Viggo-Mortensen Movie Reviews

Related Subjects: Toni-Collette
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VHS movie reviews for "Viggo-Mortensen" sorted by average review score:
Psycho (1998)
Released in VHS Tape by Universal Studios (08 June, 1999)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche
Numerous critics had already sharpened their knives even before Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot color "re-creation" of the 1960 black-and-white Hitchcock classic was released, chiding the Good Will Hunting director for defiling hallowed ground. This intriguing cinematic curiosity, though, is hardly as sacrilegious as critics would lead you to believe. If anything, Van Sant doesn't take enough liberties with his almost slavish devotion to the material, now updated with modern references. At times, you wish Van Sant would cut loose with a little spontaneity, a little energy, a little something. Unfortunately, when he does venture outside Hitchcock's parameters, with inserted shots of storm clouds during the murder sequences, it's to little effect. Granted, he liberally splashes color throughout the film (especially in the case of the infamous shower scene), and this is a great-looking movie, but in his obsession with adding a new physical dimension to the film, there's little insight into these characters that Hitchcock hadn't already provided. Vince Vaughn, a robotic and giggly Norman, doesn't crawl under your skin the way boy-next-door Anthony Perkins did, and Anne Heche is admirable if not very sympathetic in the Janet Leigh role. Van Sant does score a minor coup, though, in his casting of the supporting roles: Julianne Moore provides a welcome shot of energy as Heche's irritable and curious sister, William H. Macy is a perfect small-time detective, Viggo Mortensen is studly enough to make you understand why Heche would want to run away with him, and James LeGros walks away with his one brief scene as a used car salesman. And Danny Elfman's gorgeous rerecording of Bernard Herrmann's score is a potent supporting character unto itself. Students and fans of the original film will get a kick out of the modern revisions, but don't expect anything of Hitchcockian caliber; watch it for the sum of its intriguing parts, but not the whole. --Mark Englehart
Average review score:

WOOF!
UGH...! Did a remake of the original horror/suspense classic have to be made? These are NOT even the original cast (although I understand that they'd be pretty old now considering the movie's 40 years old) Also, the acting was very cheesy, stupid, & crappy & Anthony Perkins is the ONLY TRUE Norman Bates instead of some other guy who doesn't even come close to fitting the picture. Another problem is that it's just not even scary WHATSOEVER! All they did is colorize it in order to give it a more 90s style look but the dialogue is all same ol' same ol' as the original "Psycho". Besides, people don't even talk that way anymore! Time has changed A LOT over the years yet they try & give it a 60s look. I know that some movies should be left alone while others sometimes REALLY need a remake. ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is an example because while the first version was good, the 2003 version actually turned out to be even better due to that the cript is NOT the same but still with some similarities) "PSYCHO" on the other hand did not need a remake at all! As another reviewer here stated, IT'S ALL BEEN DONE ALREADY!!!! Very crappy & just pathetic! Don't waste your time & get the original version of this instead!

Very poor
I guess when you cast a bunch of Hollywood's elite to star in a remake of a classic 60's horror flick, you can't really expect much. It seems like the director (Gus Van Idiot Savant or whatever) just wanted to bulk it up and add more glitz and glamour, while meanwhile the original was a humble, modest, bold effort. Vince Vaughn is the most unconvincing psychopath on film ever, his personality did not work for this movie, and seeing him in his other movies makes this one a little awkward. Julianne Moore is usually a superb actress, I don't know why she would involve herself in this piece of cheese, I mean, did they REALLY have walkman's back then? The only plus side is Anne Heche who fits her roll very well, it's just a shame she had to die off 30 minutes into the movie, making this one a true "sleeper" indeed.

A so-so remake of a film classic
Marion Crane (Anne Heche) steals $400,000 from her boss and flees from Phoenix, AZ, to California to meet with her boyfriend Sam Loomis (Viggo Mortensen). Along the way, a heavy rainstorm forces her to seek shelter at the Bates Motel, where she meets Norman Bates (Vince Vaughan), an odd fellow who enjoys stuffing birds, is very devoted to his mother, and hides a twisted little secret.

Gus Van Zant's remake is only so-so at best. Most remakes try to update the film, adding new technology or bringing some of the themes up-to-date. Van Zant's remake is shot-for-shot with the only changes being that the film is entirely in color and that he's added a few non-sensical images to the murder sequences. With some of the scenes, the viewer can tell they were shot either in front of a green screen or in front of a movie background, making it appear very stagy and dated. Also, the color takes away some of the menace that is created in the original black-and-white.

Most of the cast does an admirable job, including Anne Heche as Marion Crane, who portrays the nervousness and anxieties of her character extremely well. Vince Vaughan is miscast and over-the-top as Norman Bates, making him too menacing and too unsympathetic. The supporting cast is okay with Julianne Moore, William H. Macy and Viggo Morensen.

One other good point of the film is Danny Elfman's presentation of the Bernard Hermann score. No changes to it, but it does prove how important music can be to setting the mood for a film, and that urgent violin strain in the shower sequence still causes chills. But overall, this movie remake is only so-so.

Psycho (1998)
Released in VHS Tape by Universal Studios (08 June, 1999)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche
Numerous critics had already sharpened their knives even before Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot color "re-creation" of the 1960 black-and-white Hitchcock classic was released, chiding the Good Will Hunting director for defiling hallowed ground. This intriguing cinematic curiosity, though, is hardly as sacrilegious as critics would lead you to believe. If anything, Van Sant doesn't take enough liberties with his almost slavish devotion to the material, now updated with modern references. At times, you wish Van Sant would cut loose with a little spontaneity, a little energy, a little something. Unfortunately, when he does venture outside Hitchcock's parameters, with inserted shots of storm clouds during the murder sequences, it's to little effect. Granted, he liberally splashes color throughout the film (especially in the case of the infamous shower scene), and this is a great-looking movie, but in his obsession with adding a new physical dimension to the film, there's little insight into these characters that Hitchcock hadn't already provided. Vince Vaughn, a robotic and giggly Norman, doesn't crawl under your skin the way boy-next-door Anthony Perkins did, and Anne Heche is admirable if not very sympathetic in the Janet Leigh role. Van Sant does score a minor coup, though, in his casting of the supporting roles: Julianne Moore provides a welcome shot of energy as Heche's irritable and curious sister, William H. Macy is a perfect small-time detective, Viggo Mortensen is studly enough to make you understand why Heche would want to run away with him, and James LeGros walks away with his one brief scene as a used car salesman. And Danny Elfman's gorgeous rerecording of Bernard Herrmann's score is a potent supporting character unto itself. Students and fans of the original film will get a kick out of the modern revisions, but don't expect anything of Hitchcockian caliber; watch it for the sum of its intriguing parts, but not the whole. --Mark Englehart
Average review score:

WOOF!
UGH...! Did a remake of the original horror/suspense classic have to be made? These are NOT even the original cast (although I understand that they'd be pretty old now considering the movie's 40 years old) Also, the acting was very cheesy, stupid, & crappy & Anthony Perkins is the ONLY TRUE Norman Bates instead of some other guy who doesn't even come close to fitting the picture. Another problem is that it's just not even scary WHATSOEVER! All they did is colorize it in order to give it a more 90s style look but the dialogue is all same ol' same ol' as the original "Psycho". Besides, people don't even talk that way anymore! Time has changed A LOT over the years yet they try & give it a 60s look. I know that some movies should be left alone while others sometimes REALLY need a remake. ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is an example because while the first version was good, the 2003 version actually turned out to be even better due to that the cript is NOT the same but still with some similarities) "PSYCHO" on the other hand did not need a remake at all! As another reviewer here stated, IT'S ALL BEEN DONE ALREADY!!!! Very crappy & just pathetic! Don't waste your time & get the original version of this instead!

Very poor
I guess when you cast a bunch of Hollywood's elite to star in a remake of a classic 60's horror flick, you can't really expect much. It seems like the director (Gus Van Idiot Savant or whatever) just wanted to bulk it up and add more glitz and glamour, while meanwhile the original was a humble, modest, bold effort. Vince Vaughn is the most unconvincing psychopath on film ever, his personality did not work for this movie, and seeing him in his other movies makes this one a little awkward. Julianne Moore is usually a superb actress, I don't know why she would involve herself in this piece of cheese, I mean, did they REALLY have walkman's back then? The only plus side is Anne Heche who fits her roll very well, it's just a shame she had to die off 30 minutes into the movie, making this one a true "sleeper" indeed.

A so-so remake of a film classic
Marion Crane (Anne Heche) steals $400,000 from her boss and flees from Phoenix, AZ, to California to meet with her boyfriend Sam Loomis (Viggo Mortensen). Along the way, a heavy rainstorm forces her to seek shelter at the Bates Motel, where she meets Norman Bates (Vince Vaughan), an odd fellow who enjoys stuffing birds, is very devoted to his mother, and hides a twisted little secret.

Gus Van Zant's remake is only so-so at best. Most remakes try to update the film, adding new technology or bringing some of the themes up-to-date. Van Zant's remake is shot-for-shot with the only changes being that the film is entirely in color and that he's added a few non-sensical images to the murder sequences. With some of the scenes, the viewer can tell they were shot either in front of a green screen or in front of a movie background, making it appear very stagy and dated. Also, the color takes away some of the menace that is created in the original black-and-white.

Most of the cast does an admirable job, including Anne Heche as Marion Crane, who portrays the nervousness and anxieties of her character extremely well. Vince Vaughan is miscast and over-the-top as Norman Bates, making him too menacing and too unsympathetic. The supporting cast is okay with Julianne Moore, William H. Macy and Viggo Morensen.

One other good point of the film is Danny Elfman's presentation of the Bernard Hermann score. No changes to it, but it does prove how important music can be to setting the mood for a film, and that urgent violin strain in the shower sequence still causes chills. But overall, this movie remake is only so-so.

Psycho - Spanish subtitles
Released in VHS Tape by Universal Studios (28 August, 2001)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche
Numerous critics had already sharpened their knives even before Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot color "re-creation" of the 1960 black-and-white Hitchcock classic was released, chiding the Good Will Hunting director for defiling hallowed ground. This intriguing cinematic curiosity, though, is hardly as sacrilegious as critics would lead you to believe. If anything, Van Sant doesn't take enough liberties with his almost slavish devotion to the material, now updated with modern references. At times, you wish Van Sant would cut loose with a little spontaneity, a little energy, a little something. Unfortunately, when he does venture outside Hitchcock's parameters, with inserted shots of storm clouds during the murder sequences, it's to little effect. Granted, he liberally splashes color throughout the film (especially in the case of the infamous shower scene), and this is a great-looking movie, but in his obsession with adding a new physical dimension to the film, there's little insight into these characters that Hitchcock hadn't already provided. Vince Vaughn, a robotic and giggly Norman, doesn't crawl under your skin the way boy-next-door Anthony Perkins did, and Anne Heche is admirable if not very sympathetic in the Janet Leigh role. Van Sant does score a minor coup, though, in his casting of the supporting roles: Julianne Moore provides a welcome shot of energy as Heche's irritable and curious sister, William H. Macy is a perfect small-time detective, Viggo Mortensen is studly enough to make you understand why Heche would want to run away with him, and James LeGros walks away with his one brief scene as a used car salesman. And Danny Elfman's gorgeous rerecording of Bernard Herrmann's score is a potent supporting character unto itself. Students and fans of the original film will get a kick out of the modern revisions, but don't expect anything of Hitchcockian caliber; watch it for the sum of its intriguing parts, but not the whole. --Mark Englehart
Average review score:

WOOF!
UGH...! Did a remake of the original horror/suspense classic have to be made? These are NOT even the original cast (although I understand that they'd be pretty old now considering the movie's 40 years old) Also, the acting was very cheesy, stupid, & crappy & Anthony Perkins is the ONLY TRUE Norman Bates instead of some other guy who doesn't even come close to fitting the picture. Another problem is that it's just not even scary WHATSOEVER! All they did is colorize it in order to give it a more 90s style look but the dialogue is all same ol' same ol' as the original "Psycho". Besides, people don't even talk that way anymore! Time has changed A LOT over the years yet they try & give it a 60s look. I know that some movies should be left alone while others sometimes REALLY need a remake. ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is an example because while the first version was good, the 2003 version actually turned out to be even better due to that the cript is NOT the same but still with some similarities) "PSYCHO" on the other hand did not need a remake at all! As another reviewer here stated, IT'S ALL BEEN DONE ALREADY!!!! Very crappy & just pathetic! Don't waste your time & get the original version of this instead!

Very poor
I guess when you cast a bunch of Hollywood's elite to star in a remake of a classic 60's horror flick, you can't really expect much. It seems like the director (Gus Van Idiot Savant or whatever) just wanted to bulk it up and add more glitz and glamour, while meanwhile the original was a humble, modest, bold effort. Vince Vaughn is the most unconvincing psychopath on film ever, his personality did not work for this movie, and seeing him in his other movies makes this one a little awkward. Julianne Moore is usually a superb actress, I don't know why she would involve herself in this piece of cheese, I mean, did they REALLY have walkman's back then? The only plus side is Anne Heche who fits her roll very well, it's just a shame she had to die off 30 minutes into the movie, making this one a true "sleeper" indeed.

A so-so remake of a film classic
Marion Crane (Anne Heche) steals $400,000 from her boss and flees from Phoenix, AZ, to California to meet with her boyfriend Sam Loomis (Viggo Mortensen). Along the way, a heavy rainstorm forces her to seek shelter at the Bates Motel, where she meets Norman Bates (Vince Vaughan), an odd fellow who enjoys stuffing birds, is very devoted to his mother, and hides a twisted little secret.

Gus Van Zant's remake is only so-so at best. Most remakes try to update the film, adding new technology or bringing some of the themes up-to-date. Van Zant's remake is shot-for-shot with the only changes being that the film is entirely in color and that he's added a few non-sensical images to the murder sequences. With some of the scenes, the viewer can tell they were shot either in front of a green screen or in front of a movie background, making it appear very stagy and dated. Also, the color takes away some of the menace that is created in the original black-and-white.

Most of the cast does an admirable job, including Anne Heche as Marion Crane, who portrays the nervousness and anxieties of her character extremely well. Vince Vaughan is miscast and over-the-top as Norman Bates, making him too menacing and too unsympathetic. The supporting cast is okay with Julianne Moore, William H. Macy and Viggo Morensen.

One other good point of the film is Danny Elfman's presentation of the Bernard Hermann score. No changes to it, but it does prove how important music can be to setting the mood for a film, and that urgent violin strain in the shower sequence still causes chills. But overall, this movie remake is only so-so.

Fresh Horses
Released in VHS Tape by Columbia/Tristar Studios (11 April, 2000)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: David Anspaugh
Starring: Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy
Average review score:

Can I Please Give It NO STARS?!
Yes, it's true... "Fresh Horses" is the all-time worst movie ever made. By that, I mean of all the movies that had good production values this is the worst. It obviously had some good actors (they're in there somewhere, though hard to see) and a competent crew. A big studio was behind it (but I'm sure the guy who okayed this film is now working in retail).

"Fresh Horses" is just a mess of a movie. It's been about ten years since I walked out of the theater after an hour of torture, but I vividly remember the following: There is no story, nothing visually interesting, no complete sentences uttered by any of the actors, nobody ever smiles in it, Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald have absolutely no chemistry, I don't think they were speaking English, and I'm pretty sure that McCarthy was replaced halfway through the production by the caterer's assistant.

What's really sad is that you can't even watch it to make fun of it. So it's not a good bad movie. It's just plain boring. Horrifyingly boring. Murderously boring.

But you have to give the film some credit... It pretty much killed the careers of Ringwald and McCarthy. So, for that alone, the one star is deserved!

Wow ... Tough Crowd!
Thanks to the anonymity of this forum, I can freely admit that I like this movie (in fact, I have a tape of it somewhere). It's the basic story of a guy (McCarthy) who has everything going for him, but longs to take a walk on the wild side. Enter Molly Ringwald's character, a white-trash vixen that completely captivates him and turns his life upside down. Fine cinematography with an absolutely heart-wrenching ending. This flick and Less Than Zero are my two favorite Andrew McCarthy movies. Go easy on me.

a true love movie
Andrew & Molly have always been one of my fovorite teen actors
and in this movie they again make good chemistry together.Is a love story with a sad but good ending that makes you think about
how complicated life can be falling in love with someone special.

Hidalgo
Released in Theatrical Release by (05 March, 2004)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: Joe Johnston
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif, and Zuleikha Robinson

Related Subjects: Toni-Collette
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