One of those ‘niche’ films with a kind of low-budget, indie feel. It’s more of a portrait of a situation than an actual story, although the plot does still move along somewhat. The presence of John Goodman and Zooey Deschanel, who happens to be one of the most I-have-a-celebrity-crush-on-you actresses I’ve ever seen, help it along because they’re both such compelling character actors. A very nice selection for the DVD movie club if you like slow-paced, easy-going films.

This was based on true events, but I don’t think they dramatized it enough. Parts were pretty good, and it’s essentially a film about the evils of big business and the fact that in America corporations can throw money at anything to get what they want. Overall though, the ending just seemed kind of … blah. It presents a good message, but as an entertainment piece I found it startlingly unentertaining. Russell Crowe and Al Pacino both do very well for their respective characters despite the lackluster story.

Kevin Costner likes being in really, really long movies. I’m surprised he wasn’t in Avatar, as a matter of fact. I mean, they’re calling it “Dances With Wolves in Space.” The Postman is a really, really long movie with Kevin Costner in it. He walks around. He talks to some people. He gets drafted into a makeshift militaristic organization and escapes. Walks around some more. Keeps walking for awhile, and starts delivering letters. It was pretty good I guess. I liked it… no really.

Again, Al Pacino takes on a completely unique persona in this epic tale of a criminal’s rise to power. He’s good at that – but Carlito still manages to be captivating; the character rises to the level and competes easily with the likes of Tony Montoya and Michael Corleone. This is a classic “things fall apart” tale, just like the others amid Pacino’s body of work, and it manages to be just as convincing and interesting as its counterparts.

One thing that sucks about movies that make an attempt at the fantastical is when they err too far into such “unrealistic” territory. On the other hand, you shouldn’t have to expect that a movie like this would get too serious either. The Quick and the Dead really cannot be taken very seriously if you want to have any fun watching it. At certain moments, however, you’re forced to follow the storyline into both utterly solemn and completely ridiculous ends of the spectrum. To me, that kind of spoiled the film as a whole. Other than that, most of it was a lot of fun.

I wouldn’t say this is quite as scary as it is… er, creepy. Perhaps one of the creepiest movies I’ve ever seen. Creepier than all eighty-three SAW movies combined, actually. Two FBI agents arrive at the police station of a small town to investigate the events of the past couple of days. You, the viewer, are in for a mildly boring time until the flashbacks start heating up and the story gets exciting. You aren’t sure where it’s going until it gets there. Highly recommended if you like a nice twist.