Reviews

A Christmas Story is a classic in my book even though it's made in 1983. I've watched it almost every Christmas season and laughed every time at the HO HO HOs and the sticking of the tongue to the flag pole. That is what makes it a classic and great movie.

A Christmas Story tells the story of Ralphie Parker and one Christmas season. All he wants is one Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. One great aspect of the movie is that we relate to it. We have always wanted that one toy or something for Christmas(or Hanukkah). We didn't know if we were going to get it until that morning especially for Ralphie. But getting that gun isn't the only thing this movie is about. It's about being a kid and the daily trials that kids go through. Bullies, dares, teachers, fake radio clubs that are only advertisements. There's another way we can relate to this movie. Most of us have had bullies, dares, teachers you've tried to impress, and so on. The list goes on and on(I'm still thinking of some right now). Of course Palphie will go long distances to get that BB gun pulling every trick in the book. Along the way we meet an array of characters and we are introduced to many stories that again, we can relate to. The characters are all ones that you might have had in your life. The only one missing is the crush of Ralphie. We have the mans man dad, the forgiving yet unforgiving mom and the weird little brother that you make fun of. Then you have Ralphie's best friends which played a small role length wise but still are memorable. The narration by Jean Sheppard is one of the strong parts of the movie. The way he describes some of the situations can produce some laughs if you listen closely to it. Now to my favorite part of the movie. Christmas morning. If it's December and i'm not in the Christmas mood, this movie will but me right in it after seeing this scene. It has to be the perfect depiction of Christmas morning i've seen. Nothing else comes close to the elation and chaos of this rare moment, and of course the moment when he gets the BB gun. It puts a smile to my face every time. Memories pour into your head of Christmas' past. Of good presents and the bad ones, and just being together with your family being happy. What a great moment.

In conclusion, this is a must see Christmas classic that you will see every year and will always relate to it 10/10

My Blind Brother is a great short that touches a lot of the human emotions. It's very easy to get into, and you wont be bored with it. You will feel with the main character every single emotion he feels because we are the main character. Almost every one has felt jealous of somebody for getting more attention just like the main character. The story is about two brothers, one blind, and one not. The blind one is going to swim across a sound to show that blind people can do what ever they want or is it to get attention. This feat can't be done without the help of his jealous brother. This movie is a lot like "Knife in the Water" because most of the action is on the water and limited to three characters, or two characters in this movie(unless you want to dig deeper). Everything is great except the ending music. The director could have found some thing better than what she picked.

Great movie. Find it on ifc every now and then. 9/10

Batman Begins tells the story of a young Bruce Wayne. How he started to fear bats and how he over came that fear to become Batman. Christian Bale plays the lead character with Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, and Cillian Murphy among others playing a back-up roles. Most of the story is fine but one part I don't like.(SPOILERS) Bruce going to China and learning samurai techniques is that part.(END SPOILERS) Everything else is text book comic book hero story. Bad guy tries to harm the city. Batman tries to save city while trying to save girl. Now for the action. I thought it was done pretty good, but every now and then it would become muddled and you didn't know who punched who. Also some of the dialogue is pretty cheesy and some of the humor didn't make me laugh.

So if your a fan of Batman you'll probably like it and if your a fan of action movies you'll like it, too 7/10

American History X has to be one of the greatest films ever. It deals with big problems and it will have thinking about yourself for a long time American History X has to do with change. Edward Norton plays a reformed skin head that tries to change his brother after he gets out of jail and starts to examine both of their lives. He is put into jail because he killed two black people. His hatred for the Afican Americans started when his father was killed by one. He turns into a Neo-Nazi and his brother follows suit. While in jail his perception changes when he becomes friends with and African American and some Nazis in the jail treat him bad(don't want to get in to much detail).

The movie jumps from black and white to color flawlessly and Edward Norton gives his best performance ever. If you think you can handle it you will be rewarded with one of the best movies that make you examine yourself. WATCH IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Rififi is a great film that is overlooked. It's a crime drama where a man gets out of jail and plans another job. It's an over used story but this one is different from the others. They round up the usual suspects for the job. This film takes a look at how the family gets torn apart as time goes on. The actual heist scene is one of the best I have ever seen. Instead of a suspenseful soundtrack the director decided to go with silence, around thirty minutes of silence. This fits the mood perfectly and is often copied these days. Of course things get out of hand and people die and it ends in a great ending that builds up in suspense.

So if you're looking for a great film noir that not a lot of people talk about this is a great pick up.