Sfmooreman97 Reviews

The Bad Seed (1956)

Creepy little girl is creepy

[6/10 · 4 May 2017]

There's not much I can say about his other then that horror movies of today don't make you feel as creeped out as this one did for me. The compelling acting of the leading girl as she goes from sweet and innocent to a cold blooded killer was convincing to the core. This psychological drama using almost nothing but its smart script and fantastic cast to tell a story of murder and guilt that'll make you second guess your ideas of having children in the future

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

From book to Screen

[7/10 · 4 May 2017]

Most of us remember having to read this book in high school but with the directing talents of Robert Mulligan and a fantastic cast this story of 1960s racial prejudice and childhood innocence is brought to life. The film accurately represents the feelings of the public of the time through the eyes of a child in a setting of racial unrest. The acting is as compelling as the story being told and its no wonder why both the book and film are considered classics to this day.

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

A great representation of a post code Hollywood

[7/10 · 4 May 2017]

With the notorious code no longer in the picture writers and directors alike set out to create movies that were no longer bound by restriction and no other movie represents this better the the 1967 cult classic Bonnie and Clyde. A tale of two bank robbing lovers this film pushes the cultural norm by showing excessive violence, explicit romance and even discussing very private matters of the characters on screen. Starting the trend known as New Hollywood this movie set the tone for the next couple decades to come as more writers set out to push the boundaries of what can be shown on film

Out of the Past (1947)

A near perfect representation of Film Noir

[8/10 · 4 May 2017]

Out of the Past is considered to be one of the best film noirs in movie history and for good reason. The multi layered plot mixed with the dark and suspenseful mood that Director Jacques Tourneur is famous for really set the tone for this fantastic film. The story has every theme you'd expect from a film noir like betrayal and corruption all within a morally ambiguous atmosphere. Centered around a love triangle with a extraordinary femme fatale played by Jane Greer you are left on the edge of your seat trying to figure out everything going on.

Fantasia (1940)

The start of an empire

[9/10 · 4 May 2017]

One of Walt Disney's first animated masterpieces, Fantasia blew away audiences of the time with its imaginative sequences match with classical music. With an experiment that paid off Disney tells eight amazing stories only using fantastic animation choreographed to classical music. While not a traditional movie experience Fantasia makes you laugh and cry with colorful and meaningful segments of magic and amazement.

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)

A interesting take on a notorious public figure

[7/10 · 4 May 2017]

Young Mr. Lincoln may have been a telling of fictitious events but with Henry Fonda playing Lincoln and John Ford directing him it felt almost like the real deal. With brilliant writing and interesting characters brought to life we are granted an inside look into a side of one of our greatest presidents that we rarely get to see. Both comedy, suspense and emotion are blended together seamlessly in this courtroom setting that really immerses you into the story and lets you view a different side of history.

His Girl Friday (1940)

A fast paced "comedy"

[5/10 · 15 February 2017]

To be upfront I didn't really enjoy this film. Although I understood it's faced paced tone was supposed to reflect the speed pf that eras news room, it seemed to move to fast to enjoy what little comedy that was displayed. The scheming done by the head reporter and his lackey were more frustrating to watch then comical and most of the time I just ended up feeling sorry for the woman reporter and her fiancé. Between the corruption of the media and the fact that the leading woman being tricked into a life she wanted to give up I just didn't feel anything for the characters and the story taking place. I'm sure that this film is a masterpiece to some people but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

King Kong (1933)

The Original Creature Feature

[8/10 · 8 February 2017]

With a giant monster, multiple death by its hands and cheesy animation, King Kong en-captures the best qualities of a monster flick that fans of the genre have come to love. Despite the stop motion animation looking cheesy compared to modern day standards the film does a great job of keeping the suspenseful tone while also displaying exciting monster fights between Kong and the dinosaurs of Skull Island like the notorious T.Rex scene. The director also did a great job using trick photography to blend together scenes with both live actors and stop motion puppets. The only two complaints I had with the film were the not so subtle sexists remarks and the depiction of herbivore dinosaurs as aggressive carnivores which I understand is only because of the time period and they didn't know any better. All in all King Kong is well deserving of is title as The Original Creature Feature.

Scarface (1932)

An action packed look at prohibition era mob culture

[8/10 · 1 February 2017]

With intimidation, shady business dealings and the more then occasional drive-by, Scarface gives us a look at 1930s Mob violence through the eyes of Tony Camonte. Using shadow effects on murders scenes and crafty camera angles for the time, a grim and sinful tone is set for the audience while also shielding them from the more grotesques murders. Tony's character has a lot to it as well, as you would think his manic overconfidence would lead to his downfall when instead it nearly builds him an empire. There's also a lot to be said about his interactions between the two female roles. While he loses his temper when ever he sees his younger sister anywhere near other men, he himself claims his love interest Poppi as almost his property after only meeting her once. All in all this movies depiction of this up-and-coming mobster's rise to power shows how truly greedy and territorial they once were

Wings (1927)

An intriguing silent film

[7/10 · 25 January 2017]

Set in a WWI setting the first thing I noticed about this film was the amazingly shot flight scenes, they capture what it must have felt like to fly these planes so perfectly it completely immerses you into the time period. The acting on the other hand was a slightly over shadowed by these visuals. The acting was a bit over the top but like I've seen with other silent movies, like Charlie Chaplin's The Circus, this is necessary in order to better portray the emotions of the characters and the overall mood of the scene. However the way the comedy mixes with the dark tone of a war setting is also very well done. With today's standards in movies I'm constantly surprised with how these silent films can make me laugh and feel amazed all in one.