I don't really know what I want to do with this section, but I thought it would be cool for us to "recommend" DVDs to one another. Of course, we do this all the time, but this would be more of a "make this your next priority" kind of thing. Five movies is a lot to watch if you aren't Brandon, so just pick two or three from the list and check them out. If you need to you can borrow the DVDs from me. I will try to include movies that people have not seen, unless the DVD has some special feature on it that makes it worth while. Anyway, the following are my first selections:
The Ben Stiller Show: This is one of the best sketch comedies I have seen, and the cast is full of great comedians before they made it big. The whole series is a bit much to watch unless you really love it, but I recommend checking out the first few episodes.
The Freshman: If you are a fan of The Godfather or young Matthew Broderick, I definitely recommend this movie. It's about a young kid who begins working for a man who bares an uncanny resemblance to Vito Corleone. Brando has a lot of fun with this role, and the whole movie is very enjoyable.
Brazil - Criterion Collection: I made a bunch of people watch this movie over spring break, but I definitely recommend checking out part of the "Love Conquers All" version. It can be a bit boring and you have to be in the mood, but it's cool to see just how much editing can affect a movie. If you haven't seen the movie, then I recommend it to any fans of Terry Gilliam (Monty Python, 12 Monkeys) or 1984.
F for Fake - Criterion Collection: A brilliant and overlooked film about fakery, forgery, magic and art. Orson Welles does an incredible job narrating this "documentary" while also analyzing his rise to fame, quoting poetry and asking important philosophical questions. The movie is one of the most enjoyable film experiences I've had. "It's pretty, but is it art?"
Dazed and Confused - Criterion Collection: Most people have seen this movie, and the Criterion DVD is absolutely amazing. Lots of interviews with the now famous cast, and a great documentary on how the film slowly became a cult sensation. If nothing else make sure you check out the movie, which is a great look at life in the 1970s and how we look back at our youth.
See the rest of my "Great DVDs" section here.
Newest Review: King Kong (12/8/05)
As promised this morning...
Hey
Brandon, guess what? I saw KING FREAKING KONG today! Yeah, your most
anticipated movie of the year. What? Oh yeah, and it was amazing but
you don't get to see it until Wednesday. Sucks for you...maybe you should
become friends with someone as cool as Monica Robb, who has gone out of her way
to invite me to sneaks of HP4 and Kong. Back to Kong...
The movie starts out in New York, with Ann Darrow working in vaudeville. As the Great Depression worsens, she loses her job and goes hungry. Just as she is about to ask for a job at a gentlemen's club, she is seen by Carl Denham (Jack Black), who follows her (she decides against going in) and saves her from trouble after she is caught stealing. After Carl's investors decide to back out of his picture, he hijacks the ship and illegally sets sail (after getting Ann to come with him). Jack Driscoll (Adrian Brody) is a famous writer, who gets suckered in to going on the trip too after Carl distracts him from getting off the ship in time. Blah, blah, character development....Skull Island! After the group hits Skull Island, the movie is unstoppable. It's just a barrage of intense action scenes that rival any ever put on film. All of the dinosaur battles are incredible! The scenery and forests of the island are detailed and beautiful. Warning: the movie is very gritty. When you are in the jungle, there are bugs. When you are on Skull Island, everything is ten times bigger. You do the math.
The creatures on Skull Island are all
great. The bugs, the dinosaurs, the winged animals and the
natives are violent, realistic and creepy. If you've seen the original
Kong, Jackson has remained very faithful to certain scenes. The dinosaur
fight is superb, and the ending is so gruesome and hilarious that it felt like
one of the Evil Dead movies. The one thing that I was most surprised about
what how powerful and realistic (I've used that word like ten times) Kong was.
His facial expressions were dead on...he won over the entire audience.
When he is being shot on top of the Empire State Building (spoiler, oops), you
can't help but feel sorry for the 30 foot killing machine. His
interactions with Ann are also explained much more thoroughly in this film.
You actually see why Kong trusts her, and later falls in love with her.
It's great. Naomi Watts brings real life to the role of Ann and manages to
be more than just that blonde girl who screams.
So the movie is long. Deal with it.
Trust me, it's worth the wait. -9.5/10
See all of
my past movie reviews here, at the Movie Review Archive.