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Scream (1996, Wes Craven), the director’s cut
Poor Matthew Lillard, he was already looking way too old to be a teenager in this one (he was twenty-six). I probably haven’t seen Scream since 2000 or so, sometime before the third one came out. Maybe...
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Batman Forever (1995, Joel Schumacher)
Joel Schumacher once commented he was first credited with saving the Batman franchise (with Batman Forever), then destroying it (with Batman & Robin). I think I’d watched his second venture (or...
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The Wedding Singer (1998, Frank Coraci)
I actually kind of like The Wedding Singer; it’s blandly inoffensive, has a solid 1980s soundtrack and kind of plays like how “Everybody Hates Chris” would have played if it had sucked instead of being...
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Donnie Darko (2001, Richard Kelly)
Donnie Darko has one of those discussion begging conclusions. So I’ll skip that aspect entirely and concentrate what director Kelly does so well. There’s a meticulous design to Darko but it’s mostly...
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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982, Steven Spielberg)
For E.T., Spielberg takes an incredible approach–every scene has to be iconic, every scene has to create a sense of nostalgia for it. It requires absolute control of the viewer and Spielberg’s only...
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Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002, George Clooney)
As the dangerous mind in the title (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), Sam Rockwell should be entirely unsympathetic. The film spends its first act mocking Rockwell and inviting the viewer to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Donnie Darko (2001, Richard Kelly)
Donnie Darko has one of those discussion begging conclusions. So I’ll skip that aspect entirely and concentrate what director Kelly does so well. There’s a meticulous design to Darko but it’s mostly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Firestarter (1984, Mark L. Lester)
If I tried really hard, would I be able to think of something nice to say about Firestarter? I was going to complement some of Tangerine Dream’s score–not all of it, but some of it–but it turns out...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Donnie Darko (2001, Richard Kelly)
Donnie Darko has one of those discussion begging conclusions. So I’ll skip that aspect entirely and concentrate what director Kelly does so well. There’s a meticulous design to Darko but it’s mostly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982, Steven Spielberg)
For E.T., Spielberg takes an incredible approach–every scene has to be iconic, every scene has to create a sense of nostalgia for it. It requires absolute control of the viewer and Spielberg’s only...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002, George Clooney)
As the dangerous mind in the title (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), Sam Rockwell should be entirely unsympathetic. The film spends its first act mocking Rockwell and inviting the viewer to...
View ArticleFirestarter (1984, Mark L. Lester)
If I tried really hard, would I be able to think of something nice to say about Firestarter? I was going to complement some of Tangerine Dream’s score–not all of it, but some of it–but it turns out...
View ArticleEver After (1998, Andy Tennant)
Ever After imagines the Cinderella story as a vaguely historically accurate period drama. It’s desperate to present itself as “realistic,” including bookends with special guest star Jeanne Moreau...
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