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Lil_Kleopatra
It has absolutely everything I want or need in a film.
(I am a Michael Mann Fan ])
Some of my favourite titles:
Glory
Heat
Tombstone
Goodfellas
The Ghost And The Darkness
Star Wars (original 3)
Cleopatra (1963)
Gladiator
Snatch.
National Velvet
Wonder Boys
Other films I really enjoy:
Curse Of The Golden Flower
Twelve Monkeys
BUtterfield 8
Mississippi Burning
House Of Flying Daggers
The Princess Bride
Memoires Of A Geisha
Catch Me If You Can
Fargo
Goya's Ghosts
The 'burbs
The King & I
A Place In The Sun
The Four Feathers
Usual Suspects
The Fugitive
Eight Below
Rope
The Sound Of Music
Monty Python and The Holy Grail
The Fall
Robin Hood: Prince of Theives
300
Batman Begins/Dark Knight
L.A. Confidential
I Heart Huckabees
Love Actually
The Godfather (I & II)
The Fox And The Hound
It's A Wonderful Life
King Arthur
The Lion King
The Little Mermaid
American Beauty
Disney's Robin Hood
Apocalypto
Favourite TV Series:
HBO's Rome
FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
HBO's Deadwood
Arrested Development
Fave actresses:
Dame Elizabeth Taylor / Natalie Portman / Cate Blanchette / Frances McDormand / Gong Li
Fave Actors:
Gene Hackman / Val Kilmer / Robert Downey Jr. / Leonardo DiCaprio / Sir Anthony Hopkins
Reviews
Django Unchained (2012)
So good I didn't want it to end!
This movie really surprised me. Not only was it entertaining from beginning to end but it had a great deal of heart. It's not as gory as the trailers may lead you to believe - the character development is fabulous. One thing I've realized is that Quentin Tarantino really knows how to write characters. Not only are these people likable but they're incredibly real. Casting for DJANGO UNCHAINED was also very well done in my opinion. Christoph Waltz as Doc Schultz was simply brilliant and Jamie Foxx was spot on as Django - the delightfully detestable Calvin Candie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, was pure icing on the cinematic cake! There are several fun surprises with actors in some of the smaller roles/cameos as well (like Don Johnson, Jonah Hill and Tarantino himself). Days afterwards I found myself thinking about this movie, not just the subject matter and what an embarrassing point in our history slavery was, but also about how smart and well written it was. I don't know how he does it, Tarantino blew me away with this one - I honestly didn't want it to end. I can't wait to see what he comes out with next.
The 'Burbs (1989)
So witty it hurts!
This is quite possibly, the best comedy Tom Hanks has ever done.
Set in small town suburbia, Ray (Hanks) must find a way to keep himself busy over his summer holidays but when his meddling neighbour starts making pretty crazy accusations about the new folks in town, hilarity ensues.
Bruce Dern is movie MAGIC and quite possibly my favourite part of the whole movie. Corey Feldman, fresh from the success of Lost Boys and License To Drive, is in fine form, delivering his snarky one liners effortlessly. The rest of the cast absolutely does not disappoint. (I for one, love Carrie Fisher in this film - she is perfect for Hanks' wife!)
This film has a lot of heart, great imagination and unforgettable dialogue! I think that the writers did a fabulous job of taking us to a fun and memorable place that is full of non-stop laughs. I know I want to live on their street!!
Simply put, this is one of the funniest titles on the shelves of your local video store, even today.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
A Perfect Film That Stands The Test Of Time
I have finally come to realize what all the hoopla was about and don't know what took me so long! I have recently seen Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid and I don't think I'll ever forget it. This movie simply blew me away and, even though it's from the 60's, the film is just as fresh and relevant today and certainly holds up to any Western produced since. (I hesitate to even call it a Western either - it has more wit than most "comedies" I've seen lately.)
What made this movie so great for me is the undeniable chemistry between our outlaws, Newman & Redford - it's absolute perfection. This is one of the all time greatest 'buddy' films I have ever seen - you'll definitely be rooting for 'the bad guys'! The characters are so endearing and so real that I could not believe they were acting. Nothing feels forced or even scripted, it's just naturally one great ride!
One of my personal favourite features of this movie is the way George Roy Hill chose to shoot the 'possey' that is sent after our two main characters - he makes the film that much better by choosing to shoot long sweeping scenes which prove highly effective. Even more intriguing is how there are several shots throughout the film where the characters are seen through objects and not always dead on (like through fences or window panes, etc). It gave me the feeling of being a voyeur instead of right there with them; which is a somewhat new feeling that I really enjoyed. Hill is an excellent story teller and I simply did not want this picture to end.
Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid is sure to please any movie lover despite age or favourite genre.
Joe's Apartment (1996)
This film belongs with the cockroaches - in a dark place, hidden away!
I cannot begin to express my disdain and hatred for this film. I think I actually got dumber from having seen it...
This is honestly one of THE worst films I have ever had the discomfort of sitting through. I made myself watch the entire thing because it wouldn't be right to put down a film I hadn't fully given a chance to. It was almost painful folks.
It's disgusting, it's not funny, it's poorly acted, it's poorly written, it's beyond ridiculous and to make it even worse - they added musical numbers!!!!! I mean, how on earth could this film have gotten ANY worse? (oh right, see musical numbers) It is so wrong on pretty much every level and I, for one, am surprised Jerry O'Connell even shows his face in Hollywood after this disaster. (for crying out loud, Kangaroo Jack is 10 times better than this piece of refuse)
Save your brain cells, skip this one. (and yes, it WAS "that bad"!)
Rope (1948)
WOW! This movie just gets better with age....
Rope is an excellent example of why Hitch IS the master of suspense. Filmed in almost one room, Hitchcock tried to keep the same feel as the stage play it was based on. The effect is nothing but wonderful!
The story takes place over one evening, the setting is a simple dinner party which isn't really simple at all. Past school chums (and now roommates and partners), Brandon and Phillip, take their former professor's words to much to heart and set out to pull off one of the most brazen acts imaginable - the perfect murder.
They decide to kill their friend in cold blood and then have a dinner party with his family, his girlfriend and their former professor (Jimmy Stewart) - concealing his dead body within a trunk in the living room. When their college professor starts questioning one of the boys' inexplicably nervous behaviour, Brandon's 'perfect murder' just might not be as perfect as he once hoped...
The cast of characters is excellent and each one is given great attention and careful detail - a real testament to the flawless script! It's a shame movies today feel the need to treat the viewer like an uneducated simpleton, spelling every single detail out for you. In Hitchcock's Rope, things are implied but it's really up to the viewer to get involved in the film and with the characters to discover what's really going on. The subtlety is so refreshing!
All in all the suspense, perfect acting, great dialogue and amazing cinematography make for one superb little film! I wholeheartedly give this 9/10 and recommend it absolutely goes on your 'must-see' Hitchocock list.
The Ringer (2005)
Keep an open mind
I thought this was a real "escape" kind of movie. No one expected it to get Oscar nominations - It's purely for entertainment. I really enjoyed how Johnny Knoxville is obviously really connecting with the actors who play the Special Olympians. In one scene he says to someone who uses the word retarded... "I don't wanna ever hear you say that word again, you hear me? I mean it." (not word for word but you get the drift) I honestly felt Johnny Knoxville meant it. Not his character, but him personally. That was nice. I was also really impressed with the actors who played the Special Olympians. If you don't enjoy this movie a little, you obviously don't have much of a sense of humor. (Think one-liners and corny stuff, not Eddie Murphy "Raw") I was also impressed to see the Johnny Knoxville could make a PG13 movie and not come across as an idiot. Good job Johnny, not bad acting either. (I mean there's always worse actors than him out there. Like Jessica Simpson, Andie McDowell, Freddie Prinz Jr, Skeet Ulrich, Jordana Brewster, Paris Hilton, James VanDerbeek, Wil Shatner - yeah I said it... Wil Shanter... Antonio Banderas, Stephen Segal, anyway, I digress) I thought this movie was a nice change of pace form all the explosions and cop movies. I gave it a 6/10 - a good lazy Sunday afternoon movie.
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
WOW! I still get goosebumps whenever I hear the soundtrack!
I love, love, love this movie. I can't express enough how impressed I was the first time I saw it. It was so moving that I had to go back and see it a second time! Since 1992, I rented it over and over again and then finally bought it when it came out on DVD. The scene where the carriage is reflected in the water as it rides over the bridge is still one of my favourite scenes of any movie. The director did an amazing job and the cinematography is breathtaking. I don't think this movie ever looses its momentum. It just keeps getting better and better with each passing scene and wonderfully written script. I love the costume design and the well planned out fight scenes - large and small. Everydetail was attended to. On a personal note, the best acting for me was from Jodhi May (Alice) and Steven Waddington (Duncan). It's a shame they don't get more roles these days. (You must rent Ivanhoe with Steven Waddington if you're a fan of his or even of period stuff) I love how the writers really develop each character, Alice's story line was my favourite. The director also does a superb job on setting the mood with that wonderful soundtrack and lighting and the wonderful cinematography. I give this movie 2 HUGE thumbs up. (my personal favourite movie of all time)
Vercingétorix (2001)
I'll never get those 2 hours back...
Worst movie EVER!!!! OK, well not quite ever - but it sure was a huge pile of refuse. I felt myself watching the whole thing to see if it could possibly get any worse - and it DID! It was just a one horrible scene after another. I must say to all Klaus Maria Brandauer fans... he is the ONLY redeeming quality about this movie. Because this pool of sewage must have cost them a few pennies, I must comment that the appearance of the number of extras was comparable to that of the Lord of The Rings trilogy. Also - to those against animal cruelty, I think that several horses were severely injured during the shooting of this film!