EDtv (1999)
54%RT Audience Score: 30%
Awards & Nominations: 2 nominations
If it’s not as ambitious as The Truman Show in satirizing the voyeuristic nature of television, EdTV is an amiable, witty comedy with fine performances from Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson
If you’re looking for a movie that’ll make you laugh and cringe at the same time, “EDtv” is the perfect pick. With a cleverly cluttered look and a fine premise, this film is a satire of reality TV that’s both dysfunctional and sexual. While some critics may find it underwhelming or toothless, I found it to be a hilarious take on the obsession with fame and the lengths people will go to achieve it. Plus, who doesn’t love watching Matthew McConaughey in comic mode? Overall, “EDtv” is a fun and entertaining movie that’s worth a watch.
Production Company(ies)
Bandai Visual Company, Cinequanon Eisei Gekijo
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
SAP Center at San Jose – 525 W. Santa Clara, San Jose, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sex-related situations, partial nudity and crude language
Year of Release
1999
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 2m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 26, 1999 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2004
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Jenna Elfman, Ellen DeGeneres, Martin Landau, Sally Kirkland, directed by Ron Howard, written by Émile Gaudreault, Sylvie Bouchard, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, comedy, PG-13, box office, $22.4M, reviewed by David Ansen, Owen Gleiberman, Susan Stark, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Mick LaSalle, Marc Savlov, Jeffrey Barabe, Brian Grazer, produced by Ron Howard, Universal Pictures, reality TV, television, voyeurism, fame, celebrity, personal life, relationship, girlfriend, brother, video-store clerk, cable channel, daily basis, footage, show, overnight celebrity, tension, satire, toothless, dysfunction, sexuality, parody, wasted potential, corny romance, reality TV shows, comedy genre, down-to-earth, little screen, nice little touches
Worldwide gross: $35,242,897
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $63,261,983
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,233
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 6,898,799
US/Canada gross: $22,431,897
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $40,265,881
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,163
US/Canada opening weekend: $8,311,290
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $14,918,997
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 793
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $80,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $143,602,231
Production budget ranking: 232
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $77,329,801
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$157,670,049
ROI to date (est.): -71%
ROI ranking: 1,816
Jenna Elfman – Shari
Ellen DeGeneres – Cynthia Topping
Woody Harrelson – Ray Pekurny
Martin Landau – Al
Sally Kirkland – Jeanette
Director(s)
Ron Howard
Writer(s)
Émile Gaudreault, Sylvie Bouchard, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel
Producer(s)
Jeffrey Barabe, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (30) | Rotten (17)
You’ll have a good time watching “EDtv”– Howard is always at his best in comic mode, and he gives the film a cleverly cluttered look that suggests the experience of watching reality on multiple monitors.
March 3, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: B-
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/4
Susan Stark
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/4
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Comic satire of reality TV; lots of dysfunction, sexuality.
February 3, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
Renee Schonfeld
Common Sense Media
…a fine premise that’s utilized to progressively underwhelming effect…
November 6, 2014 | Rating: 2/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 2/5
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
EdTV isn’t bad enough to get angry about, but it’s a mundane and toothless satire.
July 30, 2007 | Rating: 2/5
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
July 14, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
March 31, 2005 | Rating: 4/10
Dragan Antulov
Draxblog Movie Reviews…
Plot
In a Hail Mary move for corporate preservation, the San Francisco based Northwest Broadcasting Corporation launches True TV, a new network which will broadcast the life of an Average Joe or Jane, 24/7 live and thus unedited, the subject chosen signed initially for one month. The project is conceived and led by one of the producers, Cynthia, but her boss, NWBC president Whitaker, will take the credit if it succeeds, and let her sink as the captain of the ship if it fails. The network is rebranded EdTV when Cynthia believes she’s found her subject, Ed Pekurny, a native Texas hayseed, who fits the two main criteria that she is looking for in the person: he is easy on the eyes, and he has what seems to be a potential trainwreck of a life in that he he is thirty-one years old, spends most of his time hanging out at the bar, and has no ambition beyond his longtime dead end job as a clerk in a video store. Ed did not actively campaign for the job – his blowhard of a brother Ray was the one who played to the cameras when Cynthia’s team was looking for subjects – but ultimately decided to do it after discussing it with those close to him, namely his immediately family of his mother, stepfather, and two siblings. After a slow start and despite some people associated with Ed hamming it up to the cameras in wanting their fifteen minutes of fame or more, Ed becomes enough of a toast to the TV watching public for the network to become a success. However, having the cameras rolling during certain times may not be the most advantageous for those directly involved, especially as someone from Ed’s distant past reenters his life, and an issue with regard to Ray’s relationship with his current girlfriend, a UPS delivery person named Shari who if Ed was being honest would admit that he is attracted to himself. Other issues that eventually do emerge is Ed and those around him using the cameras as a convenient excuse for things that happen, and as Whitaker, against Cynthia’s wants as the moves being totally self-serving, begins to manipulate Ed to make EdTV more salacious TV viewing.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast includes Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, and Ellen DeGeneres.
Ron-Howard.jpg
54%
Daylight (1996)
54%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: NA
The opening’s got a great fiery explosion and Stallone puts in another earnest, sympathetic performance, but all else in Daylight feels designed to annoy the audience into submission
If you’re looking for a movie that’s so bad it’s good, Daylight is the perfect pick. With clichs galore and a plot that’s been done a million times before, it’s hard not to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Plus, Sly Stallone’s performance is surprisingly entertaining, especially when compared to the ham sandwich-eating bit-part actors. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the disaster that is Daylight.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for disaster-related peril, death and destruction
Year of Release
1996
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:DTS-Stereo DTS
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 55m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 1996 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 24, 2004
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Sylvester Stallone, Amy Brenneman, Viggo Mortensen, Dan Hedaya, Jay O Sanders, Karen Young, directed by Rob Cohen, written by Leslie Bohem, action, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum, Todd McCarthy, Nick Bradshaw, Janet Maslin, Edward Guthmann, Kenneth Turan, Wesley Lovell, David Nusair, Adam Sandel, Shaun Munro, Felix Vasquez Jr., PG-13, toxic waste, New Jersey Tunnel, explosion, survivors, Kit Latura, Madelyne Thompson, Roy Nord, Frank Kraft, Steven Crighton, Sarah Crighton, John Davis, Joseph Singer, David T Friendly, Universal Pictures, Surround
Worldwide gross: $159,212,469
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $303,896,085
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 499
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 33,140,249
US/Canada gross: $33,023,469
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $63,033,398
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 969
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,015,875
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $19,117,756
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 681
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $80,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $152,699,640
Production budget ranking: 213
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $82,228,756
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $68,967,688
ROI to date (est.): 29%
ROI ranking: 1,244
Amy Brenneman – Madelyne Thompson
Viggo Mortensen – Roy Nord
Dan Hedaya – Frank Kraft
Jay O. Sanders – Steven Crighton
Karen Young – Sarah Crighton
Leslie Bohem – Writer
Rob Cohen – Director
John Davis – Producer
Joseph Singer – Producer
David T. Friendly – Producer
Director(s)
Rob Cohen
Writer(s)
Leslie Bohem
Producer(s)
John Davis, Joseph Singer, David T. Friendly
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (42) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (31)
September 7, 2011 | Rating: C
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
A lower-echelon disaster thriller, in which the best character is knocked off early on and the leading man runs out of ideas with a third of the picture still to go.
March 27, 2009
Todd McCarthy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Cohen keeps the vehicle cruising in fourth gear, hoping the audience won’t get too impatient with the familiar scenery. Big, efficient, mindless entertainment.
January 26, 2006
Nick Bradshaw
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
It will seem suspenseful only to those who wonder whether Mr. Stallone can get the dog out alive.
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
A standard- issue disaster film that borrows conspicuously from both “Poseidon” and “The Towering Inferno.”
June 18, 2002 | Rating: 2/4
Edward Guthmann
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
“Daylight” is persuasive in its action moments but puny in terms of character and dialogue. Anyone who expected anything else is probably in the wrong theater.
February 14, 2001
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
One of his final roles that managed some box office clout was in Daylight, a derivative disaster flick that has few actual thrills.
February 12, 2022 | Rating: 1.5/4
Wesley Lovell
Cinema Sight
…a solid entry within the disaster-movie canon.
October 10, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
As Daylight and other recent thrillers prove, it’s much easier to create synthetic disasters, tornadoes, dinosaurs and dragons than it is to create sympathetic, believable human beings.
February 23, 2019 | Rating: C
Adam Sandel
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Despite having to wade through no end of sigh-inducing clichs, Sly actually comes off better here than many of his co-stars, a rather unfortunate result of…bit-part actors who may well have been dragged off the street and paid in ham sandwiches.
February 10, 2011 | Rating: 2.5/5
Shaun Munro
What Culture
This is a nineties disaster flick that deserves more attention…
April 7, 2010
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
Still more millennial fear and commuter angst get routed through this toll-heavy disaster vehicle set in New York’s Holland Tunnel–call it The Tunneling Inferno.
September 5, 2009
Rob Nelson
Boston Phoenix…
Plot
Trouble strikes when runaway robbers in a getaway car hit truck full of explosives in the tunnel connecting Manhattan and New Jersey. Survivors are left in a weakened tunnel blocked at both exits. As Kit Latura approaches the tunnel, he sees the impact and knows he gotta take action. With time running out, he enters the tunnel through a system of maintenance walkways. Can he get the survivors out before the tunnel fills up?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Sylvester Stallone stars as the former head of NY’s Emergency Medical Service in Daylight.
Rob-Cohen.jpg
54%
The Net (1995)
54%RT Audience Score: 44%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins
The premise isn’t without potential and Sandra Bullock is as likable as ever, but The Net lacks sufficient thrills — or plausible plot points — to recommend catching
The Net” is a thriller that’s as outdated as dial-up internet. While it may have been suspenseful in the ’90s, it’s now more of a comedy than anything else. The plot is full of coincidences and implausibilities that would make even Hitchcock roll his eyes. Sandra Bullock does her best as the spunky protagonist, but even she can’t save this movie from being a snooze-fest. The moral of the story is to live your life offline, but let’s be real, who’s doing that in 2021? Stick to streaming something more current and skip “The Net.
Production Company(ies)
Mosfilm Tvorcheskoe Obedinienie Pisateley i Kinorabotnikov
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
1200 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for violence, some sexuality and brief strong language
Year of Release
1995
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby SR
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English, Spanish
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Sep 19, 2000
Genre(s)
Mystery & thriller
Keyword(s)
starring Sandra Bullock, Jeremy Northam, Dennis Miller, Diane Baker, Wendy Gazelle, Ken Howard, directed by Irwin Winkler, written by John D Brancato, Michael Ferris, mystery, thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Tom Ryan, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Caryn James, Mick LaSalle, Ian Nathan, Margaret A McGurk, Brandon Collins, Justin Brown, Mike Massie, Barbara Shulgasser, PG-13, computer programmer, freelance gig, colleagues dying, mysterious disc, Mexico, conspiracy, identity erased, computer skills, assassins, police, computer paranoia, high-tech, spiraling nightmares, wrongly accused innocent, nerve-wracking, Hollywood potboiler, sneaky takes, global concatenation, scary, paranoid fantasy, violence, language, moral, live your life off-line
Worldwide gross: $110,627,965
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $217,534,389
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 648
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 23,722,398
US/Canada gross: $50,727,965
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $99,749,434
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 755
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,037,745
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $19,737,819
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 662
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $22,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $43,259,917
Production budget ranking: 891
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $23,295,465
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $150,979,007
ROI to date (est.): 227%
ROI ranking: 581
Jeremy Northam – Jack Devlin
Dennis Miller – Dr. Alan Champion
Diane Baker – Mrs. Bennett
Wendy Gazelle – Ruth Marx
Ken Howard – Michael Bergstrom
Irwin Winkler – Director/Producer
Rob Cowan – Producer
John D. Brancato – Writer
Michael Ferris – Writer
Director(s)
Irwin Winkler
Writer(s)
John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris
Producer(s)
Irwin Winkler, Rob Cowan
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins
Academy Awards
All Critics (53) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (22) | Rotten (31)
While there’s suspense aplenty as she pits her computer skills and some old-fashioned ingenuity against the villains, Irwin Winkler’s thriller is at best perfunctory in its treatment of character.
March 17, 2021 | Rating: 1/3
Tom Ryan
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
A thriller without thrills.
January 14, 2011
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Riddled with more coincidences and implausibilities than Hitchcock permitted himself in his entire career, The Net still gets by as a reasonably suspenseful, very au courant thriller.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
The Net is never quite as sleek and chilling as it might have been, but it gives the old story of a wrongly accused innocent a nerve-wracking 90’s twist.
August 30, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
Caryn James
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
A strong enough suspense thriller, a high-tech version of one of those spiraling nightmares in which an innocent person is chased by assassins and wanted by the police.
June 18, 2002 | Rating: 3/4
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Arch contrivance is the lifeblood of the Hollywood potboiler and this is competent, eminently watchable stuff with some sneaky takes on computer paranoia.
June 6, 2001 | Rating: 3/5
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The Internet, the global concatenation of computer systems, should make a fertile premise for a good, scary, paranoid fantasy. Sad to say, The Net ain’t it.
August 19, 2021 | Rating: 1.5/4
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer
The acting was terrible, but for 115 minutes I was entertained.
November 18, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Brandon Collins
Medium Popcorn
Sandra Bullock is lucky to have a career after this…
November 18, 2020 | Rating: 1/5
Justin Brown
Medium Popcorn
Bullock makes for a sympathetic, spunky protagonist, who is fun to watch even if the plot takes a turn toward the realm of overly predictable thrillers.
September 16, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
’90s mystery-thriller is still relevant; violence, language.
August 20, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Barbara Shulgasser
Common Sense Media
The Net does build up to a decently tense climax, but its moral — live your life off-line — feels heavy-handed.
November 9, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4
Betsy Bozdech
DVDJournal.com…
Plot
Angela Bennett is a computer expert. This young and beautiful analyst is never far from a computer and modem. The only activity she has outside of computers is visiting her mother. A friend, whom she’s only spoken to over the net and phone, Dale Hessman, sent her a program with a weird glitch for her to de-bug. That night, he left to meet her and was killed in a plane crash. Angela discovers secret information on the disk she has received only hours before she leaves for vacation. Her life then turns into a nightmare, her records are erased from existence and she is given a new identity, one with a police record. She struggles to find out why this has happened and who has it in for her.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t have anything goofy or funny to say about The Net, but they do mention that Sandra Bullock is as likable as ever in the film.
Irwin-Winkler.jpg
54%
Tank Girl (1995)
54%RT Audience Score: 44%
Awards & Nominations: NA
While unconventional, Tank Girl isn’t particularly clever or engaging, and none of the script’s copious one-liners have any real zing
Tank Girl is a wild ride that’s part punk rock concert, part post-apocalyptic fever dream, and all Lori Petty. While some critics may have found it too chaotic, I found it to be a perfect representation of the comic book it’s based on. Plus, who doesn’t love a movie with a killer soundtrack curated by Courtney Love? It may not be for everyone, but if you’re looking for a fun and irreverent take on the superhero genre, Tank Girl is definitely worth a watch.
Production Company(ies)
Aamir Khan Productions, Jhamu Sughand Productions,
Distributor
United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence, language and sexuality
Year of Release
1995
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital DTS-Stereo
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 44m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States, United Kingdom
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 31, 1995 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 2, 2002
Genre(s)
Adventure/Action
Keyword(s)
starring Lori Petty, Malcolm McDowell, Ice-T, Naomi Watts, Don Harvey, Jeff Kober, directed by Rachel Talalay, written by Jamie Hewlett, Tedi Sarafian, Adventure, Action, R, John Watson, Richard B Lewis, Pen Densham, $3.8M, reviewed by Bruce Diones, Owen Gleiberman, Leonard Klady, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Geoff Andrew, Nell Minow, Patrick Dahl, Richard Propes, Mike Massie, Sezín Koehler, Jennie Kermode, Lori Petty as Tank Girl, Malcolm McDowell as Kesslee, Ice-T as T-Saint, Naomi Watts as Jet Girl, Sgt Small, Booga, United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Stereo, 1995, English, 1h 44m
Worldwide gross: $4,064,495
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $7,992,260
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,036
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 871,566
US/Canada gross: $4,064,495
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $7,992,260
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,677
US/Canada opening weekend: $2,018,183
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $3,968,474
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,133
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $25,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $49,158,996
Production budget ranking: 809
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $26,472,119
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$67,638,856
ROI to date (est.): -89%
ROI ranking: 1,957
Malcolm McDowell – Kesslee
Ice-T – T-Saint
Naomi Watts – Jet Girl
Don Harvey – Sgt. Small
Jeff Kober – Booga
Director(s)
Rachel Talalay
Writer(s)
Jamie Hewlett, Tedi Sarafian
Producer(s)
John Watson, Richard B. Lewis, Pen Densham
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (43) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (26)
Lori Petty does her tough-talking best to breathe some life into the comic-book action, but it’s not enough.
May 3, 2013
Bruce Diones
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
An aspiring cult film that would rather be cute than dangerous.
July 6, 2010 | Rating: C-
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
The movie version of the graphic comic book is a classic case of kitchen-sink filmmaking, in which the principals have thrown everything into the stew, hoping enough will stick to the audience.
March 26, 2009
Leonard Klady
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Lori Petty does a nice job in the title role of this enjoyable 1995 feature based on the postapocalyptic SF comic book and set in the year 2033.
April 18, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Generous souls may try to blame this travesty of the Deadline comic-strip on the studio execs who forced director Talalay to tone down and re-edit her cut.
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
December 2, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
Tank Girl failed critically and commercially, a badge of honor for a mid-90s postapocalyptic-feminist-punk carnival
August 18, 2021
Patrick Dahl
Screen Slate
Courtney Love coordinates the film’s soundtrack, which only adds fuel to film’s frenetic fire.
September 25, 2020 | Rating: 1.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
Partly rebellious, partly playful, but mostly an irreverent, chaotic take on non-supernatural superheroes, it sacrifices entertainment value for hyperstylized originality.
September 24, 2020 | Rating: 3/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
With climate change going unchecked and drinking water shortages abounding, ‘Tank Girl’ predicted a totally possible post-apocalypse scenario.
July 21, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Sezín Koehler
Black Girl Nerds
It may not be great art but it still makes its presence felt.
February 10, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Jennie Kermode
Eye for Film
Add an Iggy Pop cameo, an unconventional storytelling style, and a unique stylized look, and you’ve got a comic-book movie unlike any that came out back then, nor much like the many that have followed in the more than two decades since its release.
July 5, 2018
Leilani Polk
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)…
Plot
Tank Girl (Rebecca) and her friends are the only remaining citizens living in the wasteland that is Earth, where all the remaining water is controlled by Water and Power, the mega corporation/government that runs the territory. While incarcerated at W + P, Tank Girl and her new friend Jet Girl break out and steal… a tank and a jet. After meeting some mutant kangaroo/humans, and rescuing her little girl (adopted by her friends), the kangaroos and the girls kick Water and Powers’ butt.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Lori Petty brings a lot of charisma to the role of Tank Girl, but unfortunately, the script fails her.
Rachel-Talalay.jpg
54%
Indecent Proposal (1993)
54%RT Audience Score: 47%
Awards & Nominations: 7 wins & 8 nominations
Lurid but acted with gusto, Indecent Proposal has difficulty keeping it up beyond its initial titillating premise
Indecent Proposal is like a bad perfume commercial that just won’t end. The movie tries to sell us on the idea of selling love, but it falls flat on its face. The performances are cringe-worthy, and the plot is so unrealistic that it’s hard to take seriously. It’s the kind of movie that you watch when you’re bored and have nothing else to do, but you’ll probably forget about it as soon as it’s over. If you’re looking for a good romantic drama, this is not it.
Production Company(ies)
Sidus C J Entertainment, Muhan Investment
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens – 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexuality and language
Year of Release
1993
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 57m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 7, 1993 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2002
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Indecent Proposal, drama, 1993, R, Woody Harrelson, Demi Moore, Robert Redford, directed by Adrian Lyne, written by Jack Engelhard and Amy Holden Jones, produced by Sherry Lansing, box office gross $104.9M, reviewed by David Ansen, Owen Gleiberman, James Berardinelli, Roger Ebert, Steve Davis, Brandon Collins, PJ Nabarro, Patrick Nabarro, Quentin Curtis, Vanessa Letts, Malcolm Johnson, starring Robert Redford as John Gage, Demi Moore as Diana Murphy, Woody Harrelson as David Murphy, Oliver Platt as Jeremy, Seymour Cassel as Mr Shackleford, Billy Bob Thornton as Day Tripper
Worldwide gross: $266,614,059
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $553,825,436
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 258
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 60,395,358
US/Canada gross: $106,614,059
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $221,464,607
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 305
US/Canada opening weekend: $18,387,632
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $38,195,804
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 335
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $38,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $78,935,697
Production budget ranking: 534
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $42,506,873
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $432,382,866
ROI to date (est.): 356%
ROI ranking: 390
Demi Moore – Diana Murphy
Woody Harrelson – David Murphy
Oliver Platt – Jeremy
Seymour Cassel – Mr. Shackleford
Billy Bob Thornton – Day Tripper
Director(s)
Adrian Lyne
Writer(s)
Jack Engelhard, Amy Holden Jones
Producer(s)
Sherry Lansing
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (16) | Rotten (31)
Not once in the whole silly exercise does he approximate a genuine emotion. Unable to dramatize marital love, he sells it, as if he were pitching perfume. Having nothing credible to play, Moore and Harrelson strike poses of love and anguish.
June 7, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: C
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
It is artificial and manipulative, and in the real world this sort of thing would never happen in this way, but then that’s why we line up at the ticket window: We want to leave the real world, for a couple of hours, anyway.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/5
Steve Davis
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
It is an intriguing film, but I don’t like the tension that it brought…
March 5, 2020 | Rating: 2/5
Justin Brown
Medium Popcorn
Mildly entertaining, a throwback to prime Demi Moore…
March 5, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Brandon Collins
Medium Popcorn
Indecent Proposal’s seeming certainty over the profundity of its conceit winds up becoming its fatal flaw. Quite simply, it doesn’t present that much of a dilemma.
August 21, 2019 | Rating: 2/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro
Reminiscent of a series of Nescafé adverts.
July 23, 2018
Vanessa Letts
The Spectator
In some ways, this portentous little morality tale about the dangerous powers of great wealth might be taken in as an amusing evening of unintentionally campy stuff, except that it unfolds glacially at times. The performances are universally embarrassing.
June 7, 2018
Malcolm Johnson
Hartford Courant
I don’t know if the film insults women, but it certainly insults its audience.
December 8, 2017
Quentin Curtis
Independent on Sunday
’90s romantic drama has some explicit sex, profanity.
June 8, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
Andrea Beach
Common Sense Media…
Plot
A happily-married young couple, David Murphy and Diana Murphy have started their respective careers, she as a real estate broker, he as an architect. She finds the perfect spot to build his dream house, and they get loans to finance it. When the recession hits, they stand to lose everything they own, so they go to Las Vegas to have one shot with their last $5000 at winning the money they need. After losing at the tables, they are approached by a suave billionaire and high-stakes gambler, John Gage, who offers them a million dollars for a night with Diana. Indignant but already seduced, Diana and David reluctantly agree. They say money can’t buy love. Though the couple agrees that this is a way out of their financial dilemma, it threatens to destroy their relationship. Can the husband and wife survive John’s ultimate test?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Indecent Proposal.
Adrian-Lyne.jpg
54%
Mannequin (1987)
54%RT Audience Score: 55%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
5 wins & 4 nominations total
Mannequin, a film about a mannequin that comes to life, is as lifeless as the plastic figures it features. Critics have described it as “dead,” “stiff,” and “pallid,” with one even calling it a “load of old cobblers.” The film’s director, Michael Gottlieb, displays all the deftness of Godzilla in his handling of the light comedy, reducing the talented cast to broad caricatures. While the lead performers are affable, it’s the material that sinks them. In short, Mannequin is a film about, by, and for dummies.
Mannequin is a movie that’s so bad, it’s almost impressive. It’s like the filmmakers set out to make a movie that was as lifeless and dull as possible, and they succeeded with flying colors. The only thing that’s remotely interesting about this movie is how terrible it is. If you’re looking for a good laugh, Mannequin might be worth checking out, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Production Company(ies)
Hand Made Films, Python Pictures,
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Wanamaker’s Department Store – 1313 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1987
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 29m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 13, 1987 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 15, 2008
Genre(s)
Fantasy
Keyword(s)
starring Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, Estelle Getty, G.W Bailey, James Spader, Meshach Taylor, directed by Michael Gottlieb, written by Edward Rugoff, Michael Gottlieb, produced by Art Levinson, fantasy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Roger Ebert, Gavin Bainbridge, Dave Kehr, Michael Wilmington, Nigel Floyd, Eddie Harrison, Mike Massie, Leigh Paatsch, Pamela Young, William Wolf, PG, department store, mannequin, window dresser, Egyptian spell, eye-catching window displays, struggling store, romantic comedy, 80s camp, One Touch of Venus, pure fantasy, Jefferson Starship, soundtrack, top horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV premiere dates, worst horror movies, renewed and cancelled TV shows, anticipated movies and TV shows
Worldwide gross: $42,721,196
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $114,032,906
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 955
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 12,435,431
US/Canada gross: $42,721,196
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $114,032,906
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 658
US/Canada opening weekend: $6,001,208
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $16,018,634
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 755
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $6,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $16,015,409
Production budget ranking: 1,484
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $8,624,298
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $89,393,199
ROI to date (est.): 363%
ROI ranking: 382
Kim Cattrall – Emmy
Estelle Getty – Claire Timkin
G.W. Bailey – Felix
James Spader – Richards
Meshach Taylor – Hollywood
Director(s)
Michael Gottlieb
Writer(s)
Edward Rugoff, Michael Gottlieb
Producer(s)
Art Levinson
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
5 wins & 4 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (40) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (8) | Rotten (32)
This movie is a real curiosity. It’s dead. I don’t mean it’s bad. A lot of bad movies are fairly throbbing with life. Mannequin is dead. The wake lasts 1 1/2 hours, and then we can leave the theater.
March 19, 2019 | Rating: 0.5/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
A pallid shopfloor fairytale with absolutely no magic to speak of.
March 19, 2019 | Rating: 1/5
Gavin Bainbridge
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
There`s some solid talent here, but Gottlieb’s overemphatic direction reduces them all to broad caricature — the kind of crazed mugging that isn’t often seen outside the boundaries of Saturday morning kiddie shows.
March 19, 2019 | Rating: 1/4
Dave Kehr
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
It’s as if the film makers had the aspirations of classy old-style Hollywood hacks, but not their tricks: They don’t know in which dummies the gold is buried.
March 19, 2019
Michael Wilmington
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Mannequin is as stiff and spiritless as its title suggests.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
A film about, by and for dummies.
February 9, 2006
Nigel Floyd
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
…it’s a load of old cobblers…
September 2, 2021 | Rating: 2/5
Eddie Harrison
film-authority.com
The tone of the film is very light but exceptionally silly.
September 6, 2020 | Rating: 4/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
It was fairly terrible back in 1987, and probably terribly fair by 2020 standards.
April 22, 2020 | Rating: 2/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
Silly yet basically watchable…
December 6, 2019 | Rating: 2.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Light comedy requires a delicate touch, but in his first feature film, director Michael Gottlieb displays all the deftness of Godzilla.
March 27, 2019
Pamela Young
Maclean’s Magazine
Both lead performers are affable. It’s the material that sinks them.
March 19, 2019 | Rating: 1/4
William Wolf
Gannett News Service…
Plot
Down-on-his-luck artist Jonathan Switcher bounces from one dead-end job to another, never managing to hold onto any of them. But everything changes when he builds a mannequin, which he falls in love with. It is the first thing he has made that makes him feel like a real artist. Much to his surprise, Jonathan discovers the mannequin prominently displayed in the window of Prince and Company department store. When he saves the life of an old lady who happens to be the owner of that store, he is rewarded by getting a job at the store as a stock boy. The mannequin later comes to life as Ema “Emmy” Hesire, who was an ancient Egyptian princess living in the year 2514 BC. Gorgeous and vivacious, this femme fatale helps Jonathan turn his career around, inspiring him to become the best window dresser in town. But Emmy soon discovers that the real world is not very dear, when they run into competitors who want to bring them out of business – for good.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Kim Cattrall is described as “impossibly charming” in her role as Emmy, the mannequin who comes to life in Mannequin.
Michael-Gottlieb.jpg
54%
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
54%RT Audience Score: 42%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
4 wins & 20 nominations total
Featuring a patchwork script and a dialogue-heavy storyline whose biggest villain is a cloud, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a less-than-auspicious debut for the franchise
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a movie that’s out of this world, literally. Critics have been divided on whether it’s a classic or a flop, but as someone who’s not a critic, I can say that it’s a fun ride. Sure, there are a lot of shots of black space and spaceships, but that’s what makes it so cool! The special effects are amazing, and the questions it asks about existence and sentience are mind-blowing. Plus, it’s still very much Star Trek, so you know it’s going to be good. So, grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride!
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros. Pictures, Endeavor Content One Community
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
MPAA / Certificate
G
Year of Release
1979
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Stereo Dolby Surround 7.1
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 12m
-
Language(s):English, Klingon
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 1979 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 6, 2001
Genre(s)
Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Stephen Collins, Persis Khambatta, James Doohan, Robert Wise, Gene Roddenberry, Alan Dean Foster, Harold Livingston, Sci-fi, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Arthur Knight, Judith Martin, Charles Champlin, Kathleen Carroll, Richard Schickel, Variety Staff, Jason Shawhan, Sam Stone, Tim Greiving, Tony Black, Matt Brunson, MPAA rating, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Scope (2.35:1), Paramount Pictures, Star Trek
Worldwide gross: $82,604,699
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $359,224,141
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 427
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 39,173,843
US/Canada gross: $82,604,699
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $359,224,141
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 147
US/Canada opening weekend: $11,926,421
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $51,864,584
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 215
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $35,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $152,204,960
Production budget ranking: 219
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $81,962,371
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $125,056,810
ROI to date (est.): 53%
ROI ranking: 1,128
Leonard Nimoy – Commander Spock
DeForest Kelley – Lt. Cmdr, Leonard H. ‘Bones’ McCoy, M.D.
Stephen Collins – Capt., Cmdr. Willard Decker
Persis Khambatta – Lieutenant Ilia
James Doohan – Commander Montgomery ‘Scotty’ Scott
Director(s)
Robert Wise
Writer(s)
Alan Dean Foster, Harold Livingston
Producer(s)
Gene Roddenberry
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
4 wins & 20 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (23) | Rotten (24)
No mistake about it, Star Trek is a big movie – big in scope, big in spectacle and, most important, big in entertainment values.
December 7, 2021
Arthur Knight
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
There are only so many ways to photograph black starry space and the under-bellies of spaceships, and the films that got there first used them all up.
May 9, 2017
Judith Martin
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
What you see is what you respond to, and what you see is a unique cultural phenomenon, and a film that for all its visual splendors falls well short of its aspirations.
September 7, 2016
Charles Champlin
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Not so much a movie as it is a sort of giant display case …
December 6, 2015 | Rating: 2.5/4
Kathleen Carroll
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Nothing but a long day’s journey into ennui.
May 3, 2009
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The expensive effects (under supervision of Douglas Trumbull) are the secret of this film, and the amazing wizardry throughout would appear to justify the whopping budget.
May 19, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a stone classic, best experienced on as large a scale as possible.
May 19, 2022
Jason Shawhan
Nashville Scene
The Motion Picture is Star Trek at possibly its most cerebral, asking bigger questions about the nature of existence and sentience instead of delivering a swashbuckling adventure that audiences may have been hoping for at the time.
April 12, 2022
Sam Stone
CBR
…the underrated first feature film is a slice of ’70s sci-fi that differs from its swashbuckling sequels…
April 9, 2022
Tim Greiving
The Ringer
Visually and thematically, The Motion Picture is as pure and honourable to the history and themes of Star Trek as anything before or since.
March 27, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Tony Black
Cultural Conversation
Science fiction is about ideas as much as about action, which is why this talky drama is a worthy entry.
September 10, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
This time, the producers went out and spent $42 million on the thing, so the scale is immense. The basic themes that made the series so popular remain, standing like diamond spines inside the vast new structure: It’s still very much Star Trek in there.
July 20, 2021
Bill Mandel
San Francisco Examiner…
Plot
A massive alien spacecraft of enormous power destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers as it makes its way towards Federation space. Admiral James T. Kirk is ordered to take command of the USS Enterprise for the first time since her historic five-year mission. The Epsilon IX space station alerts the Federation, but they are also destroyed by the alien spacecraft. The only starship in range is the Enterprise, after undergoing a major overhaul in drydock orbiting Earth. Kirk rounds up the rest of his crew, and acquires some new members, and sets off to intercept the alien spacecraft. However, it has been three years since Kirk last went into deep space – is he up to the task of saving Earth?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny comments were found in the Fresh Kernels review for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Robert-Wise.jpg
54%
Encounter
54%RT Audience Score: 46%
Amazon Studios, Automatik, Film4, Prime Video
Year of Release
2021
Technical Specs
Color: Color
Sound mix: Stereo
Aspect ratio: 16:9 HD
Language(s):
Country of origin: United States, United Kingdom
Release date: Oct 22, 2021
Genre(s)
Coming of Age, Fantasy, Music, Sport, Thriller, War
Keyword(s)
Coming of Age Sci Fi/Fantasy Movie, Thriller, Movies Directed by Michael Pearce, Movies Written by Michael Pearce, Movies Written by Joe Barton, Movies Starring Riz Ahmed, Movies Starring Octavia Spencer, Movies Starring Rory Cochrane, Amazon Studios Movie, Raw Movie, Film4 Movie, Big Indie Pictures Movie, Automatik Movie, Movies from 2021, Movies from the 2020s, Low Budget Movie, Movies from United States, Movies from United Kingdom, English Language, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF, Movies Starring Janina Gavankar, Movies Starring Lucian-River Chauhan, Movies Starring Lucian-River Mirage Chauhan, Movies Starring Keith Szarabajka, Movies Starring Antonio Jaramillo, Movies Starring Brennan Keel Cook, Movies Starring Bill Dawes, Movies Starring Peter Nikkos, Female Producer, South Asian Lead Cast, Black Lead Cast, 2+ Ethnicity Lead Cast, Asian Producer, Latin/Hispanic Lead Cast, Asian Lead Cast
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Luke Hemsworth
Anna Hutchison
Jessica Dawkins
Tom Atkins
Professor Westlake
Cheryl Texiera
Teresa Fleming
Wendy Davis
Agent Tevis
Christopher Showerman
Johnny Brandt
Director(s)
Writer(s)
Executive(s)
NA
Awards & Nominations
NA
Synopsis (Warning: Spoilers!)
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Wikipedia:
Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/encounter_2018
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