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We here at JPFmovies pride ourselves at talking a hard, gritty look at entertainment from all over the world.

Lake Placid–Oh Oliver I am sure this looked good on paper but . . .

12 Mar

Lake Placid–I am sure this looked like a good flick on paper: Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman (Zero Effect & Space Balls et cetera) and of course Oliver Platt (who usually has better taste in his roles than this) all contending with big, almost prehistoric, creatures.  What happened?  Billing itself as a Horror/Comedy it is neither, instead it is one cliché after another and something that really gets my goat: it is 100% predictable.  After a mediocre start at best, this film fatally lost both pace and excitement.

The movie has a story that is truly paper thin.  Bridget Fonda played the all too annoying “fish out of water” scientist from the big city—wow that’s original—Pullman the strong silent type in charge of the guiding the fish out of water using predictable humor along the way and Oliver Platt appearing as the independently wealthy party-boy professor who is obsessed with crocodiles.  It is unfortunate that his antics are the highlight of the movie and the exchanges with the local sheriff was about the only thing that kept me in my seat from leaving.

Now in addition to the totally predictable ending, once again Hollywood feels the need to preach to us.  At the end, the viewer apparently is supposed to feel sympathy for the remaining crocodile which will be cared for and we should be delighted that the movie ended the way it did.  I don’t know, but it seems to me that if a giant creature was eating people alive, I don’t have a need to feel too sorry for it.

Unfortunately this movie has become (or will be) a cult classic.  But it is crap.

 
4 Comments

Posted by on March 12, 2010 in Movie Reviews

 

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Guest Reviewer Dr. H Takes A Hard Look at Shutter Island.

10 Mar

Whenever a director goes to make a classical movie that he holds dear to his heart the results are always abysmal.  Shutter Island had all the makings of a masterpiece, a strong performance by Di Caprio and competent (if a bit unspectacular) support by Mark Ruffallo and Ben Kinsley.  In the back drop of an eerie island sufficiently scary to provide an emotional landscape. The only thing that went awry was that the director, in all of his genius took himself and the story just too seriously.  What emerges is a self indulgent and almost psychedelic story of a man’s battle against his inner demons.  The Movie drags on for more than two hours and you got to watch it to believe me—and I don’t suggest you do.  If the ghosts untimely and not so scary entrance and exit of spirits and really ugly creatures make you wish you were dead or worse; the monotones of  Di Caprio’s deceased wife repeatedly making unwarranted, uninvited and unnecessary addition will defiantly bring out the worst in you.

It is unfortunate that Martin Scorsese failed to realize that sometimes less is more.  Every single derivative has to be bludgeoned into the innocent unsuspecting audience.  Like an extremely B grade action movie, when a fight scene will not end with one kick to the groin unless the poor victim is smashed to a pulp after he had stood up braving to fight the initial vicious assault, the films mini climaxes keep on piling up to a fairly timid climax.

Scorsese needs to reflect (and probably repent) for this abomination.  It would a pity if he is remembered by Shutter Island and Gangs of New York rather than Taxi and Good Fellas.

It was crap and I wanted my two hours back.

 
3 Comments

Posted by on March 10, 2010 in Movie Reviews

 

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I know what the third Oliver Platt movie tribute will be: Frost/Nixon.

01 Mar

I can’t believe it didn’t come to me sooner the third movie in the tribute trilogy to Oliver Platt is: Frost-Nixon. O.K. Now we have our winners–Diggstown, Liberty Stand Still and Frost-Nixon.

 
2 Comments

Posted by on March 1, 2010 in Movie Reviews

 

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A Tribute to Oliver Platt

28 Feb

The next review is going to be a tribute to Oliver Platt.  Why? Why not.  I think we’ll start with Diggstown (co-staring James Woods), then move into a lesser known Platt flick,  Liberty Stand Still and I am still deciding on the third movie so if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know.

 
3 Comments

Posted by on February 28, 2010 in Movie Reviews

 

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Bravo 20–A Sleeping Rose.

26 Feb
Bravo 20 is a little known English film, based on a true story, about an elite group of special air services commandos, who are dropped behind enemy lines, and eventually captured by the Iraqi soldiers where they faced disgusting, profane torture and humiliation.
The very beginning of the movie consists of the team, which was composed of eigh seven men (only 5 of which returned), planning their mission which is to cut communication cables connecting the Iraqi SCUD missile system.  However, they are discovered by a young boy who gives away their position they could have easily and silently shot  and never would have been exposed and captured by the Iraqi army.  After a relatively few number of skirmishes with their Iraqi pursuers but are eventually caught and this is when the movie really begins.
There are held in the Iraqi secret police prison where they are starved, beaten and endlessly interrogated by enemy soldiers and police.  As time goes on, their jailers get to know them and little better and begin asking them for help in getting out of their country and going to (preferably) America.  While the Iraqi guards are trying to convince them to help get them out of their own country, the men of Bravo 20 are still forced to do foul things.  For example, after they dump out there their “bathroom” buckets, they are made to lick their hands clean regardless of the amount of human waste dirtying them.
I must admit, these guys were pretty tough to have survived, much less with any sanity left after spending years in that hellhole.  In the last scene, Andy McNabb (the unit’s leader) is seen walking back to his flat in Britain where says that he is a soldier and proud of his profession.  He also understood that the enemy had a job to do as well, but most of them seemed to enjoy it a little too much.  The last line in the movie Andy confesses hat “if I met any of them in street tomorrow and thought he could get away with it I would slaughter them.”  In my opinion a natural reaction after having gone through their ordeal.
If you can find this BBC production watch it.
 
4 Comments

Posted by on February 26, 2010 in Movie Reviews

 

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I Have Heard the Site’s Format is Cumbersome.

24 Feb

I have heard from several people that the Site’s format is cumbersome to navigate through. If this is true I’ll be happy to change it. If anyone has a position on this matter please let me know.

 
5 Comments

Posted by on February 24, 2010 in Movie Reviews

 
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