A convicted arsonist looks to manipulate a parole officer into a plan to
secure his parole by placing his beautiful wife in the lawman's path.
Highly implausible psychodrama offers some good performances, but they don't make the story more believable.
Maltin**: "Somber drama offers no characters one can care about - except perhaps Conroy, as De Niro's long-suffering wife, who has turned to religion and alcohol!"
An estranged family of former child prodigies reunites when their father announces he is terminally ill.
Elaborately produced and obsessed with details, the story itself hardly goes anywhere, and the star cast is treated like pawns in a game of chess.
Halliwell*: "The fun here lies in the details - dalmatian-spotted mice, battered taxicabs, the elegant pages of an imaginary book - rather in the disjointed narrative, which sets the scene deftly and then collapses."
Maltin**1/2: "Rambling comedy has the same likable, eccentric qualities as the filmmakers' BOTTLE ROCKET and RUSHMORE and benefits from Hackman's savvy performance, but strains for effect and essentially has no story."
A scientist doing research on the paranormal invites two women to a
haunted mansion, and one of the participants soon starts losing her mind.
This ghost story works effectively with cinematic shocks only, supported by excellent cinematography, but the plot barely makes sense, and Julie Harris' performance is so intense - and irritating, you can consider it over-the-top.
Halliwell*: "Quite frightening but exhausting and humourless melodrama with a lot of suspense, no visible spooks, and not enough plot for its length. The wide screen is a disadvantage."
An old man makes a long journey by lawn-mover tractor to mend his relationship with an ill brother.
Another surprising masterpiece by David Lynch, unusual in its simplicity and obvious celebration of Americana, although there are still tinges of his typical images and soundscapes; this time around its and uplifting and touching story, and Richard Farnsworth's performance in itself is worth the watch.
Halliwell***: "A gentle, folksy road movie that takes its time but establishes a mood of quiet enjoyment of simple pleasures, mixed with a little regret for some past events; Farnsworth epitomises a man who knows his own worth and that of the others he meets on his journey."
Maltin***1/2: "Wonderful, deceptively simple slice of Americana...Its measured pace and episodic quality may not appeal to everyone, but its charm and belief in the basic decency of people make it very special indeed. Farnsworth shines in the leading role. Director Lynch's most benign film."
