Well, where should I begin?. I gave this movie two stars, but it would be more like two and a half. It's far from being a good movie, but it is definitley a pleasant time killer. It reminds me of past screwball comedies like "It's A Mad,Mad,Mad World", and "Cannonball Run". The movie was directed by comic genius Jerry Zucker, he of the "Airplane" and "Naked Gun" fame along with his brother. The movie has an all star cast : Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr., John Cleese, Jon Lovitz, Rowan Atkinson, Wayne Knight, Seth(I'm Everywhere)Green, and a few others. Plus there are cameos by Kathy Bates and Smash Mouth. The plot of the movie has a Las Vegas millionaire(Cleese, who sports some mighty fake teeth),who concots a race for these 5 people and whoever is with them, to get to Silver City, New Mexico and find the $2 million dollars he has placed in the Silver City Station. What ensues is the teams racing to get there first. Not exactly original. Far from it. But still, it does have it's moments. There are a few things that are quite funny. Some just funny, and some over the top ridiculous funny. But there is this feeling throughout the whole entire movie that it could of been so,so,so much better. "Rat Race" isn't a complete waste at all. It is entertaining and mindless fun. Is that such a bad thing for 2 hours?. No, it is not. The ending of the film isn't what one would've hoped it would be. But then again, would everybody be happy at all of the different ways it could of ended?. Don't think so. Just sit back and know that you don't have to think at all when watching "Rat Race". If you do that, then you'll probably have a decent time.

I have to say right off the bat that I was so incredibly surprised with this nail biter after watching it. I knew it was getting rave reviews, and it looked good, but I still wasn't so sure. I'm glad I gave it a try. Go into this film thinking of such other movies as "Duel" and "The Hitcher", but only more suspenseful. Two guys on a road trip(played by Paul Walker and the always reliable Steve Zahn)are driving from Salt Lake City to pick up Walker's girlfriend Venna(played by the mighty fetching Leelee Sobieski)in Colorado. On their way there, the guys play a prank on their CB radio. A gruff sounding trucker responds calling himself 'Rusty Nail'.Well, the guys' joke on the trucker backfires and it comes back to bite them in the [behind]. It seems the trucker doesn't like to be fooled. He goes about stalking and terrifying the guys(and later Leelee after they pick her up)on the road. The nasty voice of the trucker might sound familiar. It's supplied by Ted Levine. He played the serial killer in "The Silence Of The Lambs". It's not him, however, when you see the trucker. Our three leads are all pretty exceptional. The best is Zahn, as usual. He delivers some solid comedic relief to the proceedings. Sobieski does well with what she has, but isn't given much of a role. Walker is pretty decent as well. The film was directed by John Dahl, who also directed "Red Rock West" and "The Last Seduction". The film is shot very nicely and well scripted. Not a gore movie at all. It goes for the tension. The suspense. Thank God. There are a few scenes that are just full out heart pounding. I can only imagine if I saw it in the theater. The DVD comes with 4 different endings to the movie. All of them are good and any one of them would of been satisfying if they were used. "Joy Ride" isn't going to change the world folks. Far from it. It's sheer fun and entertainment that is meant to entertain and satisfy like a box of popcorn. The movie succeeds in all areas. If your in the mood for a wild and entertaining ride, then I suggest you get cozy in your chair and pop this move in. Prepare yourself for a real 'joy ride'.

This 1983 comedy is a real gem. No matter what the one star reviews below so ignorantly say. It's definitley one of the best jobs Michael Keaton has ever done. The movie has funny written all over it. It's too bad the people down below have no sense of humor. Keaton stars as Jack Butler, a man who is laid off from his job. As soon as he is, his wife(Teri Garr)decides to go back to work and gets a great job. Poor Jack is now home dealing with all of the normal,everyday things that you usually do. He is raising the kids, doing the dishes, laundry, making dinner. He has even started to watch soaps and hang out the neighborhood ladies. Grocery shopping is a nightmare for him. The review on this page stated that the movie is sexist. Please. People make arguments over something that's not even there. Sigh. This movie has many classic scenes as well as dialogue that you can repeat over and over. The supporting cast includes a number of familiar faces : Martin Mull, Jeffrey Tambor, and Christopher Lloyd. This is a wonderful family comedy that deserves a lot more attention than it got. Don't let the negative reviews sway you from seeing a sweet,charming comedy. Good and funny.

Christopher Guest, that brilliant comedian from "Saturday Night Live", member of Spinal Tap, and writer/director of comedic gems like "Waiting For Guffman", is back once again with another laugh filled(very dry humor)piece of film with this well made "mockumentary" on competitive dog shows. The film follows 5 different couples and their respected dogs traveling to compete in the all important 'Best Of Show' dog show. Playing the people are a wide range of great talent. Former SCTV co-stars Catherine 'O' Hara and Eugene Levy(who co-wrote with Guest)appear as a couple with the wife running into a number of old sexual partners. Another is the great Michael McKean as part of a gay couple. I can't remember the other guy's name. Then you have Jennifer Coolidge(American Pie, Legally Blonde)as a rich blonde and her rather butch-ish dog handler(Played by Jane Lynch). Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock play a yuppy-ish couple who go to therapy because they think their dog has been damaged by seeing them have sex. And, finally, the last person is Guest himself. He plays Harlan Pepper, a southerner with a deep accent who also longs to be a ventriloquist. Very rich and well developed characters. As I've mentioned, the film is done in the 'documentary' style. Not everybody goes for that. I find it to be refreshing and funny. "Drop Dead Gorgeous" is another "mockumentary" favorite of mine. Guest is no doubt a comedy genius. He has an incredible knack for finding the funny in incredibly unfunny things. He is a master. Catherine 'O' Hara's running joke about running into old sex partners could've been used to exhaustion, but thankfully, the makers only had it happen three times, so it doesn't lose the humor. Alas, I have saved the best for last. I'm talking about the great Fred Willard. How great is this man?. He's been around forever always doing a good job. This guy was perfect as the dog show announcer who just blurts out rather odd and hilarious dialogue throughout the show. Hilarious. Other familiar faces here are Ed Begley Jr., and comedian Larry Miller. This style of film and comedy doesn't float everyone's boat, but it should. One simply can't wait for what Guest has in store for us next.

Jim Carrey. What can you say?. You either love him and see his incredible talent, or you hate him and refuse to see or acknowledge his talent. If you fall into the latter, well, that's too bad. Carrey went and tried to do something different with this film. He tried to show that he can act too. If you still don't see it, I recommend you seeing the early 90's TV movie "Doing Time On Maple Drive". In this film, Carrey plays Truman Burbank. A seemingly normal guy with a very normal, everyday life. He has a great house in a very picturesque seaside town, a great wife, and a good job. This is real life isn't it?. Then, Truman's world comes crashing down all around him. Everything he knew and had and throught to be true, turned out to be one big lie. Nothing is real. It seems that his whole life has been televised for the whole world to see. This isn't a town. It's a set. everything isn't real. His family members are all actors being paid for the job. The whole operation is being overseen by a producer, played very beautifully by the Oscar nominated Ed Harris, who's always good. At first, Truman thinks he's losing the mind. Then the truth comes out. This is a real showcase for Carrey and his talent. Yes, he is good. Yes, he can act. Yes, he's brilliantly talented. Some people already have their view on him and refuse to let actual truth come to them. It's a real shame. The movie was wonderfully directed with a real airy and haunting feel by Peter Weir. And don't worry Carrey fans, there is some goofball moments that will please the die hard fans of Carrey's comedic work. He should've been nominated for the Oscar. Weir and Harris were, but the star of the movie who made it work wasn't?. Where's the logic in that?. Oh well. "The Truman Show" is a fine piece of film. You'll likely have a nice experience viewing it.

George Lucas was hot off of his first two installments of his "Star Wars" series, when he hooked up with mega director Steven Spielberg to create a whole new series of films. Little did they know that this creation they've made would be so incredibly successful and beloved. Lucas' "Star Wars" hero, Harrison Ford, was on board as our star. This 1981 classic takes place in 1936, and Indiana Jones is a school professor who is also an archaeologist, which takes him on many dangerous and scary adventures all over the world. In this one, Indiana gets involved with the nazi's who are planning to use the mysterious powers of the ark in order to help them win the war. Along the way, Indy meets up with a feisty young lady(played by Karen Allen). This adventures gets Indy in a series of thrilling and death defying moments. The movie obviously draws inspiration from those old time Saturday morning serials of yore. Harrison Ford was the right choice. Is there anybody better?. Tom Selleck was the lead for this role, but dropped out because "Magnum PI" came up. Thank goodness for us, huh?. This series has become one of the most memorable and hailed film series in movie history. And rightfully so. There's no better evening entertainment than letting Indiana Jones take you all over the world on one exciting adventure after another. Get this movie and the rest of the trilogy as well. As perfect as perfect can get. Let's hope that Indiana Jones will someday ride again. Now, play that theme music and let's get going!!....

This 1984 sequel to the 1981 classic "Raiders Of The Lost Ark", is a real important film to me. I saw it 11 times in the theaters and I was mesmerized. I hadn't seen anything like it before. It's one of those films that brings back great memories from your youth. Spielberg, Lucas, and Ford all return for this chapter. It takes place 10 years later, and Indy is joined by a nightclub singer, Willie Scott(Kate Capshaw), and a young sidekick named Short Round(Ke Huy - Quan from "The Goonies"), on a mission to find and rescue young children who have been kidnapped from a small village by some sort of cult. Indy and his gang infiltrate this incredible palace, only to discover the horror that lurks below the place. This film definitley has the Saturday morning serial cliffhanger thing going here. More so than the first and third installments. This movie is a little darker and more violent than "Raiders". Some fans didn't think that was such a good thing. Their loss. This movie is a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. It's a movie that never stops being entertaining. There are a number of classic scenes in here, like - The mine cart chase, the airplane scene, the water out the side of the mountain, the rope bridge. You know it's a good movie when you can think of a number of good scenes like that. Once again, Spielberg has a nice eye for details. Ford is the most charismatic hero of the century. No one comes close. Capshaw and Quan are on hand mostly for comedic support. Just lay back, get some popcorn, and get ready to have your spines tingled when Indy's theme song starts....

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were back along with Harrison Ford for this 3rd and final entry in this incredibly successful and beloved trilogy of films. The film was released in the summer of 1989, which was a tough summer. Batman, Ghostbusters 2, Lethal Weapon 2, Licence To Kill, etc. Indy held his own for the last time. The film is set in 1938, Indy is battling nazis who want to find the holy grail. This time around, we are joined by two characters who were seen in "Raiders", but not in "Temple Of Doom". Those characters being Marcus Brody(played by Denholm Elliot), and Sallah(played by John Rhys-Davies). But, the most interesting character is Indiana's dad, who is played by the perfect and hilarious Sean Connery. Who better?. The dialogue between Indy and his dad are comic gems. Allison Doody(nice name)is along for the ride as the token babe. This film definitley got back more to the adventure of "Raiders". "Temple" was a little dark and violent, and this film has steered away from that. The action is expertly filmed, and Spielberg, as always, has a keen eye of direction and scenery. Once you hear the opening notes of Indy's trademark song, you instantly get shivers up your spine. River Phoenix appears in the opener as Indy as a teen. As for the rumored Indy 4, I kinda hope it happens and I kinda don't. It would be great to see another Indy film, but will it be the same without thinking that Harrison will be in his 60's by then?. I guess we'll see. Anyways, this is a wonderful entry in the series. Check it out.

This follow up to Chronicle 1 is just as essential and rich as the first volume. This one consists mostly of album songs that were never released as singles. Some of them were. That's something that makes this CD even more fun to listen too than the classic hit filled first volume. Everyone knows those songs, but a lot of these songs aren't well known to the casual observer. You get cover versions of "Good Golly Miss Molly" and an unbelieveable pitch perfect cover of Ricky Nelson's great hit "Hello Mary lou". Fogerty was definitley channeling Ricky on that one!. It's a mystery as to why a CCR classic such as "Born On The Bayou" is on this volume instead of the first one. Other gems here are "Don't Look Now(It Ain't You Or Me)", the up tempo funk of "Born To Move", and the rocker "Pagan Baby". The band was known for doing fairly short to the point rock songs with no glitz or glamor. They are pretty much the quintessential rock band. There are many songs on here that you knew and heard of, but didn't realize that it was them who did it. Songs like "The Midnight Special" and "Before You Accuse Me". This collection also gives you the fun novelty rocker "It Came Out Of The Sky". It also has the undoubtedly perfect ballad, "(Wish I Could) Hideaway". If you have Volume one, then you need this one. It's an essential piece of music that would be in any rock and roll fan's collection.

Sheryl Crow has been the only artist to come out of the 90's that I [care]about. She's real. It's her and her guitar playing real rock and roll. You can't beat that people. I have to admit, that I wasn't sold by her first album. But her second album hit and it was more melodic, and she sang incredibly. Then came this CD... This is, without a doubt, Sheryl's most listenable and enjoyable CD to date. It starts off the infectious groove of her hit single, "My Favorite Mistake", which some people have said is about her ex-flame Eric Clapton. There are many other high points here. "Anything But Down" is pleasant radio fodder, but not the strongest here. She does an incredible reworking of a Bob Dylan song called "Mississippi", which is an instant classic, brimming with a catchy chorus. "Members Only" is a fun tune that starts off sounding very reminiscent of her earlier hit song, "Change". "There Goes The Neighborhood" is loud and noisy and great!. But, I have saved the best for last. I'm talking about a song called "The Difficult Kind". It's a lovely ballad that showcases Crow's vocal power. A wonderful song that should of been a bigger hit. Perfect. Crow's voice has come a long way since her first album. She is a great rock vocalist. If you like Sheryl, you'll like this... if you like intelligent, well made music, you'll like this. Trust me.