Rate The Last Movie You Saw

Permanent Midnight
(David Veloz, 1998)

I don't have a problem with Ben Stiller. I've enjoyed some of his comedic roles. However, when it comes to his more dramatic turns, I think he's better suited for neurotic roles--- like in 2010's Greenberg, for example--- than as the too-cool-for-school, heroin-addicted television writer that he plays in this adaption of Jerry Stahl's memoir. The movie lacks substance, the script is shallow, the framing device is far too contrived, and the miscast Stiller only brings attention to these numerous faults. A few scenes rise above the muck, however. The scenes where Stiller, suffering from withdrawals, drives around the city at night looking for a score, his newborn daughter in the passenger seat, is heartbreaking. And there's a great metaphor for the rush and thrill and danger of getting high during a scene where Stiller and another character smoke crack, then continually throw themselves against a window that is several stories high. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie rings false, resulting in a fairly forgettable viewing experience.


Mannequin
(Michael Gottlieb, 1987)

Only the 80's could have produced this ridiculous piece of crap. Rita Kempley, of The Washington Post, summed it up better than I can: "a movie by, for and about dummies." The worst aspect, beyond the lame script, is the offensive, stereotype-laden caricatures. You could argue that the movie is extremely sexist, as well, although I doubt that the people involved with the making of the film are smart enough to realize it.


Monsters University
(Dan Scanlon, 2013)

I haven't watched Monsters Inc. in over a decade, so that might have lessened by enjoyment of this film a tad, since I think there were several nods and callbacks to the original that went over my head due to my poor memory. However, I still enjoyed this prequel quite a bit. It's very entertaining and there are several genuinely funny and heartfelt moments. The voice work is excellent. Pixar seems to have lost a lot of their ambition lately, and this film doesn't come close to reaching the heights of Wall-E or Up or the Toy Story franchise, but it's a still a good movie.