Movie #355 - Lake Placid

Lake Placid
1999 - Rated R - 1 hr 22 min
Director: Steve Miner
Starring: Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt, Brendan Gleeson, Betty White, David Lewis, Mariska Hargitay

Oh, Betty White!! I think this movie might be the first time we saw this Golden Girl swear and it was so worth out.  And look where she is now!

Anyway, I know this movie is crappy.  It's like Anaconda. You want to hate it but you just keep watching it.  And you're rooting for Oliver Platt to get eaten by the crocodile and for Bridget Fonda to shut the hell up.  And you're glad to see Betty White's (SPOILER ALERT) "litter" of tiny crocodiles that will one day take over the placid lake and eat everyone.  Not psyched enough to watch Lake Placid 2 or Lake Placid 3, but psyched all the same.

And no, it does not take place at the real Lake Placid.  Bummer, I know. But the po-dunk town is the perfect place for this beastie to have its way with humanity.  Awesome.

Movie #294 - The Ice Harvest

The Ice Harvest
2005 - Rated R - 1 hr 32 min
Director: Harold Ramis
Starring: John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Platt

I'm moving steadily through the I's and the seventh shelf, so I'm pretty excited about that.  Plus, the letter I seems to be treating me pretty well so far.  Nothing I can't stand yet and plenty more goodies on the way.

Here, we have John Cusack, a personal favorite, in a movie that's a bit odd, but still decent.  A dark comedy about a mob-lawyer and a gangster who plot to rob their mob boss - what could go wrong?  Double-crosses happen, everything comes out in the wash, and our main character manages to wriggle free of all the traps set in front of him.

Oliver Platt is great as Cusack's "best friend" who openly admits he was sleeping with his wife while  Cusack was still married to her.  And oh yeah, Platt's married to her now.  Meanwhile, Cusack's in love with a strip club owner who's not exactly got his back.  Who's helping who?  And who survives?

The twists and turns make this one worth a watch.  Plus, the ensemble cast is just plain fun.  And crime movies set at Christmas are always a good time.

Movie #119 - Benny & Joon

Benny & Joon
MGM
1993 - Rated PG - 1 hr 38 min
Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Starring: Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, Aidan Quinn, Julianne Moore, Oliver Platt, William H. Macy

A Johnny Depp movie I've never seen!  Admittedly, he's a bit weird in this movie, but I still love him.  He's got 'wacky but charming' down to a tee, it's true.  And even with her psychological problems, I'm kinda jealous of Mary Stuart Masterson. Huh.

So this movie's a bit off-beat, but I recommend it if you ever wanted to learn how to make grilled cheese with an iron.  Just a thought. 

I'm glad I finally saw this, and learned that Johnny Depp's character's name is not in fact Benny, even if it does seem a bit weird and dated now.  It's a fun one, thanks to my pal Johnny, but it's not as heart-rendering as it wants to be.  Meh.