War Movies

There are a ton of war movies that Hollywood has made. Some glorify battle while others point out the flaws. Either way, here are some of my favorite war flicks.

"Deer Hunter" is an older movie that shows the whole cycle of the Vietnam War on an innocent person. It shows prior to battle, a tour in Vietnam, and the post war stage. The film is very in depth which means that each part takes quite a bit of time causing the movie to come out to roughly 3 hours. So if you do decide to see this movie, make sure that you have the time.
Like all of my favorite movies, like "One Flew Over the CooCoo's Nest," this movie focuses on character development. Robert Di Nero, Christopher Walken, and John Savage all go through very extreme changes, and all for the worse. This movie focuses on PTSD and the role that it had on soldiers post the Vietnam War, and due to that, the movie has a very upsetting ending. I remember just being shocked at the end of the movie due to the ending. Plus, it also has some very intense Russian Roulette scenes.

"Black Hawk Down" is just raw. It has blood, guts, and all the fighting anyone could want. It focuses on the US involvement in Somalia during the early 90's when the UN asked the US to support their troops in delivering shipments of food. However, the movie also puts an emphasis on the fighting that occurred as well; the marines fight to their last breath in this film that holds true the old motto of "no man left behind." The triumph is amazing, but the lost and the hell that the marines go through is too true. I would say that this movie is neither uplifting or depressing, but just true to the rules of war. This movie is another long one, but another long movie done right. If you have the time, see this 3 hour movie because it is worth your time.

The Room

Every once in a while, a movie comes out that defines an era... and then there are movies so bad that they are known for how terrible they are. This movie is hands down the funniest thing I've ever heard of. A friend of mine told me about it, and I instantly became obsessed. The Room is a movie that speaks for itself.

You MUST watch these clips before going on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCj8sPCWfUw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfUj4QJGnok
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-sPY2UHSB8


And you should read this:

http://www.cinema-suicide.com/2010/02/11/the-room-review/

These three clips engulf most of the "problems" in the movie. For starters, the writing is just terrible. Not only is the story poorly put together, but the dialogue is so bad that you end up with such memorable quotes as, "Leave your stupid comments in your pocket!" Also, due to the fact that the story tries to cover so many problems, many issues that are brought up are never solved. In one scene, the female lead's mother states that she has breast cancer; however, it is never referenced again throughout the entire movie. Another problem is that characters just pop out of no where without any entrance. It is quite humorous, but quite unusual.

This movie is terrible, but it is so bad that there is a cult gathering around the film. Believe it or not, the movie survives due to how terrible it is. People go to see this movie in huge numbers just to make fun of it. Check these clips out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3aTUDl-sXM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjKFtEc4xYE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrVWz-u66mw&feature=related

This phenomenon goes too far, such as people showing up with plastic spoons, due to the fact that there are pictures of utensils all over the movie, and throwing plastic spoons at the screen during certain scenes.

No one is too sure why he wrote, produced, and acted in such a movie.

By the way, this is how I got into the movie:

The guy on the right is one of my friends who is in LA. He attended one of the largest showings in the world. Here he is pictured with the director/lead actor/producer.

For Further Reading check our this link:

http://www.filmjunk.com/2006/05/09/so-bad-its-good-cult-classic-the-room/

One of the Greatest Actors

All great movies depend on the actors/actresses that are in them; however, there is only one actor who has moved me time and time again in almost every movie he has been in. I am of coarse talking about the finest, the greatest, and the best: Jack Nicholson.

The first time I remember seeing him act was in the movie "Batman." Even though it was a bit weird to have a man sitting there in make up all day, he was good. I remember seeing him at the age of five and thinking that he was the Joker. Sad enough, he sacred me so much that I cried. My brother makes fun of me for it to this day. Jack is often criticized for not acting enough in this movie; that scares me. If true, then I was always curious to see how much better the movie would have been if he actually tried.

Who can possibly forget the line, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Well, the Shining definitely proves this line wrong. I mean, damn. There is nothing like watching a man go crazy and want to kill his family, but Nicholson brought it to a whole new level. He is convincing, he is deadly, and he is one crazy man. Not only is he amazing, but the twins and a boy screaming, "Red Rum!" in his sleep is shrilling. Jack Nicholson hit the jackpot in both the theaters... and in my heart in this film.

The next moving movie that I saw with Nicholson was Chinatown, and holy crap was that good. Not only is Jack believable, but hands down, he is the coolest detective known to man. Not to be hitting on the man, but he is sexy and talented in this film. This film speaks for itself, and is probably my favorite movie of all time. If you haven't seen it, then you are definitely socially inept. I'm kidding, but please rent it.

Finally, the most profound movie of Nicholson is One Flew over the Coocoo's Nest. It is a great book and an even better movie. What can I say about it? Well, this movie defined Jack's career. He plays the beloved McMurphy who is trying to disrupt any authority in his search for fun. My father showed me this movie long ago. I was shocked, I was laughing, and, yes, I did cry. I always used to cry when I was a kid, but anyways, please see this movie at all cost. I would say that this movie is his best role he played in his life, even better than his role in Chinatown and way better than his role in The Departed. Just look how many awards this thing won:


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073486/awards

Though today we have such great actors like Keanu Reeves, Nicolas Cage, and Tom Cruise, I personally would prefer Jack Nicholson. His talent is incredible and unmatchable. If you're interested, here is a list of his movies in this link:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000197/ 

By the way, here's the god now...

LOOKING HOT JACK!

Can you blame him? I know he's let himself go, but he can afford it.

Two Other Great Movies Viewed Recently

So I watched two movies recently that I thought were very well done.

The first one was Rosemary's Baby. This is one of the older classic horror films that is both suspenseful and interesting. The premise is that a lady and her husband move into an apartment. Their neighbors are a little weird, overly nice, but welcoming. Then Rosemary, the main character, starts to have weird dreams that almost seem real. During that time, her husband becomes more distant as he starts to spend more time with the neighbors. Then Rosemary becomes pregnant and all hell breaks loose.

I love these older horror movies purely due to the suspense. They knew how to make movies enticing back then. Look at Psycho, it was probably one of the most interesting movies of its era. Movies like Psycho and Rosemary's Baby are the greatest forms of horror films because they drag you in with an interesting story and force you to put yourself into the characters shoes.

If you haven't seen these movies before, I highly recommend that you go see them. Though they are old, but they get the job.

Check this review on it:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rosemarys_baby/

I know that this movie is newer; and yes, I have seen this movie before, but its too good. I Love You Man with Paul Rudd rings true to every person. I haven't seen it in a while and forgot how awkward the scenes are. It reminds everyone of those first awkward interactions that take place between friends-to-be. I can recall moments such as these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3gHpHVYVio

In the end, it's a great movie about how true friends will always stay by your side regardless of what happens. It's smart, clever, and lots of fun.

If you don't believe me, read Ebert's review:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090318/REVIEWS/903189995