Truly one of the best war films ever made and certainly the best Vietnam movie ever made. Willard's (Martin Sheen) journey is superficially an action adventure, but obviously more so an allegory of war's insanity and the journey of self-discovery. And when Brando finally makes his appearance, the film becomes a philosophical search for a resolution to the insoluble mysteries of madness and evil. I've rarely seen a film that is so well made. Vittorio Storaro's cinematography is way ahead of its time and the sound AND editing by Walter Murch and company is amazing. Major props to Coppola for his brilliant direction and the cast and the acting couldn't be better. Awesome sequences such as the electrifying opening montage played to The Doors' The End, the epic and breathtaking Ride of Valkyries helicopter attack sequence, the Duvall's "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning" speech" (Duvall almost steals the entire film) , the the terrifying firefight scenes, Dennis Hopper's crazy photojournalist, the spellbinding scene where Brando and Sheen finally meet, Brando's thoughts on horror, and the climax where Sheen finally kills Kurtz once again to The End. Flawless, intense, and staggering cinema, Francis Ford Coppola's film Apocalypse Now is both brilliant and unforgettable.
Reviews
10 Reviews
The Children's Hour
(1961)
An underrated gem.
15 March 2008
This is a great movie. This film was certainly ahead of it's time. It was extremely controversial when it came out in the early 60's and has to do with gay rights. It's based on avery famous play from Lillian Hellman and it's directed by WilliamWyler (The Best Years of Our Lives, Roman Holiday, Ben-Her), and it stars Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner, Miriam Hopkins, Fay Bainter, Karen Balkin, and Veronica Cartwright. The acting is amazing from everyone but Shirley MacLaine steals the show. This coming from a huge admirer of Hepburn. Heart breaking and wonderfully filmed, the "Children's Hour" is a terrific movie. See it!
L.A. Confidential
(1997)
"Rollo... Tomasi."
15 March 2008
In my opinion, next to Memento and Fight Club the best thriller ever made. This film quickly wraps you up in its intriguing plot and takes you through the complex and ever sinister world of the golden days of Hollywood and the mass corruption within its police force. The film has an impeccable cast. I mean, Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, David Strathairn, Danny DeVito, and Kim Basinger Just...wow. They're all awesome, of course. Curtis Hansen does a wonderful job bringing this story to the big screen. a brilliant screenplay, and wonderful cinematography from Dante Spinotti, and a fine score from one of the all time greats, Jerry Goldsmith, this brilliant film is a must for everyone. Gotta love good film noir. "Some men get the world. Others get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona."
Braveheart
(1995)
Awesome historical epic.
15 March 2008
This is one of best films ever. This is Mel Gibson's best performance and best film All of the other leads did very well too. Angus Macfadyen was very good as well as Bruce It was very interesting to see his character change throughout the film. Braveheart is an extremely well done film in every way. John Toll's brilliant Cinematography is a sight to see and the editing by Steven Rosenblum is great Oh, and most of all: James Horner's haunting, yet utterly beautiful musical score. A shining example of how music can really make a movie. Horner's music is, in my opinion, the heart of the film. To me, the music he composed for this film is the best score I've ever heard for any movie. This is a very powerful, heartfelt movie. I've seen it over 10 times and it can still make me bawl. I love Braveheart and I highly recommend seeing it.
Vanilla Sky
(2001)
"Look at us. I'm frozen and you're dead, and I love you."
15 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I love Vanilla Sky. I'm a huge fan of Crowe but I think Vanilla Sky is one of his most unique and beautiful films. I think the acting is great. I think Tom Cruise gets a bad wrap. It's one of his best performances. Penaolope Cruz, Kurt Russell (he's always great), Jason Lee (he's always great too), Cameron Diaz, Noah Taylor, Timothy Spall, and Tilda Swinton (in a brief but good role). Another thing is the beautiful Cinematography by the great John Toll (who also did Almost Famous, Legends of the Fall, Braveheart, The Thin Red Line, The Last Samurai etc.) with the "Monet-like skies" and so on he presents a visually stunning experience that is both viscerally and cerebrally affecting. And of course the music. Radiohead, Nancy Wilson, Red House Painters, R.E.M., The Chemical Brothers, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney, Jeff Buckley, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, U2, Leftfield, Spiritualized, The Rolling Stones, Todd Rundgren, Sigur Ros, just...wow. Highlights for me are the opening (Everything In Its Right Place), when Dvaid and Sofia say goodbye sort of for the last time (Last Goodbye), when David is running for Sofia before the splice (Sweetness Follows), And the last 15 minutes. The Elevator scene (Elevator Beat and Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating in Space). And of course the roof scene. The Nothing Song (Njosnavelin) What an achingly beautiful song. Such a powerful, beautiful, and wonderful film.
Schindler's List
(1993)
"The list... is an absolute good. The list is life. All around its margins lies the gulf."
15 March 2008
I've seen this film countless times and I know I've said this before but this is still, to me not just the best film ever made but it is also the most powerful film ever made. The haunting complexity of this masterpiece can only have been so brilliantly delivered by a true master of cinema. Without question, Spielberg's masterpiece. And it's an it is exquisitely well made film. Spielberg's direction, the writing from Steven Zaillian, the editing from Michael Kahn, the cinematography from Janusz Kaminski, as always the hauntingly beautiful score from the great John Williams, the performances from Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley and every other cast member are all beyond perfection. Through this work of cinematic art I see what I believe is the motion picture masterpiece not only of the 1990's but of the late 20th century. Simply incredible and breathtaking motion picture.
Glory
(1989)
Wow.
15 March 2008
"Give 'em Hell, 54th!" A horribly underrated film, this is, in my opinion, one of the greatest movies ever made period. Anyone who doesn't like this has to be below the age of 11. A great performance by Denzel Washington (one of his top five). Matthew Broderick also gives a career performance. Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher, and Jihmi Kennedy are also wonderful. The Attack on Fort Wagner has to be one of the best battle scenes in movie history (Top 3 IMO). And James Horner's beautiful, sweeping, heroic score helps the film a great deal. The best film involving the Civil War. Incredible film. 4 out of 4 stars.
Almost Famous
(2000)
I love this movie oh so much.
15 March 2008
"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." This is one of my favorite movies ever. Not just because I relate to it in quite a few ways but it is perfect in almost every way. The acting is excellent by a great cast. Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, Noah Taylor, Philip Seymour Hoffman, they're all great. The writing is amazing. I think it is one of the best written movies in the last 30 years. And the music is amazing. This film is entertaining, funny, and touching. Sometimes all at the same time. Cameron Crowe's best work. A truly wonderful masterpiece and just an amazing experience..
A Clockwork Orange
(1971)
Dark, lively and brilliant film.
15 March 2008
"If a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man." Violent juvenile Alex's (Malcolm Macdowell) transformation and journey from amoral punk to brainwashed proper citizen forms the dynamic arc of Kubrick's future-shook vision of Anthony Burgess's novel. Macdowell gives on of the greatest performances of all time. Unforgettable images, startling musical counterpoints (which is apparent and vital in pretty much all of Kubrick's films), the fascinating language used by Alex and his pals-Kubrick shapes them into a shattering whole. The power of its art is such that it still entices, shocks, and holds us in its grasp. Awesome film.
2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968)
Amazing.
15 March 2008
This film, hailed by many, including myself, as the best and most important science-fiction film ever made is very influential but still very unique. Philosophical, stunning, forever fascinating- 2001 is all of these. It defies genre convention and is unlike any science-fiction film before or after its release. Certainly it deviates from Kubrick's stated intention to make the proverbial good science-fiction film. Visually, 2001 is undeniably awesome. Ground-breaking special effects (designed by Douglas Trumbull and Kubrick himself) are a dazzling mix of imagination and science. 2001 can be taken as a mysterious adventure, sermon, or vision, one that was understandably the ultimate trip for hippies on psychedelics, but even viewed simply as a haunting spectacle it is unsurpassed. Its sketchy narrative and sometimes bewildering themes and questions are more than compensated by its gripping engagement between man and machine, its visual starkness and serenity, and, above all, its rhapsodic wonder at heaven and earth and the infinite beyond.
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