Reviews by JR1220

Flashdance left an indelible mark, to be honest. Was a unique movie that helped change the tone of Hollywood, too.

A cute romantic comedy where Janeane Garofalo gets to shine. An extra 1/2 star for an inventive romantic scene.

An instant classic!  
Having had an opportunity to follow the rise of the Broadway musical Wicked and then finally see it live when it came out here to Indianapolis, I was interested in seeing this take on the origin story of Elphaba and the development of her powers in the merry old land of Oz.
First off, this casting is inspired, with Cynthia Erivo taking the lead spot. If you haven't seen her in the underrated Bad Times at the El Royal, you might take a moment to find it at your local library. It's full of some fun twists and turns and an amazing soundtrack. Her exceptional voice is a character in and of itself in this first installment and she's taken the torch of all the previous witches with her particular "verdigris" and flown with it.
Then there's "Guh-linda" as portrayed by Ariana Grande in all of her pink finetudes ("witch" seems like an Ozian word, so take THAT Grammarly!). Grande's performance rises to the level of Erivo's and when they perform together, it's magic from here to Munchkinland. In this format, on the big screen, we can see so many additional layers of Oz and the set pieces of "What is this Feeling?," "Popular," and "Dancing Through Life." Then we jump on an outrageously whimsical train to the Emerald City and the multi-layered "One Short Day" wherein we catch a glimpse of two residents who are dear to Wicked history. Easily one of my favorite segments of the movie.
Wicked far exceeded every expectation I had and the expectations were, as they say, defying gravity!
Outstanding visuals matched by exceptional performances. Our family will certainly be counting down the days until part two!

I should have watched this when I was in the midst of my adolescence, but this one escaped me. I appreciate what they were doing, but too many years have gone by and it didn’t make as much of an impact as it could have. The Outsiders certainly was still entertaining, and fun to watch some of the superstars of that era in some of their earliest roles.

Missed this one by 31 years. First off, what an incredible cast. And love him or hate him, the director knows how to leverage film as a visual medium. The Doors has dreamlike imagery throughout, which seems an obvious technique to shake the viewer off their already precarious footing. What's more, the music is outstanding and is treated like part of the ensemble.

Does he run in this one? I don't remember.

This cast is revving on all cylinders and places a perfect "popcorn movie" right in the winner's circle for the summer.

It's kind of like the movie Cars blended with the movie Doc Hollywood and a sprinkle of Top Gun just for good measure.

I'll have to check my records because I don't remember if THIS is the "vehicle" that made Tom and Nicole Kidman fall in love or if it was another random event or a cool Hollywood party. They were certainly an "it" couple for several years there. Did they have a cute nickname? I don't remember. What's more, she popped on the scene when there weren't a ton of redheaded performers, so for that I'm thankful.

I have to say, it was difficult to get my bearings on this one for the first 40 minutes or so, but it didn't mind the ride at all. The music, the chaos, the shifts in tone and the unpredictable performances all added up to a unique take on this "romantic comedy." But to be fair to the director and the performers alike, Punch-Drunk Love defies a cookie cutter genre. This is easily Sandler's best performance by far and really shows the level of talent he can bring to a production. Think you know where this is going? No, you don't. PDL is a tight 90ish minutes, but it does also take it's time to immerse the audience in the events of Barry Egan, his co-workers, his sisters, the maniacal operator of a phone sex line in Utah, and of course, Lena, the love interest, played perfectly by Emily Watson. This one is calling to have a repeat viewing, because so much of the music and visuals can be missed if you aren't fully engaged.

Zany fun, and wildly ridiculous, and chock full of genuine laughs along the way. While this had more than a few dated and problematic moments, and a tacked-on courtroom scene, the third act brings it home.

I would also like to give a nod to the duo of David L Lander and Michael McKean, who were paired up in much different roles from their Lennie and Squiggy characters from Laverne and Shirley.

Also of note, when Kurt Russell and his gang put on their "Disco Night," it makes me wonder if that was written before the infamous Disco Demolition Night in July of 1979.

Jack Warden was juggling two roles this one, playing a pair of brothers and rivals in the "pre-owned" vehicle sales game. His fight scenes were something to behold, but then, a paratrooper in 101st Airborne, I'm quite certain he knows how to hold his own in a fight.

Can I please send out some love for Toby, played by Peanuts, one of the finest canine actors in the history of cinema. He stole every scene he was in, including the climactic car stunt.

The cherry on the top? A brief but amazing segment with the incredible Dub Taylor. The more I see him, the more I appreciate his talent.