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garrettderose
Reviews
Drive (2011)
Buckle up, the next stop is Oscarville
I was expecting an Aronofsky rendition of "The Fast and the Furious".
I was wrong.
Brilliant in almost every way, it's the best film I've seen this year. Gosling plays a character reminiscent of Travis from Taxi Driver. The focus of the film isn't chrome spinners or 10 second booty-shots, as a modern car film would suggest. It's smart and stylish without coming off strongly in either direction. The supporting cast were effective as well, especially Mulligan and the unusually cast Albert Brooks. We get to see the big funny-man in a not-so-funny light. Small pockets of extreme violence. Think Death Proof or A History of Violence as far as the action/thriller pacing is concerned.
The music and sound in general rivals Tron Legacy or even this year's Hannah.
Drive will more than likely be looked over considering what it's up against, it's box office pull will undoubtedly reflect this. But isn't that the usual story? Financial flops are usually of critical success and vice versa? Anyhow, this film has ... driven ... my expectations of the genre to new speeds.
Uh... you get the picture! Go out and see it!
In Bruges (2008)
Bruges, I love you
This movie is beautifully shot and beautifully cast. I was extremely impressed from start to finish. I believe this is the first role of Colin Farrell's that I enjoyed and felt moved by. Ralph Fiennes is always surprising and edges more and more into my list of favorite actors. The guy who plays Ken is barely three-dimensional. He seems very 'normal' compared to the other characters.
The film, as you know, is set in the small Dutch town of Bruges. It's an old Medieval tourist town that is seemingly unimpressive to the common person at first glance.
Bruges serves as a sort of purgatory for the two protagonists of the film. They are informed to 'lay low' in Bruges and to wait for a call from their employer. The two main characters spend their time exploring the town to pass time. They don't anticipate the danger is right around the corner, their employer being extremely disappointed in their last job.
This small town in the middle of nowhere turns into a battlefield, some gladiators battling for honor - some for survival.
Lots of laughs, but don't let the comedic aspect overshadow the dark and real subject matter that looms over the two characters. There are many serious themes that are brought very realistically to the screen: Regret, Atonement, Depression, Suicide, Honor killing.
Oh yeah, and there's a midget. Score! 9/10
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Best suspense/horror film of all time!
I am truly impressed with this film. I'd like to have seen it under the context of not knowing it's reputation. Maybe it was just because I anticipated it being so scary? I had a slew of people and reviews that told me it was the most disturbing film they've seen.
I couldn't pass it up. Me and my fiancée hit up a late-night showing of this film. It was worth it. I couldn't sleep that night.
The production is hokey and unimpressive. About as unimpressive as a home movie/documantary... hey wait, isn't that what they were going for? This movie pulls off a very legitimate 'documentary' feel. Most of the scary parts of this film aren't even action-filled. There's no goopy-goblins jumping out at the screen, to follow their 'rising tension' synth-string cues. There isn't a big chase scene. There isn't even a fight/battle with an antagonist. It's simply a film that gets it's scares from the viewer itself.
My heart was racing even before any sort of "Paranormal Activity" was on the screen at all. The build-up to these horrific scenes of ghostly-shenanigans is gut-wrenching. The characters react in a very personable way to their encounters with the paranormal. The male character is a 'tough guy' when it comes to this stuff. He think's ghosts are 'cool' and 'interesting'. You begin to realize that this is a defense mechanism. He's just as scared as anybody would be.
The film goes from scary to uncontrollably frightening in a well-paced manner. Some of the eeriest things I've ever seen happen in the most subtle ways ever. In most movies, ghosts put on this big laser-light show with tons of CG and spooky tricks. The ghost in this film behaves in a very calculated way. It feels like an antagonist character, although you really don't get to see it on-screen. You get an idea of what this 'ghost' looks like, given the type of activity it presents throughout the film. The film utilizes the imagination of the viewer to a great level of success.
I'm one of those guys who watches Horror films for gags. I rolled my eyes and scoffed at the first 5 minutes of this film, I admit. There were people in the theater who were actually yelling things at the screen, showing off how non-scared they were.
When the "Paranormal Activity" occurred on the screen... the theater was SILENT. The peanut gallery were trembling just as hard as the characters in this film.
I have YET to have such an exciting cinematic experience. I give this a 9 out of 10. I would give it a perfect 10/10 had this film had a more well-thought-out ending.
Go see it. Take your friend that 'isn't scared of anything'.
Intense. Realistic. Eerie. Great film-making.
How does somebody with a gazillion dollar budget like Michael Bay make movies that I don't react to in any way (as if I were just looking at an advertisement in a magazine) - and some inexperienced production can make me lose sleep... on like $10,000? Filmmakers should take notes from Paranormal Activity.
Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
There isn't anything "Wild" about this film
I had more excitement and anticipation for this movie than the Star Wars prequels. I mean, I had a lot of personal investment in this movie. The trailer(s) are SO misleading. I understand that trailers are to hype people into going out and seeing said movie. Hence, why some snoozers will display every piece of action in the film (in the trailer) to draw a broader general-public-ADD audience.
I was expecting this to be a celebration of imagination and the mind of a child. I wasn't expecting this to be a long drawn-out sob-fest. The dialog is horrific, even if it's being conjured in a kid's head. The creatures and the island are awesome! Those two things alone are worth the price of my admission. I just don't understand why they'd take this PG movie and make it so dark and dreary. The source material isn't the brightest, cheeriest thing I've ever seen - but it wasn't full of angst. That was this movie's problem... there was an overwhelming amount of angst.
Even the 'fun' scenes had a touch of emo-melancholy bull-crap that ruined itself.
I foresee a bunch of shoe-gazers/emo kids getting hoodies/purses/backpacks/tattoos riddled with these characters. If this movie is a celebration of anything, it's the celebration of mindless dark/emo twists on children's stories - which happens to be quite the trend now (just wait for Alice in Wonderland)...
Thanks Spike and Co.
This film may have received the author's blessing - but I stand firmly against the mood of this film. All it needs is more silly and less serious. Is that too much to ask? I mean, this isn't a courtroom drama. This isn't The Lovely Bones.. this is a Children's BOOK! It's a book about rebellion, and the return back to family. Though those are a bit serious subjects in nature - they aren't displayed in such an emo way.
I'd hate to consider myself a 'book purist', but what I enjoyed out of Where the Wild Things Are is completely exempt from this film.
I'm giving this a "6" for it's technical achievements. Jim Hensen company will always have my respect. I just wish they would've found a way to keep the animatronic heads.
All and all - don't take your kids to see this. Well, hold on... if you have a kid with a swoop haircut with scars on their forearms/wrists, you should bring them to this movie. They'll enjoy it, then stand in the rain for a hour to think about it.
*sigh*
Pandorum (2009)
A solid effort
Pandorum could've done without the monsters. If not, maybe cut their threat/screen time in half.
That's pretty much my only gripe with this movie. It plays out like an episode of a TV show. I didn't mind that too much, that's pretty common for scifis.
The movie looked great. The ship looked great as well.
Music... ehh, it was a bit lacking. Music is one of those selling points for a movie, in my opinion. It wasn't horrible... but I'm always amazed when these huge productions skimp out on the music. Think about your favorite movies of all time? You can remember the music/theme, right? Pandorum isn't anything TOO special. It's a legit scifi though. It's a heck of a lot better than anything else that's hit the screen in the last few years (save for, District 9)
Smokin' Aces (2006)
Flat
This movie has an amazing concept. It's executed pretty poorly. I was so excited about this movie, and it was exactly the opposite of what I expected. Sometimes that's a good thing. In this case, it was bad. The only real redeeming thing about Smokin' Aces is Ray Liotta - and that's a stretch. One of the most overrated and skill-less actors in my opinion.
I don't recommend this to anybody. The characters and costumes look great, the idea is fantastic - but it doesn't flesh out at all. There's a horrific scene with a little kid getting an erection if I remember correctly. Horrifying.
Epic fail
Batman & Robin (1997)
What a bat-turd
As a good friend of mine said, this movie would be acceptable if they inserted laugh-tracks throughout the whole film. It's almost as if they ad-libbed everything in this whole film. Mr. Freeze steals diamonds... then escapes in a rocket that's built to blow up? WTF? That scene was just a setup to have Batman and the Boy Wonder flying down on surfboard-gliders. I remember when this film was being promoted, and I was really intrigued/revved up by that short sequence.
It's just as silly and forced as every other scene in this god-forsaken film. Before I ramble on too far, I'd like to simplify this review with a pros and cons list.
Pros: Schwartzenegger making 'ice' and 'cold' puns with every piece of dialog. Wait. That's a con. Let's start with the Cons.
Cons: Butter-faced Bat-Girl Alicia Silverstone. She delivers lines that are worthy of the teenage sister in Troll 2.
The props were terrible and obviously fake. Translucent pieces of plastic should never be passed as Ice, especially if you're gonna do long close-up shots that would further reveal their flaws.
The butt/crotch/sexy-bat shots. What the heck? The movie OPENS with a shot that shows off Bat-Man's package/anus. What sort of target audience were they catering to? Most of the die-hard DC/Batman fans I know aren't in it for the Bat-A$$ or Bat-dong.
Uma Thurman's acting was passable... but Poison Ivy was an extremely unnecessary character.
Robin is fighting with Poison Ivy's vines in a pool of water. As he surfaces for air, instead of completing the shot and having him get pulled under - the 'clever' editing behind this film reveals that they just reversed the footage. The last time I saw something like that was when it was intentional, and was part of a montage on America's Funniest Home Videos. Fail.
The over-use of 'twisted angles' on everything... the whole motorcycle chase scene. It was terrible.
Clicking the knees together to produce Bat-Ice-Skates.
Every piece of dialog.
OK, I'll stop there... let's get to the pros.
Pros: ... ... ... I lied. There isn't any.
Le Cinquième Élément (1997)
Stylish sci-fi, too much fun.
The Fifth Element is not your every-day science fiction. For 1997 the special effects are even better than some of the newer movies today. There's a good balance between puppets/costumes and CGI. I really dislike it when a production relies on CGI alone to just get by. The futuristic rendition of Earth is big and silly, which is a good break from the dystopia we see from most scifis. Bruce Willis is a legend in the flesh with that signature smirk and cool-guy persona. He was the perfect person for the lead role of this film.
Milla Jovovich looks amazing in this film. One of the most unique female characters I've seen in a scifi yet. Her 'birth' inside of the cloning tube reminded me of the similar scene in Metropolis. Chris Tucker is amazingly secure in his flamboyancy, this is probably my favorite role of his.
Don't let me forget Gary Oldman as ZORG... He is the real champion of this movie. He's monstrously charming, a class-act bad guy. He has some great one-liners that make me giggle every time.
The story is pretty top-notch, as well as the subplots that twist throughout the film. Though, the story for me is a mere footnote. This film's strengths lie in the characters and the music/visuals.
Speaking of, The music is extremely diverse and well done for a Scifi. The soundtrack is probably one of the best I've heard period.
Luc Besson and crew, you win at scifi.
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Dated, but very epic and worth the watch
Conan the Barbarian makes me want to pick up a sword and bang it on stuff.
The dialog is great, almost Shakespearian in feel. The characters speak to one another as characters in the old world should. Arnold's acting (for being an earlier/earliest film of his) was really superb. The orgy/doom-snake scene was masterfully made, I wish there were more scenes of the cult's doings.
This movie needs to be remade. I understand that a CGI/animated Conan movie is coming out next year... I think it's going to turn out like Beowulf. Even the best CGI isn't 1/100th as pleasing as the worst props and wardrobes.
Conan excels in it's sheer epicness. Once a slave, then a king by his own hand... it doesn't get much better. The movie re-ignites a bloodthirsty manliness that usually isn't there. Not even 300 does that for me.
I wish modern filmmakers would take notes from Conan before attempting to make movies of the same genre.
Conan isn't a perfect movie, but I'm sure that if I were a teen/adult in 1982, this would probably be one of my favorite movies of all time.
Speed Racer (2008)
I don't understand why this movie got bad ratings
The Matrix, V for Vendetta... Speed Racer.
All of them are in the same league to me.
Speed Racer is excels in being different. The movie doesn't present itself in a very scene-to-scene typical way. Most of the notable scenes of the movie are edited inside-out of one another, much like a music video. It's a marvel that The Watchowski crew even had the guts to put something this artistic and advanced out there. With every big movie they put out, they slowly become more and more a favorite.
Speed Racer is rated PG. It's a HARD PG. There's a couple "S" bombs and some really graphic/violent scenes. I thought it would've been better off if they refrained from any blood whatsoever. This is a VERY minor complaint though, as it's one of the only visible flaws in this great piece of film.
Christina Ricci is so-so as Trixie. It doesn't seem very natural, but with all of the flashing lights and whirly-effects, it's very easy to overlook. This movie is an adaptation of a show that was very archaic and inanimate (technically speaking), so I'm guessing there wasn't much for them to work with. I'm glad the W brothers got to leave their artistic mark in this film, fill in the gaps the show left. I don't think it could've been done so tastefully in any other way.
Great story, intense racing sequences, the look is amazing and unique in it's own, and John Goodman is an on-screen champion - as always.
Moving introduction that gets you hooked from the get-go.
Special effects are great.
What else could you want in a movie? LOVED IT.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Celebrating space and it's epicness
1968...
This movie looks TOO good to have been made so long ago. The visuals look better than most rushed scifi pop these days. The actors interact with their environment in ways that are confusing and jaw-dropping at the same time (noteably the 'floating pen' scene).
The climactic sequence between Bowman and Hal is heart wrenching to say the least. The music is eerie, especially whenever the Monoliths are on-screen. David Bowman is more mechanical and calculating than Hal, it seems. That's kind of a new observation I made when watching it last night. Hal tells Bowman "I'm sure you are very angry with me right now". Bowman's demeanor is unchanged. It seems as if he doesn't react to almost anything at all.
I really wished there would be more of Hal 9000. He's a great character, probably the most entertaining character in the whole film.
The only thing I didn't like about 2001... Bowman's transformation into the Star Child. Bowman baby is probably the scariest and bizarre creature on screen aside from the Eraserhead baby.
Great moments of space-shenanigans to classical music.
Probably the most artistic sci-fi ever made.
Amadeus (1984)
Annoying laugh, great flick
hahahahahaha! That's a good sum of this movie. There's some pretty dramatic sequences that suck you in... only to be distorted by this weird high pitched laugh "Wolfie" bellows out every 10 minutes.
I don't know if I'm complaining or not. It's pretty fitting for such a wacky guy... I don't know. There's some scenes where he's dealing with the uptight German nobility that get pretty tense, but then there's almost a laugh-track that happens at every pivotal moment. The laugh track being Mozart's high pitched awfulness.
Vienna looked awesome, and the costumes/sets were very very believable. I didn't think I'd enjoy a movie like this.
I knew about halfway through the film that It was gonna be a movie that stuck with me forever. There's this awesome scene where Mozart ends this song with an epic fart. He even flips up his jacket-tail to give more umph to the experience.
Annoying laugh, great flick.
Heat (1995)
Intense cop/robber drama
The movie looks fantastic. Los Angeles never looked better. As much as I love the more ghetto/gritty side of LA you get to see in movies like Falling Down, I think Heat has the best picturesque setting.
The dialog is way over the top, especially with Mr. Pacino. He's a pretty despicable character. I found myself rooting for the 'bad guys' the whole time. They're only 'bad guys' mostly out of desperation. Pacino's character is willing to sacrifice everything for his job... his family, his wife, etc.
Val Kilmer was put in a pretty weak role in my opinion. Such a great actor needs something more than what he was given.
I think that's my only complaint. Oh yeah, GREAT visuals and cinematics. Best cop/robber shootout EVER.
Top shelf Cop Drama.
The Graduate (1967)
The pinnacle of Rom-Coms
I admit I was a bit shocked when I rented The Graduate. The first thing I did was look at the back of the DVD box. I saw a "PG" rating. I was wondering how a movie about an extramarital affair between a young man and an older woman could receive such a rating. I'm still confused to this day.
This doesn't sway me, though. The Graduate is worthy of it's high acclaim. Ben, played by young Dustin Hoffman is really awkward on screen. This doesn't take away from the film though. He successfully plays how I felt when I lived back home. When grandparents came from out of town to visit. "What do you want to do with your life?" - I ran from those questions, just as Ben does in the film. His family and their upper-class friends are bent on him succeeding and going to grad school to make his career. Ben just wants to be. That's it. He has a hard time making connections with people, and it turns out the first real connection he has with anybody is the wife of his father's co-worker. This sets the stage for some sequences of extreme awkwardness. I loved every second of it. Dustin Hoffman's quirk and boyish charm is unmatched by most characters in the Rom-Com genre.
If you've at a time ever felt threatened by your parents expectations, or the pressure to be something in society that you're not - you might make a strong connection with this film.
The cinematography was great. The music was FANTASTIC. The whole soundtrack was done by Simon and Garfunkel. I was a little hesitant at first, I thought it would be a bit too much. It really sets in after about a hour through.
I can't get the scuba-in-the-pool scene out of my head. This movie will be one I lump into screw-the-world classics like Ferris Bueller's Day off and American Beauty.
The Conversation (1974)
Perfect
Mr. Caul is one of the more interesting characters I've seen. I doesn't help that he's played by my favorite actor (Gene Hackman). The movie starts off as pretty confusing. It's a story about a private surveillance technician that undergoes a job which makes him debate the ethics behind his work. If he goes through with the job, he makes a whole lot of money. The downside is, if he goes through with it - he also contributes to the deaths of two seemingly innocent people. Mr. Caul is a tormented individual who takes a lot of pride in his trade, but is haunted by the aftermath of his work.
The movie reminded me of The Lives of Others. Very similar subject matter.
The cinematography is incredible for a movie to come out of the 70's. I read somewhere that this film was made between The Godfather and The Godfather 2. I'd like to state that I feel that this film is not only better - but more important to the film industry than the whole GF trilogy. The music... the music of this film is incredible. There's a classy piano piece that plays throughout the extent of the film - sometimes accompanied by Mr. Caul practicing on his saxophone. Music is a huge factor in how I score films. I can't say I found anything wrong with the score, or the movie in general. I'm forced to give this a 10/10. I can't complain about anything. This movie is perfect in my eyes.
I'm very glad to have found this at the rental store.
P.S. - young Harrison Ford included!
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Dark and Epic. The downfall of kingdom.
The Godfather II surpasses the first film.
Some of the beef I had with the first Godfather, is the fact that we don't get to see or hear very much about Vito Corleone's past. The viewer gets little snippets here and there, like the "offer he can't refuse" story at the wedding.
Godfather II is a godsend. Vito's character is the crown jewel of the series, and this film focuses heavily on his journey into becoming "The Godfather" Great scenes of betrayal and revenge. The darker side of the film feels more personal and less like the Sicilian dogma which the first film focuses on. The film splits a fair amount of time between Michael and his father's back-story. Much like the ending of the previous film, Michael allows himself to become a monster. He is a mere shadow of his father, and that is the real message of the film. The actions Michael Corleone take throughout this film would've been dismissed as dishonorable and unnecessary by his father.
The cinematography is near perfect. If you want a good story-book depiciton of Tuscany, or turn-of-the-century New York City... there are very few movies that have replicated such craftsmanship.
One of the few sequels that is a LARGE upgrade to the original.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
Very important film for all people alike
I viewed this film last night.
It's pretty talk-y. It's not a film for those with a short attention span.
The film chronicles an evening between a marrying couple and their parents. The twist is that the couple are of different color. The patriarch of each family is opposed to a mixed-race marriage. If the main character can receive the blessings of the parents - he will go through with the marriage. If anybody objects, he will move on.
The plot is fantastic. It doesn't scale well with the times nowadays. You have to watch this movie as if you were watching any older/classic film. When this movie was released, as you probably know, it was more of a taboo to have mixed-race relationships. Heck, it was illegal in something like 13 southern states up until recent years.
Anyhow, it's a very moving movie. I couldn't imagine even the most awfully bigoted person watching this and walking away with an unphased opinion.
Powerful and moving. If that's what you want out of a film (and if you don't mind a sit-down talk-y film), check this out.
Gake no ue no Ponyo (2008)
Mesmerizing tale of the sea and love
Ponyo surprised me.
I don't doubt the people behind these great animated movies, it's just Ponyo sounded a bit too kid-friendly for me. Upon reading about it and seeing still-frames/conceptual artwork I was pretty convinced I wasn't going to be interested.
I was wrong.
Ponyo takes a simple approach to a simple tale. There are some obscure and advanced themes, like the whole 'well of the sea' and some of the more mystical attributes. The story is about a boy and a goldfish. A goldfish that wants to be a human girl.
The artwork is pretty minimalist, but it's used in such a way to create some intense scenes. The sheer largeness of the ships around the harbor town setting made me a bit uneasy. The storm sequence is by far one of my favorite scenes in any movie up to date (as of now). Ponyo running across the water was too epic to be true.
It was light in most parts, very few scenes with heavy content. This movie revels in it's own innocence from start to finish. When I have kids someday, they're going to be exposed to Ponyo pretty early on.
Amazing, and amazingly campy.
District 9 (2009)
Most brilliant science fiction film since Blade Runner
It lived up to the hype. I thought we'd get another Cloverfield with the viral marketing campaign.
I'm impressed. Most science fiction films don't do that for me. District 9 is widely being hailed as the best movie to come out in 2009. I wouldn't argue with that claim one bit.
The visuals are outstanding, the plot/ideas are groundbreaking. Your heart becomes very heavy for these "Prawns" (a racist term for the alien refugees). They are treated very savagely throughout the film. It feels a bit overdone, but given the grim reality of the state of the African continent... some could say that the level of violence and cruelty wasn't too much.
Some of the scenes are almost too cruel to have on-screen. If you were to replace the scary-looking aliens with lets say, a human ethnic minority - I think the movie would almost be too much for even the most hardened viewer.
In the end I found myself a bit choked up. I left the theater asking myself questions that were left unanswered (on purpose, possibly to set up a sequel). I know I've seen a great film if I'm still thinking about it the day after.
I'm sure District 9 will never be too far from my thoughts.
Superb film.
The Godfather (1972)
A Movie You Can't Refuse
Though I don't think The Godfather should be the #2 movie on the top 250, I understand it's importance to the industry. I understand that there's more depth in The Godfather than most movies of the time. I don't know, I keep a pretty open mind to movies and the different eras they were made in. 1970-1980 just isn't a popular decade for me. So far, The Godfather series is probably the best thing to come out of this era (or at least the first two). It's a pretty big hit. I loved it. I just didn't love it as much as the movie masses do even to this day. The story is rich, and Vito Corleone is easily one of my favorite characters of all time now. The death scenes are brutal and hard-hitting. The director didn't waste a single gunshot or strangulation for the sake of just doing it. There's a method to the madness of The Godfather, and I guess thats' why it hits people so hard. They story is built up in a way to where the killing of a character hits just as hard as your favorite character leaving the cast of your favorite sitcom.
The scene in the garden with Don Vito and his grandson is by far my favorite. Out of all the ways I'd expect it to happen, It took me by surprise. It was a very sweet and heartfelt scene, and the character was too worthy of it. I would've been angry if Vito ended as a victim, and not the legend... the Godfather.
Check this movie out. There's a good reason why it's such an important movie to the industry. Other than that - it's just a fantastic piece of cinema, and touches on a few topics we can all relate to: Honor, Nobility, and Family.
Casablanca (1942)
Rick sticks his neck out for no one
This is the near-pinnacle of classic film.
I first saw Bogart in "The African Queen", and was very interested in his other roles.
Most of the movie plays out in a café. "Rick's American Cafe" is as classic and memorable of a setting as perhaps the library in The Breakfast Club or the resteraunt in My Dinner With Andre. Me and my fiancée have even gone to the extremes of emulating/replicating Rick's Cafe in the Sims games.
This place is a little piece of glamor and refuge away from the troubled north-African continent. People flock to Casablanca to get hooked up with transport to the USA, most of them escaping WW2 ravaged Europe. It's a cultural epicenter. The Nazis understand the town's significance and use it to exercise their influence on the region. They work together with the local French authority to maintain the flow of people (more notably, money) through this port to the western world.
Things go a little haywire when a wanted Czech resistance leader decides to show up at Rick's café. With this resistance leader, is the woman Rick has been drowning himself in booze over for years. He becomes drawn to her, and struggles with the task of sticking his neck out for her (and her friend, who has the Nazis on his trail).
That's pretty much it.
In-between all of the plot twists and sparkly-stuff, there's a few characters you actually care about. There's a setting as classic and campy as only this period of cinema could provide. Bogart is the man, he's one of the biggest on screen bad-asses I've seen in awhile.
On the Waterfront (1954)
Don't let em' push you around, Brando
I've never been a big fan of Mr. Brando.
I don't know why. Maybe it's because I haven't been exposed to enough movies he's starred in.
On the Waterfront is drawn out and campy. It captures the lives of dockworkers in a seedy little port-town. These guys break their backs for almost nothing, while their corrupt union bosses reap all the profits.
The movie opens with a 'hit' by the bosses. There's word that one of the local workers are gonna come forward to the trade-commission about his buddies little corruption scheme. They make sure to shut him up. They send Terry (Mr. Brando himself), to lure him onto the roof of his apartment building. Terry had no idea that they were gonna kill him. He was informed that they were going to scare him. After this poor guy hits the pavement, the whole movie begins to unfold.
Terry falls in love with the dead guy's sister. She doesn't know that he was part of the hit, and he wants to keep it that way. He doesn't know how to tell her. She's the first good thing thats entered his life so far.
He knows the only way to redeem himself is to stand up against these corrupt bosses that run the town. Great cinema and dramatic sequences ensue.
Hat's off to this whole production. They should show this movie to kids in school. I think it's a good example of the many struggles of The Great Depression. They don't focus too much on the big-time gangster stuff. If you want a movie with Tommy-guns a-blazing, please go watch Dick Tracy. This movie is pretty down to earth for the subject matter.
The soundtrack is alright. The music is a little out-of-place at some parts. There's action music during mellow sequences, and sometimes no music at all during action sequences. That's one of the only real flaws I noticed in the film-making.
Other than that, this goes on my list of buyers. I'm giving Mr. Brando a second chance upon viewing this film. Rent it sometime.
Ben-Hur (1959)
Worthy of the title "Epic"
Ben-Hur is a BIG movie.
Big sets, big characters, big sequences, and big running time (to accommodate such a film) The story follows a Jewish prince who has been wrongfully imprisoned by the Roman empire. He inspires those whom he comes across, and makes his way into becoming a heir to a roman title. He uses this new royalty to qualify to compete against the very man who imprisoned him. It's the classic story of revenge and redemption.
There are many biblical references in this film, which aren't too much of a distraction (surprisingly). Ben-Hur comes in contact with the J-Man many times throughout the film.
The famed "Chariot Race" surpassed my wildest expectations. I was jaw-dropped. Nothing of this scale could be pulled off today, with our relatively 'safe' way of film making. This race was the real deal, and I could tell that many of the stunt-men left this production with scars to remember it by.
Mr. Heston's intensity was believable. Messala's death scene was brutal. Even compared to the graphic nature of film of today, this older movie shocked me.
This movie doesn't have a single splash of CGI. There are a few backdrops, but for the most part: they built whole towns/cities for this movie. Collumns, statues, galleys/warships, the whole thing. It's mind-boggling.
The Neverending Story (1984)
A never ending amount of re-watchability
The Neverending Story is top-notch fantasy.
Atreyu, though not accurate to the book - is properly casted, as is Bastian. I'm a sucker for puppets and animatronics, so this movie is like Disneyland for me. The production value is huge, and the creations are extremely well done for the time that this film was made. I mean, some of the props/creations and makeup surpass any CGI that the industry can provide today.
The sets are what I want to see out of fantasy-based movies today. If they could just take a step back and take the time to bring quality back to the fantasy genre, I would be a happy camper (noteable a happy customer to the production). It's not that I don't go out to see the Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potters of today, It's the fact that I don't take it to the level of buying merchandise (or even getting tattoos, if the obsession becomes that big). It's hard for me to become a super-fan of any of the newer movies/franchises of today. It's difficult for me to respect something that was created with a narrow vision with minimal technical challenges. I'd love to see the effects envelope pushed again. (We'll see what happens with Tron) Anyways, back to the review: The music is simply amazing.
Klaus Doldinger and Giorgio Moroder, both pioneers in electronic soundtracking, they have yet to outdo such an amazing accomplishment. I understand that the soundtrack was way different for the non-US release of this film. I've heard both soundtracks - and I can say completely bias-free that the electronic compositions exceed the rest.
Fantasia, Bastian's Happy Flight, The Swamps of Sadness, etc. All great songs. I'm not too sure about the intro song by the Kajagoogoo dude. It's definitely a nostalgic song for me to hear, but I think the song clashes with the rest of the soundtrack. Maybe an instrumental version would've been better? There's a large amount of dramatic sequences that really separate this "Kids movie" from some of the other attempts on Fantasy. Notable scenes: Atreyu's horse and only companion Artax sinking in the swamp, Rockbiter explaining his whole life being destroyed by The Nothingness, The interaction between Atreyu and Gmork the wolf , The Southern Oracles crumbling, etc.
It doesn't help that Falcor looks exactly like my dog Buddy from when I was a child. Maybe nostalgia has tainted my opinion of this movie. As many times I've enjoyed this film, I would like to have the chance to hear a review from somebody who sees it for the first time TODAY. I wonder what their reaction would be? Anyways, The story is fantastic. The special effects and props are amazing, the music is top notch soundtracking, and the artwork/general style is unique even to this day.
Please watch this movie if you haven't.
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Example of expert storytelling, and film making
Hmm, how do I start this? One thing I look for in a movie is depth. I like good character development and long drawn out backstories. Movies that excel in this usually don't have the quick pacing that keeps my attention. I've been looking for movies that have a sort of middle ground, you know, well roundedness.
Upon reading the plot/synopsis, It was easy to say that I wasn't impressed. It didn't sound like a great subject, or something that'd keep my interest. But then again, I felt the same way about Shawshank Redemption. I was like "What? A prison movie? Not even an action movie? Wth?" ; and you know how Shawshank turned out.
Cinema Paradiso is about a poor boy who lives with his mother and sister, his father KIA in 'the war'. The protagonist (boy) develops a relationship with a guy who works film projectors. He teaches the kid the ropes or projecting, and sneaks him into the projector room to watch all these classic movies for free. The movie goes through this father-son relationship over the span of 20+ years. This kid eats, breathes, and sleeps movies. His life's events, appropriately, mirror themes from classic movie story lines. Sounds like a bore, I know.
This movie was made with care. The version I watched ran almost 3 hours. It felt like one of the LOTR movies in the fact that the length wasn't obstructed by dull long-and-drawn-out scenes. There was enough stuff going on, and enough layers to the story to keep me squirming in my seat.
Well, there's a lot I'd like to say about this film - but i'll keep it short and sweet for your sake.
If I were to make a top 10 movie list, this would be an easy addition.
I'd like to think that I'm just as casual of a movie-goer as anybody else. This movie isn't some pretentious artsy flick that art school kids would boast as their favorite *cough "Eraserhead!"*. It's easy to watch and has something for everybody. Lots of comedy, romance, drama, etc. I feel like the grandpa from Princess Bride when he's explaining the book.
So yeah, I highly recommend this movie. I've yet to see a movie as full and resourceful. I know it'll be a long time before I find another like Cinema Paradiso.