First film is comedy Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo directed by Mike Mitchell. Deuce Bigalow (Rob Schneider) is a fish tank cleaner by profession, who falls into being a gigolo for the money. It all starts with a very expensive fish tank being destroyed and Deuce scrambling to find ways to make money to buy a new one. One thing that Deuce discovers while being a gigolo is that he is such a good companion to women that sex never comes up. That is until he meets Kate (Arija Bareikis). She turns out to be the woman of his dreams. Only problem is she's afraid Deuce will stop liking her because she has one prosthetic leg. After a fight, Kate finally realizes that Deuce loves her no matter what. The film was not full of known actors, but it was indeed funny. Not really a film I would spend an entire $8.50 to watch, but not bad for a matinee. On the hit-o-meter, I give it four out of 10 hits.

MOVIE REVIEWS OF THE WEEK (NOVEMBER 27-28, 1999)
First film is action/adventure, drama and thriller End of Days directed by Peter Hyams. This is the comeback film for Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has been absent from the big screen for quite awhile now. It has special effects, things getting blown up, many bullets pumped from guns, and a religion-heavy plot derived from some passage in the Holy Bible. Only problem is that Arnie seems to be a has-been because his acting in this one is not that great. Sure, he's had his string of hits, but may be time for him to retire. Or maybe it's just the movie script that doesn't have what it takes to make this the film of the century. Arnie plays ex-cop Jericho Cane, who wants to commit suicide, but is turned into the only savior for the entire Earth's population. Jericho and his partner-in-crime, Chicago (Kevin Pollak) battle the devil incarnate himself --- Lucifer (Gabriel Byrne) --- while protecting innocent Christine York (Robin Tunney), the chosen bride of Lucifer. Along the way, Chicago sells his soul to the devil to save himself from burning to death, Arnie gets beaten up to a pulp, innocent people get killed, just your regular every day events. The special effects were not that bad. Gabriel Byrne did a helluva job as the Devil. I didn't pay much attention to anything else after awhile because the film wasn't as good as I had hoped. On the hit-o-meter, I give it four out of 10 hits.

Second and much better film is the G-rated family comedy Toy Story 2 directed by John Lasseter. This one is better than the original, at least I thought so. It had an interesting storyline and was really funny. Some of the original voices from the first one were heard, as well as some new ones. In this one, Woody (Tom Hanks) gets snatched by a greedy toy collector named Al (Wayne Knight) who spends most of his time in a chicken suit doing commercials for his toy store. Leading the rescue mission is Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) who demonstrates what friends do when another is in trouble. Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Slinky the Dog (Jim Varney), and Rex (Wallace Shawn) make up Buzz's search team. On their way to find Woody, they get sidetracked by another Buzz Lightyear, Lord Zork, some Barbies, and the unforgettable green aliens with the three eyeballs. At the captor's domain, Woody meets Jessie (Joan Cusack), the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer), and Bullseye, otherwise known as Woody's old partners-in-crime on the ancient TV show Woody's Round-up. When Buzz and company finally reach Woody, Woody is reluctant to go home with them. But he changes his mind when thinking about Buzz's wise words "The best thing is to be loved by a kid". Even with all the troubles the toys run into, things work out in the end and everyone is happy. The graphics are wonderful and life-like. Pixar definitely does great work. You'll have to see this one to understand why it's getting good reviews, as well as being shown in two rooms at a time in some theaters. On the hit-o-meter, I give it six out of 10 hits.

The second film I saw was drama/thriller The Bone Collector directed by Phillip Noyce. Disregarding the plot, the bloody bodies, and the mystery-solving going on throughout the film, it already has one big draw --- Denzel Washington. That's all people need to know to see the film. Washington plays ex-foresensics detective Rhymes, who gets confined to bed after a paralyzing accident that occured six years ago. People start ending up dead and it's a race against time to try and premeditate the murders before they happen. Kind of like reading Agatha Christie's mystery novels. To aid Rhymes in tracking down the murderer is street cop Donaghy (Angelina Jolie) who takes great photos at a crime scene. Along for the ride are Queen Latifah who plays Rhymes' nursemaid Thelma and Ed O'Neill who plays Paulie, head of the crime department. The killer purposely leaves clues around that direct the police to another place. The murder scenes are bloody and disgusting. The stupid thing is that the murders turn out to be a replication of murders written about in a book entitled The Bone Collector. Jolie plays rough and can definitely hold her own in a world dominated by men. The movie does a good job in misleading the audience to believe a certain person is the killer, when it turns out not to be. On the hit-o-meter, I give it five out of 10 hits.

MOVIE REVIEW OF THE WEEK (OCTOBER 24, 1999)
The movie review of the week is the romantic comedy film Three To Tango directed by Damon Santostefano. It's your typical boy meets girl movie where someone/something is standing between them, but in the end, things end happily ever after with the boy getting the girl. The surrounding circumstances involve two competing architecture firms --- Steinberg and Novak and Decker and Strauss --- trying to land a project that will be funded by millionaire Charles Newman (Dylan McDermott). From some misunderstanding, Newman believes that Oscar Novak(Matthew Perry) is gay, and the perfect candidate to spy on Newman's free-spirited glass blower girlfriend Amy Post (Neve Campbell). Needless to say, Novak takes the job because he and his partner Peter (Oliver Platt), the actual gay guy of the two, need this job more than anything. Oscar meets Amy, falls head-over-heels in love with her, but can't do anything to act on his feelings, otherwise Newman will give the restoration project to the other firm. I can't deny that I had a good time laughing during the tuna sandwich throw-up scene or the scene when Oscar wins the award for Chicago's Gay Professional of the Year. But it didn't really present gay people all that positively. I couldn't help but see so much of "Friends" Chandler Bing character imbedded in Oscar. Must be the typecast roles that Matthew Perry is stuck in. Neve Campbell wore some nice dresses, but some a bit too low-cut in the front that her breasts seemed to be pouring out. The music wasn't that bad. The movie seemed to be original, but turns out to be a copy of For Love or Money, which starred Michael J. Fox and Gabrielle Anwar. On the hit-o-meter, I give it five out of 10 hits.

MOVIE REVIEW OF THE WEEK (OCTOBER 16, 1999)
The movie review of the week is the drama film Fight Club directed by David Fincher. The film is what you see in the trailer, but more involved than just two guys who start an underground fight club. In a way, it has something to do with how cults get started and the monotony of life that can drive a guy insane, or at least to the brink of a double personality. Jack (Edward Norton), an ordinary white-collar worker living in a condo filled with furniture and exercise equipment straight out of an IKEA catalog, is bored with life. Being an insomniac, he works night-shift jobs and goes to therapy sessions just for the hell of it. At a therapy group for testosterone-lacking men, Jack befriends Bob (Meat Loaf), a former body builder that developed big breasts once taken off the steriods he used. Things start to brighten up for him, until he runs into chain-smoking, sadomasochist Marla (Helena Bonham Carter). After that, Jack is never the same. On a plane trip, he meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), who specializes in making soap. Tyler and Jack start living together once Jack's condo gets burned down. And before you know it, Fight Club is born. The music playing throughout the movie is entrancing. The costume and make-up department did a fine job of making things look very realistic. A bit too bloody for me though. But nothing beats the CGIs and special effects. My favorite part is the end when major skyscrapers get blown up, and Jack and Marla just stare out the window in awe of the beauty. On the hit-o-meter, I give it seven out of 10 hits.

MOVIE REVIEW OF THE WEEK (OCTOBER 3, 1999)
The movie review of the week is the drama/action film Three Kings directed by David O. Russell. The main plot is about a quartet of military men who go gold-hunting at the close of the Gulf War. And where do they find the gold? At a site in Caraval, where Saddam Hussein's troops are keeping watch. Throughout the movie, the men say they're stealing gold from Hussein, but in actuality they're pilfering from Kuwait – the original owner of all the gold bricks. Sergeant Major Archie Gates (George Clooney) is due to retire in two weeks, and he wants to make his trip to the Middle East worthwhile. Sergeant Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) just wants to get back home with some money for his family, which includes a newborn daughter. Chief Elgin (Ice Cube) is on a four-month paid vacation from Detroit, and he wants to leave his day job as a baggage carrier at an airport. And Private Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze) is the tag-along brother figure who everyone finds annoying. Aggressive reporter Adriana Cruz (Nora Dunn) just wants to get the Emmy this time for wartime reporting. What was planned as a few hours of fun and run turns into a mission to help Iraqi citizens escape Hussein's torture. There are some gruesome parts like the bullet-through-the-stomache scene, but in the end everyone's happy. The costumes are true military garb mixed with sand, sweat, and blood. What I disliked most about the movie was the constant slang use by U.S. soldiers when describing the Iraqis. But then again, that may be what happens in real life. The film had some comic parts, so it wasn't nearly as hard-core as Oliver Stone's Platoon. It's a film that just falls in the middle of genres. On the hit-o-meter, I give it four out of 10 hits.

MOVIE REVIEWS OF THE WEEK (SEPTEMBER 24 – 26, 1999)
The first movie review of the week is the comedy/action film Blue Streak, directed by Les Mayfield. This film provided comic relief in various scenes. Through the course of the movie, you find yourself cheering for the jewel thief–turned detective, Miles Logan (Martin Lawrence), who's the central character. Logan and some colleagues steal a $20 million diamond, but things go wrong when one of the gang turns on the others. Logan gets caught, a colleague dies, and the other two escape the clutches of the police. But the diamond is safely tucked away inside an airshaft in an old abandoned building. Flash forward three years, and Logan is once again a free man, and with the stolen diamond on his mind. The only problem is that the Los Angeles Police Department building stands where the abandoned building used to be. Logan disguises himself as a detective to blend in with the crowd, in order to get his diamond. Along the way, he gets a partner named Carlson (Luke Wilson), gets promoted to head of robbery, gains a friend in Detective Hardcastle (William Forsythe) who was up for head of robbery, runs into former parter-in-crime Tulley (Dave Chappelle), and a slew of other adventures. In the end, Logan gets his diamond, helps the LAPD bust a big drug dealer, and finally gets revenge on Deacon (Peter Greene), the jewel thief betrayer. On the hit-o-meter, I give it six out of 10 hits.

The second movie review of the week is the comedy/drama film American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes. The film is similar to The Ice Storm because it's about a dysfunctional family that is trying hard to hold onto whatever little they still have. The film teaches a big moral – things are not as perfect as they seem. The narrator is Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a middle-aged writer who lives in a perfect house in a nice neighborhood. His wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) is a real estate agent who's frustrated that she's losing all her business to a competitor. Lester's daughter Jane (Thora Birch) is somewhat of a rebel who's uncomfortable with her physical appearance until voyeur Ricky Fitt (Wes Bentley) moves next door with his parents. The characters all go through changes and then things start to get uglier. Lester quits his job with newfound confidence and applies to work at a local burger joint. He also starts working out vigorously because of his obsession with Angela (Mena Suvari), Jane's friend. Carolyn has an affair with her real estate competitor, which further enforces the belief that "if you can't beat him, join him". The character that gives the audience a shock turns out to be Ricky's dad Marine Colonel Fitts (Chris Cooper). With his "I don't take no gays" attitude, you'd think he'd be that last one in the movie to be a pansy. With an interesting cast, red roses all over the place, and a good soundtrack, this movie proves to be different than your usual weekend movies. On the hit-o-meter, I give it seven out of 10 hits.

Last movie review of the week is the action/thriller film Double Jeopardy, directed by Bruce Beresford. If you've seen and liked The Fugitive, you'll warm up to this movie. Instead of the usual male that's convicted of a crime and thrown into prison, this time it's a female. Libby Parsons (Ashley Judd) had it all – a loving husband, an adorable son, a big house, and a somewhat nice sister. But one night on a boat drifting in the middle of the sea, her whole life turns upside down. Libby wakes up seeing blood all over the place, as well as on her robe. Needless to say, the first suspect for killing her husband Nicholas (Bruce Greenwood) is herself. She gets convicted of the crime and goes away to prison for six years. Out on parole, she gets herself into trouble with parole officer Travis Lehman (Tommy Lee Jones) hot on her trail. The clock is ticking for Libby, as she gets closer and closer to tracking down her tricky husband who faked his own death to collect the $2 million insurance money, set Libby up to be convicted of the crime, and shacked up with Libby's sister Angela (Annabeth Gish), and ran off with their son Matty. Libby's sole reason for living and fighting is to get Matty back. And in the end, good always exceeds evil, so Libby is again reunited with Matty. On the hit-o-meter, I give it seven out of 10 hits.

MOVIE REVIEW OF THE WEEK (MAY 8, 1999)

The movie review of the week is the action/drama film Entrapment directed by John Amiel. The film starts out in New York City with 16 days until the millinium. A thief uses high-tech equipment to steal a Rembrandt painting from an office building. The next day we're taken to Waverly Insurance Company and see Virginia Baker aka Gin (Catherine Zeta-Jones) explaining to her boss Hector Cruz (Will Patton) how she thinks the thief stole the painting. If you've guessed by just reading that statement that Gin was the thief, you're right on the money. Gin is very slick on lying to her boss and convincing Mac (Sean Connery), the age-old professional thief and art collector, to accompany her on a mission to steal a golden mask (originally from China) that's on display at the Bedford Palace in England. But it doesn't end there. After getting away scott-free, Gin makes a proposition to Mac that he can't refuse – stealing $8 billion from the mainframe computer at the International Central Bank in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia. Actor Ving Rhames also has a small role playing Mac's sidekick/FBI man Thibadeux. The movie is interesting, but the love connection between Gin and Mac doesn't seem possible. He's old enough to be her grandfather. It's fun to watch Gin and Mac run away from the police, but sometimes you can't help but wonder if the cool things they pull off are actually what would be done in real life-thieving. On the hit-o-meter, I give it five out of 10 hits.

MOVIE REVIEW OF THE WEEK (MAY 1, 1999)

The movie review of the week is the drama/comedy film Pushing Tin directed by Mike Newell. The film takes place somewhere on Rhode Island, NY where the central air traffic controller station is. That station manages the flight patterns of all airlines flying to and from Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia airports. The movie centers around one particular traffic controller named Nick Falzone played by John Cusack. Nick is so good with organizing the planes to land one after the other, that his friends all nicknamed him "The Zone". Nick is running on a high ego until cool stranger Russell Bell (Billy Bob Thorton) blows into town. Russell, half Irish and half Indian, has a crazy reputation for doing weird things such as standing under airplanes that are landing. Nick and Russell get into a competition that goes beyond just one-on-one fighting. Nick sleeps with Russell's very young and very sexy wife Mary (Angelina Jolie), while Russell flirts with Nick's wife (and high school sweetheart of 15 years) Connie (Cate Blanchett). The movie is filled with great acting, especially the role Cate Blanchett plays. She plays a lonely wife so well that you can't recognize her from her last movie Elizabeth. The movie finishes with a happy ending, which is actually the worst part of the movie. The unrealistic part of it all is that a woman doesn't easily forgive her man for cheating on her, and agree to go back home to him over a cheezy love song sung over the airplane's captain's microphone. On the hit-o-meter, I give it six out of 10 hits.

MOVIE REVIEW OF THE WEEK (APRIL 15, 1999)

The movie review of the week is the sci-fi film The Matrix directed by the Wachowski Brothers (they brought you Bound). The film is set in modern day New York. It stars Keanu Reeves (Neo), Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), and Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith). Neo is a computer programmer by day and a hacker by night. He gets sucked into the "real" world, as Morpheus terms it, and finds out that things are bleaker than they appear on the surface. Neo and the rebels (the ones going against Agent Smith and his gang of cyborgs) travel through the matrix looking for the key to destroying the cyborg-created world. The movie has spectactular special effects with the usual techno music playing in the background. The martial arts scenes could use some more work, but hey, nobody can master it in just four months—the amount of time the actors spent on learning it. The plot is an interesting idea and at times makes you think you're stuck in the conspiracy world of the popular tv show "The X-Files." The costume design is cool black and everyone's wearing shades. On the hit-o-meter, I give it seven out of 10 hits.

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