Change Your Image
palpatine89
Top 100 Films
12 Angry Men (1957), Directed by Sidney Lumet "You don't really mean to kill me, do you?"-Juror # 8 Our justice system is based souly on men. Twelve men put together in a hot, small room, deciding on someone's live based pretty much on how comfortable they are. Most juries don't give their cases the much thought before sentencing the accused, and this film talks just about that. It seems an open and closed case, that the accused murdered his father and that there are witnesses to this. However, after an-hour-and-a-half, one man, an architect, not a detective, picks apart the case, and finds enough flaws in the witnesses' testimonies that he convinces the entire jury to vote not guilty. This film details how flawed our justice system is, that it relies on men not much different than the accused, me with predjucies or passions. Innocent men and women who have had been sent to prison with poorer protection in court than this. We see that we many of us dismiss these criminals as people who automatically did what they are accused of because of our blind trust in this system. This is one of the most important films ever made. Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller
2001: A Space Oddessy (1968), Directed by Stanley Kubrick "It can only be attributable to the human error."-HAL 9000 I believe it was either Richard Roeper or Roger Ebert who called The Matrix Revolutions "visual poetry". Excellent critique. Wrong film. 2001, Arthur C. Clarke's sci-fi epic is not a fantasy, but a film in which, you truely believe after watching it that what is depicted may really happen, as it is so realistic. Increadible special effects (for it's time) give it wonderous imagery, and Kubrick' use of Mozart's Blue Danube Waltz is simply beautiful to listen to and hear. An aray of brilliant images and sounds create one of the greatest science fiction films ever made. Science Fiction/Adventure. 10/10
Alien (1979), Directed by Ridely Scott "I can't lie to you about your chances, but...you have my sympathies."-Ash Horror is one of the most difficult film or literature genres to create, which is probably why we so many poor films of this genre. The great horrors ever made use thigs that genuenly terrify us. The primal fear of being hunted. The intense claustrophobia, of not being able to move as we wish. The panic, the anger. All of the above are put into Scott's Alien, one of the scarriest films ever made. As only Scott's second film, he shows his mastery of intensity, violence, terror, and being able to thrill us, scare us, and entertain us. Science Fiction/Horror/Thriller. 10/10
Aliens (1986), Directed by James Cameron "That's it man. Game over man! Game over!"-Hudson The great sequels ever made are the ones that re-capture the spirit of the original. The greats give us the thrill of the orignial. However, ocasionally we get something fresh, something no quite what the original was. Aliens does this. It takes the series in a new direction, instead of a brooding, hot, intense horror, we are treated to a fast-paced, violent, intense action wich reminded me somewhat of Platoon. Cameron again shows us his mastery of the genre, and his mastery of film in general. A sequel for the ages. Rated R; Science Fiction/Action/Thriller. 10/10
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Directed by Lewis Milestone "We live in the trenches out there. We fight. We try not to be killed, but sometimes we are. That's all."-Paul Baumer A war film doesn't have to be graphically violent to prove it's point. Milestone's soul-shattering, absolutly disturbing story of a young man's anti-adventure through World War I. Milestone uses haunting visuals to provay the emotions of anguish and terror our herro is going through. We watch as slowly he looses every bit of humanity in him. Not until Apocalypse Now has a film created such a phsycological horror as a war film, and since then, and since then only Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. One of the greatest war films ever made. War/Drama. 10/10
Almost Famous (2000), Directed by Cameron Crowe "I am a Golden God!"-Russel Hammond The semi-autibiographal account of a youg man's adventures through the less-than-magical world of rock and roll in the early or mid seventies. So many people's veiws are clouded by these musicians saying that everything they do is about the music. It isn't. They only do it because they wan to and they have an excuse for it. A great improvment to Oliver Stone's dark The Doors, Almost Famous is a serious comedy with a thrid act as powerful as I'm ever likely to see. Drama/Comedy/Musical. 10/10 -P.S.-The Bootleg Cut is a longer but better version of an already great movie.
Amadeus (1984), Directed by Milos Foreman "I will ruin your incarnation."-Antonio Salieri Every man who has a life worth living has a passion. Some must work toward that passion, some it comes to naturally. Amadeus is the story of one man's passion for himself, for pleasing himself based on what he wants out of life, not what other's want. Tha authencity of the film, the lighting, the costumes, the sets all give you a sense of the realism of what was going on. This one has quite possibly one of the best ensemble cast ever filmed. Foreman odviously shows us that he himself has a passion for Mozart, which is why he made this film, and has a passion for telling the world what the man, the genius behind the music, and he certainly does. Drama/Music. 10/10
American Beauty (1999), Directed by Sam Mendes "1970 Pontiac Firebird. The car I've always wanted and now I have it. I rule!"-Lester Burnham In every house, behind every false smile, there are demons that are waiting to be released. In Mendes' directorial debute, we learn this and become more aware of the curiosity of what lies behind our neighbor's doors. Beauty shows us that American life consists of many different types of people who all react to a situation in a different way, and that each of those people are beautiful in their own way. As many have said, this is one of the best films to come along in a long time, and it is one of the true American cinema masterpieces of our time. Drama. 10/10
American Graffiti (1973), Directed by George Lucas "Wait a minute! What blood initiation?!"-Curt Henderson As I earlier said in a review of writer/director George Lucas, the man creates American mythology absolutly flawlessly. Graffiti is a disection of growing up in the United States, going from a teen to an adult in a world that doesn't want you to succeed. A danting world that some only hide from and some try to confront. It's an adventure through the world of adult-hood. Though set in the early 1960s, the film could be powerful and moving for a person of any generation. It proves that change is hard, and adaptation is even more difficult, but thats life and we must accept it. Comedy/Drama. 10/10
Annie Hall (1977), Directed by Woody Allen "Can I confess something? I tell you this as an artist,I think you'll understand. Sometimes when I'm driving... on the road at night... I see two headlights coming toward me. Fast. I have this sudden impulse to turn the wheel quickly, head-on into the oncoming car. I can anticipate the explosion. The sound of shattering glass. The... flames rising out of the flowing gasoline."-Duane Hall This 'nervous romance' is a depiction of urban, contemperary romance, twisting the genre to Allen's liking. As with all relationships, there are ups, downs, there is passion, boredom, anger, but through it all there is love, and Alvy's adoration for the quirky Annie Hall. Throughout it all we laugh and are amazed at Allen's skill as a director, as he uses unconventional techniques to pervay what is going on in the minds of the main characters. But after everything is over we know we have seen something very very special. Comedy/Romance. 10/10
Apocalypse Now (1979), Directed by Francis Ford Coppola "The horror. The horror..."-Col. Walter E. Kurtz Months after watching Coppola's Vietnam epic I still could not shake the images of the scene in which Captain Willard first meets Colonel Kurtz. Rembrant's style of showing only half the face, the rest hidden in shadow, is beautiful and frightening to watch. I suppose Coppola felt that way about the war. Vietnam is a beautiful country, but in that beauty there is intense violence and insanity. Fear, anger, hate, and the slipping grip on reality converge to tell this twisted tale of one of the most turbulent periods in our history. A master piece in every sense of the world, and the best film based on de-humanization. Action/Drama/War/Adventure. 10/10 -P.S.; I did not like the Redux version of Apocalypse Now simply because it was too long and too hard for me to really enjoy. The theatrical edition is a much more appropriate length of two-and-a-half hours.
Ben-Hur (1959), Directed by William Wyler "A grown man knows the world he lives in. For a moment, that world is Rome."-Pontius Pilate When a seven-year old becomes transfixed with a 212 minute-long Roman epic based during the time of Christ, you know someone was doing something right. William Wyler's Roman epic is one of the most exciting, well-made, acted, and spectacular films I have ever seen. The climactic charriot race at the end is so increabily intense that I was unable to look away from the screen. Every year on Good Friday, it would play on television and every year I would watch it, then an hour later, I would watch the encore. Some kids grew up with Power Rangers or Pokemon or whatever, but I grew up on classic movies, one of which, was the epic Ben-Hur. Action/Adventure/Drama/Romance. 10/10
Black Hawk Down (2001), Directed by Ridely Scott "People ask me why do you do it, man? They won't understand, it's about the man next to you. That's all it is."-SFC 'Hoot' Gibson This was never about the Black Sea Invasion. Not about October 3, 1993. But about Scott's desire and vision to show us an uncompromised depiction of comabat. There is heroism, there is cowardism, there is emotion, and there is action. Scott has created such a welly-constructed film that I was left with a gapping jaw afterward, considering how he managed to keep everything togerther, to keep it all in-sync with everything else. Scott's loss of the Best Director Oscar is a great film crime, especially when he lost to Ronny Howard on the man's second decent film as a director. This is moving because the effects of violence and war are moving. If they weren't, then the film woulnd't be either. Action/Drama/War. 9.5/10
Blade Runner (1982), Directed by Ridely Scott "All those moments will be lost, like tears in rain."-Roy Batty This is the second film of Scott's depicting men's fear of subordination. Alien is more of a priaml fear of extermination by a more powerful being. Blade Runner is fear of something that could be a perfect version of us, and that is something that just cannot be. It is a film of man's ignorance and stupidity. The crime of the 'replicants' is simply that they want to surivive and they want to live a life they would be happy with. They are unstable but only because we made them that way. We allowed our own creations to frighten us. Why would we create something that could easily defeat us? Scott's best film and a riveting science fiction noir masterpiece. Science Fiction/Drama. 10/10 P.S.-As many know, Scott's Director's Cut is much supirior to the original theatrical cut. I highly recomend Scott's cut.
Braveheart (1995), Directed by Mel Gibson "They may take our lives, but they will not take OUR FREEDOM!"-William Wallace Mel has made many films about saviors. One is about the son of God, another, a road-wandering, post-apocalyptic police man, and another, a man with a burnt and disfigured face. But none of those films quite measures up to his epic tale of vengence and love. William Wallace is the hero of Scottland who led his people out of oppresionistic rule from a tyranic king. Gibson wants us to care for this man, wants us to feel as if Wallace is saving our freedom, as if he is protecting our wives and children, our very right to live. We love Wallace as we love Christ, even more, in the case of The Passion, in which we only see Christ's death. But in Braveheart, we see the goods and evils Wallace commits, and we feel as if he is our own savior. Drama/War/Action. 10/10
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Direced by David Lean "Do not speak to me of rules. This is war! This is not a game of cricket!"-Colonel Saito Many anti-war films depict the horrors of war, but Lean's P.O.W. adventure/drama depicts the simply futility of war. Men are forced to do things they dont want to do, they are forced to betray what they believe in, forced to change their oppinians on what their life was like before this hell began. I can feel the heat of the Japanese jungle. Along with that, the insanity of the stubborness of pride, to the extent that a soldier for gets his duty because of that very pride. A brilliant depiction of becomeing a man that is nothing what you were before, all because of trying to remain the same as you were before. Adventure/Drama/War. 10/10
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Directed by George Roy Hill "Do you think ya' used enough dinamite there, Butch?"-The Sundance Kid SPOILERS-This is much more than a western. In fact I wouldn't even call it a western. It takes a bit from each genre; action/adventure/comedy/drama. There is a blend of bloody violence and charasmatic comedy, that would make the film fall flat on its face if the two were not equally ballanced. The two leads work so well together and have absolutly brilliant charisma together that it's no wonder the two re-teamed with director George Roy Hill for the Oscar-winning The Sting. We love these two outlaws as an American version of Robin Hood split in two. The shootouts are bloody, the comedy sharp and witty. It's a brilliant action buddy comedy that spawned a genre of second-rate films like Showtime (2002) and Bad Company (2002) to name afew. A wonderful treat that allows us to watch to men having fun right before their very appropriate, and bloody ends. Western/Adventure/Crime. 9.5/10
Casblanca (1942), Directed by Michael Curtiz "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."-Rick Blaine Said by many to be the second best film ever made (in my oppinian its at 70 on my top 300), this tragic love-story depicts true bravery in a person. This bravery is the ability to willingly give up someone that you love more than you have ever loved before. Everyone seems to be a hero of some kind in this film, even one of the sleezy villains, either that, or they are in need of a hero. This puts the idea in one's mind that a person always has the ablility, the strength, and sometimes the wish to do good to others, to help those in need. And so, with every great one, each of the heros in Curtiz's Casablanca gives something meaningful and important to them: love, life, duty, anything for a greater good. In that way, it is totally, absolutly one of the most up-lifting, triumphant, motion picture event. Drama/Romance. 10/10
Chasing Amy (1997), Directed by Kevin Smith- "What's a Nubian?"-Banky Edwards "It's not who you love. It's how." How true. Some may take that brief tagline as a poke at homosexuality, labeling the film as a gay/sex joke movie with boring characters jumping through hoops to get what they want, all the while making gross penis or breast or gay jokes. Chasing Amy does have gross humor, but it also treats us with intense, passionate, and sometimes poetic discussions that truly rocked the foundations of my thoughts on true love. No joke. It's a mature romantic comedy for people and the best of it's kind since Woody Allen's Annie Hall. Comedy/Romance/Drama. 10/10
Chinatown (1974), Directed by Roman Polanski "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."-Walsh The world of the 1930s, especially Las Angeles, seems only to exist on-screent through the noir genre, and Chinatown is certainly the most impressive of all of these. Polanski's mastery of the film medium allows us to view the naive private investigator, J.J. Gittes, who truly believes the adultress scams hes involved in are the biggest deal in town. He becomes involved in a huge deal involving Las Angeles' water irrigation system. Brilliantly constructed, very cold and icey thriller, and a wonderfully dark mystery. Crime/Mystery/Thriller. 10/10 Citizen Kane (1941), Directed by Orson Welles "Rosebud..."-Charels Foster Kane One of the most renown peices of American cinema and was voted the best film ever made by the American Film Institute, Kane gives us a look at a man who all too well experiances the down-side of being wealthy. The message is simply: It's lonley at the top. After Kane has beaten everyone else down, destroyed his enemies and friends alike, he becomes alone. A broken man living in his giant mansion that was never finished. Welles revolutionized film-making with Kane, showing the viewers the possibilities behind cinema, showing us that truely, anything can be done on camera. Drama/Mystery. 10/10
A Clockwork Orange (1971), Directed by Stanley Kubrick "Initiative comes to thems who wait."-Alexander DeLarge Few films can achieve greatness through their hideousness, through how horrifying, dark, and twisted they are, just for the sake of being dark and twisted. Kubrick weaves us through the insane and preverse world of a dark-looking future where the common man is at the mercy of hoodlums, who galavant about causing 'ultra-violence'. Our main character careens through the film encountering slim-bags, perverts, murders, rapists, thieves, and anyone else who might reside in that world of ultra-violence, rather a perpetrator or a victim, it makes no difference. Each encounter involves hate and anger, and every side of the violence he has caused. In the end he has suffered more than neccisary for his crimes and still is the same as before. We see that sometimes punishment is not the answer to society's problems. Crime/Drama/Science Fiction. 10/10. The Conversation (1974), Directed by Francis Ford Coppola "We'll be listening to you."-Martin Stett Did we just hear what we think we heard? Listen again. "He would kill us if he got the chance." Was that really what we thought it was? He'd kill them? This is what is going through the mind of Harry Caul, the title character of Coppola's mystery masterpiece. What should Caul do? Should he try to prevent what would surley follow? Should he ignore what he's heard, and allow a travisty to occur? One of the best parts of The Conversation is the paranoia that surrounds the main characters, and with good reason. No one, except Caul, seems to be doing what they say their doing. Everyone seems to have some sort of hidden adgenda. What we have here is a brilliantly woven tale of murder, jealousy, and paranoia at it's very best. Crime/Thriller/Drama/Mystery. 10/10
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Directed by Ang Lee "I would rather be a ghost drifting by your side as a condemed soul than to enter heaven without you...because of your love, I will never be a lonely spirit."-Li Mu Bai Watching Wo Hu Cang Long for the first time is like watching a coherant dream. A dream without the laws of gravity and enertia, a dream where the human body can do anything. Also a dream that is so beautifuly told and visualized one can't help but be in awe of whoever gave birth to it. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an artistic masterpiece with astounding action and fight coriography not matched since Kill Bill: Vol I. However, the film isn't driven on it's action like Kill Bill is. It's power comes from it's characters, from their problems, their trials, from their emotion. The landscape frequently represents the emotion of the film, showing China's absolutly beautiful scenary. This is not a martial arts film, but a powerful human drama with martial arts that only adds to it's beauty and wonder. Adventure/Drama/Action/Romance/Fantasy. 10/10.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Directed by Sidney Lumet "You know, the guy who kills me, I hope he does it 'cause he hates my guts. Not 'cause it's his job."-Sonny Wortzik Rich members of society do not only have the ability to own what pleases them, but in certain situations, they can buy what they need. But, what about the poor classes? The ones who don't have degrees or wealth. They are left behind to fend for themselves. And what must sometimes happen? Crime. This is the premise for Sidney Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon. The title character isn't commiting violence because he is greedy, but because he is needy. This is a much more sympathetic situation to the public, who turn Sonny, our main character, into a media hero. This film shows us how irresponsible the news media can be, making criminals television stars, making violence entertainment. Despite being as serious as a heart attack, the film packs a cynical comedic aspect, not taking everything as serious as we would think. It keeps our tension up the entire time and we feel for the situations every character finds him or herself in. Highly recomended. Crime/Drama/Thriller/Comedy. 10/10
Dogma (1999), Directed by Kevin Smith "I feel like I'm Han Solo, you're Chewie, she's Obi-Wan Kenobi, and we're in that fucked-up bar!"-Jay Some people deal with situations through humor. Humor just gets them through whatever problems they have. Director Kevin Smith is odviously one of them. With Dogma, he was trying to shed light on a religion that is so in the dark, so mysterious that one can't help but try to make up certain things to explain it. He also tells us that religion is important in life, that it is important to have beliefs, but you can laugh at them if you want. It's okay to make light of religion, to joke about it, not neccisarily put it down, but to joke about it. It is a very intellegently constructed film with huge amounts of thought put into it by Smith. However it pays off for a hilarious, sometimes dramatic and powerful piece of film. Comedy/Fantasy/Adventure. 9.5/10.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), Directed by Stanley Kubrick "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the War Room!"-President Merkin Muffley This insanely brilliant black comedy is a film that is important desipite its comedic aspects. Kubrick tells us that weapons of mass destruction could end the world, but not because of nuclear war, but just some glitch in the system. The only characters in this film who are for the nuclear bomb are insane sicotics who are interested in nuclear energy in a sadistic way. But, to keep the film watchable, and entertaining, Kubrick provides us with hilarious characters and moments. A film that is both supremly entertaining and dreadfully important is hard to come by, but Strangelove pulls it off without a hitch. I'm in stitches every time I hear "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the war room!". Comedy/War. 10/10
Edward Scissorhands (1990), Directed by Tim Burton "We're not sheep."-Edward Hideous beauty. Watching this film I was reminded of a line from Frankenstine, in which the monster says "Friend good." The monster reminds me of Edward in this film. Edward is horrifying to look at, his face cut up, his hands are scissors, but we learn that through his simple life he has learned one un-dying truth, that love and friendship are among the most important things in life. However, when brought to a complex world, where close to no one thinks his way, he is shunned upon, cast out of society simply because of his love for a girl. A hauntinly beautiful film that is Burton's greatest achievment to date. Drama/Fantasy/Romance. 10/10
E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982), Directed by Steven Spielberg "I'll be right here."-E.T. Many consider the greatest line of this film to be "E.T. phone home." However, my oppinian is toward the end of the film, as E.T. and Elliot part and E.T. points to his friend's heart saying "I'll be right here." That moment brings tears to my eyes each time I see it. Spielberg has crafted for us a wonderous story of adventure, friendship, and love that is among one of his most powerful films. Two outsiders, Elliot and E.T., come together as two who, despite odvious differences, fully understand the other's problems and the two accept each other. An absolute triumph of film-making with some of the greatest scenes ever shot on camera. A must see for everyone. Family/Science Fiction/Adventure/Fantasy. 9.5/10. -P.S.: The 2002 Special Eddition is recomended simply because of the film's digital transfer, so one can experiance that music and sight of this wonderful film. Aside from that, not much has been changed and I really have no prefferance.
Elephant (2003), Directed by Gus Van Sant "So foul and fair a day I have not seen."-Alex What disturbs me so much about Van Sant's portrait of teen violence is that its not about teen violence. It is about teenagers in general, their emotions, their actions, them. We are not given an explination for a thing, only shown the consiquences and allowed to draw our own conclusions. The image designed for us by this film is so exact, so precise and detailed that it made me re-think the way I am, the person who I am. Few films are really life-changing, many do it without trying to. Like American Beauty, Taxi Driver, and All Quiet on the Western Front, Elephant has deeply disturbed my innerself. We see each person affected by the tradgedy depicted in the film, we wacth them go from class to class untill the final horrifying fifteen minutes which are comprised of graphic shootings that are exicuted by the assaultants, Alex and Eric, with a disturbing familiarity. The film begins and ends with shots of the sky. The world continues turning after these events, continues moving with its back turned to the problem we have. We should not fear or ignore what potentially is hiding in every person. We have to confront it, else the consiquences we have seen in this masterpiece will become a reality again. Drama/Thriller. 10/10
An Evening with Kevin Smith (2002), Directed by J.M. Kenny "In Hollywood, you just fail upwards."-Kevin Smith As a film fan, any person would like to know the stories behind their favorite movies. In An Evening With Kevin Smith, we are told anicdotes and stories of not only Smith's film career, but also his personal life, all the time being absolutly hilarious. This little gem of a DVD is nearly four hours of Smith answering questions with often very long answers, and always very very funny. It's definatly a treat for any Smith fan or anyone who just wants a good laugh. Comedy/Documentary. 10/10
The Exorcist (1973), Directed by William Friendkin "The Power of Christ Compells You!"-Father Merrin & Father Karras What makes Friendkin's horror masterpiece so scary is the film's mood. There is always this brooding, dark, cold, disturbed feeling in the air, like something that should not be is, but we can't tell what it is. With The Exorcist, there is always a sense that something is going to happen soon, something outrageous and horrifying. The truth is, Friendkin holds the shocking and really amazing material for the second half of the film. For an hour we are teased as doctors examine Reagan's condition and she has fits and we see demonic figures. But finally, in a thourouly disturbing sequnce in which Regen turns her head about, we learn what is going on. We know what is going to happen next. Purgatory is over, now we are plundged into hell. Horror/Thriller. 10/10 P.S.: The 'Version You've Never Seen' takes away the brooding sense of the film, and makes it more of an average horror flick. I would suggest the 1973 theatrical eddition.
Fantasia (1940), Produced by Walt Disney "Incidentally, you won't see a nutcracker on screen. There's nothing left of him but his title."-The Narrator In 1927, with the releas of The Jazz Singer, we witnessed the marrage of sound and picture. In 1940, Walt Disney re-difined that marrage with Fantasia. Much like Kubrick's 2001, Fantasia presented us with a wonderous mix of beautiful music and astounding visuals. With almost no diologue, the film takes us to places we have seen only in our dreams, or nightmares. Without the normal Disney construct, Fantasia triumphs as a beautiful work of visual and musical art that will forever be admired, remembered, and loved. Family/Animation/Fantasy/Musical. 9.5/10
Fargo (1996), Directed by Joel Coen "And I guess that was your accomplice in the woodchipper."-Marge Gunderson There are three stories in Fargo, each with a different mood, style and feeling. One is gritty, violent, and intense. Another is sad and pathetic. And the third is sweet, loving and joyful despite being swept up in the violent wirlwind of the other two stories. The absolute best part of the film is the third story, that of Marge Gunderson, a very intellegent, very loving, and very pregnant police officer. As I said, she is what makes this film great, as she refuses to have her life destoryed by the violence she lives in. It's a wonderfully different film that is as entertaining as it is sweet. Crime/Thriller/Comedy. 10/10.
Fight Club (1999), Directed by David Fincher "You are not your job. You are not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You are not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You are the all singing, all dancing crap of the world."-Tyler Durden Fight Club is a film that focuses on the average male in society, one in his early to mid thirties, single, has a desk job and is simply boring as hell. He is that way because of brooding emotions and thoughts lurking inside of him that society will not allow him to release. Fincher, possibely the most talented visual director since Tim Burton, gives the film a brilliant form of narration in which we hear the narrator's voice in scenes where he is detatched from society/reality. Fincher may be saying that with today's demand's for totally non-controversial image it is nearly in possible to vent the feelings one has that one usually keeps to themself. These characters are so desperate, dis-illusioned, and repressed that they actually take pleasure in having the shit beaten out of them. It's a disturbing and savage film but one that may change your outlook on how you want to live your life. Drama/Thriller/Mystery. 10/10
The French Connection (1971), Directed by William Friendkin "Now, I'm gonna bust your ass for those three bags, and I'm gonna nail you for pickin' your feet at Poughkeepsie."-Jimmy 'Popey' Doyle When you think about something genre-defining, something that we see all the time today because of an earlier experiment, The French Connection should come to mind. In 1971, the dawn of a decade that would change cinema, film-goers were treated to a new kind of cinema, one with a gritty look, style and emotion. With this film we found a new kind of anti-hero, and a totally new kind of film for him to live in. He is vulgar, angery, racist, sexist, violent, and forceful, yet he lives in a place that demands no less than that. When thinking of The French Connection, one must realize that this film literally changed the crime/thriller genre with an impact that we see still in today's cinemas. Action/Crime/Drama/Thriller. 10/10
Full Metal Jacket (1987), Directed by Stanley Kubrick "Seven-six two milimeter. Full Metal Jacket."-Private Gomer Pyle Protect & Serve. That's a motto of the United States Military, to protect and serve our country under any circumstance. But at what cost? What do these protectors of democracy sacrifice aside from their lives to keep us safe in our beds? In Full Metal Jacket they sacrifice their humanity. Kubrick details the horrifying and disturbing process of training and combat for the Vietnam war. The men are forced to become mindless, heartless, souless killing machiens whose soul purpoces are to kill the Viet-Cong. Again, Kubrick delves into the de-humanization process and again he succeeds in brining us a purely un-nerving, triumph of a film that is totally believable, and totally unforgetable. Drama/War. 10/10
The Godfather (1972), Directed by Francis Ford Coppola "I'll make him an offer he won't refuse."-Don Vito Corleone A true American film epic was born in 1972. A film that began the almost mythical story of the Corleone crime family, that movie that began the greatest crime legacy ever captured on film. I say that, not meaing it is the best film trilogy ever made (we have Part III to thank for that), but that it is such an extraordinary epic that spans 3/4s of a century, looking at three generations and time periods. Much like the great adventures and dramas that make up Greek and Roman mythology, The Godfather describes to us an entire world to which we had no previous knowledge and are absolutly innocent to. Totally captivating and wonderfully layered, it is a film that will never be forgotten. Crime/Drama. 10/10
The Godfather: Part II (1974), Directed by Francis Ford Coppola "I know it was you, Freddo. You broke my heart. YOU BROKE MY HEART!"-Michael Corleone For many it would be nearly impossible to pull off a sequel to a film hailed by many as the best picture ever made. How do youtransfor a true film masterpiece into a franchise? It has been tried before and has failed misearbly (The Silence of the Lambs, Planet of the Apes, & Saturday Night Fever to name afew). However, Coppola pulls off the un-predicatble by making The Godfather: Part II. The best comparison to Part II as a sequel would be 2002's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Both films dealt more with emotion and character than plot than their predicesors and both films recieved more acclaim than their predicessors. The two films are classics, but Par II is so bruttaly emotional, thoughtful and powerful, delving deep into the storm that is Michael Corleone's life, that by the end of my first screening I was moved to tears. An excellent continuation to a film trilogy that unfortunatly had a less-than-excellent ending. Crime/Drama. 10/10
Gone With the Wind (1939), Directed by Victor Flemming "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." Rhett Butler Watching this truly stunning film what I have to say is that it is like watching a moving painting or a mural. I was reminded of Monet's paintings, with the bright, exuberant colors, beautifying the whole film and making it more striking than anything I've ever seen. At first I thought that I would be bored to death by it, however after five minutes of this breath-taking film and Vivien Leigh's equally wonderous preformance, I was amazed that I felt time rush by almost instantaniously. All-in-all, an absolutly magnificent film. Drama/War/Romance. 10/10
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966), Directed by Sergio Leone "You see, in this world there are two kinds of people my friend. Those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig."-The Man with No Name I recenly read that this was writer/director Quineten Tarantino's favorite film. That makes sense, I thought, since the last film I saw of his, Kill Bill: Vol I, borrowed heavily from Leone's western masterpiece. Both films make me think of a live-action cartoon. A story that is filmed with real actors, sets, ect., but has the style, shape and sense of a cartoon. Both films also have the sensless joy that one derives from watching a cartoon, the pleasure and glee of watchin what some may call sensless violence, but what you call film brilliance. Leone has realized that a film doesn't have to be serious and dramatic to be great. In fact, it should be the other way 'round. These days we don't see very many quality films that are silly or cartoony. I suppose that is what Tarantion, Roger Rodrigueze, and Guy Ritche are for, but what they all are great at, Leone was, is, and always will be the master of. Action/Western/Drama. 10/10
Goodfellas (1990), Directed by Martin Scorcese "As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster."-Henry Hill Biography films are so easy to screw up. Often they become predicatable and dull and you just start thinking: "When the hell will this end?" Scorcese knows full-well about this and knows how to counter it. If you make a biography about a person's life, then it has to be a person who people want to know about. The life has to be exciting and it has to be dramatic. Much like Scorcese's Raging Bull and David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia, this based-on-a-true story film is fast-paced, well-constructed, and truely an exciting film to watch. One always feels scared or disturbed or angery as the main characters do, and one always wants to see what happens next. This is rare with biographies. Many of which I have seen have long, dull, and falsely emotional middles, a slightly intrigueing begining and a stupidly powerful conclusion. Not so with Goodfellas. It is much more than an excellent gangster film, but it is also simply the best bio-pic ever filmed and a triumph for the genius of Martin Scorcese. Crime/Drama. 10/10
It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Directed by Frank Capra "I'll give you the moon, Mary."-George Baily Capra's classic mythical fabel is one of those films that has been with a person since childhood. We have been thrilled, moved, and above all, entertained by this film for so long we never even thought to critique it. This is a film that has stayed alive in our minds and our hearts for the past fifty-eight years, a film that we will admire for fifty-eight more years, and a hundred after that. The moral of the story is "Be happy with what you have. Look at everything that is good in your life before whatever negative element entered it." Despite having a slightly depressing center, Life is a hugely up-lifting film about the strength and determination of the human spirit. You will never find a more heart-warming drama of cinema in your life. Drama/Fantasy/Family/Romance. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/
JFK (1991), Directed by Oliver Stone "People are suckers for the truth, and the truth is on your side, bubba."-X I expected very little from Oliver Stone's JFK, probably because I don't really like those kinds of movies. And, in fact, afew minutes into the film, had it not been for the intriguing opening credits, I would have been bored to tears. However, very quickly I became enthrawled with the story, with the passion of its protagonist to solve this mystery. The reason it is so brilliant is because director Oliver Stone, truely cares about the material. He honestly cares about a conspiracy behind the murder of a man whom he deeply respected. All that passion, Stone takes into making a truely entertaining and original film. We are treated to an extremely exciting, intellegent, and very well put-together film about the murder of one of the greatest Americans who ever lived and died. Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller. 10/10 P.S.-I have no real prefferance between Stone's cut and the shorter theatrical eddition, except that with the Director's Cut, you get an extra half-an-hour of excellence.
Jaws (1975), Directed by Steven Spielberg "You're gonna' need a bigger boat."-Brody Fantasic realism is what Jaws is. Something so increadible and larger-than-life (literally), that it is almost impossible, yet at the same time, real enough to still be believable and scary. That's what horror has to do. Be believable. If it isn't, if it is too fantastic, then there is no reason to be afraid. However, when faced with a ginormous man-eating shark, one would think to stay out of the water. This is one of the most entertaining horrors I've ever seen. The Exorcist was disturbing, Psycho, terrifying, but Jaws was plan fun to watch. The three leads were all excellent and worked wonders with each other in their parts, and the feeling of the film wasn't angery or soul-shattering, but it pervayed a sense of "This is a fun way to spend two hours." And it is. It really, really is a great way to spend two hours. Adventure/Horror/Thriller.
L.A. Confidential (1997), Directed by Curtis Hanson "Off the record, on the Q.T., and very hush-hush."-Sid Hudgens L.A. Confidential is the 1990s answer to Chinatown. And what makes it better than just some other noir-ish L.A. crime story is that we have an entire cast of characters to relate to, instead of just one as was the case in Chinatown, Blade Runner, and The Maltese Falcon. In this film we meet three cops who are all very different in method and in general, and each of them is doing what they think is right. Sometimes their visions are distorted by emotions, but thats real life for you. Another bennifit to having an ensemble in stead of a leading man is that you can have three exellent preformances in stead of just one. Each of the title roles are played out perfectly and with an absolute sense of realism for the piece. In the end, the film tells us that justice cannot be written by one man and carried out perfectly by others, but that each offense is different, and each cop is too. A police officer is still a person who has emotions and those emotions can set certain things ary. Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller. 10/10
Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Directed by David Lean "The trick, Mr. Powers, is not minding that it hurts."-T.E. Lawrence Many scenes in David Lean's epic depict a lone figure, wrapped in flowing white robes, wandering almost aimlessly through an engulfing warf of sand and wind. The symbolism is all too great, as the lead character is just that figure, a man who does not know where his life is going or why the hell he is doing what he's doing. Lawrence ambles through World War I-era Arabia, trying to unite the Nations of Saudi Arabia. He is a normal man who is caught up in extraordinary events that shatter his soul and takes away his humanity. Lean depicts Lawrence's dehumanization with desturbing accuracy. The film is a grand epic but, as with all Lean's films, we see all this through the eyes and emotions of a singal man. Despite an absolutly gigantic film, we still are entitled to intamacy with the title character. Such is the concencensus, with many film critics, Lawrence of Arabia is probablly cinema's best epic, and all because of the intamacy that it's film's creator allows us. Adventure/War/Drama. 10/10
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Directed by Peter Jackson "So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."-Gandalf the Grey Very often the first of a film series is the best of its followers. This was the case with Star Wars, The Godfather, Batman, Superman, The Matrix, and scores of other film series/trilogies. However, that is not the case with Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In this situation the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, is the worst of the three, and that is saying a hell of alot. When a film series is set up so the viewer can always expect a better film with each sequel, there is a certain feeling of gratidute toward the film-maker for doing this. This film is more than just a set up of characters and events, but it also is an astounding feat of directorial vision from an individual man which can very well stand alone, though thats not what we particularily want. After sitting for three hours, in the case of the Extended Edditions, three-and-a-half hours, and then wanting more, wanting to see what happens next, someone, somewhere is doing something very right. Fantasy/Adventure/Action. 10/10 -P.S.-The Extended Eddition offers the viewer a greater insight into the world of Middle Earth and into the minds of our main characters, along with afew extra sequences of action. Highly recomended.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Directed by Peter Jackson "I'm glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee, here at the end of all things."-Frodo Baggins Some films are remembered simply because of the raw emotional power the hold. Films like Schindler's List, Casablanca, and Gone With the Wind are not necisarily artistic masterpieces, but are powerhouses for sheer emotion they give to the viewer. The Return of the King, the best and final film of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is one of those films. The last two films gave us a cast of characters of perhaps 20 plus people who still have destinies to be fufilled. Each of these characters makes a sacrifice for the greater good (or evil) of Middle Earth. Yes, the film is a fantasy. Yes there are trolls, elves, half-sized people, wizards, goblins, ect. The power of it comes from Peter Jackson's passion to make it. The preformances are good of course, but all that is really neccisary is "who can get really dramatic and teary eyed real fast?" No, this is a piece driven by it's director who truely loves the source material and wouldn't dare deviate from it in any way. It's rare to see that kind of passion on screen, but when you do, it is truely special. Fantasy/Adventure/Action. 10/10
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Directed by Peter Jackson "There will be no dawn for men."-Saruman the White. The trailer to this film, complete with a re-mastered version of the theme for Requiem for a Dream, is a trailer which sets up the film perfectly. The Two Towers, which follows The Return of the King very closely for the best in the trilogy, is a subltely powerful film. Un-like part three, there are not too many slow motion screams or sword wavings or Braveheart-ish speaches. No, this film is all about expression. It's all about the way Miranda Otto's eyes slightly swell as tradgedy strikes her kingdom. This piece lets us see the emotions of the actors through their preformances more than the other two do. I don't feel I must go into the third act of the film which features the greatest battle sequence caught on film as of yet. This film really tells more about the affect the War of the Ring brings to "real people" and makes it more realistic. The realism is what makes it powerful. The power is what makes it a masterpiece. Fantasy/Adventure/Action. 10/10 P.S.-The Extended Eddition offers more insight into a certain character and why he does a certain thing.
M*A*S*H (1970), Directed by Robert Altman "Oh, Frank, kiss my hot lips!"-Maj. Margaret 'Hot Lips' O'Houlihan Director Robert Altman proves that a film doesn't have to be serious in order to have a message. M*A*S*H, much like Terry Gillam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, is disturbing, yet silly, wild but temperate. We see, not through soul-shattering de-humanization, or pornographic carage, the pointlessness of war. Despite being a comedy, and by the way, it is very very funny, it has a very important anti-war message that would leave the viewer with a serious emotion of sadness, partly because of the film's title song "Suicide is Painless", written by Altman's teenage son. While watching it, we laugh at the main character's hijinx, but afterwards we feel a profound emotion of angst, or even depression to the character's plight. M*A*S*H proves that a meaningful film, an important film does not have to be a serious film. Comedy/War/Drama. 10/10 P.S.-The original R Rated version of M*A*S*H is highly recomded over the 1973 PG version.
The Maltese Falcon (1941), Directed by John Huston "I couldn't be fonder of you if you were my own son. But, well, if you loose a son, its possible to get another. There's only one Maltese Falcon."-Kapser Gutman The Maltese Falcon, the second remake of the 1931 original of the same name, is only director John Huston's first film. Much like Tarantion with Reservoir Dogs, Huston shows his ability to create a brilliantly woven and extremely entertaining noir film. The title character is what the film is all about. Greasy Sam Spade, a slimey private eye who is sexist, betraying his dead partner with the man's wife, and possibly homophobic. Every other character is introduced as innocent, maybe even angelic. However, we watch and see that they are really anything other than that. And the same can be said for Spade. As the film progresses and ends, we see that he does have a sense of decency about him and that he isn't all he seems. That is the brilliance of this film, that no character is what they say they are. Huston knows exactly what he's doing and exactly how to create the right kind of mystery. The actual mystery isn't important. We as the viewers don't give a damn about the Maltese Falcon, but about Spade and his clients, and seeing what happens next. The quint-essential film noir/mystery film that gave birth to classics like Chinatown and L.A. Confidential. Film-Noir/Mystery. 10/10
The Matrix (1999), Directed by Larry & Andy Wachowski "I must get out of here. I must get free. And in this mind is the key, my key. Now, you are going to give it to me, or you are going to die."-Agent Smith The Wachowski brothers should be aknowledged, if not for the technical achievment they've created, but for the originality of the piece in general. The Matrix is so intelegent, so layered, that after the first viewing I began to dwell on whether or not the world was as it really seemed. The Wachowskis created the film like a comic book, which becomes extremely evident in the infamous 'bullet-time' sequence. The characters speak, move, and create relationships as if they were in a comic book, which has been tried numerous times before. The fault of the film Dick Tracey is that it tries to make a film a comic book. The same can be said for The Matrix, but The Matrix succeeds in this. Perhaps it is that the Wachowskis actually create comic books, and actually love comic books. At the same time, the actors are allowed to act, even if it is not as realistic as it could be. But, hey, Miller's Crossing wasn't exactly total realism either. The paradox that is brought forth by the preformances is that the humans speak like machines and the main machine becomes more human than our hero. It is truely a brilliant science fiction, one that I doubt will ever be forgotten. Action/Thriller/Science Fiction. 10/10
Minority Report (2002), Directed by Steven Spielberg "Everybody runs, Fletch."-Detective John Anderton Spielberg has always made fairly simple films. Great films to be certain. No one can deny that Jaws, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and numerous others are some of the best films ever made. However, none of them are particularily, well, intelegent. Each of them are fairly simple to understand, and most of the time are trying to touch the heart, not the brain. However, with this film, we see something new. Minority Report is a twisting, turning, and very complicated mystery film that is loaded with philosphical conversation and complex plot-twists. As with his other films, Spielberg does make numerous jabs at the viewers emotions, but never sacrifices the film's intellegence in order to jerk afew tears. There are dozens of scenes with great, big, watery eyes and shouting, but there is always the plot which keeps us guessing. The ending, somewhat remmenecent of that of Blade Runner (if you want to think of what you don't see), is well thought of and quite compelling. In fact, there are two possibilites for it. It could have a happy, and very moving ending, or a some-what tradgic, and mind-tugging ending. Really, it is a film that takes from many others in bits and pieces. The assembly of those pieces creates a deep, metophorical, brilliant and touching mystery film. Action/Science Fiction/Thriller/Crime/Drama/Mystery. 10/10
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Directed by Terry Gillam & Terry Jones "Now go away before I taunt you a second time!"-French Soldier Two of the greatest comic geniuses of film became well-known to the American public in the 1970s. The first was actor/director/writer Mel Brooks. The second, was the highly inventive, wodnerfully silly, and more than anything, brilliantly intelegant, Monty Python troupe. What makes the Pythons so brilliant is just that. The fact that they are intellegent. They are innovative and can create supreme silliness and comedy from they're brilliant minds. I recently saw a horrible comedy called Eurotrip which was in essence a re-working of American Pie (another excellent comedy). Eurotrip did not want to give people something fresh for them to laugh at, or something for them to see for the first time, it just wanted to try to do what American Pie did. The pythons never take the easy way for a quick laugh. They never throw in a couple of pointless shit jokes and call that comedy. One certainly cannot call the Black Knight or the Knights who say Ni essential plot devices. In fact most of the film has nothing to do with the plot. But the Pythons never throw away the plot for a quick gag. We are never left thinking "Wait, what are they doing there?" The jokes all seem reasonably apropriate to the film, at least while we're watching it. Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy. 10/10
Moulin Rouge! (2001), Directed by Baz Luhrman "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return."-Christian Baz Luhrman has constructed a film of haunting beauty and dazzling imagery. At times we wonder if perhaps we have wandered into someone's dream. At times we think we may have wandered into a tradgic nightmare. Moulin Rouge! contains some of the most striking imagery ever shot on film. Some images disturb us, and some thrill us. We enter a world whithout bounderies to what a man with a camera can do. True, half the film is unoriginal, many of it's songs remade 1980s-90s pop songs, many angles remincent of other films including Citizen Kane. However, Luhrman puts it together in such a way that we feel as if we have been swept into a farmiliar world-wind that we have never before encountered. Shakespeare's A Mid-Summer Night's Dream comes to mind when reviewing this film, as the two both use style as much (sometimes more than substance). Luhrman is not restricted to a certain style or feel for the film, but allows it to go in many different directions to reflect the tone of the scene. With some, that could be extremely dangerous (take a look at Luhrman's less-than brilliant take on Romeo and Juliet), but in the end, everything comes together wonderfully, and we realize that we have just seen a masterpiece of musical cinema. Drama/Musical/Romance. 10/10
On the Waterfront (1954), Directed by Elia Kazan "You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody Charley, instead of a bum, which is wha I am, let's face it. I'm a bum. It was you, Charley."-Terry Malloy This is a film about standing up. Standing up against the cowards and pigs who take control of other people's lives for no more than a figure number of money. This is a film about taking the power of the human spirit to stand up against someone who doesn't deserve anything they have. Kazaan creates one of the most powerful films ever made and one of the most moving motion pictures that has ever graced the screen. Terry Malloy is our modern hero who has the un-wanted responsibility for standing up for those who need him simply because he has the ability to do what is right. Crime/Romance/Drama. 10/10
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Directed by Milos Foreman "Is that crazy enough for ya'? Want me to take a shit on the floor?"-Randle Patrick McMurphy If a man commits a crime and is put into phsyciatric care, we just dismiss him as crazy. We throw them into a mental hospital and thats the end of it. A cold marble hospital cannot help a single person get better from anything that ales them, especially not after the treatment they recieve, at least not the kind we see in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It is painful to watch the staff treat the mentally inadiquite the way they do, and is just as painful to see McMurphy loose his sainity in this, a place where the opposite should be occuring. This is a tradgic comedy with one scene of brilliance after another that teaches us a painful and troubling lessons to the last, and some of the greatest scenes in film history wrap up. Drama. 10/10
The Pianist (2002), Directed by Roman Polanski "Thank God, not me. He wants us to survive. Well, that's what we have to believe."-Captain Wilm Hosenfld Our species has endured horrors and hardships of slavery, enslavement, and, in some cases, extermination. This film, The Pianist, is a story of a man's survival through a period of extermination of one race by another. Polanski, instead of making this a film detailing the horror of the Holocaust, decided to make it more of an uplifting film. A film about the survival of a man because of his spirit and his will not to be killed by the forces in command. Making a dark, depressing, horribly violent film featuring nothing but brutle violence and alot of crying would have been very easy on Polanski's part. However he chose to make a film about survival, that is uplifting even while we watch the horrors of one of the darkest periods of our history. This technique is given a solid foundation by numerous film-making decisions on the director's part, like the use of bright colors in many scenes, and steady camera movements instead of the now-popular handheld aproach. By no means is this an easy film to sit through. Quite the opposite, not since Schindler's List (another Holocaust masterpiece) have I found it so difficult to keep my eyes to the screen during many moments of horror and suffering. But what makes it all bareable is that the main character lives on through his music, and escapes because of his will. Drama/War. 10/10
Planet of the Apes (1968), Franklin J. Shaffner "Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!"-George Taylor George Orwell created two masterpieces of literature detailing the fictional yet realistic affects of totalitarian governments. Both are brilliant yet desperatly complex. Author Piere Boule and screenwriters Michael Wilson and Rod Serling took that same principle, yet simplified it abit. This simplification makes for a brilliant, yet easy to understand and highly entertaining adventure that anyone could get something out of. One can imagine the kind of controversial stome that it made upon it's release, showing the seperation of apes in society due to phyisical apperance. However, the real greatness in this film is not that it has hidden messages, but that they are so hidden that the viewer could easily ignore them and just enjoy an original and rousing adventure film. One of the greats. Action/Drama/Science Fiction. 10/10
Platoon (1986), Oliver Stone I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy, we fought ourselves. The enemy was in us. The war is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days."-Chris Taylor War is a waste. War wastes our young men and either kills them or ruins their spirits. Perhaps it was easier in World War I and II when there were very clear reasons for fighting, but when our sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers were sent to Vietnam, they weren't sent to defent a people from extinction, or to gain land for our 'Great Country'. They were sent because Johnson and Nixon had sticks up their asses about people who didn't want to live in democracies. So men went to fight for no aparent reason. They were tested physically, spiratually, emotionally, and phsycologically. Platoon details the process by which a young man learns that war destroys more than lives, but will crush the spirits of many of the combatants who engage in it. We learn this also. We see the effects it has. There is nothing but pain in war. Action/Drama/War. 10/10
Princess Mononoke (1997), Directed by Hayao Miyazaki "Look, everyone! This is what hatred looks like! This is what it does when it catches hold of you! It's eating me alive, and very soon now it will kill me! Fear and anger only make it grow faster!"-Ashitaka Hayao Miyazaki has an undiniable gift as a film-maker. That is he is able to manipulate animation around his stories to create films that become irrivocably inplanted in our memories. Like no other director he can produce images and stories of blaring origniality and fantastic substance using nothing other than his imagination. Princess Mononoke is a gigantic testimony to his genius. He makes his statement of peace towards others and the environment in the most entertaining way possible: fantasy. As entertaining as it is powerful, this is definatly an animation spectacle not to be missed. Action/Fantasy/Adventure/Animation/Drama. 10/10
Psycho (1960), Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Pulp Fiction (1994), Directed by Quinten Tarantino
Punch-Drunk Love (2002), Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Raging Bull (1980), Directed by Martin Scorcese
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Directed by Steven Spielberg
Ran (1985), Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Rear Window (1954), Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Requiem for a Dream (2000), Directed by Darren Aronfisky
Reservoir Dogs (1992), Directed by Quinten Tarantino
Saving Private Ryan (1998), Directed by Steven Spielberg
Schindler's List (1993), Directed by Steven Spielberg
Se7en (1995), Directed by David Fincher The Seven Samurai (1954), Directed by Akira Kurosawa
The Seventh Seal (1957), Directed by Igmar Bergman
The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Directed by Frank Darabont
Shrek (2001), Directed by Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jensen
Singin' in the Rain (1952), Directed by Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
The Sixth Sense (1999), Directed by M. Night Shymalan
Sleeping Beauty (1959), Produced by Walk Disney
Spirited Away (2001), Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope (1977), Directed by George Lucas
Star Wars: Episode V-The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Directed by Irvin Kersner
Star Wars: Episode VI-Return of the Jedi (1983), Directed by Richard Marquand
The Sting (1973), Directed by George Roy Hill
Strangers on a Train (1951), Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Directed by Elia Kazan
Sunset Blvd. (1950), Directed by Billy Wilder
Taxi Driver (1976), Directed by Martin Scorcese
The Terminator (1984), Directed by James Cameron
Terminator II: Judgment Day (1991), Directed by James Cameron
Toy Story II (1999), Directed by Ash Brannon & John Lasseter
Trainspotting (1996), Directed by Danny Boyle
Unforgiven (1992), Directed by Clint Eastwood
The Usual Suspects (1995), Directed by Brian Singer
The Wizard of Oz (1939), Directed by Victor Flemming
Vertigo (1958), Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Young Frankenstien (1974), Directed by Mel Brooks
The Next 100: Adaptation. (2002) The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) Airplane! (1980) All the President's Men (1976) American History X (1998) Animal House (1978) The Apartment (1960) Back to the Future (1985) Barry Lyndon (1975) Batman (1989) A Beautiful Mind (2001) Being John Malkovich (1999) The Begining (2000) Big Fish (2003) Blade (1998) The Blair Witch Project (1999) Bloody Sunday (2002) Bowling for Columbine (2002) Boyz N the Hood (1991) Carrie (1976) Chicago (2002) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Crimson Tide (1995) The Crow (1994) Doctor Zhivago (1965) Duel (1971) Ed Wood (1994) Erin Bronkovich (2000) Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) Finding Nemo (2003) Forrest Gump (1994) The Game (1997) Gladiator (2000) Glory (1989) The Godfather: Part III (1990) Goldfinger (1964) Good Will Hunting (1997) The Great Escape (1963) The Green Mile (1999) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) Heat (1995) Henry V (1989)
Reviews
Hannibal (2001)
Hannibal serves up a tasty morsel.
Ridely Scott's sequel to the oscar-winning SILENCE OF LAMBS proves to come through.
HANNIBAL tells of how Clarice Starling (Juliane Moore) pursues the escaped killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). The film has good acting, f/x, make-up, and plenty of everyone's favorite cannibal, Dr. Lecter. I saw this before seeing SILENCE, and am glad for it. Had I seen the the terrifing original, I would have expected much more. Before seeing this, my older sister (who is a HUGE fan of the Hannibal Lecter books and movies) said she was disapointed by the ending. I also shared her thoughts, but it did not affect the rest of the film. I personally did not consider HANNIBAL scarey (just very gory). The fact that I am a very lare Ridley Scott fan may have hindered my judgment, but my oppinian still stands.
I give HANNIBAL (2001) 7.5/10
Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott's best film (even better than GLADIATOR)
If you haven't already seen ALIEN, go out and rent it (if you have a dvd player, rent the dvd). If you have already seen ALIEN, go out and see it again (again on dvd). The film doesn't fail to be scary, even if you've seen it fifty times. Spoilers. The crew of the mining ship, Nostromo have picked up what appears to be an S.O.S. on their way back to Earth. When the crew go to investigate the signal on the remote planet LV-426 they find a strange, crashed ship. While investigating the ship, one of the crew members gets a parasite atatched to his face and goes into a coma. When he wakes up, the paracite is gone, but the man dies within a few minutes of waking, because an alien pops out of his chest. It then grows to a gigantic size and begins picking off all the crew members untill only Ripely (Sigorny Weaver) is left. She escapes by blowing the ship up and leaving in a shuttle.
Scott manages to keep the suspence flowing flawlessly through out the film, and not over-doing it. All the acting is superb (even though there are only eight members of the cast).
I give ALIEN 9.5/10
Star Wars (1977)
The best motion picture in history
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** This is the reason movies exist. This two hours of brilliance and magic is two hours well spent. I have loved this movie for more than have my life, and it never gets old. When two droids escape a Reble cruiser that was under attack by the evil Empire land on a remote planet calle Tatoninne the adventure begins. One of these two droids, R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), carries the technical read-outs of the planet-sized Death Star which has the fireing capibilities to destroy a planet. R2 must get the planes to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guiness), and then get safley to Aldrean. Along the way R2 and his counter-part C3P-0 (Anthony Daneiels) get capitured by scavengers called Jawas, and then sold to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammiel) and his uncle Owen. Eventualy Luke, 3P-O, and R2 find Obi-Wan, and discover that Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is being held capitive by the empire and the evil Darth Vader (David Prowse) aboard the Death Star. The four hire Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and his co-piolet Chewbaca (Peter Mahew) to take them to Alderan in Solo's star ship the Mellinum Falcon. When they reach Alderan they see it's been completly obliterated by the Death Star. The 6 are then captured and then go about the space station to find Leia. If I say much more I'll spoil the ending, altough if you haven't already seen it you haven't been on this planet. The acting , story-telling, directing, score, and suspense is superb. Sir Alec Guiness is great as the wise old jedi-knight, Mark Hammiel is exelent as a winey young farm boy, Harrison Ford is superb as a daring scounderl, and Carrie Fisher un-beatible as a sort of bratish princess who is in charge of the Rebelion against the Empire. George Lucus is a wizard, or magigician who casts a spell on veiwers. This movie is the best one in history. I give Star Wars Episode 4 A New Hope 11/10
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
brief review
STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES I'll admit is a pretty lame name, but the rest is excelent. The visual effects are increadible, the acting is better although none of the performers can really do a GREAT job because their frequently talking to the air. This one definitely does not take it self as seriously as Episode I, which is a serious improvement. It just feels much more relaxed and easy. This is probably the least "kid frendly" of the five, as one of the main charecters brutily decapitates unsespecting tuskin raiders. Later you hear he butchered the whole camp full of women and children. All in all, a excelent improvement from STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE
I give STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES 7.5/10
I is rated PG for sustained sequences of some intence sci-fi violence, mild language, and some sensuality.
Braveheart (1995)
One of the greatist action/dramas of all time
What an excellent film. This is a truly amazing masterpeice.
Spoilers
After the death of his father, William Wallace (Mel Gibson) goes to learn the skills of a warrior. He returns and falls in love whith childhood friend Merrin. The two wed secretly so as to avoid the law that grants all English lords of the area sexual prevliges over all brides on their wedding nights. All the same Merrin is captured and convicted. The lord cuts her throat. Wallace does the same and leads the revolt against Brittish rule in Scotland. He is eventually captured, convicted and "purified" dis-embowled. Very nasty.
Everything is excellent in this film. Romance, war, death, hate, tradgedy are all expresed. Truly masterful. And what is even more amazing is that the film isn't fueled by the violence and action in it unlike other films such as GLADIATOR.
I give BRAVEHEART 8/10 BRAVEHEART is rated R for strong, intense medievil warfare, brief sexuality and language
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Has flaws, but what doesn't.
SLEEPY HOLLOW is one of thous films that you think "What the hell?" before you watch it, and after you see it "Cool!"
Spoilers
The film version has almost nothing to do with the original version, and while Irving's short-story is an American horor classic I couldn't understand what the hell was going on through most of it. The story centers around Constable Ichabod Crane (Johny Depp) as he goes to the small farming vilage of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of decapitations. At first he refuses to belief what the community heads (notice my word usage) say that the victoms were kiled by a phantom horse man with no head. After an incounter with the goul he is more than happy to belive it. Crane has also developed a relationship with the HEAD farmer's daughter, Katrina Van Tassle (Christina Ricci). During an incounter with the horseman Carne makes a discovery that it is controlled by someone else. After a series of suspects Ichobod discovers Katrina's step-mother Lady Van Tassle (Miranda Richardson) is the one who is using the horseman to get back at thouse who hurt her before in life. Eventually they send the horseman to hell along with Lady Van Tassle and they all live happily ever after.
Most of the acting, aside from Depp's, is pretty crummy, but, since this is a Burton-flick, the visual styles are increadible. Danny Elfman's score can be over-the-top at times, but not unbarible.
I give SLEEPY HOLLOW 8/10
SLEEPY HOLLOW is rated R for alot of very gory head slicing and a scene of brief, wierd sex.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
One film to rule them all (except Star Wars)
I'm currently reading the third instalment to Tolkien's epic trilogy, which is quite good. The film adaptation was definetly not what I expected, but what I expected wouldn't have been as good. It's knocked alot because people think it's boring. Sorry, but you guys must have the attention spands of a wall-nut. I'll admit it's long if you've gotta p*** and you don't wanna miss anything.
The film starts the epic trilogy of the war of the ring in which Frodo Bagins (Eligha Wood) must journy to Mt. Doom to destroy the Ring of power before the evil Sauron gets it. He inlists eight others to help him: The wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), the wanderer Aragorn or Strider (Viggo Mortesen), Frodo's best friend Samwise Gamegee (Sean Astin), two other friends Meridoc Brandybuck (Billy Boyd) and Pippen Took (Dmenc Mohnangy), the elf Legolas Greenleaf (Orlando Bloom) and the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davis).
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING has the second best ensamble cast ever (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is the best), and an excelent performance by Wood. The directing is great and so are the costumes, visual f/x, ect. This is the second best film ever (second to STAR WARS: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE). The only problems I had was that there was always a certain darkness in this that wasn't in the books, and there was so much left out. I can't wait for the four-hour long director's cut (I know it's pathetic, you don't have to tell me).
I give THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING 9.9/10
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING is PG-13 for lots of medievil violence (most of the gore is that of orcs and monsters) and some very scary moments
Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott's best film (even better than GLADIATOR)
If you haven't already seen ALIEN, go out and rent it (if you have a dvd player, rent the dvd). If you have already seen ALIEN, go out and see it again (again on dvd). The film doesn't fail to be scary, even if you've seen it fifty times. Spoilers. The crew of the mining ship, Nostromo have picked up what appears to be an S.O.S. on their way back to Earth. When the crew go to investigate the signal on the remote planet LV-426 they find a strange, crashed ship. While investigating the ship, one of the crew members gets a parasite atatched to his face and goes into a coma. When he wakes up, the paracite is gone, but the man dies within a few minutes of waking, because an alien pops out of his chest. It then grows to a gigantic size and begins picking off all the crew members untill only Ripely (Sigorny Weaver) is left. She escapes by blowing the ship up and leaving in a shuttle.
Scott manages to keep the suspence flowing flawlessly through out the film, and not over-doing it. All the acting is superb (even though there are only eight members of the cast).
I give ALIEN 9.5/10
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
My #8
This review has spoilers in it. If you want to avoid them, skip this review. This is one of my favorite (real) war film, along whith the secod-best film of the 90s (#1 of the 90s is THE MATRIX). All the acting is flawless, except for the scene where the general says "We have got to get someone to get that boy the hell out of there." The film begins with the most intense battle sequence I've ever seen in a film at Omaha beach, June 6 1944. During the invasion, a boy is killed who is the brother of Private James Ryan, who also lost two other brothers. Since James is the only one left a squad of eight soldiers is sent deep into enemy territory lead by Capitian John Miller (Tom Hanks). Once they find Ryan, he refuses to leave his squad, which is holding one of only two bridges that brach into Poland. By the end only Ryan, and two of Miller's platoon is left alive. As I said before, all the acting in this film is exelent, but the best preformance is Edward Burns' preformance as Rieband. I won't go into the directing because Spielberg won Best Director at the Oscars, so.
I give SAVING PRIVATE RYAN 9.5/10
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
It wasn't that bad!
While this wasn't the best film of all time, it wasn't RAZZIE material. Angelina Jolie was perfect for the role. I can't see how she could have been nominated for worst actress. Lora Croft is an archeologist/adventurer that must race against time to recover an anicient artifact that can control time. She is opposing the Iluminati, a secret society, who, of corse, wants to rule the world.
While there are alot of scenes that look like their straight from any of the Indiana Jones films. LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER can't measure up to RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, it is entertaining to someone who really doesn't mind a terribly simple plot, and some bad acting. The action scenes are amazing, and the visual effects are dazzling. The fight scene at the end wasn't great, but hey, what are you gonna' do. What I'm trying to get through is many people over-looked the good aspects of the film and looked at the bad far to much!
I give LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER 6.5/10
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Just don't think about it.
Like I said, just don't think about it, and it's great. There are some screw-ups in it, and Kevin Costner as Robin Hood? But other than that it was actualy a good adventure. The film begins in Jerusilum, I think, during the Crusades. Robin of Locksley (Kevin Costner) escapes for a prison with the help of his new-found companion Azeem (Morgan Freeman). He returns to England to find his father murdered by the sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman). Robin vows revenge, becomes an outlaw, and creates his famous "merry" men. There are some things about this film that are kinda' annoying, but you forget about them. A couple of the lines are corny, but thats it. To get down to the meat of this review: RICKMAN IS GOD!!!!! He performs his role flawlesly. I loved every second he was on. That kind of role is very easy to screw up, but he did it as if it was nothing! Any-who, I recomend this to anyone who doesn't like to disect films, and point out mistakes, you know, knitpickers.
I give ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES 7/10
Rainbow Six (1998)
cool
No, cool is way under-rating it. I bought Rainbow Six: Gold Edition (which also had Eagle Watch) three days ago and I've played it at least 40 times (both Rainbow and Eagle). I thought it was an exelent idea for a game, both the story and how the game was put toghether. The game is chalenging, but easy enough to not get agravated at. The second best game ever (Star Wars: Jedi Knight is the best). I give Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 9.9/10
Jurassic Park III (2001)
people run, dinosaurs chase, people get eaten
Jurassic Park 3 really wasn't that bad. Although it doesn't have much of a story, it has some ok acting,an ok score, and very good visual effects.
In the third instalment to the Jurasic Park trilogy Docter Allen Grant (Sam Neil) is tricked into going to the island that was visited in The Lost World Jurassic Park, by a couple looking for their son who was lost on it. My favorite sequence is the fight between the spinosauress and the t-rex. This is the second best JP film and the most intense. I really didn't think it was a total loss. Worth renting (if for nothing else than the visual effects).
I give Jurassic Park 3 6/10
Batman & Robin (1997)
the worst movie to ever hit the screen.
I HATE this movie. I can't believe what Joel Shumaker has done to one of my favorite film series (only 1 and 2). This is the worst motion picture I have ever seen. Terrible acting, a terrible score, terrible directing, terrible visual effects. It gives shame to the name Batman. They should have stopped at Batman Returns when Burton said no more. I loath this movie. If you haven't already seen it don't!
I give Batman and Robin 0.1/10
Batman (1989)
Burton's best.
Batman is in my view Tim Burton's best film. It is better than the other three (which I hated except for Batman Returns).
Bruice Wayne(Michael Keaton) is a millionaire who goes out every night to fight crime dressed as a bat (I know it sounds kinda' corny but see it and it looks cool). One night during a chemical factory raid a gangster named Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) falls into some chemicals and is mutated into Batman's greatist foe: The Joker. Wayne discovers that as a young man The Joker killed his parents, who he has vowed to avenge.
This is Burton's best film. It has great preformances by Nicholson and Keaton, an exelent score, good sets, cotumes, directing, and story-telling. This is one of my all-time favorties.
I give Batman 9/10
Planet of the Apes (2001)
good enough without that ending
Tim Burton's "re-imagining" of Planet of the Apes was actually pretty good. I think it's just the ending that brought it down.
Astronaut Leo Davison (Mark Wahlberg) goes to find a chimpanzee named Peracliese who was lost investigating an electro magnetic storm. Leo is swept up in the storm and sent to a world where apes rule over humans with an iron fist. He is captured and brought to Ape City. A human rights activist named Ari (Helana Bonham Carter) frees Leo and Daena (Estella Warren). They all escape with others and soon become hunted by General Thade (Tim Roth). The group reaches the sacred ruins of CALIMA, and have a huge all-out battle between the ape army and the humans.
This movie has intense action sequences, amazing make-up, a good score, fair visual effects, and great directing. The best performances are Roth's (who I think needs a nomination for best supporting actor) and Carter's. Burton again does a superb directing job. The movie itself is good. I just hated that ending.
I give Planet of the Apes 8/10.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
good enough without that ending
Tim Burton's "re-imagining" of Planet of the Apes was actually pretty good. I think it's just the ending that brought it down.
Astronaut Leo Davison (Mark Wahlberg) goes to find a chimpanzee named Peracliese who was lost investigating an electro magnetic storm. Leo is swept up in the storm and sent to a world where apes rule over humans with an iron fist. He is captured and brought to Ape City. A human rights activist named Ari (Helana Bonham Carter) frees Leo and Daena (Estella Warren). They all escape with others and soon become hunted by General Thade (Tim Roth). The group reaches the sacred ruins of CALIMA, and have a huge all-out battle between the ape army and the humans.
This movie has intense action sequences, amazing make-up, a good score, fair visual effects, and great directing. The best performances are Roth's (who I think needs a nomination for best supporting actor) and Carter's. Burton again does a superb directing job. The movie itself is good. I just hated that ending.
I give Planet of the Apes 8/10.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Keaton at his best
Beetlejuice is one of Burton's most original and best films.
When a couple drown in a car accident they return home (as spirits) to find that it's been sold to a family completely different from them. Now Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbra (Geena Davis) must find a way to get rid of the family so they can spend their next 150 years in that house happily. They soon find help with Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), a bio-exorsist. The results are always hillarious. This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen, and I only like the scenes with Beetlejuice in them. Keaton is hillarious and Burton is again an amazing director. I love the scene where the couple first meets Beetlejuice and ends with Betlejuice kicking over a tree model and screaming "Nice f***en model!" I give Betlejuice 9/10.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
An exelent climax.
This Star Wars film isn't as good as the other two, but still is very good.
In Jedi Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is incased in carbinite and is in Jabba the Hutt's palace as a decoration when C3P-O (Anthony Daneils) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) arrive to warn Jabba to let Solo go. Eventualy everyone arrives to rescue Han, and then kill Jabba. By now Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han are in love as they reach Republic head-quarters. Before he mets whith them Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamlle), now a very calm and collective young man who is almost a jedi, visits his former master Yoda. He returns as the Alliance begins it's attack on the second Death Star which was in consruction. The rest is an intense battle which determines who will win: the Alliance or the Empire. This Star Wars film has great preformances from Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee. Williams, And Ian McIndrid. Hamlle's preformance could have been much better, but it was still not terrible. This one has to be the most imaginitive of all the originals, with again good story telling by Lucus. I give Star Wars Epiisode 6 Return of the Jedi 9.5/10
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Almost as good as the first.
This one is exelent and almost as good as A New Hope. The only thing that brought it down for me was the fact that it was so depresing. In this one the Rebles have been driven onto a remote planet called Hoth. The Impeials find the base and lay seige to it. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammiel) gose to Dagobah to complete his jedi training by master Yoda (Frank Oz), while Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca (Peter Mahew), and C3P-O (Anthony Daniels) flee to Cloud City which is owned by an old "friend" of Han's, Lando Calrision (Billy Dee Wiliams). The climax much more intense than the last (so is the rest of the movie). Again exelent preformances by Mark Hammiel, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Billy Dee Williams, along whith the rest of the cast. Again George Lucus is an exelent story-teller. This isn't as good as the last just because it's so dark. I give Star Wars Episode 5 The Empire Striks Back 10/10
Star Wars (1977)
The best motion picture in history
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** This is the reason movies exist. This two hours of brilliance and magic is two hours well spent. I have loved this movie for more than have my life, and it never gets old. When two droids escape a Reble cruiser that was under attack by the evil Empire land on a remote planet calle Tatoninne the adventure begins. One of these two droids, R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), carries the technical read-outs of the planet-sized Death Star which has the fireing capibilities to destroy a planet. R2 must get the planes to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guiness), and then get safley to Aldrean. Along the way R2 and his counter-part C3P-0 (Anthony Daneiels) get capitured by scavengers called Jawas, and then sold to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammiel) and his uncle Owen. Eventualy Luke, 3P-O, and R2 find Obi-Wan, and discover that Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is being held capitive by the empire and the evil Darth Vader (David Prowse) aboard the Death Star. The four hire Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and his co-piolet Chewbaca (Peter Mahew) to take them to Alderan in Solo's star ship the Mellinum Falcon. When they reach Alderan they see it's been completly obliterated by the Death Star. The 6 are then captured and then go about the space station to find Leia. If I say much more I'll spoil the ending, altough if you haven't already seen it you haven't been on this planet. The acting , story-telling, directing, score, and suspense is superb. Sir Alec Guiness is great as the wise old jedi-knight, Mark Hammiel is exelent as a winey young farm boy, Harrison Ford is superb as a daring scounderl, and Carrie Fisher un-beatible as a sort of bratish princess who is in charge of the Rebelion against the Empire. George Lucus is a wizard, or magigician who casts a spell on veiwers. This movie is the best one in history. I give Star Wars Episode 4 A New Hope 11/10