Reviews (181)

Good Acting - Predictable Ending
Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd are two phenominal actors, and anything that either one of them is in is usually good. Double Jeopardy is merely okay.

Judd plays a woman, named Libby Parsons, who lives a fairly nice life, until one day, her husband goes missing while on a sailing expedition. Libby is found covered in his blood, and he is declared dead, after searches turn up nothing. All evidence points towards her, and she is sent to prison for his murder. While incarcerated, she finds out that he faked his death, and is living abroad with their young child. Upon release, she meets Jones, who plays the caretaker of the halfway house she now lives in. The rest of the movie deals with her trying to find her husband and, more importantly, her son.

Judd and Jones are truly exceptional in the film. The role seemed to be made for Jones, and Ashley Judd did a wonderful job as always, and she was said to have performed all of her own stunts.

The real problem with the film is that it is extremely predictable. This is Hollywood, and about twenty-five minutes into the movie, when her so-called "great awakening" takes place in prison, it is so obvious as to how the film will end. There were some very minor twists throughout the film, but the ending still remained crystal clear.

Overall, the film was okay. Besides the good acting, there were some nice action scenes. Unfortunately, the plot was too predictable, as it tried to uplhold the typical Hollywood standards way too much. If you're a fan of Jones or Judd, you will probably enjoy it from an acting standpoint, but don't expect much else.

Tommy Lee Jones fan
"Double Jeopardy" is one of the best action films i've seen in a long time, by far. If you decide to purchase this film, I guarantee you won't be disapointed. I highly recommend it!

Great Premise...
...Terrible movie. Ashley Judd holds your attention but the script has a lot of holes, Jones is playing his "Fugitive" role again as he has too many times before. There are a few well done action scenes, but that is about it...Otherwise this is one of the worst of its kind. Do not buy this film. There are too many other better films in this genre.

No surprises, but fast-paced script and good photography
This 1999 film stars Ashley Judd as a woman who is convicted of killing her husband. His body is never found and the audience knows she's been framed. While she's in prison she finds out she can never be tried for the same crime twice, so when she gets out she goes hunting for him. Naturally there is a darling little child involved and naturally our heart goes out to the woman who's been terribly wronged. Tommy Lee Jones is cast as her parole officer who runs a half-way house. She spends a lot of time running away from him and this leads to some wonderful chase scenes. At one point they are both underwater after she's been handcuffed inside a car.

There are no real surprises in the film, just some fine acting, good photography and a fast-paced script that throws Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones into conflict. In spite of the formula however, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Therefore, I suggest it as a escape film to keep you mind involved in the perils of the people on the screen instead of focusing on your own day-to-day issues. Recommended.

JUDD AND JONES SAVE THE DAY
We all can tend to be a little too critical at times..I've had that problem for years. Sure this movie is predictable and has a lot of those old cliches we've seen dozens of times before. So the real issue is did I still enjoy it? Yes, very much so. Bruce Beresford's direction brought out splendid performances from Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones and Bruce Greenwood. Even though Ashley's Libby does some incredibly stupid and dangerous things, I jumped right in and rooted her on. Greenwood's Nicholas/Simon/Jonathan is a lesson in sociopathic sleeze. Not only does he let his wife go to prison for his murder, he tells their son that his mother is dead, marries his wife's best friend, and then kills her in a gas explosion. One of the vilest creatures to hit film in some time. Tommy Lee is once again the Fugitive Hunter, but he's cool. Some of the action scenes are great and the ending serves up what you wanted..revenge and reunion.
I liked it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you're going to submit yourself to a dazzling example of mainstream action, this thriller is as good a choice as any. Eraser is a live-action cartoon, the kind of movie in which Arnold Schwarzenegger can survive nail bombs, hails of bullets, an attack by voracious alligators ("You're luggage," he says, after killing one of the beasts), and still emerge from the mayhem relatively intact. Arnold plays an "eraser" from the Federal Witness Protection Program, so named because he can virtually erase the existence of anyone he's been assigned to protect. His latest beneficiary is an FBI employee (Vanessa Williams) who stumbled across a secret government group involved in the sale and export of an advanced weapon capable of shooting rounds at nearly the speed of light. Fantastic action sequences are handled with flair by director Charles Russell (The Mask), so it's easy to forgive the fact that this movie is almost completely ridiculous. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Eraser is one of of Arnold's best action films.
Eraser is Arnold's action spectuclar in years scene The terminator, Total Recall, Terminator 2: Judgement day and True lies. the story is about US Witsec officer John Kreuger (Arnold Schwarzengger) who protects, and takes out the ID's of federal witness's where he is recruited to protect witness Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) who is trying to get evidence about a weapons company selling new deadly guns, where Lee is a target of the company's renegades, where John plans on helping her, as his Witsec friend Robert (James Cann ) is invovled with them as John goes to put a stop to the madness. The film features very good special effects featuring Arnold firing EM rail guns, beging attack by crocodiles and sky diving out of a plane, if your a Arnie fan buy this right now or rent it in you nearest video store END

ERASER??? More like TRUE LIES 2! A real Arnold thriller!!!
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER explodes to the TV screen as U.S. MARSHALL JOHN KRUGER of the WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM, assigned to protect LEE CULLEN (Vanessa Williams), a woman who is willing to testify against illegal weapon dealers. But, something goes wrong. A fellow Marshall and friend of JOHN's is working for the wrong team and trying to cover up the deadly plot to take out KRUGER's witness. Now, everyone at WITSEC is trying to kill KRUGER and CULLEN believing that they are the real enemies. Will ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER be able to prove his innosense and save the day in an explosive action thriller?!!!

Directed By: Charles Russell (The Mask, Bless the Child) and starring ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (End of Days, 6th Day, Predator), JAMES CAAN (Mickey Blue Eyes), VANESSA WILLIAMS, and DANNY NUCCI (Crimson Tide, The Rock, Titanic)- ERASER is an action rush of sheer explosive adventure!

MOVIE NOTE: This movie might as well be TRUE LIES 2. ARNOLD is back, he's a U.S. MARSHALL SPY-Like hero, He has big guns, he's protecting a woman against a vengeful nemisis, he has great one-liners, he battles terrorists, crocodiles, jumping out of a speeding plane- trying to catch his parachute, shooting huge EMP guns, breaking into a high security weapons building, and blowing up a house by making a trap that will light a fuse in the house! That is TRUE LIES 2 to me! Anyway, we'll have to see what TRUE LIES 2 has in store for us when it comes to theaters sometime within the next 5 years...

MY REVIEW: This movie ROCKS! The special effects are great, the stunts and action sequences rule, the story, acting and directing are spectacular, and the humor is good too! THIS MAY NOT BE ARNOLD's BEST FILM EVER, BUT IT SURE MAKES HIS TOP 10 LIST!!!

Rent this movie or buy this movie today action fans!

ERASER is rated "R" for STRONG LANGUAGE and STRONG ACTION VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT. 1 hr 55 min.

Excellent action thriller!
Austrian accented "Terminator" actor Arnold Schwarzenegger hits another home run in his career in the 1996 action thriller entitled "Eraser" and let me tell you, this movie is truly unsettling and not to mention will make you angry as such acts could in fact happen in real life as we know it although the items are a bit far-fetched with today's technologies.

A special agent U.S. Marshall named John Kruger works for the Witness Protection Agency, an organization that takes witnesses of major crimes away, wipe out their identities, in order to shelter them from potential criminals who aim to kill those who witness their crimes. His latest mission is to protect a worker named Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) who works for a corporation named Cyrez that produces top secret weapons but a massive scandal is brewing and Lee discovers what's really going on and aims to expose the scam to the FBI. However, high level government marshals who are crooks themselves aim to kill Lee and Kruger to attempt to stop the truth from coming out. The Cyrez corporation, under the leadership of a corrupt CEO, is involved in an illegal arms deal with a Russian Mafia hitman who has had a history of murder and terrorist acts against civilians. The arms deal involves trading extremely advanced weapons that don't use any conventional ammunition and instead use magnetic pulses to fire rounds of aluminum at nearly the speed of light and if the arms trade succeed it will bring forth a horrific new era of high-tech terrorism worldwide and John Kruger must stop the arms shipment before it's too late while also protecting lee from corrupt high-ranking officials participating the scam.

If Lee Cullen and John Kruger are killed, then the FBI will lose any leads and/or evidence to bring the Cyrez officials to trial and to expose the scandal to the public.

This movie sometimes makes me angry not because it is bad because it is a really great movie but it's the whole concept of high-ranking government officials actually being a part of the problem than as the people trying to fight the criminals committing these crimes. I sometimes wonder how one can be able to fight such acts of capitalist greed even if they're totally fictional events.

The special effects while limited are really well done especially with the way the bullets create those smoke trails when speed through the air at speeds nearly that of light plus the action sequences are really awesome especially towards the climax.

The high-tech weapons are really terrifying with not only the light-speed ammunition but also how they seemingly can scan through buildings and make out movements all around the immediate vicinity. One can't help but feel really paranoid when viewing the scenes where they scan the area when seeking their targets.

Once again Arnold Schwarzenegger hits another home run right out of the ballpart playing the U.S. Marshall John Kruger. Arnold's action sequences are once again in top form as he fights against the crooks aiming to eliminate both Kruger and Lee. If you loves his "I'll Be Back" and/or "You've just been terminated" lines from the "Terminator" movies, then he comes up with another brilliant line which is "You've just been erased". God I love it. Vanessa Williams is also very good playing Lee Cullen as she tries to escape the assassins pursuit of her while trying to deliver the evidence of the crime to the FBI. In all honesty, Vanessa is far better when she's acting in movies and singing and releasing albums as opposed to wasting her time on these numerous bland commercials and infomercials!!

My favorite though of the main characters was Star Trek actor James Caan. Man, his portrayal of the traitorous agent Degeurin is absolutely terrifying and truly vivid and brings the horrifically callous nature of the corrupt agent to 'life' on the movie. I just can't help but feel really sometimes ticked off at Deguerin because of his horrific acts against the country but I've got to admire Caan's incredible acting in this movie because he was perfect for the role of the bad guy and Deguerin is one of the greatest bad guys I had seen in many years at the time of this movie's release.

While only a minor role, James Cromwell's performance as the CEO of the Cyrez corporation was also compelling and sometimes really scary. While not as bad as let's say Deguerin, Cromwell's character in this movie is just enough to make you upset at his callous nature.

Other favorites are the late Joe Pastorelli as Johnny C. along with his mob crime family and some of the characters are really funny especially Johnny C. It's really sad that Pastorelli departed us so soon because he was a talented actor. I also thought that the late Joe Viterelli was phenomenal playing the pug-faced mafia gangster. :-(

This movie is really very well done and delivers incredible action sequences, not to mention an original plot idea. The DVD as of this writing offers little of anything in the way of bonus material but is a grand improvement on the VHS.

Really excellent action-thriller! 2 Thumbs up!
Austrian accented "Terminator" actor Arnold Schwarzenegger hits another home run in his career in the 1996 action thriller entitled "Eraser" and let me tell you, this movie is truly unsettling and not to mention will make you angry as such acts could in fact happen in real life as we know it although the items are a bit far-fetched with today's technologies.

A special agent U.S. Marshall named John Kruger works for the Witness Protection Agency, an organization that takes witnesses of major crimes away, wipe out their identities, in order to shelter them from potential criminals who aim to kill those who witness their crimes. His latest mission is to protect a worker named Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) who works for a corporation named Cyrez that produces top secret weapons but a massive scandal is brewing and Lee discovers what's really going on and aims to expose the scam to the FBI. However, high level government marshals who are crooks themselves aim to kill Lee and Kruger to attempt to stop the truth from coming out. The Cyrez corporation, under the leadership of a corrupt CEO, is involved in an illegal arms deal with a Russian Mafia hitman who has had a history of murder and terrorist acts against civilians. The arms deal involves trading extremely advanced weapons that don't use any conventional ammunition and instead use magnetic pulses to fire rounds of aluminum at nearly the speed of light and if the arms trade succeed it will bring forth a horrific new era of high-tech terrorism worldwide and John Kruger must stop the arms shipment before it's too late while also protecting lee from corrupt high-ranking officials participating the scam.

If Lee Cullen and John Kruger are killed, then the FBI will lose any leads and/or evidence to bring the Cyrez officials to trial and to expose the scandal to the public.

This movie sometimes makes me angry not because it is bad because it is a really great movie but it's the whole concept of high-ranking government officials actually being a part of the problem than as the people trying to fight the criminals committing these crimes. I sometimes wonder how one can be able to fight such acts of capitalist greed even if they're totally fictional events.

The special effects while limited are really well done especially with the way the bullets create those smoke trails when speed through the air at speeds nearly that of light plus the action sequences are really awesome especially towards the climax.

The high-tech weapons are really terrifying with not only the light-speed ammunition but also how they seemingly can scan through buildings and make out movements all around the immediate vicinity. One can't help but feel really paranoid when viewing the scenes where they scan the area when seeking their targets.

Once again Arnold Schwarzenegger hits another home run right out of the ballpart playing the U.S. Marshall John Kruger. Arnold's action sequences are once again in top form as he fights against the crooks aiming to eliminate both Kruger and Lee. If you loves his "I'll Be Back" and/or "You've just been terminated" lines from the "Terminator" movies, then he comes up with another brilliant line which is "You've just been erased". God I love it. Vanessa Williams is also very good playing Lee Cullen as she tries to escape the assassins pursuit of her while trying to deliver the evidence of the crime to the FBI. In all honesty, Vanessa is far better when she's acting in movies and singing and releasing albums as opposed to wasting her time on these numerous bland commercials and infomercials!!

My favorite though of the main characters was Star Trek actor James Caan. Man, his portrayal of the traitorous agent Degeurin is absolutely terrifying and truly vivid and brings the horrifically callous nature of the corrupt agent to 'life' on the movie. I just can't help but feel really sometimes ticked off at Deguerin because of his horrific acts against the country!

Other favorites are the late Joe Pastorelli as Johnny C. along with his mob crime family and some of the characters are really funny especially Johnny C. It's really sad that Pastorelli departed us so soon. :-(

This movie is really very well done and delivers incredible action sequences, not to mention an original plot idea. The DVD as of this writing offers little of anything in the way of bonus material but is a grand improvement on the VHS.

Action packed fun for the masses!
This movie is awesome!!! Starring Ahnold as an adventurous U.S. Marshall he is assigned to protect a female witness to an illegal arms deal between a U.S. business and Russian mafia terrorists and the witness and Ahnold are the targets for assassination by the corrupt federal marshalls taking part in the arms deal. The arms shoot rounds of aluminum near the speed of light. California's governor once again hits another home run with awesome acting and incredible special effects. Go and see this movie today!!! ... Read more

Reviews (169)

"Scuusssssseeee Me?"
Holes is a brilliant book by the fantastic Louis Sachar. Now its the utlimate book adaption and family film. Many films based on books, rarly compare, but this won me and many others over.
This movie has a fantastic cast as well. Let me start off with my favortie cast memeber. Sigourney Weaver is AWESOME as the mean spirted warden. She lights up the screen and you find yourself begging for more Sigourney. Shia LaBeouf is great at Stanley Yelnats and brings humor and heart to the screen. Patricia Arquette is great as Kissin Kate Barlow and totally embodies her perfectly. The rest of the cast I will mention in the following review.
When a famous pair of sneakers falls from the sky and lands in Stanleys hands, he finds himself in court with the decision of jail or Camp Green Lake. His family (except his mom) quickly blame this on Stanleys dirty rotten pig stealing greatgrandfather. Well, hes never been to camp so thats better than jail. He is sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake to build character. Once there, he realizes he is not in any normal camp. He also finds out that there is no lake, and the place is not green. He is in the middle of the desert, and Camp Green Lake has the only water source for 100 miles. It doesnt take long, before MR.SIR (Jon Voight, who perfectly acts out this odd character) takes Stanley's bags and gives him his work clothes and his relaxation clothes and explains to him that every morning he will be required to dig one hole 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide to turn around his bad character.
The movie continues to explain how something fishy is going on at Camp Green Lake, and explains Stanley's greatgrandfathers curse, and the life of Kissin Kate.
I bought this film without seeing it and i am pleased. It is a fantastic movie for kids and adults. Its funny and extremely heart-warming. Dont miss this one.

Remains remarkably faithful to the book!
I read "Holes" several years back for a children's literature course I took in college. I highly enjoyed it! It was one of the best books I read in that class.

So when they introduced the movie, I was quite interested. Part of me was hopeful it would turn out well, the other part of me was skeptical that it would be anywhere near as good as the book. However, my fears were dashed. This movie was FABULOUS!

The story jumps back and forth a little between three different tales -- the story of Elya Yelnats, the main character's "no good, dirty-rotten, pig-stealing great-great-grandfather"; the story of Stanley Yelnats IV himself; and the story of a legendary outlaw, Kissing Kate Barlow. The three stories are interwoven quite ingeniously. In some cases, you aren't completely sure what the connection will be, but then when you find out, it fits perfectly.

The story IS slightly altered, of course, as most books-brought-to-movies tend to be. But it very much keeps the spirit of the original book. The boys are very believable -- I especially love Zero! Sigourney Weaver makes a wonderfully nasty warden. And John Voigt does a wonderful insane portrayal of Mr. Sir.

This movie will keep you laughing and curious throughout. And if you enjoyed the book, you'll like this film!

Adults can watch it with their kids and all actually enjoy!
The wildly popular novel for youngsters "Holes" gets turned into a movie that is completely in keeping with the spirit of the book.

The young cast bring to life the beloved characters at Camp Green Lake, where convicted juvenile delinquents are sent to toil in broiling Texas sun. It was great to see X-Ray, Zero, Armpit and of course Caveman brought to life. The adult parts are played by Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver and Tim Blake Nelson, and they look like they're having a WORLD of fun playing the malicious staff at Camp Green Lake. The story is not insulting to kids, and adults can watch it and be entertained the entire length of the movie. Vignettes back at Caveman's home where Stanley Yelnats the second and third live under the curse incurred from the first Stanley Yelnats, and trips back in time where that first Stanley was cursed by European VooDoo Woman Eartha Kitt as well as the back-story around Kissin' Kate and her treasure all add to the viewing pleasure.

The DVD comes with just the right amount of supplemental features, interviews and commentaries.

Not many "children's movies" are as appropriate for all ages. Highly recommended.

if you don't like this movie - shame on you!
This is a movie for the entire family to watch and love with its humorous and clever plot, based on the hit book "Holes" by Louis Sachar, who also writes the screenplay for this. The movie is about a twelve-year-old boy named Stanley Yelnats who's family has been cursed due to his "no-good, rotten, pig of a grandfather". He's walking along the road when a fantastic pair of shoes fly out of nowhere. He thinks his luck has finally started, when he finds police chasing him and in a courtroom because those shoes were the greatest basketballer player's of all time, and it was for a charity event where the money raised would be given to homeless children. He is sent to Camp Greenlake, where once was a beautiful lake, which is now a dry and scorching desert. Deadly adventures befall him there as he makes a friendship with Zero, a mysterious, shy boy. Their adventures lead them to a hidden treasure that belongs to Stanley... If you want to findout more, watch the film!

Girls' movies are better
I liked the movie, which Stanley stole a pair of shoes that fell from the sky and landed on his head. Then he got sent to the courtroom and the judge asked him: "Your choices: Camp Green Lake or Jail?" Then Stanley decided to go to Camp Green Lake because he never been into any Camp before. Camp Green Lake is a camp for bad boys, because they're too young to go to jail. When he got sent to Camp Green Lake, he had to dig one hole each day, and each hole must be 5 feet deep and 5 feet in diameter. I think this movie is OK, but I like girls' movies better, like "The Parent Trap", "The Lizzie McGuire Movie", "What A Girl Wants". ... Read more

Description

The clock is ticking for Johnny Depp in Nick of Time, a twist-filled, race-against-time thriller directed by John Badham (Drop Zone, Saturday Night Fever). And indeed it is a race, filmed in "real time" so that onscreen events unfold minute by nail-biting minute as they would in real life. No sooner does accountant Gene Watson (Depp) arrive at L.A.'s Union station with his six-year-old daughter than he's plunged into a nightmare. Two shadowy strangers (Christopher Walken, Roma Maffia) separate Watson from his little girl, slap a gun into his hand and present a devil's bargain: kill a top government official before she leaves a nearby political rally... or never again see his beloved child. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Johnny & Christopher
After seeing the way Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken worked together in Tim Burton's horror movie 'Sleepy Hollow,' I knew I had to see 'Nick of Time.' The two actors work together splendidly in both movies.

In this movie, Johnny takes on a more serious role after doing more offbeat films such as 'Ed Wood,' 'Edward Scissorhands,' and 'Benny & Joon.' He plays a desperate father who is being forced to assassinate the mayor of his city before another man (Christopher Walken) kills his daughter.

'Nick of Time' is a wonderfully written movie, and the acting is just as excellent. You can't claim to be a Johnny Depp fan without seeing this movie! One of the best yet!

CLOCK WATCHING
NICK OF TIME is a very absorbing and well made movie. Director John Badham orchestrates a tight, nerve-racking thriller, using "real time" to accentuate the hero's plight. Johnny Depp is very good in the lead role, embodying the torment and anguish of a man put into a terrifying position. Christopher Walken is as evil as he can be, his ruthless "quest" always a constant threat; Charles S. Dutton as a shoe shiner is remarkably good; Marsha Mason does a fine job as the governor, Peter Strauss well playing her ambitious husband. Rona Maffia as Walken's accomplice also brings a cold-hearted chill to her role.
A tight, well done thriller.

Hitchcock would have loved filming it
... yes this is in HIS tradition(working against the clock - bizarre mix-ups... - yup - working within a strict disciplin)...
Johnny Depp is in his first REAL mainstream role; but fortunately - it is a good 1... And an interesting 1. If u r one of those who must have fires, explosions, Vin Disel; stay away... As for the rest of us... Let`s sit down and enjoy a good suspenser:-))))

I'm Sorry Johnny...
Johnny Depp is clearly one of the most eclectic personalities the film industry has seen. He choses unusual roles and brings a unique presence to each character. Having said that, i am sad to say i don't recommend this specific film. I think most of us like to believe we are smarter than the 'bad guys'... and even though Depp always takes a contrarian approach to society and characters, i nevertheless felt my need to identify with the victim and overcome the villain was not being sufficiently fed. Who knows, maybe that's what Depp was striving for, the uncertainty and uncomfortableness of being in such quagmire of absurdities as to leave us (me) feeling angry at the good character, for being so dense. Christopher Walken turned in an average performance as one of the villains (If he really wants to expand his range he should try playing a vulnerable good guy). Perhaps that's what's really missing in this film- proper casting. Walken should have been cast as the hero and Depp as the villain. This 'Real Time' (Pre-'24') Drama really didn't work for me, but it appears to have set the standard for other 'real time' shows. What makes this film better than '24' is that it's shorter, and you actually DO root for the characters daughter to get rescued.

Unconvincing!!
This movie does not work for me. It has no merits. As for the "In real time bit," I missed the tension of it -- maybe I should have synchronized my watch! I rented it because Johnny starred in it; love his work, and Chris Walken was an added bonus. The plot is lame, contrived, and does not work. Johnny is not convincing playing a father forced to chose between losing his child, or killing some governor. This movie left a bad "made-for-TV" taste in my mouth. Normally, I would think Johnny could pull it off. Ouch! Thank goodness for his countless, fantastic performances (Scissorhands, Brasco, and just about everything else). Don't waste your "real time" on this mared! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Coming after The Silence of the Lambs and Seven, this thriller about a collaboration between two serial killers feels like a pale attempt to cash in on the success of those earlier, better films. That's a pity, because this film certainly has its strengths--particularly in the central performances of Morgan Freeman as a forensic detective and Ashley Judd as a would-be victim who escaped from one of the killers. Director Gary Fleder demonstrates visual flair and maintains an involving undercurrent of tension, but as this adaptation of James Patterson's novel approaches its climax, familiar elements combine to form a chronic case of thriller déjà vu. It's altogether competent filmmaking in the service of a moribund story of competing psychopaths, and by the time the serial killers reach the home stretch of their twisted contest, the movie's dangerously close to Freddy Kruger territory, with a finale that could've been borrowed from any dozen similar thrillers. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (54)

A Taut Thriller with Great Characters, Thrills and Twists.
What "Kiss the Girls" Lacks in Originality, It makes up for in Action, Thrills, Pacing, Performances; it makes up for it in Every way Possible. Morgan Freeman takes his performance in "Seven" and makes it Younger, Tougher and Less Cynical.

Morgan plays Alex Cross, a Forensic Psychiatrist who's Niece has been Abducted. Alex joins the Investigation into the Serial Killer believed responsible, He is known as "Casanova". He Abducts Strong Willed Women and keeps them in an Underground Cave. Ashley Judd co-stars as Kate Mctiernan, the next girl to be Abducted. This time, Casanova has Bitten off more than he can Chew, as Kate is a little Too strong willed. She escapes and teams up with Alex to catch Casanova.

Cary Elwes, Jeremy Piven and Brian Cox give Great Performances in Underwritten, Underused supporting roles. Freeman and Judd are the only Actors in the film who are given the Screen time to Shine, and Shine they do.

The Camerawork in the film is a real Standout..., Director Gary Fleder knows where the camera should be at all times, when to cut away, when to stay with the shot. He is the perfect mix between a Seasoned, Patient director and a Fast-Paced Music Video Director.

"Kiss the Girls" is a More than worthy entry into the Serial Killer Genre. Alex Cross is a Character that I hope to see more and more of, and I hope to see how "Along Came a Spider" turns out. (in which Morgan again plays Alex Cross)

I would give this a 12 on a scale of 1-10
Morgan Freeman plays a Crime Scene Physcologist who leaves his jurisdiction to head to the college town in North Carolina, where his neice has been abducted by a serial killer/abductor. The intense criminal mind of the abductor feels he must capture smart, beautiful women and hold them captive until they fall inlove with him. If they disobey he ties them to trees for the wild animals. Ashley Judd plays an extremely smart doctor who gets abducted and then ultimately escapes. She then helps Morgan Freeman head up the investigation into the world of one sick mind. It's a very intensive thriller that will have you hanging on the edge of your seat and you won't know the true identity of the killer until the end. Ashely Judd gives her usual outstanding performance, as does Morgan Freeman. I'm not usually a thriller movie buff, but this one might just make me change my mind.

Isn't Gonna Win A OSCAR, but It's Quality Entertainment!
Washington, DC police detective Alex Cross (Freeman) receives a call that his niece Naomi has been abducted from the Durham area, and he decides that he needs to go there to help find her. Once he gets there, he is informed that one of the women abducted has been found dead tied to a tree. He, along with Nick Ruskin (Elwes) and Davey Skes (McArthur), the two Durham detectives heading up the task force, head out to the location. Alex is fearful that it's his niece, but is relieved that it's not her.

Meanwhile, we meet Kate McTiernan (Judd), a doctor at the local hospital. Not only is she a doctor, but she's also a kick-boxer. But that does her little good when she discovers a stranger in her house, who knocks her unconscious. When she comes to, she finds herself in a small room. And shortly after regaining conscious, the person who has abducted her appears at her bedside. She manages to get out of the room and escapes by jumping into a river. After she recovers, she decides to help Alex out with his investigation, against his protests. But he realizes that she's his best opportunity to find his niece, so reluctantly agrees.

The abducter starts taunting the police, sending them notes about the women. He signs his notes as Cassanova. Cassanova was a great lover, and Alex deduces that he isn't a killer, he's a collector. He only kills when the women disappoint or cross him. After some more investigating, he finds a connection between Cassanova and a plastic surgeon on the West Coast. It seems that there are also a string of abductions there, but these women all turn up dead, with one of their feet missing.

I can't say any more without giving away too much of the plot. KISS THE GIRLS has a good story, with very good acting by all involved. When Judd's character of McTiernan is in her cell communicating with the other girls, she's so convincing that it's like she was actually there. Morgan Freeman is very good in the role of Alex Cross. The supporting cast is pretty good, as well.

**SPOILER** The only real problem I have with KISS THE GIRLS is that the story, which is good as I said above, is just too similar to a lot of other movies in the thriller genre. It's really frustating to see movie after movie with the "killer is someone we met earlier" plot-line. It might have been clever at one time, but now it is just so common-place, that the viewer almost automatically look for clues as to who the killer is. I had this one pegged not too long after we first meet him.

Based solely on the story of this movie, I would give it a three. It's basically the same movie the viewer has seen before, but with a different twist on the plot. But I have to give it a four because of the acting, especially Freeman and Judd. If Freeman has made a bad movie, I haven't seen it yet. I recommend this movie, but if you pay attention, you can figure out who Cassanova is without too much difficulty. Story rates a three, but the acting pulls it up to a four. Go check it out.

a smart thriller
I liked "Kiss the Girls" quiet a bit. Brilliant psycologist and homicide detective Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) goes to North Carolina to help search for his missing niece. It turns out that she is actually one of many missing girls, the killer is a collector. As it seems the police have exhausted all leads, one of the killer's victoms (Ashley Judd) escapes. She helps Cross with a lot of information that leads him to realize there is a copy cat killer in L.A. Eventually they figure out it isn't copy cat, but the two know each other, andf they are competing with each other. "Kiss the Girls" was unfairly compared with "Silence of the Lambs" and "Se7en", itr shouldn't have been; it firmly stands on it's own. What would have been nice, however, would have been a little more motive from the killers, other than them being drivin by ego. Morgan Freeman as always dose a brilliant job in what could have been a traditonally 'Dirty Harry' cop and made him more human and caring. Ashley Judd dose pretty good too. She is far from helpless. She is strong, resourceful, and smart. She isn't all that just because she has to be, she really feels tough. Brian Cox as the lead police man is appropriotly authoritive and wise (sometimes). Tony Goldwyn is ok as smug plastic surgen and serial killer. All in all, it's an excellent way to kill a few hours.

Really good
I really liked this movie I read the book and then I saw the movie and I was amazed at how closely it followed the plot of the book it wasn't exactly on since the books goes into more detail and keeps you more in suspense but all in all it was really good especially with Ashley Judd and morgan freeman involved in the movie. I would recommend buying this movie ... Read more

Reviews (169)

"Scuusssssseeee Me?"
Holes is a brilliant book by the fantastic Louis Sachar. Now its the utlimate book adaption and family film. Many films based on books, rarly compare, but this won me and many others over.
This movie has a fantastic cast as well. Let me start off with my favortie cast memeber. Sigourney Weaver is AWESOME as the mean spirted warden. She lights up the screen and you find yourself begging for more Sigourney. Shia LaBeouf is great at Stanley Yelnats and brings humor and heart to the screen. Patricia Arquette is great as Kissin Kate Barlow and totally embodies her perfectly. The rest of the cast I will mention in the following review.
When a famous pair of sneakers falls from the sky and lands in Stanleys hands, he finds himself in court with the decision of jail or Camp Green Lake. His family (except his mom) quickly blame this on Stanleys dirty rotten pig stealing greatgrandfather. Well, hes never been to camp so thats better than jail. He is sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake to build character. Once there, he realizes he is not in any normal camp. He also finds out that there is no lake, and the place is not green. He is in the middle of the desert, and Camp Green Lake has the only water source for 100 miles. It doesnt take long, before MR.SIR (Jon Voight, who perfectly acts out this odd character) takes Stanley's bags and gives him his work clothes and his relaxation clothes and explains to him that every morning he will be required to dig one hole 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide to turn around his bad character.
The movie continues to explain how something fishy is going on at Camp Green Lake, and explains Stanley's greatgrandfathers curse, and the life of Kissin Kate.
I bought this film without seeing it and i am pleased. It is a fantastic movie for kids and adults. Its funny and extremely heart-warming. Dont miss this one.

Remains remarkably faithful to the book!
I read "Holes" several years back for a children's literature course I took in college. I highly enjoyed it! It was one of the best books I read in that class.

So when they introduced the movie, I was quite interested. Part of me was hopeful it would turn out well, the other part of me was skeptical that it would be anywhere near as good as the book. However, my fears were dashed. This movie was FABULOUS!

The story jumps back and forth a little between three different tales -- the story of Elya Yelnats, the main character's "no good, dirty-rotten, pig-stealing great-great-grandfather"; the story of Stanley Yelnats IV himself; and the story of a legendary outlaw, Kissing Kate Barlow. The three stories are interwoven quite ingeniously. In some cases, you aren't completely sure what the connection will be, but then when you find out, it fits perfectly.

The story IS slightly altered, of course, as most books-brought-to-movies tend to be. But it very much keeps the spirit of the original book. The boys are very believable -- I especially love Zero! Sigourney Weaver makes a wonderfully nasty warden. And John Voigt does a wonderful insane portrayal of Mr. Sir.

This movie will keep you laughing and curious throughout. And if you enjoyed the book, you'll like this film!

Adults can watch it with their kids and all actually enjoy!
The wildly popular novel for youngsters "Holes" gets turned into a movie that is completely in keeping with the spirit of the book.

The young cast bring to life the beloved characters at Camp Green Lake, where convicted juvenile delinquents are sent to toil in broiling Texas sun. It was great to see X-Ray, Zero, Armpit and of course Caveman brought to life. The adult parts are played by Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver and Tim Blake Nelson, and they look like they're having a WORLD of fun playing the malicious staff at Camp Green Lake. The story is not insulting to kids, and adults can watch it and be entertained the entire length of the movie. Vignettes back at Caveman's home where Stanley Yelnats the second and third live under the curse incurred from the first Stanley Yelnats, and trips back in time where that first Stanley was cursed by European VooDoo Woman Eartha Kitt as well as the back-story around Kissin' Kate and her treasure all add to the viewing pleasure.

The DVD comes with just the right amount of supplemental features, interviews and commentaries.

Not many "children's movies" are as appropriate for all ages. Highly recommended.

if you don't like this movie - shame on you!
This is a movie for the entire family to watch and love with its humorous and clever plot, based on the hit book "Holes" by Louis Sachar, who also writes the screenplay for this. The movie is about a twelve-year-old boy named Stanley Yelnats who's family has been cursed due to his "no-good, rotten, pig of a grandfather". He's walking along the road when a fantastic pair of shoes fly out of nowhere. He thinks his luck has finally started, when he finds police chasing him and in a courtroom because those shoes were the greatest basketballer player's of all time, and it was for a charity event where the money raised would be given to homeless children. He is sent to Camp Greenlake, where once was a beautiful lake, which is now a dry and scorching desert. Deadly adventures befall him there as he makes a friendship with Zero, a mysterious, shy boy. Their adventures lead them to a hidden treasure that belongs to Stanley... If you want to findout more, watch the film!

Girls' movies are better
I liked the movie, which Stanley stole a pair of shoes that fell from the sky and landed on his head. Then he got sent to the courtroom and the judge asked him: "Your choices: Camp Green Lake or Jail?" Then Stanley decided to go to Camp Green Lake because he never been into any Camp before. Camp Green Lake is a camp for bad boys, because they're too young to go to jail. When he got sent to Camp Green Lake, he had to dig one hole each day, and each hole must be 5 feet deep and 5 feet in diameter. I think this movie is OK, but I like girls' movies better, like "The Parent Trap", "The Lizzie McGuire Movie", "What A Girl Wants". ... Read more

Amazon.com

Highly entertaining albeit thin journalism thriller, this examination of a 24-hour period in the life of a New York Post-ish tabloid focuses on a hard-working metro editor (a pitch-perfect Michael Keaton) thinking of going to a loftier job at a rival paper. Edgy, "NYC as the center of the universe" full of sweat and grit, the paper debates the hot story of the day: a racial shooting. Like most movies from Ron Howard's universe (Parenthood, Backdraft), it's always just a movie, full of dramatic, over-the-top setups instead of the genuine article. Still, the film has the feeling of being there, full of workman's vigor where "I'm on deadline" is the family motto. The cast is just right although the roles are stereotypical: the grizzled editor-in-chief (Robert Duvall) the cold female manager (Glenn Close), the slightly whacked-out ace columnist (Randy Quaid), and the rest. Each actor has choice moments in this movie that may turn fans on to the hectic side of journalism. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Because your whole world can change in 24 hours
Is the theme of this film, one of the best films I have ever seen at the only movie I have ever seen eight times in the theater. Yes, I saw ONE movie eight times in the movie theater, but the thing is I never got sick of it. I'm already a bit biased given Michael Keaton is my all time favorite actor, but I love this movie for so many more reasons. The acting by Michael, Marisa Tomei, Robert Duval, Randy Quaid and Glen Glose is just exceptional, and Ron Howards directing is on the mark as always.
There are also some good cameos by the late William Kunstler and Jason Robards. There's also a hillarious cameo by Bob Costas which I won't give away, you've just gotta see it:)

Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) has a grueling job as an editor at The New York Sun (my guess being it's supposed to be a ficitional verison of The New York Post judging by such front page headlines as "No Parking Except For Me" and "Gotcha") that usually keeps him from his wife nine months pregnant wife Martha (Marisa Tomei) 24/7, so she's pressuring him to get a cushier job at The New York Sentinal (fictional version of The New York Times based on their mantra of "We Cover The World.") Henry of course doesn't want to be out of the action that makes him down Cokes and Tums all day, and finds himself subconsciously sabatoging the interview in the pursuit of finding out the truth behind a grizzly murder and exonerate the two boys arrested for the murder whom he knows in his gut are innocent. The movie takes place during these twenty four hours; from battling with bosses, to fights, to shootings to a father trying to make ammends with his daughter he neglected; this movie shows a day in the life of five people as they try to find the truth behind the murder and the truth about their lifes. Because your whole world can change in twenty-four hours.

An hilarious look at workings of a semi-reputable paper
"The Paper" is one of the funniest films of the 1990s, providing an extraordinarily realistic view of the behind-the-scenes (dys)function of a newspaper office. This tabloid-styled commuter paper is just large enough to need to be seriously professional, while also being just small enough for that serious professionalism to be virtually impossible to accomplish.

Unless you are a journalist for the type of 'paper of record' which the film satirizes in the form of the stuffy, rival "Sentinal" (clearly modelled on the NY Times), "The Paper" will yield much of its humour from its high realism.

"The Paper" covers a single day in the implosively pressurized life of a reporter (Michael Keaton) who also happens to adore his job. The dynamism generated by the wise-guy supporting cast (which includes Randy Quaid, Roma Mafia, and Robert Duvall) makes it easy to understand why journalism is not a profession so much as an addiction. What would make a saner and more timid employee flee for the hills, produces a soaring high to the seasoned journalist. As Keaton's wife (Marisa Tomei), hugely pregnant and stuck on leave, exclaims after a gunshot is suddenly fired in a news office: "God I love this place".

Virtually every line spoken in the newspaper office is beautifully snide and worth catching, so keep the remote control close at hand.

The genuinely crazed encounters between Keaton and Glenn Close, playing a penny-pinching, ethically-challenged manager whose need to respect a deadline collides with Keaton's eleventh-hour attempt to produce an accurate and ennobling story, contribute strongly to an overall comedic masterpiece.

Though the journalistically-inclined will get a special kick from "The Paper", its appeal should be nearly universal, such is delerious wit of its dialogue and the thrill of its frenetic pacing.

Smart, Smart, Funny Movie.
This movie is about a day in the life of a New York tabloid and the people who pour life and soul into the paper. It's a marvelous cast and ensemble piece. It has some very funny lines and furious dialogue. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen this movie. I know every bit of the plot and just about every line in it. Yet is never fails to make me laugh nor am I even the slightest bit tempted to fast-forward to the punch line. Well worth having in your movie library.

Good movie, Bad DVD...
Ron Howard isn't the most dynamic of directors -- his style is pretty vanilla and he hasn't picked the greatest projects in the world (i.e. Ransom) but he was right on the money with The Paper. While he tends to cram a little too much into one day -- nobody has that exciting a day -- you have to give him a bit of artistic license -- it is a movie after all.

Michael Keaton is well-cast as the big city paper editor with too much on his plate. He can do the manic side of his character (see, well, any movie he's ever done) and he's also up for the serious stuff too. Obviously, he must enjoy playing a journalist as he did a great job as one in Live From Baghdad as well.

The cast is what makes this film work so well. Aside from Keaton, the other real stand-out is Randy Quaid as a fellow reporter and friend. For years now, Quaid as been typecast in dumb guy roles. It so refreshing to see him actually play an intelligent, street savvy reporter in this film. He gets all the great lines and steals all the scenes he's in. The film really kicks into gear when he and Keaton team-up to blow the lid off of a high profile story. I'd love to see these guys do another film together.

While the film does get a tad on the preachy, idealistic side, it still is a very entertaining look at working on a major newspaper in New York City. It's a shame that the DVD is such a letdown. No extras and pan and scanned. Ugh. However, Opie seems to be revisiting his films on DVD with new special editions (i.e. Splash, Ransom). Hopefully, this one will get the deluxe treatment.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!!! This is one great movie!
Another great movie from Ron Howard!!! A great cast!!! A treat from start to finish!!! And this DVD version delivers!!! It looks and sounds great!!! A top notch DVD from Universal!!! A Five Star Movie!!! A+ ... Read more

Reviews (30)

A fascinating character study from Rodrigo Garcia
I stumbled across this film on cable and was drawn by the cast, as most people would be when they see this impressive roster of actresses. I must have seen the title of this film, but really did not pay attention to it. Of course, the title is key to this "anthology" field written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia (yes, believe it or not, this film was created by a male of the species). I picked up on this just by noticing how the first "segment" has Christine (Calista Flockhart) give Dr. Keener (Glenn Close) a tarot card reading while the second has Rebecca (Holly Hunter) a series of similarly disquieting encounters with a bag lady (Penelope Allen). Of course, the "who" and the "how" of the "just by looking" is different in each segment of the film, which is just part of the creative brilliance of this film.

"Thing You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her" is not one of those films where the pieces all fit together (e.g, is Robert married to Rebecca's doctor?), although the ending does try to suggest that each of the five main characters (add Kathy Baker as Rose and Amy Brenneman as Kathy to the above referenced actresses) have crossed a major bridge in their lives. Most of the characters appear in more than one segment, symbolism the inherent resonance between segments, and I liked the way one of the characters was both a "looker" and a "lookee" at different times in the film's narrative web. Another major strength of the film is how Garcia always goes off in an unexpected and unusual direction throughout the film. You are constantly surprised by what is happening, not to mention what is being said, which is often outrageously compelling.

Garcia is the son of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Columbian writer who earned the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. I am sure that bit of biographical information helps to explain why Garcia crafted such an exquisite little film, but do not ask me to articulate why in any comprehensible way concerning the old nature verus nuture argument. The performances are uniformly superb: Holly Hunter was nominated for an Emmy, simply because this film was sold to Showtime instead of getting a traditional theatrical run. Hunter does have the best acting moment in the film, a scene in which she walks down the street (you will know it when you see it). Much was made of Cameron Diaz's performance as Carol, the blind sister of Kathy, but I recognized a while ago that Diaz is a "former model" who takes her acting craft and film choices very seriously. I think Calista Flockhart might be the actress who most impresses you. But as much as you will be impressed by the performances of these outstanding actresses, you have to be even most impressed by writer-director Garcia.

I am so glad I stumbled across this film. It has been quite a while since I have been this impressed by a film. I need to go check out more "independent" films, that is for sure.

"An exceptional movie..."
I was inspired to buy this movie simply because I'm a big fan of Calista Flockhart, I was a big fan of the tv show Ally McBeal and I thought it was about time I checked out some of her movies, Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her being the first. Calista (Christine) plays the part of a gifted fortune-teller grieving for her dying lover, her perfomance is easily the best in the film and so real it's un-true. Another perfomace who I was touched by came from Holly Hunter, who plays the part of Rebecca, a lonely bank manager who descovers she is six weeks pregnant and decides to have an abortion. If you're a fan of Glenn Close, Cameron Diaz, Calista Flockhart, Amy Brenneman, Holly Hunter, Kathy Baker or Valeria Golino I would seriously recommend that you buy this DVD, it's an exceptional movie and not a chick-flick either!.

Smart Film That Does Not Patronize Audience
The absence of Hollywood-style glitz, cheesy one-liners, and fluffy storylines contributes to this movie's excellence. Another important component of this film is, of course, the thoughful and honest performance given by each of these talented actresses. They key to this film is its honesty. Many women will be able to relate in some way to at least one of the characters-- unlike Hollywood-style movies in which many of the female characters are shallow, one-dimensional, and glammed-up to the nth degree. This movie does a good job of depicting the lives, emotions, and struggles of women as they really are.

Just put your head in an oven
I thought this movie was TERRIBLE. Oh, the cast is fantastic but the story lines suck. They lead no-where, just like the pathetic and joyless lives of these women. These women's lives haven't "turned a corner", as one reviewer suggested, they just went to sleep after a terrible day(s). Not a single thread gets resolved, questions are raised, but never answered. And PLEASE, the "wise bag lady" cliche! Have the writers ever been close to a real homeless person? I seriously doubt it. This was one of the worst and most pointless movies I've ever seen. Save your money (and your time) and get something with some life in it.

Lovely on all accounts.
I didn't expect this film to touch me like it did. I picked it up half a dozen times at the video store, and finally rented it the other night.

Plot wise, it tells the story of several women, linked by emotion and random (or not)encounters with one another. (One woman struggles with her love for her sister and her social needs, another with her dying lover, one with her deep yearning for a love beyond her relationship with her son, another with an unplanned pregnancy, and so forth). We are given glimpses into their private and outside worlds.

What truly holds the movie together as a solid piece, instead of a movie version of a short story anthology, is the examination of these women's lives. Within each story an undercurrent of universal emotion tugs and ties the women and the viewer together.

The idea of telling the stories of several people and weaving them together unexpectedly is nothing new. Quentin Tarantino unleashed the idea into the major mainstream with Pulp Fiction, and I've seen it played out since then, many times, successfully and unsuccessfully.

In this movie the interweaving is done with a delicate touch. In fact, the whole movie has a quiet grace to it. The moments of these women's lives that we're given a peek into are brimming with pain, love, confusion, and unexpected moments hovering near joy.

What stunning performances! Cameron Diaz, Calista Flockhart, and Holly Hunter's characters stuck out the most for me. They were riveting. The film is devoid of flamboyance and overacting. It feels and looks real.

Be prepared for tears.

Watch it. Watch it. Watch it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Michael Crichton's bestselling novel was both a high-tech thriller and source of controversy with its hot-button plot about a man's charge of sexual harassment against a female colleague and former lover. The movie, directed by Barry Levinson, turned these issues into a prurient thriller gussied up in glossy production values, virtual reality computer graphics, and steamy sex between Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. Having cornered the market on roles for men whose brains are located south of their waistline, Douglas is well cast as the computer-industry guy who loses a plush promotion to the opportunistic Moore, and he's perfected the expression of paranoid panic. If you don't think about it too much, this is one of those films that can draw you into its manipulative web and really grab your attention. Disclosure is more entertaining than thought provoking (because the filmmakers basically danced around the story's potential controversy), but there's enough star power and visual glitz to make this an enjoyable ride. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Not the anti-PC book that Crichton wrote.....luckily
Michael Douglas and Demi Moore fight the battle of the sexes in the film version of Michael Crichton's novel "Disclosure". A rising star at one of those Seattle firms that churns out consumer high-tech, Tom Sanders (Douglas) finds his career at stake instead. Losing his promotion to Meredith Johnson (Moore), who knows less about high-tech than sleeping her way to an exec position, Sanders tries to make the best of things. This is complicated by three things - Sanders's division is having problems delivering a line of new CD-ROM players, his company is in the formative stages of a crucial merger and Johnson has set her sights on him....for something. Sanders and Johnson had had an affair some time before, and Johnson's predatory habits give a not-so-subtle hint as to what that must have been like. When Sanders - now a family man - resists, Johnson turns the tables on him, accusing him of sexual harassment.

Director Barry Levinson wisely underplays the controversial aspects of the book. (Despite Crichton's sincere belief that he was taking on a PC establishment that refuses to see women in terms other than victims of aggressive white males, the corporate intrigue aspect of the story undermines this - Sanders's victimization stemmed largely from forces that wanted Johnson to oust Sanders. This is a common occurrence in Crichton's polemical novels where the author rails at forces like PC or media manipulation when some undrlying cloak and dagger is the real culprit.) Those who shun Sanders after Johnson's accusations become known are reacting less to PC angst than a fear for their careers. Instead, Levinson plays up The "man against the conspiracy" angle - with Douglas playing detective, sneaking into computer files, pulling out answering machine messages and tracking down any leads. Much of the suspense is artificial, but it works.

Calculating Demi Moore gets caught in her own net
Star thriller about sexual harassment may lack credibility at various points and have convenient plot contrivances but "Disclosure" is an interesting film with good performances. Michael Douglas again plays the part of a harassed and overmatched fellow who is targeted by a predatory female and here he's attacked sexually by former lover Meredith Johnson [Demi Moore] who was just brought into the firm as his immediate supervisor. Moore's role is basically straightforward, a sexy but amoral black widow who glares malevolently at Tom Sanders throughout the film, determined to spin her silk threads around her fly before moving on to more important matters, such as running DigiCom her way. Sanders has an uphill battle on his hands even though he is the wronged party. Roma Maffia has a nice turn as a tough, no-nonsense attorney, and Caroline Goodall and Jacqueline Kim are good in supporting roles.

Good Movie
I caught this movie on TV a couple of years ago, and got wrapped up in it. I haven't read the book (I prefer non-fiction reading), so I can't compare this movie to the book. I thought this was an intelligent, but entertaining movie. It has a good ending - the bad guy (or girl) gets what is coming to them. There were only a few times I found scenes ridiculously implausible - like when Douglas's character is listening to Meredith and another worker scheme while she walks on a stairmaster, and they never notice him. Give me a break. I bet the good folks in Austin were irked when Michael Douglas's character turned up his nose at the possibility of being transferred to Austin.

Dennis Miller has a small role, but plays it effectively. Demi Moore is so beautiful, and plays a tough woman very convincingly. Michael Douglas's character was done so dirty in this movie, I was rooting for him all the way to the end. And thank goodness for "A Friend."

I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes movies with more depth than just car crashes and explosions.

Great and rich movie, raised many intelligent questions...
Ever wondered why it is usually males that end up being accused of (overt) sexual harassment? Is it only because women are generally viewed as (consumable and/or disposable) sexual objects, whereas men seldom are? Here Crichton makes a good point: One of the main reasons is because it is generally males that have the (conventional, social and hierarchical) power of doing so. No authority and no power implies no sexual harassment, no sexual mobbing? Well, maybe, at least formally, and the consequences would certainly be of a lesser sort...

So one of the questions this movie raises, is that if there were more women that had hierarchical power, there would be just as much sexual harassment to be expected from them, generically, as there is now from men, although it would probably take on a more subtle and pernicious form. Well, this is indeed a very complex theme, that is further muddled by social conventions...

What this movie also goes on to show, is that one of the best, if not most efficient and direct, although meanest, way to socially and professionally destroy a person, is through the allegations of sexual misbehaviour and/or misconduct, with the use of reverse sexual harassment remaining one of the all-time favorites. This is now just as old as Adam and Eve are, and whereas there is doubtless just as many (silent) feminine sufferes as there is masculine ones, suffering men are usually put much more in the spotlight. Also, the consequences for men (including presidents), are usually of a much more devastating sort than they are for women.

The truth is that men often feel relatively guilty abour their sexuality (witness the tandrum of habitual dirty jokes and puns intended for either self-reassurance or self-justification), like it were something extraneous to their person and to their dignity, whereas women usually find themselves in a much better place to incorporate sexuality as just another of the many aspects of their personality and of their lives, and, believe me, you don't have to watch (a popular talk show) to realize that.

Nevertheless, if you ever have, as a male, felt sexually aggressed, harrassed or mobbed by a female, or by another male as to sexual connotations, in a working environment, you might well find this movie to be a relatively lucid and enjoyable one. Entertaining and suspencefull, it certainly is.

A Much-Ado Movie Constructed Around Nothing Important
The allegedly questionable behavior exhibited by character Meredith Johnson in this film was a whole lot of hype about nothing of much importance. It certainly did not rise to the level of Johnson's dismissal from the company -- in fact, she was working as hard as she could, doing the business of the company. Plus, everybody does this sort of thing, it is common behavior in the corporate world. Plus, the charges of harassment leveled by Tom Sanders were lies. Also, the suggestion that Meredith had done something which merited dismissal from her job was a lot of hate talk, the corporate politics of personal destruction. And finally, by the time the harassment charges really arose in the movie, most of the characters had pretty much put it in the past, they had turned the page and moved on with business -- it was old news.

The best advice anyone could have given Tom, at the point he decided to go public and complain, was a wise bit of rape crisis counselling provided on one occasion by another of society's mistreated male victims: "You'd better get some ice on that." ... Read more

Amazon.com

Young Libby Parsons (Ashley Judd) is happy as a clam, and why not? She's got a loving, successful husband (Bruce Greenwood), an adorable son, and an island home to die for. One morning, after a romantic sailing expedition with her husband, Libby finds herself covered in blood. Her husband's missing, the boat resembles a murder scene, and there's a knife on the deck. One might stop right there and call for help; Libby, however, takes matters--or, more specifically, the knife--into her own hands, and the moment she does, there's the Coast Guard. Faster than you can say frame-up, Libby's been charged with murder and jailed, with her young son stripped from her custody. It's all cut-and-dried, except for one thing: Libby's husband isn't dead, and she's about to track him down. And thanks to the Fifth Amendment's double jeopardy rule, she can't be charged twice for his murder.

Double Jeopardy has a singularly seductive revenge premise and, in Judd, one of the most seductive leading ladies to grace the silver screen in recent years. So then why does this thriller feel like it came from the bottom of the Lifetime television movie barrel? Instead of taking a gritty, hard-boiled approach, the film plays up all of Libby's mushy emotions--tellingly, the director here is Bruce Beresford, whose best film, Driving Miss Daisy, is as far from thriller territory as you can get. No matter how stoically or deviously Judd plays her, Libby comes across as a soccer mom with a slight taste for blood. Only in a few scenes, specifically when she tracks her wily husband to his new identity in New Orleans, does Judd get to strut her stuff, stealing an evening gown and crashing his charity auction. Most of the time, though, this thriller offers only a smattering of suspense. Well, at least like Libby, the filmmakers can't be condemned twice for the same crime. With Tommy Lee Jones duplicating his Fugitive role, as Libby's conscientious parole officer. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (181)

Good Acting - Predictable Ending
Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd are two phenominal actors, and anything that either one of them is in is usually good. Double Jeopardy is merely okay.

Judd plays a woman, named Libby Parsons, who lives a fairly nice life, until one day, her husband goes missing while on a sailing expedition. Libby is found covered in his blood, and he is declared dead, after searches turn up nothing. All evidence points towards her, and she is sent to prison for his murder. While incarcerated, she finds out that he faked his death, and is living abroad with their young child. Upon release, she meets Jones, who plays the caretaker of the halfway house she now lives in. The rest of the movie deals with her trying to find her husband and, more importantly, her son.

Judd and Jones are truly exceptional in the film. The role seemed to be made for Jones, and Ashley Judd did a wonderful job as always, and she was said to have performed all of her own stunts.

The real problem with the film is that it is extremely predictable. This is Hollywood, and about twenty-five minutes into the movie, when her so-called "great awakening" takes place in prison, it is so obvious as to how the film will end. There were some very minor twists throughout the film, but the ending still remained crystal clear.

Overall, the film was okay. Besides the good acting, there were some nice action scenes. Unfortunately, the plot was too predictable, as it tried to uplhold the typical Hollywood standards way too much. If you're a fan of Jones or Judd, you will probably enjoy it from an acting standpoint, but don't expect much else.

Tommy Lee Jones fan
"Double Jeopardy" is one of the best action films i've seen in a long time, by far. If you decide to purchase this film, I guarantee you won't be disapointed. I highly recommend it!

Great Premise...
...Terrible movie. Ashley Judd holds your attention but the script has a lot of holes, Jones is playing his "Fugitive" role again as he has too many times before. There are a few well done action scenes, but that is about it...Otherwise this is one of the worst of its kind. Do not buy this film. There are too many other better films in this genre.

No surprises, but fast-paced script and good photography
This 1999 film stars Ashley Judd as a woman who is convicted of killing her husband. His body is never found and the audience knows she's been framed. While she's in prison she finds out she can never be tried for the same crime twice, so when she gets out she goes hunting for him. Naturally there is a darling little child involved and naturally our heart goes out to the woman who's been terribly wronged. Tommy Lee Jones is cast as her parole officer who runs a half-way house. She spends a lot of time running away from him and this leads to some wonderful chase scenes. At one point they are both underwater after she's been handcuffed inside a car.

There are no real surprises in the film, just some fine acting, good photography and a fast-paced script that throws Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones into conflict. In spite of the formula however, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Therefore, I suggest it as a escape film to keep you mind involved in the perils of the people on the screen instead of focusing on your own day-to-day issues. Recommended.

JUDD AND JONES SAVE THE DAY
We all can tend to be a little too critical at times..I've had that problem for years. Sure this movie is predictable and has a lot of those old cliches we've seen dozens of times before. So the real issue is did I still enjoy it? Yes, very much so. Bruce Beresford's direction brought out splendid performances from Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones and Bruce Greenwood. Even though Ashley's Libby does some incredibly stupid and dangerous things, I jumped right in and rooted her on. Greenwood's Nicholas/Simon/Jonathan is a lesson in sociopathic sleeze. Not only does he let his wife go to prison for his murder, he tells their son that his mother is dead, marries his wife's best friend, and then kills her in a gas explosion. One of the vilest creatures to hit film in some time. Tommy Lee is once again the Fugitive Hunter, but he's cool. Some of the action scenes are great and the ending serves up what you wanted..revenge and reunion.
I liked it. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Quite Good; Similar to "Simple Plan" & "Blood Simple"
Dashielle Hammett came up with the original idea that once people committed to murder, their thinking became simple and so they made error after error leading to their own destruction. It was the letting of the blood that converted them into morons. This film runs with that premise as did "Simple Plan" and "Blood Simple". Two deputy sheriffs come across a crime scene that seems too good to be true and within fifteen minutes they become thieves and murderers. From that original activity, all hell proceeds to break loose. This film also has a good natured sense of humor about it and you will find yourself at times laughing at the two leads and their descent into criminality. Well done. We enjoyed it a lot.

Late Night Movie...Lotsa Action...and KYLE!
This film was ALRIGHT...but not much more.
If you have the DVD and haven't seen the movie...DON'T watch the Trailer First like I did! The Trailer gives TOO MUCH away.
Okay movie to watch if you're needing distraction from vaccuming or laundry.

Suspenseful TV thriller.
Two cops arrive at a crime scene with seven shot dead bodies and a suitcase with $1.5 million dollars. They decide to steal the money and don't mention it to anybody. But it turns out one of the shot people weren't dead and has heard everything and soon, they find themselves in deep trouble.

The story is quite interesting. It shows how people can behave in ways they didn't know they were capable of, when they find themselves in strange situations. It's not too predictable and the movie has a nice, sometimes melancholic feeling. All the actors are good, especially Kyle MacLachlan, Wade Williams and Roma Maffia.

I recommend you to see this movie, especially if you liked "A Simple Plan". It's a good, suspenseful thriller.

an awesome B-movie that gets an A+
I saw this by accident on HBO and really got into it. It doesn't stop moving. It's like "A Simple Plan" only better, more pulp-y, and lots of cool twists and turns. Not a bad video to check out for under ...

AWESOME ACTION-THRILLER !!!
ROUTE 9 is an extremely well-crafted rural thriller with gripping performances by Kyle MacLachlan, Wade Williams, Peter Coyote, Miguel Sandoval and Roma Maffia. The story is somewhat comparable to A SIMPLE PLAN, but the twists and turns come faster and more furiously. When two small town deputies find a million and a half bucks in cash at the scene of a drug deal gone bad, they take the money and successfully cover their tracks--or so they think. The director, David Mackay, (who made a film called THE LESSER EVIL which is as good, if not better, than ROUTE 9) does an excellent job of maintaining suspense and tension. The situation becomes perilous, but there is an excellent sense of humor throughout the film. I can't recommend it highly enough!!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

VIVA LA VULVA!
A fagulous midnight movie, now available 24/7 via DVD release! Todd Hughes' premier full-length feature stars cult phenomenon Mary Woronov in her best role since _Eating Raoul_, and a sumptous performance by Sandra Kinder (_Twin Peaks_: "Want to know our specials? We don't have any."). The always enchanting Roma Maffia and buzz-cut butch pin-up girl Jenny Shimizu also appear in this mind-melting take on the apocalypse. It's like a strong cigarette: your head spinning is the POINT, sweetheart.

Zany Guilty Pleasure
Complete and utter camp, The New Women is a must see for anyone into cult B-movies. Full of hilariously bad lines, weird sci-fi twists and kooky characters, it wears its love of John Waters and Russ Meyer on its sleeve. It stars Mary Woronov ("Eating Raoul") as Lisa LaStrada whose husband is cheating on her with the town slut. At her sister's BBQ, she starts boozing it up for the first time in 3 years and spirals down into a despair the likes of which only Devine has ever surpassed.

On her way home from the party, a weird rainstorm hits. It causes the entire world to go into a sleep from which only the women awake days later. What will Lisa do? Why, take her cheatin' husbands' job as town sheriff and unsuccessfully attempt to stop the rampant looting and chaos, of course.

And it gets loonier. It eventually turns into a road movie when Lisa, her sister, the town's senior citizen floozy, and the local feminist all jump in an RV and head to Elysium, a new society that was made by women for women. On the way, they meet hippie chicks, biker babes and scientists who want to make sure the human race continues. There are enough zany shenanigans here to satisfy the guiltiest of pleasures.

Frisky, Feisty and Fierce
Within THE NEW WOMEN's opening minutes, at least 10 ways to love the feature film emerge. You've got a sumptuous, rural noir road trip. You've got femmes - fatale, frisky and fierce. You've got film references that range from '40s noir to '50s sci-fi to '60s chixploitation to '70s apocalypse, and that crackling, smart dialogue we haven't heard for decades. While the film's core is feminine nuance, the film's look is a rhapsody of texture.
THE NEW WOMEN gives you that rare aesthetic density, a funky, sophisticated humor and a provocative voila! Riffing off the feisty, all-female melodrama George Cukor pioneered in THE WOMEN, this film likewise exults in an all-girl milieu, but amped with a sci-fi premise. The film's humor is sharp and ingenious, and the women are by turns frenetic, profound, campy and coy - full-bodied females that straight cinema could care less about. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This is Wonderful!
What else i am going to say, i don't want to write a cranky review so please, admit this one, i am just going to say it's wonderful,great acting, story, funny and sad, it's WONDERFUL. Okay?

Awesome
This movie has real and believable characters in Heidi (Curtis) and Peter (Hulce). It chronicles aspects of her life in such a way to really give the viewer a flavor of those 30 years and one woman's experiences that so many movies lack. It is a definate must have.

Wonderfully acted drama. Well worth watching for all.
Jamie Lee Curtis proves her ability to truly carry a major work in "The Heidi Chronicles." Spanning three decades in the life of Curtis' Heidi, this film deals with the kind of real situations that people face with none of the unreal extraordinary circumstances that other films feel a need to drag in. Occasionally overly sappy or maudlin (can't we have at least ONE movie with a gay character who DOESN'T deal with a "close friend" dying of AIDS?

Hulce is terrific in the supporting role, and Nicki Vannice (of television's "Getting By" contributes a scene-stealing cameo as a teenager at a female support group. An overall winner of a film.

Get the kleenex ready....
A heartfelt movie....chronicling the life a woman who has had her