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Reviews
Fight Club (1999)
A film that, by the end of the film, had me at the edge of my seat!
I'm merely 16 years old. That is manly why,according to the critics,this movie is highly rated by me. This movie is a kick-you-in-the-balls kind of movie that has a fast pace to it that I've never seen before. Its integration of digital effects is noticeable but hard to point out which adds to the movie. The dialogue is humorous and smooth, combined with really good "fight" scenes,no pun intended,which make this movie a teen or young adult "got to see" film. My dad tagged along for the movie, and claimed that it sucked, but that was merely because he went to the bathroom at the most crucial point. So in closing....GO SEE THIS MOVIE, "It will stand out in your head for at least week, as you try and wrap your head around what you saw."
The Wonderful World of Disney: Annie (1999)
Not Bad.
Too like the previous Annie, with all the same sets, choreography, identical scenes, etc. to be better than the original, but it is brighter, and Easy Street blew away the old version, with Kathy Bates and Alan Cumming being really outstanding. Alicia Morton was an improvement too, being more of a real kid and less a child star kind of actress. Daddy Warbucks, on the other hand, was somewhat colorless in the new version, compared to Albert Finney. Overall, I'd buy this version, simply because it is a brighter, more colorful movie, and, afterall, it is for kids.
Z (1969)
The most polarizing political film ever made.
Without a great deal of background into the confusing politics in Greece over the past decades, it is sufficient to know that this country is the cradle of democracy. It is the origin of the word itself. Watch this film with that one thought in mind. Z will influence your views on politics and the importance of preserving democracy and participating in government for the rest of your life.
What occurs in Z has happened before, is happening now, and will happen again in different countries to varying degrees. An individual's awareness of this fact is vitally important, just as participating in government is vitally important.
There are movies that come along every once in a great while that should be seen by everyone. They should be, perhaps, a mandatory part of one's high school civics curriculum. Z is one of those films.
The Internet Movie Database has a list of the 250 most popular movies of all time. The list is a mixed bag. Some movies are there because tons of people saw them and - like popular novels - they had a story line that was fun and engrossing (the Godfather movies, Star Wars, Indiana Jones); other films are on the list because they changed filmmaking itself (Citizen Kane, Hitchcock, Star Wars); and finally there are movies that change our hearts forever. Saving Private Ryan, To Kill a Mockingbird, Schindler's List.
Z should be there. If only more people had seen it.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Possibly the best horror movie ever made; certainly the most intelligent.
Movies can become integral to one's personal mythology. For example, looking at the curtain or door before closing your eyes in the shower (Psycho) or checking for sharks before swimming (Jaws), or, now, thinking twice before a peaceful stroll in the woods, at night. Anyone who sees Blair Witch will, I think, incorporate it into his/her understanding of dark, or isolation, or of fearful things. Movies like this stay with us (whether we want them to or not) forever.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Great acting, startling ending to a really good ghost story.
Without spoilers, I am not sure that you can guess the ending of this movie. Like The Usual Suspects, the final revelation is logical on a certain level, but still not predictable or expected. And, like The Usual Suspects, the ending forces a review of what new meanings and levels of meaning result from this unexpected twist. The relationships change, who is the savior/saved changes, and all of this results in a more complex and enjoyable movie experience. The acting is subtle and utterly believable. The movie belongs to Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment, both of whom are riveting. I especially liked the final resolution and the acceptance on the part of the boy's character. You might have expected the nightmares to be vanquished, rather than understood.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Possibly the best horror movie ever made; certainly the most intelligent.
Movies can become integral to one's personal mythology. For example, looking at the curtain or door before closing your eyes in the shower (Psycho) or checking for sharks before swimming (Jaws), or, now, thinking twice before a peaceful stroll in the woods, at night. Anyone who sees Blair Witch will, I think, incorporate it into his/her understanding of dark, or isolation, or of fearful things. Movies like this stay with us (whether we want them to or not) forever.