Author Archives: Madeleine Williams

Analyze This - * * *

Posted on February 20, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Analyze This at first seems like the perfect example of a high concept comedy, able to be summarized in a mere sentence fragment: mob boss seeks therapy. But, on further analysis, the movie proves to be atypical. It’s actually funny. … Continue reading →

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Jawbreaker - *

Posted on February 19, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

The high school comedy seems to be a hot genre of the moment. With She’s All That and Varsity Blues behind us, and several more set for release later in the year, the teen comedy seems to be experiencing its … Continue reading →

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Office Space - * * *

Posted on February 13, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

It was only a matter of time before a Dilbert-esque office comedy hit the screens. However, rather than coming from Dilbert creator Scott Adams, Office Space is instead based on the work of another animator, Mike Judge, creator of Beavis … Continue reading →

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The Whole Nine Yards - * * 1/2*

Posted on February 12, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Jonathan Lynn directs this comedy from Mitchell Kapner’s script. Bruce Willis stars as mobster Jimmy “The Tulip”, who enters the witness protection program. When his suburban neighbors learn of his identity, they are unwittingly seduced by the life of organized … Continue reading →

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My Favorite Martian - 1/2*

Posted on February 12, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Another day, another nostalgic sitcom movie adaptation. But, with My Favorite Martian, Hollywood is truly scraping the bottom of the barrel. (Well, one could argue that the barrel scraping started with Car 54, Where Are You? and McHale’s Navy, but … Continue reading →

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Blast From the Past - *

Posted on February 12, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Blast From the Past is a cute one-joke comedy, without the cuteness. Its elaborate premise quickly gets wearisome, and the few amusing moments sprinkled here and there are well short of the amount needed to carry this lump of a … Continue reading →

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The King and I - * 1/2*

Posted on February 10, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

The King and I at first seems like simply an animated adaptation of the Broadway musical. But, upon closer inspection, it is a actually only partially an adaptation, mixing in new “kid-friendly” (and very familiar) characters and subplots. Unfortunately, the … Continue reading →

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Academy Award Nominations and Commentary

Posted on February 9, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

The 1998 Academy Award Nominations were announced this morning. I have included them here, along with my predictions and comments. Best Picture Elizabeth Life is Beautiful Shakespeare in Love Saving Private Ryan The Thin Red Line The top category comes … Continue reading →

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October Sky - * * * 1/2*

Posted on February 6, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

October Sky is a rare oddity in cinema: a self-proclaimed “uplifting” film that is actually uplifting! Based on the autobiographical book by Homer Hickam, Rocket Boys, October Sky tells the struggle of four boys reaching for their dream. It’s 1957, … Continue reading →

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Payback - * * 1/2*

Posted on February 5, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Mel Gibson takes on his most unsympathetic role yet in the action thriller, Payback. Based on Richard Stark’s novel, The Hunter, previously shot in 1967 as the Lee Marvin thriller Point Blank, Payback tells the tale of a bad guy … Continue reading →

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