Reviews

A group of discontented rabbits decide to leave a warren and search for a better life. Animated film successfully captures the imagination, adventure, characters and atmosphere of the classic book. Exceptional soundtrack integration. Graphic realism may be frightening for younger audiences. (Rating: A)

Emotionally handicapped teen with telekinetic power encounters hostility from frightened townspeople. Fair-to-good performances and interesting premise damaged by sentiment, predictable plot and average direction. Viewers may also enjoy "Phenomenom" (1996), "Edward Scissorhands" (1990) and "Carrie" (1976). (Rating: B+)

A 14th-century English monk and his assistant attempt to solve a series of murders at an Italian monastery. Murder-mystery wrapped in a film about corruption among the religious elite during the Middle Ages. Colorful characters and a strong script touched with humor provide relief from grim atmosphere. Solid, though not inspired direction, and good performances throughout. (Rating: A-minus)

During the first World War, two friends join the army and fight at the battle of Gallipoli. War drama is also a look at life in 1915 Australia. Great performances and character development, natural script, and historical detail. A bit slow for viewers who are looking for the usual level of action in a war film. Viewers may also enjoy "Breaker Morant" (1980). (Rating: A)

Love story with a famous historical backdrop. Remarkably well-groomed steerage class passenger catches the eye of beautiful, haughty first class passenger aboard a doomed ocean liner. Technically excellent film sunk by soap opera script, inane plot and television-quality acting. (Rating: B)

Nameless man lives in an oppressive future society where behavior is controlled by mandatory drugs. Minimal budget, acting, dialog and special effects more than compensated by astute direction and soundtrack integration. Superior to "ZPG" (1972) and "Logan's Run" (1976). Viewers may also enjoy "Gattaca" (1997). (Rating: A-minus)

Naive university student becomes involved with anti-establishment counter-culture in the late 1960's. Episodic, uneven film barely holds together but provides honest performances and impressively detailed look at its subject matter. Similar to "Medium Cool" (1969). Viewers may also enjoy "The Revolutionary" (1970). (Rating: A-minus)

Romance between an American sailor and a missionary's daughter in 1926 China. Love story with violent backdrop has diverse, well developed characters, action, historical detail and only moderate sentiment. Balanced viewpoint adds credibility. Viewers may also enjoy "Nicholas and Alexandra" (1971) and "Doctor Zhivago" (1965). (Rating A-minus)

Unwed teenage mother leaves home and lives with a homosexual companion. Slice-of-life look at the working class poor in early 1960's England. Quality performances, natural script, but relentlessly dreary atmosphere. Groundbreaking (in 1961) subject matter still has impact today. (Rating: A)

Charming, machiavellian drifter manipulates widowed aristocrat and her family to gain control of the estate. Exemplary characters and script, and striking scenery for atmosphere. Viewers may also enjoy "A New Leaf" (1971).(Rating: A)

The lives of a group of working class during a labor strike in early 1950's Brooklyn. Thoroughly unpleasant film portrays seamy underside of 50's America in contrast to familiar Ozzie and Harriet images. Fine performances abound. However, loosely connected stories make the film appear fragmented. (Rating: A-minus)

A young man is stalked by a psychopathic hitchhiker across a desert. Fast-paced horror-action flick has fair-to-good performances, spare dialog and stylish direction to distract from the holes in the plot. (Rating: B+)

Two aliens must adapt to life on Earth after their spacecraft crashes. Sci-fi comedy with social commentary about middle class American values. Inventive script, clever direction and amusing story. Fine for adults and younger viewers. (Rating: B+)

Shipwreck survivors are rescued by an authoritarian ruler of a secret underwater city during the 19th century. Nice underwater photography, enough action and special effects to offset wooden acting and less-than-sublime script. (Rating B+)

College professor is sentenced to a maximum security prison for manslaughter. Early made-for-television prison film is well worth seeing despite familiar story line and characters. Impressive direction, cinematic quality acting, good script and not a miscast anywhere. Viewers may also enjoy "Shawshank Redemption" (1995), "Escape From Alcatraz" (1979) and "Runaway Train" (1985). (Rating: A-minus)

Young drifter teams up with hobo con artist to fleece unsophisticated residents of a town. Buddy flick propelled by lively performance of main character and good supporting cast. Amusing, but a bit slapstick at times. Viewers may also enjoy "Paper Moon" (1973). (Rating: B+)

A teenager realizes that the frightening images and voices which he sees and hears are not from mental illness. Crafted sci-fi film with elements of horror and social satire trades special effects for quality acting, plausible script and intelligent plot. However, ending may confuse some viewers.(Rating: A)

Ex-cop turns private eye after he has plastic surgery to look like his movie hero. Send-up of 40's Bogart films will probably offend fans. Skewers familiar film noir scenes and characters, sometimes with subtlety. Similar to "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" (1982) and "The Cheap Detective" (1978). (Rating: B+)

Naive, pregnant white teen and black lawyer hide in an abandoned house to escape racial and social prejudice in the 1960's South. Theatrical-quality main performances, solid supporting cast and still-relevant theme. Elements of "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) and "Badlands" (1973). (Rating: A)

Crumb takes a deeply personal look at 60's counterculture artist Robert Crumb. The film focuses upon three decades of Crumb's artwork to reconstruct his unhappy childhood, days with Zap Comix in the late 60's, `dark side' period and recent life. Interviews with him, his wife Aline, family and friends reveal the motives behind his astounding creativity. Crumb is sometimes hilarious, often depressing and always entertaining – a rare combination in a documentary film.

During childhood, Crumb and his brothers Charles and Maxon found solace from their tyrannical father in comic books and drawing cartoons. Crumb escaped the mental illness that ended both his brother's careers as artists (Charles was equally as talented), but otherwise had a perfectly miserable childhood and adolescence. Socially awkward, bullied at school and rejected by women, he decided in 1962 (at age 17) to take revenge upon society `by becoming a famous artist'.

In 1966, his chemically inspired `revelations of some seamy side of America's subconscious' caught the eye of a Haight Street publisher in San Francisco and Zap Comix was born. Zap was an outlet for his creative energy, which was rooted in his social difficulties. He was uninterested in money and once turned down a $100,000 contract – a huge sum of money in those days. Although identified with the hippie crowd, he could not relate to their culture: `My main motivation [for drawing] was to get some of that free love action'.

After a few years of fame, he retired from Zap to express the darker side of his nature. His later work frequently contained sadistic and violent themes and was sometimes labeled as pornography by friends and critics alike. Even Crumb isn't sure of his intent: `Maybe I should be locked up and my pencils taken away from me'.

Critic Robert Hughes says that in Crumb's world there are no heroes and `even the victims are comic' – ideas that don't jive with traditional American culture. But Crumb has always considered himself to be an outsider and enjoys the feeling of `being very removed or extremely separated from the rest of humanity and the world in general'. `Words fail me, pictures aren't much better' to describe his disgust with American consumerism. He now lives in France because its culture is `slightly less evil than the United States'.

The film is embarrassingly candid about unhappy details of Crumb's life, such as his brothers' mental illness, experiments with drugs and ambivalent attitudes towards women. Yet it is apparent that there is no misery or violence in this man – it's all on paper. (Rating: A)

Two German police detectives and a British member of parliament attempt to thwart the activities of international drug smugglers. Television mini-series details the mechanisms of the unstoppable heroin trade from Pakistan to London and the lives it destroys. But acting, script and plot are anything but T.V. quality. Superior to pale imitation "Traffic" (2000). (Rating: A)

In postwar England, an embittered officer who was passed over for promotion tries to humiliate a new base commander. Psychological war between popular but loutish officer with his sympathetic but weak superior and the destructive effect upon the ranks. Towering theatrical-quality performance by main character is almost matched by supporting roles. However, relentless tension and cheerless setting make for a bleak film. Similar, but superior to "The Bofors Gun" (1968). (Rating: A)