Author Archives: Felix Vasquez

Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (2003)

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We received an onslaught of merchandising and advertising once this bomb was released, and the cat in the hat was literally everywhere you looked, an obvious sign of studios spending too much money on a crappy film, when it could have been spent on a better film. The filmmakers don’t call it “The Cat in the Hat”, they call it “Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat”, just to assure everyone this definitely is the book their children and their children’s children read. This is not, however, Dr. Seuss. It’s an embarrassment.

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Antwone Fisher (2002)

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Based on the true story of Antwone Fisher who rose to fame as an acclaimed writer from a life of hardship and directed by legendry Oscar-Winning actor Denzel Washington (Training Day, Glory), new comer Derek Luke takes the title role of Antwone Fisher, a young Navy seaman with a short temper who gets into many fights with different men in his regimen. He’s assigned a therapist Dr. Jerome Davenport, a militant but eager psychiatrist who attempts to break through to Fisher. He’s only given three sessions to see the soldiers and give an evaluation and recommendation regarding their fate with the military, but when Fisher refuses to talk, Davenport persists and week after week they meet until Fisher decides to start talking. Little does he know that not only is Fisher receiving the therapy, but Davenport as well who is having marital troubles with his wife whom are often estranged with each other emotionally. Davenport sees something in Fisher, something special, and he inevitably breaks him.

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The Pianist (2002)

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ThePianistThe holocaust was the worst crime against humanity and a race ever committed; the concept as to the extermination of the Jewish race and it’s allies is simply ridiculous and thus a thought is shown in “The Pianist” a film that rivals every one of the greatest Holocaust films ever made, including the best “Schindler’s List”. Based upon the autobiography and chronicle of pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman through his struggle for survival from the beginning of the holocaust, his family’s move from smaller place to smaller place to finally a concentration camp, his escape from the concentration camp and his survival in the Warsaw ghetto, we learn something about the people of that time, the Jewish people who were persecuted among the Nazi’s; these were survivors, these were true heroes who managed to stay alive along the course of the Holocaust.

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About Schimdt (2002)

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About SchmidtBased on the novel by Louis Begley, Warren Schmidt is your average workaday middle-aged man with the nameless face who has just retired from his Insurance company after years of service. With an uncertain future ahead of him, he’s managed to evaluate what he’s done with his life. When his wife Helen suddenly dies, he begins to realize that maybe he hasn’t achieved everything he wanted in his life and seeks out to look for his soul once and for all and hopes to convince his daughter not to marry her fiancé. This film is such a real and breathtakingly down to earth portrait of a middle-aged man who’s reached the end of his road regarding life and accomplishments to reach. Prolific actor Jack Nicholson (nominated for best actor) who is at his best when he’s not being Jack Nicholson gives a melancholy excellent performance as the pathetic Warren Schmidt who basically takes life and family for granted.

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Old School (2003)

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What would happen if the guys from “Animal House” grew up into men with families and jobs but refused to grow up? Such is the rhetorical question posed to the audience in this charming frat house comedy intended for the young male audiences. Mitch Frank and Beanie are men who refuse to grow up and are terrified at the notion of moving forward in life and can’t deny the men they used to be despite the fact their wives try to change them into the men they used to be. Will Ferrell gives a hilarious yet subdued performance as Frank, once known as “Frank the Tank”; we never learn about their past exploits in college and whatnot, but somehow we get the sense of their past persona’s and it all comes out in the open as they open up a fake fraternity so Mitch can stay in his home due to new college campus laws.

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Liam (2000)

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In the reality of “Liam” brought to screen by director Stephen Frears, the peasants of the Irish village owe debts whether they like it or not; they even owe debts to the local Catholic Church which rules over them like a mafia syndicate. In the time of the story told, the Catholic Church ruled over everyone with hypocrisy and cruelty where parishes came around the neighborhood to collect dues while the wives reluctantly gave simply out of guilt. The children are taken to Sunday school simply for shock tactics where they’re taught that if they sin, they would burn in hell. It is terrifying to youngest child, seven year old Liam, who has an odd fascination with the female body after accidentally walking in on his mother (Claire Hackett) in the bathroom.

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Underworld (2003)

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underworldIn this horror action film directed by Len Wiseman, Kate Beckinsale plays Selene, a warrior and assassin for a vampire clan who is on the hunt for a young doctor named Michael Corvin who bears an unknown gift, but now the vampire clan is at war with a rival clan of Lycans (werewolves) who are intent in crossing the young man over to their side; but soon Selene and Michael begin falling in love as the war intensifies and must choose between their family or love. I remember when I went to the theaters to check this out; I had ten dollar bill in my hand and I had to choose between “Cabin Fever” or this. I inevitably made a decision that I would soon live to regret for all my days as I chose “Cabin Fever” hoping I’d come across a horror gem, I really wish I would have chosen this instead.

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