High Tension (2003)*

Yay! My 50th post!

*This film was released in America in 2004. It is also called Haute Tension. In French, with English subtitles.

High Tension is a bloody French film that is a piece of shock cinema. It grabs the audience by the throat and doesn't let them go for the whole movie. A very cliche story quickly changes into something bold and new. Even though the ending is flawed, the story still holds up.

Alexandre Aja's masterpiece starts out with two friends going on vacation to one of the parents' house. The house is of course secluded in the French countryside. It's not to long before the father is killed brutally and one of the girls is taken. The story just gets more bloody from there.

The film has some pretty shocking parts in it. The first appearance of the killer is just strange and gross. We see him getting fellated by a girl and then the camera pans away and its only a decapitated head. Also, some cuts of the film are rated NC-17 for a reason, but not for the normal sexual reasons.

Alexandre Aja seems to quickly be gaining popularity in America and this should just bring more. The Hills Have Eyes was a good remaking, so I'm looking forward to his other films. He is a good director, but he does have one flaw-P2, but its okay--he produced it.

The Oscar Nominees!

Okay, so I decided it was probably time to tell who I thought should be nominated. Asterisks mean that I have seen the movie (I haven't seen many!). The plus sign means it has yet to be realeased as of this date.

BEST PICTURE:
The Dark Knight*
Milk
Doubt+
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button+
Revolutionary Road+
Other possibilities:
WALL-E*
Australia*
The Reader+
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ACTOR:
Sean Penn-Milk
Dev Patel-Slumdog Millionaire
Phillip Seymour Hoffman-Synecdoche, New York
Mickey Rourke-The Wrestler+
Brad Pitt-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button+
Other Possibilities:
Josh Brolin-W.*
Frank Langella-Frost/Nixon+

BEST ACTRESS:
Cate Blanchett-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button+
Meryl Streep-Doubt+
Kate Winslet-The Reader or Revolutionary Road+
Angelina Jolie-Changeling
Anne Hathaway-Rachel Getting Married
Other Possibilities:
Nicole Kidman-Australia*

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Richard Dreyfuss-W.*
Liev Schreiber-Defiance+
James Franco-Milk
John Malkovich-Burn After Reading
Heath Ledger-The Dark Knight*
Other Possibilities:
Sam Rockwell-Frost/Nixon+

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Penelope Cruz-Vicky Cristina Barcelona*
Amy Adams-Doubt+
Taraji P. Huston-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button+
Beyonce Knowles-Cadillac Records+
Frances McDormand-Burn After Reading

BEST DIRECTOR:
Christopher Nolan-The Dark Knight*
Baz Luhrmann-Australia*
Darren Aronofsky-The Wrestler+
David Fincher-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button+
Ron Howard-Frost/Nixon+
Other Possibilities-
Clint Eastwood-Gran Torino+
Fernando Mereilles-Blindness*
Sam Mendes-Revolutionary Road+
Gus Van Sant-Milk

Australia (2008)

Well, I was going to do a review of High Tension to continue yesterday's theme, but then...

There was Australia. There was that genre mixing, whirring epic that is beautiful in every single way. Leave it to Baz Luhrmann to make something boring into something new, appealing, and feeling antiquated in a good way. There haven't been movies like this one for a good 70 years.

The epic starts off as an adventure/western movie. After her husband who owns a cattle droving service in Australia asks her to come, Sarah (Nicole Kidman) leaves her rich mansion in England. Her husband dies and she takes over his industry with Drover (Hugh Jackman). Along the way, they meet a mixed Aborigine girl named Nullah and adopt her. The film changes genres every 45 minutes and eventually ends as a war movie in which the couple witnesses the effects of Pearl Harbor on Australia first hand.

Never before has a film been so beautiful. Every shot that Lurhmann makes is more beautiful than the last. Most of the film was shot on location so everything is very pleasing to the eye. Rich colors and smart shots all around, I'd say Baz Luhrmann has secured a nomination.

They don't make movies like this one anymore. Australia is based off the analogy of The Wizard of Oz which alone gives it its own flavor. Also, it reminds me a lot of The African Queen and definitely draws parallels to other classic films. Look no further than title credits' typeface to be reminded of old movies.

Australia is clever, witty, and emotional. Audiences in the theater I saw it in were clearly engaged, crying and laughing at certain scenes. I have never seen a movie in theaters that made me and the audience feel so engaged. Luhrmann needs to keep making movies. He's one of the only great directors around now.

Inside (2007)

This film is also known as A L'interieur. In French, with English subtitles.

The genre of French shock cinema has produced some of the most strange and disturbing films in it's most recent years. Inside is just another even more disturbing addition to it. Chilling and creepy, Inside manages to work it's way into your mind and never crawls out. You will surely be disturbed by it for a while.

Inside is the story of a mother named Sarah who has recently survived an accident that she was in. At the time, she was pregnant, so luckily for her, the baby survived, but her boyfriend didn't. On a lonely Christmas night that she spends at home, she is visited by an odd woman who won't leave her alone. The plot then descends from here into a gory and twisted story.

Inside is not a movie to be seen if you're at all squeamish. The film went direct to DVD in America probably due to it's violent content. There's tons of scissor violence and unrealistic gore that is all over the walls of Sarah's house by the end. These acts include stabbed testicles, eyes being gouged out, and exploding heads.

The end of the movie leaves some to be desired. Although it may be a pretty good twist, it seems like one can tell what's going to happen from the beginning. When it does happen, it's bloody and incredibly effective, but it seems to be a little expected. Also, some elements of it are open to interpretation by the viewer.

Inside is one of the few movies that actually scares me. Not only am I somewhat afraid of it, but it also manages to gross me out, which is something I don't usually care for, but I did like it in this movie. The gore just makes it even more insane and twisted. It is probably unlikely that I'll ever see another film like this one.

WARNING: This film includes extreme strong graphic violence. Many audiences may have a problem with it.

Movies You Shouldn't See: I Know Who Killed Me (2007)

I know what killed my desire to ever see movies again! Well, not actually, but it came pretty close. I Know Who Killed Me is a terrible title and an even worse movie. It is just terrible in every single way imaginable. In all honesty, I have undying hate for this movie.

So, I was hoping you wouldn't see the movie, but I'll give you a summary anyway. It's about a stupid little girl named Aubrey Fleming played by the infamous Lindsay Lohan. Aubrey is abducted and sadistically tortured and comes back missing a leg. Yet, when she comes back she thinks she is somebody else-a stripper. Go ahead. Laugh at Lindsay Lohan without a leg as a stripper.

There isn't very much to say about this film because it is absolutely terrible. I think this film probably was a bad choice for Lohan. Her acting career is already plummeting. Was this really necessary for her? I have to criticize her and everybody else's performances in this because they are just completely amateurish. No, I was not expecting anything Oscar worthy, but it would have been nice to see some decent acting.

This film is one to be avoided at all costs. It won eight razzies. Does that give you an idea of how bad it is? This is just utter trash. I name this the worst film in all of movie history. Lindsay Lohan, you've really outdone yourself.

Airplane! (1980)

"Don't call me Shirley" has become a defining line in movie history thanks to this film. Airplane! is a hilarious parody of all disaster movies. Clever scripting and some risque humor help this film achieve a place in my movie collection. Never again will a spoof be this good.

Airplane! is the hilarious story of a man who gets on a plane where everybody gets sick from eating the salmon. Amid all the other strange events happening including turbulence that makes a woman's breasts jiggle along with her jello, he meets a beautiful flight attendant, a doctor, a girl who needs an organ donor in a different state, a doctor, and an odd pilot (Leslie Nielsen). The plot is already wacky enough for a great movie.

It's little things that nobody notices in this movie that make it worthwhile. For instance, while the opening credits are running, you can hear a man and a woman arguing over which colored lane you should walk in if you have no baggage. Also, after the film is done, there's a funny little scene involving the taxi driver from the beginning. The Zuckers are clever with their humor and one can easily see that by just taking a look at this.

Its not often that you come across a movie this funny. The dialogue is witty and the humor is so strange, you just have to laugh. Although it may be rated PG, there's some pretty inappropriate jokes and they're the best ones in the film. Airplane! is a clever parody movie that is now regarded as a classic.

Funny Games (1997/2007)

Funny Games (1997) is from Austria. In German, subtitled in English. Funny Games (2007) is in English. It is also known as Funny Games U.S.

Michael Haneke made Funny Games before Jigsaw started playing games in Saw. He also remade Funny Games after Jigsaw started playing games. Haneke's comment on media violence is shocking and still very relevant. This review is for both films.

The 2007 version follows the same plot as the previous version. The two are completely identical so much that I'm not even sure what Haneke's point was in remaking it. Anyway, a happy couple (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth in 2007) and their child take a trip down to their vacation home. It's not too long before two psychotic killers (Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet in 2007) show up at their doorstep in preppy sports attire. They seem nice at first, but then they break the husband's leg and begin a hostage situation.


The only difference between the two is the obvious better acting performances in the new version. I don't know. Maybe if I lived in Austria and grew up with those actors, I could have changed my mind. To me, Naomi Watts and Tim Roth give believable and upsetting performances. As far as I'm concerned, Michael Pitt might as well be psychotic.

Michael Haneke employs some pretty revolutionary camera techniques. In both version, around one hour in, there's a ten minute long shot. Haneke may not have been the first to do a really long shot, but it's pretty impressive. Also, he breaks the fourth wall and has one of the characters literally rewind the film. Where else have you seen anything like this?

As usual, Haneke makes violence the point of his movie. Just like in Cache, the violence is supposed to shock audiences and make them squirm even if most of it is off screen. Funny Games isn't funny at all. It's a shocking and suspensful cinematic masterpiece that will surely thrill audiences for years to come.

WALL-E (2008)

WALL-E is an undeniably cute Pixar movie with a surprising message. It brings a new twist to the computer animated genre by bringing film back years ago, all the way back to the silent age. It is easily one of the best of the year so far (but we'll see after Australia, Doubt, Frost/Nixon, and Revolutionary Road).

WALL-E is the very sweet story of a robot named WALL-E. He lives all by himself on Earth crushing trash into cubes. He also watches Hello Dolly! and finds new uses for laptops. One day, a robot named EVE lands on Earth looking for the last living plant there and WALL-E falls in love. The two (and the viewer) are whisked away into a world stretching across space where the only humans surviving are lazy people who no longer walk.

WALL-E includes barely any dialogue. Most of the dialogue is uttered by the two robots and the only words are "WALL-E" and "EVE". It's great, but not something that many people will enjoy. Many people can't take a silent film because they say it's boring. Hopefully, this will change that.

This movie is surprisingly an environmental message movie. It continues to amaze me that Pixar decided to make a message movie. A great idea! They should continue to do this because hopefully it will raise awareness.

WALL-E is a journey that is perfect for families. It, like all other Pixar movies, will take you into a new, beautiful world you've never seen before. This may will take quite a few awards in award season, no doubt, yet, of course, it should but won't win best picture. Too bad.

Psycho (1960)

Psycho is the Master of Suspense's best film and honestly, in my opinion, one of the best films ever. Cinematically innovative and extremely twisty, Psycho remains one of the most terrifying and jaw dropping films out there. For some reason, Gus Van Sant thought it would be a good idea to a remake. This is stupid. Nobody could make Psycho better than Alfred Hitchcock.

Psycho is the story of Marion Crane, a young woman who steals $4000 from her boss and, as a result, runs away. After she gets stuck in horrible rain shower, she pulls over to Bates Motel and spends the night there. She meets Norman Bates, the shady motel owner. That night, she is murdered in the shower in that famous and iconic sequence.

Psycho revolutionized the film industry with Hitchcock's direction. As stupid as this sounds, if it weren't for this film, you would never see a toilet on film. This doesn't really mean anything, but it just is interesting to think that films were being made for a long time and not a single toilet was shown in them. Also, Hitchcock does quite a feat in the shower sequence. Then it was risque, but now it doesn't really have any effect. The amazing part is that there is no nudity whatsoever. This is hard to do and he achieves it.

The twist is amazing and will surely amaze audiences even today. Psycho is timeless in it's plot and will never change. It is a classic that will last forever and will thrill audiences for ages to come. Those who are film fanatics owe a lot to Psycho and that is why people still regard this movie as one of the best of all time.

Movies You Shouldn't See: Date Movie (2006)

It seems that funny movies that end with "movie" are all the craze these days. Actually they're not funny at all. Stick with the Scary Movie series. This is nothing special here; it's just a big piece of crap. It's amazing that the 2 of the 6 writers can retain their dignity after this!

Date Movie is a horrible spoof of all romance movies. It spoofs a lot of them, but mostly My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It is about a man searching for the perfect woman. He finds her, but her parents don't exactly like him or any man she dates very much.

Some of the humor in this movie is just trash. In a spoof "The Bachelor", our main character disqualifies contestants, but when they are disqualified, they are shot. It doesn't get much more lowbrow than this folks. There's also some just flat out crude humor scenes that I won't even get into.

The film is not a complete trainwreck until half way in. The first half isn't terrible, but it's still mediocre. The second half, on the other hand, is just terrible. It makes it one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

Date Movie brings something new to the table-a new, terrible genre of cinema. The only funny part is in the first five minutes and it's a chuckle not a laugh. It just isn't a good movie. I couldn't be more plain and simple about it.

This Film is Not Yet Rated (2006)

It is even ironic to think that this film got rated NC-17 originally. The rating was then surrendred after they probably felt stupid for doing that. Kirby Dick's excellent expose of the MPAA is brilliant and very revealing. The most important question that the film raises is why do they value sex over violence? Well, they never do reach a consesus, but with some careful spying on them, the film does a really great job.

Although all of the views in the interviews in the film are insightful, I don't agree with all of them. One interviewee raised the point that graphic violence should be thought of as more appropriate than bloodless gun violence because when it is graphic, it is more realistic. That makes no sense at all! Are you suggesting that Sin City should be rated PG-13? It barely escapes an NC-17 in my mind.

There isn't very much to say about this film, but it is worth anybody who watches movies' time. This is a real eyeopener and one has to wonder why Americans are so hung up on some of the stuff highlighted in the movie. It's little things that cause movies to be rated NC-17, for instance gay sex versus straight sex or male masturbation versus female masturbation. It's sad that we as Americans cannot take a movie like Lust, Caution, but we can handle the Saw series. It just makes no sense.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a movie like no other. It is a science fiction movie that at times makes us laugh and it is also quite allegorical. One of Steven Spielberg's earliest films is one of his best.

Close Encounters is about Roy (Richard Dreyfuss), a line worker who experiences an encounter with a UFO. Everybody thinks he is crazy, but the truth is that it actually happened. After he starts to see ominous clues pointing to a certain location, he pursues more information and is eventually drawn to it.

This film shows some excellent direction from Spielberg. His genius use of colors is great at the end and goes great with John Willams' very simple score. Also, some pretty cool special effects came out of this movie. I'm sure that for it's time, the aliens at the end were pretty realistic. Actually, even today they are not bad.

Close Encounters is one of the best movies to come out of the 70's. It is a timless tale and is the only alien story I know that isn't scary. For weeks you'll be humming that famous score. This film has become a classic over time and is sure to remain a classic.

Some Like it Hot (1959)

Billy Wilder's outrageous and hilarious cross-dressing comedy hasn't aged a day since it came out in 1959. Apparently, I like it very hot. Some Like it Hot is better than most comedies I know of. If only Hollywood stopped coming out with trashy spoof movies and started coming out with more like this.

Some Like it Hot is looked at as one of the first gay and lesbian movies. Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) are two band members on the run after witnessing a mob hit. They get jobs in an all female band so Joe becomes Josephine and Jerry becomes Daphne. They meet Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), a seductive member of the band and Joe falls madly in love. To furthermore complicate things, Jerry decides that he is going to get money and pretends to be in love with an old, rich man.

Some Like it Hot features some of the funniest lines ever to be said in movie history. The end punchline is what the film is known for and has gone into AFI's most memorable quotes list. I won't reveal since it is hilarious and will ruin the movie if I do.

This movie is one of the most fun and hilarious movies ever. Unlike many of Monroe's movies, this one isn't sissy and womanly, but can be viewed by a wider audiences. Everyone will laugh at Curtis and Lemmon's antics and will surely be pleased by their fake female voices (Curtis' voice was dubbed). This film absolutely stands the test of time and is sure to excite all audiences today!

Transsiberian (2008)

Transsiberian is easily one of the most overlooked movies of the year. Brad Anderson's successful picture is one of the best so far. It is minimalist and very well paced. Hitchcock would be very happy with it.

Transsiberian is about the Transsiberian railway that goes from Beijing to Moscow over the course of a week. The plot is hard to explain without spoiling things, but here it goes: an American couple whose marriage is currently on the rocks decides to take the train to Moscow. On the train, they meet another mysterious American couple. Some of the things about them just don't seem right. Ben Kingsley co-stars as a police detective who plays a major role in the second hour.

The film is, as I've already said, well paced, but many audiences will lose patience after the first hour. Honestly, even though it held my attention, the first half is pretty much plotless. It revolves around barely anything. On the other hand, the second half comes at you really fast and won't let your eyes leave the screen.

Brad Anderson's direction finds beauty in Russia, which is something that isn't easy to do. The many shots of the snowcapped mountains are easy on the eyes and fun to watch. In one clever shot, a horse is running in a circle next to a broken shack. All of a sudden, the train rushes by. The shot is unusual and the composition is perfect.

Despite it's many plot flaws towards the end, Transsiberian is one hell of a thriller. Even though the first hour is slow, the rest is action at full throttle. Combine a minimalist story and good direction and you've got yourself a great Brad Anderson film.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

This is no dream--it's a two hour long nightmare. Requiem for a Dream is a believable, well-acted drug movie and one of the few effective ones. This will surely resonate with you for maybe even the rest of your life.

Requiem for a Dream is four stories of drug addiction. Jared Leto plays a cocaine addicted Harry Goldfarb and commonly uses with his friend, played by Marlon Wayans in a good non-comedy performance, and his girlfriend played by Jenifer Connelly. The best of the four is of Sara Goldfarb, Harry's mother, who gets addicted to dieting pills. Ellen Burstyn was nominated, but should have won, for an Academy award for her performance.

Darren Aronofsky's direction is cinematic perfection. The movie, which includes 2,000 cuts (a normal movie includes 600-700), is trippy and scary and he manages to achieve these feelings well. Aronofsky makes a good use of the split-screen, which often comes off as a bad 70's movie. His surreal imagery and strong directorial command give this film even more abberance and disturbing material.

You won't do drugs after this movie. I'm sure. Why would you ever touch drugs after the harrowing finale? The infamous "ass to ass" scene, which may only be available in the NC-17 cut but I'm not sure, is disgusting and gross and all the other images as well. It is a swirl of images that nobody wants to see. This film should be shown in Health classes all around the world. I'm convinced there would be less drug use.

Just a few little side notes--Lux Aeterna is possibly one of the best scores in a movie ever. Isn't strange how they don't say anything about pot?

Movies You Shouldn't See: P2 (2007)

P2 is just another cliche ridden, Hollywood manufactured piece of crap. It's the type of movie that screams "Gimme money!", but it's not earning any. Why does Hollywood continue to manufacture these little turds? It's still a mystery.

The plot of P2 could never be more simple. A woman (Rachel Nicholson), who is possibly the least likeable character ever, gets stuck at her job on Christmas Eve when a parking attendant (Wes Bentley who has quite honestly seen better days) kidnaps her and keeps her in the security office. The characters and story is very black and white; it's way too simple for any audience.

P2 is the kind of movie that didn't need to be gory, but is anyway. Although Alexandre Aja produced the film possibly contributing to the level of blood, it still was unecessary. Aja clearly demonstrated in High Tension that he could use blood to his advantage, but here, not so much. A guy gets hit by a car so hard that his guts completely spill out of him. Gross and not plot essential at all. Our main character reaches for her cellphone and loses her nail in the process. Idiotic and senseless.

The movie moves and an extremely slow pace. This is a mainstream horror film so you would think it would be very fast because the audience can't handle a slow pace. Well, it isn't that way. Nothing happens for a long half hour and the movie is only an hour and half. What gives?

P2 is one of those movies you see once and vow never to see again. I came, I saw, I slept, I laughed. The poster may claim to reach "a new level of fear", but I think I just discovered a new level of boredom.

Fargo (1996)

Oh ya, this flick is a good one. The Coen Brothers directed and produced this down right strange thriller/comedy and it came out to be a masterpiece. They lend their own odd sense of humor to a seemingly average crime movie.

The strange plot starts with Jerry (William H. Macy), a car salesman who plans to kidnap his own wife with two men played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare. When the plan falls apart and the police are lead onto it, Marge Gunderson, a pregnant police chief played by Frances McDormand in an Oscar nominated performance, is set out to find the kidnappers.

The Coen Brothers never do fail to amaze me. This film is witty, clever, and exciting-a combination that many films cannot put together days. Actually, I never have seen another movie quite like this one. The two have won four Oscars and it looks like a fifth is coming their way for Burn After Reading.

Fargo is hilarious and at times thrilling. Every minute is smart and the film doesn't really have a down moment. The gross climax of the film is good and strangely dark and comical. It isn't too often you see these two come together.

In Bruges (2008)

Maybe Bruges isn't so "fairy tale like" at all. A seemingly very scenic town changes quickly for Ray (Colin Farrell), a hit man who is forced to move with Ken (Brendan Gleeson) to Bruges, Belgium after he kills a little boy by accident. While Ken is having a great time sightseeing, Ray is bored until he meets a woman on a movie set that he falls in love with. Unfortunately, she has vengeful boyfriend. More unfortunately, their boss (Ralph Fiennes) is still giving them jobs.

In Bruges' oddball comedy and slick action is what makes the film work. The film can be seen either way and it's still a masterpiece. The humor isn't for everyone, but neither is the whole movie. It is rather slow until an hour into it.

Martin McDonagh gives some great direction. You have to honor this man for being able to do such a great job on his first time directing. He really is able to bring out the beauty of Bruges and that is what a good director should be able to do.

In Bruges is, as I said, not a film for everyone. Colin Farrell and the script are enjoyable, but some will not be able to appreciate the pace of the film which speeds up a lot in its final half hour. The bloody finale will stun audiences and the weird comedy should bring quite a few laughs. As of November, In Bruges is an easy Oscar contender.

Mulholland Dr. (2001)

David Lynch's Mulholland Dr. is not at all surprisingly odd nor is it surprisingly great. This twisty-turny feature is one to awe and mistify audiences. In fact, I am sure you won't get the whole movie on your first time or even fifth.

I'll do my best to explain the extremely complex and at times absolutely head scratching plot. A woman (Laura Elena Harring) gets into a car accident on Mulholland Drive and wakes up the next day. She walks down to the house of a Hollywood hopeful (Naomi Watts) and takes residence there. The two search for reason as to what might have caused this to happen since she has no memory from the accident.

The film will make no sense at all at first. Although the film may run close to two hours and a half, be patient and let the nonlinear timed plot roll itself out in front of you. To aide you in your discoveries, Lynch has provided some clues in the DVD case. I'm not sure how much this will help you because I still can't decipher them.

Lynch's direction is superb as usual. His old techniques from as early as Eraserhead come back in this film. Also, its easy to see it was directed by him simply from looking at his cast. First of all, he loves Laura Elena Harring. Number two, he loves her body (and Watts') since we see it quite a few times in the course of the film.

This odd, frenetic thriller is sure to leave you flabbergasted by the end. It is extremely complex and if you understand it by the end, you should feel proud. The final twist is genuine and great. Worth two viewings or even six.

Grindhouse (2007)

Grindhouse is available in two versions. It has been split into the two segments, Death Proof and Planet Terror, for DVD. They are available in their uncut, European versions. The 191 minute original is not available on DVD.

Grindhouse is the type of movie you won't find anymore: a homage to other movies. First, I should probably explain what a grindhouse is. A grindhouse is a double feature that was around for the 70's and lasted into the early 80's. The movies were always very pulpy and bad.

This movie is in three parts. The first part is Planet Terror starring Rose McGowan as Cherry, a go-go dancer who loses her leg to zombies. Soon enough, the world is overrun by these zombies and the remaining people must fight for their lives. The second part is three fake trailers which are absolutely perfect. The third part is Death Proof starring Kurt Russell as a slimey ex-stunt man who takes girls in a ride in his stunt car on one condition they don't know about: their lives are taken in the car.

Grindhouse is great for it's clever script. It is so bad it's great! In Planet Terror, when Cherry is crying as she leaves her stage, the manager says "Cherry, it's go-go, not cry-cry." It is such a bad line that it is great. Among the script, the acting and stories are so bad that the movie is good. Both films include a missing reel, but the Death Proof one is restored for DVD. In the reel, a character gives Russell a lap dance. It's so stereotypical Tarantino and so fitting for the grindhouse genre.

The direction for everything is superb. Everything is aged, but in a way that it is not too much. When an event is about to happen, you can tell by the way that Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino age the film more. Well, they don't age it; it was aged digitally. Also, Eli Roth's trailer "Thanksgiving" is my favorite part of the film because of his good direction.

Although my review probably makes Grindhouse sound bad, it's very enjoyable. A few laughs and some good scares makes for a pretty awesome movie. Tarantino and Rodriguez have made something right up their alley and should keep making movies like this. It's too bad this one flopped at the box office.

Les Diaboliques (1955)

This movie is also known as Diabolique. In French, with English subtitles.

Les Diaboliques is the movie that started the twist ending before Psycho could revolutionize it. Henri-Georges Clouzot's spectacular, black-and-white French film is a classic that is timeless and still surprising. Much better than most of Hitchcock's films, this is one to see.

Les Diaboliques is based on a book by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac of the same name. The clever story is about the wife of headmaster at a school and teacher who works there who are mad at the headmeaster. Their sinister talks about him lead to them plotting to kill him. They go through with the plan, but after the murder happens, the body mysteriously disappears. Strange happenings begin at the school all leading to the jaw dropping ending.

Clouzot's best film constructs suspense in such an amazing manner. In the scene in which the take the water and leaves out of a pool (this is where the women have deposited the body), we're sure their going to be found out. As the water clears lower and lower, the suspense mounts. Finally, the water clears and we're given a look at the pool. There is no body! His eery scenes are really what makes the film so special.

The tagline on the poster advised audiences to "See it, be amazed at it, but...BE QUIET ABOUT IT!" This is exactly what one who sees this should do. A major twist makes the film famous so don't spoil it. A great movie that Hitchcock actually tried to get the rights to a half hour after they were sold to Clouzot, it could not have been done better. It couldn't have even been done better by the Master of Suspense.

Safety Last! (1923)

The iconic image of Harold Lloyd hanging from a clock's hand is timeless and still very funny. Safety Last! has not aged at all either. The entire movie is a fun romp in slapstick humor.

The classic silent stars Lloyd as a young man desperate for money. He barely has enough money to buy things for himself to eat. Finally, he finds a solution to his problem when a man across the street from the place he works at is holding a contest that has a prize of money if anybody can climb to the top of the building.

The long, final sequence in which Lloyd actually climbs a very tall building (remember, there were no special effects or green screen in the 20's) is both suspensful and very humorous. The movie itself is very short and the final scene takes up a good deal of it, but the audience is hooked right in. One can't tear their eyes away from this lengthy scene which ends up not feeling lenghty at all.

Safety Last! is a timeless classic that is one of my favorites. Because it is silent, many people won't watch, but it is definitely worth at least two viewings in my opinion. Slapstick comedy and Lloyd antics abound, Safety Last! is one to watch.

Knocked Up (2007)

Judd Apatow is truly the director of this generation. Knocked Up is the funniest movie to come out of last year. Apatow has a monopoly on the comedy part of Hollywood and this film is the reason why.

The subject matter is usual for a Seth Rogen film. To celebrate a woman's (Katherine Heigl), she decides to go out to a club with a friend. Of course, she gets completely smashed. Anyway, so she meets this seemingly attractive guy (Seth Rogen) and has sex with him. Looks like she forgot a condom. She ends up getting pregnant.

This film is very smart unlike Apatow's other films. Although his films are considered high class comedy, this one actually requires some knowledge to watch and understand it. Firstly, the film gives a surprisingly good message. Number two, some of the jokes do need some brain power to comprehend them.

The film may be very entertaining, but it doesn't manage to fill all 130 minutes of it (can you believe there's an unrated version!). Come on, it's long for any comedy! This is the problem with all Apatow movies. The same complaint was made by many reviewers over Pineapple Express, which I have yet to see.

Knocked Up is an intelligent, fine comedy that is sure to please all audiences. Unlike his other films, it is smart and great. Judd Apatow, you are forgiven for the lengthy, graphic, and realistic birth sequence towards the end.

Movies You Shouldn't See: W. (2008)

I guess W. didn't exactly win my vote. This is it. Oliver Stone has finally made a less than stellar movie. W. is not a terrible movie, but it sure is not good enough to fill out all two hours and ten minutes that it takes up.

W. is the story of George W. Bush, played beautifull by Josh Brolin in what should be an Oscar nominated (but not winning) performance. His friends and his political exploits are explored by Oliver Stone. Laura Bush is played by Elizabeth Banks in a stale, but passable performance. Ellen Burstyn plays Bush's mother well, Thandie Newton does an excellent job as Condeleeza Rice, and Richard Dreyfuss is spectacular as Dick Cheney. The other performances, not so much.

To start off, the film is rated PG-13. What kind of Oliver Stone movie is rated PG-13? What contributed to this was a lot of appropriate language where f-words could have been substituted and the forgotten tale of Bush's cocaine addiction.

Also contributing to the film's rating is Stone's lack of risk. For example, one of the few great scenes in the film is Bush fighting his father in the Oval Office in a nightmare. The scene may be edgy and brilliant, but the rest of the movie is far from it. Stone has clearly toned down the subject matter in his worst attempt at satire ever.

W. reads like a long, boring Saturday Night Live skit. It can't hold my attention for the full movie, but the trailer is worth watching. Some good acting and direction, but the film is not edgy enough for the man in the director's chair.

Irreversible (2002)

Gaspar Noe's torturous movie Irreversible is cinematic and also groundbreaking. The film is Memento-esque in the way that it plays backwards as the tragic events unfold in Paris. Marcus (Vincent Cassel) and Pierre are looking for Le Tenia for the reason, which is later revealed, that Alex (Monica Belucci) has been brutally raped and murdered.

Noe's direction and Monica Belucci really shine in this movie. Although it would be hard to say that the direction is beautiful, it is for sure that of an expert. Monica Belucci is great in the role of Alex. In the sick and perverted ten minute rape scene (I'm not even exaggerating), she gives a very believable performance.

Although Irreversible may be hard to watch at times, it does require one's full attention. As confusing enough as it is, things can easily be missed. It is sick and twisted, but worth more than one viewing.

Irreversible falls under what would be called shock cinema and it truly is shocking. The tragic story of rape, murder, and fate is the most disturbing film ever. Many people left the theater originally because it is just too much. Try to watch this movie because it actually is very good.

Warning: This movie includes graphic, extended scenes of rape, violence, and nudity. You've been warned.

Run Lola Run (1998)

Also known as Lola rennt. In German, with English subtitles.

Tom Tykwer's visually stunning, ecstatic film Run Lola Run is adrenaline pumping and worth more than one viewing. The film is about Lola (Franka Potente) whose boyfriend needs 100,000 dollars in twenty minutes to pay a gangster his debt. When Lola's moped gets stolen, she is forced to run and go to extremes to save him. The story is told three times, each one having a different ending because of something different that happens.

Tykwer gives some pretty amazing shots of Germany. He picks up on some interesting designs in places where you would not ever look. For example, there is a shot of Lola running across a big square. The camera quickly pans up to show a lot of squares that she is running over.

Run Lola Run hits the ground running and does not ever stop. The colors pop like a whore's lip gloss and the acting could not be more energetic. The first story is by far the best, but each one is really good. Never has an action movie been so fun.

Vertigo (1958)

Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece has not aged a bit since the day it came out. Vertigo is a visually stunning, twisty trip into a mystery in San Francisco. As expected, Hitchcock has produced another piece of celluloid gold.

Vertigo is the dizzying story of John Scottie (Jimmy Stewart), a detective who has a bad case of severe case of vertigo. When he is hired by friend to watch his wife (Kim Novak), a blond bombshell who has odd habits. John begins to become obsessed with her leading to unfortunate events.

Bernard Herrman has a fantastic soundtrack in this film. His sweeping music fits perfectly with Hitchcock's many shots of San Francisco and the subjective vertigo shots. As usual, the music is very memorable, as is the picture.

By the end, Hitchcock has created an unbelievably creative movie with a major twist at the end and some amazing shots of San Francisco. One can only wonder where one man can get so much talent. Personally, I value this over Psycho.

For a clever parody of this, watch Mel Brooks' High Anxiety.