Derek A (DerekA101)

I loved this little direct-to-DVD horror film. It teaches a lot about Halloween folk lore that I never knew about. For instance, I never knew it was considered bad customs to blow out your pumpkin before Halloween night was officially over!

Trick 'r Treat is a well-made Halloween scarefest that centers around four interwoven stories that FOR ONCE actually overlap and are related. I loved the narration and most of the stories were both scary and interesting. One of the stories turned a little "odd" but I won't delve much into it.

The little demon that watches our characters is unique and scary and, hopefully, becomes an icon of Halloween in the future (much like a Grinch for Christmas). Brian Cox is awesome, and Dylan Baker and Anna Paquin were good here as well.

Overall, this is a nice throwback to horror films of the past thats not too gory, but yet it still conjures up a good amount of thrills and scares. It's got some creepy moments, but the end result is highly entertaining.

Valkyrie is a well told little-known true story about officers inside Hitler's staff that attempt to assassinate him. Anchored by strong acting and excellent, fast-paced political narration, Valkyrie still never seems to lift off. It's a very nice pseudo-documentary that is interesting to know, but falls short of being a successful film. It's kind of ho-hum. Thanks for the info Mr. Bryan Singer, but I'm afraid I'll probably never visit this one again.

Christopher Nolan continues the new dark Batman saga with one of the best all around movies I have ever seen. Everything about this movie was flawless: acting, directing, music, cinematography, camera angles, everything. Nolan perfectly blended light hearted humor with suspense and action. It scared you, may have even traumatized some... it toyed with your emotions, made you question your morals. This movie made you think! I have never, and probably will never, see a comic book movie that brought so much character emotions to the forefront as the Dark Knight did.

Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker makes me forget all about the iconic Jack Nicholson version. It's no contest really... Ledger's portrayal is probably my all time favorite movie character. He literally stole every scene he was in... he was crazy!

Overshadowed by Ledger was a brilliant performance by Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent aka Two Face. Christian Bale and the others did a great job, but Eckhart and Ledger really stole the show.

I can't say enough good things about this movie, it's one you have to see for yourself.

Gladiator is an epic, action-packed spectacle from the very first scene to the last.

It's visually stunning, and it's one of the most memorable movies of all time. The acting was top notch, with exceptionally strong performances by Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. The heart-wrenching plot was amazing, and served to move and thrill the audience. The cinematography is great, and even the score was perfect. This film was more than deserving of the Best Picture Oscar of 2000.

The story is inspiring, and the protagonist Maximus (Crowe) is someone everyone can idolize. The opening scene is one of the best of all time. The epic battle scenes are well shot, and still hold high merits even against today's technology. The fight scenes in the Coliseum were breath-taking as well.

When the popular Gladiator reveals himself to the young Emperor and says:

"My My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.''

This is one of the most moving, inspirational scenes/quotes in cinema. It was perfect.