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Santa Cruz Sentinel

Tomatometer-approved publication.

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Rating Title | Year Author Quote
D
North (1994) Tom Long "North" is absolutely terrible.
Posted Jan 26, 2026  Edit critic review
Misery (1990) Rick Chatenever It takes a while to build, and to find its rhythm, but by the end the movie has the audience in its clutches, screaming -- in both fear and fun -- at its roller coaster ride through the emotions.
Posted Jan 22, 2026  Edit critic review
B+
The American President (1995) Wallace Baine As a romance, "President" hits all the right buttons and plays out the absurdity of the situation beautifully.
Posted Jan 20, 2026  Edit critic review
A
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Adam Sandel Jackson succumbs to several endings. But after sitting spellbound through three hours of adrenaline-pumping action and suspense, the prolonged resolutions feel like a welcome relief.
Posted Jan 14, 2026  Edit critic review
Stand by Me (1986) Rick Chatenever Funny, touching, tightly-directed and richly evocative.
Posted Jan 13, 2026  Edit critic review
B+
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Wallace Baine The Two Towers is thoroughly enjoyable, sometimes even breathtaking, despite the fact that it feels less like a movie and more like an episode of a mini-series.
Posted Jan 13, 2026  Edit critic review
B-
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Wallace Baine Love proves an illusory goal in an epic that doesn't conjure much magic that wasn't already there in J.R.R. Tolkien's original text.
Posted Jan 13, 2026  Edit critic review
5/5
A Few Good Men (1992) Tom Long This is hardly traditional Christmas blockbuster material, but Reiner is able to guide his story of misguided honor and conduct with such skill that it's hard to imagine anyone who wouldn't get sucked into the drama.
Posted Jan 08, 2026  Edit critic review
The Sure Thing (1985) J.A. Conner Like The Breakfast Club, The Sure Thing features identifiable characters who learn to communicate and change during the course of the picture. And, above all, it's funny and entertaining.
Posted Jan 08, 2026  Edit critic review
The Princess Bride (1987) Rick Chatenever It's a film full of surprises. While it's not quite as great as the child within is secretly hoping, it is far more enthralling than the jaded adult expects it to be.
Posted Jan 07, 2026  Edit critic review
2/4
Hook (1991) Tom Long Hook has nothing new to say. What is new is the clumsiness with which Spielberg delivers his message.
Posted Dec 19, 2025  Edit critic review
Christine (1983) J.A. Conner John Carpenter's direction here is much more focused and adroit than in any previous effort.
Posted Dec 17, 2025  Edit critic review
Big Top Pee-wee (1988) Rick Chatenever It's semi-enjoyable, but hardly the greatest show on earth.
Posted Dec 14, 2025  Edit critic review
B+
True Lies (1994) Tom Long It's big, It's loud, it's spectacular, brassy and especially sassy.
Posted Dec 10, 2025  Edit critic review
The Abyss (1989) Rick Chatenever Calling it abysmal is a little unfair ... but it does come up all wet.
Posted Dec 09, 2025  Edit critic review
The Terminator (1984) Tom Long Arnold's career has pretty much peaked with this production. It's doubtful that Arnold will ever again find a role so perfectly suited to his talents.
Posted Dec 08, 2025  Edit critic review
The Running Man (1987) Rick Chatenever Packed in between the muscles, the chainsaw duels, the gratuitous sadism and the assorted explosions, comes a genuinely intelligent, if cynical, script.
Posted Nov 06, 2025  Edit critic review
Predator 2 (1990) John Robinson The action and special effects are almost enough to make you forget how plodding the movie really is.
Posted Oct 31, 2025  Edit critic review
Dracula (1979) Rick Chatenever Under the direction of John Badham, "Dracula's" combination of strong acting, innovative and convincing special effects, music by John Williams and script by W.D. Richter all come together to create just the right mood of eerie foreboding.
Posted Oct 23, 2025  Edit critic review
From Beyond (1986) Rick Chatenever Director Stuart Gordon once again has his way with an H.P. Lovecraft story, coming up with results that are enough to make you sick.
Posted Oct 20, 2025  Edit critic review
Re-Animator (1985) Tom Long There's no denying that this is a powerful, confident film filled with ideas and innovations. Unfortunately, all those ideas and innovations are so drenched in blood that they are virtually unwatchable.
Posted Oct 16, 2025  Edit critic review
My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) Rick Chatenever For the culturally curious, too, it offers glimpses of a little world that might easily be overlooked in the great scheme of things.
Posted Oct 10, 2025  Edit critic review
A
The Celluloid Closet (1995) Wallace Baine Entertaining from the first minute.
Posted Oct 08, 2025  Edit critic review
Tron (1982) J.A. Conner Writer/Director Steve Lisberger has crafted an action-filled adventure yarn which still manages to set a few brain waves fluttering.
Posted Oct 06, 2025  Edit critic review
B
Casper (1995) Tom Long OK, OK, nothing makes much sense and the film turns into a study in contraptions and cliches toward the end, but so what? This is a movie for little Janie and Jake, not for snooty Uncle Paul.
Posted Oct 03, 2025  Edit critic review
To Sleep With Anger (1990) Rick Chatenever For all the success the cast achieves putting real people up there on the screen, filmmaker Burnett has his problems knowing quite what to do with them.
Posted Sep 25, 2025  Edit critic review
A-
Spider-Man (2002) Wallace Baine What you'll get is a more-or-less faithful re-telling oh how young Parker went from zero to hero -- with a nicely accessible performance from star Tobey Maguire and thrilling visuals.
Posted Sep 24, 2025  Edit critic review
A-
Boogie Nights (1997) Wallace Baine Boogie Nights might be the first honest exploration of the hedonist show-biz soul of the 1970s ever committed to film. Funny that it took a director who was a schoolboy at the time to do it.
Posted Sep 24, 2025  Edit critic review
Night of the Living Dead (1990) John Robinson The special effects are pretty good.
Posted Sep 18, 2025  Edit critic review
A
Toy Story (1995) Wallace Baine Toy Story is a blast from start to finish, and any kid between 2 and 12 ho doesn't love this movie has a serious Wednesday Addams complex.
Posted Sep 10, 2025  Edit critic review
Darkman (1990) John Robinson "Darkman" is not a classic, but at least it's a lot of fun.
Posted Aug 26, 2025  Edit critic review
A-
Requiem for a Dream (2000) Wallace Baine It's a deeply uncomfortable, even appalling film to watch. But there's no denying Aronofsky's mad genius behind the camera.
Posted Aug 22, 2025  Edit critic review
D
Mortal Kombat (1995) Tom Long It has no redeeming social or aesthetic value whatsoever, which will probably make it all the more attractive to its target audience.
Posted Aug 19, 2025  Edit critic review
A
Babe (1995) Wallace Baine Laugh if you want to, sophistos, but here's something that may surprise you. "Babe" is a wonderfully engaging film, a live-action fable that blends a distinctly "Animal Farm" social take with a pleasingly droll comic touch.
Posted Jul 30, 2025  Edit critic review
Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) Dave Gingold "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" is a truly rare film romp that is "wacky" in a good sense. Little falls flat or seems forced, and much of the movie is every bit as refreshing as the director's visual style.
Posted Jul 30, 2025  Edit critic review
Waterworld (1995) Tom Long For any fan of action, adventure and special effects, it's worth the price of a ticket. Miracle of miracles, this whale floats.
Posted Jul 28, 2025  Edit critic review
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) Rick Chatenever "The Naked Gun" is silly and frivolous -- and thoroughly entertaining.
Posted Jul 24, 2025  Edit critic review
A
Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994) Tom Long If laughter is the best medicine, Frank Drebin may be the best thing to happen to America since penicillin. Or at least Preparation H.
Posted Jul 22, 2025  Edit critic review
Explorers (1985) J.A. Conner Dante, as usual, gives this project that extra little satirical edge that goes so far in selling the overall fantasy element, mitigating the now-cliched "Spielberg kid," a Hollywood prop rapidly wearing out its welcome.
Posted Jul 10, 2025  Edit critic review
Superman: The Movie (1978) Rick Chatenever The special effects that make the man fly make the film fly as well, and besides an all-star cast, Superman also features unexpected wit in its comic book-inspired script.
Posted Jul 08, 2025  Edit critic review
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) Tom Long The film spends much too much time on predictable patterns and just forgets the story.
Posted Jul 02, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/4
Jurassic Park (1993) Tom Long Stupendously bad in that it is both stupendous and bad. It is also further confirmation that Spielberg, so inspired and brilliant in his early films, has become little more than a high-tech hack in his later career.
Posted Jul 01, 2025  Edit critic review
Superman II (1980) Rick Chatenever Viewers may get the impression that they've seen most of this Super stuff before in "Part I," but that seems to detract only slightly from the way this film brings Superman back into our lives with humor, power and all the hope that fantasy can provide.
Posted Jun 28, 2025  Edit critic review
Supergirl (1984) Rick Chatenever Director Jeannot Szwarc is barely in control of this tale.
Posted Jun 27, 2025  Edit critic review
A
Apollo 13 (1995) Tom Long Not one flag is waved. There are no patriotic slogans, no jingoistic speeches. The word America isn't even stressed. And yet Ron Howard's Apollo 13 is the most purely American film in memory. It is also the best film so far this year.
Posted Jun 25, 2025  Edit critic review
The Karate Kid Part II (1986) Rick Chatenever Avildsen wisely indulges himself in the warmth of his characters, maintaining a refreshing modesty as tier respective romances blossom.
Posted May 28, 2025  Edit critic review
The Karate Kid (1984) Rick Chatenever Its moral contest may be oversimplified, and its sentiments perhaps overstated -- but Avildsen has still crated a fine alternative to mindless teenage fodder at the movies.
Posted May 27, 2025  Edit critic review
Starman (1984) J.A. Conner Carpenter's direction is sure-handed and sympathetic, showing an equal flair for hardware, and humor.
Posted May 13, 2025  Edit critic review
C.H.U.D. (1984) Tom Long "C.H.U.D." has absolutely no redeeming points to it.
Posted May 10, 2025  Edit critic review
B
Mission: Impossible II (2000) Catherine Graham It's fast, funny and sexy, an action movie for people who tend to not like action movies.
Posted May 08, 2025  Edit critic review
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