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Reviews
Psycho (1960)
A Horror Masterpiece
I thought this movie was very well done for its time, especially as a horror movie. The lighting and music built up a tense atmosphere that I haven't really felt in recent horror films. The characters were played so well by their actors to the point that I didn't expect quite a number of things to happen. This film was made so well and it really is one of the best horror films ever made. I highly recommend this to any fans of the horror genre if they haven't seen it already.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Classic Musical
I saw this film when I was younger and it is just as witty and entertaining as I remember. The change from sepia tone to technicolor, then back to sepia tone was an interesting part of the movie that really shows the difference between the real world and the world of Oz. The change to color helped to give the land of oz that magical feel and really set the tone of the movie. I was pleased to see that the song-and-dance scenes actually moved the plot along in a nice way and gave the characters motivations to see the Wizard. I didn't like how some of the scenes felt a little bit too dragged on, especially in Munchkinland. I don't generally like musicals because of that factor but I was able to overlook it because it was only one scene or two and it still moved the plot forward, making it okay. I thought it was a good movie and definitely an amazing movie in its time.
Out of the Past (1947)
Extraordinary
The atmosphere that is captured in this film with the lighting and positioning makes it one of the best film noirs to this day. The use of lighting to create shadows looking like prison bars throughout the movie provide a feeling of entrapment that sets the tone for the whole film. I thought this was really well done and gave that perfect film noir feeling. The acting was also phenomenal as the actors made it feel like the relationships and actions were real and actually happening. It was truly an amazing film.
The Women (1939)
Fantastic Comedy
I've never seen this or heard of this movie until recently and I'm ashamed that I never had. I wish I had heard of this sooner because I wad positively thrilled by it. It was a brilliantly done comedy movie involving an all women cast, who were all amazing actresses. Not only was it hilarious at times, but it also granted some wisdom and insight that works even in this day and age. It was really well made for its time what with the Code era going on and World War 2 starting. It was very clever in its usage of certain phrases to mask particular curse words or fowl language. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's a fan of dramas with comedy, or dramedies.
His Girl Friday (1940)
Good comedy, interesting realistic dialogue
The use of overlapping dialogue in certain scenes within the news areas really made the movie feel very realistic. This film was one of the first to utilize overlapping dialogue and it worked really well. Alongside the overlapping, the fast paced dialogue moved the story and character development along in a coherent way that allowed us to see what each character was like & how they behaved. Also, the fast paced dialogue made certain parts of the movie very funny. The characters skipping around in conversations allowed them to quickly say comedic things that worked well with the situations. Some of the characters did seem to be kind of annoying and unlikeable, but I overlooked it because the movie was funny and enjoyable because of how those characters were portrayed.
Dracula (1931)
A Horror Masterpiece
I was truly enamored with this film. The use of wolf howls and lighting really set the mood and feel of the whole movie. The absence of music in the movie made it seem very creepy and mysterious at times, especially in the meeting between Dracula and Renfield. Each of the actors did an amazing job at portraying their characters and really bringing them to life. Lugosi was amazing as Dracula and really made him seem mysterious and quite terrifying. Dwight Frye did a phenomenal job as Renfield at showing just how creepily insane the character was becoming over time. This film was truly a breakthrough for its time and I definitely recommend it to anyone who's a fan of horror movies.
Girl Shy (1924)
Good Comedy, Predictable Story
Harold Lloyd is a fantastic comedian and he portrays this "girl-shy" character very well. He was really funny in this film and that's no surprise. However, I did feel that this film was very predictable which is to be expected of a film of this era. Not to say the movie was bad or anything, for it was put together really well. It's just that the story wasn't very gripping and it didn't keep me interested for long. Although, the actors played their characters phenomenally and they did bring the story together quite well even if it was predictable.
City Streets (1931)
Surprisingly Well Done
It was a treat to watch this film. I've never seen films from this time and was very surprised with the quality of it. The transitions between scenes and the blends that were used were very well done and helped to continue the story effectively. The film seemed to be way ahead of its time considering this quality. Character development was executed fantastically and really gave a sense as to how much they grew and how their experiences made them better people overall. There are many other things great about this film and I very much recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen these kinds of movies.