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James Berardinelli

62 quotes

“This is the fourth film from hot Swedish director Lukas Moodysson. Two of his previous three movies, Show Me Love and Lilya 4-Ever, made my year-end Top 10 lists. So it was with great anticipation that I settled into a seat on the first Friday night of the 2004 Toronto Film Festival to see A Hole in My Heart. 98 minutes later, I felt like I had been dragged through a vat of raw sewage laced with Sominex - Directed by Lukas Moodysson.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of A Hole in My Heart (2004).
“I could start this review by stating that Dumb and Dumberer lives up to its name, or by calling it stupid, moronic, and idiotic, but I believe that approach is a trap, since a movie like this might relish being the object of such bland invectives. Instead, let me try a few that can't possibly be misconstrued as twisted praise: unfunny, boring, torturous, and unwatchable. … [N]o movie could be more aptly compared to raw sewage than this film - Directed By Troy Miller.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Dumb and Dumberer (2003).
“Michael made his debut in John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic, Halloween, possibly the best scare movie to come along in the last twenty-five years. … [W]ith the release of the sixth (and hopefully final) movie to bear the Halloween moniker, we see how far the mighty have fallen. … In the final analysis, The Curse of Michael Myers is a horrific motion picture — just not in the way the film makers intended - Directed By Joe Chappelle.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1995 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995).
“It's mind-boggling to consider that movies this bad are actually committed to film. The poor quality of The Pest in almost every category — humor, intelligence, creativity, and just plain entertainment value — ranks it somewhere between a bad infomercial and a local cable newscast. Rarely do I consider the act of seeing a movie to be a chore, but this kind of experience is the exception - Directed By Paul Miller.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1997 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of The Pest (1997).
“There's good news and bad news about 2 Fast 2 Furious, the moronic follow-up to The Fast and the Furious and a contender for the worst movie of 2003. The good news is that it's better, albeit marginally, than Freddy Got Fingered. The bad news is that it's 15 minutes longer.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003).
“The latest chapter of the venerable slasher film saga represents the tenth movie to use the title (although only the ninth with Myers); it's a sequel to the remake but not necessarily a remake of the sequel. It is also a complete and utter abomination. The film is so bad that it may make me rethink my stance on installment #6 (The Curse of Michael Myers) as the worst entry. That one, at least by all accounts, was severely compromised as a result of distributor interference. This one represents Rob Zombie's "vision." That being the case, he's blind.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Halloween II (2009).
“Those who delight in bad movies and enjoy producing their own unfilmed versions of Mystery Science Theater 3000 may gain a measure of semi-masochistic enjoyment out of Van Helsing. There are quite a few unintentionally funny moments, although the overall experience was too intensely painful for me to be able to advocate it as being "so bad, it's good.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Van Helsing (2004).
“I can't figure out who might appreciate this movie. Those who are expecting to sit back, stop thinking, and watch cool wall-to-wall battles are going to be disappointed. Those who yearn for a movie to recapture the long-lost horror and glory of the original creatures are going to be borderline suicidal. … Simply put, [Alien vs. Predator: Requiem] is trash.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007).
“Although I am not averse to wasting a few hours playing computer games, I have never tried my hand at Doom. Judging by sales figures and testimonials, playing the game has to be an infinitely preferable experience to watching this pathetic excuse for a movie.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Doom (2005).
“If you thought it was impossible for a film to contain less effective comedy than Date Movie, here's evidence to the contrary.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Epic Movie (2007).
“Legally Blonde 2 should never have been made. It is a cinematic abomination — a source of embarrassment for everyone involved. There have been worse films this year, but none has been marketed as this fun-loving and upbeat. Worthwhile moments are few and far between, and Reese Witherspoon's incandescent charm, which was one of the original Legally Blonde's saving graces, is so bright that it creates a glare. There's such a thing as being too perky.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003).
“Norbit operates on the principle that vulgarity is automatically funny. Crassness doesn't need a joke attached because it is (in and of itself) the height of hilarity.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Norbit (2007).
“The Pink Panther is supposed to use humor to uplift. Instead, I departed this movie feeling depressed. Lifeless comedies can suck the energy out of a viewer, especially when they sully the image of an cinematic icon.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of The Pink Panther (2006).
“The term "godawful" should be used sparingly in connection with motion pictures. With Angels & Demons, however, it seems oddly appropriate. Not only does this prequel-turned-sequel to The Da Vinci Code make its predecessor seem like a masterwork of pacing and plotting, but it may represent a nadir for director Ron Howard and is probably the worst instance of acting from star Tom Hanks since back in the days when he was struggling out from under the shadow of Bosom Buddies.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Angels & Demons (2009).
“Godzilla is the ultimate culmination of the "who cares about plot" summer movie. A loose remake of the 1954 "classic" Japanese monster movie, Godzilla, King of the Monsters (which is itself pretty thin in the story department), Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin's big-budget lizard-stomps-Manhattan disaster flick has been written with the brain dead in mind. The script isn't just "dumbed down," it's lobotomized. Godzilla lives and dies on special effects alone.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1998 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Godzilla (1998).
“Despite his reputation as one of America's foremost "serious" filmmakers, Oliver Stone's name under the "director" caption does not guarantee a good movie. I learned that lesson while enduring the seemingly-endless tedium of The Doors, and was reminded of it during some of the long, drawn-out portions of JFK. However, nothing that Stone has directed — or misdirected — prepared me for the grotesque mess that is Natural Born Killers.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1994 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Natural Born Killers (1994).
“Aside from a couple of signature flourishes, there's nothing to mark Paycheck as the product of acclaimed action director John Woo. In fact, there's little about this movie that makes it worth anyone's time and money. With a script that waffles between being hilariously absurd and insultingly stupid, and action scenes that won't cause anyone's pulse to skip a beat, Paycheck is less appealing than a lump of coal in a Christmas stocking.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Paycheck (2003).
“It's not hard to understand why an accomplished director like Gus Van Sant (whose most recent success, Good Will Hunting, gave him mainstream clout) would be interested in making this film. The lure of an exact remake presents a tremendous challenge. Unfortunately, it was undoubtedly a lot more stimulating for Van Sant and his crew to make Psycho than it is for an audience to watch it. [C]uriosity is going to be one of the primary reasons why people pay money to see this movie; boredom will be the predominant result.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1998 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Psycho (1998).
“If there was ever an action movie that didn't warrant a sequel, it's Speed. However, the film grossed enough money to be numbered among the big summer hits of 1994, and the unfortunate result is this film, which reunites director Jan de Bont with leading lady Sandra Bullock, while leaving Keanu Reeves somewhere safe and dry, "working on his music" with his band, Dogstar. Considering the dubious quality of the final product, this may be the wisest decision of the young actor's career. Speed 2 can be numbered among the worst second chapters ever made.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1997 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997).
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will make a ton of money, Michael Bay will be lauded as the greatest director of our generation, and the accountants at Paramount will have their second collective orgasm in as many months. As for me, I will try desperately not to weep — not so much for what the success of a movie like this means to motion pictures, but for the simple fact that I'm going to have to do this all over again in two or three years for Transformers 3.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009).
“In answer to the question posed by the title, I can't in all honesty say, "This movie." But that's only because there are far too many Freddy Got Fingereds and Say It Isn't Sos out there. The fact that What's the Worst That Could Happen? is better than these movies should in no way be misconstrued as even a backhanded compliment. It's like comparing stale, moldy, rancid bread with soggy, stale, moldy, rancid bread. Both are equally probable to turn one's stomach, and, if ingested, likely to require some time spent kneeling in front of a toilet bowl.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001).
“The dialogue is laughably cheesy throughout, but perhaps that's part of Basic Instinct's appeal. In fact, there are times when the film comes close to achieving a status where it's so bad it becomes entertaining. … If you're looking for an intelligent thriller with real characters, Basic Instinct will seem like a fraud. If, on the other hand, you don't care whether the story makes sense and all you're in search of are cheap thrills and naked bodies, the movie delivers. Then again, so does a lot of Cinemax's late night programming.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1992 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Basic Instinct (1992).
“With Batman & Robin, the fourth entry in the recent Batman movie series, the profitable franchise appears poised to take a nosedive. This film, which places yet another actor in the batsuit, has all the necessary hallmarks of a sorry sequel — pointless, plodding plotting; asinine action; clueless, comatose characterization; and dumb dialogue. … Batman & Robin moves at a dizzying pace, yet goes absolutely nowhere.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1997 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Batman & Robin (1997).
“If you're in the mood for something that's completely visceral and mindless (really mindless — the plot is a joke, filled with contrivances and coincidences), this movie will fit the bill. Parts of it are excruciatingly bad, but there are numerous examples of well-directed action that, on balance, compensate for the worst gaffes. This is a poor man's Die Hard. It has the explosions, gunplay, and spectacular stunts, but little of the wit and intelligence. In other words, it's a typical summer action flick.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1993 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Cliffhanger (1993).
“Imagine, if you will, the dispiriting experience of listening to an awful cover of one of your favorite songs. That's how I felt sitting through Die Another Day, the 20th official outing for [James Bond]. This is a train wreck of an action film … What's missing from this movie? Any real sense that we're watching 007 rather than a generic spy in a tuxedo.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Die Another Day (2002).
“It's really two movies crammed into one, the first of which is a lot better than the second. Spider-Man 3 starts out strong but before it finishes, many viewers will desperately wish it had called it quits an hour earlier.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Spider-Man 3 (2007).
“Looking back at Batman from a distance — after all the hype has dried up and the franchise has at least temporarily been abandoned — it's easy to see the movie for what it is: a moderately diverting motion picture that should have been shorter and better paced. There are a lot of things wrong with Batman, but it still makes for decent entertainment in the fine tradition of the typical low-intelligence summer movie. The best thing that can be said about Batman is that it led to Batman Returns, which was a far superior effort.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1989 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Batman (1989).
“After the second Die Hard, Bruce Willis stated he would never do another. He should have stayed firm in his resolve. If quality is any indication (and it may be, with all the available blockbusters), box office returns will be disappointing this time around and, if nothing else, that will do to John McClane what dozens of assorted bad guys couldn't manage: kill him.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1995 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995).
“Live Free or Die Hard may work better for an audience that doesn't know much about the series is than it will for Die Hard die hards, who will be wondering who that impersonator is and what he did with the real John McClane. The original Die Hard came out of nowhere to blitz the 1988 summer box office. The fourth installment arrives with a weight of expectations that Atlas would have trouble shouldering and, when the dust settles in September, it's unlikely that Live Free or Die Hard will be one of this year's big success stories.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Live Free or Die Hard (2007).
“The first star vehicle of the summer of 1996 is also the first major disappointment of the season. Mission: Impossible, the big-screen resurrection of the popular late-'60s/early-'70s series, fails to generate much in the way of excitement or intrigue. This globetrotting adventure looks like an opportunity for Tom Cruise to play James Bond — a role he is totally unsuited for. The writing for last year's 007 return, GoldenEye, isn't a lot better than that for Mission: Impossible, but, as an action hero, Pierce Brosnan is considerably more debonair and charismatic than Cruise.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1996 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Mission: Impossible (1996).
“Parodies are hard to do well, as is shown by the mediocrity of so many recent attempts. No matter how ripe a genre is for satirizing, unless you know how to do it, there are no guarantees.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1993 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993).
“The biggest alien invasion picture of the summer of 1996 is Independence Day. But it's not the first. The Arrival, with a significantly lower budget than Fox's July 3 release, has that distinction, and, while this particular film doesn't boast any radical or surprising ideas, it combines numerous familiar plot elements into a suspenseful, entertaining whole. Best of all, perhaps, is the realization that some thought went into writer/director David Twohy's script. This is not a dumb movie; in fact, with its heavy reliance upon real science, it's startlingly credible.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1996 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of The Arrival (1996).
“[Director Christopher] Nolan has not only crafted the best Batman movie, but arguably the second-best motion picture superhero narrative (topped only by the linked duo of Superman and Superman II). For those who thought Spider-Man and X-Men had a lot to offer, wait till you see where this film goes. … Batman Begins is a strong re-start to a franchise that deserves better than it has often been accorded.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Batman Begins (2005).
“Blade Runner is a rare science fiction movie so full of material that pages can be written about it without scratching the surface. A review like this can provide little more than an overview. A detailed exploration of the movie, its style, and its mysteries requires dedication that only someone immersed in Blade Runner lore can provide.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1982 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Blade Runner (1982).
“It's rare that the sequel to a good movie lives up to expectations. Such is the case with Die Hard 2, the somewhat-muddled but still entertaining return of Bruce Willis' John McClane. Fortunately, the original Die Hard was good enough that there's room for the second installment to be enjoyable while still not matching the pace or possessing the flair of its predecessor.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1990 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990).
“As vampire movies go, few are more memorable than Nosferatu, which is not only the first screen version of Dracula, but, in some ways, remains the best. Unlike many of his predecessors who dabbled in the vampire genre, Murnau was a craftsman, and the care he lavished upon this production is evident in each shot and every scene. Alongside The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, few motion pictures have had a more profound impact upon an entire genre than Nosferatu has had upon the legion of horror movies that trailed in its wake.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1922 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Nosferatu (1922).
“Today, Psycho still holds up extraordinarily well (another reason why a remake seems pointless). With the exception of Halloween, no latter-day horror/thriller has been capable of generating as many goosebumps. The black-and-white photography is perfect for the film's tone and mood — the starkness of color would have blurred the nightmarish quality. The painstaking care with which [director Alfred] Hitchcock composed every scene is evident in the quality of the final product.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1960 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Psycho (1960).
“The Phantom Menace is not a masterpiece, but it's an example of how imagination, craftsmanship, and technological bravura can fashion superior entertainment out of something that is far from flawless.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1999 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999).
“Regardless of how Revenge of the Sith is received at the box office, it represents the conclusion to an unparalleled cinematic achievement. Finally, after 28 long years of waiting that were only occasionally punctuated by the appearance of new story fragments, Lucas has ended with an exclamation point. The tale of a galaxy long ago and far away is complete. Only now can we truly step back and admire the full tapestry that it has taken George Lucas and his ILM wizards nearly three decades to weave.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005).
“Although The Terminator is arguably the more visionary of the first two films, [Terminator 2] is the more visually and viscerally satisfying. It's an exhausting experience and, even 18 years after its release (as I write this review), few films have matched it within the science fiction genre for sheer white-knuckle exhilaration.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1991 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).
“Die Hard represents the class of modern action pictures and the standard by which they must be judged. Few films falling into the "mindless entertainment" genre have as much going for them as this movie. Not only is it a thrill-a-minute ride, but it has one of the best film villains in recent memory, a hero everyone can relate to, dialogue that crackles with wit, and a lot of very impressive pyrotechnics.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1988 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Die Hard (1988).
“Since 1977, there have been many science fiction movies, but none has managed to equal [A New Hope's] blend of adventure, likable characters, and epic storytelling.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1977 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977).
“Seventeen years after its initial release, The Empire Strikes Back is still as thrilling and involving as ever. Because of the high quality of the original product, it doesn't show a hint of dating. Neither [Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope nor Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi] were able to match the narrative scope of Empire, which today remains one of the finest and most rousing science fiction tales ever committed to the screen.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1980 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
“Short of climbing aboard a time capsule and peeling back eight and one-half decades, James Cameron's magnificent Titanic is the closest any of us will get to walking the decks of the doomed ocean liner. Meticulous in detail, yet vast in scope and intent, Titanic is the kind of epic motion picture event that has become a rarity. You don't just watch Titanic, you experience it — from the launch to the sinking, then on a journey two and one-half miles below the surface, into the cold, watery grave where Cameron has shot never-before seen documentary footage specifically for this movie.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1997 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Titanic (1997).
“I don't often use the words "godawful" and "abomination" to describe a movie, preferring to reserve such terminology for extreme instances when I feel duped and mortally offended. Case in point: Bachelorette. Often with a bad film, I search for something positive or productive to say, cognizant as I am that there are real people with real feelings behind the production. That won't be happening here. When it comes to watchability, the only thing to distinguish this from Freddy Got Fingered (the turd standard for cinematic badness) is the absence of the sexual molestation of animals. And one could make a convincing argument that the sexual molestation of animals might improve Bachelorette. This possibility that this might not be the worst movie of the year is frightening to contemplate - Directed by Lesley Headland.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Bachelorette (2012).
“Perhaps I never truly understood the term "torture porn" until watching this movie. The various demented killings, maimings, and other assorted indignities performed upon characters (most of them comely women) are designed with one objective in mind: to get people off. Make no mistake about it - this is masturbation material for those who enjoy this sort of thing. … Watching Captivity is like observing a 45-minute psychological rape. Rarely have I found myself so uncomfortable viewing anything over such an extended period of time. There's nothing redeemable here. It's not tense or scary; it's just demented - Directed by Roland Joffé.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Captivity (2007).
“I have to report that this motion picture is arguably the worst piece of cinematic crap I have ever experienced theatrically. Hyperbole, you wonder? I looked through my list of zero-star movies and couldn't find one entry (except the immortal Zombie vs. Mardi Gras, which was a straight-to-video release) that ranked as more difficult to endure. Words like abomination and travesty don't do this movie justice. Sitting through Freddy Got Fingered was one of the most depressing experiences in my 10 years of reviewing films. It's not even enjoyable on a campy level. It's just bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad - Directed By Tom Green.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Freddy Got Fingered (2001).
“The only thing as bad as bad comedy is bad action. Bad Boys II has plenty of both. In fact, those two things are all it has, unless you count the small helping of bad drama. When it comes to this movie, the word "bad" initially seems highly appropriate. But Bad Boys II isn't just bad — it's a catastrophic violation of every aspect of cinema that I as a film critic hold dear. It seems to have been constructed with terms like "unwatchable" and "godawful" as its slogans. There are motion picture failures every year — the resumes of Hollywood players are littered with them. But, when something this big — a would-be blockbuster with recognizable names in the cast and crew — collapses in such a spectacular fashion, it's worth taking note. Think of how many starving children could have been fed with the money that was poured into [director] Michael Bay's latest sinkhole.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Bad Boys II (2002).
“When a movie is this bad, it's hard to adequately describe its awfulness in words. The temptation exists to write something along the lines of: "Something this horrible has to be seen to be believed." Of course, that kind of advice would lead to e-mail death threats and other assorted nasty comments from those who spend money on The Devil's Rejects. … Aside from its poor production values, horrendous acting, and ignoble morality, The Devil's Rejects isn't engaging cinema. Even if the simple act of sitting in a movie theater watching people get hacked up for 90 minutes doesn't bother you, the dullness and repetition is likely to.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of The Devil's Rejects (2005).
“In 1990, the MPAA introduced the NC-17 rating to provide an outlet for legitimate adult fare — non-pornographic motion pictures with content deemed too strong for the under-17 crowd. The first movie released with an NC-17 was Henry & June, whose financial failure was widely blamed on the new rating. After that, all potentially-lucrative films receiving an NC-17 made the cuts required by the MPAA to earn an R. Now, in 1995, there's Showgirls, the most significant test of the NC-17's commercial viability to date. Helmed by Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall, Basic Instinct) and written by Joe Eszterhas (Jagged Edge, Basic Instinct), this movie is going into wide release with the adult rating. Too bad it's one of the worst films of the year.”
James Berardinelli (born 1967) first seen 1995 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Review of Showgirls (1995).