Lukec1229 Reviews

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Forbidden Planet (1956)

[6/10 · 17 December 2015]

The ideas and the backstory set up and built around the mysterious ancient advanced alien race, were probably the best aspects of this film. The acting and dialogue wasn't altogether that great and a lot of what the characters did seemed not all too realistic either. Another thing I didn't find particularly good about this film was the little love plot that seemed kind of just thrown into the mix because of no good reason, it felt a little fake, extraneous, and unrealistic. The redeeming factor in the film was the mystery behind the planet and the monster, which actually ended up focusing on the inner mental subconsciousness of humans, which I thought made a creative and interesting sci-fi monster.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

[9/10 · 17 December 2015]

While it is the sequel of the original 1931 Frankenstein, it doesn't really even feel like the original movie ends, this movie continues it perfectly. It has the same feel, most of the same cast with some nice new editions, the lighting is that same intense contrasted lighting of the first film, and the cinematography is just as good too. I loved the first film and I think the second film is just as good. The even better thing about this film is that we really get to understand the monster more, see the transformation in him, and learn more about what it really means to be human. James Whale did an excellent job of directing this film as well as the first and Karloff and Clive returned just as strong.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

[8/10 · 17 December 2015]

While a lot of science fiction films focus on space or the very different and foreign aspects of aliens, robots, or other things we don't understand and are threatened by, this film is centrally focused around humanity and what kind of people we are. Honestly the main character, who is an alien and the character we associate the most with, is the most down to Earth and good example of how a person should conduct themselves. While the threat of alien annihilation is there, we find it is there for a good reason, because we as humans seem to lack the responsibility for our new technology. We end up becoming the threat in this film, which is what makes it so interesting.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

[9/10 · 16 December 2015]

No joke, this is one of the best science fiction films I have ever seen and it's from 1968. The effects were amazing considering the time period and they still look pretty good today. The cinematography was also pretty incredible. The way in which all of the strange camera angles and camera effects used throughout the film, work together in conjunction with the effect of no gravity, create this confusing, cramped atmosphere that really makes it seem like space. The long stretches of music in the vacuum of space and the extended periods of no dialogue throughout the film somehow just fit perfectly. It's a strange and mysterious film and the ending is definitely something out of this world, but it just makes for one great sci-fi film.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

[9/10 · 14 December 2015]

This film was a wild one. Definitely blew my earlier expectations of it out of the water. The way in which it is told is brilliant, with non-linear, seemingly random, disjointed plot lines, that all come together and manage to tell a story of their own. It's an extremely violent, drug filled, dirty, gritty, crazy film about crime, but it's also full of great, witty, and intelligent dialogue and it's full of minute things and details you may not pick up on at first. It was an entertaining and darkly humorous film, but it's also an intelligent and revolutionary one that broke new ground, that I'd definitely recommend watching it at least once.

The Graduate (1967)

The Graduate (1967)

[8/10 · 14 December 2015]

This was kind of a strange, awkward, and socially distressing movie, and at times pretty unrealistic as well, but don't get me wrong, I think it was an awesome and clever film. First of all the cinematography and soundtrack for the film were great. There were some great scenes and shots in the movie and the music of Simon and Garfunkel I think fit perfectly with the characters, situations, and the film as a whole. While some of the situations seem impractical and unrealistic, it doesn't really matter, because the characters, their emotions, and their reactions, are what really make this movie a great one, and the acting really helps make this a reality.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

[6/10 · 14 December 2015]

This film I think was pretty revolutionary for the time, but it's a little dated now. I think it addressed some pretty big social stigmas at the time and did it in a pretty comical and creative way. Obviously the situation that the film presents isn't the most realistic one, but I think the situation needed to be so rushed and up-front, because it's the point the film is trying to make. The way it worked through every character's fears and doubts, paralleling society's duality, by having multiple instances where two characters sat down and presented their two opinions was creative. I'll say at times the film was very unrealistic, felt a little preachy, and some scenes were completely irrelevant and non-essential, but overall it wasn't a bad movie.

Mildred Pierce (1945)

Mildred Pierce (1945)

[7/10 · 7 December 2015]

This film is a good example of classic feeling film noir. The cinematography fit the film well and the stark, noticeable lighting and smoky atmosphere all added to the mysterious feel. The movie starts out as if you already know the ending, but through telling the story as a one-sided flashback, and then later discovering a new outcome, it gives a unique way of unraveling the plot and revealing the mystery. Most of the time throughout the movie the characters and situations all seemed realistic in nature and were understandable. The acting in the film was not anything really special, but it seemed to fit the characters portrayed pretty well.

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

[4/10 · 3 December 2015]

I seem to be in the minority here but I was not impressed at all by this film. A couple of the scenes were visually appealing and the cinematography was good, for instance the trip down the river and the lighting in the film were great, but this doesn't make up for its other shortcomings. To start things off, straight out of the gate the movie felt cheesy and unrealistic, from the children's floating heads among the stars to Powell's complete disclosure of his character within the first 30 seconds of us seeing him. The story was lackluster and went from flying at some points to crawling at others. The plot progressed more by the character's stupidity rather than the villain's actual efforts. Practically all of the characters were unrealistic and so gullible they fell very close to the point of complete ignorance and idiocy. A lot of people said this movie was chilling because it's more realistic than most horror films, and while most horror films are unrealistic, this is definitely not a good indicator of realism.

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Singin' In the Rain (1952)

[7/10 · 3 December 2015]

I'm not usually one for musicals, but this film was actually pretty enjoyable. The story was interesting and making it about the change from silent to talking films was a good subject. It not only showed how people felt about it, but what it also meant for the actors/actress' and the movie business at the time. This was the perfect subject for the film as in this film they also show just how far sound and color have come from the age that is portrayed, putting on elaborate and colorful singing and dancing routines. Some of the routines did get a little carried away at times, but overall they weren't too frequent or overbearing and there was a pretty good balance of musical and story.

Citizen Kane (1941)

Citizen Kane 1941

[7/10 · 28 October 2015]

I would have to say I wasn't particularly impressed with the story told through this film, even if it is based on a real one, but much more was I impressed by the manner in which it was told. The film was rather unique for it's time in how it sets up the plot at the end of the main character's life and then continues to tell the story of it through a series of flashbacks. Not just how the story was told, but also how it was filmed. The cinematography in this movie is probably one of its best features. The lighting, camera angles, special effects, fades, and pans are all very well done, present throughout the entire film, and all add to the complexity of it. While the story fell a little short for me (not saying it was bad just not my taste), I thought the meanings presented in it (wealth doesn't = happiness, powerful man can't keep/control everything, etc.), and the examination of a man through the people he knew throughout his life were all pretty cool things.

Fantasia (1940)

Fantasia 1940

[9/10 · 20 October 2015]

This is one of the most creative, visually and tonally, and one of the most interesting and exciting films I have ever seen. Each individual story is very creative in itself and all keep perfectly in sync with the music from the different composers. It was a really cool idea just to try and put images and stories to these musical masterpieces or match what people may be thinking when they hear it. With all of the amazing artwork of the many animators and the excellent performances of the conductor (Leopold Stokowski), the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the narrator (Deems Taylor), the film felt like a cross between a live theater performance and a psychedelic animated art show.

Casablanca (1942)

Casablanca 1942

[8/10 · 20 October 2015]

When a lot of people think of "Casablanca" they think mostly of the romantic nature of the film and focus all their attention on this, but this film was much more than just a great romance. The film has elements of action, suspense, and is a comedic goldmine with plenty of iconic quotes and memorable scenes. All of the acting was excellent in this movie with special recognition going to Humphrey Bogart as Rick and Claude Rains as Captain Renault, who both made up the two most dynamic characters in the film and really made it a winner. In addition to the excellent characters and cast, the story was also very interesting and dynamic, and the ending was a pleasant surprise.

Stagecoach (1939)

Stagecoach

[7/10 · 20 October 2015]

On the surface it seems to be a classic western film with the Native American threat ever present, and the American versus the hostile nature of the west. While this threat may always be there, it only actually has a very small part in the film, and mainly serves as a catalyst to forward the subplots of each of the individual characters in the stagecoach. This is the interesting part of this western, each character's own reasonings for the things they do, why they are on the stagecoach, who they are, and most importantly how they act towards each other character in the stagecoach and the relationships they form with one another. The movie does a great job of pointing out the social stigmas of the time and we actually find ourselves routing for and liking the most outcast characters on the coach.

My Man Godfrey (1936)

My Man Godfrey 1936

[6/10 · 20 October 2015]

The film is an interesting combination of witty humor, mostly dramatic over-the-top characters, a central love story, and even a bit of powerful social statements. Most of the humor throughout the movie is a combination of wit and crazy characters/situations as opposed to a lot of the heavy physical humor that came in many films before it. Most of the characters of the film are very over-the-top and seem unrealistic, serving to make the point of being "stupid" rich. These are all balanced out by the main character Godfrey (William Powell), who comes to be a character the audience understands, relates to, and really likes. He serves as the informed, educated, and righteous American man who is redeemed through his journey and able to overcome the influence of wealth and in the end serves the general good.

Scarface (1932)

Scarface 1932

[7/10 · 19 October 2015]

I was surprised to find that this film was more than just a violent gangster film made for entertainment. It is another prime example of Hollywood voicing it's concerns in its own way and is very similar to another film starring Paul Muni, "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang". From the very beginning the directors tell the audience what the intentions of the film are, and throughout the rest of it they compound the importance of their message through the showing of these very violent acts, the social distress, the blatant scene with the head of press outlining the issues and what needs to be done, and Paul Muni's excellent portrayal of an insane gangster.

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

[7/10 · 8 October 2015]

What immediately makes this movie an interesting one is the realness of it. The situation, the characters, the events and outcomes are all very realistic and I suppose that's because this movie is based on actual events and people. All of the acting, writing, and directing is done so well that the characters and their situations feel very realistic and more importantly relatable and understandable. The understanding and relatability of the characters is true today just as it was back when this film was made, which is one of the best things about this film. As a film representing and bringing to light the injustices in the prison system at the time and the inefficiency of the judicial system, having the audience really relate and understand what horrific ordeal the main character is going through helps get across the film's actual goal.

Dracula (1931)

Dracula 1931

[5/10 · 2 October 2015]

To be completely honest I think this movie is blown a little out of proportion by some. While I'm sure that this film was probably pretty scary back when it was made, it's pretty laughable when viewed now. I will admit it's made slightly scarier than some other horror films of the time such as Frankenstein, but it wasn't nearly as good in story and depth. The effects such as the bat and hypnotic lighting on Dracula's eyes were very cheesy, the characters felt rigid, shallow, and unrealistic, and in addition to the very slow motion form of acting and dialogue implemented, the entire film seemed to move very slowly along as well. I understand the "slow" effect and the absence of dialogue in many parts is to convey a sense of creepiness, and to an extent I think it accomplished this, but I think the lighting accomplished this just fine and the "quiet slowness" felt a tad overdone. All in all, I would say this was a pretty average horror film with nothing too revolutionary.

Sherlock Jr. (1924)

Sherlock Jr.

[9/10 · 24 September 2015]

I think this movie was very well done especially for such an early period of movies and there's a few certain elements that stick out for me that really make this movie great. One is Buster Keaton's acting which was both comedic and very impressive at the same time with his capacity to create and perform the very impressive stunts shown throughout the film. The scenes with the train, the bike and traffic, and the pool table all stand out in my mind as all being some very crazy and very talented/well performed stunts for this time period. I'm not even sure how they pulled off some of the visuals like some of the scenes with the bike ride, and the pool table scene was just down right impressive. Keaton's creativity and talent as an actor/director were shown throughout this movie through the stunts and special effects that were used such as the bike ride and the movie theater scene where he gets into the movie and his surroundings continue to change around him.

Frankenstein (1931)

Frankenstein

[9/10 · 23 September 2015]

As the first classic Universal monster/horror film I have seen, I have to say Frankenstein was not the least bit scary and the opening warning was a tad comical with that in consideration. Nevertheless, following the warning, from the very beginning of the actual film I found myself heavily invested in the story and characters. The film might not have been scary, but the development of the characters and the acting made them seem to be more realistic and have more depth than most characters in most current horror films. This is especially true of Frankenstein's monster which is ironic seeing as he has no actual dialogue. Another thing that caught my attention was the lighting in this movie. It was a very dark movie and I thought the way light was used kind of highlighted and set a more ominous atmosphere and gave it a really cool effect. I think what really stood out most for me about this movie though was the fact that often the people were more frightening and violent than the actual monster.

The Circus (1928)

The Circus

[8/10 · 22 September 2015]

As the first full length silent film I have ever seen, I was very surprised just how much this movie captured my attention. I thought that a silent and very early film would lack some of the depth and action more modern films can capture, but The Circus managed to bring forth a different style of filming and more importantly acting, that made me feel perfectly content even though there was hardly any dialogue present. The style of acting that Chaplin employs with his very exaggerated facial expressions and physical movements and gags made me realize there doesn't need to be speech in order for there to be depth, comedy, and an interesting story. The attention to physical comedy is an old fashioned comedic routine, but it still proved hilarious even though it's something I typically viewed as being crude and childish beforehand. In addition to the comedy, there was a level of depth and feeling reached in this film, seen especially at the end when the "Tramp" lets go of the woman he loves and is left all alone in the field, that surprised me for such a comedic and seemingly whimsical movie.