ROTTEN TOMATOES: James E. Laczkowski

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JAMES E. LACZKOWSKI

Agrees with the Tomatometer 69% of the time.

Biography: Freelance Film Critic & Entertainment Writer Since 1996. Fell in love with the medium in 1985 with "Back To The Future," then again with video rental in 1993 with "Reservoir Dogs." Became avid contributor to the greatest talk show in the world, Nick At Nite in 1997, hosted by the one and only Nick Digilio of WGN Radio AM 720. Eventually became a part-time critic with Purdue University, then moved on to be Entertainment Editor. Due to job politics, left there to pursue a non-paying, but rewarding gig as an online critic. Life is good. Have written reviews for free publications throughout NW Indiana as well as featured in several college and high school newspapers. Currently my reviews are featured at efilmcritic.com as well as epinions.com.

Favorites: The Royal Tenenbaums, Fearless, Reservoir Dogs, Pump Up The Volume, Contact, Magnolia, Fight Club, The Apartment, Taxi Driver, They Live, Donnie Darko, Back To The Future, Halloween, Broadcast News.

Publications: eFilmCritic.com, Epinions.com, Hollywood Bitchslap, Reel Review

Total Reviews: 106
Total QuickRatings: 2

Location: NW Indiana, 20 Minutes Shy Of Chicago

LISTING OF ALL REVIEWS & ARTICLES

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Showing 1 - 50 of 106

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Rating	T-Meter	Title \| Year	Add Date (default)

Fresh B-	Rotten 45%	Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)	" Not a spectacular entry into the trilogy, but the final showdown is a real hoot. Rodriguez's style is infectious and his flair and energy never falter." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Jul 25, 2003
Rotten F	Rotten 23%	Bad Boys II (2003)	" *I simply will not, and could not, see a worse film this year than Bad Boys II. Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer are bloodsucking ticks sucking the life out of us all." — Hollywood Bitchslap* Posted Jul 20, 2003
Rotten D-	Rotten 57%	Northfork (2003)	" Tries SO hard to be weird & original & ends up becoming annoying & lifeless. A pretty film that adds up to nothing. Overstuffed, ultimately silly, and clueless about what its trying to convey." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Jul 20, 2003
Fresh A	Fresh 90%	Whale Rider (2003)	" Keisha Castle-Hughes gives one of those performances that hardly looks like acting, but instead, responding and feeling to the scene or situation at hand. This is easily one of the most moving films of 2003." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Jul 15, 2003
Rotten C+	Fresh 88%	28 Days Later (2003)	" *Decent, but nothing spectacular. Boyle finally makes a good movie after Trainspotting* but its heavy-handed military complex third act bogs down a taut, terrifying first and second act.*" — Hollywood Bitchslap* Posted Jul 15, 2003
Fresh B-	Fresh 78%	Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)	" *At Least It's A Hell Of A Lot Better Than Cutthroat Island* And Johnny Depp Is Absolutely Extraordinary. He Steals The Movie Even When It Runs Long & Repetitive.*" — Hollywood Bitchslap* Posted Jul 15, 2003
Fresh B	Fresh 64%	The Eye (2003)	" You can see for yourself that this is a decent little horror flick. The only problem is that it�s a recycled idea, yet it�s extremely well directed, with some geniunely scary moments." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Jun 21, 2003
Rotten D-	Rotten 40%	Wrong Turn (2003)	" Hopefully this film will die a slow death at the box office and Hollywood will stop putting up green to make irredeemable garbage that has little to no entertainment value." — eFilmCritic.com Posted May 30, 2003
Rotten C	Fresh 81%	Blue Car (2003)	" *Tragic indie coming-of-age inspirational teacher drama that tries too hard. Blue Car* at two instances seem to negate all the emotional impact it invests in its audience.*" — Hollywood Bitchslap* Posted May 25, 2003
Fresh B+	Fresh 78%	Owning Mahowny (2003)	" A great true story character study that affirms Hoffman as a true talent. There are tense scenes in the film that are carried only by bank jargon and the mesmerizing exploration of compulsive gambling." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted May 25, 2003
Fresh B-	Fresh 69%	Manic (2003)	" Realistic, honest, and raw. But a film about this subject matter should be more candid and moving as a whole, and not just in spurts. The shaky camerawork subtracts from the overall emotional impact." — eFilmCritic.com Posted May 23, 2003
Fresh A	Rotten 59%	Down With Love (2003)	" Sublime, vivid, and endearing in every way possible. It may be alienating for some with its quirky eccentricity, but for me, that's one of the many reasons it appealed to me." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted May 18, 2003
Fresh A	Fresh 73%	The Matrix Reloaded (2003)	" Reloaded has moments including the highway chase sequence that it makes all other sci-fi films that come before it seem trivial by comparison." — eFilmCritic.com Posted May 15, 2003
Fresh A+	Fresh 65%	The Shape of Things (2003)	" This is LaBute's 2nd masterpiece after his debut film. As often as it employs the emotions, it also opens the mind to a perspective that is worth hearing, analyzing, and conversing over. Rudd is extraordinary. One of the year's best." — eFilmCritic.com Posted May 9, 2003
Rotten D	Fresh 62%	Identity (2003)	" What we sadly have here again is an exercise in audience trickery that will make you mad sooner than it will leave you riveted and entertained. Identity is a film that is constantly in crisis and eventually becomes ludicrous." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Apr 25, 2003
Fresh B+	Fresh 77%	Holes (2003)	" Full of zany subplots that seem to come out of the imagination and innocence of a child. Anyone who ventures out to see this adventure will dig Holes! Incredible entertainment for everyone!" — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Apr 19, 2003
Rotten F	Rotten 16%	House of 1000 Corpses (2003)	" The cinematic equivalent of crap. Not even fun in a campy way. Just annoying, derivative, and lazy horror filmmaking. About as fresh as a �Friday the 13th� sequel." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Apr 15, 2003
Fresh B+	Fresh 71%	Phone Booth (2003)	" A taut little thriller that redeems Schumacher & proves once and for all Farrell is a star. You can�t ask for more from a night out at the movies than this." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Apr 3, 2003
Fresh B-	Rotten 29%	Dreamcatcher (2003)	" A Bloody Entertaining Mess With B-Movie Sensibilities. It Has Its Share Of Flaws, But They Don't Take You Out Of The Insanity Of This Gory Little Creature Feature." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Mar 30, 2003
Fresh B	Fresh 72%	Dummy (2003)	" A quirky, unconventional romantic comedy with a "find your voice" message that isn't forced. Brody is as good as he was in "The Pianist" in a completely different kind of role." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Mar 23, 2003
Fresh A+	Fresh 71%	All the Real Girls (2003)	" Best film of 2003 so far. �All The Real Girls� is doused in rare emotional clarity that never comes along in this day and age of the J.Lo romantic comedy world. See it to embrace it." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Feb 28, 2003
Fresh B+	Rotten 57%	Dark Blue (2003)	" Russell is able to jump from rapid ferocious anger, to drunken disillusioned dismay without even flinching. He is the reason to see this movie. Re-discover how volatile and vital Russell is in the acting community." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Feb 22, 2003
Fresh B	Rotten 44%	Daredevil (2003)	" I was blind-sighted by how much I enjoyed this film. It's a servicable entry into a genre that I thought I have grown tired of. Guess not." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Feb 16, 2003
Fresh A	Rotten 52%	Dopamine (2003)	" A monumental romantic drama that should be seen by everyone for its incredible insight about relationships. Lloyd and Livingston give breakout performances in a very special, wholly unique story." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Feb 16, 2003
Fresh A+	Fresh 78%	Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)	" For Barris, it may have just come from a need to escape the fate of being a nobody. For Kaufman, it�s to write the next great big scene. The two of them create their own worlds, for us to live in vicariously, and decide whether if it�s fact, or fiction." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Jan 24, 2003
Fresh B+	Fresh 83%	Narc (2002)	" A clear homage to 70s cop dramas that although is achingly familiar, is still carried by two extraordinary actors giving two extraordinary performances. Liotta & Patric are mesmerizing!" — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Jan 11, 2003
Fresh A	Fresh 92%	Talk to Her (2002)	" Everything comes full circle for Almodovar in his most accessible and most heartfelt film yet. There's audacity, visual flair, humor, heart, and it won't leave your mind for days. Stunning!" — eFilmCritic.com Posted Dec 28, 2002
Fresh B	Fresh 95%	The Pianist (2002)	" Slow, But Rewarding Holocaust Tale With Brody Stealing The Show. A Fine Film From Polanski That Could've Used A Bit More Of An Emotional Core." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Dec 27, 2002
Rotten D-	Fresh 69%	Max (2002)	" A great premise does not make for a great movie. One of the most laughably bad and lifeless films of the year. Cusack needs a comeback and fast!" — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Dec 26, 2002
Fresh B-	Fresh 78%	Antwone Fisher (2002)	" Conventional hollywood fluff saved by Washington's subtle direction, and Derek Luke's assured selfless performance." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Dec 20, 2002
Fresh A+	Fresh 78%	25th Hour (2002)	" Without question, the very best film of 2002 and Spike Lee's best film to date. Includes a sequence that should and will go down in cinematic history." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Dec 20, 2002
Fresh B+	Fresh 91%	Adaptation (2002)	" Kaufman is conscious of his own flaws within in his own head, but that doesn�t excuse the fact that there are still no flaws to be found. Cage is great, and there's a lot to admire, but it's no masterpiece." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Dec 15, 2002
Rotten C-	Rotten 37%	Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)	" Resistance isn't futile! Just avoid this one. Don't walk in with the expectations that this one will evolve or improve from the lifeless "Insurrection." It does not." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Dec 14, 2002
Fresh B	Fresh 65%	Solaris (2002)	" One of those films I stand by simply because charismatic Clooney does a fine job here, and Soderbergh continues to keep things interesting and unpredictable." — Reel Review Posted Dec 2, 2002
Fresh A+	Fresh 91%	Far From Heaven (2002)	" By confronting relevant issues today, Haynes has outdone himself by peeling back the layers in each character, revealing their vulnerability, showing us what it takes for these two to survive in a world that looks down on forbidden, devious desires." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Nov 21, 2002
Rotten C	Fresh 67%	Interview with the Assassin (2002)	" It becomes gimmicky instead of compelling. "Interview" loses its overall sense of mystery and becomes a TV episode rather than a documentary that you actually buy into." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Nov 14, 2002
Rotten C+	Fresh 74%	8 Mile (2002)	" It's Hard To 'Lose Yourself' In The Moment with '8 Mile' You expect more from director Curtis Hanson, but what makes it somewhat worthwhile are the performances by Em and Phifer." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Nov 13, 2002
Fresh B	Fresh 72%	Auto Focus (2002)	" Schrader is bleak and he doesn't really delve into Bob Crane as a human being. As it stands, it's still a fine inspection of sexual addiction that is highlighted by Kinnear's astounding performance." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Nov 7, 2002
Fresh A-	Rotten 48%	Femme Fatale (2002)	" Good to have you back Brian, now that you've returned from Mars! DePalma is back in action, doing what he does best. This is one of the year's most entertaining films." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Nov 6, 2002
Fresh A	Fresh 93%	At Close Range (1986)	" Disheartening, dark, but very powerful due largely in part to some of the best acting ever portrayed on screen." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Nov 5, 2002
Fresh B+	Rotten 48%	In the Mouth of Madness (1995)	" Things aren't always pleasant in the mind of John Carpenter. But the guy is incapable of making an uninteresting entry into the horror genre. Social satire mixed with gore makes for a pretty fun time." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Nov 5, 2002
Fresh A+	Fresh 69%	The Grey Zone (2002)	" �The Grey Zone,� is one of the best films of 2002. For my money, it confirms once and for all, that Tim Blake Nelson is a name that should not be forgotten any time soon." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Oct 27, 2002
Fresh B-	Rotten 48%	Jackass: The Movie (2002)	" Feces, Vomit, And Blood, Oh My! But Is It Art Or Exploitation? I'd like to think it's both, and with that, I recommend it only for those with strong stomachs." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Oct 27, 2002
Fresh A	Fresh 71%	The Ring (2002)	" Saturated in flickering frames of terror that resonate much more than a Marilyn Manson video, �The Ring� comes full circle by the end, leaving you dazed, disturbed, and electrified." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Oct 22, 2002
Rotten D-	Rotten 17%	Abandon (2002)	" Abandons all plausibility & manages to make 90 minutes feel like 9 hours! Shame on you, Stephen Gaghan!" — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Oct 20, 2002
Rotten C+	Fresh 69%	White Oleander (2002)	" Another case of outside looking in with Pfeiffer stealing the show as always. There's a lot to admire here, but not quite enough to fully engage the viewer." — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Oct 13, 2002
Fresh A+	Fresh 96%	Bowling for Columbine (2002)	" Moore's latest strikes the heart and leaves no issue unexamined. One of the best films of 2002, and one of the most important documentaries ever." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Oct 11, 2002
Fresh A-	Fresh 64%	Moonlight Mile (2002)	" Strong characterization, superb use of music, Silberling takes the potential he showed in "City Of Angels" and channels it into something painfully real and uplifting." — eFilmCritic.com Posted Oct 9, 2002
Rotten D-	Fresh 68%	Red Dragon (2002)	" One of the worst films of the year. Tired, lifeless, a complete waste of great talent and Hopkins is still a ham. Let's move on from the serial killer genre ASAP" — Hollywood Bitchslap Posted Oct 6, 2002
Rotten C	Fresh 74%	Secretary (2002)	" Gyllenhaal gives a star-making performance in a meandering S&M fairy tale. What is this film trying to be when all is said and slapped?" — eFilmCritic.com Posted Oct 3, 2002

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A	The RookieOffsite
A+	FrailtyOffsite
A-	InsomniaOffsite
B+	Panic RoomOffsite
B	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneOffsite
B-	The Deep EndOffsite
C+	HappinessOffsite
C	We Were SoldiersOffsite
C-	Hart's WarOffsite
D+	The OthersOffsite
D	Kissing Jessica SteinOffsite
D-	SlackersOffsite
F	Soul SurvivorsOffsite

A	Whale RiderOffsite
A	Down With LoveOffsite
A	The Matrix ReloadedOffsite
A+	The Shape of ThingsOffsite
A+	All the Real GirlsOffsite
A	DopamineOffsite
A+	Confessions of a Dangerous MindOffsite
A	Talk to HerOffsite
A+	25th HourOffsite
A+	Far From HeavenOffsite

F	Bad Boys IIOffsite
F	House of 1000 CorpsesOffsite
F	SignsOffsite
F	Teaching Mrs. TingleOffsite
F	UnfaithfulOffsite
F	Soul SurvivorsOffsite
D-	NorthforkOffsite
D-	Wrong TurnOffsite
D-	MaxOffsite
D-	AbandonOffsite

JAMES E. LACZKOWSKI

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