041. Shining Through

041. (29 Jan) Shining Through (1992, David Seltzer) 16



It'd be possible to disregard the plot of Shining Through if it wasn't entirely about the plot. Despite production value and a somewhat reputable cast, the film just uses them to put a completely nonsensical story front and center. If ever there was a time to let style rule over substance, this was it. The script is just so far-fetched and terrible, and Melanie Griffith is wretched trying to play a utilitarian, yet career-minded American spy. Earning the Razzie for Worst Picture while being about WWII and the Holocaust is no easy task, but this couldn't deserve the distinction more.

024. The Bonfire of the Vanities

024. (22 Jan) The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990, Brian De Palma) 13



A notorious critical and commercial failure for all the right reasons, The Bonfire of the Vanities is all style, no substance. De Palma is so lost in his intricate tracking shots, he loses focus on a screenplay that's oblivious, offensive and irritating. He should be ashamed of himself, but then so should the ensemble. Kim Cattrall, Melanie Griffith and Tom Hanks are the worst in that order, but only Morgan Freeman comes off well. The courtroom scenes are some of the worst I've ever seen, defying reality in ways that should offend anyone with a shred of common sense.