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| Movie: | Seven Samurai, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Taxi Driver, The Matrix, Psycho, Rebecca, The Rope, North By Northwest, Stranger On A Train, Rear Window, The birds.. |
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| Actor: | Anthony Perkins, James Stewart , Kevin Spacey, Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda, Clint Eastwood...etc.. |
| Director: | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Quote: | I think I must have one of those faces you can't help believing. |
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Ray's Recent Reviews
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Monster's Ball
R
A real powerhouse of a movie. It's easy to brand a movie overrated and what not but this was a movie driven by great performances. It probably has one of the best endings also where if it wasn't brave or bold we would have a typical revenge ending or something too predictable. Instead we had a nice conclusion to what this movie is really all about.
Halle Berry's character lost everything dear to her, she is lonely and at time of desperation and need she had someone there to make her forget that all even if it was for a few minutes.
Billy Bob's character is more of a stubborn man who is being controlled some how by his dads way of thinking. He also has a tragic loss and in time of need she was there at the right time. He goes through a transformation, or is it just that he feels bad and need someone? We really don't fully find out what drove the ending but it's beautiful and sad.
Heath Ledgers little supporting role is also something worth talking about. It's sad watching the type of character he played especially how his real death just happened so recent and the manner of it. He plays his character so well and so convincingly. We see the potential from here that the man really was going somewhere special. The scene with his dad at the end is really deep and upsetting but done so perfectly.
21 Grams
R
Alejandro González Iñárritu might have released 3 movies that work in the same way but this has been a trilogy of interesting human emotions and connection. This movie, the second major of his, is a fantastic and very depressing story about dealing with loss, faith and forgiveness.
I was mostly over whelmed by the superb emotional acting Naomi Watts puts in this movie. It's believable and it's hard to watch at time but great to see. Del Toro and Sean Penn are also brilliant and you can see that the director gets the best out of the actors and actresses he works with.
A lot might find his style predictable by now and that is understandable but he is a good story teller and makes movies that stay with you afterwards for a long time.
I hop that Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel are a trilogy about life and hopefully we can see something new for his next project.
Far From Heaven
PG-13
I just finished watching Far From Heaven and was really impressed. Absolutely brilliant art design and costume design in the movie. The colors and everything in it was beautiful to look at and really gave you the 50's look or how I would have imagined it while watching black and white movies.
I was pleasantly surprised with the performances as well because I don't really think much of Quaid or Moore but they exceeded expectations here. The plot was also superb and didn't need to have any affair involved with Moore and Haysbert's characters but you could see how much she felt for him through her emotions. This was Julianne's movie and she really carried it well by playing the perfect wife on the surface to what is a sham of a life or marriage.
The issues it tackles might be a bit hard to watch at some times but it gives you an idea of how far we have advanced as humans from nearly 60 years ago to how things are now, even with the bad put in mind. Even the credits at the end are nice to look at. Highly recommended viewing.
Babel
R
Fantastic movie from a bright and smart director. We know he is capable of telling multiple stories in one movie. We have seen it before in Amores Perros and 21 Grams. He is good at human emotions and characters, always giving us a lot to think about and observe. This movie is a great piece that shows us what a small incident could cause in this time and age.
This movie is post 9/11 and I think many people forget that. It just shows you how much we became obsessed with terrorism and racism and how that clouds or judgments and true justice from being served.
Each character was interesting enough to keep the movie going for the long running hours it's on.
Brokeback Mountain
R
This movie is more than just a gay cowboy western. It's a lot deeper but ignorant people with fear in their life might think otherwise. You don't have to be gay to enjoy this. I love women more than anything but still think this is one of the deepest and saddest story i have ever heard of or seen.
This movie was the platform for Heath Ledger, he became something after this movie and its even sadder now that he is gone. I enjoyed and understood it more on the second viewing. I can understand how some parts might be awkward to watch but this is a deep love story and character study.
all characters play a huge part and the cinematography is breath taking. definitely one of the best movies of 2005.
The Dark Knight
PG-13
This is my second viewing of this movie and it just got a whole lot better. The whole experience was better and the characters and plot was also a million times better. I recommend that everyone see this twice at least before judging it because it's a masterpiece in all sense of the word.
To say this was an accomplishment is the biggest understatement of the new century.
Heath Ledger, this is what this movie was always going to be about and whether he died or not it didn't matter because the joker is the heart and soul of this movie. Ledger creates something phenomenal. The last time i felt that way about a character was Hannibal Lecture played by Anthony Hopkins.
The movie itself starts on a such high note, it must be one of the best introduction to such an amazing character. Easily one of the best opening sequence you will see this year.
I can type all day about every scene he was in and how perfect he did it but just do yourself a favour and watch it 3 times or more to understand the brilliance he put into the character.
Everyone else does a great job too and gets perfect screen time. The story pans out wonderfully and ends on a high note.
I can't help but feel sadness as the hype is over now but we can celebrate an actor who really was onto something special.
Ray's Favorite Movies
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1.
Psycho
R
The greatest horror movie ever to me. The score, acting, characters, story, set... flawless. One of Hitchcocks best easily and probably my favourite movie of all time. I have seen this movie around 50 times or more and never ever get sick of it. The love I have for this movie is scary, it's just too good. Hitchcock is the greatest director that ever lived. Anthony Perkins is the perfect cast as Norman Bates. His good innocent looks are convincing enough through out the movie to keep you wondering what the truth is. I believe it's the greatest horror performance ever and one of the most interesting villain characters in cinema history. No one could have done it like Perkins did. This is the movie that got me into black & white and Hitchcock and it has a special place in my heart forever. It has one of if not the most well known scene in cinema history (shower scene) and one of the best sets in the Bates Motel and the creepy house.
2.
The Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai)
Unrated
One of the greatest movies ever made. It stands as my second favourite. Akira Kurosawa creates poetry on film. Three hours of perfect character development that grip you from the start till the end. Every movie fan knows the huge influence it had on many directors and movies. Epic action scenes and battles that still look as good today. We get to learn about each character as they start to become one in the team. Each Samurai had something special to offer and the actors made sure to do so when they played them. Citizen Kane might be the greatest American movie ever made but this one goes one better, to me it's the greatest movie ever made. They don't make them like this one anymore, a true gem.
3.
Once Upon a Time in the West
PG-13
Again, one of my all time favourites. Just like The Good, bad and the ugly everything about it was perfect. Perfect ending, characters, score, set... you name it. I've seen a few argument regarding Henry Fonda and the character he plays. To me he was amazing and did the role justice, cold hearted you can see through his eyes. The score is just fantastic, simple yet like most Sergio Leone scores very memorable. Charles Bronson is also as good as Henry Fonda and carries the movie very well.
4.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
R
John Ford is without a doubt the Western genre God but no one did them as cool as Leone. Eli Wallach give a classic comical performance and is one of the main reasons why this movie is so great. The score is well known and deservedly so. It has become a trademark to anyone that thinks of a western movie. The scene where we go through the Civil War followed by the grave dance and final show down is one of the greatest half hour or so moments in cinema history, pure gold.
5.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
R
This is the best movie i have seen this year. Ben Affleck might as well retire because his little brother done what Ben never could for all those years and that is act. The movie is beautiful and the story is fascinating. This is more on Robert Ford's story than Jesse and to me that is more interesting because we have seen plenty of movies made about the infamous outlaw but i wanted to know more about the man who pulled the trigger. The movie is long and not for people who like action and lots of wild wild west shootings because this it is not. This is a great movie, needs patience and someone who appreciates really good and well made movies.
6.
Taxi Driver
R
My favourite De Niro movie and he has a few good ones as we all know. In my opinion his best colabo with Martin Scorsese. De Niro gives a chilling performance of a man with a soul that's still being tortured from nam' war he was in. Seriously who would take a first date to a porn theatre? Jodie Fosters also gives a great performance as a young Prostitute, who De Niro make friends with and trys to help which leads to the outstanding finish to a 70's classic masterpiece. And probably everyone and their mother already know about the "you talking to me?" scene, great stuff.
Ray's Movie Scrapbook
Ray's Talk
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I recommend you see...
The Fugitive
by Samposted 1 day ago -
I recommend you see...
Rashômon (Rashomon) (In the Woods)
by MarkApparently this film was one of the first to use the "flashback from multiple perspectives approach", so it is historically and creatively significant for that. However, I found the acting style of Mifune, as the bandit, to be a distraction more than anything else. The use of the "medium" to convey one perspective was a highlight for me. Overall an interesting movie, but one that I expected more from.
Hey, you might want to see this!
posted 1 day ago -
I recommend you see...
Persepolis
by Sam
Persepolis is a very bizarre animated film with a very strong and powerful plot that not many animated films have. It is a total masterpiece of animation. Persepolis is about a young Iranian girl called Marjane who lives through the hopes of the Iranian Revolution in her home in Tehran. But during the Iran-Iraq war that follows, her parents select to send her abroad to study in safety. However, things arent that simple and takes drastic actions. This film is beautiful, educational, charming and yet quite terrifying because of the war action and also because of the history of Marjanes family. The animation is really cool, really creative and quite scary in some places. The sceneries in the film like the shops, the houses, the cars and even the objects that are around the locals are all very creative. It is like Lemony Snickets A Series Of Unfortunate Events scenery and could look like scenery that Tim Burton would have in one of his films. This would be a great Tim Burton animated film. This is definitely an adult animated film, it certainly isnt for kids because of the very strong language, the sex references and the violence too. Marjine is a sweet little girl who is curious about her family history but her parents don?t want her to find out about the history of the family and why the war in Iran is going on. I find Marjines character quite similar to Amélies character in another awesome French film Amélie. This film features from Marjine as a child up to when she becomes an adult. As a child, she lived with her parents and her grandmother and has no siblings. She talks to God for comfort but somehow God doesnt seem to comfort her in the way she wants him to. I am unsure whether this film is a true story but it does have the characteristics to be one though. I dont understand why people have said that his film is funny but I dont think it was funny at all. People would probably say that is a black comedy. I would say that this film definitely deserved the Best Animated Feature nomination but Ratatouille will always win and was the obvious winner. It is probably the first adult animated film to have been nominated Best Animated Feature. I find this animated film very underrated because one it is an adult animated film and too it is a French animated film. I have my own Oscars every year and I have three animated films for my Best Animated Feature of the year. There is my winner Ratatouille then there is Persepolis and The Simpsons Movie. When you buy the DVD from the UK, there is an English version of the film featuring the voices of Sean Penn, Catherine Deneuve (who appeared in the French version). I loved this film a lot. This is definitely one of my favourite French films of all time.Hey, you should really see this!
This is another masterpiece of animation!posted 1 day ago -
I recommend you see...
Boys Don't Cry
by Sam
Boys Dont Cry is a really touching and depressing film with a lot of desire, passion and yet a dramatic twist that changes a lot of the characters personalities and emotional feelings. This is the true story of the life of Brandon Teena. Follow Teena Brandon as she becomes Brandon Teena and claims a new male identity to the rural town of Falls City, Nebraska. There, Brandon successfully pulls off portraying a man unbeknownst to the women he is dating, eventually falling in love with Lana. He also befriends Lanas friends John and Tom. At first, Brandons new friends like him and treat as a buddy. But when Brandons sexual identity is revealed, the deception triggers a spiral of horrific violence that ends in homicide. This film has a plot that makes it really hard to watch but when I watched it, I thought it was really depressing and was quite hard to watch but wasnt as bad as I thought it would be. The scene that made me feel a bit sick was the rape scene. That is one of the biggest crimes in this world that sort of freaks me out along with slavery and imprisonment. It really depends on what sort of film. This film reminds me a lot of Brokeback Mountain but with women instead of men and that the man in Boys Dont Cry is really biologically a woman. And also when Brandon meets Lana they both become best friends but then become lovers. It is a shame because when they make out with each other, Brandon kisses and touches Lana but Lana doesnt touch Brandon because she will find out that Brandon is really a woman and would find out that she is making lesbian love to him. I personally think that Teena Brandon was a lesbian until she became Brandon Teena and then was heterosexual in her disguise but really she is a lesbian. Hilary Swank delivers one of my favourite performances of all time as Brandon Teena/Teena Brandon. It is quite weird because Hilary looks like a man with short hair but with long hair looks like a woman when she really is a woman. I was unsure about Hilarys male disguised voice for Brandon Teena. I like Hilary Swank is pretty much all of her films and this probably is one of her best but her best performance in my opinion is Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby. She definitely deserved her Oscar for this film. I think it is one of Hilarys earliest films. Chloe Sevigny was awesome in her Oscar nominated performance as Lana Tisdel. I dont think she was quite good enough to win though. If this film had a screenplay, direction, cinematography or sound nomination then it would have had the Best Picture nomination. This film would have been even better than it already is if this film was about Brandon Teena/Teena Brandons whole life. Without a doubt one of the best films of 1999 and definitely one of the best films based on a true event.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 3 days ago -
I recommend you see...not a recommendation
me and EarthlyAlien made a blog
http://doistakes.blogspot.com/
please visit it ;)posted 4 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
by Sam
This is another Christmas classic sequel that brought you the first Home Alone film. The only difference between the two films is basically that Kevin is lost in New York City in second one but in first one he is left in his home. Macaulay Culkin makes a return to portray Kevin McCallister as he did in the first film as do Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as burglars Harry and Marv. Catherine O?Hara makes a return appearance aswell as Kevin?s mother Kate McCallister. Kevins parents make the exact same mistake as they did before. Kevin thought he was following his dad but it was a stranger and ends up on the wrong flight to Manhattan, New York City instead of Miami, Florida which is where his family are going. Manhattan brings back some famous buildings that are gone now. Like the World Trade Center which were destroyed 7 years ago. It is quite upsetting because you see Kevin at the top of one of the towers. He was quite lucky because this film was released 9 years before the attack. Kevin is obviously a bright kid and knows what he is doing when he is on his own but when not getting caught by the robbers and not getting into trouble in any other situation is basically just luck. That is what I would call it anyway. I found that this film was more violent than the first one because the traps that Kevin set upon Harry and Marv were more dangerous and quite graphic. It is quite impactful when Kevin throws a brick at Marv and hits him in the head. It really looked like he really hit him in the head with the brick. It is like comic violence. The traps were a lot smarter in this one than the first one but the first traps were funnier. I loved Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern in that film a lot because they both look like two complete idiots who think they can outsmart a kid like Kevin but every single time they fall for every single trap that Kevin sets upon them. Joe Pesci looks like a typical thug but Daniel Stern just looks plain stupid and acts like he doesnt know what he is doing at all. I thought the first Home Alone was better because it was more moving at was more touching aswell because of how magical it is when you are with your whole family at Christmas. There is one advantage that Kevin had in this one more than he did the first one. It is that he was just in one house in the first Home Alone but in this one, he had the whole of Manhattan to hide and look for help. A film that I would watch every Christmas along with first Home Alone, Nightmare Before Christmas, How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Its A Wonderful Life. Beautiful film!!Hey, you should really see this!
posted 6 days ago -
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I recommend you see...
Insomnia
by Sam
I was expecting at first to be a Chris Nolan disaster film but I dont think it was a disaster at all. There are quite a few reasons for this. It stars three Oscar winning actors Al Pacino (Scent Of A Woman), Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting) and Hilary Swank (Boys Dont Cry). I thought the whole cast was good in this film. I thought the best from the whole film was Robin Williams. I was unsure about Al Pacino and Hilary Swanks performances. I have seen better films from both actors. Al Pacino portrays Detective Will Dormer who is assigned to a new police force with his partner Detective Hap Eckhart to assist them with their investigation. The investigation is murder of a young 17 year old girl called Kay Connell after she was beaten to death. Robin Williams portrays crime writer Walter Finch. The young girl Kay was a big fan of his work. Hilary Swank portrayed Ellie Burr who is a police officer who assists Dormer and Eckhart in their investigation to the murder mystery. Ellie states herself to be Dormers biggest fan. I personally believe that Al, Robin and Hilary were all miscast as their characters. I think the roles should have been Clive Owen or Hugh Jackman instead of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro instead of Robin Williams and maybe Julia Roberts instead of Hilary Swank. I love Al, Robin and Hilarys films but I just believe that they werent right for this film. Apart from that, I thought it was brilliant. These are exactly the sort of films that I love. I love murder mystery detective films. This film has one of the best plot twists I have ever seen. It is really tragic that twists everything in the film and makes all of the characters awkward in all situations within the murder investigation. This film is really tense and is a lot like a psychological thriller. I wouldnt call this Nolans best film. I would say I enjoyed this more than Memento and Batman Begins but not more than Prestige and Dark Knight.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 7 days ago -
I recommend you see...Hey, you should really see this!
posted 16 days ago -
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I recommend you see...
Step Brothers
by ChrisAfter Talladega Nights, it was obvious that Will Ferrell and John C. Rielly make a brilliant comedic duo, and obviously that is the inspiration for Step Brothers, where they get to act as ridiculous and juvenile as their Nights characters, but on another level entirely. And it makes for another winning comedy, in my opinion. The two play spoiled middle-aged guys who still live with their single parents, the two parents meet and marry, and they become step brothers - highly competitive step brothers at first. As you can expect, the plot is paper-thin, it's mainly a way to let Ferrell and Reilly let loose and improvise, showcasing the comedic ability of them and the rest of the cast - but the lack of plot made little difference to me (and it seems, to most audiences coming to this movie looking for a good time) because it absolutely 100% delivers in the comedy department. In fact, it delivers non-stop laughter - I don't there were any spaces much more than a minute long where the I and everyone else wasn't laughing throughout. You really can't go into a movie like this expecting much more than just to be purely entertained, and Step Brothers absolutely delivers. If you're expecting more than that, it's just silly. And not only are Ferrell and Reilly completely on top of their game - the rest of the cast is, as well. Richard Jenkins (playing Reilly's father) is surprisingly hilarious in this film - in fact, I thought he definitely stole several of the scenes he was in. Relative unknown Adam Scott playing Ferrell's smarmy, successful, asshole brother was excellent, as well. The entire cast is on their game and kudos to them. Will Ferrell had been faltering a little after such films as Semi-Pro and Blades Of Glory which were far from great, but Step Brothers sees him at the top of his comedic form. This is simply an absolutely hilarious movie from beginning to end, you will not be disappointed, go out and see it.
How does endless, riotous laughter sound? Pretty good? See this movie cause it's hell of entertaining.
posted 19 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Hellboy 2)
by ChrisHellboy 2 is the perfect summer film, and not only that but it's a more-than-worthy sequel to the great first installment, as well as another success for the irretrievably awesome Guillermo del Toro. For this film, del Toro strayed from the Hellboy stories in the comic books and created his own story (with the help of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, whose support he has always had), which is still chock-full of badass fantastical action but introduces a Pan's Labyrinth-like mystical fantasy element that is certainly welcome. The film starts with a fairy tale about a time when the world was divided into humans and elves, and they fought for dominion over the earth. A pact was made for humans to rule above ground and elves underground and neither would interfere with the other - until now, when a rebellious prince called Nuada tries to retrieve the pieces of his father's crown which would restore the elves power. This is where Hellboy and gang step in. The sequel really continues in the tradition of the first film in that it is very much an action thrill ride, with a strong sense of humour, and also has a lot of heart behind it - this time the relationship between Hellboy and Liz is even more prominent and even Abe even gets involved in a romantic angle. The film also introduces an awesome new character to the Hellboy team in the form of Johann Krauss, a man composed of and in control of ectoplasm who is held together by outer suit. The interaction between he and Hellboy becomes the central comedic relief for the film and also breeds an incredibly hilarious slapstick scene when Hellboy and Johann actually clash. Unfortunately, this film was released just a week before The Dark Knight and obviously got forced into the margins since TDK would have taken most if not all of Hellboy 2's audience. But I urge everyone not to overlook this film, I can tell you it's definitely a must-see if you enjoyed the first one or you're any sort of geek at all.
Don't overlook this in the wake of Dark Knight!
posted 20 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Umberto D.
by MarkMy first De Sica movie. The use of an almost entirely untrained cast made the story very believable. A very touching film. Thumbs up!
Hey, you should really see this!
posted 23 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Seraphim Falls
by MarkEnjoyable if predictable tale of two men linked forever to the past. "Falls" short in the end.
If you are a big fan of either costar you will probably enjoy this one.
posted 27 days ago -
I recommend you see...
The Mist
by MarkFatal flaw, a scary movie that isn't scary. A more apt title would be "Gone With the Mist". Thumbs down.
Hey, you should really avoid this! Couldn't stand the stereotypical bible thumping character played by Marcia Gay Harden, although I do enjoy her work. Didn't like the ending either. Big thumbs down!
posted 30 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Mamma Mia!
by MarkSunny, lively and entertaining, perfect for Summer '08 viewing ! If you are a fan of Abba you shouldn't miss this! Recommended.
Hey, you should really see this, especially if you enjoy the music of ABBA !
posted 30 days ago
by Cris
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