My Favorite Movies

I've read all the books, and even though it takes liberties with a few things, I still love it. In this most well-known adaptation, the special effects for the time, the technicolor, the quotable lines, and the simple values of brain, heart, courage, and home are what make it great. It'll always be my favorite!

This was a Disney after-school TV series, but the first few (to-be-continued) episodes were edited together to make this feature length video. It's not what you'd expect from a Disney cartoon- it's darker, more dramatic, a great mix of sci-fi and fantasy. As the series progresses more and more mythical and Shakespearian characters pop up and many Star Trek actors provide their voices. From animation voice actor regulars like Thom Adcox-Hernadez, Kath Soucie, Ed Gilbert, Bill Fagerbakke, Jeff Bennett and Frank Welker to more familiar faces like Clancy Brown, Edward Asner, Sallie Richardson, Marina Sirtis, Jonathan Frakes and Keith David the cast is stunning. I stand by my 5-star rating for the story of these heroes!

Hilarious! It deserved all the Oscars it got. Exceptional chemistry between Gable and Colbert. Iconic dialogue and scenes that bring images of Loony Tunes to mind.

I have seen this multiple times. I seriously don't think there is a single thing wrong with this movie. I understand that it may not be 100% accurate with every historical detail (though the filmmakers sure seem to come close). I'm all for making people aware of inaccuracies in historical pictures, because I think unrealistic, unauthentic, romantic portrayals of history can lead to bad movies and damage people's education, but sometimes I also think these criticisms are given too much influence. As a movie, as a work of art, this film is perfect in its message and execution. Powerful! I recently found out that Broderick's character Robert Gould Shaw was a Unitarian, which makes sense and adds even more meaning to the story for me. Emotional! There are several scenes that make me tear up every time. But it also makes me feel like fighting for social justice, like standing up proudly with character and strength of heart to better the world! "We are all MEN, aren't we?!"

The "I'll be there" monologue near the end is awesome. Very inspiring after seeing the whole of the movie.

After re-watching this for at least the fourth time, I guess it is time to add to my review a bit. This is not a great piece of art. It has a crass sense of humor, but it has a classic aspect with lovable misfits that I could watch again and again. It begins modestly with Lewis (Carradine) and Gilbert (Edwards) beginning their college lives. Once Lewis and Gilbert are not chosen by a fraternity along with Poindexter, Wormser, Booger (Booger is awesome!), Lamar and Takashi as well as other miscellaneous outcasts, freaks and geeks it picks up. The "Nerds" have their own brand of fun and fight to overcome the abusive Alpha jocks and pretty Pi's. Through pranks of revenge, being accepted by the predominantly African American fraternity Lamda Lamda Lamda, and a stunner of a techno performance at the conclusion of the college carnival this bunch of "Nerds" prove that We Are the Champions.

More iconic lines and music. Love the shadowy film noir aesthetic of this film. "The problems of a few people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."

A classic Christmas movie, but the story isn't really about Christmas. A performance where Jimmy Stewart get to show some range. Through desperation his character considers ending his life, and then through desperation for his family and friends, the life he "lost," he learns an important lesson. Also, before The Graduate, plastics were still the wave of the future. And it looks forward to financial issues still with us today. Mr. Potter represents the bank that controls most of George Bailey's small town. Potter keeps the workers in his slums and tries to ruin the Building and Loan every chance he gets, since the Baileys are too free with giving houses to the poor. The bottom line for Potter is how to make a profit and be a good businessman, meaning a predatory businessman.

I can't say I have loved any of the other Scorsese pictures I've seen, but I highly respect the work he does for film preservation. It was a pleasure to see this fantastic story (in 3D) about an orphaned boy in a 20's/30's Paris train station that comes around to dealing with the theme of film preservation.

Asa Butterfield as Hugo is a mechanically gifted young man who cares for the clocks in the train station and has a secret mission to repair an automaton found and left by his father. He must avoid Sacha Baron Cohen as the station Inspector as well as his doberman. Baron Cohen and the dog are used for the sort of 3D (and comedic) effects you usually see in amusement parks. I'm not a fan of those cheap tricks, but appreciate the subtle third dimension added to the environment in which the characters find themselves. Constantly having to sneak about through the grates and between the walls of the station makes Hugo always suspicious. You see it in Asa's expressive face. I couldn't help but notice that he has the most expressive nose I've ever seen, the nostrils flare and it twitches constantly. Hugo tries to steal parts for his robot from a toy shop in the station, but is punished by the owner played by Ben Kingsley. Hugo must appeal to the toy-maker's goddaughter Isabelle. Chloe Grace Moretz is the bookish but outgoing Isabelle. They make a great innocent pair for the coming adventure. Hugo was pulled out of school and so never finished learning to read, so Isabelle introduces him to the wealth of stories in the overflowing train station library. While Isabelle has been sheltered from motion pictures, so Hugo recommends the comedies of Harold Lloyd and other silent shorts he remembers from the good days with his father. Many adventure story characters are name dropped. Many iconic images from silent films are referenced. This is literacy presented in an exciting way!

After a little detective work, called research in a library, a film historian named Rene Tabard, played by Michael Stuhlbarg, helps the kids realize that Isabelle's godfather Georges is more than he appears to be. Seeing the flashbacks of Georges Melies' early career, the reverence for that amazing technology that is film and the motion picture film camera, Melies' fall from popularity and later recognition through an AWESOME montage of colorful clips from his groundbreaking fantasy work is stunningly brilliant and dazzlingly gorgeous to this film buff. With the coincidence that Hugo's family is connected to Melies' family in ways no one was aware we are happily reminded of Hugo's philosophy that everyone has a purpose in this world like every mechanical part of a machine has a purpose that keeps the machine going.

Sweeping Lean! The acting is awesome. I love the battle of wills between the two top officers. POWs captured by the Japanese somewhere in Asia during WWII are ordered to build a bridge that will help the Japanese war effort. But then Alec Guinness decides to build his men's moral by taking on the building project and plans to leave the bridge as a monument to British resourcefulness and engineering skill. This movie has another charismatic performance from Holden too. After escaping, Holden must journey back toward the POW camp on a mission to destroy the bridge that the Japanese will use to transport supplies. You see two Allie forces working at opposite goals. Meanwhile, Hayakawa plays a Japanese General riddled with shame. And the ending is edge of your seat suspenseful without all the excessive special effects and stunts used in today's action dramas.

Another social issue movie of the 40's. A topic that continues to be an issue in society since, returning vets adjusting to home life. One performer stands out exceptionally- Harold Russel! He was not an actor, but a real vet, and you can tell his performance is pure truth. Even from WWII it was hard for the three main characters, as played by March, Andrews, and Russell, to overcome the inner conflict that has formed within each one. It's a battle with one's self having seen the things a soldier sees and remembering more innocent times, plus not knowing the reactions of those who stayed home. This movie ends romantically, the main characters find a way to adjust to civilian life without quite so much trouble as vets from later wars perhaps faced. But some strong forces that need overcome are portrayed. Awe inspiring.

I just saw a restored print of this on the big screen with newly translated subtitles. I had forgotten how long it was (with an intermission). It is more about slowly revealing the characters and saving the big action sequences for the end. I really enjoy the outdoor setting as well. I think I've mentioned it in other reviews, but there is something so beautiful about the forest. The hills surrounding the small village are magnificently captured, the wind blows, the dust is stirred up, and when it rains, the mud replaces the splatter of blood. The movie starts with a lot of slow steady drum beats for accompaniment and culminates with the rapid patter of sandaled feet and pounding hooves of the attacking bandits' horses.

The story takes its time as four peasants led by Rikichi (Tsuchiya) go to town to enlist the help of samurai for the defense of their village. Samurai are born into privilege, can read and write and enjoy leisurely arts, and are generally proud of their social standing and skill. They finally find the good-hearted and intelligent Kambei (Shimura). Two other samurai are watching Kambei too. Katsushiro (Kimura) is a young man who immediately has great respect for Kambei and requests to be his disciple. Kikuchiyo (Mifune) is boisterous and intrigued by the more clever man, but expects Kambei to give him respect and acceptance automatically. The other samurai are gathered once Kambei agrees to the peasants' proposal. Toshiro Mifune is such a treat when he appears again drunk, trying to claim upperclass lineage, and wildly trying to prove some skill to the other six who only laugh. Toshiro's performance might seem over done, he's such a ham. I couldn't accept his wildly different style when I first saw this movie, but I grew to love him. Having seen him in some others pictures by now, I was totally with him during this viewing. He adds much needed humor. The story continues slowly as Kambei leads a careful defense plan to protect the four sides of the village. Meanwhile, the villagers "piss and cry" at every little thing and try to learn from the samurai how to use spears to defend themselves. Katsushiro has a romantic subplot with Shino, one of the peasants' daughters. Backstories are revealed about a couple of the other peasants and about where Kikuchiyo came from. Finally the bandits attack! And Kambei methodically checks off the chart on his map as they lessen the bandits' numbers. It's a very controlled, but impressive, and close battle as the villagers fight for their lives with the strategic leadership of the samurai.

Very sexy and at the same time awkward. The humor comes out more and more with repeated viewing. At least it did for me. Now that I'm done with school that feeling of just floating aimlessly in a pool or just sitting motionless under the surface is truly a scary thing to face in ones future. Sowing wild oats is just a distraction, but when considering what one will do for the rest of one's life, I feel that today as much as then in the 1960s many feel direction-less.

Fast Eddie Felson keeps making "Contracts of Degradation." Fast Eddie is young, talented, cocky, has the mind of a hustler, but doesn't know when to stop, a taste for booze, and lacks Character because of all of this. Minnesota Fats is experienced, talented, graceful, clean and well dressed, has endurance, and has Character. Bert Gordon buys Fast Eddie's soul with the promise to give him Character and make him a winner. I noticed there are two characters who are literally crippled. One is the man who helps Fats keep clean and well dressed. The other is Sarah, Fast Eddie's new girl. As Sarah points out, it is allegorical that every other character wears a mask and underneath they are figuratively crippled, perverted, and twisted. Fast Eddie learns too late, but finally has gained Character so he is able to beat Fats. In the end there is the hint that Bert Gordon owns Fats in the same way he owned Eddie and it occurred to me like a lightbulb over my head that FATS and FAST are nearly the same now.

Wow, Sutherland, Moore, Hirsch, McGovern, and Hutton all gave such touching and in touch performances. A boy struggles with feelings of guilt, which a lot of people probably feel in one way or another, but which rarely are spoken aloud. Moore is as chilling as some horror movie monster, but I believe she is portraying someone very real. That may be a bit harsh. She plays an emotionally distant mother who tries to keep control of her life by bottling all her hurt over the family tragedy inside herself. Thankfully the boy (Hutton) has a committed therapist, a girlfriend with potential, and a loving father.

Funny, funny movie. And full of great adventure. I love all the performances!

Gut-wrenching! Inspiring!!

This movie left me shaken and choked up! It pays homage to The Best Years of Our Lives and perhaps some other films about vets returning home. But specifically Best Years, I think, with the shot of Ron Kovic after he has become paralyzed and finally returns to his parents' house staring at his high school wrestling picture in his old room. Harold Russell in Best Years does the exact same thing becoming lost in the old picture from his high school athletics career when he felt he was a whole person. Both of these movies deal with men who have lost some part of themselves and have to discover how to gain strength and courage and acceptance to be a whole man again. By exploring Ron's youth, Born on the Fourth of July shows that the story is really about pressure and failure and confusion and how we deal with those things. This is an epic story with a tremendous supporting cast. It's about a boy who becomes a soldier, a soldier who becomes paralyzed, a paraplegic who becomes an outcast all the while searching for his humanity!! Sometimes it takes an outcast to speak the truth, someone who has been paralyzed to really stand for something, a soldier to fight for life, and of course it's the natural progression of things for a boy to triumphantly become a man!

I'm really not interested in seeing the remake because I love the psychological religion versus science themes of the original over the waring action promised in the remake. The makeup is amazing. And it's a great start to the whole series of films.

Long movie, but I think we would have felt cheated if they hadn't taken it where it needed to go. Comic books are reimagined all the time, but everyone complains about movie remakes and reimaginings not being original. I love the fact that these new Nolan Batmans present fresh births of the hero and villain characters drawn from more recent comic issues. This movie is not trying to repeat or continue the same old stories, and it doesn't have to, so the actors can create their characters on their own terms. Again there is a realism in this Batman universe. Comic books can deal with serious themes, but are rarely taken seriously. I do wish the Academy had given this a shot at Best Picture, but I understand their tastes and that they are not giving awards based on populism. The movie is rightfully nominated for several technical awards, which is a sign that the Academy does not totally ignore movies that are recognized as great.

In most comic book adaptations, heroes pop back up into the frame after taking deadly beatings as if nothing happened, and villains are charming mischief makers who we still love. Comic book stories deserve to be more than a bunch of caricatures sometimes. Ledger as the Joker embodied that chaotic evil, which is the ultimate challenge for Batman. Never, never, NEVER has an actor embodied such evil (alright maybe that was exaggerating a bit when I first wrote this). This is definitely a movie for multiple viewings. I don't think I've seen a movie that dealt so well with real, complex, moral ambiguity in quite a while and it's crazy exciting! The world IS NOT so simple as good versus evil, black and white with no gray area in between. Batman is not about a white knight in shining armor, it's about The Dark Knight.

Kline, Curtis, Cleese, and Palin make an excellent comic team in this movie. It didn't work out when they tried it again. But this movie gets all the elements right!.

One of a kind movie! The characterizations, the dialog, the music, the flow couldn't have been better. Damn it feels good to be a gangster.

Here's another obscure favorite movie. It has a precocious young man being raised by an uncle who lives by his own rules. Through much of the movie, the boy seems like the parent and the uncle seems like the child. Before long a couple of social workers bring a dose of reality (and a surprise romance). It's about the tragedy of being a care-free individual and having to take on the dull, mechanical responsibilities of adulthood. Very funny- also based on a stage play. A hidden gem.

Here's an obscure one. An early Goldie Hawn movie (I think she is underestimated). Edward Albert plays an inspiring young blind man. I like it because it was originally a stage play and it was surprisingly modern and still relevant. I share the sentiments of the young characters wanting their funeral to be a celebration. A good little romantic comedy.

I can't imagine how this play is accomplished on live stage (and it is). Well I have seen a live theater version of this play now, and I still can't imagine the talent necessary to make it as successful as the movie. A miscast character can ruin quite a few scenes and it is hard to get the entrances and exits as snappy as this appears 'cause there is the benefit of cutting the film. The ensemble cast in this movie is outstanding. And I can't praise the TIMING of the action and dialog enough! This is THE farce to end all farces!

McMurphy puts himself in a mental institution thinking it'll be the easy life. He represents anti-establishment with nothing else apparently wrong, but it's a tragic irony that the powers that be in the hospital are more sadistic and cold-hearted than the world he came from. Or is it really so different?

Amazing how all the stories are woven together. It gives me goosebumps, and makes me flinch, and makes me cry in turn. Michael Pena clutching his daughter and Matt Dillon saving Thandie Newton being among my favorite moments.

I went to see it twice the first weekend it opened. Katherine Heigl was excellent and raises the bar of this slacker comedy. I really identified with the subject of the film because I'm of the same age where starting a family or having fun and avoiding responsibilities is a big issue. The observation that life is like an unfunny version of Everybody Loves Raymond I found to be compelling. The Mars vs. Venus battle is so well done in this film.

Fun movie! The Scott Joplin music makes it bounce right along causing the ending to be even more surprising.

I had been anticipating this film for awhile. I knew the story already from a stage play that was influential to me in a number of ways. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the life and legend of Hypatia of Alexandria portrayed in this epic way. This film is worth multiple viewings to me.

Alexandria was a cosmopolitan city near the end of the Roman empire. Agora is Greek for a public meeting place or market place. The word is mentioned once. It is a little mysterious why Agora was chosen for the title. I suspect it may have something to do with the symmetry of the word with the circular "O" in the middle. Also it loosely represents the place where the different religious factions: the pagans with a mix of Greek and Egyptian gods, the growing Christian movement, and the traditional Jewish population, begin to tear apart the fabric of Alexandria because of their differences. Whereas Hypatia's classroom where she teaches philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy (notice that is not astrology) is a place of brotherhood for all her students from various backgrounds. Hypatia was a Neo-Platonist, which means in part that she believed in ideal mathematical forms.

We begin in 391 CE. Hypatia (Weisz) has a position of influence as a teacher and lives a scholarly life with her father Theon (Lonsdale). Weisz is wonderful at portraying Hypatia as human and not some idealized martyr for Atheists. Theon is portrayed as not being friendly to the Christians among his household's slaves. And Hypatia's brotherhood ends with the position of slaves below citizens of her social level. Davus (Minghella) is Hypatia's slave. He pays attention to the lessons as much as the official students and shows he is intelligent. Hypatia builds him up for his mind one moment then seemingly without realizing insults him the next. Davus also has a forbidden physical attraction to his mistress. Minghella's character is hard to pin point. You don't know if you should root for him or be frightened. Among Hypatia's students are Synesius (Evans), a Christian, and Orestes (Isaac), a secular young man who is a defender of the Pagans and sees the authority of the Roman government. Orestes also publicly declares his love for his teacher. Evans doesn't get as much screen time to shine, but Isaac is stellar in his sympathetic role. The Pagans and the Christians keep seeking revenge on each other for insults to their deities. Davus meets Ammonius (Barhom), a Christian leader on the streets of Alexandria, and begins to see the power he could have as part of this relatively new group. Many die on both sides and the Pagans end up barricading themselves around Theon's house and the great library. The Pagans are allowed time to escape with their lives and Hypatia tries to save as much knowledge as possible in the form of library scrolls, because it is decreed that the Christians shall be allowed to ransack the library. A tragic historical event of great loss that Alejandro Amenabar shows us turned the world upside down.

The movie then jumps several years ahead. Text on the screen explains that many Pagans have converted to Christianity in order to keep their lives in the interim. Orestes is now the prefect or local representative for the Roman emperor. He has been baptized since the empire's official religion is Christianity. Synesius has become bishop of Cyrene. Both Orestes and Synesius keep in touch with Hypatia. Orestes sees her in person since he has stayed local in Alexandria and they share ideas. I find it interesting from a book I read by Maria Dzielska that the main historical documents that still survive that give us a look into this time and Hypatia's life are letters written by Synesius to various people including Hypatia. Hypatia has been continuing experiments to understand the relationship between the Sun and Earth and other wonders, or stars. She is always questioning! A priest named Cyril becomes the new bishop of Alexandria. Davus and Ammonius are now members of the Parabolani, who serve the bishop when some muscle is needed. Davus never turns his mind off and is very conflicted. The Christians led by Cyril turn their attention against the Jews next. When Orestes and the council won't do what Cyril wishes in regards to making the Jews leave the city, Cyril goes to the source and begins to make charges against Hypatia.

The movie reminded me of Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot as the camera often pulled away from the fighting in the ancient city of Alexandria, which must have seemed so BIG in human affairs of the time, to show us how SMALL we are on the global scale and in the grand expanse of space. Well, the grand expanse of space and Earth's real place in it are Hypatia's concern. Rather than relying on the unchanging word of law in the Bible, she encourages us to search for the truth.

A movie I watched in school. Atticus deserves the AFI #1 movie hero honor. A great example of a classic book being translated well into a classic film.

Set in New England somewhere, but shot in Ohio, my home state. The story covers roughly the same time period as Driving Miss Daisy from the late 40's to the late 60's though the age makeup is even more subtle. This movie also shows a close bond develop between two people.

Now I have often referred to symbolism in my reviews, but I have to say I was bothered by some of the comments made in one of the special feature documentaries by a Christian discussion group. Everyone is free to interpret and add meaning to stories in any way they choose, but I think there are some mistakes that have been made. First the Warden says, "I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible." The prison in Mansfield where this was shot was built to be grand like a cathedral. This is what Shawshank represents: extreme discipline and scripture as a saving force drawing your eyes and mind to something higher. The discussion group talks about Andy being a Jesus figure, from coming out of the sewer pipe being a rebirth to the Mexican shore of the Pacific having no memory being heaven. Does the punishment fit the crime though? Sure Andy is able to quote a few lines from the Bible, but it is to distract the Warden away from his pin-up poster. And he has cut a hole in his bible to hide his rock hammer. The sewer pipe is a means of escape from the prison and I really don't think the Pacific as a place with no memory is an appropriate parallel to heaven. Andy represents Hope and Redemption, but those are not necessarily tied forever to religious interpretation. He is a very human character. Andy plays music for the prisoners to help them remember that there is life outside the bars and walls. He was innocent of the crime he was imprisoned for, but became a criminal in prison by laundering money for the Warden to get special favor from the guards. He likes movies and actresses with sex appeal. He builds a library, which helps educate the men. And notice a library in this time is a place to appreciate lots of different music and books, all knowledge and all salvation does not lie within the Bible.

Sure the prison can represent many different things, but it is explicitly an institution and often acts to squelch humanity's individuality and hope. Another really important quote from Andy is, "Get busy living, or get busy dying." Both Brooks and Red finally are released from prison and deal with it in very different ways. I really don't get how people equate getting out of the prison as being saved by God's grace or something. As I said, the prison is the institution where discipline and routine exist, where you know what the rules are and you may be an important person. Outside of prison you have to be self motivated. Life moves fast, there is lots of technology and fashion to keep up with, and plenty of reminders of your old life. Outside of the institution you have freedom. And some people can't handle that I guess. Inside the institution you have fear, near slave conditions, and a book that supposedly reveals the only way. That's what Red and Andy are escaping from. Red and Andy have a very human relationship, not romantic, but one where they are redeemed by each other.

The script is excellent in dealing with the issues. I really don't understand why this is still an issue, why people are still so ignorant?! I suppose like the movie shows through the creationists that the problem lies in overzealousness leading to hatred, a refusal to question old time beliefs and even open books with different ideas, and the desperate need to shout your opinion even louder when your ego and reputation are threatened. On the other hand, the muck-raking journalist played by Gene Kelly is a muck-raker. He is so snide and proud of himself, without hopes or dreams, and truly alone. I don't think people appreciate or have really listened to what Spencer Tracy's character has to say. He believes religion may appear golden on the outside, but is rotten inside. He fights for the right for people to think! He believes that there is probably some higher power or meaning to life, but not how Christians define those ideas, and that the Bible is a good book, but not the only book. He carries the Bible out of the court room with Darwin's book. The religious right think humans are sinful lesser forms of God, not much different from animals or the natural world in the way in which we are play things to God. The scientific left think humans have a higher form of reason, have made progress at understanding the world, and have the power to improve our fellow human relations. Now which one sees humans as being closer to monkeys?

The title applies to the minister and Fredric March's character. One translation of the verse from Proverbs is "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind." This is as opposed to inheriting the kingdom of heaven. When people are overzealous and hateful, refuse to question old-time beliefs or open books with different ideas, or bluster and shout more loudly when they are afraid of losing out to new ideas, they will inherit nothing but the wind!

First, let me recommend the Director's Cut though it is 3 hours and 20 minutes. There is so much historical and political content that I found a second viewing helpful too. The costumes, sets, cinematography, and music are all sumptuous.

The movie covers almost 60 years of Chinese history from the perspective of one person. The last emperor, Pu Yi, lived through so much history during the first half of the 20th century. I don't know how much of the story is completely historically accurate, but the changes of the decades and major historical events seem to be presented authentically. The story reminded me at certain points of the movie and book, The Good Earth. While that story shows some of the cultural changes in Chinese history from the perspective of peasants out in the fields, this story is told mainly from within the walls of the Forbidden City or the walls of a Communist re-education camp. There is a strong imprisonment theme! The story is told in flashbacks, and I thought this device was well crafted with interesting parallels.

Pu Yi's life is incredibly tragic and yet I found all the drama enthralling. He becomes Emperor at 3 years old and so hasn't formed any ideas for himself. Even later in his life you can't really say that he ever gained much experience as a leader. Earlier in China's history this might have worked out better to have a leader start so young without much conflict, but with all the changes preparing to take place in the 20th century it is inevitable that Pu Yi would become a tragic figure. He becomes spoiled because every want and need is taken care of for him. He's a puppet controlled by many others through his life. Early in his life China becomes a Republic and he no longer has any real power, but traditions stay the same inside the Forbidden City. Just before WWI O'Toole arrives as a Western tutor and Pu Yi begins to learn about the modern world. Eventually he tries to reform the traditions of imperial China, but he still takes a wife and a consort (a second wife). China then becomes a Communist country and some people turn against the Manchurian part of northern China. Since Manchurian is the Emperor's heritage, he and his remaining staff are kicked out of the Forbidden City. He ends up being welcomed by Japan in the early 30's before WWII and they feed him some misinformation. At this point he still craves the power of being Emperor and there is a lot of political intrigue as Manchuria becomes independent (but, Japan is really pulling the strings). He has relationship issues with his wife and consort, one feeling like a third wheel in the more westernized Japan and the other becoming addicted to opium. After WWII the Communist powers in China change a bit and in 1950 we catch up to the "current" events where Pu Yi and all the other imperial supporters are being re-educated. Ying gives an impressive performance and human face to the "Governor" of the camp. It is an amazing, in depth, dramatic conflict from the American audience perspective when you realize that Pu Yi was working with the Japanese, one of the Axis powers of WWII, and the Communists are trying to turn him into a comrade. Between a rock and a hard place. There's a good portion of Americans that wouldn't see either side of this conflict as worth cheering for. But still I found it very engaging to watch John Lone portray the struggle.

One of my favorite quotes: The Governor- "You are responsible for what you do! All your life you thought you were better than everyone else. Now you think you're the worst of all!" There's also a quote about how all the new generals and changes in the communist regime are just like the battling war lords of tribal society. There's a sense that the differences between the old and young in society will lead to history repeating itself, and in fact power keeps on shifting but nothing in history really changes.

I think this is an awesome wrap-up to the too brief run of the series Firefly. While I had seen a few of the episodes when they originally aired, my wife and I recently worked our way through the series, which is available on a loop on Hulu (5 episodes at a time). Shepherd Book (Ron Glass), Inara (Morena Baccarin), and Jayne (Adam Baldwin) are not featured as much as they were in some episodes of the series, and that is disappointing. Some time has passed and in order to try and make the movie stand alone we are reintroduced to how Simon (Sean Maher) and River (Summer Glau) came aboard Serenity, the Firefly class ship. I don't think it really stands alone well. You must see the 14 episodes to understand and appreciate everything about the 'verse Joss Whedon has created. At first, I almost thought they were recycling and expanding the plot from "Objects in Space," which is the final episode, at least as Hulu has it organized. In that episode Richard Brooks plays a bounty hunter named Jubal Early who comes awfully close to taking River back to the Alliance. In this feature length movie we have Chiwetel Ejiofor, known only as The Operative, who is working to correct the fact that an Alliance secret is believed to have been leaked and River Tam with her "special" abilities could be a dangerous loose end. The Serenity crew has to fight to stay just out of the grasps of The Operative and the cannibalistic Reavers. I like the special effects work, which is consistent with the series and pushed just a bit bigger. I like the increased action, especially with the nightmarish Reavers finally coming face to face with our heroes. I continued to enjoy Whedon's formation of a style of language and settings that mix western frontier outskirts with futuristic space exploration jargon.

Even though Joss Whedon's goal was to create a show that was not sterilized like Star Trek, that dealt with people and places that Star Trek's United Federation of Planets perhaps ignored, I see Star Trek as a HUGE influence on the series and this film. The action, characters, and style are done much better than in all the Star Trek films I have seen so far. This 'verse owes a debt to the ground breaking series of the 60's though for taking some strong themes and concepts and improving on them for more modern tastes. The ensemble form of the cast comes directly from Star Trek with some twists. Here we have a holy man and a geisha-like companion added to the crew though. The mysterious River is similar to several characters who were guests on the Enterprise at one time or another. We of course have a doctor like Dr. McCoy, who is a foil for the Captain often. We have an engineer (Jewel Staite) like Scotty, who can work wonders with malfunctioning parts of the ship. We have a hot head weapons expert (that I must stretch to compare to Warf from NG), who is always at risk of acting first and thinking later. We have a pilot (Alan Tudyk) like Sulu, who can brave many a risky maneuver if the Captain asks. We have a strong, intelligent second in command (Gina Torres) like Spock, who happens to have a woman's intuition and remains reassuringly calm in the heat of battle when the Captain may be most in need. Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) shares so much with Captain Kirk. Though Kirk worked for the Federation and Mal is a rebellious independent against the Alliance, Kirk was often rebelling against the bureaucracy of his world. But what they really have in common is their swagger, their authority, and their LOVE for their ship and crew. Listen to Kirk or Mal talk about how important their ship and crew are to them. They are brothers in a way.

I also seem to be attracted to movies about people with disabilities or special abilities. This movie shows how recently people didn't understand deafness. One teacher takes the time to show that Belinda can communicate, that Belinda is a whole human being who can take care of herself in many ways, and that she will protect her son like any mother would.

Great screwball comedy! The map and schedule bit near the beginning is one of the best bits of comedy business I've seen. Jean Arthur is lovely but a little bit of a wallflower too. Joel McCrea is tall, dark, and mysterious. Charles Coburn is so wacky with his repeated catchphrases, "eight girls to every fella," and "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." Gaines as Pendergast is as square as they come complete with awful hair piece. The movie seems a little rough around the edges as if it was under-rehearsed. Especially Jean Arthur, who seems to be stumbling with quite a few of her lines. But it works for this movie, as the action looks more live theatre and spur of the moment, and Jean Arthur's character appears more real. Some of the best situation comedy and verbal jabs in the screwball genre!

Funny, funny movie! And smart. Holliday is the ultimate platinum blond ditz without any social grace that all future ones are based on. William Holden is also a favorite of mine. I love the characters he plays including this one.

Bogie's character arc is unforgettable. He turns so ugly, from the inside out. The setting, the dialog, the characters, the imagery are all marvelous. The best study of greed.

Most people don't seem to realize that movies in the early 50's (or even before) dealt with such tough topics. Another reason I love William Holden. Gloria Swanson's character is so memorable too including her impersonation of Chaplin.

A boy ranger meets wised up Washington types and a political machine, he's Don Quixote, he's David against Goliath without a slingshot. I enjoyed this very much. Sure Stewart is so squeaky clean and sentimental, but he's the little guy you have to root for against corruption. You have to! People can't give up on ideals and making the world a better place. Wonderful supporting characters in Arthur, Mitchell, Rains, and Arnold too. Jean Arthur is incredibly attractive! She is intelligent and strong and Jefferson Smith would have never said what he needed to say in the Senate filibuster without her.

Funny, funny movie in a POW camp. This was before MASH made the situation of war funny, but it led to its own TV show too. The men have to keep themselves entertained, Holden plays another POW cynic (he does it well), and there is a mystery thrown in to find a traitor in the camp.

I love the message of this movie. This I think is the best of several social issue movies from the 40's. Well written and really makes you think before you assume intelligent people would not be prejudice. Similar message to Crash, though not such complex intersecting storylines, it is just as powerful at times.

I loved the combination of 700 years in the future sci-fi with old fashioned music. The music along with the robots' mostly non-existent dialog and physical humor made it a nostalgic look back at silent screen comedians. Some of the music mixed with the futuristic setting, with much to say about our current society, also made me think of 2001: A Space Odyssey! The animation never causes your eyes to stray. The romance between Wall-E and Eve is romantic and touching. The story is worth seeing from the opening credits through the closing credits.

Great romantic comedy! Well written! All the old couples being interviewed are cute. If you like this movie check out The More the Merrier from the 40's. For some reason I can't get the More Like This feature to work with this title or that title. Billy Crystal is a very different lead than Joel McCrea, but Meg Ryan has a lot in common with Jean Arthur in that movie. Every joke, every relationship nuance is funny and real.

Awesome spoof!! The fog, the lab, the cinematography all honor the classics. The sexual innuendo, name play, and Puttin' on the Ritz are hilarious.

Recently played a very fun audience participation game with friends when watching this movie for my birthday. The DVD has some interesting special features as well. Madeline Kahn's Bride of Frankenstein hair and Gene Hackman's hermit come from The Bride of Frankenstein. However more of the inspiration (Igor, the music calming the monster, Inspector Kemp's wooden arm, the dart match, and the next generation Frankenstein returning to repeat the original's experiments) seems to come from the third film in the Universal franchise, Son of Frankenstein. There are so many hysterical comic bits in this film. It is a winner all the way.

This second Marx Brothers picture for MGM has many of the same elements. Sam Wood directs again. Allan Jones and Margaret Dumont are still on hand. Ruman returns in a briefer supporting part. Wunderkind Thalberg dies part way through production at age 37 though. Maureen O'Sullivan is the new romantic leading lady. Ceeley, Dumbrille, and Middlemass are the villains this time representing business managers of a sanitarium who want to turn the building into a casino.

Groucho is Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush, a vet who has convinced Dumont's Mrs. Upjohn that he is an expert psychiatrist and medical doctor. He is brought in to try to save O'Sullivan's sanitarium, which her father ran before her. Chico works for O'Sullivan and Harpo is a jockey at the nearby horse track. Jones is romantically involved with O'Sullivan of course, but annoys her when he invests in a race horse expecting to win enough to pay her debts and his.

Again some of their best comic "set pieces" are contained here: Tootsie-Fruitsie Ice Cream, Groucho calling Whitmore as the Florida medical board, Harpo's charades for Hackenbush is gonna be framed, Chico and Harpo interrupting Hackenbush's dinner with Flo, the medical examination of Mrs. Upjohn, and the chaos the boys cause at the race track. Harpo's non-verbal pantomime is even more expressive and hilarious in this picture. The music is still great entertainment though more on a popular track this time since the opera of the previous film. Jones has a solo in front of a wall of water, a Busby Berkeley type ballet number is revealed behind the wall of water, and a solo ballerina does an unbelievable number of rapid pirouettes. Chico does another piano piece and Harpo does too until he demolishes the instrument. It is a treat to see him use the strings and frame from the inside of the piano as his harp to avoid being hauled away by the authorities. Later there is a huge gospel/jazz/swing musical number. An entire black community living around a barn where the brothers are hiding out follow Harpo who is playing a whistle. The scene is a little odd and at times disturbing for its racial stereotyping, but the singing and dancing by everyone but the Marx Brothers is well done. At least there is some variety from the ballads popular to white culture in the mid-30's here.

Some of it's a little dated. But that includes LSD, my favorite character missing from the new version. I love the songs in the Broadway musical version, but by the time they made the new movie the show was tired. You have to go back to the original!

Another obscure one. I've seen bad reviews of this, and I originally saw it with my brother late late at night when I was so tired my good taste was probably impaired. But I have seen it again recently, and if you accept its quirkiness as I have, it's a very funny movie that keeps the surprises coming all the way to the strange animation at the end.

Great ensemble cast. I laughed really hard and often. Kick those stuck up beauty contestants' butts Olive!

Another humorous look at putting together a play. My favorite Christopher Guest mockumentary. It always surprises me after seeing how badly the rehearsals go, to see how well the final performance comes together. Not a good performance, but surprisingly well put together. Then again, that is the point.

All the comedic talent in this movie is unbeatable! Zany!

I just saw parts of this for the second time on tv. I didn't remember Kevin Spacey was one of the villains in this, but I don't think I knew who he was when I had first seen this. I love the concept and Pryor and Wilder pull off performances as a blind man and a deaf man (respectively) pretty well. Unlike some of their other movie pairings, they do share a lot of screen time in this picture. I think the fight scenes by clock position, the car chases, and interrogation room scene are simply hilarious. Some of the humor is a little over the top, but everyone gives a committed performance so I'm giving it a full five stars.

I've seen some bad reviews of this, even the author of the book, on which this is based, evidently didn't like it. I did like it though. I thought the minimal use of spoken dialog and consistent primitive sign language was well done. The subtitles did not distract, they helped because the characters do not use a known language. I identified with the theme of having to walk alone in the end because of questioning the ways of the clan too much. Ebert says, "it never quite makes them seem frightened and ignorant and vulnerable and bewildered." In a way they are subject to nature and these qualities, especially Brun who's fault is the way in which he tries to deal with these qualities. But I don't think Ebert has a legitimate critique because most cultures won't show these traits because they think they have it all figured out. Ebert also sees the fact that "every one of these people has motives that are instantly recognizable and predictable" as a fault. I think this is the point of the story, the books were bestsellers because they are about how human motives have always been the same.

Peter Jackson was on a roll after the LOTR trilogy, but I'm not a huge fan of the LOTR's mythology. So to hear all the hype about this project including Jackson's love of this story since childhood gave me high expectations. I went out and made sure to see the original before seeing this one, and I really think Jackson did the story justice. It is possible to believe that there is a romance between the beauty and the beast in this version. The casting was excellent too: Watts, Black, Brody, Serkis, Chandler.

I don't listen to country-bluegrass music, but this soundtrack was so well done. The Sepia tone gives a good flavor, and I love The Odyssey parallels.

The last great Spencer Tracy Katherine Hepburn pairing. And another performance from Sidney Poitier that I love. I have a scene from this movie saved to my favorites here; I don't remember it making such an impact when I watched the whole film, but it's a very important monologue given by Mr. Poitier that I think reveals a great truth about the generation gap.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is one of the best songs in a movie. When the crowd in the desert thinks they have been shown a sign that Brian is their savior the irrational logic and childish "Are too" "Am not" exchange is priceless. And I can't help it but giggle and laugh out loud every time Michael Palin starts lisping.

Where to start? I loved this and think more people should see it. Well illustrated points about the historical inaccuracy and mythical adoption of the Jesus story in the bible. There are many zealous Christians portrayed, which should cause fear deep within more people for the direction they intend to take us as human beings. For those of you who are insulted by this type of movie questioning your beliefs, do you realize how those of us with little faith view The Passion of the Christ for instance? It is downright sickening and tragic to think that all that blood and violence is filling your spiritual thirst, that the history of the church tries not to acknowledge it has anything to do with former barbaric rituals. The main point of this movie is that doubt is worth exploring, because we need to get beyond such an unquestioning trust of those who tell us these bible stories are fact; and realize that then either God does not exist or God should not be a being that instills this fear in people because it leads to such irrational acts. Religion should not be the only source of joy and hope and meaning and purpose for people. The ending is not satisfactory as he lashes out at the school and beliefs he was raised with, but hey, I get it, I'm upset too when I think about my religious childhood and conflicting lessons and the disillusionment I found as I became older.

There are many black and white movies that still feel very warm. The black and white in this picture is stark, very stark. This adds to the sometimes severe, often unblinkingly unpleasant parts of Bruce's life. The movie is a funny, erotic, disturbing, piercing, impactful semi-documentary style master work! Here's the question: "What's dirty and what's clean?"

Watched this in high school English. Pacino's character is a great hero. He is the straight cop fighting against the corruption that surrounds him.

How'd they pull this off? A story told in reverse. Well, they did. And it's a modern masterpiece. Gritty and urban. "Memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts. " "I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can't remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there. Do I believe the world's still there? Is it still out there?..."

I once used the "This amp goes to 11" scene to illustrate an argument in a philosophy class in college. We were talking about the two schools of thought: Rationalists and Empiricists. Listen to what Reiner and Guest say in this scene and their tone of voice. I'm with Reiner who I identify as being in the Empiricist camp. Amps go to 10, whatever the loudest level is should be called 10, you don't just invent 11 and all of a sudden your amp is better than any other. These British rockers are a little not all there in the head, so Nigel is stumped when Marty presents his evidence and argument. The Rationalists are the philosophers generally arguing that there are ideal forms apart from the physical world, and arguing for the existence of God. Anyways, these were the ideas discussed in my one philosophy class, and that will continue to be discussed. Let's not forget that this movie is hilarious. This movie set the stage for all the Christopher Guest mockumentaries.

Great archetypal college characters.

Why has National Lampoon fallen so far in recent years. Well I guess they started out incredibly high with this gem, and now a days they have so many competitors. This was the first one though. It broke conventions and represents a loss of innocence.

I've seen a lot more of Star Trek (there are a lot more hours to see) than Star Wars. So I appreciate this spoof and homage very much. The cast is very good at sending up fan convention heroes thrust into action they aren't prepared for. Colantoni, Breen, Rees and Pyle are the lead Thermians who have seen the "historical documents" of the old tv series Galaxy Quest. They need the crew's help in defeating the space villain Sarris. Allen, Weaver, Rickman, Shalhoub, Mitchell and Rockwell are stereotypical actors and stereotypical sci-fi series characters. On repeat viewing I thought Rickman as Alexander Dane, the classically trained actor reduced to alien makeup and Spock-like emotional repression, was the one having the least fun as his character. I know his character playing the tv character has no fun, but compared to the other comedians he was a little weaker. The effects are great. There are lots of laughs and some passable action. There is even a bit of heart when Allen's Jason Nesmith comes clean to Colantoni's Mathesar and the crew learns to live the teamwork ideals that their tv show always championed.

I have now seen all the original Star Wars movies. Even before I had seen them I could appreciate the spoofiness of this movie. When you do see the source material you only realize all the more the iconicness of it. I love the Wizard of Oz references too.

TV movie I enjoyed. Quite a few well known and soon to be better known actors filling out this cast. Philosophically the story is very interesting. Being a shy, generally quiet person myself, I identified with the character when I first saw it during my high school years. If people feel comfortable around you, either by feeling unthreatened or by taking a position of superiority, it's amazing what you may hear. As the current plot synopsis states, silence does offer protection and a little power.

The final movie I saw at the 2011 CIFF was this one about the National Film Registry. The celebrities talking about their favorite movies and clips from the classics are nothing new compared to AFI specials and other best lists. The fact that this Registry is about preserving culturally and historically significant films is what makes it worth while to me. The archivists that work for the Library of Congress do not go into many details about how the preservation happens, though the discussion about censorship and restoring films is a treat. However what really sets this apart is what sets the Registry list apart from most best lists. Documentaries, home movies, music videos, and industrial films are all included. This doc has a sense of humor at times and a sense of weightiness about the cultural records that will be left for future generations. Also an interesting fact is that the National Film Registry takes nominations every year from the general public, so check out http://www.loc.gov/film/vote.html.