Phil's Flick Picks

Choose a title to the left to see my movie reviews.

Last updated on: 16NOV00

Stepmom

drama - 4   1998   PG13
Luke (Ed Harris) and Jackie (Susan Sarandon) are divorced parents. Isabelle (Julia Roberts) is Luke's new love. Will she make the grade with the kids? Not if Jackie can help it. However, you never know what life is going to deal you.
Funny, thoughtful, and heartwrenching - this well acted film has a wide range of emotion for you to get caught up in. But it does leave you with one burning question. What is a "snowblower", anyway?

Another Stakeout

Comedy - 4   1993   PG13
With a good script and three actors who have great comedic rapport with one another, make this a delightfully funny film. Their job this time around is to locate a missing protected witness before the bad guys do. Even if you missed "Stakeout", as I did, you'll still enjoy every minute.

Cliffhanger

Action/ Suspense 3   1993
This action packed "no brainer" film will have you on the edge of your seat with some hair raising stunts and spectacular views. This film sports a good plot and a so-so script; a perfect Sly flick. John Lithgow is the man you'll love to hate. He's superb! So don't think about it too hard and wear a sweater. You'll get cold just watching it!

Consenting Adults

Drama - 4   1992
If you find your new neighbor attractive watch this film before you do anything about it! Kevin Kline gets screwed by his new neighbors, in more ways than one, in a sometimes suspenseful - how do we prove who done it?- story.

Dragon

Drama - 5   1993
If you are a Bruce Lee fan or are intrigued by his legacy then this film is a definite must! Chronicling his life from a boy in China through filming "Enter the Dragon". It tells of his obstacles, hardships and hurdles that formed his life. They even delve into the "curse" that has seemingly plagued his family. Well filmed, believable, fight scenes round out this film. If your thinking, "It's just another karate flick", your wrong; this is not a Saturday afternoon low- budget kick flick.

In The Line Of Fire

Action/Suspense - 4   1993
Wanting to assassinate the president, a government trained killer (John Malkovich) decides to involve a secret service agent (Clint Eastwood). Feeling he may be harboring guilt over hesitating when JFK was shot, the killer wants to give him a second chance.

Robin Hood: Men In Tights

Comedy - 2   1993
Not destined to become a classic. Some of the funniest moments were references to other Brooks films. Tracy Altman and the sheriff were the most enjoyable performances in the film. Brooks used his cameo-style to use a few "names", but was unable to tap their talent with the provided scenes as he did in "History of the World". The exception was Dom Delawease who did a fun "Don Corlione" take off.

Sleepless In Seattle

Dramedy - 5   1993
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan star in this wonderful story of heartache, romance. starting over, and finding that special magic of love.

What's Love Got To Do With It

Drama - 2   1993
Based on Tina Turner's book, this film brings to light the trials and tribulations endured by Tina until the '80s. The production brings out the changing styles over the years. Most of the lead acting surpasses a semi-weak script.

Reservoir Dogs

Drama - 3   1992
An interesting, rather violent, bloody look into the planning of a robbery gone bad. Using flashbacks they bring you up to date about the characters amidst the present time post- heist confusion of what went wrong. Not a film for children or those with weak stomachs.

Of Mice And Men

Drama - 4   1992
Once again this Steinbeck classic comes to life. John Malkovich does a wonderful job as Lenny, a great contrast to his role in "In The Line Of Fire". The costumes and settings take you back a generation or two to the days of working farm to farm.

Falling Down

Action/Drama - 3   1993
Ever had one of those days when nothing goes your way? Michael Dougles stars as a man with a problem: How to get across the L.A. suburbs to his estranged daughters birthday- on foot. Starting off bad, his day keeps getting worse and worse. A cop on his last day ties the spree of incidents together.

Honeymoon In Vegas

Comedy - 3   1992
What would you bet if you held an astronomically unbeatable poker hand? Then what would you do if you lost? Nicholas Cage lost more than he could pay James Caan back in a long time. The solution: Give him your girlfriend for the weekend, or several of your bones. The lesson: Don't play more than you can pay! Seeing the Elvis Convention is almost worth the rental by itself.

The Good Son

Drama (R) - 3   1993
Henry (Macaulay Culkin) is a kid who gets away with murder. Mark (Elijah Wood) is the bereaved cousin come to stay during a business trip after his mother's death. Henry seems to get into the normal mischief; until things get out of hand. Mark tries to worn the adults, but to no avail. Wood's performance is quite good, but Culkin's dead-pan acting doesn't quite meet the bill. The adult supporting cast rounds out this suspenseful drama.

Demolition Man

Action/Comedy - 3   1993
A very "blowed'm up real good!" flick with comedy bits of being a man out of his time/ element. Sandra Bullok's "break out role" is in this film as Sly's sidekick. Also, look for local girl, Rosemarie Lagunas from Santa Clara, flipping burgers.

Sommersby

drama - 3   1993
Not an Oscar winner, but there was something about this film that caught my attention. Jody Foster and Richard Gere give heart felt performances as a post Civil War couple trying to reacquaint themselves after his return. However there are some subtle differences that are hard to explain.

Pure Country

drama - 2   1992
George Straight pushes the envelope in his acting debut; he plays a successful country singer! In this rather safe role, "Dusty" gets fed up with the glits and takes an extended, unannounced vacation. The film is rounded out with a good costarring and supporting cast.

Flubber

comedy - 3   1997
This remake of a Disney classic, staring Robin Williams, is great for kids yet still fun for adults. Although, I could have done without the dance scene. The big problem I had with this version was the flubber being portrayed as a sentient life form.

Kiss The Girls

suspense - 5   1997
Morgan Freeman, a police psychologist, and Ashley Judd, an escaped victim, hunt for an abductor of young women in North Carolina. Sideways glances and plot twists keep you guessing as to the villain’s identity.

Event Horizon

sci-fi/thriller - 2   1997
A distress beacon is received seven years after a prototype ship’s disappearance. The film chronicles the bizarre happenings of the rescue crew as they try to unravel the mystery. Laurence Fishburne gives a solid performance as Captain Miller, while Sam Neill’s character’s motives are hard to follow.

As Good As It Gets

dramedy - 4   1997
What happens when you thrust together the lives of a struggling waitress, a gay artist and an anal retentive, neurotic novelist? That is what this film by James L. Brooks is all about. An award winning cast makes this film a delight.

12 Angry Men

drama - 5   1997
From the play of the same name, this film deals with the deliberation of jury members of a murder trial. Should they find the defendant guilty straight away - judging by the surface of the evidence? Or should they dig deeper? Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott head up a powerful cast which also includes Hume Cronyn and Tony Danza.

Dark Prince -
Intimate Tales of Marquis de Sade

drama - 1   1997
The production quality is very high but Nick Mancuso and John Rhys-Davies are the only decent actors in this film. Taking place in the 1780s, it opens with some pans of Renaissance portraits followed by actresses in the same poses. One of the problems with the casting of the women in this film was that they were too thin! Women of the 18th century were plump. You could not count their ribs as you can the actresses'. If you order this flick, I would suggest the nonrated (NR) version. I saw the R rated version and I kept feeling there were moments missing. Guess I was right!

Army Of Darkness

SF/horror/comedy - 3   1992
Bruce Campbell (of Brisco County) stars in this 3rd installment of Evil Dead. Only for those with a strong stomach for a sick sense humor! (Like me)

Dave

comedy - 5   1993
Maybe the way things should be run.
Kevin Kline stars as an impressionist who inadvertently replaces the medically incapacitated President. After a time he tries doing the "right thing" instead of what others see as politicaly sound. Segorny Weaver plays the First Lady.

Hocus Pocus

comedy - 4   1993
Destined to be a Hollow-day classic!

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Sci-Fi - 2   1979
Star Trek's first big screen adventure was over budget and over thought. Having been changed numerous times from TV movie, to TV series, to TV movie, to theatrical release hurt the overall product. As DeForest Kelly said, "They had two films - the live action and the special effects - and tried to marry them."

Of course, it's a must for any true Trekker to own. However, it was an over-attempt to give us something new. As with the first pilot, "The Cage", there was more to the story than we saw on screen. It would have been better to tell more of the story for sake of the SFX, than the opposite.

This also marked the last time Gene Roddenberry had direct control until Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Sci-Fi - 5   1982
Producer Harve Bennett and Director Nick Meyers brought a sense of familiarity to the fans by bringing back the villain Khan from TOS (the original series). It also saw the death of one of it's most beloved characters; Spock. The overall film was excellent. However, there were some details they missed. For instance, Khan's followers were to young to be the group that was exiled with him, and too old to be their children.

Nick Meyers did a "director's cut" for ABC television. He put back in several "moments" which were cut after he walked off the project (for not cutting them). One of the scenes replaced was a "Kirk/McCoy" conversation made famous in TOS. Another was additional footage of the SickBay scene where we are told that the dead Engineering Trainee was Scotty's nephew. Also in that scene is a classic Kirk line to Scotty, "I know your grieving, but can you fix the engines?"

This film created a look and feel that would carry over the Star Trek universe for years. (Though Gene Roddenberry felt it was too militaristic.)

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

Sci-Fi - 3   1984
This marked Leonard Nimoy's directorial debut. It had a much softer feel to it- in the production design as well as some of the characters (most notably David). Most all the characters had a "moment" on screen and there were a few scenes of outstanding acting as well.

This outing, too, saw the death of another of Star Trek's most beloved characters. No, not David, the Enterprise!

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Sci-Fi - 4   1986
This venture finds the shipmates traveling back in time to in search of humpback whales. An unknown probe is destroying Earth's land dwellers while looking for signs of the whales in the 24th century.

This was the first Star Trek film to be a comedy in nature. Like "Shore Leave" it let us see a side of the characters we seldom get to.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Sci-Fi - 2.5   1989
Directed by William Shatner, The Final Frontier was, as the cast put it, "a much more physical" movie. It didn't seem to hit the mark, however. One strike against it was ILM being too busy so they had to use a different effects house.

There was so much to cover in the story it felt a bit shallow. I'm not sure if it's an advantage or a distracter, but it the whole film moved at a fast pace - shifting from one short scene to the next - which didn't give the actors much time to act. I walked out saying, "That was a short one." only to look at my watch to see it had been 2 hours.

This film was the first appearance by David Warner who went on to play other pivotal characters of Star Trek, Chancellor Gorkan in ST VI and the first major Cardassian role.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Sci-Fi - 5   1991
Nick Meyers (ST II director) once again helms the Enterprise into another franchise success. The last adventure for the entire cast was one of, if not the best.

The Klingons have an ecological disaster that they are not prepared to handle. The Enterprise crew is tasked with escorting the Klingon Chancellor to a piece negotiation with the Federation. But there are traders on both sides who fear piece more than each other.

This film was "sequeled" prior to it's release by an appearance by Leonard Nimoy on ST:TNG's 2 parter "Reunification" where Spock makes a slight reference to the incidents at Camp Kitomer. Does the Federation President sounds familiar but you just can't place him? He was the assassin in the first Robo Cop.

Star Trek: Generations

Sci-Fi - 1 (story), 4 (SFX)   1994
One of the worst of all the Star Trek films marks (or mares) the TNG cast's entry to the big screen. It ranks right down there with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Like ST:TMP they relied too much on special effects, which were great, for sake of the story. The story was full of holes and things that didn't make good sense. And why destroy the ship on the first outing!?!

Written by 2 TNG staffers, they seemed to have used their best material for the final television episode. It was far superior to the film.

Star Trek: First Contact

Sci-Fi - 4   1996
Much better than their first attempt. For this film we saw the return of one of TNG's favorite enemies - the Borg. Unable to take over Earth in the present, they travel to the past to stop Earth's "first contact" with aliens.

Though you still need to watch your step around the holes in the plot, it was riveting none the less.

Star Trek: Insurrection

Sci-Fi - 4   1998
Do you blindly follow orders or do you do what's right? This is the choice facing Pickard and his crew.
Some members of Star Fleet have formed an alliance with the So'nar to mine the ring of a planet for it's rejuvination effects. However, it will be at the cost of the planet's inhabitants, the Be'tal. Inside a region of space that blocks outside transmissions, will the Enterprise crew be able to save the Be'tal, and themselves?

Swing Kids

drama - 4   1992
Set in pre-WW2 germany, this story shows how dangerously easy it is to be drawn into something you really don't believe in.

Lorenzo's Oil

drama - 5.5   1993
Emotionally draining, but well worth it! What lengths would you go to for a sick child? This film explores that question in a screenplay based on a true story.

Schindler's List

drama - 5+   1993
A frighteningly realistic look at the plight of the Jews in Poland in the early '40s and the man who saved some of their lives.

Philadelphia

drama - 5   1993
A moving story that will make you think, or rethink. Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington give outstanding performances in this film about being wrongfully fired because of the paranoya surrounding AIDS.

Judge Dredd

sci-fi - 1.5   1995
Sylvester Stalone and Rob Scheider ( the "Makin' cop...pies" guy from SNL) battle the system-gone-wrong in this adaptation from the comics of the same name. It had good FX, but seemed to end too abruptly.

An Awfully Big Adventure

drama - 1   1995
The story centers around a young girl's (Georgina Cates) apprenticeship at a theatre; during which she falls for the director (Hugh Grant) and gets seduced by the lead actor (Alan Rickman). This film is very Britishly dry and should only be rented by people who like such things.

Ed Wood

comedy - 3   1995
Johnny Depp stars in the movie that chronicles the early film making "career" of Edward R. Wood Jr. As you'll see he may not have had what it takes but he never stopped trying. Renting this film is worth it if just to see Martin Landau's multi- award winning performance as Boris Karlov.

First Knight

adventure - 4   1995
Richard Gere, Julia Ormond and Sean Connery round out the leads in this version of the Camelot tale. It doesn't stay "true" to the myth of King Arthur and his court, but its very good tale unto itself.

6 Days, 7 Nights

action/adventure - 4   1998
Harrison Ford and Anne Heche star in this "opposites attract" film. Stranded on a deserted island, being chased by modernday pirates and fighting with each other bring these two otherwise involved hearts together.
I may have given this film a 5, but I subtracted one point for David Schwimmer's "Ross" reenactment.

Sphere

drama/Sci-Fi - 5   1998
Scientists are brought to a remote location to explore a space craft found on the ocean floor. It turns into one of those times where nothing goes as planned. Does an alien devise have a mind of it's own or has it taken over the mind of one of the team. But which one? And for what porpose?
A powerful cast of Hoffman, Stone and Fishborne bring this suspenceful story to life.

Three Kings

action - 2   1999
In this based on fact story, a band of Gulf War soldiers try to take home more than bad memories by stealing gold stolen from Kuate. Of course, the plan does not go as planned. The more time it takes, the more injustice they see, the more they try to help, the less likely they will get home with the gold.

The film touches on the drama of the tragity of war, but doesn't go very deep. It seemed to me they could not deside on a filming style; clear or grainy. This affected my movie going experience.