Doug's Movie Club! 1997 Reviews

    Here are some of the films that Doug's Club has reviewed over the year 1997! But first, the Doug rating system:

    Dig it, baby! Whatever, Daddy-O. El Sucko !

    Jackie Brown

    [12/28/97] A lot of people say they thought this film was too long. Well to Hell with them! Can't sit through a film over 2 hours, huh? Well try sitting in those damn teenie seats they have at the Opera! That'll put a pinch in your britches. Pam Grier does a bang-up job as the tough double-crossing small time criminal. DeNiro has a low key role which delighted me for one brief moment -- you'll know which one. Sam Jackson, as always, delivers a powerful performance -- and I thoroughly enjoyed Quentin's direction, especially the scene shot three ways (even though it was borrowed from Stanley Kubrick).

    Tommorow Never Dies

    [12/21/97] I have to say I don't like the cheesey Bond films that were made in the 70's with Roger Moore. They really ruined the whole Bond experience for me by making it way too campy. That's right, even too much camp for me. But Pierce Brosnan is bringing back the old Bond, baby! I especially enjoyed the BMW he used in this film -- Heaven help those lousy California drivers if I had one of these puppies. The only drawback was too much machine gun fighting in the end.

    Starship Troopers

    [12/18/97] Thumbs up, baby! Directed by Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Total Recall), this film provides more than just action (and the action is there in abundance) -- it gives us some biting social satire as well! Just as Verhoeven did in RoboCop, he dishes up a future that is shockingly ludicrous, yet based in todays underlying currents. But enough of that. Excellent effects, battle scenes, co-ed shower scene, and big disgusting bugs! Plus, the main military soldier, Johnny Rico, looks JUST LIKE our friend Jack Towsley! Don't believe me, see for yourself!

    Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil

    [12/7/97] This movie is set in Savanah, Georgia, and moves slowly like life in them thar parts. I actually liked the pace, and the great performance from Kevin Spacey. I did find the drag-queen's part in the film to be greater than it should have been, and the film dove briefly into contrivance and predictability during scenes. Clint Eastwood's daughter plays an underdeveloped role, but has the makings of a hot little minx!

    Kiss or Kill

    [12/1/97] This Aussie film has a definite Bonnie and Clyde taste as two small time criminals find themselves on the run pursued by a number of interesting characters. The best part of the film is the interaction between the two policmen on their trail. The film possesses a certain odd quality that keeps you slightly off balance, which ultimately made me enjoy the damn thing!

    The Jackal

    [11/23/97] Silly me had high hopes for this assasin-thriller. After all, didn't everyone enjoy Die Hard? Unfortunately, Bruce Willis isn't tossing out humorous quips to a fat black man eating twinkies. He plays a subdued character who handily kills many people, and it's all too predictable. Richard Gere is a bit better, but I'm sick and tired of seeing Sidney Poiter as a damned FBI agent! The only surprise for me in this film is seeing Bruce kiss another man.

    Boogie Nights [Special Guest Reviewer "Rick Sheinfield"! ]

    [11/2/97] Any movie with the word, "Boogie" in the title deserves the benefit of the doubt. And doubt I do. The acting is generally strong, especially Burt Reynolds whose wig looks darn fine. The 70s music, clothing and vernacular are dead on. But this movie is more a porno film set in the 70s than a 70s nostalgia movie which uses the porno industry as a vehicle. Kids shouldn't even be allowed in the lobby of a theater showing this thing. The movie actually looks like a Cold War Soviet propaganda film about the decadence of the west: stupidity, pornography, silk shirts, gaudy jewelry, violence, drugs, lawlessness, child neglect, and Burt Reynolds driving around in a Cadillac. And for all of you out there wondering . . . that was a prosthesis.

    The Devil's Advocate

    [10/26/97] A painful 75 minutes leads to a satisfying 10 minutes of Al Pacino giving us his all as Satan. Then there's some more pain as Keanu starts talking some more. Other than Al, and a few naked sucubi, my attention was wandering!

    The House of Yes [Special Guest Reviewer "Sticky"! ]

    [10/19/97] EL SUCKO! This insipid, mind numbing story of an incestuous, mentally unstable and moronic group of twenty-something wankers is only moderately less annoying then seeing any movie with my friend Doug. The only pleasant moment in the entire film was when the credits rolled and I could get up and pass the wind that I had been holding for the previous hour and twenty-five minutes. The acting was fine, Tori Spelling as the sharp as a butter-knife fiancee, Parker Posey as the incestuous, Jackie-O impersonating sister of Tori's groom-to-be and even Freddie Prince, Jr. (Yes, son of the late Freddie Prince, alias, "Hey Man, it's not my yob") as the non-incestuous, smart as a hedgehog brother, did adequate jobs. Overall, however, the story was insultingly obvious and painfully contrived. All in all, you'd likely be more stimulated if you spent 30 minutes on a Saturday morning watching SAVED BY THE BELL.

    The Peacemaker

    [10/12/97] Holy Action Movie, Batman! Our least favorite Batman, George Clooney, does a great job in this packed-with-action nuclear thriller. What's-her-name-Miss-Tom-Cruise is easily forgetable, but I got a kick out of seeing the evil Dad from Shine playing a KGB agent. I was slightly offended by the main bad guy's dopey speech about the U.S. backing foreign countries that attack others. Suck it up, Ivan!

    U-Turn

    [10/5/97] Let me just say that that damn Oliver Stone has too much free time on his hands while filming a movie. "Hmm," he must say. "There must be 15 minutes before lunch, why don't I take the camera and stumble around like a drunkard while I film through a Coke bottle?" Other than a little too much wacky filming, the movie is enjoyable. Highlights: That hot little mama, and that Sling Blade dude Billy Bob Thorton. The irritants: Seeing Nick Nolte's bad teeth WAY too often, and a slight current of predictability.

    L.A. Confidential

    [9/28/97] Dig it, baby. Set in L.A. in the 50's, this film focuses on a group of coppers as they handle crime in their own different ways. Kevin Spacey is impressive, and Guy Pearce (who I don't think I've seen before) does a great job as the young uptight cop. But my favorite performance is done by Russell Crowe who plays the violent cop beginning to find himself repulsed by his role in the force. Good, long, and always slowly building to a satisfying climix. The movie, that is.

    The Assignment

    [9/26/97] Impressive filming in the beginning, but quickly degrades to an uninteresting game of imposter vs. original with a hardened CIA man involved. I did enjoy Ben Kingsley's impassive performance, and there was a moment where I felt what the main character was going through with having to immerse himself into a world of drugs, killing, and hookers. But then I left the Tenderloin! Ha! There were a few good scenes, so I wasn't completely unhappy.

    The Game

    [9/21/97] A bit of a slow start, but it gets going! Michael Douglas is forced down a twisty road of paranoia which kept me guessing back and forth through the entire film, and does a great job playing a rich and powerful man with a dead soul. Sean Penn has a whole 10 minutes of screen time -- it would have been good to see him more. A big plus is all the San Francisco shots! After the movie, you'll be tempted to spend some time thinking about the details. Don't.

    Mimic

    [9/7/97] This film has good effects, but poor character development (hmmm, can you say "Hollywood"?). Personally, I like to have a feeling about the characters before they get eaten by bugs. That guy who plays the husband goes through the film having never shown me anything I care about. I do care about that sexy Mira Sorvino, but she pains me when she attempts a self sacrifice to save a stupid annoying kid with the unbelievable nickname of "Jewey". The best thing about this movie is a small role by Charles Dutton ("Roc").

    Contact

    [8/31/97] Here's my likes and dislikes -- ready? I like that this film takes its time to build the plot. I don't like a lot of the inconsistencies (which you come to expect with sci-fi, but this had too many). I do like the scenes with that crazy billionaire. I don't like the one-dimensional James Woods. I did like Jodie Foster. I didn't like that stupid Matthew McConaughey. Plus, I really didn't like seeing this movie with my friend Sticky.

    She's So Lovely

    [8/30/97] I thought this would be a feel-good dopey woman's movie about two people's love keeping them together through the years. Well, it is -- kind of. That Robin Wright, who I think is pretty hot in her past films, is pretty un-hot in this as she stumbles through the film on drugs and booze, always looking like a hollow-eyed zombie even when she isn't supposed to be on drugs and booze. Plus, her character wasn't even believable in the later scenes. Sean Penn did a great job, and Travolta was certainly at his amusing best when he gives his 9 year old daughter the order to "shut up and drink a beer." But the film doesn't get me caring in the end, when it really should.

    The Full Monty

    [8/24/97] Whenever I see one of these damn British/Scottish/Irish films, it takes me 30 minutes before I can understand a damn word they're saying! And after that, it takes me another 30 minutes to get used to the bad teeth everyone has, and 30 more to get used to the dreary, depressing scenery in all of these god-forsaken, rain filled, sheep ridden, wrong-lane-driving countries. Good thing this film was slightly over 90 minutes so I had a chance to enjoy it!

    CopLand

    [8/16/97] First off: Stallone is one big fat bastard! He plumped up for this role, and really does a commendable job. There is an impressive cast in this movie, but unfortunately most are left unused. DeNiro is a perfect example here, as his character does nothing much, and the only scene that he seems to wake up in is where he gets angry and pulls down some posters. A far cry from 'Raging Bull'. The film presented me with no surprises and disappointing characters, but parts of it stimulated me enough to give a sideways thumb.

    Batman & Robin

    [8/10/97] The good news: Arnold is very fun to watch and listen to with his wacky accent (did you know the TV series' Mister Freeze had a very similar accent?) Also good is watching Alicia pull on that tight bat-girl suit. The bad news? The rest of the film! This movie gave me a headache, but I was believing everything was somewhat possible until the very end when Mister Freeze pulls the antidote out of his suit. You'd have to see it to understand what I'm talking about here, and trust me it's not worth it to just understand my obscure references.

    Box of Moon Light

    [8/9/97] I've always liked John Turturro as an actor, and this is one of my favorite roles for him. He plays an uptight engineer whose world is becoming a little cracked around the edges as he finds himself aging. The film comes down to being a guy movie in a sense, since he pals around with a buddy and they run around throwing tomatoes at each other and shooting things with shotguns. Which was a lot like childhood in Ohio to me. So, thumbs up!

    Spawn

    [8/3/97] When I was a kid, I used to collect comic books. Boy, did I love those stories! That is why I thought this movie might be good (because it based on a comic in case you didn't just figure that out. If you didn't, you're pretty stupid and should probably click here.) Here's the short of it: I was wrong! El sucko, baby.

    Swingers

    [7/27/97] I got around to seeing this one late, but managed to actually still see it in a theatre! This hilarious movie kept me amused the entire time with the acting, language, subtle references, and camera angles. Vince Vaughn as Trent is the magic in this film, as he grabs your attention with his hip dialogue and leads you through clubs, casinos, and trailer parks. This film is money, baby!

    Nothing to Lose

    [7/26/97] You might think this is just another whiteguy-blackguy-buddy movie. Well, it is. But it's pretty damn funny, and does pull a twist on you that isn't all that obvious. The black guy has a bunch of good lines, and the film adds depth to him. The white guy is a straightlaced (he's white, right?) yuppy who reminds me an awful lot of that white guy prisoner in The Shawshank Redemption, and I don't just mean because it's the same actor. Nothing to lose? Only 7 bucks, and for me it was worth it.

    Air Force One

    [7/24/97] A bit over the top with American rah-rah, but very humorous with lines like, "The President will get his catchers mitt and play catch with [the bad guys] balls!" Harrison Ford presents us with a perfect President (THAT was the most unbelievable part of the film!) and the action doesn't insult us by having him dispatch baddies with some kind of karate shit or something. The always evil Gary Oldman pulls through with his constant jamming of guns in people faces -- and then killing half of them! Always good to see a film with an edge. The film worked for me, and thank god it didn't go the true Hollywood way (see Con Air, below) by having the President's 12 year old daughter land the plane or something.

    Men in Black

    [7/5/97] To me, MiB is a cross between Betelguese and Independance Day (this is good!) The alien effects are top notch, and Tommy Lee Jones is perfect in the role of a calm, stonefaced government agent. But the best part of this film is Vincent D'Onofrio's portrayal of the alien-inhabited redneck. His grunts and jerky movements really made this film for me. The drawback? The film moves so fast, you never get a breather in the middle where you can start feeling about the characters. Sideways thumb.

    Face/Off

    [6/29/97] First off: Cage and Travolta do a great job on this film! I really enjoyed Cage's bulging eyeballs and wacky demeanor, and Travolta is at his best with his sadistic fatherly advice. It takes a while, but eventually the film falls into a series of mind numbing gunfights, explosions, and power boat chases. Damn that Hollywood! Sideways thumb.

    Con Air

    [6/9/97] Boom! Crash! Crunch! Multiply that by 100 and toss in a sweaty unshaven Nick Cage and you've got a film. This film is ridiculously cheesey, but for action it hits the spot. Great cast of criminals with a surprise role for Steve Buscemi -- which gave me a kick. Question: Why are so many hollywood films tossing in gratuitous scenes of Las Vegas these days? Need I say it? Sideways thumb!

    The Lost World

    [5/25/97] This sequel is packed full of dinosaur action and poor acting. Unfortunately, the dinosaurs are no longer a surprise (sequel -- get it?) so it lacks a bit of scariness. And then that stupid girl does some gymnastics! And talk about product placement -- boy did I feel like having a Krackel candy bar afterwards. All that aside, it was enjoyable enough to give it a sideways thumb.

    Austin Powers

    [5/18/97] This film gets a HUGE thumbs up. Mike Myers is right on target as he plays both the groovy Bond-like hero and the super villain. His bad teeth and hairy body make for a constant stream of humor. Yeah, baby!

    Neil Young and Crazy Horse

    [5/8/97] I saw this "Rockumentary" at the San Francisco Film Fest, and it was listed as a "surprise" film so I didn't know what I was getting. At first, the film was interesting and inventive (filmed in all Super-8!) but it quickly moved into being just a concert film. Now, you should know this: I do not particularly like Neil Young (musically) and I loathe concert films. That disclaimer in effect -- this movie sucked! Thumbs down, man.

    Chasing Amy

    [4/27/97] This film gets a sideways thumb. Parts of it were extremely brilliant and humorous, while others were a bit slow and drawn out. Lots of vulgar swearing, but hey -- that's comedy! The main actor Holden needs a few more acting lessons, but he's not too bad. Have I mentioned yet that I love a good bi-sexual woman?

    Grosse Point Blank

    [4/20/97] This film gets a thumbs up. Even though it may be hard to think of John Cusack as an ass-kicking assasin, he does a good job portraying this brooding lovestruck character. A ton of 80's soundtracks make an extra bonus in this enjoyable film. Plus, it's a pleasure to see that stupid conehead bastard Dan Aykroyd get killed!