All posts by Joseph Savitski »
Halloween 2 (1981) Movie Review
After “Halloween” proved to be a critical and commercial hit, a sequel may have been inevitable, but it’s doubtful anyone ever expected it to be such a quality outing. While not in the same...
Read More »Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) Movie Review
Rarely has a film started behind the eight ball as much as “Exorcist: The Beginning”. Original director John Frankenheimer died before filming started, and lead Liam Neelson departed soon after. New director Paul Schrader...
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A.li.ce (1999) Movie Review
While the title isn’t exactly original, the premise certainly is. “A.li.ce” is an all-CGI feature and it’s a fairly impressive looking movie that gets points for innovative thinking. While not in the same class...
Read More »Halloween 4: Return of Michael Myers (1988) Movie Review
Sick of Freddy and Jason getting all the attention, the producers of the “Halloween” series decided to return Michael Myers to the big screen in 1988. Apparently, they also decided to be ambitious and...
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Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998) Movie Review
Things weren’t always so good for Marvel Studios. Several years before they were making big budget blockbusters, they were reduced to cranking out television films for the Fox Network. A fair effort went into...
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Gonin 2 (1996) Movie Review
It’s difficult to say why writer/director Takashi Ishii (“Freeze Me”) decided to do a sequel to “Gonin”. While the original was a hit, moviegoers weren’t exactly rioting in the streets for a sequel, so...
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Godzilla 1985 (1984) Movie Review
After a nine year hiatus Godzilla stages a stunning comeback that restores his title as King of the Monsters. The filmmakers of “Godzilla 1985″ wisely ignored the 15 films made since the original “Godzilla”,...
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Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992) Movie Review
The title of this Godzilla offering is a bit misleading. It makes it seem like Godzilla and Mothra are teaming up to save the planet, when in reality the two are still beating the...
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Justice League of America: Pilot (1997) TV Review
After the disaster that was “Batman and Robin”, DC Comics tried to regain face with a live-action television pilot of their popular super team, the Justice League of America. Unfortunately, the finished product only...
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Godzilla vs King Ghidorah (1991) Movie Review
This entry in the popular monster series is a disappointing and flawed effort unworthy of the “Godzilla” name. Rampantly anti-Western and entirely unoriginal, “Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah” also makes the huge mistake of relegating...
Read More »Highlander 2 – The Quickening: Special Edition (1991) Movie Review
Despite being a mediocre sequel released over 13 years ago, “Highlander II” keeps rearing its head, this time with a new version that really isn’t much of an improvement on the original. After a...
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Godzilla vs Biollante (1989) Movie Review
It makes sense that Godzilla’s foe in “Godzilla vs. Biollante” would be the product of genetic engineering, since that science was beginning to dawn when the film was made. It doesn’t, at first, make...
Read More »The Village (2004) Movie Review
If you’re having trouble sleeping, taking in a showing of “The Village” will definitely fix that. While the movie is beautifully photographed and well acted, the script is boring and a massive letdown. Essentially,...
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Catwoman (2004) Movie Review
The latest comic book adaptation come to life is a ridiculous and joyless effort, more likely to inspire incredulous laughter than audience enjoyment. Despite the presence of a good cast, “Catwoman” is a mess...
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Godzilla vs Megaguirus (2000) Movie Review
When “Godzilla 2000 Millennium” failed to set the box office on fire, Toho Ltd. fired the creative team and slashed the budget for the following film. The result should have been a disaster, a...
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Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death (1999) Movie Review
The Doctor Who series has been many things over the past few decades, but funny has never been one of them. And while director John Henderson and writer Steven Moffat may have only a...
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Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time (1993) Movie Review
After a few years of no new Doctor Who, fans of the show would have been tickled to watch Tom Baker read from the Gallifrey dictionary for 2 hours. Instead, they got a 15-minute...
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Suicide Club (2002) Movie Review
One of the most recent entries in the renaissance of Japanese horror cinema is an impressive but gory meditation on the power of pop culture on the public psyche. A pitch-black satire as well...
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Doctor Who: The Movie (1996) Movie Review
Ever since “Doctor Who” had its final sign-off in 1989, fans have been clamoring for its resurrection. They got their wish in May of 1996, when a joint BBC/Universal Films production was released on...
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