Description

The Ghost is a provocative Action Thriller about a mysterious young woman, Jing (Chung Lai), who becomes a legendary assassin for the Chinese Tong.She owes her life to the Tong and is Fiercely loyal to their criminal family.Strikingly beautiful and skilled in weaponry and martial arts, she is the ultimate killing machine. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Pleasantly Surprised
This is an action packed thriller with enough humor to blot out some of the bloody scenes. It's about an assasin who was raised by the asian mob but disobeyed orders so she had to escape to the US to save her life. However the corrupt bad guy played by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is not about to make her escape since she embarassed him before his people by giving him a beating. One of the most memorable and funny line was when Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's character killed his girlfriend and declared "I have the worst luck with women"

Good mix of humour and mayhem.
After her warning to a Tong rival is rebuffed by the retaliatory slaying of her associates, the young assassin is spirited to the United States, where she is to live quietly until further notice, with a well-to-do business man who has been groomed into believing that she is his romantic - by e-mail - correspondent. Little does he suspect that her goggle-like glasses are the least of his worries.

But the man she has tangled with back in China - a chief of detectives - is relentless in his pursuit of her, and her cover is quickly blown, because of interdepartmental links with the LA police department, and their tie in with a bounty hunter and his team.

This is a moderately gory, yet comedic film, with fairly obvious filches from: Leon, The Assassin, Blade Runner, etc. The acting is all decent enough and the general production values are as good as most of Jackie Chan's output. The assassinette's dialogue and delivery is a riot, but not risible.

'Get dressed, Edward... we have unexpected guests.' She says calmly, as her killers close in.

A very watchable film.

Much better than expected.
A stylistic action film with an ecclectic cast. Basic fish out of water story with a twist. An introverted American computer nerd sends away for an Asian bride over the internet because he's had it with American women who he thinks are to hard and pushy. Little does he know that his docle little oriental wife- to-be is in reality an infamous Tong assissin, trained from birth to kill who has herself suddenly become the object of a world wide manhunt. One of the better roles Michael Madsen has had. With Richard Hatch, Brad Dourif, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and a very sexy newcomer named Chung Lai. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a so-so movie
It was a ok movie but it was nothing special. It was just avrege or so-so I say take it or leave it.

not a very good film
not the best elizabeth berkely film. she can do better. she has so much potential. this film was not good.

Made-for-cable schlock
"Random Encounter" tries to make Elizabeth Berkeley look like a good actress but it cant be done, sorry. the story is so-so, and very by-the-book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Bogus Harry Palmer
Douglas Jackson has ingredients for potentially fascinating brew with Len Deighton's cockney cool, determinedly UNSUPER SPY,Harry Palmer. Fans of classic IPCRESS FILE and its lesser but sturdy brothers-in-espionage, "Funeral in Berlin" and "Billion Dollar Brain", were thoroughly entertained by Michael Caine's rife-with- attitude, smart ass insolence portrayal of a first-class COLD WAR British black marketeer soldier who is rail-roaded into becoming a second class servant of the British SIS.

MIDNIGHT IN ST. PETERSBURG,is...in my estimate...classy exercise in bogosity.Yes,the cast is excellent.Harry Palmer, now very high priced post-Cold War private investigator, even has implied help of 007 himself in person of protege/assistant,Jason Connery as cultured,hard-fighting,Russian speaking interpreter, Nick.The Russian locales are authentic. Plot involving terrorists and Russian Mafia cliques violently crossing and double-crossing over smuggled cache of nuclear-bomb quality plutonium would seem to provide SPY BACK OUT IN THE COLD conflict to rival Le Carre. But the movie doesn't work. Post-Cold War tension is Nada to the max. There's never real sense of danger/suspense generated and when denouements finally arrive,"Who Cares?" is the attitude of this viewer who seemed to detect it in spy-turned-detective Palmer throughout the MIDNIGHT case.Harry Palmer's personna and exploits are successfully tapped in other films:FOURTH PROTOCOL...based on Frederick Forsyth's thriller(starring James Bond/Pierce Brosnan as Russian mole planted to plant a nuclear bomb to blow-up half of London and all of the NATO alliance);and BLUE ICE,a virtual Ipcress File reprise, where Harry's last name is "Anders" to fool Len Deighton's secret literary agent and copyright guardian. Both these movies are the right stuff. If Harry Palmer weren't featured, MIDNIGHT IN ST. PETERBURG would not cut it even as curiosity.That it does is tribute to how cool Michael Caine was(still is). But as Col.Ross might have said, apprising this pile of ersatz spy stuff,"CLOSE THE DOOR PALMER!"(3 stars is generous)

A good spy movie in Russia.
This film has all the things a russian spy flick needs the mafia the military and thugs. Full of action a great wacth.

The best of the Palmer series!
If you liked funeral in Berlin,the ipress file, and bullet to Bejing you will love this movie!

The best of the Palmer series.
If you saw funeral in Berlin,the ipress file, and bullet to Bejing you will love this movie!

A diverting cloak-and-dagger
Harry Palmer has matured into a mellower, more laid-back "secret agent" than the wiseacre we saw in the "Ipcress File." But he's still on top of goings-on in the modern, mafia-dominated Russian underworld. Michael Caine is fun to watch because his approach to this sort of role, and I suspect his offscreen personality, expresses the gentle irony that Len Deighton brings to his spy stories. This film has some routine doings about paintings stolen from the Hermitage museum being swapped for a-bomb material, plus the usual lineup of devious characters trying to one-up everybody. I enjoyed this flick mostly for its atmospheric locations - St. Petersburg or not, they were plenty European - and for the European supporting cast most of whom I'd not seen before. Michael Gambon, the excellent English character actor, is underutilized in a brief, stereotyped role, but Jason Connery comes off well, and there was a fair amount of motoring through city streets in beatup old vehicles unidentifiable to American eyes, which always makes things seem more exotic. This film goes good with popcorn, too. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

DO NOT BUY THIS MOVIE
I bought this movie and it was a waste of money. I'm serious. If your a Dean Koontz fan, stick with the books. His books are great but I seen some of his movies and they aren't so...um good.

wow what a wierd movie
I love Dean Koontz and have all his books. The movie was wierd. Not like the book. I loved the book and it freaked me out. the movie was just wierd. The acting was not that good. It lacked conviction, passion and realism. Man, they sure could have done a lot better then the end result. Still movie was ok. The boy in the movie was sadly to say, poor acting. But then again, so where the adults, even the bugs were poor acting - lol. I gave it a 2 stars for effort. Unless you love Koontz and collect all his stuff, you may want to pass on this one. LOL.

fear shouts. terror whispers
This adaptation of the Dean R Koontz novel ranks higher than terrible because of the Koontz ideas, more than the pedestrian direction by Douglas Jackson. Jackson's failure to encapture Koontz' attempt at gothic horror is demonstrated by the frustrating resolution which demands one goes back to the source material for clarity. The screenplay by Anita Doohan loses the connection in the book between Victoria Tennant and Jean Leclerc who tries to kill her twice before the police in the figure of Chris Sarandon appears to protect her. Tennant and Sarandon are competent, if uninspired choices to lead us into Leclerc's past and the mystery of his childhood, though the heightened playing of some of the supporting players helps - Jackie Burroughs as a former madam, a necrophiliac mortician, and a satanic bookseller. The title is represented by LeClerc's mode of speech, though the staging of his exhibitions of aggressiveness make him appear less threatening than presumably intended.
Doohan is perhaps too fond of "leash" analogies, but what is more disturbing is the blatant violation of doctor/patient confidentiality when a psychiatrist plays audio tapes of Leclerc's sessions. Apart from the mysogyny which is also surprising in a screenplay penned by a woman, the treatment borrows from Rosemary's Baby and Psycho, with Jackson even styling the LeClerc home on the Bates home. The focus of Burroughs' testimony is on the Tennant/Sarandon reaction so that the revelation needs to be repeated by them for us to get it, and a climactic use of cockroaches recalls Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, though their nesting area has dubious implications for the plot. Jackson presents gross-out eye surgery, and a death in slow motion, but also a cut from elevator doors being closed to another being open. The most potent and subtextual image is of Leclerc kissing the lips of his own reflection in a mirror. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Another superb Bateman performance
This is a fairly typical thriller with many unrealistic sequences and some [bad] acting, certainly that is the case. But again Justine Bateman pulls off a brilliant performance and her presence elevates this thriller from mediocre to outstanding. Bateman's top-notch acting skills (not to mention her considerable charm and physical appeal) always saved everything she was in; from tv to films, she could always be counted on. She is one of the most talented artists of her generation, and every one of her roles are genuinely engaging. She has retired from acting but let's hope it is temporary.

OK movie
After reading the other review for this movie i would have to agree that it's a little unrealistic...but that's what makes the movie so much fun! And the guy that plays the killer is gorgeous!! Actually, i was switching around the stations on TV and only started watching the movie because of how cute he is...So, maybe the acting and plot aren't that great, but have you seen Center Stage? The only reason people watch that is for the cute guy...and let me tell you, this guy is a hottie.

Choose your roommates carefully.
A lady advertises for someone to share expenses in her apartment, and that's when a possessive man shows up to not only claim the living quarters, but the woman herself. It's a decent premise downgraded by uneven performances and roughness of the script. I couldn't believe a woman could just disappear and no one notice. And no one heard the man making the room soundproof so she couldn't scream? And no one at least saw him taking all those materials up there? This story might have been a bit more convincing if it was in a house or a cottage, but not an apartment where at least one person is going to notice some strange happenings. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

i liked the movie
i liked the movie, but who was the kid who played adam????? if you know please e mail me at mandie_419@yahoo.com

Hey this movie was good!
Being a cheap independant film, this movie delivers. Starring Eric Roberts,and some other formiluar faces. This screen blast won't let you down. VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE, NUDITY ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Wrong Woman
When a woman is framed by her boss for murdering a co-worker, it is up to her to prove she didn't do it before the cops find her and her boss can create fake evidence that she did commit the crime. This is a wonderfully entertaining film where nobody can trust each other. I was riveted the entire time I was watching this. Nancy McKeon is excellent as "the wrong woman" and I would recommend this film to anyone who loves to be on the edge of their seat for a long time. The perfect thriller!

Great Movie!
The Wrong Woman is a fantastic movie! I watched it on lifetime when the cast of The Division was hosting a sneak preview of Lifetime Movie Network! I am sure anyone who watches this movie will enjoy it! Nancy McKeon did an outstanding job in it as for all the rest of the actresses/actors..

The Wrong Woman
The Wrong Woman is a great movie! I think Nancy McKeon did an outstanding performance in this movie. I think everyone would enjoy watching this movie.

Jennifer L. Harvey
The Wrong Woman is a great movie! I think Nancy McKeon did an outstanding performance in this movie. I think everyone would enjoy watching this movie.

The Wrong Woman
Really exciting. This movie shows up a lot on Lifetime, and I watch it every time. Nancy McKeon and Chelsea Field are really great. I recommend this to everyone. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Low budget film but worth watching
An extremely low budget and cheap film. It is divided into 5 mini stories based on Bradburys Martian Chronicles. It is no where near as good as the original Chronicles starring Rock Hudson.

Cheap and unnecessary
I remember the "Martian Chronicles" with Rock Hudson, Maria Schell and others and I'm still waiting for a re-release of this mini-series. I bought "The Martian episodes" instead and it's nothing but a cheap and unnecessary remake. Sci-Fi Fans will maybe enjoy it, but there is certainly better stuff on the market !

Awful. Worst movie ever.
This movie kills the objective of the boo

This TV movie is a very good presentatio of Bradbury's book.
I remember seeing the Martian chronicles when first it aired on Television as a mini-series. I never thought that any one could accurately put Bradbury's poetic vision of Martian colonization and the end of the earth on celuloid. This film does an admirable job of presenting Bradbury's vision. Although there are a few scenes that some might consider to be slightly campy, overall, the film is haunting and poetic. The mini-series does what no single movie could have. For any Bradbury fan, it is a welcome gift to see his words translated to screen, as they have rarely been done in the past. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

i liked the movie
i liked the movie, but who was the kid who played adam????? if you know please e mail me at mandie_419@yahoo.com

Hey this movie was good!
Being a cheap independant film, this movie delivers. Starring Eric Roberts,and some other formiluar faces. This screen blast won't let you down. VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE, NUDITY ... Read more

Reviews (4)

FRACTURED FAIRY TALES REDUX
TWISTS OF TERROR is an import from Montreal TV and its quite good for one of those anthology horror movies. The first tale, "The People You Meet" brings us Jennifer Rubin and Carl Marotte as a couple on their second honeymoon, who are forced off the road by a speeding sportscar. They get a lift from a doofus who you can tell is not what he seems. They pick up another hiker (who just happens to be a friend of doofus) and they kidnap Marotte and Rubin and take them to an abandoned cabin. The twist in this one isn't obvious, but its results are. Nice little tale. The second tale, "The Clinic" is a little less effective and drawn out. You can pretty much figure out what's going on once Nick Mancuso goes into this out of the way clinic. Mancuso does an okay job, but it's too predictable to have a twist. The final story, "Stolen Moments" focuses on the lovely Francoise Robertson who plays a lonely woman who picks up a guy (Andrew Jackson) in a bar and then meets him and his friend for a night of wild love in a house they are "sitting." The twist in this one is pretty shocking and had me fooled.
Well paced for the most part (except the middle story) and the host, Joseph Ziegler, has a nice eerie job as the narrator.

Twists of Terror? Hmmm...
Well, the very first time I saw this I thought it was OK - 2nd was a little bit better.. Well, as described below the theme in these spooky ooky chillers is that every story has twists in them.. 1st story was pretty good, some ov the parts were a bit obvious, though... 1st story is just really based on total hatred between this one couple, and it makes u somewhat think if you too are being cheated / hated on, heh.. 2nd story - This one fat guy tries to leave out ov state on business or something, but he has to put gas.. Anyway, he does, but this one really really mean dog (is he from hell! ) has other plans for him, after repeatedly biting him violently, he runs into a rather lonely, obscure hospitol, but are these doctors really doctors! Oooo.. 3rd and last story - Quite possibly the most surprising, I didn't see this one coming at all.. This is basically about a very lonely / depressed young woman that is in desperate need ov someone to be with, finally she ends up meeting this one tall guy at a bar, and BAM! They start seeing each other - But at the end this guy really screws up bad, and I do mean bad... The main girl on here is a hottie! I don't wanna ruin anything so... I will stop here, and let u see this for ur self.. Pros : Nice acting, great atmosphere, pretty-hot girlie in last story, nice sex! :)Cons : Not the most original movie out there, ok who cares? Anyway, this flick is well worth ur time!

A MUST SEE !
Excellent film. In each story, I had no idea what was going to happen next! Unique Stories of paranoia, fear and danger, plus sex! The last story " Stolen Moments " makes you wonder..... Highest Ratings !

Ehhhhh....
More like 2 and a half stars. I am a sucker for anthology horror movies. There are three stories to this one. The theme of the whole thing is that each of the stories are supposed to have an unexpected twist partway through (or at the end). The first story is about a man and his wife who are celebrating their second honeymoon, and are on a fairly deserted road after a fancy dinner when a car runs them off the road. They finally manage to flag down a van that stops for them to take them to a phone (I guess neither of these yuppies carry a cell?) The driver, who sounds like Woody Harrelson did in Kingpin, and kind of looks like him too, only with more hair, gets more and more creepy, and they get more and more nervous...I didn't see the first twist coming, but I saw the second twist, which I could tell was supposed to be more shocking, a mile away. The second story is about a travelling salesman who has to catch a plane. They leave it vague but he seems to have ripped off someone and is trying to leave the country. He runs out of gas and gets attacked by a dog, then to escape, runs to a hospital-like building (again, out in the middle of nowhere) and pounds on the door till a nurse and an orderly let him in. But are the hospital staff really what they seem? I figured out how this one would end about 10 seconds after he enters the hospital, having seen this plot before on Tales From The Crypt among others. The third story is about a pretty but lonely single woman looking for romance in bars and through dating services. She meets a good-looking, smooth character in a bar who seduces her. I saw the ending twist to this one coming about 5 minutes into it as well. I do have to say, in all fairness, that I've seen almost every horror movie ever made and every Tales From the Crypt episode, so I am pretty good at figuring out how these things are gonna go. And there were some original things done, and they did trick me one or two times. Better than all that teen crap coming out these days, that's for sure. Worth renting--and good if you have a short attention span. Try not to be distracted by how the female lead in the last story is a dead ringer for Julia Louise Dreyfuss. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

i liked the movie
i liked the movie, but who was the kid who played adam????? if you know please e mail me at mandie_419@yahoo.com

Hey this movie was good!
Being a cheap independant film, this movie delivers. Starring Eric Roberts,and some other formiluar faces. This screen blast won't let you down. VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE, NUDITY ... Read more

Reviews (2)

nurtural killer
This Canadian TVM directed by Douglas Jackson is beautifully lit and features an unusual idea for the serial killer genre. We are told that studies show that violent criminals who have been victims of child abuse are often adopted children, so this thriller takes a huge swipe at the adoption industry by making the protagonist an abused adopted child who wants to direct his violent energies towards his natural mother. Even though this premise indulges in the preposterous assumption that women who give up their babies for adoption do so as an act of selfishness, it still gives the material a queasy fascination, even in spite of a screenplay that's only freshness is in the perverse twists of fate that serial killers always seem to prosper from. Jackson's casting is mixed, with a bearded Donald Sutherland remarkably more animated than usual, but Lesley Ann Warren miscast. Her little girl voice and fine-boned neurosis are more suited to single women in distress or girlfriends at best. Jackson errs greatly in casting William McNamara, since we know him as the Copycat killer, and because McNamara isn't too subtle. Since he plays his murderous intention all the time, we're amazed that the others can possibly begin to trust him, though his obvious line readings actually score an unintentional laugh when he yells "Happy Mother's Day" in a non-celebratory moment.
The treatment has it's share of ridiculous touches. Someone speaks without being aware of a video camera on tripod filming them, a case history is confided to a person the speaker has never met before, there is a gay plot point which is inexplicable, an odd scene where Warren is enclosed in a curtained booth in a hospital room, and a song on the soundtrack "No one ever loved me like you". However Jackson delivers a verbal editing cut from Sutherland speaking to someone in one room then speaking to the same person in another, and we get a nice interior pan of windows leading to Warren in darkness knocking.

matricide is suicide
This Canadian thriller directed by Douglas Jackson is beautifully lit and features an unsual idea for the serial killer genre. We are told that studies show that violent criminals who have been victims of child abuse are often adopted children, so this thriller takes a huge swipe at the adoption industry by making the protagonist an abused adopted child who wants to direct his violent energies towards his natural mother. Even though this premise indulges in the preposterous assumption that women who give up their babies for adoption do so as an act of selfishness, it still gives the material a queasy fascination, even in spite of a screenplay that's only freshness is in the perverse twists of fate that serial killers always seem to prosper from. Jackson's casting is mixed, with a bearded Donald Sutherland remarkably more animated than usual, but Lesley Ann Warren miscast. Her little girl voice and fine-boned neurosis are more suited to single women in distress or girlfriends at best. Jackson errs greatly in casting William McNamara, since we know him as the Copycat killer, and because McNamara isn't too subtle. Since he plays his murderous intention all the time, we're amazed that the others can possibly begin to trust him... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

nurtural killer
This Canadian TVM directed by Douglas Jackson is beautifully lit and features an unusual idea for the serial killer genre. We are told that studies show that violent criminals who have been victims of child abuse are often adopted children, so this thriller takes a huge swipe at the adoption industry by making the protagonist an abused adopted child who wants to direct his violent energies towards his natural mother. Even though this premise indulges in the preposterous assumption that women who give up their babies for adoption do so as an act of selfishness, it still gives the material a queasy fascination, even in spite of a screenplay that's only freshness is in the perverse twists of fate that serial killers always seem to prosper from. Jackson's casting is mixed, with a bearded Donald Sutherland remarkably more animated than usual, but Lesley Ann Warren miscast. Her little girl voice and fine-boned neurosis are more suited to single women in distress or girlfriends at best. Jackson errs greatly in casting William McNamara, since we know him as the Copycat killer, and because McNamara isn't too subtle. Since he plays his murderous intention all the time, we're amazed that the others can possibly begin to trust him, though his obvious line readings actually score an unintentional laugh when he yells "Happy Mother's Day" in a non-celebratory moment.
The treatment has it's share of ridiculous touches. Someone speaks without being aware of a video camera on tripod filming them, a case history is confided to a person the speaker has never met before, there is a gay plot point which is inexplicable, an odd scene where Warren is enclosed in a curtained booth in a hospital room, and a song on the soundtrack "No one ever loved me like you". However Jackson delivers a verbal editing cut from Sutherland speaking to someone in one room then speaking to the same person in another, and we get a nice interior pan of windows leading to Warren in darkness knocking.

matricide is suicide
This Canadian thriller directed by Douglas Jackson is beautifully lit and features an unsual idea for the serial killer genre. We are told that studies show that violent criminals who have been victims of child abuse are often adopted children, so this thriller takes a huge swipe at the adoption industry by making the protagonist an abused adopted child who wants to direct his violent energies towards his natural mother. Even though this premise indulges in the preposterous assumption that women who give up their babies for adoption do so as an act of selfishness, it still gives the material a queasy fascination, even in spite of a screenplay that's only freshness is in the perverse twists of fate that serial killers always seem to prosper from. Jackson's casting is mixed, with a bearded Donald Sutherland remarkably more animated than usual, but Lesley Ann Warren miscast. Her little girl voice and fine-boned neurosis are more suited to single women in distress or girlfriends at best. Jackson errs greatly in casting William McNamara, since we know him as the Copycat killer, and because McNamara isn't too subtle. Since he plays his murderous intention all the time, we're amazed that the others can possibly begin to trust him... ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Who is Helen Slater?
This movie is so awful I don't even know where to begin. OK. Let me start. First of all, who is this so called Helen Slater who delivers this awful poor performance in this movie. She plays this woman who recently became blind and began dating Eric (Andrew McCarthy). Slater who plays the character of Carley delivers a performance that is sooo predicable and just plain boring. This movie is so unrealistic that I don'e believe it should have ever been made into a movie. Eric played by Andrew McCarthy of course was great, even though I don't think Andrew McCarthy is very convincing playing the bad guy. Who would believe he would be the bad guy in this movie, after looking into his baby blue sparkleing eyes. Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Andrew but this part just was not, and I stress not right for him. Overall I do not reccommend this movie to anyone who is an Andrew McCarthy fan. If you are don't see this movie because you'll be highly disappointed. Besides he only came out in the movie for a total of about 20 minutes. Before spending 12.99 + tax, rent it first. The only reason I gave this crappily made movie two stars was because Andrew McCarthy appeared in it, not for the movie it self. Sorry, but the truth hurts.

Remake of the Classic "Wait Until Dark"
Modern remake of the Classic "Wait Until Dark", pits Helen Slater against 2 psychotic killers.

As in the original, the lead is a woman newly blinded and having trouble adjusting to a world without vision. The brightest spots in Carly's life are her relationship with her lover, Eric, and the new loft they move into in the deserted warehouse district. Not surprisingly, one evening when Eric is away two parolee's break into the apartment and hold Carly hostage hoping to extract the combination to a safe full of diamonds from her. While a few others try and help, inevitably, Carly finds that the only person she can truly depend on is herself.

This was an OK updating of the classic movie with Audrey Hepburn, but to be honest that movie was so good I wonder why anyone would re-do it. Frankly too much material leads up to the home invasion espcially the criminals hstalking their hapless victim unseen. It doesn't add to the plot and the characters are thinly drawn enough to not need too much on-screen time to show us their motivation. A tighter story that focused on the lead would have worked much better.

I thought the acting was good and that Helen Slater does a great job as the defensless woman who discoves her inner strengh. I also really liked the nice job of forshadowing by having her practice Braille on a quote from Shakespere's Sonnet 94 "sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds".

This was a an OK movie but it suffers by comparison to such a classic as "Wait Until Dark". I have the DVD but there were no special features on it so the VHS would be just as good.

Slater is excellent, as usual.
Helen Slater has always been one of my favorite actress and I must admit she was the reason I bought this movie. As usual, she didn't disappoint me, playing an amazingly convincing blind woman. She also writes and sings "detour", the main song of the movie: excellent! How come she never released an album?

As for the movie itself... Well, it's not a bad story; but there's nothing really unpredictable in it and the two bad guys are way too caricatural.

The DVD edition has no feature at all, not even a chapter menu. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Who is Helen Slater?
This movie is so awful I don't even know where to begin. OK. Let me start. First of all, who is this so called Helen Slater who delivers this awful poor performance in this movie. She plays this woman who recently became blind and began dating Eric (Andrew McCarthy). Slater who plays the character of Carley delivers a performance that is sooo predicable and just plain boring. This movie is so unrealistic that I don'e believe it should have ever been made into a movie. Eric played by Andrew McCarthy of course was great, even though I don't think Andrew McCarthy is very convincing playing the bad guy. Who would believe he would be the bad guy in this movie, after looking into his baby blue sparkleing eyes. Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Andrew but this part just was not, and I stress not right for him. Overall I do not reccommend this movie to anyone who is an Andrew McCarthy fan. If you are don't see this movie because you'll be highly disappointed. Besides he only came out in the movie for a total of about 20 minutes. Before spending 12.99 + tax, rent it first. The only reason I gave this crappily made movie two stars was because Andrew McCarthy appeared in it, not for the movie it self. Sorry, but the truth hurts.

Remake of the Classic "Wait Until Dark"
Modern remake of the Classic "Wait Until Dark", pits Helen Slater against 2 psychotic killers.

As in the original, the lead is a woman newly blinded and having trouble adjusting to a world without vision. The brightest spots in Carly's life are her relationship with her lover, Eric, and the new loft they move into in the deserted warehouse district. Not surprisingly, one evening when Eric is away two parolee's break into the apartment and hold Carly hostage hoping to extract the combination to a safe full of diamonds from her. While a few others try and help, inevitably, Carly finds that the only person she can truly depend on is herself.

This was an OK updating of the classic movie with Audrey Hepburn, but to be honest that movie was so good I wonder why anyone would re-do it. Frankly too much material leads up to the home invasion espcially the criminals hstalking their hapless victim unseen. It doesn't add to the plot and the characters are thinly drawn enough to not need too much on-screen time to show us their motivation. A tighter story that focused on the lead would have worked much better.

I thought the acting was good and that Helen Slater does a great job as the defensless woman who discoves her inner strengh. I also really liked the nice job of forshadowing by having her practice Braille on a quote from Shakespere's Sonnet 94 "sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds".

This was a an OK movie but it suffers by comparison to such a classic as "Wait Until Dark". I have the DVD but there were no special features on it so the VHS would be just as good.

Slater is excellent, as usual.
Helen Slater has always been one of my favorite actress and I must admit she was the reason I bought this movie. As usual, she didn't disappoint me, playing an amazingly convincing blind woman. She also writes and sings "detour", the main song of the movie: excellent! How come she never released an album?

As for the movie itself... Well, it's not a bad story; but there's nothing really unpredictable in it and the two bad guys are way too caricatural.

The DVD edition has no feature at all, not even a chapter menu. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Another superb Bateman performance
This is a fairly typical thriller with many unrealistic sequences and some [bad] acting, certainly that is the case. But again Justine Bateman pulls off a brilliant performance and her presence elevates this thriller from mediocre to outstanding. Bateman's top-notch acting skills (not to mention her considerable charm and physical appeal) always saved everything she was in; from tv to films, she could always be counted on. She is one of the most talented artists of her generation, and every one of her roles are genuinely engaging. She has retired from acting but let's hope it is temporary.

OK movie
After reading the other review for this movie i would have to agree that it's a little unrealistic...but that's what makes the movie so much fun! And the guy that plays the killer is gorgeous!! Actually, i was switching around the stations on TV and only started watching the movie because of how cute he is...So, maybe the acting and plot aren't that great, but have you seen Center Stage? The only reason people watch that is for the cute guy...and let me tell you, this guy is a hottie.

Choose your roommates carefully.
A lady advertises for someone to share expenses in her apartment, and that's when a possessive man shows up to not only claim the living quarters, but the woman herself. It's a decent premise downgraded by uneven performances and roughness of the script. I couldn't believe a woman could just disappear and no one notice. And no one heard the man making the room soundproof so she couldn't scream? And no one at least saw him taking all those materials up there? This story might have been a bit more convincing if it was in a house or a cottage, but not an apartment where at least one person is going to notice some strange happenings. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a so-so movie
It was a ok movie but it was nothing special. It was just avrege or so-so I say take it or leave it.

not a very good film
not the best elizabeth berkely film. she can do better. she has so much potential. this film was not good.

Made-for-cable schlock
"Random Encounter" tries to make Elizabeth Berkeley look like a good actress but it cant be done, sorry. the story is so-so, and very by-the-book. ... Read more