Rating: 
Summary: Crispy Mitten Plays It Tough.
Review: I just finished this movie no more than ten minutes ago. Though not one of the GREATEST films ever, this one still kept my attention and satisfied me to the last drop.
If you know me, which you don't, you'd know that I borrowed this movie strictly because the second greatest actor of the 20th and 21st century, Crispin Glover, is in this. I'll get to Crispy Mitten in a second, just let me yak about the movie first.
The movie revolves around some fat dude who kills his girlfriend. Then we are treated to many shots of her very pale (and very naked) body. That's when Keanu Reeves and his misfit family come in and start bouncin' around. Anyhoo, the fat dude tells his deliquent friends, one of whom is a mulleted Crispin Glover, about the body and they all go down to look at it. Sadly, this movie is far away from 'Stand By Me', but I've had enough Corey Feldman this week. Then a whole bunch of stuff happens.
Anyhoo, Crispin Glover (post-Back-To-The-Future), has an interesting role. He plays a juvenile deliquent with a mullet. Back then, in 1986, people didn't consider his role the least bit odd. 17 years, 3 books, 1 album, 22 films, 1 TV movie, and 1 kick-to-Letterman's-head later, we all now know Crispin Glover isn't the least bit threatening. It's very hard to imagine him as a 'punk'. Crispy is trying to be a Sid Vicious as much as Andy Dick would try to be Arnold Schwartzenegger. Unfort'nly, Crispin's Fonzie/Sex Pistol act ends up being sort of a tough Jeff Spicoli.
But Crispin isn't what makes the movie. While Crispin is weird off-screen, but hardly on-screen, we are also graced by the master of weird (on-screen, not off), Dennis Hopper. Imagine...Denny Hopper and Crispy Glover in the same scene...
Overall, this movie is all right. i'm not big on dramas, but you might want to check this movie out sometime. I know I didn't give you much information, for I was rambling about Mr. Glover for half an hour, but it's still worth a look.Luv,
Muttz!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Then....Great Now.
Review: I remember when this movie first came out. I watched it again tonight and have to say I believe I was more disturbed this time around then my first viewing. As a teenager the most significant thing that stuck with me about this movie was the body and how she was left by the river. This time around it was the apathy of the whole group of friends and the push/pull between brothers Matt & Tim. I'm not sure what my group of friends would have done if put in a similar situation.
Since the 60's our society has been on a rapid decline. Each generation has had some form of social inadequacy. In the 80's we were all slackers, even the so called jock/pinheads of our generation. Drugs, alcohol, and sex were the norm. Kids across all economic backgrounds were part of the latch-key generation, unsupervised, under stimulated. Our role models were the musicians we listened to and the music videos we watched.
True, movies today seem to grip harder. Show more blood and guts. Are far more graphic. This movie though cuts to the solid core of my generation. We were a bunch a slackers, drifters without a moral compass by which to guide us. Only a nagging feeling or voice if you will, in the back of our heads as to what was right and what was wrong.
I'm glad I took the time to watch this movie again. It was well worth the time. Dennis, Crispin, wonderful to say the least. Keanu pulled off an extremely good performance and considering I have really considered him eye candy until now is saying a lot. Joshua Miller really and truly disturbed me the most. Bravo. I wish I knew who played their little sister because she did the job so sweetly. She was the only character in the movie that showed true emotion and quite frankly reminded me of my own daughter in her caring for others.
Even though this movie is a bit dated I strongly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: disturbing and true to the word, a really powerful movie
Review: I was tooking in by this powerful and true to the word movie. its about a boy who kills his girlfriend for no reason and then feels no sympathy for what he did, he goes and brings his brother and friends this. powerful performances, so are way over the top but this one is a keeper. Keanu Reeves stands out the most as the quiet Matt, Crispin Glover, Dennis Hopper and Ione Skye are also good. one of the best movies of 1987
Rating:
Summary: Truth is Stranger than Fiction !!!
Review: If you ever doubted that truth is stranger than fiction, check out this true story and masterful film that became an instant cult classic in 1987, and still survives today as a case study in adolescent psychology at many major universities. Director Tim Hunter (Saint of Fort Washington) brings to life this spine chilling yet somber contemporary drama that will have you not believing your eyes, or the fact that this story is a true one. This film exemplifies a raw, honest look at teenage alienation and ambivalence, where values have been twisted far beyond adult comprehension. It is an account of an actual event whereby a close knit group of teenagers discover that one of their own has killed his girlfriend. Emotionally ill prepared, they struggle to differentiate between friendship and responsibility. What ensues is a chain of events that is as mesmerizing as it is incredible, and as hypnotic as it is horrifying! Expertly cast and acted, this film is brought to life by very memorable character portrayals by Crispin Glover (Layne), Keanu Reeves (Matt), Ione Skye (Clarissa), Roxana Zal (Maggie), Daniel Roebuck (Samson), Joshua Miller (Tim ), and Dennis Hopper (Feck) as a half crazed psychopathic murderer himself. The close associations drawn by this film with such things as sex and death will linger in your consciousness for days on end, and compel you to see this movie again and again. Truly a work of cinematic art and great film making. Excellent !!!
Rating:
Summary: Great film, but ...
Review: Just a note about the DVD: The lack of extras is disappointing. It'd be nice to think there'll be a future release with a Tim Hunter commentary. And it seemed to me that the framing is all wrong. It looks as though the picture is blown up resulting in information lost on all four sides. Or maybe a cropped-at-the-sides 4:3 copy was taken and that was then cropped at top and botton to get the 16:9 shape.
Rating:
Summary: Really twisted
Review: My only problem with this movie is that I worry about it going into the minds of young children, children who might not have parents who are willing to talk about it with them. It's meant to be disturbing, and it certainly is, but there's just so much nihilism in here... Anyway, it's certainly well acted, and raises some grueling issues. I recently saw this again for the first time in ages, and a few things hit me with renewed force. For some reason, one of the tenderest, most real-sounding parts of this film was the scene where Matt and Clarissa are making love in the park, (with gunshots ringing out periodically in the background, and Matt and Clarissa not knowing who's shooting whom), and they say "I like you" to each other. Obviously their lives at this point include ten times more theatrics than anyone should ever have to tolerate, so bringing "The L Word," love, into things would just make life even crazier. Somehow, just the fact that they at least say "I like you" tells me that they aren't numb or alienated, really, but just reaching for a way, and a level, where they can reach out for other human beings with some kind of integrity. Also, in the same part of the movie, the director alternates scenes of Matt's face, completely OUT of control with Clarissa-induced bliss, with shots of their psycho pal John, raving about how being IN control makes him feel ALIVE (this is screamed) and therefore happy. Matt's happiness doesn't really have to come from a firey, demented internal process ending in total control like John's does -- he's just a good person, and happy to be with Clarissa at all, happy she likes him... Kind of a pointed little contrast, I thought. Other high points of the movie -- Layne is convincingly demented, as portrayed by Crispin Glover. Glover seems to be sort of like Robin Williams -- he always seems to have just chased down an octuple espresso coffee with a large mug of Jolt cola, even in real life. I saw him on the Tonight Show once, years ago, and he was even more hyper than in this movie. He was so whacked out I'm not sure I was convinced that real kids would follow his lead, actually -- he was just plain crazed. Anyway, I'm just pointing out a few things to watch for. This is basically a very good movie, but if you are a child, or if you have children, I recommend being careful about watching this. It's disturbing stuff, and you won't ever forget the movie once you've seen it.
Rating:
Summary: A classic!!!
Review: No matter how many times I see this, it will always be a favorite. Brilliant cast, hilarious lines. And if you don't already luv Crispin, you'll instantly become a dedicated fan. xoxo.
Rating:
Summary: Classic counterculture flick...
Review: Okay, okay. So we know it's a great movie, right? Dennis Hopper in what I consider to be one of the top 5 performances of his career, the nice girl naughtiness of Ione Skye (who I've never truly resolved my love for) and the incredible Crispin Glover in what is definately his best performance. It's over-the-top, it's preachy, the music's great...not to mention that it contains dead-on portrayals of disenfranchised youth in flannel shirts well before the grunge movement. But how does the DVD format enhance the viewing? It's really a very basic release. You won't find any fancy extras in this package, but it's really not priced that way, either. The widescreen is great to have and it certainly looks a lot better than my old worn-out VHS copy, but that's about it. The movie is a must-own for Hopper and Glover fans (not to mention the last tolerable Keanu Reeves performance) and it's only a slight disappointment to not see any new material. Until the movie gains the "classic" status and warrants a collector's edition DVD package, this will do.
Rating:
Summary: TOOK ME TO THE EDGE
Review: One of my personal favorites. Have watched it myself umpteen times and have turned on many a friend to it. This movie is responsible for one of the most classic lines in a movie. When Lane(Crispin Glover) asks buddy Mike( ) to use his truck he replies.."N-O- Spells Nyuh". Purely classic. Not to mention Hopper and his co-star Ellie..best performance by a blow up doll in years. I can not say enough about this movie..The soundtrack ROCKS!..The story is true and many of us have lived simular ones and this one plays it out just right..I dont believe in perfection per se, but this movie desrves 5 stars. Oh yeah and for you Keannu Reeves fans..he also plays a lead character in the movie
Rating:
Summary: Riveting, chilling and deeply disturbing
Review: River's Edge is a deeply disturbing film that is fast transcending cult status to becoming a bona fide movie classic. When a classmate (Daniel Roebuck) murders his girlfriend for no rational reason, self-appointed group leader, Lane (Crispin Glover), draws together their circle of friends to protect him in a misguided test of loyalty. Haunted by the senselessness, two decent-minded kids (Keanu Reeves and Ione Skye) grapple with their consciences before Reeves' character eventually tips off the police, well aware of the danger he faces for breaking the conspiratorial code of silence. Sadly, River's Edge has proven to be an all too perceptive and pioneering examination of the increasing nihilism of American youth since the 1980s. The increasing regard with which it is viewed by critics and collectors has been helped in no small way by events such as Columbine. The spate of school shootings by sociopathic teenagers increasingly beyond the control of teachers, parents and society seems entirely consistent with the bleak picture of American youth this film paints. As such it is the significant, depressing movie signpost for its generation, in much the same way as Rebel Without a Cause was for youth of the 50s. Unlike Rebel, (or even its own broad set of generational cohorts, from The Breakfast Club, the anachronistic The Outsiders to lighter fare like Reality Bites) the kids of River's Edge are not just alienated and misunderstood, but thoroughly nastier pieces of work - the products of a cynical, complacent and nihilistic late-Cold War sensibility. They are not crying out to be understood, but to be left alone. In this sense, its most obvious cinematic antecedent is Jonathan Kaplan's underrated Over the Edge (1979), which it resembles in more than a few ways. Despite the controversy associated with it, the movie's power derives from an understated, non-judgmental depiction of the inherent violence and depravity of its characters and situations. Equally, Reeves' character makes no grand, sweeping statements of principle and conscience. The ordinariness of his thinking in reaching his own conclusions on a thoroughly evil situation is the one ray of optimism as the movie reaches a conclusion of tentative hope. With none of the violence, boisterousness or sensationalism of Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers, River's Edge treads similar themes more perceptively and infinitely more shockingly. A must have - and the perfect, necessary antidote to all those John Hughes movies in your collection.
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