American Pie (1999)

American Pie

What is it that attracts us to somebody else? Body language? Pheromones? Location? Lighting? Lots of liquor? It is these and many other things. It is only later that we come to reflect on the merits of what we did. Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) happens to be beside the pool table when Stifler’s Mom (Jennifer Coolidge) comes into the room. He looks at her. She looks at him and asks if he is trying to seduce her. They both then look at the pool table. He is horny teenager and she’s a horny housewife. If doesn’t take rocket science to know what happens next. It seems likely that post-coital reflection is the least of their thoughts.


Director:  Paul Weitz; Chris Weitz
Writer:  Adam Herz
Cast:
Jason Biggs -  Jim Levinstein
Chris Klein -  Chris ‘Oz’ Ostreicher
Thomas Ian Nicholas -  Kevin Myers
Alyson Hannigan -  Michelle Flaherty
Shannon Elizabeth -  Nadia
Tara Reid -  Victoria ‘Vicky’ Lathum
Eddie Kaye Thomas -  Paul Finch
Sean W. Scott -  Steve Stifler
Eugene Levy -  Jim’s Dad
Natasha Lyonne -  Jessica
Mena Suvari -  Heather
Jennifer Coolidge -  Stifler’s Mom
Chris Owen -  Chuck Sherman
Molly Cheek -  Mrs. Levinstein (Jim’s Mom)
Lawrence Pressman -  Coach Marshall
Clyde Kusatsu -  English Teacher









10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

10 Things I Hate About You

It took only three things to like this movie. One was the version of Cheap Trick’s I Want You To Want Me by Letters to Cleo with the band playing on the roof. I don’t know how they got them up there but it was inspired. Please don’t tell me it was CGI. I like the idea of someone humping all that gear up there. Number two was the attempt to look cool riding away on his scooter by Michael Eckman (David Krumholtz). Unfortunately a car blocks his path and forces him off the cliff overlooking the football stadium, giving him the ride of his life. The last was Katarina ‘Kat’ Stratford (Julia Stiles) disdain for the attempts by Ms. Perky (Allison Janney) to get her to play a bigger role in high school activities.


Director:  Gil Junger
Writer:  Karen McCullah Lutz; Kirsten Smith; William Shakespeare
Cast:
Heath Ledger -  Patrick ‘Pat’ Verona
Julia Stiles -  Katarina ‘Kat’ Stratford
Joseph Gordon-Levitt -  Cameron James
Larisa Oleynik -  Bianca Stratford
David Krumholtz -  Michael Eckman
Andrew Keegan -  Joey Donner
Susan May Pratt -  Mandella
Gabrielle Union -  Chastity
Larry Miller -  Mr. Walter Stratford
Daryl ‘Chill’ Mitchell -  Mr. Morgan
Allison Janney -  Ms. Perky
David Leisure -  Mr. Chapin
Greg Jackson -  Scruvy
Kyle Cease -  Bogie Lowenstien
Tarance Houston -  Derek
Cameron Fraser -  Trevor









Love Stinks (1999)

Love Stinks

Have you ever done an Elvis impersonation? Did you try doing the voice? Or maybe got gussied up in a similar jumpsuit? The sneer is something most try. Well, Chelsea Turner (Bridgette Wilson) does a great Elvis impersonation of one of The King’s numbers from Viva Las Vegas. And it isn’t just the singing. She has the dance steps to match. But she has something more than Elvis was ever able to give to his fans when she pulls open her top.


Director:  Jeff Franklin
Writer:  Jeff Franklin
Cast:
French Stewart -  Seth Winnick
Bridgette Wilson -  Chelsea Turner
Bill Bellamy -  Larry Garnett
Tyra Banks -  Holly Garnett
Steve Hytner -  Marty Mark
Jason Bateman -  Jesse Travis/Ronnie
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen -  Rebecca Melini/Juliette
Ellis E. Williams -  Minister
Ivana Milavich -  Amber
Montrose Hagins -  Nana
Renata Scott -  Mrs. Littlejohn
Warren Littlefield -  Peter Bloomstein
Lisa Amsterdam -  Writer
Tom Gammill -  Writer
Tim Hightower -  Writer
Hal Spear -  Writer









Three to Tango (1999)

Three to Tango

Sometimes being in a service industry makes one wish for a tidier, saner career. During a cab ride to the party after a gallery show, the banter between Oscar Novak (Matthew Perry) and Amy Post (Neve Campbell) so freaks out the cabbie (Ho Chow), that he’s thinking there are better jobs for him to undertake. Compound that with mechanical failure—the taxi engine begins to smoke and while Oscar investigates, it blows up in his face—and he knows that there are safer jobs and it’ll be the first thing he does in the morning.


Director:  Damon Santostefano
Writer:  Rodney Patrick Vaccaro; Aline Brosh McKenna
Cast:
Matthew Perry -  Oscar Novak
Neve Campbell -  Amy Post
Dylan McDermott -  Charles Newman
Oliver Platt -  Peter Steinberg
Cylk Cozart -  Kevin Cartwright
John C. McGinley -  Strauss
Bob Balaban -  Decker
Deborah Rush -  Lenore
Kelly Rowan -  Olivia
Rick Gomez -  Rick
Patrick Van Horn -  Zack
David Ramsey -  Bill
Kent Staines -  Gallery Owner
Ho Chow -  Cabbie
Michael Proudfoot -  Diner Waiter
Shaun Smyth -  Intern #1









Cruel Intentions (1999)

Cruel Intentions

Have you ever made a bet that changes your life? Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Phillippe) is offered a wager by Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar), his step-sister, that he cannot bed the virginal daughter of their private high school’s new headmaster, Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon). If Sebastian fails to lure Annette into bed before the summer is over, Kathryn gets his prized car. If he succeeds, Sebastian gets Kathryn. Little do they realize that Annette is made of stronger stuff than either realize.


Director:  Roger Kumble
Writer:  Choderlos de Laclos; Roger Kumble
Cast:
Sarah Michelle Gellar -  Kathryn Merteuil
Ryan Phillippe -  Sebastian Valmont
Reese Witherspoon -  Annette Hargrove
Selma Blair -  Cecile Caldwell
Louise Fletcher -  Helen Rosemond
Joshua Jackson -  Blaine Tuttle
Eric Mabius -  Greg McConnell
Sean Patrick Thomas -  Ronald Clifford
Swoosie Kurtz -  Dr. Regina Greenbaum
Christine Baranski -  Bunny Caldwell
Alaina Reed Hall -  Nurse
Deborah Offner -  Mrs. Michalak
Tara Reid -  Marci Greenbaum
Herta Ware -  Mrs. Sugarman
Hiep Thi Le -  Mai-Lee
Charlie O’Connell -  Court Reynolds









The Out-of-Towners (1999)

The Out-of-Towners

Did you ever wonder what goes on in your hotel room when you are visiting some far off city? Staff like Mr. Mersault (John Cleese) caper about wearing your earrings, your fur coat, hat and high heels dancing like a fool to “Bad Girls.” Mind you he does look rather fetching.


Director:  Sam Weisman
Writer:  Marc Lawrence; Neil Simon
Cast:
Steve Martin -  Henry Clark
Goldie Hawn -  Nancy Clark
Mark McKinney -  Greg
John Cleese -  Mr. Mersault
Oliver Hudson -  Alan Clark
Valerie Perri -  Stewardess
Steve Mittleman -  Passenger
Randall Arney -  Passenger
Carlease Burke -  Airline Representative
William Duell -  Lost Baggage Clerk
J.P. Bumstead -  Boston Cab Driver
Peggy Mannix -  Sweeper Woman
Anne Haney -  Woman in Bathroom
Charlie Dell -  Janitor on Train
Jordan Baker -  Rental Car Clerk
Tom Riis Farrell -  Andrew Lloyd Webber









Gloria (1999)

Gloria

I was chatting with a neighbour and her daughter the other day. Mostly about the snow melting and how much fun rubber boots are since it is tough to get abstract with a two-year-old. She knows my first name, where I live and sorta makes a sentence once every three tries. A few days later, I was being visited by a friend when there was a knock on the back door. It was my neighbour with her daughter who apparently wanted to talk to me some more even though I must look 60 feet tall to her. She got a few sentences out before she turned shy and decided to go home. When I turned to my visiting friend, she had teared up. That’s the way Gloria (Sharon Stone) feels when she finds out that Nicky Nuñez (Jean-Luke Figueroa), orphaned when his family is murdered, doesn’t have anyone in the world to care for him or to raise him. She figures she can give it a go much to the chagrin of her family and circle of friends.


Director:  Sidney Lumet; John Cassavetes
Writer:  John Cassavetes; Steve Antin
Cast:
Sharon Stone -  Gloria
Jean-Luke Figueroa -  Nicky Nuñez
Jeremy Northam -  Kevin
Cathy Moriarty -  Diane
George C. Scott -  Ruby
Mike Starr -  Sean
Bonnie Bedelia -  Brenda
Barry McEvoy -  Terry
Don Billett -  Raymond
Jerry Dean -  Mickey
Tony DiBenedetto -  Zach
Teddy Atlas -  Ian
Bobby Cannavale -  Jack Jesus Nunez
Sarita Choudhury -  Angela
Miriam Colon -  Maria
Desiree Casado -  Luz









Three Kings (1999)

Three Kings

We all know that war is hell. The deprivation, the firing of guns, the taking of orders, the lack of proper sanitation. All contributes to making it at best uncomfortable. But then sometimes there are those who know how to make it a little less miserable. With two weeks to go before he retires, Major Archie Gates (George Clooney), a decorated Vietnam vet and special forces officer and his two buddies, Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) and Staff Sgt. Chief Elgin (Ice Cube), discover a map retrieved from the butt of an Iraqi soldier which may lead to a Kuwaiti gold stash stolen by Saddam Hussein’s forces. Using the UV setting on his flashlight to discover the location, they decide to follow the trail and take some of it for themselves. You gotta love American technology.


Director:  David O. Russell
Writer:  John Ridley; David O. Russell
Cast:
George Clooney -  Maj. Archie Gates
Mark Wahlberg -  Sfc. Troy Barlow
Ice Cube -  SSgt. Chief Elgin
Spike Jonze -  Pfc. Conrad Vig
Cliff Curtis -  Amir Abdullah
Nora Dunn -  Adriana Cruz
Jamie Kennedy -  PV2 Walter Wogaman
Saïd Taghmaoui -  Capt. Said
Mykelti Williamson -  Col. Horn
Holt McCallany -  Capt. Van Meter
Judy Greer -  Cathy Daitch
Christopher Lohr -  Teebaux
Jon Sklaroff -  Paco
Liz Stauber -  Debbie Barlow (Troy’s wife)
Marsha Horan -  Amir’s wife
Alia Shawkat -  Amir’s daughter









The Thirteenth Floor (1999)

The Thirteenth Floor

I’m a sucker for production design and this movie has some of the best I’ve seen. The portions set in 1937 Los Angeles are remarkable for their style, tone and nuance. I keep popping it back into my DVD player just to enjoy. But I must admit I was taken aback seeing Vincent D’Onofrio as a blonde.


Director:  Josef Rusnak; Chris Roach
Writer:  Daniel F. Galouye; Josef Rusnak; Ravel Centeno-Rodriguez
Cast:
Craig Bierko -  Douglas Hall/John Ferguson/David
Armin Mueller-Stahl -  Hannon Fuller/Grierson
Gretchen Mol -  Jane Fuller/Natasha Molinaro
Vincent D’Onofrio -  Jason Whitney/Jerry Ashton
Dennis Haysbert -  Detective Larry McBain
Steven Schub -  Zev Bernstein
Jeremy Roberts -  Tom Jones
Rif Hutton -  Joe
Leon Rippy -  Jane’s Lawyer
Janet MacLachlan -  Ellen
Brad Henke -  Cop #1
Burt Bulos -  Bellhop
Venessia Valentino -  Concierge
Howard S. Miller -  Chauffeur
Tia Texada -  Natasha’s Roomate
Shiri Appleby -  Bridget Manilla