2 in 1 Movie Review! (Spoilers!!)

[James Harvey]

Hey friends!

This week I had a chance to see two very different movies that I've been dieing to see. And what are they you ask? Well, the reviews should tell ya...

1. Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back

The ultimate in-joke. I've seen alot of negative reviews for this movie and it's simply becuase they don't get the injokes and humopr as we fans do. I got every joke (that I caught). The cameo by Paul Dini. The cameo by Daredevil. The cameo by Buddy Scalera. Joe Quesada's cameo. I was in stitches the whole time. The part that got the biggest laugh from me was during the filming of GOOD WILL HUNTING 2: HUNTING SEASON when Damon blows away that guy from OZ. Kevin Smith does a good job wrapping up some plot lines from the movie as well as creating a couple more for th eupcoming CLERKS animated movie and any spin off movie. SOme jokes do fall flat, but that's a rarity.

ANother gag I loved was the slamming of AIN'T IT COOL NEWS, which was dubbed MOVIE POOP SHOOT. I thought it was extremely obvious that fake site was just a stand in for AICN (which they already blasted on animated CLERKS).

While not the best movie in the series, it was a great capper by bringing back the MALLRATS-type humor. While Chasing Amy will remain my personnel favorite, this one is definatly up there. This movie is gonna make a stellar two disc set when released in early 2002.

Grade: A-.

2. The Others

If you haven't seen this movie go see it now. Nicole Kidman does a breakout job here, showing more talent in 2 minutes of film than ex-hubby's entire film career. I hope she gets an Oscar nomination for this film becuase -- lord she deserve it! You see her go through just about every emotion possible. This movie is one of those films that will be constabntly compared to Sixth Sense becuase of the whole ghost thing, but this film beats that movie on every level. The movie is just much. much better. This movie scared the hell out of me. There are just scenes that chilled me to the bones and a couple where I jumped out of my seat. This is a movie that will be around forever. Not only that, this is a Must See Twice movie to get all the little hints to the twist ending.

As for the ending - I never saw it coming. No way no how. While I suspected something witht he children, the double twist at the end was just mind blowing. With Sixth Sense ya sorta knew, but here it was completely different story. The ending was just amazing. I liked every second of this flick, and I wil be getting the DVD

I would love to see this flick top $100 million, since it deserves it. And come Oscar time...it better be rewarded.

Grade: A+.

[Mr. Eye]

I saw JASBSB last week and thought it was also hilarious. The whole movie was just one big joke. The parts with the guest -stars that I really liked were the ones with Chris Rock, James Vanderbeerk and Jason Biggs. It's still not my fave Smith flick. Here's my order:

Mallrats
Clerks
JASBSB
Chasing Amy
Dogma


Mr. Eye

[Maxie Zeus]

I just spent an hour typing in my own reactions to JASBSB and "The Others" (which, by coincidence, I also saw this weekend). Then the forums screwed up, pretending I wasn't logged in and then vaporizing the post. I'm not going to go thru that again.

So, EW-style capsules:

JASBSB is very funny, and contrary to what some are saying, does NOT require an intricate knowledge of the Smith oevre. I've seen all his films, but each one only once, and barely remember them. JASBSB is still laugh-out-loud funny because it has sharp writing, and a pair of characters you could follow around for hours just to see what they would do next. (A-)

At least "The Others" attempts to be a classy ghost story and not another bit of teen-scream idiocy. But it balances uneasily between Gothic bodice-rippers like "The Spiral Staircase" and elegant, Jamesian chamberpieces like "The Turn of the Screw," and winds up pratfalling between the two. The final gimmicky twist was unexpected mostly because I had given up on the story long before the climax, and so didn't care when all was (confusingly) revealed. Nicole Kidman may tremble convincingly, and yet she is so cold and shrill that you never warm to her; it also features two extremely off-putting child actors. (B-)

Video recommendation: Look for the very hard to find "Dead of Night" (VHS only, I believe) a 1945 British ghost story anthology. Most ghost stories are just gimmicks and atmosphere; this one wraps up several independent stories and their gimmicks in one very big gimmick that is so frightening its funny, and so funny its frightening.

[James Harvey]

About The Others, I really didn't like the actress playing the little girl. The main reason is becuase she reminded me to much of my neice. Anyways, I really enjoyed The Others. A great change of pace from the typical summer fare. Next up...Jeepers Creepers...