My Favorite Movies

Nothing is lacking in this excellently dark blockbuster - action, script, cinematography, storyline or marketing. What is considered the most-hyped film of '08 is justly the best, in my opinion.
I viewed this film in an IMAX theatre, as it was intended to be seen. There were more than enough spectacular moments to retain my full attention, given how brilliant director Nolan's vision always is.
The emergence of Joker (Ledger), Two-Face (Eckhart) and a brief cameo from Scarecrow (Murphy) all assemble a comic-fan's dream. Batman is excellently portrayed once again (Bale), while his friends of authority, Commissioner Gordon (Oldman), Asst DA Dawes (Gyllenhal) and DA Dent (Eckhart) are violently stirred into the Joker's plot. The finality of sudden events is exactly what the Batman franchise needs - unlike Tim Burton's comedic flops.
The late Ledger's performance is shocking, mostly because you'll never recognize his transformation.
If you appreciate dark films, you will love the 'Dark Knight'. This is the 'Empire Strikes Back' (Star Wars) of the Batman series. Nolan still has 1 more Batman film to helm - which I eagerly await.

I'm never disappointed by director David Fincher or his brilliant visions of deeply-involving filmwork. This movie is a massive, subtly suspenseful and dark depiction of the very film genre I constantly crave - the kind where the antagonist regains the winning hand.
The storyline is much more than just a brutal awakening for two New York City detectives; it's a harsh series of statements that indicate the impact of extreme dogma and it's vivid torture on real human treatment. Until this film reached large-scale media attention, I hadn't grasped the concept of the 'bad guy winning in the end' - but the excitement and script were more than enough to push my tolerance for this 'hellish' reality.
Obviously my appreciation for the veteran cast is something I feel can't be ignored. Freeman, Pitt, Spacey and Paltrow are very believable as we jump between dramatic and suspenseful moments of extreme calm and heavy dissonance.
My love for the musical score is what initially gained my attention, as Trent Reznor's [Nine Inch Nails] brand of music scorches the opening credits.
If you like this one, watch 'The Game'. My original review of 'Se7en' didn't do justice to it's complicated nature, hence the re-write.

This film is packed with adult comedy, intense dialogue, graphic violence, and extremely explicit themes which may discourage some audiences from taking part in Tarantino's film experience. Whenever I discover this film running on TV, I rarely change the channel.
The casting is excellently managed, having discovered the director's earlier choices before re-writing much of the script to accommodate his final castmembers. Each actor (and their respective character) was jettisoned into significant fame due to the cult status success of this masterpiece. Without this film, Travolta wouldn't have had a massive restart to his career (beyond dance & musical films of the '70s and '80s). Both Jackson and Willis became leading men in Hollywood, due to their excellent portrayals. Even young Uma Thurman manages to draw audiences in with her very sexy appeal.
The writing, although largely unscripted, tends to receive a strong focus within Tarantino's works. By casting himself within each of his films, we can instantly recognize Quentin's tell-tale brand of dialogue throughout other characters' lines. On a surprisingly impressive note - Samuel Jackson knows exactly 'how' to say his lines with conviction while Christopher Walken's scene (talking to young Butch) is hilariously fantastic.
The soundtrack has achieved massive mainstream popularity since the film's release, which should be a sign of reckoning for filmmakers and audiences alike. What appeals to many on the big screen, will ultimately reach fans through their at-home theaters and high-quality stereos.

With its authentic period-piece setting, immensely talented cast, clever storyline and beautifully rich dark scenery - Christopher Nolan's 'The Prestige' is a success. The tone of the film is haunting and captivating, with every beautifully-planned wide camera angle imaginable.
The director's appreciation for standout talent in each Christian Bale and Michael Caine has carried forward through several of his films. Hugh Jackman has me convinced that he controls a veteran stage presence, while Scarlett Johansson seems the disappointing opposite as her dry emotion and semi-attractive lure tends to bore me. The most believable and sensationally impressive actors (I feel) are Bale, Caine and especially David Bowie (as the brightly innovative genius Nikola Tesla).
I have to confess that my interest in Tesla and his creations are what pulled me deeper into the plotline, alongside some deeply unsettling visions resulting from the overwhelmingly surreal final plot twists.
This film is one I'd recommend to anyone who's never lept outside the average movie-store lineup of films to watch. It's certainly one that will leave you wondering how and wanting to see over again.

This is dark, action-packed, eventful and suspense-filled. This film made up for the previous Batman franchise failures. Tim Burton's first 2 films were awkwardly distinct and boring, and Joel Schumacher's next 2 had no serious tone. However, this film (the most pivotal superhero film, helmed by genius director Christopher Nolan, prior to the world record-setting 'Dark Knight' sequel) stays true to the darkly imaginative DC comic while inviting more intelligent audiences than had been drawn in Batman's previous film adventures.
There's always immense success in Nolan's directing vision, and the full cast's brilliance truly made this film a favourite of mine. Neeson, Oldman and Caine never disappoint me with their conviction. Those who haven't been in the spotlight certainly deserve some recognition: Murphy's Scarecrow is a leap above past kid-friendly portrayals and Holmes (although only for this film) makes for a beautiful damsel. Christian Bale has always managed to keep me entertained and strangely interested in how deep his method acting and true-to-the-role dedication rests. It's impressive to me, in knowing how Bale gained almost 100lbs prior to filming his role, just after dropping a ridiculously fatal amount of weight to film 'The Machinist'.
Obviously I've seen this film several times, which is a testament to how rich and lush each scene appears. Should you decide to watch 'The Dark Knight' someday, you must first take the opportunity to see this 1-year-prior prequel. Set between both live-action features is another film composed of anime-like cartoon artistry, 'Batman: Gotham Knight, which is a fun warm-up for the main event (TDK).

When I first saw this brilliant film, the impact of each minor plotline event hit me very profoundly. It was a surprising journey to discover what would unfold for Michael Douglas as his character's life changes inexplicably for his own betterment. David Fincher (director) accomplishes the task of reigning the audience towards the obvious, in spite of what relevant moments seem oblivious.
Watching each castmember (whether they be leads, supporting leads or simple extras) brings clarity to the story within every passing moment. Due to the massive character realization in Van Orton's (Douglas) struggles, it's not appropriate to discuss or reveal what lies within this film.
I found the nature and content of this film to be breathtaking and certainly amazing to grasp as Penn and Douglas become the main focal points to identify with.
The replay value of the film is diminished significantly because of it's major climax, however it is a pleasure to behold the direction and acting talents involved in generating such an amazing thrillride.

This movie grew on me, especially in this last year. Everytime it's on TV I keep the channel locked. Every actor in this is great, with the occasional tendency for Keanu to drift away from his character's Alabaman accent. Great finale.

I first watched this film in a high school English class, suggested by a brilliant Australian exchange teacher.
The plot is suspenseful and fully absorbing.
Hawke, Thurman, Law, Borgnine and Koteas deliver their roles well.

Ever know someone who manipulates others to their advantage? This movie is an awakening.

Idi Amin's life is excellently portrayed by Whitaker, drawing upon his historically dictatorial control over Uganda. I'm impressed by director MacDonald's unflawed vision of militant Uganda, since he was able to capture many sides to each character.
McAvoy is very convincing, especially since the plot follows his humane adventure at every eventful turn.
I had researched Amin's political influence and toxic charisma following his '03 death in Saudi Arabian exile. The story sends a shocking message, amply saturated in great world music to fit the evolving mood.
The Ugandan Hindus I've met seem to only speak kind words of Amin, often neglecting his tyrannical rule. I hope this film is able to warn future generations of the duplicity of a non-transparent government dictatorship, past and present.

Impressive throughout the entire film, well-paced, with incredible settings.
Those cast in the film did phenomenal work at portraying the range of African economies, surpassing the sappy mark left by 'Lord of War' and Nicholas Cage's often cheesy method acting.
DiCaprio and Hounsou stand out in their roles, not simply as the lead males, but as the best pairing of acting talents in any film made in '06..
A great film to watch, especially one I'd recommend.

Fantastically well-articulated horror film, with enough suspense and convincing snuff scenes to gain world attention.
Tarantino only backs the best directors, and Roth performs well at his craft.
This film even flows well with the sequel 'Part 2', without any flashback or deja vu sequences.

Very impressive filmwork, especially in the flashback sequences. Meyer's and Wahlberg's role perfectly reprised, Smith's character gets more emotionally complex, and Bell's Jigsaw pushes another just performance. The plot was incredible, with a much better resolution than the first 2 Saw films.
This was just what I was hoping for.

You won't be disappointed. The entire leading cast is incredibly convincing. When films end on an uplifting note, people tend to treat others more kindly. Watch this movie.

This free, 100%-factual, non-profit documentary truly changed my life, all 3 parts:
i) Disproves validity of all 'religious scripture', 'virgin births', and 'reborn saviors'. It details factual rationale that defeats 'faith'-based arguments, mainly due to the ancient Egyptians' advanced knowledge of Astronomy & Astrology - using the Zodiac to personify 'ages' in their agricultural history.
ii) Explores the historical relationship between government and their role as the founders/supporters of religion. The '9/11' tragedy is full explained, free of American media manipulation.
iii) Reveals how the US government's federal reserve (US bank) is designed to profit from US intelligence attacks on their own American homeland.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/ (free stream, download & transcript)

A highly informative 2-part documentary which highlights the DEFINITE flaws in our world's religions. Richard Dawkins scientifically disproves many religious myths (purported by the church as facts) - with an emphasis on Creationism vs Evolutionism (1st half). The 2nd half is incredibly powerful, since Dawkins cleanly outlines the role of religion as a motivation for 'religiously-validated' rape, female oppression, genocidal war, and territorial theft between races (backed up by scriptural evidence).
By debating with evangelists and other dogmatic religious bigots, he thoroughly proves that religion is counterproductive to our world economy and social structure.

Whether you're religious or not, I recommend this film. It will inject rational thought, where irrationality has always resided.

Free to watch:
http://www.tv-links.co.uk/video/9/6169/9597/60065/84794
(Part 1) "God Delusion"
http://www.tv-links.co.uk/video/9/6169/9601/60068/84797
(Part 2) "Virus of Faith"

Liev Schreiber is a talented actor, who outshines Denzel in this political thriller, remade from the '62 classic. Voight returns to serious acting with this film. Streep is convincingly creepy at her character's climax.

Great range of roles in this film, which was helpful in understanding Eli Roth's vision of a human slaughterhouse system.
It picks up where the last film concludes, with an excellent opening scene featuring Hernandez.
I didn't think I'd see Roger Bart do anything but play gay men on stage, but his scenario actually seemed real to me.
The end scene was shocking, but resolved with a righteous ending. Well casted.

Great actors, incredible plot twists, well-paced dialogue and scenic Boston - no flaws. Even the MA accents are thick.
Scorsese movies tend to run 3 hours nowadays, which is a bit much.

"Captain - fucking - Magic!!?"

Fantastic story, supported by veteran acting talents. Eckhart is extremely convincing in his role as a cleverly manipulative tobacco lobbyist.

Bale is a fantastic actor, even when shooting mock New York shots on location in Toronto. Great film, with a talented cast.
Those who would criticize the film for its psychotic theme aren't strong-minded enough to live in this century.

Kubrick takes a body of work, re-writes it to accomodate his own interpretation (and storyline). That fat-old perv Kubrick fucked a lot of writers over, including Stephen King for his novel 'The Shining'. Stanley's film starring MacDowell is incredible. If you don't like it, maybe you should read a few pages of the book.

Add Getty, Pullman, Arquette, Blake, Wagner, a surprise cameo from Marilyn Manson & Twiggy Ramirez (as amateur porn actors), and you get a well-acted movie. I'm also appreciative of the minor casting decisions (Pryor, Busey, Ribisi, Rollins) since Los Angeles is brimming with under-used acting talent.
The storyline may be difficult to follow if you're expecting a typical Hollywood production, since it forces an intelligent audience to gather clues rather than receive force-fed interpretations. Pullman and Getty are excellent as the male leads, since they hardly require many lines to convey true emotion.
To top it all off, Lynch's film pulses with the creative musical influence of Nine Inch Nails frontman & influential producer Trent Reznor. The metal (Rammstein, Manson, NIN) and jazz (Yobim, Badalamenti) score sets the mood perfectly.

I'm very impressed with this last installment of the Die Hard series, especially with the casting decisions. Justin Long always makes his roles work. They even cast the french cop Cyril Raffaelli from 'Banlieue 13' as an acrobatic henchmen. This is flawless, more action-packed and hilarious than the first 3 films. I'm glad they explained the advanced IT shit as they progressed, or else this entire scenario would've been less believable.
My favourite part was the "President's montage". Hail Satan.

Best film of its kind. This film set the blueprint for 'Boiler Room'.

Great real-life story about the creator of Jing Wu school of martial arts. Great lessons learned, especially since Jet Li is a fantastic actor. Li is a master of over 17 weapons and dozens of fighting styles, making him the appropriate choice for this role. The press had improperly stated that this would be his last film, before enjoying his retirement.

This movie should be circulated to reach everyone in the world, so each of us can understand the growing threat.
Watch this film, recommend it to everyone you know, and live cleanly as a result.

Informative and entertaining, with many exciting performances and interviews with the best of the best metal legends. Ronnie James Dio & Dee Snyder are so damn outspoken. Dio started the 'devil horns' hand sign; Snyder defended glam rock's free speech movement politically. Makes me sad to see Emo punk kids use prior generations' hand gestures.

Large cast of veteran actors, with many intense moments of sales gimmick success.
For those of us who pitch ideas for the 'close', this film will draw your sympathy.
Alec Baldwin is extremely hilarious when berating the sales team. Baldwin reminded me of Affleck's character in 'Boiler Room', but even more entertaining.

Executive producer James Cameron, archaeologists Dr James Tabor and Simcha Jacobovici went to great lengths to bring this documentary to the public, yet a worldwide system of religions refuses to give recognition to this simple fact: Jesus was A MAN (not the son of 'god') who had a family his wife Mary Magdalene. The Israeli government even displays their intent to cover up the archaeologists' findings in support of the existing myth with which the entire world is accustomed to.
As the 'Tomb of the 10 Ossuaries' was originally excavated in 1980 by an Israeli construction crew, historians and scholars were not informed that the Ossuaries belong to the decaying bodies of Jesus Christ and his family. Recently, it has been statistically and scientifically proven that the 'Talpiot Tomb' was the actual resting place of Jesus, his immediate family and closest disciples.

Whether you are religious or not, you owe it to yourself to see this History Channel documentary, which draws intense skepticism to the 'resurrection' of Jesus of Nazareth.

This documentary is director Aaron Russo's last attempt to reveal the American government's tyranny on its citizens before he succumbed to cancer in summer 2007. After watching this film, I strongly agree with his true message (following my own corroborating research) and solidly stand in favor of his cause.
Ever since 1913 (fraudulent inception of the privately-owned US Federal Reserve System) America has been governed by PRIVATE BANKERS, who now influence the White House and worldwide media organizations. The Bush, Rockefeller, Morgan, Rothschild and Clinton families (Republicans and Democrats) are visibly at the political helm of this Orwellian monster - with many private bankers still hiding in secrecy.
This film clearly displays what you weren't intended to know. I will not apologize to anyone who's offended by this film, because that shows weakness in defense of our HUMAN RIGHTS. Bush has already declared Marshall Law, after the Clinton administration got the ball rolling. I'm angry at the moment, and you will be too.

No American is legally required to file Federal Income Taxes, although the IRS unconstitutionally enforces it. Find out why:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173

Director Alex Jones' documentary reveals several declassified government intelligence reports that have exposed American, British, Israeli and German 'false flag' attacks on their own citizens.
The Nazi party burned down their own government building (Reichstagg '33) and invaded Poland in '39 using 'Operation Himmler'. Britain and the US launched 'Operation Ajax' to remove peaceful Iranian president Mossadeq once he denied Britain oil-drilling rights. US president Lynden Johnson initiated an attack on Vietnam (fake '64 battle in the 'Gulf of Tonkin') and hired Israel in the '67 destruction of the USS Liberty in order to blame and invade Egypt ('Operation Northwoods'). CIA hired bombers to destroy F455 ('76) containing Cuban gold medalists and other Olympic athletes, having issued American Visas to the bombers days before. The CIA and MI6 planned a series of '05 London train and bus explosions ('7/7'), framing and murdering innocent immigrant students. CIA and FBI are responsible in planning the 'Oklahoma City' federal building ('95) and the World Trade Center explosions ('9/11/01').
I've researched the information provided and it's all true. George W Bush is a dictator, using 'Info Wars' to convince the American public using Orwellian 'double-speak'.

Incredible plot, horrific action scenes, deep characters and a taste of dark comedy make this foreign film a must-see. It's well directed (Fukasaku) and excellently cast.
Although I'm only familiar with veteran actor Takeshi Kitano (MXC) and extremely cute Chiaki Kuriyama (Kill Bill), the other Japanese cast-members depicted a surprising range of roles. The dramatic loss of friends is heavily emotional in many scenes, very much alike the situations from 'Cloverfield'.
If you like action, gorgeous Japanese women in schoolgirl uniforms, badass stand-out characters and intelligent ultraviolence - watch this film.