No One Knows I'm Gone

 

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 107 minutes

Box Office (in today’s dollars): 417 million (approximately)

Characters: Malcolm Crowe, Cole Sear, Lynn Sear, Anna Crowe, Vincent Gray/Grey, Kyra Collins, Tommy Tammisimo

Favorite Quote: “I see dead people.”

Favorite Scene: I see dead people scene

Favorite Character: Cole Sear

Other need-to-see movies nineties movies directed by M. Night Shyamalan: none

I remember when this movie came out and if you had seen it, you couldn’t talk about it with anyone that had not seen it yet so as to not spoil the ending, which was tough because it has one of the great twists of all time. The performances were also great, not giving away any clues and keeping you in suspense. Unfortunately, the performances were not awarded any Oscars. Haley Joel Osment (Cole Sear) should have won over Michael Caine. Toni Collette (Lynn Sear) should have won over Angelina Jolie. Even Donnie Wahlberg (Vincent Gray/Grey)) was amazing, and he was only on screen for a total of three minutes!! Malcolm Crowe (played by Bruce Willis) was probably my favorite character in 1999, but now it is Cole. He is the movie. Personally, I think Bruce Willis gives a better performance in M. Night Shyamalan’s next movie Unbreakable.

“Keep moving, cheese dick” is my favorite line from the movie. Just kidding; it’s “I see dead people.” Everyone was saying it then, and you probably know someone that says it now. Speaking of I see dead people, the scene where Cole says it to Malcolm is my favorite scene from the movie. Cole is basically revealing the twist of the movie, yet nobody sees it coming. The thing I love most about this scene is that Malcolm thinks he is the one in control of this conversation. I can’t really explain it, but his eyes give you the feel of him slow playing Cole into revealing more about himself . . . when in fact it is Cole slow playing Malcolm, who doesn’t realize that Cole is talking about him being **spoiler alert** one of the dead people he sees. It is this scene that should have sealed the deal for Haley Joel Osment winning all the awards.

After watching the movie a second time, you start to pick up on the clues that give away the ending. Cold temperature or the color red are used when ghosts are present. You also pick up on the fact that Tommy Tammisimo really does suck big time.

Next movie to review: Fight Club

Soldier's Things

 

The Iron Giant (1999)

Rating: PG

Runtime: 87 minutes

Box Office (in today’s dollars): 33 million (approximately)

Characters: The Iron Giant, Hogarth Hughes, Annie Hughes, Dean McCoppin, Kent Mansley, General Rogard

Favorite Quote: “Here, pretend you’re a gangster.”

Favorite Scene: When Iron Giant flies like Superman and sacrifices himself to save the town

Favorite Character: The Iron Giant

Other need-to-see nineties movies directed by Brad Bird: none

The third and final animated movie on my 90s movie list. I am not sure they could be any more different. Toy Story was G and for the kids, South Park was R and for the adults, and this movie was right in the middle. I can’t be positive that the town in the movie (Rockwell) was a shout out to the real-life town (Roswell) . . . but the Iron Giant was an alien/robot and there was a UFO in New Mexico. The truth is out there!! There are not many characters to chose from for favorite, but even if there were, I would choose the Iron Giant anyway. Hogarth’s mom Annie is cool, Dean McCoppin is weird, and Kent Mansley is a jerk; although he does say my favorite quote. I am not sure why it makes me laugh so much, or why I didn’t pick “I am not a gun”, or “Souls don’t die.”

There are several heart-breaking moments in the film that would make just about anyone cry. When Iron Giant does his best Superman impression (my favorite scene), and when his parts are finding their way back to each other at the end are about as perfect as you will ever see. I am not sure why this movie didn’t do better at the box office. Maybe people were not ready for a non-Disney/Pixar movie to succeed. Side note: Chicken Run was a top 20 movie the next year and Shrek was the second most successful movie in 2001. Too soon Iron Giant, too soon!!

At some point in the movie Hogarth calls Iron Giant a “Bad robot!!” I always thought this is where J.J. Abrams got the name of his production company from. He claims it is not and that the name “came to him” during a meeting. Not sure if I believe that…but it always makes me think of LOST (a J.J. Abrams creation and my favorite tv show of all time). I have yet to find a show that has made my feel the same way since its run from 2004 to 2010. If only I could go back.

Next movie to review: The Sixth Sense

Whistlin' Past the Graveyard

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Rating: R

Runtime: 81 minutes

Box Office (in today’s dollars): 200 million (approximately)

Characters: Heather Donahue, Josh Leonard, Mike Williams

Favorite Quote: “I’m scared to close my eyes. I’m scared to open them.”

Favorite Scene: The end scene where Heather sees Mike standing in the corner

Favorite Character: Heather

Other need-to-see nineties movies directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez: none

I remember reading about this movie and believing the events were real . . . up until about three days before it hit the theaters. To be fair, this was before the internet was everywhere, in my world anyway. I had to travel a distance to find a theater that was playing it, and even though I saw it during the daytime, I was so scared driving home. Who would have thought piles of rocks, stick people, and a bag of teeth could be so terrifying?? The movie itself is basic: there are only three main characters, and it’s only about 80 minutes long. But so much happens (or doesn’t) in that small amount of time that you are on the edge of your seat (or under it). Heather is the “leader” of the group, so she is my favorite. Josh isn’t around for much of the movie and Mike is kind of a jerk, so it was easy to choose her.

The movie is designed to be improvised, so the dialogue feels so real . . . because it is. My favorite line from the movie is delivered by Heather, even though the snot running from her nose is a little distracting. “I’m scared to close my eyes. I’m scared to open them”, is something I could see myself saying in that situation. The scene that was the most scariest was also my favorite and it still gives me chills just thinking about it. Mike standing in the corner and Heather dropping the camera . . . I couldn’t get out of the theater fast enough!!

This review has taken me a while to write. I watched this movie for my blog in September of 2019. I then moved into a house in October in Vermont, after living in an apartment for 14 years in New Hampshire. My mom died two weeks later, and then I got married two months after that. I just didn’t have the drive to sit down in front of a computer and type. But I can now move on to the next movie. I’m finally finished.

Next movie to review: The Iron Giant