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Reviews
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Instant classic but its really a comedy
One of the all time classics, pretty much loved by everyone, even Jeremy Clarkson admits its his favourite, simple plot, two outlaws on the run end up in South America, the real treat here is the chemistry between Newman and Redford, they are a delight to watch, two amazing actors loving every second on screen, at least that's how it comes across, it really is a laugh riot, each one out doing the other with one liners and replies, one scene for me had me in tears laughing, Redford tripping over something in the middle of a arguement ,if by some reason you haven't seen this, stop and watch now, its gold.
Apocalypto (2006)
As usual mel knows how to pack a punch
Totally out of no where and so unexpected comes this tale ,kudos to mel ,another brilliant show, rough plot, peaceful tribe living in jungle, gets attacked and sold as slaves to a Myanan city where human sacrifices are part of their culture, only for one brave slave to escape back to his family, wonderful performances all round ,especially the young leader of the peace loving tribe and the scary leader of the Hunter tribe, as usual Gibson pulls no punches, its brutal and bloody at times, but the cinematography and action scenes are truly epic, even though its subtitled, it doesn't take anything away, definately a must see.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Without doubt Kubricks best, comedy master piece
Frankly anyone that dismisses or gives a low rating hasn't a clue ,the plot, insane general sends bombers to nuke Russian targets, chaos follows, why is it a master piece, lots of reasons, but its the performances that make it great, Peter sellers playing 3 roles for starters ,then George c Scott actually steals the show, playing the unhinged general, its a serious concept, nuclear war on the horizon, but the dialogue in each scene will have doubled over laughing, one scene with sellers actually brings a real laugh from another actor, special mention for slim pickens as the bomber pilot, total Gem ,up at the top of the best ever comedies.
The Shining (1980)
Worth watching to see jack at his best
Definately not a horror in traditional terms, rather a super natural thriller, adapted from a Stephen King novel, a man gets a job looking after a hotel during the winter season, slowly goes insane and horrible events ensue ,real star is the lead, mr jack Nicholson, arguably his best performance, don't think any other actor could have pulled this role off, just as good though is the wife, Shelly Duvall, along with one of the great directors, Stanley Kubrick, watching the making though, he near drove her insane and a breakdown was the outcome, alot call it the greatest horror, disagree, does drag at times ,the ending still a mystery, a must watch though.
The Aviator (2004)
Another Scorsese classic, a must must see
Scorsese is a master filmmaker, once again however this never got the awards it clearly deserved, story, really a bio of Howard Hughes, the billionaire excentric ,tells his obsession with flying and possibly dementia, how much is true, who knows before my time, director created a real step back in time he is a genius film maker, two stand out performances, the ridiculously talented Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn, just fantastic, but its one mans movie, that's Leo, take a bow, absolute joke he didn't win the Oscar, great acting all round, only strange casting is the choice to play Jean Harlow, Gwen staffani is an odd one, thankfully she has a small part, but even if you don't know who Hughes is, this is a must see.
Heat (1995)
Two of greatest go toe to toe
When you talk about acting in film, these two will always get top billing, Pacino and De Niro, best of the best, amazing though they have hardly worked together, this the exception, plot, tough cop meets perfect criminal by fate I guess, both trying to out do the other, perfect roles for them both, Pacino is angry and brilliant, De Niro smooth and clever, other good performances too, Val Kilmer excellent, while watching I was thinking only one way it has to end, which spoiled it a bit, but had to happen, music great too, Michael Mann knows his stuff, if you haven't seen or haven't got a copy hit yourself a slap.
Collateral (2004)
So underrated its a crime
Must be one of most underrated films ever, gets overlooked big time, the plot, taxis driver, Jamie Fox, is going through the motions of life, untill he meets hitman, cruise, chaos ensues, great performances by all, Fox as the taxis driver, but its cruises cold blooded charismatic killer that makes the film, never seen him play this type of role before, definitely suits him, as usual, there's many a chase scene with Tom doing his usual running, have to admire him doing his own stunts ,its a slow starter, quickly goes full gear, few cameos in there too, always thought it was one of his best, def a must see.
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Cruise at his best over looked somehow
Great feel good movie has everything ,laughs, tears, drama, the plot, top sports agent (Cruise) is all about showing the money to his clients, untill he has an epiphany about how heartless the sports world is, loses all but one client and fights back, its Tom at his best and still manages to do a running scene, other great performances, Inc an Oscar win for Cuba Golding, also worth noting is the young child actor, Rene zelweger is great too, but for me its all about Tom, amazed he didn't win, music great too, great song by Springsteen, great film for all ages, you will ride the emotions and cheer at the end, a must watch.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Had to be a ten, top 3 films ever made
Once again a film comes along that changes everything ,like the exorcist, it defines everything after it, the story, simply put, set in the Vietnam war, a highly ranked officer, goes insane and runs things how he sees it, the army has to bring him down, so a special forces solider gets the job, director Mr Coppola, had countless issues being made, over budget, breakdowns and near death of a lead actor, but somehow it was made, so many iconic moments, the ride of the Valkyries scene, astounding, cinematography a sight to see, acting ,goes from fantastic to scary at times, its the atmosphere it creates leaves you blown away, a must see, some will say its too long, I say I didn't want it to end.
Goodfellas (1990)
Top 3 greatest films ever made
The god father people will disagree, and I understand why to a certain extent, but it truth, goodfellas is a masterpiece of film making, how Mr Scorsese was over looked is a crime, why is it so good, the director of course, the story partly based true, but the main reason is the acting, De Niro, and the amazing Joe pesci ,magnificent performance, gives chills everytime, you know the scene I mean, always keeps me glued to my seat no matter how many times I've seen it, frankly anyone that doesn't own a copy is clueless, definately top three films ever made, not sure which number though, just a must watch.
#Horror (2015)
A plot that's all over the place
This is a strange one, actually find it hard to classify it, is it a horror, a teen drama, still not sure, starts off slasher like, then changes to bitchy girls being horrible to each other, acting, not bad, I guess this is as real as possible, mean girls without the laughs, but its biggest fail, is the terrible glitches with the candy crush game, clearly the director loves Ewe boll ,house of the dead comes to mind, becomes nearly Un watchable at times, main actress is Chloe seveny ,had a small part in America physco ,in all honestly if you haven't turned off have 30 minutes, you've done well.
Cloverfield (2008)
Original found footage flick def worth a watch
Another dabble into the found footage genre, so many bad ones, but this is definitely a gem, silly story of course, big Godzilla type monster destroying Manhattan, big difference here is, you very rarely see the Beastie, only glimpses, which adds to the suspense, what the hell is it, CGI is pretty dam good, the cast are the real stars though, one in particular, HUD, amazing comic relief at times, he definitely stole the show, clever use of the hand held camera, making it as real as possible, ultimately, don't over think it, just enjoy the spectacle and performances ,once again HUD the character is funny as hell.
[Rec]² (2009)
Sequels are tough but it manages well
We all know the film sequel story aside a few, most are average in comparison to the original, but rec 2 should definitely be given a chance, starts off roughly were part 1 finished, seen from a diffrent view, new characters, but they bring the events of the previous to a new twist, more of the same great acting, mostly, some silly moments thrown in admittedly, but the intense, fast pace has you gripped, its biggest fault, spoiler, is the supernatural element, its not the exorcist, its a zombie movie let's be clear, despite that its definitely a must see, especially if you enjoyed part 1 ,as for the other films part 3 etc, give them a miss.
[Rec] (2007)
Arguably the best in its genre
Its a shame that some people don't give subtitles films a chance, well this is a perfect example, found footage style, based mostly in an apartment complex, virus runs amok turning those smitten zombie like, if you think that sounds familiar, slightly, but the execution is amazing, acting fantastic by all, no CGI here, practical effects all round, will have you glued to your seat or hiding behind it, starts slow but then its quickly 100 mph, and doesn't let up, no matter how many Times I've seen it, still surprises me and its a genuine scare fest, truly hard to find a fault, an absolute much watch.
Busanhaeng (2016)
A must see for the zombie genre
So many versions of the zombie genre, all from Romeros dead series, to more modern, 28 days later, this one however more than deserves a high mention, as usual in the English speaking world, people are close minded by the subtitles, but any true horror fan knows that means nothing, stand out performances all round, most notably the young lead child actor incredible, but the real stars are the infected actors, one scene to look out for, a train stewardess becoming infected,, usually there are gaps in the intensity of the infected acting, not one bit, every actor is fully commited to the performance, look at the back round at times, a must see.
The Thing (1982)
Iconic horror mostly for its practical effects
The story has been adapted a few times, most notably the black and white version, the thing from another world, a gem for its time, however Mr Carpenter's version, is a hundred miles an hour on speed, the story remains pretty much the same, creature lands on earth, attempts to Take over earth, what sets this apart, is the amazing practical effects by the amazing Rob bottin ,no CGI here, add to that the score by none other the genius, Mr morricone ,great performances all round, mostly by by Kurt Russell, by far Carpenter's finest work, Halloween not even close, its a must see for any horror fan.
Brightburn (2019)
The alternate version of of superman
Supposedly the alternate version of the superman story, if he came to earth evil, love the idea, the story however could and should have been better, real opportunity to create a series, why should a superhero be only for good, as for this, some good performances, mostly the, young lead and his mother,, the story however, falls short in the end, should have had more on the origin like the hero version, funny at times, also gory and violent, one memorable scene involving a truck on the highway,love the idea, why should a superhero be good, so much potential, deserved a second show with a better story, still worth a watch.
Troy (2004)
Very underrated blockbuster
Another big budget telling of a classic story, believe it never got the praise it deserved, films like braveheart, Lord of the rings etc, always got the kudos, how accurate it is have no idea, but for sure its a must see, Brad Pitt and Eric bana lead the way, good performances all round, their fight scene in particular is a highlight, only real negative is Orlando Bloom, so wooden, and for once Sean Bean doesn't get killed, spoiler, naturally Mr Pitt had everyone drooling, serious abs going on, also not sure about the casting of Helen of Troy, Ms Kruger is OK, but for such a role, it needed a top beauty.
Salem's Lot (1979)
Still has the greatest jump scare ever
Remember this so well, watched the TV version, initially not that good, dragged at times, but Christ it delivered the scares, one scene in particular gave me nightmares for weeks, never get jailed for assault in a small town, decent enough acting, but the stars are the effects in particular the lead boogeyman man, still freaks on every viewing, admittedly its over long and was cut, guess due to the length ,although one scene at the end was a strange cut, good performances all round, David soul shines as does the young boy actor, definately worth getting an uncut version, many modern vampire films wish they were half as good.
West Side Story (1961)
Perfection of movie making
To begin, anyone that doesn't rate this 10 ,is either clueless or full of spite
Simply its the greatest musical ever made, to say its iconic doesn't do it justice, perfect performances, amazing score, it sets the standard, the awards prove my point, its faultless, every great musical, has to include the amazing Russ tamblin ,great telling of the Romeo and Juliet story, added with iconic songs from the genius Mr Sondheim, and the choreography by legend Jerome Robbins, then the score by a certain Mr Bernstein, its a must see, frankly anyone that hasn't must be dead, required viewing by anyone with half a brain.
Dracula (1958)
Wonderful film its a must see
To say the word classic horror, this sets the standard, fantastic acting, from the all time greats, Lee and cushing ,from the so underrated hammer films, this is their finest effort, I would give all films a ten, then look for faults,, honestly Cant find any with this Version, it has everything, enough horror not to offend, wonderful music, perfectly balanced in story, but the performances from the two leads sets it apart, cushing is beyond characterismatic ,he owns the screen as does Lee, despite his lack of dialogue, make no mistake, this is how to make a horror, perfect telling of a classic tale. Bram Stoker would approve.
Halloween (1978)
Average at best
For some reason Halloween is rated Johns best work, have never understood why, where to start, the acting, apart from the amazing Donald pleasence ,and the gorgeous Nancy loomis ,its dreadful, Jamie Lees performance, well the less said the better, as for the iconic boogeyman man, Micheal Myers,he goes from being knocked out with a coat hanger, then somehow has the strength to pin a man with a kitchen knife to a door, also while slowly walking towards his victim and still catching up, yes horror isn't meant to be taken that serious, but come on, mostly boring at times, only thing sets it apart is the music, people fawn over this film, but in no way compares to his other work.
Terrifier (2016)
Pure horror at its best
Where to start lol, forget the acting, the story, do we really care its horror, hilarious as its gory, actually laughed as much as I turned away, definately a my boogeyman man on the block, art the clown, outshines Jason, Micheal and Freddy, the gory is spectacular, Tom savini ,would be proud, but the humor is just as good, when you least expect it, its all about the amazing David thorton ,such a performance, without any dialogue too boot, just don't take it serious and its a blast, some scenes aren't for the faint hearted, the second one is out, sounds even better, but make sure you watch this.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Prepare your mind
Where do I start, if based on true events, Christ then how did they survive, as for the film?, well its purely about drugs, all sorts, is this film anti drugs or pro, still don't know, its an experience you have to see, great performances all round, especially Depp, outstanding, or was was it too real?, look out for the cameos, you will know, Hunter r Thompson's story, is it real, who knows, but have to think to make this, everyone had to be on something, still as a watch its a 10 no other film has you glued to the screen,, its a must watch, forget the story just watch the acting,great show.,,
We're No Angels (1955)
Flawless film its perfect
Heartwarming, funny, feel good, it has everything, the acting is perfection, the story, amazing, just watch it and enjoy heart and soul. Defy anyone not to love it.