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1999 Winter Video Roundups, Vol. II

12/31/99

Folks-- 

Continuing the periodical reviews of films that I catch on video/DVD, here are five more selections for you to enjoy.  Happy holidays!

"The Apostle" 

My cousin, Ron "The Law" Webster, recommended that I catch this movie, and I had wanted to see it anyway since Robert Duvall wrote, starred in, and directed this movie last year.  Duvall was nominated for an Oscar for his role as a preacher that lets his anger get out of control on one chance occasion and it changes his life forever.  Duvall is very, very, very good in this movie as an aging preacher that helps a small town in the South build a church and its faith before eventually meeting his true fate with God by the end of the film.  I found myself getting caught up in Duvall's preacher's sermons, which come intermittently throughout the film.  This is as close as I've ever seen a white person get to portraying the energy of some of the more lively black ceremonies in the South, and that Duvall does these scenes so well is a testament to why many in Hollywood think that Duvall is the greatest actor of all time.  Not the quickest pace in a movie that I've seen, but if you can get over that (and a very weak performance by Billy Bob Thornton), this film is highly recommended, whether you consider yourself spiritual or not.

Rating:  Opening Weekend

"G4: Option Zero"

This was one of those films that sparked my interest because it is a Hong Kong action film that incorporates SWAT-team tactics into its mix.  The plot for this movie made so little sense to me that I don't want to even spend the time now to go through what the five-person special forces unit goes through during the course of its missions.  But, Chuck and I watched the first hour before falling asleep, and then I soldiered on and watched the second hour, and there is a really great scene where one of the agents' girlfriend sneaks up on the agent all cute like...and the agent wheels around and pimp-slaps her across the chin before realizing that she's not an intruder.  His reaction was flat-out hilarious!  Anyway, good action in the second hour, but a mostly forgettable film.

Rating:  Rental

"Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" 

Many of you may have heard of or seen this British import from 1998, the story of four twenty-somethings that, after losing a half million pounds in a gambling setup, need to somehow make the money back and give it to the local crime boss--Hatchet Harry--in seven days or they will start losing fingers.  "Pulp Fiction" is written all over this movie, but it didn't matter to me because the characters in this movie are great.  Sure, you've got your random violence, profanity-laced tirades, bloody shootouts, and double crosses out the wazoo.  But it all worked in this movie, and the soundtrack is awesome.  Definitely check this one out...it caught me by surprise.  And hey, Sting is in this movie...Sting, man!

Rating:  $9.50 Show 

"Friday" 

I had already seen parts of this movie, but I don't think I have ever seen this movie all the way through.  I wanted to get ready for "Next Friday", which opens next week, so I decided to rent the DVD and get in the Friday mood.  Since many of you have already seen this, I don't have to tell you that I laughed my ass off for just about the entire 95 minutes of this movie.  Ice Cube's dad in this movie is friggin' hilarious!  Chris Tucker, as Smokey...he's not in the next movie (he's gotten too big to do this type of comedy, apparently), but he is so good in this one..."you know this!"  The supporting cast is huge, but almost all of them get to say something funny.  I was trying to think of what was my favorite scene, but there are a couple:  when Craig's dad comes out of the  bathroom ("Now, don't none of y'all go in there for another 35, 45 minutes!"), or when the Janet Jackson "look-alike" shows up to meet Smokey ("Don't you ever, Ever, EVER come over here again!").  Also, the DVD has seven scenes that did not make the final cut of the movie, and one of the scenes, when Craig is making Kool Aid for Smokey, includes a scene where Craig and Smokey decide to make sugar sandwiches that is just real damn funny.  If you've got DVD, you should check this one out again!

Rating:  Opening Weekend 

"City of War" 

Once again, I dipped into the Chow Yun-Fat pool and came up with this 1987 thriller about two buddy cops that are trying to take down a just-released-from-prison triad head in Hong Kong.  Chow actually was nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award--the Hong Kong equivalent of the Oscars--for his role in this movie, and he is pretty good, playing a police interrogator that spends half of the film trying to win the heart of a nightclub siren named Penny.  In the other half, he's playing Chow Yun-Fat again, killing bad guys left and right like the mega action star that he is!  In 1987 and 1988, chow made 22 movies.  Twenty-two movies!!  Most actors don't make that many movies in their whole career!  The Asian film market is really amazing...they must make movies in two or three weeks, tops...really incredible.  Anyway, the action here is fairly decent, but the real show here is Chow, spouting off at the police chief, dancing at a nightclub, double-fisting with abandon.  Without question, my favorite actor ever!

Rating:  $9.50 Show

 

Comments?  Drop me a line at justin@bellviewmovies.com.

 

Bellview Rating System:

"Opening Weekend":  This is the highest rating a movie can receive.  Reserved for movies that exhibit the highest level of acting, plot, character development, setting...or Salma Hayek.  Not necessarily in that order. 

"$X.XX Show":  This price changes each year due to the inflation of movie prices; currently, it is the $9.50 Show.  While not technically perfect, this is a movie that will still entertain you at a very high level.  "Undercover Brother" falls into this category; it's no "Casablanca", but you'll have a great time watching.  The $9.50 Show won't win any Oscars, but you'll be quoting lines from the thing for ages (see "Office Space"). 

"Matinee":  An average movie that merits no more than a $6.50 viewing at your local theater.  Seeing it for less than $9.50 will make you feel a lot better about yourself.  A movie like "Blue Crush" fits this category; you leave the theater saying "That wasn't too bad...man, did you see that Lakers game last night?" 

"Rental":  This rating indicates a movie that you see in the previews and say to your friend, "I'll be sure to miss that one."  Mostly forgettable, you couldn't lose too much by going to Hollywood Video and paying $3 to watch it with your sig other, but you would only do that if the video store was out of copies of "Ronin."  If you can, see this movie for free.  This is what your TV Guide would give "one and a half stars." 

"Hard Vice":  This rating is the bottom of the barrel.  A movie that only six other human beings have witnessed, this is the worst movie I have ever seen.  A Shannon Tweed "thriller," it is so bad as to be funny during almost every one of its 84 minutes, and includes the worst ending ever put into a movie.  Marginally worse than "Cabin Boy", "The Avengers" or "Leonard, Part 6", this rating means that you should avoid this movie at all costs, or no costs, EVEN IF YOU CAN SEE IT FOR FREE!  (Warning:  strong profanity will be used in all reviews of "Hard Vice"-rated movies.)