#30
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Just a heads up expect several more Stanley Kubrick films down the list. I can't help it, he's my my all time favorite director. But with that said, I’m not a really big fan of war
films, though I know there are good ones out there but most of them do not do
much for me. Maybe it’s because I can’t really get interested in any of the
characters. Though there’s development in the movies, it’s just their method of
developing them I just can’t get used to. But luckily for Full Metal Jacket
their character development, it has a good first act to introduce them to us.
The first act of Full Metal Jacket has got to be one of the best first acts in
any move, it could just be its own movie without the second and third act and I
still would love it. Don’t get me wrong I love the second half of the movie;
it’s intriguing, well-paced, interesting, and at times suspenseful too. This first act as Marine recruits during the
breaking of the Vietnam War attend a training camp run by Gunnery Sergeant
Hartman (R. Lee Ermey), who I’m sorry has got be one of the most funniest characters in film.
The wonderful thing about this movie is that you don’t know at times if you are
supposed to laugh or take the scene seriously. I know real Marine recruits go
through this sort of stuff in training, but R. Lee Ermey’s performance as
Hartman has me rolling on the floor every time. His insults and the way he
delivers them are so hilarious that it’s hard not to laugh even if it is
supposed to be taken seriously. But there are more interesting characters
during the first act of this movie like Private Joker (Matthew Modine), Private Cowboy (Arliss Howard), and
Gomer Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio). Gomer Pyle is probably the private we mainly focus on in this part
of the movie even though Pvt. Joker is the main lead. I don’t know if this
character is just slow, mentally challenged, or just a lazy slob, but either
way he does come across as sympathetic. It is shown that he wants to better and
wants to be a good soldier but both his weight and physical appearance holds
him back which gets Sgt. Hartman to really crack on him. He gets into so much
trouble that the other recruits have to get punished for Pyle’s actions as
well, which leads to a scene with them gagging Pyle and hitting him on the
stomach with socks and soap bars! How cruel is that, are you sure most of these
guys were peace loving hippies before they were recruited? This drives Pyle not
only to become better but a psychopathic and emotionless killer. If this film
just started at the time of when they are already in Vietnam it would have been
just your typical war movie, with your cast of stereotypical war movie
characters who we have to see as the heroes. The beginning does a good job in
introducing these characters and this story so we see that these “heroes” are
flawed not development wise but just the way they behave around others. You do
not know if you are supposed to root for them or not, only to sympathize with
them, and by the time the second half of the movie falls around, the audience,
or I as a matter of act, was allowed to be more interested in the story these
characters were taking part in. It just goes to say that Full Metal Jacket is a
fully satisfying film that does not disappoint.
Honestly one of the most heartwarming R-rated films I have ever seen, if that even makes sense. Based on the Stephen King novella "The Body" and directed by Rob Reiner, the film follows the story of four boys, Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton), Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), Vern Tessio (Jerry O'Conell), and Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman), who decide over the Labor Day weekend to find the dead body of a missing child. There a lot of strengths that are present within Stand by Me which makes me love it so much. One is the acting, particularly the portrayal of these main characters. As much as I can say that I am hardly a fan of child characters in film, due to most of the time they are portrayed as being obnoxiously cute or obnoxiously adult (which still comes off as obnoxiously cute), I can be a hypocrite by coming out and saying that there are a good amount of well written child characters in film as well, and here it is no exception. Wheaton, Phoenix, O'Conell, and Feldman all do a tremendous job in portraying their characters and they more than succeed to represent the different emotions the characters have to go through. On top of that they are very developed characters and they are very easy to like. They can be funny, they can be annoying, they can be sympathetic, they can be inspirational, and they can be relatable. This is especially impressive because they are characters that are around 12 years old, yet they leave a huge impact on me as a 20-year old young man. I think the one character, who probably is my most favorite, that I can relate the most to is Gordie. Not only does he love to write and tell stories, the same way I do, but he is also kind of an introvert and sometimes paranoid. He still feels the pain of his brother Denny's (John Cusack) unfortunate death, and on top of that he feels that his father loves Denny over Gordie and that Gordie should have died instead. Most of the inner problems that Gordie has to face are truly heartbreaking, but it also makes him a very interesting character and the depth that he is given can be used greatly. But the biggest strength of the film of course comes from the charming camaraderie of our main characters. The actors have such great chemistry together, that it is hard not to enjoy the conversations the characters have, the fun times they have, and the emotional times they have. It gives a feeling that this what true best friends do, and you know what, you can believe that they are best friends because the chemistry and writing is what makes the film truly work. Oh and the story that Gordie tells about the chubby kid and the pie eating contest, as pointless as it may be as it hardly serves anything to the plot, is still very entertaining to watch as well as listen to when Gordie tells it. It is easy to say that I will stand by Stand by Me for a very long time.
Just a heads up expect several more Stanley Kubrick films down the list. I can't help it, he's my my all time favorite director. But with that said, I’m not a really big fan of war
films, though I know there are good ones out there but most of them do not do
much for me. Maybe it’s because I can’t really get interested in any of the
characters. Though there’s development in the movies, it’s just their method of
developing them I just can’t get used to. But luckily for Full Metal Jacket
their character development, it has a good first act to introduce them to us.
The first act of Full Metal Jacket has got to be one of the best first acts in
any move, it could just be its own movie without the second and third act and I
still would love it. Don’t get me wrong I love the second half of the movie;
it’s intriguing, well-paced, interesting, and at times suspenseful too. This first act as Marine recruits during the
breaking of the Vietnam War attend a training camp run by Gunnery Sergeant
Hartman (R. Lee Ermey), who I’m sorry has got be one of the most funniest characters in film.
The wonderful thing about this movie is that you don’t know at times if you are
supposed to laugh or take the scene seriously. I know real Marine recruits go
through this sort of stuff in training, but R. Lee Ermey’s performance as
Hartman has me rolling on the floor every time. His insults and the way he
delivers them are so hilarious that it’s hard not to laugh even if it is
supposed to be taken seriously. But there are more interesting characters
during the first act of this movie like Private Joker (Matthew Modine), Private Cowboy (Arliss Howard), and
Gomer Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio). Gomer Pyle is probably the private we mainly focus on in this part
of the movie even though Pvt. Joker is the main lead. I don’t know if this
character is just slow, mentally challenged, or just a lazy slob, but either
way he does come across as sympathetic. It is shown that he wants to better and
wants to be a good soldier but both his weight and physical appearance holds
him back which gets Sgt. Hartman to really crack on him. He gets into so much
trouble that the other recruits have to get punished for Pyle’s actions as
well, which leads to a scene with them gagging Pyle and hitting him on the
stomach with socks and soap bars! How cruel is that, are you sure most of these
guys were peace loving hippies before they were recruited? This drives Pyle not
only to become better but a psychopathic and emotionless killer. If this film
just started at the time of when they are already in Vietnam it would have been
just your typical war movie, with your cast of stereotypical war movie
characters who we have to see as the heroes. The beginning does a good job in
introducing these characters and this story so we see that these “heroes” are
flawed not development wise but just the way they behave around others. You do
not know if you are supposed to root for them or not, only to sympathize with
them, and by the time the second half of the movie falls around, the audience,
or I as a matter of act, was allowed to be more interested in the story these
characters were taking part in. It just goes to say that Full Metal Jacket is a
fully satisfying film that does not disappoint.
GRADE: E
#29
Stand by Me (1986)
Honestly one of the most heartwarming R-rated films I have ever seen, if that even makes sense. Based on the Stephen King novella "The Body" and directed by Rob Reiner, the film follows the story of four boys, Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton), Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), Vern Tessio (Jerry O'Conell), and Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman), who decide over the Labor Day weekend to find the dead body of a missing child. There a lot of strengths that are present within Stand by Me which makes me love it so much. One is the acting, particularly the portrayal of these main characters. As much as I can say that I am hardly a fan of child characters in film, due to most of the time they are portrayed as being obnoxiously cute or obnoxiously adult (which still comes off as obnoxiously cute), I can be a hypocrite by coming out and saying that there are a good amount of well written child characters in film as well, and here it is no exception. Wheaton, Phoenix, O'Conell, and Feldman all do a tremendous job in portraying their characters and they more than succeed to represent the different emotions the characters have to go through. On top of that they are very developed characters and they are very easy to like. They can be funny, they can be annoying, they can be sympathetic, they can be inspirational, and they can be relatable. This is especially impressive because they are characters that are around 12 years old, yet they leave a huge impact on me as a 20-year old young man. I think the one character, who probably is my most favorite, that I can relate the most to is Gordie. Not only does he love to write and tell stories, the same way I do, but he is also kind of an introvert and sometimes paranoid. He still feels the pain of his brother Denny's (John Cusack) unfortunate death, and on top of that he feels that his father loves Denny over Gordie and that Gordie should have died instead. Most of the inner problems that Gordie has to face are truly heartbreaking, but it also makes him a very interesting character and the depth that he is given can be used greatly. But the biggest strength of the film of course comes from the charming camaraderie of our main characters. The actors have such great chemistry together, that it is hard not to enjoy the conversations the characters have, the fun times they have, and the emotional times they have. It gives a feeling that this what true best friends do, and you know what, you can believe that they are best friends because the chemistry and writing is what makes the film truly work. Oh and the story that Gordie tells about the chubby kid and the pie eating contest, as pointless as it may be as it hardly serves anything to the plot, is still very entertaining to watch as well as listen to when Gordie tells it. It is easy to say that I will stand by Stand by Me for a very long time.
GRADE: E
#28
Ed Wood (1994)
This is a movie I think everybody
who wants to have a career in the film industry especially a director should
see. This Tim Burton film pays tribute to not only “the worst director of all time” but to film
lovers and filmmakers alike. It’s the story of Edward D. Wood Jr. (Johnny Depp), who wants to be recognized as a famous Hollywood film director. On
his road to fame he meets out of work
horror actor at the time Bela Lugosi (Martin
Landau) and gets signed to direct films and the sort of ones no major studio would
ever dare to distribute and pay money for because they are so horrendous. I
think what makes this film so special to me is just these cast of characters
and how enjoyable they are to watch. For example, Ed Wood our main lead is like
many new coming filmmakers in the industry, young, bright, naive but has a
great passion of films and filmmaking. Bela Lugosi is portrayed as an old,
grumpy, and kooky out of work actor but every performance Martin Landau gives
puts a smile on your face. He’s grumpy and has a no nonsense attitude about
himself yes but there’s something so adorable and likable about his character,
you can’t help to feel sorry for him and wish you can hang out with him. The
other characters like the one played by Jeffery Jones and Bill Murray are also
great to watch as well. They are performed so great and written so well that
you almost forget that these were actually real people and these events really
happened, well except for Ed Wood meeting Orson Welles (Vincent D'Onofrio). But despite, that the
trouble with a lot of biopics and even though a handful maybe good, you already
know the outcomes of the characters and what they are like so there’s no
surprise or really anything interesting to them. But with the characters in
this movie, it feels like watching any other fictional movie, you can
practically have a conversation with one of these characters and you can be
satisfied, that’s how enjoyable they are. This film is definitely one of Tim
Burton’s great works, though it’s often over looked even though it does have a
cult following. The story is interesting, Ed Wood is interesting, the people he
interacts with are interesting, the overall film is interesting and nothing
pleases me more than an interesting movie. I recommended for the film lover in
all of us.
GRADE: E
#27
The Iron Giant (1999)
This is often a much overlooked
animated family movie. It’s getting fans though, and it should because it
certainly is a gem. We always get that typical E.T. sort of movie where a young
misunderstood boy befriends some sort of animal or out of this world creature
and they become friends, pets, whatever, the story has been done to death. But
surprisingly The Iron Giant does that very differently. The movie does not just
give us characters like the boy Hogarth (voiced by Eli Marienthal) and his well, Iron Giant (voiced by Vin Diesel); the movie does
a good job of actually introducing us to characters like the boy’s mother Annie (voiced byJennifer Aniston), the
artist Dean (voiced by Harry Connick Jr.), and the government agent Kent Mansley (voiced by Christopher MacDonald). All of them are wonderful to watch; they
are perfectly developed, and have great performances thanks to the actors who
voiced them and the animators. Speaking of the animation that’s another think I
like to credit, it’s not like smooth lines cute wide eyes Disney animation
though it’s sort of close but it’s still really impressive and still comes
across as a unique style. It’s just really satisfying to look at, I like how
the characters and this setting is designed that it sets it apart from Disney
or Disney-knock offs. I personally would have like to see more animated films
done by this director in this style but unfortunately it would not happened
since this film practically tanked at the box office, even though it doesn't deserve it all. But luckily director Brad Bird went on to direct good movies
for Disney and Pixar like The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Now let’s talk about the big
focus of the movie, the relationship between Hogarth and the giant. First have
to give kudos to Eli Mareinthal who voiced Hogarth and Vin Diesel who voice the
giant. Hogarth has probably got be to one of the greatest kid characters in all
of cinema. Thank God, this kid is not your typical bullied, trouble, innocent,
and misunderstood whiny but wants to be
tough little boy, he’s actually a little troublemaker himself. He’s curious,
mischievous, and weird, loves sci-fi, disobedient, smart, and tough, and guess
what those are boys! The giant though you’d think he’d have no personality
being a robot, but to his advantage of being not just a robot but an
extraterrestrial creature, he comes across as actually pretty developed. He’s
not a misunderstood soul or a savage monster, he’s like a baby. He’s hungry,
he’s curious; he barely talks or as a matter of fact doesn’t even really know
how to speak. Only when he’s in danger, hurt, or one of his friends is in fatal
condition, then his hostile behavior takes him over. The relationship between
the boy and the giant is done perfectly. Like Leon: The Professional, the movie does
a great job for having these characters to have the ability to teach one
another something new. Hogarth teaches the giant the way of humans and
essential things about, life death, and friendship while the Giant in return
teaches Hogarth about the idea of never have to being alone and the wonders of
what the universe has to offer. But not only do our main characters learn from
each other but the supporting characters outstandingly learn about each other
as well, making this one of the great ensemble movies and why this movie is so
wonderful to me. I know a lot of people like ET, and yeah I like it too, it’s
just this movie does the story of the boy and his out of world friend seem more
plausible and identifiable. It’s no wonder why this movie is slowly becoming a
giant success.
GRADE: E FULL REVIEW: The Iron Giant Review
#26
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
In the past there have been
several movies that deal with the end of the world in a not so mature and sort
of childlike manner; movies Roland Emmerich’s 2012 and Michael Bay’s
Armageddon. But surprisingly this one treats it in a very adult and gritty
manner, despite the fact it’s a dark comedy-drama. Steve Carrell plays a lonely
man named Dodge whose wife just left him after news that a destructive comet is
head towards Earth and will most likely wipeout all living things. And the
people around him actually behave in a plausible way of how real people would
actually react if the world if was really ending. People are throwing good-bye
and friendship parties, there are riots, people are getting married, hiring
assassins to finish them off, it’s actually kind of heartbreaking to know that
these characters are deep inside fearing the end of the world, but at the same
time living life to its fullest. It’s refreshing to see people in movies act
like this especially with a concept like the end of the world. There’s no
aliens, no secret government mission, no over the top reactions from people, no
implausible way of fixing the disaster, no one running mindlessly through the
streets, no over the top CGI or explosions, it just flat out tells the truth
because the movie knows how real human beings would behave to a tragedy like
this. Again the two main leads have a great relationship and work off each
other perfectly. I was surprised what a good chemistry Steve Carell and Keira
Knightley share together on screen. Like other good relationships between
characters, they teach each other things what they need to learn and by getting
to know each other benefits them both and works out in the end for the both of
them. By just saying the title Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, you
can probably guess what the ending is like and how things are resolved but I
won’t spoil anything I believe people should give this movie a watch, I think
it’s worth it. Surprisingly this movie got a lot of mixed reviews from critics and
I can’t understand why because personally I found nothing bad, distasteful,
annoying, or insulting about it. I enjoyed every minute of it the first time I
sat down to watch it and I loved it and I continue to love it. And seeing how
it only recently came out, it’s impressive that it made my favorites list, and
I hope it continues that way until the end.
GRADE: E FULL REVIEW: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
#25
Pinocchio (1940)
Is it just me, or do I just have a huge
love for the traditionally drawn 2-D animated movies from the Walt Disney
Animation Studios? For some reason I have a real love for the ones Walt had produced
during his early days like this one. We
all know the story, we all know the dangers Pinocchio comes across, the people
he meets, and what happens in the end. So, what’s the point of talking about
it? Well it’s because I want to bring up some points of why I like this movie.
First it just has an emotional and enchanting atmosphere, a lot of the Disney
animated films do, but there is just a magical wonder about it that shines
through the main character and the artistry that it is hard not to fall in love
with it. I would usually find a movie uninteresting if a protagonist is typical
good and an antagonist is typical evil, it’s most of what these characters off
but the way these characters are written makes their actions and decisions all
the more sense. Pinocchio is a wooden puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy,
he’s nice and cute, but like many little boys he is also naive and gullible
even more so that he’s is a puppet that just came to life. He acts like any
other real little boy that we know which makes us feel sorrier for him when
he’s in danger. He finds fun when doing bad things in Pleasure Island, for
example but like a good boy he quits when he learns his lesson and the truth.
Geppetto, Pinocchio’s father is also likable character, he’s very sweet and
you can tell he’s has an unconditional love for children just the way he
behaves. The villains are also really great and memorable. They are sort of
your run of the mill villains but they are so despicable and do so much
horrible things that it helps to the film’s advantage in rooting for our main
character. I mean Honest John is just a despicable lying fox who knows every
trick in the book in getting poor Pinocchio to do what he wants. Stromboli is
just a scary man in general. He only wants to use Pinocchio for his own desires
and that is to make money. And when Pinocchio gets old, he’ll use him for
firewood. Usually villains like this are pretty boring but his appearance and
his performance saves him from being dull making a lot more interesting to
watch. As a kid and even till this day I always wondered who was controlling
the puppets during the show, if Stromboli is right there conducting. My only
conclusion if it’s true is that those puppets are actually alive! I don’t know
if that’s true or not, but in my opinion it makes the villain more of a threat
if this the way treats and abuses them, making us wish more that Pinocchio
would get away from him. The other villain is the Coachmen, who tricks stupid
little boys to go to Pleasure Island, a plays where boys can have mindless fun
and do plenty bad things. But everything comes with a price, as the more the
boys have fun and do bad things, they get turned into donkeys. Everyone I talk
to say this scene traumatized them as a kid, I myself was even a little scared
of it. The worst part is that we never know what becomes of these boys turned
donkeys other than the knowledge that they are sold to circuses, salt mines,
and Lord knows what they are doing with the ones who still know how to talk.
Again this helps to the film’s advantage of sympathizing with our main hero and
rooting for him. We don’t want to see him live a long life of misery and pain,
we instead want to see him reuniting with Gepetto and living happily ever
after. Then there’s Monstro, who even though he’s a whale, comes off as
actually pretty intimidating. He’s a big underwater brute who not only acts a
bully but an underwater savage who causes destruction and death. I never really
cared for Jiminy Cricket, and yeah say what you want but I may love this movie
but I don’t particularly love this character as well. He always came across not
much of a wise and quirky conscience, but a bit bossy and a know-it-all. But to
his credit he looks like he can be a good friend to Pinocchio and he seems to
be okay with the little cricket fine, so I’ll give him that. I have mentioned
this before but I just love the enchanting and emotional atmosphere of the
movie. And that’s one thing I really love about the early Disney movies, that
there was this emotional atmosphere to it and it plays with people’s emotions,
not thinking of what is logical and real but what we as dreamers and human
beings with emotion would want to see. And it delivers that with a happy
ending. The movie sort of follows that principle as be dark and emotional
gripping as much as you want throughout a family movie, and it will be all the
worth it once you provide a good happy ending and this movie is a perfect
example of that. Emotions are pretty sensitive things to touch, and I like when
a film has enough emotional grips to attach to them, it just makes the movie
all the more while enjoyable to watch and be engaged in. I love being
transported to this world where possibilities are endless and happily ever
after can exist. It is simply a dream come true.
GRADE: E
#24
The Haunting (1963)
Gothic and psychological storytelling at its best folks! The Haunting, directed by Robert Wise, and based on the novel "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson, serves as a scary, thrilling, emotional, as well as an interesting dive in not only of the main setting of the gothic Hill House, but in the mind of our tortured main character Eleanor Lance (Julie Harris). The story follows the paranoid and troubled Eleanor as she is invited by Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson) to take part in a paranormal experiment at Hill House right before she is kicked out of her apartment by her sister and brother-in-law. There at Hill House Eleanor meets the doctor as well two other participants, Theo (Claire Bloom), who Eleanor befriends rapidly, and Luke Sannerson (Russ Tamblyn) who happens to be inheriting Hill House. But throughout Eleanor's mind is being played by the mysterious house as the house is trying to get at her. Or is it possible that Eleanor is destroying herself? Almost every aspect of the film can be used as an excuse of why I love this particular film so much. One is the acting, the cast slip perfectly within their roles that you cannot even tell if they are acting anymore. It just so happens that the characters are right there on the screen that you are watching, not actors trying to be characters. And speaking of the characters, they are also a very likable and interesting bunch. The supporting cast are very enjoyable; Theo is not only beautiful but seems fun to be with, Luke is sort of a smart-aleck wise cracker, yet he still comes across as being fun to watch as well real enough to believe that such a pain in the neck yet great guy can exist, and Dr. Markway is enjoyably smart, one of the film characters that the audience can easily fall in love with and be impressed by how smart he is. Markway is also understanding and compassionate as well so not only is he a great scientist but he can be a great friend as well. But by far the best character has to be of course Eleanor. She goes through the most, for lack of a better term, haunting in this film. Even though she is the protagonist, there is still this uneasy tension that is present whenever she is on the screen. I find that very fascinating because even though she is supposed be the hero of this story, you are not sure if you are to be afraid of her or the house, and that's pretty genius. And speaking about the house, the interior scenes of Hill House are shot beautifully! I love looking at this thing and the interior designs such as the tapestry and creepy statues. It gives the film such an enjoyably creepy, uneasy, and Gothic tone, and I just love it! The story and ideas, are not only creepy to me, but they are also thought provoking and interesting. The film loves to toy with the audience's mind as much as Hill House does to Eleanor, and a lot of the scenes that require a lot of uneasy and dark atmosphere and incredible build up, more than pay off. The scene were Eleanor watches the creepy wall as she is supposedly grasping Theo's hand and hears uneasy groans coming from it, is one of the most bone chilling scenes I have ever seen in a horror film. I feel as if though The Haunting is one of the most adult horror films ever made. Nowadays we get a lot of cheesy jump scares and CGI blood and gore to entertain us, but The Haunting shows what true horror films are supposed to do. Frigthen our minds instead of frightening our eyes. If I wanted my eyes to be frightened I would watch the distasteful 1999 remake directed by Jan de Bont. But if I want to please my eyes but frighten my mind in a fun way, you bet I will always be running to this classic.
GRADE: E FULL REVIEW: The Haunting Review
Here are at our second Stanley Kubrick film on the list, A Clockwork Orange. It follows the life of delinquent Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) who lives in a dystopian Britain and with his "droogs", loves to go out into the night to spread anarchy and chaos with rape and ultra-violence. And at the end of the day, unwinds by listening to the pieces of Beethoven. But when the law catches up with Alex, he learns that two people can play his game and that the world can be as inhumane to him as he was to it. The most interesting aspect of the film of course is the character of Alex DeLarge. This is a film that solely about the villain. Though he is the main character, that does not necessarily means that he is considered a hero or protagonist, we follow the story of a villain. And I LOVE that about the film, that it takes a new spin on storytelling and puts things in a different and darker perspective that we are used to. But going back to Alex, the character is surprisingly enjoyable. Not saying that he is so enjoyable you root for him, it is difficult to say that because this guy does horrible HORRIBLE things. This includes raping innocent women, breaking into houses, and beating up elderly men, or most specifically raping an elderly man's wife while singing "Singin' in the Rain" as he watches and is being held down and gagged. But I mean enjoyable as the character is highly interesting. I know it is very hard to describe why this is still such a great character despite all the disturbing and inhumane acts he does. But what makes him so great is because he does not act like any other criminal, thug, or uncivilized savage, he pretty much acts very civilized and an intellect. He sees his actions as a masterpiece work of art and his passion. He loves every minute of doing bad and sees glorious ecstasy in it as if we crafting a heavenly work of art. Just hearing him talk about his passions and his motives while Beethoven is playing in the background tells you a lot about him and his motives. But what is even more interesting is that when the law does bring its wrath upon him, and everybody he once hurt starts to get their vengeance on him. When this happens, the character suddenly turns from being hated to actually kind of sympathetic. The stranger part is that you are not supposed to sympathize with Alex, all the things that happen to him is probably what he deserved. Alex goes through what probably is a twisted coming-of-age story and he learns how cruel the world can be, and he does have to learn it the hard way. And you know what else, we are also not supposed to be rooting for what the world is doing to Alex as payback. Both sides are cruel and hate filled, one just has to experience the reality. From the way the set up is told, this film sounds unlikable and mean, but this one of the few films I really LOVE for that because it tells the solid truth. With a lot of the mean, hate-filled, and inhumane acts that go on throughout the world, we need films like this to remind us how frighteningly effective inhumanity can be on society, how fast it can spread, and why it is awesome to be ethical and humane. It is a satire of how currently the world thinks and what it can lead to, and it presents us with two opposing sides that both have frighteningly unethical and inhumane ideals. And of course the directing by Mr. Kubrick is just so genius. The shots are set up well, the acting is great, and it feels like you have entered an unfamiliar and uneasy world. A Clockwork Orange is simply bliss, bliss and heaven, it is gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh!
Unarguably the most likable film ever made, The Sound of Music is a gem. It follows the true story of an Austrian nun named Maria (Julie Andrews) as she is assigned to be governess of the house of Captain Georg Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and is to look after the Captain's seven children Liesel, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl. Maria, through her free spirit, teaches the children about having fun and the joy of music, to escape their strict lives brought upon their father. But despite his strictness, Georg soon finds himself being transformed by Maria's presence and she reminds him of what is it like to be happy again. The two fall in love and get married, but they must escape the Nazis who are soon going to occupy Austria, so the family can live the life they dreamed of together. The simplistic likable elements of the film is what truly makes it a gem for me. Julie Andrews as Maria is beyond likable, entertaining, and sweet. She just successfully represents the goodness and innocence anyone could have. Christopher Plummer as Georg is also likable. Even when he has to be strict towards his children, Plummer somehow still makes the character very likable. Maybe it is because we can tell why the character would be so strict towards his children, and how tortured he really is as he knows that there is barely any left in his household until Maria arrives. The children again, very likable. Why? Because they all act like normal children, that's why! Well to rephrase, they act their appropriate age while still being interesting, since a couple of them are actually teenagers. I cannot say they are among the best child characters I have seen, as probably they should have gotten more development, but on the plus side they still come across as very enjoyable and probably we did get to know enough about them. All of them share a central issue and for them it is solved for them together. On top of that you believe that these children are siblings because the young actors and actresses themselves actually do share great chemistry together. But then there is the aspect what most people remember about The Sound of Music, is of course, the music. The songs in this film, or musical I should say are highly catchy and memorable. The opening number, Do Rei Mei, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, Edelweiss, I Have Confidence, and of course my personal favorite My Favorite Things are musical classics. For some reason I found out that there are a fair share amount of people who can't stand this film. I for one am open to opinion and different tastes, but the hatred for this film comes from one reason and one reason only, it's too happy. Really? It's too happy? So we are not allowed to have films that could bring out goodness and celebrate it rather than anger and violence. REALLY? It's too happy! What is going to satisfy people nowadays, drowning puppies in a river. That might have sounded too dark, but c'mon people films are supposed to entertain us and help us escape from our stressful and sometimes dark and gritty reality, not enforce it on us. But for whatever else reason, I found that there are indeed a good number of anti-Sound of Music fans. If you have your good reasons, other than it's too happy (seriously that's like complaining that a horror film is too scary) then power to you. But for me personally I highly adore it. The Sound of Music is not just one of my favorite films, but one of my favorite things.
GRADE: E FULL REVIEW:The Sound of Music Review
Considered to be director Tim Burton's magnum opus, and his first of many future collaborations with actor Johnny Depp. Depp plays an unfinished experiment named Edward, who was made by an old scientist (Vincent Price), who unfortunately passed before finishing Edward. After being locked up in his gothic mansion for many years, he was found by the neighborhood's Avon lady Peg Boggs (Diane Lane) and she took him home to live with her family including her husband Bill (Alan Arkin), their son Kevin (Robert Oliveri) and their beautiful daughter teenage Kim (Winona Ryder), who Edward falls in love with. Meanwhile Edward becomes an instant celebrity in the neighborhood due to his amazing hands and his talent for hedge trimming and cutting hair. The main heart of the film is the character of Edward. For me personally it is because I can really relate to him. A quiet and soft introvert who sees the world in a different light, and just experiences the world in front of his eyes rather than being a part of most of it. I love when I can find a character that I can relate to, because I feel that I am more involved within the film rather than just watching it. It is really what makes Edward one of my favorite film characters. I also really like the romance between Edward and Kim. It's very genuine, innocent, sweet, and it is not shoved in the audience's faces. She does start off not liking Edward, but as she gets used to and becomes closer to him, the fact that she deeply cares for him is very believable. This is because their relationship was given just the right development and the right amount of time to develop it. The resolution for their relationship is also very rare and refreshing to see in film as while it is emotionally heartbreaking, both the audience and the characters know it is for the very best. Danny Elfman's score is one of his best and more beautiful of his works. The Ice Dance sequence and the ending scene has one of the most beautiful instrumental scores ever composed for film. There is just this beauty, awe, wonder, and romance to it. It feels very peaceful while at the same time being enlightening. It is just a beautiful piece. Though the production design is one of the simplest in Burton's films, it is still great to look at, as it adds to the wonderful simplicity of the overall tone and story. Still not my favorite Burton film, but still one of my favorite films and works of his. Not much to say, because every aspect of the film works and it successfully becomes a wonderful modern fairy tale. I love it for succeeding that!
#23
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Here are at our second Stanley Kubrick film on the list, A Clockwork Orange. It follows the life of delinquent Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) who lives in a dystopian Britain and with his "droogs", loves to go out into the night to spread anarchy and chaos with rape and ultra-violence. And at the end of the day, unwinds by listening to the pieces of Beethoven. But when the law catches up with Alex, he learns that two people can play his game and that the world can be as inhumane to him as he was to it. The most interesting aspect of the film of course is the character of Alex DeLarge. This is a film that solely about the villain. Though he is the main character, that does not necessarily means that he is considered a hero or protagonist, we follow the story of a villain. And I LOVE that about the film, that it takes a new spin on storytelling and puts things in a different and darker perspective that we are used to. But going back to Alex, the character is surprisingly enjoyable. Not saying that he is so enjoyable you root for him, it is difficult to say that because this guy does horrible HORRIBLE things. This includes raping innocent women, breaking into houses, and beating up elderly men, or most specifically raping an elderly man's wife while singing "Singin' in the Rain" as he watches and is being held down and gagged. But I mean enjoyable as the character is highly interesting. I know it is very hard to describe why this is still such a great character despite all the disturbing and inhumane acts he does. But what makes him so great is because he does not act like any other criminal, thug, or uncivilized savage, he pretty much acts very civilized and an intellect. He sees his actions as a masterpiece work of art and his passion. He loves every minute of doing bad and sees glorious ecstasy in it as if we crafting a heavenly work of art. Just hearing him talk about his passions and his motives while Beethoven is playing in the background tells you a lot about him and his motives. But what is even more interesting is that when the law does bring its wrath upon him, and everybody he once hurt starts to get their vengeance on him. When this happens, the character suddenly turns from being hated to actually kind of sympathetic. The stranger part is that you are not supposed to sympathize with Alex, all the things that happen to him is probably what he deserved. Alex goes through what probably is a twisted coming-of-age story and he learns how cruel the world can be, and he does have to learn it the hard way. And you know what else, we are also not supposed to be rooting for what the world is doing to Alex as payback. Both sides are cruel and hate filled, one just has to experience the reality. From the way the set up is told, this film sounds unlikable and mean, but this one of the few films I really LOVE for that because it tells the solid truth. With a lot of the mean, hate-filled, and inhumane acts that go on throughout the world, we need films like this to remind us how frighteningly effective inhumanity can be on society, how fast it can spread, and why it is awesome to be ethical and humane. It is a satire of how currently the world thinks and what it can lead to, and it presents us with two opposing sides that both have frighteningly unethical and inhumane ideals. And of course the directing by Mr. Kubrick is just so genius. The shots are set up well, the acting is great, and it feels like you have entered an unfamiliar and uneasy world. A Clockwork Orange is simply bliss, bliss and heaven, it is gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh!
GRADE: E FULL REVIEW: A Clockwork Orange Review
#22
The Sound of Music (1965)
Unarguably the most likable film ever made, The Sound of Music is a gem. It follows the true story of an Austrian nun named Maria (Julie Andrews) as she is assigned to be governess of the house of Captain Georg Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and is to look after the Captain's seven children Liesel, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl. Maria, through her free spirit, teaches the children about having fun and the joy of music, to escape their strict lives brought upon their father. But despite his strictness, Georg soon finds himself being transformed by Maria's presence and she reminds him of what is it like to be happy again. The two fall in love and get married, but they must escape the Nazis who are soon going to occupy Austria, so the family can live the life they dreamed of together. The simplistic likable elements of the film is what truly makes it a gem for me. Julie Andrews as Maria is beyond likable, entertaining, and sweet. She just successfully represents the goodness and innocence anyone could have. Christopher Plummer as Georg is also likable. Even when he has to be strict towards his children, Plummer somehow still makes the character very likable. Maybe it is because we can tell why the character would be so strict towards his children, and how tortured he really is as he knows that there is barely any left in his household until Maria arrives. The children again, very likable. Why? Because they all act like normal children, that's why! Well to rephrase, they act their appropriate age while still being interesting, since a couple of them are actually teenagers. I cannot say they are among the best child characters I have seen, as probably they should have gotten more development, but on the plus side they still come across as very enjoyable and probably we did get to know enough about them. All of them share a central issue and for them it is solved for them together. On top of that you believe that these children are siblings because the young actors and actresses themselves actually do share great chemistry together. But then there is the aspect what most people remember about The Sound of Music, is of course, the music. The songs in this film, or musical I should say are highly catchy and memorable. The opening number, Do Rei Mei, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, Edelweiss, I Have Confidence, and of course my personal favorite My Favorite Things are musical classics. For some reason I found out that there are a fair share amount of people who can't stand this film. I for one am open to opinion and different tastes, but the hatred for this film comes from one reason and one reason only, it's too happy. Really? It's too happy? So we are not allowed to have films that could bring out goodness and celebrate it rather than anger and violence. REALLY? It's too happy! What is going to satisfy people nowadays, drowning puppies in a river. That might have sounded too dark, but c'mon people films are supposed to entertain us and help us escape from our stressful and sometimes dark and gritty reality, not enforce it on us. But for whatever else reason, I found that there are indeed a good number of anti-Sound of Music fans. If you have your good reasons, other than it's too happy (seriously that's like complaining that a horror film is too scary) then power to you. But for me personally I highly adore it. The Sound of Music is not just one of my favorite films, but one of my favorite things. GRADE: E FULL REVIEW:The Sound of Music Review
#21
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Considered to be director Tim Burton's magnum opus, and his first of many future collaborations with actor Johnny Depp. Depp plays an unfinished experiment named Edward, who was made by an old scientist (Vincent Price), who unfortunately passed before finishing Edward. After being locked up in his gothic mansion for many years, he was found by the neighborhood's Avon lady Peg Boggs (Diane Lane) and she took him home to live with her family including her husband Bill (Alan Arkin), their son Kevin (Robert Oliveri) and their beautiful daughter teenage Kim (Winona Ryder), who Edward falls in love with. Meanwhile Edward becomes an instant celebrity in the neighborhood due to his amazing hands and his talent for hedge trimming and cutting hair. The main heart of the film is the character of Edward. For me personally it is because I can really relate to him. A quiet and soft introvert who sees the world in a different light, and just experiences the world in front of his eyes rather than being a part of most of it. I love when I can find a character that I can relate to, because I feel that I am more involved within the film rather than just watching it. It is really what makes Edward one of my favorite film characters. I also really like the romance between Edward and Kim. It's very genuine, innocent, sweet, and it is not shoved in the audience's faces. She does start off not liking Edward, but as she gets used to and becomes closer to him, the fact that she deeply cares for him is very believable. This is because their relationship was given just the right development and the right amount of time to develop it. The resolution for their relationship is also very rare and refreshing to see in film as while it is emotionally heartbreaking, both the audience and the characters know it is for the very best. Danny Elfman's score is one of his best and more beautiful of his works. The Ice Dance sequence and the ending scene has one of the most beautiful instrumental scores ever composed for film. There is just this beauty, awe, wonder, and romance to it. It feels very peaceful while at the same time being enlightening. It is just a beautiful piece. Though the production design is one of the simplest in Burton's films, it is still great to look at, as it adds to the wonderful simplicity of the overall tone and story. Still not my favorite Burton film, but still one of my favorite films and works of his. Not much to say, because every aspect of the film works and it successfully becomes a wonderful modern fairy tale. I love it for succeeding that!
GRADE: E
There's #'s 30-21! Keep a sharp eye out for the next part of the list as we get closer!
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