New List thing

Click Here to go a list of my favorite films that I started from strach December (I think) last year.

The Godfather part 2

Genre: Crime/Drama
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Year released: 1974

This is one of the best sequels ever, very different to the first yet still amazing. A little of the perfection that I see in the Godfather part one is drooped and the story is more complicated, part two is more deep than its prelude in my opinion. There are parts in this movie that I have not understood even in the three viewings that I have given it after reading on imdb I think I understand what happened however it slightly ruined it a little for me during the middle not knowing what was happening.

Part two is a comparison between Micheal Corleone and his father Vito Corleone, Vito died in the first movie and gave his power to Micheal in part two we flick between the 1900s-1920s with Vito growing up and slowly becoming respected and more powerful, and the 1950s with Micheal running organized crime in Nevada and Cuba. Micheal slowly ruins the Corleone family making it less powerful. The flash backs are amazing I have always liked flash backs and flash forwards looking at how people change over time. The flash backs in the Godfather part two are amazing every scene is exciting through De Niro's amazing acting and the great character of Vito Corleone. I enjoyed watching how the great Godfather started small with a couple friends slowly getting bigger and bigger. I wouldn't mind a movie just on his grow up if it were not in part 2 of the Godfather.

Micheal is very similar to Vito however fails at running his fathers business this makes us draw conclusions as to what aspect did Vito have that Micheal did not. Vito puts his family first in the flash backs and in part one, as a child a don kills his family and he escapes, Vito comes back when he is older to avenge his families death. When somebodies makes a threat about his family that person ends up dead. You fuck with Vito's family he will kill you as simple as that. Micheal seems to put business first and family second this is why he losses his wife and a few other things that would spoil stuff.

The music was not as powerful as it was in the first which was a shame as it is beautiful music that builds the movie hugely. It is better in the first because the theme song is played more it is as simple as that. I love the music and both the Godfathers have been well scored however I simply missed hearing that wonderful mournful sounding music that makes the film appear beautiful which it is.

Al Pacino like in the first Godfather was amazing. I didn't like Micheal Corleone as much as Vito however that is defiantly not because of the acting. I could not tell you who acted better Pacino or De Niro as it would keep me up at nights the acting is some of the best in history from both of them. Micheal is more of a bad guy than Vito he shows very little mercy to anybody and kills people just on principal. Vito killed people but he could also show mercy he was a nice guy Micheal was not, imo.

The Godfather has a perfect start I love the part where they are in the office and Micheal says to Pat Geary "Senator? You can have my answer now, if you like. My final offer is this: nothing. Not even the fee for the gaming license, which I would appreciate if you would put up personally. " Perfect it makes me shiver the way Pacino delivers this line as well as it being an awesome comeback from such a son of a bitch to cocky for his own good.

A great movie not as good as the prelude but amazing none the less. A deep story of somebody who had everything and lost it. A power presentation of how power can corrupt and fuck everything up. Some of the best acting from two of my favorite actors as well as an amazing performance by Michael V. Gazzo who comes across as a grumpy old man who is extremely cool, John Cazale epically the scene when he says "I'm your older brother, Mike, and I was stepped over! as well as an equally good Tom Hagen created by Robert Duvall.
9.5/10

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the ring

Genre: Epic/Fantasy/Action/War
Director: Peter Jackson (go NZ)
year of release: 2001

I used to like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy so much before I smarted up and started enjoying greater movies, it is still an amazing story however it has some flaws that holds me back from liking it as much as I use to.

Lord of the Rings is complicated story about destroying a ring of power that could give a physical form back to the evil lord Sauron which would in turn probably ruin the world called middle earth. The fellowship is the first in the trilogy and is mainly about Frodo taking the Ring to rivendale, through Moria and a bit further. I must say the story is amazing, one of the best books made into a great movie. The charters and dialogue are written wonderfully, this is probably because of J.R.R Toliens in put in making the books so I blame him for all these wonderful advantages to this film although it could have been the three people who did the screenplay who
this quality (Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and Peter himself). The direction is good and the music is great and hugely improves simple scenes like the title appearing.

The characters are written to perfection however acting holds this movie back. Elijah Wood plays the part he was born yet is still very average imo. He has the look for the character but the way he delivery's his lines are reasonably unnaturally and seemed if not forced then just annoying. He comes of as a hard core pussy that seems shy and held back although this is slightly how I believe the character should have been done I believe it has been overdone. Some lines make me cringe however he seems to get a better idea of his character through the movies and the trilogy, I watched the second one the day after I watched this and Elijah had seemed to improve and seem more natural. Sam is average in this one however is brilliant in the second I will watch the third soon however I remember loving his character by the end.

The dialogue is very good. Scenes make you shiver because the lines are rich in creativity and match the style and improve the feel of the movie. The scenes at the start make me shiver as they are so cool. As I have said many times I have a soft spot for narration a voice over that contains great sentences Lord of the Rings starts with "The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it." irejijvahalsjlkjf cool. The music adds to this scene so much as it is slightly sad playing slightly quite long shaky notes similar to the way it is done in the Godfather.

Legolas had the potential to be one of the coolest characters in history, he seems to save the day will the final blow to many enemies, pulls some awesome moves and has a distinct fighting style that suits his character. Orlando Bloom is bad it seems worse when the character has so much potential. He seems to try and create an accent then he keeps breaking it with certain lines e.g "Goblins!" when he picks up an arrow in Moria. I never remember not thinking much of Legolas and when a person said they liked him I realized back then that he had potential only now do I know why. Legolas is a quite character who likes using a bow and two small daggers when killing bad guys his style is not only unlike but looks amazing the choreography in this movie is very good epically with legoglas. He is the fast moving, aerobatic character that should be everyone's favorite however losses this to Aragorn.

Manly the acting wasn't too bad I liked Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn and Ian McKellen as Gandalf Merry and Pippin are good aside from a few scenes, Boromir was too bad Galadreil and Arwen when on the verge of bad and Gimili suited his part well and acted not badly. Many of the actors give a very small range they have a character that seems one certain mood and no other. Only the hobbits really show varying emotions it seems a bit strange possibly a bit annoying.

Lord of the Rings is a very dark trilogy I am sure every one has told you this however I am going to say it again. The lighting is often dim to create dark, mysterious and evil situations this is the only possible way it could have been done if they tried to make a happy light feel to this dark story full of evil it just would not of worked, I can not think of too many movies that have been done similarly to Lord of the Rings and it feels quite original.

Fellowship of the Ring is very singular storied this aspect is great as none of the scenes feel irrelevant a feeling as there are no silly side stories that could have been cut out and hold no effect. Every scene builds to one thing the ring being destroyed this makes the story all the more great. The Two Towers does not have this effect and has slightly fallen even though I enjoyed the second better. Recently a few of the movies I have been watching have the feeling that not everything is relevant and it has pissed me off a little, however it is the reason that I like the Searchers as it is a similar strength in that as well.

The fighting is pretty amazing many scenes have you on the edge of your seat cheering on the good guys, it is reasonably realistic and there are some amazing action scenes. Seven Samurai and this trilogy have some of my favorite battles scenes. Viggo and Legolas lead in there styles of killing Viggo with his big sword heaving heavy blows to his enemies and Legolas quickly using his bow and trying to keep his distance to the hundreds of orcs which he does well in even close quarters. Legolas also uses two daggers twirling them around in fast repetitive hits that look cool. The shaky camera makes you feel almost as if you are there a style created by the movie I just watched breathless (not quite as well done however).

This movie is not a fantastic, amazing, inspiring classic however it is quite good. It does not quite shake that modern feeling and with out the amazing writing mainly in the story, dialogue and characters it would be another average epic to make money with a selection of good and average acting. Jackson adds another layer to its greatness however underneath you can tell someone just wants to make money rather than make a great movie like a painting with a bad under layer that effects the whole bringing it down. The special effects are amazing and there are some amazing pans of my beautiful country. I believe there is defiantly a type of target audience for instance my dad does not like the trilogy as there is only about 1 or 2 jokes every 3 hours, still give it a chance as I believe it has a decent draw into the story.

8.5/10

Singin' in the Rain

Genre: Musical/Comedy/Romance
Year released: 1952
Director: Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly

I am not really one for musicals however this is an exception. This cheerful movie could not be not liked. Gene Kelly is amazing his acting, his singing and his dancing I could not believe how amazingly talented he was. Cosmo was funny as hell, some of the stuff he did I am sure will have me in laughter even weeks later. I enjoyed a lot of the music as I said I am not one for musicals and the reason being I do not really like how everyone learns the words as soon as the song begins. Singing' in the rain only possessed this feeling in about 2 songs and even then it wasn't a whole crowd on the street like I really hate it was simple two or three people. The famous Singing in the rain scene was wonderful the cinematography was so amazing. This is one of those movies you have that strange looking smile on your face throughout the entire film.

Gene Kelly what can I say from the first moment I saw I was amazed. The first time he tap dances I couldn't believe it and he was as well a great singer. The time we see him properly perform in the flash back at the beginning had me laughing the whole time how him and Cosmo could have pulled that violin duet thing is beyond me. His character was constantly awesome as he was very humerus and natural in every scene he was in.

Donald O'Connor was originally my favorite character however now it might be a tie with Gene Kelly his funny lines and songs were very cool. Donald played Cosmo who probably was one of the most talented in this film however in it he never gets recognized Cosmo does more of the back stage type of things. His personality is always cheerful and happy even in the bad situations and he possess a likable charm to him. Although slightly cheesy in parts of the songs, possibly due to the movie aging slightly, he is still one of the coolest characters in this movie.

Lina Lamont was a great character I didn't like her much which was the point. Her high pitched voice was so annoying and I loved watching the studio try and sort it out when the time came to make talkie movies. Lina was a real pretty, snobby and bitchy character she added to the movie with through her actions and because of her voice.

The Singing in the rain song I liked, it might not be my type of music (oh yea Iron Maiden coming to Christchurch) but I was still able to enjoy it as it is not crappy hip hop, rap, techno or pop music of the now day genre which I despise. The scene with Gene Kelly in the rain singing this song is amazing the way every shot is created is amazing the scene with him on the lamppost should be considered a piece of art and should hang in art galleries. The policeman part was very funny as well as how he gives his umbrella to the stranger and walks in a strange way into the distance.

In conclusion a great musical one of the best I have seen, out of about 5 maybe. Singin' in the Rain should be remembered forever because of the talent put in through the music, cinematography, acting, story and dancing. It should be remembered for its great characters, comedy, it is a heart full piece of art.

9 - 9.5/10

Gone with the Wind

Genre: Epic/Drama/Romance

Year of release: 1939

Director: Victor Fleming

I quite enjoyed this very long movie and it somehow kept me reasonably interested throughout the movie. I went in with high expectations and was not disappointed.

Gone with the wind is a true classic, however it has major flaws that it makes up for. I did not like a lot of the acting done by Vivien Leigh (yes that who that actress was from streetcar that makes me feel a heap better) I felt she often did her emotions way over the top and it was quite annoying. At times I got use to it and at times it badly annoyed me however the acting was made up by Clark Gable, Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland who were all very wonderful. The cinematography was great and the fire scenes truly were amazing, the fact they used all the color cameras in the world at time is shocking and the scenes really benefited from it. The story keep me interested epically at the start and end the middle just after you flip the disc falls slightly apart.

Gone with the wind is a huge tale of Scarlett O'Hara's story thought the civil war, she through out the movie is in a childish crush over Ashley a man already married and a solider in the War. This fantasy puts her in very bad situation and in a way is cause for much of the troubles she has with her life. Scarlett goes from being very rich to very poor and we see a change in her character.

Scarlett was a true bitch of a character she is selfish and cares only for herself and Ashley. To spite Ashley she even marries a young man obsessed with her when he dies in the war she does not morn as she does not care. Her character was a bonus and I do admire her courage, optimism and determination. At times I cringed at Vivien's performance as the acting sometimes seemed way over the top in a way that was annoying, I am sure if I watched it again I would think less of it and be even more drawn into its amazing story.

Clark Gable played Rhett Butler who was selfish and crazy about Scarlett. His acting was pretty amazing and every scene he was in was improved because of his presence. I felt slightly similar in his scenes to how I felt in Streetcar when Marlon Brando was on, even thought there was not much happening the acting seemed so casual it felt like real life. Rhett was enjoyable from start to finish however he is not in the about the 3rd quarter after the disc is turned over maybe this is why this quarter was easily the least enjoyable and had the feeling it was falling apart. Best character in this movie.

Olivia de Havilland was also very good as well as me liking her caring, good matured, nice person character her acting was not as outstanding as Clark Gables and stood slightly in his shadow however after I thought about it a little I realized how good her performance was. Her character Melanie was so good to all the others around her I could not help but like her. Even though Scarlett acted badly in some scenes it feels like it makes up with it with some great acting.

The scene with the city burning was amazing and had me on the edge of my seat going "Wow" that looks so great. The use of shadows and silhouette is quite good in this movie and creates some good scenes epically when a shadowy silhouette of a horse and riders rides fast past and flaming building that slowly reduces to the ground. Scenes like this I believed to be impossible in the 30's and was astounded to find myself completely wrong.

Gone with the wind is a real privilege to cinema through its amazing story of love and hardships, it great acting and its amazing shots. In conclusion it is for all movie lovers and does not get dull apart from maybe a small part during the middle, which for a 3 and half hour romance movie I was quite surprised. It has great characters and great character developments. Gone with the Wind made $200 000 000 in the box office in 1939 making it at least one of the most grossing movies of all time (since two hundred million was a lot more back then) and I can see why.

9/10

King Kong (1933)

Genre: Action/Drama
Year of release: 1933
Director:Merian C. Cooper Ernest B. Schoedsack

I was quite put off this movie as I had seen the scenes of Kong on the Empire State building and they seemed quite well annoying, what I thought was unbearable. In the first scenes of Kong I had my doubts however I got over it.

I quite enjoyed Peter Jackson's remake of this film and although I enjoyed this more I think I could have liked it more if I had not seen it as I always felt like I knew what was going to happen next and it didn't have me on the edge of my seat in many scenes, I think because of that reason. King Kong really must have been amazing when it came out it must have changed cinema for ever.

If you don't know King Kong is about a crazy director famous for filming in dangerous situations taking a group of people including for the first time in his films a girl, to a secret island to film a picture possibly with some legend god called Kong. The movie is a great story of beauty beating the beast. King Kong did defiantly not look as good as in the remake how ever for 33 it was pretty good epically in some scenes. The acting too was good however not hugely amazing in my opinion. Some of the cinematography was amazing some scenes look great, climbing the empire state building, plane going down, natives having ceremony while the characters attempt to film, Kong going through the gates.

It is slightly annoying Kong's glitchy jerky movements and the way it some times looks like a toy however I don't think the movie would be anything without it. He did not look as bad as I thought however the scene up with the planes on the empire state when I had seen it around in places had really made me not want to watch by the time that scene came around I did not even notice the special effects.

One scene that always sticks to my head is when they watch the natives do some ceremony to prepare their sacrifice for Kong through some long grass. They way some of the natives dressed as monkey danced around in circles seemed cool, why I don't know but it was. The main native's costume looked great and the way all the women looked depressed slowing dressing the doomed girl in flowers was quite sad. I enjoyed the natives in the re-make as they were quite creepy however in this it seemed more realistic and it was cool that the skipper could figure out and speak the language. The way they came onto the boat was a great scene and really was quite exciting.

The fight scene between King Kong and the T-Rex was pretty awesome I was surprised how good it looked for 33 a bit jerky but hey its the 30s. It had me cringe how he actually killed the thing and Kong style of fighting was quite cool and believable. Kong fought like a slightly dumb big monkey not sure of what maneuver he should do next similar to how the monkeys in 2001 fight. This fight in the re-make was too pretty spectacular however this one keeps it simple and I seem to enjoy it more as King Kong does not become Jackie Chan in the original.

In conclusion a great movie a classic with some special effects pretty good for its time.

9/10 my enjoyment of it 8-8.5/10

The Maltese Falcon

Genre: Mystery/Drama
Year of release: 1941
Director: John Huston

I watched this a couple weeks ago and just watched it again then and the first time I couldn't pick up on a lot of the story as it is really quite complex so there were times when I got pretty confused, however I still loved this movie Humphrey Bogart was awesome and the complex storyline I enjoyed quite a lot. The second time I understood it and therefor enjoyed it quite a lot more.

Maltese Falcon is about a Falcon statue worth a lot of money, everybody is trying to get their hands on. A Private detective takes on the task of following Floyd Thursby and after this both him and Floyd are dead, the private detectives partner investigates and uncovers many huge confusing plots to obtain one Falcon statue. Humphrey Bogart has never ceased to amaze me. I have so far always loved his characters however I have only seen 4 of his movies I do not believe this movie to be quite as good as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Casablanca however it is better than The Big Sleep (which is still awesome) I personal enjoy this movie slightly more than Casablanca (don't be angry hardcore fans) I can see Casablanca is a better movie and its just a matter of time before I enjoy it to its full potential. This is probably the best detective character I have seen sure Dirty Harry, Bud White, Shotgun Ed and Jack Vincennes are all very awesome I see Sam Spade as being slightly superior even if I do enjoy LA Confidential much more. The story is one that needs to be watched again just like Donnie Darko and the Prestige as the story seems quite complex, which is a good thing.

Sam Spade is a kick ass character one that always keeps his cool never gets scared and hardly goes through any emotions. He is very unpredictable and this is said quite often I am always on the edge of my set to see what crazy idea he is going to think up next. Humphrey Bogart is such an amazing actor closing in to be my favorite the only thing that holds him back is the lack of movies I have seen him in its the same with Marlon Brando. His character in Maltese Falcon always says the coolest things every scene he is in is so awesome.

I love the story in this being complex it makes you feel smart when you can figure out what is happening so make sure you are not tired and that you pay close attention. It moves very fast and story change back and forward in seconds they don't talk slow either and you never know who is telling the truth. The ending was amazing and really leaves you on a up if that makes any sense.

The acting by the other characters was also quite amazing Mary Astor created a great performance Sydney Greenstreet was really cool I liked his character a lot and his acting was pretty decent. Maltese Falcon feels a lot like The Big Sleep which in my view is more complex however not quite so good also in both these two movies Bogart is a private detective and almost similar in there characters.

In conclusion a great confusing movie that you have to pay close attention to at all times, legendary acting from Bogart along with some pretty awesome acting by every one else great characters and an awesome plot with an awesome ending.

9.5/10