Change Your Image
TheRagingBull94
Reviews
The 'Burbs (1989)
Dark And Delightful. The 'Burbs Is Classic Tom Hanks and Joe Dante
I'm not completely familiar with the films of Joe Dante. I've watched Gremlins which is an absolute classic and I'm looking forward to seeing The Howling. The 'Burbs is one of his films and I don't think I can say anything less than that it was a really fun movie that had some witty yet dark humor, a wonderful 80s feel, an expectedly brilliant performance by Tom Hanks and an engaging mystery. On top of that, I've detected a lot of influence from classic thrillers from Alfred Hitchcock, notably Rear Window and Psycho as well as slight resemblances to To Kill A Mockingbird.
The story is set in a neighborhood like any other. Ray Peterson is off from work and doesn't have anything to do on his vacation other than to walk around in his pyjamas all day looking for something to do. A month earlier, new neighbors moved into the dark house next door to him but something's strange about them. Nobody has seen or met them, weird noises come from the house at night and the property is an absolute mess. One of Ray's other neighbors, Walter disappears and Ray along with his other pals being to suspect that the Klopek's are committing murders. A very Hitchcockian plot, and who doesn't love that? The humor in the film is dark yet witty and always amusing. I especially love how the filmmakers have gone out of their way to make the Klopek family seem as unusual as possible. It creates the right sort of mood to fit with the fun loving tone. I do feel that the design of the family and their household does come off as really clichéd and corny, but I can see what they were doing when putting the movie together.
The acting is great. Outside of a wonderful performance by the always great Tom Hanks, the other actors do very well too. Rick Ducommon and Bruce Dern are highly entertaining as Ray's neighbors and provide a nice mix of verbal and physical humor which I really got good laughs out of. I also quite liked Carrie Fisher. I haven't seen many movies with her outside of the Star Wars trilogy, but I feel she did fine in her role as the wife reluctant to embrace her husband's far fetched theories. Another favorite of mine is Corey Feldman. I don't think this is the best performance of his career and his character isn't all that important, but I still enjoyed him nonetheless.
One thing I think is worth criticizing though is a movement done with the camera in the scene where Ray and Art find a bone. The camera quickly zooms in and out. It seemed like an attempt at creating tension or indicate surprise, but it just looked silly to me and I admit that I actually got a little giggle out of it. As for my reference to 'To Kill A Mockingbird'... look at the design of the house and the way in which the Klopeks are viewed by the other neighbors. As if they aren't making a reference to Boo Radley. Another thing worth making note of is the wonderful level of twists and turns in the story. This film didn't come out in a way I expected it to and I freaking loved that.
Overall, The 'Burbs is a classic and criminally underrated film. It's a great piece of fun that mixes lightheartedness with slight Gothic undertones which results in a film that can be enjoyed by almost everyone. For Tom Hanks fans, it's a must see.
9/10
The Gold Rush (1925)
Comedic Mastery By An Icon Of Cinema
It took me a while to see this. I had seen Charlie Chaplin shorts in the past and I've always found them quite humorous, but for whatever reason it wasn't until today I sat down and finally watched a Chaplin film. A good friend of mine said this was his favourite one. Without hesitation, I bought a cheap copy of 'The Gold Rush' and I can say that it has become one of my favourite comedies.
The film is about Charlie Chaplin who is playing his iconic character, "The Tramp" who in this film is a lone prospector in Alaska looking for gold. He barges into a seemingly abandoned cabin and begins gnawing on a bone only to find out the cabin is owned by a man named Black Larson. Soon, another prospector named Big Jim arrives. A blizzard begins to accumulate and for a while The Tramp, Big Jim and Black Larson are stuck together with a lack of food. Later on, The Tramp goes into town and experiences the 'thunderbolt' when he meets Georgia. The rest of the film chronicles The Tramp's hilarious antics as he tries to impress her whilst still being a prospector.
I saw the 1940s revision of the film. Instead of the traditional black screen that silent films cut to for dialogue, Chaplin made the wise decision to remove them and replace them with narration and another soundtrack which allows the film to present itself more fluently and with greater appeal to more mainstream moviegoers. While I didn't see the original unchanged cut, I do feel that I would enjoy this one more anyway. No need for an elitist attitude in regards to film alteration in this case. I do feel that it was a good thing to do.
The humor is The Gold Rush is naturally fantastic and doesn't really come off as outdated to me despite the fact that comedy of this kind is not really prevalent in modern cinema. The Gold Rush makes use of physical antics by Chaplin expressed through his use of forks and buns to 'dance' in the later part of the film. Besides this, slapstick and humor based on putting characters in situations is used. A great example of the slapstick is the scene in which The Tramp is trying to get belt for his pants but gets a dog on a leash whilst he's dancing. Also, how could one forget the classic scene towards the end in which The Tramp and Big Jim are stuck in a house sitting on the edge of the cliff, needing to be careful to make sure their weight doesn't cause it to fall off? There are so many aspects of this film that have paved the road for modern comedy and been parodied everywhere in popular culture.
The acting is also fantastic. Despite being silent, you can see that Charlie Chaplin understands completely what he is doing. None of the acts look deliberate or forced and flow with the movie. It's not saying enough to call the man a comedic genius. Another great fact is that Chaplin also directed and wrote this film. His direction is fantastic and as I said, the humor is well written and translates onto the big screen well. The performances from Tom Murray, Mack Swain and Georgia Hale are also very likable.
To say the least, this was Chaplin's film and his alone. Since he wrote, directed and acted in it, he clearly had a lot of control and knew exactly what he was doing. What is the outcome? One of the best comedies of all time and possibly one of the most important films to happen to cinema. The Gold Rush is an excellent film and I recommend highly. Don't miss it, it's great fun! I can't wait to see more of Chaplin's films.
9/10
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Even Though He Didn't Direct It, Pretty In Pink Is Equal In Poignance To John Hughes' Other Classic Films
I don't think that this film is quite on equal grounds with what I consider to be the two best John Hughes films (The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off), but as far as teen films go Pretty in Pink exemplifies utmost brilliance that makes it necessary viewing for fans of John Hughes, teen films and 80s cinema in general. On top of that, the film also has a few distinctive qualities that are all worth discussion.
The film's story focuses on a lower class teenage girl named Andie who isn't one of the most popular girls in school. She's constantly accompanied by a childhood friend named Duckie who secretly has a crush on her who offers the basic friendly comforts as well as the commonly associated annoyances. She also spends time working at a record shop with her friend, Iona. Shortly into the film she grows an attraction to an upper class boy named Blane and begins dating him, but the real issues involved are whether or not the difference in social classes as well as the presence of both Duckie and Blane will be a problem.
The story isn't outstanding by any means, but it isn't the main source of appeal. Mainly I feel that that is rooted in the great performances, exploration of class differences, and the great humour. Molly Ringwald, a teen film regular delivers a great performance that certainly equals her role in The Breakfast Club. You get to see the basic clichéd struggles of a teenage girl, but the film luckily understands that basing drama off of this is not enough. It's great to see the writers made her mother absent, made her father unemployed and gave a decent portrayal of living in a lower social class and being unpopular as well as the associated consequences.
I think Annie Potts and Andrew McCarthy give solid performances, but one performance I really like especially is Jon Cryer as Duckie. He seems to remind me of Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller's Day Off despite his nerdy qualities. I think he's the funniest character in the movie, take note of the scene in which he is pushed into the girl's bathroom at school.
I may be really off on this next statement, but I feel as though the movie has Marxist undertones. The fact that the film deals with the issues of living in a lower social class and negatively portrays the characters who live in the upper class (Take note of Blane's friends. They're jerks). On top of that, I feel as though this was reinforced by the scene in which Andie and Duckie were discussing the Russian revolution during a study session. Maybe this wasn't intentional, but I can't help but draw the connections. Either way, it doesn't really hurt the movie and in some cases it could even be useful.
While some of the issues encountered do appear to be meaningless such as the High School Prom or getting people in other school groups to like you, you have to remember that this is a teen film and it is required to portray these social aspects in a way that can appeal to younger audiences. Luckily though, the filmmakers have made it entertaining for all age groups (or so I've heard). One thing I'd also like to note is the ending. While you can predict the possible endings, I'm really glad they went with the one that seemed the least likely.
Pretty In Pink is a wonderful movie. It may not have been directed by the late and legendary John Hughes, but it's so identical to his other films in style it might as well have been. Director Howard Deutch should be commended for replicating this style of teen filmmaking. Pretty In Pink receives a very high recommendation from me. Rest in peace, John Hughes and thank you for writing this great film.
9/10
Team America: World Police (2004)
Team America: Stupid, Repulsive And Politically Incorrect, But Innovative And Original
I recall seeing Team America: World Police back in 2006 as part of a 12th Birthday Party being held for a friend of mine at the time. At this same time I was a huge fan of South Park and was curious towards checking out this film as it was made by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. I saw it, and I certainly enjoyed, but I never really thought much of it. I didn't think of the movie again until I went to another birthday party a year or two ago and it was on. I didn't watch it then, but I sat down yesterday afternoon and decided to give it another shot. I can conclude that while it is a pretty dumb film, it is highly innovative and I enjoyed it much more now than when I did when I was 12.
The story follows a nationalistic American counter-terrorism organization called Team America that exists for the purpose of stopping terrorist groups from the Middle East threatening the Western world. After the death of one of their members, a reluctant actor named Gary Johnston is hired as his replacement in fighting a new terrorist threat to the world being coordinated by North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-il.
Even from the first scene, there are two things to conclude. The movie is unbelievably cliché and the jokes are very immature. The clichés (at least I hope so) are deliberately put in to emphasize the humor even though it creates unquestionable predictability in the story. The dialogue has been heard before, and the characters all fit a known stereotype. Take for example the reluctant hero, the jerk who doesn't trust the new guy, the lonely villain who wants to destroy the world etc.
The humor however draws a lot of reference to dicks/vaginas as well as poo, sex etc. You know, the kind of stuff a dumb 14 year old would find hilarious. As far as the topic of humor goes though it can be quite witty, notably the famous comparison between the types of people there are (Dicks, Pussies and Assholes). I also enjoyed the fact that the movie decided to capitalize on the stereotype of American stupidity. An example that stands out to me if the subtitles indicating location (North Korea, Asia, X amount of miles West of America) as if to imply that people really are that stupid.
The fact that the movie was created with puppets is also really interesting. Obviously it was influenced by Thunderbirds. I just loved how well all of this was done. I always prefer live actors, but it was nice to see a bit of a change. The voice acting is great too. It once again demonstrates the talent of Matt Stone and Trey Parker who handle multiple roles. That's one advantage out of using puppets.
One more thing I'd like to comment on specifically is the character of Kim Jong-il. I find it hilarious that they portray him as such a wimpy yet dangerous man. The famous "I'm so ronery" song is just great. In my opinion, he's the most interesting character in the movie despite the fact that he's the most stereotypical villain possible.
Overall, I like Team America. It is immature and politically incorrect, however it is an innovative and overall entertaining movie. I recommend it, especially if you are a South Park fan.
8/10
Twister (1996)
People Have Missed The Point. It's Only Meant To Be Popcorn Fun.
I'm surprised that I actually did just watch this movie today. I had seen it countless times when I was younger courtesy of my Geography class and I always thought that I wouldn't bother viewing it again. However, something drew me to it and I ended up viewing Twister again. I can't make any more conclusions besides the ones I had already drawn from previous viewings and I know that this movie has been criticized for an over-reliance on effects and a lacking of substance. I'd mostly agree to this, but I don't really see any enormous issues in it. It's merely designed to be a piece of fun and that it certainly is.
The story goes as follows. Bill Harding is a TV Weatherman looking for his distant wife, Jo with the intention of having her sign divorce papers so he can marry his girlfriend, Melissa. Upon meeting with her, he is caught up in an investigation of a series of tornadoes across the state of Oklahoma involving revolutionary equipment that is being used to study tornadoes in a way that has never been possible. The movie then explores a series of violent tornadoes as well as the realization that Bill and Jo have about their relationship.
Even though the film was made in 1996 and they may be regarded as outdated by today's standards, I think that the special effects in Twister are wonderful. It is true that there is an over-reliance on them and they certainly do get in the way of plot however I do admit that they were indeed really fun to watch and the action scenes never really felt drawn out to me (a mistake that seems to be very common in poorer action films).
The acting is alright. Bill Paxton's performance is rather flat. Helen Hunt I feel did a good job and her character, Jo is certainly the most fleshed out character in the movie. Jamie Gertz was fine as Melissa, but the character has very little purpose and it wouldn't make a huge difference if she was cut out altogether. Cary Elwes' performance as Jonas isn't too great as his accent isn't very strong and its hard to indicate what specific accent he's trying to put on. It sounds very Southern, but there's a mixture of something else in there. Besides these, who couldn't love the irritating yet entertaining character, Dusty, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. The guy is so unusual and the reasons for his apeish behaviour is totally unexplained, but what can I say? He's great comedic relief.
This film has been heavily criticized for its lack of character and story development as well as an over-reliance on special effects being the only reason it was such a huge hit back in 1996. These complaints are indeed true, but I feel that people overestimated what the film would be like based on the budget and hence came out disappointed. People need to learn to not believe the hype when it comes to profits. They are no indicator for quality. Despite this, it's still a really fun movie.
Twister isn't perfect and is faulted, sometimes greatly so. However it does pass as a nice piece of action filmmaking that you'd enjoy for 100 minutes provided that you lighten up and prepare to just have fun and not expect something stimulating for the brain. It's a great movie and I'm standing by my opinion.
7/10
The Bucket List (2007)
A Heartwarming Drama About Living Your Last Days To The Fullest
This was a great film. The Bucket list was shunned by many critics including Roger Ebert for its unrealistic portrayal of cancer patients and its light hearted and too positive treatment towards the issue of being diagnosed terminally ill and having a limit on how long one has left to live. While some of the humour could be regarded as inappropriate in relation to the topic and the attitudes expressed are false, it doesn't really stop audiences from seeing a nice feel good film if they're willing to lighten up.
Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson portray Carter and Edward. Carter is a happily married working class mechanic whilst Edward is a corporate big shot. Both men are diagnosed with cancer and then begin having their treatment whilst they share the same hospital room. After some small talk allowing them to get to know each other and upon learning that both of them are terminally ill they decide to live the remainder of their lives doing what they always wanted to do before they 'kick the bucket'.
From here we already know that both of these men are destined to die and any tension is only related to when they're gonna pass on, but during the short time we spend with them as an audience we learn about the ups and downs of the lives of both of these men. It's interesting to see a happily married man like Carter suddenly grow selfish and briefly abandon his wife in favour of seeing the world, and it's also cool to see an old and seemingly heartless grouch like Edward suddenly develop some emotion and enter a legitimate human relationship (something that has been unsuccessful many times considering his 4 divorces and non-existent relationship with his daughter).
The Bucket List also got me thinking about how I would live the last few months of my own life. Granted that I'm still not even 18 and I don't have to worry about death for several decades, I could still connect to the thrill seeking lifestyle that these men desire as I would certainly be willing to do the same thing when my time comes. I'd certainly like to visit Egypt or France or Russia or any of the countries they visited and who wouldn't want to race cars or skydive sometimes in their life? I've never done any of those, but it certainly was nice to experience it cinematically through these two men whom we have formed a bond with as an audience.
I don't think it needs to be said, but Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman are great. They both seem to play the kind of character that they're known for. Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Edward is similar to his performance in 'As Good As It Gets' and Morgan Freeman has always been good at playing a kind and seemingly aged man like he has in movies like 'Se7en'. However, I did find Beverly Todd's performance and character, Virginia to be rather unlikable and a barrier on allowing these two great characters to live it up.
The Bucket List isn't any kind of masterpiece, but it is a heartwarming drama about living up your final days and it was great to experience such a movie in the company of such likable characters. Just be prepared to see something that portrays something as more positive than it should be and I'm willing to bet you'd enjoy yourself.
8/10
Rocky IV (1985)
In America, Rocky Is Awesome! In Soviet Russia, Rocky Is Still Awesome!
Rocky IV is an interesting film as far as the opinions of fans go. Many praise it for differing from the original and obtaining its own individual charm whilst others condemn it for the very same reason. Personally, I've always loved Rocky IV and I may even prefer it to Rocky Balboa despite the fact that it is far inferior as far as a good screenplay goes. Rocky IV deviates from the dramatic prospects that made the first two Rocky films so fantastic and instead follows in the popcorn action flick direction introduced in Rocky III, but goes even further and on to becoming one of those ridiculous macho man action movies from the 80s like Commando that is also riddled with Cold War propaganda. It's very different, but lovable in its own silly way.
The film begins with a flashback of the fight at the end of the previous movies like all Rocky movies seem to do. We learn that Rocky's friend, Apollo Creed is coming out of retirement for an exhibition match with a powerful Russian boxer named Ivan Drago. Apollo feels obligated to go ahead with fighting due to his patriotism and sadly ends up being killed by Drago. Rocky is devastated by this and chooses to fight Drago himself and he travels to the Soviet Union in order to train for the upcoming fight.
Drop your expectation that you will get a Rocky movie with real dramatic substance, this one has descended into utter silliness and is nothing more than just an action movie. In that regard, it is pretty good. Stallone delivers a great performance as Rocky like he always has and Carl Weathers was still great as Apollo Creed during his screen time, but unfortunately Adrian and Paulie are given very little to do outside of just supporting Rocky on his endeavors so their character development has gone downhill.
The soundtrack and montages that accompany them are wonderful. Even though the classic composition of Bill Conti is absent, Rocky IV introduces a rock and pop soundtrack that I find to be great. The songs by Survivor, Vince Dicola, Robert Tepper and John Cafferty are all wonderful and I still listen to them quite regularly. The montage of Rocky training in the Russian wilderness is also a very nice change to juxtapose with the montages in the previous films.
The Cold War aspects are very interesting too, even though they are sometimes quite silly. The portrayal of Drago as a quiet, Frankenstein-like brute is unusual, but I appreciate that they tried to make the character seem monstrous to compliment his superhuman strength. In general, I just think that it was really cool to see the screenplay adapt itself to a suitable period in history. Another moment when the Soviet people 'boo' Rocky and show strong patriotism for their country when their anthem plays before the match is no doubt an interesting scene, but I'm actually somewhat confused that they would present the Soviets in such a negative way, but have Rocky give a speech for peace between the USA and the USSR. Merely a question that remains unanswered in my mind.
Rocky IV isn't the sort of movie you take seriously. The serious drama has been drained and has been replaced with action, music and montages and some propaganda, but it has developed a charm of its own and can be heavily enjoyed despite some shortcomings. Rocky IV is a great movie and a solid installment in this wonderful franchise.
8/10
Halloween (1978)
The Ultimate Horror Masterpiece
When discussing what the best horror movies of all time are the most common examples include films like Psycho, The Exorcist, Dawn of the Dead and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. While all of these films are great, I hold the opinion that the greatest horror movie ever made is John Carpenter's 1978 film, Halloween. It's not just a must-see film for fans and non-fans of horror alike, but it's also the perfect example of John Carpenter's directorial talent, a great example of budget-conscious filmmaking, the main inspiration for the slasher subgenre, an influential movie for aspiring filmmakers like myself, but most importantly it is a monumental achievement in horror filmmaking and a landmark film for the entire genre that has not been surpassed by any horror film since.
The premise is simple, but absolutely perfect. Michael Myers murders his older sister, Judith on Halloween Night 1963 when he is six years old. He's locked away for fifteen years and is treated by Dr Sam Loomis until he escapes before he is to stand for a trial. What is to follow is a night of terror as Michael sets out to his home town, Haddonfield, to stalk and kill teenager Laurie Strode and her friends on Halloween Night whilst Dr Loomis searches the streets looking for him. It may seem very basic, but it is the perfect set up for the essential horror film.
The main reason why this film is so amazing is how well it is directed. John Carpenter was clearly an absolute genius. The camera angles and lighting perfectly compliment each other and create a great sense of atmosphere that is creepy and the editing is outstanding and the film never feels like it is slow or wasting any time, making the hour and a half running time perfect. However, the greatest aspect of Carpenter's talent has to be the music. He composed it himself, he uses it at the appropriate times and the movie really wouldn't be anywhere near as suspenseful without it. I really don't see how this film could have been directed more perfectly.
Outside of Carpenter's excellent direction, the cast should be commended too. Usually in a horror film you expect the actors to be terrible, but it seems like everyone does a good job here. Jamie Lee Curtis is brilliant as Laurie Strode. She captures the image of the innocent good girl very well and this was her debut performance. Nancy Loomis and PJ Soles are really good as Laurie's friends, Annie and Lynda. Charles Cyphers was great as Sheriff Brackett. The child actors who played Tommy and Lindsey were great, especially for their young age. Nick Castle was excellent as Michael Myers and really gave off a creepy vibe. Despite all these great performances, the best is undeniably Donald Pleasence as Dr Loomis. This man's acting was unbelievably good. The scene in which he gives an eerie monologue in the Myers house is just breathtaking.
As far as kills go, there isn't quite as many as you would expect in a slasher film and the gore is basically non-existent, but this is because Carpenter didn't want to make a splatter fest with piles of bodies and is instead focusing on something much greater. Suspense. This beats violence anyday as it is true terror and it shows off much greater filmmaking quality.
While there were earlier films that influenced the slasher genre such as Black Christmas, Halloween is the one that deserves to take the title as the original slasher movie because it created the basic formula that made later films like Friday the 13th possible. Interesting to think that such a little independent film went on to change the history of horror as we know it. In that sense, I also have a huge level of respect for it and it influences me as an aspiring director.
John Carpenter has certainly made some great movies, but Halloween takes the trophy as it simply is just the perfect horror film. I really can't see how this movie can be beaten. It's suspenseful, spawned a great franchise, laid unimaginable influence and is truly defining of its genre. Do not miss this masterpiece. It's something that you just have to watch regardless as to whether or not you're a horror movie fan.
10/10
The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Great movie portraying both the good and evil sides of Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin.
I didn't have any preconceived expectations of The Last King of Scotland. I spotted the DVD on eBay being sold for a few dollars and I remembered that a friend of mine was discussing it a while back and got me curious. I was also aware that it was a film depicting Idi Amin and since I'm always interested in seeing movies about history's evil dictators I figured that since the film had very positive reviews it was something worth sitting through. With little to do one day, I popped in the film and was quite impressed by it.
The Last King Of Scotland chronicles Amin's regime through the viewpoint of a young doctor named Nicholas Garrison, who went to Uganda to escape his family life. He finds himself being appointed as the new President of Uganda's personal physician. He develops a close friendship with Amin as he provides him with the best possible life in Kampala, but over time he begins to see the horrors of Amin's terrifying personality as well as his brutal dictatorship that left thousands of people dead.
There are two key reasons why this film is effective. The first is the acting. James McAvoy is very good and certainly held his ground as being the central protagonist and everyone else did good jobs, but what is really worth seeing is Forest Whitaker's Oscar-winning performance as Idi Amin himself. He really brings the man to life and convinces you that he could be Amin's double. The performance not only portrays the side of him that is a psychotic dictator, but also the easygoing family man that would do anything to make the people he loved happy. It made him appear more developed as a character.
The second key reason for success is the film's willingness to push typical boundaries. The violence, while limited to just a few scenes towards the end, are really quite graphic and made me feel a little ill. Notably the 'hanging' scene which is just gut wrenching. The third reason is of course the great screenplay that made the fictional doctor, Garrison, seem like he may have been real and provide different sides to Idi Amin's character.
The Last King of Scotland is a highly engaging film that I highly recommend to any moviegoer provided they are ready to see some horrific things and know that what they are watching is mostly true. It's a great movie and well worth renting and watching, especially for Forest Whitaker.
8/10
The Amityville Horror (1979)
Regardless as to whether or not the story is true, The Amityville Horror is an underrated horror classic and the definitive haunted house movie.
The Amityville Case is no doubt the most famous ghost story of all time. The case was fascinating, yet baseless as far as legitimate evidence goes and the novel was a huge success. It made the way for this 1979 film that was a box office hit that was ripped apart by critics. It doesn't matter whether or not you believe the story to be true because either way The Amityville Horror can be seen as a great horror film that has a fair few faults that restrict it from achieving the status of being amazing.
The story is basic. Ronald DeFeo Jr murders his entire family in the middle of the night and his house is sold off to George and Kathy Lutz and their children a year later. What supposedly goes on during the next thirty days is a series of paranormal occurrences that eventually drive the Lutz family into sheer terror and influence them to abandon their dream home never to return.
Maybe it isn't the most original plot ever, but it is efficient for the haunted house genre and the fact that it was based off of supposedly true events makes it more engaging. As a studier on the Amityville case, it was really interesting to see this film brought to life with accuracy to the claims of the real life Lutz family. Seeing what I read about at that time on the TV screen was actually really exciting for me, but as I've grown older and become more critical of films I am able to point out flaws that critics identified. Even though I still like this movie a lot, I can respect critics opinions on it since I see where they are coming from.
Firstly, the acting is stiff. Margot Kidder and James Brolin aren't very good actors, and what's worse is that their chemistry is blunt and ineffective. This is sadly accentuated even more by the fact that some of the dialogue for the George and Kathy Lutz characters is cheesy and laughable ("You make me feel like a kid in the back seat of a car"). The fact that these two are the main characters is really off putting and it just draws your interest towards seeing creepy things happen in the house even more. However, I did quite like Rod Steiger's performance as the priest. I would have loved to see more of him in the movie.
Another issue is the fact that the film moves rather slowly, especially in the middle. The film wastes a lot of time on unengaging drama and sometimes forgets that it is trying to be a haunted house movie. Also, at other times the editing came off as being amateurish and even laughable. These are salient flaws.
As far as positives go, I'd like to commend the creepy atmosphere present in many scenes. The use of dark lighting in the house alongside the music was really effective and certainly made me fear the house. On top of that, the house looks just like the real house in Amityville. I also really love the fact that the filmmakers really put in the effort to present the Lutz family's claims on the big screen. The walls dripped with ooze, 'Jody' was often mentioned and briefly seen, George woke up at 3:00 AM all the time, the flies were appearing, supernatural voices were heard etc. It was great to see them make a film adaptation that was accurate to claimed events.
Sure, The Amityville Horror isn't the best horror movie ever made, but outside of the glaring faults it can be viewed as the essential haunted house movie. It really doesn't matter whether or not the story is true. I recommend seeing it especially if you are a horror fan and avoid the letdown of the 2005 remake.
8/10
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
It's not a great horror film, but it is still throughly entertaining and underrated
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning is often labelled the black sheep of the Friday the 13th series and is an installment that most people seem to ignore due to the elitist attitude that simply because our hockey mask wearing hero, Jason Voorhees is not present in this film and in his place is merely just an impostor. However, with an attitude like this, ignoring this film if you're a fan of the earlier films is really just causing you to miss out on a nice piece of horror entertainment. It may not be quite as good as the earlier films and had its fair share of flaws, but it certainly is a great piece of fun worth checking out.
A New Beginning opens up with a dream sequence where Tommy Jarvis, the only recurring character in the franchise besides Jason, has a dream where Jason rises from the grave and is about to kill him. After he wakes up we learn that he is being transported to a mental home around Camp Crystal Lake. After one patient murders another over something completely ridiculous, a series of murders begin happening across the area at the hands of a killer who is using Jason's old M.O.
Indeed, this is not the greatest horror movie ever made and far from the best Friday the 13th film, but what A New Beginning does that what all the following ones do not is it retains the style of filmmaking that made the previous films so likable. The style is hard to describe, but comparing Friday the 13th Part IV and Part VI you can see the level of change. Part V stylistically remained the most true to its predecessors than any Friday the 13th film that followed it, but sadly it just doesn't do it quite as well as the previous horror classics.
One thing I appreciate is the return of the character, Tommy Jarvis. While the actor who portrayed him in this, John Shepherd doesn't hold a candle to Corey Feldman or Thom Mathews from Part VI, I did enjoy his performance mainly due to the shy personality he portrayed. As far as the other characters go, most of them are a bore and you just want to see the fake Jason kill them. Especially the hillbilly characters who were simply just irritating and besides the scene where Tommy kicks the ass of one of them they should have been cut from the film. I also really like the character who appeared to be some wannabe Michael Jackson. His appearance alone made the character worth it. A particular scene I really like in the film is the infamous scene in which Vic kills Joey over the issue of a chocolate bar and chopping wood. It's over the top and ridiculous, but in classic Friday the 13th fashion it is just awesome! Besides this scene, the kills are great and some are even quite imaginative, there's a solid body count and there is plenty of nudity (in fact, the nudity is better than the previous films).
Other negatives are rooted in the fact that the film isn't particularly scary at all. Even though I've never found Friday the 13th films scary, the last 4 (especially the first) all had their tense moments. There is none of that here and sometimes it feels as though nothing of importance or interest is going on. I also want to add that the ending is just really bad, but it doesn't ruin the overall experience you had for the last 80 minutes.
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning is not an outstanding horror film and isn't equal to its predecessors, but it is a nice piece of fun that fans can enjoy as long as they can get over the fact that Jason is not the killer and the ending is quite bad. It's a worthwhile horror movie and worth seeing.
7/10
First Blood (1982)
An Action Tour De Force
Making the perfect action film is no easy task. There have been very few movies in this genre that I deem to be truly flawless. However, as much as it means to me to call a film a masterpiece, I don't hesitate when it comes to calling this particular film a masterpiece. First Blood is a milestone in action movie making that is equally suspenseful as it is emotional and a definitive moment for Sylvester Stallone's career.
The plot goes as follows. John Rambo is an ex-Green Beret who travels the country visiting old friends from Vietnam. He goes to see one of his old comrades only to learn that he has passed away. With a bleak future ahead of him, Rambo goes into a small town and is immediately harassed by a local sheriff for being a drifter. He's arrested, escapes from the police station, goes into the woods and begins a one-man war with the police and national guard.
With a plot like this, you'd expect it to be a bullet-fest with no real feeling, but instead it is an intense experience because of the audiences' emotional investment in the human story embedded within whilst the violence and body count is kept to an appropriate minimum (There's only one death and it's unintentional). First Blood is not about the action, it's all for suspense, character development and how viewers respond to it.
The reason why the suspense works so well is because of how connected we feel to John Rambo. We witness his response to hearing about his friend's death, get a glimpse into the horrendous things that he experienced in the war and we see the unethical treatment of him at the hands of the corrupt cops. These effectively establish him as our protagonist and we really wish to see him succeed. The rest of the movie sees him put into a series of life threatening situations that we wanna see him overcome, but we aren't entirely sure. That's the genius.
Sylvester Stallone gives a performance that is equally as phenomenal as his Rocky performance. Anyone who still wishes to discredit Sly really should examine these films before jumping to conclusion. He clearly is a talented actor. The greatest moment that Stallone gives us is a powerful monologue at the end in which Rambo releases all his built up thoughts. His cries all come out as being genuine. These dramatic moments are far more powerful than any sort of explosion or special effect.
Outside of Stallone, I feel the need to give my compliments to Brian Dennehy and Richard Crenna. Their performances as Teasle and Colonel Trautman are very strong and they are great supporters of Stallone.
The movie also has several other positive points. The pacing is perfect and the hour and a half running time doesn't come off as short nor does it drag. The atmosphere of every location is evident and reinforces the suspense. The music by Jerry Goldsmith is absolutely wonderful and contributes to both the suspense and emotional impact. Lastly, the overall direction of Ted Kotcheff rightfully should be commended.
Whilst the series did lose its serious tone after this and just went for straight forward action, they are entertaining and they certainly don't hurt the true power of the original movie.
First Blood is a movie that hits in all the right places and then some. It has earned it's place as an endlessly rewatchable action classic that is definitive of its genre. The fact that this is not in IMDb's Top 250 list is a crime. Action movies do not get better than this.
10/10
Rocky (1976)
Follow your Dreams
Rocky has always been one of my favorite movies of all time. I first saw the film just over 5 years ago and since then I have experienced it an incalculable number of times under many different emotional and locational circumstances. I recently got the chance to watch the film on Blu-Ray and it's just as good as it ever has been. In my eyes, the entire franchise is among the greatest ever, but the original Rocky film from 1976 will forever stand out as more than just a boxing movie, but as a triumph in human spirit and one of the most inspiring movies ever made.
The story follows a smalltime club boxer named Rocky Balboa. His life isn't the most desirable one could have. He lives in a small apartment in Philadelphia and makes a cheap living off of club boxing and collecting debts for a local loan shark. After heavyweight boxing champion, Apollo Creed, offers Rocky a shot at the title, he pledges to go the distance and become a 'somebody' rather than a 'nobody' despite the odds.
The plot comes off as being very basic, but the main appeal of the film isn't the overall narrative structure, but rather the details of character development, acting, writing, music, atmosphere and iconic imagery.
As a character, Rocky would be assumed to be just a dumb brute in the way that he lives his life, but it is revealed that he has a lovable, sympathetic and tolerant nature that is revealed through his relationships with other characters. For example, when collecting a debt he finds that the man is $70 short and rather than break his thumb like you would expect, Rocky lets him off the hook. We also learn about Rocky's patient nature in his efforts to achieve a relationship with a shy store clerk named Adrian. I've always viewed Adrian's love for Rocky as a catalyst for his eventual heroic triumphs. Rocky's accepting qualities are also represented through his relationships with Paulie and Mickey, both of which are strained to an extent. Regardless, Rocky is accepting of them.
These character traits in Rocky Balboa effectively develop him as a character wonderfully and immediately allow us to sympathise with him, but what's also to note is the brilliance of Sylvester Stallone's performance. Many criticise Stallone's acting abilities, but I do feel that he is a great actor. His performance as Rocky is fantastic because of his realised potential as well as his understanding of the character (Read up on the making of the film and you'll understand what I mean by that).
Next to Stallone, the performances by Talia Shire (Adrian), Burt Young (Paulie), Burgess Meredith (Mickey Goldmill) and Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed) are all fantastic. One of the best things about this movie is that every member of the cast fits their character like a glove and I can't imagine any replacement.
Another notable aspect is the outstanding soundtrack composed by Bill Conti. 'Gonna Fly Now' is one of the best pieces of music I've ever heard and always gets me in the mood to amount to something big (when it's not getting me in the mood to watch this masterpiece). The montage that accompanies it in which Rocky runs up the Philadelphia museum staircase is one of the best scenes in history and for good reason has been embedded into our culture to the point in which people run these steps every day. Running those steps is officially one of my life goals.
I've always wanted to work in the film industry, and I know that achieving a big time directorial status is a real challenge, but I have this movie to act as a constant reminder that anybody can amount to anything despite the odds that are against them. After being so exposed to this film on so many occasions I view it as a real motivator and look back at regardless to what I am doing, whether it be exercising, doing well in school or going for a job. It's a movie about following your dreams and the effort it takes to achieve them.
Rocky will forever remain one of my favorite movies of all time for these inspirational qualities that I find to be unmatched and that I can watch it regardless of how I feel and be left astonished, inspired and refreshed. This movie changed my life in many ways and my love for this movie isn't about to change. I cannot recommend this movie more.
10/10
The Goonies (1985)
A Film that takes you back to the carefree days of childhood
The Goonies is a film that I think can be enjoyed by people of all ages, unless you're a pretentious film snob who will dismiss any film that wasn't made by Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica or Stanley Kubrick. The Goonies certainly isn't by any stretch a groundbreaking piece of cinematic history or a masterpiece deemed worthy of mountainous praise, but it is a movie that is cherished by children and adults alike for its simple, but lovable qualities.
To keep it brief, the plot follows a group of children living in the Goon Docks suburb who are forced to move away from their homes that they love to make room for the development of a golf course. The children discover an old treasure map that supposedly leads to a fortune in precious stones and jewelery and so they go looking for it to save their homes.
A very basic premise, but that isn't the only source of the film's appeal. The characters Mikey, Mouth, Data, Chunk etc are all lovable and are played wonderfully by some of the best child actors ever. Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) and Corey Feldman (Stand By Me) especially. The other characters are very likable and all deliver great performances In combination with a likable cast of characters and a dire situation, The Goonies has a strong adventurous quality that cannot be easily replicated in a film such as this. The comedic value, although often very cheesy, is very high, notably the antics of Chunk.
You'd think that I grew up with this movie considering the positive comments I have about it, but I really didn't. I only saw the film a year ago and instantly fell in love with it. It's a film that perfectly reminds us of the wonders of childhood and why children should appreciate the limited moments they have. It's also a film that manages to cheer me up regardless of how upset I may feel. Because of this, The Goonies demands infinite rewatches.
It does sadden me that my parents never exposed me to The Goonies as a child, but I know that after experiencing it again and again, I will not make the same mistake and I sincerely hope that after reading my review that you will do the same. The creative minds of both Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon, Superman, The Omen) and Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler's List) should be praised.
The Goonies is a film that takes you out of a complicated world, spiritually transports you back to childhood and entertains you marvelously from the opening scene to the end credits. I love this movie and if you're willing to lighten up, I'm sure you will too. Thank you for reading my review.
10/10
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Entertaining but faulted installment that will please fans of the franchise
As a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, I was anticipating this movie ever since the title was announced. I finally got around to seeing it yesterday and found that while I did enjoy it, it lacked the adventurous qualities of the first 3 films and had some flaws that really should have been fixed.
To keep the story brief and not give away spoilers, the film takes place after the third movie and follows Captain Jack Sparrow searching for the Fountain of Youth only to discover that a feared pirate named Blackbeard and his daughter, Angelica are after it too.
Naturally, Johnny Depp gives a great performance as Jack Sparrow. It's one of the defining roles of his career and one of the main reasons these movies were great. The other positives of this movie are an interesting new character in Angelica, played well by the gorgeous Penelope Cruz and she has and interesting relationship with Jack, an opening scene that pulls you in right away and good ending.
The negatives of the movie however are as followed. Ian McShane as Blackbeard. While he gives a solid performance, he simply doesn't fill the shoes of Barbossa, Davy Jones or Beckett from the previous installments. The film lacks a lot of the sword fights or ship battles that you'd expect from a movie like this and the movie also contains a subplot surrounding mermaids that is almost completely disposable. I also personally missed Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly, but I can respect the writers for starting out on something more fresh.
Overall, the film has flaws and is the weakest Pirates of the Caribbean film so far, in my opinion, but it certainly does provide solid entertainment. Whatever problems exist here are likely just the fault of the new production crew. Rob Marshall is no Gore Verbinski. Just don't expect too much from On Stranger Tides and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
7/10.
The Deer Hunter (1978)
A True Masterpiece Worth Cherishing For Decades To Come
Anybody who considers themselves to be a fan of cinema and has not seen The Deer Hunter, I urge you to stop reading this review right now and go rent or buy the movie. The reason I say this is because The Deer Hunter is simply one of the best movies ever made and acts as a constant reminder to me for why we as people go to see movies. To be taken out of our world, be entertained in any way, and by the end feel refreshed, educated or stimulated in whatever the aspect.
The plot follows a group of Russian-American industrial workers in a small town. Our main characters are Michael (Robert De Niro) and Nick (Christopher Walken), two close friends who love deer hunting and drinking. The first hour or so of the film does not move the narrative forward but is reserved for character development. The wedding and hunting sequences both work well in establishing these characters and how they act in their world. We grow to understand them and feel involved as an audience.
The rest of the film chronicles their experiences in the Vietnam war and the aftermath. The second and third act are for contrast with what the characters were like during the first act. It ultimately gives us an important message about how war effects people, but this film goes one step further and also examines how war can effect family and friends on the homefront. Linda (Meryl Streep) is the primary example of this. A beautiful, young woman forced to accept the losses of close friends due to a conflict that she didn't want anything to do with.
What also should be noted is the excellence of Michael Cimino's direction. Some criticize the movie for being slow moving, but I've always felt that the movie goes by all too quickly and it's 3 hours long! Cimino appropriately makes the dramatic scenes emotional and the violent scenes terribly shocking, but ultimately compelling. It's a shame that he never hit these levels in his future works, but it does demonstrate his overall directorial potential.
It's a film about the negative impacts of war as a whole and the message isn't limited to just Vietnam. The Deer Hunter is extremely well acted, well directed, well written, powerful and sad, but it ultimately leaves you with a great feeling. One of amazement and envy. It deserved the Best Picture award rightfully so. This movie is an absolute masterpiece and I simply cannot recommend it more.
10/10.