The Godfather Reaction

The Godfather is one of those movies everybody has to see at some point in their lifetime. It epitomizes the evolution film has taken since it's humble beginnings in the 1800's. Regardless of what walk of life you come from, The Godfather is capable of captivating any individual and that is why in my eyes it has seen such huge cultural success. Some people cite it as the best movie ever made. I tend to disagree, however I can see how it appeals to so many people. There are several relatable characters all of whom do a terrific job playing their respectable roles. The film transcends generational boundaries unlike others before it because it focuses on both the young and the old. This may not be my favorite film of all time; it's long, involved, and the subplotes feel cumbersome, but I can appreciate it for what it's done to cinema and it's affect on movie watchers around the world.

The Departed - Reaction

The Departed is one of my all-time favorite films. To me, everything about this movie is spot on. Everything from the acting to the dialogue and cinematography is perfectly executed. The emotional impact of ths movie is huge and the ending surprises anyone whose been following along since the beginning. In my opinion, Jack Nickleson steals the performance. He plays a crime lord in Boston named Jack Costello, and as the movie progresses he slowly begins to grow more senial. Other great performances are done by Leonardo Dicaprio, Matt Damon, and Mark Whalberg. The Departed is a modern gangster film that combines strong emotion with great action and a great progressive story that has one of the least traditional endings of a movie in recent memory.

Cool Hand Luke - Reaction

I really enjoyed this movie. Directed by Stuart Rosenburg and starring Paul Newman, it's one of those films that keeps you captivated from beginning to end. The acting by all the characters but most notably Paul Newman and George Kennedy was outstanding. The story was great and successfully captured every human emotion. Newman's way of creating a mood just by the look on his face is to me the essence of being a good actor. Anyone can say "Gee, I am upset". Doing the same without using words, however, is far more difficult without making it look like you're trying too hard. The symbolism used by Stuart Rosenburg blended seamlessly with the rest of the movie and it was only after I stopped to think about it did I even realize how much there was. I found the color red and sunglasses to be the best implemented symbolic references. The religious sub tone was to me a little heavy at times, but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the movie at all. I hadn't seen much of Paul Newman's acting before this, and I'm glad I've got the opportunity

Sound vs No Sound

It's clear to anyone who has seen their fair share of horror movies that sound is what creates the tension. Music creates an ambient tone that gets people ready for something exciting to happen. In this scene with no sound, it looks like a very inconspicuous girl deciding to take a shower. When the person with the knife appears, since the audience wasn't anxious in anticipation, there was almost no psychological reaction. With sound, however, the scene is far more effective. The music sets a tone for the audience to expect something to happen. When the person with the knife enters the bathroom, it's psychological effect is far more prominent. My primary point is that in a good portion of movies, music has a far greater effect than we give it credit for.

Psycho reaction

Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh is the definitive horror film. It's tense music and atmosphere was something new when this movie came out in 1960. Audiences were frightened by the film and it has left a mark in the history of cinema. A genre of followers has spawned, with generic teenage horror movies trying to emulate Hitcock's original work. I actually enjoyed the movie. While some scenes were more comical than anything (the private detective falling down the stairs), I can surely see how this scared people in the 60's. They weren't accustomed to movies such as this and therefore were far easier to scare. I found it slightly erie myself, with the hotel owner's psychotic behavior. The acting was very good for a movie of this type - the characters were all believable and I was easily drawn into the story. My only gripe with this movie would be the scene beginning where Marion leaves with the money and ending when she trades out her car. To me, the acting here isn't quite as believable and the storyline doesn't flow as well. Perhaps Hitchcock could have given more of an explanation as to why she was such a nervous wreck - I hadn't realized she was stealing the money until she used it to purchase a car. In the end, though, everything came together to make a great movie. It's a classic that will always be remembered as the first major horror film and for that I give it credit.

Casablanca Reaction

To me, a great movie requires a captivating opening scene. It's what draws me in and what connects me to the characters. If the opening scene is hard to follow or doesn't retain my interest, the rest of the movie is likely to do the same. This movie had a poor opening scene (in my opinion, of course). I didn't understand what was going on in the tavern and I had a hard time following the path of the camera. Bogart's character seemed naive and bored me to death. His monotone voice and lack of enthusiasm left me spacing out half the movie. I was actually surprised this movie had garnered such critical acclaim; perhaps it was because I am not used to movies of the era, but I could not connect at all. There were a few saving graces, though. The ending was well done and the acting of Signor Ferarri was great.

King Kong Reaction - # 2

While Peter Jackson's King Kong may be a testament to the old, it's metamorphosis into something people can enjoy today can enjoy is breathtaking. Jackson's genius is clear as he blends the original masterpiece with modern technology and truly makes it his own. I do have some criticism, though. The movie is painstakingly slow to start - in the first movie, the action is pretty quick to take off. I understand Jackson was trying to convey the era and the develop the character's stories, but it was so slow to get to the action by the time the island scene began I was bored with the movie. From there, however, things took a turn for the best. As the ship slowly drifted into the mist on the water, I got a sense that the movie was going to get a lot better. The action sequences to follow were crafted in a manner that would make the original directors proud. The groundbreaking special effects are great but not surprising from a director like Peter Jackson who is known for his ability to create a masterful story that is the focal point in all his films. There are many things one can say about Peter Jackson's King King; great visuals, an immersive world, fantastic acting, but if there was one compliment I could give to this movie it would be this: It did the original justice. If any other person set out to recreate the Kong experience, we would have gotten a dry and poorly written copy of a classic. Instead, we got a deep and emotional story that makes you pick sides (and most people wanted to side with Kong). Whatever you want to call it, I enjoyed this film. The slow sequences were just that; slow, but the great sequences were more than great. I can only hope that one day somebody can do the same for Peter Jackson, perhaps recreating one of his greats and doing so not only for commercial success, but for the honor of one of the greatest directors of this generation.