My Favorite Movies

It's my favorite movie of all times. Need I say more?

The film that made me love cinema. Well, I already did before watching "A Clockwork Orange" but after I had the strange desire for something more. I wanted to make films more than anything else! It set the tombstone on other vocational aspirations and things have stayed like that ever since. But enough about me. I 'm here to write about the film and that I shall do. The film is a masterpiece and a book adaptation. Adaptations tend to be bad don't they? Nevertheless this is an amazing adaptation because it is directed by Kubrick, a man whose directional career was based on adaptations but he always failed to dissapoint. So, believe me when I say it, you 're in good hands.

The movie is set in the future, the future from 1971 that is and not a very distant one too. So in that time, in London, we have our hero and narrator. Alex DeLarge. He is a hero alright. He is a guy who leads a gang of three goons that rape, kill, steal and drink milk with all sorts of drugs in it. Naturally, being all tyranic towards his droogs and up on his high horse against the world around him, he soon finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Betrayed by his friends, he ends in prison, convicted for murder. There he will try anything to get out and when the chance arises he reaps it. He becomes the subject for a "treatment" to being a criminal that leaves him unable of defending himself, getting sick when approached by violent or sexual feelings and even when listening to his beloved Beethoven. What will happen to this pawn of the goverment, this clockwork man? The ending is quite ambiguous but it is fitting and open to interpretation. Until we reach that point though we experience on of the greatest cinematic rides ever on a disturbing, violent but also deeply thought provoking rollercoaster.

About the direction, as forementioned, Kubrick does one hell of an adaptation. But as in all of his adaptations he moves beyond that. He transcends the film to a whole new level infusing it with his own subtext on any given occasion. It is amazing how he proves that cinema is the right medium for this story. It is his precise camerawork, his wonderful static takes, one the most amazing long takes in cinema history and even his handheld work and close-ups that make the movie what it is. That's because these ain't no common cinema techniques when he uses them. They become moves of a masterful orchestrator that handles completely his material as well as his audience. Noteworthy is also the use of music. Whether we are talking about the drowny, piercing ambient pieces composed for the movie or the epic works of Beethoven every piece of music is used in a style that set an intimidating tone, almost commanding our every emotion.

The movie succeeds in the acting area too. Every character is played a wee bit OTT, I believe mostly to underline the satire and the social commentary scattered around the film. To give us the impression of a sick society, one that's liable and expected to breed an antichrist like Alex and then destroy him again. Still, the movie is a bit unfair to actors as it is clearly the Malcolm McDowell show. Now, that's not a bad thing. After all McDowell has such a small amount of good parts and roles in his filmography that this one clearly and proudly stands out. And rightly so. His Alex is really a demon. Violent, delirious and flamboyant. He turns from hooligan to charming talker and seductive victim in the blink of an eye, even dragging along our feelings and distorting our view of this most beastial and flat out cruel human being.Hold on that thought.

Now is the time to think about it. Because this is one of the goals of the film. As a powerful piece on it's own it tries to manipulate our POV and lead us to sympathise with Alex 'cause of him being manipulated by the goverment. There lies another concept. The actions of a manipulative, almost totalitarian, goverment. The hypocrisy and use of these people to gain popularity. Makes you think: What heights will they reach in their attempts to maintain control? Also we have the vengeful society itself. Once they have a shot at Alex they all mercilessly go for it. So, basically, they are not better than their rulers and Alex himself. Alex is a puppet at their hand violated to an incredible deegre. But the uncertainty and ambiguity of the film gathers around one point. All these things are meaningless and only Alex himself can choose in the end. After all he survived the ride and played his joke on them. Throughout the film we see him fed, cleaned and housed by his victims, adversaries whether that's the goverment or someone else. He gets along easily despite his hardships were as he should have been stopped, plain and simple. Ironic isn't it? It is a weird view on society because he ends up being a catalyst without stopping one second from being an absolute disgrace to humanity. It is very disturbing to see the power he ultimately has. it makes you contemplate on how far is that from today's society. How prophetic could this film be?

For any film fan it is absolutely necessary to get familiar with Kubrick's filmography. This is a good starting point. But it is also a film that should be viewed by everyone because it puts its high artistry and controversial subjects in a great form that could be called mainstream. While it is challenging, I believe it is also self-imposing enough to provoke almost any viewer into thinking and also entertain. And it will always hold the No1 spot for me.

Talking about a movie that gets better with repeated viewings... It is the third time I'm watching "Easy Rider" and I have to admit that right now it is my favorite film. It is such a temptation to watch it again right now. But seriously such is the poignancy and power of this film that it's hard not to love it. Besides, I'm 17 at the time this review is written. How could I not be affected by such a tragic -basically- coming of age movie, that depicts the end of innocence in an innocent (?) time.

Captain America and Billy are two bikers. Two pushers. Two hippie-punks. Two rebels. Two easy riders. Out against the system like outlaw cowboys in the wildest time America faced since the wild west years. And like every self-respecting outlaw after getting the big loot (a cocaine deal in our case) they set to live the dream. Freedom on the open roads. Only the wind on their side and a road trip all the way to Mardi Gras crossing the whole country. A trip that would prove to be more of a life-changing experience than our two heroes could possibly imagine.

The story is really open for everything, like the vast landscapes of America. The thing that seperates "Easy Rider" from all the other biker movies of the time is the execution. By that, I don't mean only the directing, which is fantastic and one of the first heavily influenced by the french new wave, but also the way it was written and shot in general. Things were made on the spot and last minute ispirations or improvisations found their way to the final print. That was the element that made this film what it is. A collective auteurism, even while many were stoned, that made wonders. Living this movie before filming it was the turning point that launches it to its masterpiece status. The sincerity shows on celluloid. SImple as that.

As forementioned the cast was stoned. Many scenes were improvised and many lines were unintentional. Most of the characters are even played by non actors. And it works. It works because of what the picture wants to show. A gritty portrait of 60's America. Hippies are played by actual hippies and rednecks are played by actual rednecks. But the real actors were also amazing and absolutely natural. Kudos to Karen Black and Luke Askew for being perfect for their parts and delivering colourful but realistic characters. Kudos to Phil Spector for being such a natural! Of course the standout of any actor in the movie, including the amazing leads Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, is Jack Nicholson. He is the catalyst, appearing right in the middle of the movie and disappearing just as fast. But still the honesty with which he handles his character puts the film in such perspective that... I simply can't imagine anyone else playing that character. He's as Jack as it gets.

In conclussion, this is the first and best indipendent movie. It is the best because it really had an indipendent spirit behind it. It shows the true spirit of America in the 60's. It doesn't glamourise bikers nor hippies and it certainly doesn't put any kind of sympathy on the hippies. It offers no apologies and rightly so. It is brutal and truthful. It isn't about the summer of love, it is about the puke after a hangover.

A breathtaking film. A film about human impulses and their concequences. A film about life, death, romance, France, love, smoking, anarchy, cars, beauty, uglyness, women, men. This film is basically a tribute to life through every one of it's aspects. The direction, the editing, the frantic pacing, the dialogues. The two leading characters are the complete opposite of each other. So different, yet they belong together. They live in different worlds but they are destined to collide. The absurd writing and editing deconstruct every aspect of a daily routine. Never before or after a movie was such a perfect match of elements, thematically and technically. Never before the word masterpiece was so precise to define a movie.

This would be my weak attempt to review and interpret this Masterpiece. I really don't know what I can contribute to the analysis of this epic that cuts through the evolution of man and the whole course of humanity.

First of all, just to get it out of the way, let me say a few things about the technical aspects of the movie. This movie probably has the best direction and cinematography ever. Kubrick delivers one of his best work. The visuals of the movie are just so beautiful and effective. Whether it's the dry as a bone depiction of earth at the dawn of time, the very realistic depiction of the moon surface (before we even had photographic or video footage of it!), the sterile clean space station and the spaceship Discovery One or space in its infinite glory these images are the way that Kubrick choses in order to convey every message and emotion this movie offers and most of all the feeling that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. That being said we should not underestimate the use of music and sound effects in the movie. I cannot imagine how the movie would be if it wasn't for the magnificent melodies of Strauss. In addition dispite the lack of dialogues, Kubrick offers the most accurate and suitable pacing in order keep the viewers senses alert for taking in the movie. The final outcome of all this is a sublime movie, a real audiovisual opus and a carrier of beauty. The beauty of the unexplored, of the infinite, of space. I think I made clear that this definitely the best science fiction movie. And that could have been achieved only through the forementioned characteristics.

But the movie also offers a very deep and difficult to conceive philosophical and symbolical ground. Note that this is a review based on my first and only viewing of the film and I find it impossible to fully understand the movie. Nevertheless I'll try to enlighten you as much as I can. The first symbol that we encounter is in the beggining of the movie, the depiction of the dawn of time, is the monolith and it remains the most important one as it re-appears throughout the movie. The monolith when first seen by apes is welcomed with certain emotions. Anxiety, fear and a general disorientation. That is exactly the way that the people of the year 2001 interact with it too. Despite the technological and mental expansion of man he still remains a disoriented ape when faced with the simple and dark depiction of his excistence and his inner self. And that's what I believe the symbol of the monolith is. A way for them, a warning if wou may, to understand the base of their excistence, something impossible and that's why, I believe, the origins, use and everything about the monolith, other than its excistence, remains unknown by man. I mentioned before the technological expansion of man. That is another interesting subject in the movie, how depentend we are on the machine and our discoveries in general. The bone of the primitive ape is the spaceship of the future man and they are both destroyed by them. The apes in the first part of the movie start killing each other because some can use tools and some can't. The apes with the tools go against the others not because they are really scared by the rest of them but just because they have evolved just a small bit further and they think that they are something else now. In the same way the future men trust their companions lives to HAL. They too become dependend on their discoveries and that leads to their demise. Ultimately it's very ironic having your own creation turn against you but the movie goes to show the great will power that a man needs to tame his own creations and his own self. As we continue towards the end of the movie we have the comeback of the monolith and a strange trip that the main character goes through in order to end in room where he ages, dies and is finally reborn. This could be interprented as man finding God or even the meaning of life but it is just too hard to fully understand. In my opinion I think that whithin the room we witness, once again the insignificance of the human race compared to the universe and how limited our capabilities are in the end, closed to a little room, captives of our own fragile excistence. Our species just feels so important with it's technology that feels a stronger and stronger need to explore its boundaries. But how is that possible when it can't explore its core? The movie however doesn't dismiss humanity but just goes to show that as long as we have these flaws, we need to come in touch with our basic insticts and understand our fears and how fragile our life is in order to throw the bone away as the monkeys in the beggining did.

This is a movie that everyone must see and at least dismiss it. It's very hard to filter the ideas that the movie trys to convey and if you are interested in doing so you need to have a very open mind towards the movie. May God or whatever deity(aliens anyone?) has created this magnificent universe rest Kubricks soul for his cinematic work and especially this movie, a definitive work of art for our time and a priceless heritage for many generations to come.

The best drama in cinema history? Quite possibly. For me "Ikiru" will always be a sentimental, inspiring and heartwarming story. It is a film that will make you think about many things in life and contemplate on the possibilities that lie ahead of you. I must say that it really puts "The Dead Poets Society" to shame. The effect of this movie is not really derived from the actual story because it is a fairly common story being thrown around in many mediums from times immemorial, but it is the way Kurosawa and his wonderful cast handled that story that will bring a tear to your, while never reaching melodramatic proportions.

This fairly common story is about a man named Kanji Watanabe who's dying. He realizes he's dying and wants to finally live his life after thirty years of being a public servant. But life still works in mysterious ways. At first he tries to party and celebrate with a writer he met in a bar. A usual way to handle the last days of your life. But still all the sake or women in the world can't rest the itch inside him. He needs something more and the next outlet will be love for him. We see him befriend an ex co-worker, a girl full of joy and life but much younger than him, and tries to project on her all the love he has, It is a fine line between the emotions of a lover and that of a father, he mainly needs her to stay alive a little longer. In the end she inspires him to do something meaningful, something that in some way will better the lives of the people he leaves behind. He decides to support the building of park until his last breath.

Of course, as forementioned, the factor that seperates the stoy of Watanabe from other stories of people facing death and coming into the terrible realisation that time doesn't move backwards is the way that Kurosawa handles it and captures it on film. At this point I should say that "Ikiru" is my first Kurosawa film and I can't comment in his directing skills in general. Still already from this low-key drama you can get a sense of greatness that only a true master can surround his film with. The movie is long and the pace is slow with a few exceptions and it is through this way that the feeling of doom evokes on us. You can feel, as our hero gathers the pieces of his life's puzzle, what he feels and it is really hard to cope with that. Also what Kurosawa does in this film is to transcend this personal story to a hard hitting social commentary. He projects many parts of society through the main story. Family, goverment, friendship, the common people, love and death. What's fascinating is that he does that by given a lot of attention to his secondary characters, to events irrelevant to the main story that run in parallel with it and to humour. All these happen with great subtelty in a way that adds greatly to the story with ever drawing our attention away from the main character. Worth of a mention is also the way that Kurosawa handled Watanabe's death. You don't expect it when it comes. I guess this happens with death. But again it serves the movie greatly because it allows the director to play with non-linear structure that help's connecting the dots between what everything that the movie is trying to convey.

Certainly, creating such a complicate and emotionaly deep movie would have gone to waste if the cast didn't live up to the task. Fear not, though, for this cast is something of a dream come true with every actor fitting to his or her character in way that is hardly seen in movies, theater or any form of acting for that matter. Takashi Shimura is Watanabe. He is the perfect example for an actor that becomes one with the character. Every simple glance, let alone the way he delivers the new found wisdom of Watanabe, allows to enter his soul. His acting follows the subtelty of the movie and when he must do something excessive, some streched expression, he does that with grace and is even more heartbreaking than the rest of his performance.

This movie wants to have the audience thinking for a long time after the lights are on and it succeeds. It is such the wisdom of the character and the way he affects everyone in the movie that we can't help but be affected ourselves. What is really important to understand is that his wisdom isn't that of a scholar that wants to show everybody how to live, all high and mighty. It is the wisdom that every single one of us possesses and can realise once he sees the truth about life and it's true value. Watanabe's life is merely a sign, one of these things that you can always witness but only seldom understand, to their true extent and power. These are the things that define one's journey through life.

To sum up, I'm speechless. In a good way. This movie has taken me aback and has made me contamplate on life greatly. It is a rare gem of a movie that can only be found once in a bluemoon. This is one of the life achievements that everybody would want to be remembered for and certainly Kurosawa will be for ages to come.

Can I really write a review about "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest"? Do I have the ability? What can I say that will add to this perfect film? That hasn't been said already? I don't know about all these but I certainly have the inspiration. And inspiring is what ths film is. It is almost a shame that many times, if not most of them, people refer to this film as Jack Nicholson's greatest performance. Don't get me wrong, it is! Still to label this as an actor's vechicle is just so limiting it's as if saying Da Vinci was just a mechanic! Well, this film is about life. Simple and complex as that. Go figure now.

The movie tells the story of McMurphy. R.P. McMurphy. He is a patient-scratch that- a tourist- more suitably in a mental hospital. He is a tourist because he is not a "loony" to use a scientific term. He is just an outcast. An ex-deliquent. A criminal. A marginal character. A satyr and on top of that he's lazy! Oh, yes quite the society freak! Step right in! To dispense the hardships of a prison farm life he decide's to act crazy. Once in the institution he rebels. Grabs the colourful patients by their throats and intorduces them to life! Spontinaiety is the key-word. Doing what you feel! It is that rebelious trip the turning point of his life and his fate could be self-imposed or not. It is in ultimate freedom where one lose's freedom.

As forementioned, the characters are colourful. Well, that's an understatement. They are eccentric, weird, bizzare, multi-layered. Like real people you may say. Of course, characters are only lines on a paper before an actor come's along. And do actors come along in this movie! This movie's ensemble cast would be the best canvas for any director to create wonderful portraits in a character study. Even their faces are perfect. I mean there's Michael Berryman in the picture (you know the guy from "The Hills have Eyes")! But seriously everyone puts a marvelous performance, it is strange how truthful and honest their performances are. Standouts: Will Sampson, Scatman Crothers, Danny DeVito, William Duell, Sydney Lassick, Christopher Lloyd, Vincent Schiavelli, Brad Dourif, William Redfield. Mews Small... Gosh, I hope I'm not forgetting anyone... The crown jewels: Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher! Such a dynamic and even naturalistic collision between antagonist and protagonist... Never before, never again. In their acting styles too. Fletcher is subtle while manipulative and sinister in a peculiar way ("peculiar?!?" "peculiar!!!") as the nurse Rached. It's almost as if she should be standing on the other side of the fence. Jack on the other hand, well he's Jack and he's McMurphy. Jack IS McMurphy and McMurphy IS Jack. Over the top, non-stop, dramedy shaman.

Now that we finished with the acting on to the directing. Forman delivers a fine picture. Still, most of his work was done with the actors and shines through their performances. Camera-wise he has a good eye. His focusing on happenings and behaviours are ones to be noted 'cause they capture the routine of a mental institution to a tee. His close-ups on patients especially are... Astonishing! They are the best next to Leone's. They capture the bleak surrounding's effect on the characters to, well not repeat myself, a tee.

Speaking of bleak surroundings, the meaning. What's to be learned from this motion picture. As I'm sure I 've written before at least a couple of times already, life. First of all the film is a collective of behaviours. The subdued lifes of the patients as opposed to the anarchist McMurphy. It is a joyous and tragic interaction as one side influences the other. It allows the subtext to blossom gradually and effectively. Control. Control and hypocrisy. The institution and nurse Rached stand for all authority figures. A character says it at one time "It is like my highschool". Indeed. And it is the greatness of the film that stands the test of time and is relevant even today. How can I, a teenager not even out of HIGHSCHOOL, understand what this hypocrisy means? It is sad that we see it in every aspect of our society. All this leads to a catalyst, one that the sheep can relate to, a liberator. Hypocrisy and manipulation won't stand in his way and as a sacriligious lamb he will demolish their frail construction even in a small degree whereas he himself would have failed. He went out quietly but had an impact strong enough to shake the core of this miniature of a society. That's McMurphy's story and life. Their significance he couldn't understand himself.

To conclude, I want to leave behind all the analysis. Joy, laughter, sadness, realisation, freedom and victory is what this film is about. Cheesy as it sounds victory. Conquering life.

Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali thank you. Thank you for giving this film to the world. Why am I so grateful? It is hard to trace my motives even for me. The only thing I can sincerely tell you is that I loved this film beyond any measure. "Un Chien Andalou" bears a strange power as it unfolds between our very eyes. It is as disturbing, shocking and awe inspiring, as it is entertaining, funny and bizzare. It speaks directly to the bottom of our minds and mostly to our guts and heart. We basically know what it means but we can in no way describe it as it is really impossible to do so being bound by logic and our common senses.

Still, if we tried to interpret this film, to define it we would have to define the role that Buñuel and Dali had in the creative process of the film. Because it only takes two minutes into the film to understand that they were hardly just two friends making a film about a man and a woman. It is also hard to say whether they wanted to convey a certain emotion. Legend has it that prior to conceiving the concept of making this film, Dali, listened to Buñuel describing him a dream he had and also shared with Buñuel a dream of his own. There and then he thought that they could make a picture remniscient of a dream filter their thoughts while writting the script for it and keeping only the most basic and completely automatic ideas that could not be related to any rational explanation. They succeeded but there was a flaw.

Dreams stem from the subconscious. Buñuel himself has said that the only way that one could use and succeed in interpreting the film is psychoanalysis. If we simply look a little deeper we can easily understand that ourselves. The film doesn't make sense. Despite that what we originaly thought to be profoundly disturbing images of an eye being sliced open, a man dragging two pianos with dead cows on and also a couple of priests tied to the pianos, a hand that breeds ants, a woman getting hit by a car and several objects of unknown significance and origin can turn into symbols. Nothing particular can be pointed out as meaning or plot but we can see how the subconscious of the artists feels about subjects such as sex, violence, art and religion. Aren't these the fabrics of life anyway?

So after giving you my two cents about how I understand or more suitably don't understand the film I need to mention the presentation and direction of all things forementioned. Buñuel gives us not only signs of what a masterful filmmaker he'll become but also a perfect example of his work that could easily define the whole spectrum of his career. Ok, officially the film was co-created in all aspects by Dali but who went on to be one of the greatest filmmakers of all times? Exactly. On to the film now, from its beggining Buñuel gives us a false sense of security by using explanatory title cards that were used in conventional filmmaking at the time to inform the audience of the time the story takes place, the passing of time throughout the picture and so on. In this film though it just a way to give us the idea of something familiar before striking a note in undiscovered parts of our soul, leaving us taken aback. Other than that the film also offers great cinematography, editing and style the likes of which have never been used on celluloid prior to "Un Chien Andalou". In that respect we can easily compare the film to "Citizen Kane".

What is "Un Chien Andalou" conclusively? Is it a spectacle that touches sides of ourselves we would like to leave untouched? Is it one of the greatest artistic collaborations of all time? Is it one of the artistic milestones of the twentieth century? Is it a pretentious farce maybe? I believe it is simply something that every person should experience at least once in their lives. For the sake of it.

A shocking, groundbreaking, sensational film. Lars von Trier once again breaks the limits of what was thought conceivable in film. He makes the ultimate musical/melodrama in his own fashion.

Selma never asked for much. She is going blind and so is her son. The only thing she asked was a better future for him, so he could see the woman he marries and his grandchildren. So she continues living. There is only one escape and that is singing and dancing. That was her dream, that's what she tries to live. She doesn't need music just a sound. Any sound. And it stays that way until the last moment of her life.

Trier creates a touching and depressing movie that touches the bottom of our bare soul. Through that Dogmatesque character study he gives a cruel depiction of the world, society and America. Places were a simple-minded girl with a golden heart is lead to her end with her life not spent. Places that will too eagerly execute the weak. And that goes for all the characters. Justice isn't served in this movie. Not for Selma, not for her betraying friend Bill, not for any of the characters around them.

The genious that Trier is combines all the contradicting elements that lead to such a masterpiece in an uncompromising way creating a new kind of musical. A musical where the music isn't really a part of everyday life but the only way to escape and rise above this mere survival that life is. Once more Trier as an amazing actors' director forges an unforgetable performance for the ages through his star Bjork. And she repays him by creating the most spellbinding music through the everyday sounds that Selma comes across and of course by giving birth to her forementioned masterful performance. Really a match made in heaven, one of the rare, truly, artistic collaborations. That being said a table can't stand with only two legs and so the supporting cast has a flawless pressence throughout the movie, whether we talk about the great Cathrine Deneuve, David Morse or even the simplistic role of Peter Stormare, this is a movie that offers some of the greatest performances of the last ten years.

This is another one of these film that everyone must see and at least reject but give it the chance to reveal its many graces.

The original huge review was deleted by mistake so I'll try to replace it with a few words. The ultimate cinematic epic that depict's the limits humanity shown through the Vietnam war and through the sheer will power that Coppola had while making it. A sense of mystique and the unknown that will probably never be captured in film again. The terrifying journey to the depths of hell, most commonly known as human sanity. Not really a war film but a study on humanity. These sentences I think sum up the essence of what this movie is about but still you never know what will be next up the river.

I watched this masterpiece for the tenth time yesterday and I finaly decided to write a review for it .I 've been dodging to write this review because I dont know what can I write that hasnt been said or written already .First of all what we have here is the 2nd film by Mr.Tarantino and his ultimate masterpiece .Starting from the script, which is a wonderful sewing of 4 extraordinary story .Every one of them with something to say and something to add to the great puzzle that is this film .Just think about all the subjects that are being judged during the film .Religion,pride,loyalty,relationships among others .The dialogues are brilliant, very real and have a black humor twist.The direction is absolutely amazing !Tarantino uses slow mo,close ups and zooming to emphasise many scenes like the heroin scene.That along with the great soundtrack creates an audiovisual delight .Last but not least the acting is motherfucking tip top !Everybody puts an amazing performance .Travolta,Jackson,Uma Thurman,Ving Rhames ... Everyone brilliant ... This movie couldnt have had a better cast .Also Keitel comes to steal the show with his guest appearance .To sum up ... Just a fucking amazing movie ...

"El Topo is:" by FilmAddykt

El Topo is a surrealist film. El Topo is a symbolic film. It is a journey of self-enlightenment. This journey encompasses the character, the film-maker and the audience. El Topo is brutal and beautiful alike. It comments on all religions and spiritual quests. It is an experience from which you 'll come out wiser. It is a film that comes from a wild, and thoroughly educated I might add, imagination and speaks directly to our imagination. Only in that way can anynone digest and feel it. El Topo is great.

The story of Dae-su, the finest vengeance film I've seen thus far, brutal as it is poetic, beautiful in its sickness. This is the second movie in Park Chan-wook's vengeance trilogy, probably the best but since the rest of the trilogy is sitting, unwatched, inside a box on my library I will not pass that judgement yet as it would be unjust. Still I can praise this film for its own merits. The powerful story, the stylised violence, the twists and turns, the amazing performances, the riveting direction, even the sublime music. Yep the best vengeance movie comes from Korea. Tarantino should be ashamed.

The story starts simply enough as a common revenge tale. Well, not so common because Dae-Su is seeking revenge on someone who kept him imprisoned for fifteen years and then released him. So, why was he imprisoned, why was he released, who is that person? These questions are answered by the end of the movie but still it is only a fragment of what will be revealed until the climax. Any simple revenge story can be a two-headed beast, remember that.

Still "Oldboy" was also a comic. Do we really need another adaptation? Park Chan-wook thinks we do and rightly so. I find it impossible to even think what "Oldboy" looks like on paper. Sure, the story will probably still be there but the masterful eye that transcends these pages to a masterpiece won't. The direction of "Oldboy" is unlike anything you 've ever seen. It is highly stylised, it is fast, it is slow, it is what it needs to be. The camera angles, the pacing, every choice is well-made and it serves the plot brilliantly, delivering a final product that is flawless and embodies the best elements from thrillers, melodramas and action movies. The best thing is how violence is used basically to help the story breath and as contradictory as that may sound it works under that direction in this movie.

Without a doubt no movie can stand tall without being supported by great performances and this is no exception. The names of the pillars are Min-sik Choi, Yu Ji-tae and Kang Hye-jeong and their contribution to "Oldboy" is invaluable. Min-sik Choi and Yu Ji-tae are exceptionaly amazing with their performances as the opposite ends of the same line, the duo of the dynamic antagonists in this movie. The beastiality of the first finds a perfect match in the subtle cruelty of the second creating many memorable moments that live in your memory long after the movie has finished. It is rare to find such strong performances in just one movie.

What stays with the viewer after "Oldboy" isn't the extreme violence of the movie or the sickness that the movie presents. What stays is a whole that's greater than the sum of its parts. A movie where everything works and everything has a meaning, while the movie is, truth be told, meaningless. Because vengeance is also meaningless. Isn't it?

This is the movie that will change your opinion on teen flicks forever!

But first let's see some of the cliches that have reinged over teen movies, shall we? Also I will be pointing out which of them we don't find in this movie. So let's go: Bad acting. Nope. Gross out jokes. Nope. Pointless conversations leading to the next gag. Nope. Unnecessary nudity. Nope. Stupid 90's pop punk soundtrack. Nope. No message. Nope. No resemblance to real life, just a bunch of guys getting laid and talking boobs. Nope. They 're plenty aren't they? Now let's what this movie gives us: Great characters. Check. Well thought hilarious dialogs. Check. An actual depiction of highschool life and mentality. Check. Real life characters and situations. Check. Amazing 70's rock/pop soundtrack. Check. A touching connection between viewer and character. Check.

This masterpiece of a teen comedy is brought to us by none other than Richard Linklater of "Before the Sunrise" fame. What he does here is basically the same formula but with the last day of school instead of one day in Vienna. Actually this is his first masterpiece since "Before the Sunrise" was released after "Dazed and Confused".

The point is that it is an amazing situation for the viewer to get to know these characters and the people surrounding them. Whether it's the obbsessive coach or the guy who gratuated ten years ago and still flirts with highschool girls. The cast is so passionate that all of the characters just come into life. The final product is the best and most honest interprentation of highschool life. It's nice to think that the now rich and famous Ben Affleck, Mila Jovovich and Matthew McConaughey never reached again the brilliance of this movie. And while we know that the first two aren't really actors they manage to fool us in "Dazed and Confused". As for Matthew it's just a shame watching the movies he makes now when he has that little diamond of a performance hidden in his filmography. Well, I guess he 'll always be Wooderson to me.

Lately i 've been finding myself bored of writting reviews... This is a masterpiece anyway...

THE GREATEST SPOOF AND MONTY PYTHON MOVIE EVER ! That says it all really ...

I thought that while I was on a Jarmusch roll, fresh from my second go at "Permanent Vacation", I should try this one. After all the box was sitting on my collection for a long time and the circumstances almost forced me towards it. I'm glad I did. This simply has to be one of the most unique, deep, mysterious and strange movies I've ever seen. It is a spiritual trip, progressive and regressive alike for our main hero. To the average viewer I suppose it would a little hard to swallow but still I'm not here to talk about the average viewer, I'm here to talk about my emotions, my journey through Jarmusch's West.

The film as you probably already know is a spiritual western. A different take on the old west that dwells into uncharted territories, touching the paranormal, being open to interprentations. It is the story of one William Blake a simple accountant in the old West who's walking from his tidy well adjusted Cleveland life to hell. Hell being the town of Machine and the people surrounding it. But while this town is quickly left behind our hero, probably, changes planes of existence and a new journey is upon us. One of trascending and self-discovery. The guide in this journey? Nobody. Only in this film that's an actual character.

Now to what this film is all about. Vision. Jarmusch definitely has an extremely clear vision for this one and it shows. No detail is left to chance, even the last rock is stylised. It also has an exquisite cinematography with great american forests that add to our journey by being beautiful and harrowing alike. The film is full of symbolisms some gentle some more obvious but in general the thing that keeps it together is the atmosphere. Seriously, this movie offers an atmosphere that you can almost touch. You simply feel the world you 're into! And while this is a western, it is quiet. This silence is probably Jarmusch's greatest tool. It offers a canvas for the emotions, behaviours and encounters to evolve and is only disturbed by Neil Young's mesmerising music. This music is simply otherworldy. It is definitely the soundtrack to damnation, hell, life and catharsis. An elegy like no other and if Young truly improvised all the music while watching the film for the first time, as legend has it, I simply have no words to express the height of the artistic collaboration between director and composer.

Speaking about collaborations, what a cast! Quite simlply THE CAST and it is also admirable that Jarmusch doesn't abuse them. He clearly knows where everyone's place is and resists the temptations offered to him such as Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, John Hurt, Gabriel Byrne, Alfred Molina, Iggy Pop (in a woman's dress too!), Crispin Glover, Lance Henriksen and Robert Mitchum. Well, about Mitchum, his role could be a little longer just to capture more moments of what turned out to be his last role. Alas, man can't predict such things. At least he went out in style, may he rest wherever he is. back to the acting though, everyone is perfect. And they are perfect just by using their faces. Truly this is a film that could be easily silent because the expressions really go the distance to show every emotion and add on the subtle atmosphere of the whole film.

As to grasping upon the film, deciphering the symbols, breaking the Jarmusch code. I really don't want to go into great lengths. This is a movie about life, death, mortality, spirituality, transcending. Nobody can clearly put their finger on it as people's understanding of such subjects is, and should be, so personal and unique that it would laughable to think that there is only one truth. You create your own and reading between the lines is necessary but you 'll certainly be benefited from the experience. I will say that much though. A man's life can only be judged after his death and then he can also understand his path.

To sum up, I'm gladly to report that for me fourth time was the charm. I finally found a perfect Jarmusch movie. It is one of his small stories that give us great insight and touch us deeply.

The Coen brothers are Masters! You can take that to the bank! Once again they fail to dissapoint and they deliver one hell of an amazing masterpiece! This story is about the mob of New York in the late 20's. The main character, Tom(Gabriel Bryne), is the advisor of the most powerful irish crime boss of the city(Albert Finney). But soon their friendship is going to fall apart because of a woman(Marcia Gay Harden). Because of that and due to his large debts he goes to the other side offering his services to the only competitor of his ex-boss(Jon Polito). I'm not going to reveal any more of the plot because this is one of these plots that have an amazing and magical way to fall into place. You will find yourself almost in any place taken by surprise. The film blends two film genres. The gangster epic and the noir film. This along with a big amount of the Coen style leads to something that you'll hardly ever see again. As I already mentioned the Coen stamp is everywhere. The camera angles and all the wonderful settings say so and so does the script. The characters are unique with Jon Polito's and John Turturro's standing out. I think it's great that the Coen brothers gave Polito a leading role because so far I've seen him in their movies playing small roles that were not very good in showing the full extent of his talent. This really is an excellent acted film but I find hard not to mention that Polito and Turturro were a lot better than the rest, taking their character to a really great level. Another thing that makes this film stand out is how the human side of the gangsters is shown. Usually in gangster epics the main character is so smarter, stronger and in general better than the rest (except maybe for the main antagonist) that it ends being a little bit unfair for the other's. This isn't the case here though because Tom is for the whole duration of the movie walking on a tight rope and luck really plays a significant role to his action and saving his ass. The main antagonist here(J.E. Freeman) is really way smarter than him and also a few more characters put him in really tight situations. So in conclusion what we get here is a witty Coen brothers film, an amazing gangster epic and romantic drama. You really can't get much better than this.

Beautiful movie ! Felini manages with a simple story to tell so much about life . This movie is essentialy about love and the loneliness that every person feel it . All three leading characters feel . Gelsomina shows it in any chance, Zampano tries to seclude it and Il Matto aknowledges it but no one of them can escape it . The performances are amazing with Masina keeping everyone under her shadow with excellent transitions from tragic to comic in a Chaplin-esque fashion . Basehart and Quinn also portray their characters in a brilliant manner and pass to the audience all the feelings this movie has to offer . As for the direction, one cant say enough ! Felini handles everything in a playful but also tragic way orchestrating a masterpiece ! Put on top the sublime music by Nino Rota and you got yourself a unique film one of those that are hard to find .

After seeing this movie I felt at peace... I just felt soooooooooo fucking relaxed! I don't know if it was the Dude's personality that kinda matches mine(being a lazy ass myself) but I felt in nirvana... One thing is for sure though, I didn't get the movie! At least not completely... I will have to watch agian soon... The thing about this movie is that it goes to create as many stories as it's characters but somehow it leaves an unfinished feeling... Buuuuuuuuut that's the point! As the movie goes on we go deep under the skin of the Dude and we learn about his life and the kind of unfinished life it is. It's like the style of the movie follows the character or the character follows the movie's style. Anyway it works like a charm! The movie is filled with Coen humor, amazing one liners "obviously you 're not a golfer...", "new shit is coming to the light!" etc and quirky dialoque. The characters are amazing and amazingly portrayed! The Dude and his best friend Walter are of course the best and a kind of Yin and Yang, the one being an easy going pacifist and the other an aggresive Nam veteran. Bridges and Goodman made career best performances here! These portrayals are closely followed by the other cast being at an excellent level also. The direction is needless to say perfect! It's a Coen Bros film anyway... Great parts of the movie are also the dreams the Dude has while he has passed out and they are they are also classic surealistic Coen parts. That being said the dudeness of the movie is what will always make it amazing and if you haven't seen it you don't know what I am talking about... So go see it! Now!

Simply put, an amazing movie ..! It is an art house movie but also tells you a lot of things through the screenplay . Audrey Tautou is pretty much helped on her performance by her looks as a cute girl but also has the extra something to really get the character across . The direction is beautiful and so are the graphical tricks that are used . The cast is well picked with the modern day french actors that we find on other films such as "A Very Long Engagment" putting up a great performance . To sum up a movie that tells you to live life by being a beatiful feel good movie ..!

A truly amazing and touching story I can't even begin to describe... It is wonderful that movies like this one are still conceived in our cynical times, much more made and in such a brilliant way too! The black and white beautiful claymation itself is a statement towards the heartless CGI that has taken over today's animation. On a personal level it also strikes a note of nostalgia bringing to memory the endless times I 've watched Wallace and Gormit's "A Close Shave" as a child. Stories like "Max and Mary" are rare and bear unique power. Simply put: Watch this incredible human movie and see for yourself the glory of human life with all its ups and downs, love, loneliness and confuzzleness.

"Fando y Lis' can be characterised by many adjectives. Shocking, pretentious, grotesque, violent, profound, thought provocative the list could go on for hours. The only thing that I can add to its undeniable cult status is that it's like nothing I 've ever seen. Actually that's a lie.

I could easily compare this film to "Un Chien Andalou". Truth is that like all surrealistic movies "Fando y Lis" owes a great deal to Buñuel's masterpiece. The dreamlike-eerie atmosphere, the non existent plot device, a tricking story-like premise, the weird and the absurd in general. Still a comparison between the two would be uneven because they both stand as extraordinary cinematic milestones of their own.

After this history break, back to our feature presentation, "Fando y Lis', except from all the above, is also Alejandro Jodorowsky first feature film. It was also the first to show a shape of things to come from Jodorowsky's mind. Truly back in '68 even if, by some crazy coincidence, you 've seen Jodorowsky's short film "La Cravate" you would still be taken aback by "Fando y Lis". Jodorowsky steps away from miming in this film and stars his assault on any thing civilised. He attacks religion, politics, family, show bussiness and women. All this happen with the use of extreme symbolic visuals in a noncoherent narative style that in could not be called a plot in any way.

His directing style is taking its babysteps. It hasn't reached its full potential yet and it shows. But rest assured this is no student film. Quite on the contrary, the camerawork is frantic often going into overdrive putting an exhilarating underline to the perversions shown on screen. Yet, the movie also has gentler moments with precision framing and slow drags of the camera. In general Jodorowsky's guerilla, hand-held directing fits both the utterly violent, crazy, perversive moments of the film and the simply disturbing moments.All these are fuelled by the craziness of crude sounds like mosquitos and sirens.

I got carried away there with imagery and directing therefore I forgot to mention the film's story. While the film has no plot it does have a story. It is the story of Fando and Lis, two damned lovers, searching for the mythical city of Tar that represents happiness, utter bliss, love and inner calm. They are both proud offsprings of their decomposing surroundings. Their main problem is that they don't stand up for themselves. Fando throughout the course of the film is completely destroyed by patriarch and matriarch figures alike, egged by old ladies, manhandled by travesties and tricked by bourgeois gentlemen. He takes it all out on poor, handicaped, depended solely on him, Lis. But she just sits there and takes it. That's the kind of ladies we see in these movie. Either Lise's passive stance or the cunning manipulation the all other women in the film pose upon every man walking around. Misogynistic indeed.

The funniest thing about the characters is that, as Lis points out at some point, they are still in the same spot. Nowhere closer or further from Tar. Sadly for our heroes this is true. Because happiness, love, inner calm, self realization and all other divine things symbolised by Tar can be found only inside one's self and the odyssey one must undertake to find them is one's own life.

Amazing Leone movie! This review could really end here but i will write more. This is Leone's war epic. In a way. Of couse because he was the master of western it would also have to be a western. So in the end its about the Mexican Revolution. It is basicaly the tale of two very different but very alike characters brought together, as Juan said, by destiny. The first one we meet is Juan, played by Rod Steiger, a mexican bandit who leads a gang assembled by his children. The other one is John, played by James Coburn, a former IRA member and dynamite expert. The chemistry between the two characters(and actors) is amazing ! Coburn playing the uber cool revolution veteran and Steiger playing the kind of naive but in grips with life bandit. The result is two great, sometimes funny and in the end sentimental performances. Leones direction is as always perfect! Ok maybe in "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" it's better but this very close. As in all of his movies. All his signatures close ups of eyes and faces are here, with the opening scene in the wagon being the best. Something else I really enjoyed in the movie were the parts were the movie would flashback to show us pictures from Johns past and relate them to the current events. A good chance for Leone to shows his abilities with pictures of a green Ireland than that of the dry West and also a comment on how a man cannot really escape his past. The movie also contains political comments with the more obvious being the nazi like behaviour of villain Gunter Ruiz. In addition the explosions were beatiful and every one has you waiting impatiently for the next one. The movie is scored by Enio Morricone and whereas its not his great moment he delivers quite well and gives us a few classic parts in the soundtrack being the "A Fistful of Dynamite" segment of his concerts. In conclusion,"A Fistful of Dynamite" is a classic western and a classic Leone movie but also a terribly underated one.

I'm really worried about myself. Not only wasn't I shocked when I first watched this(ok, maybe a few cringes) , I was eating the second time I watched it! No projectile vomiting included! Now, that I've made my own introduction to the movie it's time to actually review it. I suppose anyone reading this review knows about the notoriety of this film, one of the most explicit film ever, probably Takashi Miike's most violent one. Believe me, that says a lot.

"Koroshiya 1" is a tale of revenge. Probably the ultimate revenge movie. It has the stories of three people wanting to get revenge each for his motives mingling with each other creating a very interesting plot and set of characters for the director to play with. Add to this fact the non linear structure of the film, extremely violent, nausieating almost, torture scenes and the emerging psychological landscapes and you get a pretty good idea of the premise that we are dealing with. Of course all of this writting would have stayed writting without the masterful eye of Takashi Miike to orchestrate all the elements into one solid masterpiece.

You know what they say: "Practice makes perfect" and this idiom fits Miike like a glove. Arguably the most prolific director alive, with eigthyone movies under his belt in less than twenty years, has created some real cinematic jewels. I could say that for me, having not seen many films of his compared to his filmography, "Koryshia 1" is his crown jewel. Directing-wise it is flawless. The way he handles every little scene, let alone the important ones, is wonderful. The way he introduces every character and sets the bluerint for all hell to break loose. The way he handles violence, always depicting it in a different light using many ways to do so. The way he handles the complex psyche of each and every one character in this perverse universe that he deals with. Also the injection of off-beat humour, physical and not, is truly an achievement which turns the movie to a rollercoaster of laughs and cringes that excites and entertains uniquely. All these are the things that make this movie what it is and the brilliance of Takashi Miike appears in every single shot of it.

Still a table can't stand still without all its legs and a movie can't be complete without a talented cast. This movie has one of the best ensemble casts ever to grace the screen. I'll concentrate to the four leading parts. First of all is of course Ichi depicted by the excellent Nao Omori. Omori has probably the hardest part in the movie. The complexity of the character is almost intimidating wiht his feelings going from bullied and scared little boy to merciless cold-blooded killer in a few seconds. The delivery of Omori is also intimidating though raising the bar for psychotic killers with his deep aproach to the part. Little do we know that this performance will be matched in this, the very same movie, by Tadanobu Asano's Kakihara Ichi's antagonist and main victim. The catch though is that the masochistic nature of Kakihara wants to die in the hands of Ichi, thous creating cat and mouse race with the roles reversed, the mouse searching for the cat, with the dynamic duo of the actors shining all through it. But this movie also offers some under the table characters, so to speak, that pull all the strings behind the events of the movie. Ichi's manipulative "savior" Jijii played by Shinya Tsukamoto and Paulyn Sun's Karen the only female character of any stature in this male dominated world. Needless to say the backstabings and schemes from these two come and go in terrific style through amazing precision in every expression, even in the tone of the voice, by the two actors, that acts as a good counterpart to Ichi's and Kakihara's volatile overkill action and violence.

This review wouldn't be complete though without mentioning the visual feast that this movie is. I'll keep it to the basics so as not to spoil it to you. Only by looking at Kakihara's face on the cover you can understand the over the top spectrum that the movie places itself. Actually, let me have another run at this part of the review beacuse that stupid excuse of an explanation (looking at Kakihara's...) doesn't do the movie justice, nor does it serves the purposes of a review or prepares you for the gruesome content of the movie. So once again, the extreme imagery of the movie contains: persons being torn in half, sliced faces in a variety of different ways, actually sliced bodies in a variety of different ways, cheeks being pulled ot of their place by two bare hands, blood painted rooms, beat up hookers etc... If you think your up for all these go, rush to see the film! If not see it anyway and have something interesting to tell the psychologist in the next session.

In conclussion the movie is a thrill ride like no other with an obscene nature that could sicken even the strongest stomach and make horror veterans hide like little girls (maybe I exaggerate a little but the movie deserves it). It has no deeper meaning, no message in a bottle for humanity. It's a spectacle that will leave you astounded through its violence, energy and sheer audacity.

If someone came to me after I saw "Scarface" and told me that one day I'll see a better De Palma/Pacino movie, I would have told him or her that he or she is crazy ! And I would have been so wrong ... "Carlito's Way" is that movie, the day was yesterday and I am still amazed by that magnificent piece of art ! This time Pacino portrays an ex-con fresh out of prison trying to turn the page of his past and start a new life. But as the movie show's you can never escape your past. The thing is, thought, that in this movie you like that gangster because he really want's to change. So by the end you are caught up in an emotional web, begging for a happy end which you know you won't get. The guy you don't like in this movie, and the character build's up that dislike as the movie plays, is David Kleinfield, brilliantly portrayed by the one and only Sean Penn, Carlito's lawyer friend who turns out to be the biggest prick of them all. The support actors also deliver very good to excellent performances allowing these two to shine. Another thing that I really enjoyed was the music and the whole very well build 80's atmoshpere. The direction is masterful with Brian De Palma delivering one of his best action/thriller/gangster epic's in a way only he knows. Every angle he chose's is the best for the take with the final product being a masterpiece ! All in all a magnificent gangster flick which you must not allow yourself to miss !

I always felt that "Natural Born Killers" is one of these films that have everything. It's like a rollercoaster, while stoned, eating a hotdog, getting a blowjob, while reading your favorite magazine with an interview on your favorite director.

That being said, while it is as entertaining as the forementioned activities combined it also features all the downsides of doing these things combined. A rollecoaster can make you sick, then you vomit the hotdog, naturaly the girl bites your willy, the magazine has many crappy columns and your favorite director was drunk while giving that interview. Oh, and you always have to crash sometime. What I'm trying to emphasise is that the movie is equaly entertaining and disturbing. And that is the whole point. It actually ties all the elements of the movie.

The killings, the love story, the cartoonish characters, the media. The critisism on the media is the very basic simple and classic critisism: media people are scum and will do anything to be succesful. It is a good point and the direction of the movie makes it clear as it ever could be. The ethical standpoint of the movie is that of a nihilist. You can kill. It is natural. In this point the audience asks: "Then what seperates us from animals?" and Mickey as the God of his own world says "Nothing, And it is good.". If that works for you, you get to live your life as another common person. That's what Mickey and Mallory do. But does it work?

Before closing this review I need to underline that the performances are brilliant and so is the visual experience that this movie provides.

After all the crappy, mindless, laughable movies of the genre I 've seen (including "Scream") it was finally a great relief to watch the original. And I must say I am impressed. That has to be one of the best (if not the best) horror movies ever. A tight, effective, minimalistic suspense masterpiece. Obviously, the genre has been raped so much since 1978 that it is hard to take a slasher seriously. Still, the movie has aged well.

The thing about "Halloween" is that while it is filled with the slasher cliches (they were original then) they simply don't strike you as such. While the story is about a guy out on the loose killing girls there is also something strange, almost primitive about him. The way he acts is like an animal or kid discovering the world. His killing is more like sniffing butts and then decapitating his victims. There is no motive, no reason just a drive to kill girls and everything in between. During each murder there is a geniuenly disturbing element that I can't describe excatly why it affected me but it just did. In every murder I had a strange, unsettling feeling on my chest.

Of course other than the killer and the actual murders there are other interesting aspects in the story. Everything, except from Michael, is absolutely normal. I may say too normal. This makes the plot even more intriguing. Just thinking that this could happen next door. All the killer needs is a simple white mask and a kitchen knife. Also it is funny to observe the homages that Carpenter does. Of course we have the obvious, "The Thing" playing on tv. Sort of a "I 'll remake this movie one day!" thing. The other tribute to his influences is the character of Dr. Sam Loomis. I could thing of only one thing while watching the movie. Van Helsing? Come to think of it the whole movie plays out as a monster flick.

The direction of the film is also brilliant. Carpenter starts with a bang, takes it slow throughout the whole plot and finishes into overkill. He builds up the tension like no other and handles Mike Myers equaly great as a stalker and a killer. The score he composed is another great tool in his hands to set up the mood, to fright and excite.

The one thing I won't understand is the ethics that "Halloween" set for slasher films. Are you dinking? Smoking? Having sex? You 're dead! Are you a virgin? Well, good news for you! All these years of keeping your legs closed are finally paying off! You will survive! I just don't get it but it doesn't matter. Myers being the ultimate evil just for the sake of it works for me. I have nothing else to add. This movie is the quintessential slasher and you simply must see it.

Ok ... This movie is a favorite for a whole lot of reasons ... 1st Bruce Campbell stars and gives the best performance of his career 2nd Its a fantastic B-movie in the year 2003, thats hard to find. 3rd It makes you laugh, it makes you cry and it makes you think 4th It shouldnt ! It could have been the cheesiest movie ever made . Last but not least, how can you not love Ossie Davis as a black JFK or insults like "suck the dog dick of Anubis you ass wipe" coming from a mummy ? Just a funny, "scary", touching and brilliant piece of art ! A jewel of filmaking ..! Oh and it has The King ...

How can you get any better than "Re-Animator"? For me the movie has everything and belong's in the splatter Holy Trinity along with "Evil Dead 2" and "Braindead". It's a trinity because these movies in comparison to each other are equal horror brilliance. But having just been amazed by "Re-Animator" on the big screen I may be a little impartial right now. "Re-Animator" is the gem of 80's horror and is very loosely based on a Lovecraft novel. Having not read the novel I am unable to compare the two. But I have seen the film. The brilliant mix of horror and humor. The over the top massacre. The over the top acting. The lunatic that Herbert West is. He is amazingly portrayed by Jeffrey Combs and he make's Frankenstein look like Pee-Wee. Another standout performance of the movie come's, literally, from the head of David Gale. Technically the movie is flawless with some of the most well-made and realistic special effects in horror. I mean some intenstines turn anaconda at one time but it look's absolutely amazing! The perfect movie debut for Stuart Gordon and one that many directors should envy. One thing that this movie is being bashed for, from time to time, is for using the Psycho soundtrack. I think it is the best loan in cinema history! The music fits like a glove and add's to quite some tension building scenes. All in all probably the most fun you can have watching a horror movie. A masterpiece not to be missed.

A Masterpiece! With a capital M! This movie revolves around the life of Oskar Schindler a member of the Nazi party but in reality a con-man and a savior. This is a man that managed to save the lives of over 1.100 Jews from the hands of the Nazis. The movie starts in Krakow with the Jews being put inside the ghetto by the Nazis. Schindler arrives and tries to establish a pots and pans factory with the help of a Jew accountant Itzhak Stern. While the movie has us believing Schindler is just a guy taking advantage of the whole situation, having Jews working for him because they are cheaper than Polish, he really is not. Thanks to his factory many people were saved from being taken away because they were writers, musicians or history teachers therefore of no use to the Nazis. And when the Jews are being transfered to camp runned by a Amon Goeth, a Nazi officer and a psychopath, he follows only to re-establish his factory in order to create better living conditions for the Jews. He even transfer again the factory when the camp is disbanded paying per head for every Jew working for him. This man had all the riches in the world but he gave it all away in order to save these lifes. Its amazing how he persuades and tricks the Nazis with his persona. The film stars the boulders of british acting Liam Neeson, Ralph Fienes and Sir Ben Kingsley. Needless to say the performances are stuning gripping you into the atmosphere of the movie from moment one. The beautiful music by John Williams also helps reinforce the emotions created in the movie in a fantastic way. And here comes the most important aspect of the movie. The Direction. Steven Spielberg creates such a stunning picture. Using black and white he underlines the cruel reality of war. Everything he does in this movie, every angle he uses, every spot he places an actor, every decision he makes in general is the right one contributing to this film elevating to the breathtaking epic that it is. All in all one the best, touching, gripping, heartbreaking war epics ever created.

A weird movie really, even for Kubrick. It was hard for me to categorise it in a genre. Is it a spy movie ? A comedy ? A war film ? Its kind of a mix with all the elements you may find in the above categories. Most of all I think Kubrick wanted to show how stupid and irational war is but throught a comic sense. This comic sense is mostly seen in the film in Peter Seller's triple performance. In general it showcases war always being irrational no matter who performs it. I mean a Russian is allowed into the American war room and steals their plans and a former Nazi is developing technologies for the Americans and the war was caused by a general who feared about the purity of his essences being disturbed by water that the Russians poisoned ! You dont get much crazier than that but also these characters are not so far away from real politicians...

Great great entertaining, funny and kinda disturbing movie. It's very hard to find a movie about heroine that doesn't aim to scare you. For example, when I first watched "Requiem for a Dream" I was so scared that I never tried to watch it again for many years. But in "Trainspotting" this doesn't happen. Well. it still is a shocking movie when drug use and the effects of drug are depicted. The focus of the movie though is placed on Renton and the characters surrounding him. And what an amazing collection of characters that is! The straightedge guy, the bully, the cunt who'll screw you, the guy who always gets in trouble, their parents, their girlfriends and mother superior. To be exact it is an amazing buddy movie! Also, the way that reality is depicted through surealism by Boyle is fantastic and creates some great memorable moments. All in all it's a complete blast of a movie about how the world evolves around a dysfunctional group of people and how they fit in this world. Another movie you must not miss.

It was about time for "Thirst" to be released in Greece. Been waiting for about a year to be exact. But it was certainly worth the wait! So while waiting eagerly inside the theatre for the lights to dim I was excepting a Park Chan-Wook horror movie. This was the thought in my mind since the end of "Oldboy": "What if this guy pulled all the stops and made an all guns blazing horror movie?". Instead what we get is an erotic thriller, some of the most amazing off beat humor ever, and I must admit I am not in the least dissapointed by that. After all, how could Park Chan in all his brilliance make a simple straightforward horror flick?

"Thirst" is the story of a priest. A priest who becames a vampire. He didn't ask for it but it happened. And it only happened because of his willingness to help others. Pretty much sacrifising himself during the research of a vaccine. But the price was bigger than he thought. Eternal damnation will be the rest of his life and death would have been the easy solution after all. With vampirism also comes the lust for blood and all things animalistic and a girl run down by life makes her appearance. He wants her and he wants to help her. This is what he's been doing for his whole life anyway.

While the story may sound a bit chliched, it works. It works through its chliches but also through the various sub-plots that the film offers and through the non stopping twists and turns that constantly turn the tide as to which character we support, whom we feel for and who we want to see dead. Still many viewers commented that it dragged on for too long. If anything, I would have prefered for it to last longer in order to breath a little and develop the story with more ease and comfort because during the third act especially the progression felt a little rushed.

Park Chan-Wook handles his written material in an extrordinary way for yet another time. The movie is simply brutal at times. While the body count is generally low and can't be compared to his other movies, the swift moments of violence are vivid and distinctive, marking the film in a wonderful shade of red which is certainly needed in any self-respecting vampire flick and I must admit that they were quite entertaining also. But the thing that stands out in this film is the tension. Erotic or not it is present in every single line of dialogue and look between the performers. The plot devices that Park uses to create such an atmosphere are incredibly smart. Watch out for the sequences around the mahjong table. Simply the best sequences in the movie. If you 've seen a Park Chan-Wook movie, you know that he creates some very realistic sex scenes, If you 've not start here. This is the epitome of his sex scenes and they 're violent, dirty, akward but also add to the whole sick feeling of the movie greatly. Last but not least I should not forgot to mention the way he handles the humour in the movie, playing us like a violin between chuckles and shocks, frights and laughs.

Needless to say the acting is perfect. Simple as that. You just have to witness the sheer audacity that is interwined with subtleness in the performances of Kang-ho Song, Ok-bin Kim and Hae-sook Kim the three leads of the movie.

To sum up, just watch "Thirst". If you missed it in the theatres too bad but still I'm sure it retains much of it's love epic feeling in dvd. Also, if you are a vampire fan it is a must. You owe it to vampire stories to watch this, a sincere effort, that still refuses to remain just a vampire flick. It transcends to an elegy, a grand love drama, a dark comedy, a bloody portrait, a genre bending roller coaster that excites in every turn. Period.

After I saw this movie I couldnt speak for about an hour. It was a shock. A strong blow. This is the story of the Vinyard brothers, Danny and Derek, and their journey in the neo fascist movement in america. Derek(Edward Norton), the older one, joined fanaticaly the neo fascist movement after the death of his father and got convicted for murder. The movie puts us in the time after his realease and in his brothers shoes. Danny(Edward Furlong) has delivered a school essay about Mein Kampf. Therefore his principal has put him in a private course called American History X and makes him write a essay about his brother. The movie moves back and forth between Derek's life before imprisoment and now. The performances are amazing. The portrayal of such dramatic characters is delivered in the best way. The direction of the movie is very good with Tony Kaye making his debut and using interesting techniques to emphasise feelings. The overal feeling through the movie is pain. You feel it with every step of the characters and every line being spoken. It's a tough and deep journey inside the depths of human nature and ways of thinking. A difficult movie but a must see that you must not miss.

A damn impressive movie. Basicaly what we have here is Plato's cave for the 21st century. But ,as a movie, it is much more than. While the movie's philosophical background is nothing new, Orwell used it, Huxley used it, Plato invented it, it is in this movie that it comes into fruition in a great uncompromising way. This movie offers probably the best effects, kung fu fights, gunfights, style in general that sci-fi cinema has seen. This is simply one of the essential sci fi movies. A clever science-ficiton movie in 1999. Who would have thought? Sadly even the perfect movies have their drawbacks. Gmhhmhm (clears throat)... KEANU REEVES CAN'T ACT FOR SHIT AND HE NEVER WILL!!! It was a public announcement by FilmAddykt(Steve A) on Flixster. Because we care.

Screw "The Shawsank Redemption"! End of story. And I haven't even seen it... But I know for a fact that it is not a better prison movie than "Celda 211". "Celda 211 is another one of these little surprises that european cinema had in store for us in 2009. While genre filmmaking in Hollywood was being dominated for yet another year by remakes, re-boots and other crap like that Europe was determined to give us one genre gem of a film after the other. In horror "Låt den rätte komma in", in crime-action "L'Instinct de Mort" and "L'ennemi public n°1", in suspense "Män som hatar kvinnor" and now in prison film "Celda 211".

The movie is about Juan Carlos. A guy who's at his new job as a prison guard. But things don't go as planned. A simple accident and he finds himself in the middle of a riot in the prison and about to live the hardest 30 hours of his life. The film is really a rollercoaster. It is full of twists and turns as we see Juan Carlo's part in this revolt and mostly his interaction with the prisoners leader Malamarde, while a strange bond will be made between the two men as we all witness them walk the tightrope between life and death in an enviroment and a situation where one simple mistake could prove lethal.

The way that Daniel Monzon directs is amazing. He shows us the real picture of the society inside the society that is prison. He shows cruelty and the desperation of the prisoners, the sensitive balance between prisoners and guards but also the human side of being a prisoner and the sense of a brotherhood that can be created when the only ones you can turn too are the other prisoners. His camerawork, I must say, surprised me. While it has a European style, of the common non sensationalist way of depicting things, he is also not afraid to go closer to the characters and use many techniques that we usually find in high octane action films. Another great aspect of the movie is the way he paces it. The way he uses flashbacks and different character's point of view to ease the tension and start building it up again. Also the way that he handles violence deserves a mention. In the film there might be 3 to 4 extremely graphic violent moments and some other implied. But in the end violence becomes almost another character in the film. You 'll be at the edge of your seat because of all the twists in the story and the violent outbursts that you'll be expecting to happen.

This review would not be complete with mentioning the great cast. In general. all of them do a fantastic job depicting their characters with a naturalistic way, emphasizing their weaknesses and the lowest levels of human ethos that will be reached in this game of survival. Still, like in every movie there is an actor that puts a standout performance and in our case that's Luis Tosar. His depiction of Malamarde is one for the ages and the hall of fame of villains in cinema. He makes a complex character out of a cold murderer. By the end of the film your emotions towards him will go through so many changes that you won't know in which side to stand morally.

To sum up, this movie is a must see. One of the best movies of 2009 and one of my all time favorites. It has everything you could ask for: stellar performance, fast pacing, character development, a strong plot, a tight direction and such a jaw dropping depiction of prison life and humanity that you 'll be left with huge range of emotions while leaving the theater. It is simply THE best actionn/thriller film of last year and even much more than that.

More likely: "The exquisite art of the dinner party". Buñuel crafts another heretic masterpiece that's part spoof, part social critique with a pinch of sex, violence and all things nice. Simply beautiful.

I don't know why the sequels were made. I don't know why didn't Gallardo star in them. I don't know what Rodriquez was trying to do with this trilogy. Frankly, I don't give a damn either. But I know for granted, and you can take that to the bank, that this film is a great great great achievement. This movie has pretty much the same story as "Desperado" and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico' but it bears one significant difference. Tight budget. And boy, oh boy was that different! Rodriquez is one of the most money-spoiled directors. When you watch this amazing, exhuberant, comedic, flat out entertaining, minimalistic movie you can't help but wonder why he needed so many explosives on the sequels/remakes. As an aspiring fillmmaker (someday) I stand in awe of "El Mariachi" the first and best of Rodriquez's films and hope that one day he 'll make again one movie that's so fun as this one. I rest my case.

Amazing movie and one of the best horror flicks I've seen . What is great about "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is of course the persona of Freddie . While he is pretty much a slasher villain, chasing down his victims relentlesly throught the movie, he also has a mystical quality like the one we 've seen in "Hellraiser" . And here we have no cube that you must stumble across ! The medium that Freddie uses to get is your dreams ! Plain, simple, genius . You will have to sleep sometime . The whole atmospere in the movie builds up beautifully under the direction of Wes Craven who knows exactly what to give us in order to creep us . In addition the music adds to that feeling and so does Robert Englund creating one of the greatest movie villains we 've been graced with . Last but not least the movie has an amazing ending where you aren't really so sure of what happened and the movie lets you choose your point of view .

Question drifting in my head from the beginning of the movie. "What if Hitchcock did sci-fi?" And then BANG! Transformation to a blonde, watching Hitchcock films... The tribute in this one is screaming. I'm not sure if there was even a Mcguffin in there but the plot is too complicated to distinquish the meaningless part that motivate the plot from the ones that are justified in the end.

Despite having a complicated plot though the movie is a beauty. The Gilliam style is there. Telling a surreal story with a very distinct camera work, never afraid of being too close(reaching even Leone proportions here), strange angles and surrealistic flurishes. Actually scratch the last part. The movie is surrealistic alright but it lacks the out of this world visuals of other Gilliam movies. Instead we get a very meticulously crafted universe, a futuristic vision that could spawn another film in its own right. This element is actually being underexploited here. The rest of the film is also very well made bringing a great suspense, bleak thriller that offers quite some twists and turns.

Now the key factor to tieing all this together: acting. This movie offers quite some performances. Just look at the main actor's quartet of the film: Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer and David Morse. Notice something? Yep, all of them terribly underrated. Willis for many is just a die-hard(obvious pun) action man, Pitt a pretty boy, Plummer's most known performance is "Captain Von Trapp" and David Morse, my good Lord, David Morse is always playing second fiddle to some fucking douchebag! WHY? Why is Hollywood so stupid??? I would pay any day twice my cinema money to watch a movie starring David Morse! Nevertheless, all the forementioned actors pull a huge middle finger to the industry with wonderful, funny, overblown, comitragic and utterly convincing(this one goes for all of them) performances.

The story drifts into familiar Gilliam territories thematically. The usual melding of truth and fantasy is present here, the for imagination and higher goals in our present day cynic and pesimistic world also. All in all a nice fable. But there is more. We have the concept of fate, inevitabillity and a interesting theory on madness and time traveling (you 'll burst into laughs in one specific scene). So the final product is a darker vision on an otherwise fairytale like concept and a time travel story that speaks on the level of the hero and moves away from the initial plot, because we actually care more about him and we kind of know what is going to happen in the end. Hmmm, I think I found the Mcguffin I mentioned earlier.

In the end, despite having this little exploration of the movie my question remains: "What if Hitchcock did sci-fi?" Until we find the lost collaboration between Alfie and Edward D., we 'll never know. This movie is as close as we ''ll get.

P.S.: The theme tune of the movie is quite nice actually and used in a Psycho manner.

This movie is an exercise. An exercise in suspense, atmosphere, gore and horror. I 've read somewhere that the script was written by Argento and his girlfriend at the time Daria Nicolodi. I think they did a litte more than writing during the writing process. The plot of the movie is all over the place, doesn't hold together and leads to a weak ending. So what makes this movie great? The forementioned exercise. Argento obviously knew that the plot was weak and probably thought: "Ok, now let's see what we can make out of this." And boy what he made! Even without a sturdy plot the suspense, the atmosphere, the gore and most importantly the horror are all present. Argento creates these elements ex abrupto with his shots, the use of sounds and colors. And isn't this an amazing achievement? The direction reing's over the writting and force's the movie to be what it was meant to be. A horror jewel and a film that all wannabe directors must watch. Oh, a special mention is in order for the venomous cherry of every Argento movie that is the music of Goblin. Once again they fail to dissapoint launching the horror master's work in another dimension.

Here comes the King of Sleaze and Trash! Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Lloyd Kaufman! "The Toxic Avenger"... What can be said about "The Toxic Avenger"? This is one of the most bad-mouthed pictures in film history. I 've heard people talking about bad acting,boobies(I lost track how many of them) bad production values, cheesy lines, extreme unnecessary violence and so on. I always say to them: "Grow-down a little!" This is everything you wanted to see as a kid but couldn't! We should thank uncle Lloydy for kickstarting his revolutionary film company with such an amazing movie!

"The Toxic Avenger" is indeed one of the greatest B-movies ever. In that value it is a masterpiece. Through this film you can see, you can sense the sheer enthusiasm that Lloyd Kaufman has for his movies. It's a product made with love and the spunk that a young filmmaker has. You can just tell by the way this is transmitted to the actors and the whole crew. You can see it in the beautiful home-made effects and make-up. Some of them are convincing, some of them are not but there is no doubt that the people responsible for these things were qutie inventive and passionate. You 'll understand what I'm saying when you 'll see a crushed head in the movie.

But "The Toxic Avenger" goes beyond all this. This movie wants to provoke, to spoof and disqust. It succeeds on many level. This movie, as far the story and style goes, embodies all the rotten chliches of the 80's. It chews them up then spits them in our faces. It ends up being the most over the top of them all and the goal is achieved. Everyone that sees these movies and doesn't think about how ridiculous 80's comedies were has not seen an 80's comedy.

Also it is a great addition to the horror genre of the time. The way that the over the top violence is mixed with the goodball cheesy comedy has spawned a greater legacy that one may think. I believe many of us have seen a little movie called "Braindead" haven't we? Watch this one and other Troma films too and see for yourself the seed of Lloyd Kaufman.

Last but not least we must consider the circumstances under which the film was made. It was a new company, unknown, with a ridiculous movie. But they stood by their stuff and today I believe that can take more proud in calling himself an independent american filmmaker than Lloyd Kaufman. Films that are not controled by corporate heads is a big thing today and those guerrillas that stand their ground should be recognised and praised for that. That is the significance of the Toxic Avenger.

First review for 2010 and I have to write this review right now despite having it almost impossible to keep myself awake. Why? Because I felt obliged. I felt obliged to myself, to this film, to wrestling. I see all my friends in Flixster, with few exceptions, rating this film as "NOT INTERESTED" and I can't understand the reason. I for one, to quote the director, have always loved wrestling. I don't know why. I just always have. Despite abandoning it, due to peer pressure mostly, in 2009 I rekindled my relationship with wrestling and it is now stronger than ever. But back to my Flixster friends. I don't know the reasons and I don't want to pass judgement but I think that if you watched this movie you would reconsider, having seen the real face of wrestling.

To the film itself now. This documentary comprises of three main parts, each focusing on one wrestler, and also takes a general thorough look into the industry. What is great about it that it shows the real nature of the bastardly opera that is wrestling. And that is simply the nature of every other show bussiness enterprise. Behind the glamour we have simple people that have to work their asses off to earn a works pay and live their dream. They are nothing like their personas and they are not sadistic bastards. They 're just hungry for the spotlight. The most interesting thing is to observe the impact that wrestling had on their lives unlike other jobs would. Because even if wrestling is scripted, let me tell you that the people and their bodies participating in wrestling are very real.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch Mick Foley's kids faces when their dad gets hit repeatedly hit by a chair on the head while being handcuffed. If you ask him he 'll say that he feels guilt about having to put his loved ones through this but he also feels that he needs to give the audience its moneys worth. He needs to do that as much a doctor needs to operate. One may ask, "Why do wrestlers have to continue beating each for a living like that, knowing the hell they 'll come through?" Another wrestling legend interviewed for the film, Terry Funk, has the answer. "It's fun." This is coming from a man that will probably spend the rest of his life in pain because of injuries to his legs. But he still goes on. You just can't watch this and be left unmoved. I won't even extend on the life of the third wrestler this movie focuses on. Jake "The Snake" Roberts i portrayed in such a raw and bare way that you just wonder how this person has the guts to continue living. I guess wrestling is his life support.

From a technical standpoint this documentary does a pretty good job. While not a slick Discovery looking documentary. It is very gritty and has a home made quality to it that matches the nature of the subject at hand

In conclussion whether a fan of wrestling or not this is a must see movie and documentary. It captures the essence of its subject, it is informative moving and will probably make you contemplate on certain aspects of entertainment and showbussines today while also giving you some great life stories.

Life the Jean-Pierre Jeunet way! Say what you want about the guy but no one can turn a post-apocalyptic landscape into a bouquet of flowers quite that way!

This is his first masterpiece before "Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain" and what a masterpiece it is! What's amazing is how Jeunet combines all the elements of this movie together. Pitch black comedy, sci-fi, comedy, romance, slapstick and musical. Oh, yes this movie even has some subtle musical, instrumental, pieces coming out of everyday items and situations. Something like an optimistic, up beat Dancer in the Dark. Also the movie offers an interesting collective of comical characters all acted to excellency with Dominique Pinon standing out in the lead role. Ah yes... Pinon... A Jeunet regular but never really showing his abilities like in this film. He brings a bit of laugh, a touch of innocence and a warm heart to the survivalist, cannibalistic, cartoon like tenement where it all goes down. All these work as an allegory to the world of today were really we should try living instead of surviving before turning into what the movie depicts as the tenement's tenants. This can only happen by laughing, making the best out of every situation and simply enjoying life for what it is.

This is like a movie that should be adapted into a comic book instead of the other way around. Thank God that there are still amazing filmmakers like Jeunet that can carry out this eyes feast on film.

P.s.: Kudos to Caro also, the original comic-guy that helps Jeunet in his interprentation.

If you asked me a year a go I would tell you that musicals are just a cheesy excuse for a movie. But now, with some of my favorite movies being musicals, the answer couldn't differ more.The movie at hand though is more than a musical. It has a love story in its core and you could say that it is nice portrayal of the sixties too. Oh, did I mention that it features the music of the Beatles too? That's right! A Beatles musical, based on the sixties with too loving birds as its center characters. Does it work? You bet your ass it works!

What is more interesting is how the music of the Beatles can accompany and reflect all these subjects raising them to almost a deity status. Really the Beatles have written songs about everything and anything alike, so to boost the depiction of a romance, much more in the sixties, with them is simply genius. But Julie Taymor doesn't stop there. Her characters don't just break into song in the middle of the road. The way that the songs are worked into the plot, the dialogues and the every day rituals of these characters is splendid and adds to the charm of the film a bunch.

Clearly musically speaking the film offers some quite interesting renditions of the original, classic, universally identified Beatle tunes. So we get a soulful, blues infected "While my Guitar Gently Weeps", a joyous, operatic, simply amazing "Come Together" sung by pimps and hookers and so many other great songs and situations. Of course the Beatles songs would not be the proper musical counterpart to an ordinary exsistence, given their extrordinary status. Again, the director fails to disappoint. Instead she gives us some of the most breathtaking visuals that could be very easily credited to such masters as Gilliam and Burton. Keep your eyes open especially for the "I Want you so Bad(She's so Heavy)" scene for the films greatest musical number, that quite frankly finds a very visual way to talk about how the goverment will handle you in many ways and not only in the military draft subject that was shown in the movie.

This movie is really Taymor's vision but it would be unfair not to mention the actors. The leading couple of Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess lead the way for a magnififcent cast with poignant naiveness that could be found on many of the anti-goverment pacifists at the time. Also kudos to the best pure musicians of the film Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther and Bono(whom I hate in general) for giving musical and acting performances that pay one of the sincerest tributes to these immortal songs and the everlasting subjects of love, peace and war.

To sum up, do I really ned to say more? Just go and see for yourself the ultimate trip through the sixties with the music of the Beatles as guide.

The best Batman flick to date ! Fact. And don't you start with the "Dark Knight" because I had enough of that crap and justice must be served at last ! This movie the first dark Batman movie is a thrlling ride though . Right from the imagination of Tim Burton Batman was reborn into something new . He gained the dark mentality that he would keep up to this day . The movie as a whole has a wonderful tone. a mix of darkness and colour that is depicted on pretty much everything from the leading characters to the city . And speaking about leading characters here they are ! The best Batman and Joker in film history ! Jack Nicholson delivers a stunning performance in a part which was like a suit measured and taylored for him ! I mean just look at his previous works and you will probably know that he is made to play the sinister and insane ! Michael Keaton also puts a great performance playing a kryptic and dark Bruce Wayne the way it should be. And while the other fellas that has since played Batman have tried to be kryptic and dark they were no Keaton . Other cast members like Michael Gough and Jack Pallance also give very enjoyable performances . The rythm of the movie is also one of its best elements and it helps to bring a certain edge as the movie reaches its climax . All in all we have the best Batman movie ever made and also an amazing movie, Batman or not .

Elegant and subtle human allegory by the mime then, living legend now Alejandro Jodorowsky. Miming is the only language in this film and it works great along with the paper made surroundings and expressive performances. Appearances can be deceiving and while you can change your body , you can't really change your head. Why would you want to anyway? Some good will come out of that head of yours!

P.s.: This review was written on February 7, 2010, so happy birthday to Mr. Jodorowsky becoming 81 years old. Here's to many more years of producing great art.

Early Lynch short film. While it fascinated me I can't put my finger on what it may mean on any level. I guess it's the fabric that nightmares are made of. Still, I really appreciate the filmic surrealism and possibly dadaism depicted here through wonderfully weird and disturbing visuals that will definitely stay with you. It really needs to be put in the concept of being a completely handmade film to be fully appreciated. This stuff wouldn't be half as intriguing if it was made yesterday by a digital graphics artist. In conclussion, a nightmare painting of a film.

Shame on me! A long long time ago, when I was on denial about my cartoon feelings I gave this movie half a star... I am truly ashamed... Upon watching it again I discovered all the amazing aspects of this movie. First of all it's simply hilarious. The whole premise of heroes into hiding just makes this movie fit for laughs. But it also uses that humor to decompose the whole hero mythology. I mean the part with the capes was just amazing and brilliant as a thought. Also some great voice acting especially from Samuel L. Jackson: "You tell me where my suit is, woman! We are talking about the greater good!" Probably Pixar's best just a tad under "Toy Story"

Before that movie I was not a huge fan of Moore. While I liked his other documentaries I found him to be a bit of a sensationalist. Boy, was I wrong. This documentary is the best example of his work. Start here so you might take the rest of his documentaries with a grain of salt. In "Bowling for Columbine" the way he portrays USA's greatest problem as being based on fear, is perfect! It offers the right amount of information, the right amount of provocating, the right amount of concern and the right amount of humour. It a leads up to well served food for thought and a quintessential documentary!

First time I truly and utterly loved a short film. Great minimalistic symbolic comment that can be interpreted in many ways. Of course, we 've all heard about the Vietnam comment being thrown here but I think we could probably relate the film to vanity (he is clean shaved but still wants to shave). A short film that hits the nail on its head with its disturbing imagery and visual contrast. Also an excellent first step for Scorsese and a first glimpse at his later masterful filmography.