Reviews (16)

Interesting first film by an exciting director
After the beautiful "Far From Heaven" and the dazzling "Velvet Goldmine", I was curious to see Todd Haynes' first film. Despite being made on a shoe-string budget and featuring unknown actors, "Poison" still manages to be a visually innovative, provocative and intelligent film. The film is made up of three seperate stories interwoven together. In "Hero", which takes place in the early 80's and is filmed in documentary style, a young boy kills his father, and the community tries to figure out why. In "Horror", which looks like a campy old black and white horror film, a scientist manages to turn the human sex drive into a serem, and then becomes a sexually predatory leper when he accidently drinks it. In "Homo", a man in prison in the early 20th century becomes obsessed with a fellow inmate who he watched being abused years before in a reformatory. Initially, the stories seem to have nothing in common, but the more the film goes on you start to see the connection ... they all focus on the darker side of human sexuality, and its consequences. Overall, this is an interesting first film by a terrific director who is just starting to hit his stride.

Interesting take on the dark side of sexuality
After loving "Velvet Goldmine" and finding "Far From Heaven" visually stunning, I was curious to see Todd Haynes' first film (which won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, and probably launched his career). Even working with an apparently very low budget and unknown actors, Haynes still manages to create an original and thought-provoking film. He weaves together three stories, which are all different in terms of time period and tone, but that all deal with the darker side of sexuality, and the devastating consequences it can have. In "Hero" (shot like a documentary, and taking place in the early 80's), a young boy kills his father, and the more the story is explored, the more it is revealed that both of his parents' sexual behavior probably brought about the tragedy. "Horror" takes place in the 1950's, is shot in black and white, and has the feel of a campy horror movie. In that story an ambitious scientist is somehow able to turn the human sexual drive into a serem, but when he accidently ingests it it turns him into a sexually predatory leper. In "Homo", which takes place in an early 20th century prison, an inmate becomes sexually obsessed with another inmate who he watched being abused years earlier in reform school. The stories are all brilliantly weaved together, and the longer the film goes on, the more the viewer is able to see the common threads. Overall, it is interesting to see the first film of a director who is just beginning to hit his stride.

Best film adaptation of Genet to date
Todd Haynes's penchant for postmodern parody (recently displayed in the deliberately garish melodrama _Far From Heaven_) can be seen in _Poison_, his first feature film. Haynes invokes obscure Poverty-Row horror films and television documentaries, among other cinematic forms. Some of the images are lovely, some are ugly, and some are extremely difficult to watch. All represent, in one form or another, French writer Jean Genet's view of sexuality -- pessimistic and frequently angry, but never entirely bleak.

This film was one of the infamous "NEA 4" projects that led then-Senator Jesse Helms to impose standards of decency on the National Endowment for the Arts. _Poison_ may be best known for the scandal it generated inside Washington's corridors of power, but it's still a brilliant film.

Now, the bad news: Video and audio transfers on this DVD are poor, with numerous print flaws, artifacts and distortion. But the full-frame transfer accurately represents the film's original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The only extras are a slightly decrepit trailer and a solid, informative audio commentary from the director, the producer and the editor.

Three Cerebrally Interjecting Stories...
Haynes attempts to present a concept through three different stories or perspectives, "Hero", "Horror", and "Homo". The three stories interject one another in crucial moments leaving the audience thinking about what Haynes is trying to tell us. In "Hero", a child is painted as a trouble maker who shot his abusive father when he was attacking his deceitful mother. The second story, "Horror", depicts a scientist who is in the search of truth, but by mistake becomes contaminated as a leper. "Homo" presents the story of a gay convict who has grown up in institutions and jails where he meets another guy who went to the same reformatory school as him. The film will leave the audience pondering and reflecting what the stories had in common.

Question
It is rather a question, I don't know how to do it through another way.
Has the DVD subtitles in Spanish? I want my friends that can't understand English to see this movie. Thank you ... Read more

Reviews (1)

CHEESY...but
Yes the movie was cheap, and yes it was kind of pointless & unrealistic, but Billy Zane made it worth while. He looked HOT in this movie (not that that's important) and his acting was good, not his BEST, but good! Its a change to see him play this type of role rather than a crazy/jerk/bad guy or whatever... If your not a fan of Billy Zane, or low budget movies then I wouldn't expect too much out of this one...Overall, I wouldn't pay 9 bucks for it, go rent it!!! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Another Fine Pacino Vehicle
This film was made and was in theaters after "HEAT", but before "Devil's Advocate" and I must say that I actually liked it more than "Donnie Brasco". Pacino's John Pappas, actually made me wish that there were such a politician in the big apple after the passionate and vigorous speech given at the funeral in Harlem. The fact that at the end we find out that he was not as "kosher" as we were led to believe in the beginning, along with Danny Aiello's corrupt Anselmo, makes a person lose their faith in the movie's public officials as we do in real life after we've put so much faith and trust in them and we have the good script to thank for that. As for the rest of the cast, John Cusack has never been better as Kevin, the rightous deputy mayor along with Aiello and Fonda (too bad only a hint of affection between her and Cusack). Overall, the underrated "City Hall" is entertaining and suspenseful and a great "Pacino movie". Favorite line: Kevin: "The only thing new in this world is the history that you don't know."

Good but I expected more
"City Hall" is one of those movies that I watched expecting the best. It had a great cast and crew of which I have seen excellent films from. But all I got in the end was a lukewarm film. The premise is great. Political corruption always makes for an interesting movie and it certainly is interesting. Sadly it suffers from its own plot. So much time is spent trying to uncover this scandal that occurs in this film that there is no time to get to know any of the characters. Al Pacino plays the mayor of New York and while he handles the role passionately the script does not allow his character anytime to develop as with Cusak, Fonda, Aiello. The cast is supurb. In fact I do not believe I have seen better from John Cusak who rarely gets a stab at complex films such as this and Bridget Fonda and Danny Aiello both give excellent supporting performances. The intereaction between Cusak and Fonda also seemed really fake as well not by the actors fault but the screenwriters. There is no chemestry where one would expect. It isn't all that bad of a film. Fans of the actors should definately rent it especially for a really good Pacino monologue (they had to throw that in somewhere). The film had the director and the cast but what it needed was a better script.

Al Pacino, John Cusack, and Danny Aiello are great!
This is one of the best crime-drama movies during the late 1990s. It was filled with a great cast, a huge storyline, and many of the players involved gave great performances. Pacino was great; he should have been nominated for something. John Cusack was good too, as long as the viewer doesn't mind his Louuu-siana accent. He may come off as annoying if you can't stand this dialect. The way that Pacino's character interacted with Cusack's character was believable, dramatic, and slightly comical at times. Danny Aiello was superb as always. David Paymer was great in a supporting role. Bridget Fonda was good but not memorable.
There were times when this picture mentioned so many characters, probably too many. It may take a second viewing to remember, "which Zapatti was which?" After so many cross-references, one has to stop and think just to recap.
The ending didn't have a lot of sting. It was built up for so long in a good way and then was a little bit of a letdown. This was one of the few letdowns in the film
I think that since the movie wasn't billed as a huge, blockbuster big screen hit, it made some forget that this movie even existed. Pacino was great but the film's lack of "splash" in the theaters may have accounted for no nominations. It was semi-successful in the home market, and viewers are still learing that this title is out there. Made in 1996, it still stands up seven years later and should still be popular for many years from now.

So, make yourself some lemon pudding (you'll see) and rent this movie! Overall, a great picture.
4 ½ out of 5!!!

A GOLDSMITH CLASSIC
Jerry Goldsmith's combines essences of George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein in this inspired soundtrack. The sites and sounds of New York seem to waft over the senses as the flowing strings and French horns play. Piano and percussion highlight gang conflict. Classic stuff!

Grab a bagel, sit back, relax and enjoy this one.

Practice Run
Composer Jerry Goldsmiith's score for the drama City Hall is a real letdown. It sounds a lot like the music he would use later for LA Confidential. Sure, there are a few subtle differences here and there, but for the most part, the scores are too similar for my tastes. I am not used to Goldsmith doing this all that much. Even the stuff of his that isn't quite as good, usaully has some originality to it. The music for City Hall must have been a warm up for the latter film I mentioned. Most of the City Hall soundtrack spends its limited running time just reworking the main title-this tactic is not uncommon in a majority of film music-to use a certain amount of repetition-it's just usually not done this much for a single film. Horns, piano, and the drum are pretty much it.

The CD has 12 tracks and a running time of 30:14. My recommendation would be be to skip this, and seek out the the 2 soundtrack albums for LA Confidential, instead. At least the score sounds a bit more developed and there's a bit more musical variety ... Read more

Description

Made for cable thriller about a judge (played by Tom Sellack) who is recruited by the Feds to help in a sting operation. He willingly helps to convict some crooked judges and lawyers, but soon the operation expands to include friends he believes to be hon ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An OK legal thriller starring Tom Selleck! Rent first!
This made for TV movie is OK legal thriller starring Tom Selleck(Running Mates). It's basically a good guy /bad guy movie !if you like Tom Sellec , you might enjoy this made for cable movie produced by Turner Enterainment(in other words TNT! ). Rent this movie first to see if you enjoy it before buying it!...Other that I agree with the maltin review...!

Enjoyed Selleck
The plot has interesting twists and I enjoyed Selleck's performance. ... Read more

Amazon.com

English-professor-turned-horror-auteur Wes Craven brings both careers to play in this ingenious reinterpretation of the Nightmare on Elm Street series as a modern-day fairy tale--a sort of Hansel and Gretel for big kids. Heather Langenkamp, star of the original film, plays Heather Langenkamp, an actress and mother wracked with nightmares as Los Angeles is rocked with unexplained earthquakes. Meanwhile, her son starts sleepwalking and croaking Freddy Krueger threats. Is it a coincidence that Wes Craven (playing himself) is turning his own troubled dreams into a new screenplay, which he calls "a sort of nightmare in progress"? According to his visions, the imaginary Freddy has become the embodiment of ancient evil and is trying to break out of his movie prison and into the physical world. It's a rather literal and glib explanation, but words have never been Craven's strong suit. His central thesis, the cultural importance of stories, is more resonant in the web of imagery arising from dreams, movies, and the subconscious. Robert Englund and John Saxon play themselves and their movie characters (though this Freddy is decidedly less wisecracking and more demonic). It's a thoughtful, imaginative, and often gripping modern horror film that echoes with suggestions of The Exorcist and Poltergeist. Though less of a fun-house thrill ride than previous Nightmares, it's scarier and smarter than any of the other series sequels.--Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (128)

"The Matrix" meets Freddy in one of the best movies ever
The best thing about "Wes Craven's New Nightmare" is not just the originality of its plot, but that it screws with your head more than the Wachowski Brothers did in "The Matrix." This is like a horror film version of that movie and it makes the Wachowski Brothers look like amateurs in the field of reality manipulation. Wes Craven finally returned to the series after ten years - unless you count the screenplay credit for "Dream Warriors - and he has made what I believe to be one of the best horror films ever made. It still has its effects on me even after I've seen it about twenty times. Freddy is finally back to where he belongs - being a terrifying idea instead of some joker. He is vicious. He is mad. He is demonic. He is evil incarnate. And Heather Langenkamp is back, too, as herself, as is practically everyone in this film. She's pretty hot in this one, too. Anyway, this movie is a superb example of what can be accomplished in the film craft with a little original thinking. Sure, this film ends with the same kind of underworld plunge that the entire series specialized in, but that was to be expected. Where else are you gonna fight Freddy? Besides, the sets were so spectacularly built and the action so tight that it didn't matter to me that Wes had gone back to the typical "Nightmare" cliche. It's not what you do, it's how you do it. And Wes Craven did it right in every single frame. My favorite sequence has to be when Heather's little boy Dylan decides to take a rather dangerous route home. You know what I mean by dangerous, right? Like, there's a freeway between where he is and where he wants to be? Yeah... that kind of dangerous. Man, that scene still has me holding my breath. This is the best entry in the series, period. I loved the original, and it's the only other one that I would give a full five stars, but if there were more stars to give this movie, I'd give it about a seven.

What was I thinking?!?!
This is brilliant. The best elm street movie yet. The first time I seen this was about a year and a half ago, and I thought it was the worst, utterly boring is what I thought. Now, I just bought it the other night,'cause I felt like giving it another try and watched it, now I love it. It is such a smart movie, and a great twist in the franchise. Wes Craven thought a lot about doing this movie, he even said he couldn't find anyway to follow on from the sixth film. The film is hardly like a sequel, it almost feels like it's a completely different film, and not a sequel. The film changes to a docusoup, with some of the cast from the original movie, it even stars Wes Craven himself, Heather Lagenkamp (Nancy on the original) is in it, along with John Saxon (Nancy's dad) and a small cameo by Nick Corri (Rod on the original), and of course, how could we forget Freddy? Freddy doesn't do any more of the stupid comedy anymore, but he does have some good one-liners like "Hey Dylan, ever played skin the cat?" The gore isn't always big in this, but there are some sickening scenes. Also, Freddy has a different claw, a large, new and improved metal one, and he has a different looking face. The music is slightly better aswell. I like the way Wes brings back some of the classic moments in the original to this one, example: Heather picks up the phone on this, and a tongue comes out from it, which is also from the original. The ending is class, it starts as a killing at a hospital, then Freddy tries to attack the young boy Dylan from the cluds, as Dylan is running across a busy street, then we get to Freddy's real lair, he gets pretty freaky there. The one point I don't like though, is that this movie can confuse you a little. Apart from that... BRILLIANT!
So, this is the best elm street movie yet, extremely clever and quite scary. Don't miss!

Finally, a somewhat scary 'Nightmare'!
It took 'em seven tries, but they finally put out a 'Nightmare' that was kinda scary. And setting in the 'real world' was a great angle for the principals-- including 'Nightmare' 1 & 3 star Heather Langenkamp as the focal character, along with Robert Englund, New Line producer Bob Shaye and director Wes Craven in supporting roles-- to play off of. I also liked its relatively low cheeseball factor compared to the previous "reel world" Freddy adventures. There were no corny one-liners, the Freddy-killings are actually kinda shocking (albeit relatively mundane), and the whole deal with 'real' Freddy messin' with Langenkamp's kid actually disturbed me a little bit. Sadly, the climactic ending was a bit too hokey, bringing down a movie that I thought had some real momentum going up to this point.

The 'New Nightmare' DVD includes a theatrical trailer, English subtitles, and a feature-length commentary by director Wes Craven. I was shocked by how calm and soft-spoken he was here-- his demeanor and behavior just didn't seem to jibe with his reputation as a premier horror-film director. Not really having seen himor heard him talk all that much before I took a listen to this track, I was kinda expecting some stark raving madman who'd just escaped the local psych lock-up...

Anyhoo, in the commentary track Craven goes over the usual stuff that directors usually discuss in movie commentary tracks: the technical aspects and the difficulty he had shooting some scenes, the things that inspired him to make the movie, and his philosophy on filmmaking. He also talks about how close to REAL real-life his movie got with the principals (particularly Heather Langenkamp), both on a personal and professional level.

All in all, I found 'New Nightmare' to be a somewhat compelling new take on the 'Nightmare' franchise, and a pretty good bookend to the whole schmear. If only the ending was a bit stronger...

'Late

Ghastly but for the wrong reasons
This stinker never should have been made. It drags, it's "humor" is heavy-handed, the acting is stilted at best & the usual driving rhythm of the Freddy movies just never gets going.
All in all it's just a desperate little self-referential exercise that would have been better if assigned to a batch of talented 12 year olds.

Hated it!!!
I'm sorry, but I did not like this film. I'm glad I did not pay to see this in theaters. I saw it on TV (cable), and was not pleased with the film at all. Bad acting, and a waste of film. The movie was not scary, and it was predictable. Truth is just watch the first 4 Freddy movies. Those are the BEST ones in the series. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After a serial killer gets doused with some toxic, mutating ooze, a small town must deal with the terrible wrath of his new deep-freeze form (to say nothing of his horrific carrot nose and eyes made out of hellish coal). Although clearly indebted to the superior horror-comedy of Sam Raimi (the venerable director of The Evil Dead trilogy), this killer snowman movie is somewhat less than abominable (sorry), with a cheerful, wonky sense of humor, some intentionally cheesy special effects, and a creative enthusiasm that belies the obviously low budget. Good fun for the less-discriminating horror fan, although potential viewers should be warned in advance that a blatantly misogynist scene in a female victim's bathtub crosses the line between enjoyably tasteless and downright disgusting. --Andrew Wright ... Read more

Reviews (92)

JACK FROST a holiday classic!
Cheap, silly, goofy characters and an extremely low budget all but help to make JACK FROST the EVIL DEAD of the 90's. The director must of known that the premise of a killer snowman wouldn't be taken seriously by an audience no matter how good the script was, so instead he plays the movie for laughs with lots of camp and B-style effects. On top of that, JACK FROST actually introduces us to really memorable characters who we come to enjoy. And once Jack Frost himself appears he's like a cold chilly version of Freddy Kruger with good smart remarks and a nasty attitude. What makes JACK FROST even funnier is watching as the prodcution values and acting get worse and worse towards the end. It goes from a good B movie to a really bad B movie all in 90 minutes! Its awsome! As long as you keep an open mind and learn to enjoy cheap fun, JACK FROST is a holiday treat. I have yet to see Part 2, but I have recently ordered it from amazon and can't wait to see it!

if you want a good laugh.......
Its hard to say if this movie is good or bad. All I can say is that i deffinantly reccoment it. If you like hilarious horror movies than you will love Jack Frost. I saw this movie last summer with a friend. We were searching for a funny horror movie and when we saw the great cover of it at blockbuster we knew we had to watch it. The movie is basically about a mass murderer named Jack Frost who was just caught and about to sentenced to execution. However of course things dont quite work out as planned. Jack Frost gets into an accident and somehow transforms into a killer snowman. Jack in the form of a snowman continues to be a psycho killer. He goes after a family with an exremely annoying child who unfortunantly is not killed and the people in this town. What makes this movie so funny is the way the snowman kills people. At one point he kills a woman with christmas lights and as a snowman rapes a teenage girl in a bathtub. oh yeah where did the carrot go around this point? Also while he kills these people there is strange upbeat music in the background. The acting in this is also horribly funny. i reccomend this movie for anyone who gets a laugh out of cheesy horror movies because id have to say this is about the cheesiest i have ever seen.

He's chillin' and killin'!
Dang this movie is sure campy and extremley bad as a movie, yet it is very entertaining all the same. I first rented on VHS wjile spending a week at my grandparents house, after viewing it, I just had too have it on DVD. Too bad it got trashed by the critics!

The plot is: a serial killer named (oddly enough) Jack Frost gets doused with some genetic liquids during a lite blizzard and dissolves into the snowy ground (this is the only actual scary scene in the whole movie). Inside the snow is where a
strange mutation takes place: the spilled genetic fluids combined with Jack's personality turns Jack into a MUTANT KILLER SNOWMAN! After that, Jack sets out to kill the man who caught him in the first place: Sherrif Samuel Tyler!

The dry humor and death scenes is what ALMOST makes this B-grade flick a classic. There was this one scene where Jack thrusts an ax down some old guy's throat, and "walks" off saying, "Gosh, I only axed ya for smoke!" That was priceless! In another scene, Jack busts into the sherrif's house and calls himself things like "F*ckin' Frosty" and "The world's most pissed off snowcone!" I can't stop laughing at that scene!

I almost had to be sent to the hospital after watching JACK FROST, because it's so d@mn funny!

Great B-Movie With Style
I just finished watching this movie, and I have to say it was a great B film. The pure camp, humor, and fun of it all makes takes this right up there with Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and the slick direction, and clean, well shot feel of it all make it an easy watch.
The movie is obviously cheesy, and plays for laughs most of the time. But it still comes through in the gore department every once in a while. And while it isn't a total splatter fest, there are some nice death scenes, all with some good one liners from the title Killer Snowman.
It also helps that the director has real style, and uses the camera, and the cheap budget to his advantage. Even the fakest looking scene (like the van flipping in the begining) works, because the director uses his mole hill, and exploits it, creating one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Plus, even the Jack himself looks VERY fake, he still gets some nice shots in the movie.
Acting wise, well, it's all very B grade, with over acting, and under acting done perfectly for the parts at hand. No characters are all that deep, and most of the time you could care less weither they live or die. Although there is one somewhat likeable character who gets an extremely grissly end to their life. Still, decent acting. And Shannon Elizabeth even comes out seeming like a decent, if not stiff, actress.
For some great B movie fun, with some style, some gore, and a whole lot of humor, check out Jack Frost. Who knew a Killer Snowman could be so fun.

A Second Chance to be the Coolest Dad...Whoops, Wrong Film!
Although often touted as a horror comedy, the most amusing aspect of this 1997 direct-to-video clunker is the fact that it is often confused with its saccharine family-flick namesake, a commensurately clunky and similarly themed Michael Keaton vehicle released in theaters the following year. Interestingly, the titular character of each film is a snowman that has somehow come to life. However, those planning a nice evening with the youngsters will be in for quite a shock if they purchase or rent the wrong movie. The snowy dude in Keaton's film is a benevolent father figure who wants to help out his real-life family; the icy hombre in the 1997 horror flick is animated by the soul of an escaped convict with a penchant for rape and murder.

Outside of the amusing thought of 1997's JACK FROST getting an accidental showing at a kiddie party, this film has very little to offer. The special FX are amateurish, the script is so inane that it is nearly impossible to suspend one's disbelief for the duration, and much of the acting is horrid. While some films can be admired for their cheesiness--Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD (1981) comes immediately to mind--JACK FROST falls way beneath even THAT standard. Writer-director Michael Cooney seems unable to decide if he wants to spoof the horror genre--there are scenes that mimic horror clichés but few, if any, that parody or satirize them--or simply make, á la Wes Craven's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984), a scary film with humorous characters and an amusing premise. The film vacillates between both styles without gaining sufficient footing in either, and the result is a slushy thematic jumble that is neither scary nor entertaining.

JACK FROST is not without a few near-redeeming qualities, however. There are lots of amusing Python-esque puns and jokes sprinkled throughout the film, the kind of verbal gags that make you simultaneously chuckle and...well, GAG. And this film also marks the cinematic debut of gorgeous actress Shannon Elizabeth, who here has some, ah, revealing moments with the eponymous snowman. Unfortunately, these elements do not elevate the film enough to make it worth wasting an hour-and-a-half of one's life.

Don't be fooled by the artwork on the DVD's packaging--that cool skull made of snow does not appear in the film. In truth, 1997's JACK FROST is an ice-cold stinker that few discerning horror fans will want to add to their collections. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Another Fine Pacino Vehicle
This film was made and was in theaters after "HEAT", but before "Devil's Advocate" and I must say that I actually liked it more than "Donnie Brasco". Pacino's John Pappas, actually made me wish that there were such a politician in the big apple after the passionate and vigorous speech given at the funeral in Harlem. The fact that at the end we find out that he was not as "kosher" as we were led to believe in the beginning, along with Danny Aiello's corrupt Anselmo, makes a person lose their faith in the movie's public officials as we do in real life after we've put so much faith and trust in them and we have the good script to thank for that. As for the rest of the cast, John Cusack has never been better as Kevin, the rightous deputy mayor along with Aiello and Fonda (too bad only a hint of affection between her and Cusack). Overall, the underrated "City Hall" is entertaining and suspenseful and a great "Pacino movie". Favorite line: Kevin: "The only thing new in this world is the history that you don't know."

Good but I expected more
"City Hall" is one of those movies that I watched expecting the best. It had a great cast and crew of which I have seen excellent films from. But all I got in the end was a lukewarm film. The premise is great. Political corruption always makes for an interesting movie and it certainly is interesting. Sadly it suffers from its own plot. So much time is spent trying to uncover this scandal that occurs in this film that there is no time to get to know any of the characters. Al Pacino plays the mayor of New York and while he handles the role passionately the script does not allow his character anytime to develop as with Cusak, Fonda, Aiello. The cast is supurb. In fact I do not believe I have seen better from John Cusak who rarely gets a stab at complex films such as this and Bridget Fonda and Danny Aiello both give excellent supporting performances. The intereaction between Cusak and Fonda also seemed really fake as well not by the actors fault but the screenwriters. There is no chemestry where one would expect. It isn't all that bad of a film. Fans of the actors should definately rent it especially for a really good Pacino monologue (they had to throw that in somewhere). The film had the director and the cast but what it needed was a better script.

Al Pacino, John Cusack, and Danny Aiello are great!
This is one of the best crime-drama movies during the late 1990s. It was filled with a great cast, a huge storyline, and many of the players involved gave great performances. Pacino was great; he should have been nominated for something. John Cusack was good too, as long as the viewer doesn't mind his Louuu-siana accent. He may come off as annoying if you can't stand this dialect. The way that Pacino's character interacted with Cusack's character was believable, dramatic, and slightly comical at times. Danny Aiello was superb as always. David Paymer was great in a supporting role. Bridget Fonda was good but not memorable.
There were times when this picture mentioned so many characters, probably too many. It may take a second viewing to remember, "which Zapatti was which?" After so many cross-references, one has to stop and think just to recap.
The ending didn't have a lot of sting. It was built up for so long in a good way and then was a little bit of a letdown. This was one of the few letdowns in the film
I think that since the movie wasn't billed as a huge, blockbuster big screen hit, it made some forget that this movie even existed. Pacino was great but the film's lack of "splash" in the theaters may have accounted for no nominations. It was semi-successful in the home market, and viewers are still learing that this title is out there. Made in 1996, it still stands up seven years later and should still be popular for many years from now.

So, make yourself some lemon pudding (you'll see) and rent this movie! Overall, a great picture.
4 ½ out of 5!!!

A GOLDSMITH CLASSIC
Jerry Goldsmith's combines essences of George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein in this inspired soundtrack. The sites and sounds of New York seem to waft over the senses as the flowing strings and French horns play. Piano and percussion highlight gang conflict. Classic stuff!

Grab a bagel, sit back, relax and enjoy this one.

Practice Run
Composer Jerry Goldsmiith's score for the drama City Hall is a real letdown. It sounds a lot like the music he would use later for LA Confidential. Sure, there are a few subtle differences here and there, but for the most part, the scores are too similar for my tastes. I am not used to Goldsmith doing this all that much. Even the stuff of his that isn't quite as good, usaully has some originality to it. The music for City Hall must have been a warm up for the latter film I mentioned. Most of the City Hall soundtrack spends its limited running time just reworking the main title-this tactic is not uncommon in a majority of film music-to use a certain amount of repetition-it's just usually not done this much for a single film. Horns, piano, and the drum are pretty much it.

The CD has 12 tracks and a running time of 30:14. My recommendation would be be to skip this, and seek out the the 2 soundtrack albums for LA Confidential, instead. At least the score sounds a bit more developed and there's a bit more musical variety ... Read more

Reviews (92)

JACK FROST a holiday classic!
Cheap, silly, goofy characters and an extremely low budget all but help to make JACK FROST the EVIL DEAD of the 90's. The director must of known that the premise of a killer snowman wouldn't be taken seriously by an audience no matter how good the script was, so instead he plays the movie for laughs with lots of camp and B-style effects. On top of that, JACK FROST actually introduces us to really memorable characters who we come to enjoy. And once Jack Frost himself appears he's like a cold chilly version of Freddy Kruger with good smart remarks and a nasty attitude. What makes JACK FROST even funnier is watching as the prodcution values and acting get worse and worse towards the end. It goes from a good B movie to a really bad B movie all in 90 minutes! Its awsome! As long as you keep an open mind and learn to enjoy cheap fun, JACK FROST is a holiday treat. I have yet to see Part 2, but I have recently ordered it from amazon and can't wait to see it!

if you want a good laugh.......
Its hard to say if this movie is good or bad. All I can say is that i deffinantly reccoment it. If you like hilarious horror movies than you will love Jack Frost. I saw this movie last summer with a friend. We were searching for a funny horror movie and when we saw the great cover of it at blockbuster we knew we had to watch it. The movie is basically about a mass murderer named Jack Frost who was just caught and about to sentenced to execution. However of course things dont quite work out as planned. Jack Frost gets into an accident and somehow transforms into a killer snowman. Jack in the form of a snowman continues to be a psycho killer. He goes after a family with an exremely annoying child who unfortunantly is not killed and the people in this town. What makes this movie so funny is the way the snowman kills people. At one point he kills a woman with christmas lights and as a snowman rapes a teenage girl in a bathtub. oh yeah where did the carrot go around this point? Also while he kills these people there is strange upbeat music in the background. The acting in this is also horribly funny. i reccomend this movie for anyone who gets a laugh out of cheesy horror movies because id have to say this is about the cheesiest i have ever seen.

He's chillin' and killin'!
Dang this movie is sure campy and extremley bad as a movie, yet it is very entertaining all the same. I first rented on VHS wjile spending a week at my grandparents house, after viewing it, I just had too have it on DVD. Too bad it got trashed by the critics!

The plot is: a serial killer named (oddly enough) Jack Frost gets doused with some genetic liquids during a lite blizzard and dissolves into the snowy ground (this is the only actual scary scene in the whole movie). Inside the snow is where a
strange mutation takes place: the spilled genetic fluids combined with Jack's personality turns Jack into a MUTANT KILLER SNOWMAN! After that, Jack sets out to kill the man who caught him in the first place: Sherrif Samuel Tyler!

The dry humor and death scenes is what ALMOST makes this B-grade flick a classic. There was this one scene where Jack thrusts an ax down some old guy's throat, and "walks" off saying, "Gosh, I only axed ya for smoke!" That was priceless! In another scene, Jack busts into the sherrif's house and calls himself things like "F*ckin' Frosty" and "The world's most pissed off snowcone!" I can't stop laughing at that scene!

I almost had to be sent to the hospital after watching JACK FROST, because it's so d@mn funny!

Great B-Movie With Style
I just finished watching this movie, and I have to say it was a great B film. The pure camp, humor, and fun of it all makes takes this right up there with Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and the slick direction, and clean, well shot feel of it all make it an easy watch.
The movie is obviously cheesy, and plays for laughs most of the time. But it still comes through in the gore department every once in a while. And while it isn't a total splatter fest, there are some nice death scenes, all with some good one liners from the title Killer Snowman.
It also helps that the director has real style, and uses the camera, and the cheap budget to his advantage. Even the fakest looking scene (like the van flipping in the begining) works, because the director uses his mole hill, and exploits it, creating one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Plus, even the Jack himself looks VERY fake, he still gets some nice shots in the movie.
Acting wise, well, it's all very B grade, with over acting, and under acting done perfectly for the parts at hand. No characters are all that deep, and most of the time you could care less weither they live or die. Although there is one somewhat likeable character who gets an extremely grissly end to their life. Still, decent acting. And Shannon Elizabeth even comes out seeming like a decent, if not stiff, actress.
For some great B movie fun, with some style, some gore, and a whole lot of humor, check out Jack Frost. Who knew a Killer Snowman could be so fun.

A Second Chance to be the Coolest Dad...Whoops, Wrong Film!
Although often touted as a horror comedy, the most amusing aspect of this 1997 direct-to-video clunker is the fact that it is often confused with its saccharine family-flick namesake, a commensurately clunky and similarly themed Michael Keaton vehicle released in theaters the following year. Interestingly, the titular character of each film is a snowman that has somehow come to life. However, those planning a nice evening with the youngsters will be in for quite a shock if they purchase or rent the wrong movie. The snowy dude in Keaton's film is a benevolent father figure who wants to help out his real-life family; the icy hombre in the 1997 horror flick is animated by the soul of an escaped convict with a penchant for rape and murder.

Outside of the amusing thought of 1997's JACK FROST getting an accidental showing at a kiddie party, this film has very little to offer. The special FX are amateurish, the script is so inane that it is nearly impossible to suspend one's disbelief for the duration, and much of the acting is horrid. While some films can be admired for their cheesiness--Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD (1981) comes immediately to mind--JACK FROST falls way beneath even THAT standard. Writer-director Michael Cooney seems unable to decide if he wants to spoof the horror genre--there are scenes that mimic horror clichés but few, if any, that parody or satirize them--or simply make, á la Wes Craven's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984), a scary film with humorous characters and an amusing premise. The film vacillates between both styles without gaining sufficient footing in either, and the result is a slushy thematic jumble that is neither scary nor entertaining.

JACK FROST is not without a few near-redeeming qualities, however. There are lots of amusing Python-esque puns and jokes sprinkled throughout the film, the kind of verbal gags that make you simultaneously chuckle and...well, GAG. And this film also marks the cinematic debut of gorgeous actress Shannon Elizabeth, who here has some, ah, revealing moments with the eponymous snowman. Unfortunately, these elements do not elevate the film enough to make it worth wasting an hour-and-a-half of one's life.

Don't be fooled by the artwork on the DVD's packaging--that cool skull made of snow does not appear in the film. In truth, 1997's JACK FROST is an ice-cold stinker that few discerning horror fans will want to add to their collections. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fabulous, absolutely fabulous!
The movie was Hitchcock(isque,) I have admiration for such a well rounded cast both starring and supporting! Bravo Mitch Ward (court clerk), I've followed your stage career for years. You are equally impressive on the big screen. Jimmy Smit's performance was depressing but his being a T.V. star probably explained his inability to achieve silver screen excellence here - but he notably tries. Nigel Hawthorne is great as in most of his efforts. Mary Louise Parker was very believable as a street girl turned millionaress turned butcherer! See it. It's worth it! Scotch and Soda. ... Read more

Reviews (92)

JACK FROST a holiday classic!
Cheap, silly, goofy characters and an extremely low budget all but help to make JACK FROST the EVIL DEAD of the 90's. The director must of known that the premise of a killer snowman wouldn't be taken seriously by an audience no matter how good the script was, so instead he plays the movie for laughs with lots of camp and B-style effects. On top of that, JACK FROST actually introduces us to really memorable characters who we come to enjoy. And once Jack Frost himself appears he's like a cold chilly version of Freddy Kruger with good smart remarks and a nasty attitude. What makes JACK FROST even funnier is watching as the prodcution values and acting get worse and worse towards the end. It goes from a good B movie to a really bad B movie all in 90 minutes! Its awsome! As long as you keep an open mind and learn to enjoy cheap fun, JACK FROST is a holiday treat. I have yet to see Part 2, but I have recently ordered it from amazon and can't wait to see it!

if you want a good laugh.......
Its hard to say if this movie is good or bad. All I can say is that i deffinantly reccoment it. If you like hilarious horror movies than you will love Jack Frost. I saw this movie last summer with a friend. We were searching for a funny horror movie and when we saw the great cover of it at blockbuster we knew we had to watch it. The movie is basically about a mass murderer named Jack Frost who was just caught and about to sentenced to execution. However of course things dont quite work out as planned. Jack Frost gets into an accident and somehow transforms into a killer snowman. Jack in the form of a snowman continues to be a psycho killer. He goes after a family with an exremely annoying child who unfortunantly is not killed and the people in this town. What makes this movie so funny is the way the snowman kills people. At one point he kills a woman with christmas lights and as a snowman rapes a teenage girl in a bathtub. oh yeah where did the carrot go around this point? Also while he kills these people there is strange upbeat music in the background. The acting in this is also horribly funny. i reccomend this movie for anyone who gets a laugh out of cheesy horror movies because id have to say this is about the cheesiest i have ever seen.

He's chillin' and killin'!
Dang this movie is sure campy and extremley bad as a movie, yet it is very entertaining all the same. I first rented on VHS wjile spending a week at my grandparents house, after viewing it, I just had too have it on DVD. Too bad it got trashed by the critics!

The plot is: a serial killer named (oddly enough) Jack Frost gets doused with some genetic liquids during a lite blizzard and dissolves into the snowy ground (this is the only actual scary scene in the whole movie). Inside the snow is where a
strange mutation takes place: the spilled genetic fluids combined with Jack's personality turns Jack into a MUTANT KILLER SNOWMAN! After that, Jack sets out to kill the man who caught him in the first place: Sherrif Samuel Tyler!

The dry humor and death scenes is what ALMOST makes this B-grade flick a classic. There was this one scene where Jack thrusts an ax down some old guy's throat, and "walks" off saying, "Gosh, I only axed ya for smoke!" That was priceless! In another scene, Jack busts into the sherrif's house and calls himself things like "F*ckin' Frosty" and "The world's most pissed off snowcone!" I can't stop laughing at that scene!

I almost had to be sent to the hospital after watching JACK FROST, because it's so d@mn funny!

Great B-Movie With Style
I just finished watching this movie, and I have to say it was a great B film. The pure camp, humor, and fun of it all makes takes this right up there with Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and the slick direction, and clean, well shot feel of it all make it an easy watch.
The movie is obviously cheesy, and plays for laughs most of the time. But it still comes through in the gore department every once in a while. And while it isn't a total splatter fest, there are some nice death scenes, all with some good one liners from the title Killer Snowman.
It also helps that the director has real style, and uses the camera, and the cheap budget to his advantage. Even the fakest looking scene (like the van flipping in the begining) works, because the director uses his mole hill, and exploits it, creating one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Plus, even the Jack himself looks VERY fake, he still gets some nice shots in the movie.
Acting wise, well, it's all very B grade, with over acting, and under acting done perfectly for the parts at hand. No characters are all that deep, and most of the time you could care less weither they live or die. Although there is one somewhat likeable character who gets an extremely grissly end to their life. Still, decent acting. And Shannon Elizabeth even comes out seeming like a decent, if not stiff, actress.
For some great B movie fun, with some style, some gore, and a whole lot of humor, check out Jack Frost. Who knew a Killer Snowman could be so fun.

A Second Chance to be the Coolest Dad...Whoops, Wrong Film!
Although often touted as a horror comedy, the most amusing aspect of this 1997 direct-to-video clunker is the fact that it is often confused with its saccharine family-flick namesake, a commensurately clunky and similarly themed Michael Keaton vehicle released in theaters the following year. Interestingly, the titular character of each film is a snowman that has somehow come to life. However, those planning a nice evening with the youngsters will be in for quite a shock if they purchase or rent the wrong movie. The snowy dude in Keaton's film is a benevolent father figure who wants to help out his real-life family; the icy hombre in the 1997 horror flick is animated by the soul of an escaped convict with a penchant for rape and murder.

Outside of the amusing thought of 1997's JACK FROST getting an accidental showing at a kiddie party, this film has very little to offer. The special FX are amateurish, the script is so inane that it is nearly impossible to suspend one's disbelief for the duration, and much of the acting is horrid. While some films can be admired for their cheesiness--Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD (1981) comes immediately to mind--JACK FROST falls way beneath even THAT standard. Writer-director Michael Cooney seems unable to decide if he wants to spoof the horror genre--there are scenes that mimic horror clichés but few, if any, that parody or satirize them--or simply make, á la Wes Craven's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984), a scary film with humorous characters and an amusing premise. The film vacillates between both styles without gaining sufficient footing in either, and the result is a slushy thematic jumble that is neither scary nor entertaining.

JACK FROST is not without a few near-redeeming qualities, however. There are lots of amusing Python-esque puns and jokes sprinkled throughout the film, the kind of verbal gags that make you simultaneously chuckle and...well, GAG. And this film also marks the cinematic debut of gorgeous actress Shannon Elizabeth, who here has some, ah, revealing moments with the eponymous snowman. Unfortunately, these elements do not elevate the film enough to make it worth wasting an hour-and-a-half of one's life.

Don't be fooled by the artwork on the DVD's packaging--that cool skull made of snow does not appear in the film. In truth, 1997's JACK FROST is an ice-cold stinker that few discerning horror fans will want to add to their collections. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Another Fine Pacino Vehicle
This film was made and was in theaters after "HEAT", but before "Devil's Advocate" and I must say that I actually liked it more than "Donnie Brasco". Pacino's John Pappas, actually made me wish that there were such a politician in the big apple after the passionate and vigorous speech given at the funeral in Harlem. The fact that at the end we find out that he was not as "kosher" as we were led to believe in the beginning, along with Danny Aiello's corrupt Anselmo, makes a person lose their faith in the movie's public officials as we do in real life after we've put so much faith and trust in them and we have the good script to thank for that. As for the rest of the cast, John Cusack has never been better as Kevin, the rightous deputy mayor along with Aiello and Fonda (too bad only a hint of affection between her and Cusack). Overall, the underrated "City Hall" is entertaining and suspenseful and a great "Pacino movie". Favorite line: Kevin: "The only thing new in this world is the history that you don't know."

Good but I expected more
"City Hall" is one of those movies that I watched expecting the best. It had a great cast and crew of which I have seen excellent films from. But all I got in the end was a lukewarm film. The premise is great. Political corruption always makes for an interesting movie and it certainly is interesting. Sadly it suffers from its own plot. So much time is spent trying to uncover this scandal that occurs in this film that there is no time to get to know any of the characters. Al Pacino plays the mayor of New York and while he handles the role passionately the script does not allow his character anytime to develop as with Cusak, Fonda, Aiello. The cast is supurb. In fact I do not believe I have seen better from John Cusak who rarely gets a stab at complex films such as this and Bridget Fonda and Danny Aiello both give excellent supporting performances. The intereaction between Cusak and Fonda also seemed really fake as well not by the actors fault but the screenwriters. There is no chemestry where one would expect. It isn't all that bad of a film. Fans of the actors should definately rent it especially for a really good Pacino monologue (they had to throw that in somewhere). The film had the director and the cast but what it needed was a better script.

Al Pacino, John Cusack, and Danny Aiello are great!
This is one of the best crime-drama movies during the late 1990s. It was filled with a great cast, a huge storyline, and many of the players involved gave great performances. Pacino was great; he should have been nominated for something. John Cusack was good too, as long as the viewer doesn't mind his Louuu-siana accent. He may come off as annoying if you can't stand this dialect. The way that Pacino's character interacted with Cusack's character was believable, dramatic, and slightly comical at times. Danny Aiello was superb as always. David Paymer was great in a supporting role. Bridget Fonda was good but not memorable.
There were times when this picture mentioned so many characters, probably too many. It may take a second viewing to remember, "which Zapatti was which?" After so many cross-references, one has to stop and think just to recap.
The ending didn't have a lot of sting. It was built up for so long in a good way and then was a little bit of a letdown. This was one of the few letdowns in the film
I think that since the movie wasn't billed as a huge, blockbuster big screen hit, it made some forget that this movie even existed. Pacino was great but the film's lack of "splash" in the theaters may have accounted for no nominations. It was semi-successful in the home market, and viewers are still learing that this title is out there. Made in 1996, it still stands up seven years later and should still be popular for many years from now.

So, make yourself some lemon pudding (you'll see) and rent this movie! Overall, a great picture.
4 ½ out of 5!!!

A GOLDSMITH CLASSIC
Jerry Goldsmith's combines essences of George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein in this inspired soundtrack. The sites and sounds of New York seem to waft over the senses as the flowing strings and French horns play. Piano and percussion highlight gang conflict. Classic stuff!

Grab a bagel, sit back, relax and enjoy this one.

Practice Run
Composer Jerry Goldsmiith's score for the drama City Hall is a real letdown. It sounds a lot like the music he would use later for LA Confidential. Sure, there are a few subtle differences here and there, but for the most part, the scores are too similar for my tastes. I am not used to Goldsmith doing this all that much. Even the stuff of his that isn't quite as good, usaully has some originality to it. The music for City Hall must have been a warm up for the latter film I mentioned. Most of the City Hall soundtrack spends its limited running time just reworking the main title-this tactic is not uncommon in a majority of film music-to use a certain amount of repetition-it's just usually not done this much for a single film. Horns, piano, and the drum are pretty much it.

The CD has 12 tracks and a running time of 30:14. My recommendation would be be to skip this, and seek out the the 2 soundtrack albums for LA Confidential, instead. At least the score sounds a bit more developed and there's a bit more musical variety ... Read more

Description

As fast-paced and entertaining as Get Shorty, this mob comedy stars Joe Mantegna, Kevin Pollak and Joe Pantoliano as inept small-time hoods who have six hours to carry out a "hit" for "the boss." As if Angelo Martinelli (Mantegna) isn't having a bad enough day as it is, it's his 50th birthday, his girlfriend (Jennifer Tilly) is seeing other men, and his father, "the boss," has given him orders to kill Carmine Dellarosa by five o'clock. The only question baffling Angela is, who the heck is Carmine Dellarosa? As Angelo enlists his gang of losers to help find him, they wind up in even more hilarious and bizarre circumstances every step of the way. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Boring !!!
Despite the stars in this movie, it is a very boring affair. Hoods is about a wise guy played by Joe Mantegna who is assigned by his father to kill somebody by the name of "Carmine Delaroza" who turns out to be a 9 year olds kid. Despite being sold as a comedy, this movie is not funny. The DVD is in full screen. No closed captioning (despite there is a CC on the back of the jacket). No Dolby 5.1 either. The picture quality is OK. Avoid this. Not worth it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

CHEESY...but
Yes the movie was cheap, and yes it was kind of pointless & unrealistic, but Billy Zane made it worth while. He looked HOT in this movie (not that that's important) and his acting was good, not his BEST, but good! Its a change to see him play this type of role rather than a crazy/jerk/bad guy or whatever... If your not a fan of Billy Zane, or low budget movies then I wouldn't expect too much out of this one...Overall, I wouldn't pay 9 bucks for it, go rent it!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This complex 1996 drama directed by Harold Becker (Sea of Love) attempts to explore big-city corruption and the flexibility of what's right and wrong in the political arena. John Cusack (Say Anything) plays the senior aide to mayor John Pappas (Al Pacino), a popular and seasoned politician whose administration is threatened when what seems to be an accidental shooting of a child reveals a nest of corruption and lifelong personal debts that tests Cusack's loyalty to the man he thought he knew. Pacino turns in a finely textured performance as a man who has his own lofty ideals, but whose pragmatism sets in motion a series of events with tragic results. Cusack admirably captures the essence of someone polished and savvy at his job who must cope with fundamental disillusionment. This political thriller suffers at times from a lack of focus, but still offers an insightful and poignant treatise on the quagmire of politics in the modern age and the human toll it sometimes exacts. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Another Fine Pacino Vehicle
This film was made and was in theaters after "HEAT", but before "Devil's Advocate" and I must say that I actually liked it more than "Donnie Brasco". Pacino's John Pappas, actually made me wish that there were such a politician in the big apple after the passionate and vigorous speech given at the funeral in Harlem. The fact that at the end we find out that he was not as "kosher" as we were led to believe in the beginning, along with Danny Aiello's corrupt Anselmo, makes a person lose their faith in the movie's public officials as we do in real life after we've put so much faith and trust in them and we have the good script to thank for that. As for the rest of the cast, John Cusack has never been better as Kevin, the rightous deputy mayor along with Aiello and Fonda (too bad only a hint of affection between her and Cusack). Overall, the underrated "City Hall" is entertaining and suspenseful and a great "Pacino movie". Favorite line: Kevin: "The only thing new in this world is the history that you don't know."

Good but I expected more
"City Hall" is one of those movies that I watched expecting the best. It had a great cast and crew of which I have seen excellent films from. But all I got in the end was a lukewarm film. The premise is great. Political corruption always makes for an interesting movie and it certainly is interesting. Sadly it suffers from its own plot. So much time is spent trying to uncover this scandal that occurs in this film that there is no time to get to know any of the characters. Al Pacino plays the mayor of New York and while he handles the role passionately the script does not allow his character anytime to develop as with Cusak, Fonda, Aiello. The cast is supurb. In fact I do not believe I have seen better from John Cusak who rarely gets a stab at complex films such as this and Bridget Fonda and Danny Aiello both give excellent supporting performances. The intereaction between Cusak and Fonda also seemed really fake as well not by the actors fault but the screenwriters. There is no chemestry where one would expect. It isn't all that bad of a film. Fans of the actors should definately rent it especially for a really good Pacino monologue (they had to throw that in somewhere). The film had the director and the cast but what it needed was a better script.

Al Pacino, John Cusack, and Danny Aiello are great!
This is one of the best crime-drama movies during the late 1990s. It was filled with a great cast, a huge storyline, and many of the players involved gave great performances. Pacino was great; he should have been nominated for something. John Cusack was good too, as long as the viewer doesn't mind his Louuu-siana accent. He may come off as annoying if you can't stand this dialect. The way that Pacino's character interacted with Cusack's character was believable, dramatic, and slightly comical at times. Danny Aiello was superb as always. David Paymer was great in a supporting role. Bridget Fonda was good but not memorable.
There were times when this picture mentioned so many characters, probably too many. It may take a second viewing to remember, "which Zapatti was which?" After so many cross-references, one has to stop and think just to recap.
The ending didn't have a lot of sting. It was built up for so long in a good way and then was a little bit of a letdown. This was one of the few letdowns in the film
I think that since the movie wasn't billed as a huge, blockbuster big screen hit, it made some forget that this movie even existed. Pacino was great but the film's lack of "splash" in the theaters may have accounted for no nominations. It was semi-successful in the home market, and viewers are still learing that this title is out there. Made in 1996, it still stands up seven years later and should still be popular for many years from now.

So, make yourself some lemon pudding (you'll see) and rent this movie! Overall, a great picture.
4 ½ out of 5!!!

A GOLDSMITH CLASSIC
Jerry Goldsmith's combines essences of George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein in this inspired soundtrack. The sites and sounds of New York seem to waft over the senses as the flowing strings and French horns play. Piano and percussion highlight gang conflict. Classic stuff!

Grab a bagel, sit back, relax and enjoy this one.

Practice Run
Composer Jerry Goldsmiith's score for the drama City Hall is a real letdown. It sounds a lot like the music he would use later for LA Confidential. Sure, there are a few subtle differences here and there, but for the most part, the scores are too similar for my tastes. I am not used to Goldsmith doing this all that much. Even the stuff of his that isn't quite as good, usaully has some originality to it. The music for City Hall must have been a warm up for the latter film I mentioned. Most of the City Hall soundtrack spends its limited running time just reworking the main title-this tactic is not uncommon in a majority of film music-to use a certain amount of repetition-it's just usually not done this much for a single film. Horns, piano, and the drum are pretty much it.

The CD has 12 tracks and a running time of 30:14. My recommendation would be be to skip this, and seek out the the 2 soundtrack albums for LA Confidential, instead. At least the score sounds a bit more developed and there's a bit more musical variety ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Another Fine Pacino Vehicle
This film was made and was in theaters after "HEAT", but before "Devil's Advocate" and I must say that I actually liked it more than "Donnie Brasco". Pacino's John Pappas, actually made me wish that there were such a politician in the big apple after the passionate and vigorous speech given at the funeral in Harlem. The fact that at the end we find out that he was not as "kosher" as we were led to believe in the beginning, along with Danny Aiello's corrupt Anselmo, makes a person lose their faith in the movie's public officials as we do in real life after we've put so much faith and trust in them and we have the good script to thank for that. As for the rest of the cast, John Cusack has never been better as Kevin, the rightous deputy mayor along with Aiello and Fonda (too bad only a hint of affection between her and Cusack). Overall, the underrated "City Hall" is entertaining and suspenseful and a great "Pacino movie". Favorite line: Kevin: "The only thing new in this world is the history that you don't know."

Good but I expected more
"City Hall" is one of those movies that I watched expecting the best. It had a great cast and crew of which I have seen excellent films from. But all I got in the end was a lukewarm film. The premise is great. Political corruption always makes for an interesting movie and it certainly is interesting. Sadly it suffers from its own plot. So much time is spent trying to uncover this scandal that occurs in this film that there is no time to get to know any of the characters. Al Pacino plays the mayor of New York and while he handles the role passionately the script does not allow his character anytime to develop as with Cusak, Fonda, Aiello. The cast is supurb. In fact I do not believe I have seen better from John Cusak who rarely gets a stab at complex films such as this and Bridget Fonda and Danny Aiello both give excellent supporting performances. The intereaction between Cusak and Fonda also seemed really fake as well not by the actors fault but the screenwriters. There is no chemestry where one would expect. It isn't all that bad of a film. Fans of the actors should definately rent it especially for a really good Pacino monologue (they had to throw that in somewhere). The film had the director and the cast but what it needed was a better script.

Al Pacino, John Cusack, and Danny Aiello are great!
This is one of the best crime-drama movies during the late 1990s. It was filled with a great cast, a huge storyline, and many of the players involved gave great performances. Pacino was great; he should have been nominated for something. John Cusack was good too, as long as the viewer doesn't mind his Louuu-siana accent. He may come off as annoying if you can't stand this dialect. The way that Pacino's character interacted with Cusack's character was believable, dramatic, and slightly comical at times. Danny Aiello was superb as always. David Paymer was great in a supporting role. Bridget Fonda was good but not memorable.
There were times when this picture mentioned so many characters, probably too many. It may take a second viewing to remember, "which Zapatti was which?" After so many cross-references, one has to stop and think just to recap.
The ending didn't have a lot of sting. It was built up for so long in a good way and then was a little bit of a letdown. This was one of the few letdowns in the film
I think that since the movie wasn't billed as a huge, blockbuster big screen hit, it made some forget that this movie even existed. Pacino was great but the film's lack of "splash" in the theaters may have accounted for no nominations. It was semi-successful in the home market, and viewers are still learing that this title is out there. Made in 1996, it still stands up seven years later and should still be popular for many years from now.

So, make yourself some lemon pudding (you'll see) and rent this movie! Overall, a great picture.
4 ½ out of 5!!!

A GOLDSMITH CLASSIC
Jerry Goldsmith's combines essences of George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein in this inspired soundtrack. The sites and sounds of New York seem to waft over the senses as the flowing strings and French horns play. Piano and percussion highlight gang conflict. Classic stuff!

Grab a bagel, sit back, relax and enjoy this one.

Practice Run
Composer Jerry Goldsmiith's score for the drama City Hall is a real letdown. It sounds a lot like the music he would use later for LA Confidential. Sure, there are a few subtle differences here and there, but for the most part, the scores are too similar for my tastes. I am not used to Goldsmith doing this all that much. Even the stuff of his that isn't quite as good, usaully has some originality to it. The music for City Hall must have been a warm up for the latter film I mentioned. Most of the City Hall soundtrack spends its limited running time just reworking the main title-this tactic is not uncommon in a majority of film music-to use a certain amount of repetition-it's just usually not done this much for a single film. Horns, piano, and the drum are pretty much it.

The CD has 12 tracks and a running time of 30:14. My recommendation would be be to skip this, and seek out the the 2 soundtrack albums for LA Confidential, instead. At least the score sounds a bit more developed and there's a bit more musical variety ... Read more