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vincenzoangeloni
Reviews
A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
No doubt the biggest surprise of 2022!
I watched this movie very hesitantly. The original is honestly one of my favorite comedies and holiday traditions, and I couldn't help but cringe at the trailer for this, yet another attempt to make a sequel to A Christmas Story. I think it's worth noting that, in my opinion at least, the trailer does this movie no favors. I feel like the trailer makes this movie out to be a cash-grabby sellout, just made to capitalize on nostalgia. And while this movie is definitely not perfect, and occasionally has those problems, I was delighted by the unexpected originality of this movie. I feel like this is the absolute best that a sequel to A Christmas Story can be, as it delivers a fun, funny, heartfelt and lighthearted story with a great ending that, against all odds, actually makes the original even better!
Elvis (2022)
I'll Be Comin Home, Wait For Me
Wow. Now this is a strong piece of art that demands a place in the forefront of your mind. From the first two minutes, I was out of breath, and the film never slowed down for the entire 160-minute runtime. 160 minutes of confident directing on Baz Luhrmann's part, excellent cinematography, and above all, excellent performances. You can tell a movie is well directed and well made when there is not a single performance in the movie that isn't OUTSTANDING. Austin Butler plays the part with so much love, respect, vulnerability, and deep-seeded pain, and you can't help falling in love with him. Tom Hanks hooks the audience from the very start, and handles his role with such unexpected grace and love for such a villainous character. The songs are perfectly used throughout, and I really loved the modern tracks that are supposed to capture the feel of Elvis's music. This movie proves itself to be a love letter to Elvis and his fans, and truly truly delivers on being that. It's a long movie, but every second is worth it. I would definitely recommend!
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011)
Absolutely astonishing
The first 2.5 minutes alone are better than the entirety of Casablanca! I swear this is where the inspiration for Endgame came from. The whole third act, with faceless killing machines from an alternate timeline coming to destroy the heros' city, and then a bunch of epic callbacks come thru portals or something at the last minute and all the heroes come together to defeat the villain once and for all. This movie makes me tear up every time. Must watch.
That's My Jam: Ariana Grande & Blake Shelton vs. Kelly Clarkson & John Legend (2021)
Absolutely Insane
Hollywoo Stars and Celebrities. What do they know?????????? Do they know things???????????? It's literally just Let's Find Out from Bojack Horseman. I love it.
Happy Days: A.K.A. the Fonz (1976)
The absolute best that Happy Days can be
This is the only episode of Happy Days so far that has compelled me to actually write a review about it. It's super weird, but this episode has the same pace and direction as The Dark Knight, and the same formulaic structure as the third act of Avengers Endgame. Bear with me: a new villain emerges who doesn't really know any of the heroes, and he threatens to take away everything from them. And this is how it culminates: Beaten and broken, a lone hero who symbolizes America takes a final stand against the villain. But just as all seems lost for our hero, we see all of our old friends emerge, one by one, each ready to defend justice. Met by extreme applause from the audience, one of these heroes takes down the villain once and for all with a memorable callback line. Then as the dust settles, we conclude with a simple scene of a peaceful house with 1940s music playing. I don't know what I've discovered with this, but Gerry Marshall might be a time traveler. 10/10.
Intouchables (2011)
All Around Good Vibes
I can't really pinpoint exactly what gives this movie the feel that it has. It's goofy and feel-good yet touching, all without being a definite genre. I've never seen a French movie before I watched this, and I only watched it because it's so highly rated. Prior to viewing, I was minimally interested in the plot, a little doubtful, and kinda iffy about having to read subtitles. But now I'm so happy I saw this. Just listening to the beautiful piano pieces at the beginning and end of this film fill me with emotion that isn't sad nor happy, just one that gives me that feeling of a long quiet night on the road, silently enjoying the company of a great friend. This film doesn't have huge questions to ponder, and it doesn't have melodramatic characters and subplots, at least not too obviously. This is a caring, charming movie that can calm a restless mind, bring a spark of hope and fun to anyone's life, and make you think about it a lot. I'm glad I didn't give up on this movie just because it's in a foreign language!
Honest Thief (2020)
READ THIS!
I'm super hyped to talk about this movie. I just got out of the theatre, and this is one of those movies that I think will be reverberating through my mind for a little while. It's not profoundly poetic or anything like that, nor is it anything like a mindless Liam Neeson action flick with a big conspiracy and a big reveal that doesn't do much for the plot or the audience. I'll admit, I only went to see this cuz Liam is my boy and I wanted to go see a movie in theatres and there was nothing else that interested me. I've been on a sci fi kick lately, and I was not really feeling this movie before I went. But from the first scene, my fears of the needlessly overcomplicated conspiracy and cheapness of Liam Neeson's other movies (which I love about them, I just wasn't feeling them today) slowly disappeared as the film went on. There is no mystery here; you're with every character the entire way through. It's so awesome to see them each in their own little zone and hear their backstories that are sprinkled throughout the movie, and we also get to see them grow and change. It's all so subtle, and it's a shame that people probably won't give this movie the time of day. Great characters, compelling motives, awesome performances, and gnarly action make for one dynamite movie!!!!
National Treasure (2004)
Raiders of the Lost Ark Meets Every Heist Movie Ever
And it works. Nicolas Cage delivers a super fun time with his amazing acting and his amazing voice in this lighthearted family treasure hunt. Some great elements that every heist movie has are found in here, and it's just a great time. Watch this for a casual adventure with amazing set design and on-location filming, while also being taken away by a fantastical yet believable-enough plot. And yeah, it's PG, but it's not a stupid kids movie like I thought it'd be. It's a ton of fun for everyone!
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
No Joke- It's Genius
This is definitely one of the top 15 movies I've ever seen. Probably top 10 or 5 actually. Everything in the movie is 100% perfect in every way, and the comedy is genius. I don't think I can explain it, but the writers and directors must be operating on a different plain of intellect and existence than us, and they have created perfect comedy that is impossible to explain and is probably beyond our intellectual capacity of understanding. I think my iq decreased while watching this, but my mind is Probably just experiencing a level of genius that it is not yet evolved enough to understand. I've legit never laughed harder at a movie in my entire life, and I don't know what else to say. This is a piece of film that is 10/10 in every way imaginable, and even in some ways not imaginable by our human minds. I don't need to recommend this, I need to force this on all of you. This is the funniest movie I've ever seen.
Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)
Most Underrated Movie Ever
This movie needs to get more recognition. Seriously!!! It's definitely in my Top 15 of all time, maybe even my Top 10. This movie gets deep, fun, and utterly awesome. Each character is super memorable and quotable. Even though the entire world forgot this movie exists, it's up to us to watch it and show everyone how amazing it truly is.