Richard-T.-Jones Movie Reviews

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VHS movie reviews for "Richard-T.-Jones" sorted by average review score:
Palmetto
Released in VHS Tape by Castle Rock (06 June, 2000)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Volker Schlöndorff
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue, and Gina Gershon
With a foreigner's revitalizing influence, German director Volker Schlondorff turns this standard potboiler (based on the novel Just Another Sucker by British pulp writer James Hadley Chase) into a beguiling exercise in genre classicism. Woody Harrelson stars as a former journalist, just released from serving two years on a trumped-up charge, who is drawn into a troublesome mock-extortion scheme by the scheming wife (Elisabeth Shue) of a dying Florida millionaire. The movie's got style to spare and plenty of humid Florida atmosphere, but it's built on a series of improbable developments and is too low-key to generate riveting momentum. But Schlondorff occupies this tawdry territory with a keen sense of necessary mood and pace, maintaining adequate internal logic and awareness of the story's vintage roots. Subplots involving Shue's stepdaughter (Chloë Sevigny) and Harrelson's girlfriend (Gina Gershon) provide enjoyable distractions from the story's implausibilities. The movie's better suited to the fertile pulp mills of cable TV. But with an absurdly twisting plot to hold your interest, it's fun to watch how Schlondorff builds a bridge between traditional film noir and a more contemporary approach to sultry intrigue. --Jeff Shannon
Average review score:

Mmmm... Film Noir!
Well some people never learn... In this film a reporter gets released from jail after being set up by corrupt government. He then runs into a rich wife looking for someone to help her and her step daughter stage a kidnapping to get money from her husband. This is a really good dark film. I love a good movie that you can never tell who's messing with who! Elizabeth Shue makes a great femme fatale. Beautiful setting! Because its in Palmetto, Florida, I love to watch this film on a sultry summer night.

Underrated film-noir with good actors and quite good story.
I think this movie is quite underrated. It's not that bad. I have only seen one of Schlöndorff's other movies, The Ogre, which is very differnt from this one. The actors are good, especially Gina Gershon, Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue and the fantastic Chloë Sevigny, and the story is quite good with some unexpected turns. The movie is, in some outdoor-scenes, also very beautiful, with the clouds, beach and sea at night. Harry (Harrelson) narrates the movie, like in many film-noirs, but the voice-overs are so few that when they come, it's a bit annoying.

IT COULDN'T BE BETTER !
And no one could play it better then Woody Harrelson
The plot is very good.It's simply a cult movie though underrated.Also, Eliszabeth Shue was soooo hot.It'll be a great loss, if you miss this flick!

Palmetto
Released in VHS Tape by Castle Rock (12 January, 1999)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Volker Schlöndorff
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue, and Gina Gershon
With a foreigner's revitalizing influence, German director Volker Schlondorff turns this standard potboiler (based on the novel Just Another Sucker by British pulp writer James Hadley Chase) into a beguiling exercise in genre classicism. Woody Harrelson stars as a former journalist, just released from serving two years on a trumped-up charge, who is drawn into a troublesome mock-extortion scheme by the scheming wife (Elisabeth Shue) of a dying Florida millionaire. The movie's got style to spare and plenty of humid Florida atmosphere, but it's built on a series of improbable developments and is too low-key to generate riveting momentum. But Schlondorff occupies this tawdry territory with a keen sense of necessary mood and pace, maintaining adequate internal logic and awareness of the story's vintage roots. Subplots involving Shue's stepdaughter (Chloë Sevigny) and Harrelson's girlfriend (Gina Gershon) provide enjoyable distractions from the story's implausibilities. The movie's better suited to the fertile pulp mills of cable TV. But with an absurdly twisting plot to hold your interest, it's fun to watch how Schlondorff builds a bridge between traditional film noir and a more contemporary approach to sultry intrigue. --Jeff Shannon
Average review score:

Mmmm... Film Noir!
Well some people never learn... In this film a reporter gets released from jail after being set up by corrupt government. He then runs into a rich wife looking for someone to help her and her step daughter stage a kidnapping to get money from her husband. This is a really good dark film. I love a good movie that you can never tell who's messing with who! Elizabeth Shue makes a great femme fatale. Beautiful setting! Because its in Palmetto, Florida, I love to watch this film on a sultry summer night.

Underrated film-noir with good actors and quite good story.
I think this movie is quite underrated. It's not that bad. I have only seen one of Schlöndorff's other movies, The Ogre, which is very differnt from this one. The actors are good, especially Gina Gershon, Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue and the fantastic Chloë Sevigny, and the story is quite good with some unexpected turns. The movie is, in some outdoor-scenes, also very beautiful, with the clouds, beach and sea at night. Harry (Harrelson) narrates the movie, like in many film-noirs, but the voice-overs are so few that when they come, it's a bit annoying.

IT COULDN'T BE BETTER !
And no one could play it better then Woody Harrelson
The plot is very good.It's simply a cult movie though underrated.Also, Eliszabeth Shue was soooo hot.It'll be a great loss, if you miss this flick!

Palmetto
Released in VHS Tape by Castle Rock (06 June, 2000)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Volker Schlöndorff
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue, and Gina Gershon
With a foreigner's revitalizing influence, German director Volker Schlondorff turns this standard potboiler (based on the novel Just Another Sucker by British pulp writer James Hadley Chase) into a beguiling exercise in genre classicism. Woody Harrelson stars as a former journalist, just released from serving two years on a trumped-up charge, who is drawn into a troublesome mock-extortion scheme by the scheming wife (Elisabeth Shue) of a dying Florida millionaire. The movie's got style to spare and plenty of humid Florida atmosphere, but it's built on a series of improbable developments and is too low-key to generate riveting momentum. But Schlondorff occupies this tawdry territory with a keen sense of necessary mood and pace, maintaining adequate internal logic and awareness of the story's vintage roots. Subplots involving Shue's stepdaughter (Chloë Sevigny) and Harrelson's girlfriend (Gina Gershon) provide enjoyable distractions from the story's implausibilities. The movie's better suited to the fertile pulp mills of cable TV. But with an absurdly twisting plot to hold your interest, it's fun to watch how Schlondorff builds a bridge between traditional film noir and a more contemporary approach to sultry intrigue. --Jeff Shannon
Average review score:

Mmmm... Film Noir!
Well some people never learn... In this film a reporter gets released from jail after being set up by corrupt government. He then runs into a rich wife looking for someone to help her and her step daughter stage a kidnapping to get money from her husband. This is a really good dark film. I love a good movie that you can never tell who's messing with who! Elizabeth Shue makes a great femme fatale. Beautiful setting! Because its in Palmetto, Florida, I love to watch this film on a sultry summer night.

Underrated film-noir with good actors and quite good story.
I think this movie is quite underrated. It's not that bad. I have only seen one of Schlöndorff's other movies, The Ogre, which is very differnt from this one. The actors are good, especially Gina Gershon, Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue and the fantastic Chloë Sevigny, and the story is quite good with some unexpected turns. The movie is, in some outdoor-scenes, also very beautiful, with the clouds, beach and sea at night. Harry (Harrelson) narrates the movie, like in many film-noirs, but the voice-overs are so few that when they come, it's a bit annoying.

IT COULDN'T BE BETTER !
And no one could play it better then Woody Harrelson
The plot is very good.It's simply a cult movie though underrated.Also, Eliszabeth Shue was soooo hot.It'll be a great loss, if you miss this flick!

Beyond Suspicion
Released in VHS Tape by Fox Home Entertainme (24 July, 2001)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Matthew Tabak
Starring: Anne Heche and Jeff Goldblum
Beyond Suspicion is a little too thoughtful to be accurately called a thriller, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Jeff Goldblum plays insurance salesman John Nolan, who is passively content in his yuppie lifestyle until one night when he's caught in the middle of a robbery. Augie, a store clerk, is killed, and Nolan becomes so obsessed in finding a little meaning in Augie's death that he begins to gradually take over what would have been his life. But of course, all lives are complicated, and Augie's life as an ex-con was doubly so. Goldblum gives one of his trademark quirky performances, and it works well here, as he captures Nolan's discomfort in his own skin. Though not the edge-of-your-seat suspense movie its title might suggest it is, Beyond Suspicion is an interesting, patient, and thoughtful film that takes care to flesh out even minor characters. --Ali Davis
Average review score:

Auggie Rose Beyond Suspicion
Suppose it's easy to pick apart any movie, but if the story
remains in your mind after the next day, what does it matter?
Sure, Auggie Rose must'a set Fox back in sales, they aren't
giving it any play. Goldblum and Heche!? Together!?
And...a Darren Aronofsky film it isn't.

So what? It's well written, nicely filmed and decently acted.

Matthew Tabak wrote and directed this little verite piece,
and the players have worked magic with their cameos, to the
point where it just feels comfortable to watch, like wearing
an old plaid shirt and a pair of levi's on a Friday night,
sitting on the couch with your favorite girl and a frostie.

Only hope Fox gives Tabak the chance to write/direct again.

Fresh Quirky Writing and Character Development
I'm not surprised this was a made for cable movie now released on DVD and titled "Auggie Rose" (originally and more aptly) or "Above Suspicion" (more recently and less aptly). That is because the cable industry will frequently take a chance on a script with less than blockbuster appeal. This film is a case in point with Jeff Goldblum given a chance to develop his acting chops by playing insurance executive John Nolan, who becomes more and more obssesed with the life of the late Auggie Rose. Rose died as a result of a deli-liquor hold up when Nolan was in the store. Nolan feels guilty about Rose's death because he had made Rose replace a bottle, which startled the robber into shooting. However, guilt quickly turns into something more as Nolan starts taking over Rose's life, including meeting the woman Rose corresponded with but never met. Nolan becomes Rose when he meets her. Probably we could have used more motivation for the Nolan character's extraordinary choices throughout the film but Goldblum makes it work, that this guy wants out of his present life. Heche is very good as the girlfriend. Goldblum and Heche are quite equal in their roles, both showing a great deal of acting talent and character development. Some harder edges and clearer motivation in the script would have pushed it up to a 5 star movie. As it is, it is a strong 4 star movie.

Great Movie
I think it's one of the most original films I have seen in a long time.

Beyond Suspicion
Released in VHS Tape by Fox Home Entertainme (24 July, 2001)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Matthew Tabak
Starring: Anne Heche and Jeff Goldblum
Beyond Suspicion is a little too thoughtful to be accurately called a thriller, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Jeff Goldblum plays insurance salesman John Nolan, who is passively content in his yuppie lifestyle until one night when he's caught in the middle of a robbery. Augie, a store clerk, is killed, and Nolan becomes so obsessed in finding a little meaning in Augie's death that he begins to gradually take over what would have been his life. But of course, all lives are complicated, and Augie's life as an ex-con was doubly so. Goldblum gives one of his trademark quirky performances, and it works well here, as he captures Nolan's discomfort in his own skin. Though not the edge-of-your-seat suspense movie its title might suggest it is, Beyond Suspicion is an interesting, patient, and thoughtful film that takes care to flesh out even minor characters. --Ali Davis
Average review score:

Auggie Rose Beyond Suspicion
Suppose it's easy to pick apart any movie, but if the story
remains in your mind after the next day, what does it matter?
Sure, Auggie Rose must'a set Fox back in sales, they aren't
giving it any play. Goldblum and Heche!? Together!?
And...a Darren Aronofsky film it isn't.

So what? It's well written, nicely filmed and decently acted.

Matthew Tabak wrote and directed this little verite piece,
and the players have worked magic with their cameos, to the
point where it just feels comfortable to watch, like wearing
an old plaid shirt and a pair of levi's on a Friday night,
sitting on the couch with your favorite girl and a frostie.

Only hope Fox gives Tabak the chance to write/direct again.

Fresh Quirky Writing and Character Development
I'm not surprised this was a made for cable movie now released on DVD and titled "Auggie Rose" (originally and more aptly) or "Above Suspicion" (more recently and less aptly). That is because the cable industry will frequently take a chance on a script with less than blockbuster appeal. This film is a case in point with Jeff Goldblum given a chance to develop his acting chops by playing insurance executive John Nolan, who becomes more and more obssesed with the life of the late Auggie Rose. Rose died as a result of a deli-liquor hold up when Nolan was in the store. Nolan feels guilty about Rose's death because he had made Rose replace a bottle, which startled the robber into shooting. However, guilt quickly turns into something more as Nolan starts taking over Rose's life, including meeting the woman Rose corresponded with but never met. Nolan becomes Rose when he meets her. Probably we could have used more motivation for the Nolan character's extraordinary choices throughout the film but Goldblum makes it work, that this guy wants out of his present life. Heche is very good as the girlfriend. Goldblum and Heche are quite equal in their roles, both showing a great deal of acting talent and character development. Some harder edges and clearer motivation in the script would have pushed it up to a 5 star movie. As it is, it is a strong 4 star movie.

Great Movie
I think it's one of the most original films I have seen in a long time.

Phone Booth
Released in VHS Tape by Fox Home Entertainme (08 July, 2003)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, and Katie Holmes
By some lucky quirk of fate, Phone Booth landed on Hollywood's A-list, but this thriller should've been a straight-to-video potboiler directed by its screenwriter, veteran schlockmeister Larry Cohen, who's riffing on his own 1976 thriller God Told Me To. Instead it's a pointless reunion for fast-rising star Colin Farrell and his Tigerland director, Joel Schumacher, who employs a multiple-image technique similar to TV's 24 to energize Cohen's pulpy plot about an unseen sniper (maliciously voiced by 24's Kiefer Sutherland) who pins his chosen victim (a philandering celebrity publicist played by Farrell) in a Manhattan phone booth, threatening murder if Farrell doesn't confess his sins (including a mistress played by Katie Holmes in a thankless role). In a role originally slated for Jim Carrey, Farrell brings vulnerable intensity to his predicament, but Cohen's irresistible premise is too thin for even 88 brisk minutes, which is how long Schumacher takes to reach his morally repugnant conclusion. --Jeff Shannon
Average review score:

Has "B-Movie" All Over It, But Is Still Quite Thrilling!
Joel Schumacher can be considered to be the Jerry Bruckheimer of directors, as both men have a tendency towards thrillers and action films that emphasize things that go boom, bang, and screech while giving little concern about the plot's construction. So, as PHONE BOOTH starts with an acapella tune and fast-paced camera editing, it can be easy to think that the movie starts off as just another one of Schumacher's predictable doses of overblown action. Though the audience learns about the dishonest publicist Stu quickly enough to set the tone for the movie, its fate still doesn't look like it's going to change from a ridiculous, overwrought flick. And Schumacher's reasoning behind the start of the action is absolutely contrived- I mean, really, I've never even been to New York City, and I know better than to answer ANY phone in a public booth, regardless of where it's at! But once the voice on the other side comes through, the movie soon becomes something more.

As the two big people in this film, Colin Farrell and Keifer Sutherland are absolutely stunning. It is certainly no easy task for just two characters to provide the meat and potatoes of the plot, but Farrell and Sutherland work off amazing chemistry, and they help make PHONE BOOTH at its best a highly-charged thriller. Since the suspense in the phone booth takes up most of the movie, it can be easy to forget about the ridiculous logic, the confusing fast-paced camera shots, or the stereotypes that some of these people play (most notably the "hookers" that get angry over Stu hogging the phone). But the suspense itself is still convincing enough, as Farrell gradually becomes frightened over the caller, and then all but breaks down as the caller orders him to confess about the lies he is spreading in periodicals and the life he is juggling with a wife and a mistress. All the while, Sutherland is chillingly frighening as the mysterious caller, and these elements help the audience side with both people on the phone line in the appropriate manner.

So, overall, PHONE BOOTH is nowhere near the best thriller ever made, but it's not the disaster that detractors of Joel Schumacher would expect it to be. Rather, it's a fast-paced popcorn flick that delivers the expected goods in its tight 80-minute package.

"Hang up the Phone, and You're Dead." Good, Except Ending
Joel Shumacher/Colin Farrell, team of "Tigerland" comes back with totally different premise. This time they are given a script from prolific (and perhaps underrated) B movie-king Larry Cohen.

Colin Farrell is Stu, New Work publicist who thinks the world goes around just for him. Then he gets an anomymous call at a phone booth; now he gets it, and the guy on the other side of the phone says: "If you hang up the phone, you are dead."

And this strange guy with malicious voice really means it, pointing a rifle at Stu's head from somewhere in the high building in New York City (actually, the film was shot mostly in LA). His wife and would-be mistress arrive at the scene, only to complicate the situation, but the criminal seems enjoying it, and continues to order Stu to do things he never dreamed of.

The film is short, which means a good thing. You cannot keep on forever, holding the attention of the audience in this way, and in fact, the little moralistic conclusion is diappointment. Thankfully, Colin Farrell (no matter what some people say) is a talented actor, and gives a credible performance as a guy trapped in this incredibly thankless situation.

The supports are Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell ("High Art""Pitch Black") and Katie Holmes, but their roles are smaller ones compared to his. Of more interest is the sniper's role, whose voice must have convincing sound. "24"'s Kiefer Sutherland is cast in that part, and it works in a terrific way.

Remember, "Phone Booth" is basically a B-movie. That doesn't mean it is bad; it means, the film has a terrific idea at the core of it, but extends it beyond its limit. At least, it is better than similar (and more complicated) "Liberty Stands Still" (featuring Wesley Snipes) as far as the tension goes. You get intense acting from Colin Farrell, intense camerawork (Matthew Libatique, "Pai") , and ... not so intense ending. And there, at the end, you remember it's a B movie.

Because of several incidents (like the real-life sniper), the release of "Phone Booth" had been delayed in USA. I don't know the film needed such treatment after all. It is just an entertainment. And a good one too.

Intense
Phone Booth is easily one of the most intense 80 minutes in film history. Word to the wise, never pick up a ringing public telephone.

THE STORY:

Stu Shephard (Colin Farrell) is a Manhattan publicist guilty of a few things: being a somewhat dishonest businessman and lustfully fawning after a young actress, Pamela (Katie Holmes) despite being married. Little does he know that someone's been watching him lust after Pam. When Stu enters his Manhattan phone booth to talk to Pam (as has been his ritual) he's taken hostage by a psychotic sniper (Kiefer Sutherland) who's determined to make "bad men" repent for their unrighteous actions. Things go from bad to worse for Stu when he's accused of shooting a street pimp from the booth and the swat team arrives to take him into custody. Unfortunately for him, the sniper won't let him leave the booth till he confesses his sins.

THE COOL THINGS:

It amazes me that the entire movie takes place on a street corner in a phone booth - all 80 minutes of this movie. It amazes me further that the movie manages to remain engaging and enthralling. The suspense maintained by the movie is very reminiscent of Sutherland's other current big profile work, namely 24.

The sniper character voiced by Sutherland is easily the highlight of the movie. The sniper is obviously a psychotic stalker and killer. However, he is also at the same time an avenging angel with an odd sense of justice.

BEST SCENES:

Well, quite honestly, the whole movie is basically one big scene at the phone booth. At a brisk 80 minutes the movie moves along at a brisk pace and is quite honestly one big thrill ride.

THE DVD FEATURES:

Not much to write home about here. For the DVD you get the now standard director's commentary (great listen) plus the theatrical trailer for the movie.

THE VERDICT:

At a short 80 minutes "Phone Booth" is perfect viewing - a quick but intense thrill ride. Think of it like a quick high, it doesn't last very long but is worth every minute.

Highly Recommended

Phone Booth
Released in VHS Tape by Fox Home Entertainme (08 July, 2003)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, and Katie Holmes
By some lucky quirk of fate, Phone Booth landed on Hollywood's A-list, but this thriller should've been a straight-to-video potboiler directed by its screenwriter, veteran schlockmeister Larry Cohen, who's riffing on his own 1976 thriller God Told Me To. Instead it's a pointless reunion for fast-rising star Colin Farrell and his Tigerland director, Joel Schumacher, who employs a multiple-image technique similar to TV's 24 to energize Cohen's pulpy plot about an unseen sniper (maliciously voiced by 24's Kiefer Sutherland) who pins his chosen victim (a philandering celebrity publicist played by Farrell) in a Manhattan phone booth, threatening murder if Farrell doesn't confess his sins (including a mistress played by Katie Holmes in a thankless role). In a role originally slated for Jim Carrey, Farrell brings vulnerable intensity to his predicament, but Cohen's irresistible premise is too thin for even 88 brisk minutes, which is how long Schumacher takes to reach his morally repugnant conclusion. --Jeff Shannon
Average review score:

Has "B-Movie" All Over It, But Is Still Quite Thrilling!
Joel Schumacher can be considered to be the Jerry Bruckheimer of directors, as both men have a tendency towards thrillers and action films that emphasize things that go boom, bang, and screech while giving little concern about the plot's construction. So, as PHONE BOOTH starts with an acapella tune and fast-paced camera editing, it can be easy to think that the movie starts off as just another one of Schumacher's predictable doses of overblown action. Though the audience learns about the dishonest publicist Stu quickly enough to set the tone for the movie, its fate still doesn't look like it's going to change from a ridiculous, overwrought flick. And Schumacher's reasoning behind the start of the action is absolutely contrived- I mean, really, I've never even been to New York City, and I know better than to answer ANY phone in a public booth, regardless of where it's at! But once the voice on the other side comes through, the movie soon becomes something more.

As the two big people in this film, Colin Farrell and Keifer Sutherland are absolutely stunning. It is certainly no easy task for just two characters to provide the meat and potatoes of the plot, but Farrell and Sutherland work off amazing chemistry, and they help make PHONE BOOTH at its best a highly-charged thriller. Since the suspense in the phone booth takes up most of the movie, it can be easy to forget about the ridiculous logic, the confusing fast-paced camera shots, or the stereotypes that some of these people play (most notably the "hookers" that get angry over Stu hogging the phone). But the suspense itself is still convincing enough, as Farrell gradually becomes frightened over the caller, and then all but breaks down as the caller orders him to confess about the lies he is spreading in periodicals and the life he is juggling with a wife and a mistress. All the while, Sutherland is chillingly frighening as the mysterious caller, and these elements help the audience side with both people on the phone line in the appropriate manner.

So, overall, PHONE BOOTH is nowhere near the best thriller ever made, but it's not the disaster that detractors of Joel Schumacher would expect it to be. Rather, it's a fast-paced popcorn flick that delivers the expected goods in its tight 80-minute package.

"Hang up the Phone, and You're Dead." Good, Except Ending
Joel Shumacher/Colin Farrell, team of "Tigerland" comes back with totally different premise. This time they are given a script from prolific (and perhaps underrated) B movie-king Larry Cohen.

Colin Farrell is Stu, New Work publicist who thinks the world goes around just for him. Then he gets an anomymous call at a phone booth; now he gets it, and the guy on the other side of the phone says: "If you hang up the phone, you are dead."

And this strange guy with malicious voice really means it, pointing a rifle at Stu's head from somewhere in the high building in New York City (actually, the film was shot mostly in LA). His wife and would-be mistress arrive at the scene, only to complicate the situation, but the criminal seems enjoying it, and continues to order Stu to do things he never dreamed of.

The film is short, which means a good thing. You cannot keep on forever, holding the attention of the audience in this way, and in fact, the little moralistic conclusion is diappointment. Thankfully, Colin Farrell (no matter what some people say) is a talented actor, and gives a credible performance as a guy trapped in this incredibly thankless situation.

The supports are Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell ("High Art""Pitch Black") and Katie Holmes, but their roles are smaller ones compared to his. Of more interest is the sniper's role, whose voice must have convincing sound. "24"'s Kiefer Sutherland is cast in that part, and it works in a terrific way.

Remember, "Phone Booth" is basically a B-movie. That doesn't mean it is bad; it means, the film has a terrific idea at the core of it, but extends it beyond its limit. At least, it is better than similar (and more complicated) "Liberty Stands Still" (featuring Wesley Snipes) as far as the tension goes. You get intense acting from Colin Farrell, intense camerawork (Matthew Libatique, "Pai") , and ... not so intense ending. And there, at the end, you remember it's a B movie.

Because of several incidents (like the real-life sniper), the release of "Phone Booth" had been delayed in USA. I don't know the film needed such treatment after all. It is just an entertainment. And a good one too.

Intense
Phone Booth is easily one of the most intense 80 minutes in film history. Word to the wise, never pick up a ringing public telephone.

THE STORY:

Stu Shephard (Colin Farrell) is a Manhattan publicist guilty of a few things: being a somewhat dishonest businessman and lustfully fawning after a young actress, Pamela (Katie Holmes) despite being married. Little does he know that someone's been watching him lust after Pam. When Stu enters his Manhattan phone booth to talk to Pam (as has been his ritual) he's taken hostage by a psychotic sniper (Kiefer Sutherland) who's determined to make "bad men" repent for their unrighteous actions. Things go from bad to worse for Stu when he's accused of shooting a street pimp from the booth and the swat team arrives to take him into custody. Unfortunately for him, the sniper won't let him leave the booth till he confesses his sins.

THE COOL THINGS:

It amazes me that the entire movie takes place on a street corner in a phone booth - all 80 minutes of this movie. It amazes me further that the movie manages to remain engaging and enthralling. The suspense maintained by the movie is very reminiscent of Sutherland's other current big profile work, namely 24.

The sniper character voiced by Sutherland is easily the highlight of the movie. The sniper is obviously a psychotic stalker and killer. However, he is also at the same time an avenging angel with an odd sense of justice.

BEST SCENES:

Well, quite honestly, the whole movie is basically one big scene at the phone booth. At a brisk 80 minutes the movie moves along at a brisk pace and is quite honestly one big thrill ride.

THE DVD FEATURES:

Not much to write home about here. For the DVD you get the now standard director's commentary (great listen) plus the theatrical trailer for the movie.

THE VERDICT:

At a short 80 minutes "Phone Booth" is perfect viewing - a quick but intense thrill ride. Think of it like a quick high, it doesn't last very long but is worth every minute.

Highly Recommended

Phone Booth (D-VHS)
Released in VHS Tape by (29 July, 2003)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, and Katie Holmes
By some lucky quirk of fate, Phone Booth landed on Hollywood's A-list, but this thriller should've been a straight-to-video potboiler directed by its screenwriter, veteran schlockmeister Larry Cohen, who's riffing on his own 1976 thriller God Told Me To. Instead it's a pointless reunion for fast-rising star Colin Farrell and his Tigerland director, Joel Schumacher, who employs a multiple-image technique similar to TV's 24 to energize Cohen's pulpy plot about an unseen sniper (maliciously voiced by 24's Kiefer Sutherland) who pins his chosen victim (a philandering celebrity publicist played by Farrell) in a Manhattan phone booth, threatening murder if Farrell doesn't confess his sins (including a mistress played by Katie Holmes in a thankless role). In a role originally slated for Jim Carrey, Farrell brings vulnerable intensity to his predicament, but Cohen's irresistible premise is too thin for even 88 brisk minutes, which is how long Schumacher takes to reach his morally repugnant conclusion. --Jeff Shannon
Average review score:

Has "B-Movie" All Over It, But Is Still Quite Thrilling!
Joel Schumacher can be considered to be the Jerry Bruckheimer of directors, as both men have a tendency towards thrillers and action films that emphasize things that go boom, bang, and screech while giving little concern about the plot's construction. So, as PHONE BOOTH starts with an acapella tune and fast-paced camera editing, it can be easy to think that the movie starts off as just another one of Schumacher's predictable doses of overblown action. Though the audience learns about the dishonest publicist Stu quickly enough to set the tone for the movie, its fate still doesn't look like it's going to change from a ridiculous, overwrought flick. And Schumacher's reasoning behind the start of the action is absolutely contrived- I mean, really, I've never even been to New York City, and I know better than to answer ANY phone in a public booth, regardless of where it's at! But once the voice on the other side comes through, the movie soon becomes something more.

As the two big people in this film, Colin Farrell and Keifer Sutherland are absolutely stunning. It is certainly no easy task for just two characters to provide the meat and potatoes of the plot, but Farrell and Sutherland work off amazing chemistry, and they help make PHONE BOOTH at its best a highly-charged thriller. Since the suspense in the phone booth takes up most of the movie, it can be easy to forget about the ridiculous logic, the confusing fast-paced camera shots, or the stereotypes that some of these people play (most notably the "hookers" that get angry over Stu hogging the phone). But the suspense itself is still convincing enough, as Farrell gradually becomes frightened over the caller, and then all but breaks down as the caller orders him to confess about the lies he is spreading in periodicals and the life he is juggling with a wife and a mistress. All the while, Sutherland is chillingly frighening as the mysterious caller, and these elements help the audience side with both people on the phone line in the appropriate manner.

So, overall, PHONE BOOTH is nowhere near the best thriller ever made, but it's not the disaster that detractors of Joel Schumacher would expect it to be. Rather, it's a fast-paced popcorn flick that delivers the expected goods in its tight 80-minute package.

"Hang up the Phone, and You're Dead." Good, Except Ending
Joel Shumacher/Colin Farrell, team of "Tigerland" comes back with totally different premise. This time they are given a script from prolific (and perhaps underrated) B movie-king Larry Cohen.

Colin Farrell is Stu, New Work publicist who thinks the world goes around just for him. Then he gets an anomymous call at a phone booth; now he gets it, and the guy on the other side of the phone says: "If you hang up the phone, you are dead."

And this strange guy with malicious voice really means it, pointing a rifle at Stu's head from somewhere in the high building in New York City (actually, the film was shot mostly in LA). His wife and would-be mistress arrive at the scene, only to complicate the situation, but the criminal seems enjoying it, and continues to order Stu to do things he never dreamed of.

The film is short, which means a good thing. You cannot keep on forever, holding the attention of the audience in this way, and in fact, the little moralistic conclusion is diappointment. Thankfully, Colin Farrell (no matter what some people say) is a talented actor, and gives a credible performance as a guy trapped in this incredibly thankless situation.

The supports are Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell ("High Art""Pitch Black") and Katie Holmes, but their roles are smaller ones compared to his. Of more interest is the sniper's role, whose voice must have convincing sound. "24"'s Kiefer Sutherland is cast in that part, and it works in a terrific way.

Remember, "Phone Booth" is basically a B-movie. That doesn't mean it is bad; it means, the film has a terrific idea at the core of it, but extends it beyond its limit. At least, it is better than similar (and more complicated) "Liberty Stands Still" (featuring Wesley Snipes) as far as the tension goes. You get intense acting from Colin Farrell, intense camerawork (Matthew Libatique, "Pai") , and ... not so intense ending. And there, at the end, you remember it's a B movie.

Because of several incidents (like the real-life sniper), the release of "Phone Booth" had been delayed in USA. I don't know the film needed such treatment after all. It is just an entertainment. And a good one too.

Intense
Phone Booth is easily one of the most intense 80 minutes in film history. Word to the wise, never pick up a ringing public telephone.

THE STORY:

Stu Shephard (Colin Farrell) is a Manhattan publicist guilty of a few things: being a somewhat dishonest businessman and lustfully fawning after a young actress, Pamela (Katie Holmes) despite being married. Little does he know that someone's been watching him lust after Pam. When Stu enters his Manhattan phone booth to talk to Pam (as has been his ritual) he's taken hostage by a psychotic sniper (Kiefer Sutherland) who's determined to make "bad men" repent for their unrighteous actions. Things go from bad to worse for Stu when he's accused of shooting a street pimp from the booth and the swat team arrives to take him into custody. Unfortunately for him, the sniper won't let him leave the booth till he confesses his sins.

THE COOL THINGS:

It amazes me that the entire movie takes place on a street corner in a phone booth - all 80 minutes of this movie. It amazes me further that the movie manages to remain engaging and enthralling. The suspense maintained by the movie is very reminiscent of Sutherland's other current big profile work, namely 24.

The sniper character voiced by Sutherland is easily the highlight of the movie. The sniper is obviously a psychotic stalker and killer. However, he is also at the same time an avenging angel with an odd sense of justice.

BEST SCENES:

Well, quite honestly, the whole movie is basically one big scene at the phone booth. At a brisk 80 minutes the movie moves along at a brisk pace and is quite honestly one big thrill ride.

THE DVD FEATURES:

Not much to write home about here. For the DVD you get the now standard director's commentary (great listen) plus the theatrical trailer for the movie.

THE VERDICT:

At a short 80 minutes "Phone Booth" is perfect viewing - a quick but intense thrill ride. Think of it like a quick high, it doesn't last very long but is worth every minute.

Highly Recommended

Event Horizon
Released in VHS Tape by Paramount Studio (06 June, 2000)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring: Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill
Lawrence Fishburne and Sam Neill head up a strong cast as the reluctant leaders of a rescue mission sent to find out just what in the hell (literally) happened to the crew of a long-vanished experimental spacecraft in this dark and thundering descent of a horror film. Although this extremely stylish haunted spaceship movie may be guilty of ripping off half a dozen better films (including Don't Look Now, Hellraiser, and especially Andrei Tarkovsky's great Solaris), it's difficult to deny the gothic razorblade effectiveness of the end result. Not a "fun" film by any stretch of the imagination, but a thrillingly ruthless shocker that may leave more susceptible viewers in need of a long shower and a high-voltage night-light. For the full effect, watch it with all the lights off and the volume cranked up to 11. --Andrew Wright
Average review score:

Horrible Horror
One of the grossest, goriest movies I've ever seen. The plot was horrible. It just moved from one killing to the next. Blood and gore everywhere. Not worth the time I spent watching it. I kept waiting for something positive to happen, but ....

Satanic Oedipus in space
Sam Neill must have been out of his head to take this role... and I've got to wonder what  Laurence Fishburne was doing in this one, as well. Sam Neill's character in particular - yuck. What a freaking gore fest. This is like they took "Alien" (minus the alien) and "Hell Raiser" and put them in a blender. The space crew is very reminiscent of "Alien"... crew has a job to do they couldn't get out of, all in stasis for a flight to the orbit of Jupiter. They hear a distress beacon from "The Event Horizon," an experimental ship that disappeared 7 years earlier on it's maiden voyage of space-folding their way to the end of the universe.

En route to the ship, it's creator, Dr. Weir (Sam Neill) is already having very disturbing visions of his wife with her eyes gouged out. This is just an appetizer... the entire film features disgusting disembowelments, eye plucking, blood spattering, head exploding gore.

Sometimes the unseen is far more frightening than the seen... they would have been more successful without the gore in making it a more cerebral flick.

When the crew docks with the Event Horizon, things start going wrong from the get-go... folks are hearing things, seeing things, feeling things... and they're not seeing angels... they're seeing people on fire, children with leprosy... just gross, disturbing stuff. They hear the crew's last log entry which includes blood curdling screams and someone yelling, "save yourself from Hell!" in Latin. That would be the cue for most normal human beings to get back in their ship and go back to earth without looking back... but no, this crew stays and stays, trying to find out what happened.

They take a visit to the core of the ship that has a central drive that enables the space-folding (faster than light flight)... it looks like something from "Harry Potter." Lots of medieval looking gears and the sphere shaped room is full of pointy-sharp spikes... the minute you see it you know that at least one crew member is going to get accidentally impaled on one, and you're right -that's what happens.

When there are sudden power outages, Dr. Weir crawls through some of the guts of the ship to find a shorted circuit... this is one of those purposterous sci-fi scenes that's spoofed in "Galaxy Quest".... a ridiculously shaped room that goes on forever, for no reason.

There is some really good acting and there are some very believable scenes, but the film falls on its face.

There are many scenes in which characters pluck out their own eyeballs... not for those with weak constitutions, that's for sure.

Despite the few good concepts and scenes in this movie, I really can not think of one scene that makes sitting through this film worthwhile. It is a haunted-house gore-fest that happens to take place in a space ship - that's about it. The trailer led you to believe there was much more to this film... such are the beguiling ways of trailers. There are not enough special effects to make this film even worthwhile to those seeking eye-candy (pardon the ironic pun). This is not the worst film I've ever seen, but on the stink meter, I'd give it a rating of: rotting fish.

This movie scared me all throughout!!!
"Liberate me, ex infernis..." This was the message the rescue crew from Lewis & Clark heard from the Event Horizon as they went deeper into the bowels of this derelict spaceship. The plot and story is simply fantastic. The Event Horizon (name taken from a part of a black hole) was sent on a mission beyond the boundaries of the solar system using a gravity drive, a faster than light travel system devised by Prof. Weir (Sam Neill). The gravity drive bends space to make travelling from one point to another faster than light. Simply put, the gravity drive creates an artificial black hole. Somehow, something went wrong and the Event Horizon was lost as it entered it's own black hole and was gone for 7 years. Finally, the ship came back but it came back with something in it. The spaceship indeed went somewhere but it way way beyond the boundaries of known universe. And not it brought something unseeing, something invisible yet completely evil. The rescue crew boards the ship and finds no sign of the crew. Thus, the story begins. It's more of a mental, psychological horror rather than seeing an alien being. You dont see any monsters or aliens here. The monster turns out to be the whole spaceship.

The effects are good. Lawrence Fishburne will strike you as a hard core but fair captain of the rescue ship. Sam Neill did a good job portraying himself as a obsessed scientist eager to find where the Event Horizon has gone. There are tons and tons of scary scenes. Strangely, the scariest part was when Sam Neill was shaving with a razor, as he was scraping off the cream on his neck with his razor, he hears something and then BOOM!!!! Scared the life out of me!

Get this movie.

Event Horizon
Released in VHS Tape by Paramount Studio (29 May, 2001)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring: Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill
Drawing from Andrei Tarkovsky's heady science fiction meditation Solaris by way of Alien and Hellraiser, this visually splendid but pulpy piece of science fiction schlock concerns a mission in the year 2047 to investigate the experimental American spaceship Event Horizon, which disappeared seven years previously and suddenly, out of nowhere, reappeared in the orbit of Neptune. Laurence Fishburne stars as mission commander Captain Miller and Sam Neill is Dr. Weir, the scientist who designed the mystery ship. Miller's T-shirt- and army-green-clad crew of smart-talking pros finds a ship dead and deserted, but further investigations turn up blood, corpses, dismembered body parts, and a decidedly unearthly presence. It turns out that the ship is really a space-age haunted house where spooky (and obviously impossible) visions lure each of the crew members into situations they should know better than to enter. The ship is gorgeously designed, borrowing from the dark, organic look of Alien and adding the menacing touch of teeth sprouting from bulwark doors and clawlike spikes inexplicably shooting out of the engine room floor. Unfortunately the film is not nearly as inventive as the production design--it turns into a woefully inconsistent psychic monster movie that sacrifices mood for tepid shocks--but the special effects are topnotch, and ultimately the movie has a trashy B movie charm about it. --Sean Axmaker
Average review score:

Horrible Horror
One of the grossest, goriest movies I've ever seen. The plot was horrible. It just moved from one killing to the next. Blood and gore everywhere. Not worth the time I spent watching it. I kept waiting for something positive to happen, but ....

Satanic Oedipus in space
Sam Neill must have been out of his head to take this role... and I've got to wonder what  Laurence Fishburne was doing in this one, as well. Sam Neill's character in particular - yuck. What a freaking gore fest. This is like they took "Alien" (minus the alien) and "Hell Raiser" and put them in a blender. The space crew is very reminiscent of "Alien"... crew has a job to do they couldn't get out of, all in stasis for a flight to the orbit of Jupiter. They hear a distress beacon from "The Event Horizon," an experimental ship that disappeared 7 years earlier on it's maiden voyage of space-folding their way to the end of the universe.

En route to the ship, it's creator, Dr. Weir (Sam Neill) is already having very disturbing visions of his wife with her eyes gouged out. This is just an appetizer... the entire film features disgusting disembowelments, eye plucking, blood spattering, head exploding gore.

Sometimes the unseen is far more frightening than the seen... they would have been more successful without the gore in making it a more cerebral flick.

When the crew docks with the Event Horizon, things start going wrong from the get-go... folks are hearing things, seeing things, feeling things... and they're not seeing angels... they're seeing people on fire, children with leprosy... just gross, disturbing stuff. They hear the crew's last log entry which includes blood curdling screams and someone yelling, "save yourself from Hell!" in Latin. That would be the cue for most normal human beings to get back in their ship and go back to earth without looking back... but no, this crew stays and stays, trying to find out what happened.

They take a visit to the core of the ship that has a central drive that enables the space-folding (faster than light flight)... it looks like something from "Harry Potter." Lots of medieval looking gears and the sphere shaped room is full of pointy-sharp spikes... the minute you see it you know that at least one crew member is going to get accidentally impaled on one, and you're right -that's what happens.

When there are sudden power outages, Dr. Weir crawls through some of the guts of the ship to find a shorted circuit... this is one of those purposterous sci-fi scenes that's spoofed in "Galaxy Quest".... a ridiculously shaped room that goes on forever, for no reason.

There is some really good acting and there are some very believable scenes, but the film falls on its face.

There are many scenes in which characters pluck out their own eyeballs... not for those with weak constitutions, that's for sure.

Despite the few good concepts and scenes in this movie, I really can not think of one scene that makes sitting through this film worthwhile. It is a haunted-house gore-fest that happens to take place in a space ship - that's about it. The trailer led you to believe there was much more to this film... such are the beguiling ways of trailers. There are not enough special effects to make this film even worthwhile to those seeking eye-candy (pardon the ironic pun). This is not the worst film I've ever seen, but on the stink meter, I'd give it a rating of: rotting fish.

This movie scared me all throughout!!!
"Liberate me, ex infernis..." This was the message the rescue crew from Lewis & Clark heard from the Event Horizon as they went deeper into the bowels of this derelict spaceship. The plot and story is simply fantastic. The Event Horizon (name taken from a part of a black hole) was sent on a mission beyond the boundaries of the solar system using a gravity drive, a faster than light travel system devised by Prof. Weir (Sam Neill). The gravity drive bends space to make travelling from one point to another faster than light. Simply put, the gravity drive creates an artificial black hole. Somehow, something went wrong and the Event Horizon was lost as it entered it's own black hole and was gone for 7 years. Finally, the ship came back but it came back with something in it. The spaceship indeed went somewhere but it way way beyond the boundaries of known universe. And not it brought something unseeing, something invisible yet completely evil. The rescue crew boards the ship and finds no sign of the crew. Thus, the story begins. It's more of a mental, psychological horror rather than seeing an alien being. You dont see any monsters or aliens here. The monster turns out to be the whole spaceship.

The effects are good. Lawrence Fishburne will strike you as a hard core but fair captain of the rescue ship. Sam Neill did a good job portraying himself as a obsessed scientist eager to find where the Event Horizon has gone. There are tons and tons of scary scenes. Strangely, the scariest part was when Sam Neill was shaving with a razor, as he was scraping off the cream on his neck with his razor, he hears something and then BOOM!!!! Scared the life out of me!

Get this movie.

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