star cast and yet still fails to deliver the goods.

SECONDHAND LIONS is not one of them.

The story is about young Walter who is just barely in his teens and is sent to live with his two great uncles. He constantly hears rumors of their hidden treasure that they stole from Al Capone, or took from a wealthy Arab, or obtained through a lawsuit, or...whatever you want to believe. Throughout the movie, Walter learns from his uncles, Hub and Garth, how to grow into a man and what the truly important things are in life; and Garth and Hub learn from Walter how to enjoy life to the fullest.

The drama here is fantastic, and only once does the emotionalism get a little over-the-top (which is why I gave it four stars instead of five). The acting is fantastic. In this adventurous film you'll be reminded of images of INDIANA JONES, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, among many others.

...

I wish every goofball (i.e. summer blockbuster) filmmaker in Hollywood -- you know, the ones that think creative filmmaking means having alot of CGI characters jumping around on skyscrapers and fighting villains in Power Ranger suits -- would simply sit down and watch SECONDHAND LIONS. Then they would know how to make a good movie.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN?
It was sad for me to see adults pushing their kids in the long-winded queues for Spiderman2 and Pokemon at the local theatre, while this touching entertainer was tossed aside (relatively) to the sidelines.

There is no doubt that Secondhand Lions is a semi-manipulative film, it has its fair share of smarmy feel-good contrivances that betray its zeal to tug at our heart strings. But the quirky mirth of all its characters, the idiosynchratic plotline, and a healthy dose of moving, meaningful moments makes this a very wholesome experience.

Duvall and Caine, as two reclusive millionaire uncles drunk on guns and eccentricity, pitch in very well. Caine warms up to his part in the film first, but the screen is really owned by a very fit Duvall, who soon becomes the pivotal character in the film as the uncle that the kid (Hailey Osment) turns to for advice. Osment does remarkably well to hold his own against these two big tykes. A barnful of cute animals and a truckful of drooling relatives round up the doozy cast.

Some fantastic (literally) flashbacks form an interesting trope for the movie's core message: that in our lives having conviction in things we may doubt to be untrue is ultimately a critical virtue. This leads to a somewhat corny twist at the end but it's an interesting one to make the point. There's plenty of action and some amusing gags that even evoked loud guffaws in the theatre.

All in all, whether you have kids or not, but especially if you do, this deserves a recommendation of the highest order.

Best Family Movie in a long time
I loved this movie. Laughed and cried. I do not usually buy movies, I only own three - we rent alot, but this was a must have. It is the best family movie we have seen in a very long time. I can't wait to see it again.

Wow (for sure)
I cannot understand why Amazon uses paid reviewers who are afraid to like the films they review and don't even bother to see many of them, as indicated by the errors of fact in the second quoted review. Make no mistake, folks, this is the real thing: a truly mesmerizing family film that is able to be humorous, scary, thrilling and inspiring - frequently all at the same time. How many years has it been since three generations of your family were able to repeatedly laugh and cheer loudly for a film? This is in the rare class of films that will go on and on, like Wizard of Oz, Shane, Dragonslayer, High Noon, Miracle on 34th Street, and a very few others, except that it is better than several of them. It is a film for all time and all ages. It is definitely not just a "kid's picture". Perhaps I am partial to "modern legends." I think we all are. ... Read more

Amazon.com

You wouldn't know it by watching the Batman movies they collaborated on, but this smart adaptation of John Grisham's novel proves that director Joel Schumacher and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman have some talent when the right project comes along. Schumacher had previously directed Grisham's The Client, and brought equal craft and intelligence to this story about a young Southern attorney (Matthew McConaughey, in his breakthrough role) who defends a black father (Samuel L. Jackson) after he kills two men who raped his young daughter. Sandra Bullock plays the passionate law student who serves as McConaughey's legal aide and voice of conscience in the racially charged drama. Added to the star power of the lead roles is a fine supporting cast, including Kevin Spacey, Ashley Judd, and Oliver Platt. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (92)

Racism, violence, white trash, murder ("Jerry! Jerry!")
"A Time to Kill" has good intentions. It stars:

Matthew McConaughey as lawyer Jake Brigance

Samuel L. Jackson as Carl Lee Hailey, a father who kills to avenge the rape of his little girl

Kevin Spacey as the snide, sinister District Attorney

Sandra Bullock as Brigance's law clerk, Ellen "Rork in Boston, but Row Ark in Mississippi"

Ashley Judd as Jake Brigance's wife

Oliver Platt is Jake's buddy Harry Rex

Keifer Sutherland as a vengeful redneck

and Donald Sutherland as eccentric, civil-rights-activist/disbarred lawyer/drunk/mentor Lucien Wilbanks

With an all star cast like that, you can't go wrong, and the film, at least plot-wise, doesn't. Carl Lee Hailey's 10-year-old daughter is raped and left for dead by two white trash redneck dopeheads. Enraged, Hailey takes justice into his own hands and fatally shoots the two rapists as they leave the courthouse. Everyone in the small Mississippi town hears the news within minutes and takes sides, and Hailey hires a young ham-and-egger, Brigance, to defend him. As Brigance tries to avoid a conviction from the all-white jury, the brother of one of the rapists (played by Keifer Sutherland) gets together a couple of good ole boys to form a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. Violence erupts, protesters march and chant, death threats and burning crosses abound, everyone is covered at all times with a sheen of oily sweat, and there's even an explosion.

"A Time to Kill" is like the "Jerry Springer Show," but intelligent.

The dialogue, however, could use work. It seems as if a good writer and a mediocre writer banged out the script, then cut it up and shuffled it together, intermingling the really well-written scenes with some really choppy dialogue.

The same goes for the acting. Jackson, Spacey, and McConaughey are excellent and convincing in their roles. Platt is charming as Jake's best friend and a sleazy divorce lawyer.

However, Judd is useless and even childish in her role as a trophy wife, and Bullock, as Jake's law clerk, sounds as if she's a shy girl in a high-school play who hasn't quite memorized her lines yet. (This really irked me because in the book version, her character was headstrong, outspoken, and very smart.)

I encourage anyone to rent the movie for themselves. It's definitely worth seeing, even if the writing and acting is a little off in places. The story redeems the bad acting.

I Love This Movie!
This movie is one of my favorites and I highly recommend that everyone see it because it is thought provoking and it forces you to put yourself in the character's shoes and think about what you would do. The movie begins with the brutal rape of a little black Mississippi girl by two white men. The girl's father Carl Lee, played by Samuel L. Jackson, then shoots and kills the guys- in the courthouse, mind you. Matthew McConaughey plays Carl Lee's attorney, Jake Brigance. The plot line continues with bouts including the KKK and the NAACP. Something notable that I really like is the exposing of the NAACP's arrogance and crookedness that happens all too often in real life. All of the actors do a great job in this film. Kevin Spacey is the prosecutor and Sandra Bullock plays Brigance's legal aid, whom he almost ends up having an affair when his wife (Ashley Judd) leaves town for her and their daughter's safety. If nothing else, you've got to see this movie for the fact that Matt McConaughey is the leading man. He is so hot! Even though I disagree with the verdict, A Time To Kill is a must see if you haven't viewed it yet. Bravo!

Grisham At His Best
A Time to Kill is my favorite Grisham book, and the movie follows suit. The book, which was the first one published but did not become popular until The Firm becase a success, seems to be the most "grounded" with a "real" feel to it unlike some of the other ones which tend to stretch credibility a bit more (but are fun to read anyway.)

Closing Arguments
A Time To Kill, is one of only two of John Grisham's legal thrillers that I have read, cover to cover. The other is The Chamber. I have to say, that while the book of ATTK is a bit better, then the film version, there's no denying the movie has a lot going for it...making for a very good film.

In a small southern town, black man Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson) awaits trial for murdering the two rednecks who viciously raped his 10-year-old daughter. Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey) is a young, idealistic white lawyer, who decides to take on the father's defense. The incendiary case becomes a firestorm of racism and controversy, ripping the town apart. This, as Jake goes up against the community's most successful D.A. (Kevin Spacey), while reluctanly accepting help with the case from a law student (Sandra Bullock).

It's amazing how good this film is, especially when one considers what director Joel Schumacher and its adapter
Akiva Goldsman, would team up to do on Batman And Robin. At it's center, McConaughey gives his best perfomance to date. He captures the the escence of his novel counterpart to a tee. Jackson is also quite convincing as a man on trial. The rest of the all star cast is very good here--although Bullock shares nice moments with McConaughey--she seems out of step and is suprisingly the film's weakest link. Some have said the movie is over crowded with too many subplots, while that is true to a certain extent I guess, Goldsman's script and Schumacher somehow balance it all. The film takes a few liberties, but, basically stays true to the source material.

Like most John Grisham books turned movies, the DVD lacks anything substantial, in the way of bonus material. Production notes and the film's theatrical trailer is all you get...Special Edition anyone?

A Time To Kill offers fine performances and rock solid drama. The film is a winner and one of the best Grisham adaptations out there

Intense Grisham Drama
Set in the deep south, where prejudice dies hard and bigotry still runs rampant, this intense crime drama finds the bright (although penniless) young lawyer Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey) fighting to keep a black man from the gas chamber, and struggling to protect the lives of his friends and family. When Carl Lee Haley's (Samuel L. Jackson) nine-year-old daughter is brutally raped and beaten by some local good-old-boys, he fears the court will not serve justice and takes matters in his own hands, gunning down and killing the two boys on the courthouse steps. Carl Lee calls for Jake to take up his defense, although he has never handled a murder case.
The tension rises and intensity level of the plot increases as the local KKK is united, big wigs come in from the NAACP, Klu Klux Klan, and high dollar prosecutors. When the KKK sets a burning cross in their yard, Jake's wife and daughter flee town, only to have their beautifully restored Victorian home burned to the ground days later by the protestors. In the courtroom, Jake finds himself pitted against his worse legal-world enemy (Kevin Spacey) and the courtroom antics are nothing short of breathtaking. Donald Sutherland, Sandra Bullock and Oliver Platt make up Jake's patchwork defense team and provide fantastic character studies.
This film earns the top rating for the reasons: 1)by staying true to Grisham's first legal novel of the same name; and 2) because of the deep understanding these characters give us to the world of the prejudice south, the love of a father, and the desperate yearning for justice. Ultimately, Jake must put himself in the place of each of the jurors to fight for Carl Lee's freedom. He must learn that he is not black, will never be black, but the issues are not always colored. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Superior to both Kids and Natural Born Killers, Gregg Araki's The Doom Generation is a snarling satire that has the emotional range to prompt rage, fear, laughter, and grief in a viewer. Three L.A.-based, almost-twentysomethings--an incredibly foul-mouthed Valley Girl (Rose McGowan), her puppyish boyfriend (James Duval), and a sexy bad boy (Johnathon Schaech)--take to the road after a series of comic collisions with skinheads and gun-toting convenience-store clerks. While secret lawmen and voyeuristic TV cameras follow their movements, the fugitives gradually warm up to a three-way sexual relationship that wraps them in a profound, renewing innocence--an innocence then stolen by a wrathful America. Araki skewers the usual villains: the media, homophobes, gun nuts, Gen-X stereotypes. But there is so much more at stake here than meets the eye, an extraordinary anger and fear about predatory intolerance and purposelessness about the young. The DVD release includes the original theatrical trailer and production notes. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (123)

"Red"," White" and "Blue" on the Run
Everybody made a big deal about Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers", calling it brilliant. But I thought it was ... One of the worst movies ever,too over the top and condecending. "The Doom Generation" gets it right with a mixture of satire,music,and a punk attitude.
The movie stars Rose McGowan as Amy Blue.Both she and her boyfriend Jordan (James Duval) are sitting in their car sharing a moment when Xavier (Jonathon Schaech)leaps into their car and thay have to get out of there to avoid the goons chasing Xavier.
After that, they embark on a road trip around L.A. They get involved in a bloody holdup,killings,and are being chased by homophobic maniacs,the FBI,and people who constantly mistake Amy Blue for someone else. The movie has a tongue in cheek quality that I felt accurately mirrored the teen angst rebels on-the-run scenario. Rose McGowan makes the movie with her witty one-liners and her attitude driven performance. It's wild and outrageous and has an ending that definitely caught me off guard. I also think the soundtrack,which I bought,is pretty good. With gore, nudity, ...undertones, and enough metaphors ... , this one's not for the kids.

Rose and Gregg tear up the screen!!
What drew me to this film was the sexy chic on the cover.. Rose Mcgowan made this role her own.. Gregg Araki directed the film and her very well.. The film is about two lovers played by Mcgowan and James Duvall. They pick up a stranger who is being beaten up by a gang of kids.. after picking him up (by accident).. they try to drop him off at a convenience store.. trouble ensues and the twosome becomes a threesome.. they begin to travel across the state to avoid the police.. on their journey they meet up with some very strange characters who all think they are lovers of Mcgowans, and try to take her back by any means neccesary.. each time, something bad happens.. and each time they run.. finally, trouble catches up with them..

This movie is a prime example of how movies should be made.. its an indie classic in the making.. a cult hit if you may.. it never lets go once it grabs ahold.. watch and enjoy.. you won't be dissapointed..

This film stinks.
"The Doom Generation" is a piece of garbage. It tries to be so many things and fails on all levels. It's not art and it's not good entertainment.
It tries to be as violent and funny as "Pulp Fiction" and "Natural Born Killers" are and it fails! "The Doom Generation" tries to shock the audience with violence and even there it fails! I guess one could call it a boring and cheesy comedy. The only thing to laugh about it's how predictable and boring it is. Still, I give it 1 star for the scene where the "heroes" of "The Doom Generation" show a bit of compassion for a dog.
Otherwise, it's as boring as a rat's ass!

Over-The-Top is the absolute understatement
I rented this movie basically because of the fact that it touted itself as a "road flick," a genre that I'm usually a fan of. I'll admit the gratuitous violence in the beginning had me laughing just because of how corny it was presented, but this wore itself out several minutes later. The film tries to loosely have some kind of "hell" theme by continuously referring to $6.66 as payment for different items they buy along the way. We get it. You didn't have to do it 7 times. I wasn't sure exactly what theme the writer was trying to convey, but it doesn't matter because the story it was based on was so bad anyway. The filmmakers try to use shocking visuals and group sex to (I guess) grab the attention of the audience, which is good because it diverts that attention away from the terrible story that's going on. Don't waste your time.

Over Cooked?
Normally, I don't care much for movies that try to hard to be shocking but this one does leave an impression. The entire film is jam-packed with subliminal messages and 'eye-candy' visuals. There is a story here, with no satisfying conlusion, that is entertaining as he77 to watch. The ending to this film is "overly-shocking" by which I mean not shocking because it tries so hard to be shocking, but it will suprise you. I give it 3 stars because it is not the best movie ever but it leaves a lasting impressioin. I guarantee it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tom Hanks stars in this sporadically funny, extended sketch piece about a gaggle of suburban neighbors so preoccupied with mysteries taking place behind the closed doors of a newcomer that they go to extremes to look inside. The film is essentially a simple satire from director Joe Dante, for whom suburbia has been ripe territory for such comic-horror stories as Gremlins, Explorers, Matinee, and Small Soldiers. Of all Dante's movies, The 'burbs has the least story material to go around, and it depends heavily (and with modest success) on the comic powers of its cast--including Bruce Dern as a paranoid nut, Hanks as a Mr. Normal-type who loses perspective, and Rick Ducommun as Hanks's neurotic best friend. These appealing people hold one's attention, but by the end of the film, with nothing much having happened, even the cast can't mitigate an empty feeling. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (109)

"People In Cul - De Sac's Are Strange...."
This 1989 black comedy starring Tom Hanks, and directed by Joe Dante(Gremlins, Matinee, Gremlins 2, Small Soldiers), might not be to everyone's taste. I think it's a silly, fun, entertaining little movie. Hanks stars as an everyday, all American type of guy, who is on vacation from work. He, and the rest of his friends in the cul- de sac they live in, are suspicious of their weird new neighbors. They hear and see weird things going on there. Since he's off work, and has a lot of time on his hands, Hanks gets roped into finding out the mystery of these interesting new additions to the street. Comedian Rick Duccommun plays Hanks' best friend Art. Bruce Dern is their marine-like neighbor across the street. Carrie Fisher plays Hanks' wife. The weirdo family is headed by Henry Gibson. The movie has a number of goofy and funny scenes. One wishes the movie was even darker and went a bit further with some of the stuff, but oh well. The climax is a big, all out there surprise. Okay, maybe not really big, but fun. Corey Feldman co-stars. This isn't great art people, but it's fun escapism.

Repeat value
The 'Burbs isn't one of those movies you'd see being drooled over by film critics or even audiences, but it is one of those movies that if you saw it on TV every couple of months, you'd watch it.

Joe Dante's weird sense of humor shines on this movie even more than the Gremlins movies. It also offers a cast of characters that are as much relatable as they are crazy. Everyone has weird neighbors, right?

Tom Hanks is in top comedic form in this one offering classic lines like "I've never seen anyone drive their garbage to the street and bang the hell out of it with a stick." Then you have the hilarious neighbor Rick Ducommunn who I feel should have had a better career after this film. Corey Feldman (always a treat) plays the irresponsible teen and Bruce Dern is brilliant as the crazy military reject.

All these characters mixed up in a bizzare murder mystery is pure magic. But what makes this movie have replay value is the little things that you don't necessarily catch while watching for the first time. For example, when Rick Ducommunn comes over to visit Tom Hanks and eats nearly everything in his refrigerator while the audience is engrossed with his tales of terror. Or just the body movement of Hanks when he observes the weirdness of his neighborhood throughout the film. Hilarious.

I may be looked upon as weird for giving this movie 5 stars, but it is one I can always rely on for a good laugh and good quotes.

"NO!" "About a 9 on the tension scale, Rube."
"I want to kill everyone. Satan is good. Satan is our pal."
"Red rover red rover let Ray go over."
"I've been blown up! Take me to the hospital, I'm sick."

Watch this movie and you too will quote these lines forever.

Sub-'Burbs
While I found the humor of 'The 'Burbs' kinda cute and occasionally giggle-inducing, it wasn't really all that funny to me. Ya got Tom Hanks in the usual 'reluctant-hero-caught-in-the-middle-of-it-all' role he usually played back in the mid-to-late 80s, with his trademark expression of outraged incredulity poppin' up when he's been pushed just a bit too far by his odd neighbors. Throw in the quasi-psychotic weirdness of Bruce Dern's character, and the cool-dudeness of then-teen-heartthrob Corey Feldman, and you've got a little something that's fun to watch, but ends up well short of being a bona fide laugh riot. Which was pretty much par for the course for most of Hanks' 80s comedies following 'Bachelor Party'.

Ah well, there's always 'Forrest Gump' if I ever feel the need to watch a truly funny Tom Hanks flick...

'Late

Watch Out In Your Neighborhood For The Reclusive Families!
As Art Weingartner says "I'm telling you these people are Satanists. As I sit here, they are Satanists. Look... look, the world is full of these kind of things; black masses, mutilations. Mutilations! The incubus, the succubus - I'm tellin' you, Walter was a human sacrifice."

Such is the hysterical dialog between Art (Rick Ducommun) and Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) when they discover, along with some other people in their suburban subdivision, their elderly neighbor, Walter Seznick (Gale Gordon) is missing in action.

Other neighbor buddy, Vietnam Vet, Mark Rumsfeld (Bruce Dern) decides to help Ray and Art to find out what happened to Walter. They all three are SURE that the weirdo reclusive new neighbors, The Klopek family, comprised of Dr. Werner Klopek (Henry Gibson), Uncle Reuben Klopek (Brother Theodore) and shy Hans Klopek (Courtney Gains)have something to do with the old man's disappearance.

So...complete with night vision goggles, credit cards to slide in the Klopek's doorlocks to break in and various other spy equipment furnished by Mr. Rumsfeld, they start their little spying games.

Men and their wives even plan a little friendly "welcome wagon" visit to the Klopeks (one of the funniest scenes in the movie!)

Corey Feldman as young neighbor teen Ricky Butler, Carrie Fisher as Carol Peterson, & Wendy Schaal as Bonnie Rumsfeld ALL turn in great performances.

Even Nicky Katt from Boston Public plays Ricky's young friend Steve Kuntz!

What happened to Walter? Did the Klopek's have anything to do with the disappearance? WATCH THIS VERY ENTERTAINING MOVIE and find out for yourself!

Happy Watching!

RAY YOU'RE NEIGHBORS ARE MURDERING PEOPLE!!!
This is the greatest comedy of all time,second is Clue. It has a whole bunch of great lines and an outstanding score by Jerry Goldsmith (Patton). Even though Tom Hanks is really, really funny, the best character in this is Art, played outstandingly by Rick Duccomon. You have to add this to your comedy collection. The movie itself is about three men (Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, and Rick Duccomon) who get obssesed with what is going on in Tom Hanks' neighbors house. Art thinks that the neighbors are killing the other people who used to live there. But he can't be right. Can He? This is a must have for people who love comedy and mysteries. The lesson: Don't judge a person by his cover....... but don't be too careful. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Austin-based filmmaker Richard Linklater (Slacker, Dazed and Confused) has a knack for discovering young actors and getting the best out of them. For example, Dazed and Confused launched the careers of Matthew McConaughey (A Time to Kill), Parker Posey (Waiting for Guffman), Adam Goldberg (Saving Private Ryan), and Anthony Rapp (star in the original cast of the Broadway musical sensation, Rent). SubUrbia, based on the play by monologist Eric Bogosian, is the first Linklater-directed film that he didn't also write, and although the result feels more in-your-face Bogosian than laid-back Linklater, his way with actors is still very much in evidence.

SubUrbia centers on a group of bored, aimless, post-high-school kids who spend an inordinate amount of time hanging out in the parking lot of a local convenience store. It all takes place over a single night, when a fellow classmate by the name of Pony (Jayce Bartok), who has become a hot pop star since graduation, returns with his limo and his publicist (Posey) to do a little slumming in his hometown. Giovanni Ribisi (Saving Private Ryan) as the introspective Jeff, Ajay Naidu as the proprietor of the Circle A (for "anarchy"), and Steve Zahn (Out of Sight) as the buffoonish Buff, are also very impressive in a movie that's a real showcase for its terrific actors. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Put back the Leprechaun!
This is a funny movie that will also get you thinking. It's about some post-high school losers who have nothing better to do than get drunk and hang outside a convenience store. That may sound kind of lame, but it picks up when 'Pony' (Jayce Bartok), a high school acquaintance of theirs who has made it as a rock star pays a visit, along with his attractive publicist Erika (Parker Posy), creating tension between some of the characters. The main character Jeff (Giovanni Ribisi) is constantly questioning everything, and helps to move the plot along by provoking reactions from the others. There is also tension building up between the convenience store owner (Ajay Naidu) and the group, and it all crescendos into a fantastic finale.

I'm giving this 4 stars because the first half hour or so is pretty dumb; there isn't many laughs, and not too much happens before Pony shows up. But since this movie is two hours long, it has plenty of time to redeem itself and succeeds in doing so.

Oh Man!
For all you Giovanni lovers out there, you have to see this! He gets neggie in this movie! It's not really an adult movie, it's more for teenagers cause they are the only ones who understand. I guess I just liked it cause I'm obsessed with Giovanni Ribisi.

great movie
This movie was really great. It's by far my favorite movie...I've seen it more than five or ten times, and it isn't at all old. It's about a group of kids (just under 20 years old) trying to figure out life and trying to deal with it at the same time. The brief nudity part that helped give this movie it's R rating is because Giovanni Ribisi (really hot) decides to take off his clothes. But anyways...great movie that I definatly recommend.

Vun-der-full!
I love this movie. Giovanni Ribisi is a wonderful actor, and he is obviously on the way to big things. If you've seen him in any of his 'big' movies, check this one out- he's at his best.

stereotyped characters?
To call the characters in this film stereotypical is downright blind. This movie IS my town, it's not only my town, but probably thousands of others as well. And to the other reviewer who called giovani ribisi's character "the only smart one", I think she missed the point. He was an intelligent guy, but his counterparts were smart as well. This guy is basically me. He doesn't want to do anyhting, he just wants to live. He says that he wants to "maybe write", THAT'S MY EXCUSE TOO!! I tell my family that I want to be a writer so they won't realize that I just want to stay where I am. All the characters in this film have real counterparts in my life. I know a girl like Suze, I know an alcoholic likr Phoebe, I know the drunk goon like Buff, and I know a guy who although he wasn't in the military, is still alot like Tim. Sadly there are no rock stars where I live, but hey, you can't have 'em all right? Richard Linklater's films always have a mirror to my life, Dazed and Confused was basically my parents, Slacker is me, and Suburbia is my town and my friends. I always like Linklater's movies because they're so laid back, they make you think, and question yourself, something that not many films do well. Anyways, this all brings me to my point, (I knew I had one somewhere) Although this subject matter is better for the stage, It still makes a helluva thought provoking film. If you live in a small town, watch this, you might recognize someone. ... Read more

Description

Crime never sleeps. Neither does Will Dormer (AL PACINO), a veteran LAPD homicide detective sent north to Alaska to head a murder case. There his investigation is disrupted by an ever-shining Midnight Sun that wreaks sleep-depriving havoc on his body clock and brings Dormer's shady, guilt-plagued past into the light of day. ... Read more

Reviews (242)

A worthy follow up to Memento
Insomnia, director Chris Nolan's second full length feature, doesn't have the same gut-wrenching and mind-bending plot twists that his feature length debut, Memento, had, but does an excellent job telling an original and gripping detective mystery.

The pleasure of Insomnia is to be found in its rich cinematography, beautiful landscapes, and excellent performances. The movie is one of the most visually compelling pieces of filmmaking I have seen in years, creating surreal juxtapositions with the vast, harsh Alaskan landscape and with close-up shots of crime scene evidence. The amazing visual landscapes (both large and small) are used effectively by director Nolan to emphasize the films themes of isolation and overpowerment, of losing oneself within ones environment and in ones choices.

Insomnia's plot will disappoint those looking for a new Memento, in that it does not have the sort of turns of action and motivation that Memento does. Insomnia works well without elaborate plot twists, however, it's mood benefits from a certain lack of ambiguity of action, although the ending is perhaps a little to predictable and cliched. Insomnia would have benefited, however, from more ambiguity of motivation - while the acting is top notch, especially on the part of Robin Williams, the connections between the characters actions and their motivations and decisions is too closely drawn by the script.

Overall Insomnia is an excellent movie, and a good entry into the detective/suspense movie cannon. It suffers slightly from a couple of bad edits (in a movie filled with amazing editing and shooting) and from its desire to clearly spell out the principle characters motivations, but these minor flaws are more than redeemed by the director's excellent camerawork and sense of pacing, a strong script, and very solid acting performances. Insomnia is a must see movie, and a welcome change from the "blockbuster" summer movie scene of 2002.

INSOMNIA is a long way from being a snoozer
Hollywood seems to have a love affair with remakes. A few years back it was hip to remake French films, then it was film versions of old TV shows, and every year there seems to be a "Sequelitis" epidemic in multiplexes worldwide. But INSOMNIA offers a Hollywood rarity: This is a remake of a NORWEGIAN movie.
While my opening comments don't offer much hope for the film, INSOMNIA is actually a great movie once you get into it. Starring Oscar winners Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank, executive produced by Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney and directed by Christopher Nolan director of the vastly overrated MEMENTO, INSOMNIA is a compelling mystery thriller.
When cop Will Dormer (Pacino) witnesses the murder of his partner, the prime suspect is mystery writer Walter Finch (Williams). But while Finch appears accommodating to the police, chronic insomniac Dormer finds himself receiving taunting calls from Finch in the middle of the night. Dormer's investigation leads him to a remote Alaskan town which never sees nightfall during the spring/summer seasons where he is partnered with local cop Ellie Burr (Hillary Swank). But with the combination of the continued threats from his unseen nemesis and the stress of the investigation, Dormer's sleeping disorder is wearing him down and disorientating him, making him an easier target.
Like MEMENTO, INSOMNIA is full of twists and is beautifully photographed. But thankfully unlike it, INSOMNIA has a plot that makes sense and keeps the viewer glued to the screen; but it is the strong characterisations by Pacino and Williams that make their cat-and-mouse game utterly compelling. I haven't seen the Norwegian version, but as far as remakes go its probably a pretty safe bet that INSOMNIA is in the upper ranks.

Falls Flat
This psychological thriller is based upon Norwegian writer Erik Skjoldbjaerg's novel of the same title. Al Pacino took a 4 year absence from acting before this film, and it's no surprise that this one broke him from his hiatus, as it has a great script and it stars two other Academy Award winning performers, Hillary Swank and Robin Williams.

Set in Alaska, this film is about Will Dormer, a veteran LA detective, played by Pacino. Dormer is sent with partner Hap Eckhart to investigate the grisly murder of a 17-year-old girl. At the same time, Dormer & Eckhart are being investigated by internal affairs for some suspicious police work, which Dormer believes Eckhart is about to spill the beans about.

The two colleagues are welcomed in Alaska by Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), a policewoman who is also interested in solving this strange case. Dormer accidentally shoots his partner Eckhart, but knows how it will look if he confesses to the shooting, so he misleads them to believe that the suspect did the shooting and continues the investigation. The story goes through some interesting twists and turns from there on.

Three academy award winners in one movie that is based on a fantastic book with the same director as Memento seems like a sure winner, and it certainly did well at the box office, but it falls flat. Perhaps Swank and Pacino are afraid to upstage each other, as both their performances lack emotional depth and energy. Williams' performance is shockingly superb, however, as this role is a side of him not yet seen and he plays it very well. He finally shows he is a talented actor with more range than the Patch Adams and Mrs Doubtfire roles he usually takes. Williams' great performance can't save this film though, as it just doesn't get to the heart. The lack of emotional impact of it has is disappointing, as the criminal is more interesting and complex than the cops. The line fine they are creating between cop and criminal isn't lost on me, but Pacino's character is wooden and emotionally superficial and there's a void in the film where a great character should be.

This movie is proof that too many chefs spoil the cake, as too many great actors made what should have been a spectacular film into this mediocre film.

i was dissapointed
I expected this to be really good, but the potentially excellent film by Christopher Nolan was really hurt by the attitude of Al Pacino as a cop in Alaska. In his past few movies, he tries too hard to be young and savvy when he just needs to accept that he is aging. He tries to be cool in this and he is just retarded. Hilary Swank didn't do anything at all to make this movie any better. Robin Williams is the only bright spot in this movie. He is the reason for me giving this three stars. He can play a pretty good villain.

Robin's as the baddie
I guess nealy every actor plays a bad guy at some point. Williams has probably realized that he's pretty much plumbed the depths of comedic possibilies and its time to do some actual acting. He's surprisingly good. There's always been a kind of sad melancholic underside to William's comedy. Stand up comedy itself is a desperate plea for attention and acceptance. 98 % of this movie is the mano a mano mortal struggle between Pacino, the conflicted and tormented cop and Williams, the remorseless murderer. Formulaic but extremely well acted, directed and filmed. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

You remember high school? Really remember? If you think you do, watch this film: it'll all really come racing back. After changing the world with the generation-defining Slacker, director Richard Linklater turned his free-range vérité sensibility on the 1970s. As before, his all-seeing camera meanders across a landscape studded with goofy pop culture references and poignant glimpses of human nature. Only this time around, he's spreading a thick layer of nostalgia over the lens (and across the soundtrack). It's as if Fast Times at Ridgemont High was directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The story deals with a group of friends on the last day of high school, 1976. Good-natured football star Randall "Pink" Floyd navigates effortlessly between the warring worlds of jocks, stoners, wannabes, and rockers with girlfriend and new-freshman buddy in tow. Surprisingly, it's not a coming-of-age movie, but a film that dares ask the eternal, overwhelming, adolescent question, "What happens next?"It's a little too honest to be a light comedy (representative quote: "If I ever say these were the best years of my life, remind me to kill myself."). But it's also way too much fun (remember souped-up Corvettes and bicentennial madness?) to be just another existential-essay-on-celluloid. --Grant Balfour ... Read more

Reviews (213)

"The 70's...oh my god, they obviously suck!"
That is one of many classic lines from this movie that makes it a classic. However, this movie could have been set in the 70's, 80's, 90's or 2003 and people would have seen themselves or their friends in this outstanding cast of characters. We all lived through high school, and we can all identify with the characters depicted in Dazed and Confused.

For example, there's the kid who's 27 and still hanging out with all the high schoolers, still trying to date high school freshmen 13 years his junior (Matthew McConaghey). For some kids, you can tell that high school will be the pinnacle of their sad, pathetic lives, and Ben Affleck plays this character to a tee. There are also the ludicrously bitchy and snobby girls (Parker Posey), the perpetually nice and perky girls (Michelle Burke), and the kid who comes to parties "to drink some beer and kick some ass." (Nicky Katt)

This movie is funny because it is so true. High school is pretty much the same regardless of decade or location. You have your jocks and your intellectuals, your snobs and the kids who are nice to everybody. In that way it's like real life, but in real life you're not bound together with 800 other kids you grew up with and who know your entire embarassing life story.

This movie depicting only one day in the life of a high school student is hilarious and touching. Though it will make you laugh out loud, it will also bring back memories of feeling inadequate or ugly that were magnified by the clausterphobic setting of high school. This movie features some stellar performances by actors who went on to become very famous. Though the characters in this movie could have gone to school at any time period in the 20th century, the 70's setting adds to the hilarity. Dive into this world of bell bottoms, bongs and Black Sabbath and try not to cringe when you recognize yourself or your friends in the wonderful cast of characters.

Smoked out hilarious
Ok, being born in 1974 I never got to experience the weirdness of the '70's. I've longed to live in the days of bell bottoms, platforms and the beautiful women with the straight ironed hair. This is one of those movies that captures exactally how I perceive the mid 70's to be. This film is about, well, graduation night and future freshmen and seniors. They basically go around smoking weed and trying to terrorize the up coming freshman. The line up is an all star cast of who's who in movies. Ben Afleck, Mathew Mcconaughey, Jason London and Milla Jovovich.

This is a film that takes a comedic, yet precise look at life in 1976. The music is absolutely awesome and the dialogue will keep you laughing from beginning to end. You get the guy that's always doped up, the jock, the preppy little bi**h and the freshman who wants to fit in. It's hard to describe just what this movie is about because it is really about nothing. One night in 1976 would have been just as good a title as "Dazed and Confused". I love this film. If you enjoy great humor pick this one up.

WOOD-A-BEEN, HAPPENIN'
Finally, a DAZED AND CONFUSED special edition. This is one of the best comedies ever made. Some people find it boring and plotless, but they're just unable to appreciate the honesty that comes along with the movie. Whenever I watch this movie, I watch the whole thing, no scene selections. There is just something about this movie that makes you feel comfortable. It is probably the familiarity that accompanies each of the characters that reminds you of people that you know. There is also something about the feeling of following the characters from the end of their last day of school into the party and concluding on the next morning. There is a feeling about joining the party that makes this movie watchable at most any time. You can feel like you are in the movie, and there is something about it that just wants to make you have fun or go hang out with your friends. People who haven't seen this movie will also be surprised to see the a lot of the cast, which includes many now-famous actors. This cast includes Jason London, Ben Affleck, Rory Cochrane, Mila Jovovich, Matthew McConaughey, and, well there is too many, but believe me, if you remember high school, or you like comedies and you haven't already, you have to check this movie out, and watch the whole thing. It is also good to watch it with a friend so you have someone to talk to about it. An unforgettable set of characters, some good jokes, an unforgettable party, and finally, some special features to go along with the movie. I was one of those people who was told about the movie from a cousin and I picked up the DVD (old one with no special features) and it became one of my favorites. The thing that surprised me was that nobody really knew about it, except for some older people, because the movie was like AMERICAN PIE when it came out. This special edition will definitely get some new recognition. The only thing that pisses me off is that when this special edition does come out, new people are gonna see it and they are gonna act like they discovered it, like I haven't seen it before them. That is gonna suck, but it is gonna be worth it when I see those special features. I hope they have some behind-the-scenes footage or a reunion of the cast or something. By the way, Richard Linklater is a genius who writes with honesty (he also directed this movie). I am gonna buy WAKING LIFE (also starring Wiley Wiggins), BEFORE SUNRISE, and see BEFORE SUNSET. If you liked this movie, you'll probably like DETROIT ROCK CITY and ALMOST FAMOUS. Those movies are good, but we'll get to those later. DAZED AND CONFUSED is a movie you gotta check out. I can't wait for this special edition. You'll also like AMERICAN PIE, THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, and a lot of other comedies with honesty. By the way, I forgot, there is some stupid dialogue in the movie, but it is overweighed by the good stuff, and you won't notice it until you have seen the movie around three or four times. By the way, that doesn't mean I think that the movie is stupid or anything, I can say that because I am a big fan, and I still really like that movie. Plus, you've got to take some stupid jokes along with every good comedy. Anyway, my hands are starting to hurt, and I'm running out of ideas. DAZED AND CONFUSED is one of the greatest comedies ever made. This isn't the only move coming out with a special edition. There is MEET THE PARENTS and a bunch of other UNIVERSAL movies coming out with special editions.

Hilarious!!
This comedy is a scream!! It perfectly captures high school in the 1970s - if you were in school then, you'll recognize everyone in this film as someone in your class. Every detail is perfect - the clothes, haircuts, parties, parents, attitudes, cars, everything. And unlike many teen movies, it doesn't pretend to be heavy or deep - its just and all out good time. I could not stop laughing, watching it, and the soundtrack is awesome.

Looks like someone's smoking the reefer...
I saw this movie and was certainly surprised at how different from its peers it is. "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is deep, and certainly funny, but it lacks that underlying tone of what will happen to the kids once they get out of school. "American Pie" is hilarious, but it's too bogged down by clichés. "Dazed and Confused", however, finds the perfect middle ground. Set in Austin, Texas, on the last day of school in 1976, the film follows a rouges gallery of colorful (if not fun-loving) teenagers who plan to spend the afternoon and night having as much fun as possible, and that's an understatement. The story itself is very simple, yet captivating and intriguing. Each teen spends his/her night doing something different, yet they all eventually convene at the party at the moon tower. It's like a combo of a day-in-the-life movie, an in-depth character study, and a great teen comedy. And it is of course the comedy that more then any thing explores the alienation and unsettling nature that teenagers feel, regardless of age or timeframe. We see this through such lines as: "I came here tonight to do two things: kick some ass and drink some beer. Looks like we're out of beer!" and "If I ever refer to these as the best years of my life remind me to kill myself." That captures how these kids feel about school, and about life. Cause hey, you want the best years of your life, forget high school. Try college ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Meryl Streep Was Robbed of the Oscar !
Meryl Streep continues to amaze me by adding another performance to her gallery of great roles. Being a guy l have to be honest to say that l cried throughout the film, especially near the end. The whole issue of cancer is a very challening topic to present on film. "One True Thing" does a fantastic job at addressing one family's struggle with the life-threatening illness. Although the film starts off very slowly, l was intrigued with the struggle and friction that exists within a family. Meryl Streep earned her 11th Oscar nomination for this performance and she is amazing. I have to say that she was robbed of the Best Actress Oscar. Gwyneth Paltrow for "Shakespeare In Love" ? Pleeeease. The bathroom scene where Renee Zellwegger helps Meryl out of the bathtub is heartbreaking to watch. And when Meryl asks her daughter to help her out of her pain is the point of the movie where l'm sobbing like a baby. I was totally blown away by the power and raw emotion of that scene. I don't want to spoil the whole movie for you but if you're a fan of Meryl Streep's work, then you won't be disappointed. And forget about getting the tissue out, bring a whole roll of toilet paper cause you're gonna need it. This movie is 5 star weeper.

One True Thing is a one true movie!
Since I became very interested in Renee Zellweger, I had decided to rent this, and I thought it was such a beuatiful movie. After learning that her mother has cancer, Ellen (Zellweger) is asked by her father (William Hurt) to come back home to care for her. At first, she refuses, but finds the strength to do go home, and in the process begins to have a more loving relationship with her mother that she never really had before. I had never watched many of Meryl Streeps movies before, but just watching her playout this character who is indeed suffering a great deal made me totally upset, and like Ellen you wish so much to want to help her even if you can't. However, when I think more of it, it really is better to have loved than to have lost. And in a very beautiful way, both Ellen and her mother found that bond which will always be with them. I wish I could review more, but in a way as I write this, I am feeling a little emotional over it. There really are no other words. Except one love: love. I guess less is more.

THE EXTRAORDINARY SOUL OF A REGULAR "HOUSE WIFE"
If there's one actress that can get into the skin of her character, Streep is it. She effortlessly portays a regular housewife, embroidering pillows and decorating cribs one minute, and being a veritable fountain of love and understanding the next! William Hurt turns in a convincing performance too, as the aloof and careless Regular Husband, while Zellweger adds a mean punch with her rich and dynamic presence.

The theme is hardly anything earth-shattering, but there's a fine line between the genuinely moving and the saccharine, and under Franklin's low-key direction "One True Thing" succeeds where many pictures fail by maintaining its dignity and, just as importantly, its honesty. You won't cry out of a sense of obligation, but because the incredible cast drive the material straight to the heart.

Highly recommended if you're in the mood for a stirring "Ordinary People" type of a drama. Keep a Kleenex handy.

Please read the book
Although the acting is very fine, this movie does an injustice to the book. The book is the story of Ellen's developing awareness, and is told very subtly. Before her mother's illness, Ellen had been seeing the world through her father's eyes. In the process of bonding with her mother, she develops a much deeper view of herself, her parents, their life as a family, and of how she intends to live. The movie comes close to reducing this complex story to a morality tale espousing the beauty of traditional feminine virtues, and makes what should be a subtle story a nearly black and white one. The problem is not that the movie differs from the book; it's that the movie fundamentally distorts the book's meaning.

Good movie
This was a really nice dramatic movie which Meryl Streep truly shines in. The movie also stars Renee Zellweger and William Hurt. Zellweger plays a workaholic who lives in New York, and goes home to visit her family for her father's (Hurt) birthday. She learns that her mother (Streep) has cancer and her father asks her to move home to take care of him, thus leaving her career, life and boyfriend behind in New York. Zellweger plays a cold character who is distant from her family, but she has to hold it together for all of them. She soon learns how much her mother does day to day, and finds herself growing with resentment towards her father who takes no part in helping or caring for his wife. He also has affairs and is emotionally distant from the family. The movie focuses mainly on the women, so you find yourself relating to them more than the father. The movie was well done and Streep stole the performance as the dying mother, nothing short of excellent work as usual. My only complaint is the way the scenes are put together. The movie starts in 1988 where Zellweger's character is talking to a lawyer, and then you watch the past and see the story interjected between these scenes, which cuts between the drama and is not very effective in my opinion. Also, in the end when the mother dies from drug overdose, the daughter believes her father did it, and vice versa. It was not explained very well or even exposed that the mother was the one who did it, it just seemed to sneak in right at the end. Overall a good movie though. ... Read more

Description

Filmmaker Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise) explores the lives of young Americans at a crossroads in subUrbia, adapted by Eric Bogosian (Talk Radio) from his playIt rocks with soundtrack music by Sonic Youth, Beck Skinny Puppy, Butthole Surfers, Elastica and more of today's edgiest alternative bands.

An ensemble cast featuring Parker Posey (Party Girl), Steve Zahn (That Thing You Do) and Nicky Katt (A Time to Kill) stars in this engrossing story that opens during a typical night among friends who are stuck somewhere between high school and the rest of their lives.The night doesn't stay typical for long.The arrival of a former classmate who is now a rock star sets passions and conflicts in motion.Before the night is over, friendships will be forged or shattered, romances will be won or lost, limits will be tested and futures will be shaped. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Dude, let's go hang out at Circle K!
Boy, talk about a movie about nothing! It's basically two and a half hours of a bunch of punk kids standing around in parking lots talking. Okay, maybe I'm being a bit unfair. This movie is very slow, but it is meaningful. It's basically a look at the lives of bored small town teens (although Austin is a strange choice for the locale. I live there, and trust me, it's far from a small town) who have nothing at all to do, and have to deal with their friend's rise to stardom. But really, for the most part, nothing really happens in the movie! It's like real life! But, perhaps that's the genius of it. You'd better have a good attention span, though. I would have to say that Giovanni Ribisi pretty much runs the movie. He by far outdoes everyone else's performance, and is really the only likable character in the movie (with the possible exception of Steve Zahn). Ribisi sort of serves as the grouchy but eloquent voice of reason in the group. It's cool to see him play such a well-spoken character, because he usually plays a dumb guy in everything else. You sort of get the feeling that he hates his friends, and would rather be anywhere but with them, but he hangs with them anyway because he doesn't really have a choice. But, when your friends are a drunken goofball, a big, belligerent guy with tattoos, and a pretty boy folk singer, and your girlfriend is a bad poet with an even worse hairdo, it's kind of understandable. This is really more like a documentary than a movie, but it has its moments. I think the thing I liked the best about it was that it was filmed where I live, so I recognized a lot of the stuff in the movie. All in all, I'd say I don't have any strong feelings for this movie, I neither love it nor hate it, but if you like this kind of stuff, you might as well check it out.

Compares to Kevin Smith
I think this movie is absolutely true and hilarious. This group of 20-somethings is exactly like people I know. This has a theme similar to Kevin Smith movies and other funny realistic comedies. If you liked this I recommend you see Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Glory Daze, and Mallrats. This group of people hang outside a convenience store getting drunk and encounters real life issues. You should definitly buy this movie! Ribisi and Zahn are the funniest ever. The scene where Zahn steals the lawn ornament is great. Its an awesome flick. The only character I don't like is the rock star, he is the only reason I don't give it 5 stars. Rent or buy it, its worth it. Its kind of an immature comedy but that is what makes it good. If you like Kevin Smith movies or Glory Daze you'll really like Suburbia.

Linklater knows that small towns can suck.
I rented this movie for two reasons: the first being that I was stood up by a friend on a Saturday night and wanted something to calm my anger; and secondly, it looked good. I must say, from start to finish, this is a wonderfully directed movie. The performances that Richard Linklater got out of these actors was astounding. Out of all of them, I think that Goivanni Ribisi gave one of his all-time best (even compared to Saving Private Ryan, which I think was his finest dramatic moment).

Everything about the movie screams teen-angst, from the theft of a lawn-knome, to one of the many anti-MTV sentiments.
I gave this movie 5 stars because I was tired and ornery when I put it in, and by the end I couldn't fall asleep if I had wanted to.

Don't see it for laughs
From the cover one would think that this movie is a teen comedy. The movie is very good, but it is more of a morality tale than a comedy.

Teen Angst
I saw this movie in a sunday at 2 A.M. and I think it`s a nice hour to watch it. "Suburbia" is one of those movies that captures well the state of loneliness and melancholy that the late-teens/ young adults feel when they enter a world with limited perspectives and an uncertain future. Yep, it`s the everyday world we all live in. The director Richard Linklater innovates a bit (again) as he prefers to center all the plot action in a single night, developing some key moments for his characters. The teens portrayed here seem a bit stereotyped in the beginning but they slowly change during the movie. The dialogue and camera-work are realistic and the acting usually competent. However, it`s a bit slow at parts and the overall atmosphere is not for everyone. But for those who try it, it`s still a good indie-movie with something to say about today`s youth. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Either Dean Koontz shouldn't adapt his own bestsellers, or his 1983 novel Phantoms was a pack of horror clichés to begin with, or this movie is 15 years past its due date. What might have seemed fresh at the time of Poltergeist now feels like it was made from a derivative script with pages missing. Plagued by reckless leaps of logic, the movie starts with adequately eerie atmosphere and a perversely twisted performance by Scream 2's Liev Schreiber, but decays into a familiar hash of gross-out effects, resulting from the annihilation of a small Colorado town by an evil force known as "The Ancient Enemy." In a dreary role that insults the twilight of his distinguished career, Peter O'Toole plays a paleobiologist whose crackpot ideas have become tabloid fodder, but he holds the key to conquering the beast. Or does he? Sure enough, an obligatory coda leaves room for anticlimactic doubt. Phantoms has a few genuinely creepy highlights, including a devilish beastie resembling an angry flying scorpion, and horror fans will surely find something to admire, but everyone else is advised to proceed with caution and lowered expectations. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Better than I had expected
First thing is first, Phantoms is a movie to be taken with a grain of salt. There is nothing overly scary or shocking in this run of the mill B-grade thriller, but it is entertaining nonetheless, and mostly delivers the goods. Joanna Going and Rose McGowen play sisters whose return to Snowfield, Colorado is interrupted by the disappearance of every person in the town. Eventually they meet up with a sheriff (Ben Affleck in yet another movie from Miramax/Dimension Films) and his two deputies played by Liev Schrieber and Nicky Katt. Eventually the military is on the scene and we're joined by accomplished actor Peter O'Toole who plays a crackpot paleobiologist whose tabloid fodder may not be so crackpot. A few scares and shocks are abound, with some rather good special effects, and Schreiber nearly steals the entire show with his whacko performance. But, Phantoms is rather predictable and sometimes laughable with huge leaps of logic and a few plot holes here and there, but Phantoms remains a fun ride nonetheless. All in all, Phantoms is a pretty good B-grade horror film that horror or sci-fi fans will get a kick out of.

scary, terrifying thriller
Phantoms is a very entertaining and scary science fiction horror film. Only a few other films such as Event Horizon and Candyman are as intense as Phantoms. The first half of the movie is probably the scariest and creepiest in horror film history. The movie begins quickly and gets right to the action. Two sisters, played by Joanna Going and Rose Mcgowan, return to the town of Snowfield, Colorado to find most of the inhabitants missing and several gory looking dead bodies. They enter a bakery and meet an out of town sheriff, Bryce Hammond, played well by Ben Affleck, and his deputies Shannon and Wargle, played by Nicky Katt and Liev Schrieber. Liev Schrieber definitely goes all the way with an excellent performance as crazy weirdo Deputy Stu Wargle.

Some chilling scenes in the movie include a giant moth that sucks brain, screams coming from everywhere, strange sounds coming from the town's plumbing system, and dead people that disappear then reappear alive. The scene where the giant moth attacks the survivors in the police station is one of the best in any movie. In the second half, the movie has some more chilling scenes with a high body count, but I was a bit disappointed that the movie ended so quickly. It's 100 minute running time didn't feel like it was long enough to fit all the events that occured in the movie. Dean Koontz also made the mistake of not exploring the thematic elements of the movie more deeply like he did in his novel.

The special effects in the movie were very good. The giant moth looked real and so did the other creatures that appeared. The film isn't as gory as it's reputed to be. Sci-fi horror films like Alien Resurrection and Event Horizon are much bloodier. (Although Event Horizon uses the goriness effectively). Overall, Phantoms is a creepy horror film that holds the viewer at the edge of their seat, especially in the final confrontation between Hammond and a boy.

Familiar but Well Made Sci-Fi/Horror Thriller.
Two Sisters (Joanna Going & Rose McGowan) arrived in a small town in the state of Colorado. The Town appears empty and they find a couple of dead bodies in this seemingly peaceful town. The Sisters find themselves protected from by a Sheriff (Oscar-Winner:Ben Affleck) and His two deputies (Liev Schreiber & Nicky Katt). Together, They find themselves fighting a Ferocious Force of Evil lying below the Earth for Centuries. Now they have surfaced with the Power to Destory every Human on the Planet. But to Save Themselves, They need the Help of a Noted Tabloid Journalist (Peter O'Toole), Who understand the Curse of Evil.

Directed by Joe Chappelle (Halloween:The Curse of Micheal Myers) made a Entertaining, Sometimes Scary Sci-Fi Thriller. Good Performances does help alot from the Cast, especially the Amusing Perverted Role of Schreiber is Funny. This was a Box Office Disapointment in the Winter of 1998, the film is Quickly Forgetten now. But the film is better than expected with echoes from The Body Snatchers, Event Horizon and John Carpenter's The Thing and the film is fairly suspenseful. DVD has an sharp non-anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an terrific-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD Offers No Extras, which is too bad but the film speaks for itself. Based on a Novel by Dean Koontz (The Funhouse, Odd Thomas, Watchers). Koontz did wrote the Adapation from His Novel and He's one of the Executive Producers of the Film. Grade:A-.

so very bad
The only scary thing about this movie is Ben Affleck's pompadour. It grows ever bigger as the movie progresses!

Basically, two sisters arrive in a small Colorado town to find everyone except the three sheriffs dead. That alone should tell you not to trust the sheriffs. They obviously 1) killed everyone themselves or 2) do their job so poorly that no one in the town remains alive.

It just gets worse and worse from there. This movie hinges mainly on its special effects of gross bodies and killings, but this was during the wave of slasher flicks like the Scream franchise so it can be excused for that. After all, that stuff made a lot of bank in the 1990s. But that is still not an excuse for not really trying.

Pathetic
I won't get into how amazing the novel was or how shocked I was at the theater upon seeing this wreck of a movie (or how I highly recommend the novel.)

Instead, consider Ben Affleck. If he's starring as the sheriff in a serious horror movie, you know something's... wrong. I did enjoy the first half of the movie, which builds on ambience and scares you through the unknown horror around every corner.

Then the movie barrel-rolls and plummets head-first into the rocks. It rips shreds from "John Carpenter's The Thing" to "Alien" and everything in between. The ending is overly simplified and lacks any of the terror from the novel (and in addition is far less epic.)

A warning to anyone who's read the book and yet to see this adaptation; don't waste your time.

For everyone else, again I recommend the excellent novel, or if you're still in the mood for a good horror movie, try one of the thousands of better ones out there. ... Read more

Description

A gritty and poignant look at the world of male prostitutes through the course of a single day on the streets -hustling for money and love while hoping for a little decency.A veteran male prostitute, John, befriends the new guy who looks to John for advice and friendship. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Touching Portrait of Street Hustlers
I was pleasently surprised after watching this film. I wanted to pick up Lukas Haas and hug him--he was so adorable. David Arquette did his finest work to date. Despite some very minor flaws in the plot, the overall effect of the movie lasts for days after you watch it. A must see!!

Slow but still good
The movement of the story is very slow. There are 10 chapters on the DVD. Around chapter 4 I thought I was near the end of the film.

The film doesn't pick up speed until the middle. Here, we finally get to see how all the hustlers are related to each other. Also, the two main characters reveal a lot of themselves. We learn at how Donner's (Lukas) family mistreated him when he decided to stop hiding. And we learn about how sad John (David) is about the unfortunate placement of his birthday on the calandar.

The movie is actually better with the commentary on. But, you should see the film as is first before you watch it with the commentary.

All in all, this film isn't bad. I think it is best viewed when you borrow your friends DVD of this movie. It will not bore you, but you won't have any trouble hitting pause to go to the bathroom, or talk to friends, or answer the phone, or do anything. This film is really for those that LOVE independent films.

Closer to life than most would like
Anyone want to catch a glimpse of what happens to kids who are neglected or rejected by their families? Then you need to check out this movie. While incredibly tame compared to real life, it at least takes the average "john" into a pseudo world of the streets, and the actors are excellent in their roles. I have watched this movie SEVERAL times and have cried at the end each time. While I agree that it is a dramatic close-to-life rendition, and many want a fantasy world in which to escape when watching a movie, it also has a great message, one which you must find for yourself. I believe this is why no other character has a background, save the one, so that each viewer can find themselves in one of the characters. I love David Arquette in this movie...he reminds me a lot of a close personal friend.
Oh, yea, and most of them don't work because they have been on the streets since a very young age. They have few skills, no address or phone number, and perhaps are even a bit scared. My advice, watch this without the rose colored glasses.

Endlessly, relentlessly downbeat
This is not the worst gay-themed movie out there, but it IS among the most depressing. It's about two young guys reduced to hustling on Santa Monica Boulevard. Lukas Haas is reasonably convincing as the teenage cast-out looking for someone to care for irritating. In fact, he's supposed to be straight, and even has a girlfriend, but services middle-aged gay men for money. It's never explained why he doesn't just get a job (his character is a legal adult) and leave that life behind. If the movie did, then I must have dozed off before the story got to that. I really began to lose track after the fancy hotel scene. The locations are authentic, and there are a couple of mildly entertaining scenes here and there. But nearly every moment of this film is downbeat and never gave me any reason to care. The film's endless self-pity inspires depression, followed by boredom, sometimes followed by falling asleep. The only thing the film succeeds in is illistrating the point that prostitution is a dead-end life, but it's never enlightening or compelling in the process. Too bad.

Bittersweet Drama
Arquette at his dramatic best. Haas shines too in this bittersweet drama told on stark sets with painfully true dialogue. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Pretty disappointed
After watching Clueless and falling for the looks of Alicia Silverstone, I thought I'd try out some of her other stuff. I have to say that as much as I like her, the film was pretty bad. The storyline was terrible and the acting was pretty poor. I only recommend watching this to get a look at Alicia, but if you want a good movie, go elsewhere.

FUNNY
only reason i gave this movie 4 stars is because its so funny. people are gona think im crazy for givin this movie 4 stars but its so cheesy that its hilarious.i recomend this dvd if you want a good laugh or you like alicia silverstone and jeremy london.i cant believe such great actors were in such a cheesy movie. i guess they didnt expect it to turn out that way but it did. the ending dosent make any sense at all. its just fun to watch all those great actors in those situations. the reviews on here say not to waste your time with this movie but i watch this movie alot and think its really funny. i like it , its so bad its good.i would recomend this movie if your a alicia silverstone fan.

Helen of Troy...NOT!!!
Watching this movie is similar to reading a term paper with no thesis statement. After the ending, you begin to understand what the writers were (maybe) trying to accomplish, but choppy editing throughout the movie only makes the viewer think that the several fantasy sequences revolving around Silverstone's character are only planted in the film to obscure the writers lack of imagination with regard to character development.

In retrospect, the Babysitter (Silverstone) is supposed to be like Helen of Troy. Men will risk thier families, jobs and freedom to sleep with her. Among the people who want Alicia are her ex (?) boyfriend and a manipulative wanna-be-a-gangster suburban rich boy, who drunkenly conspire a plan to spy on her. The manipulative rich kid dupes the ex into breaking and entering the house where Silverstone is babysitting then tries to rape her. Nuff said about the plot.

Two things make the plot unbelievable. First of all, Silverstone, taken as THE sole motive for a host of fantasies (some related and some utterly unrelated to the ending) and a rape attempt is not buyable. In reality, Silvertone is no Helen of Troy, but yet another link of good-looking hollywood sausage. More importantly, in the movie, her character is unexciting, bland and (ahem) clueless.

Secondly, the antagonist rich hood's rape attempt is paradoxical. He has sense enough to manipulate the Babysitter's boyfriend like an expert (a la Cruel Intentions), yet the during the last scene of the movie he smashes lamps on peoples heads and tries to rape Alicia in front of 2 small children. Any criminologist could tell you that most psychotics are usually not silver-tounged manipulators and vice versa.

On a final note, the writers could have used some of the time they spent on the fantasy sequences to develop the characters' backgrounds and motives. At least then the film might not have been such a pile of garbage.

seduced by the sitter
good movie with some ok twists and turns. Nicky Katt, the one who gets hit with the car at the end is great. though Jeremy London seems misplaced but Alicia Silverstone is great in the imagination. though it lags but it's older cast.

Don't watch this movie
This movie is the worst piece of ... I have ever seen. I'm still looking for a reason why they made this movie. Suicide is a great alternate solution to watching the Babysitter. Alicia Silverstone may look good, but she don't look that damn good to waste your time watching this piece of sh*t. Too bad I can't give it 0 stars. ... Read more