Category: 1990s

When astronaut Johnny Depp acts strangely after his return from space, his wife Charlize Theron worries about what happened while he was away and what that means for the twins she’s suddenly expecting. The tension feels quite forced as little bread crumbs are dropped throughout and never picked up. I’d hoped for more actual horror from the film and some chemistry between the two leads who are both surprisingly bland. Theron’s character makes stupid decisions throughout and her weird eyebrows are distracting. A more energetic, underused Joe Morton comes in for a short while to pull Theron along the right path, but he quickly disappears and the film is worse for it.   

Paperboy Matthew Lawrence has been kidnapped by witch Debbie Harry who intends to cook him for a dinner party she is hosting. To distract her from her duty, he tells her three tales from a book she had given him. I’d never seen the television show of the same title, but the tales are equally creepy. The special effects are low key and dated but that adds to the charm. The most astounding part of the whole production is the cast, which includes Steve Buscemi, Christian Slater, and Juliane Moore.   

Four long time friends, together working low-paying jobs for a janitorial service, begin robbing banks as an answer to their various financial problems. While the four leads (Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Kimberly Elise, and Vivica A. Fox) are all appealing and have good chemistry between them, the writing lets them down. The story isn’t particularly fresh and the way it is handled feels really dated. It’s overly long and has extended sex scenes for no apparent reason to the plot, though they are beautifully shot. My favorite part remains Queen Latifah’s perfectly dedicated, over-the-top performance who just wants to deck out her car and buy her girlfriend nice things.  

American human rights lawyer Brad Dourif and his partner Frances McDormand document atrocities committed during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. When Dourif and his IRA driver are executed by security forces, McDormand joins police investigator Brian Cox in investigating the deaths. I’m admittedly uneducated with regards to the situation in Northern Ireland, both before during, and after the events from this film. The film doesn’t do a lot to educate on the matter which makes the plot a bit confusing for someone like myself, but the acting is reliably strong and makes up for that.

In the year 2139, much of the planet has become inhabitable and the former justice system has been replaced by Judges who perform the combined duties of the police, judges, juries, and executioners. When Stallone’s Judge Dredd is found guilty of murder, secrets regarding his and his brother’s origin are discovered. There are bits of the film that remind me of another of Stallone’s films that I enjoy: Demolition Man. In those moments, Judge Dredd seems to express its comic book origins, with Armand Assante in particular playing a decent comic villain. The rest of the time, it fades and becomes an uninspired, dull slog that doesn’t take enough advantage of a mostly great cast and intriguing setting. 

Bruce Willis is again working at the NYPD for the third installment of the series. Separated from his wife and suspended from the force, he is forced to team up with shop keeper Samuel L. Jackson in a game of cat and mouse against terrorist Jeremy Irons. It’s not as good as the other films, but still a relatively solid actioner. I miss the Christmas setting, but Jackson is more than capable of partnering with an even more self-important Willis. Irons is a decent villain though the writing of his character is quite weak as is his commitment to a German accent. 

Single mother and college student LisaRaye McCoy begins working at the titular club to pay for her schooling. When her younger cousin Monica Calhoun comes to town, she also begins work there, getting caught in a detrimental lifestyle that threatens to pull them both down. It’s quite the cliched film about adult entertainers with the men almost universally being despicable, performed by the likes of Bernie Mac, Terrence Howard, and director Ice Cube.