Hannibal - Rewind

Released 10 years ago today...

Original Release Date: February 9, 2001

I cannot think of any other film in recent history that has had so much hype or momentum working in its favor leading up to its release that just didn't deliver on any of it. It was the sequel to the 1991 Best Picture Silence of the Lambs which also gave birth to one of films greatest horror icons, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). It was based off the hit book of the same name that had just come out two years prior and the screenplay was worked on by one of the greatest writers out there, David Mamet. Anthony Hopkins returned to the role that made him a household name outside the drama circle and helming the film was one of today's greatest visionary directors, Ridley Scott. I remember the time leading up to the release of the film that the anticipation was at a fever pitch and no one even contemplated whether or not it was going to be any good which in hindsight seems very silly to me now.

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Snatch - Rewind Mini Review

Released 10 years ago today...

Original Release Date: December 8th, 2000

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Red Planet - Rewind Mini Review

Released 10 years ago today...

Original Release Date: November 10, 2000

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Quigley Down Under - Rewind Mini Review

Released 20 years ago today...

Original Release Date: October 19, 1990

Quigley proving his prowess with his custom made sniper rifle.

Poor Tom Selleck, he had a hell of a run on television during the 80's with Magnum P.I. but when he tried to transfer that stardom over to the big screen it just didn't happen. He had a whole string of flops that mostly weren't very good, however there was one bright spot in his filmography and that is Quigley Down Under. Now it most definitely bombed upon release just like all the others but it was more or less due to bad timing. Westerns weren't all that popular at the time and he still hadn't proved that he could anchor a feature length film yet. What a shame because this is the type of movie that usually gives a leading actor their big shot but it wasn't meant to be I suppose.

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The Contender - Rewind Mini Review

Released 10 years ago today...

Original Release Date: October 13, 2000

Joan Allen attempting to become the first female Vice President of America.

Political dramas are not really my cup of tea, as a matter of fact I don't like politics at all. So it was much to my surprise how much I enjoyed this film about a woman becoming the first ever female Vice President of the United States of America. There is a lot of deal making and courtroom battles that take place throughout the film which would normally bore the hell out of me, but yet it somehow managed to enthrall me. The basic story here is that the current Vice President dies due to health reasons and the White House now needs to appoint a new Vice President to the position. Where this film differs from most other political drama is that the person being sought after for the position is a woman, which back in the year 2000 was considered fantasy. It is funny how much things have changed a decade later.

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Almost Famous - Rewind Mini Review

Released 10 years ago today...

Original Release Date: September 15, 2000

Over a decade later and it is still Kate Hudson's best movie.

I am not really into the music scene too much, I don't really care what my favorite band does with their spare time, I could really care less about their troubles or their popularity. So, it came as a big surprise to me that I ended up loving this movie about a teenage boy getting the chance of a lifetime to go on a road trip across the country with his favorite band. I think a lot of that surprise is thanks to director Cameron Crowe, whom the film's main character is based on, and how his love for music translates to the screen. You can tell this man has a passion for music (his use of music in all of his films is usually spot on perfect) and you can also see how these events helped shape who he is today.

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The Way of the Gun - Rewind Mini Review

Released 10 years ago today...

Original Release Date: September 8, 2000

Ryan Phillippe and Benicio Del Toro getting ready for battle.

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Bring it On - Rewind Mini Review

Released 10 years ago today...

Original Release Date: August 25, 2000

"Cheerleaders are dancers that have gone retarded", (Sparky Polastri).

I don't believe that this film needs any introduction. It has gone on to become somewhat of a revered piece of pop culture, but when it came out it was heckled and ridiculed to no end. All that hate ended though once people saw it and understood what it actually was as opposed to what everyone thought it was. It was not the shallow teen comedy we all thought it was, it was only disguised as such. The film was a social satire of sorts about the life of High School cheerleaders and their dreams. To say the film was self aware and in on the joke would be a vast understatement.

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Air America - Rewind Mini Review

Released 10 years ago today...

Original Release Date: August 10, 1990

Released at the tail end of the summer of 1990, Air America landed with a resounding thud at the box office for a number of reasons. Despite having two big names attached to it and a fairly whimsical trailer, people weren't too thrilled with a movie that made fun of a real government sanctioned program during the Vietnam war era. Also, even though Good Morning Vietnam saw a lot of success three years earlier, most audiences still weren't hip on the idea of drawing humor from a terrible war. None of that detracted though from the end product and regardless of how much it made it was a success on every other level.

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Hollow Man - Rewind Mini Review

Released 10 years ago today...

 

Original Release Date: August 4, 2000

"I don't think he's gonna make it"

 

 Ah, Paul Verhoeven, how I miss thee. Nobody approached film making like this man does. From "Robocop" to "Total Recall" to "Starship Troopers", love him or hate him the man has a certain flair for violence and satire. "Hollow Man" is no different although I do believe it is one of his lesser works mainly due to how conventional the movie is. You have a man that is turned invisible "hollow" and then turns psychotic and goes on a murderous rampage. It is your basic thriller setup all glossed up with competent early turn of the century effects.

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