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Rommel52744
Reviews
Drive (2011)
Boring, boring, boring....
I can't believe how boring this movie was. I didn't know a movie could be so boring as this until now. It's high level of boring was maybe only topped by its flatness. The dialogue, in the rare cases there was dialogue, was absolutely uninspiring and unoriginal. The plot was entirely and painfully clichéd. I can't really say the acting was bad, because nothing was asked or expected of the actors, just clichés. I'm trying to think of one scene that someone could point to and say "that's a truly original scene, I haven't seen that before..." OK, done thinking, there is no such scene. The director should owe a debt of whatever the budget was to another director who actually has talent.
Bakhasatang (1999)
Extremely disappointing
I loved Chang-dong Lee's Oasis, I think Kyung-gu Sol is a good actor, and Moon So-ri and Jung Suh might be my 2 favorite actresses of all time which is saying a lot for someone who was raised solely on Hollywood. That being said, this was pretty disappointing. It begins with a tragedy and initiates the viewers curiosity with the relationship between the lead male and lead female. It seems they once had an important connection and the movie moves backwards towards this starting point. However, I couldn't help feeling by the end that there was never an important connection between them. In fact, their relationship seemed quite trivial ultimately. I wonder if Eterna Sunshine borrowed its concept from this...
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
words don't satisfy my love for this movie
I just watched this twice in the past two days and sweet goodness. This is without a doubt one of the deepest films I have ever seen, a contender for my number one film of all time. I have to admit, I thought Being John Malkovich was clever but horribly shallow and I thought Adaptation was enjoyable but highly pretentious. But now that Charlie Kaufman has ditched Spike Jonze for a good concept, the result is movie magic. I also thought that Jim Carrey couldn't pull something serious off (and I'm not a huge Kate Winslet fan either), but the cast was perfect and completely effective. This movie examines what I find to be one of the most important life philosophies, the concept of memory and the self. It shows, as I would argue and agree with, that though we may wish that we had never met someone who now causes us pain, it is the good moments you had that are important and that erasing those moments may take away the pain, but it will also take an important piece of you as well. I wish I could feel satisfied with this review (I generally don't with any) but I had to write it anyways to describe the feelings I am having towards the greatness of this film. It isn't without its flaws, but who can blame the director for problems when dealing with a concept this monumental?
Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
I'm curious...
Did anyone else wonder, after first seeing Cary Grant, if Curious George was just around the corner? Cary Grant is so ridiculous that I normally can't take him seriously. The plots around him have to be good enough and this movie does not have one of those plots. There is a scene where Cary Grant gets burned by a hot coffee kettle, and then bets burned by it again when he tries to pick it up 10 seconds later. No human being, nor even monkeys for that matter, is that stupid. That pretty much sums up the directing for this movie. Don't get me wrong, I thought Hawks did an alright job with Bringing Up Baby, but certainly not this one. Some highlights of the movie are its poor editing, the scene where what looks like a chicken goes through the windshield, and the ridiculous ending.
The Simpsons (1989)
Could have been the greatest tv series
I am a huge fan of the simpsons seasons 1-8. It is a shame they didn't know when to quit and kept producing complete trash. The episodes now are so stupid they are painful to watch. I remember waiting anxiously for each sunday when they would play a new one from seasons 4-7. That was when they ran the most classic episodes like Homer Badman. It really hurts to see the television series I loved so much fall into decay.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
One of the worst movies ever made
2/10 The reason this movie is third on my bottom of the barrel list (after the Matrix and the Patriot) is because its plot is so simply stupid it is mind numbing. It just shows things getting worse and worse for people until it stops. THATS IT! Let me pitch you a story: Bob loses his job, he finds out his wife is cheating on him, and he then gets robbed. End of story. Why is that so great? If you can answer that then maybe you can explain why this movie has any merit.
Oh and p.s., if any fan of this movie is interested in how the director copied some of his techniques, watch Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels for the same scene where Jennifer Connely leaves the hotel and throws up. Also watch Perfect Blue for the scene where Jen Connely is sitting in the bathtub.
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Simply the most beautiful movie ever made
Wow. This movie is perfect from start to finish. Music, setting, plot, characters, and of course the movies meld seamlessly into one to create a masterpiece. I bawled my eyes out like a little girl the first time I saw this. The scene with the reflecting projector and the very end are so simple yet so beautifully sweet and touching. This movie makes the guy from American Beauty who thought everything was so beautiful look like a gothic junkie. Anyone who believes there is beauty in cinema should watch this movie. My personal favorite. 10/10
WARNING. DO NOT WATCH THE DIRECTORS CUT. The newly-released extended version is ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE AND IT DESTROYS THE SPIRIT OF THE ORIGINAL. I always insist on watching the extended version first which is why I am eternally grateful for my local dvd store not updating in time.
The Smashing Pumpkins: 1991-2000 Greatest Hits Video Collection (2001)
The most deep and varied band in rock history.
Saying that the Smashing Pumpkins are the best in rock history is slightly misleading because their sound varies so much from song to song I wouldn't be suprised if they fit under country or hip-hop in some cases. Although their music is extremely deep in tone (at least their non-"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" songs), their videos are just as good. Some worth noting are "Tonight, Tonight", "Stand Inside Your Love", and "Thirty-Three". It is a shame their won't be a band as epic as them anymore, now we only have Brittany Spears and Zwan. Which is worse? I'm not sure...
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
One of the greatest movies in film history.
The Shawshank Redemption is probably the most widely loved movie in all of Western culture. It's fleshed out characters give it the uncanny ability to deeply touch most of the people who watch it. We relate to Freeman's character who has lost hope in society. Robbins' is the friend who redeems us and gives hope back. Gunton, who plays Warden Norton, is one of the most overlooked villains of all time. He makes the greatest villain because he is the most realistic and relatable. He isn't a crazy murderer, he is a corrupt religious official. I believe this movie gets better when you have already seen it and know what happens. Seeing the wardern get what's coming to him is consistently satisfying. And of course, the famous beach scene leaves me on a high every time. 11/10
Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)
Greatest western ever made
There is a reason this movie is rated the number one Western on imdb and that's because it is. Movie reviewers often misuse the word epic when describing films, but this movie defines epic. Three distinctly diverse characters (as the title implies), all amazing gunfighters, trek across the West with the Civil War in the backdrop heading for a huge stash of gold. Angel Eyes keeps us rooting for the good guys. Tuco keeps us entertained throughout the movie. And Clint Eastwood...well...it's Clint Eastwood (What else is there to say?).
I'm not a huge fan of Westerns at all, but this movie is still one of the grandest stories ever told.
Rutland, USA (2002)
Run away as fast as possible.
It still boggles my mind how what seems to be a lowly made college movie is on the dvd shelf at my video store. One of my acquaintances is from Rutland so she rented it and I watched this movie. ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. The dialogue is simple, the characters are simple, and the story is even simpler. The old detective couldn't deliver a single line correctly, but I suppose I can't pick on him because everyone else was just as bad. Please don't waste your money or your time.
The Patriot (2000)
Grotesquely exaggerated movie that makes me wonder whether the producers are malicious or just plain stupid.
Do most people have simple functions such as logic? Well this movie certainly questions that. I wonder how many people believe that the slaves during this time liked their masters and even went so far as to like their job. Then again, they were even outdistanced by the British who were shown as nothing better than 18th century Nazis intent on genocide. It is also interesting to see how a 18th century round-ball musket can hit a man from a hundred yards away (which in reality probably would have gone dead left). And thank you Mel, for playing the American version of William Wallace. Simply put, this movie is more of a comedy than a serious historical movie.