Posts Tagged ‘retro review’

Unbreakable (2000)

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

unbreakable

It’s alright to be afraid, David, because this part won’t be like a comic book. Real life doesn’t fit into little boxes that were drawn for it. – Elijah Price

M. Night Shyamalan has already established his own personal stamp for his films.  Sadly this one is the most underrated works of the last decade.  The first time I saw it I was blown away at how quiet and moving the movie is, and now almost ten years later after watching it again, I was more taken aback by how much movies have changed and audiences have changed.  This movie represents a time when going to the movies was like finishing that great book.  You close the last page and sit there, still in awe.  Leaving the theater or opening the DVD tray a decade later; I’m still get that feeling with UNBREAKABLE.

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Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Friday, July 24th, 2009

8

Not only captures what being a teenager and a high school life felt like, but also embodies what life ought to be like.  The premise seems simple enough, our man Ferris decides to take a day off all in the name of sanity; saying goodbye to school and responsibility.  Don’t you wish you could do the same?  Well the movie is trying to tell you that you can, and should.  It’s no surprise that the film has been suggested to be a great anti-suicide message.  Who doesn’t feel like breaking out into song and dance at a parade after this movie?
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Iron Giant (1999)

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

irongiant
Forget song-and-dance numbers and cute animal sidekicks, the film’s appeal comes from its winsome characters, its resonant story, and its evocative depiction of New England in the days of Sputnik and “duck and cover” drills.  What are we hiding from today?  This underrated gem was one of the last great pencil animations to come out, oh how I miss them.
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Tommy Boy (1995)

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

tommy
Astounding for its number of effective gags, and it is a comedy that loses nothing on repeat viewings.  This is Farley at his finest.  Funny to note that whenever David Spade talks about this role as he often does on the tonight show, he is quick to point out how lackluster Black Sheep was.  This is a smart comedy and even a few moments of tenderness.
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Buffalo 66 (1998)

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Buffalo66

I only saw this film a few years ago, my friend made me watch it after much hesitation on my part. Chances are if you are reading this you may have never heard of the movie until now. It is defiantly worth your time to walk to the movie store right now and find it. The darkly beautiful work of a damaged child, you wouldn’t know if you should cry or laugh for most of this movie. The lines are quick and the best ones are often unheard from ongoing laughter. Gallo’s wounded, embittered performance is captivating, and so is his filmmaking. He made this movie for himself in my opinion, and let us in on it. Thank you sir.
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The Sandlot (1993)

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

sandlot
One of the greatest childhood movies ever made…and I hate Baseball. The Sandlot will always stand the test of the time and be a movie that you can watch over and over as you grow older. It never loses its touch. It wasn’t about the sport for me that made me love this movie, as I stated I really can’t stand Baseball. It was the youth and sense of ‘what do you want to be when you get older’ I get every time I watch it. The innocent kids playing at the park, the legends that may or may not be true that you hear about your neighborhood, and the pickle you got into as a kid, it’s all here.
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The Sting (1973)

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

stingI always recommend this movie to my guy friends saying it’s ‘the best guy movie ever made’, but don’t let that rattle you ladies, it’s a great movie for you too, for everyone in fact. So well paced, like a quick game of black jack, this movie keeps you guessing right until the very end. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are back together again (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) and don’t miss a beat. It’s one of cinema’s most beloved heist movies, and for good reason. The film is so good-natured, so obviously aware of everything it’s up to I can’t help but love it more every time.
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Sling Blade (1996)

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

SlingBlade

Not a lot of people I talk to know much about Sling Blade other than it may or may not be the movie where the guy talks funny. Since I first saw this movie it is one that I come back to annually at least once, and it’s not always easy. The movie is dark, funny, and often reveals more about ourselves than one would like. Billy Bob Thornton who has since gone on to make many great films but none that in my opinion reach the status of Sling Blade. He wrote, directed, and starred in this masterpiece. There will never be another film like Sling Blade. And I reckon I’ll have to live with that… Mmm-mmm.

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Goodfellas (1990)

Sunday, April 12th, 2009
Goodfellas

The best movie ever made in my opinion. Every scene so perfect and necessary. It was the first Martin Scorsese movie I had ever seen, and he has since become my favorite director. His use of time and music is something I tend to study in watching his films. He is the master and I do believe that when he is no longer making films, GoodFellas will be remembered as his opus. Roger Ebert calls it the best mob movie ever made; I would have to agree. The Godfather will appear in this database among other great mob films, but GoodFellas always comes first. Scorsese’s biopic of Henry Hill is so well-crafted, shot, and acted; there is not enough space here to go on.
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Heat (1995)

Monday, April 6th, 2009

heat

Having developed his skill as a master of contemporary crime drama, writer-director Michael Mann displayed every aspect of that mastery in this intelligent, character-driven thriller from 1995, which also marked the first onscreen pairing of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.  “Never have anything in your life you can’t walk out on in thirty seconds…”  An impressively strong script backed up with gorgeous filmmaking brings us good guys vs. bad guys.  De Niro’s performance will help you remember why he became a legend in the first place.  This is never thought of as just an action movie to me, it’s everything more.  One of the greatest crime films of all time.  The scene below blew me away the first time I saw it, and I only gain more and more respect after each viewing.
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