Category Archives: 1997

U-Turn - *

Posted on October 3, 1997 by Madeleine Williams

Oliver Stone returns to directing, and for the first time in a while, he tackles a film without any obvious political agendas. U-Turn is a thriller, based on John Ridley’s novel, Stray Dogs. In it, Oliver Stone proves he’s no … Continue reading →

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Kiss the Girls - * * 1/2*

Posted on October 3, 1997 by Madeleine Williams

James Patterson’s novel, Kiss the Girls, is the inspiration for the latest serial-killer-hunter movie. Gary Fleder directs this competent, but somewhat lacking adaptation. Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) is a famous Washington D.C. forensic psychologist. Normally, he tries not to get … Continue reading →

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The Ice Storm - * * *

Posted on September 27, 1997 by Madeleine Williams

In his next film since Sense and Sensibility, director Ang Lee tackles another literary project, though this one is radically different. The Ice Storm is based on the novel by Rick Moody, a snapshot of Thanksgiving weekend, 1973. Ice Storm … Continue reading →

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Soul Food - * * *

Posted on September 26, 1997 by Madeleine Williams

Soul Food is an invigorating drama about a troubled family and their struggles to remain together. With rich characters and believable situations, it makes for a satisfying movie. Soul Food tells the story of Big Mama (Irma P. Hall) and … Continue reading →

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The Peacemaker - * * 1/2*

Posted on September 26, 1997 by Madeleine Williams

The Peacemaker is a by-the-numbers action film. It’s routine and predictable, but the elements fit together for a reason: it’s a fun film to watch. After a shipment of Russian nuclear weapons is hijacked by a disgruntled Russian general Alexsander … Continue reading →

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The Edge - * * *

Posted on September 19, 1997 by Madeleine Williams

Several genres meet at The Edge. At it’s core, it’s a thriller, yet it also has elements of a buddy movie, a wilderness adventure, a monster movie and a character drama. Director Lee Tamahori stitches together all these disparate elements … Continue reading →

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L.A. Confidential - * * * *

Posted on September 19, 1997 by Madeleine Williams

It would be easy to label L.A. Confidential a nineties attempt a film noir, but it doesn’t quite fit. That overeager catagorization does a disservice both to the film and to the genre. Sure, the pulpy film takes place in … Continue reading →

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Wishmaster - 1/2*

Posted on September 19, 1997 by Madeleine Williams

What is the problem with most horror movies today? Out of all mainstream genres, the horror genre has the most horrible production values, bad scripts, and even worse acting. I guess part of the blame lies with its uncaring fan … Continue reading →

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A Thousand Acres - *

Posted on September 19, 1997 by Madeleine Williams

Based on Jane Smiley’s novel, A Thousand Acres pulls out every melodramatic trick in the book, but never establishes a foundation on which to build. The result is about as flimsy and not nearly as interesting as a house of … Continue reading →

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In & Out - * * *

Posted on September 19, 1997 by Madeleine Williams

A man questioning his own sexuality does not seem like the ideal topic for a comedy. But with a good script, and plenty of humor, In & Out tackles this touchy subject matter with aplomb. Howard Brackett is the high … Continue reading →

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