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Reviews
Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
Good movie, Better if you've seen Nosferatu.
I still think Nosferatu is the best VAmpire movie yet made. So I was very keen on seeing this movie. I was not disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought the photography was excellent. Willem Dafoe plays a brilliant role and definitely looks a lot like Max Schreck. John Malkovich is always a good actor and in this movie provides us with a secondary 'villain'. Depending on your point of view the Director could be the worst monster in the movie. The scene where he realises his powerlessness in the face of the Vampire is memorable. Great to watch but I would recommend you watch nOsferatu first. Remember it is a 'silent'.
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
Best vampire-horror ever! Still!
After seeing a a fair amount of vampire type movies and other attempts at supernatural horror this is still the best ever! I have seen it 5 times by now which is a lot for me for a movie and a silent one at that! I am mad about the way this movie portrays the vampire as nothing other than an animal. No melodramatic human drama here. It is very effective in this way. The photography is great and one cannot help but be pulled into the story. I saw versions with different background music but one with Bach organ was the best. I will certainly freely recommend this movie to any lover of classic movies and rate it up there with 'Metropolis' and 'M'(Both by Fritz Lang). Enjoy late at night with a bottle of well matured Pinotage.
The Black Hole (1979)
Okay movie, Great Effects!
The storyline is somewhat predictable - up to a point. But a few things stand out in this movie even though I rated it 6. Firstly the movie handles some things about space like they should be. More so than basically any other space movie. The extreme cold when air escapes through a hull-breach, quicker laserfire. (Laserfire head-on. Now where is that used elsewhere?) And the end is quite interesting too. Further the effects are pretty great for the era(1979) and this also rates with the other surprise movie from Disney - Tron. The robot Vincent in this movie is a great prelude to R2D2 of Star Wars. An actually useful, non humanoid robot. I quite enjoyed it too!
Immortal Beloved (1994)
Gary Oldman at his best - again!
My vote of 7 needs justification. I feel the storyline is very over dramatised and particularly gripping. Gary Oldman on the other hand gives another brilliant performance confirming him as one of my favourite actors. The music is not as prevailant as I would have liked, being a lover of Beethoven's music, but then the story is not so much about the music anyway. The imagery is excellent and I would watch this movie a few more times. Enjoyable enough really. I would recommend this to anyone.
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
Graphic and Schocking in an arty way
One of my favourite Peter Greenway movies. I just loved (like so many people) the cello music. The simple panning of the camera, the colours and the end. This does stand back. It is very graphic but I loved it for the reason it made me feel as if I was at a play. Very simple and very effective. For lovers of this movie I'd recommend 'The Draughtsman'. It is my favourite Greenway. Very good!
Pâfekuto burû (1997)
Excellent Anime with surprising content
I've picked up and put down this movie several times in the past. Boy am I glad I finally saw it!! This is an excellent anime! My previous best anime was 'Ninja Scroll' but this story beats it all. I'd say this is in the same set as the best of Hitchcock's movies. The plot is intrigueing and magnetic. The movie is fast moving and thoroughly enjoyable on a mental level. There is just enough switching between real/imagined to keep you riveted. Enough to make you doubt your own understanding at times. There are no scenes in bad taste and little real? violence. I'd recommend this to non-anime movie watchers as well. It made a pleasant change to the 'normal' mega-warrior - and - robots image of so many anime. My next DVD acquisition.
Soft Beds, Hard Battles (1974)
Great Sellers acting, okayish movie
This movie is not particularly funny but it is good for Sellers fans. I am such a fan and really enjoyed his acting. Sellers plays 6 roles and his range is different than many other actors in that he portrays people from several nationalities at once very well. Although this time I think his French accent was not as good as the others. The movie itself is amusing but not great.
American Beauty (1999)
Some good concepts. Is it really that good?
I don't think this movie rates quite the high vote it gets. Firstly being an avid watcher of European film and so-called 'art' movies, the concepts in this film are not all that new. The general ideas and feelings expressed in this movie make it good to watch and quite enjoyable. Kevin Spacey acts very well here.The ending is quite good too. But that is just it. Everything is 'just good'. There is nothing particularly new here. The movie has all the required bits like humourous moments and sad moments and somber moments and tense moments and... you get the idea. I think most credit for this film should go to the director and editor which put everything together very well indeed. All in all an enjoyable experience but not memorable.
At the Circus (1939)
Funny in a wacky sort of way.
This was my first exposure to the Marx brothers. It was odd to start off with but in the end I was won over by the wacky humour of the Marx's antics. I am not a fan of musicals but most of these bits are not tiringly extended. It also for the first time made me understand and appreciate several comic strips, cartoons, jokes and general comments. A good laugh with friends.
Tank Girl (1995)
great comic fun!!
Okay so not all people are comic lovers and neither am I. But this movie is wonderful fun. So maybe being male I find the girl more entertaining than necessary but it is still funny. One should not forget that this movie is based on a comic strip and therefor very simple and (slightly)predictable. There is no deep story here. It is a movie to watch with friends and enjoy the music(Bjork, Portishead, etc) and glib retorts of tank girl herself. Why the low ratings?? Maybe people just don't appreciate the humour and subtle jokes. Like the buffalo being a water buffalo! Think about it, it is very funny in context. This movie is a must-see cult classic. So maybe not Malcolm Macdowell's best(that is clockwork orange). Enjoy!
Shichinin no samurai (1954)
best Japanese movie ever!
What I found amazing is how I could sit through this 3.5 hour movie and want more! The depth of the characters and interaction between them is quite riveting. Kurosawa is a brilliant director and in this movie shows how far ahead of his time he was. The pace is surprisingly fast without you noticing it and you can't miss a minute of it. An impressive movie and now I'm looking for more Kurosawa. This is not for kids looking for mindless entertainment. Worth watching twice to get more from the plot and sub plots.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
worst movie ever?????????
I don't know how, by any stretch of the imagination this movie can get the top 250!!! I will admit it is funny sometimes, like anything is funny 2 o'clock in the morning after new year. But face it, thi s is not a good movie. It purposefully steps on everyones toes and is highly insulting. It is obviously portraying the views of a young american. And although I never would such a generalised thing it is just too obvious. You can watch this movie but just remember it is NOT A GOOD MOVIE!!!!!!
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)
Excellence!
This is a wonderful movie although looking at the ratings very misunderstood by younger people. The whole plot of these two rogues from Hamlet is handled beautifully and the end very surprising. Woven in between the story are the miraculous discoveries of Guildenstern - or is it Rosencrantz?? These little episodes are great fun. In the end the pace is quite extraordinary and it takes more than 1 viewing to catch a lot of the nuances. This is a wonderful movie and only 1 of two movies I've ever given a 10 to. Brilliant acting from both Oldman and Roth. Highly recommended!
The Haunting (1963)
A most scary movie
Having seen the 1999 version I was very interested in seeing this one. And it did not disappoint me. I'm not an avid scary movie watcher as they do not really scare me at all. This is an exception. I love the way Eleanor's thoughts are vocalised. I also found that the longer you watch the more the tension builds up until you are on the edge of your seat. Very good acting makes this a must for any scary movie fan. The only sad point is I feel the ending could have been done better but it has the other side advantage of keeping you guessing. I think having seen the later version might have made this movie better. To be honest the newer special effects is a bit of a laugh and the use of sound in THIS movie accomplishes a lot more. Excellent!!
Dark Passage (1947)
favourable recommendation
Another great movie by Bogart and Bacall. The first half is very interestingly done where you don't see Bogart, only his point of view. I think Bacall plays very well in this section and also in general a better act than Bogart. The plot never tires and as usual with these two the dialogue is entertaining, suave and a joy to listen to. Not as riveting as 'The Big Sleep' but fun entertainment. Inspired me to find more Bacall movies. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in old movies.
Grand Prix (1966)
Great Racing Sequences!
You have to say the story doesn't have much in the line of story as so many other sport related movies. I think few people really appreciate the simple pleasure of watching these 60's cars race around original tracks. The race sequences are great although the camera 'effects' of splitting the screen can be annoying. In general the story gives a probably fairly accurate view of life in the formula 1 fraternity. In general I would say a quite enjoyable movie if you like cars and classic ones at that.
The Big Sleep (1946)
Just a quick praise for a great movie
Not being a big Bogart fan I was very pleasantly surprised by this film. It has a wonderful fast-moving pace interjected with sparring conversation between Bogart and Becall.
The story is not that difficult to follow although Bogey's assumptions do tend on the miraculous sometimes.
I'd rate this as a great movie which is a pleasure to both watch and experience. The black & white helps this film and the cinematography is quite reasonable. If you want to start on film noir this is a good point to do just that.