My Favorite Movies

My favorite film of all time. An all-time classic through and through. This, along with John Carpenter's Halloween, and Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver are the three film that first got me to become more than just a casual fan of movies, and turned me into a cinema fanatic. Many critics (especially Siskel and Ebert) saw that Tarantino had talent with this movie, but deserved to make a better one. I can see where they're coming from, but I disagree. True, an initial viewing doesn't give the viewer the finer points it has to offer, but it does evoke a strong urge to keep one watching it over and over to truly discover how brilliant it really is. As a straight up crime film, it is great, witty, original, and very cool, but when viewed as an experience, Reservoir Dogs is a brilliant, one-of-a-kind thrillride that truly is very deep, thought-provoking, and unmatched. The dialogue and music (both very original and quirky) have since become QT trademarks, and it's hard to imagine what the world of film would look like if Reservoir Dogs had never been made. Thank God I've never had a desire to have or elaborate upon such thoughts. This is one film that everyone should be required to see before they die. Not doing so is unforgivable.

Director/co-writer John Carpenter is a genius. Thanks to him and co-writer/producer Debra Hill, a little independent film was released in 1978 that has since gone on to become one of the most revered, respected, influential, imitated, and brilliant films of all time. Aside from a few continuity erors and plot holes here, and there, this film hits all the right notes, and is executed flawlessly. Oh sure, the idea of an escaped maniac terrorizing people is nothing new, but under Carpenter's masterful direction, he takes a traditional scary story, and through the use of genuine pathos, character development, wonderful acting especially from Jamie Lee Curtis(in her film debut, and the always reliable Donald Pleasance (giving a performance that has since come to embody sheer iron will and determination and the ability to do what it takes to stop evil in it's path), ridiculously high amounts of tension, suspense, and an atmosphere and score that are STILL chill inducing to this very day, he manages to craft one of the absolute finest American horror films of all time, and does so with a minimal to moderate amount of violence, allowing just enough to be shown as a pay-off for the scares he's built up in the audience's imaginations. By keeping the most of the graphic aspects of the story under wraps, the viewer is left hanging, building up further anxiety, and giving Carpenter even more credibility when it comes to freaking viewers out. As many sequels, and countless imitators and outright ripoffs as this film has inspired (including the Rob Zombie take. you would think that those filmmakers, and all future ones to come would have taken (and will) more time to study the finer points of Halloween, to see what must be done in order to create a film that is truly breathtaking in it's brilliance and the genuine horror and countless feelings of dread that it creates, and not just some violent heartless splatterfest that while shocking, doesn't scare. Despite that this film is associated with the slasher subgenre of horror films, calling this film a slasher is a true insult. If anything, this is morre of a suspenseful thriller with heavy amounts of horror elements. For all those unfortunate souls who have yet to experience John Carpenter's masterpiece, do yourself a favor, and see this film through any means necessary.

I have never been more blown away by a performance than I was when I first saw this. I still feel that exact same way everytime I watch it. There is nothing at all wrong or out of place here. Every line of dialogue, action, camera movement, EVERYTHING is flawless. This has got to be not only one of the most memorable and haunting films of all time, it is also one of the loneliest. I feel ridiculous having to state that the film is one of the best and most influential ever made, because that should be implied by what I (and others) have already said. I really, really lament the fact that films are no longer made this way. Granted, I love seeing how far the art of film has come, but it breaks my heart to see that there are so many bad films out there. I realize that not every film can or should be a masterpiece, but still. This film will never get old, and deserves all praise it gets. If any film deserves to be required viewing for every being alive, then it should be Taxi Driver above (almost) all others.

This is a great movie. I absolutely love it. It is rather slow-paced, which is why I guess some people find it boring, but to me, the slow pace shows the audience just how devastating alcohol can change and screw up a person's life, eating away at them one day at a time.

This is an indie film though, and it's pretty obvious right from the start all the way to the end. I like the ending, but I kind of wished the movie were longer. It would be intersting to see where the characters end up. Maybe they should just make a sequel instead.

This is not a movie for all tastes, as it is slow paced, an indie, and very character driven, but the characters are all very colorful and interesting, and anyone who has ever spent more than two minutes in a bar can probably realte to them, and the lifestyle.

This is shot and directed pretty well, and, even though I love Buscemi as an actor first and foremost, he's also a pretty good director. He gives an outstanding performance, and so do a lot of the well known cast (including the people making cameos).

I've loved this movie ever since I first saw it and became obsessed with Buscemi, and it is one of my all time faves. Hopefully it always will be. I'd hate to think of growing tired of this.

Unfortunately, this movie is an underrated and underappreciated masterpiece. It's brilliance lies in both the realism and incredibly well-done action and gunfight sequences, and the subtle nuances of the characters' actions and words. McQuarrie definitely deserved his Oscar for The Usual Suspects, and he should have gotten some type of award for this one too, but it never happened, at least not yet. Oh well, it's still an excellent film, regardless.

A classic on so many levels. Surreal, haunting, and disturbing in the extreme. This may be a bloated and pretentious mess (and the Redux version is even moreso), but that doesn't change the fact that this is still so well made and exxecuted, even though the shoot was plagued by issues.

The "war is Hell message" and the "descent into madness" have been captured many, many times on film (both before and after this), but it's done so well here that's it is jaw-dropping in its brilliance. I've seen this movie many times, and I still don't have a full grasp of it all.

It offers a lot to take in, and, even though it can be hard to do so, it is definitely worth it. It's unfortunate that so many people only look at this movie just because of Duvall infamous (but amazing) line. This movie is so much more than that, and really, the Vietnam backdrop is just there as precisely that- a backdrop. It's not about Vietnam at all. Putting it into a historical context makes it relatable and more gorunded in history, but it's not trying to be a historical epic, or anything like that.

Hands down, this is one of the last truly brilliant films Coppola made (although I do quite enjoy Godfather part II), and is one of the many highlights of 1970s cinema that is not to be missed.

Amazing. Another classic film from the Coens. There's so much to like about this movie- the great acting, the wacky, weird, lovable, off-beat characters, and equally out there and very memorable/quotable dialogue, the flashy and trippy style and editing, and overall just how damn hilarious, uplifting, and brilliant all of it is.

This is not easy for me to say, but this is obably my favorite film of theirs. I'm not sure why, but I think it's because it subverts all expectations, and play around with the detective genre in a quirky and unexpected way. The performances are terrific, and all of the various characters are just a joy to behold. This is the film Bridges should have gotten his Oscar for.

Damn some people really missed the whole point of this movie. Most people either can't or won't recognize the brilliant satire behind this film (yes Ebert, that means you).

For me, it's just as good as the book.

The actors do so well with their characters that it's hard to imagine anyone else playing the parts, and not only that, but they become the characters, and you forget that they are really just actors. Fincher's dark and hypnotic style works perfectly with this material, and the editing is also really good.

This movie isn't really about dudes beating each ither up in underground fighting venues. It's a critique of masculinity, being marginilized by society, and a major attack against gross materialism and consumerism. This is catharsis at it's finest.

I appreciate this movie on so many levels. In fact, It'd take too long to name them all. That's how much I love this movie, that, and I love the clever toying around with historical events (I'm a history major).

This movie probably shouldn't have gotten Best Picture (especially not over Pulp Fiction), and, while it's not really a true masterpiece, it's damn excellent for what it is. I mostly give it excellent marks because, while it does so many things well, and while it is a joy to watch, it has a lot of personally meaning for me. It is the movie that really got me to want to get into the history and pop culture of the 60s and 70s. I was already into history, but this got me into those specific eras. That's cheesy and ridiculous, I know, but it's true.

Quintessential John Hughes and a classic of the 1980's. Very iconic and memorable. Required viewing. PERIOD.

Seeing as how I was only born a year after this movie came out, I don't have the nostalgia for it that many do. I did however, first discover it at a young and impressionable age, so, even though it doesn't resonate with me on a level like something from my own generation, it still hits big emotionally and with experiences and relatability.

In a way, this movie isn't really dated becasue of that, and the message in general. It may be set in the 80s, and deal with instances and situations anchored in that time, but the overall impact and point is timeless, and I'd like to think that that was the whole point all along.

Very awesome atmospheric and gothic set pieces, a gripping and creative story, superb performances, intense action, and one of the best soundtracks ever make this one of the best films of the 1990's.

It's a shame that this was Brandon Lee's final film (as well as his breakout one), because he really showed a lot of potential and promise. This film kind of became marginalized and cast off as the stuff of jokes and steretypes due to its influence with the gothic subculture, but ya know, it works on it's own terms as well, even if it is just a variation on the revenge theme. It's done incredibly well, has a unique look and style reminiscent of stuff like Blade Runner, and is both entertaining, and emotionally girpping great stuff. Also, what humor the film has also wroks pretty well.

There's talks of a remake, which is just a totally wrong idea. This doesn't need it, nor did it really need sequels. This is a film that just really fit the aesthetics of the 90s, and to remake it would take away part of what makes this so great. It's like doing a remake of any film that is quintessentially representative of whatever decade it comes from and expecting the results to be the same: something that really just can't work.

Bottom line, this is one of the best ever, and even though it was sadly the end of a promising start, I will always love this film (and its soundtrack) no matter how many times I see it or think about the crap that it inspired.

This movie is actually really well done. I don't see why so many people seem to hate it. It's really imaginative and pretty interesting. I love it for what it is, but I do have to agree with Roger Ebert on how it would have been nice had this film not simply been an overblown action movie, and tried to have some substance and explore the world and address issues with how the survivors deal with stuff like storms.

Costner isn't amazing here, but he's not bad. Hopper is a little too hammy, but still fun to watch. Jeanne Tripplehorn looks good, and I wish her performance matched her looks, but she's not terrible either.

Maybe it's because I saw this at a young age and was so floored by the concept that I'm unable to join the masses who hate this movie, but honestly it's really pretty good. It dosn't deserve the jeers it gets.

This is an all-time classic. The acting alone is unmatched in it's superbness. I could (and probably should) say more about this, but in a way it's not really all that necessary. Most people have already done a far better job, and the film really speaks for itself anyway. I'll just bring in a small contribution by saying that this film is unbelievably accurate with its portrayal of the mental health profession and facilities of the time. I know this because I've had multiple family members who were employees (and one who was a patient) at a state hospital for years (including the time periods this was released and takes place in).

Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi. opus. This film is at times simultaneously hilarious, smart (especially when satirical), and brutal, and always brillaint no matter what. It's hard to make a brilliant film that fits just one particular genre, but to make one that crosses genre lines and does it some masterfully is even more difficult. This ifilm is an example of how to do it right. It's violent action yet intelligent sci-fi social satire at its finest.



What's even better as that it works just as brilliantly if you take it for what it is: a stirring story about a brutally murdered cop who gets resurrected and gets to take vengeance in the most satisfying way. It's not shallow stuff either. There's lotf of depth, development, and emotion going on, and the performacnes, especially from Weller and Smith, are absolutely fantastic.

If I were reviewing just the soundtrack, I'd give it 5 stars easy. Now,since I'm having to review the film as well, things are different. And no, the bulk of the rating isn't just for the music. This movie has some good merits on its own. The cars and clothes are awesome. The gritty NYC locationwork is great adding a nice touch of realism and relatability, the acting is mostly decent (for what it is), and the same goes for the dialogue. I'm generally very kind to every type of movie I watch, I always try to focus on the positives and be asforgiving andunderstanding as I can with the short comings. For some of those short comings, if they don't impact the overall effect, they aren't a big deal and can be overlooked.

This is one of the most well known, better made, and influential Blaxploitation. Even though it does have its fairshare of critical and scholarly haters, this film is pretty competently made, and does have some good subtext and deeper stuff going on. For that, I give it more props than I already do. Take some ofthat away, and the movie is still pretty entertaining, even if more shallow. While some of the film's content is responsible for some of the stereotyping that comes along with these films, it's played pretty straight and serious. Oh, there's humor, but it's intentional (most of it- some of the dialogue and racial slurs had me laughing when I probably shouldn't have found it that funny). As far assome of the backlash is concerned- this isn't nearly as violent asI thought it would be, or as it could have been. I will admit that it does glamorize drugs and the drug culture, (something the soundtrack does not do), but it doesn't really get too overboard with it. Honestly, I think this film is entertaining whether you watch it for what it is, or, like me, you want (and have to) read into it. (I'm writing a Master's seminar paper on Blaxploitation).

Wow. This is a powerful, stunning, amazing, and brilliant work of art. Yes, it involves the porn industry, but the amount of actual sex/nudity is not at a pornographic. There's an actual stroy hee- and it's a great one. Everything about this film is top-notch, but special accolades go out to the following: the brilliant acting by the massive (and massively talented) ensemble cast, the genius-like writing and directing from PTA, and the well-chosen and unbelievably and amazingly perfect soundtrack. This film is definitely one of the best of the 90's.

This has always been my favorite Star Wars film since I was a kid.