Full Metal Jacket (1987)

★★★★1/2

This riveting, brutal, honest and bloody story follows a group of newly recruited marines as they deal with the abusive and dehumanizing effects of basic training before they are shipped off to Vietnam. The second half of the story follows Pvt. Joker as an army journalist as he witnesses the bloody effects of the Vietnam war. Set in the 60’s in Hue, Vietnam. This was a particularly hard film to endure, especially the first half at basic training where you begin to feel how the recruits feel as their drill instructor harasses and abuses them. It’s a dark look into the eyes of war and is only strengthened by powerful performances, wonderful direction and apocalyptic atmosphere. This film is compelling and sticks with you the rest of your life and like any great film that shows the horrors of Vietnam, it’s a tough bite to chew.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

★★★★★

During the Korean War a group of POWs are brainwashed to carry out Korean terrorists plot but when one, who happens to be a Medal of Honor recipient, begins having nightmares of killing people it’s up to Bennett Marco (who was also brainwashed) to stop him from assassinating the vice-President. Marked by amazing performances by Sinatra, Harvey and Lansbury, this compelling thriller really holds you down as it spins you through loops of unexpected twists and double-crossing. Mixed with romanticism and beautiful cinematography, this film was a breath of nostalgic fresh air.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)

★★★★1/2

Joey and John are your typical American couple who love each other deeply, but when Joey brings her fiancé to meet her parent, their morals are put to the test when they find out that their daughter’s fiancé is black. Now, tasked with having to give them their blessing in a short time, they must find a way to put their prejudices aside for the wellbeing for their daughter. However, it seems like the families of both of the lovers have prejudices to work out. I doesn’t help that they have unwillingly agreed to have dinner together. A perfect film that plays out like a stage play with all around great performances by the cast and the supporting cast. As the film progresses you feel empathetic towards John as he is tasked with an even tougher decision. Awkwardness, laughs and nervousness is what hits you as you’re eyes are glued to the screen wondering what happens and how things will be solved.

Schindler’s List (1993)

★★★★★

Spielberg’s epic retelling of Nazi industrialist Oskar Schindler who, after witnessing the liquidation of the Poland ghetto, became concerned with how the Jewish were being persecuted by the Nazi Party. Afterwards he made it his mission to save as many Jews as possible from the Plaszow labor camp as he could, although at first he was reluctant to do anything but as time passed on he saw the evil that was the Nazi Party. Filmed in black and white, this movie was hauntingly compelling with scenes that would even the strongest person get teary. Spielberg doesn’t do justice to all the evils of the Holocaust but he really puts the viewer into the shoes of the Jews, which is something that is rarely achieved. Mixed with a fantastic score by John Williams and brilliant performances, this movie should be watched by everybody just so that they could get a taste of World War II. It really is just the tip of the iceberg.

Vertigo (1958)

★★★★1/2

When a San Francisco detective, suffering from acrophobia, is asked my one of his friends to follow and investigate his wife’s activities, he soon becomes obsessively in love with her. The basis of his friend’s accusations is that he believes that she is becoming somebody that she isn’t but as things unfold, detective Ferguson realizes that there is a more sinister plot at hand. Cited as being one of Hitchcock’s best films, I don’t believe it’s his best but certainly one of his greatest achievements in suspense and brilliance. It’s a very complex and thoughtful story the blends mystery with forbidden passion. Wonderful special effects seem to be a byproduct of this film. For me, it’s Jimmy Stewart’s performance that won me over, especially his chilling turn of character at the end.

Rear Window (1954)

★★★★★

After an accident has left him in a wheelchair, Photographer Jeff Jeffries finds entertainment by spying on his neighbors from his apartment window. However, after harmlessly peeping into a mild case of spousal abuse, Jeffries soon becomes convinced that the husband has murdered his wife. Unable to leave his apartment and without any evidence, Jeffries must now prove that the murder happened… or is he developing a case of cabin fever? While the film, at its core, is quite boring, Hitchcock uses voyeurism to create sharp suspense. The audience, like Jeffries, is confined to that one apartment and we aren’t able to see what truly is happening. With great performances by Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly, this is a fine case of pure suspense.

Chinatown (1974)

★★★★★

Set in 1930’s Los Angeles, a private detective begins investigating an adultery case he soon realizes that the man who may be having an affair is a key member in the water company. Upon his sudden and suspicious death, the investigator is drawn into a series of lies, hidden agendas, murder and framing that lead him to believe that somebody had him killed so that he doesn’t tell the police about where the water of Los Angeles is really going. Brilliantly directed by Roman Polanski, beautifully shot and carefully tuned; this film was a great tribute to the old crime noir flicks of the 30’s and 40’s. Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston give outstanding performances, which only add to the film’s charm and glory. Don’t even get me stared about the score.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

★★★★★

When hi scar breaks down in an unknown area of Sunset Blvd., a screenwriter stumbles upon the home of a former silent movie star and agrees to stay with her and help her develop a screenplay for her big comeback. Unfortunately, he soon becomes a prisoner and the actress’s severely depressed personality begins to surface as the screenwriter tries desperately to help her realize the reality of things. This disturbing, neurotic piece shimmers with the brilliant performances of William Holden and Gloria Swanson, who fully becomes the deranged and psychotic film star Norma Desmond. It’s a dark tale of what Hollywood can do to somebody and just how far somebody will go for that glitz and glamour. It’s a true masterpiece.

American Graffiti (1973)

★★★★1/2

Set in 1962, this coming-of-age film centers on a couple of high school graduates who spend their last night cruising around in their cars, drinking and drag racing. One teenage couple tries to patch things up before they part ways, a young man searches the entire town for a mysterious fem fatale, another young man tries desperately to impress his female passenger and another tries to have fun while babysitting a high school freshman. The music, the clothing, the lingo, the cars and the amazing performance by one hell of a cast highlight this period piece and it’s a must for any film fan. It’s surprisingly very engaging and funny for one of the first ‘coming of age movies,’ and even still… it’s a rather sad and reminiscent tale.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

★★★★1/2

After leaving his quiet, small Texas town, a young male prostitute travels to New York in order to make a living off of his newly found career in female pleasure. During his stay in the Big Apple, he partners up with a slightly handicapped con artist in order to survive. However, his friend begins showing signs of a very severe sickness and dreams of Florida more than anything. This was a very powerful, disturbing and heart-wrenching tale taken from the gutters of life. It’s part experimental and part narrative yet it still manages to make you feel for the characters as they try and survive on the streets. Though Voight’s performance is solid, it’s Hoffman that steals the show as Ratso the con man.

High Noon (1952)

★★★★★

Taking place in real-time, when his wedding is interrupted by the arrival of three outlaws, Marshall Will Kane is urged to leave his town. Knowing that the gang of outlaws belongs to the notorious murderer Frank Miller, Kane returns to the town to defend it but he soon realizes that the entire town refuses to help him and backs down. Now, personally compelled and frightened, Will Kane must find a way to stop Miller who is the very man he sent to prison and who swore revenge upon. This is one of my favorite Westerns of all time not only for it’s revolutionary style of real-time filming but for the performance of Gary Cooper. The entire movie is based on anticipation and you begin to feel the fear that Kane has. This time, the hero isn’t going in guns ‘a blazing but rather is scared but has to do what’s good.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

★★★★1/2

When a series of UFO’s appear all over America, the government begins receiving transmissions and strange evidence from the UFO’s. Meanwhile, a line worker who encountered a UFO starts having strange visions of a mysterious mountain. While the government quickly tries to find out who and what the UFO’s are, the worker teams up with a young mother to find this mysterious mountain so that she can get her son back from the aliens. This certainly isn’t Spielberg’s masterpiece but with its warm-hearted nature, beautiful storyline and amazing cinematography, it’s very hard to not like this film. It certainly is one of the best and rare non-threatening alien invasion movies. The only problems I had were concerning some story ideas but otherwise, it’s an absolute must.

Network (1976)

★★★★★

Howard Beale is being fired from his job as the news anchor for a major TV studio and this makes him mad as hell, so he decides to vent out his anger and his opinions inappropriately during the evening news. However, Diana, head of entertainment programming, sees this as an opportunity to shamelessly exploit Howard’s twisted ramblings and work them into a show where he becomes the ‘mad prophet’ of television. This quick, witty satire of both news and business is wonderfully approached by Lumet and peppered with an outstanding cast. It’s funny, it’s nail biting, it’s grim and it’s a spectacle to see a film that was made 35 years ago still be relevant today.

The Birth of a Nation (1915)

★★★1/2

D.W. Griffith’s controversial silent masterpiece is a task and a pain to watch. Two families (a Southern family and a Northern family) face the perils of the Civil War as well as the grueling Reconstruction Era. The film, which is 3 hours long, was very controversial when it came out as it argued for the KKK as well as the Southern spirit. However, despite what it stood for in terms of production and costuming, it’s still a task to watch. It’s a film that should only be viewed once if you are a serious film fan but other than that… it can be difficult.

E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)

★★★★★

A young boy befriends a stranded alien and begins to develop a very special bond with him. However, after a nearby woods chase the government is hot on the boy’s trail to try to isolate the alien being. Spielberg’s “ode to childhood” is sheer beauty rendered to film format. Words can’t describe this timeless childhood classic. It truly is one of the greatest films of all time.

Brazil (1985)

★★★★☆

Terry Gilliam's bizarre and nightmarish vision of the future ruled by technology and bureaucrats. This is the story about a man who is content with being a bureaucrat for the Ministry of Information. Well, due to a administration error he has been forced to find a person who is believed to be a very dangerous man and in the process he falls in love with a mysterious women that appears in his dreams. Oh, and during his quest he unwillingly becomes an enemy of the Ministry as well. Retro-futurism, slapstick comedy, bureaucratic satire and stunning art direction add to this movie's charm and intelligence but warrants a second or third viewing.