big bird-3

After more than 2 years since its release date, I finally get to view this movie on video. My thought of this movie when it first came out was that it would be one of those cheesy movie made for the teenage crowd. But when I watched this movie as part of the holiday entertainment packages I got at my sister's place, it turned out to be a delightful surprise. Despite the touchy suicidal issue, Dead Man on Campus acutally had its funny moment, and did provide me some much needed laughters after a month-long hard work at school. Anyone who goes to College or University can totally relate to this movie, one way or other, regardless if they stay in dorm or not. And I really enjoyed watching the friendship developed between Josh and Cooper.

This movie is intended to be brainless entertainment for every College or University students who are stress out or burn out from the heavy burden of school work. For this purpose it had certainly fulfilled it with flying color grade. However, having said that, I do agree with some critics that this movie has the potential to be further and better developed and become a good black comedy/satire of the whole college education system. Still a fine effort from the producing team, most of whom who make their film debuts with this movie.

"Playing by Heart" seems boring through the first three quarters of it, but in the end it delivers an interesting end. However,like I have said in my heading, you have to have the patience to see the entire movie before you get the point and feel the "feel" of the writer/director (Willard Carroll).

This movie is quite touching, and in its own way provides some depth about love in a diverse manner. Likewise, some of the performances are superb as well. I especially like the performance by Angelina Jolie here; I felt like I knew what she'd gone through in the movie when I watched it. Although in the future I hope to see her in roles other than the angry white female character that she mostly plays up to this point of her career. Meanwhile,there are quite a few areas about this movie that I don't like. For starter, because the movie must jump from one story to another, it felt so scattered, and the pace of those stories, in my opinion, were too slow. Second, some of the stories didn't quite develop as well as the others. For instance, I am not satisfied with the story involving Dennis Quaid, Madeleine Stowe and Anthony Edwards. I also wish there would be a bit more between Jay Mohr and Ellen Burstyn.

Overall, this is not a bad movie. In fact I can appreciate the efforts made by Willard Carroll and whoever involved in the production of "Playing by Heart". But this movie seems better fit in the TV screen then at a movie theater.

When talks about a remake of " the King and I" surfaced about a year ago , I was not a bit interested in the movie. After all, the story of an English teacher teaching English in the royal court of Siam and then fell into love with the King is kind of bizarre not to mention it sounded like a typical Hollywood stereotyping romantic story. However I changed my mind when Anna and the King comes out;in fact I went to see the movie on the opening nite.

The result of the experience is somewhat mixed; it was sort of entertaining in some minor way, mostly generated by the young royal children and Louis, the son of Anna the English teacher. The costumes and settings are breath-takingly realistic-at least it appealed to me. I also like the Chemistry between Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat; Their acting and physical appearances together make the impossible love tension seems more believable. Besides, Foster the intelligent, strong-minded actress is a prefect candidate play Anna, the equally head-strong character.

I also like the approach of this version of Anna and the King of Siam; I would think such material is best to be made as a dramatic movie (epic or no epic). The perspective of the movie is neither from the king nor Anna, which gives the movie a more refreshing horizon. I also like the details of the movie- for example I like the fact that the Thai officials and the King spoke in Thai instead of English, giving the movie a more realistic feel.

However, having said all these wonderful things why I like the movie, I must say that the movie fell flat somewhat in the end, and that's the reason why I think this movie is not a prefect 10

First of all, the beginning of the movie does have the appeal and the feel of an epic movie; however it is not being maintained by the end of the movie, which makes me wonder if only ....

Second, though the movie claimed to be closer to the fact of the true story between Anna and the King, it is still a distance away from the truth historical facts. Therefore I was somewhat disturbed by the end note which appears at the end of the movie. Because the Anna and the King story is more legendary then a accurate historical account,so I would prefer to see the movie to tell a legendary story instead of adding these maybe-or may not be correct footnotes.

Overall, I like the movie, the dramatic approach works better than a musical approach in my humble opinions. I just think this movie have the potential to be so much greater.