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Reviews
Scarface (1983)
An operatic display of violence
I remember seeing this movie in the theaters with my mom when I was 10. Even though she knew the level of violence in this movie, she still took me because we were living in Miami at the time during the cocaine cowboys era. I was completely shocked by the violence, the profanity, and the drug use in the film. It's a terrific film that doubles as a morality tale. Al Pacino's depiction as Tony Montana is terrific. At times you almost forget he's really Italian. He is great at showing us how the game is played in the drug business. What you should do, what to avoid and, most of all, never want more than what you need.
In short, this is a terrific gangster film.
9 out of 10
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
A modern day Rio Bravo
When I was 7 in 1980 there was ON-TV which was the original pay per view. It was different than HBO because movies got there months before cable. It was there where i saw this gritty film. I didn't know the name of the movie but 2 early violent scenes stuck in my head because of the violent nature of it. Years later I saw the box cover and it looked creepy so I rented it and was shocked when I saw a scene that i never forgot (when you see this film you'll know which scene) and was surprised that John Carpenter was the one who directed this film. I watched with anticipation and loved the film. The acting is OK, but the story is well done for the budget he had (about 150,000.00). Very simple story to follow but well executed.
I give it 7 out of 10 only because of some obvious goofs in the movie but well worth the viewing time.
The Program (1993)
The side of college football that universities don't want you to see!
This movie was nothing short of shocking when it came out in 1993. The average person had a hard time believing the things depicted were based on actual accounts in colleges across the country. It wasn't until 20/20 reminded people of various scandals in college football (the 77-87 SMU mustangs are the perfect example of this movie) that the American public saw just how far players and schools will go to win.
I still look at this movie with some sadness. You see how a player is treated with kid gloves when they are All-Americans, and when they are injured permanently and are of no use to the team, they are chewed up and spit out and quickly forgotten. Some ask for it, while others fall victims to their universities demands to push it to the limit and beyond!
All in all, this is a very entertaining movie.
Lord of War (2005)
Cage at his best
This film was recommended to me by a friend when it his DVD. I watched it and was amazed by the things depicted in the film, some cool, some bizarre, some tragic, yet completely entertaining from start to finish.
Nic Cage's performance in this film is terrific, in my opinion, much more tragic than his role from Leaving Las Vegas. You love him and hate him, cheer him, and root against him for the path he chooses. His choice to become an arms dealer comes as a kind of destiny he feels he was born to fulfill.
I like how his character always manages to stay one step ahead of the law while juggling his family life. His choices are not always morally correct, yet he is aware and makes no apologies.
Please see this movie if you have a chance. After you watch it, watch it with director's commentary. The director has a lot of good stuff to tell about the movie, from how he got the financing to the actors he hired for certain roles.
The Long Riders (1980)
Real life brothers playing historical outlaw brothers......well done.
I saw this movie around 1986 and was told by my mother that real life brothers played the James-Younger gang. When this movie started, i was glued to the t.v. It was a very good movie. I already knew who Walter Hill was from his directing triumphs of 48hrs and The Warriors, as well as composer Ry Cooder who scored the movie Southern Comfort (another hidden gem) so i had faith in this movie. I sure was not disappointed.
This movie scores high on almost every level. There's the unity among the gang yet u see some disagreements but through it all they persevere for years together. The historical bank robbery near the end was well done and makes u wish you were there when it happened.
This is one of my all time favorite westerns. See this movie as soon as u can if you love westerns. You won't be disappointed.
Boogie Nights (1997)
Brutal, yet magnificent depiction of late 70's- early 80's porn world
I was really exited to see this film after watching the preview. I went on opening night not knowing what to expect. I wanted to see this movie mainly because of all the stories of wild, care free party life that my parents always talked about (disco, Studio 54 etc) and wanted to see how it translated to film.
I was surprised by some of the things that they depicted from that era, but nonetheless, it was well done.
My favorite character in the film is Jack Horner who is brilliantly played by Burt Reynolds. His desire to make "The Great American Adult Film" is what drives him to be the top director in the business. However, as time goes on and we enter the 80's, he is forced to come to terms that with the advent of the cheaper and easier to film and edit "videotape", not to mention the VCR, people no longer care about plots in a porn movie. He also sees that with this technology, people will soon be able to film a porn movie from their own basement for practically nothing and make big bucks. He reluctantly makes the transition, yet, that soon becomes the least of his worries when the 80's begin and life around him and his "family" slowly begin to unravel.
The saddest point in the film for me is when rollergirl (played wonderfully by a very sexy Heater Grahm) encounters someone from her past( you have to see it for yourself) and the brutal scene that follows
her encounter with this person. The other Characters in the movie were well picked for their roles, most notably Julianne Moore. Mark Wahlberg's character was terrific also but I liked the supporting characters more.
Mind you, this is not a no-hold barred film about porn, but a story of people involved in the porn scene in the 70's and 80's.
See This Movie!!!
The Wild Bunch (1969)
Magnificent!
I first saw this movie about 15 years ago and was shocked that i didn't know about this film sooner. This movie is on par with the Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns, which were nothing short of magnificent.
I remember reading an article from around 1970 that old west actors such as John Wayne were very angry with the way this movie depicted the old west. Are you kidding?! I suppose they never read history in the old west. It was never about just the good guys and the bad guys. There were bounty hunters who played both sides for their own benefit (Clint Eastwood's character was just such a person). This was how the west really was........Ultra Violent!
That being said, this movie starts out in a way you don't expect; with the kind of shootout that usually comes at the end of a western. As the film progresses, you see these four men are truly loyal to each other regardless of what happens. They also have accepted the fact that they now live in a world where their kind just either don't fit in or don't belong.
Near the very end, Pike(played by the great William Holden) looks at the prostitute he had spent the night with and sees her child in the next room, looks back at her, seeing how beautiful she is, he then comes to the realization that at some point in his life, this could have been his life ( wife, child or children...aka the peaceful life) and see that this is the only life he will ever have till he dies.
When he goes to the room where the Gorch bros. (oats and Johnson) and simply says "LETS GO!", they know exactly his meaning behind that. Walking out, Holden looks at Borgnine who is sitting outside and without saying a word, borgnine knows exactly what they are going to do next and he seems to have been waiting for this moment to come.
What follows next is possibly the greatest western shootout of all time. Simply put; you have to see it to believe it!
9 out of 10 for me. Wonderful film.
Jingle All the Way (1996)
My second favorite Christmas film
First of all, the reason this is my second favorite film is because A Christmas Story is, in my opinion, the best X-mas movie of the last 30 years. That being said, on with my review.
I went into this movie expecting a few laughs and what i got was much more. This is easily Arnolds best comedy film. He and Sinbad are a terrific combination in this film about two fathers from different walks of life trying to buy their sons the most popular X-mas toy .........ON Christmas EVE! That plot alone is funny.
I was able to laugh at this film as it reminded me of the great Cabbage Patch fiasco of '82 or '83 (so long ago) and i remember seeing news footage of kids and adults being treated for injuries from being trampled on.
This film takes a comedic look at what we as parents will go through to make our children happy. Great film!!!!
Lat sau san taam (1992)
John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat.........greatest action movie director/star combo ever!!
Let me apologize to all the action movies that try to hopelessly add a plot to make their movie more watchable. Woo and Fat have done this many times together, yet none better than this film.
The action is fast and loud (really loud)its got the right amount of story that is fluid enough to keep the movie from slowing down, and they did a great job with the shootout scenes throughout the movie. There are some over the top scenes in the film but seriously, what action film doesn't have some?
Long story short, if you love (not like) action films, watch this! Just don't expect a complicated story line. After all, it's an action film!
Payback (1999)
Awesome!..........The Director's Cut is almost as good.
When I saw this at the movies, I loved the porter character that Mel Gibson plays. It was nice to see him as a bad guy for a change. However, watching the movie I saw that certain scenes seemed out of place in the film. Then, when The D.C. of the film came out, I watched it and it made more sense.
First of all, there is more character development, the beginning is shorter as you don't see porter getting bullets removed from his back, other scenes were shortened to make the movie flow a little better. but the biggest change was both the ending (which is totally different) and the Bronson character who you don't see and was originally a woman (voiced by Sally Kellerman) which changes the tone of the ending as you wonder if you will ever see her or if she chooses to have faith in her people to eliminate Porter.
All in all, a well-made film. Try to see both versions if you can.
The Punisher (1989)
Action Packed!
I remember seeing the trailer for this on the video tape rental of hellraiser II and couldn't wait to see it. Then New world pictures went under and it was over a year later before it came to video. When I saw it, I was mostly satisfied. The characters were good yet I feel they cut too much out of the final cut that explains Frank Castle's transformation and souless development into the punisher.
The 2004 version should've been combined with this film. The character development was better in that one but the acting and action scenes sucked in that version.
This is a very enjoyable film 7 out of 10
Bound by Honor (1993)
Great depiction of the prison gangs of the late 20th century.
For 3 years, my wife wanted me to watch this movie and i hesitated. It sounded like just another gang movie and i wasn't interested in watching another movie like that. Then when i was sick one day it came on cable and i decided to watch it. As soon as the first 1/2 hour passed, I was sorry I didn't watch it sooner. This movie was well done! A very good depiction of street and prison gangs..(the fact that some of the actors and crew either were involved in gangs or had done time in jail helped make some of the roles more believable).
The saddest character in the movie is the main protagonist Miklo Velka. despite his mother being a brown-eyed, blk haired Mexican, his white father's features constantly make him an outsider in his own community and his willingness to do whatever it takes to be accepted by his own people ends up having disastrous consequences for all involved in his life in the 12 years that the film takes place.
One other thing I saw in the movie that really surprised me is when Popeye tells Miklo that he cannot get mad at another Latino in jail because they were both from rival gangs. In prison, they have to unite if they want to survive. I saw that as a unity born out of need to protect themselves.
If you are Latin, regardless of type (cuban, Puerto-Rican,Peruvian,Mexican etc) see this movie.
Rambo (2008)
The way it should have been from the start
"WARNING! some spoilers ahead; read at your own risk" First off, let me say that First Blood is one of my all-time fav films. However, I always thought in the sequels he should've been more violent and the kills more brutal. I have seen people who fought in wars and lost limbs due to getting them blown off with a certain type of weapon. Rambo clearly shows what happens to the human body when a truck mounted heavy machine gun rips through them. The result: swiss cheese!
You feel a little bit of sadness toward Rambo. He lives in semi-seclusion, avoiding violence and still violence finds him. He gives you that feeling that the only way he will truly be free from such violence that seems to keep finding him is to die. Perhaps he feels that toward the end maybe his time will finally be up.
The ending, however, was the only way they could end this franchise.........He finally comes full circle in his life and seems to accept it at last.
If you have a weak stomach for extreme violence(i.e. kids being killed on screen) don't watch this movie.
Platoon (1986)
Terrific
I was expecting to see just a typical war movie with a lot of action. I couldn't believe the film I saw; it was quite possibly the most powerful film on the Vietnam war. The part of the movie that was the hardest for me to watch was the village scene. It's one thing if oliver stone exaggerated that part, however, things like that really happened in Vietnam. I really liked the characters in the film. They all had different aspects of life and war, some good some bad.
If you know anyone who fought in Vietnam, see this movie. This is a wonderful and powerful film. A true masterpiece. Quite possibly, Oliver Stone's best film.
First Blood (1982)
Amazing!
I was still a kid when this film came out and saw it on cable. I thought Rambo was a true ass-kicking American who you did not want to mess with. This film really makes u hate the small town sheriff's office that treats Rambo with what almost seems to be racial prejudice (despite that they are all white). This was the first time in my life i saw that as a society, we can treat each other very badly for nothing more than a war in which many soldiers didn't want to fight in the first place! When i asked my dad and uncle how accurate this behavior was to returning G.I.'s from Vietnam, they said at times it was even worse. It made me cry because now you see how we support our troops and only want to see them come home safely, a very stark contrast to 30-35 years ago. I can see how it would cause him to snap and defend himself the only way he knows how!
If you have any family members that fought in Vietnam, please watch this movie. The dialog he gives in the film's finale gives you an understanding to how many were treated in society.
Commando (1985)
"Quite possibly Arnold's best performance!"
I remember the first time i saw this movie......I was completely blown away by the action scenes and thought that his performance in this film trumped conan. A few years later, after watching a ton of big budget Hollywood films as well as a ton of straight-to-video films and i noticed a huge difference........in Commando, when Matrix runs out of ammo, he is seen either reloading or discards the weapon. the only time you don't see Matrix reload a weapon is when he has to reload his primary weapon, the assault rifle. The one explanation for this is he reloaded off screen as the number of bullets he fired totaled around 60 rounds (the equivalent of two mags.) That one little detail made the whole difference in the film.
If you haven't seen this movie, watch it. It's simply one of the best action films of all time.
The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Great animation, good story, and not much else.
First off, there is one flaw i discovered before the movie came out, and that was that while the series was on t.v. the movie was being made.
Here's the problem: I knew characters were gonna die but the way they did it was dumb! you seriously expect kids to watch the series for three years and see the autobots take some incredible punishment and believe that in the movie a single laser pistol blast would easily take down an autobot and only one decepticon dies in the whole film. FYI Megatron, Skywarp, Thundercracker, and the Incecticons to name a few were only altered. Second: Optimus suffers major damage and they can't fix him and Ultramagnus is blown to pieces and they put him back together like a jigsaw puzzle as if nothing happened to him. How about applying that tactic to all the fallen autobots.
Word to the toy companies......get to know which characters are the most popular and try not to kill all of them off!
Regardles of that horrible flaw......the story was good, the animation was top notch. Very watchable. I still recommend it.
G.I. Joe: Resolute (2009)
Incredible..........
First of all, let me start by saying that with the exception of the 5 part mini-series that started each season, I was never really a fan of the cartoon because i grew up reading about real life terrorism in the papers and in the news and I also read the comics. in the comics, they killed off a whole bunch of joes and cobras in a one year span where in the cartoon, no one suffered so much as a hangnail. I thought it was so lame!
That being said, when I tuned in to the first airing of resolute, i could not believe that 2 major characters were killed off in the first 3 min. I knew then this is the version I dreamed of seeing as a kid.
My favorite change: Cobra Commander! In the comics he was sneaky and evil, yet when he showed even the slightest bit of compassion even toward his son, he nearly paid for it with his life. it taught him a valuable lesson in the series and he came back more ruthless than ever.
This version is just about the same in which he clearly stated if u help him conquer the world, the reward will be unlimited wealth.......oppose him or question his ruthlessness and YOU DIE!
I give this a 9 out of 10 because it just was not long enough. This (not g.i.joe renegades) should be made into a series. I love it!
Ying hung boon sik II (1987)
Great Follow-up
Rarely are sequels as good or better than the first, however, this film holds up very well. Chow Yun-Fat is certainly the true king of action films. His roles are what action fans love (the hero doesn't always come out smelling like roses, or alive at the end) and make his characters more believable.
The shootout at the film's climax is the stuff of legend. The choreography is well done and the gun sounds are loud and more authentic. I am very impressed with this film.
Now, as far as plot goes........fairly simple: Murdered ex-gangster's twin brother who nobody knew existed comes looking for revenge on the men responsible for his brother's death. Simple yet entertaining.
Ying hung boon sik (1986)
A True Action Gem
This is one of those rare films that keep your attention from beginning to end. The action scenes are among the best and like its sequels and films The Killer and Hard Boiled show you, Chow Yun-Fat And director John Woo are the best action film combo ever!
The one thing i enjoyed about the action scenes is that it seems more real than just about anything Hollywood has made in the last 25 years. The gunfire sounds more realistic and the car chases are not as choreographed as many big Hollywood films (the Bourne films are a rare exception). You just get this feeling of realism which is why true action fans love all his films.
Watch this film and you wont be disappointed.
Ninja Assassin (2009)
Simply Incredible!
Growing up, I saw dozens of ninja films, including anything with Sho Kosugi (Revenge of the Ninja), I had read many articles of ninjas throughout history, and this film captured the one true thing they were known for.............Attacking from the shadows and their ability to appear out of thin air as well as disappear into thin air.
The fighting in this film is top notch, the acting is also pretty good but the plot that surrounds the contracts that this ninja organization negotiates (100 pounds of gold for each contract killing) and the way they hide the wire transfers is an amazing way.They go to great lengths to make sure that they mean business and wish to stay hidden.
I give this movie 9 out of 10. If you like ninja films, this is the one you have to see!
Max Payne (2008)
Lousy!
I'm not gonna bore you with details about this film! bottom line: don't see it if you are a gamer who liked the video game. I was hoping it was gonna be great! it wasn't even mediocre! waste of time for Mark Wahlburg story was altered a lot for movie reasons i guess. it jumps u in the story and then jumps right out w/o warning. Be wary of Video games being made into movies!!!! Apparently, only the Resident Evil franchise has been successful.
my only question is.......Who gave this movie a green light to be made with the script or a sorry excuse for one.
Avoid this film unless u wish to waste 2 hours of your day.
The Mechanic (1972)
Bronson is the one and only
I remember seeing this film on video with my mom who had seen it at the movies some 13 years earlier and said i should see this movie and knew i would love it. The story was a little hard to follow because i was 12 at the time so she explained to me a dumbed-down version of the storyline. After that, we watched it and i LOVED it!!!
There is no question that this is the best Charles Bronson film of all time. I strongly recommend this film as you will be very pleased. Although I liked the Jason Statham remake........it just can't be compared to the original. Mind you, this was before Death Wish, not after.
The Road (2009)
worth watching
I saw the preview for this film but never got to see it at the movies. The moment it went to video i rented it and was glad i did not spend 9 dollars at the movies to see it. Don't get me wrong, its a good film, but not one I would pay full price for.
The one thing I liked from the movie is that you are left to wonder what happened to our world. Was it war, or nature? Also u see what the human will is pushed to in this film and you can really feel the sadness and despair of all the characters, good or bad, in the film.
In short, i recommend this film. Don't watch this film with high expectations or you will be let down. Just watch and enjoy.
The Butterfly Effect (2004)
One word..........WOW!
I saw this movie out of curiosity. I wanted to see how this "time travel" film adheres to the Ray Bradbury story of the same name. It did a great job, so good that it spooked me at times as he tries to initially alter one event and winds up changing another. Sometimes its good, other times it's horrific. you keep watching to see how it pans out and after a while u wonder if this is all in his mind. The ending is great (regardless of whichever you see), and it was well acted. This is easily Ashton kutcher's best movie. Maybe he should do more horror or thriller films in the future.
I give this movie a 7 out of 10. Not the best film I ever saw, bet still a gem of a film.