Nudity (non-sexual)

Comedy is one of the most difficult genres. Everyone has a different sense of humor and even with the best writing a performance that is slightly off can completely alter the mood of the scene and throw off the joke. Truly hilarious movies only come along once every so often, and many of the great ones have been spoof movies. Airplane! is the granddaddy of spoof movies, and in my opinion, the funniest. Nothing is sacred in this crass, irreverent, manic, and downright silly film that makes fun of every religion and racial stereotype and fills every scene to the brim with groan-inducing puns, witty word plays, and spastic sight gags. Almost every scene is classic cinema. In some ways, Airplane! is a cartoon played out with live actors. Some scenes are so over the top it's ridiculous - and that's what makes Airplane! a joy to watch. Leslie Nielson appears in a smaller role than you would expect, but it's clear that this is his type of movie. And of course he delivers the line for which the movie is known; "Don't call me Shirley." Some jokes are cliche now, but back in 1980 Airplane! pioneered them, and it is still incredibly funny today. A mile stone, and a must-have for the comedy fan.

To those who say this movie is quite easy to follow, I found that to be true. I also give Gilliam and company points for it. There's nothing wrong with simplifying a potentially disorienting concept so that the audience understands it. The fact that you leave the theater confused doesn't necessarily mean you've watched a deep movie - maybe you just watched a confusing one. In my search for great movies, I came across 12 Monkeys. One of my favorite genres is that of the time-bending thriller, and this promised to be an worth entry into that category. Indeed it is. I wouldn't quite call 12 Monkeys a great movie, since it didn't wow me as have some of my recent discoveries; but it is still a very solid film that delivers in a number of ways. First, I found Bruce Willis's performance here to be trumped by his co-stars Madeline Stowe and especially Brad Pitt. I thought Pitt was a convincing and entertaining psychopath and his scenes help keep the movie alive. Willis spends more of his time scowling and looking unwell than anything else, really. Stowe on the other hand provided a bright counterpart for him and it was interesting to observe her psychologist's volatile relationship both to Willis' character and to her own beliefs and ideologies. There's a very dark and dirty feel to all the sets, like the movie was shot in sewers and dungeons. It reminds me of the odd-ball sci-fi of The Fifth Element stripped of its shimmer and vibrance. Of course the plot is intriguing, and we increasingly wonder whether the events that the main character believes he is a part of represent truth, or merely the twisted perception of a damaged mind - escapist fantasies put together from old memories. It's John's struggle for his identity, his sanity, and his freedom that drives the film. In the final scene we get to see pieces of a puzzle come together, but it's not terribly shocking or twisted. If you like distopian sci-fi or time travel movies as I do, you should give this one a look.