So much to say this week! Let’s get to it!

Austin’s take:
Get Shorty: I really don’t need to go into why this is getting a high score do I? A great cast of actors at their peak, Barry Sonnenfeld on his A-game, a Scott Frank adaptation of Elmore Leonard. This one doesn’t really even feel 20. It crackles with life. Good thing nobody ever tried to do a halfbaked sequel.
Rating: 8.5

Mallrats: One of the defining sophomore slumps. Kevin Smith went from the rawness of Clerks to a day-glo idiot comedy. Oh wait, those were critics in 1995. I love the living hell out of Mallrats. I’ve seen it many times. I think it’s held up great, mostly because it’s exactly as dumb as it wants to be. This isn’t Smith trying to be smart, not his best move. It’s an idiot film and one that has a much better reputation than expected in 1995.
Rating: 8

Never Talk To Strangers: Harry Knowles discussed this in his book. That’s literally everything I know about it. He discussed it and made it sound inane. No, not even remotely recalled.
Rating: 1

Now & Then: A good cast. But not at all well reviewed and the premise sounded dreadfully sappy. I don’t hear this one brought up ever. I won’t go 1 because there was development of a tv series but meh.
Rating: 2
Albert’s take

Now and Then rings the tiniest bell in my memory. It certainly has a lot of actors that loom large in my childhood; Demi Moore, Christina Ricci, Melanie Griffith, Rosie O’Donnell, Rita Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, etc. Quite a cast! I may have caught a brief glimpse of box art in a video store, or seen a trailer at the front of a video tape, but otherwise that’s about it. It’s probably a film I wouldn’t have watched at that age, as it was geared toward women and girls Though I did watch and often enjoy my share of movies geared toward women and girls growing up (thanks to my mother and sister), to be fair.

Never Talk To Strangers. I don’t remember this film at all, but this is Antonio Bandaras in his heyday. He was a heartthrob (still is, really), and in this film he uses his status to make a cautionary tale. I’ll be honest, this movie looks like the antithesis to Fifty Shades of Grey. THIS is exactly how that movie should’ve played out (and would in a real-life scenario). It would make a great double feature (the ONLY time I’ll say that about Fifty Shades of Grey).

Mallrats! I wouldn’t become acquainted with this film until 11 years after its release, when I went through a huge Kevin Smith phase. I still love the film. Even though it’s dated to a specific place and a specific time in the culture, it still holds up as a fun, relatable film. It’s probably not as well liked as Smith’s other films, but it marks the first time that he gets to make a studio-produced film, which is something. He’s now back to his roots, making smaller, independent films, but he can do that now! And I think he actually works a lot better in that space. But I digress, Mallrats is a great film that launched a lot of careers (namely Ben Affleck’s), and I can’t wait for Mallrats 2!

Get Shorty is a fantastic film based on a fantastic novel. I would remember its release in ’95, but I wouldn’t see it until college 10 years later. Based on a novel by Elmore Leonard, and directed by journeyman comedy director Barry Sonnenfeld, Get Shorty is pretty much a 1:1 adaptation of the book. It’s a hilarious misadventure about the nature of Hollywood and moviemaking, told from the prospective of the producers. John Travola is so smooth in this film as Chili Palmer, you can’t help but like him. This film is a rare film that has a great staying power that transcends its release date. Not exactly timeless per se, but you can watch it and never think it’s dated, it’s so wonderful.

NOstalgia Ratings:

Now and Then – 3 3/4 Stars
Never Talk To Strangers – 3 Stars
Mallrats – 7 1/2 Stars
Get Shorty – 9 Stars