THE NET and Other Films
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1995 Michael John Legeros
Contents ========
- THE NET - CLUELESS - THE SILENCE OF THE HAMS (video)
THE NET =======
(Columbia) Directed by Irwin Winkler Written by Irwin Winkler, John Brancato and Michael Ferris Cast Sandra Bullock, Dennis Miller, Jeremy Northam, Diane Baker MPAA Rating "PG-13" Reviewed at General Cinemas at Pleasant Valley, Raleigh (25JUL95)
==
Calling all technophobes! Though slower than a 486 with only 4K of RAM, Irwin Winkler's well-titled thriller benefits from a honest performance by Sandra Bullock (WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING). Her plucky charms recall Julia Roberts, especially in a scene were evades a killer by dressing up as a fireman. Bless her heart. She's so busy trying to act like a computer geek (yeah right) that she doesn't even think to change her appearance after being listed as a fugitive in a police computer system. Sigh.
There really isn't much of a reason to recommend connecting to THE NET. Though the absence of any Windows 95 references is a definite plus, the plot is Swiss cheese, the techie stuff is far-fetched, and there's precious little screen time actually devoted to the art of hacking. (There is a car chase, though!)
As recent Washington legislation can attest, the time is ripe for a movie to further fuel the fears of a computer-based culture. Too bad that this classic "wrong man" premise flubs on the logic. How can we be afraid of hackers who act as dumb as Sandra Bullock's character??
This NET needs an upgrade.
Grade: C-
CLUELESS ========
Beverly Hills remains an easy target as writer/director Amy Heckerling (FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH) takes aim at their high school sect. There's really only one joke here--that, duh, these kids are too spoiled to have a single clue between them--but it's a good joke that's both casually and confidently milked for a solid ninety minutes. Nothing hilarious, just *very* amusing.
Alicia Silverstone (THE CRUSH) leads an appealing cast of teens that includes Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, and Jeremy Sisto. The adult actors could have more to do, though. The usually tart Wallace Shawn, for example, is awfully wishy washy here. Inconceivable! Then again, where else this summer can you find jokes about SPARTACUS and 2001: A SPACE ODESSEY butting heads with Beavis and Ren & Stimpy??
Grade: B-
THE SILENCE OF THE HAMS =======================
Caught this one on video. Writer/director/producer/star Ezio Gregio's 1994 spoof is actually worth a rent (with fast-forwarding) to catch Dom DeLuise's brief-but-delicious performance as Dr. Animal Cannibal Pizza. The veteran comic actor is in top form. The rest of the movie is a patchwork rework of PSYCHO and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, with more than a little sifting through the files of POLICE SQUAD! Billy Zane stars as, ahem, FBI Agent Jo Dee Fostar. (And that's one of the better jokes!)
With Larry Storch, Phyllis Diller, Rip Taylor, Bubba Smith, Martin Balsam, John Landis, Mel Brooks, John Astin, and Shelley Winters.
Scary.
Grade: D-
-- Michael J. Legeros Raleigh, NC legeros@cybernetics.net
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