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364,532 | 4,888,011 | 71,583 | 10 | Great TV ! | The Groove Tube was one of only two Ken Shapiro movies , the other one being the equally zany " Modern Problems " . This one is just a full-scale parody of TV . Aside from Shapiro - who apparently didn't do anything after " Modern Problems " - the movie also stars Chevy Chase and Henry Winkler's cousin Richard Belzer . The three cast members ( plus some other people in smaller roles ) appear in various skits . One of the funniest ones features Chase in a Geritol-spoofing commercial , in which he's describing the medicine as his wife strips , and it ends with her humping him . There's also a pornographic news program , an irritating cooking show , and the epic tale of some drug dealers . Anyway , the whole thing's just a real hoot . In my opinion , the three best TV-spoofing movies are this one , plus " Tunnelvision " and " Kentucky Fried Movie " ( although I might also include " The Truman Show " ) . Really funny . I wonder what ever did become of Ken Shapiro . |
362,654 | 4,888,011 | 280,707 | 10 | I was rooting for this for Best Picture . | In what may be Robert Altman's best movie since " McCabe and Mrs . Miller " , a plethora of aristocrats and their servants come to an estate in rural England in 1932 for a hunting party . When a murder takes place , it sets the stage for discovering that there's more to these people than anyone realizes . Obviously , that's a loose description , but I don't want to give away too much . But I will note this scene : when Insp . Thompson ( Stephen Fry ) is investigating , he says " Only the people with secrets should be worried . " He doesn't know just how serious he is ! This has the definite feel of an Altman movie , namely the overlapping dialogue . I literally have nothing bad to say about " Gosford Park " ; everything about it was done perfectly . Bob Balaban , Alan Bates , Michael Gambon , Helen Mirren , Jeremy Northam , Ryan Philippe , Maggie Smith , Kristin Scott Thomas , and everyone else all do a marvellous job with their roles . Moreover , this movie's prominence when it came out gave Altman a chance to take a swipe at George W . Bush . Julian Fellowes took home an Oscar for his screenplay ( I was rooting for this movie for Best Picture ) . And now that the Academy is giving Altman an honorary Oscar at the upcoming ceremony , I think that it affirms everything that I've just said here . When Ryan Philippe starred in " I Know What You Did Last Summer " , who ever would have guessed that he would co-star with Miss Jean Brodie a few years later ? |
363,452 | 4,888,011 | 60,345 | 10 | You're a great one , Dr . Seuss / You're the king of children's books / They always are the best / In the east and in the west , Dr . Seuss ! | How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! is a wonderful flick / with some truly great lines , it isn't a trick / It could only have come from the great Dr . Seuss / otherwise , the whole thing would've been loose / Narrated by Karloff and directed by Jones / this Grinch is one who elicits no groans / It's the story of one weird Christmas-hating man / who one Christmas Eve , came up with a plan / He'd steal the presents and everything else / where does this plan go ? I cannot tell / You must watch the movie , and then you will know / why this cartoon's still a tradition in the two-zero-Os / And one more thing that I should remind / avoid the live action , which I heard was unkind / They fouled it up , they fouled it down / every part of the story just came unwound / But this classic is always something to love / whether you're down below , or way up above ! |
364,219 | 4,888,011 | 86,873 | 10 | We all know that two heads are better than one , but what about when one of those heads is inside the other ? | Ever seen a movie so zany that you just keep wanting more ? If not , then " All of Me " is it . Edwina Cutwater ( Lily Tomlin ) is a rich woman about to pass on , and Roger Cobb ( Steve Martin ) is the lawyer managing her estate . But just as she dies , something goes screwy and her spirit gets transferred into Roger ! Now , she controls half of his body and the two of them have a hell of a time trying to cooperate ! A particularly funny scene is when Roger is trying to go to the bathroom and . . . well , you have to see for yourself . One thing about Steve Martin is that I can never decide which of his movies is his best . " All of Me " is certainly up there . Martin always did quite well working with Carl Reiner ( previously in " The Jerk " , " Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid " and " The Man with Two Brains " ) . |
363,366 | 4,888,011 | 443,729 | 10 | From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli . . . | Bugs and Daffy : Wartime Cartoons has renowned film critic Leonard Maltin presenting several WWII-themed Looney Tunes cartoons . I had known that Warner Bros . released some cartoons portraying Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck making mincemeat out of Nazis , but I didn't about the ones portraying life back in the states . I guess that what I really liked in this documentary was that it consisted mostly of the cartoons and not excessive descriptions of them ; after all , we watch these things so as to see the cartoons . If anything surprised me , it was that the Termite Terrace crowd didn't have Elmer Fudd go up against Hitler . But anyway , it's a pretty neat documentary . I guess that " Russian Rhapsody " must have been the only cartoon that unequivocally made the Russians look like the good guys . |
365,868 | 4,888,011 | 44,876 | 10 | That's the business world for ya ! | While Hollywood got sort of stagnant during the few years after WWII , England developed a very prolific film industry . In " The Man in the White Suit " , inventor Sidney Stratton ( Alec Guinness ) creates a suit that never gets dirty . Unfortunately , this means that certain other businesses are now likely to go out of business ! How can Sidney deal with this and maintain his dignity ? This is an example of one of the great movies in which Alec Guinness starred before he became Obi Wan Kenobi . It's a good look at the overall absurdity of the business world . If you're planning to start any kind of business , you might want to consider watching this movie . |
365,051 | 4,888,011 | 51,701 | 10 | Space really is deeper than we think . . . and to think that I once thought that Marvin said a certain sexual organ when he said " Venus " ! | When Bugs Bunny , after a miserable night's sleep , accidentally boards a rocket-ship , he inadvertently ends up in the domain of Marvin Martian , who wants to blow up earth . When Bugs steals Marvin's earth-shattering device , Marvin promptly sends some birdlike Martians after Bugs . Sure enough , Bugs is way ahead of him . Aside from Bugs Bunny's simple irreverence , it's always great how these cartoons weren't afraid to do whatever they wanted . Marvin sort of reminded me of a 17th century fop , how he talked . But either way , the cartoon is just one of many classics . Not to be missed . And you just might want to run to the hills . . . Silly-vization . Ha ! |
364,930 | 4,888,011 | 51,228 | 10 | avian sadism | More of Wile E . Coyote - aka Famishus Vulgaris - coming up with an infinite number of unsuccessful traps to catch Road Runner - aka Birdibus Zippibus . Among the gags here are a shaft to carry a bomb down a hill , a brick wall , and bees . Needless to say , Wile E . always gets what's coming to him . A previous reviewer noted that in " Zoom and Bored " , we get to see more of Road Runner's personality : he is one sadistic mother ( is that better than just being indifferent to surrounding events , like he usually is ? ) . But no matter , this is another classic cartoon . Michael Maltese always managed to write something great . Really funny . |
365,561 | 4,888,011 | 261,392 | 10 | Everything that anyone's ever been awaiting . | For all who have spent their lives waiting for wacky , biting satire , wait no more . " Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back " is here and as funny as can be . Portraying the title characters ( Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith ) trying to stop Hollywood from making an illegal movie based on their lives , the movie is basically a joke every minute . Probably the funniest aspect is the way that various people appear in the movie making fun of their roles in other movies ( check out Matt Damon's and Ben Affleck's appearance ) . I should warn you that this is not a movie for prudes . The George Carlin scene will particularly rile such people , as will the whole part about the " clit " . But Kevin Smith's fans are sure to love this movie . Also starring in hilarious roles are Will Ferrell , Shannon Elizabeth , Carrie Fisher , Chris Rock , and several others ( I did what the movie commanded when a certain " Star Wars " cast member appeared ) . A real treat for all . |
364,941 | 4,888,011 | 78,902 | 10 | Grazie , everyone ! | We all know that eventually , the children are going to want to do things differently from the parents . " Breaking Away " portrays that to the extreme . Having graduated from high school in Indiana , Dave Stoller ( Dennis Christopher ) is very much into bicycling , and specifically the Cinzano team in Italy . So , hoping to become a cyclist himself , he begins acting as Italian as possible - even putting on an accent for a female classmate . His parents are uncomfortable with this , but his friends ( Dennis Quaid , Daniel Stern , Jackie Earle Haley ) like it . Only Dave himself knows what to do with his life . This movie will probably teach you all that there is to know about the bicycle world . You might even feel like getting on a bicycle and riding around town yourself . Very well done . |
363,380 | 4,888,011 | 129,387 | 10 | Released in the same year as the Lewinsky thing , how could anyone not think about " hair gel " ? | You may not be prepared for some of the scenes in " There's Something About Mary " ( not the least of which is the zipper scene ) , but you're sure to like them nonetheless . The plot of course has loser Ted Stroehmann ( Ben Stiller ) trying to find high school sweetheart Mary Jensen ( Cameron Diaz ) . However , EVERYONE wants to find Mary , and a number of whacked-out incidents ensue . Most famous is the " hair gel " scene , but that's just one of many . With great support from Matt Dillon , Chris Elliott , Lee Evans , and others , this is one gross-out fest that you can't afford to miss . Those Farrelly brothers are truly something else . |
363,968 | 4,888,011 | 51,201 | 10 | You must witness this movie | I have never seen a Billy Wilder movie that I didn't like , and to say that " Witness for the Prosecution " is another example of his masterpieces does not do it justice ( pun not intended ) . In the movie , American Leonard Vole ( Tyrone Power , who died shortly after they finished filming ) is accused of murdering a woman in England . He hires Sir Wilfrid Robarts ( Charles Laughton ) , a reputable attorney , to defend him . To get more information about everything , Robarts consults with Vole's wife Christine . But that's where things take an unexpected turn . As the trial - and the movie - progress , we keep learning secrets that the characters have been keeping . By the courtroom climax , all bets are off , to say the least . This just may be the perfect movie . No matter what you suspect , I guarantee that you will be surprised . You will never look at a trial the same again . And above all , it confirms Billy Wilder as one of the greatest directors in history . |
363,378 | 4,888,011 | 44,706 | 10 | now this is what I call a western | It has been noted many times that " High Noon " was an allegory for people refusing to stand up to the McCarthy-era blacklist . And a masterpiece at that . Happening circa 1880 , Sheriff Will Kane ( Gary Cooper ) of Hadleyville , New Mexico , has just gotten married to Quaker Amy Fowler ( Grace Kelly ) and is retiring from law enforcement . Unfortunately , he receives news that a criminal whom he sent to jail has been released and will arrive in town at noon . Kane tries to enlist help to fight the criminals , but the townspeople are too cowardly to help out , forcing Kane into the showdown of his life . The movie is a masterpiece from any angle , but the haunting theme song ( " Do Not Forsake Me , Oh My Darlin ' " ) adds to the mood . Cooper won a well deserved Oscar for his role , and this in fact was probably the best performance for all involved . Everyone should definitely see " High Noon " . It may help us one day . |
364,329 | 4,888,011 | 218,839 | 10 | not a dog at all | Functioning as a sort of midpoint between " Waiting for Guffman " and " A Mighty Wind " , " Best in Show " portrays a dog show and the various people who bring their canine friends to participate . Some are weird , some crazy , and otherwise , but they all make the movie good . Director Christopher Guest is particularly funny as gay Harlan Pepper , very much trying to promote his dog . Eugene Levy , Parker Posey , Michael McKean , Catherine O'Hara , and Bob Balaban also do great jobs ( I can't imagine them not doing great jobs , at least not in a Christopher Guest movie ) . As someone who's never attended a dog show , this movie is my main exposure to them . They sure look neat . |
363,056 | 4,888,011 | 44,692 | 10 | haste doesn't make waste here ( or should I say that it doesn't make waste " hare " ? ) | Part of what was so great about the classic Looney Tunes cartoons was their irreverence and how they weren't afraid to do anything that they wanted . In this case , Marvin the Martian has an assignment to bring back an earthling . Sure enough , he comes across Bugs Bunny , who warns of a mutiny on the part of Marvin's dog . After Marvin finally traps Bugs - by means of an Acme strait jacket-ejecting bazooka ! - Bugs has more stuff planned for the voyage back to Mars . What I mean is , if you thought that it was a major change in the Solar System when they stripped Pluto of its planet status , then you ain't seen nothing yet ! Yes , " The Hasty Hare " goes all out . How they buy Acme products in outer space is probably beyond most people , but the point here - I mean " hare " - is to have fun . And believe me , you definitely will . After all , a little space-out never hurt anyone . |
363,880 | 4,888,011 | 374,102 | 10 | at least I went scuba diving BEFORE I saw this movie | Why " Open Water " is so good is because it could really happen ( in fact , it was inspired by real events ) . It focuses on a husband and wife who are going scuba diving and get left behind by their tour boat . From there , the predicament only gets worse , as sharks begin to sense that the two people are floating around . Throughout the whole movie , you feel very nervous . You keep expecting something bad to happen , and some bad things do happen . I don't want to say that you feel for the characters ( that sounds mushy ) , but you basically do . The husband even explains that they paid for this ; the tour company took their money and left them . You will truly never look at the ocean the same after watching this movie . |
365,774 | 4,888,011 | 265,666 | 10 | family life | Obviously , weird / dysfunctional / neurotic families always make for interesting movies , but " The Royal Tenenbaums " may have brought the genre to its zenith . Gene Hackman plays Royal Tenenbaum , the estranged patriarch . Mother Etheline ( Anjelica Huston ) continued raising sons Chas ( Ben Stiller ) and Richie ( Luke Wilson ) and daughter Margot ( Gwyneth Paltrow ) on her own . Now , Chas has two sons , whom he is raising to be as neurotic as he is , Margot has hooked up with the pompous Raleigh St . Clair ( Bill Murray ) , and Richie is a tennis player who deliberately lost a game ( I got the feeling that he was obsessed with his sister ) . Meanwhile , Etheline has hooked up with the cultured Henry Sherman ( Danny Glover ) . And there's something up with friend Eli Cash ( Owen Wilson ) . In the midst of this all , Royal finds a way to get the whole family back together : by telling everyone that he has an illness . Getting back together , the entire family is forced to reevaluate their relationships with each other and how they've been living and . . . look , I can't do justice to the movie by trying to describe it . It's a masterpiece . You have to see it . |
363,414 | 4,888,011 | 78,966 | 10 | Why , we will ( hopefully ) never return to admiring nuclear power | The China Syndrome could not have been released at a better time : twelve days after its release , the infamous screw-up in Three Mile Island happened . But even if that ( and / or Chernobyl ) had never happened , this movie remains an important look at what could happen through mismanagement of nuclear facilities . Jack Lemmon turns in a five star performance as the supervisor trying to expose a cover-up at his nuclear plant , with Jane Fonda playing the reporter trying to investigate , and Michael Douglas plays her cameraman . I don't know whether or not the current threat of a terrorist attack makes " The China Syndrome " more disturbing , but either way , it's still definitely a movie that everyone should see . I hope that those people who spent years pushing nuclear power saw this movie just so that they could know that their views and ideals are completely defunct . |
365,809 | 4,888,011 | 381,851 | 10 | there are no WMDs | Since I was never a full-scale " LOTR " devotee - although I will agree that Peter Jackson directed a pretty impressive trilogy - I have to say that my favorite moment from " The 76th Annual Academy Awards " was when Sean Penn accepted his Best Actor award for " Mystic River " : he said ( I don't know whether or not this is verbatim ) " There is one thing that an actor knows , aside from the fact that there are no WMDs . . . " . Kudos also to Errol Morris for repeating the anti-war call when he accepted his Best Documentary Feature Oscar for " The Fog of War " . I guess that the rest of the show was pretty routine , although I liked what Jim Carrey did to present Blake Edwards with his Honorary Oscar . And although I'm not really a fan of Billy Crystal , you gotta admit that his songs at the beginning were a real hoot ( especially the Michael Eisner comment ) . New Zealand and South Africa ( Charlize Theron definitely deserved her Oscar ) both got widely thanked . Which other parts of the world are gonna get that in the near future ? |
364,920 | 4,888,011 | 71,230 | 10 | A Jewish Indian , a rescued handcart , excessive flatulence , and a very gay movie set ? Only Mel Brooks could do it ! | Cinema reaches its all-time silliest with Mel Brooks ' comedy classic " Blazing Saddles " , in which African-American railroad worker Bart ( Cleavon Little ) becomes sheriff of all-white Rockridge . Governor's assistant Hedley - not Hedy ! - Lamarr ( Harvey Korman ) hopes that the townspeople will want to flee , opening the way for a railroad extension . That's the official plot , but of course the movie is really an excuse for a series of crazy gags . Whether it's Jim / Waco Kid's ( Gene Wilder ) " fastest hands in the West " , Gov . William J . LePetomane's ( Mel Brooks ) sexual follies , Lili Von Schtupp's ( Madeline Kahn ) songs , or the last names of Rockridge's townspeople ( pay attention there ) , this movie shows that infantile humor can be hilarious . And I must say that it's almost surprising how much they used the N-word , especially considering that this was a comedy . But anyway , you're sure to die laughing . Because remember , " Mongo like candy ! " |
365,249 | 4,888,011 | 465,551 | 10 | the title sounds a little bit like " Snakes on a Plane " | I expect Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett to play very good roles , but I couldn't have predicted the intensity of " Notes on a Scandal " . Portraying school official Barbara ( Dench ) discovering teacher Sheba ( Blanchett ) having an affair with a student and using it against her , the whole thing keeps you on the edge of your seat . Far from the kindly , aristocratic roles with which she's most associated , Dench creates a cold , vicious character . And yet , seeing the actions of both women , you can't really sympathize with either one . Not surprisingly , it all leads to some pretty ugly consequences . Anyway , don't start this movie expecting either woman to play the sort of roles in which you've seen them before . They both come across as kind of vile , even if they have good qualities . And they both do a great job with it . Judi Dench certainly deserved her Oscar nomination ( although I'm glad that they gave Helen Mirren the award ) . Also starring Bill Nighy . And yes , I thought that the title sounded a little bit like " Snakes on a Plane " . Just imagine Judi Dench saying something like " I've had it with these motherking notes on this motherking scandal ! " |
363,900 | 4,888,011 | 71,222 | 10 | all kinds of crossroads | OK , you've probably heard that Bob Clark's ( RIP ) " Black Christmas " is basically the original slasher movie , the inspiration for John Carpenter's " Halloween " . Well , let me just say that - in response to the tag-line - my skin did actually crawl a little bit during some of the phone calls ! Of course , that doesn't even begin to identify what makes this such a scary movie . Aside from not knowing the killer's identity , some of the scenes towards the end really catch you . But that's only one cool aspect . The cast includes Olivia Hussey ( Juliet in " Romeo and Juliet " ) , Keir Dullea ( Dave in " 2001 : A Space Odyssey " ) , Margot Kidder ( Lois in " Superman " ) and John Saxon ( Roper in " Enter the Dragon " ) ; no doubt when Olivia Hussey and Keir Dullea appeared in their most famous roles in 1968 , they never imagined that they would co-star in this sort of movie . Director Bob Clark is most famous for " A Christmas Story " and the " Porky's " movies ; seriously , what kind of person can lay claim to directing movies as different as these , plus " Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things " ? But the main point is that this is the mother of all slasher movies . Like " The Jazz Singer " to sound , like " I Haven't Got a Hat " to the Looney Tunes , like " I Love Lucy " to sitcoms , everything started here . No matter how you look at it , " Black Christmas " , for lack of a better word , is DA BOMB ! Not only do the cast members truly have something about which to proud , but it goes to show what we lost when Bob Clark got killed in a car wreck earlier this year . PS : the special edition DVD includes an interview with Olivia Hussey ( and she still looks quite good after all these years ) . She didn't see the completed film until many years later , as horror flicks scare her . Well , I think that it's practically a guarantee that at least one scene in this movie will scare you . Because as Olivia Hussey notes , the idea of there being something creepy out there is scarier than knowing what's there . |
364,183 | 4,888,011 | 71,221 | 10 | when the brothers ( including Dick Hallorann ) fight . . . | Sort of picking up where " Enter the Dragon " left off , " Black Belt Jones " casts Jim Kelly as African-American martial arts expert " Black Belt " Jones trying to stop the mafia from taking over a martial arts training center once owned by friend Pop Byrd ( Scatman Crothers ) . Obviously , the Me Decade was partly known for blaxploitation movies , but that's one of the things that made the decade so great . Here , Jim Kelly really shows off his kicks ( presumably learned by his character in " Enter the Dragon " , also directed by Robert Clouse ) . Well , all that I can say is : fight on , brothers ! Never let The Man tell you what to do ! |
363,769 | 4,888,011 | 71,216 | 10 | a person can do a lot with the Depression . . . especially when Capt . Kirk is present | Roger Corman reaffirms himself as one of America's coolest directors with the trashy-but-great " Big Bad Mama " . It's 1932 Texas , and Wilma McClatchie ( Angie Dickinson ) has just lost everything . No problem ! She and her daughters take to the road and go around robbing banks and messing with society , bilking the system for all that it's worth . Along the way , crook Fred Diller ( Tom Skerritt ) and gentleman William Baxter ( William Shatner ) join up with them , while snide lawman Bonney ( Dick Miller ) chases them . It's like " Bonnie and Clyde " taken to the next level ! Maybe this really isn't the sort of movie that could ever get ranked among history's most " important " , but it's a thrill every step of the way . And it's always great to see movies poke fun at religious wackos and focus on the important issues of the Depression . This is truly a movie that you won't want to miss . |
362,582 | 4,888,011 | 60,153 | 10 | This , ladies and gentlemen , is the " Citizen Kane " of camp ! | Holy rusted metal , the Dynamic Duo started in a comic masterpiece ! This movie accompanied the wacky TV series . It has Batman ( Adam West ) and Robin ( Burt Ward ) battling Penguin ( Burgess Meredith ) , the Joker ( Cesar Romero ) , the Riddler ( Frank Gorshin ) and Catwoman ( Lee Meriwether ) . And of course , there's the ubiquitous alliteration ( " feline floozy " , e . g . ) , and the graphics whenever someone gets hit . You just have to agree that the 1960s " Batman " was a lot cooler than the 1990s version . Well , " Batman " and " Batman Returns " were pretty good , but " Batman Forever " started pushing it , and the less said about " Batman and Robin " the better . Anyway , you gotta see this version of " Batman " . It's a camp classic ! |
364,228 | 4,888,011 | 106,308 | 10 | Listen you stuffy screwheads . . . their names are Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell and this movie is their boomstick ! | The third time really is the charm , and " Army of Darkness " proves it incontrovertibly . This time , they just let the movie be what the first two movies were at heart : nice , silly , goofy , wacko , nonsensical fun . Just imagine the Three Stooges starring in a horror flick and you've got " Army of Darkness " . The whole movie basically consists of Ash ( Bruce Campbell ) going after various evil spirits in the funniest way possible . And the quotes are some of the most hilarious quotes that you could ever imagine , probably mostly owing to how Bruce Campbell says them . Literally every scene is pure hilarity . Whether it's Ash showing his " boomstick " , having trouble retrieving the book , battling mini-Ashes , or the big battle at the end , you never stop laughing yourself hoarse ( I particularly liked some of the bone-related quotes ) . It doesn't even suffice to give this movie stars . It deserves 100 . . . no , a million . . . no , . Yeah , . Bruce Campbell not only deserves a star on the Walk of Fame , there needs to be a statue of him . Oh , and an extra note . When I went to see " Bubba Ho-Tep " in the theater , Bruce Campbell was supposed to be there , but had to cancel . So , there was a short clip at the beginning showing him thanking us for coming , when his phone rang : " Hello . . . Oh , hi Sam . Listen , I'll get to you in a minute . " ( turns to audience ) " So thanks for coming to this movie . " ( retrieves his phone ) " Yeah , Sam ? . . . " Evil Dead 4 " ? ! I'll do it ! " I just wonder how they would continue the story , now that Ash battled skeletons with his " boomstick " . |
365,543 | 4,888,011 | 443,453 | 10 | Sacha Baron Cohen make ultra-hilarious movie-film ! You laugh yourself to death ! | I hear some stuff about " Borat : Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan " some before I see it . Then I see it and nearly laugh myself to death . Issa so funny ! They do stuff most people never do in movies . They not worry about being PC , family-friendly , or no stupid thing like that , they just wanna be funny and succeed ! Borat Sagdiyev ( Sacha Baron Cohen ) wanna learn from America how to make Kazakhstan better , but he learn about Pa-may-la and wanna have sex with her . He pervert throughout whole movie , and I like it ! Listen , no read my review , just watch movie and laugh yourself to death ! And remember , Kazakhstan is greatest country in world / all others run by little girls . . . |
364,353 | 4,888,011 | 94,291 | 10 | the ' 80s , when greed reigned supreme . . . | The main theme of the ' 80s was a complete and total rejection of ' 60s idealism , replacing it with an obsession with money . " Wall Street " shows that . Bud Fox ( Charlie Sheen ) is an up-and-comer in the Wall Street scene . So determined is Bud to make it to the top , that he hooks up with Gordon Gekko ( Michael Douglas ) , a hyper-competitive , viciously corrupt corporate raider . Gekko lets Bud in on all the stock market's inside secrets . But , everything does have a price . Probably the movie's most famous scene is where Gekko stands up at a meeting and exalts greed . That sums up the whole ' 80s mentality . And " Wall Street " identifies that , showing how everything that goes on in these offices and trading rooms only benefits the people in the offices . Michael Douglas ' Oscar win could not have been more deserved . |
362,784 | 4,888,011 | 209,144 | 10 | like nothing that you've ever seen before | Memento is one of those movies that I fear discussing because I don't know how much I can tell without giving the whole thing away . You might have heard that the story gets told in reverse and that Guy Pearce plays Leonard Shelby , who has a memory problem . People are able to abuse him and all sorts of other horrible things . Then , he has to use the little bit of memory that he has left to . . . no , I can't tell you ; it would give the whole movie away . My point is that " Memento " is a most incredible movie . You quite literally have to see it to believe it . You might even want to watch it more than once , possibly backwards . Or something similar . |
365,339 | 4,888,011 | 106,339 | 10 | A long , long time ago , in a country not too far away . . . | I think that it's especially appropriate that " Backbeat " was released right after the 30th anniversary of the Beatles coming to America : everyone was remembering them , and then a really good movie shows their early days . Specifically , it focuses on when they went to Hamburg and met artsy photographer Astrid Kirchherr . I should identify that this movie is for mature audiences only : aside from the language and sex , it shows how John , Paul , George , Pete , and Stu got addicted to speed so that they could keep playing ; as a result , they got little sleep and their eyes got all glassy as they laid awake . A really effective scene is right after Stu leaves the Beatles . Hoping to devote his life to art , he goes out and gets all drunk . Around this time , East Germany's government erects the Berlin Wall . Watching it on TV , Astrid and Klaus hold hands to be supportive of each other . When Stu sees this , he gets all violent . This scene - possibly more than any other in the movie - shows his mental breakdown . All in all , a great movie . We also see that they first met Ringo in Hamburg . I'm sure that we'll all be remembering " Backbeat " for years to come . Rock on , lads ! |
365,467 | 4,888,011 | 335,438 | 10 | Wait ' til you see what you can learn by watching it with subtitles ! | I must admit that I'd never heard of " Starsky & Hutch " until the movie came out . But what a movie ! Featuring frequent co-stars Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson as the eponymous , ultra-cool cops in 1970s LA , the movie is one crazy thing after another . Snoop Dogg as hoodlum-turned-informant Huggy Bear is a hoot , Vince Vaughn as villain Reese Feldman is great , and the whole movie just makes you long for the ' 70s . But in my opinion , the best part of the movie is watching it with Spanish subtitles ( as I often do when watching a movie on DVD ) . They've got some impressive translations there . As it was , even though my mom didn't watch the movie itself , she could hear it , and asked me the next morning about the Carpenters ' song in it ( which I didn't recognize ) ; I assume that it was the song played at the bat mitzvah ( although what ends up happening in that scene sort of overshadows everything else ) . All in all , a hilarious movie . Also starring Fred Williamson , Juliette Lewis , Chris Penn , and Will Ferrell . |
363,368 | 4,888,011 | 35,861 | 10 | other gremlins , another Bugs | Whereas Joe Dante's holiday classic " Gremlins " portrayed its title characters as evil , conniving little monsters , " Falling Hare " shows a ( slightly ) different side . In this case , Bugs Bunny is reading " Victory Thru Hare Power " when he reads about gremlins sabotaging the airplanes . Naturally , he doesn't believe it . But when a gremlin starts sabotaging the airplane that Bugs is working on , Bugs suddenly changes . Usually the cool-headed , acerbic type , he becomes an impetuous , accident-prone twerp . And the gremlin knows exactly how to use Bugs's weaknesses against him . I guess that you could say that the little guy becomes Bugs , while Bugs becomes most of the other Looney Tunes . So , while the gremlin here is still conniving , he's clearly got his goals laid out . It's a pretty neat cartoon . And the soldiers ' opinions of the sergeant probably would have to get CENSORED ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! |
365,469 | 4,888,011 | 71,315 | 10 | murkier and murkier | In case anyone thought that detective movies died when Humphrey Bogart did , " Chinatown " disproves that . Los Angeles Det . Jake Gittes ( Jack Nicholson ) is assigned to investigate millionaire Hollis Mulwray , but events lead him to a world of corruption and sleaze . Not only is Hollis ' wife Evelyn ( Faye Dunaway ) a major player , but Jake might not be as safe as he thinks . Everyone has probably heard of the famous scene where director Roman Polanski . . . well , in case you haven't seen it , I'll let you find out . But the point is , it doesn't even suffice to call " Chinatown " a detective movie ; it shows every nasty aspect of life that no one likes to imagine . You don't even know the definition of the word " gritty " until you've seen this movie . |
364,157 | 4,888,011 | 51,418 | 10 | As you can see , Steve McQueen was cool from the start ! | You've probably heard the theme song . But whether or not you have , you still gotta see " The Blob " . It's truly a classic sci-fi movie . The acting isn't exactly top-notch , but this is a movie that you're bound to like . The plot goes like this : one night , teenagers Steve Andrews ( Steve McQueen ) and Jane Martin ( Aneta Corsaut ) are making out , when a strange mass from outer space attacks a farmer , and slowly but surely starts taking over the town , getting bigger with each victim . Sound simplistic ? Well we shouldn't expect ' 50s sci-fi movies to be anything else ! The movie is just plain cool . There are some things that we sort of know are going to be in a ' 50s movie about teenagers - namely that the stubborn adults won't believe them , and the kind of dress that Jane wears . Steve McQueen is cool as always , and it's sort of surprising to see Aneta Corsaut ( aka Helen on " The Andy Griffith Show " ) in this movie . Actually , a number of people who later became famous on TV shows started out in sci-fi / horror flicks from the ' 50s and early ' 60s . Frances Bavier ( Aunt Bee on " The Andy Griffith Show " ) starred in " The Day the Earth Stood Still " ; Alan Hale ( the Skipper on " Gilligan's Island " ) starred in " The Crawling Hand " ; Russell Johnson ( the Professor on " Gilligan's Island " ) starred in " It Came from Outer Space " and " This Island Earth " ; and Robert Reed ( the " Brady Bunch " dad ) starred in " Bloodlust " . It's surprising that Dick Van Dyke never had to battle 20-eyed gorgothoids from Planet X . But let's not get off the subject . If " The Blob " is a B-movie , it's one of the neatest B-movies out there . And the 1988 remake was actually quite good also . |
364,931 | 4,888,011 | 44,667 | 10 | they make each other feel like natural women | Yet another litany of Wile E . Coyote maiming himself while trying to trap Road Runner . One of the funniest gags involves Wile E . dressing up as a woman ( sure enough , Road Runner is already ahead of him ) . Sometimes , I wonder why Wile E . doesn't just give , knowing what always happens to him , but I realize that if that happened , the cartoons couldn't exist . All in all , " Going ! Going ! Gosh ! " is one of the many classic Looney Tunes cartoons showing why their cartoons from that era really set the standards . They'll always be marvellous , and you can watch them time and again and still laugh . Just great . |
363,616 | 4,888,011 | 236,388 | 10 | I never thought that Spike Lee could do comedy ; boy was I wrong ! | Knowing what Spike Lee's movies have portrayed over the years , I always pictured him as a serious director , never one for comedy . Therefore , I was pleasantly surprised when I saw " The Original Kings of Comedy " . I'd never heard of Steve Harvey , D . L . Hughley , Cedric the Entertainer , or Bernie Mac when the movie came out , but they made me crack up . I think that my favorite line in the movie was the rip at " Titanic " ; I couldn't have agreed more with him . So , this may very well be a look at the possible direction of stand-up comedy in the 21st century . I hope that humor continues as " TOKOC " portrays . A very funny documentary . |
365,198 | 4,888,011 | 44,627 | 10 | Insurance companies are always trying to rip people off . | Daffy Duck , ever the shyster , tries to sell Porky Pig an insurance policy with a series of specific , virtually improbable conditions . When Porky doesn't buy it , Daffy tries to set up several hazards around Porky's house , but only succeeds in repeatedly injuring himself . What " Fool Coverage " portrays isn't exactly fictional . Insurance companies have been engaging in questionable practices for years . But it was inexcusable what they did after Hurricane Katrina . After many homes were destroyed , the insurance companies refused to pay to rebuild them , claiming that the inhabitants either had no water damage insurance or had no wind damage insurance . Think what you want about insurance companies , but they are truly some of the creepiest thugs . But I digress . This is a really funny cartoon . A great display of Daffy's greedy side . |
365,808 | 4,888,011 | 60,049 | 10 | How did we ever get by without these movies ( especially when they starred Barbara Steele ) ? | In one of the many Italian horror flicks from the early-to-mid 1960s , lawyer Albert Kovac ( Walter Brandi ) goes to a country estate where it turns out that the owner has been dead for a year . This family buried plague victims hundreds of years earlier . But the owner might have never totally left , and his widow Cleo ( Barbara Steele ) is the most eye-opening of people . Oh , I can't accurately describe " 5 tombe per un medium " ( called " Terror-Creatures from the Grave " in the US ) . You gotta see it . A previous reviewer accurately called it top-notch Eurohorror . Some scenes really give you a " gotcha " feeling . And above all , Barbara Steele is HOT HOT HOT ! You're sure to like this movie . pure water . . . pure water |
364,856 | 4,888,011 | 44,609 | 10 | the truth about cats and dogs | In a documentary that I saw about Chuck Jones , he talked briefly about " Feed the Kitty " , and the idea that this big brute of a bulldog gets so easily charmed by an innocent little kitten . It's certainly a fascinating idea , and the risk of the kitten getting discovered - or worse - by the dog's owner naturally raises the stakes . I would imagine that there might be some controversy about the portrayal of the dog's owner ( a housewife who spends her days baking cookies and vacuuming ) , but we can't blame the whole cartoon for that . The point is that this is the sort of work that you least expect , and it comes out perfect . And to think that the first scene shows some evil-looking eyes . . . that turn out to be the kitten ! |
362,961 | 4,888,011 | 106,273 | 10 | Let's think about some contemporary analogies . | 1993 saw two movies about AIDS . The famous one was " Philadelphia " , but " And the Band Played On " is also important , focusing on the virus spreading in the ' 80's and how the Reagan administration acted like it didn't exist . If the movie has any problem , it's the number and range of big names . Matthew Modine as Dr . Don Francis is the nominal star , but also appearing are Alan Alda , Phil Collins , Bud Cort , Richard Gere , Glenne Headly , Anjelica Huston , Steve Martin , Ian McKellen , and Lily Tomlin , to name a few . Maybe they felt that they had to make this movie do to the fact that gays were portrayed so negatively in movies for so many years ( see " The Celluloid Closet " ) . All in all , a very good movie . The way that Reagan denied AIDS mirrors how Bush denies global warming . |
365,500 | 4,888,011 | 252,993 | 10 | another triumph from Will Vinton | Everyone likes a horror spoof , but none are quite like " Claymation Comedy of Horrors Show " . When Wilshire Pig and Sheldon Snail coming across a map detailing the works of Dr . Frankenswine ( who apparently created a monster out of dead bodies ) , they decide to go to the castle where he worked . Sure enough , the castle's all full of monsters and things . . . meaning that Wilshire and Sheldon aren't lucky to be alive . But boy does everyone have a surprise coming ! This just goes to show that you don't need an hour and a half to make a good story . As always , Will Vinton has something clever up his sleeve at every turn . This is one cartoon that you're sure to like . It's too bad that Phil Knight fired Will Vinton from his own business . |
365,860 | 4,888,011 | 52,005 | 10 | This movie should give anyone a positive view of hicks . | Before Andy Griffith became a certain wholesome sheriff , he played some interesting roles on film . " No Time for Sergeants " is a prime example . He plays country bumpkin Will Stockdale , who gets drafted into the army . Once in the army , he just can't do things the way that they want . This may be the end of the armed forces as we know them ! You'll probably really like the scene where he gets to meet Don Knotts ( pre-Barney Fife ) . Or the whole monologue about the latrines . Okay , so how many movies can there be about some goof-ball entering the army and raising Cain ? Maybe more than we want , but this one is a hoot . If you ask me , Andy Griffith works best in these kinds of roles . |
365,668 | 4,888,011 | 79,641 | 10 | better than the original | This is , in my opinion , the best movie version of Bram Stoker's novel ever , mainly because Werner Herzog decided to give the Count a sexual side . I guess that I needn't explain the story , but I will tell you that Klaus Kinski does a perfect job in the title role . I will always associate him with this role . The opening scene was as fascinating as it was creepy , with what looked like shriveled up babies and a moaning soundtrack . Bruno Ganz gives Jonathan Harker assertiveness as well as vulnerability . Isabelle Adjani gives Lucy an inner conflict as well as strength . All in all , Werner Herzog's " Nosferatu " is perfect in virtually every respect . This is truly the Dracula movie against which all others should be judged . |
363,524 | 4,888,011 | 79,640 | 10 | 40 ways to play football | Nick Nolte gets the role of a lifetime as the receiver in a Dallas football team whose value to the team may be wearing out . The movie is overall a pretty scathing look at pro sports , showing in one scene how they give a player a shot so that he can keep playing even while injured . But of course , this is Texas , so football is king . Nolte does very well in his role . Also starring are Mac Davis as the quarterback , and Charles Durning as the coach ( " If you moved any slower , you'd be going backwards ! " ) . One can just imagine if " North Dallas Forty " was set in the 21st century , how George W . Bush would probably own the team and everything would thus be connected to the oil industry - although it might have been even back then . Anyway , this is a very good sports movie , even better than " All the Right Moves " . You may not want to play any organized sport after watching this . Also starring Steve Forrest , G . D . Spradlin ( the senator in " The Godfather Part II " ) and Dabney Coleman . |
365,152 | 4,888,011 | 120,885 | 10 | always topical | People may think of " Wag the Dog " as fiction , but time and again , the movie has shown itself to be reality . Whether it was Bush Sr . coming up with the Gulf War to distract people from the Savings and Loans scandal , Clinton threatening military action against Iraq to distract people from the Lewinsky thing , Bush Jr . invading Iraq as a we-can't-find-Osama diversion , or the current threats against Iran , this movie is the hilarious but unfortunate truth . The plot of course has spin doctor Conrad Brean ( Robert DeNiro ) teaming up with Hollywood producer Stanley Motss ( Dustin Hoffman ) to fabricate a war , so as to distract the country from the president's sexual follies ( and to think that the movie came out around the same time as you-know-what ) . It just goes to show that truth really is stranger than fiction , especially when politics is involved . A great satire . Also starring Anne Heche , Willie Nelson , Kirsten Dunst and Woody Harrelson . |
363,288 | 4,888,011 | 86,450 | 10 | the only one that I know | I know that this was a remake of a 1942 Ernst Lubitsch movie , but I've never seen the Lubitsch version . So , the Mel Brooks version of " To Be or Not to Be " is the one that I know . And I really like it . Just as he did in " The Producers " , Mel makes the audience laugh hysterically at the Nazis ( also accomplished by Charlie Chaplin and Roberto Benigni ) . Like many movies , it goes to show that humor really is the best way to deal with political issues . . . and also that Mel didn't have to be completely silly to come up with great ideas . Too bad that Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft didn't co-star more often , as they were definitely a cool team here . You're sure to love it . And just remember what to do the next time that you have to deal with chronic invaders . . . Also starring Tim Matheson , Charles Durning , Christopher Lloyd and Estelle Reiner . |
363,937 | 4,888,011 | 120,857 | 10 | Cher's last stand | Another masterpiece from Franco Zefferelli ( also the man behind " Romeo and Juliet " ) , " Tea with Mussolini " portrays several English and American expatriate women raising an Italian boy in 1930's Florence . Always ready to reject authority , these women know how to live . It's another great tale of civil disobedience at a time when it seemed impossible if not dangerous . Cher , Judi Dench , Maggie Smith , Joan Plowright , and Lily Tomlin all do great jobs with the roles . It's weird to imagine Cher in such a role ; I've always thought that she was kind of worthless . But even she does really well here . A splendid movie for all times . Definitely see it . |
362,663 | 4,888,011 | 36,780 | 10 | you can't go wrong with Daffy and Porky | For years , many of us have been entertained by the Looney Tunes . Part of those lovable cartoon characters ' repertoires has been the stuttering Porky Pig's endless efforts to trap the sneaky Daffy Duck . In " Duck Soup to Nuts " , Porky is hunting Daffy , but of course Daffy keeps figuring out ways to mess up Porky's attempts . I guess that these cartoons are meant to remind us that hunting will not net you desirable results ( think Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd ) . And it's so great to watch slender Daffy play tricks on overweight Porky ( think of them as Laurel and Hardy , or Gilligan and the Skipper ) . Marvellous . |
362,879 | 4,888,011 | 114,369 | 10 | 7 is not the lucky number for some people | You have probably never seen a particularly ugly murder until you see " Se7en " . Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman play Det . David Mills and Det . William Somerset , respectively , who are investigating a series of murders involving the Seven Deadly Sins . No person can possibly describe how awful and vicious it is , what the murderer has done to these people . Some scenes are likely to make you squirm . To avoid spoiling the movie , I won't write about them , but if you watch the movie , you'll probably recognize them . What the murderer does to the gluttony victim is especially ugly ; you might not want to eat anything after watching that scene . " Se7en " may be one of the most disturbing movies that you ever see , but it's good nonetheless . |
365,687 | 4,888,011 | 52,080 | 10 | some people have to change roles | At its most basic , Andrzej Wajda's " Popiol i diament " ( called " Ashes and Diamonds " in English ) may seem to be a look at where Poland would be going after WWII ended . The plot involves young Maciek Chelmicki ( Zbigniew Cybulski ) , who has helped expel the Nazis from Poland . With the Soviet Union now taking over the country , he is ordered to shift his allegiance to them . Through Maciek's acquaintances with communist leader Szczuka and barmaid Krzystyna ( Ewa Krzyzewska ) , a potentially explosive situation arises . If you know nothing about how the movie got made , this seems to be the whole purpose . But there are other points . In a mini-documentary about the movie , Andrzej Wajda and his collaborators explain how the novel on which the movie is based had Szczuka as the main character . Wajda not only moved the focus to Maciek - and gave him sort of a James Dean look - but also stressed the scene where Maciek talks with the man who fought in the Spanish Civil War . Apparently , fighting like the man did is a Polish tradition . Therefore , the film likely appeals to the Poles in almost every way ; the perfect Polish movie , if you will . Although I've never seen any of Andrzej Wajda's other movies - hell , I'd never heard of him until the Academy Awards gave him an honorary Oscar - I staunchly recommend this one . One can clearly see how he used the movie to subtly challenge the Soviet domination of his country ( of course , they couldn't openly say anything against the USSR ) . Poland's pro-Soviet government had approved the movie , but didn't want to let it outside Poland . Wajda got some people to smuggle it out of the country , and it reached much of the world . Probably the most amazing scene is the end . I won't spoil the end , but I'll note that blood on a white sheet looks a bit like Poland's flag ( a nationalistic statement ) . All in all , a great movie . Andrzej Wajda has every reason to be proud of it . |
363,641 | 4,888,011 | 105,601 | 10 | Forget " Titanic " ; this is the one to see . | So the ship sank on its maiden voyage . We all know that , but " Titanica " is quite an impressive documentary . They not only talk about the actual sinking , but we also see the ship's remains on the ocean floor . It's neat and haunting at the same time . And believe you me , this is truly THE documentary that could only have been shown on the IMAX . Some of the information is hard to believe , but it all grows on you . All in all , if you want to know about that ship , this is the movie to see , not " Titanic " ( why were they using a disaster to try and advance someone's career ? ) . If possible , you should see this one . You may never want to go on a cruise . |
363,749 | 4,888,011 | 86,465 | 10 | You see ? Capitalism can be funny ! | There exist so many movies about white yuppies teaming up with black ghetto guys , that the genre seems obscured . But " Trading Places " is the movie that started it all . When commodities brokers Mortimer ( Ralph Bellamy ) and Randolph Duke ( Don Ameche ) decide to test the old nature-vs-nurture debate , they switch the places of rising employee Louis Winthorpe III ( Dan Aykroyd ) and homeless Billy Ray Valentine ( Eddie Murphy ) . Needless to say , some great scenes ensue ! My favorite line was Eddie Murphy's tirade about the GI Joe with kung fu grip ( mind you , he was talking about pork bellies ) . Also , the scene where kindly English butler Denholm Elliott is driving Eddie Murphy around and Eddie Murphy spots Dan Aykroyd . . . well , let's just say that there's a stark contrast between their accents ! Oh , and if you've seen " Scream " then you probably heard about one of Jamie Lee Curtis ' scenes . Also appearing is Al Franken as a gorilla handler , and " Loco-Motion " used to great effect . It's good to see that Dan Aykroyd was able to continue , even without John Belushi . A truly classic comedy . |
365,227 | 4,888,011 | 44,516 | 10 | Actually , it's a good thing ( for us , that is ) that he didn't fly south earlier ! | While flying south later than he should have , Daffy Duck accidentally crashes into Porky Pig's house . Inside , he meets an uncommunicative duck . One thing leads to another until Daffy vows to beat the stuffings out of the duck . The only thing is , he literally does , at which point he realizes that it was a stuffed duck . Taking the duck's place , he has to hide from the dog , while Porky doesn't believe the dog's stories that there's a new duck around . OK , so this probably wasn't the best Looney Tunes cartoon ever produced , but it definitely had the wit prevalent in all their cartoons from that era . In " Cracked Quack " , Daffy goes into his totally wacky persona , as opposed to playing second banana to Bugs Bunny ( whose integrity he always tried to undermine ) . But either way , this is still a great cartoon . I guess that the end was the opposite of Independents ' Day ! |
363,020 | 4,888,011 | 120,901 | 10 | Could either of them have been her father ? | If it stars Leslie Nielsen , you know that it's just a totally silly spoof . In this case , they're spoofing " The Fugitive " , with Nielsen as a witless violinist framed for murder . Of , this is just a springboard for a nonsense gag every couple of seconds , often meaning that figures of speech become literal . Or something very erotic . True , the critics will say that these sorts of movies are completely ridiculous - maybe even worthless - but anything poking fun at " Titanic " as they do at the end gets an A in my book . " Wrongfully Accused " is a nice , silly excuse for a good time . And you're sure to have one . Also starring Richard Crenna , Melinda McGraw , Kelly LeBrock , Michael York and Sandra Bernhardt . And remember : nobody cares about the following people . . . |
365,064 | 4,888,011 | 972,369 | 10 | murder was nothing ; everybody killed someone ( but in some ways , things haven't changed much ) | We've probably all heard of the period in European history between the Roman Empire and the Renaissance . But unless we see this documentary , we can't even begin to understand how unpleasant it was ( and what we see here is probably tame compared to how things really were ) . " The Dark Ages " shows how Rome's collapse led to the balkanization of Europe and the rise of the Catholic Church , then the Holy Roman Empire and the Vikings , and all the while a semi-successor to Rome was going on in Constantinople . Not to mention the Bubonic Plague . There is a brief look at how the Catholic Church and the monarchs were intent on forcing their religion on conquered people , but I think that the documentary could have looked more at how vile the Catholic Church got in its full-scale corruption . But the part about the Crusades was well done , in that it showed how the soldiers went over there with the aim of conquering the region but found a more advanced society ( the Arabs were keeping alive the knowledge that the Catholic Church suppressed in Europe ) . Anyway , we get a sense of how the Dark Ages - or Middle Ages , if you want to call them that - led to the Renaissance . Hearing about some of what happened during the Dark Ages , it seems like in some ways , things haven't gotten much better : we still have wars , oppression , and disease . Can technological advancements really mean anything ? Overall , I recommend this documentary . |
364,622 | 4,888,011 | 95,159 | 10 | something's fishy ( in a good way ) | Portraying a heist gone awry , " A Fish Called Wanda " goes all out in every way possible . Maybe the whole thing is little more than an excuse for a bunch of silly situations , but they have some great ones here . Whether it's John Cleese's dance , Kevin Kline's rips at England , Michael Palin's stuttering , or Jamie Lee Curtis's deadpan performance , they know how to do everything here . I can't describe how funny the movie is ; you just have to see it . And you may very well die laughing - or if nothing else , you'll want to take a trip to England . Kevin Kline definitely deserved his Oscar . And of course , the cast teamed up again for the equally funny ( maybe even better ) " Fierce Creatures " . This is a comedy classic in every way . Oh , and in case Kevin Kline is reading this : Happy birthday ! You're my favorite actor ! |
362,970 | 4,888,011 | 71,141 | 10 | Germany having to come to grips with it's past . | Rainer Werner Fassbinder may have been post-war Germany's greatest director , and " Fear Eats the Soul " is one of the many movies that shows it . Emmi Kurowski ( Brigitte Mira ) is a middle-aged woman who falls for young Arab immigrant Ali ( El Hedi ben Salem ) , to the dismay of her friends and relatives . Emmi and Ali try to live their lives normally , while doing everything possible to fight off verbal attacks . I guess that in Germany they felt sort of an obligation to make these kinds of movies , given their past . Of course , virtually every Western power ( including the United States ) has had such a past . But either way , " Fear Eats the Soul " is a truly great movie . |
365,491 | 4,888,011 | 365,748 | 10 | What exactly is " Spaced " ? | I've read a lot about how " Shaun of the Dead " borrows a lot from a TV show called " Spaced " . I have to admit that I've never heard of " Spaced " . But even so , this movie is still really great . More than just a zombie movie - or even just a spoof - it's sort of a look at how various factors in our lives make us zombie-like . Everything has a very English feel to it , and the zombies themselves are almost hypnotic . I'd never heard of Simon Pegg before seeing " SOTD " , but I can certainly say that he does a hilarious job as the out-and-out Brit having to battle the living dead . Definitely worth seeing . Also starring Penelope Wilton ( Kevin Kline's wife in " Cry Freedom " ) and Bill Nighy . |
365,348 | 4,888,011 | 86,312 | 10 | We're all nuked and going to Hell . | Apparently , when " Silkwood " came out , Mike Nichols hadn't released a notable movie since " The Fortune " nearly killed his career eight years earlier . If we call this his comeback , then it was sure a good comeback . Donning one of her many accents from over the years - in this case Oklahoman - Meryl Streep plays Karen Silkwood , a plutonium processing plant employee who sought to expose the dangerous conditions in her workplace . . . and mysteriously died in a car wreck . This is the sort of opportunity to be idiotically preachy , but the movie never degenerates into that . It shows how the plant's owners poisoned her and psychologically berated her . This brings to mind the overall issue of how the nuclear age affected the whole planet . Nuclear tests by both the US and USSR left the whole world irradiated . Nuclear power may be discredited , but apparently NO PERSON ON EARTH has escaped nuclear fallout . So much for progress . All in all , " Silkwood " is a really good movie . It's surprising to see Kurt Russell and Cher ( as Karen's roommates Drew Stephens and Dolly Pelliker ) in this sort of movie ; we associate him with kick-ass roles and her with treacly roles . But they do a very good job . Also starring Craig T . Nelson , Diana Scarwid , Fred Ward , Ron Silver , and Bruce McGill . |
364,996 | 4,888,011 | 365,737 | 10 | For anyone who's ever wondered about geopolitics . | On September 11 , 2001 , we were all asking why they hate us . " Syriana " looks at why . Taking the same gritty approach to geopolitics that " Traffic " took to the drug trade , the movie portrays several intertwined stories all relating to events in the Middle East . There's CIA agent Bob Barnes ( George Clooney ) , energy analyst Bryan Woodman ( Matt Damon ) , CIA agent Bennett Holliday ( Jeffrey Wright ) , corporate CEO Jimmy Pope ( Chris Cooper ) , and some other characters who aren't really good or bad . " Syriana " pulls no punches , and I should identify that this is not a movie for the squeamish . But if you're interested in how everything in the world connects to everything else , then this is the movie for you . . |
364,067 | 4,888,011 | 36,676 | 10 | Adam and Bugs | OMG ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! They actually managed to stick in a nearly nude scene ! Yes , it's just one scene , but it's always amazing what they sneaked into these cartoons ( hell , Porky Pig walked around half naked ) . Bob Clampett's " Buckaroo Bugs " casts Bugs Bunny as an Old West bandit pursued by witless lawman Red Hot Ryder . Guess who always comes out on top ! I have to admit that I really only know about 1940s westerns through spoofs like this one , as westerns are one of my least favorite movie genres . Heck , I usually know parodies ( " Airplane ! " and " Weird Al " Yankovic's songs ) before knowing the original ; sometimes I see the parody without evening knowing that it spoofs something ( often I see something on " The Simpsons " , and then find out a few years later that it spoofed something ) . I can't tell you how many times when I was little that I watched Warner Bros . cartoons and naively laughed at them , only to later find out that they were parodies of movies or radio shows ( which made them funnier ) . But anyway , this is a hilarious cartoon . Another masterpiece from Bob Clampett . |
363,456 | 4,888,011 | 36,680 | 10 | Anyone can " bear " it . . . | You can tell that " Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears " was a pretty early Looney Tunes cartoon , but it has held up well through the years . It has the Three Bears trying to attract Goldilocks with carrot soup , but attracting Bugs Bunny instead . You can probably guess what sorts of things happen from there . A particularly interesting character here was Junyer Bear . Despite being the youngest cast member , he's the tallest ( almost twice as tall as Papa Bear , to be precise ) . Oh well , this is a cartoon , so there's no reason to obsess on something like that . You're supposed to just sit back and enjoy yourself . And enjoy yourself you will watching this cartoon . Doing the voices of the Looney Tunes for all those years , Mel Blanc was truly a man among men . And although Bea Benaderet wasn't credited ( she voices Mama Bear ) , her role in this and similar cartoons leads me to believe that she must have been a woman among women . |
364,779 | 4,888,011 | 71,115 | 10 | At first , I thought that Jodie Foster was a boy . | In what may be his most unusual movie , Martin Scorsese tells the story of Alice Hyatt ( Ellen Burstyn ) , a woman who is looking for a new direction in life . So , she and her son Tommy move to Phoenix , where she feels that she may have a shot at greatness . As a singing waitress , she struggles to make something of herself . Ellen Burstyn won a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar for this role ( it was especially interesting seeing her in this kind of a role , given that she'd most recently starred in " The Exorcist " ) , and Kris Kristofferson , Harvey Keitel , Alfred Lutter and an androgynous Jodie Foster offer good supporting roles . I recommend " Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore " to everyone . |
363,505 | 4,888,011 | 59,903 | 10 | Everything's new in this movie ! | What's New , Pussycat ? is a comedy flick very typical of the mid ' 60s : totally madcap to the point where you feel like the world has been turned inside out . Focusing on a womanizer ( Peter O'Toole ) trying to get help from an even more lecherous psychiatrist ( Peter Sellers ) , they just go all out and pull every trick that they can . Obviously , one of the really eye-opening things is the presence of Woody Allen in his debut ; and he's as neurotic as he is in his other movies . Ah , and then there's the chase at the end ( it seems like every 1960s comedy had a chase of some sort ) . You won't want it to end , even though it soon does . But anyway , this movie has something for everyone . Also starring Capucine , Paula Prentiss and Ursula Andress ( as hot as ever ) . PS : the theme song was also used in the opening credits in " The Life and Death of Peter Sellers " . |
364,093 | 4,888,011 | 71,129 | 10 | Fellini always had something to offer | Most of Federico Fellini's movies were deliberately bizarre , but " Amarcord " is toned down slightly . That doesn't mean that it's not good . On the contrary , it's another masterpiece . In this case , he focuses on a small town in 1930s Italy , as seen from the eyes of a teenage boy . It's a world of Mussolini's fascism , and a movie theater full of many classic movies . A particularly interesting scene has them burning " the witch " , and there's a little bit of a mishap ( or maybe it wasn't a mishap ) . Anyway , " Amarcord " is another great movie from the man who may have been Italy's greatest director in history . A true classic . |
364,019 | 4,888,011 | 79,813 | 10 | Long live rebellion ! | Rock ' n ' Roll High School will probably have to go down in history as the ultimate rebellious party flick . Portraying a bunch of high school students using the Ramones ' music as inspiration to rise up against their despotic principal ( Mary Woronov , of " Eating Raoul " fame ) , the whole movie is a mile a minute . It's basically a big excuse to have fun , and I'm sure that you will . Bullied freshmen ? Check . A dorky music teacher ( Paul Bartel , also from " Eating Raoul " ) ? Check . Exploding mice ? Checkmate . Anyway , this is the sort of stuff that makes life worth living . Even for someone like me who doesn't know the Ramones ' music , it's pure pleasure . With Roger Corman executive producing and Joe Dante co-directing , how could we expect anything less ? Too bad that director Allan Arkush later degenerated into fare such as " Caddyshack II " . Also starring P . J . Soles , Vincent Van Patten , Clint Howard , Dey Young , Dick Miller ( who has appeared in every one of Joe Dante's movies , and many of Roger Corman's ) , Don Steele , and of course the Ramones . A real treat . It seems like Bartel and Woronov always co-starred . They also co-starred in Joe Dante's " Hollywood Boulevard " and the slasher flick " Chopping Mall " ( also starring Dick Miller ) . . . in which they reprised their roles from " Eating Raoul " . |
363,700 | 4,888,011 | 86,373 | 10 | Canada's " Crocodile Dundee " | Before I saw " The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie : Strange Brew " , I knew nothing about Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas doing a comedy skit as a pair of archetypal Canadian brothers . But even if you don't know the comedy skit , the movie's still really funny , as the dopey McKenzie brothers try to stop nefarious Brewmeister Smith ( Max Von Sydow ( happy birthday , Max ! ) ) from carrying out an evil plot . I get the feeling that people in Canada might cringe a little bit at the portrayal of their country in this movie , much like people in Australia might cringe at " Crocodile Dundee " . But as long as we understand that this flick is a total joke , we can appreciate it . As far as I'm concerned , this movie corroborates what Michael Moore says : Canada is the greatest place on Earth . A really funny movie . I wonder what ever became of Rick Moranis ; it seems like he hasn't appeared on screen in a while . PS : did you notice who provided the voice of the brothers ' father ? It was none other than Looney Tunes voice Mel Blanc . |
365,709 | 4,888,011 | 86,374 | 10 | With " American Graffiti " ' s drag racer , " Carrie " ' s creep , Christina Crawford , a certain character actor , and Nurse Ratched , just guess . | It's " Back to the Future " meets " Invasion of the Body Snatchers " when a woman goes to her hometown in the Midwest but doesn't return . Her husband ( Paul LeMat ) goes there and discovers that aliens took it over 25 years earlier with the government's complicity ! To complicate things just a little further , we find out that " Men in Black " was right : the tabloids DO tell the truth ( in this case , there's an article about a town getting taken over by aliens ) ! It's just neat seeing that when he goes there , everything still looks like the 1950s , and then no one believes him . But overall , how they develop the story is pretty interesting . Louise Fletcher seems to be channeling Nurse Ratched as the government bureaucrat trying to keep the alien takeover under wraps , and Nancy Allen plays her usual kind of role as the tabloid reporter who wrote about the alien takeover . But really neat is Michael Lerner as a man whose family got abducted by the aliens many years earlier . Anyway , " Strange Invaders " shows that alien invasion movies can be really cool , especially since the aliens took on human form . You're sure to like it . Also starring Wallace Shawn and Charles Lane ( who's now 101 years old and still going ) . |
364,256 | 4,888,011 | 24,601 | 10 | one can see the possible inspiration for Gilligan and the Skipper | No one can deny that Laurel and Hardy were THE comic duo . " Sons of the Desert " is one of many movies showing this . This one has them as members of a Shriners-like society attending a convention against the wishes of their strict wives . While it was obvious that Stan and Ollie's wives were going to somehow discover what the two men were up to , I still couldn't have predicted what would result ! You gotta wonder how much fun they must have had filming it ! I once read about how , because Laurel's the idiot and Hardy's the straight man , their embarrassing situations always lead to greater shame for Hardy since it's more of a downfall for him . That's the case here all the way ! Watching the movie , I get the feeling that their mishaps may have inspired the antics of Gilligan and the Skipper . All in all , a really funny movie . |
362,944 | 4,888,011 | 36,613 | 10 | Oh that Cary Grant ! | You have never seen anything like " Arsenic and Old Lace " . Mortimer Brewster's ( Cary Grant ) aunts Abby ( Josephine Hull ) and Martha ( Jean Adair ) have a most unusual habit : they like to poison lonely people with arsenic ( they're going to die anyway , the two old ladies remind us ) . Well , when Mortimer finds out about this , you can probably guess how he flips . But then , we discover that there's more to everything than meets the eye . I tell you , some of those expressions on Cary Grant's face are just going to make you die laughing . When people say that they don't make movies like they used to , this must be the movie that they have in mind . . |
363,983 | 4,888,011 | 1,322,287 | 10 | Really funny ! | Stephen Colbert , in his persona from " The Colbert Report " , gets stranded in a cabin when he has to do a Christmas special , only to get visited by several acquaintances ( all the while trapped by a bear ) . While I wouldn't call this Christmas special quite as funny as Colbert's show , it's still a hoot . More than an hour-long version of the show , " A Colbert Christmas : The Greatest Gift of All ! " also pokes fun at every entertainer who makes a Christmas special every year . Stephen Colbert certainly does a really funny job . Not that I wouldn't expect him to . Anyway , I definitely recommend this special . It constitutes a true dose of yuletide truthiness ! |
363,161 | 4,888,011 | 44,404 | 10 | the chase continues | OK , so in any Wile E . Coyote-Road Runner cartoons , we know that WEC is going to set up all sorts of traps for RR , but always maim himself in various ways . That certainly happens in " Beep , Beep " . Predictable ? I guess that it is , but when you think about it , these cartoons show how the more you try to harm someone else , the more you get harmed ; sort of like how Daffy Duck always tries to undermine Bugs Bunny's integrity but Bugs sees around it . Overall , this is another classic from the Termite Terrace crowd . Sometimes , I think that if we really had wanted to ease Cold War tensions , we could have just let the Soviet Union see Looney Tunes cartoons ; I'm sure that they would have loved them . Another great one . PS : I learned on " Jeopardy ! " that Wile E . Coyote's middle name is Ethelbert . |
363,747 | 4,888,011 | 95,031 | 10 | They're not conning you : this movie is hilarious ! | Given how great " Dirty Rotten Scoundrels " is , it's surprising that Steve Martin and Michael Caine haven't collaborated a second time . They play con men Freddy Benson and Lawrence Jamieson , respectively , both vying for the heart of tourist Janet Colgate ( Glenne Headly ) in the French Riviera . But boy do they have a surprise coming ! There's some great sequences here , namely the whole part where Steve Martin's in the wheelchair , and I sure didn't see that ending coming ! All in all , not only do you die laughing here , you just might want to take a trip to southern France to see where they filmed this . Conning always makes for neat movie plots , but none like this . Also starring Ian McDiarmid ( yes , the guy from " Star Wars " episodes 1-3 ) as Lawrence's butler . |
365,885 | 4,888,011 | 59,825 | 10 | this train is no mystery | John Frankenheimer directed Burt Lancaster in a troika of really good movies : " The Birdman of Alcatraz " , " The Train " and " Seven Days in May " . " The Train " tells the story of some French Resistance fighters trying to stop the Nazis from seizing the country's great art collection by stopping their train . Lancaster has the role of a lifetime as Paul Labiche , leading the Resistance . Paul Scofield also does a great job as Col . Von Waldheim , as vile as anyone would expect a Nazi Kommandant to be . Some of the scenes that they filmed are more than impressive . This may be THE movie that shows why John Frankenheimer epitomized the cinematic new wave in the ' 60s , along with Norman Jewison and Mike Nichols . |
364,072 | 4,888,011 | 86,197 | 10 | I saw Yuri Gagarin's grave in Red Square . | Based on Tom Wolfe's novel , " The Right Stuff " shows the lives and occupations of the astronauts involved in America's space race with the Soviet Union . Chuck Yeager ( Sam Shepard ) , Alan Shepard ( Scott Glenn ) , John Glenn ( Ed Harris ) , Gordon Cooper ( Fred Ward ) , and Gus Grissom ( Dennis Quaid ) all see fit to do their jobs , while occasionally taking the time to goof off and do things with their families . Their missions can range from exhilarating to dangerous , but they always see themselves as having a duty to their country . Sometimes it's hard to believe how far we've come , and at the same time wonder why modern missions never seem to work ; every famous mission since Apollo 11 seems to have had something go wrong . Apollo 13 had its famous disaster , the Challenger blew up , the mission in early 2003 blew up , and there was just a mission this year that had a snafu . Maybe all astronauts since Apollo 11 were too busy watching " I Dream of Jeannie " , and thus assumed that being an astronaut would enable them to own a beautiful genie ( no offense to " IDOJ " ; I love that show ) . Oh , yes , and I saw Yuri Gagarin's grave in Red Square , also the final resting place of Vladimir Lenin , John Reed , and some other famous people like that . I guess that you could say that the USSR beat us to space with Sputnik and then was the first country to send a person into space , but then we beat them to the moon , so it's a fair trade-off . And anyway , China sent someone into space two years ago , so everyone gets a part in this . |
364,786 | 4,888,011 | 79,367 | 10 | What a life ! | Steve Martin plays Navin Johnson , a loser who hits it big when he designs an unusual set of glasses . I don't know whether this was Martin's funniest performance ever , or even whether this was his funniest movie Carl Reiner-directed movie ( the others are " Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid " , " The Man with Two Brains " and " All of Me " ) . But believe you me , IT WAS FUNNY ! A rags-to-riches story with a series of gags , you can't stop laughing , especially when you watch Navin's trouble keeping time when his family is playing music ( note : Navin's family is black , and he believes himself to be African-American , only to later find out that he's white ) , and later when you hear Navin's dog's name . There's some good support from Bernadette Peters as Navin's wife Marie , Jackie Mason as one of Navin's employers , and Carl Reiner as himself . Hilarious as only Reiner could do it . |
364,449 | 4,888,011 | 51,744 | 10 | I'd stay in that house | I guess that it's debatable whether or not Vincent Price was the greatest horror star ever , but " House on Haunted Hill " certainly suggests so . He plays Frederick Loren , who is offering five people $10 , 000 each to stay in a possibly haunted mansion overnight . Part of the deal is that no one is allowed to leave . To complicate matters , his wife Annabelle ( Carol Ohmart ) appears to have some slimy plans up her sleeve . Meanwhile , one of the guests , Watson Pritchard ( Elisha Cook , Jr ) , is adamant about telling the other guests of the evil things that happened in the mansion ( " This is where the girl was found . Whatever got her wasn't human ! " ) . As you might imagine , things get progressively weirder and creepier for the guests as the night drags on . 1959 may have been the annus mirabilis for both Vincent Price and William Castle , as they collaborated on this movie and also " The Tingler " . Some people may classify " House on Haunted Hill " as another one of the horror movies that dominated ' 50s cinema , but I beg to differ . This movie is Americana , far more than apple pie or baseball . It's not just that these sorts of movies were a life-saving alternative to the " family fun " . They WERE the ' 50s : 100 % campy and 100 % lovable at the same time . So are you ready to stay at this house ? |
363,705 | 4,888,011 | 426,578 | 10 | everyone needs to challenge every government | I had never heard of Sophia Scholl before I saw " Sophie Scholl - Die letzten Tage " , but I can say that the events portrayed in this movie should be interpreted as an allusion to the current state of affairs , whether or not they were intended as such . Sophia Magdalena Scholl ( Julia Jentsch ) was a student , staunchly opposed to the Nazi regime , in a German university during WWII . She , her brother Hans , and friend Christoph distributed some fliers questioning the government's moral authority and military capability ( this was around the time that Germany suffered major losses in Stalingrad ) . Unfortunately , they both got arrested , put through a show trial , and summarily executed . During the interrogations , many of the interrogator's verbal attacks contend that by reporting on troop losses , Sophie , Hans and Christoph were undermining the troops . I can't think of anything that sounds more like that than when George W . Bush and his people claim that political opponents questioning his modus operandi and media outlets reporting on troop losses help the terrorists ; sort of like Spiro Agnew's infamous remark about " nattering nabobs of negativism " . But either way , I consider this a great movie . All the cast members do a top-notch job , to the point where you really get a feel for what happens to them . As it is , when the interrogator tells Sophie about his life before Hitler came to power , it reminds one of why people joined the National Socialist party ( many of the members were outcasts and felt that this was their only way to get respected ) . I thoroughly recommend the movie , and would like to assert that Julia Jentsch is really showing herself to be a capable actress , with this one and " The Edukators " . |
363,229 | 4,888,011 | 51,737 | 10 | Wile E . Coyote meets Rube Goldberg | No matter how many times Wile Ethelbert " Famishius Famishius " Coyote tries to get Road " Burnius Roadibus " Runner , we always know what's going to happen , though our sympathy always remains with WEC . The highlight in " Hook , Line and Stinker " is a Rube Goldberg-style scheme that WEC hopes will finally finish off RR ; but of course you know what happens . So , Wile E . continues hilarious engaging in fanaticism ( defined by George Santayana as redoubling your effort after you've forgotten your aim ) while Road Runner pretty much never becomes aware of the potential danger - or lack thereof - in which he could find himself . A real classic . And yes , the coyote's middle name is Ethelbert . I learned that from " Jeopardy ! " . |
365,271 | 4,888,011 | 114,608 | 10 | knight musn't fall | Continuing with " Tales from the Crypt " ' s campy approach to everything , " Demon Knight " portrays an evil weirdo named The Collector ( Billy Zane ) chasing a guy ( William Brayker ) to an isolated hotel , where he unleashes a demon army on the inhabitants . They're clearly having fun with everything , especially with the arm scenes . Of course , any movie starring Dick Miller - he plays Uncle Willy here ; you may recognize him from Roger Corman's and Joe Dante's movies - is bound to be really cool . I remember that when I first saw the movie , I recognized Billy Zane from " The Phantom " and Jada Pinkett Smith from " The Nutty Professor " . But even if you don't recognize any of the cast members , this flick is still a wonderful romp . It's a gross , silly film , and doesn't pretend to be anything else . And remember what the Cryptkeeper always tells us : hee hee hee hee hee ! That whole beginning sequence could have made a neat movie all on its own . Especially if they'd focused only on the woman in the bathtub . Hubba hubba . . . |
365,496 | 4,888,011 | 51,726 | 10 | Looks like gin and tonic requires gin ! | More of Wile E . Coyote's perpetually unsuccessful , self-harming attempts to trap Road Runner in an unidentified part of the American Southwest . As can be expected , there's no shortage of dynamite here , but there's also boulders , a grenade , and even a form of tonic containing some most unusual vitamins . You gotta wonder why Wile E . doesn't just give up , but of course , then there would be none of these cartoons . " Hip Hip-Hurry ! " may not really add anything new , but it's always great to see what happens to these characters . The waterfall gag was great , as was the end . I guess that Wile E . doesn't have to reach for the stars anymore ! |
363,450 | 4,888,011 | 94,947 | 10 | You can see why France had its revolution . | Stephen Frears directs a top-notch movie adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos ' novel about several manipulative Rococo-era French aristocrats . Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil ( Glenn Close ) is a seductively evil character who will stop at nothing to get what she wants . Vicomte Sebastien de Valmont ( John Malkovich ) knows how to trick the peasants into thinking that he's a good guy , despite his vampiric intentions . Madame Marie de Tourvel ( Michelle Pfeiffer ) and Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny ( Keanu Reeves ) may be only products of this vile society , but they are practically helpless to do anything about it . Maybe it's a little strange to see Keanu Reeves in a movie like this , but he makes the best of his role . All in all , " Dangerous Liaisons " is a movie that you can't afford to miss . Perfect . |
363,538 | 4,888,011 | 44,198 | 10 | this cartoon has the luck of the Irish | One stormy night , Porky Pig is hiking through the Irish countryside to Dublin , but it's still twelve miles . Then , he comes across a castle and decides to spend the night there . When he arrives , the owner warns him that no one has lived in this castle for hundreds of years except for . . . The Leprechauns . Needless to say , Porky doesn't believe this . But , he should have , especially since the Leprechauns are always worried about people coming after their Pot o'Gold which they will do literally anything to protect . Okay , so I admit that associating Ireland with leprechauns is a stereotype that seems a little out of place , especially given the situation in Northern Ireland . But " The Wearing of the Grin " is rather harmless ; just a funny amusement for children . A pure four-leaf clover it is , it is . |
364,694 | 4,888,011 | 70,707 | 10 | Would you imagine a sci-fi movie starring Woody Allen ? | In one of his coolest movies , Woody Allen plays Miles Monroe , who got cryogenically frozen in the 20th century , only to get brought back to life two hundred years later . The plot actually involves an organization trying to overthrow the government , but the movie is mostly an excuse to be zany . And I don't just mean the Orgasmatron . They've also discovered that smoking is very healthy . And that whole sequence with him pretending to be a robot is a classic . Above all , " Sleeper " shows that Allen does best when not focusing on neurotic rich New Yorkers . How he comes up with this stuff I'll never guess , but he does it . A hoot . |
363,105 | 4,888,011 | 304,141 | 10 | thank God that changing directors didn't diminish the movie's quality | Now that Harry ( Daniel Radcliffe ) is in his third year , he has new things with which to contend : Defense against the Dark Arts teacher Remus Lupin ( David Thewlis ) and escaped prisoner Sirius Black ( Gary Oldman ) , in jail for murdering Harry's parents . When I read the book , I realized at the end that there was a clue to one of the things that happens . Maybe it's harder for the movie to present that , but they still do a good job with the movie . The cast all does a great job once again . Part 4 was equally good too . It just goes to show how much the Harry Potter franchise is part of our cultural heritage . " Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban " is dynamite . |
364,527 | 4,888,011 | 51,825 | 10 | Rabbits of a round table . | We all know King Arthur , but what if Bugs Bunny was his court jester ? Quite simply , the king - disappointed at his knights chickening out ( in more way than one ) - would send Bugs to fetch the Singing Sword kept by the Black Knight , aka Yosemite Sam . And that's just what happens in " Knighty Knight Bugs " . Specifically , when Bugs finds the Singing Sword , it literally starts singing , and Sam comes after him with his pet dragon . But Bugs tricks them and takes over the castle , leading Sam to pull several embarrassing stunts attempting to re-enter . I really liked Sam's plan to " sail over the wall " . All in all , they created another classic cartoon here . |
364,033 | 4,888,011 | 350,258 | 10 | how he inhibits the role | Whenever they make a biopic , we have every reason to be overjoyed as well as doubtful : for every " Malcolm X " , there's a biopic comparable to , say , the movies in which Eddie Murphy starred in the early ' 90s . " Ray " is a masterpiece . Jamie Foxx pulls off the seemingly impossible task of playing Ray Charles . From Ray's impoverished beginnings - and the glaucoma that blinded him - to his success as a singer ( and heroin addiction ) , we almost forget that it's an actor on the screen . Foxx's performance was definitely the most deserving of a Best Actor Oscar . In short , after seeing this movie , Georgia probably will be on your mind , you'll want someone to unchain your heart , and you might want to hit the road to buy a Ray Charles CD . |
364,472 | 4,888,011 | 94,862 | 10 | You're such a doll | One of the many horror movies - spawning series - that arose in the 1980s , " Child's Play " is a true pleasure to watch . Obviously , it's not the most polished horror flick , but who watches these movies for that ? The point is to see the killer do his stuff , and Chucky does just that . The cast includes Catherine Hicks ( the whale scientist in " Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home " ) , Chris Sarandon ( Prince Humperdinck in " The Princess Bride " ) and Brad Dourif ( one of the patients in " One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest " ) . All in all , this is definitely an enjoyable movie . In my opinion , the Academy Awards needs to have a special category to honor classic horror flicks that they ignored in earlier years , just so that they can give this one an Oscar . Really great ! So yes , do give me the power . . . |
362,605 | 4,888,011 | 114,682 | 10 | Even drag queen movies know how to look at small towns without being mean . | When we went to the theater to see this , we had no idea how good it was going to be . More than just a " drag queen movie " , it shows how the three drag queens in question are able to help the people in this small town . I will say that of the three cast members , Patrick Swayze looks the most like he can play a drag queen - but don't get me wrong , Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo also do a great job . Anyway , this just might be the perfect kind of movie dealing with this topic . Many people have likened " To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything , Julie Newmar " to " The Adventures of Priscilla , Queen of the Desert " , but I wish to assert that " TWFTFEJN " was actually better in that it showed how they help the people in this small town . Just great . Also starring Stockard Channing , Blythe Danner , Chris Penn , Melinda Dillon , Beth Grant , Alice Drummond , Robin Williams in a small role , and of course Julie Newmar ( I'd never even heard of her before this ) . |
364,247 | 4,888,011 | 36,508 | 10 | note : that translation couldn't have been Hawaiian | If you thought that you'd seen every stranded - on - an - uncharted - island scenario , think again . When a pair of castaways ( voiced by and resembling Tedd Pierce and Michael Maltese ) wash up on an island and find Bugs Bunny , they quickly try to turn him into a meal , only to have him play every possible trick on them . As with many of the Looney Tunes / Merrie Melodies cartoons , not only do the cast members break character in one scene , but there's a twist at the end . Oh , and Bugs cross-dresses in one scene . One thing that's worth mentioning about the translation . I think that they implied that it was Hawaiian , but it couldn't have been , as some of the words featured F sounds , of which the Hawaiian language has none ( to be certain , it only has about twelve sounds ) . I don't know whether or not any of the other Pacific island languages have F sounds . But let's not dwell on that . " Wackiki Wabbit " is truly a classic . It'll never be Aloha Oe as long as we have the classic Looney Tunes / Merrie Melodies cartoons . |
363,317 | 4,888,011 | 70,666 | 10 | cop an attitude | Hot off " The Godfather " , Al Pacino got the equally good role of New York cop Frank Serpico , who exposed corruption in the NYPD . The movie really gives one an insight into the Big Apple in the late ' 60s and early ' 70s , and we see how Serpico was basically the only cop on the force who took his job seriously . Eventually , of course , his cohorts took revenge on him . What's really interesting in the movie is the contrast between Serpico when he's in uniform and when he's undercover , looking like the ultimate hippie . But above all , " Serpico " shows why Al Pacino is one of the greatest actors of our time . And of course , this was when director Sidney Lumet was going through what was probably the best period in his career ( along with " Murder on the Orient Express " , " Dog Day Afternoon " and " Network " ) . A great movie . |
362,889 | 4,888,011 | 79,470 | 10 | Ave Monty Python ! | This is , in my opinion , the best religious movie ever made . Monty Python's Flying Circus knows how to do everything hilariously . Focusing on Brian Cohen ( Graham Chapman ) , who gets mistaken for the messiah in Judea in 33 AD , the movie pokes fun at everything : Romans , Jews , imperialism , even extraterrestrials . With sardonic lines almost every minute , they play religious fundamentalism for what it is : silly . I don't even know which scene was my favorite ; every part was so funny . You'll never forget the song at the end . This is comedy in its greatest form , and it makes sense that it would come from the guys who brought us the " parrot sketch " . Absolutely a hoot . |
363,707 | 4,888,011 | 343,737 | 10 | Welcome to the CI | For years , I had read about the CIA's dirty tricks , but it never totally clicked in my mind what sort of people must work there . Robert DeNiro's " The Good Shepherd " shows what kind of people , and the movie does a masterful job at it . We start in April , 1961 , when the US is launching an the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba . When the whole operation fails , agent Edward Wilson ( Matt Damon ) heads to the CIA headquarters to help investigate . From there , we see his life story . They begin with 1939 Yale , and his initiation into Skull and Bones ( hmm , now who does that sound like ? ) . While we see that it's a vile , disgusting society , it can't begin to prepare Edward for the intrigue in which he's about to get involved . This includes discrediting his literature teacher ( Michael Gambon ) . Despite his shotgun marriage to senator's daughter Clover Russell ( Angelina Jolie ) , he immediately has to go to England to help them fight Germany . But when the war ends and tensions between the United States and Soviet Union arise , he sees it as his duty to help spy on the USSR . Moreover , Gen . Bill Sullivan ( DeNiro ) proposes a new agency to replace the Overseas Secret Service . So , the founding of the CIA in 1947 lays the ground work for sixty years of evil activity all in the name of national security . But one of the ugliest things that the movie shows is Edward's relationship - or lack thereof - with his family . Practically ignoring his wife and son , he always comes across as totally soulless ; then again , you have to be pretty soulless to work for the CIA . And in case it looks as though his son may have spilled a few secrets to a woman in the Congo . . . well , Edward has no limits . And his co-workers have no scruples about spying on him . All in all , this is surely one of the best movies of 2006 . Watching it , you may start looking around you , nervous about the people in your vicinity . It's that intense . When I first heard about what the movie portrayed , I got the feeling that it may have been loosely based on George H . W . Bush , although I then learned that he was never actually an agent . But overall , I definitely recommend this one . Also starring William Hurt , Billy Crudup , Alec Baldwin , Hanna Schygulla , Keir Dullea and Joe Pesci ( where have those last two been ? ) . |
362,974 | 4,888,011 | 86,066 | 10 | It actually did stay pretty faithful to the book . And it shows that Tom Cruise was better before he got into cool guy roles . | People often debate which was Francis Ford Coppola's best movie ever : one of the " Godfather " movies or " Apocalypse Now " . While I would argue for the latter , I would also like to say that " The Outsiders " should be # 2 . This movie is so great that I can't describe it . Told from the perspective of Ponyboy Curtis ( C . Thomas Howell ) , it's the story of several destitute teenage boys and young men in 1966 Oklahoma , and their struggle to belong in the world . The movie ranges from sad - when Johnny Cade ( Ralph Macchio ) dies from burns sustained in a church fire - to funny - when Keith " Two-Bit " Mathews ( Emilio Estevez ) drinks beer for breakfast while watching cartoons . With great support from Matt Dillon , Patrick Swayze , Tom Cruise and Diane Lane , this is one movie that you just have to see . |
362,731 | 4,888,011 | 70,908 | 10 | total political satire | I don't know specifically whether " The Werewolf of Washington " was intended as a political satire , but it sure comes across as such . It probably helped that the movie was released around the time of Watergate ( and at one point , we even get a glimpse of that very building ) . The opening voice-over monologue begins with something like " How could it happen here ? " , before White House press secretary Jack Whittier ( Dean Stockwell ) explains his predicament . I believe that Upton Sinclair wrote a book called " It Can Happen Here " , about the possibility of fascism coming to America . Anyway , after Jack has an affair with the president's daughter , the prez sends him to Hungary - ah , a jab at the Cold War - where he gets bitten by a wolf . When someone warns Jack about the pentagram , he thinks that the person says Pentagon ( what aren't those warmongers behind ? ) . When he arrives back in the states , the president is angry about how the media reports negatively on the current state of affairs , especially since it makes the nation's youth protest things so much ; the prez's solution : martial law ! If that isn't a rip at the Nixon administration , then I don't know what is ! But sure enough , Jack starts seeing the pentagram in people's palms , and . . . well , you know what happens once there's a full moon . So even if it was intended as a straightforward horror flick , this certainly elicits a sense of political satire . With comments about the Black Panthers and other stuff , it's just the sort of thing that we need nowadays . I totally recommend it . |
364,846 | 4,888,011 | 79,489 | 10 | Even though I didn't see the whole thing . . . | . . . what I saw was funny enough . Featuring a tan-less George Hamilton as Count Vladimir Dracula looking for a bride in 1970s New York , the movie is basically an excuse to be silly . His bride to be in this case is Cindy Sondheim ( Susan St . James ) , and Richard Benjamin is his usual funny self as Dr . Jeffrey Rosenberg trying to protect Cindy from the count . My favorite scene was when Jeffrey holds up the " cross " . Dick Shawn - in a role fairly reminiscent of " It's a Mad , Mad , Mad , Mad World " and " The Producers " - plays an uptight cop , and Arte Johnson plays Renfield . All that I can say is that you'll definitely want to sink your teeth into this movie . |
363,726 | 4,888,011 | 350,448 | 10 | The only way that I'll ever know Bill Maher ( and I have my own new rules ) . | I never saw Bill Maher's previous show " Politically Incorrect " , but I know that it got canceled when Maher stepped outside the party line in discussions about ( of course I consider it a credit to have gotten canceled for challenging the zeitgeist ) . So , I have been watching " Real Time with Bill Maher " - and seen one of his stand-up bits - and I love it . If absolutely nothing else , it's good to hear left and right be able to have an intelligent conversation , although I especially liked hearing Sean Penn's story of going to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina . One of my favorite comments from Maher was right after a Republican debate held in the Ronald Reagan Library , and the candidates were talking as much as possible about Reagan : Maher said that it sounded more like gay men talking about Barbra Streisand . You gotta admit , his guy knows how to do satire . And now it's time for New Rules : 1 ) They can't give obnoxious movies like " The Poseidon Adventure " and " The Towering Inferno " special edition DVDs while cool movies like " The Corrupt Ones " and " The Treasure Seekers " remain available only on video . Because I know that Elke Sommer hasn't got much besides her looks , but the only part of disaster movies that I consider a disaster is having to watch them , and Elke Sommer's movies are quite pleasant . 2 ) Celebrities can't try to vindicate themselves from embarrassing situations by saying that they've found Jesus . Because if a tabloid-level scandal is the only thing that gets you interested in religion , then I only hope that all sensible religions will see through your game and reject you so that you can get involved in more scandals and continue making a fool of yourself . 3 ) Critics can't give musicals glowing reviews just because they're musicals , while slamming certain movies for being too " controversial " . Because " Oklahoma ! " , " Mary Poppins " and " The Sound of Music " are so full of themselves that they just beg to get mocked ; " Sweet Sweetback's Bad-ass Song " , while dealing with ugly subject matter , at least told the truth about things . All in all , I wholeheartedly recommend this show . For the record , it's been almost two years since Katrina hit and large numbers of people still haven't been able to move back to New Orleans . |
365,433 | 4,888,011 | 79,540 | 10 | meat's meat , and man's gotta eat . . . or rather , man's gotta watch " Meatballs " | Once upon a time , Bill Murray didn't play serious roles , just goofy ones . " Meatballs " is one of the best , funniest examples . It's basically and hour and a half of complete silliness , with Murray as a counselor at a Canadian summer camp . If the movie has any problem , it's that the movie spawned a seemingly infinite number of movies about summer camps - and a lot of those were about kids trying to save their summer camps . But anyway , this one is a real hoot , especially what results from Murray's telling of the hook - handed - killer - tries - to - attack - teenagers urban legend . And of course , director Ivan Reitman later directed Murray in " Stripes " and the " Ghostbusters " movie ( unfortunately , Reitman later backed Arnold Schwarzenegger for governor ) . A really fun romp . I wonder what ever became of Chris Makepeace . |
364,526 | 4,888,011 | 191,636 | 10 | raises some good questions | Focusing on murderer Neel Auguste's ( Emir Kusturica ) redemption while awaiting his execution , " La Veuve de Saint-Pierre " ( called " The Widow of Saint-Pierre " in English ) raises some good questions . The townspeople are forced to ask themselves whether or not it's a good idea to execute him now that he is making up for it . The movie never gets preachy , it sticks to asking the questions and shows that there's not necessarily a ready answer . Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil play Pauline ( aka Madame La ) and Jean ( aka The Captain ) , respectively , overseeing Auguste's penance . All in all , this is a movie that everyone should see . |
363,560 | 4,888,011 | 36,444 | 10 | none of this or this or this ( but lots of the cartoon , please ) | Few of the Looney Tunes / Merrie Melodies shorts dealt with physical activities more hilariously than " To Duck . . . or Not to Duck " , as over-energetic Daffy challenges gullible Elmer to a boxing match weighed heavily in his own favor . If you thought that the White Sox scandal of 1919 was screwed up , then you ain't seen nothing yet ! Quite simply , it's the sort of thing that only Daffy could do . I noticed in one scene that Elmer's pants fell down and it looked like you could see his butt ! They actually got that on screen in 1943 ! Of course , these cartoons were always looking for ways to push the limits . I'd better be certain of that or my name isn't Lee Eisenberg . . . and it isn't ! ( just kidding : it is ) |
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