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 Rocketeer (1991)

★★★☆☆

Set in the 30’s, when a young airplane pilot discovers a secrete prototype jetpack, he dawns a uniform and metal mask and becomes a local hero. However, the jetpack belongs to famed aviator Howard Hughes and his high-flying stunts have captured the eyes of a Hollywood actor that moonlights as a Nazi spy. Now the young man must find a way to stop the Nazi spy from stealing the jetpack as well as killing his friends. Great action, great art direction and a particularly menacing villain played by Timothy Dalton make this flick fun for kids but for me, I wanted a little more action and I felt like there was no real danger but rather a plot that revolves around an easily able to fix mistake. For kids it works but for adults, it might be a little iffy.

Jonah Hex (2010)

★★★☆☆

The government in exchange for his freedom recruits a lone, mysterious bounty hunter with supernatural powers (named Jonah Hex) to find and stop a terrorist who wants to use state of the art technology to blow up the capitol. Making matters more interesting is that Jonah Hex has dealt with this madmen before; he was the one who slayed his family and rendered him with a serious facial deformity. Good action and decent performances save this film from becoming a bland action-packed western. I liked the plot involving new technology as the catalyst for the terrorist but Megan Fox felt completely unneeded. Overall, it wasn’t bad but certainly not the best comic book adaption.

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.

Robin Hood (1973)

★★★★1/2

Disney’s take on the legendary story of Robin Hood, an outlaw who stole from the greedy king to give back to the poor over-taxed citizens of his kingdom, told through anthropomorphic animals. Having stolen the throne of his brother who had to leave his kingdom for an emergency, the greedy king decides to tax the citizens of the kingdom to the point of poverty. A childhood staple; this wondrous, whimsical and occasionally dark retelling of the famous tale is still funny after all these years. I found myself smiling at the same jokes and action sequences. This film is the definition of timeless.

Bicentennial Man (1999)

★★★1/2

After being purchased by a suburban family in the near future, android Andrew Martin yearns to become a human being after developing humanistic qualities such as sculpting, painting and a playful attitude. However, during his 200-year journey he is met with the deaths of his closest friends (his family) as well as the disapproval of being classified as “human” by popular vote. Though not as great as I remember, this is a still a very touching and imaginative tale of wanting to fit in with a brilliant performance by Robin Williams and beautiful direction by Columbus. It has heart, affection and warmth but seems a bit too fast-paced. It brings up the question, what defines being human?

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.

Eraser (1996)

★★★☆☆

John Kruger is one of the best witness protection agents of his company but when a young woman breaks into his company’s labs, he soon realizes that they are developing a high-tech weapon. He soon realizes that she is telling the truth and they are both on list of people to be “erased.” As a simple plotted, gun-a-blazing, suspenseful action movie it works… and that’s all it really is. It may not be one of Schwarzenegger’s best movies but it’s pretty entertaining with some great stunts. It’s nice to see James Caan fight off Arnold any day of the week.

Pleasantville (1998)

★★★★1/2

When a brother and sister from the 90’s are zapped into a 1950’s sitcom by a mysterious remote, they soon find themselves struggling to adapt to the 50’s ideology and morals. It doesn’t take long before the sister, Jennifer, disobeys her brother, David, and brings 90’s culture to this complacent black and white world. Before long, the citizens of Pleasantville begin seeing things in a while new color and this angers those who want to keep their strict morals and later leads to Pleasantville becoming not so pleasant. At its heart, this is a truly magical film that explores people’s fear and how we’ll do anything to preserve our innocents. Great special effects and wonderful art direction highlight this film as being something other than a “fish out of the water” story. It has heart, humor and morals.

L.A. Confidential (1997)

★★★★★

Set in the 50’s, when a ruthless and violent shooting at the Nite Owl Diner is investigated, by the book police officer Edmund Exley seeks out the vigilantes responsible for all the murders. Meanwhile, brute thug Detective Wendell White believes that the shootings trail back to a wealthy brothel owner who makes prostitutes look like movie stars. However, Jack Vincennes, who became the chief advisor for an L.A. cop TV Show, believes that the shootings originated at the L.A. County Governor’s office. What these three don’t realize is that the shootings go much deeper than any of them suspected. Brilliant performances, a tight and suspenseful script and gorgeous cinematography highlight this film as one of the best modern day noir pieces I’ve seen.

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.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

★★★★1/2

In the future, a family, grieving after their son’s near-fatal illness, decides to “adopt” a young robotic boy who has been programmed to feel love by means of artificial intelligence. However, when the family’s son is cured, the robotic boy is abandoned in a forest by the mom and begins a journey to find the “blue fairy” (from which he heard from the Pinocchio story) that can grant him the wish of becoming a real boy so that his mother could love him. This haunting, beautifully directed film is sad, heartbreaking and compelling. It raises several questions about what love is and if it’s possible for machines to love and vise versa. It’s a heart-wrenching story of trying to become ‘real’ and it’s told through the eyes of a child. It’s creepy because we begin to believe that this boy is real. Haley Joel Osment is phenomenal but I hated the ending because it didn’t bring the closure I wanted.

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.

The Terror Within (1989)

★★1/2

Set in a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by an unknown chemical accident, a group of underground military survivors take in a woman who appears to be alive despite living above the ground. Things turn from bright to dark when her mutant baby kills her and escapes to somewhere in the compound. With the mutant growing at a fast rate, the crew must find a way to stop it before it gets hungry with its eyes set on the crewmembers. Produced by Mr. Schlock Roger Corman, this flick is bad but not in all cases. The creature design is great and it has that distinct midnight movie feel as you watch it. It may be bad but it’s the good type of bad and by the end of it you can’t help but say, “they really don’t make them like they use to.”

True Lies (1994)

★★★1/2

Harry Tasker has been living a secret life as a government agent and assassin for years hidden from his wife Helen. However, when Harry discovers that she might be having an affair he calls on his intelligence resources to find out who this other man is but when he assigns her a phony mission things spin out of control. A militant terrorist kidnaps his wife and a couple of nuclear warheads and threatens to bomb Miami if his demands aren’t met. Harry must find a way to break the news to his wife and save the city of Miami before it becomes a smoking crater. This is the definition of an action flick: great action, a protagonist that’s funny and indestructible, a compelling side story and plenty of humor. Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as the ‘scream queen’ many times and the film becomes a true relic of action cinema.

The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)

★★1/2

When her parents leave her home alone, an high school girl invites her friends over to her home to have a “girl’s night” slumber party. However, an uninvited guest arrives fresh from the insane asylum and equipped with a huge power drill to maim and kill the girls. With the night getting darker and darker, the girls must find a way to stop the killer before the slumber party turns into a bloodbath. Apparently this was supposed to be a spoof on slashers but it ends up being this cheesy yet bland slasher flick. Shockingly, I found its blandness and cold-hearted nature to be enjoyable and ends up being a self-parody straight from the 80’s slasher genre.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

★★★☆☆

Picking up directly after Casino Royal, James Bond seeks revenge for the death of his love, which leads him to investigate a environmental corporation. However, upon confronting the corporation’s CEO Bond and M realize that it’s only a front for an even bigger network of high-profile terrorists. Now Bond must find a way to stop the CEO from taking control of a third world country’s water supply. Though this isn’t as suspenseful as Casino Royal, it’s still a great action flick with some amazing chase and fight sequences. Bond seems darker and more determined and Craig does a great job as always. The only gripe is that I wish we got to see more of Quantum since it’s in the movie’s title. Otherwise, it’s great eye candy action.

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.