Review – The Fisher King

The thing that stood out for me the first time I saw this movie – and which lingers still upon recent re-watch – is that it isn’t at all what I thought it would be. From Terry Gilliam I expected something way more Gilliam-y, with more animation and intrusive art direction. His signature touches crop up here and there – such as the Red Knight sequences – but for the most part the storytelling is straightforward. Likewise I expected Robin Williams to be his usual, annoying self. To be sure, his manic antics aren’t entirely absent from the production. However, his performance is subdued compared to his usual shtick. And even when he does turn frantic at least it fits with the character he plays: a mentally-ill homeless man searching for the Holy Grail in New York City. The result is a successfully quirky little romantic comedy that’s way more entertaining than it should have been. Worth seeing

Review – The Devil Within Her

The DirecTV program guide describes this movie as “A British nun performs an exorcism on her sister-in-law’s vicious baby, cursed by a dancing dwarf.” Toss Joan Collins in as the mom, and you’ve already got a vivid picture of what’s in store for you here. Director Paul Sasdy appears to be one of those guys who has no idea of proper pacing, allowing scenes (especially those with annoyances such as ringing phones and crying babies) to go on well beyond their value to the plot. Also released under the title Sharon’s Baby, no doubt to exploit plot similarities with Rosemary’s Baby. See if desperate

Review – The House of Usher (2006)

Like your Poe reheats on the dull and mopey side? Then this one should suit you. Or if you feel a deep-seated need to repeatedly see actress Izabella Miko in her skivvies, this is your lucky day. Otherwise this is a missable experience. The production adds some unwelcome embroidery such as a sinister caretaker, but for the most part it’s a meandering modern reinvention of the classic tale. See if desperate

Review – Edward Scissorhands

I don’t know Tim Burton personally, but if were to guess based on his body of work, I’d say that this is his most intensely personal movie. It’s the clearest expression of his outsider-trying-to-cope theme, strongly encouraging us to cheer as the mid-century suburbs are transformed by the protagonist’s strange artistic vision. A housewife (Dianne Wiest) visits the local “haunted” castle and finds it inhabited by a mad scientist’s final creation (Johnny Depp), a nearly-complete Frankenstein’s monster with scissors for hands. Feeling sorry for the poor creature, she takes him home to meet the family, where he falls in love with the teenage daughter (Winona Ryder). At first his talents with topiary and hairdos makes him a minor celebrity, but then things start to unravel. The production is stiff and self-conscious in some spots, melodramatic in others. But overall it’s a fine example of a talented director at work. Mildly amusing

Review – Devil's Mercy

Which evidently isn’t much mercy at all. A young couple and their son move into an old house they’re sharing with a weird old guy (Stephen Rea) and his “niece.” Turns out that the creepy duo are witches trying to set up a sacrifice so they can … oh, does it really matter? This is one of those productions that manipulates the plot to keep things from happening, presumably out of an obligation to make 15 minutes worth of story occupy 90 minutes worth of video. See if desperate

Review – Planet 51

After the pleasant surprise of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, I thought I’d risk another kid-oriented animation. Guess I pushed my luck a little too far. This turned out to be a run-of-the-mill piece of kiddie corn. An astronaut from Earth gets a xenophobic reception after landing on a planet inhabited by green people stuck in the 1950s. Like Meatballs, this show bets the farm on the quirkiness of the premise and the cleverness of the gags. Unlike Meatballs, here it doesn’t work. Mildly amusing

Review – White Noise 2: The Light

This go-around has a bit more standard ghost story and at least slightly less random staring at static-filled TV screens. After an NDE, a man (Nathan Fillion) who recently lost his wife and son finds himself able to see dead people. He can also see strong auras coming off people who are about to die. But when he starts trying to save folks – particularly the nurse (Katee Sackhoff) who took care of him in the hospital – from imminent doom, things take a turn for the evil. For a sequel to a movie that wasn’t all that great, this wasn’t too bad. Production values are reasonably good, and the script is acceptable in a low-commitment horror movie sort of way. Mildly amusing