The Movies on my Shelves - part 2
More titles, common and rare, mostly from 1980s and beyond. These include my Garage Classics, the DVDs I have no room for in the house. That doesn't mean I love them any less. All of these movies are currently available on DVD although a few are region 2 and one or two might be slightly illegal.
You may view part 1 of this list at http://www.imdb.com/list/edit?list_id=6aOfklNmM2g
You may view part 1 of this list at http://www.imdb.com/list/edit?list_id=6aOfklNmM2g
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- DirectorHarold RamisStarsChevy ChaseBeverly D'AngeloImogene CocaThe Griswold family's cross-country drive to the Walley World theme park proves to be much more arduous than they ever anticipated.Every family has a vacation from hell story. James Keach plays a motorcycle cop in a memorable scene concerning a dog that was left behind at a campground. Lindsay Buckingham's Holiday Road will get stuck in your head. Chevy Chase in one of his best roles.
"I don't know why they call this stuff Hamburger Helper. It does just fine by itself, huh? I like it better than tuna helper myself, don't you, Clark?"
"I think you're all f----d in the head. We're ten hours from the
f-----g fun park and you want to bail out. Well, I'll tell you something. This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun. You're gonna have fun, and I'm gonna have fun. We're all gonna have so much f-----g fun we're gonna need plastic surgery to remove our goddamn smiles! You'll be whistling 'Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah' out of your ass----s! I must be crazy! I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose. Praise Marty Moose! Holy Sh--! - DirectorStanley KubrickAnthony MannStarsKirk DouglasLaurence OlivierJean SimmonsThe slave Spartacus survives brutal training as a gladiator and leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic, as the ambitious Crassus seeks to gain power by crushing the uprising.Roman political epic penned by Dalton Trumbo and starring Kirk Douglas, which means liberals love this movie. The giant battle scene was an obvious inspiration for Mel Gibson's Braveheart, minus the CGI. The cast of thousands in Spartacus was for real. The restored edition includes additional violence as well as the famous bath scene with Laurence Olivier and Tony Curtis. Director Stanley Kubrick took over for Anthony Mann.
"My tastes include both snails and oysters."
"In every city and province, lists of the disloyal have been compiled. Tomorrow they will learn the cost of their terrible folly, their treason." - DirectorKevin ReynoldsStarsKevin CostnerJeanne TripplehornDennis HopperIn a future where the polar ice-caps have melted and Earth is almost entirely submerged, a mutated mariner fights starvation and outlaw "smokers," and reluctantly helps a woman and a young girl try to find dry land.Overlong apocalyptic drama, but nowhere near as bad as the critics would have you believe.
"Let's have an intelligent conversation here: I'll talk, and you listen." - DirectorSylvester StalloneStarsSylvester StalloneLee CanalitoArmand AssanteThree Italian-American brothers, living in the slums of 1940's New York City, try to help each other with one's wrestling career using one brother's promotional skills and another brother's con-artist tactics to thwart a sleazy manager.Stallone wrote and directed this film between the first two Rocky installments. Episodic tale of three brothers in Hell's Kitchen during the 1940s. Funny in spots.
"Do you know how many men could've been sitting on top of the world, but they let a dame tell them what to do and the only thing they ended up sitting on top of was a toilet?" - DirectorBruce MalmuthGary NelsonSylvester StalloneStarsSylvester StalloneRutger HauerBilly Dee WilliamsWhen one of Europe's most lethal terrorists shows up in New York, an elite undercover cop is assigned to take him down by any means necessary.Tough, no-nonsense police thriller in the style of Pelham 1-2-3. The violent ending scene appears to have been softened a bit as there are more bloody bullet wounds than shots fired. Keith Emerson's score is a plus and Billy Dee Williams is a winner.
"There is no security."
"Oh, for Christ's sake, DaSilva! Come off this cop on the beat mentality! Your wife left you for it! Wasn't that enough?"
"You're f-----g dead!" - DirectorJacques PerrinJacques CluzaudMichel DebatsStarsJacques PerrinPhilippe LabroDocumentary on the migratory patterns of birds, shot over the course of three years on all seven continents.Fluid photography featuring aerial shots of migrating birds in transit. Amazing.
"The story of bird migration is the story of promise - a promise to return." - DirectorJohn MiliusStarsPatrick SwayzeC. Thomas HowellLea ThompsonIt is the dawn of World War III. In the west mountains of America, a group of teenagers band together to defend their town, and their country, from invading Soviet forces.A right-wing hawk's wet dream as Russians invade the United States during the 80s and high school students fight back. First movie released with the "PG-13" rating.
"Avenge me!"
"You think you're tough for eating beans every day? There's half a million scarecrows in Denver who'd give anything for one mouthful of what you got. They've been under siege for about three months. They live on rats and sawdust bread and sometimes, on each other. At night, the pyres for the dead light up the sky. It's medieval." - DirectorDon CoscarelliStarsMarc SingerTanya RobertsRip TornA sword-and-sorcery fantasy about a young man's search for revenge. Armed with supernatural powers, the handsome hero and his animal allies wage war against marauding forces.HBO (Hey, Beastmaster's On) and TBS are the networks where this sword and sorcery tale found big audiences. The women have Marc Singer and the men can ogle Tanya Roberts. Seems like a deal to me.
"I have my eyes (the eagle), I have my cunning (the ferrets), and I have my strength (the tiger)." - DirectorPeter KuranStarsWilliam ShatnerEdward TellerW.H.P. BlandyThe history of nuclear weapons between 1945 until 1963.Unbelievable footage of nuclear explosions on land, under the sea and in the air. This film will test the limits of your sub-woofer with a great 5.1 mix. There are shots of hydrogen bombs that were detonated 50 miles high in the atmosphere.
- DirectorSara SacknerStarsJay W. JensenJosé BeharDesmond ChildClass Act points out the importance of arts education in the public school system and the dire funding shortage which it is facing. The focus of the film is Miami Beach, Florida drama teacher Jay W. Jensen. Jensen's career has spanned over 40 years and his students have included actor Andy Garcia, director Brett Ratner and songwriter Desmond Child's.See this charming documentary and save the arts in our schools. Otherwise our children really will be left behind.
- DirectorGraham BakerStarsJames CaanMandy PatinkinTerence StampIn 1988, Earth makes the first contact with an alien civilization. In 1991, these aliens, known as Newcomers, slowly begin to be integrated into human society after three years of quarantine.Mandy Patinkin as an alien cop partnered with James Caan in the Golden Gate City. Stay out of the ocean.
"You humans are very curious to us. You invite us to live among you in an atmosphere of equality that we've never known before. You give us ownership of our own lives for the first time and you ask no more of us than you do of yourselves. I hope you understand how special your world is, how unique a people you humans are. Which is why it is all the more painful and confusing to us that so few of you seem capable of living up to the ideals you set for yourselves." - DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsMichael CaineTrevor HowardHarry AndrewsIn 1940, the British Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle to prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority over the English Channel as a prelude to a possible Axis invasion of the U.K.Producer Harry Saltzman and director Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die) hit it out of the park with this historical drama of courage during World War II.
"Trusting in God and praying for radar. But the essential arithmetic is that our young men will have to shoot down their young men at the rate of four to one, if we're to keep pace at all." - DirectorSean S. CunninghamStarsGreg EviganNancy EverhardTaurean BlacqueA team of navy personnel stationed at a temporary base at the bottom of the ocean and tasked with setting up nuclear missiles discovers a huge underwater cavern which houses a giant prehistoric creature.Sean Cunningham's nasty sea creature does battle with scientists.
"Well, at least Snyder will get his name in the Guinness Book of Records. I mean, causing two nuclear explosions in one afternoon has to be some sort of record." - DirectorMartin DavidsonStarsTom BerengerMichael ParéJoe PantolianoA television newswoman picks up the story of a 1960s rock band whose long-lost leader Eddie Wilson may still be alive, while searching for the missing tapes of the band's never-released album.Great music and a bit of a rock and roll mystery with Michael Pare and Tom Berenger. One of those great little movies from the 80s that were rescued by cable television.
"We ain't great. We're just some guys from Jersey." - DirectorStewart RaffillStarsMichael ParéNancy AllenEric ChristmasA United States Navy destroyer escort participates in a Navy "invisibility" experiment that inadvertently sends two sailors forty years into the future.John Carpenter was responsible for this time travel adventure inspired by a real incident during World War II.
"We've all got problems, honey. But we don't solve 'em with guns."
"You know, I got it all figured out. Navy owes me 40 years back pay." - DirectorHarley CokelissStarsTommy Lee JonesLinda HamiltonRobert VaughnA thief, Quint, is hired by the Justice Department to steal incriminating tapes from a corrupt corporation. The tapes vanish when Quint hides them in the back of a hydrodynamic powered racing car that is stolen by a hot car ring.Tommy Lee Jones stars in this thriller about a futuristic car and stolen documents. Any movie with Jones is worth a look and Linda Hamilton is always a looker. Written by John Carpenter.
"There's the cash register. And right up there's the television camera. And there's a nice full face shot. How about a profile? Look there's a couple of ways we can do this."
"I'm just saying you gotta think these things through. You don't just come walking in to someplace, waving a gun around, and expect the world to put up with that. It's not acceptable behavior." - DirectorWolfgang PetersenStarsJürgen ProchnowHerbert GrönemeyerKlaus WennemannA German U-boat stalks the frigid waters of the North Atlantic as its young crew experience the sheer terror and claustrophobic life of a submariner in World War II.Wolfgang Petersen directs this exciting war drama set on board a German U-boat. Edited from a German television mini-series. Lengthy and worth every minute.
"Our patrol planes! Where are they? Answer that one, Herr Goering! The British have plenty of them! Talking big is all he's good for, that fat slob." - DirectorJack SholderStarsKyle MacLachlanMichael NouriClaudia ChristianA cop and an FBI agent race for answers after law abiding people suddenly become violent criminals.An alien who digs fast cars and rock music takes over humans to hide from the law. Fantastic movie.
"No one deserves to die like that. I don't care what the man's done."
"He killed 12 people, wounded 23 more, stole six cars, most of them Ferraris. Robbed eight banks, six supermarkets, four jewelry stores and a candy shop. Six of the ones he killed he carved up with a butcher knife. Two of them were kids. He did all that in two weeks." - DirectorLarry CohenStarsDavid CarradineMichael MoriartyCandy ClarkNYPD detectives Shepard and Powell are working on a bizarre case of a ritualistic Aztec murder. Meanwhile, something big is attacking people of New York and only greedy small time crook Jimmy Quinn knows where its lair is.An ancient Aztec flying serpent takes up residence in New York's Chrysler Building. Bite your head off, man.
"I am the plumed serpent. I fly, and I crawl. I have fallen, but I shall rise again!" - DirectorMichael SchultzStarsRichard PryorFranklyn AjayeSully BoyarA comedic take on the daily life of car-wash employees, chronicling their hopes, fears, joys, dreams, and tribulations, and meeting some eccentric customers along the way.A single day in the lives of employees at an inner city car wash is highlighted in this disco-era comedy. George Carlin keeps wandering into various scenes as a confused cab driver.
"Did you happen to see a big, tall, black, blonde chick here?" - DirectorBob FosseStarsRoy ScheiderJessica LangeAnn ReinkingDirector/choreographer Bob Fosse tells his own life story as he details the sordid career of Joe Gideon, a womanizing, drug-using dancer.Bob Fosse's thinly disguised autobiographical film provides insight into the mindset of a successful director-choreographer.
"F--- him, he never picks me."
"Honey, I did f--- him and he never picks me."
"I can't make you a great dancer. I don't even know if I can make you a good dancer. But, if you keep trying and don't quit, I know I can make you a better dancer." - DirectorCameron CroweStarsBilly CrudupPatrick FugitKate HudsonA high-school boy in the early 1970s is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on their concert tour.Cameron Crowe's autobiographical tale of a teenage writer following a 70s rock band on tour. Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Fairuza Balk, Anna Paquin, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and the amazing Frances McDormand.
"You wanna be a true friend to them? Be honest and unmerciful."
"If you break his spirit, harm him in any way, keep him from his chosen profession which is law - something you may not value, but I do - you will meet the voice on the other end of this telephone and it will not be pretty. Do we understand each other?" - DirectorGeorge MillerStarsMel GibsonBruce SpenceMichael PrestonIn the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community get rid of a horde of bandits.The slightly longer international version contains a few more frames of graphic violence. Mad Max returns to take on a savage gang in a futuristic battle over gasoline. One big chase.
"I am gravely disappointed. Again you have made me unleash my dogs of war."
"Oh, so that's it, you lost your family? That makes you something special, does it?" - DirectorEdward DmytrykStarsHumphrey BogartJosé FerrerVan JohnsonWhen a U.S. Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardises the ship, the first officer is urged to consider relieving him of command.Humphrey Bogart as the paranoid Commander Queeg who is relieved of his duties at sea. With Jose Ferrer, Van Johnson and Fred MacMurray playing a real cad.
"Will you look at the man? He's a Freudian delight; he crawls with clues!"
"I'm going to be frank with you two. I've read the preliminary investigation very carefully and I think that what you've done stinks."
"If you wanna do anything about it, I'll be outside. I'm a lot drunker than you are, so it'll be a fair fight." - DirectorJacques DemyStarsCatherine DeneuveNino CastelnuovoAnne VernonA young woman separated from her lover by war faces a life-altering decision.It's a love story, entirely sung in French, with music by Michel Legrand and starring Catherine Deneuve. Beautiful.
"Guy, I love you. You smell of gasoline."
"I got drafted this morning, and I'll be away for two years. We'll talk about marriage later. With the war in Algeria, it will be a long time before I can come back." - DirectorRalph NelsonStarsCandice BergenPeter StraussDonald PleasenceAfter a cavalry patrol is ambushed by the Cheyenne, the two survivors, a soldier and a woman, must reach the safety of the nearest fort.Ralph Nelson's volatile account of the U.S. Cavalry's role in the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. Stars Candice Bergen, Peter Strauss and Donald Pleasence. While not a success in the U.S., this violent film was a big hit in Europe where it was viewed as an allegory for the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. Finally released in the U.S. on DVD by Lionsgate, a Canadian-based production company.
"When I see young people today behaving like that I can't help wondering what this goddamn country's coming to."
"Raze the village! Burn this... pestilence!" - DirectorRichard DonnerStarsChristopher ReeveMargot KidderGene HackmanAn alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest superhero.Christopher Reeve was the perfect choice to play the Man of Steel. Gene Hackman and Margot Kidder are also excellent. The recent restoration looks and sounds pristine, with new footage included as well.
"Even though you've been raised as a human, you are not one of them. You have great powers, only some of which you have as yet discovered."
"Do you know why the number two hundred is so vitally descriptive to both you and me? It's your weight and my I.Q." - DirectorRichard DonnerRichard LesterStarsGene HackmanChristopher ReeveMarlon BrandoSuperman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.We finally get to see the sequel as filmed by original director Richard Donner. Not as cartoonish as Richard Lester's version.
"The closer we come to an atmosphere with only one sun, a yellow sun, the more our molecular density gives us unlimited powers."
"I win. I always win. Is there no one on this planet to even challenge me?" - DirectorJames CameronStarsSam WorthingtonZoe SaldanaSigourney WeaverA paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.A beautiful movie made spectacular in 3-D. The best new film of recent years. Score another winner for composer James Horner.
"Sky People can not learn, they do not see."
"The way I had it figured, Toruk's the baddest cat in the sky. Nothing attacks him. So why would he ever look up? That was just a theory." - DirectorAng LeeStarsChow Yun-FatMichelle YeohZiyi ZhangA young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.Mystical, fantastic, graceful and stunning all at the same time. As much as I prefer subtitles, the dubbed version keeps my attention focused on the amazing visuals.
"Your master underestimated women! I was good enough to sleep with, but not to teach. What better punishment than to die by a woman's hand?"
"Giang Hu is a world of tigers and dragons, full of corruption." - DirectorStanley KubrickStarsTom CruiseNicole KidmanTodd FieldA Manhattan doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife's admission of unfulfilled longing.The last film from Stanley Kubrick has Tom Cruise feeling the need to cheat on Nicole Kidman. Is he nuts? Unrated edition eliminates the digital masking of the more explicit scenes.
"Remove your clothes. Or would you like us to do it for you?"
"I have seen one or two things in my life but never, never anything like this." - DirectorStanley KubrickStarsRyan O'NealMarisa BerensonPatrick MageeAn Irish rogue wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's aristocratic position in 18th-century England.Stanley Kubrick's tale of an 18th-century rogue who wins over an aristocrat's wife and moves up in society. The interior scenes were lit and photographed entirely by candlelight, which won cinematographer John Alcott an Oscar.
"A lady who sets her heart upon a lad in uniform must prepare to change lovers pretty quickly, or her life will be but a sad one."
"I'm not sorry. And I'll not apologize. And I'd as soon go to Dublin as to hell." - DirectorStanley KubrickStarsJack NicholsonShelley DuvallDanny LloydA family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.Jack Nicholson tries to write the great American novel while dealing with paranormal activities at the Overlook Hotel. Stanley Kubrick's film was tailor made for the steadicam.
"I feel you will have to deal with this matter in the harshest possible way, Mr. Torrance."
"I can remember when I was a little boy. My grandmother and I could hold conversations entirely without ever opening our mouths." - DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsAl PacinoMichelle PfeifferSteven BauerIn 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.Intentionally over the top gangster film with Al Pacino recreating the old Paul Muni role. As with all Brian DePalma films, Scarface is visually exciting with elegant aerial shots, tightly choreographed violence and tremendous use of color. Much like Hitchcock's Psycho, the shower scene in this film is horrific, but not as graphic as you first believe.
"I kill a communist for fun, but for a green card, I gonna carve him up real nice."
"In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women." - DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsWilliam H. MacyFrances McDormandSteve BuscemiMinnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.Minnesota nice as the Coen Brothers return to their home turf for this violent comic crime masterpiece. Carter Burwell's score is outstanding.
"We've been sitting here an hour. He's peed three times already."
"I'm not sure I agree with you a hundred percent on your police work, there, Lou."
"And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper." - DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJeff BridgesJohn GoodmanJulianne MooreJeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi in the Coens' slacker classic. Contains some of the funniest and most profane dialogue ever written. Sam Eliott narrates with his usual relaxed Texas drawl and that rug just ties the room together.
"You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me."
"This is a very complicated case, Maude. You know, a lotta ins, a lotta outs, a lotta what-have-yous. And, uh, a lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder's head. Fortunately, I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, uh, limber." - DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsGeorge ClooneyJohn TurturroTim Blake NelsonIn the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.A Depression-era musical inspired by Homer's Odyssey that has the Coen Brothers' usual flair for creative dialogue. Best musical selections include Alison Krauss and the chorus on Down to the River to Pray and the Soggy Bottom Boys with I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow. Funny and offbeat.
"Pete, it's a fool that looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart."
"Well, ain't this place a geographical oddity. Two weeks from everywhere!" - DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsTommy Lee JonesJavier BardemJosh BrolinViolence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.Drug money is found on the Texas prairie and the chase is on. Best Picture for the Coen Brothers and it is well-deserved. Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald and the totally evil Javier Bardem. Garret Dillahunt, who plays Burt on Raising Hope, has a small role as the hapless Deputy Wendall.
A highlight is the tense scene between hitman Bardem and a gas station owner, played by Gene Jones, whose fate is decided by a coin flip.
In more than one film, the Coens are the only directors who understand that a gun fired at a distance would be seen before it was heard.
"Whatcha got ain't nothin new. This country's hard on people, you can't stop what's coming, it ain't all waiting on you. That's vanity."
"I'm fixin' to do something dumber than hell, but I'm going anyways." - DirectorNorman JewisonStarsCherNicolas CageOlympia DukakisLoretta Castorini, a bookkeeper from Brooklyn, New York, finds herself in a difficult situation when she falls for the brother of the man she has agreed to marry.Cher is amazing in this comedy about family, marriage and opera. Too many memorable lines to recall.
"There are three kinds of pipe. There's this, which is garbage. There's bronze, which is pretty good, unless something goes wrong. And something always goes wrong. Then, there's copper, which is the only pipe I use."
"Old man, you give those dogs another piece of my food and I'm gonna kick you 'til you're dead!" - DirectorHerbert RossStarsShirley MacLaineOlympia DukakisSally FieldA young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship, and welcome her into the fold.Terrific ensemble movie that is three parts comedy and one part heart wrenching drama. Wonderful score by Georges Delerue and beautiful location photography in Natchitoches, LA. Very quotable and not for women only.
"Oh, I'd rather eat dirt."
"I do not see plays, because I can nap at home for free. And I don't see movies 'cause they're trash, and they got nothin' but naked people in 'em! And I don't read books, 'cause if they're any good, they're gonna make 'em into a miniseries."
"Oh, Sammy's so confused he don't know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt."
"I find it amusing. Men are supposed to be made out of steel or something." - DirectorSydney PollackStarsRobert RedfordWill GeerDelle BoltonA mountain man who wishes to live the life of a hermit becomes the unwilling object of a long vendetta by the Crow tribe and proves to be a match for their warriors in single combat on the early frontier.Robert Redford finds Hatchet Jack's rifle and survives in the Rocky Mountains during the late 19th century. Beautiful cinematography.
"Just where is it I could find bear, beaver, and other critters worth cash money when skinned?"
"Ride due west as the sun sets. Turn left at the Rocky Mountains." - DirectorPeter YatesStarsRobert MitchumPeter BoyleRichard JordanAfter his last crime has him looking at a long prison sentence for repeat offenses, a low level Boston gangster decides to snitch on his friends to avoid jail time.Peter Yates' 70s crime drama starring Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle. Almost verite in style as it examines the low end of the Boston underworld.
"Look, I'm gettin' old, you hear? I spent most of my life hanging around crummy joints with a buncha punks drinkin' the beer, eatin' the hash and the hot dogs and watchin' the other people go off to Florida while I'm sweatin' out how I'm gonna pay the plumber. I done time and I stood up, but I can't take no more chances. Next time, it's gonna be me goin' to Florida." - DirectorJerry SchatzbergStarsGene HackmanAl PacinoDorothy TristanAn ex-con drifter with a penchant for brawling is amused by a homeless ex-sailor, so they partner up as they head east together.Another of those great character studies from the early 70s as Al Pacino and Gene Hackman travel cross country while planning to start their own business.
"That's right, the crows are laughin'. Look, the farmer puts out a scarecrow, right, with a funny hat on it, got a funny face. The crows fly by, they see that, it strikes 'em funny, makes 'em laugh." - DirectorByron HaskinStarsPaul ManteeVictor LundinAdam WestStranded on Mars with only a monkey as a companion, an astronaut must figure out how to find oxygen, water, and food on the lifeless planet.Byron Haskin's realistic account of the first manned mission to Mars. A crash landing forces an American astronaut to rely on his survival skills. Paul Mantee, Victor Lundin and Adam West star along with Mona the Woolly Monkey. The alien spacecraft tracking Lundin look like recycled Martian machines from Haskin's version of War of the Worlds.
"Friday, you're gonna learn English if I have to sit on your chest for two months."
"Mr. Echo, go to hell." - DirectorGeorge LucasStarsRichard DreyfussRon HowardPaul Le MatA group of teenagers in California's central valley spend one final night after their 1962 high school graduation cruising the strip with their buddies before they pursue their varying goals.This ensemble cast is a collection of future stars as George Lucas recalls his youth in small town California. Francis Ford Coppola produced this movie and saved it from being re-edited by Universal as the studio was convinced they had a dud.
"Hey, you know a guy around here with a piss yellow deuce coupe, supposed to be hot stuff?"
"Well, get in and I'll let you feel it. I mean, you know, you can touch it. Uh, I'll let you feel the upholstery." - DirectorChristophe BarratierStarsGérard JugnotFrançois BerléandJean-Baptiste MaunierPierre, a successful orchestra conductor, returns home when his mother dies. He stumbles upon an old diary and recollects the childhood school memories and his music teacher Clement Mathieu.Touching story of a failed musician who teaches at a boys school in postwar France. You will get hooked and this movie will make you cry.
"I'm waiting for Saturday. My father is coming to collect me." - DirectorGeorge SeatonHenry HathawayStarsBurt LancasterDean MartinGeorge KennedyA bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.Dean Martin is a jerk, but he somehow lands a crippled plane in the first of the 70s disaster flicks. George Kennedy clears the snowy runway and Burt Lancaster plays the put-upon airport manager. Watch for a priest who makes the sign of the cross and slaps an obnoxious passenger.
"Chicago Supervisor listen carefully! Any approach is no damn good if it lands on runway 2-2. We need 2-niner. We've got an unservicable stabilizer trim. Doubtful rudder control and structural damage. If we're brought in on 2-2 there'll be a broken airplane and a lot of dead people. So you call Lincoln, mister, and turn the screws and tell that Lincoln airport manager to get off his penguin butt and clear that runway!" - DirectorJack SmightStarsCharlton HestonKaren BlackGeorge KennedyA 747 in flight collides with a small plane, and is rendered pilotless. Somehow the control tower must get a pilot aboard so the jet can land.It's fun to watch these plane-in-peril movies to see what scenes got skewered in the comedy Airplane.
"Well, the first stewardess is at the controls, but she... she's in constant touch with the tower." - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKaren AllenPaul FreemanIn 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.A return to the adventure serials of the 30s and 40s with the advantage of 80s production values. Snakes.
"Professor of archeology, expert on the occult, and how does one say it? Obtainer of rare antiquities."
"Oh, my friend! I am so pleased you're not dead!" - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKate CapshawKe Huy QuanIn 1935, Indiana Jones is tasked by Indian villagers with reclaiming a rock stolen from them by a secret cult beneath the catacombs of an ancient palace.A violent prequel that was responsible for the later creation of the "PG-13" rating. Bugs.
"Those aren't big birds, sweetheart! They're giant vampire bats!"
"'I'm going home to Missouri where they never feed you snakes before ripping your heart out and lowering you into hot pits!" - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordSean ConneryAlison DoodyIn 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers.Maybe the greatest of the four Indiana Jones epics as father knows best. Rats.
"But choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you."
"He chose poorly." - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordCate BlanchettShia LaBeoufIndiana Jones becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.A little too dependent on CGI, but still fun. Like father, like son. Ants.
"I barely recognize this country anymore. The government's got us seeing Communists in our soup."
"You still leaving a trail of human wreckage, or have you retired?" - DirectorRichard DonnerStarsSean AstinJosh BrolinJeff CohenA group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure.Another dream cast from the future in a great Richard Donner film. Chunk rules!
"In third grade, I cheated on my history exam. In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew School play. In fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog. When my mom sent me to the summer camp for fat kids and then they served lunch, I got nuts and I pigged out and they kicked me out.
But the worst thing I ever done - I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa. And then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life." - DirectorJoe DanteStarsZach GalliganPhoebe CatesHoyt AxtonA young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.Director Joe Dante is such a fan of movies. Watch for the scene with Hoyt Axton calling home from an inventors' convention. Steven Speilberg is driving around in a motorized wheel chair, composer Jerry Goldsmith is on the phone and George Pal's time machine is in the background.
In another scene Warner Brothers' animator Chuck Jones visits with Billy (Zach Galligan) in a neighborhood tavern.
Along with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the level of violence in Gremlins led to the later creation of the "PG-13" rating.
"Tell me something, Billy. How come a cute little guy like this can turn into a thousand ugly monsters?"
"Y'know, they're still shipping them over here. They put them in cars, they put them in your t.v. They put them in stereos and those little radios you stick in your ears. They even put them in watches. They have teeny gremlins for our watches!" - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHenry ThomasDrew BarrymorePeter CoyoteA troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.Steven Spielberg's second friendly alien movie is a charmer. Where were you when you saw it for the first time?
"You could be happy here, I could take care of you. I wouldn't let anybody hurt you. We could grow up together, E.T."
"I don't think he was left here intentionally, but his being here is a miracle, Elliot. It's a miracle and you did the best that anybody could do. I'm glad he met you first." - DirectorTobe HooperStarsJoBeth WilliamsHeather O'RourkeCraig T. NelsonA family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.Steven Spielberg had Tobe Hooper helm this terrific ghost story
released during the summer of E.T. Back in the good old days when mechanical and miniature special effects were a true art form.
"It lies to her. It tells her things only a child can understand. It's been using her to restrain the others. To her, it simply is another child. To us, it is The Beast."
"It knows what scares you. It has from the very beginning. Don't give it any help, it knows too much already." - DirectorDavid AnspaughStarsSean AstinJon FavreauNed BeattyRudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame.If this movie doesn't tug at your heart, you're already dead. Sean Astin is incredibly sincere and even Protestants will cheer for Notre Dame.
"Well, you know what my dad always says, having dreams is what makes life tolerable."
"Son, in 35 years of religious study, I have only come up with two hard incontrovertible facts: there is a God, and I'm not Him."
"You were born to wear that jacket." - DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJames WoodsDebbie HarrySonja SmitsA programmer at a Toronto TV station that specializes in adult entertainment searches for the producers of a dangerous and bizarre broadcast.The unrated edition is a disturbing and surreal tale of the mind controlling powers of mass media.
"The battle for the mind of North America will be fought in the video arena, the Videodrome. The television screen is the retina of the mind's eye. Therefore, the television screen is part of the physical structure of the brain. Therefore, whatever appears on the television screen emerges as raw experience for those who watch it. Therefore, television is reality, and reality is less than television." - DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellWilford BrimleyKeith DavidA research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.Slimy yet satisfying remake of the 1951 classic that plays up the paranoia between Antarctica scientists who are menaced by an alien. The shape shifting make-up effects are by Rob Bottin, a master of his craft.
"I don't know what the hell's in there, but it's weird and pissed off, whatever it is."
"I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of the winter tied to this
f---ing couch!"
"Chariots of the Gods, man. They practically own South America. I mean, they taught the Incas everything they know." - DirectorJohn LandisStarsDavid NaughtonJenny AgutterJoe BelcherTwo American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.The first Academy Award for make-up effects went to Rick Baker for this horror film. John Landis skillfully blends humor with mayhem.
"A naked American man stole my balloons."
"The undead surround me. Have you ever talked to a corpse? It's boring. I'm lonely! Kill yourself, David, before you kill others."
"The wolf's bloodline must be severed. The last remaining werewolf must be destroyed. It's you, David." - DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenOrlando BloomA meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.Three fantastically epic films, but The Fellowship is my favorite as it introduces all these great characters. Howard Shore's score is the best.
"You carry the fate of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done." - DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenViggo MortensenWhile Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.The trilogy continues with Peter Jackson's immense film. He's come a long way since Dead Alive.
"We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious. They stole it from us. Sneaky little hobbitses. Wicked, tricksy, false!" - DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodViggo MortensenIan McKellenGandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.Concludes the trilogy, but it just keeps ending and ending. Still, a classic and deserving of the Oscar.
"I don't think there will be a return journey, Mr. Frodo." - DirectorJohn SturgesStarsYul BrynnerSteve McQueenCharles BronsonSeven gunfighters are hired by Mexican peasants to liberate their village from oppressive bandits.Fantastic western with a legendary cast. John Sturgis (Bad Day at Black Rock, The Great Escape, The Satan Bug) was an underappreciated director. Elmer Bernstein's rousing theme was used for Marlboro television commercials back in the good old days.
"They are all farmers. Farmers talk of nothing but fertilizer and women. I've never shared their enthusiasm for fertilizer. As for women, I became indifferent when I was eighty-three."
"Oh, the grave is dug and the defunct there is as ready as the embalmers ought to make him. But there'll be no funeral."
"Don't you ever say that again about your fathers, because they are not cowards. You think I am brave because I carry a gun; well, your fathers are much braver because they carry responsibility, for you, your brothers, your sisters, and your mothers." - DirectorHoward HawksStarsJohn WayneDean MartinRicky NelsonA small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.Maybe John Wayne's best western. Ricky Nelson was a class act.
"Sorry don't get it done, Dude. That's the second time you hit me. Don't ever do it again."
"Man gets shot that's got a gun, there's room for reasonable doubt. Man gets shot that hasn't got a gun, what would you call it? But, you knew that already otherwise you wouldn't have set things up the way you did."
"I don't like a lot of things. I don't like your men sitting on the road bottling up this town. I don't like your men watching us, trying to catch us with our backs turned. And I don't like it when a friend of mine offers to help and twenty minutes later he's dead! And I don't like you, Burdette, because you set it up. - DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneJeffrey HunterVera MilesAn American Civil War veteran embarks on a years-long journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches after the rest of his brother's family is massacred in a raid on their Texas farm.Serious western where John Wayne dared to play a flawed character. Monument Valley has never looked better in all its VistaVision glory.
"What you saw was a buck wearing Lucy's dress. I found Lucy back in the canyon. Wrapped her in my coat, buried her with my own hands. I thought it best to keep it from you."
"Our turnin' back don't mean nothin', not in the long run. She's alive, she's safe... for a while. They'll keep her to raise her as one of their own till, until she's of an age to... " - DirectorRichard BrooksStarsBurt LancasterLee MarvinRobert RyanAn arrogant Texas millionaire hires four adventurers to rescue his kidnapped wife from a notorious Mexican bandit.Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Jack Palance, Woody Strode and Claudia Cardinale in Richard Brooks' hard-boiled western.
"Nothing's harmless in this desert unless it's dead."
"Maybe there's only one revolution, since the beginning, the good guys against the bad guys. Question is, who are the good guys?" - DirectorHenry HathawayStarsJohn WayneDean MartinMartha HyerRanch owner Katie Elder's four sons determine to avenge the murder of their father and the swindling of their mother.An energetic theme by Elmer Bernstein introduces the Duke and his three brothers as they discover the truth behind the murder of their father.
"I'm going with you. I can draw pretty fast. We can be famous like the Dalton Brothers."
"They're famous, but they're just a little bit dead. They were hung."
"I don't want to be rich and respectable. I want to be just like the rest of you." - DirectorRon HowardStarsTom HanksBill PaxtonKevin BaconNASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.Even though the ending is a given, the tension Ron Howard creates is astounding. Great acting and immense attention to historical detail make this a must-see.
"This could be the worst disaster NASA's ever faced."
"With all due respect, sir, I believe this is going to be our finest hour."
"We've never lost an American in space, we're sure as hell not going to lose one on my watch! Failure is not an option." - DirectorMichael AndersonJohn FarrowStarsDavid NivenCantinflasFinlay CurrieA Victorian Englishman bets that with the new steamships and railways he can circumnavigate the globe in eighty days.Kind of thin on plot, this Best Picture winner feels like a travelogue in sections. The photography, music and cameos make it worth your time, especially on a large screen. Along with Oklahoma! this was filmed and presented in Todd-AO at 30 frames per second. Spectacular.
"Mr. Fogg, why must you be so... so British?"
"One thousand pounds for an elephant? It's outrageous! You've been diddled." - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.The classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller presented in glorious black and white. Every frame is the result of a master director planning his shots in advance.
"I won't have you bringing some young girl in for supper. By candlelight, I suppose, in the cheap, erotic fashion of young men with cheap, erotic minds!"
"I think I must have one of those faces you can't help believing."
"It's not like my mother is a maniac or a raving thing. She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?" - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsRod TaylorTippi HedrenJessica TandyA wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people.Eerie thriller as hostile birds invade Bodega Bay and Tippi Hendren. Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film features excellent special effects and process photography. Watch for the scene where Jessica Tandy discovers the body of a neighboring farmer. Three quick edits that close in on the victim's face. Shocking.
"Why are they doing this? They said when you got here, the whole thing started. Who are you? What are you? Where did you come from? I think you're the cause of all this. I think you're evil!"
"Look at the gas, that man's lighting a cigar."
"I have never known birds of different species to flock together. The very concept is unimaginable. Why, if that happened, we wouldn't stand a chance. How could we possibly hope to fight them?" - DirectorGeorge ClooneyStarsDavid StrathairnGeorge ClooneyPatricia ClarksonBroadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow looks to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy.Black and white photography adds to the 50s feel of this story of conflict between Edmward R. Morrow and Senator Joe McCarthy. It was dangerous to question the government in the early 50s as well as when this film was released.
"No one familiar with the history of his country can deny that congressional committees are useful. It is necessary to investigate before legislating. But the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one, and the Junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly." - DirectorNorman JewisonStarsCarl ReinerEva Marie SaintAlan ArkinWithout hostile intent, a Soviet submarine runs aground off New England. Men are sent for a boat, but many villagers go into a tizzy, risking bloodshed.Norman Jewison's funny film pits bumbling Russians against bumbling Americans during the Cold War. Great message promoting tolerance and trust. Music by Johnny (M*A*S*H) Mandel. This movie actually played in the Soviet Union during the late 60s.
"We must have boat. Even now may be too late. This is your island, I make your responsibility you help us get boat quickly. Otherwise there is World War III, and everybody is blaming you!"
"Maybe we're scared. I am anyway. But maybe we're not as scared as you think. Now, you say you're going to blow up the town. Well, I say alright. You go ahead, and you see what happens."
"Emergency! Everybody to get from street." - DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsJack BlackMike WhiteJoan CusackAfter being kicked out of his rock band, Dewey Finn becomes a substitute teacher of an uptight elementary private school, only to try and turn his class into a rock band.Slacker teacher story with a heart of gold. Any movie with a music educator as the central character gets my attention.
"I have been touched by your kids. And I'm pretty sure that I've touched them."
"Its gonna be a really tough project. You're gonna have to use your head, your brain and your mind too." - DirectorOrson WellesStarsCharlton HestonOrson WellesJanet LeighA stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping and police corruption in a Mexican border town.Restored version presents the long tracking shot at the beginning without the distraction of the credits. Great noir thriller by Orson Welles.
"Listen, I'm no cop now. I'm a husband! What did you do with her? Where's my wife? My wife!"
"This isn't the real Mexico. You know that. All border towns bring out the worst in a country." - DirectorKen RussellStarsRoger DaltreyAnn-MargretOliver ReedA psychosomatically blind, deaf, and mute boy becomes a master pinball player and, subsequently, the figurehead of a cult.Ken Russell was the perfect choice to helm this version of Pete Townsend's edgy rock opera. Eric Clapton, Elton John, Jack Nicholson, Tina Turner, the Who and, in a brief cameo, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown (Fire).
"He seems to be completely unreceptive. The tests I gave him showed no sense at all. His eyes react to light; the dials detect it. He hears but cannot answer to your call." - DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael J. FoxChristopher LloydLea ThompsonMarty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.One of the best marriages between a character and an actor with Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly. Hard to believe it was originally Eric Stoltz. The time-space continuum references are mind boggling.
"Last night Darth Vader came down from planet Vulcan and told me if I didn't take Lorraine to the dance he'd melt my brain."
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're gonna see some serious sh--."
"Wait a minute, Doc, are you trying to tell me that my mother has the hots for me?" - DirectorRichard FleischerStarsStephen BoydRaquel WelchEdmond O'BrienWhen a blood clot renders a scientist comatose, a submarine and its crew are shrunk and injected into his bloodstream in order to save him.Richard Fleischer's fantastic sci-fi film with visual effects by Fox's in-house master, L.B. Abbott.
"The medieval philosophers were right. Man is the center of the universe. We stand in the middle of infinity between outer and inner space, and there's no limit to either."
"We're going to see things no one has ever seen before. Just think about it."
"That's the trouble. I am." - DirectorRidley ScottStarsHarrison FordRutger HauerSean YoungA blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.There are several versions of this sci-fi stunner with the latest edit by Ridley Scott being the best. It does not need the Harrison Ford narration or the bright, cheery ending. Replicants do gain your sympathy, even if they're not human.
"I need ya, Decks. This is a bad one, the worst yet. I need the old blade runner, I need your magic."
"Replicants are like any other machine. They're either a benefit or a hazard. If they're a benefit, it's not my problem."
"Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave." - DirectorJohn BoormanStarsJon VoightBurt ReynoldsNed BeattyIntent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's dammed and turned into a lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a canoeing trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.This is the best performance of Burt Reynolds' entire underrated career as city dwellers deal with backwoodsmen in Georgia. Culture clash as the urbanites are the invaders. Co-stars Jon Voight, Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty and Bill McKinney as the Mountain Man. Creepy.
"We killed a man, Drew. Shot him in the back. A mountain man. A cracker."
"Don't ever do nothin' like this again. Don't come back up here."
"You gonna do some prayin' for me, boy. And you better pray good." - DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellLee Van CleefErnest BorgnineIn 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in to rescue him.John Carpenter, Kurt Russell and a futuristic Manhattan as a federal prison. A perfect storm. The only scene actually filmed in New York was at the base of the Statue of Liberty. Otherwise East St. Louis stood in as the city-sized penitentiary. Also stars Donald Pleasence, Ernest Borgninie, Lee Van Cleef, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrianne Barbeau, Issac Hayes, Season Hubley and Tom Atkins.
"You touch me, he dies. If you're not in the air in thirty seconds, he dies. You come back in, he dies."
"Listen to me, Hauk. The President is dead, you got that? Somebody's had him for dinner."
"You can't meet the Duke! Are you crazy? Nobody gets to meet the Duke. You meet him once and then you're dead!" - DirectorPhil Alden RobinsonStarsKevin CostnerJames Earl JonesRay LiottaIowa farmer Ray Kinsella is inspired by a voice he can't ignore to pursue a dream he can hardly believe. Supported by his wife, Ray begins the quest by turning his ordinary cornfield into a place where dreams can come true.President George H.W. Bush famously said he "didn't get it" after watching this baseball movie. It is about dreams, past and present, as well as faith. Charming.
"There's a man out there on your lawn."
"This field, this game; it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and could be again."
"This is my most special place in all the world, Ray. Once a place touches you like this, the wind nevers blows so cold again. You feel for it, like it was your child." - DirectorIvan ReitmanStarsBill MurrayDan AykroydSigourney WeaverThree parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.Bill Murray's funniest collection of droll one-liners highlights this comic spooktacular.
"So, she's a dog."
"We've been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft's okay! He's a sailor, he's in New York; we get this guy laid, we won't have any trouble."
"You've never been out of college! You don't know what it's like out there! I've worked in the private sector. They expect results." - DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroRay LiottaJoe PesciThe story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.The gangster's guidebook as directed by Martin Scorsese. Best scene is the track shot through the bar as narrator Ray Liota introduces all the wiseguys.
"I'm gonna go get the papers, get the papers."
"You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it's me, I'm a little f----d up maybe, but I'm funny how? I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you, I make you laugh, I'm here to f-----g amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?
"By the way, I took care of that thing for ya."
"When they found Carbone in the meat truck, he was frozen so stiff it took them three days to thaw him out for the autopsy." - DirectorMike NicholsStarsDustin HoffmanAnne BancroftKatharine RossA disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.The editing during the seduction scene is amazing. So much information conveyed in such a short amount of time as Dustin Hoffman tries not to look at Anne Bancroft.
"Are you here for an affair, sir?"
"Mrs. Robinson, if you don't mind my saying so, this conversation is getting a little strange." - DirectorOliver StoneStarsKevin CostnerGary OldmanJack LemmonNew Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.Okay, so maybe it's a little out there with the conspiracy theories. But just suppose some of this is true. The story goes that while Bill Clinton was in office he asked the C.I.A. who shot JFK and what really happened at Roswell. Now we need the definitive UFO movie from Oliver Stone.
"Remember, fundamentally, people are suckers for the truth, and the truth is on your side, Bubba. I just hope you get a break."
"Why was Kennedy killed? Who benefited? Who has the power to cover it up?"
"Once you conclude the magic bullet could not create all seven of those wounds, you'd have to conclude that there was a fourth shot and a second rifle. And if there was a second rifleman, then by definition, there had to be a conspiracy."
"It's a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma!" - DirectorOliver StoneStarsCharlie SheenTom BerengerWillem DafoeChris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict.A young Charlie Sheen experiences the horror of Vietnam in Oliver Stone's Best Picture winner. Intense doesn't begin to describe this movie.
"I'm glad I ain't going with them. Somewhere out there is the beast and he's hungry tonight."
"The village, which had stood for maybe 1,000 years, didn't know we were coming that day. If they had, they would have run. Barnes was at the eye of our rage. And through him, our Captain Ahab. He would set things right again. That day, we loved him." - DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsWilliam PetersenWillem DafoeJane LeevesA fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.L.A. cops William Peterson and John Pankow pursue avant-grade artist and counterfeiter Willem DeFoe. Another great car chase from director William Friedkin.
"I can't hand out my partner. I can't do it, even if I have to go to the joint." - DirectorBarry SonnenfeldStarsTommy Lee JonesWill SmithLinda FiorentinoJames, an NYC cop, is hired by Agent K of a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Together, they must recover an item that has been stolen by an intergalactic villain.Funny aliens along with Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. The CGI effects are spectacular while at the same time not overwhelming.
"It just be raining black people in New York!"
"All right, kid, here's the deal. At any given time there are approximately 1500 aliens on the planet, most of them right here in Manhattan. And most of them are decent enough, they're just trying to make a living."
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it."
"We're not hosting an intergalactic kegger down here." - DirectorPhilip KaufmanStarsSam ShepardScott GlennEd HarrisThe U.S. space program's development from the breaking of the sound barrier to selection of the Mercury 7 astronauts, from a group of test pilots with a more seat-of-the-pants approach than the program's more cautious engineers preferred.Interersting interpretations of the personalities of the Mercury 7 astronauts. Although a bit over the top and cartoon-like, it is a great film about an exciting time in the United States.
"I tell you, we got two categories of pilots around here. We got your prime pilots that get all the hot planes, and we got your pud-knockers who dream about getting the hot planes. Now what are you two pud-knockers gonna have?"
"I'm a fearless man, but I'm scared to death of you."
"Dear Lord, please don't let me f--- up." - DirectorPaul BartelStarsDavid CarradineSylvester StalloneSimone GriffethIn a dystopian future, a cross country automobile race requires contestants to run down innocent pedestrians to gain points that are tallied based on each kill's brutality.Great cleavage in this movie. A classic Roger Corman drive-in flick with motorists mowing down pedestrians for points in a cross country race. The story goes that Sylvester Stallone would not appear nude in one scene. This only a few years after his infamous Party at Stud and Kitty's skin flick?
"To recap those revisions: women are still worth 10 points more than men in all age brackets, but teenagers now rack up 40 points, and toddlers under 12 now rate a big 70 points. The big score: anyone, any sex, over 75 years old has been upped to 100 points." - DirectorJimmy T. MurakamiRoger CormanStarsGeorge PeppardRobert VaughnRichard ThomasA farm boy recruits a band of outlaws to save the planet Akir from forces that threaten to wipe them out from the face of the universe. A battle stretching beyond the stars begins here.A Roger Corman Star Wars ripoff that has one of the first scores by James Horner. A fun movie.
"Remember Bilko? He disobeyed orders, and now Lord Sador's wearing his foot!" - DirectorPeter H. HuntStarsWilliam DanielsHoward Da SilvaKen HowardA musical retelling of the American Revolution's political struggle in the Continental Congress to declare independence.Peter Stone's script and Sherman Edward's songs. A great historical piece that presents the founding fathers as real people. Director Peter H. Hunt transferred the Broadway cast to Hollywood for this funny and dramatic film. The restored DVD includes the song Cool, Cool Considerate Men, cut from the movie by producer Jack L. Warner at the request of the Nixon White House.
"What's so terrible about being called an Englishman? The English don't seem to mind."
"Nor would I, were I given the full rights of an Englishman. But to call me one without those rights is like calling an ox a bull. He's thankful for the honor, but he'd much rather have restored what's rightfully his."
"I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace, that two are a law firm and that three or more become a Congress!"
"You are without a doubt a rogue, a rascal, a villain, a thief, a scoundrel and a mean, dirty, stinking, sniveling, sneaking, pimping, pocket-picking, thrice double-damned no good son of a bitch." - DirectorRobert WiseStarsSteve McQueenRichard AttenboroughRichard CrennaIn 1926, a U.S. Naval engineer gets assigned to a gunboat on a rescue mission in war-torn China.Robert Wise directs this fantastic historical epic starring Steve McQueen and set in 1920s China. Location photography is a plus. Chris Nashawaty at Entertainment Weekly recently called this film "creaky." Kids these days.
"Pray for an early spring, or permission to open fire."
"Hello, Engine; I'm Jake Holman."
"I was home. What happened? What the hell happened?" - DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTim RobbinsMorgan FreemanBob GuntonOver the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.Another film given a second life on cable and home video. Stephen King's short story receives a haunting treatment by Frank Darabont. Depressing yet inspiring.
"I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord; your ass belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank."
"Son, six wardens have been through here in my tenure, and I've learned one immutable, universal truth: Not one of them born whose assh--- wouldn't pucker up tighter than a snare drum when you ask them for funds." - DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsMel GibsonJoaquin PhoenixRory CulkinA widowed former reverend living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more frightening to come.The best kind of alien invasion story. Dark, understated and isolated. One particularly eerie scene has Army recruiter SFC Cunningham (Ted Sutton) describing the visitors' use of probing as a military tactic. Another involves news coverage of UFOs hovering over Mexico City. Several seemingly unrelated events all converge in the final reel. James Newton Howard provided the incredible musical score.
"I've had two separate folk tell me that there have been strangers around. Can't tell what they look like, because they're staying in the shadows, covert-like. Nobody's been hurt yet, and that's the giveaway."
"It's called probing. It's a military procedure. You send in a reconnaissance group, very small, to check things out. Not to engage, but to evaluate the situation, evaluate the level of danger. Make sure things are all clear."
"Clear for what?"
"For the rest of them." - DirectorBilly WilderStarsMarilyn MonroeTony CurtisJack LemmonAfter two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.Well, nobody's perfect, but this cross-dressing comedy is about as close as anyone can be. Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Joe E. Brown, Pat O' Brien and George Raft. Then there's Marilyn Monroe who is just right. Sigh.
"Real diamonds! They must be worth their weight in gold!"
"Jerry, boy, why do you have to paint everything so black? Suppose you got hit by a truck. Suppose the stock market crashes. Suppose Mary Pickford divorces Douglas Fairbanks. Suppose the Dodgers leave Brooklyn!" - DirectorSam RaimiStarsTobey MaguireKirsten DunstWillem DafoeAfter being bitten by a genetically-modified spider, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities that he uses to fight injustice as a masked superhero and face a vengeful enemy.The best of the three installments has Spidey discovering his powers. Cliff Robertson is a great Uncle Ben.
"No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, the ones I love will always be the ones who pay." - DirectorGeorge LucasStarsRobert DuvallDonald PleasenceDon Pedro ColleyIn the 25th century, a time when people have designations instead of names, a man, THX 1138, and a woman, LUH 3417, rebel against their rigidly controlled society.Stark, gloomy version of the future where humans are reduced to worker drones. Reminiscent of Fritz Lang's Metropolis, and totally
unlike any other George Lucas film. The Special Edition adds some terrific cityscapes which foreshadowed the alterations Lucas would make to his original Star Wars trilogy.
"Everything will be all right; we are here to help you. Stay calm. We are not going to harm you. Everything will be all right."
"I think I ran over a wookie back there on the expressway."