Michael-J.-Fox Movie Reviews

Julie Andrews portrays British musical theatre star Gertrude Lawrence in "Star!" (1968). Because it was crafted by the same team responsible for "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music," most notably director Robert Wise and producer Saul Chaplin, great things were expected of "Star!" Dismissed by most critics and overshadowed by Barbra Streisand's "Funny Girl," released the very same year, "Star!" is a wonderful movie musical soley due to the performance of Julie Andrews, who delivers a stunning, tour-de-force. Andrews performs a dozen major musical numbers, ranging from seedy music halls circa WWI to Lawrence's stage triumph in the Kurt Weill-Ira Gershwin musical play "Lady in the Dark" in 1941. The score represents some of the best of the Gershwins, Cole Porter, and Noel Coward, the latter winningly played by Coward's godson, Daniel Massey. His performance alone is reason enough to watch the film. However, it the skilled, winning performance of Julie Andrews that makes this long (3 hours) musical biography worth watching. Julie not only sings but dances and acts to perfection, displaying ample versatility. This film would be most appealing to those who love Julie Andrews and the by-gone era of the musical theatre between the two world wars. The film suffers from being somewhat overblown and poorly paced - the thin screenplay gives the viewer little or no insight into what made Gertrude Lawrence really tick, but Julie Andrews delievers the goods - and then some.

Released in 1968, it...well.. it flopped. I think it was because fans of The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins did not like seeing Julie in this kind of role, which is unfortunate. Star! is my favorite movie, and as the back of the video says, it is Julie in a dazzling tour de force. The songs are great, a number of them were written by the Gershwins, Noel Coward, and Cole Porter. Julie should have won the Academy Award for her portrayal of Gertrude Lawrence, she shows great versatility, and is witty and bitchy and just wonderful to watch. If you are a fan of Julie's or the musical theatre, you simply must watch it, at least once. (I personally have watched it 9 times since May.) If you would like to discuss it, feel free to email me, i would love to chat with you. [email address]

This is a wonderful movie and one of my favourites. I was not born when this movie was released but how on earth did it do so badly when films sutch as Hello Dolly!(Boring) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang(pale imitation of Mary Poppins) were doing so well!
When i first saw this i had just watched Thoroughly Modern Millie and thought the world of Julie Andrews and so when i saw this film, really dedicated to her and not just to Gertrude Lawrence(i thought she lived a rather boring life and didn't sing very well)i thought it was smashing. She looks amazing in this and acts her heart out and although the rest of the cast were a bit cardboard (excluding Daniel Massey from that, he WAS Noal Coward in this) there was still Julie belting out some fantastic numbers. I love the idea of how nasty Julie performed the London singer. It showed her versatility and i always thought there was another side to Mary Poppins!

"Little Secrets" stars Evan Rachel Wood from the television series "Once And Again" as Emily, a young teenage violinist who hopes to have a successful music career. While her friends are away at summer camp, Emily becomes a secret keeper. Children who are several years younger than her pay her to listen to their secrets and Emily is very good at keeping a secret. She knew she could do it when she was very young and decided it would be a very marketable skill. Emily also offers advice about maintaining the secret to the children. When a new family arrive, Emily finds a very close friend and a potential love interest. Of course with friendships and potential relationships come complications, and Emily eventually learns that "to be close to someone you can't keep secrets from them". Throughout the story, Emily is very good at keeping other people's secrets, but underneath it all she is hiding a big secret all of her own, and that secret is... sorry- it's a secret!

When I first put on this DVD I had high expectations. I was expecting something very special like the movie "A Little Princess". However what I got seemed a lot more like "The Babysitter's Club". In saying that though, although not being a masterpiece, "Little Secrets" was not a bad movie. I have since watched it several more times and the movie is now growing on me. In fact I rented the movie first before buying it. And also, I'm definitely sure we're gonna be hearing more great things about Evan Rachel Wood.

The DVD features a Commentary by writer and director, a short Making-of featurette and a Blooper reel that is actually quite funny. The real bonus here though is an Exclusive soundtrack CD, which you'd be very surprised to find on a fairly minor release such as this.

"Little Secrets" is a nice little discovery. Now here's the dilemma: do you tell your friends? Or do you keep it a secret?

Even Blair Treu's by-the-numbers-disney-channel style directing can't ruin Jessica Barondes delightful and insightful story about a talented and sensitive young girl learning the price of keeping secrets. The other big pluses in this movie are its stars, the sublime evan rachel wood and the appealing Michael Angarano, who I think are two of the best young actors around. Other reviews tell the story, I'm just letting adults know this is one to watch with your children. Maybe one day Ms. Barondes will hook up with a creative director who's willing to take some more chances -- until then this one is above average.

This movie delighted even my husband - who does not do the kid flick thing. My children all loved it - age 6-10, though only the eight and up crowd understood all of the elements. What amazed the adults is that here was a charming movie of an unusual but believable over-achiever who simply profits by keeping secrets for other children. The characters we follow through the movie are entirely entertaining, although there were a few minor lapses in acting believability in some of the younger children in supporting roles.

The movie keeps the audience interested and entertained from one element to another as the secret keeper's own secrets sensitively unfold. We considered this worth watching several times and that is not something we usually do.

The drama of the story is not quite Oscar Material, maybe a 4.5 stars, but for a family movie, Mom and Dad will be pleasantly surprised and satisfied that it was money - and time - well spent. If you are looking for a stirring and entertaining movie for children age 8-100, this one should please everyone. I strongly recommend this purchase.

"Little Secrets" stars Evan Rachel Wood from the television series "Once And Again" as Emily, a young teenage violinist who hopes to have a successful music career. While her friends are away at summer camp, Emily becomes a secret keeper. Children who are several years younger than her pay her to listen to their secrets and Emily is very good at keeping a secret. She knew she could do it when she was very young and decided it would be a very marketable skill. Emily also offers advice about maintaining the secret to the children. When a new family arrive, Emily finds a very close friend and a potential love interest. Of course with friendships and potential relationships come complications, and Emily eventually learns that "to be close to someone you can't keep secrets from them". Throughout the story, Emily is very good at keeping other people's secrets, but underneath it all she is hiding a big secret all of her own, and that secret is... sorry- it's a secret!

When I first put on this DVD I had high expectations. I was expecting something very special like the movie "A Little Princess". However what I got seemed a lot more like "The Babysitter's Club". In saying that though, although not being a masterpiece, "Little Secrets" was not a bad movie. I have since watched it several more times and the movie is now growing on me. In fact I rented the movie first before buying it. And also, I'm definitely sure we're gonna be hearing more great things about Evan Rachel Wood.

The DVD features a Commentary by writer and director, a short Making-of featurette and a Blooper reel that is actually quite funny. The real bonus here though is an Exclusive soundtrack CD, which you'd be very surprised to find on a fairly minor release such as this.

"Little Secrets" is a nice little discovery. Now here's the dilemma: do you tell your friends? Or do you keep it a secret?

Even Blair Treu's by-the-numbers-disney-channel style directing can't ruin Jessica Barondes delightful and insightful story about a talented and sensitive young girl learning the price of keeping secrets. The other big pluses in this movie are its stars, the sublime evan rachel wood and the appealing Michael Angarano, who I think are two of the best young actors around. Other reviews tell the story, I'm just letting adults know this is one to watch with your children. Maybe one day Ms. Barondes will hook up with a creative director who's willing to take some more chances -- until then this one is above average.

This movie delighted even my husband - who does not do the kid flick thing. My children all loved it - age 6-10, though only the eight and up crowd understood all of the elements. What amazed the adults is that here was a charming movie of an unusual but believable over-achiever who simply profits by keeping secrets for other children. The characters we follow through the movie are entirely entertaining, although there were a few minor lapses in acting believability in some of the younger children in supporting roles.

The movie keeps the audience interested and entertained from one element to another as the secret keeper's own secrets sensitively unfold. We considered this worth watching several times and that is not something we usually do.

The drama of the story is not quite Oscar Material, maybe a 4.5 stars, but for a family movie, Mom and Dad will be pleasantly surprised and satisfied that it was money - and time - well spent. If you are looking for a stirring and entertaining movie for children age 8-100, this one should please everyone. I strongly recommend this purchase.

Lee blazes and fights away in this sometimes good action movie but Lee is the glue that holds this up...remember the fridge part in the movie..yeah, yeah....though Lee sprouts some crappy dialouge you just cant get enough of his beautiful baby face..yes I said that...I highly recommened THE CROW because its his best and last work ever..though if you rent SHOWDOWN IN LITTLE TOKYO starring him and oppisite sucky Doplh Lundgren..somethings wrong with you

No matter how many times I watch this movie, it never seems to get old. Combining elements of American action shoot 'em ups with the chop-socky combat of the Hong Kong martial arts genre, "Rapid Fire" seems bent on squeezing as many action sequences as possible into its brisk 90-minute running time. However, in between fight scenes, the writers and director actually take time for little things like plot and character development, which are too often lacking in martial arts flicks (can you say Steven Seagal)? The main characters, Brandon Lee's reluctant crime fighter and Powers Boothe's grizzled cop, actually have some beliefs and internal conflicts that motivate their actions. And on top of that, there are some actors in this movie who can actually act! In the action department, the fight scenes are extremely well done, devoid of camera tricks, multiple angles, fancing directing, or any other gimmicks that distract from the fight scenes themselves. It seems the makers of this film knew what they had in Brandon Lee and let him and the other actors carry the action on their own, a decision that definitely paid off. Highly recommended for those who want a little brains to go with their action.

In this movie,Lee shines throughout as Jake Lo,an college student who witness a brutal mob hit and is targeted by a tauting mob boss and is helped by Ray(well performed by Powers Boothe)and his sexy,femme-fatale partner(the ever lovely Kate Hodges)Jake fights the mob with his martial arts knowledge.Brandon Lee shows why he is the best there ever was(even better than Van Damme or Seagal).It's too damn bad his life got cut short cause I believed he could have stolen many of Van Damme and Seagal's roles for those movies.A+!

Lee blazes and fights away in this sometimes good action movie but Lee is the glue that holds this up...remember the fridge part in the movie..yeah, yeah....though Lee sprouts some crappy dialouge you just cant get enough of his beautiful baby face..yes I said that...I highly recommened THE CROW because its his best and last work ever..though if you rent SHOWDOWN IN LITTLE TOKYO starring him and oppisite sucky Doplh Lundgren..somethings wrong with you

No matter how many times I watch this movie, it never seems to get old. Combining elements of American action shoot 'em ups with the chop-socky combat of the Hong Kong martial arts genre, "Rapid Fire" seems bent on squeezing as many action sequences as possible into its brisk 90-minute running time. However, in between fight scenes, the writers and director actually take time for little things like plot and character development, which are too often lacking in martial arts flicks (can you say Steven Seagal)? The main characters, Brandon Lee's reluctant crime fighter and Powers Boothe's grizzled cop, actually have some beliefs and internal conflicts that motivate their actions. And on top of that, there are some actors in this movie who can actually act! In the action department, the fight scenes are extremely well done, devoid of camera tricks, multiple angles, fancing directing, or any other gimmicks that distract from the fight scenes themselves. It seems the makers of this film knew what they had in Brandon Lee and let him and the other actors carry the action on their own, a decision that definitely paid off. Highly recommended for those who want a little brains to go with their action.

In this movie,Lee shines throughout as Jake Lo,an college student who witness a brutal mob hit and is targeted by a tauting mob boss and is helped by Ray(well performed by Powers Boothe)and his sexy,femme-fatale partner(the ever lovely Kate Hodges)Jake fights the mob with his martial arts knowledge.Brandon Lee shows why he is the best there ever was(even better than Van Damme or Seagal).It's too damn bad his life got cut short cause I believed he could have stolen many of Van Damme and Seagal's roles for those movies.A+!

Lee blazes and fights away in this sometimes good action movie but Lee is the glue that holds this up...remember the fridge part in the movie..yeah, yeah....though Lee sprouts some crappy dialouge you just cant get enough of his beautiful baby face..yes I said that...I highly recommened THE CROW because its his best and last work ever..though if you rent SHOWDOWN IN LITTLE TOKYO starring him and oppisite sucky Doplh Lundgren..somethings wrong with you

No matter how many times I watch this movie, it never seems to get old. Combining elements of American action shoot 'em ups with the chop-socky combat of the Hong Kong martial arts genre, "Rapid Fire" seems bent on squeezing as many action sequences as possible into its brisk 90-minute running time. However, in between fight scenes, the writers and director actually take time for little things like plot and character development, which are too often lacking in martial arts flicks (can you say Steven Seagal)? The main characters, Brandon Lee's reluctant crime fighter and Powers Boothe's grizzled cop, actually have some beliefs and internal conflicts that motivate their actions. And on top of that, there are some actors in this movie who can actually act! In the action department, the fight scenes are extremely well done, devoid of camera tricks, multiple angles, fancing directing, or any other gimmicks that distract from the fight scenes themselves. It seems the makers of this film knew what they had in Brandon Lee and let him and the other actors carry the action on their own, a decision that definitely paid off. Highly recommended for those who want a little brains to go with their action.

In this movie,Lee shines throughout as Jake Lo,an college student who witness a brutal mob hit and is targeted by a tauting mob boss and is helped by Ray(well performed by Powers Boothe)and his sexy,femme-fatale partner(the ever lovely Kate Hodges)Jake fights the mob with his martial arts knowledge.Brandon Lee shows why he is the best there ever was(even better than Van Damme or Seagal).It's too damn bad his life got cut short cause I believed he could have stolen many of Van Damme and Seagal's roles for those movies.A+!

Preistly puts down the smackdown with his gun. he stars as Cosmo and then he becomes a hitman with Peter Reigert. Preistly is too starightfoward with his character, he plays him so wooden and that sorta kills it off but then the good ending where he pops Loggia and then confronts his wanting to get back together with Kimberly Williams. funny part is when Josh Charles comes to Williams house mad demanding her, then Preistly decks him in the face with his gun, nice. Janeane Garafolo plays a prostitute. Michael J. Fox appears as well(Preistly kills him off though).

This is a surprisingly good--and totally unknown--film. It's a black comedy about an emotionless guy, Cosmo (Jason Priestley, who does a terrific job) who takes on the role of hitman for the mob. The local mob boss is played by Robert Loggia with the first name Gordon (another hoot--how many mob bosses are named Gordon?) with aplomb, and Michael Fox has a very amusing cameo as Gordon's accountant.

Cosmo is single and even though he loves his job--taught him by experienced hitman Steve (Peter Reigert)--he wants to be in love. The only "love" he has ever known is via Honey, a matter-of-fact, all business hooker played very well by Janeann Garofalo. He meets Jasmine, a yoga instructor, and pretty soon they are connecting. Along the way, Cosmo carries out a string of hits, most supervised by Steve, that show off the excellent black humor on display here.

The ending is very satisfying; the writer-director, Wally Wolodarsky, does a great job of combining the themes of love and violence right at the endpoint that underlines how acidly funny the film is. Will Jasmine and Cosmo find real love together or not? The ending provides a great answer.

A shame this did not make it to DVD. Highly recommended.

God, is it fun to watch Jason Priestley in this film!

The expression on his darling face makes you want to kiss him five times on each cheek. A few more closer to the ears!

His acting is very convincing as a loner who crunches numbers for the Mafia until he gets promoted to hit man. He struggles with his conscience, verbally at first. Then he decides to do what he has to do in order to get away from the violent career and win over his new girlfriend.

The black humor is superb. Jason looks especially sexy in a suit and tie. Robert Loggia is funny, as are other supporting actors. Michael J. Fox plays a character who looks like he has cheated the Mafia and spent their money to become the ultimate yuppie complete with nerdy glasses.

Did another reviewer on Amazon.com describe Cosmo (Jason's character) as "nerdy?" Wrong! Cosmo is loaded with sex appeal, a darling personality and fun.

I especially loved the way Cosmo greeted the lady at the front desk of his apartment building: "Hi, Rose."

Ooh, Jason's voice in those moments!

Rent this movie as soon as you can. That means you, too, ladies.

The cast is really wonderful -- especially Melanie Griffith and Penelope Ann Miller. But Patrick Swayze hitting the road for a 2000 mile road trip with a very unstable ex-girlfriend (Griffith) to see the son he never had was so forced and almost laughable the way it was handled. To up and leave his wife (Miller) stranded at a restaurant that way was not at all believeable. That's the fault of the script, not the actors. It just wasn't thought out enough. There's a really touching scene in the airplane between Miller and Steven Bauer (one of Griffith's real-life exs) that was award worthy. Unfortunately, this movie would never have made 20 bucks had it been released in theatres. You're better off with a DVD. And yes, the song is really, really beautiful. Wish I could find this on CD.

Don't expect a lot from this DVD, it offers just two buttons for you to touch: "View trailer" and "Play movie". No scene access, no special features. Yea, that's sad. But the film itself makes up to what's missing on the DVD. Melanie Griffith gives a superb performance as a schizophrenic ex-girlfriend and distressed mother. You'll love the nostalgic scene of her and Patrick Swayze, from different corners of the world, watching "The Hustler" on TV and getting lost in their memories. And the fabulous musical score is definitely some "bonus material" to this romantic drama -- especially the last song ("Say Goodbye", written by Serge Colbert, Mark Portman & Alan Rich and performed by Lauren Kinkade). That melody, along with Griffith's childlike smile, will surely capture your heart.

This DVD of the cable film from STARZ, Forever Lulu, received terrible reviews but I think it is an extraordinary story of two people, Lulu (Melanie Griffith) and Ben (Patrick Swayze) who shared a summer romance and tragically experience the descent of Lulu (Melanie Griffith) into mental illness. Sixteen years later, escaping from a halfway mental health home, Lulu sneaks away to see Ben and to his surprise tells him about a son he does not know he has. They drive to Wisconsin to see the boy while Ben's wife, Helen (Penelope Ann Miller), threatened by this intrusion into their marriage and unresolved feelings over the death of their young son, follows them to Wisconsin and after an emotional meeting of the three, each struggles to resolve their conflicting feelings and unsettling switches of roles. The three all travel to see the son who initially rejects his new found parents but comes to understand why their relationship happened and why they could not be a family. Finally, Ben and Lulu realize they will always be in love with each other but can only remain a memory. Wonderful performances and a real examination of the discrimination of those with mental illness but the power of Griffith to overcome the stigma, "(to son after he apologizes for calling his mother crazy) I am crazy, it makes it easier that way." This film, while not based on a strong script, works on many levels making you feel the pathos of the relationship between these characters stumbling to deal with their feelings and the circumstances of their lives. The score is worth the price of the DVD, ("Say Goodbye", written by Serge Colbert, Mark Portman & Alan Rich and performed by Lauren Kinkade). Get out a box of Kleenix if you like to drain your sinuses.

The cast is really wonderful -- especially Melanie Griffith and Penelope Ann Miller. But Patrick Swayze hitting the road for a 2000 mile road trip with a very unstable ex-girlfriend (Griffith) to see the son he never had was so forced and almost laughable the way it was handled. To up and leave his wife (Miller) stranded at a restaurant that way was not at all believeable. That's the fault of the script, not the actors. It just wasn't thought out enough. There's a really touching scene in the airplane between Miller and Steven Bauer (one of Griffith's real-life exs) that was award worthy. Unfortunately, this movie would never have made 20 bucks had it been released in theatres. You're better off with a DVD. And yes, the song is really, really beautiful. Wish I could find this on CD.

Don't expect a lot from this DVD, it offers just two buttons for you to touch: "View trailer" and "Play movie". No scene access, no special features. Yea, that's sad. But the film itself makes up to what's missing on the DVD. Melanie Griffith gives a superb performance as a schizophrenic ex-girlfriend and distressed mother. You'll love the nostalgic scene of her and Patrick Swayze, from different corners of the world, watching "The Hustler" on TV and getting lost in their memories. And the fabulous musical score is definitely some "bonus material" to this romantic drama -- especially the last song ("Say Goodbye", written by Serge Colbert, Mark Portman & Alan Rich and performed by Lauren Kinkade). That melody, along with Griffith's childlike smile, will surely capture your heart.

This DVD of the cable film from STARZ, Forever Lulu, received terrible reviews but I think it is an extraordinary story of two people, Lulu (Melanie Griffith) and Ben (Patrick Swayze) who shared a summer romance and tragically experience the descent of Lulu (Melanie Griffith) into mental illness. Sixteen years later, escaping from a halfway mental health home, Lulu sneaks away to see Ben and to his surprise tells him about a son he does not know he has. They drive to Wisconsin to see the boy while Ben's wife, Helen (Penelope Ann Miller), threatened by this intrusion into their marriage and unresolved feelings over the death of their young son, follows them to Wisconsin and after an emotional meeting of the three, each struggles to resolve their conflicting feelings and unsettling switches of roles. The three all travel to see the son who initially rejects his new found parents but comes to understand why their relationship happened and why they could not be a family. Finally, Ben and Lulu realize they will always be in love with each other but can only remain a memory. Wonderful performances and a real examination of the discrimination of those with mental illness but the power of Griffith to overcome the stigma, "(to son after he apologizes for calling his mother crazy) I am crazy, it makes it easier that way." This film, while not based on a strong script, works on many levels making you feel the pathos of the relationship between these characters stumbling to deal with their feelings and the circumstances of their lives. The score is worth the price of the DVD, ("Say Goodbye", written by Serge Colbert, Mark Portman & Alan Rich and performed by Lauren Kinkade). Get out a box of Kleenix if you like to drain your sinuses.

Martin Donovan (Trust) plays Jesus and Thomas Jay Ryan (Henry Fool) is the Devil as the clock ticks down on the last day of the world in Manhattan. Jesus agonizes over unlocking the seven seals of the apocalypse on his Apple laptop, verbally battles the Devil, and walks around NYC with Magdalene (PJ Harvey) on this most eventful of days.

This is a typical Hal Hartley film -- incredible premise, great actors, very good soundtrack, and creative but cheap production. I enjoyed the film even though the glaring lights and jerky camera got old -- at just over 60 minutes you don't have time to get too annoyed :-)

Extras are minimal -- credits and filmographies for Hartley and Donovan.

A worthwhile addition to Hartley's ouevre but as often happens with this talented director, one feels that the potential was greater than the execution.

This is a superb film by Hal Hartley. Part of a European project on views of the millenium, Hartley submits a film that only an American could make. It is very slick, due in part to his use of digital film. The music complements the scenes perfectly (and the soundtrack makes a great CD too!). The movie traces an introspective Jesus on New Years Eve trying to end the world (think of it as the old black and white The Horn Blows and Midnight redone for the 21st century). In presenting the story the movie is a travelogue for NYC- and has an excellent NY feel- from the hotel bar, to the times square music store, to the Russian restaurant (note that the lights say TRUTH and FAITH in Russian) and in the street. It is uniquely American (in the millenium film group) in that it plays off the city, the law, and the business deal to make its point.

This movie humanises Jesus, but at the same time avoids the intentional controversy around, say, a Last Temptation of Christ. In addition, the character of the devil is really a joy to watch. This movie will make you think.

The only weakness is a rather sappy ending. I suppose it is a tricky film to end, but I found all but the last 5 minutes on the staten island ferry to be wonderful, but those last five were really not worthy of the rest of the film.

If you don't like Hal Hartley, this film will not change your mind. It is more abstract, more talky and even more cheaply made than most of his stuff. But it is Awesome! It's basically Jesus (Martin Donovan) up against Satan (Thomas Jay Ryan) battling it out for the souls of men on New Year's Eve 1999-Armageddon. Jesus, as played by Donovan, is a self-doubting, earnest, hard-working, God-Fearing(pun intended),normal guy with the weight of the world on his conscience. Satan, as played by Ryan, is like an extra sleazy used car salesman, not to far off from Ryan's title role as Henry Fool. The two of them have excellent verbal battles which are as funny as you might imagine. Jesus's best line come when he says to Satan, "you know, it's not that you're so dispicable, it's just that you're so damn trite". It's almost as if the actors are speaking to each other... Throw in funny Mormon jokes, an appearance by PJ Harvey, as Jesus's assistant, and digital video style for miles and miles and you have the best one hour independent film about the Apocalypse ever made.