I loved Hi-C’s Ecto Cooler, for that I will always be a fan of Slimer!
Watched a fair number of movies this week,
The Bodyguard (1992, Mick Jackson, United States Of America) ***
It’s melodramatic, it’s overwrought, it’s obvious where the movie is going, and Whitney Houston can barely act. Yet, The Bodyguard still manages to hit all the right notes. When I first watched The Bodyguard many years ago I recognized how manipulative it was, how incredibly sappy of a film I was watching, but at the end of the day this is a film that accomplishes everything it sets out to and it really never misses a beat in doing so. Where The Bodyguard moves above its many flaws is that it’s not truly a love story, instead it’s a character study. I didn’t particularly find interest in either character, but it added something to The Bodyguard that allowed it to hit its marks so hard.
Munich (2005, Steve Spielberg, Canada/France/United States Of America) **1/2
I shouldn’t have watched Steven Spielberg’s introduction that took place before the film started. His back tracking, whining, and attempts to appease all hands that are involved in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict informed how I viewed the movie. Spielberg has made a film that is overly dramatic, has no idea what its politics are despite repeatedly trying to make political statements, and is heavy handed. I wanted Spielberg to get the hell out of the way, stop it with his bullshit and just let the movie happen. Instead he felt he had to play the role of the shepherd and make sure no one missed whatever incoherent political statement he was trying to make. Amazing cinematography and some fine acting are wasted because Spielberg couldn’t help from sabotaging his own picture.
Frontière(s) (Frontiers(s), 2007, Xavier Gens, France/Switzerland) **
Misogyny and hate in spades, that’s all Frontière(s) has going for it. Wait, strike that, I will give it a modicum of credit for deviating from copying The Texas Chain Saw Massacre verbatim with the family strife element tossed in at the end. Wait, strike that again, I won’t give Frontière(s) credit for that because the movie was in fact useless. It’s not horror, Frontière(s) is a lot of bad shaky cam and gore instead of suspense or characters whose fate one cares about. If this is the new age horror that I’ve read some people championing, you can keep it and I’ll stick with my horror classics.
Final Destination 2 (2003, David R. Ellis, Canada/United States Of America) ***
It’s incredibly stupid and preposterous, I get that. It’s also a lot of fun, the deaths are very inventive and incredibly well done, and it has suspense. It doesn’t taxi in gore like I’m sure most people do think, or would think, it does. Rather it’s interested in the suspense of when the death will happen. Final Destination 2 does a great job of playing with the expectation of when the death will occur, and that creates a fun and suspenseful film.
Ghost Busters (1984, Ivan Reitman, United States Of America) ***1/2
Some of Ghost Busters doesn’t hold up to nostalgia, like the look of the beasts or some other bad effects moments. However, it’s still funny, Peter Venkman, as played by Bill Murray, is still a glorious dick, and the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man is still damn impressive. I do wish Ernie Hudson had more to do, he’s funny and deserved more screen time. All in all, I still laughed a lot and I still had a good time, Ghost Busters is a good film and not just a bit of nostalgia.
Free Willy (1993, Simon Wincer, France/United States Of America) ***
It’s sappy, it’s melodramatic, it’s story is super thin, but this is my childhood we’re talking about. I watched this movie a lot growing up, I mean a lot. Oh yeah, Michael Madsen is awesome, because he’s Michael Madsen and he’s all about being a father and freeing a whale. That’s the thing man, that whale needs to be free, it needs to make that impossible jump. I cheer for the whale, it will make that jump, because you can’t take my childhood away from me.
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995, Dwight H. Little, France/United States Of America) **1/2
My childhood is safe folks, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home somehow escaped my grasps as I was growing up, that means this is my first viewing. There are surprisingly gorgeous visual moments, specifically involving the whales and a fire near the end of the film. It’s also nice to reconnect with these characters and see them carrying on with their lives, but it is just more of the same from the first movie. Hey, I totally didn’t realize Elvis was Weevil from Veronica Mars, and we have another Michael Madsen sighting people, I repeat, another Michael Madsen sighting.
Wrap-up:
A few good movies this week, a few bad ones, Steven Spielberg let me down something fierce, that’s about it. Oh yeah, movie of the week is Ghost Busters, and that’s about all I have to say this week, see you next time.
Cheers,
Bill
Bill's Movie Emporium 
Ernie Hudson is my favourite part of Ghostbusters. My favourite line from the whole movie is…”If there’s a steady paycheck involved, I’ll believe anything you want.”
I’ve found Ernie Hudson to be good in everything I’ve see him in, very underrated actor.
I’m loving the Ernie Hudson love up in here! *high fives all around*
Dude’s awesome. He’s at least half the reason I rewatched Congo (and I wasn’t disappointed).
Noff, as always, you are succinct and completely correct. 🙂
Speaking of succinct, I’m digging these bite-size reviews. 🙂
Free Willy: I’m with you, part of my growing up as well. For some reason it was the first soundtrack I ever owned (on Cassette). I suppose it must’ve been for that MJ song (although listening to it now youtube, it pains me to admit that). I believe this was also my first encounter with the Madsenian one. I’m glad to hear he was in the sequel, even though I never saw it. “He’s all about being a father”… so true. 🙂
Thanks Noff, I’m glad you’re enjoying the capsule reviews. I figured they were a good way to keep content on the site when I didn’t have the time or the inclination to do full length reviews. So far my readers appear to dig them, and that makes me happy. 🙂
My fiancee still loves that song, but she’s a big MJ nut.:) Madsen is awesome in both of the Free Willy’s, then again, when is he not awesome, right? 🙂
UGH BILL THOMPSON WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? FRONTIER(S) RULES DON’T GO DOWN THAT WORTHLESS IMBECILE BLAIR RUSSELL’S PATH AND EVEN HE ISNT THIS WORTHLESS. GEEZ PEOPLE NEED TO LIGHTEN UP AND STOP BITCHING BECAUSE YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY USELESS AND PATHETIC IF YOU BITCH TOO MUCH. I JUST HATE THESE PEOPLE WHO THINK WANTING TOO MUCH FROM MOVIES IS COOL WHEN IN REALITY IT’S NOT IT’S BULLSHIT. WHO LIKES THESE PEOPLE OH RIGHT NO ONE YOU SON OF A WHORE WHY ARE YOU ONE OF THESE PATHETIC AND USELESS PEOPLE? I WISH PEOPLE DIDN’T WANT SO MUCH FROM MOVIES. I apologize but I have a point and I hope you learn from this.
I’m sorry, I couldn’t understand your point because of all your pathetic bitching.