Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin

7/09/2022

Jingle All the Way (1996) - Gift-craze Christmas lampooned with fun Schwarzenegger performance

♥♥♥

+ Best Christmas Movie of the Year + Best Minnesota Movie of the Year

Wild chaos and colorful lights beam the way on this poster for Brian Levant's Jingle All the Way

A busy businessman and family father disappoints his son yet again, and the only thing that can make it up again is a much coveted action figure for Christmas, - but he's running last minute, and the figure is sold out!

Jingle All the Way is written by Randy Kornfield (Bloodknot (1995, TV movie)) and directed by Brian Levant (Problem Child 2 (1991)).

It has a fun, - if extremely materialistic, - premise and struggles to find enough meat to its story for the required timespan, but a huge Christmas parade and all sorts of mix-ups help fill it up.

Phil Hartman (TaleSpin (1991, TV-series)) is funny as the unctuous 'prize-worthy' family father neighbor, and Jake Lloyd (Unhook the Stars (1996)) is cute as the son. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Red Heat (1988)) is his usual engaged, high-spirited self. It is a minor film in his body of work, but it has Yuletide charm. - And then Arnie also knock-outs a reindeer in one scene in Jingle All the Way, which is also a special kind of treat for a Schwarzenegger fan.

1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 60-75 mil. $ (different reports)

Box office: 129.8 mil. $

= Flop or a big flop (returned between 1.73-2.16 times its cost)

[Jingle All the Way premiered 16 November (Mall of America, Minnesota) and runs 89 minutes. The script was inspired by Christmas toy crazes such as the Cabbage Patch riots over the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls of 1983 and other similar cases of Yuletide toy hysteria and violence. Schwarzenegger was paid 20 mil. $ for his performance. Shooting took place from April - August 1996 in Minnesota and California. The film opened #4, behind fellow new release Star Trek: First Contact and holdover hits Space Jam and Ransom, to a 12.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America where it spent 2 more weekends in the top 5 (#4-#4) and grossed 60.5 mil. $ (46.6 % of the total gross). The foreign market numbers are regrettably not made public. A multi-million $ lawsuit alleging that the premise was stolen was finally decided in favor of Fox in 2004. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Levant returned with Metropolitan Hospital (1997, TV movie) and theatrically with The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000). Schwarzenegger returned in Batman & Robin (1997). Jingle All the Way is rotten at 20 % with a 4.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Jingle All the Way?

7/07/2022

Jerry Maguire (1996) - Crowe's wildly overrated sports agent vehicle

♥

+ Most Overrated Movie of the Year + Most Undeserved Hit of the Year

Tom Cruise looks happy on this pleasant poster for Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire

Jerry is a successful sports agent, - but suddenly he attains an insight: Fewer clients, more care, - that will be his new motto. He establishes his own company, - with only one client, - and falls in love with his only employee.

Jerry Maguire is written and directed by Cameron Crowe (Say Anything (1989)).

It is a consistently false and unnatural Major Movie Star Vehicle, which uses ploys that are so obvious and primitive so as to make the film just about insufferable, not to speak of enormously overlong. - When Jerry Maguire seems to be over, it packs another full 45 minute act for us!

Tom Cruise (Legend (1985)) is the winning success type here, as we know him from so many other previous films, but the charm seems to wear thin here, - the charm of seeing him portray another go-getter professional type. Crowe slaps more or less superfluous music onto most angles of the film, which encapsulate the carefree 1990s that Jerry Maguire arrives from, an era that also seems far in the past due to the gender and race dynamics in it.

Renée Zellweger (Nurse Betty (2000)) is the romantic interest, who has a son who is cute with perfectly gelled hair 100 % of the time he's in the film, giving one unnatural line after another. Cuba Gooding Jr. (Norbit (2007)) yells himself through large portions of the film as Maguire's only client and is fetishized shamelessly for his envious physique, half-naked very often.

Jerry Maguire may be among the most widely overrated films of all time. It is awful.

We Bought a Zoo (2011) - Crowe's terrific family film

Elizabethtown (2005) - A cute piece of Crowe's world; just roll with it!

1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) - Heckerling's popular high school portrayal debut (writer; based on his book)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 50 mil. $

Box office: 273.5 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 5.47 times its cost)

[Jerry Maguire premiered 6 December (New York) and runs 139 minutes. The script was inspired by sports agent Leigh Steinberg and a 28-page memo written by Disney's Jeffrey Katzenberg. Cruise was paid 20 mil. $ and 15% of the film's profits for his performance; Gooding Jr. was paid 600k $. Shooting took place from March - July 1996 in New York, Arizona, including in Phoenix and in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #1 to a 17 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 10 weekends in the top 5, one of them again back at #1, grossing 153.9 mil. $ (56.3 % of the total gross). The foreign market gross numbers have not been made public. It was the 9th highest-grossing film worldwide of the year. The film was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning one, for Best Supporting Actor (Gooding Jr.). It lost Best Actor (Cruise) to Geoffrey Rush in Shine, Editing to The English Patient, Picture also to The English Patient and Original Screenplay to Fargo. It was also nominated for a European Film award, won 1/3 Golden Globe nominations, 3 National Board of Review awards and many other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, translating to 3 notches over this one. The film was also a big hit as a home video release, selling 3 mil. copies in North America in its first day of release alone. Crowe returned with Almost Famous (2000). Cruise returned in Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Jerry Maguire is certified fresh at 84 % with a 7.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Jerry Maguire?

7/05/2022

Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996) - This turkey goes woof

♥

+ 2nd Worst Movie of the Year

A beautifully made painted poster for David R. Ellis' Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco

Three pets are on a wild track in San Francisco, California.

Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco is written by Chris Hauty (Never Back Down (2008)) and Julie Hickson (Hansel and Gretel (1983, TV movie)) and directed by debuting David R. Ellis (Snakes on a Plane (2006)). It is the sequel to Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993).

There is very little in the way of a story in the slow-going follow-up: Soap commercial-like scenes with people, ('characters' would be overselling them here), coupled with a cleaned up and insipid portrayal of San Francisco and the US overall. And then all the main scenes, of course, with the 'talking' animals, (or telepathically communicating, perhaps, because their mouths don't move.)

Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco is uninspired on all levels, but of course the dogs are cute to look at. Alone, though, they don't make this much of a film.

David R. Ellis: Final Destination 2 (2003) - Ellis's sequel is a ridiculous but impressive and entertaining array of wicked mayhem

1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: Unknown

Box office: 32.7 mil. $ (North America alone)

= Uncertain

[Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco was released 8 March (USA) and runs 89 minutes. Shooting took place from April - July 1995 in British Columbia, including in Vancouver, and in San Francisco, California. The film opened #2, behind The Birdcage, to an 8.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#3-#4), grossing 32.7 mil. $. The cost figure and international gross numbers are regrettably not known, and so the film's theatrical status cannot be made out. Ellis returned with Final Destination 2 (2003). Roger Ebert gave the film a 2/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Voice stars Michael J. Fox (Boston Legal (2006, TV-series)) returned in The Frighteners (1996); Sally Field (Eye for an Eye (1996)) in 6 TV credits prior to her theatrical return in Where the Heart Is (2000). Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco is rotten at 56 % with a 6.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco?

7/02/2022

1997 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Top 10 of the Year

1. Good Will Hunting - Gus Van Sant + Best American Movie of the Year + Best Drama of the Year + Best Massachusetts Movie of the Year

2. Happy Together/春光乍洩 (Chun gwong cha sit) - Wong Kar-Wai + Best Buenos Aires Movie of the Year + Best On-Screen Couple of the Year: Tony Leung & Leslie Cheung + Best Rainbow Movie of the Year + Best Romance of the Year

3. Bean/Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie/Bean: The Movie - Mel Smith + Breakthrough Actor of the Year: Rowan Atkinson + Best Comedy of the Year + Best Family Movie of the Year + Best Los Angeles Movie of the Year + Best Mega-Hit Movie of the Year

4. As Good As It Gets - James L. Brooks + Best Huge Hit of the Year + Best Romcom of the Year

5. Donnie Brasco - Mike Newell + Best Big Hit Movie of the Year + Best Gangster Movie of the Year + Best New York Movie of the Year + Best Period Movie of the Year

6. Boogie Nights - Paul Thomas Anderson + Shooting Star Actor of the Year: Mark Wahlberg

7. The Full Monty - Peter Cattaneo + Best Dance Movie of the Year + Best English Movie of the Year + Most Profitable Movie of the Year: 99.66 mil. $ range

8. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery - Jay Roach + Best New Franchise of the Year + Best Poster of the Year + Best Spoof Movie of the Year

9. Anastasia - Don Bluth, Gary Goldman + Best Musical of the Year

10. The Big One, documentary - Michael Moore + Best Political Movie of the Year

Other great movies (in alphabetical order):

The Boxer - Jim Sheridan + Best Boxing Movie of the Year + Best Irish Movie of the Year

Frasier - season 5 - David Angell, Peter Casey, David Lee + Best Returning TV-series of the Year + Best Sitcom of the Year

The Game - David Fincher + Best Big Flop Movie of the Year + Best Thriller of the Year + Costliest Flop of the Year: 26.24 mil. $ range

Other good, recommendable movies (in alphabetic order):

Chinese Box - Wayne Wang + Best Hong Kong Movie of the Year

Cop Land - James Mangold + Best Crime Drama of the Year

East Side Story, documentary - Dana Ranga

The Eel/うなぎ (Unagi) - Shôhei Imamura + Best Japanese Movie of the Year

Live Flesh/Carne Trémula - Pedro Almodóvar + Best Erotic Movie of the Year + Best Spanish Movie of the Year

The Bottom 10 of the Year

1. Contact - Robert Zemeckis + Most Deserved Flop of the Year + Most Overrated Movie of the Year

2. The Brave - Johnny Depp + Worst $ Return of the Year: 0.16 times the cost

3. Flubber - Les Mayfield

4. Alien: Resurrection - Jean-Pierre Jeunet

5. The Fifth Element/Le Cinquième Élément - Luc Besson + Most Undeserved Hit of the Year

6. Chasing Amy - Kevin Smith + Best $ Return of the Year: 60.4 times the cost

7. Con Air - Simon West

8. Absolute Power - Clint Eastwood + Worst Poser of the Year

9. Fireworks/Hana-bi/はなび - Takeshi Kitano

10. Amistad - Steven Spielberg

Other failed, mediocre and/or poor films (in alphabetic order):

Anaconda - Luis Llosa

Breakdown - Jonathan Mostow

The Devil's Advocate - Taylor Hackford

Face/Off - John Woo

G.I. Jane - Ridley Scott

Hercules - Ron Clements, John Musker

Home Alone 3 - Raja Gosnell + Best Chicago Movie of the Year

[35 titles in total]

Notes

1997 gets its first lists here, which cover one masterpiece of the year and one grade zero film.

The Top 10 list kicks off with the year's to date only reviewed masterpiece, Gus Van Sant's globally beloved young scholar drama Good Will Hunting. Taking silver and bronze are Wong Kar-Wai's remarkable expat romance Happy Together and Mel Smith's crowd-pleasing family comedy smash, Bean.

The top 10 goes on with James L. Brooks' delightful romcom As Good As It Gets; Mike Newell's solid gangster period drama Donnie Brasco; Paul Thomas Anderson's legendary porn business portrayal Boogie Nights; Peter Cattaneo's sensationally popular strip romp The Full Monty; Jay Roach's shag-a-delic spy spoof Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery; Don Bluth and Gary Goldman's splendid animated adventure Anastasia and finally Michael Moore's outraged - and hugely entertaining - documentary The Big One.

Among the other remarkable films of the year are another towering Daniel Day-Lewis performance in Jim Sheridan's The Boxer; Wayne Wang's melancholic Hong Kong lullaby Chinese Box; Shôhei Imamura's deliciously strange The Eel; and David Fincher's wild thriller ride The Game.

The Bottom 10 list is capped by Robert Zemeckis' almost unwatchable sci-fi epic Contact. Taking silver and bronze are Johnny Depp's catastrophic directorial debut, the native American/snuff film-themed indulgence The Brave and Les Mayfield's brain-attacking family-aimed monstrosity Flubber.

Rounding out the list of the year's most dubious duds are Jean-Pierre Jeunet's goo calamity Alien: Resurrection; Luc Besson's braindead space opera The Fifth Element; Kevin Smith's strenuous lesbian-themed romcom Chasing Amy; Simon West's sensory bombardment Con Air; Clint Eastwood's inauspicious homicidal president thriller Absolute Power; Takeshi Kitano's self-indulgent, self-pushing zen killer drama Fireworks; and finally Steven Spielberg's grand, ham-fisted rush job Amistad.

Besides Spielberg and Eastwood, the other master filmmakers who also disappointed in 1997 are Ridley Scott (G.I. Jane) and John Musker and Ron Clements (Hercules).

The year's biggest hits list is notable for the non-action (and non-Hollywood) titles that currently rank in the top: Comedies and two (part) British films are all the way in the front. Among the notable stars who had an especially great year are breakthroughs Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting) and Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting and indie hit Chasing Amy). Cementing their star status were Jack Nicholson (As Good As It Gets), Al Pacino (Donnie Brasco and The Devil's Advocate), Bruce Willis (The Fifth Element) and Nicolas Cage (Con Air and Face/Off), - as well as funny-men Rowan Atkinson (Bean) and Mike Myers (Austin Powers).

Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting, Flubber) and Johnny Depp (Donnie Brasco, The Brave) headed both major hits and major flops. Among the other notables whose output were costly flops were Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey (Contact), Michael Douglas (The Game) and Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder (Alien: Resurrection).

The lists are missing most of the year's important output still, of course, and future updates will include much more.

Biggest flops of the year:

[The loss is based solely on the cost and box office earnings for the films. Marketing costs and additional revenue (home video, TV rights and other auxiliary profits) are not taken into account]

1. The Game - 26.24 mil. $ range

2. Contact - 21.56 mil. $ range

3. Alien: Resurrection - 10.48 mil. $ range

4. Flubber - 8.84 mil. $ range

5. The Brave - 5.6 mil. $ range

= Combined losses: 72.72 mil. $

Biggest hits of the year:

[The gain is based solely on the cost and box office earnings for the films. Marketing costs and additional revenue (home video, TV rights and other auxiliary profits) are not taken into account]

1. The Full Monty - 99.66 mil. $ range

2. Bean - 82.48 mil. $ range

3. Good Will Hunting - 77.36 mil. $ range

4. As Good As It Gets - 75.64 mil. $ range

5. Face/Off - 18.24 mil. $ range

6. Hercules - 16.08 mil. $ range

7. The Fifth Element - 15.6 mil. $ range

8. Donnie Brasco - 14.96 mil. $ range

9. Con Air - 14.6 mil. $ range

10. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery - 10.58 mil. $

= Combined profits: 425.2 mil. $

1997 titles currently on the watch-list:

Kiss Me, Guido, Taste of Cherry, Open Your Eyes, The Long Way Home, Ma Vie en Rose, TwentyFourSeven, La Vie de Jésus, Wild Animals, See the Sea, Saint

Previous annual lists:

2021 in films - according to Film Excess

2020 in films - according to Film Excess

2019 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2019 in films - according to Film Excess
2018 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2018 in films - according to Film Excess
2017 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2017 in films - according to Film Excess
2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2016 in films - according to Film Excess

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess
2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2007 in films - according to Film Excess

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
2001 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

2000 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

1999 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

What do you think of the 1997 lists?
Which 1997 titles would make to your top and bottom lists?
Which worthwhile 1997 titles are missing on the watch-list?

Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!

Eagerly anticipating this month ... (6-25)

7/09/2022

Jingle All the Way (1996) - Gift-craze Christmas lampooned with fun Schwarzenegger performance

7/07/2022

Jerry Maguire (1996) - Crowe's wildly overrated sports agent vehicle

Cameron Crowe: 2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

We Bought a Zoo (2011) - Crowe's terrific family film

Elizabethtown (2005) - A cute piece of Crowe's world; just roll with it!

1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) - Heckerling's popular high school portrayal debut (writer; based on his book)

7/05/2022

Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996) - This turkey goes woof

7/02/2022

1997 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Eagerly anticipating this month ... (5-25)

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