RayCharlie Reviews

The Ice Harvest (2005)

Let Down

[26 April 2008]

This movie was a let down. I was excited about it mainly for the cast and Harold Ramis at the helm, but it ended up being flat and pointless. A Horrible ending, too. Oliver Platt pretty much made the whole movie for me. I have to admit, his drunken scenes amused me

I was expecting more from Randy Quad. His role (or cameo) was quick-lived and ended as fast as it began. Same with Billy Bob...he had limited screen time and didn't bring much to the picture. John Cusack was John Cusack, just a tad bit more sleazy.

In the end, it was just a pointless movie. It was predictable, unoriginal and even seemed uninspired. It came off as a bad Coen Brothers rip-off.

4/10 For Oliver Platt's performance, Rany Quad getting his head blown off and the scene with Roy (Mike Starr) in the crate...

Raging Bull (1980)

Scorsese's Finest Hour

[16 March 2004]

Raging Bull is a biographical movie about the life of middleweight boxing champion, Jake La Motta (Robert DeNiro). It covers his rise to fame in the early 1940's as a physically tough fighter who held a rivalry with Sugar Ray Robinson, to the middle 40's where he became a champion, and his later days of being a retired boxer club owner. But the movie is not just about him being a boxer. It shows his downward spiral of life as fame, jealously, and resentment took over. The movie begins with a fight between La Motta and Sugar Ray Robinson. After fighting each other for ten intense rounds, the judges must chose their pick, and they vote Robinson being the winner. Naturally, this ticks La Motta off and he goes off into his own world of oblivion, taking out most of his anger on his wife. Jake's brother and manager is Joey La Motta (Joe Pesci), a foul-mouthed little guy who has mob connections. The mob really likes Jake and bet on him, make money, and of course, try to help him in his rise to fame. The only problem is, Jake hates them. He doesn't respect them. And he even shows a loss of respect for his younger brother who hangs around with them. Jake's life begins to turn around when he meets the beautiful Vickie (Cathy Moriarty), a young girl who hangs out with the whole mob crew. Jake finally gets the courage to meet with her, and they instantly fall in love. The movie skips a few months and Jake and Vickie are married, and Jake's boxing career is starting to unfold in a good way. He fights Sugar Ray Robinson again, but this time he wins. The public is starting to recognize Jake. As his boxing career starts to get better, his personal life is getting worse. He becomes extremely jealous about his wife, and at the same time, angry about the mob who now wants him to take a fall in his next match.

The movie is filmed in a beautiful black and white and the only color scenes are when Jake and his family are on vacation, which I found the color to be totally out of context. The soundtrack is great filled with an Italian score. Robert DeNiro once again proves he is an excellent actor. He even put on some weight for the later part of the movie. This film also showcased the talent of Joe Pesci, who was a struggling actor at the time and was about to retire from the film business. Raging Bull showed his immense talent and now is one of today's most recognized actors. As far as directing goes, I really can't say I've ever been disappointed with Martin Scorsese. Of all of his movies I've seen, I've enjoyed every one. Raging Bull is no exception. It's at some parts sad, exciting, comical, brutal, and most of all: real. The movie doesn't hold anything back, as far as language and violence goes. The hits to the face in the boxing matches look real as can be, as well as the blood, which was chocolate syrup, so it would appear better in black and white.

In conclusion, Raging Bull is one of those pictures that I can't believe I haven't seen already. Some parts were dragged out and boring, but notice I said `some'. The movie isn't a mystery or doesn't keep you guessing. It just flat out tells you how Jake La Motta was and doesn't hold anything back. Considered a classic in modern cinema, this one is defiantly going in my DVD collection as soon as a Special Edition is released.

Breakfast with Hunter (2003)

"Buy the Ticket. Take the Ride." Breakfast with Hunter (7/10)

[11 March 2004]

Not as insightful as I thought it was going to be. It pretty much covered Hunter S. Thompson's life from 1996-1997. There were a few flashbacks but they weren't very long. I think his race for Sheriff of Aspen should have been covered more. I'm not saying I hated it, but at times it dragged while HST gave meaningless mumbles of insight. At times he p***ed me off (when he wouldn't sign autographs at the book signing and his argument with Alex Cox), but at other times made me laugh and cheer for the outlaw. He's probably my favorite American author but he is sure one hell of an asshole. I guess it's a Kentucky thing lol. I was let down by the fact that it didn't give the viewer what the lifestyle and point of HST is. For that, I suggest reading Kingdom of Fear, which I consider the best piece of reading material I've read in a while. And as mentioned above, his argument with Alex Cox and Tod Davies about putting cartoons in the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas movie was sometimes unbearable but other times just flat out funny. I like Alex Cox and all, but I sort of agree with Hunter. It was his material and he didn't want it interpreted as a cartoon! Maybe Terry Gilliam was for the better. All in all an average documentary, but did have a noteworthy soundtrack (all songs have been mentioned by Hunter sometime or another) that included "Spirit in the Sky", "American Pie", "The Weight", "Mr. Tambourine Man", and many other. But where was "Sympathy for the Devil?" Worth checking out if you're a fan of HST's work. I don't if it was worth the $29.95, but still a good addition to my HST collection.

The Undertaker and His Pals (1966)

What's So Wrong With It?

[15 October 2003]

There are so many posts about how horrible of a film this is, but honestly I'd rather watch this cheese-fest than any horror movie coming out today. Yeah, the jokes in this film are stupid. Even the violence is stupid. It's cheap! And that's what I liked about it. Look at the tag line! B Movies from the 1960's should not be taken too seriously and anyone who comments on how terrible this film is obviously did. If you watch this movie for scares, you're not going to get them. If you watch this movie as a fan of 1960's exploitation/horror, you'll probably enjoy it. Just pop it in with a smile on your face and you'll enjoy this so-called "hour of wasted time and life." LOL. Come on people, lighten up!

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

"But our trip was different. It was a classic affirmation of everything right and true and decent in the national character. It was a gross, physical salute to the fantastic possibilities of life in thi

[7 February 2003]

I'm sick and tired of people complaining about this movie not having a plot! Of course it doesn't have a plot, it shouldn't have a plot. When two hardcore druggies plan to trip and plan on goin on a drug spree, there is no plot! Whatever happens happens. And that's just what this movie is. And the scenery. When I've watched this movie, I've felt like I've been there (on a few occasions). Another good quality of the film is very realistic hallucinations Depp has. Not the whole lizard scene, but the floor moving, the breathing faces, and the shadows on the wall. To top it all off, the movie is actually funny. I laugh my ass off watching this. And not to mention the great talent seen here through Johnny Depp and Bentio Del Toro. This movie is definatly in my top 3.