Practical Magic

Practical Magic

Village Roadshow Pictures etc.

October 16, 1998

Fantasy, Dramedy, Romance

DVD
C+

I kept rooting for this to be better than it is, because there are definitely elements I like: witchcraft, the setting of a small New England coastal town, the (mostly) all-female family, and the cast.  But it just didn't have, well, the magic it needed, in either the adaptation of Alice Hoffman's novel or in the direction by Griffin Dunne.

An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London
Universal
August 21, 1981
Comedy, Horror
DVD
C

While I'm not a horror fan, I can see why this became a cult classic.  I tuned out after a quarter-hour and might've gone with a lower grade if I'd seen any of the actual gore.  Still, the touches of humor aren't bad and Naughton and Dunne work well together.  And, yes, now I have to listen to not only the "Werewolves of London" song but a Dr. Pepper commercial or two....

Addicted to Love

Addicted to Love
Warner Bros
May 23, 1997
Romantic Comedy
DVD
D+


I'll admit to having lower standards for romcoms than some genres, but, honestly, it's hard to feel sympathy for a man who gets a "Dear John" letter and then flies to New York in order to stalk his ex and her new lover.  (Well, initially he wants to get her back, but then he finds out about the new guy and decides to stay in the City and stalk them.)  I also have an anti-Meg-Ryan bias, but she isn't in the first quarter-hour, so my grade is not influenced by her in this case.  Still, the music was kind of nice, so D+.