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8MM (1999)
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8MM was probably one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen. Not to say that it was a bad film, because it wasn't. I went to see it the first day it came out and I wasn't expacting to see what I was seeing. I basically thought that it was going to be a disturbing picture about the underbelly of today's society, the side no one likes to talk about. But toward the middle of the movie, I almost felt dirty, realizing the kind of people out there that live in the same world as us, this is so vulgarly displayed in 8MM. This movie is about a private investigator, (Nicholas Cage) who is asked to explain the bizarre contents of an 8MM film cartridge. It is a cheap porno movie that involves a young teenage girl who is forced to have sex with another masked man and then is butchered after she does. Cage is put on this assignment by a rich elderly widow, who found the film in her dead husband's safe. She asks Cage to find out if the film is real or not. Find the girl if she is still alive, and she will give him his reward. Cage isn't too sure about the assignment, but after he views the film and is repulsed by what it contains, he feels like he owes it not only to the woman, but to the girl as well. He must start from scratch, leaving his wife and infant daughter behind, and slowly descend into the underground world of sex, murder, money, and lies. Making friends with a porno salesman to help him on the way. Before long, Cage is pulled between coming back to his loving wife and his longing to find the wherabouts of the makers of the film, after he discovers that the girl is realy killed. Then his struggle for sanity when the way of life that he has been subjected to starts to get him. I won't tell you anything else about the film, but I will give you some advise. If you have an open mind about movies and aren't one of those people who critisize things that they don't aprove of, this film is for you. If you don't like to watch sex, nudity, murder, profanity,(and all those other wonderful things), this film is definitely not for you. Also if you do not like to hear about the underbelly of today's society, then don't even pull this one off the rack, you will not approve! In my personal opinion, I liked this film very much but I have an open mind to new things and new ideas. I think that this film went to the limit and came out on top. I give this film a 7.5/10.
Alien Resurrection (1997)
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In my mind, Alien Resurrection should not even be considered to be the fourth installment of the alien series. The first,"Alien", was brilliant in introducing you to this new kind of creature, and what it would be like if you met up with one. A great drama thriller flick."Aliens", the second alien movie, excellent too, but it was more action and suspense,(fine by me). "Alien 3", I disliked very much mostly becuse of the transition that scary action movies took later on from being pure excitement and jump scenes, to dark comedic, bad A** movies. Now, "Alien Resurrection", I thought had a good idea for describing the aliens' lifestyles for you. but, it didn't show you enough, all it did was show that they are smart creatures which was something that we already knew. Then, their escape from their pens was smart, but if it was so easy for them to do it, they would have done it a long time ago. People start to die way too early in the film. The creepy crawly effect is gone, (starting with Alien 3). And like Alien 3, is more of a dark comedic, bad a** film, with actors who look like they could have been drunk stung out punk rockers, and a new breed of aliens that look so ferocious they could have come out of the bottom of a cereal box. Which brings up another point, there never should have been a new breed of aliens, it's a stupid idea. The earlier aliens looked much more dangerous and scary, plus it is the original good old bad guy. This alien looked like an anorexic jaba the hut with a beer belly and nail polish. Lastly, Ripley should have been killed off in the last alien film, which would have honorably laid to rest the Alien saga and our human hero friend who sacrificed her life to save mankind from the aliens. Then again, at the end of Alien 3, the baby alien was already out of Ripley's stomach, so it was killed in the burning lead. So, why in Alien Resurrection, did they say that they took the aliens body out of Ripley's where it was not harmed. It was just an excuse at an attempt to create yet another (sigh) chapter. I do not recomend this film to anyone who has seen the first two alien movies, I think the saga should have ended at the second one, when the queen alien was killed, but that's the way life goes. For anyone who has not seen any Alien movie or at least Alien 3, I reluctantly request you see this film, even though I hate knowing that you would be wasting your hard earned money on a film that makes a mockery of a brilliant storyline and plot. Thank You.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
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The Silence of The Lambs is a gripping story of a young FBI agent's attemp to track down a serial killer with the help of another. (Jodie Foster) plays Clarice Starling, an FBI agent who is haunted by visions of her father's death when she was a child. She is sent out to find Buffulo Bill, a killer who skins his victims for reasons unknown to anyone until the near end of the movie. Helping Clarice is the incarcerated canibal genious, Dr. Hannibal Lecter AKA Hannabal the Canibal, beautifully played by Anthony Hopkins. This psychotic mastermind knows who Buffalo Bill really is and only agent Starling knows this. The two have kind of a pact in a you help me, I help you, manner. This is one of my favorite movies bacause of the sheer terror that Anthony Hopkins makes you feel the first time you meet his character in an insane asylum, (what a great actor). I recommend this movie to any fan of psychological thrillers, ones that make your skin crawl when think, "what if that really happened".I give this film a 9.0 out of 10.0.
The Worst Witch (1986)
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The Worst Witch is the greatest film of all time. The acting was superb, the plot was brilliant, the cast was (dare I say) genious. Never in my wildest dreams have I ever seen such sights that I saw in The worst Witch. Mrs. Hardbroom, what a fox. And the Grand Wizard's performance is to die for. I recomend this movie to anyone no matter what kind of movies you like, I don't care. If I knew the director, I would give him/her a big sloppy wet kiss on the cheek. The picture was truly magnificent.
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
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I believe that Assault on precinct 13 is one of those films that you could watch over and over again. The acting is something to be desired but the simple plot and good vs bad theme make this film what it is really worth, a work of art. Assault on Precinct 13 is about a police station that is being relocated so the previous one is not in use. If you didn't think that John Carpenter was a brilliant director before seeing this film, then you have something to learn. I loved the way that from the very start of the picture you are entered into some dark organization, and the musical score helps project this effect. I also liked the way that the whole good vs bad element was there. Where the good guys had to keep the bad guys out of the police station when they are out numbered, out gunned, with no elecricity, and no way to reach the outside world.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Full summary of Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs is one of those rare films that you remember forever. To appreciate the brilliance of this picture you have to set aside your criticism for vulgar language and violence because it needs all of this to live up to what it really is. One of the greatest films of all time.
Many people may dislike Quentin Tarantino because of his fascination with telling life as how it is, no matter how much we may not like hearing it. I give the man so much credit for not caring about what people may say about his style of directing. Anyway, Reservoir Dogs is the story about a loosely related group of criminals whose attempt at a diamond heist goes terribly wrong, when the cops are already at the scene of the crime before the crime even takes place, and it is most definite that one of the men in the group is the rat. Beautifully acted, the remaining men try to find out what went wrong without killing each other in the process. Tarantino knows exactly when to cut to a flashback and how to keep the viewer on the edge of his seat with costant quarrels between the crooks as they point guns in each other's faces. Mr. Blonde, the psychotic one who deforms a police officer by slicing off his ear while dancing to the 70's tune "stuck in the middle with you", couldn't have been more sinister. You don't know if he's going to give his fellow accomplice a handshake, or blow his brains out.
Something that I can say is bad about this film is the language. I think I heard the "F" word used some five hundred times (exaggeration). It is also very bloody but I think that that just makes the impact of film more powerful. I recall the scene when Mr. Blonde is torturing the rooky officer with the razor. It was probably the most horrifying seens in a movie I have ever seen. It puts you into the place of the cop and has you feel what he feels as his ear is sliced off, he is doused in gasoline, and the psychotic Mr.Blonde holds a lighter about to set you to blaze. I won't tell you what happens next but it is such a great twist in the plot.I recommend Reservoir Dogs as a must to any mafia or crime movie lover. Make sure you listen to everything that the characters say, the acting is superb and you think that you are actually in the hilarious conversations about the meaning behind the song "like a virgin", and why someone shouldn't tip the waitress. It's a riot.