SHORT REVIEWS

High Plains Drifter – High Noon from Hell. A lean, anarchist, and spooky western. Eastwood’s second directorial effort is also one of his best. He’s an ex-marshal back from the grave to avenge himself on a corrupt California town and the men who killed him. Or is he? It’s wickedly funny too. “Let’s paint the town red, baby!”

The Green Mile – A bloated, clichéd and thoroughly insincere piece of Hollywood hokum. Death-row miracles happen to some cardboard characters. Many wonderful actors wasted on another stupid Stephen King story. Frank Darabont desperately tries to mine his Shawshank Redemption gold and comes up with 14-karat crap. Skip this turkey (unless you’re a big Touched By An Angel fan).

Cookie’s Fortune – Intrigue surrounding the suicide of a crazy old lady in small Southern town. Altman’s best film since Short Cuts. Unique and mellow, full of wacky characters and down-home charm. Some wonderful performances too; especially by Patricia Neil and Charles Dutton. I could do without Chris O’Donnel or Liv Tyler, but even they are likable in this fun yet unsettling story, expertly directed and acted.

Pale Rider – Another remake of Shane. Eastwood tries to use some of the supernatural angle from High Plains Drifter to far lesser success. Clint is a butt-kicking preacher inexplicably defending a small mining community from an evil corporation. The film has a great visual feel, but its predictability proves too tough to overcome. Watchable, but ultimately, the weakest of the four Eastwood-directed westerns.

Seconds – The best damn 90-minute episode of The Twilight Zone I’ve ever seen! That’s a compliment, by the way. A trippy, creepy masterpiece directed by John Frankenheimer at the top of his game. Middle-aged businessman finds a fountain or youth and nearly drowns in it. The best performance Rock Hudson ever gave.

Interview With a Vampire – Anne Rice’s masterpiece brought to the screen in a surprisingly faithful, even reverential manner. The novel’s tragic tone and unsettling philosophy are all here, wonderfully directed by Neil Jordan. This probably explains why the film was such a huge box-office disappointment despite Tom Cruise. A good film that even manages to overcome the monumental miscasting of its lead characters. Yet one can’t help but wonder what other actors could have accomplished in these roles.

The Whole Nine Yards – Montreal dentist befriends an Chicago mob hit-man. Garbage. A comedy without any laughs. OK, I admit Mathew Perry did make me chuckle a couple of times; but this tale of kind-hearted assassins and evil French-Canadians is just plain bad. Bruce Willis loses many of his Sixth Sense points in an extremely shallow performance. I think I’d rather go to the dentist then sit thru this stinker.