Park City's Flick Chick by Jill Adler
June 2005 - Lastest Movie Reviews in a Nutshell
High Tension
Film Rating: R
This
French slasher flick fascinated crowds at the 2004 Sundance Film
Festival more for its tribute to 70's American horror films like
Texas Chainsaw Massacre than for its originality or depth. Edgy
and dark, the bloody premise seems simple enough: a girl and her
best friend, on holiday from therir French school, head to the
woods to visit her friend’s family farm while a serial killer
is on the loose. When the brutal killer kidnaps Alex and hucks
her into a non-descript work van, Marie hops in for the ride and
the rescue. Editted down from its NC-17 rating, High Tension
is still gory and full of, yes, tension. As I love horror films,
especially ones with clever twists, I had a blast screaming and
holding my breath at every other moment. Definitely, not for weak
stomachs or children prone to Boogeyman nightmares.
The Longest Yard
Film Rating: PG
No
matter what movie he makes, Adam Sandler's films all feel the
same. Or maybe that's just because Sandler is always the same.
The Longest Yard is no different. Simultaneously charming,
dumb and obnoxious, Sandler plays Paul "Wrecking" Crewe,
a quarterback who gets thrown in a maximum security pen in Texas
for totaling his bee-atch of a girlfriend's convertible while
drunk. Forget subtlety. You won't miss a thing watching this remake
of a much edgier 1974 flick starring Burt Reynolds (who now plays
the team's prehistoric coach). The movie's all about the big finale
where the underdog, pseudo-scary prisoners (played by real ex-football
players and pro-wrestlers) take the football field against the
evil, redneck prison guards for an ESPN televised showdown where
we can all sit on the edge of our seats and cheer like we're watching
a Harlem Globetrotters stunt game. This flick has some laugh-out-loud
moments and a great classic rock soundtrack. Go drunk. You'll
love it.
Madagascar
Film Rating: G
Like
one big, loud kiddie party, Madagacar is full of colorful,
vibrant, goofy critters who want to dance, sing and run wild.
But, really, that's about it. Aside from the obvious lure for
children, this Dreamworks animated movie never quite engages our
hearts like Shrek did. Monty, the flamboyant zebra (Chris
Rock), Alex, the egocentric lion (Ben Stiller), Gloria, the Pillsbury
hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman, the whiney giraffe (David
Schwimmer), escape from NY's Central Park Zoo only to wash up
in paradise without a clue how to behave. The tale is simple and
inherently tragic so I just didn't get into it. (Zoo animals are
depressing, Folks! They can't survive in the wild and they don't
belng in cages to entertain people.) With adult innuendos, though,
you won't hate life taking your kids to see this one. The cadre
of penguins steal every scene and make the 86 minute worth your
$$.
