Hondo - (John Farrow;1953;USA) -
An army gunfighter and his dog come upon a woman who lives with her son on a ranch in the midst of a conflict between Apaches and soldiers.
One of John Wayne's most memorable roles, and a very watchable film. It's been obscure for years due to no release and only a few TV airings, although most people know the famous image of Wayne walking with the dog. It's not an amazing film but it's a pretty good film, and has more respect for Indians then most westerns of that era had.

Coffee and Cigarettes - (Jim Jarmusch;2003;USA/Japan/Italy) -
Several vignettes of different conversations over coffee and cigarettes.
A very good exercise in dialogue that succeeds in striking a chord with the audience. The best one is definitely the conversation between Alfred Molina and Steve Coogan. Cate Blanchett did a good job in her dual role, and the one with Iggy Pop and Tom Waits was memorable for me. The others were also good, although one or two got dull, even if it kept the humanity.

It's A Wonderful Life #11 on the AFI Top 100 List ****

George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all - and it's Christmas ! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn't been for all his good deeds over the years. Will Clarence be able to convince George to return to his family and forget about suicide?

What a wonderful movie! A truly heart-warming film that had me excited from the first frame. Great performances by both Jimmy Stewart (quickly becoming one of my favorite actors), Donna Reed, and Thomas Mitchell. I loved the voice over used in this film and the directing. Definitely a movie I'll have to purchase soon

Yes, LIFE...it makes even the darkest of micks' hearts flutter.

JARHEAD (2005) - ****/5

(No synopsis needed. :p )

Advertized and highly placed as a heavy Oscar contender, Sam Mendes' JARHEAD is a pretty good picture...but its surely not an Oscar movie, though considering the winners in the last few years, it MIGHT have a good chance afterall.

Superb work from Jake DONNIE DARKO Gyllenhaal and Jamie BOOTY CALL Foxx in a picture without the melodrama....yet some poignant personal moments that truely felt like the source material came from within the thoughts of a man who went into "the suck". I mean....JARHEAD may have actually made me never think of Cimino's DEER HUNTER in the same light ever again.

Sheesh. How do you find the time and money to do that?

BTW, I'm waiting for your review on the movie Weekend

Singin' In The Rain #10 on the AFI Top 100 List ***

In 1927, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are a famous on-screen romantic pair. Lina, however, mistakes the on-screen romance for real love. Don has worked hard to get where he is today, with his former partner Cosmo. When Don and Lina's latest film is transformed into a musical, Don has the perfect voice for the songs. But Lina - well, even with the best efforts of a diction coach, they still decide to dub over her voice. Kathy Selden is brought in, an aspiring actress, and while she is working on the movie, Don falls in love with her. Will Kathy continue to "aspire", or will she get the break she deserves?

I'm still not a musical lover but this film was enjoyable. I didn't find as much singing as I was expecting and the dancing (especially by Gene Kelly) is some of the best I've ever seen in my life. I'm also gaining more respect for him to as an actor and if I had to watch this movie again, I would.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I enjoyed this film very much, however I still prefer the original, if for nothing else, the nostalgia. The original brings back so many wonderful memories from my childhood.

I thought Johnny Depp was brilliant in this film (as he is in most of his films). I don't understand the "Jack-o" comments at all. Tim Burton is truly a one-of-a-kind director, and his special little touch shines through brilliantly in this film. Danny Elfman's score was great, as well.

As for the better Wonka...I gotta go with Depp. He portrays the Wonka from the book much better than Gene Wilder did. But I still prefer the original film, overall.

***1/2 out of ****

And what about Cyd Charisse, right? If ever a woman had a great pair of legs, it's Cyd in that green pantyhose. And I love Donald O'Connor in it too, he's fabulous as the goofy pal, and also a great dancer.

I've watched the movies in order. I finally watched the episodes IV, V and VI last night and now I feel really sleepy to be working.

But you had an interesting question as to how introduce this movie to our children. As someone who has watched the movies in order, I can tell you that the old trilogy didn't stand up to my expectations of what I had heard. Don't get me wrong, they were great for their time, but the thing is, I hadn't watched the old trilogy then, when it was a revolution in CGI movies. The new trilogy has better visuals in my opinion while others might think it is overdone. The story is almost finished when you watch the third episode, there are no surprises to come, which could be true the other way around if you first watch the old trilogy as well.

There is just one big difference in these two trilogies' storyline and I believe what makes the new one more interesting to me, is that the new one is not the cliché of good winning over evil. The story is even more touching to see how someone with the intention of saving loved ones and order can be trapped in the dark side, how a democracy is lost through blind following with no thinking and how dark side can cloud your judgment. These are the values that touched me even more than CGI and why I love the Revenge of the Sith the most. So this is my score-card, of maximum 5 stars:


1-Revenge of the Sith *****
2-Return of the Jedi, Empire Strikes Back both equally ****
3-Phantom Menace ***

4-A New Hope **

5-Attack of the Clones *

As to how introduce the movie to my children, I would start with Episode IV, because I think it is disappointing to see the old ones after watching new ones. As I said the new trilogy has better visuals and more elevated story, so the old one wouldn't look as great to them, just like what I felt. They might not enjoy the new trilogy as much as I did, but I think they enjoy the 3rd episode and appreciate it anyway when they get older.

Well, "The patriot" isn't bad. A little rhetorical maybe, but I presume that's exactly what that type of movie was meant to be.

Me too, I confess. And it was bat not because of Pacino. Just the script is SHIT. Why did he do that?

King Kong #43 on the AFI Top 100 List ** 1/2

Master showman Carl Denham has fallen on hard times due to the depression, and mounts an expedition to the mysterious Skull Island to find another showpiece. He takes along adventurer Jack Driscoll and the down-on-her-luck gorgeous blonde Ann Darrow with him to spice up the show. Arriving on the island, they discover it is home to gigantic beasts like dinosaurs, and ruling over all is Kong, a 30 foot tall gorilla. The natives kidnap Ann as a sacrifice for Kong, and the other crew members head into the dangerous island interior to rescue her.

I was rather disappointed with this movie as I had high expectations for it. My expectations for Frankenstein were low and that may be part of the reason I enjoyed it so much but I had been looking forward to this movie a lot and I feel it just wasn't as good as I was hoping for it to be. I didn't like how the scenes changed (however I do understand that it was made in 1933). But onto the positives, I thought Fay Wray was very enjoyable and "SPOILERS" I really enjoyed the Empire State Building scene. For the time it was made, what is shown on screen is pretty impressive. END OF "SPOILERS"

I just watched Gangster No. 1 for the 2nd time, 1st time since buying it, and I enjoyed it more then I had initially remembered. Really well put togethor, a definite recommendation.

#41 on my Top 50 of all time

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ** 1/2

Harry's fourth summer and the following year at Hogwarts are marked by the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament, in which student representatives from three different wizarding schools compete in a series of increasingly challenging contests. However, Voldemort's Death Eaters are gaining strength and even creating the Dark Mark giving evidence that the Dark Lord is ready to rise again. In the unsuspecting lives of the young wizard and witches at Hogwarts the competitors are selected by the goblet of fire, which this year makes a very surprising announcement: Hogwarts will have two representatives in the tournament, including Harry Potter! Will Harry be able to rise to the challenge for the Tri Wizard Tournament while keeping up with school or will the challenges along with Voldemort's rebirth be too much for the young hero?

I was VERY disappointed with this movie to say the least. To clarify, I did enjoy the movie, but it was nowhere near as good as I was hoping for it to be. SPOILERS I knew that a book 700+ pages wouldn't fit well into a 2 1/2 hour movie and I was right. The movie was very fast paced and never seemed to slow down. It really felt like they were trying to cram in as much as they could due to Warner Bros. "time limit." I was also very upset at the fact that the Dursleys weren't in the movie as I love those characters very much. I also believe a member of the movie who didn't die in the book died in the movie (although I won't go so far as to spoil that). END OF SPOILERS If you're a fan of the book, don't set high expectations. Again, I did enjoy this movie, would see it again in theaters, and will definitely buy it on DVD. Personally, I'd rank the films in order:

1) Sorcerer's Stone
2) Prisoner of Azkaban
3) Goblet of Fire
4) Chamber of Secrets

Schindler's List #9 on the AFI Top 100 List ****

Oskar Schindler is a vain, glorious and greedy German businessman who becomes unlikely humanitarian amid the barbaric Nazi reign when he feels compelled to turn his factory into a refuge for Jews. Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler who managed to save about 1100 Jews from being gassed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. A testament for the good in all of us.

Steven Spielberg's masterpiece. I don't think enough good things can be said about this movie. I really loved the fact that 99% of the movie was in black and white. Not to mention the fantastic performances by both Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes!

Lost In Translation
2003, Coppola, US/Jap Nth time; big screen
Two Americans in Japan, one an actor, the other a lonely wife over on her husband's business, meet up and enjoy each other's company.
Underplayed, affecting tale of two people stuck in marital problems and finding unconsumated comfort in each other; it is a refreshingly minimalistic approach fuelled by excellent performances.

La Balance
1982, Swaim, Fr
In order to bring down a ruthless drug lord in the Belleville quartier of Paris, the cops force an ex-criminal and his prostitute girlfriend into becoming informers.
Moments of dated fromage detract from an otherwise solid thriller, with at least a few scenes of worth; quite clearly made as a French counterpart to The French Connection.

Bleeder
1999, Refn, Den
Life turns sour for a reluctant father-to-be when his anger gets the better of him, and his girlfriend's vicious brother wants to settled the score; meanwhile, a video shop assistant and film buff has trouble communicating with a girl he's set his sights on.
A small, brooding drama which packs a powerful punch to the gut. The overriding theme here is a lack of communication and the disastrous consequences that has on people and their lives; but the director also touches, quite cleverly, on Cinema itself and the notions of violence that come with it--quite clearly, a film directed by a man in love with the medium.

Mick

On the Waterfront #8 on the AFI Top 100 List ***

Terry Malloy dreams about being a prize fighter, while tending his pigeons and running errands at the docks for Johnny Friendly, the corrupt boss of the dockers union. Terry witnesses a murder by two of Johnny's thugs, and later meets the dead man's sister and feels responsible for his death. She introduces him to Father Barry, who tries to force him to provide information for the courts that will smash the dock racketeers.

A very interesting movie with a good cast. I'm glad I'm starting to watch more Marlon Brando movies as I can understand why everyone enjoys his work so much. He just had this presence on screen that few have. I was kinda tired while watching this so that might be why I didn't give it a higher rating but one day I'm sure I'll watch it again. Good performances by Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, and Karl Malden

Hi

I'm a newbie. This is a looooong discussion. If I had a couple of spare days I would trawl through all 71 pages. I don't get to the pictures that often which seems odd as I live in London, but if you have lived in London for a while (I've been here ten years) you'll understand why. Pretty expensive if you want to see classic stuff. Multiplexes are abundant but show crap. I tend to watch DVDs and rent them from LoveFilm. Also I am very lucky to live two minutes away from a great DVD rental shop called The Film Shop.

Anyway, a decent film I last saw was Insomnia. No doubt this was discussed earlier but I haven't found the time to read through everything. I'm not a Pacino fan but he played himself so it worked. I find Robin Williams' weedly psycho routine a bit dull but the scenery! And I thought the idea that you never know what time of day it is was brilliant. A friend of mine reckons the original didn't deal with that aspect as well as the remake, but maybe in far north regions that idea is old hat. Suspense was great, plot substantial. Wonderful guessing games. However I think that the end was predictable. In the final scene when Pacino lies dying (sorry for the spoiler if you've not seen it) and the strings are in full swing and he says to Swank:

"Don't lose your way."

It reminded me of the scene at the end of The Player when Bruce Willis carries Julia Roberts out of the carnage and all the execs in the viewing theatre congratulate each other
on making a great movie.

But cynic that I am I have to say a good film. I will give it ***

Tonight's movie is City Of God.

kevon45uk, wlecome to the boards!! Great first post. You'll enjoy City of God, it is supremely entertaining.

The Graduate #7 on the AFI Top 100 List *** 1/2

Tired of being the golden boy for his parents friends, college track star Benjamin Braddock embarks upon an affair with the wife of his father's partner. Benjamin leads a frustrated life and often sees adults in a surreal way, so he hopes to relax and sow his wild oats as suggested by his mistresses husband, but is dismayed to find himself just another tool to ease middle-aged insecurity.

I had been wanting to see this movie for a long time and I'm glad I was pleased with it. Some great performances from Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, and Katharine Ross. I had seen most of the "recognizable" parts being spoofed in either The Simpsons or various movies. SPOILERS! I couldn't believe the ending. I was cracking up throughout it because Wayne's World 2 was an EXACT replica of it. I knew what was going to happen but it was still funny. I'm glad I got to see the original. END OF SPOILERS The Mrs. Robinson character I really liked. I thought she was more of a "villian" than Nurse Ratchet from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

I remember having the utmost desire to fuck the living shit out of Anne Bancroft after watching The Graduate for the first time.

I think Mel Brooks said the same thing

I agree. She was a woman who knew what she wanted and she was very direct. A lot of men see that as a turn on

War of the Worlds ***

Ray Ferrier is a working class man living in New Jersey. He's estranged from his family, his life isn't in order, and he's too caught up with himself. But the unthinkable and, ultimately, the unexpected happens to him in an extraordinary sense. His small town life is shaken violently by the arrival of destructive intruders: Aliens which have come en masse to destroy Earth. As they plow through the country in a wave of mass destruction and violence, Ray must come to the defense of his children. As the world must fend for itself by a new and very advanced enemy not of this world, it's inhabitants must save humanity from a far greater force that threatens to destroy it.

A very good summer blockbuster with all the action needed for any action junky. Not Cruise's or Spielberg's best but the duo does work well together. The special effects in this movie were great and I also loved the mild humor this picture has to break the tension at times. Also a nice dark performance by Tim Robbins. Finally, little Dakota Fanning continues to impress me and I'm really enjoying her work. If she continues to go the way she has been going in recent memory (I Am Sam, Man on Fire), I don't see why this young lady can't win an Oscar some day.

The Wizard of Oz #6 on the AFI Top 100 List ****

When a nasty neighbor tries to have her dog put to sleep, Dorothy takes her dog Toto, to run away. A cyclone appears and carries her to the magical land of Oz. Wishing to return, she begins to travel to the Emerald City where a great wizard lives. On her way she meets a Scarecrow who needs a brain, a Tin Man who wants a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who desperately needs courage. They all hope the Wizard of Oz will help them, before the Wicked Witch of the West catches up with them.

The best musical I've ever seen with great performances by the entire cast (my favorite was Margaret Hamilton as Miss Gulch & the Wicked Witch of the West). I'm still fascinated by the costumes, makeup, and sets for the time the movie was made (1939). Looks like I'll be $40+ short now because I'm gonna get the 3-disc DVD

Ah... Oz. I can't wait until Christmas, when I get the three-disk set. I think that--when you really bring the time the film was made into consideration--the special effects are purely amazing.

Lawrence of Arabia #5 on the AFI Top 100 List **

A biography of T.E.Lawrence. The young lieutenant Lawrence manages to get a job as an observer with Prince Feisal, the leader of an Arab tribal army. Lawrence decides to stay and help Feisal. His adventures are detailed by Jackson Bentley, a journalist.

I was very disappointed with this movie and I couldn't wait for it to end. I did enjoy everything except one very important thing and that was the story! This felt like the longest 4 hours of my life and yes ronnie it was too long! However, Alec Guinness was his usual great self and Peter O'Toole was very good as well. I don't know if I'd ever watch this film again because it seemed like it would never end

I couldn't agree more with what you just said

King Kong -

Special effects milestone, but I'm too tired to go further. Look to my first viewing for more.

Gone With The Wind #4 on the AFI Top 100 List ****

The epic tale of a woman's life during one of the most tumultuous periods in America's history. From her young, innocent days on a feudalistic plantation to the war-torn streets of Atlanta; from her first love whom she has always desired to three husbands; from the utmost luxury to absolute starvation and poverty; from her innocence to her understanding and comprehension of life.

This was my first time viewing this movie and I quite enjoyed it. A great masterpiece with great performances by everyone from Clark Gable to Vivien Leigh to even Hattie McDaniel. I loved a lot of the "pull away" shots that were done as well as the shots of the characters and it looked like just an outline of them (the characters themselves were dark/black).