Ross McWhan (Rossjm)

An influencial film starring and revolving around the much more than just influencial "The Beatles".

A comedy on one level and a stark depiction of rebellion and newly found freedom in the 60's on another. The four Beatles members; John, Paul, George and Ringo not only have a laugh on screen and invite us along to laugh too but help portray a serious message the film is gives out. It shows that you should be yourself, do what you want and not answer to anybody who tries to control you.

The screenplay (although not ad-libbed as thought) by Alun Owen (who is almost certainly using lines the members would have said as he hung around with them as he wrote it) is fun and wild and nver gets boring as the pace is nevr slowed. Being chased on foot by some uptight policemen is one classic scene that is a good example of both the comedic side and the anti-establishment side the film presents to us.

The four members act well, as they are ffectibly playing themselves and I would havr to say Ringo gets the best scenes. When he has a conversation with a young boy by the river about getting out and living life is both touching and observent of the times and what was changing.

This is a great film. It helps to have prior knowledge (and I mean more than just knowing the four members) to enjoy this film and should have at least sampled some of the songs first (I can't see why you would watch this film before doing so anyway) and is a real delight to watch and has some great use of Beatles songs throughout. Who doesn't love the title song A Hard Day's Night and that immortal guitar cord that starts off the song AND the film?

The difficult thing with a Shakespeare adaption is that it is often hard to tell what it is you really love.The fantastic dialogue or the film itself. Although I'd say this is a pretty good mix, I believe the reason why I am rating it slightly higher is because of the Shakespeare's script. However, the actors are all cast finely and speak the hard lines almost fluently.

Othello is one of the most famous stories and tragedies of all time, that is as relvent today as it was 400 years ago. Although the actual context may not be clear for everyone today, since the story is set in a conflict between Cyrpus, Turkey and Venice (then not Itally) that happened in the mid/late 16th Century, the gist is easy enough to follow. Besides, this is very much belittled by the powerful tragedy that unfolds.

The relevence may have changed slightly. Some may view the story as portraying racism and the effects it has. Yes, this works today but back in the 1600's it was not as rife and therefore I doubt that was the main point. This is very much second nature to how the classes are portrayed. Othello is not turned against for skin colour but because he is of a different class, especially compared to his rich and younger wife, Desdemona (the age difference seems to have been overlooked in this version, instead focusing more on jealousy). Although his age is dismissed for the other, more prominant themes (he and his wife could be the same age for all we know), Othello's insercurities at his class status are still adressed and from this we see how easily he can be manipulated, which all appears very clearly in the film, avoiding much confusion that often comes with Shakespeare adaptions.

The centre villain, Iago, a cold man who acts nice to fool everyone close to him to continue his plan to bring down Othello, is portrayed in this way perfectly by Kenneth Branagh and is the way Shakespeare probably envisioned him. This unpleasent two faced mixture of personalities makes Iago seem even more hatable and a heighten sense of dramtic irony is effectivly achieved through this portrayal as we get to see both sides and how manipulative he can be by constantly changing his person. He is nice to the characters but evil when he hassoliloquies, giving hints to the audience that his character is not what he is or as he famously quotes "I am not what I am".

The rich dialogue and fantastic story is what makes this film. The directing is above average but is nothing spectacular and some of the performances aren't that noteworthy. Only Fishburne and Branagh stand out amongst the main cast and some people in minor roles (Michael Sheen is Lodovico is fantastic) and Michael Maloney as Roderigo is great.

The high rating is for the script adaption, some well cast actors, inetense editing (when Othello has a fit is highly memorable in this aspect) and a score that suits every scene from calm to raging. A great adaption for many reasons and a poorer one for others bur definitely worth a watch for the story alone, of which it stays mostly faithful and does good justice.

My favourite film of all time since I was twelve! This is the film that got me into films in the first place and I am glad it was this one.

The film is an absoulute masterpiece and is the pinical of Nicholson's career and was the pinical of Kubrick's too.

Nicholson is Jack Torrence. He may not be what the book describes, but he is the character nonetheless. That is why I admire him as an ator because he transforms himself into the character he is playing in all his films like Chinatown, Easy Rider and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and this, his best film. How he didn't get an oscar nomination is beyond me. It is as big a travesty as by how much Psycho was snubbed at the cermony 20 years previously. Some say he "over-acted". I think he merely became his character which is what good actors do. Besides, his extravagent (not over acted) performance meant he gave a scary and realistic job as a psychopath.

Duvall is also good in the role of Wendy Torrence. Some say she over acts too but I really loved her in this film. How would you feel if your beloved husband had gone crazy and was going to kill you and your child? I think she shows the fear the chracter feels flawlessly and was perfectly cast.

Danny Lloyd is very good too. For a child actor, he really gave a performance without being too "Cutsey" and un realistic like several child actors are in films.

Scathman Crothers really blew me away too. He gives a fantastic performance, particularly in his scenes opposite Danny Lloyd, which made some perfectly placed emotional and touching scenes.

Kubrick directed this very well (Razzies are a bunch of shit for nominating him for Worst Director) and his unique work which contributed to the brilliant end result of this filmshould of never been doubted or shat upon by the reazzies and others who hated it when it opened.

He used some very good angles such as the looking up shot, which was also used in many of his previous films such as A Clockwork Orange Dr. Strangelove and Killers Kiss and added a good menacing effect to the film. Other angles which achieved this were his tracking shots which follows the characters as they move through the hotel. It really achived the effect of showing how isolated the hotel is among other effects achived by the use of this. I particularily like the direction of the "Give me the bat, Wendy" scene and how it moves from the point of view of Wendy and Jack as they move up the spiralling stairs.

The screenplay is good giving some of the best dialogue in cinema such as "I'll huff, and i'll puff, and i'll blow this door in" and "Give me the bat Wendy". The line "Here's Johnnnny!" which wasn't actually in the script is also a classic line. It is the most memorable, but it is not my favourite.

The whole plot is good too. Although haunted buildings had been done many times before, this put an original spin on it. It has some good character development, especially for Danny Torrence.

The pacing is good, also. For instance, the build up into Jack's anger is spread evenly throughout the film, from when the tension is just beggining to show to when Jack is a pure madman.

The use of eriee, ear piercing music really adds to the chills of the film and is used at all the right times. This has one of the best scores, if not the best, i've ever heard. Simple and without tune and very scary. It is very suited to the film.

This is a classic of the horror/thriller genre and should always be remembered as a classic which had so much effort put into it.

Psycho: the master of suspense at his best! Most people prefer Vertigo or Rear Window, but they aren't even in my top 100, although I do love them. This is his best with out a doubt.

I am appalled at the Oscars of 1960. Anthony Perkins, who gave the second best performance I have ever seen as Norman Bates (first being Nicholson in The Shining) was oscar worthy, but was never even nominated!! He was best when he acted nervous, and did little things like chew his gum faster and tap his fingers on the table. He managed the stutter, one of the hardest speech inpediments to act. He was the only actor who could have ever been Norman Bates. Janet Leigh was nominated, which was a great move and Hitch was also nominated too. Both deserved to win but didn't.

The score is fantastic! The shower scene score is brillianht, yes, but so is the opening credits score, which I actually prefer; it suits it so well. Both pieces are memorable.

I love the ending so much. Both for the twist and the final few scenes. This is the definitive suspense thriller, with out a doubt a classic which has aged brilliantly.