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Reviews
The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
Feeeeeeeed Meeeeee
This was a great plot it is unbelievably original. This was a goofy, strange, and overall odd film. For a low budget B- film it was very well done. I saw a play version of this when i was younger and though i really enjoyed the play this version a little better. The classic black and white color made it plain but the lighting, was simple and great throughout. There were a few flaws that i saw. In a couple scenes one of the characters faces is blocked by a piece of furniture or a railing. In my opinion it just looked bad. But, for a story about a young murderer whom is always on the wrong side of an accident, the goofy approach fits perfectly. It eases the seriousness of the crimes and plays right into the idea of a blood thirsty, man eating plant. the movie is constantly funny and exciting with the most outrageous characters.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Yee hah
By far one of the best westerns I every seen. Shot in Colorado and Utah there is great on locations shots. The cinematography was excellent. Paul Newman and Robert Redford were excellent actors and there dialogues were great especially in the end. There were many different camera angles shot in this film. The shot of the special army coming out of the train was great how they were Ble to make the scene. As a new Hollywood era film the bad buys were highlighted and though they die in the end they are cavorts throughout. Special effects and sound were outstanding throughout the movie I even think I went partially deaf when they blew up the train.
Jane Eyre (1943)
Boringggg
This movie bored me and I dozed off several times and had to rewind it just see the whole thing in it's entirety. A boring plot and drama that didn't was dull I hated this movie the most out of all that I saw this semester. There is some good lighting though in the movie but it's very very dark overall. The cinematography was plain and uneventful. The sound was OK the screams from the upper tower were good but besides that there were no other great examples of it. There were long takes that seemed to take forever. The castle reminds me of the old Frankenstein and invisible man setting. There isn't much to say as I couldn't enjoy watching anything worth enjoying.
Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
Classic film noir
I enjoyed this movie classic film noir movie. I was unaware what the movie was about when i started to watch. I was into the movie once i found out it was police scandal. It caught me off guard when Det. Dixon went to question Kenneth Paine about the murder of Mr. Morrison and when he hit Paine, Paine drops dead. From then on I was hooked. The plot was phenomenal, and the lighting was absolutely extraordinary. As it was a very dark thriller, the lighting played right into the story with dim streets and apartments. The lighting just added to the great thriller.I also enjoyed the punches thrown though some were really fake and the shouting and in your face Interaction of some characters.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
Classic
This film took me by surprise, at first I wasn't quite sure what to expect. At the end of the movie, It evoked me to spend a good hour deep in thought about not only the situation in the movie, but how things were in our past and how things currently still are. This movie does a very very good job in its casting of characters. The acting in this film is well done and very believable, which I think is very important for such a film. The title is also witty, and a bit humorous. I think that this is a great example of the New Age of Hollywood. The director is using the film to get a point across. He artfully crafts the movie around a big social message, one that is extremely relevant during 1967. The inner conflict between white and black in America was absolutely huge, and I think that as a film maker, you have a voice that is way greater than that of any political leader. As a film maker, you have an unmatchable influence on the masses. In the case of this movie, I believe that the director does an absolutely wonderful job in stating his social message
The Exorcist (1973)
Classic
The Exorcist is a brilliant horror classic. Truly scary and stomach turning. I was on the edge of my seat in the one more then any of the remakes. Horror films need to return to the make up of this one, The pea-soup regurgitation scene is the best, and has become a memorable and famous scene, of the whole horror genre. The special effects of the projectile vomiting was crazy. The voice over is extremely creepy and some spectacular make-up effects. There is a great addition of sound on and off stage. The acting, is also very well-done. I was impressed with this film even dealing with the Devil. The ending finale, is very intense, as is the whole entire movie which will keep your stomach in knots from beginning to end. See it it's a classic.
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Musicals..
Let me start off by saying, I am not a big fan of musicals. Of course, there will always be a place in my heart for The Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music, and Grease as they are films that are more rites of passage than actual entertainment. With all that said, I love Singin' in the Rain. I love it. It is one of the finest films that I have ever watched and I can watch it again and again. Gene Kelly is simply too cool. He is one of the few men that project cool while doing goofy and graceful dance moves. Especially the bizarre,dance number at the end was Fantastic. Donald O'Connor, though, is one of the main reasons why this film works. He is sofunny. His Make'm Laugh skit still gets me rolling today. He is beyond brilliant in this film and really makes it all come together. It is a romance, a comedy, a history lesson and a some of the best dance numbers ever all rolled into one. I don't really know what else to say about this film except... wow.
The Graduate (1967)
Hey Mr. Robinson
This is a movie definitely good for any college student. In this movie there are many examples of diegetic and nondiegetic sounds, and on screen and off screen sounds. These types of sounds are seen together many times throughout this movie. Besides good sound, the cinematography was also impressive. I loved when Ben would go from the pool to the hotel room, from the hotel to his room, and from his room to the pool again. It was a good example of an ellipse as well. I loved Dustin Hoffman's part of Ben Braddock. He pulls off the awkwardness and shyness of his character very well. The writing and dialog in this movies makes it so enjoyable.
Mildred Pierce (1945)
You will never guess who
Mildred Pierce is a great suspenseful film. You while not believe who committed the crime in the end. The dialog and characters acting is great. Joan Crawford was a star. The lighting for a black and white film was great. The crime scene is lighted perfectly and I loved how the body was shown in a graphic cut. The many camera angles shot in the movie were great and constantly moving. The sound effects to were very good and improved the film and helps makes it a classic film noir. I also like how from the beginning the story was told in a flashback time-line. I enjoy movies like this and it kept my attention waiting to find out who was the guilty suspect.
Stagecoach (1939)
Enter stage right
Stagecoach is a classic western. This film actually got me into some other western. I enjoyed the classic close-ups of John Wayne some classic shots of him. The film work for it's time was good. The plot and characters were amusing and kept the storyline going. There was a diverse group of round and flat characters. The on location shot was one of the first and used in the 30's and started a trend that continued for the future of films. There is also a great shot the the stagecoach during the chase from the Indians of the horses that is amazing. To get a feel of westerns this is a great starting point to see the blueprint of westerns.
Easy Rider (1969)
Easy flow
Easy Rider is a great movie. It does start off a little slow slow but when it picks up the film has very few problems if any. The production was excellent, the soundtrack is inspiring and goes great with the movie. The script is very effective and the content is strong and filled with many social issues of the 60's. Dennis Hopper's direction shows perfectly that he was as good a director as he was an actor. The acting is faultless, the three main actors Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson are superb and work wonderfully together. The film was put together in a way that some say is hard to follow but I found it easy to follow and greatly put together. I really enjoyed the way he cuts between scenes with the quick flashes back and fourth. I also liked the graveyard scene which was masterfully done in a new contemporary way with quick montages.
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Did the right thing
This is an excellent movie. Spike lee did a wonderful job with some new flavorful camera styles such as the monologues in mid scene. Its one pf the few movies that have a distinct camera work the separates it from other movies. Can't think of another one like it. The acting was great and really reminded me of 80's Brooklyn and the stories of how the city was from my parents. The content is new and sparks many conversations which I though was the aim of spike lee. The dialogs of the characters was real n touched on many social issues of the time. Highly recommend to anyone who seen it and is interested in cinema and cinematography. Masterfully put together.
Annie Hall (1977)
Woody is funny
Woody Allen made a more very good film. Annie Hall is as innovative with voice overs, animation, fantasy, and the use of breaking the 4th person boundary. Allen makes us characters into his story by talking to the camera, telling us jokes, and sharing his opinions with us. I found the part with subtitles hilarious and laughed throughout the entire film. The characters themselves are so well defined that they feel real to the viewer. Great filmmaking. Allen is one rare individual in the film business, he can act direct and produce. Put him in a category with Charlie Chaplin and Orsen Wells, as the few that can do it all. I recommend it to anyone who wants to see a great made comedy.
Frankenstein (1931)
ughhhhhhh (Monster Voice)
Frankenstein is one of the original horror movies. Although it can't compare to the horror movies of today for its time it was deemed one of the great horror of it time and was a big box office hit and I can see how that is. It had great cinematography with great lighting and set designs.The camera man should have received an award for the work he did there are a couple scenes were remarkable. The sound was OK the sounds of Frankenstein were OK but could have been a little bit louder and dramatic in my eyes. Boris Karloff was great acting as the Monster and Colin Clive did a great job as Dr. Frankenstein. The set has a feel of Transylvania and reminds me of a show took from this idea called the Munsters.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
An unforgotten movie
If you want to learn about screwball comedy watch this movie!! Very funny and entertaining William Powell and Gail Patrick were very funny through out the movie. Although it was a comedy i believe the writing of the play was actually pretty good and the producer was able to convey a couple a message in the end that have some meaning. The cinematography was smooth and set up designs were really good. There is actually one set where I wasn't able to tell if it was an on sight shooting or set shooting. The movie also had a realistic style to it which although was a comedy allowed me to out into perspective the times and situation that was going on at the time.
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
Cha-Ching Cha-Ching
I Am a Fugitive of the Chain Gang is a good movie. It shows a great depiction of the chain gang life style in the early 1900's. The movie sheds light of the situation and gives a wonderful background concept of the "system and is flaws" Paul Muni does a wonderful job of showing emotion in the movie and draws the audience closer and closer to him as the movie progress till the point where we are rooting for him and feeling sorry for him at times. The realism in the movie helps us understand the life of those living in the time and is almost believable. The movie has a great car chase scene which is a first I believe of the time. The sounds in the movie also brings different things to life like the dog barking in the chase, and the chain sounds as they are being chained to the truck and beds. Overall this is a really good early black and white film that I recommend.
Scarface (1932)
Original Gangster
The original Scarface is a classic movie that touched on the crime and gangster life of those in Chicago during the probation. Paul Muni does a good job of acting and versatility after just seeing Runaway Chain Gang. The cinematography wasn't half bad and what was really interesting is how unlike today the shootings scenes then were mainly made up of flash, sound, and smoke. On occasions it was rather funny just to see the shadows get it where as today they depict most shooting scenes with lots of blood and you can see the shell casings and they make it so much more realistic.It contains a very realistic point of view depicting Chicago in the early 1930's during the probation era. Comparing it to the Al Pacino version of the 80's its was the complete basis of the award winning movie. The writing was remarkable for the time and was expanded on in the 80's to make it longer. I say if you want to see where the gangster movies now first originated this is a great film to watch.
It (1927)
Does "It" really have IT
With my attempt to look at this movie from a person in the 1920's I say this is a pretty good film. I was able to get a feel of life in New York in the 1920's and how things were. Clara Bow did a great job acting and allowing connecting with the audience i.e me. I was able to get a feel of her personality and values by the end of the movie. I must say to though that she did have IT. The acting by the rest of the cast was equally as good and kept me into the movie for the most part. Unfortunately though it is a silent film and not only is it a silent film but also a which I would call drama film. My knock on the movie is that unlike comedic silent films which keep you laughing I found myself dosing off here and there as to the fact that no words made some scenes boring and the piano melody in the background was rather soothing. Overall to those who are fans of silent films I say you would enjoy it, but to those who aren't as open or are watching a silent film for the first time I say find one more entertaining with more humor in it. Overall the movie didn't quite have IT.
The Circus (1928)
Silent but Funny
I must say that I was rather surprised by this movie. Being one who has never seen a silent film before I had my doubts about it. Before watching it I tried to envision how a old 1920's movie with no words would keep my entertain me let alone keep my attention for the whole hour and change. After a the first ten or fifteen minutes though I was rather into the movie and found myself even laughing a couple times. Mr. Chaplin was an interesting character with many traits which I didn't think he'd be able to convey without speaking. With the use of facial expressions and props I was able to see his personality expressed. I enjoyed several scenes from the circus acts, locked in the cage with the lion and the tight rope act. I would say for those who have never seen a silent film to watch this one it could spark an interest the genre and give you a good foundation to what today's actors have built upon.