mynameisalreadychosen1 Reviews

Last Year in Viet Nam (1971)

The best short film ever made

[10/10 · 17 July 2003]

I watched this short film on a dvd called First Works. It contains the first films of great filmakers like Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, and Oliver Stone. I expected nothing from Stone's first film and wasn't sure whether they would show this one or Mad Man of Martinique. I was absolutely amazed by the emotion of Last Year in Viet Nam and the way he portrayed a veteran living in New York. There was no dialogue, however, the images and music created the perfect experience. This is the greatest short film I've ever seen.

10 out of 10

Donnie Darko (2001)

The Last Temptation of Donnie Darko (possible spoilers)

[10/10 · 13 March 2003]

I recently watched this film at my friend's house. I didn't expect much but I was, to say the least, surprised. The film follows Donnie Darko, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, over a period of 28 days as he confronts bizarre visions of rabbit and falls in love with a girl, played by Jena Malone. According to the rabbit, the world will end in these 28 days and Donnie begins to see signs that the rabbit may be telling the truth. The plot get more complicated as the movie continues but there is one important theme. In the middle of the movie, Donnie and his girlfriend go to see Evil Dead on theater. The director, Richard Kelly, focuses on another film playing at the theater, Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ. Kelly doesn't just show this title by accident; he's hinting to the theme and message of his film. In Scorsese's film, Jesus receives a vision of what his life would be like if he hadn't died on the cross. Donnie Darko, like Jesus, receives a similar vision. He sees how important his death is to everyone else's life. Kelly's addition of The Last Temptation of Christ shows that Donnie Darko isn't another thriller, it's a film with a lot to say.

Boy and Bicycle (1965)

Ridley Scott's first effort is rambling and boring

[4/10 · 29 January 2003]

I saw this short film on the dvd for Ridley Scott's film, The Duellists. There was no introduction by Scott before the film, it just started right up.

Boy and a Bicycle is hardly an example of Ridley Scott's other work, it bears no resemblance. The film shows a boy, played by Tony Scott, riding around on a bicycle. Guess what? That's pretty all that happens. The boy rides around, rambling on and on with pointless, confusing dialogue. The film was shot in black and white, and since it was directed by Ridley Scott, I expected some cool cinematography or visually-striking sets. Instead, I was treated with nothing. This film isn't even good for a first effort. However, I recommend that any fan of Ridley Scott should check it out at least once.

Jake Speed (1986)

You'll have fun

[10/10 · 2 May 2002]

The first thing I have to say is that I own Jake Speed. I've seen it at least 10 times. This movie is one of the most fun movies ever made. The film begins with Margaret (Karen Kopins) trying to find her sister. Her sister was kidnapped in Paris and the family has heard nothing. Along comes Jake Speed (Wayne Crawford), telling her exactly where her sister is and making an offer to find her. Jake Speed is a hero. He doesn't work for money because he just wants to help and have a good adventure. His partner (Dennis Christopher) follows him around and writes their adventures into novels. This film is a great adventure. It's hilarious, it's action-packed, it's just great. I guess it's a cult film with a very small cult following. Crawford is perfect as Jake Speed and throws out some one-liners that you'll never forget. Kopins and Christopher are also good as the girl and the sidekick, respectively. John Hurt, the guy who's stomach blew up in Alien, plays the devilish, pervertish villian which just adds to the fun. In many ways, this film is similar to Indiana Jones, in some ways it's similar to James Bond films. Maybe it should have been called Indiana Bond but whatever it's title is, it's a very enjoyable film.

Insomnia (2002)

Good but not captivating

[7/10 · 1 May 2002]

Insomnia is director Christopher Nolan's follow up to Memento. It's not as good as his previous film but it's not bad. The film begins with Al Pacino's character, a cop from L.A., going to Alaska to investigate a murder. He arrives with another cop from Los Angeles. The film immediately spins into a routine serial killer movie with Al Pacino discovering info that the Alaskan cops had no knowledge of. The first 30 minutes of the movie are really, really boring. Suddenly, Robin Williams shows up and the movie takes off. Williams is perfect in this role and surprisingly he's completely serious. Once Williams comes on the screen, the film becomes more than just a normal serial killer movie with a few minor twists and some good original ideas. Hillary Swank plays one of the Alaskan cops and she's just plain out of place in this movie. It's not that she does a bad acting job but she just doesn't fit. As for Christopher Nolan, he does a decent but not award worthy job in the director's chair. With some wild editing, this film does bear some resemblance to Memento but not much. This film is much less confusing and also not as stylish. Overall, it's a good serial killer movie.