Category Archives: Movie Reviews

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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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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Message in a Bottle - * * 1/2*

Posted on January 30, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Is it possible for someone to love too much? Is being overly romantic a severe character flaw? Those are a few questions posed by Message in a Bottle, an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ romantic novel. It is schlocky and disposable … Continue reading →

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She’s All That - * * 1/2*

Posted on January 29, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

The teen comedy traditionally comes in two flavors: cynical or saccharine. She’s All That is a film of the latter variety. It’s simple, straightforward and ultimately pleasing. Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) has it made. He’s the class president, the … Continue reading →

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Gloria - * *

Posted on January 22, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Gloria is a remake of the 1980 John Cassavettes drama about a streetwise woman who ends up protecting a child from the mob. A good lead performance keeps this otherwise sluggish film from becoming a disaster, but it’s a mild … Continue reading →

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Virus - 1/2*

Posted on January 15, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

You always have to be careful with the initial releases of any calendar year. January is a traditional dumping ground in which the studios release films that they don’t believe are good enough to even merit a shot at getting … Continue reading →

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In Dreams - * 1/2*

Posted on January 15, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Director Neil Jordan takes a gamble and fails with his latest movie, In Dreams. He assembles a talented cast, and combines it with some superb camera work. But then he applies these paints to a fragmented and nonsensical story. Can … Continue reading →

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At First Sight - * * 1/2*

Posted on January 9, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Oliver Sacks’ story To See and Not See, a true account regarding restoring sight to the blind must have seemed like the perfect idea for a movie. Not only does an actor get to stretch his chops as a blind … Continue reading →

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