Dadd, Richard Movie Reviews

I always like Tom Selleck movies. Some are actually very entertaining. This is by far his best dramatic role. I was very impressed how well he played the part of a framed Airline crew chief. It has all the elements for some good drama, bad cops, drugs, decent and really bad convicts, attractive loving wife, and motive for revenge. I have recommended this to many people since many Selleck fans are not even aware of it. Whether you like Selleck or not you will enjoy this film if you like movies like "The Fugitive","US Marshals", and "Shawshank Redemption". It is being released on DVD soon and you can bet I pre-ordered a copy.

Very entertaining movie. The characters are all great, the plot and the suspense are terrific.

As long as I can remember I've always immensely enjoyed/loved Tom Selleck movies. This is defintely one of his best(as well as 'Her Alibi'). This is a very enjoyable prision movie with a range of emotions. This film as always been on my DVD wishlist so I'm very excited that it's finally on DVD. I highly reccomend this film, you won't regret it.
By Justine Ryan

John Barrymore shines in "Counsellor at Law", along with an extremely strong supporting cast in this 1930s-era tale of an ambitious New York lawyer. We meet him in his offices at the Empire State Building, where a procession of clients streams in and out of his extremely busy day. When his sweet immigrant mother appears, we realize his humble roots, so different from "the Mayflower boys" whose professional ranks he has penetrated.

Fast-paced, with witty dialogue, brittle humor, and barbed social commentary, this film transports us back to Great Depression. Barrymore, faced with an ethical dilemma, also finds his marriage is in jeopardy; his wife, a superficial society woman, holds values quite different from his own.

Although in some ways light and frothy, as befitting movies made for 1930s audiences seeking escape, this William Wyler film remains timely with its deeper questions of integrity and what goes into true success and authentic relationships. Barrymore's masterful performance reminds us yet again that as an actor, he was far more than a handsome facial profile. Highly recommended for a step back into another time!

I love the film, but just a few words about the transfer: I don't think it's as fine as the other reviews would make you think. It's not horrible, but I don't believe the source to be a 35 mm print of the movie, it looks more like vhs, especially for the lack of sharpness (compare it with any of the latest 30's movies Warner releases). Even an older title like 'The love trap' (1929!), another Kino release from the William Wyler Collection, has a much better and sharper transfer, especially the first half of the movie. Just don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed.

An excellent movie, superbly directed by pantheon helmsman William Wyler early in his directorial career. John Barrymore gives one of his finest performances as a Jewish lawyer who works his way to the top of his profession only to have his gentile wife (Doris Kenyon) leave him. At the bustling Manhattan law offices of Simon and Tedesco, highly successful Jewish attorney George Simon, who has risen from the slums of New York, returns to his roots when he bails out Sarah Becker's son Harry, a young Communist who has been brutalised by the police. Simon's socialite wife, Cora, is embarrassed at Simon's notoriety and of his heritage while Simon's secretary Regina "Rexy" (Bebe Daniels, in her final film of any merit) secretly loves him...The dialogue is crisp and snappy additionally aided by Barrymore's spellbinding deliveries. The film was noted to have been made in breakneck speed: Barrymore was letter perfect except he kept flubbing one line which took 52 takes. Paul Muni was originally sought to play the role, but he played the role on stage and didn't want to be typecast a Jew. The film opened to public and critical applause and today, the lightening still crackles through this masterful film.

Any one that would want to watch this film or likes it is for no other apparent reason than the blued eyed beauty Fairuza Balk. Any Fairuza fan such as myself will love this movie. She is the only character in the film that is worth mentioning and the entire film revolves around her. This film is very bizarre. The plot is very strange and difficult to understand. Watching this film the first time can leave the impression that there is no plot, but there is. Despite the bizarre events and wierd characters in the film, there is actually a plot with a meaning. After watching this film for the third time I finally understood the meaning behind the plot. After understanding the bizarre meaning to the film, you can actually come to appreciate the film even more. Fairuza fans that are out there, this is the film for you!

RENT BEFORE BUYING, this movie is not for everyone! Picked this up at the video store because it looked cheesy. It was not. It was the most bizarre film I have ever seen. It is sure to end up as a cult favorite. The cover of the video is misleading - looks like a cheesy 80's teenager type film - BUT IT IS NOT. I would not, however want to watch it again. I am pretty sure I would lose my mind. Oh what a great pun! The movie is called Life In the Fast Lane. I am pretty sure I would lose my mind. Get it? IF not - don't bother to see this movie (with a reduced dog). Very weird, hypnotizing. Patrick Dempsey is a very convincing seductive devil - without speaking a word.

This movie is awesome! For any Balk fan this is a must-see; she had me laughing out loud at some parts! Very watchable, amusing and funny movie. It's a little cheesy sometimes, but you won't lose your interest!

The opening scene of this movie is so brilliantly handled it just sucks you in and never lets go. Out to rob a convience store minded by a dim-witted teenager, our hero(?) just can't
help laying a little big-brotherly advice and philosophy on the
poor lad before getting around to actually emptying the till.
The dialogue between the two is handled so gracefully and with
such wit by all concerned that you just can't help wanting to find out what's next, even when it gets frightenly violent.

Renee Zelleweger is an absolute gem throughout, as an oversexed,
undereducated gun moll. This movie explores what happens when
people with Texas-sized dreams meet the limitations of their
squirrel-sized brains, and manages to do so with wit, style and
a light touch, even as it gets breath-takingly violent. And, yes, folks, Peter Fonda DOES steal the whole picture in his brief
turn as Starlene's burnt-out hippie dad. Don't miss this!

This Movie is awsome! Its very violent, especially when billy gets stabbed in the neck with a fork!
This movie is both funny, violent, action and a romance. Its all the above! I would reccommend this movie to anyone who likes a little thrill. Action-packed totally!

I just got hired at a fairly small video store that tends to carry more of whatever is popular and sells, but I noticed this on the shelf when I was putting things back, so I took it home and enjoyed it a lot. Great all around movie that you can enjoy on more than one level. It's a bit more than a movie you don't have to think about when you watch (as it was called earlier)

A great coming of age movie set in 1975 detroit. 3 high school friends are now graduated with uncertain futures. None went to college and none have decent jobs so they are emotionally caught between adulthood and the high school mentality of living at home. Symbolic of this are the high school letter jackets that two of the friends still wear. Stephen baldwin plays a guy who is losing his identity. He was cool in high school but now as an adult he is just another guy. Mort is the most intellectual and introspective of the three but he knows that he needs to go to college to realize his dream of being a writer. A dream that doesn't recieve much support from his friends. In fact he never shares a scholarship notice from central michigan university with them.

Early in the movie they encounter a drug dealer who offers them $9,000 to run some hashish from canada to the usa. Hence the name of the movie because of the bridge that runs between detroit and windsor ontario. The guys can't help but seriously consider that move. They need the money of course but they need a sense of identity even more. Thankfully the movie doesn't dwell too much on this one event but i'm surprised that these guys never once consider the morality of the action just the potential consequences to them. Other mini sub plots take form in the film of course. Their relationship with uncaring parents and romance. There are the cliche stuck up high school class mates who are now in college. One laughable character is a guy who smugly proclaims that he is majoring in pre law. Any one can major in that and most never go to law school.

Things heat up when the fellas decide finally to do the drug run. They deliver this atache filled with money to some really bad dudes in a farm house and realize they have bit off more than they can chew. Instead of hash they are expected to carry heroin across the border and they are lucky to be alive. One of them got beat up really bad. The scenes on the bridge are a bit drawn out but they all eventually decide to leave the car and the heroin and just cross to detroit on foot. This responsible move indicates a crossing over into adulthood and they end up tossing those high school letter jackets into the detroit river.

You will be involved enough in the movie to wonder what happens to these guys in the next ten years. Will mort get that degree and become a writer after all? It works. There is one major problem with the plot. These guys took a lot of money to get drugs in canada and bring them back to the us. What is a drug dealer going to do when he doesn't get the drugs or his money back? we will never know.

The acting is solid and i actually found myself liking stephen balwin's performance. A very good movie but the hole in the plot keeps it from being a 5* film.

.................socks

Coming of age movie with emphasis on the results of the decisions we make. Applies to all of us who were indecisive about the future after high school. A good movie with which to reminisce on a cold night.

I loved this movie, simply due to one certain character...
"High School Senior #3", portrayed by WWE Superstar Sean "XPac"
Waltman. This poor guy really took a pounding from Josh Charles'
& Stephan Baldwin's characters. I'd like to see a sequel to this film w/the main character being HSS#3. Give the dude some respect...he's been pushed around long enough!!

I wasn't aware of Backdraft when I purchased this value pack, I did purchased it beacuse of Apollo 13. Now, after enjoying both movies I can say it was worthy to get them in this pack. For the Apollo 13 DVD I can say that it is just great, all the sound and image quality you expect, you get it. I can't say the same for the Backdraft DVD, because it has no special features to enjoy. In general terms the pack is good, but that is because of the Apollo 13 DVD only.

These two movies are absolutely compelling and highly intense and riveting classics for the ages and are both absolutely needs.

BACKDRAFT (1991): I can't even begin to explain how much I absolutely love this dynamite firestorm of a modern classic. The movie is the story of two McCaffrey brothers who have long been in conflict with each other as they try to carry on the family business of firefighting and are forced to put aside their rivalries as they both pursue the culprit of a series of deadly arson attacks occurring all around the Chicago area. The two brothers are in for a surprise for who they discover is responsible for the rash of major fires all over Chicago. Spectacular special effects aren't the only things that light the fires of this movie but also of a great and strong story and how underrated the heroism of firefighting and police business really is. This is especially true in light of 9-11-01 and other acts of crime. "Backdraft" is one of my favorite movies of all time and I highly recommend this movie to everyone. There's little in the way of extras though on the DVD but the picture quality though is much better than the older VHS editions. "Backdraft" is arguably one of the best movies ever made. I give all my praise to all involved in this incredible project.

APOLLO 13: This is based on the ill-fated 1970 mission of the Apollo 13's attempt to land astronauts on the moon when an oxygen tank malfunctioned along with other space module equipment which nearly resulted in the loss of the lives of the three astronauts on board and their quest to return to Earth safely. "Apollo 13" is a marvelous and unsettling true story portrayal of the terrifying events that the astrunautas went through during the ill-fated mission and Tom Hanks is awesome in the movie. The Apollo 13 has gotten the ironic name of a 'successful failure', being that the original goal failed to be met, but the mission to safely return home after near disaster was a 'success'. This movie that documents the events of the mission is a wild ride of a true story. "Apollo 13" is a must-have movie. This DVD, unlike "Backdraft", has extras and the picture quality like the former, is much better than the older VHS edition.

This is a two-punch combo pack of two great movies and are highly recommended. Get both of these movies now! Both are modern classics and are timeless.

I don't own too many DVDs, I mostly rent, because of the price. However, the Apollo 13/Backdraft combo is just excellent. I paid about [$$$] for the pack. The general recording and sound quality on both DVDs is excellent. While it is unfortunate that the Backdraft DVD doesn't offer any compelling extras, the Apollo 13 DVD more than makes up for it. There are interviews with Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, and the other cast and crew members. They talk about their parts, how the movie was made, and how they felt about representing this important part of American history.

If anyone is at all a fan of Apollo 13, I highly recommend the DVD. Of course, being packed with Backdraft, also an excellent movie, only increases the value.

At last, Jim Varney's films are on DVD. All I can say is, it's about time! However, considering his sad, early death a couple of years ago, you'd think there would be a few extras on these screwball camp classics. Interviews, outtakes, something. But at least we get to bring Ernest home, the guy with the small brains, big heart, and the most flexible face you've ever seen.

This is the first of the Ernest flicks, and considered by most to be his best. Ernest is a maintenance man at a boy's summer camp who gets stuck with a group of juvenile delinquents no one else wants to work with. His innocence, acceptence, and naivete are exactly what the boys need and slowly, he works change in their hearts. Of course, they take great advantage of his dim wits in the beginning with hilarious results. In spite of their joking, Ernest cares for the boys and tries his hardest to be the best camp counselor he can be.

The movie is full of as much camp humor as one can muster - the food jokes probably being the most extreme - and hilarious. We even get to hear Ernest sing. The tone changes midway as the camp is introduced to a crisis. A mining corporation longs to buy the camp for its rich resources and takes advantage of Ernest's low wattage brain power to get it's way. A battle of great proportions ensues, complete with indian war paint, disgusting camp food, and my personal favorite, paratrooper turtles. The paratrooper turtles instantly landed this camp movie in the category of campy classics. And believe it or not, in the middle of all this screwy humor, there are some truly touching moments and some great moral lessons.

The movie is true family fare, free of language, sexual innuendo, or other things that find their way into family films these days. It is a great way to initiate summer and to reminisce about the glory days of summer camp. The biggest difference between this and other Ernest films is the lack of characters played by Varney. He is Ernest almost the entire film - and if my memory serves me correctly, Vern may not even be present. But the movie is Ernest all the way and Jim Varney fans will not be dissappointed. You will be sorely missed Ernest.

This is the firt Ernest movie ever released, and probably one of Jim varney's best as well. It's too bad that Jim Varney had to die (rest in peace, my dear friend). Anyway, in this Ernest movie, Ernest works at a camp. When some new boys come to camp, it's up to Ernest to straighten up their attitude. But that's not the only thing that Ernest has to worry about, for there is some guys that want to destroy the camp and use the land as their own. Can Ernest save the camp? You've got to watch it to find out! What are you waiting for? Get off your big, lazy butt and go buy this DVD NOW!!!!!

P.S.- I don't won't to spoil too much for you, but when they fire the flaming toilets scene is just PLAIN HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just another reason why you should own this DVD!

Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney) is the best thing to happen to the comedy genre since Cheech and Chong disappeared. Ernest is a camp counselor for a bunch of brats. Pure 80's mischief and Ernest goes native, you can't miss it! He doesn't like to eat those two weirdos' cooking. Watch him go 'huh' and get slammed in the face with a lunch tray. Classic.

Perfect to own, you will find youself wanting to watch it again. The mood is eerie enough, the stories keep you interested and it's made well. It's all about the atmosphere, get this DVD.

This horror movie has very British sensitibilities, and you couldn't ask for a better, more entertaining introduction to the type of horror movie that was popular in the 1970s, before the era of the slasher film. It's stylish and very proper, making the gore that much more shocking.

Basically, we've got a handful of "short stories" very loosely pulled together with the framing device of a psychologist visiting the asylum being asked to "figure out" which of the patients was actually the former director of the hospital. There's very little to this part of the plot, but the various stories the patients have to tell do create varying degrees of chills.

None of the stories are great, nor are they especially surprising, but they are told quite nicely and are better acted than such low-budget stuff has a right to be. Some outstanding actors such as Herbert Lom and Charlotte Rampling are featured, along with a brief but creepy turn by Peter Cushing (who, along with Christoper Lee, owned this genre of horror movie).

In many ways the film is a period piece, not so much about an era of history, but about an era of film history. It distills the style and sensibilities of the Hammer films (so called because they were made in England's Hammer Studio) into one neat, entertaining package. Will this be your favorite movie ever? Nope. But is it an amusing diversion and a wonderful slice of what was once the height of horror film making? You bet.

Check it out!

As one who has often panned for gold in the stream of little-known horror delights, I have discovered much more fool's gold than gold dust, but Asylum is a magnificent gold nugget. Produced by Amicus, the British equivalent of Hammer Studios, this classic film features a remarkable cast bringing to life a compelling, delightfully shocking tale which comes straight from the pen of none other than Robert Bloch. I think the whole idea of the movie is brilliant, especially the way everything is put together, meshing four largely unrelated tales into one overall and amazingly successful story. We begin with Dr. Martin's arrival at the asylum in pursuit of a position. He is surprised to learn that Dr. Styles, the asylum director and the man he expected to speak with about the job, is now one of the incurably insane inmates housed upstairs. Dr. Rutherford is willing to hire Dr. Martin, but only if he passes a certain test. There are four inmates upstairs, and he must determine which one is actually Dr. Styles (who has assumed a brand new identity for himself). As Dr. Martin makes the rounds, accompanied by the doctor posted upstairs, we are presented with each individual's story as to how they came to be institutionalized.

The first story, that of Bonnie, is a wholly remarkable one. Her lover, having finally agreed to kill his divorce-denying wife and run off with her, chops his wife into several pieces and stows everything in the freezer, including her voodoo-ish protective bracelet He is quite shocked shortly thereafter to see the head, wrapped in butcher's paper, roll into view upstairs, and he is even more surprised by what happens next. When Bonnie arrives, she finds herself menaced and attacked by the separate body parts of the seemingly undead murdered woman. Next we have the story of Bruno the tailor. Facing economic ruin, he is offered two hundred pounds to make a suit for a rather strange gentleman named Mr. Smith (played magnificently by Peter Cushing). The suit must be created under the unusual conditions specified by the customer and must be made from the remarkable fabric Smith has provided Bruno. This metallic, strangely glittering coat is actually an instrument of magic, Bruno finds out upon delivering it. Supposedly it has the power to give or restore life to whoever wears it. Cushing's performance helps make this the strongest of the four stories, in my opinion. Next up is Barbara, who denies having committed the murders that resulted in her institutionalization. It was her friend Lucy, she says. The story plays pretty well until the end, when whatever mystery lingered concerning the truth about Lucy is rather unnecessarily done away with. Finally, we have Dr. Baron, maker of robotic men; actually, he says, the creatures are quite human on the inside, and he claims to have the power to will his own mind into one such creation and essentially make it come alive with his own consciousness. This tale has its weaknesses, but its effect on Dr. Martin is profound and sets in motion the thrilling conclusion of the movie. This conclusion, I must say, is remarkably good, treating me to a wonderful surprise and devilishly good twist.

The plot of Asylum does have a weakness or two in it, but the film's overall effect on the viewer is so gripping that minor questions cease to matter very much. Frankly, I have never seen an anthologized movie such as this succeed so well. Few movies can combine separate tales and succeed as a unified whole, but Asylum accomplishes this feat quite easily. This is an intelligent horror movie that fans of the genre can point to with great pride.

Perfect to own, you will find youself wanting to watch it again. The mood is eerie enough, the stories keep you interested and it's made well. It's all about the atmosphere, get this DVD.

This horror movie has very British sensitibilities, and you couldn't ask for a better, more entertaining introduction to the type of horror movie that was popular in the 1970s, before the era of the slasher film. It's stylish and very proper, making the gore that much more shocking.

Basically, we've got a handful of "short stories" very loosely pulled together with the framing device of a psychologist visiting the asylum being asked to "figure out" which of the patients was actually the former director of the hospital. There's very little to this part of the plot, but the various stories the patients have to tell do create varying degrees of chills.

None of the stories are great, nor are they especially surprising, but they are told quite nicely and are better acted than such low-budget stuff has a right to be. Some outstanding actors such as Herbert Lom and Charlotte Rampling are featured, along with a brief but creepy turn by Peter Cushing (who, along with Christoper Lee, owned this genre of horror movie).

In many ways the film is a period piece, not so much about an era of history, but about an era of film history. It distills the style and sensibilities of the Hammer films (so called because they were made in England's Hammer Studio) into one neat, entertaining package. Will this be your favorite movie ever? Nope. But is it an amusing diversion and a wonderful slice of what was once the height of horror film making? You bet.

Check it out!

As one who has often panned for gold in the stream of little-known horror delights, I have discovered much more fool's gold than gold dust, but Asylum is a magnificent gold nugget. Produced by Amicus, the British equivalent of Hammer Studios, this classic film features a remarkable cast bringing to life a compelling, delightfully shocking tale which comes straight from the pen of none other than Robert Bloch. I think the whole idea of the movie is brilliant, especially the way everything is put together, meshing four largely unrelated tales into one overall and amazingly successful story. We begin with Dr. Martin's arrival at the asylum in pursuit of a position. He is surprised to learn that Dr. Styles, the asylum director and the man he expected to speak with about the job, is now one of the incurably insane inmates housed upstairs. Dr. Rutherford is willing to hire Dr. Martin, but only if he passes a certain test. There are four inmates upstairs, and he must determine which one is actually Dr. Styles (who has assumed a brand new identity for himself). As Dr. Martin makes the rounds, accompanied by the doctor posted upstairs, we are presented with each individual's story as to how they came to be institutionalized.

The first story, that of Bonnie, is a wholly remarkable one. Her lover, having finally agreed to kill his divorce-denying wife and run off with her, chops his wife into several pieces and stows everything in the freezer, including her voodoo-ish protective bracelet He is quite shocked shortly thereafter to see the head, wrapped in butcher's paper, roll into view upstairs, and he is even more surprised by what happens next. When Bonnie arrives, she finds herself menaced and attacked by the separate body parts of the seemingly undead murdered woman. Next we have the story of Bruno the tailor. Facing economic ruin, he is offered two hundred pounds to make a suit for a rather strange gentleman named Mr. Smith (played magnificently by Peter Cushing). The suit must be created under the unusual conditions specified by the customer and must be made from the remarkable fabric Smith has provided Bruno. This metallic, strangely glittering coat is actually an instrument of magic, Bruno finds out upon delivering it. Supposedly it has the power to give or restore life to whoever wears it. Cushing's performance helps make this the strongest of the four stories, in my opinion. Next up is Barbara, who denies having committed the murders that resulted in her institutionalization. It was her friend Lucy, she says. The story plays pretty well until the end, when whatever mystery lingered concerning the truth about Lucy is rather unnecessarily done away with. Finally, we have Dr. Baron, maker of robotic men; actually, he says, the creatures are quite human on the inside, and he claims to have the power to will his own mind into one such creation and essentially make it come alive with his own consciousness. This tale has its weaknesses, but its effect on Dr. Martin is profound and sets in motion the thrilling conclusion of the movie. This conclusion, I must say, is remarkably good, treating me to a wonderful surprise and devilishly good twist.

The plot of Asylum does have a weakness or two in it, but the film's overall effect on the viewer is so gripping that minor questions cease to matter very much. Frankly, I have never seen an anthologized movie such as this succeed so well. Few movies can combine separate tales and succeed as a unified whole, but Asylum accomplishes this feat quite easily. This is an intelligent horror movie that fans of the genre can point to with great pride.

I saw this originally in the theater in 1995, and even then I thought they did a very poor job of creating a convincing "futuristic" environment, although the millennium was only 4.5 years away at that time. Except for the gimmicky memory-recording-cd- headgear (stolen from a very similar but more thoughtful movie in the 80s called "Brainstorm", Natalie Wood's last film), there is nothing science-fictionish about this movie AT ALL...neither does it have anything interesting to say about life at the turn of the new century.

Only 8 years old now and STRANGE DAYS plays as very dated and very creaky looking AND sounding. No mention of the internet although it was very much there in 1995. Cars, music and (very bad looking and unflattering) costumes scream 1995, and make no comment or interpretation about the near future.

Ralph Fiennes -- an otherwise fine actor -- is horribly miscast. Does no one even question why a former LA cop would have a British accent? He is totally unconvincing. Juliette Lewis, also capable of good performances although her overall screen career is terrible -- so horribly annoying you just want to slap her -- there is nothing here to suggest why Lenny Nero would be so obsessed with her except that she has a hot body and looks about 17. Ms. Lewis should have sued Kathryn Bigelow or James Cameron for presenting her in such a wretching unflattering way -- the film just makes her look awful with a bright red fright wig and unbecoming clothing.

A lot of really fine actors, including Michael Wincott, Tom Sizemore, Vincent D'Onofrio, etc. are utterly and completely wasted in this dreck. Their characters are not developed in the slightest and they basically play stock stereotypes, i.e., the venal rock and roll manager, the crooked cop, etc.

Only gorgeous Angela Bassett comes out of this spelling like a rose -- she looks beautiful and plays a really tough, physical character. It's interesting to see the idea of a passive, weak male character being protected by a strong physical female protagonist, but it isn't explored in any interesting way here. You do get to see her kick some serious butt but that's all. The romance between Mace and Lenny feels tacked on, and has no erotic charge at all -- they only kiss briefly at the very end.

Horrible production values! The film is dark and not in some clever "noir" way but as if the director hoped she could hide the boring sets and ugly costumes this way. No interesting special effects or CGI. Violence is constant and gratuitous and adds nothing to the storyline but cheap shocks and a feeling (odd in a film directed by a WOMAN) of misogynism. The music -- a few bits of legit rock music (not much) and to pay for it, you have to listen to Juliette Lewis SING...aaarrrggghh.

Worst of all is the script, totally lame, violent, unoriginal. My first thoughts on seeing it in the theater was that there was almost nothing of science fiction here, just a cheap exploitative serial killer type of film with a gimmick (and not an original one, either), and that it has nothing to say about the millennium, which it SHOULD HAVE, being that it was filmed at the end of the 20th century. It's even more lame today considering all we have seen happen (the internet, 9-11, etc.).

Don't even bother to rent this one, let alone buy it. I am sure all the actors who particpated in this mess are sorry they did so.

I really enjoyed Strange Days. At first I had to get over their depressing view of a present-future New York that is essentiall a police state where people getting shot in crowds hardly makes people pause. I thought Ralph Fiennes was excellant as Lenny(not to mention very pleasing on the eyes and ears- he is aptly named). At first it was hard to care about his character, but as the movie progressed I began to empathize with him. Angela Bassett was also wonderful as Mace, his friend who becomes his love interest. It was nice to have a female lead in an action film that did not need a knight in shining armor, but actually rescues the hero. To be honest, I was more into the romance between Mace and Lenny. Their history together could have been better developed, like how Mace went from grieving single mother who waits tables to a limo driver that kicks ass on the side and how Lenny got kicked off the LAPD and became a wire head. Despite their sketchy past together, the romance comes to a satisfying end complete with a bloodied but still oh so fine hero laying a nice long smooch on his woman. The action was also a bit more unpredicatable than most action films which was nice.

"Strange Days" stars the incomparable Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Lewis as former lovers in a futuristic, bent-for-hell society. Fiennes plays Lenny, whose career is selling vicarious, virtual reality experiences to people. They experience these by putting on headsets with tapes that Lenny has culled from his underworld contacts. Things turn even uglier when a serial killer gets turned on by making his own tapes of his murders, while they are being committed, and sends them to Lenny. Lenny tries to rescue Lewis from the even darker underworld people she now lives with but it is an uphill battle. This is one of my favorite Ralph Fiennes performances plus Bigelow at the top of her game.