SANTA FE SCENE - Movie Reviews - Alphabetical

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

A big movie about big creatures (and little disgusting ones). The special effects are worthy of Steven Spielberg; the plot, what little of it there is, unfortunately is not. If you enjoy constant cliffhanging, this movie will do it for you. There were some Godzilla-like scenes towards the end and even some touches of humor, but this movie would have been helped A LOT by a more plausible story; even if the writers were too hard pressed to explain why something like this could happen in the first place, at least they could have made the internal whys-and-wherefors hang together better. The movie starts off with a bang and never lets up. Spielberg should have learned something from Alfred Hitchcock - leave some room for suspense!

Very bloody, don't take your small children. PG-13

Jeff Goldblum - Julianne Moore - Pete Postlethwaite - Arliss Howard - Richard Attenborough - Vince Vaughn - Vanessa Lee Chester - Peter Stormare - Harvey Jason - Richard Schiff - Thomas F. Duffy - Joseph Mazzello - Ariana Richards

Universal - directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by Gerald Molen/Colin Wilson, screenplay by David Koepp, based on the novel by Michael Crichton

Dinosaurs conceived and executed by Dennis Muren, Stan Winston and Michael Lantieri (good job, guys!)

TITANIC is superb -- one of those movies that comes along perhaps once in a generation. We were totally immersed for the entire length of the film (around three hours). The choice of actors provided an exquisite mix, and the scripting was so well-honed and accompanied the action so seamlessly, we were enveloped in the experience as though we were there. I can't think of any movie so well orchestrated. Whatever was spent to make this movie -- and it's a considerable figure -- it is worth every penny.

My friend and I went to see this movie knowing absolutely nothing about it save for the fact that Keifer Sutherland stars. Actually, we were intrigued by the title. You really don't see much of Truth or Consequences, but the Utah scenery was quite attractive...Vincent Gallo looks true-to-type as former convict Raymond Lembecke, who teams up with trigger-happy Curtis Freley (Kiefer) and cute undercover-cop Marcus Weans (Mykelti Williamson) to heist a large amount of narcotic substance from what turn out to be the wrong people. Raymond's girlfriend Addy Monroe (Kim Dickens) comes along for the bloody ride, and we are made to feel sympathetic toward the two lovebirds. On the run from the law, the group picks up a Winnebago and yuppie hostages Gordon Jacobson (Kevin Pollak) and Donna Moreland (Grace Phillips), which adds interest to the plot, since Gordon seems to be having a little too much fun. The plan to sell the drugs to Tony Vago (Rod Steiger) backfires (nice little bloody scene here) and they are off and running again, this time to meet up with a buyer in New Mexico; problem is, Tony Vago's avenger, known as "Sir" (Martin Sheen) is on their trail.

I'll bet that this movie doesn't win very many awards, and it certainly does warrant the R rating (for sex, language and drug use). But it does have some interesting moments, and Kiefer evidently had fun doing this role.

Written by: Brad Mirman
Produced by: Triumph Films
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc.

starring

Paul Newman
Susan Sarandon
Gene Hackman
Stockard Channing
Reese Witherspoon
Giancarlo Esposito
James Garner

Directed by Robert Benton

Produced by Arlene Donovan and Scott Rudin

Written by Robert Benton & Richard Russo

Michael Hausman,
executive producer

The best thing about this movie is the cast -- Paul Newman, who plays private eye Harry Ross, really does seem to get better as he ages. The "angry young man" has given way to a gentler, more seductive sexiness. Then there's good ol' Gene Hackman (haven't seen him around town lately, he must be off making a movie somewhere - ed.), who plays Harry's friend and "boss," Jack Ames; Susan Sarandon looks classy as Jack's wife Catherine. Both of them are former movie stars with some skeletons in the closet. The trouble gets going when the tight couple ask live-in Harry to do a favor.

Despite the star quality of Paul, Susan, and Gene, in my opinion the show was stolen by the marvellous James Garner as an aging P.I. and Stockard Channing as a police detective!

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