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Jethro_Clampett
Reviews
Apple Jack (2003)
Short films don't get any better than this.
I've been a fan of short films my entire life. In fact if you grew up watching cartoons (and who didn't?) we were all fans of shorts before we were fans of features. But most live action short films are mercifully just that- short! Rarely does one inspire the way a great film should. This one not only inspires but leaves your thoughts provoked and your heart satisfied. I recently saw Apple Jack at the LA International Short film festival (which is the worlds largest film festival) and was left with a feeling of awe. When I returned home later in the week I was curious to know who won the festival and wasn't surprised in the least to find Apple Jack had won 'best film'.
This short is so original, so entertaining and left me with such an unusual sense of wonder that it's almost hard to describe the levels it's operating on. I will say this however: If you get a chance to see it, jump! Short films don't get any better than this.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
c'mon... it's not that good
at the time i write this the user rating at imdb is 8.3 and is #93 all time. please. though i enjoyed the filmmaking imagination of quint 'kill bill' has some serious editing issues. it's clearly been stretched to make half a film into a whole and the film suffers as a result. it's a fun picture but there are a ton of things that could have been handled with a more visionary eye. it's certainly not worthy of being in the top 100 films of all time. only pulp is worthy of that honor.
Badlands (1973)
it was down hill from here
a simple story and situation (though the subject is seductively wicked) but told with style and vision while creating a sense of understanding for the subjects - this is terry's best work.
unfortunately it was his first film. directors are to get better with age (up until a point - see spielberg) but unfortunately both 'days of heaven' and 'thin red line' fall short of his first. 'days' was a sleeper and though 'red line' has some great tension it too has large pockets of boredom.
Paths of Glory (1957)
easily one of his best
awesome actors story. brilliantly directed. strongly beside the shining, clockwork and strangelove as his best films. choosing paths of glory in an argument as his best work ever is a safe choice. more obviously than the killing his genius as a filmmaker is on full display for the first time.
The Caddy (1953)
yawn
this was the first film of the famed martin and lewis team that i've seen. in fact so far it's the only one i've seen. and right now i'm wondering how in the hell did thse two guys build a franchise with this junk? i love the marx bros, the honeymooners, chaplin, keaton, abbott and costello even the stooges, so it's not like i don't like screball antics it's just that 'the caddy' is a really bad film thats even more poorly directed and produced. i hope the next film of theirs i see makes me want to watch a third but right now these two have swung and missed.