Two Words, One Answer.
Weatherperson
 Lucky Numbers $9.98 This movie is smart, fun, and funny. I'd never heard of it before catching it on TV a few months ago, but I couldn't change the channel! It's got great lines with great delivery. Smart, fun, and funny. I just don't know how else to describe it. Travolta is excellent from the start, and Bill Pullman, though he only arrives halfway through the movie, is hilarious. Tim Roth and Lisa Kudrow are also very funny in their roles. The dialogue is easy to follow, but sometimes the humor is quick and subtle, so pay attention! Here are a couple of my favorite lines, but believe me there are a bunch: Jerry the bookie: I mean Jesus Christ himself can't rig the state lottery...unless, unless Jesus had a buddy down at the TV station. Crystal: And I want that ticket back. And I want Dick Simmons dead, you hear me!? Gig: Fine, fine. Crystal: And I want his head cut off so I can hang it from my rear view mirror! Gig: Now that's just your anger talking.  Loving Couples $9.98 This is an oldie but a goodie! The type of movie that is light and fun - I saw it years ago and just loved watching it again  Tornado Warning $14.98 "Tornado Warning" is a made for PAX movie intended to capture the attention of the adventurer in all of us. The premise is that Dr. Jake Arledge (Gerald McRaney, late of "Jericho" and "Deadwood") is a meteorologist who's created a tornado predicting system. On his first big trial, a computer coding error made him inaccurate, so his believability is nil. Enter Mark Scott (Steve Braun) a computer programming and meteorology major at the University of Oklahoma, a former neighbor of Arledge's, who was influenced to go into meteorology by the good doc himself. He figures out the glitch and reprograms the computer. (Note: he also has a major crush on the doc's daughter, Dee) As a result of the programming, they discover a town about to celebrate their centennial is right in the path of the storm. Unfortunately, the mayor (played by Joan Van Ark) and the Sheriff (Brown) do not want to believe this. Oh, did I mention "Stormchasers?" Kirt Reid (David Millbern) is running a tour of people paying to see a tornado up close and personal right to this town. In addition, Dee Mazur (Thea Gill) is a reporter who is also Arledge's estranged daughter. She's tried to avoid her Dad ever since her Mom was killed in a tornado by her father's hesitation. She's been ordered by her boss to get the story about Arledge once and for all and she's going to do it. McRaney does his best with the role and I cannot say I have ever seen him in a role that he doesn't shine in. Gill as his daughter is also fairly convincing. The interplay between her and Braun was also interesting. My issue is, having seen tornadoes firsthand from growing up in Tornado Alley, the CGI footage was just that. Clearly, the researchers didn't look at a lot of the film from the 1999 F5 tornado that took out much of Midwest City, Oklahoma or they would have seen how neatly the storm swept the landscape rather than their piled up effects. I guess the final coda for this film for us was when the news reporter was wrapping up his coverage of the destruction of Two Rivers and said, "Only one building was left standing." Behind him, was a small townscape of buildings still there. If you're a diehard McRaney film, this movie is one you will want to see. He does a great job. If you want to see tornado footage that's more real, watch "Twister" or see one of the excellent Weather Channel documentaries about tornadoes. Rebecca Kyle, September 2008 |
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