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AaronPK
Reviews
John Q (2002)
Typical Hollywood Liberal Propaganda.
This wasn't a movie, it was a political commercial. The movie tries to beat our brains to death with the idea that the US should have a national healthcare system. It's irresponsible to make a movie like this that only tells one side of the issue, and doesn't even get its facts right. It doesn't mention that in Canada (a country with national healthcare system), cancer treatment is so backwards and out of step that many cancer patients come to the US for treatment. It doesn't mention how Canada and Great Britain often make patients wait for months before they get an essential surgery. Also, in Great Britain, the survival rate for cancer patients is much worse. Government waste, embezzlement, and red tape is crippling the health care systems of these countries.
John Q doesn't bother to mention any of this however. The movie is basically a 2 hour long commercial for socialist democrats. Anne Heche gets to play the role of the greedy corporate villain, who basically is the representative republican in this movie, though it isn't mentioned.
There's also some tripe about hostages, guns, and more, but that was all done in a far superior film, "A Dog Day Afternoon" and I suggest you watch that.
If you want to get brainwashed by the Hollywood liberal machine, then John Q is a good choice. Or you could just watch a few campaign commercials for the democratic candidates this fall.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
One of the best movie experience of my life!
I had gotten home from a long night of work at 4am. I was tired, but not tired enough to go to sleep. The dvd of Apocalypse Now had arrive the previous day and I decided to crack open a beer and watch it from bed. It seemed a little strange at first, but soon, I was transplanted to another world and taken on one of the most amazing journies I've ever seen in the movies. I has tired, and may have drifted in and out of sleep for a few seconds here and there, and very slightly drunk by the end of the movie, but it was simply amazing. This is the way to watch Apocalypse Now. Don't watch it when you're 100% lucid, watch it when you're out of it a little. That makes the transcendance and feel of being taken to a far off place so much more impressive. I suggest you stay up all night on a Friday and at about 3 or 4 am, put this disc in.
BTW DVD is the only way to watch it.
Strange Interlude (1932)
Hearing their thoughts is kinda cool
I don't know exactly why, but I really got caught up in this movie. At first hearing everyone's thoughts is kinda strange, but it really helps you understand the characters and their motivations. By the end of the movie, you feel sorry for just about everyone in it, that they all lied and deprived themselves of happiness so that Sam could be happy. The great thing about this movie, is that you keep waiting for the payoff at the end where everyone finds out the truth of the strange 4 way love triangle (I guess that would be a love square). But it never really fulfills itself and not all the characters learn the truth.
I guess the thing I like about this movie the most is that the suspense is like a pot of boiling water. You keep waiting for it to overflow and have a kind of epiphany when it does overflow. But the movie never gives that epiphany because Sam and Gorden never find out the truth and I think the movie is better for it.
This movie was panned back in 1932 when it came out, and I just don't get it. It's a very intelligent and emotionally moving film. I wish Hollywood of the modern era could make films like this instead of all the cardboard junk with a happy ending that they have these days.
I guess most people just don't get it. But those that do will be gratetful for films like this.
Great acting all around, especially for Norma Shearer, Clark Gable, and all the main characters. The kid Tad Alexander who played young Gordon was great. Ahh he's 77 years old now. MAN
I've never seen a Norma Shearer movie that I didn't adore. Ha, all those old Hollywood Queens are nothing compared to Norma.
He Who Gets Slapped (1924)
My all time favorite!
Before I saw "He Who Get's Slapped" my 3 favorite movies were The Empire Strikes Back, Evil Dead 2, and Star Trek II.
This movie is 180 degrees from any of those movies, in fact, it's in a whole other universe. This silent film that opened in 1924 changed my movie tastes so much that it's amazing. I was just flicken channels one night after studying for a final for 3 hours and stopped on TCM for a second because Robert Osborne said that it starred Lon Chaney. In my niavete, I thought he was talking about the guy who played The Wolf Man, but this is in fact Lon Chaney Sr. Junior is the guy who had played Wolfie.
So I started watching it and was about to change it when I found out it was a silent film. But I stayed with it for a few minutes, and soon I was enraptured. 2 hours later, I was riveted to the edge of my seat as HE's struggle came to a climax. Well, the next day, I failed the test. But I learned more watching that movie than I could ever learn in Calc 320.
Since then, I have watched TCM religiously (when I'm not studying of course) and now I realize that 99% of movies made in modern times are vastly inferior to the old classic movies.
Black and White RULES
If you haven't seen He Who Gets Slapped. Track it down and WATCH IT. It is WAY better than The Phantom Menace.
First Blood (1982)
A wonderful movie that every American should see!
I don't understand why this movie only averages a 6.4 in IMDB. It has incredible acting by Stallone as a troubled, somewhat unstable Vietnam Vet who gets pushed over the edge be a jerkweed cop (Brain Dennehy). I think the low 6.4 rating may be by "internet people" who never saw the movie and think it's just a dumb action movie. IT IS NOT.
If you've never seen First Blood, watch it. If you are a red blooded breathing American, and not some soft narrow minded pansy, you will love First Blood. Soundtrack rules too.
Riptide (1934)
Norma Shearer was the best
She was incredible. This movie quickly jumps forward in time, but the dialogue between Mary (Norma) and Trent was great. If only she had kept making movies and not ended so abruptly.
No movies today compare to Riptide (which was controversial at the time)