Criterion

Too subtle. Any greatness within this anti-war movie is turned bland with slowly paced characters. I might appreciate it when I'm "older and wiser" but for now it remains an undeveloped anti-war protest.

There's no use comparing the two versions of the Beauty and the Beast; each has its own magical finesse. "La Belle et la Bete" is probably the version that "mature" cinephiles prefer. I'd say that I like it just as much as the '91 version. I mean, just look at the effects! And I love the scene where Josette Day first enters the enchanted mansion.

It was released the year I was born! And it was 1991's Best Picture winner. So why did it take me so long to see it?

This was a veeery entertaining mystery/horror thriller for me. The characters' psychological states and situations kept me captivated even during the inquiries. As for the performances: They're OK. Hopkins is the only person that stood out for me probably because the last film I saw him in was "The Elephant Man." Big difference. The only part that brought this movie down was in its 'Night Vision' scene; it was a bit far fetched seeing Foster rotate 180 faster than pulling the trigger of a gun.

Fun fact: Did you know that the skull on the moth in the movie's poster is composed of three naked women?

Upon further analysis, I've decided that "Salo," despite its relatively "shocking" contents, is quite powerful. The allegory manifested in its unadulterated state, alone, lifts this above other kitsch. Even with pedophilia, urinary sex, coprophagy, etc., this fascist retelling provides great cinematography, twisted humor, and a great ending, summing up the few moments of pureness and converting them into what ever you would expect from irreligious regimes. But did Pasolini really deserve to die after some innocuous philosophizing? (Rhetorical...)
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I was finally able to get the highly under appreciated score from this movie, composed by Morricone, on Youtube. It's addicting to listen to (Which, coincidentally, ties in with the movie's message):

Salo Opening Title

The opening scene and the "stuffing money in mouth" scene are HILARIOUS. Otherwise, I felt that "The Naked Kiss" was nothing special. You should probably skip it.

Incredible stuff from Cronenberg. I think it's the best film of his that I've seen. He takes subtle, taboo subjects and just buries them under unique ones. The complexity of this film has enough layers to confuse the casual movie goer as well as the art house movie watcher. Plus, the innovative use of one talented actor taking on two roles with brilliant, realistic effects is amazing! It's unfortunate that it has an ending that won't really satisfy all but I recommend this film if you like dramas with enough strange themes and concepts. A 'twin' film done right. Beats De Palma's messy film in every way.

Now THIS is what I call violence and action; however, the second half seems to diminish slightly (Recompensed, though, when the acid container bursts). Its enlacement with the social critique and the cyborg premise makes it one of the most enjoyable watches I've had in a while.

It's dated, since, psychologically, a serial killer's mind is more understood nowadays, but a tormented neighborhood's unity is what lives on. The tune that the child-killer whistles is what I thought was interesting: 'In the Hall of the Mountain King''s crescendo is used as a grave imminence. In the same structure, there's the heart-pounding conclusion that is as riveting as ever.

A fascinating documentary that captures the Inuit daily life. Supposedly the first documentary, it's impressive to see the technique used to maintain the audience's interest - I was completely 'iglooed' to the screen. I even learned some things: How igloos are built - something I had been pondering for quite some time; that canoes are the Eskimos' limousines; and that Eskimos do not eat blubber!

Among the best thrillers I've seen, "Les Diaboliques" is an excellent guilt-filled mystery bound to satisfy all with its clever, heart-pounding conclusion. I adored every suspenseful minute it offered and I'm confident that you will too.

zOMG! What suspense! I can see why Hitchcock considered Clouzot as a contender for the "Master of Suspense" title. ("The Wages of Fear" and "Les Diaboliques" - more so than "The Wages of Fear" - are the reasons Hitchcock filmed "Psycho.") You have to see this movie to the very end. The first twenty or thirty minutes are boring, indeed; just have patience and eventually you'll get a taste of raw nihilism.

Michael Bay uses his usual formulas, gets lucky, and ends up having this apocalyptic romance (Bluaa! XP) on the Criterion collection. Bay also unnecessarily stretches this one out to 150 minutes and officially pisses me off.

I'm somewhat disappointed with this one. While it did include the original source material's important premises, its rendering fails to impress and fails to appropriately address the mature themes found in Golding's novel. Since this is part of the Criterion collection, I had a raw, faithful adaptation in mind; something with the potential of "Salo," perhaps, and with an emphasis on the Biblical allusions and the nature of man. None found except for little kids screaming like girls. I also failed to notice any so-called impressive cinematography, except, of course, for the close-up on the actual embodied Lord of the Flies. It's dated on many levels but if you're going to see this with fresh eyes, its impact will be stronger.