Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

SnoopyStyle Michael Boll (James Spader) is a young stock broker executive being pushed around by rival Patterson. He's getting married to driven Ruth Fielding (Marcia Cross) but he's uncertain about it. Alex (Rob Lowe) rescues him from a beating at the bar. His brother Pismo is still struggling to overcome his drug dealing conviction. He runs into Alex again and falls into his murky world. Alex teaches him confidence as the psychopath Alex draws him deeper and deeper. He hooks up with Claire (Lisa Zane) and Alex splits him up from Ruth.Rob Lowe is an OK psychopath. Spader is probably even better. Also he has a larger range to play in this movie. Lowe smiles his way through this. He's a beautiful man. It takes a little too long before Alex's psycho ways get crazy dangerous. I wish they get to the dead body sooner because the movie gets better. However there are a few too many cheesy things going on.

chucknorrisfacts This movie was about what I expected it to be like. I thought the premise was pretty good, not completely original or anything, but still enough to make you want to watch it...Basically, Michael (James Spader) is a smart and successful but timid guy who meets up with Alex (Rob Lowe) who is a mysterious drifter who plays by his own rules. Alex sort of takes Michael under his wing and teaches him how to stand up for himself and to not be afraid to go after what he really wants...by any means necessary.At first, Michael is into what Alex is teaching him, but soon he realizes he's gone too far. By the time that happens, it's pretty easy to see where the story's going next...That's right, it's all going to come down to Michael versus Alex at the climax.Fairly predictable stuff here, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it was a bad movie, just not a great movie.If it were on TV, and there was nothing else on, I might suggest watching it...But if you have to go out looking for it, I'd say it's probably not worth the effort.

cmoyton James Spader again plays the yuppie character (Michael)whose comfortable but numb existence is thrown into chaos and then danger after meeting up with insane psycho drifter Rob Lowe (Alex). Michael has money, career prospects and a wealthy fiancée who he really does not love. Early scenes portray him as an intelligent but timid man who is henpecked by his wife to be and outsmarted by a sneaky co-worker in the race for a job promotion.Alex saves Michael from a bar room beating and when they meet up again Alex begins to pull Michael into the dark underbelly of the rich side of Los Angeles. At first Michael is happy to have Alex rearrange his life even managing to help abort his wedding plans in a hilarious scene. But when Alex beats up Michaels rival for the job promotion, claiming that an intoxicated Michael participated in the beating the friendship comes to an end. From this point on the mission for Alex is to destroy Michaels life ultimately framing him for a murder which is shown in an excellent "death by video" scene. Rob Lowes maniacal laughter as he stares into the camera post murder still chills me to the bone.From this point on it is a race to see who stays alive as Michael finally grows the balls that Alex had previously taunted him about.Another highlight is the eclectic musical score ranging from the LA underground club scene (Skinny Puppy, The Nymphs) to Etta James.Finally nice to see that the DVD has restored the bomb rigged to the car petrol tank scene. When the movie first came out on video in the UK the sensor removed this scene in case it was copied by someone!

gcd70 Rob Lowe's 1990 thriller (directed by Curtis Hanson - "The Bedroom Window") is no match for the slick and cleverly plotted "Masquerade" which, in 1988, he starred in.Story concerns a nervous young business man named Michael (James Spader) who allows a confident, smooth talking young guy named Alex (Rob Lowe) to greatly change and influence his somewhat stifled existence. Alex turns Michael's life upside down with a series of sadistic games which, eventually leave "Mick" fighting for his life.Spader is competent as the weak-spined account analyst who allows life to dictate to him, while Lowe is certainly well cast as the ultra-cool confidence trickster who seems to get his own way with everyone.David Koepp's story is as "90's" as they come, with plenty of sex, drugs and violence to please today's young audiences. Director Hanson makes sure to stick with the formula too, but the result is a movie that entertains only at surface level. Lacking in the necessary plot intricacies, it opts rather for a hit you in the face style that lacks a certain depth.Not a complete waste of time in any case, but we've definitely seen better in the last five years.Saturday, July 30, 1994 - Video