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GALAXY QUEST (***)- the stars of an old television show have to save a race of aliens who thought the show was real. This movie stars Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver, among others. The aliens all look vaguely like Billy Corgan.
GET CARTER (***1/2)-this move was very surprising in that is did not completley suck. It stars Sylvester Stallone as a man named Jack Carter, and his plight to find out who killed his brother. Ok,ok, so the plot is pretty run-of-the-mill. And actually, so is the writing... and the acting... But the one thing that does stand out about this movie is the directing. It's weird, and it's cool, and it's neat to watch. Kind of David Fincher/Guy Ritchie-ish. It's cool. This movie also includes that guy who was in "Goldeneye" and "Eyes Wide Shut". I forget his name, but he always has kind of bit-parts, and he's really, really good. In "Goldeneye" he was the guy who kept saying, "I am invincible!". Anyway, if it weren't for that guy, and the notable direction job by Stephen Kay, this move would be pretty bad. But luckily, it turned out to be pretty good. Worth renting, anyway
GHOTSBUSTERS (****1/2)- one of my all time favorite movies. Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis star as three scientists who loose their jobs and thus become investigators of the paranormal. Sigourney Weaver plays a woman whose refrigerator turns out to be a gateway to an evil dimension, and Rick Morannis is hilarious as her incredibly dorky neighbour. A great movie over all. Very funny. If you haven't seen it already, you should go out and rent it right now. By the way, the "Digitally Remastered" version isn't notably better than the origional.
GHOSTBUSTERS 2 (****)- a very, very good sequel, but not quite as good as the origional. Taking place five years after the first episode, Ghostbusters 2 follows our four heros on yet another adventure battling paranormal evil in New York City. It's a little scarier than the first one, but still just as funny. I only have two problems with this movie; the first one has to do with the guy who plays the mayor's assistant... he's just too whiny, and too much of a character. I mean, it's all right, but he's obviously playing a part. Maybe this is too picky, I don't know. Anyway, my second problem is with the character of Winston Zedmore, the "black" Ghostbuster. He's very obviously just a token character stuck in there to make the movie more politically correct. He has no real part in the Ghostbusting team. I mean, this was a problem in the first movie, too, but it's much more obvious in this one. He's not even on the cover of the video! Come on! So, I think they could have disguised this a little better, but other than those two nitpicky things, the movie is very good.
GHOST DOG: WAY OF THE SAMURAI (**1/2)-the tragic thing about this movie is that at its base is a really cool idea: a modern day assasain who lives by the ancient code of the Samurai. However, the writing, acting and general ambiance of the film are so mediocre that it reduces the idea to little more than a somewhat confusing film about the mafia. Strange characters (such as a French ice cream salesman and a mafioso who moo's) create some humor, but it is the kind of stuff that just makes you say, "What???" and then move on. A lot of odd things in the script remain completley unexplained (example: at one point the French guy takes Ghost Dog to an apartment building where they look down and see a Spanish-speaking man constructing a large boat on his roof. They exchange a few words, and then Ghost Dog leaves. Neither the boat nor the Spansish-speaking man are ever seen again). Also, there are many long scenes of Ghost Dog simply driving around while music plays. They serve, as far as I can tell, no purpose whatsoever. But enough about what I didn't like. The wise-sounding quotes interspersed throught the film are pretty cool, as is the idea that you could still use messenger-pigeons in this day and age. Overall, I can't say that I'd reccomend "Ghost Dog", but I certainly didn't hate it either.
GHOST WORLD (****)- Thora Birch, who you probably remember from “American Beauty”, stars in this hilarious, touching movie about three social outcasts living in an increasingly commercialized world. The other two outcasts are Scarlett Johannsen, who I can’t remember seeing before, but is really good, and steve Buscemi, who I do remember seeing before, and is always really good. The plot follows two recent high school graduates (Birch and Johannen) as they begin drifting into the world of adulthood, and, simotaneously, apart from eachother. They meet a sad, sad man named Seymore (Buscemi) who loves collecting records, but hates just about everything else. Sounds hilarious, huh? No, but really, it is quite funny, thanks in large part to the numerous weird and wacky characters sprinkled liberally throught the movie (my favorites are the nunchuck master at the Quick Stop, and the new-age art teacher). Ghost World also looks great, visually, due to the bright, colorful costumes and sets. The movie is set in an “Anywhere USA” kind of town, which is portrayed so honestly it makes me cringe to think about the future of this nation. My only real problem with the movie (and it’s a big one) is that it seems to lose it’s focous about half-way through. In the beginning, we are delighted by the set-up of these two wonderfully sarcastic girls, and the introduction of their many odd classmates and aquaintences, but then it kind of tapers off, turning into more of a drama than anything else. It’s fine with me to have drama and comedy in the same movie (indeed, all the great movies do) but when something starts out as pure comedy, and then swithches to a quasi-drama, it’s disoncerting. In all, though, I would definatley suggest this movie, despite the faults of the plot, because there are so many other wonderful aspects about it. Also notable is that this movie is based on a comic book which I have never read, but would like to.
GO (****1/2)- a very good movie, if I do say so myself. It's kind of like Pulp Fiction for a younger crowd. The plot and characters are very interesting, and most of the acting isn't bad. It has that one guy from the show "Action". Does anyone remember that show? It was only on for a little while, but it was good. Anyway, "Go" is good too, and you should see it.
GODZILLA 2000 (*1/2)- this is one of those movies wich is both so great and so terrible at the same time. It's great because it's entertaining and hilarious, and it's terrible because it's poorly written, poorly dubbed, poorly made, and poorly everything else. I personally really enjoyed the film, but that dosen't mean it's good. In "Godzilla 2000" Godzilla has to fight a giant silver bicycle seat from outer space. But wait! It's not really a bicycle seat! To find out what happens, you'll just have to watch the movie. Also, contradictory to what the trailer for this movie might imply, it does NOT include that one Kid Rock song.
THE GRADUATE (***1/2)- yet another "classic" movie which I didn't really like all that much. Dustin Hoffman plays a guy who just graduated from college and comes back home to live with his parents for a little while. He ends up having an affair with the seductive Mrs. Robison (a friend of his parents) and then falling in love with her daughter. It's a good story, and the acting isn't half bad, but I don't know... I just didn't think it was all that great. You can tell that Dustin Hoffman and his girlfriend probably won't have a very good relationship because he's such a whacko. My favorite part of this movie was near the end where Dustin Hoffman fends off angry family members with a giant crucifix. It was pretty funny.
GROSSE POINT BLANK (****)- this is one of my favorite movies, starring one of my favorite actors. John Cusack plays a professional killer who ends up going to his ten year high school reunion and meeting up with his old girlfriend. One of the few movies I have seen that mixes action, comedy and romace very successfully. Also notable is the awesome soundtrack which features such bands as The Clash and Violen Femmes. Check it out.
get out of here