1999: Movies Sorted By Tier
Submitted by stooky on Sat, 05/22/2004 - 10:59
Tags:
- Great
- All About My Mother
- American Beauty
- American Movie
- An Autumn Tale
- Being John Malkovich
- Cradle Will Rock
- The Dreamlife Of Angels
- Fight Club
- Princess Mononoke
- Rosetta
- Run Lola Run
- The Sixth Sense
- Topsy Turvy
- Toy Story 2
- The War Zone
- Very Good
- 42 Up
- Bowfinger
- Boys Don't Cry
- Bringing Out The Dead
- Cookie's Fortune
- Election
- Go!
- The Insider
- The Iron Giant
- King Of Masks
- Last Night
- The Legend Of 1900
- The Limey
- Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels
- The Lovers Of The Arctic Circle
- Magnolia
- South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
- The Straight Story
- The Talented Mr. Ripley
- Three Kings
- Titus
- Trekkies
- Good
- The 13th Warrior
- The Blair Witch Project
- Buena Vista Social Club
- The Cider House Rules
- Deep Blue Sea
- Eyes Wide Shut
- Felicia's Journey
- Galaxy Quest
- The Green Mile
- Holy Smoke
- The Ideal Husband
- The Impostors (1999)
- **Stanly Tucci directs this manic recreation of early Hollywood slapstick comedy; the kind where characters rush through halls and seem balanced on the edge of hysteria half the movie. The film tends to be stilted and episodic in execution, spurning the grace shown in such delights as Top Hat or The Awful Truth, but that has little affect on the uproarious humour, which inflicted some hearty belly laughs on this viewer. A prime example being our two unemployed actors plying their trade upon a jovial baker and their attempts at a good-cop/bad-cop routine that at first back-fires and then works a little too well. The genius of these moments is due solely to Tucci and Platt, both are fabulously clever and share great chemistry and together they create thirty minutes of rampant comedic genius, every episode in their quest for food is light, infectious humour. The problem comes with the introduction of the boat and a larger cast of actors, many of whom give such bizarre, funny performances that they negatively impact their scenes by drawing too much attention. The real problem with this type of acting comes when a dud episode is delivered, it accentuates the lack of humour and, in effect, creates a lumpy film. Basically it comes down to this: the actors, script, sets, costumes, etc. are great and Tucci’s direction is miserably bad. The Impostors is a very funny film that I would have loved to have loved more; I hate it when that happens.
- Limbo
- Mansfield Park
- Mumford
- The Mummy
- Mystery Men
- October Sky
- Office Space
- **Lately I've been rewatching movies, putting off getting off my butt and feeling the pangs of a lingering cold, and yet they don't suprise me. My memory in most of these cases was pretty clear, here again is a film that could be a hell of a lot better. The dialogue is funny and the opening 30 minutes are classic, but the fun slowly drifts away as the "intrigue" begins. A loss of focus after the "photocopy beating" could be the cause. The film seems to be ramming a lot of plot into 35 minutes and it shows. Too bad Mike Judge didn't take the time to make the second half as brilliantly sarcastic as the first.
- Perfect Blue
- Sleepy Hollow
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
- Still Crazy
- Thomas Crown Affair
- Tour Truffaut
- Tumbleweeds
- Guilty Pleasures
- 10 Things I Hate About You
- Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo
- Lake Placid
- The Minus Man
- Average
- 200 Cigarettes
- American Pie
- Analyze This
- Anywhere But Here
- Babar: The King Of Elephants
- Bandits
- The Corruptor
- Double Jeopardy
- Doug's First Movie
- The Emperor And The Assassin
- God Said, "Ha!"
- Happy, Texas
- Hideous Kinky
- The Hurricane
- Liberty Heights
- Light It Up
- The Love Letter
- The Lovers On The Bridge
- My Life So Far
- Notting Hill
- SLC Punk!
- Straight From The Heart
- Stuart Little
- Sweet And Lowdown
- Tarzan
- Three Seasons
- Twin Falls Idaho
- The Wood
- The World Is Not Enough
- Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl
- Disappointing
- Agnes Brown
- Anna And The King
- Any Given Sunday
- Arlington Road
- At First Sight
- Best Laid Plans
- Black Mask
- Blood, Guts, Bullets & Octane
- The Bone Collector
- The Boys
- The Boys In The Band
- Brokedown Palace
- The Deep End Of The Ocean
- Desert Blue
- Dogma
- Dog Park
- EDtv
- The End Of The Affair
- eXistenZ
- For Love Of The Game
- Girl, Interrupted (thank god for eye candy or this would be "The Big Stink")
- Grizzly Falls
- Guinevere
- Idle Hands
- In Dreams
- Jawbreaker
- Just The Ticket
- Love Stinks
- Man In The Moon
- A Map Of The World
- Message In A Bottle
- Metroland (middle age friendly)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Mod Squad
- The Muse
- Music Of The Heart
- Never Been Kissed
- The Other Sister
- Payback
- Random Hearts
- Ravenous
- Runaway Bride
- She's All That
- Simply Irresitible
- Snow Falling On Cedars
- Stir Of Echoes
- Summer Of Sam
- Sunshine
- Superstar
- Tango
- Tea With Mussolini
- The Thirteenth Floor
- True Crime
- Varsity Blues
- A Walk On The Moon
- The Winslow Boy
- Cellar Dwellers
- 20 Dates
- 8MM
- The Astronaut's Wife
- Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
- Muppets From Space
- Bicentennial Man
- Big Daddy
- Blue Streak
- Carrie 2: The Rage
- The Castle
- Chill Factor
- Cruel Intentions
- Detroit Rock City
- Dick
- End Of Days
- Entrapment
- Forces Of Nature
- The General's Daughter
- Gloria
- The Haunting
- House On Haunted Hill
- Instinct
- Life
- Lost And Found
- The Messenger: The Story (ha!) Of Joan Of Arc
- Mickey Blue Eyes
- My Favorite Martian
- Mystery, Alaska
- New Rose Hotel
- Outside Providence
- Play It To The Bone
- Pushing Tin
- Stigmata
- The Story Of Us
- Teaching Mrs. Tingle
- Twin Dragons
- Universal Soldier II
- The Big Stink
- Baby Geniuses
- Bats
- Breakfast Of Champions
- Galapagos
- Virus
- Wing Commander
- Unfortunately Haven’t Seen
- Beyond The Mat
- Cabaret Balkan
- Children Of Heaven
- The City (La Ciudad)
- Genghis Blues
- The Harmonists
- Joe The King
- The Last Days
- Mr. Death
- My Name Is Joe
Cloned From:
hhhmm everybody seems to like TOY STORY 2 loads, loads more than no.1 but i just cant see why.
it was good but it was a hell of alot like the first one.
Toy Story: Woody has to tell buzz he's not a space guy
Toy Story 2: Buzz has to tell woody he's not a collectors item,after he gets caught up with it all.
BOTH: They have to find eachother & get taken away from andy.
im not saying that no.2 isnt good im just saying its the same! lol ok.
well bb Stooky mate-From A Movie Fan (Andy)
I have a hard time picking a favorite of the two, put TS2 does arguably have more poignancy, as it deals with kids growing up and putting aside their toys, which has more resonance for many (I think) than a toy learning he's not really a spaceman (although Buzz trying to fly out the window is pretty heartbreaking).
I think the reason I like TS2: Judgement Day (snicker snicker) better is:
The film clears up the tentative quality the first one ellicited. It's got a clearer story-line and a quicker, probably more imaginative visual quality.
The second film, in my opinion, is about friendship as well as betrayal. The motivations are far more complicated. And for an animated film that's a triumph. Plus I just had more goofy fun, popcorn and jujubes are good together.
Tallyho
:?)
Stooky, Its me A Movie Fan, but ive changed my name to 'Rushmore' because its short anad easier to say :)
so all of my responses to your prev.posts have changed to 'Rushmore'.
so bb form Rushmore (A movie Fan..aka Andy :)
response in 1997. Time Travel is weird and psychedelic. Whoohoo. J/k but, when will I ever get the chance to type that again.
Tallyho
:?)
Being John Malkovich - fine metaphysical fantasy, proficient puppetry, amusing to see actors playing them(fantasy)selves.
Toy Story 2 - proof that sequels can be as good if not better than quels.
The Insider - yawn, I fell asleep.
Mystery Men is funny.
You don't like The Bone Collector? Hmmmm. Angelina Jolie's in it...huh?...huh?...huh?
Struggling to believe you didn't like Sleepy Hollow. This is the Tim Burton SH?
Sense of humour is such a tricky thing. I love the Austin Powers movies.
So tell me how you feel about Robin Williams in general. Bicentennial Man is pretty damn good in my book.
I too must struggle with Sleepy Hollow disbelief. I was pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed, and think it ranks right up there with Burton's best.
I just misplaced it, this was before I started using word to type out the years and I'm finding quite a few out of place. A big woops. :%D
T'ho
:?)
Whew! That's a relief.
More answers later, I'm on the run.
T...
:?)
Agreed. It's an abstract movie in every possible way and yet remains exciting and entertaining. A real coup de tete for indie film.
Toy Story 2 is the best better sequel I've ever seen (yeah I know The Godfather p2 but it's not). I enjoyed everything more the second time around.
I was too wrapped up in the intense tense tension of the whole thing to be bored. But not much really happened, a great suspense movie whose tension comes from what you might expect to happen. The looming fear factor. Many people have the same problem with Don't Look Now which shares many of the same qualities.
It is, me and a friend were discussing this film just the other day.
"I can shovel better than most people! I dig...real well!" Hilarious stuff. I think I'll move it up to good just because of the classic one liners.
Angelina Jolie's a hottie hottimungous (latin) but she can't save this bewilderingly bland and predictable dork-fest. Denzel IS BORING (how did the director manage that). Seriously though, The Bone Collector what's next The Pinky Procurer, The Eyeball Elliciter, The Pecker Picker. :?)
Indeed, to my defense I must say I watched AP:TSWSM the same night I watched American Movie and that film just killed Austin, for me anyway. I liked Goldmember though. :?)
Robin Williams:
Pre Mrs. Doubtfire - "The hairy little man is so funny I just crapped my pants!"
Post Mrs. Doubtfire - "Shave your hair you feel good b*****d!"
Look to a post in an old list for the answer.
T'ho
:?)
I've just been in touch with The Guild of Film Reviewers, and it's official: not liking the title of a film doesn't count as a demerit against it ;-)
Well-written review. Which was the dud episode?
One would be Marco cornering the two stowaways and (sorta) shooting Arthur, it's really hammy and brings a halt to the entire movie. 2) would be the main ball sequence when Maurice dances with John Cleese's character (can't remember the name), it's not exactly amazing visual farce but luckily the remaining scene is saved by Hope Davis & Tony Shalhoub in their great parts. Everything involving the captain and the queen is awful and unfunny, which is strange considering Rosellini's wild acting tangents as well as her counterpart (or maybe because of), it should've been left to the cutting room floor.
There are a few more but they're minor, I did like the film though and I'd reccomend it to other people as a funny modern screwball comedy.
T'ho
:?)
Interesting. Marco is one of the highlights of the film for me, especially when he's trying to propose to Lily and he takes time out of being hysterical and high-strung to, in perfect sync with Lily, stare in bemused horror at Campbell Scott and turn away. Great stuff.
Um, stook? John Cleese wasn't in the movie. Are you thinking of when Maurice is dancing with Billy Connolly? I thought that was well-done too. In contrast, I found Tony Shalhoub to easily be the weakest player in the cast. A little surprising given his other work, but I felt like the other players more than made up for him and Isabella Rosselini.
So at least we're in agreement about the queen.
You're right, it wasn't John Cleese! Twas Billy Connolly (John Cleese lookalike with that facial hair) after all, I bet John Cleese would be happy if you told him "I thought you were really good in The Imposters." Anyway, I thought he was great in the rest of the film (especially when talking to Maurice about Greece and making him a man; that entire speech is priceless), it's just that scene that falls flat, although to be fare he isn't given much to do.
We can also agree that Lili Taylor was great, and Alfred Molina's performance was a stroke of genius.
You didn't like Shalhoub, well to each their own I guess, I thought his ever increasing maniacal hysteria was funny as hell.
Another great scene: Marco & Lili are attempting to talk about love and Meistrich keeps on sneeking up on them.
Marco's character seemed too slight for me to invest any attention in, I just found myself not caring what he did.
Lili Taylor rocks...I just thought that needed to be said.
T'ho
:?)
Years after watching that movie, barking "Excellent!" in just that Meistrich way when the time seems right is still a verbal tic I am unable to shake. I don't know how my wife tolerates me.
Another lover of The Imposters I presume, I had no idea there was such a fan-base.
:?\ <---stook sympathizing with Jim's wife ;?)
T'ho
:?)
Actually, I couldn't agree with your review more. But I did love that German dude.
"EXCELLENT!" (snicker)
T'ho
:?)