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The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
The best horror film released in years.
There's no doubt horror films have been turning to crap in the last couple of years, so I was not excited to see this film, but, when I did see it I loved it. The Cabin in the Woods is unlike any horror film I've seen in the last 15 years, here's some reasons why: 1. It has a very good story with sharp witty dialogue. 2. It has likable characters and you actually care about what happens to them. 3. All the actors do a pretty good job however the only performances that were great were our lead and the two technicians. 4. The majority of the scares work. 5. It tries to avoid using horror film clichés and succeeds (for the most part)
The film is directed by Drew Goddard (Alias, Lost, Cloverfield)and is written by Goddard and acclaimed screenwriter Joss Whedon (Toy Story, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity, The Avengers). The film stars Kristen Connolly (Mona Lisa Smile, The Happening, Revolutionary Road), Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers, Snow White and the Huntsman), Anna Hutchison (Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior, Go Girls, Power Rangers Jungle Fury), Fran Kranz (Donnie Darko, Training Day, The Village), Jesse Williams (Grey's Anatomy, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Brooklyn's Finest), Richard Jenkins (The Visitor, Step Brothers, Burn After Reading) and Bradley Whitford (Scent of a Woman, Billy Madison, The West Wing).
Koroshiya 1 (2001)
A sick and depraved film that should at least be seen once.
Here is a film unlike any other, one minute you're cheering, the next you're laughing, the next you feel empathic for one of the main characters, the next you're feeling nauseous and wondering how a film like this could be made, it's a freak of nature to say the least. Every character is sick and depraved for example: There is an extreme sadist, a man who hypnotizes a man into killing for him, a man who gets erections from violent acts, a woman who killed their neighbor's dog as a child with a rope etc. Their is a scene where the main character slices off the tip of his tongue, while most films would cut away before the act, this one doesn't and shows every drop of blood and winch of pain. The films is based on the manga "Ichi the Killer" by Hideo Yamamoto and directed by Takashi Miike (Audition, Three... Extremes, 13 Assassins) and stars: Tadanobu Asano (Mongol, Thor, Battleship), Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, Tokyo Fist, A Snake of June), Nao Omori (Vibrator, Mushishi, Tokyo!) and Alien Sun (Island of Greed, In the Mood for Love, The Accidental Spy).
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
A true horror classic.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a scary and disturbing film which helped popularize the slasher film. The film is filmed in this very eerie look which gives it this documentary feel. The film was marketed as a true story even though it was only partially based on crimes by murderer Ed Gein. One of the killers in this film, Leatherface has also been considered one of the greatest horror film villains in history along with: Pinhead, Freddy Krueger, Ghostface, Norman Bates, Michael Myers etc. The films is directed by Tobe Hooper (Salem's Lot, Poltergeist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) and stars Marilyn Burns (Helter Skelter, Eaten Alive, Texas Chainsaw 3D), Paul A. Partain (Race with the Devil, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Texas Chainsaw 3D), Edwin Neal (Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, JFK, Power Rangers Turbo), Jim Siedow (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) and Gunnar Hansen (Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, Mosquito, Texas Chainsaw 3D).
Fargo (1996)
One of the greatest crime dramas ever made.
Fargo is one of those films I can just watch over and over again and not get tired of it. The films is about a used car salesman who hires two criminals to kidnap his wife so he can keep a ransom from her father while a pregnant police sheriff investigates. I really like the acting in this movie especially from the criminals, however, I think the film is sometimes shot to basic and looks boring at some points, however this is very rare. The film is directed by the Coen brothers (The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, True Grit) and stars Frances McDormand (Almost Famous, The Man Who Wasn't There, Burn After Reading, Moonrise Kingdom), William H. Macy (Pleasantville, Magnolia, Jurassic Park III), Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs, The Big Lebowski, Monster's, Inc.), Harve Presnell (Face/Off, Saving Private Ryan, Old School) and Peter Stormare (The Big Lebowski, Armageddon, Bad Boys II).
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (2013)
If you are a fan of the show, you will love it. If you aren't...you might?
I just got back from my local theaters showing of My Little Pony: Equestria Girls. Being a fan of the show I didn't really know what to expect, I wanted to see it so I can see some of my favorite characters on the big screen, but in the back of my mind I was afraid this one turn into a generic, clichéd high school film. What I got was something much much more, this film is constantly trying to throw jokes and 90% of them work perfectly. There are also little nods to the fandom here and there for example there is a scene where the Cutie Mark Crusaders are listening to the CMC theme song on YouTube and my favorite gag was having Granny Smith as the school's cafeteria woman which made the whole theater laugh. The film also has a surprisingly diabolical villain not to give away anything but the last time we see her is unforgettable. I believe that this film could possibly be nominated for the best animated feature at the Academy Awards (although it probably won't win as Monster's University will be released next week).
If.... (1968)
A wonderful twist on the Coming-of-age film.
if.... is the first film in the Mick Travis trilogy which tells the stories of Mick Travis who is not a single character with a Character arc, but an everyman whose role changes every film. In this film Travis is a rebellious student who leads a revolution against his private school. The film is directed by Lindsay Anderson (This Sporting Life, O Lucky Man!, The Whales of August) and stars Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Halloween, Bolt, The Artist), Richard Warwick (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, White Hunter Black Heart), David Wood (Aces High, North Sea Hijack, Longitude) and Peter Jeffrey (The Abominable Dr. Phibes, The Return of the Pink Panther, Midnight Express, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen).
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
One of the greatest animated films I've ever seen.
In my opinion Pixar has never made a bad movie (I haven't seen Cars 2 yet), and Monsters, Inc. is up there with one of their best. I love how huge this movie is every time I watch it I notice something new. I also love how detailed the animation is, just look at the hairs on the main character, they had to animate every single one of those hairs and they managed to make every single one of them move realistically. The majority of the jokes were work but a few of them do miss. The film is directed by Pete Docter (Toy Story, WALL-E, Up), Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3) and David Silverman (The Simpsons, The Road to El Dorado, The Simpsons Movie) and stars John Goodman (Roseanne, The Big Lebowski, The Artist), Billy Crystal (When Harry Met Sally..., Analyze This, America's Sweethearts), Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs, Fargo, The Big Lebowski), James Coburn (The Great Escape, The Nutty Professor, Eraser), Jennifer Tilly (Bound, Liar Liar, Bride of Chucky) and Frank Oz (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith).
Blue Velvet (1986)
David Lynch does not disappoint
David Lynch (The Elephant Man, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, Mulholland Drive) is one of those love him or hate him directors. The majority of his films are confusing and disturbing, I can see why that would turn some people off, But, along with Eraserhead I think this film should be seen by everybody at least once. There really isn't much I can say about this film without saying too much. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks, The Doors, Desperate Housewives), Isabella Rossellini (Death Becomes Her, Fearless, Roger Dodger), Dennis Hopper (Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now, True Romance, Speed), Laura Dern (Wild at Heart, Jurassic Park, Inland Empire), Hope Lange (The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Death Wish), George Dickerson (Death Wish 4: The Crackdown, Death Warrant, Son of the Morning Star) and Dean Stockwell (Paris, Texas, Quantum Leap, Air Force One).
Gummo (1997)
Art
First of all Gummo is not a film for everybody, hell, it's barely a film for anyone. The film chronicles the lives of several residents of Xenia, Ohio a small town that was previously struck by a devastating tornado (Google Super Outbreak)who find strange ways to pass the time. The majority of people will find these scenes unwatchable as they as graphic and shocking. The characters in this film are sick and depraved (for the most part) we have: Solomon (Jacob Reynolds) and Tummler: two teenage boys who spend they're days riding around on their bikes killing cats with BB guns and sniffing glue. Dot (The fantastic, beautiful Chloë Sevigny), Darby and Helen: The only characters I found to be likable in this film. Dot and Helen are aged between 14-17 while Darby is aged between 7-10. Dot and Helen spend their times putting duct tape on their nipples to give the appearance that their breasts are bigger (the closest thing this movie has to a sweet scene.) while Darby plays with a picture of Burt Reynolds stating that she wishes she had a moustache. There is a particularly disturbing scene where a man claiming to be the brother of Freddie Prinze attempts to molest the three sisters. Bunny Boy: Bunny Boy only gets approximately 15 minutes of screen time and never says a word, but, is unforgettable. Bunny Boy is a young boy who wears only pink rabbit ears, shorts and athletic shoes. The first time we see Bunny Boy he is urinating and spitting onto a highway and smoking a cigarette. The next time we see him he is getting shot with cap guns by two kids playing Cowboy. In his most famous scene his is shown sitting in a bathroom stall playing an accordion. It all ends wonderfully (HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD!) with Solomon and Tummler killing the sisters cat while Bunny Boy has sex with Dot and Helen in their swimming pool all the while showing actual video clips from the Xenia tornado while Roy Orbison's "Crying" plays (similar to the use of Orbison's song "In Dreams" in David Lynch's "Blue Velvet".) The final shot of the film is Bunny Boy proudly displaying the dead cat. The ending implies that the tornado was the best thing to happen to Xenia and that their is no hope for it's residents. The film is directed by Harmony Korine (Kids, Mister Lonely, Spring Breakers) and stars Jacob Reynolds (The Road to Wellville) and Chloë Sevigny (Boys Don't Cry, American Psycho, Big Love, Zodiac).
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Not as good as Jackson's other LOTR films
I am a fan of the Lord of the Rings series and I had high expectations for this movie, it didn't quite reach those expectations but was still pretty good. The film had a few plot holes and appealed more on the visual level than the actual story. The films is based on the book "The Hobbit" by J. R. R. Tolkien and is directed by Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong) and stars Ian McKellen (X-Men, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Stardust), Martin Freeman (Love Actually, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Hot Fuzz), Richard Armitage (Frozen, Robin Hood, Captain America: The First Avenger), James Nesbitt (Waking Ned, Bloody Sunday, Millions), Ken Stott (Shallow Grave, King Arthur, One Day), Cate Blanchett (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Ian Holm (Alien, The Fifth Element, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Ratatouille), Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith), Hugo Weaving (The Matrix trilogy, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, V for Vendetta, Captain America: The First Avenger), Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Green Street) and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Prestige, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Adventures of Tintin).
