68 Elvis Mitchell Quotes for You to Enjoy

Elvis Mitchell

American Critic

Born: Dec 6, 1958

Director First People Will Work You

Related authors: George Steiner Henry Louis Gates James Wolcott Kimberly Guilfoyle Margaret Fuller Pauline Kael Roger Ebert bell hooks

Often, when Jim Carrey plays it straight, all of the vitality is drained from his face; he looks like a root-canal patient trying out a pleasant expression for his oral surgeon. Elvis Mitchell

Surgeon Face Patient Drained Pleasant Jim Jim Carrey Out Vitality He Like Looks His Trying Oral Often Straight Expression Plays

'Plan Nine From Outer Space' for a new generation, 'Battlefield Earth' is set in the year 3000, after the beings from the planet Psychlo have conquered our planet in only nine minutes. Elvis Mitchell

Muhammad Ali inside the ring and Muhammad Ali outside the ring were totally different men; his abrasive, magnetic daring and infectious self-love outside the ring galvanized the world and distracted many from his sniper's precision. He was a heavyweight with the fluttering gracefulness of a middleweight. Elvis Mitchell

When Bruce Lee gets his cameo in 'The Green Hornet' - as one of the drawings in Kato's notebook - it clarifies what the film is: an unrealized sketch. A sketch can afford to allude to a point of view. Moviemakers need to show their point of view, something this shrug of a movie never gets around to doing. Elvis Mitchell

If Mr. Chan ever makes another movie like 'The Tuxedo,' it's American audiences that will see him in court. With 'Shanghai Knights,' he has come through with one of his best. This time, it's personable. Elvis Mitchell

A little of the sketch character Pootie Tang went a long way on HBO's now late, probably soon to be lamented 'Chris Rock Show.' So it's surprising how much fun the character's film debut, 'Pootie Tang,' is. Elvis Mitchell

One of the best things Gwyneth Paltrow has done in years was her mesmerized, good-sport cameo in a 'Pootie' sketch, when she was melted over him like butter on an English muffin. Elvis Mitchell

Best Melted Over Like Mesmerized She Him Cameo Years Done Sketch Muffin English Her Butter Things

What makes 'Pootie Tang' the motion picture enjoyable is its no-brow ambitions; it's a joke action film. It slides through enough African-American pop culture signifiers to raise laughs out of those who will appreciate the references; it revels in more cheese per square inch than a soul food diner. Elvis Mitchell

Food Soul Culture Cheese Will Joke Picture Ambition Action Enough Slides Those Out Laughs Diner Per More Through Makes Motion Motion Picture References Square Than African-American Pop Pop Culture Inch Action Film Who Film Enjoyable Raise Appreciate

'Pootie Tang' may be raw and slovenly - hey, it often is raw and slovenly - but it succeeds as a laugh getter because of the spot-on satirical notes. You might say that the movie walks it like it talks it; I'm not sure what Pootie would say. Elvis Mitchell

You Walks Hey Say Laugh Would Slovenly Raw Like Sure Talks Because May Often Movie Might Notes Succeeds Satirical

Can you sue yourself for plagiarism? If so, then 'Old School' has presented Ivan Reitman with a case. Elvis Mitchell

You Yourself School Old Case Plagiarism Then Old School Sue Presented

'Old School' is so breezy it could be a late-night talk show, especially when Craig Kilborn, of 'The Late Late Show,' sidles into camera range as a particularly loathsome competitor to Mitch. Elvis Mitchell

School Old Competitor Loathsome Late Late-Night Late-Night Talk Late-Night Talk Show Range Could Particularly Talk Talk Show Camera Craig Old School Show

In 'Windtalkers,' the director John Woo is meticulous in melding his own intimate style into the cliches of a large-scale war movie, paying homage to all the tired conventions of the genre. But it's an honor that these cliches don't deserve. Elvis Mitchell

War Tired Director Honor Style Own Intimate John Genre Cliches His Meticulous Woo Movie Conventions Homage Paying Large-Scale Deserve

The story of a proud Roman soldier who is sold into slavery and must fight his way back to freedom, 'Gladiator' suggests what would happen if someone made a movie of the imminent extreme-football league and shot it as if it were a Chanel commercial. Elvis Mitchell

Freedom Fight Made Back Sold Soldier Way Must Would Imminent Someone Gladiator League Proud Were His His Way Commercial Roman Movie Happen Story Shot Who Slavery Chanel

The battle scenes in 'Gladiator' don't have the exultant lift of Hong Kong period-action pictures like the 'Once Upon a Time in China' series, where the fights have the eye-popping panache of dance sequences from a musical. Elvis Mitchell

Time Battle Dance Hong Kong Once Musical Scenes Gladiator Lift Pictures Like Kong Where China Fights Series

'Ali' is a breakthrough for its director, Michael Mann. The film, based on the life of Muhammad Ali, is Mr. Mann's first movie with feeling; his overwhelming love of its subject will turn audiences into exuberant, thrilled fight crowds. Elvis Mitchell

Life Love Director Fight Will First Feeling Overwhelming Ali Exuberant Thrilled Crowds Audiences His Subject Michael Movie Breakthrough Turn Muhammad Muhammad Ali Film Based

Ali was the African-American who exulted in saying exactly what he was capable of, and the bouncing-boy braggadocio of hip-hop is impossible to imagine without him. So it makes sense that one of his spiritual children, the sunny-dispositioned rapper turned actor Will Smith, would play him. Elvis Mitchell

Saying Spiritual Rapper Impossible Will Sense Ali Will Smith Would Exactly Exactly What He Him Smith Without Makes Hip-Hop His Children African-American Capable Turned Who Actor Play Imagine

'Ali' offers stunning re-creations of bouts Ali fought. In the second Liston fight, the auditorium is underlighted and clouded with fetid cigar smoke, which was why the famous picture of a snarling Ali standing over Liston was so dramatic; indoor arenas are now bright enough to be spotted from Alpha Centauri. Elvis Mitchell

'Infernal Affairs' uses a vibrating terseness usually found in the writer and director Michael Mann's work. Thematically, this film deploys the techniques Mr. Mann brought to bear on 'Heat,' right down to using a similar cold-blooded electronic score. Elvis Mitchell

For those not so taken by the star power, this new 'Ocean's Eleven' is the equivalent of a domineering team you can't stand that enters the Super Bowl. Even if you don't like the players, the odds are so good that it's tough to bet against them. Elvis Mitchell

Scene by scene, you can't help being impressed by 'Mean Girls;' it's like a group of sketches linked by a theme, with some playing much better than others. Elvis Mitchell

You Better Girl Group Others Some Scene Like Impressed Linked Than Being Mean Sketches Theme Much Help Playing

It's so funny: whenever there's a new technology introduced, there's always this fear it's going to end entertainment as we know it. When records came around, they were going to be the end of live music. Nobody would ever want to go see live music again. Elvis Mitchell

Funny Music Technology Entertainment Fear Live Introduced Would See Records Nobody New Know Around Always Came Go Were End New Technology Going Whenever Want Again Live Music Ever

Just the idea of seeing a type of narrative we've not seen before is a chance to be surprised. Elvis Mitchell

Seen Before Type Seeing Idea Narrative Surprised Just Chance

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