#1998films

From the cover, Letters from a Killer made me expect a bad movie. Look at that photo of Patrick Swayze with a bowie knife and the tagline of “Don’t Open the Mail”. It’s selling itself as a killer mailman slasher movie. Thankfully, this is a better film than it advertises. Unfortunately, the further you get into this thriller’s plot, the worse it gets.

Patrick Swayze plays Race Darnell, a man convicted and sentenced to death for a murder he didn’t commit. On death row, he receives letters from 5 women with whom he forms “relationships”. When a retrial exonerates him, one of his girlfriend pen pals discovers that she wasn’t the only one, begins killing her rivals, and framing Race for their murders.

This is a picture that would be much better if it were worse. There’s no law against dating multiple women at once. Race isn’t committing any crimes. Actually, sitting on death row wrongfully for 7 years means he's the victim. You might call him a scumbag but put yourself in his shoes. If you didn’t believe you’d ever be freed, would you turn down a woman who writes to you affectionately? Keep in mind the emotional tax of being in prison, surrounded by criminals and vindictive guards every day. He's not sleeping with any of them. I say go for it.

The picture gets interesting once Race is released. Suddenly there’s a woman who swears she’ll have her revenge on him and he doesn’t know who it could be. This, on top of some compelling drama. People think he’s a reptile who's managed to slime his way out of a just sentence. He just wants a normal life but he's stuck dealing with his five "relationships" - and not in a comedic fashion. There are good scenes as he is asked whether he’s admitting the truth to the women because he genuinely feels guilt, or just to save his own skin.

As Letters from a Killer progresses, the crazier and more obvious it becomes. The killer is free to go about as they please, killing left and right and leaving no clues behind except for that thing that will help propel the story forward. In more than one scene, someone suffers a severe injury and carries on as if nothing's happened. Not because it’s a “flesh wound” but because it has to be a surprise that they’re not dead or to generate some artificial tension. While the plot makes sense and everything is explained, this is a movie that could've easily been solved much, much faster if someone just called the police or sat down and had a conversation. With the way the ending plays out, I’m reminded of several action movies where yeah the city was saved or whatever, but the hero would be thrown in jail for causing huge amounts of property damage, breaking countless laws, and blatantly disobeying orders. Even with the excuse that Race encounters some of the most trigger-happy police officers I’ve ever seen in a thriller, he would have had a lot of explaining to do and some serious jail time.

You’re not getting Johnny Castle cutting up women foolish enough to answer chain letters in Letters from a Killer. Actually, the killer doesn't send letters at all; only audiotapes. It begins with a good premise but by the end, it's frequently laughable and preposterous. I can’t even call it lousy. It’s just ok, the kind of mediocre that makes you feel that ultimately, this is one of these films you would watch and never, ever meet anyone else who did. (Full-screen version on VHS, October 14, 2015)

The last thing I expected out of a movie about basketball was to leave with a mind buzzing with thoughts. He Got Game is an intelligently written film with profound themes, engaging drama and sharp performances.

Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen) is a promising high school basketball player sought by colleges and the NBA alike. With so many options pulling him in different directions, it’s hard to keep track of who's actually looking to give him a chance and who is trying to use him to further their own ends. Serving a prison sentence for the accidental murder of his wife, Jesus’ father, Jake (Denzel Washington), has been promised a reduced sentence by the state governor if he can convince his son to sign for the "right" college. Will do what’s best, or best for himself?

We’ve all heard the stories about players who somehow manage straights A’s while making their teams shine. This movie makes it clear the education of these young (often black) athletes is not the priority of those who hand them scholarships. Jesus might “have it made” because everyone is at his feet, but has few real friends. He hasn't even signed up for anything and he's already surrounded by silver-tongued leeches who are promising him his heart's desires. I was never sure if his girlfriend was actually in love with him, or the kind of jezebel that would have sex with him just so she could get pregnant and later collect child support from a future sports superstar.

This film isn’t about basketball. It’s all about the hype and the potential money it can bring. We’ve got this whirlwind of difficult decisions and at the centre is a father. Jake has failed his son and is faced with a whopper of a dilemma. Does he try to get Jesus to go for the college that will mean his freedom? If he does, he'll be just like everyone else: someone else looking to take advantage of the boy. On the other hand, if he gets out, it’s an opportunity to be with his family. Maybe it’s worth taking the risk of being hated just so he can leave prison. You’re always trying to figure out people’s motivations and hoping the young man will find the right path.

He Got Game explores the complicated relationship so many youths have with basketball. On the one hand, it’s a way out of poverty. Even if they don’t make it professionally, a scholarship is nothing to dismiss. On the other hand, that dream of being a good enough player means many parents push their children much harder than they should, forget that at the end of the day it's a game, and disregard the importance of being a family for the possibility of a way out of the ghetto.

There’s a lot to make you think here, which makes the film's hard R-Rating (a lot of language, strong sexuality, some drug use and violence) almost a shame. This is a great film about what it means to be a father and about growing up. Spike Lee isn’t afraid to ask difficult questions. It ends in a climax more exciting than any real-life professional game could be because you've become so invested in the personal stories of Jake and Jesus. I strongly admire Lee (who also wrote the film) for his uncompromising take on the subject. The performances are strong, even from Ray Allen, who is a real-life athlete; not a professional actor. Even if you don’t know anything about basketball I'm confident you will be swept up by He Got Game. (On DVD, May 17, 2015)

Sometimes, a "Director's Cut" is a gimmick to sell DVDs. Dark City is not one of those cases. See this movie but make sure you find a good Blu-ray that contains the original vision, his "cut". Any issues you might've had with the original film are not present in it.

John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes up one night in a bathtub and learns that he is being sought for a series of ritualistic murders. Suffering from amnesia, he has no idea if he did the crimes or not. If he didn’t, why is he the prime suspect? What do the strange figures in black cloaks that seem to be everywhere have to do with this?

I saw the theatrical version of the film, which means I have to address its flaws (I'll review the Director's Cut later). Let's begin with the film's premise. Sounds pretty spooky, doesn’t it? Amnesia. A serial killer. A quest to clear your identity that might turn into a shocking revelation. Eerie people in black cloaks. I can already picture your mind trying to make sense of it all. Wonder no longer if you're watching the theatrical cut. It tells you right away what's actually going on. It sucks the scares right out of this movie. Not completely but enough to make you go "what were they thinking?"

Dark City has a great premise and its worldbuilding is spectacular. It's unfriendly and sleazy. There's a ton of atmosphere. You don’t know if you’re supposed to be excited to learn John's true identity or if you should be frightened of what he's about to discover. In this way, the experience you feel is the same as his. There's so much you don't know you're unsure if you should be scared or getting ready for an action scene. What happens in this “Dark City” gave me chills. What we learn is so bizarre and nerve-wracking it made me fall in love with the film despite the initial hurdle.

This is a great-looking picture. Some of the CGI effects are a bit dated but nothing’s too glaring. The practical effects are where the wonder's at. They sell this world. So do the performances. I’m not sure if it’s difficult, or easy to play an amnesiac but Rufus Sewell does an impeccable job. He makes it look easy. The side characters are terrific too. Jennifer Connelly is a particular standout, followed closely by Kiefer Sutherland as Dr. Daniel P. Schreber. Is he a hero, or a villain? It’s hard to tell but a compelling question to ponder.

It isn't enough for me to tell you how I feel about Dark City. I need to spread the word. If you want a film that makes you think, that combines fantasy, film noir, horror, and science fiction, this is what you've been looking for. I had some issues with it, but it seems as though they'll all go away with the Director's Cut so learn from my mistake and get on it. It's a visually arresting, smart, and memorable film. A real brain-twister. (Theatrical version on Blu-ray, May 1, 2015)

1998’s Mulan is a cut above most animated films. Wonderful art direction (particularly in the character designs), a rousing soundtrack, a great story, and memorable characters make it an instant favorite.

In ancient China, the Huns have traversed the Great Wall. The Emperor (Pat Morita) orders one man from every family join the army to defend the country. Fa Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen) realizes her father will be killed if he enlists and disguises herself as a man to takes his place. Accompanying her on this journey is the disgraced family guardian, a pint-sized dragon named Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy).

Let's get the film’s weaknesses out of the way so we can focus on what makes it so good: the animal sidekicks. Eddie Murphy as Mushu brings plenty of laughs to balance out the intense sequences of combat and drama. He’s given a “buddy” - a lucky cricket named Cri-Kee. The insect is ultimately unnecessary and could’ve probably been merged with Mulan’s (non-anthropomorphic) horse.

Unlike most other female-led Disney animated films, the romance is downplayed, replaced with themes of duty and family honor. Mulan is a well-developed protagonist you instantly relate to. As a woman, she’s expected to look good, cook, and bear children. She wants more but doesn’t reject the expectations placed on her. She’s not a brat. There are moments of comedy when arrives at the boot camp but overall, this story plays out seriously. Mulan risks execution by taking her father’s place but when told to quit and return home, she chooses not to. She’s determined to prove herself, to bring honor to her family. Ultimately, she turns what others would perceive as her weaknesses into strengths - a recurring theme.

Mulan has visuals that stand out and they're working overtime. Few of the menacing Huns have any dialogue. Shan You (Miguel Ferrer) barely gets more than a dozen lines but one look and you know all you need to. We don't need to be told what makes him and Mulan different, why they're opposed. The real struggle is our heroine versus the expectations placed upon her.

The watercolor-like aesthetics make each scene pop, particularly when it uses blacks and whites. The best example comes in a massive battle set in the mountains. The scene is a microcosm of everything good about the film. Mulan gets to show off what makes her a hero, the humor and peril flow into each other seamlessly, and the score is terrific.

Mulan gets to be quite intense in several emotional scenes. These moments, along with its titular character make it a film that endures much more than the comedy, the visuals, or even the soundtrack - which is memorable but features surprisingly few songs. Although there are a couple of blemishes that could’ve been polished, it’s hard to imagine another crack at this story reaching the legendary status this one's earned. We’ll just have to wait and see. (On Blu-ray, March 15, 2020)