Reviews

This film is one of the first of it's kind. It is one of the first films where an African American man who plays the protagonist is a heroic character. Shaft is an African American detective with some type of ultimatum. Either help out the organized crime boss basically running the city and have the police on your back, or help out the police and have a mob boss on your back. In the end he doesn't have much of a choice so now his mission is the help save Bumpy's daughter from the Mafia. One scene that really caught my attention was when Bumpy was describing the situation with his daughter being taken and him getting all emotional even though he is this big Harlem mobster. It showed how much he really cared about his family and that his business was not all he cared about. That opened Shaft's eyes and put the thought in my head saying "Maybe this man is not as big of a monster as he is portrayed to be.... or he is incredibly good at acting" (oh the irony). Overall this movie played a big part in showing the capabilities a primarily African American casted movie has.

This film is a fine example of how films in "New Hollywood" are easy to differentiate then films during the code. In a way, Billy and Wyatt represent the film industry during this decade. Everything was going downhill and then Hollywood got rid of the code because if they didn't there would be no more Hollywood. By public request and demand of television it was time to move on from all the censorship and let people make the films they want. Billy and Wyatt represent the film industry after the code because they are two free men just cruising around the country on their motorcycles without a care in the world except for the enormous amount of drug money in their gas tank. Overall this film is expressing the rising hippie and drug movement which moved a lot of people because at the time this film sparked the New Hollywood era of films. All this being said the ending seemed rushed and out of context. But I guess it was a way to catch people's attention and it worked.

The traumatizing, haunting, nightmarish memories of Nazi concentration camps lurk in the mind of a numbed feeling Jewish pawnbroker. They are starting to take over his life and his decisions lead him to push away the only people that love and care about him. Sol Nazerman feels as if his life has no purpose since he lost his family. You can tell people care about him and want to help him. People like Ortiz, Marilyn Birchfield, Tessie, all these people wanted to help Sol but his memories that he thought were gone just kept resurfacing and getting in the way of his feelings and unleashing this rage against everyone he interacted with. Once he realizes that he pushed it to far Rodriguez has already beaten him up, Ortiz has been shot and killed, and Tessie's dad died. There is no happy ending which makes it tough to really say if I enjoyed it. I need closure in films and I feel as if I got none here.

This film is very unique. The title "A Patch of Blue" fits the narrative of this film perfectly. Throughout the movie Selina D'Arcy, a blind young woman played by Elizabeth Hartman, is presented opportunities to experience new things she's never experienced because her mother Roseanne kept her sheltered and has been using Selina as if she were her servant. Selina has to clean, she has to cook, she has to do the laundry, all while being blind. And why is she blind? Because her mother threw a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and it got in her eyes. All of these elements of the film make you feel exactly how the title puts it, "patches of blue". Although Selina's story is very sad her relationship with Gordon is quite special. It is a clear depiction of the message "What matters is on the inside" Because she has no idea what Gordon looks like all she cares about is how happy he makes her. It is extremely heart warming to end such a sad story like Selina's childhood with sending her off to a school for the blind so she can finally learn to live like a normal human. Overall I greatly enjoyed this film.

The Wizard of Oz is among one of the most famous movies ever created. It is known by almost everyone still to this day in 2020. Why? Because it is absolutely timeless. You still see kids dress up as the lion, scarecrow and the tin man for Halloween because of the lasting mark this film left on us. I think the most impressive parts about this film is the detail in the settings and backgrounds of each cut. Everything from the witches castle, which is actually a real castle and is currently for sale for 3.4 million dollars, to the land of oz with the yellow brick road and the munchkins. All the costumes really made it feel like Dorothy was exploring another world! Overall this movie is one of my favorite classics and I'll be sure to make sure my kids appreciate it to.

This film near the top of the list hen it comes to Alfred Hitchcock's greatest films. The element of the film I enjoyed the most was the storyline. The creativity, the mystery, the unpredictable events, every one of those elements were displayed in this film and that mixes for a very entertaining couple of hours. You can see the similarities of Hitchcock's directing style in this film compared to his other film "psycho". In this film Eve Kendall is trying to hide her true identity from Phillip Vandamm, similarly to the style of Norman Bates hiding his true identity from the people investigating him. That was just a cool similarity I noticed between two incredible films directed by a legendary director.

This film by Alfred Hitchcock is at the top of the list for my all time favorite films of the 60's. In the beginning while Marion is on the run with the $40,000 and she is being followed by the police you can almost feel how she would feeling. She played off that part very well. When you're on the run like that and you're filled with guilt it just seems like everybody knows what you did and everybody is out to get you. I also love the transition from protagonist to protagonist after Bates commits the two murders. In the beginning you expect to be going on this long journey with Marion while she's on the run with the $40,000 but next thing you know you're 40 minutes into the movie and she's being stabbed to death in the shower. It leaves you thinking "where does the movie really go from here?" And then it transitions to the private detective's perspective of him investigating where she might have taken off with the money.... and then BOOM, he gets stabbed by bates and now the mystery continues. In all honesty I was not predicting either of these murders, and unpredictable events in movies are what make me keep my eyes glued to the screen. The best part is probably the ending where the psychiatrist is explaining how Bates is mentally ill with split personalities; one of those personalities being his mother. Overall this film is on the top of my leaderboard when it comes to favorites. 10/10

This film was an emotional rollercoaster. An enraged cop struggling with taking his job home with him at night because he is lonely. He takes his rage out the criminals he arrests and then as a consequence gets put on a murder mystery up North. While going through the investigation the victims father wanted nothing but to get his revenge on the murderer, without knowing the murderer is a kid with a mental disability who's sister is blind. A realistic situation? no. A situation that makes for a good story in a film? absolutely! Jim ends having to try and control the victims father just like his partners would have to try and control him when he would have serious rage and aggressive moments against criminals. It forces him to put himself in the other persons shoes, which opens his eyes up to see what was wrong with the way he was enforcing the law. Overall i greatly enjoyed this film.

This movie fits in my personal category of a near perfect movie. There is murder, there is a little mystery, there is suspense. The way Ida Lupino directed this movie makes it what it is. She is incredibly talented and this movie was an enormous milestone for the film industry. William Talman did a fantastic job as emmett myers. He played the part of a true criminal that will do anything to make sure he doesn't get caught. During this whole movie the though that kept running through my mind is "it is incredible how much power a pistol can give someone with a bad motive" With Myers wielding the revolver and taking away Bowen's gun, it made it so Myers could make them do whatever he wanted. Overall the acting, music, scenery all combined for a very enjoyable film.

Although this film is not 100 percent historically accurate, it still captures the key event that took place during this time. And that was the murder of Reinhard Heydrich, the leader of the German second Reich. According to history it Heydrich was caught by a bullet of an unknown freedom fighter, well this film does a fantastic job of putting a character behind that "unknown" man and giving him a story line. In the film the Germans are scary, harsh, demanding, and will stop at nothing to get what they want. In other words, they played their roles rather realistically. Overall i was moderatley impressed with the film and enjoyed the fictional spinoff on a real murder.

Casablanca was a very enjoyable film to watch. I think one of the factors that really helped this movie was the time period it took place in. It shows the true superpower Germany was and how the country was pushing people out of Europe at almost all expenses. In the film, Rick is a typical selfish bar/saloon owner that "sticks his neck out for nobody" until romance gets involved. I really love how a large portion of the middle of the movie is a flashback to how Rick fell in love. It just so happens that the ever so slight chance of the woman he fell in love with would return to his saloon with her husband who is wanted by the Germans and is trying to escape casablanca. Overall this film is a wild ride of emotions and the ending is just about perfect in my opinion.

John Ford created a legendary take on the beginning of Abraham Lincoln's historic life. In the beginning of the film It shows Lincoln's true passion for law when he accepts a book of law from a poor country family to be their lawyer in return. Things start to escalate and a murder gets framed on two boys in the family. The court scene is my favorite scene in the whole movie. The way Henry Fonda and Donald Meek battle it out in court room is just inspiring. Although Lincoln's lack of experience shows throughout the trial he battles through the adversity and connects the dots to prove the two boys innocence in the murder. It is truly an incredible film and makes me want to read more about Abraham Lincoln.

"Stagecoach" is one of the best western movies before the 40's. John Wayne as the "Ringo Kid" plays a falsely accused criminal on the hunt for answers about his murdered father and brother. He is on his way to Lordsburg to attempt to escape, however in the end the marshal Curly ends up letting him go along with Dallas anyway. But in the Stagecoach with Ringo is an alcoholic Doctor, Mrs Mallory who is a lady searching for her husband, a man name Mr. Peacock who has his own alcohol business, a very shady guy who goes by Mr. Hatfield who claims he wants to protect Mrs. Mallory. However while the stagecoach is being chased and shot at by Apache Indians Mr. Hatfield is pointing a gun at Mrs. Mallory's head and then he himself gets shot by an apache. All in all this movie is full of suspense and is a classic Western film with "Cowboys" and "Indians". I would definitely recommend this fil to anyone who likes western films or just action and adventure films with a happy ending!

"This place looks like an insane asylum" "Well all you need for an asylum is a large space and the right people" This quote was one that stood out to me and just made me laugh during the movie. Overall I though this film had a very interesting story line. It was a little harder to follow at times but everyone, especially Godfrey, plays their part so well. Godfrey goes from being a fresh, know-it all that lived in a dump to a smart sophisticated butler. The love that Irene expresses for Godfrey at times is a little corny but that's just the acting of that time. The slyness of Cornelia trying to frame Godfrey for stealing was a shocking scene but it's one of those scenes that adds a little more spice and conflict, it makes things more interesting and this movie had many moments like that which made me enjoy it!

This film is one of the most controversial films of its time. During the depression period of segregation a Black mother, Delilah, and her "Light-skin" daughter move in with a single white mother, Beatrice, and her daughter. Delilah makes delicious pancakes and Beatrice uses her secret recipe to market it and make tons of money. The fact she stole her idea is wrong, but during those times that's just what happened. White people took advantage of Black people and it's sickening.

Another controversial topic in this film is the constant battle Delilah's daughter faces with being black and looking mostly white. It's a really harsh reality that a girl that age will do anything to avoid. She even gets to the point where she basically disowns her own mother and acts like she has no idea who she is. The specific scene where Fredi Washington is behind the counter and her mother walks in, Fredi acts like shes a crazy woman and like she's never seen before. It's truly heartbreaking but it defines the era they were living in.

This classic Dracula film is by far my favorite movie of the 30's. Bela Lugosi plays the part of Count Dracula magnificently. His intimidation, exquisiteness, and calm personality while in character is mesmorizing. A scene that comes to mind is when Count Dracula attempts to control van helsing's mind, he almost gets control but Van Helsing's strong will and the power of christ help him overcome Dracula's mmind games. I would watch this film over and over again.

When I think of the word "gangster" nowadays I think about two people. Snoop Dogg, and Scarface. This movie was the pinnacle of gangster movies back in the 30's and rightfully so. Paul Muni played his part perfectly, everything from the accent to the short, "smart-ass" phrases that was highly popular during the Gangster era. This movie made me feel like I was in Chicago during the prohibition era, especially during the scene in the cafe when Tony gets ambushed by all the tommy guns. It does not get more gangster then a mob boss with a tommy gun.

Reading about Buster Keaton, or the Great Stone Face, he was very talented with the profession of being a comedian. An actor and filmmaker? I don't get the impression that this is the path he should have chose. This whole film is about the choice that he has to make, it's either leave his beloved profession of being a a railroad engineer or he enlists in the army and serves his country. The woman he loves wants him to enlist into the Army however they wont let him because his profession is too important to just leave. without too many spoilers this was a very good film with a good mix of comedy and romance.