YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON YOUR FRIENDS. DON’T EVER LET THE FIRE GO OUT. Joel Schumacher’s breakthrough as director is a now-classic Brat Pack movie (along with the same year’s The Breakfast Club) about a group of friends who are all trying to get used to life as adults after graduating from Georgetown. In their … Continue reading St. Elmo’s Fire
A DISTRICT ATTORNEY OUT FOR A CONVICTION. A NEW LAWYER OUT OF HER LEAGUE. A YOUNG BOY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. After witnessing a mob attorney’s suicide, and learning his secrets, 11-year-old Mark (Brad Renfro) finds himself in danger; attorney Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon) tries to protect him from the mob and the authorities. Joel … Continue reading The Client
A LAWYER AND HIS ASSISTANT FIGHTING TO SAVE A FATHER ON TRIAL FOR MURDER. A TIME TO QUESTION WHAT THEY BELIEVE. A TIME TO DOUBT WHAT THEY TRUST. AND NO TIME FOR MISTAKES. Young Mississippi attorney Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey) takes a case where a black man (Samuel L. Jackson) stands accused of having murdered … Continue reading A Time to Kill
WHEN TERROR IS AT YOUR DOOR, YOU CAN RUN, OR YOU CAN FIGHT. The wealthy Miller family’s mansion is invaded one night by armed robbers looking for a diamond stash that they know is in the house. Joel Schumacher serves up 90 minutes of boredom with liberal doses of nastiness as a game plays out … Continue reading Trespass
THE TRUTH WILL FIND YOU. Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey), a professional dog catcher, starts reading a book and recognizes himself in the story; he subsequently becomes obsessed with the number 23. The idea that everything in the world is connected to the number 23 is an old theory that is a stretch to believe in … Continue reading The Number 23
BEING WILD IS IN THEIR BLOOD. Michael and Sam Emerson (Jason Patric, Corey Haim) move with their mother to a small town in California where they discover that a local gang of teenagers are vampires. I understand why this film was popular for a while – the soundtrack has engaging tunes, director Joel Schumacher paces … Continue reading The Lost Boys
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT. A mysterious figure (Gerard Butler) terrorizing an opera house in Paris keeps demanding that a talented chorus singer (Emmy Rossum) gets promoted. Joel Schumacher, of all people, is the one to bring Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart’s famous musical to the big screen; results are opulent and … Continue reading The Phantom of the Opera
WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO KILL VERONICA GUERIN? The true story of Irish journalist Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett) who tried to expose dangerous drug dealers in Dublin – and was killed for it in 1996. Director Joel Schumacher takes an interest in a very serious story, this one ripped from the headlines. Part of the … Continue reading Veronica Guerin
YOUR LIFE IS ON THE LINE. New York PR man Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell), who lies for a living, finds himself trapped in the city’s last phone booth, talking to a killer who’s determined to make him repent. An experimental thriller from a director who tried to change the direction of his career in the early … Continue reading Phone Booth
STRENGTH. COURAGE. HONOR. AND LOYALTY. Batman opus #4 threw in too many stupid one-liners and ridiculous gadgets; Batman even has a personal credit card. This is to some extent a (not very funny) comedy that doesn’t know what to focus on; there’s two villains, Batgirl is introduced, Batman and Robin fight over a woman and … Continue reading Batman & Robin
COURAGE NOW, TRUTH ALWAYS… The third Batman film saw Tim Burton handing over directing duties to Joel Schumacher who brought some light into this franchise. It became more kiddie-oriented, the dialogue was more humorous and the colors became so bright they made one think of that old TV show. There was too much of everything; … Continue reading Batman Forever
