Reviews
Le pacte des loups (2001)
More entertaining as a genre bastard than a film
To best understand this film, pretend you are standing in a room full of hats containing randomly selected aspects of other films. You reach into the first hat for a setting and you pull out "1700's France". By setting this film at that time in France you already have wonderful route of character development. Because like the musketers your character learns that all the pillars of society (the church, the Monarchy, the nobility) have their flaws. And that the triumph you character must at least in part leave all those institutions behind and lean on his inner-strength. This exactly what happens in the "Le Pacte des loups." The next hat you reach into gives you a central conflict conflict. And from the head ware oracle you'd extract "Jaws". The wolf is the shark. And the main characters carry with them a rational approach and a love for nature. They even measure the wounds to assess the monsters Jaw size. And when our hero's finally meet the monster head to head it appears suddenly with out build up like the shark. The next hat has to give you a plot. Just as "Jaws" was truely driven by the Robert Shaw's Ahab like hubris and Roy Schinder's Jack Londonish man against nature, this movie also borrows it's plot twists from another genre. And that third yeilds, "Scooby-Doo". The villian is literally unmasked, and would have couldn't away from if it wasn't for hero's meddling.
Finally you need your story telling, style. Will this be a spaghetti western with long stares, and disjointed lines. The fourth father of "Le Pacte de Loups" is "Fists of Fury" or "China Mountain Brother" if your a purest. This is a french martial arts movie with slow motion kicks, wire stunts, and a quest for revenge. If you don't love movies and then don't watch this because it does not improve on any of it's parts. But it succeeds in repackaging all it's barrowed ideas in an original way.
Family Business (1989)
It is not a comedy, it is not drama and is not really intresting.
The actors and the characters they play are well developed, but the film's direction lacks any emotion. While one watches the film it is hard not to wish for these intresting characters to actually do something.
The Paper Chase (1973)
The story of first year law students at Havard
the film does an excellent job of presenting the intensity and ridiculousness of college. The movie succeeds in putting things in perspective by making one lose his or her perspective and then regain it. It is a worth while film for anyone wishing to go to college or just remember what it was like. Rent this Animal House, Kicking & Screaming and School Daze to get the complete picture. Though this has the best professor of any of those.
One False Move (1991)
movie is a good concept that could have been done better
The movie follows the story or three cocaine runners driving cross country to Arkansas, and the three cops that are there waiting for them. The movie does a good job developing Bill Paxton and the criminals, but falls short with the LA cops. The ending sucks.....but overall it is a good movie
Conan the Destroyer (1984)
a violent, simple, romp or a film
much campier then the first film, it attempts to make for Conan's lack of depth with a large supporting cast. (they used up all his depth in the first film). Yet it is worth it just to see Grace, Wilt Chamberlin and all the rest of the cast bust some serious heads.
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice (1981)
not a great Iago
The guy who played Othello was good. Jessica from Logan's Run, always hot. But Iago was just as powerful a character as he should or could be. Not the best production ever, but stayed closer to the play then Orsen Wells or Kenneth Brannagh
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Damn near cried when I saw this, and I didn't cry at beaches or Titanic
A guy's movie through and through, a group of gunfighters struggle with their role in the world, their personal demons, and hundred of bad guys. Through the seven main characters all the archetypes of manhood are expressed, ranging from prideful insecurity to father like wisdom. Watch it and be proud to hold a y chromosome. The music is excellent as well.