Reviews

I believe LOTR is one of the best movies made in recent years. As a fan of the classic movies I've long thought that the modern film industry has gone at least somewhat off course. If it follows the lead of LOTR it will be on its way back. It was refreshing to see a movie like this.

Never having read the books, I did find the plot somewhat hard to follow the first time I saw it. That would be the movie's weakness. But it has most everything that makes a great film--adventure, action, plot, scenery, effects, good acting,etc.

I'm anxiously awaiting The Two Towers. I believe the LOTR trilogy will become a true classic.

I thoroughly enjoyed El Cid. It has all the elements that great movies are made of-action, romance, courage, character, scenery, etc. Charleton Heston, as always, did an excelant job playing the hero and Sophia Loren was gorgeous-really played her part with alot of grace. Many great action scenes but my favorite was the joust--very well done. This movie combines action with a great story, something that modern action movies often lack. One of the great epics.

Ben Hur is one of the greatest movies of all time. I just wish Hollywood could make a movie like it now. It's a story that plays like a novel (cause it's based on one). Charlton Heston (Judah Ben Hur) is great in the movie. I like his acting. Ben Hur has some of the best action ever and as a story can't hardly be beat. It's drama at its best. It's the story of a family that had it all, was destroyed and then given their lives back. Ben Hur depicts both the best and worst of the Roman Empire, its glory and progress and the oppression of the less fortunate who lived under its rule.

There are two action scenes that really get my heart pounding each time I see the movie. First, the scene on the galley where the slaves are put through a grueling, forced rowing of their ship under the eye of General Quintus Arrius. The way that scene builds with the alternating of the camera from the slaves to the drums to the general, all the while picking up the pace, is quite riveting. Second, the chariot race. Some of the best action ever produced by Hollywood. I've competed on horseback before and the emotions the movie makes you feel in preparation for the race is a lot like the way I really felt before competition. The race itself keeps people on the edge of their seats. It appears to have been put together close to real time, which makes it all the greater.

Although the movie slows down after the race I am still moved by what happens later. The movie follows up with how Judah dealt with the festering anger inside him and what happens to his mother and sister. His love, Esther, helps the family and tries to console Judah. I really like the character of Esther that is portrayed.

Most of all, the greatest character of all in this movie is that of Christ. In Christ we see someone suffering without the hatred and vengeance that is so shown by Judah. A favorite scene of mine is when Christ gives Judah water to drink. The Roman commander orders him to stop. Jesus looks at him and the soldier is speechless. That says it all.

Charlton Heston has said that this movie could not be made today because of the prohibitive budget that would be required. True. But this movie also could not be made today because Hollywood is no longer capable of portraying Christ in a positive light. Instead, Hollywood's attitude is one of prejudice towards Him. How far it has come in the last 50 years.

This a great movie that is must see for everyone

Creature from the Black Lagoon is a fun movie to watch. I wouldn't say it's very scary but it's quite entertaining. The setting, in the Amazon jungle, makes it good just as an adventure movie. I thought the underwater scenes were great. They're very clear which I thought was good for a black and white 50s movie. Probably the most tense moment in the movie for me was when they realized the Creature was purposely trying to keep their boat from leaving the lagoon. I've seen this movie once and would gladly see it again.

Laura is one of the best mystery movies I've seen. Probably because its a movie Hitchcock could have made with the shocking twist to it. Good use was made of Laura's portrait. This is a movie that really captures the viewer's attention. I'd recommend it to any of my friends or family.

Hatari! is one of my favorite John Wayne movies. If you just want a really fun movie this is it. The movie doesn't really have much of a plot (except for maybe the growing relationship between Sean (John Wayne) and Anna Maria) but it's a great adventure movie. The animal chase scenes are awesome. The scenery is too. John Wayne, as always, is great. My favorite scene was when they finally captured the rhinocerous. THAT was pretty good excitement! Some great camera angles were used in that scene.

The film alternates between the chase scenes and quieter scenes at the camp. I even thought those were interesting also as they dealt with the relationships between various personalities on a safari.

Hatari! is hard to beat for just excitement and fun. A must see.

The Searchers ranks as one of the greatest of westerns and one of John Wayne's finest. It's a great story of a search for a captured family member and has the kind of `grit' I like to see in a western. Although John Wayne plays a darker character than what his fans are used to, he is still superb and his character (Ethan Edwards) doesn't disappoint us in the end.

This movie has some great action scenes, my favorite being the chase followed by the battle at the river. Western action just doesn't get any better. Filmed at Monument Valley, the scenery is awesome, especially if seen wide screen.

The movie also has some comedy relief in the love and jealousy between Marty, Laurie, and Charlie. Especially funny I thought was the fight at the wedding.

Notable also are the `doorway' scenes that director John Ford used throughout the movie. If you've seen it before and didn't pay particular attention to them at first, do so next time you see it.

In sum, this movie is what a western should be: good action, great landscape scenery, and a hero with the guts to push on in the face of odds.

High Noon is maybe the greatest western ever made and certainly one of the best movies ever. SUSPENSE, that is the word that sums this movie up. This movie kept me on the edge of my seat almost the whole time when I first saw it. My dad told me he saw it when it originally came out in the theaters, and being a young teenager he went back and watched it again a couple of times. Its great the way this movie builds. The first scene (after the musical score and credits) with the ringing of the church bells leads one to think that the movie may be a little hum-drum but not for long. As any good movie should, it quickly captures the viewer's intense interest soon into the story.

I'm not really a Gary Cooper fan but in this movie he was great. One reason that this movie is so good and which distinguishes it from other westerns is that the hero (Will Kane) is portrayed very human. He's a man scared to death (and it shows) but he does what he believes he has to do anyway. Gary Cooper was quite suited for the role. I don't believe other famous western actors could have portrayed the human side as well (maybe except for Jimmy Stewart). The viewer is almost put into Will Kane's shoes and we can feel his sense of disappointment and fear as the movie progresses.

This movie really makes use of some powerful scenes. The railroad track that we are from time to time able to stare down, wondering what is going to happen when the train comes. The clocks, which seem to get larger as the movie goes on and that we pay closer and closer attention to. And the unforgettable scene of Will Kane standing alone in the street of what looks like a deserted town. Director Fred Zinnemann knew what he was doing. I believe also that the movie was correctly filmed in black and white as opposed to color.

I really like the musical score and the singing by Tex Ritter. The music is like no other.

This is a movie that everyone should see even if they don't like westerns. High Noon may change their mind.