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The Dark Knight (2008)
One of the best films I've ever seen
I tend not to throw around words like "best" or "ever", much less in the same sentence. In fact, I do not have a top 3, top 5, or top 10 movie list. I simply rate movies among four categories: "outstanding", "good", "okay" and "terrible".
The Dark Knight would definitely rate among the "outstanding".
Nolan's follow-up to Batman Begins exceeded the expectations of most Batman fans. Yet, it is perhaps fitting that The Dark Knight doesn't have the name "Batman" in it's title...because it is much more than a Batman movie.
The late Heath Ledger's performance as "The Joker" is so good, it's as if he was born to play the role. His portrayal of Gotham City's least favorite criminal is anything but cartoonish or comic-like. Ledger brings The Joker to a level of villain rivaled only by Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter, or Robert Deniro in "Cape Fear".
With so much hype surrounding The Joker, one would think the remaining characters suffer from lack of screen time and development (*cough* Spider-Man 3). Not true. Christopher Nolan found the right blend of face time and dialog to keep us free from disappointment and confusion. Ironically though, it's The Joker's lack of a back story that makes him all the more intriguing.
Although most "action" movies start with a little bit of drama and are mixed with a lot of action, The Dark Knight's blend consists of a great drama storyline with a decent amount of action. The result? See for yourself.
The Shield (2002)
One of the best TV shows I have ever seen...
...and I've seen a lot of TV in my time. The Shield is unlike most dramas in ways that go unnoticed by many. Aside from the language and sexual content that seem to push the envelope, Shawn Ryan and his writing staff continue to come up with ideas/stories that have not been tried on television. Before the first season, I watched the commercials promoting the show and I decided that I was going to watch the first episode to see why FX spent so much money promoting a show on such a small network. I wanted to hate the show, but actually was intrigued. Years later, I'm still hooked.
Perhaps what helps build these stories is the fact that the characters are so unique while being put in unique circumstances. Vic Mackey is the anti-hero, but in some situations he does what most people would still feel is right. Other times, he does something so unexpected that you can never really be comfortable predicting what he's going to do next. Dutch is the guy who might have been too good of a detective to be working in this department, however his cockiness and social ineptitude explain why he has not moved on to bigger and better things. Still, Dutch is able amaze even himself when he is able to close certain cases. Julian is not the first gay character on television, but he is the first gay character to work in a field where homosexuality remains taboo. Dani, faces similar challenges being a woman officer looking for the same respect as her male peers. Capt. Acevada began as a pompous authority figure who eventually evolved into a whole other persona with different problems as time when on.
The problem with the show for those casually watching, is that the writers will throw a curve into an episode and show you something out of nowhere and never revisit it. Other times, something might happen in one episode and it doesn't resurface again until 3 or 4 episodes later. Although some would argue against it, I believe that this is part of the reason that the show so addicting...you have to keep watching.
To me, The Shield is essentially the 'grey area' cop drama. It's as entertaining as it is unpredictable and it's as clever as it is brash. The writers put as much creativity in a back story as they do the main story-line, so if you are disinterested in where they're going with one character, you may be interested in the next. Like it or not, no one can argue that The Shield is different.
Private Wars (1993)
Best bad movie of all time
Steve Railsback is an underrated actor who plays an ex-cop named Jack Manning. Manning, who now is a private detective, has become a drunken-shell of his former self. When approached by an old friend, Manning is called back into action. This time, to clean up a town and prevent a rich tycoon from taking whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
This movie is so "creatively bad" it's hilarious. Even if I was paid to TRY making a bad movie, I wouldn't be able to dumb-down enough to make one that comes close to Private Wars. If you are a fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, you need to watch this movie and wish that Joel was with you. This movie is worth watching because the everything is so unrealistically funny that you will not be able to stop laughing.