Paul-Anderson Movie Reviews

My personal favorite of Paul Thomas Anderson's films, Hard Eight quenches my thirst with a good twist and ending. Boogie Nights and Magnolia seemed to me to be primarily centered around the characters (which is great in it's own respect), but both movies left me wanting a bit more. Philip Baker Hall stars this time as elderly lonesome gambler Sydney, who, for reasons unknown, helps two young confused kids find love and peace in the world.
This film deals with issues of regret, guilt and self-redemption as Sydney's generosity and charity is not as selfless as it may seem. And so we follow the daily lives of Sydney and these young adults, as their neuroses guide them into very unique situations which brilliantly outline the chaos they feel in their lives. The characters are sad, realistic, and evoke empathy from the viewer simply on maintaining their everyday lives.
The question that is raised is whether or not personal guilt of the past can ever be abolished by performing acts of kindness in the present. Can a man redeem his character even when he is in his 70's, or have his bad choices set the tone for his existence? Is covering up the past while refusing to deal with it head-on a detrimental decision? These questions are left unanswered in this compelling story of a lonely old man's attempt to clear his conscience.

Paul Thomas Anderson knew what he was doing. Back in the year-o-our-Lord 19-hundred-and-ninety-six, he made a small film called SYDNEY (It was the studios idea of calling the film Hard Eight). It featured a wonderful Phillip Baker Hall (who was again featured in Magnolia and Boogie Nights). As well as John C. Reilly (Magnolia and Boogie Nights again) as well as a wonderfully done Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson.

The script is just absolutely top-notch. This is not an action film. This is a character film, as is all of Paul Thomas Anderson's films. The cinematography (how the film looks) is amazing. Its not a cliche-ridden film as most movies are when centered around Reno or Vegas. You meet a man with an unknown past, find little facts about him along the way, and before its over, you're not sure whether it was better to know or be left in the dark.

The story is that Sydney (Phillip Baker Hall)helps a down-on-his-luck guy, John (John C. Reilly). He takes him under his wing. Wonderful writing, action, and suspense follows. I won't give away too much. I like to get the surprises as they come.

The performances are amazing, establishing Phillip Baker Hall (which P.T. Anderson wrote it for) as one of the best actors out there today. Samuel L. Jackson gives a surprisingly interesting performance, as well as Gwyneth.

It is not Boogie Nights. It is not Magnolia. It stands on its own as a dwelve into the mind of a man with a sordid past and the sweet-and-sour need for redemption, in any fashion you can get it. The extras are very interesting (only ONE deleted scene? Are you kidding me?), the most being the Sundance Lab test-shots. Its actors just acting, little scenery, no music. Its raw and beautiful, the way these actors go from the rough video to the big screen.

A definite must-see.

A film by Paul Thomas Anderson

This was the first film by director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love), and it seems to have improved with age. It has the slower, deliberate pacing that seems to be a P.T.A. trademark, and it is a dark little movie. The more I watch it, the more I find interesting about it. It doesn't quite pop off the screen the way Boogie Nights and Magnolia did, but I feel that this one is worth a look.

This is the story of a man named Sydney (Philip Baker Hall). Sydney is at a roadside diner when he sees a man sitting alone outside the diner. The man, John (John C Reilly) looks to be incredibly down on his luck with no idea of what to do next. John doesn't even have a clue of what he can possibly do next. Sydney offers John a cigarette and a cup of coffee. He then offers John a hand to get back on his feet. Sydney offers John a ride to Vegas, fifty dollars, and offers to teach him how he can use that money to get a room. We see the beginnings of a mentor/student relationship. What we don't know is why Sydney is doing this for John.

Flash forward two years. We are still in Las Vegas. John seems to be doing better and he is still with Sydney. The mentor/student relationship feels more like a father/son relationship. We are introduced to Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a waitress at a casino. She knows Sydney and seems to like him. She is worried about doing something wrong to disappoint John. We're now unsure about how Clementine fits into the equation, where she will impact the lives of Sydney and John, but we know she will. We are also introduced to Jimmy (Samuel L Jackson), a friend of John's. John likes Jimmy, but also seems to be led by Jimmy, overpowered by Jimmy. It is obvious that Sydney does not like Jimmy.

For a good portion of the movie I was unsure of where the film was going, but I was very interested in how it was going to get there. I suspect that Hard Eight is not a movie for everyone, even those who normally like P.T.A.'s other work. You can tell it is an independent film (it does not have the polish you are likely to find when a studio puts up a larger sum of money), and it is a slow moving one. It also features some fantastic performances by Philip Baker Hall, John C Reilly, and Gwyneth Paltrow. I would like to especially note the work done by Philip Baker Hall: exceptional. The more I think about this movie, the more I like it. This is not a slick Hollywood movie, but it's a fine piece of work and an often overlooked one.

My personal favorite of Paul Thomas Anderson's films, Hard Eight quenches my thirst with a good twist and ending. Boogie Nights and Magnolia seemed to me to be primarily centered around the characters (which is great in it's own respect), but both movies left me wanting a bit more. Philip Baker Hall stars this time as elderly lonesome gambler Sydney, who, for reasons unknown, helps two young confused kids find love and peace in the world.
This film deals with issues of regret, guilt and self-redemption as Sydney's generosity and charity is not as selfless as it may seem. And so we follow the daily lives of Sydney and these young adults, as their neuroses guide them into very unique situations which brilliantly outline the chaos they feel in their lives. The characters are sad, realistic, and evoke empathy from the viewer simply on maintaining their everyday lives.
The question that is raised is whether or not personal guilt of the past can ever be abolished by performing acts of kindness in the present. Can a man redeem his character even when he is in his 70's, or have his bad choices set the tone for his existence? Is covering up the past while refusing to deal with it head-on a detrimental decision? These questions are left unanswered in this compelling story of a lonely old man's attempt to clear his conscience.

Paul Thomas Anderson knew what he was doing. Back in the year-o-our-Lord 19-hundred-and-ninety-six, he made a small film called SYDNEY (It was the studios idea of calling the film Hard Eight). It featured a wonderful Phillip Baker Hall (who was again featured in Magnolia and Boogie Nights). As well as John C. Reilly (Magnolia and Boogie Nights again) as well as a wonderfully done Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson.

The script is just absolutely top-notch. This is not an action film. This is a character film, as is all of Paul Thomas Anderson's films. The cinematography (how the film looks) is amazing. Its not a cliche-ridden film as most movies are when centered around Reno or Vegas. You meet a man with an unknown past, find little facts about him along the way, and before its over, you're not sure whether it was better to know or be left in the dark.

The story is that Sydney (Phillip Baker Hall)helps a down-on-his-luck guy, John (John C. Reilly). He takes him under his wing. Wonderful writing, action, and suspense follows. I won't give away too much. I like to get the surprises as they come.

The performances are amazing, establishing Phillip Baker Hall (which P.T. Anderson wrote it for) as one of the best actors out there today. Samuel L. Jackson gives a surprisingly interesting performance, as well as Gwyneth.

It is not Boogie Nights. It is not Magnolia. It stands on its own as a dwelve into the mind of a man with a sordid past and the sweet-and-sour need for redemption, in any fashion you can get it. The extras are very interesting (only ONE deleted scene? Are you kidding me?), the most being the Sundance Lab test-shots. Its actors just acting, little scenery, no music. Its raw and beautiful, the way these actors go from the rough video to the big screen.

A definite must-see.

A film by Paul Thomas Anderson

This was the first film by director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love), and it seems to have improved with age. It has the slower, deliberate pacing that seems to be a P.T.A. trademark, and it is a dark little movie. The more I watch it, the more I find interesting about it. It doesn't quite pop off the screen the way Boogie Nights and Magnolia did, but I feel that this one is worth a look.

This is the story of a man named Sydney (Philip Baker Hall). Sydney is at a roadside diner when he sees a man sitting alone outside the diner. The man, John (John C Reilly) looks to be incredibly down on his luck with no idea of what to do next. John doesn't even have a clue of what he can possibly do next. Sydney offers John a cigarette and a cup of coffee. He then offers John a hand to get back on his feet. Sydney offers John a ride to Vegas, fifty dollars, and offers to teach him how he can use that money to get a room. We see the beginnings of a mentor/student relationship. What we don't know is why Sydney is doing this for John.

Flash forward two years. We are still in Las Vegas. John seems to be doing better and he is still with Sydney. The mentor/student relationship feels more like a father/son relationship. We are introduced to Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a waitress at a casino. She knows Sydney and seems to like him. She is worried about doing something wrong to disappoint John. We're now unsure about how Clementine fits into the equation, where she will impact the lives of Sydney and John, but we know she will. We are also introduced to Jimmy (Samuel L Jackson), a friend of John's. John likes Jimmy, but also seems to be led by Jimmy, overpowered by Jimmy. It is obvious that Sydney does not like Jimmy.

For a good portion of the movie I was unsure of where the film was going, but I was very interested in how it was going to get there. I suspect that Hard Eight is not a movie for everyone, even those who normally like P.T.A.'s other work. You can tell it is an independent film (it does not have the polish you are likely to find when a studio puts up a larger sum of money), and it is a slow moving one. It also features some fantastic performances by Philip Baker Hall, John C Reilly, and Gwyneth Paltrow. I would like to especially note the work done by Philip Baker Hall: exceptional. The more I think about this movie, the more I like it. This is not a slick Hollywood movie, but it's a fine piece of work and an often overlooked one.

If you've played the Game then you'd love this Big Screen Version also. Even if you haven't you'll still enjoy this. The movie has some really Great stuff of Action, Special Effects, Costumes and Set design. The plot is quite thin though, a bunch of Mortal men and women trying to save the world from the Aliens of the Outer World. The casting is also good. The movie features a lot of Martial Arts fights. If you're in for a fight after every 10 minutes then you got it. The fights are really well-choreographed. I would've loved to give this movie a 4 start rating had there been some plot also. To be honest, You won't ask for a thicker plot while watching this as the Kick-butt action sequences and Spectacular Special Effects would glue you to your seats. Buy it or rent it but Don't miss it...

I liked Mortal Kombat. I saw the movie when it came out in theaters and was impressed. I own the DVD and am proud to say so.

Mortal Kombat tells the story of the Mortal Kombat tournament. The Mortal Kombat tournament is a tournament for all the marbles. If Shang Sun and his allies when they take control of the portals coming to earth. If the good guys Johhny Cage, Sonja Blade, and Lu Kang win they save earth. The humans are helped by the rain god Rayden(Lambert) in there effort to win the tournament.

The movie has all your favorite characers from the first game. You get to see them all in action. The action scenes are great and are well done. They have real actors that know how to do the martial arts doing it. The character special moves look great, as Mortal Kombat has excellent special effects.

It's a fun movie. There isn't to much redeeming social value out of it, but I like the movie. It's a great martial art action sci fi flick. Don't miss out on it.

Ah, the joys of video games. After the success of STREET FIGHTER, hollywood had another adaptation of the equally popular MORTAL KOMBAT video game series. The result is a fun martial arts film that is reminiscent of such karate films where the action was based in a tournament, films like ENTER THE DRAGON, BLOODSPORT, BLOODFIST, you know what I mean?

Liu Kang (Martial Arts champ Robin Shou), Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby), and Sonya Blade (Bridget Wilson) are all contestants in a martial arts tournament known as Mortal Kombat, but they only belatedly discover they've been recruited by a thunnder god known as Rayden (Christopher Lambert) to take part since the winner of this tournament can determine the fate of the earth. Since evil demon sorcerer Shang Tsung (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) plans to conquer and rule the earth if he or his warriors win, it is imperitive that one of the three win. They'll be helped by comely Princess Kitana (Mega-babe Talisa Soto), but will they prevail?

MORTAL KOMBAT just throws all that at you so you can get past the plot and focus on the action, which is sort of an early combination of the fighting in CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, and THE MATRIX. There's rarely a scene that doesn't feature either gravity defying kung fu fighting, or eye-poping special effects, or both. One scene in particular features Liu Kang in a fierce battle with zombie ninja Sub-Zero, and his victory is aided via "the element which brings life." Liu has another fantastic fight later with the infamous Reptile.

This movie may lack a moving story to hang to action on, but it doesn't matter. It movies like this that give meaning to the term non-stop action. Liu takes part in the tournament primarily to avenge the murder of his brother Chan (by Shang Tsung.) Sonya is there to hunt down crime-lord Kano (Trevor Goddard). And Cage is a hollywood martial arts star, and is in the tournament to rid himself of the presses skepticism. As for Kitana, lets just say she looks great for someone whose 5,000 years old.

In all, I reccomend the film to martial arts fans everywhere. Forget what the crtics say, make up your own mind, and you can't go wrong.

If you've played the Game then you'd love this Big Screen Version also. Even if you haven't you'll still enjoy this. The movie has some really Great stuff of Action, Special Effects, Costumes and Set design. The plot is quite thin though, a bunch of Mortal men and women trying to save the world from the Aliens of the Outer World. The casting is also good. The movie features a lot of Martial Arts fights. If you're in for a fight after every 10 minutes then you got it. The fights are really well-choreographed. I would've loved to give this movie a 4 start rating had there been some plot also. To be honest, You won't ask for a thicker plot while watching this as the Kick-butt action sequences and Spectacular Special Effects would glue you to your seats. Buy it or rent it but Don't miss it...

I liked Mortal Kombat. I saw the movie when it came out in theaters and was impressed. I own the DVD and am proud to say so.

Mortal Kombat tells the story of the Mortal Kombat tournament. The Mortal Kombat tournament is a tournament for all the marbles. If Shang Sun and his allies when they take control of the portals coming to earth. If the good guys Johhny Cage, Sonja Blade, and Lu Kang win they save earth. The humans are helped by the rain god Rayden(Lambert) in there effort to win the tournament.

The movie has all your favorite characers from the first game. You get to see them all in action. The action scenes are great and are well done. They have real actors that know how to do the martial arts doing it. The character special moves look great, as Mortal Kombat has excellent special effects.

It's a fun movie. There isn't to much redeeming social value out of it, but I like the movie. It's a great martial art action sci fi flick. Don't miss out on it.

Ah, the joys of video games. After the success of STREET FIGHTER, hollywood had another adaptation of the equally popular MORTAL KOMBAT video game series. The result is a fun martial arts film that is reminiscent of such karate films where the action was based in a tournament, films like ENTER THE DRAGON, BLOODSPORT, BLOODFIST, you know what I mean?

Liu Kang (Martial Arts champ Robin Shou), Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby), and Sonya Blade (Bridget Wilson) are all contestants in a martial arts tournament known as Mortal Kombat, but they only belatedly discover they've been recruited by a thunnder god known as Rayden (Christopher Lambert) to take part since the winner of this tournament can determine the fate of the earth. Since evil demon sorcerer Shang Tsung (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) plans to conquer and rule the earth if he or his warriors win, it is imperitive that one of the three win. They'll be helped by comely Princess Kitana (Mega-babe Talisa Soto), but will they prevail?

MORTAL KOMBAT just throws all that at you so you can get past the plot and focus on the action, which is sort of an early combination of the fighting in CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, and THE MATRIX. There's rarely a scene that doesn't feature either gravity defying kung fu fighting, or eye-poping special effects, or both. One scene in particular features Liu Kang in a fierce battle with zombie ninja Sub-Zero, and his victory is aided via "the element which brings life." Liu has another fantastic fight later with the infamous Reptile.

This movie may lack a moving story to hang to action on, but it doesn't matter. It movies like this that give meaning to the term non-stop action. Liu takes part in the tournament primarily to avenge the murder of his brother Chan (by Shang Tsung.) Sonya is there to hunt down crime-lord Kano (Trevor Goddard). And Cage is a hollywood martial arts star, and is in the tournament to rid himself of the presses skepticism. As for Kitana, lets just say she looks great for someone whose 5,000 years old.

In all, I reccomend the film to martial arts fans everywhere. Forget what the crtics say, make up your own mind, and you can't go wrong.

The third Mad Max film takes place fifteen years after the events in the Road Warrior(Mad Max 2), in a post nuclear age. Max(Mel Gibson) loses every thing in a raid(like he hasn't lost enough already). Following the trail left behind, he winds up in a scummy place called Bartertown. The ruler of Bartertown, Aunty(Tina Turner) commissions Max to kill a man who is preventing her from total control of Bartertown. This movie doesn't have the same kinetic energy as the previous two, but keep in mind that this is a world where cars are useless, because there's no fuel to run them. The thunderdome death match, and the car chase at the end is all there is for action. But to compensate, George Miller presents to us a more human side to Max, which has laid dorment since his familie's death in movie one. Proof of this comes in his interaction with the Waiting Boys(sort of a tribute to Lord of the Flies), and the result of the death match in thunderdome before hand. As an actioner, is doesn't give much(though what's given is still good). As a story of rediscovering your soul and purpose, it's a winner. I would have given it four stars if the orchastrated music score was better. Watch Angry Anderson in the final car chase for some comic relief.

It's a funny thig about the Mad Max Trilogy, with me with each one I'm left saying that's the best one. Mostly because all of them are good in their own right. Beyond Thunderdome is different from the other 2 though. Instead of most the action taking place with cars it takes Max to Bardertown where he has to make a deal with it's ruler "Tina Turner" inorder to get his car back. He finds himself having to fight Blaster in Thunderdome, a giant cage where 2 men enter and one man leaves. When Max refuges to kill his opponent he's sent to a desert to dye. After passing out and being nearly dead, he's rescued by these weird natives that believe he's a pilot named Walker. They believe he can flly them out of there to a distant city.

Beyond Thunderdome gets a little corny when Max meets the natives mostly because they're annoying it's pretty obvious he's not the Walker fellow although he looks exactly like him. The natives and their home most likely inspired Spielberg for the look of the Lost Boys and their village in Hook though.

This film probably has the best look of the 3 and possibly more Science Fiction too. Plus it does have the usual car duals at the end where Max fends off the natives from the Barder town freaks. The action in that scene is fantastic by the way. Die hard Max fans will probably like this one the least, it's different from the other 2 but it still stands very well on it's own. It's the lightest but it's still sexy, has the most imagination and it's action is pretty damn good too. Now if only it had a better dvd, "hint, hint", lol.

Unlike many of its contemporaries from the mid-80's glut of sci-fi action pics (usually starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren or Gov. Schwarznegger), "Beyond Thunderdome" has aged well and holds up as a genuine genre classic. This is definitely the slickest entry (production-wise) of the "Mad Max" trilogy; not quite as reliant on the action sequences, but enhanced by a little more complexity of plot that gives the story a grander, almost "Lawrence Of Arabia" sweep. The film's visual centerpiece is the imaginatively realized, believably organic (refreshingly CGI-free) frontier city "Bartertown", whose inhabitants are a sort of S&M/punk rock version of George Lucas' infinitely more cuddly vison of a "rough" bar crowd. Tina Turner (nor her famous gams, nor her huge hair) will never be more perfectly cast than she is here, playing the very strict "Auntie", Bartertown's unofficial mayor (actually closer to Chief Dominatrix-contrary to what some reviewers have insinuated, this one is NOT for the kiddies!). Mel Gibson sets a new record for hair extensions but stays faithful to the character he had created in the two previous films, an interesting morph of Clint Eastwood's "Man With No Name", Toshiro Mifune's Samurai in "--" (pick your film) and David Carridine's enigmatic drifter from "Kung-Fu". Excellent transfer/sound on the DVD; no extras, but fairly priced.

The third Mad Max film takes place fifteen years after the events in the Road Warrior(Mad Max 2), in a post nuclear age. Max(Mel Gibson) loses every thing in a raid(like he hasn't lost enough already). Following the trail left behind, he winds up in a scummy place called Bartertown. The ruler of Bartertown, Aunty(Tina Turner) commissions Max to kill a man who is preventing her from total control of Bartertown. This movie doesn't have the same kinetic energy as the previous two, but keep in mind that this is a world where cars are useless, because there's no fuel to run them. The thunderdome death match, and the car chase at the end is all there is for action. But to compensate, George Miller presents to us a more human side to Max, which has laid dorment since his familie's death in movie one. Proof of this comes in his interaction with the Waiting Boys(sort of a tribute to Lord of the Flies), and the result of the death match in thunderdome before hand. As an actioner, is doesn't give much(though what's given is still good). As a story of rediscovering your soul and purpose, it's a winner. I would have given it four stars if the orchastrated music score was better. Watch Angry Anderson in the final car chase for some comic relief.

It's a funny thig about the Mad Max Trilogy, with me with each one I'm left saying that's the best one. Mostly because all of them are good in their own right. Beyond Thunderdome is different from the other 2 though. Instead of most the action taking place with cars it takes Max to Bardertown where he has to make a deal with it's ruler "Tina Turner" inorder to get his car back. He finds himself having to fight Blaster in Thunderdome, a giant cage where 2 men enter and one man leaves. When Max refuges to kill his opponent he's sent to a desert to dye. After passing out and being nearly dead, he's rescued by these weird natives that believe he's a pilot named Walker. They believe he can flly them out of there to a distant city.

Beyond Thunderdome gets a little corny when Max meets the natives mostly because they're annoying it's pretty obvious he's not the Walker fellow although he looks exactly like him. The natives and their home most likely inspired Spielberg for the look of the Lost Boys and their village in Hook though.

This film probably has the best look of the 3 and possibly more Science Fiction too. Plus it does have the usual car duals at the end where Max fends off the natives from the Barder town freaks. The action in that scene is fantastic by the way. Die hard Max fans will probably like this one the least, it's different from the other 2 but it still stands very well on it's own. It's the lightest but it's still sexy, has the most imagination and it's action is pretty damn good too. Now if only it had a better dvd, "hint, hint", lol.

Unlike many of its contemporaries from the mid-80's glut of sci-fi action pics (usually starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren or Gov. Schwarznegger), "Beyond Thunderdome" has aged well and holds up as a genuine genre classic. This is definitely the slickest entry (production-wise) of the "Mad Max" trilogy; not quite as reliant on the action sequences, but enhanced by a little more complexity of plot that gives the story a grander, almost "Lawrence Of Arabia" sweep. The film's visual centerpiece is the imaginatively realized, believably organic (refreshingly CGI-free) frontier city "Bartertown", whose inhabitants are a sort of S&M/punk rock version of George Lucas' infinitely more cuddly vison of a "rough" bar crowd. Tina Turner (nor her famous gams, nor her huge hair) will never be more perfectly cast than she is here, playing the very strict "Auntie", Bartertown's unofficial mayor (actually closer to Chief Dominatrix-contrary to what some reviewers have insinuated, this one is NOT for the kiddies!). Mel Gibson sets a new record for hair extensions but stays faithful to the character he had created in the two previous films, an interesting morph of Clint Eastwood's "Man With No Name", Toshiro Mifune's Samurai in "--" (pick your film) and David Carridine's enigmatic drifter from "Kung-Fu". Excellent transfer/sound on the DVD; no extras, but fairly priced.

The third Mad Max film takes place fifteen years after the events in the Road Warrior(Mad Max 2), in a post nuclear age. Max(Mel Gibson) loses every thing in a raid(like he hasn't lost enough already). Following the trail left behind, he winds up in a scummy place called Bartertown. The ruler of Bartertown, Aunty(Tina Turner) commissions Max to kill a man who is preventing her from total control of Bartertown. This movie doesn't have the same kinetic energy as the previous two, but keep in mind that this is a world where cars are useless, because there's no fuel to run them. The thunderdome death match, and the car chase at the end is all there is for action. But to compensate, George Miller presents to us a more human side to Max, which has laid dorment since his familie's death in movie one. Proof of this comes in his interaction with the Waiting Boys(sort of a tribute to Lord of the Flies), and the result of the death match in thunderdome before hand. As an actioner, is doesn't give much(though what's given is still good). As a story of rediscovering your soul and purpose, it's a winner. I would have given it four stars if the orchastrated music score was better. Watch Angry Anderson in the final car chase for some comic relief.

It's a funny thig about the Mad Max Trilogy, with me with each one I'm left saying that's the best one. Mostly because all of them are good in their own right. Beyond Thunderdome is different from the other 2 though. Instead of most the action taking place with cars it takes Max to Bardertown where he has to make a deal with it's ruler "Tina Turner" inorder to get his car back. He finds himself having to fight Blaster in Thunderdome, a giant cage where 2 men enter and one man leaves. When Max refuges to kill his opponent he's sent to a desert to dye. After passing out and being nearly dead, he's rescued by these weird natives that believe he's a pilot named Walker. They believe he can flly them out of there to a distant city.

Beyond Thunderdome gets a little corny when Max meets the natives mostly because they're annoying it's pretty obvious he's not the Walker fellow although he looks exactly like him. The natives and their home most likely inspired Spielberg for the look of the Lost Boys and their village in Hook though.

This film probably has the best look of the 3 and possibly more Science Fiction too. Plus it does have the usual car duals at the end where Max fends off the natives from the Barder town freaks. The action in that scene is fantastic by the way. Die hard Max fans will probably like this one the least, it's different from the other 2 but it still stands very well on it's own. It's the lightest but it's still sexy, has the most imagination and it's action is pretty damn good too. Now if only it had a better dvd, "hint, hint", lol.

Unlike many of its contemporaries from the mid-80's glut of sci-fi action pics (usually starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren or Gov. Schwarznegger), "Beyond Thunderdome" has aged well and holds up as a genuine genre classic. This is definitely the slickest entry (production-wise) of the "Mad Max" trilogy; not quite as reliant on the action sequences, but enhanced by a little more complexity of plot that gives the story a grander, almost "Lawrence Of Arabia" sweep. The film's visual centerpiece is the imaginatively realized, believably organic (refreshingly CGI-free) frontier city "Bartertown", whose inhabitants are a sort of S&M/punk rock version of George Lucas' infinitely more cuddly vison of a "rough" bar crowd. Tina Turner (nor her famous gams, nor her huge hair) will never be more perfectly cast than she is here, playing the very strict "Auntie", Bartertown's unofficial mayor (actually closer to Chief Dominatrix-contrary to what some reviewers have insinuated, this one is NOT for the kiddies!). Mel Gibson sets a new record for hair extensions but stays faithful to the character he had created in the two previous films, an interesting morph of Clint Eastwood's "Man With No Name", Toshiro Mifune's Samurai in "--" (pick your film) and David Carridine's enigmatic drifter from "Kung-Fu". Excellent transfer/sound on the DVD; no extras, but fairly priced.

The third Mad Max film takes place fifteen years after the events in the Road Warrior(Mad Max 2), in a post nuclear age. Max(Mel Gibson) loses every thing in a raid(like he hasn't lost enough already). Following the trail left behind, he winds up in a scummy place called Bartertown. The ruler of Bartertown, Aunty(Tina Turner) commissions Max to kill a man who is preventing her from total control of Bartertown. This movie doesn't have the same kinetic energy as the previous two, but keep in mind that this is a world where cars are useless, because there's no fuel to run them. The thunderdome death match, and the car chase at the end is all there is for action. But to compensate, George Miller presents to us a more human side to Max, which has laid dorment since his familie's death in movie one. Proof of this comes in his interaction with the Waiting Boys(sort of a tribute to Lord of the Flies), and the result of the death match in thunderdome before hand. As an actioner, is doesn't give much(though what's given is still good). As a story of rediscovering your soul and purpose, it's a winner. I would have given it four stars if the orchastrated music score was better. Watch Angry Anderson in the final car chase for some comic relief.

It's a funny thig about the Mad Max Trilogy, with me with each one I'm left saying that's the best one. Mostly because all of them are good in their own right. Beyond Thunderdome is different from the other 2 though. Instead of most the action taking place with cars it takes Max to Bardertown where he has to make a deal with it's ruler "Tina Turner" inorder to get his car back. He finds himself having to fight Blaster in Thunderdome, a giant cage where 2 men enter and one man leaves. When Max refuges to kill his opponent he's sent to a desert to dye. After passing out and being nearly dead, he's rescued by these weird natives that believe he's a pilot named Walker. They believe he can flly them out of there to a distant city.

Beyond Thunderdome gets a little corny when Max meets the natives mostly because they're annoying it's pretty obvious he's not the Walker fellow although he looks exactly like him. The natives and their home most likely inspired Spielberg for the look of the Lost Boys and their village in Hook though.

This film probably has the best look of the 3 and possibly more Science Fiction too. Plus it does have the usual car duals at the end where Max fends off the natives from the Barder town freaks. The action in that scene is fantastic by the way. Die hard Max fans will probably like this one the least, it's different from the other 2 but it still stands very well on it's own. It's the lightest but it's still sexy, has the most imagination and it's action is pretty damn good too. Now if only it had a better dvd, "hint, hint", lol.

Unlike many of its contemporaries from the mid-80's glut of sci-fi action pics (usually starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren or Gov. Schwarznegger), "Beyond Thunderdome" has aged well and holds up as a genuine genre classic. This is definitely the slickest entry (production-wise) of the "Mad Max" trilogy; not quite as reliant on the action sequences, but enhanced by a little more complexity of plot that gives the story a grander, almost "Lawrence Of Arabia" sweep. The film's visual centerpiece is the imaginatively realized, believably organic (refreshingly CGI-free) frontier city "Bartertown", whose inhabitants are a sort of S&M/punk rock version of George Lucas' infinitely more cuddly vison of a "rough" bar crowd. Tina Turner (nor her famous gams, nor her huge hair) will never be more perfectly cast than she is here, playing the very strict "Auntie", Bartertown's unofficial mayor (actually closer to Chief Dominatrix-contrary to what some reviewers have insinuated, this one is NOT for the kiddies!). Mel Gibson sets a new record for hair extensions but stays faithful to the character he had created in the two previous films, an interesting morph of Clint Eastwood's "Man With No Name", Toshiro Mifune's Samurai in "--" (pick your film) and David Carridine's enigmatic drifter from "Kung-Fu". Excellent transfer/sound on the DVD; no extras, but fairly priced.

There's precious little mirth in "The House of Mirth," a complex, though sluggishly paced, study of Victorian Era morality (though, technically, this film is set a few years after that time, during the early years of the 20th Century). "The House of Mirth" was Edith Wharton's first novel and, although I much prefer her later works like "The Custom of the Country" and "The Age of Innocence," this maiden effort is not without its virtues.

Like many of the Henry James novels upon which Wharton consciously patterned her own, "The House of Mirth" is a harsh indictment of the class-consciousness and false values that permeated life for the well-to-do class during that era. It casts a scathing eye on a society that offered so few opportunities for women, yet demanded that they live up to such an impossibly high standard of behavior. In the story, Lily Bart (Gillian Anderson) comes to experience the subtle brutality of this tea-and-crumpets world, where favors come with hefty price tags of compromised virtue, where one's position of comfort can be suddenly obliterated at the whiff of a scandal or the utterance of a rumor, and where trusted friends, in such a case, can be the first to abandon one on the shoals of poverty - all in the cause of social expediency.

Taken as a bare-boned story, "The House of Mirth" is really quite interesting - especially in its later, darker section wherein we see Lily stripped of all her social connections and forced to try to make her way in a world that has been designed to block her every move. She becomes quite a sympathetic figure as the movie goes along. But how long it takes us to get to the point where we really care! For long stretches of this film, we find ourselves wishing it would at least pick up the pace somewhat. We know that the film is not intended to be a fast-moving work, but "The House of Mirth" often confuses slowness and drabness with high drama and art. Only in the latter stages, where the character connections finally fall into place and where Lily's plight becomes one with which we can identify, does the film truly pique our interest.

The casting also seems quite problematic at times. Anderson does a find job conveying the wistful sadness of Lily at the end of the film, but her hangdog expression seems inappropriate in the early scenes. Eric Stoltz is far too much of a milquetoast as the man who might save her and Dan Akroyd is nothing short of an embarrassment as an older married friend who makes a move on Lily in exchange for some badly needed cash.

"The House of Mirth" makes some profound statements about the plight of women living at the last turn-of-the-century. I'm just not sure how relevant it is to women living at THIS turn-of-the-century - except perhaps to show them how much better they have it now.

Gillain Anderson was luminous in this movie, the acting by everyone was great and I was really moved by her character's
plight. A must see!

When I first found out they were filming this movie, I couldn't wait to see it. I read the book that summer, and fell in love with the story completely. After that I looked forward to the movie even more, and when I finally got to see it, I was not disappointed. I had been told it would never get to theatres here, so I pre-ordered it on DVD from the UK and had it delivered just a few days after it was released. At the time, I didn't even own a DVD-player -- I was just happy to finally own the movie, even if I couldn't see it yet. Of course that didn't last long. The following weekend, I bought myself a DVD-player. I finally watched the movie that same afternoon, and I... fell in love. This is a beautiful, tragic, moving and touching film -- a true masterpiece. How they failed to give Gillian Anderson an Oscar nomination is still a mystery. Her portrayal of Lily Bart is not only moving and truthful -- it is pure brilliance. As we get to follow Lily's descent in society, we feel for her. When she cries, our hearts break for her. When she loses her spark, something inside of us dies as well. But at the same time, something is brought to life inside of us -- the appreciation for a performance as good as this; something you will carry with you for a long time. This is really Gillian Anderson's movie, despite the fact that she has many great co-actors (the love-scenes with Eric Stoltz's Selden are sizzling with underlying passion, and Laura Linney's Bertha is just pure evil). Buy it, watch it, feel it and ultimately fall in love with it.

Gillain Anderson was luminous in this movie, the acting by everyone was great and I was really moved by her character's
plight. A must see!

This film came out more than half a dozen years after THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, but the earlier film enjoyed a much more widespread critical and financial success than THE HOUSE OF MIRTH ever found. The reason? Both are adapted from Edith Wharton novels, both are set in the same time period and place, both have self-destructive characters at their center-- but THE AGE OF INNOCENCE had a major name director (Martin Scorcese) and big name stars (Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, and Michelle Pfeiffer) and MIRTH had a little-known British director (Terence Davies) and a star who many were not prepared to see outside of her role in a hit television show (Gillian Anderson), let alone in a period piece.

Audiences missed out-- as did the Academy, which did not see fit to grace it with a single Oscar nomination. MIRTH was distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, which appears to have put all of their efforts (and promotional dollars) behind CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON that year. Sadly, promotion, not merit, is the name of the game with the Academy (not that TIGER wasn't a good film), although there now seems to be rumblings about reforming the process, i.e. for studios to stop "buying" votes by way of copious, conspicuous freebies and promos (see Miramax and SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE).

So, having dealt with the two strikes against it (no big names, little promotion), I can say that this is an exceptional film. Gillian Anderson fits Lily Bart like a glove-- Lily's humor, her charm, her impetuousness, and her ultimate desperation are all captured in luminous tones. She is ably supported by Anthony LaPaglia and Dan Ackroyd as, respectively, Rosedale and Gus Trenor (both well-cast-- if one can abandon preconceived notions about what sorts of roles they should and should not play :-) ), although I felt that Eric Stoltz' Selden was somewhat wooden (hardly the type that Lily would be drawn to) and was a bit confused by the combining of Gerty Farish and Grace Stepney into one character-- the novel puts these two characters at very different poles in Lily's life, and the combined character often doesn't make sense in how she interacts with Lily. However, the positively TOXIC performance by Laura Linney as the scheming Bertha Dorset is a stand-out-- from her first appearance you know that she will somehow assure Lily's destruction.

Lily's descent is frustrating yet riveting; we see how each poor decision and misstep take her further from her goal (to take her place in high society as the wife of a wealthy, respectable man) and place her in the gunsights of "indiscreet" Bertha-- who quite handily uses her as a scapegoat when her own infidelities threaten to catch up with her. But we follow Lily, and care about her, because she has a spark and vibrancy that the more "respectable" women lack. Lily doesn't deserve what happens to her-- she is victimized not only through her own actions (and inactions) but by the cold, unforgiving nature of women in her "circle" and the unwillingness of the men to challenge the status quo. Both Rosedale and Trenor are diffident in their interactions (Ackroyd is particularly brutish in one key scene; who knew he had such nastiness in him?) with Lily, and Selden is ineffectual at best-- he has no right to agonize over her increasingly intenable position (as Lily sharply reminds him in a especially wrenching scene), nor to ultimately cry for her, as he has not involved himself in her life to a level that would have made a difference in her fate.

Those who have read the novel (as I have) know the outcome, but Gillian Anderson keeps us riveted to her-- she continues to fight for herself, and thus inspires the viewer to stay with her wherever her life leads. So yes, it IS a slog, in a way-- Wharton excels in creating fascinating yet ultimately self-destructive characters-- but oh, can any of us turn away from the wonder that is Lily Bart?

You can count on Laura Linney to lead you to a film worth your two hours: something subtle, different, intellectually and/or verbally rich, and that satisfies emotions often neglected in the mainstream. Though I didn't know it at the time, this is true also of Gillian Anderson's film career, smaller as it is due to her ten year obligation to The X-Files. But it wasn't until this film that she was able to demonstrate some of those conservatory skills that had been hiding behind her day job of scientific exposition. This revelation is just wonderful in itself; I had always suspected an unprecedented, unearthly quality to her, and she puts it here to poignant use. Lily's character and her fundamental trials transcend the specific, theatrical setting of the story to invoke the romantic feminine soul in all of us who just can't understand why the socio/economic world doesn't support it. Anderson is heartbreaking in her beauty and naiveity and inherent doom; she is too smart to be pathetic, but her choices are all ironically wrong. The film is tight, dense, ruthless in its inevitability but careful and ultimately eloquent in the process. Without having read the book, my trained ear was impressed by the literary virtues of the screenplay, and my eye was seduced by the closely nurtured cinematography and direction. This is one of those sorely unacknowledged independent films that emanates a highly personal effort in the making from all quarters. If you enjoy a gradual, layered, introverted drama, I highly recommend it.