Reviews
Every good film deserves another take
Wall Street
I must confess an affinity for business movies and that has stayed with me through the years. “Wall Street” was really my first. Oliver Stone make personal films. He fought in Vietnam, so he makes “Platoon,” “JFK,” and “Nixon.” His father was a stock...
Beverly Hills Cop
There was a time when Eddie Murphy was the single most talented new force in film. Although not my absolute favorite Eddie Murphy film, “Beverly Hills Cop” remains a great example of a film that is absolutely nothing without its star. As the story goes, “Beverly Hills...
…And Justice For All
I sometimes get into an argument with myself if this is a Norman Jewison film or Al Pacino film. It’s not a Barry Levinson film, although he shared an Oscar nomination for the screenplay. The script isn’t the best thing about this film. It’s not even in the top...
Moonstruck
This is one of those films that you’d think would have a pretty select audience. I grew up with and around Italians in Philadelphia where every discussion was at a dinner table, everything was debated at a higher decibel level than average, and someone was making some...
Hero At Large
Ever see a movie that looks, feels, and sounds like a TV show even though you’re sitting in the theater? That’s Hero at Large. A director who, despite directing “Lords of Flatbush” which launched Sylvester Stallone, Henry Winkler and Perry King, spent most of...
Jaws 2
The original Jaws is generally recognized as an amazing film that basically created the summer blockbuster movie model. Summertime was not traditionally the time for audiences to stay indoors to watch movies, and Jaws changed that. The Jaws sequels don’t have any...
Rob Roy
“Braveheart” got the attention but “Rob Roy” deserved more. I don’t think there is a better swashbuckler with smarter, dry and wittier dialogue than Rob Roy. Oddly, the best dialogue is with the supporting cast. This historical dramatization of the real...
Kramer vs. Kramer
Dustin Hoffman isn’t just an actor. When he works, the film becomes all encompassing, and in the 1970s he was on a roll. He wouldn’t just play a part. He studies the part. He fights over scenes. He rewrites scripts. He does...
An American Werewolf in London
I don’t think John Landis can do straight horror, but this is probably the closest he ever came to doing so. “An American Werewolf in London” brought scenes of comedy mixed with the macabre. Heck, some of the scenes are so hyperviolent I’m surprised they passed...