Movie Reviews by Mose

I wrote what I thought about it, there's nothing wrong with that... As Slayton figured out, I write my reviews based on entertainment, not artistic merit. I simply did not find 8 1/2 to be that entertaining. Here is a section of my review detailing what I understood the movie to be about: What haven't I understood?

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Toefuzz.com - Movie reviews and quotes for those of us fortunate enough to not have our heads shoved up overly critical rectums!

My Top 100 favorite movies.

Don't worry about it, I got bad rep yesterday from someone who liked a movie I hated....we are all different.

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Wow... I can't imagine giving out bad rep b/c someone doesn't like a movie... that's just crazy! This board would be damn boring if we all agreed

Still though, I would love for someone to explain to me what makes 8 1/2 so good. All I've been told so far is I need to watch it several more times.

I've been trying to get Mrs. Mose to write some reviews for our website for quite sometime now and have finally worn her down... So without any further adieu, here's her very first review!

Open Water 4/10

Dah Dum. Dah Dum. Dah dum dum dum dum! Jaws’ distant relatives return for revenge in this low budget (cough, looks like a bad 80’s porn, cough, cough) thriller. On a much needed vacation, Susan and Daniel decide the best way to fix a rocky marriage is to go scuba diving, of course! I’ll sum up the rest of the movie for you-they float around and talk a lot. There’s not a lot positive I can say about this movie, but I must admit the idea of being left behind was pretty scary. I personally will not be scuba diving anywhere but in my local YMCA pool, and God only knows what’s in there.

Caddyshack was awesome...

Pretty damn good flick if you ask me...but what do I know?

Nice to see you poking your head in here Mrs. Mose...maybe you can join yourself. But be more imaginitive with your monikor that what squishy nuts (I still owe him...) thought up for you.

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"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."

Frailty 9/10

Virtually ignored by moviegoers, this little gem of a flick marks the directorial debut of Mr. Bill Paxton (Yes, THAT Bill Paxton) who plays a father commanded by angels to destroy demons that have taken the form of normal human beings. Enlisting the help of his two young boys, Paxton sets out to fulfill his destiny as a demon slayer against an eerie backdrop of white picket fences and beautiful rose gardens. Proving he has absorbed much from some of the better directors he’s worked with over the past twenty years (Raimi, Howard, Cameron, etc.), Paxton delivers a solid little thriller filled to the brim with atmosphere and implied violence, both of which are aided by his decision to leave much of the film’s gruesomeness off-screen, showing a strange respect for his audience not often found in Hollywood today.

Yeah, I don't think you will get one soon. I would love to write a review on a film such as 8 1/2 but I simply am not up for the challenge. To be a film critic one of my largest fears would be 8 1/2, especially in an extremely positive light. I guess the reason you won't see a detailed 8 1/2 review on these boards is the same reason there is a complete depravity of Fellini discussion as well.

But once again, nice reviews. Your review thread is one of the few I bother reading.

Thanks D'yer Mak'er!

I agree with you on movies like 8 1/2. It's amazing how easy and fun it can be to review a bad movie (see most of my reviews) and how difficult it can be with a good movie. I find I spend a lot more time when I write a review of a movie I gave an 8 or higher to. It's often difficult to keep reviews of good films concise and they also start to sound repetitive after awhile (great acting, great cinematograpy, great directing, etc)... There's only so many ways you can say these things, while it's almost impossible to run out of mean things to say, though maybe it's just me

I love Frailty... thanks for the review[s]... and tell Ms. Mose, thanks too...

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Will do Caitlyn, and thanks for the rep... It's interesting to see how much more positive rep from you jumps my rep up than from others... Guess you've been around awhile

Stander 5/10

This well made little flick falters under its central character’s sense of self-importance which in turn causes some of its social commentary to fall a bit flat, thus negating the purpose of the movie, in my humble opinion. Jane stars as Andre Stander, a captain in the South African police department who becomes disillusioned with his departments mission to protect a privileged minority. In an attempt to combat his feelings of despair he decides to rob banks, as any sane minded person would do. And while I’ll admit I am certainly no expert on South Africa, I have to believe that Mr. Stander was painted in the very best of light in this picture. I can’t help to feel that he was nothing more than a man who craved attention and not some modern day Robin Hood robbing from the oppressors to help free the oppressed. Still, the movie was well made and reasonably interesting, I just question some of the motives behind it and the truthfulness of what we were told.

Thanks for the review, my hsb was brought up in South Africa, I have been there about 10 times, I would like to see this as I find it a sad, fascinating and in some ways optimistic place.

The movie starts out really strong and some of the chants the blacks use while protesting are actually quite beautiful... just can't quite sustain the momentum it develops as a character driven crime piece. It was interesting to listen to some of the whites justify what was going on in South Africa.

I have seen a lot of that. Also many people who were not happy with apartheid, my hsb has a friend who is a Doco film maker who was banned from making film in South Africa for a long time, the government didn't like the content of his films. My Hsb and myself stayed up all night to watch Nelson Mandeela walk free from Jail, it was an exciting time for South Africa.

You seem to become even more interesting by the day nebs

Kunoichi Lady Ninja 5/10

Rarely has a movie that makes so little sense been so much fun to watch as a team of ninja nuns set out to exact revenge on seven demons who slaughtered the inhabitants of a convent while looking for pleasure partners for their wimpy feudal lord. Aided in their quest by a one-eyed master swordsman and such awe inspiring powers as nipple shock wave, vaginal echo, virgin blood phoenix sword and a host of other special powers never before seen on the big screen they set out on a bloody and campy rampage of revenge that must be seen to be believed.

Now that sound like an interesting movie, and those special powers, I want those.

Saw 4/10

You know your horror movie needs a great script if it’s going to overcome a cast of Wesley (Cary Elwes), the MILF guy from American Pie (Ken Leung), Murtaugh from the Lethal Weapon series (Danny Glover), and a Julia Roberts clone (Monica Potter). Unfortunately Saw does little more than attempt to borrow from the much better Se7en with it’s disturbing visuals and similar plot as some holier than though kook puts people into kill or be killed situations to teach them the value of life, which makes a lot of sense because they very often have to kill someone to live. Of course my objections to the film could center on my turning into an old fart, but I’m willing to venture a guess that most people will agree with me. And while the film isn’t a total waste of time, it’s certainly not what I would consider a must see.

Just caught up on most of your reviews. I especially liked your thoughts on Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, THX 1138, and Frailty.

Your Top 100 looks interesting, but like LordSlaytan said, at times you seem to be bi-polar.

Here are the films in your Top 100 that would make some sort of Top something of mine (I'll cheat a little too with some of the trilogies, but not all):


Goodfellas
Godfather I, II
Princess Bride
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Rear Window
It’s a Wonderful Life
Star Wars Trilogy
When Harry Met Sally
Braveheart
High Noon
Saving Private Ryan
Raiders of the Lost Ark - (not the entire trilogy)
Gone with the Wind
The Terminator - (not the entire trilogy)
Shawshank Redemption
Shining, The
Platoon
Bringing Up Baby
It Happened One Night
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Matrix Trilogy
Die Hard - (not the entire trilogy)
Bridge on the River Kwai
Dances with Wolves
Exorcist, The
The Game
Clockwork Orange
Memento
Fargo
Jaws
Glengary Glen Ross
Halloween
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Toy Story 2
Caddyshack
Blues Brothers
Back to the Future
Open Range
Blazing Saddles
Christmas Story

I think I axed about 60 from your list. Again, the films I kept from your list are the ones that would make some sort of list of mine, but of course, not in the same order. Some of the films I removed, I may like, but they just wouldn't make the cut on a "Top Something" list of mine. A few other films I removed left me wondering (Second Hand Lions?).

Anyhoo, I'm glad I finally got a chance to go through your thread.

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NEW (as of 1/24/05): Quick Reviews #10

Thanks for reading! As you can tell, I love stupid comedies and am not afraid to admit it! I've always been an emotional sap and it's only gotten worse since I became a father... I think that's why movies like Secondhand Lions and Big Fish really get to me