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Reviews
Aliens (1986)
in space, no one can hear you say what a great movie this is
"Aliens" is without a doubt one of the greatest sequels of all time. Not just because it's a great movie, but because it displays such unique synergy with the orignal. Most sequels of the sci-fi/action genre tend to just repeat the success of the preceding film, but "Aliens" puts a new spin on the adventures of Ellen Ripley, taking her from a haunted house to the Vietnam War. The action in the movie is non-stop from the moment the marines land, and could be exhausting to the audience if it were made by a lesser talent. However, it is executed so masterfully by director James Cameron that the suspense is never tiring or dulled. The sets and effects are a marvel, and the Alien Queen, designed by Cameron, is just as frightening and intriguing as the orignal alien designed by H.R. Gieger. The best action movie ever by far.
The Shining (1980)
stylish delight
Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is one of the most stylized movies I have ever seen, and probably the most for an American film. The horror genre has long used the camera to manipulate the audience, using quick zooms, tilted angles and hand held camera to create tension and visual distortion. The sense of danger and panic was conveyed by the camera as much as it was by the narrative elements. In "The Shining", the camera is used quite differently. Instead of hand held shots, Kubrick employs steady-cam which moves with a fluid sense of menace. Also, instead of wide angles and rapid cuts, Kubrick chooses to use long takes with symmetrical framing, creating a new style that dowmplays the tension an action, but creates more terror as it works so well with the steady cam.
"The Shining" also has some terrific visuals. The red bathroom that the father talks to the butler in is incredibly stylish. Also, the strange carpet designs add a unique visual flair to the movie. The insert shots of the butchered girls and butler are pretty weird, but nothing can top the guy in the bunny suit fellating the business man. Creepy and coocky.
The best part of the movie is Jack Nicholson. He is in top form for this movie, especially in his scenes of metamorphisis into a lunatic. His conversations with the bar tender are extremely entertaining, as is his meeting with the butler in the red bathroom. The dialogue in these segments is great as well.
Overall, "The Shining" is one of the best horror movies ever made, and worth a look for fans of the genre and Kubrick alike. It's a fun movie, but has many great merits as well, something not very common.
Street of Crocodiles (1986)
surreal
The Brothers Quay are two of the most unique and visually surprising film makers in a long time. Street of Crocodiles is a short they made, and is full of unbelievable animation. An incredible mix of objects are used for the props and characters, creating strange effects and meanings. The visual style of Street of Crocodiles has been copied in many recent stop-go animation films, including many of the music videos for the band Tool. However, nothing can match the virtuosity of the Brothers, who support their impressive animation with political insight, dealing with the strife of their homeland in Europe. Truly amazing things are accomplished by the brothers in this film, such as using telephoto lenses to change focus in mid animation. The amount of detail and work that is put into this film is unbelievable, but the result is even more impressive.
A Simple Plan (1998)
a contemporary masterpiece
Sam Raimi and cast capture the essense of neo-film noir in "A Simple Plan." This much ignored gem of 1998 is a great example of perfect execution, both by film-maker Sam Raimi and cast. The story is gold, and it's a miracle that it found itself in the hands of such a talented crew.
spoilers
The story of "A Simple Plan" begins when two brothers and a friend discover a downed plane that contains four million dollars. It is unknown to the unlikely millionaries where this money has come from, so they decide to hide it for awhile, and not use it until they know that whoever it belonged to has stopped looking for it. As time passes, the group becomes anxious about using their new found wealth, and murder and betrayal ensue.
The acting in general is great, but Billy Bob Thorton gives a performance that will not be easily matched for many years. He captures the essense of desperation and doubt perfectly, especially in the scene where he and his brother (Bill Paxton) confront their friend in an attempt to resolve the conflicts about the money. Not only the performance of a lifetime, but a monument to man's ability to perform as an actor.
Sam Raimi turns it down a notch for this film, forgoing the exciting camera work of the "Evil Dead" series and "Dark Man" for a more restrained, but equally as effective appraoch. This shows his ability to grow as a film-maker, and confirms him as one of today's masters.
It is unfortunate that "A Simple Plan" didn't receive a special edition release on DVD; It could have found a new and larger audience if it did.
Do the Right Thing (1989)
unbelievable
Few movies can even hope to offer what Spike Lee's contemporary masterpiece does for moviegoers. "Do the Right Thing" excels in every way a movie can; engaging story, great characters, a stellar cast with brilliant performances and beautiful cinematography. The DP Ernest Dickenson makes the heat of the summer sun come to life, and you can almost feel the rays beating down on you watch.
In a nut shell, DTRT tells the story of the hottest day of the year in downtown Brooklyn. As we meet the characters, the story unfolds and temperatures rise. Like most of Lee's movies, DTRT is socially concious, takling issues of racism, loyalty and responsibility. Lee also puts together a visual feast, incorporating some brilliant sequences and shots. Lee is definetley the most important director to emerge from the late eighties and early nineties, and continues to be one of the most consistently entertaining auteurs today. DTRT is a testement to his film-making abilities. 10/10.
The Matrix (1999)
Visually and Philisophically inspired cinema!
Minor Spoilers
"The Matrix" is easily the most philisophically intriging sci-fi movie since "Blade-Runner," but also captures the spirit of a great action and special effects roller-coaster; truely a movie for all audiences.
The basic premise for "The Matrix" is that of Plato's "Allegory of the Cave and the Divided Line" as read in "The Republic."
For the unfamiliar, "The Allegory..." is an age-old theory speculating that if mankind were imprisioned in a dark cave, and could only see the shadows of objects around himself (displayed like a puppet show by marionettes), he would percieve this to be his reality.
In "The Matrix" we are introduced to a similiar concept, that mankind is imprisioned by an omnipotent super-computer(the matrix), and this device creates a fictional reality for everyone as they lay motionless in some sort of dream-like state, which also allows the matrix to feed off of its human hosts. However, there is an underground resistence operating outside of the faux universe created by the matrix, who seek to free all of mankind from its false world. This is where the story begins, though I don't want to give any more away.
The visuals of "The Matrix" are sight to behold as well, with exciting camera-work and over the top special effects. The phrase "eye-candy" was invented for this movie! The soundtrack is very impressive as well, combining a good mix of techno and rock to fuel the excitement of the many action scenes.
In short, "The Matrix" is film-making at its finest. The Wachowski brothers have created a modern masterpiece capturing both the philisophical overtones that is essential to science fiction, and some of the most breath taking and original action sequences of all time. This film is sure to usher in a new era of visual-inspired cinema.