Reviews by Kyle Ellis

A seventeen-year-old aristocrat (Kate Winslet), expecting to be married to a rich claimant (Billy Zane) by her mother, falls in love with a kind but poor artist (Leonardo DiCaprio) aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.

The first thing that is really striking about this film is that it came from James Cameron, who is much better known for science fiction films like "Terminator", "Avatar" and "Aliens". He is not the first person that comes to mind when you think of historical fiction romances. And yet, he nailed it. "Titanic", despite its length of three hours, was a huge success and may have sold more VHS copies than any other movie.

But beyond the romance, this is actually a rather decent movie. I cannot say why, it is something hard to put one's finger on. Most likely, it has something to do with Billy Zane, who is more or less the greatest thing about the film.

On a technical level this movie is amazing. David Fincher tries new boundaries and he succeeds. I haven't seen the making of yet, but people have told me about some things, that they have seen and it sounds amazing.

Unfortunately I don't feel as "touched" by the complete story. It does have a strong beginning and the acting is great. But at the end it seems more like bits and parts and not as a whole movie experience. Of course that symbolizes our life as it is (also bits and pieces and many different chapters, with different characters in them). But although I do like this aspect, I feel there could've been more.

Maybe Mr. Fincher spoiled us with the movies he makes and I expected more. But whatever it is and although I do like the movie, I couldn't bear to give it more than 7/10 (which isn't bad at all in my book either).

Classy Sci-Fi film with fantastic FX , dealing with a group of losers who decide to go into business for themselves .After losing their scholastic funding , a bunch of unemployed men join forces to form a team of para-normal investigators by aiding New York citizens in the removal of ghosts , goblins and other annoying spirits.

Comedy-thriller about N. Y. being overrun by supernatural creatures , as a brave group must do battle wicked spirits and other dreadful monsters . It packs great special effects , zany and crazy roles giving diverting interpretations from Bill Murray , Dan Aykroyd , Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis , Sigourney Weaver . Being well accompanied by a good support cast, such as : William Atherton , Annie Potts , William Margules , Reginald Vel Johnson , Timothy Carhart , among others . It contains entertainment , amusement , funny sketches and some of the best laughs of the decade . State-of-art special effects by the time , being competently made by expert Richard Edlund . Along with colorful and shimmering cinematography by Laszlo Kovaks . Lively and enjoyable musical score by the classic composer Elmer Berstein , along with Oscar nominated title song written and sung by Ray Parker Jr .

Followed by a 1989 inferior but serviciable sequel , Ghostbusters 2 , in which the team are back in action when a river of slime that is actually the physical version of evil is discovered running beneath the city , starred by similar actors , adding Peter MacNicol, Harris Yulin , Janet Margolin . And a recent female adaptation Ghostbusters 2026 by Paul Feig with Kristen Wiig , Melissa McCarthy , Chris Hemsworth , Charles Dance ,and special appearances from Bill Murray , Dan Aykroyd , Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver .

Warning: Spoilers
I should point out at the onset that this really isn't the sort of film I like--so keep this in mind. I decided to watch "Drive" because it received a lot of critical attention but was ignored at the Oscars. And, since I'd heard so much good stuff about it, I decided to rent it.

"Drive" is a SUPER-violent film. While the number of deaths isn't as extreme as some films, the deaths that do occur are among the bloodiest and closeup you will ever see in a movie. You see a person get their head blown apart at close range with a shotgun, you see a man stomped to death (complete with lots of squishy sound effects) and a guy stabbed in the eye and then in the throat! Do NOT let kids see this film and think twice about seeing it yourself. It is brutal...very, very brutal--and this might be why it didn't get any major Oscar nominations.

The film begins very well. I really liked the music and thought it quite fitting. Ryan Gosling plays a guy who is a spectacularly talented driver--so much that he does stunts for films and also drives getaway for crooks. I know the film makers were trying to make him super-cool by having him show ZERO emotion and talk rarely. I just thought this was too underplayed for my taste. As for the mobsters in the film, they are quite the opposite. Albert Brooks (yes, THAT Albert Brooks) plays a maniac killer--a guy who loves to use knives and razors on his victims. Ron Perlman isn't much nicer! Bryan Cranston is also on hand but never gets around to killing anyone.

When Gosling meets a nice lady (Cary Mulligan) and befriends her and her son, he learns she has a husband who is in jail. Instead of trying to steal her, he actually helps the guy when he gets out of jail. It seems that the mob is going to make the husband perform one last robbery--then they'll let him and his family live--and Gosling agrees to drive the getaway car. But it all blows up in their face--it's all a setup and it looks like EVERYONE will eventually die. Can the almost zombie-like Gosling manage to take on the gang and survive?

I personally respect the film but thought it was way too over-mannered and way too artsy for my taste--as well as WAY too bloody. If this if your thing, fine. I just didn't enjoy this sort of thing though it's well made.

In late '20s Hollywood, a beautiful but squeaky-voiced star of the silent screen can't adjust when Tinsel Town goes Talkie, yet a disaster is averted when her male co-star has his new girl dub the actress's lines and her singing for their latest costume epic. Glorious musical-comedy is savvy (if a little soft-hearted) about show business, and truly first-rate as a visual feast (with colors that saturate the screen like a painter's dream palette). Though he deserves most of the credit for his co-direction, singing, dancing and choreography, I'm not sure how convincing Gene Kelly is as a love-interest for Debbie Reynolds (they seem more along the lines of close pals, or perhaps brother and sister). Kelly, a real showboater who constantly plays to the camera, knows his strengths like no other musical star, yet his penchant for playing to the audience can either be deemed cute or simply unctuous. Still, the man is a human dynamo, and he cuts quite a presence on the screen; though his elaborate "Broadway Melody" number really belongs in a different picture altogether, Kelly is ingratiating calling out "Gotta Dance!" to a stage full of arms-flailing teens--he's the bedrock of the movie, as well as its heart and soul. Debbie seems rather young for him, but she's full of joshing good cheer, like a great buddy. Donald O'Connor has energy to spare as a pianist, and his exhausting showpiece "Make 'em Laugh" (though prolonged) is one of the few times when Kelly doesn't steal the spotlight. ***1/2 from ****

I have seen this movie twice. The first time, I thought it was an okay picture. However, because it is such an important French New Wave film and had a big impact on future projects and because so much positive stuff has been written about it, I thought I'd give it another try. Well, it did improve some with the second watching--particularly since I have also seen the rest of the "Antoine Doinel" films. But, was it "great",...not really, though it still was a very very good film. There is very little negative about it other than the occasionally poor sound track. As many New Wave films are supposed to have a "home-made" quality about them, much of the time this wasn't a problem. But, there were times when the amateurish quality of the music was distracting. Also, a smaller complaint was the abrupt ending, though this is only a small complaint since the director returned to his alter-ego in follow-up films. When all seen together, now THAT is a fascinating thing-and something I recommend you try to do if you see "The 400 Blows".

A group of men are having benign banter in a diner. They have color code names. Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) brings a horribly wounded Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) back to the hideout. Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) is ranting about the quick police response as a setup. Joe Cabot hired the crew for a diamond store holdup keeping their identities secret from each other. Calm and disturbed Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) shows up with a captured cop.

Quentin Tarantino deconstructs the crime movie by concentrating on the in-between scenes. He peppers the scenes with sharp extraneous dialog. It makes for some really memorable scenes. The diner scene and the torture scene are unforgettable. The whole movie does drag as we wait for the actual robbery action scenes but this movie is something completely different.

Felon Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) gets sentenced to a term at a mental asylum. He is not really insane but pleaded insane to avoid a harsher sentence. Once inside he discovers that it is no picnic, with the patients being ruled with an iron fist by oppressive head nurse Nurse Ratched. The naturally free-spirited, rebellious and extroverted McMurphy livens up the place, making confrontation with Ratched inevitable.

Great, original movie. Decent dramatic plot with some great humorous detours. Maybe a bit too linear and basic to make it brilliant, but very entertaining nevertheless.

Won the 1976 Best Picture Oscar. Also won Best Director (for Milos Forman), Best Leading Actor (Jack Nicholson), Best Leading Actress (Louise Fletcher) and Adapted Screenplay (Lawrence Hauben & Bo Goldman), making it the first movie since It Happened One Night in 1934 to win all 5 major awards at the Oscars.

In Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

Spielberg, unsure if he was ready to make a film about the Holocaust, tried to pass the project to several other directors before finally deciding to direct the film himself. Indeed, the biggest criticism the film gets is that it came from Spielberg, well known for his sentimentality. Had another director made the same film, it would probably be considered flawless.

One can wonder about the casting of Liam Neeson as a Moravian German, when he clearly is not. But with such a strong acting ability, this can be overlooked. The casting of Ben Kingsley was brilliant, even if he is not Jewish, and it is a shame this role is not the one he is best known for. Somehow Ralph Fiennes got a supporting actor nomination, but not Kingsley? The choice to film in black and white makes sense, as Spielberg wanted a "documentary" feel. Does the infusion of red take away from this? Some might say so.

This film racked up a slew of awards, including several Oscars, and this is well-deserved. Despite its critics, this will no doubt go on to be considered one of the greatest films of all time, and easily the best to address the Holocaust.

Warning: Spoilers
I guess I find myself somewhat in the middle on this film, I enjoyed it to a point, but I don't get the sense that this is one of the greatest Westerns ever, and the Western is my favorite movie genre. I much prefer a good psychological Western between complex antagonists, Eastwood's own "Unforgiven" would be an example. This was more a straightforward tale of three desperadoes consumed by greed who attempt to outwit each other on the trail to an unknown grave containing two hundred thousand dollars in gold coin. Each though, earns their respective title credit in the story, even if Eastwood's Blondie might be the 'good' simply based on his classically rugged features.

More on the plus side, it was really cool to hear the title theme music expressed in a handful of different ways throughout the story. The picture also captured the gritty realism of what the 1860's wild west was probably a lot like. You know, the more films I see of cowboys out in the desert days at a time with no access to soap and water, I start to wonder if they'll ever produce a picture that captures the fresh aroma of that experience. It's one thing to hear Tuco accused of smelling like a pig, but to actually get the full flavor of that would really be something. Then again, theater goers would never make it to the end of the picture - oh well for that idea.

As for the film's length, I too side with those that feel it took a long time to get from Point A to Point B. I'm really wondering if it was necessary to bring in the Civil War battle for that bridge, but it did give rise to perhaps the most meaningful scene in the picture for me. Watching Blondie try to ease the soldier's death with his coat and a smoke was a masterful touch.

You know, I could probably go so far as to put this film in the top twenty Westerns of all time, but it's position at #4 in the IMDb top rankings of ALL pictures (as I write this) is just too much of a stretch. That's probably the reason I find myself going to that page less and less, and watching movies of all types more and more.