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malibuancoke
Reviews
Casino (1995)
Not as good as Goodfellas
I am a huge fan of Scorsese's films. When I first saw Casino I thought that it was not as good as Goodfellas. This was because the two films share many similarities and are bound to be compared, and in my opinion Goodfellas will always be superior. However Casino is a good film on its own and the more times I've seen it, the more I've appreciated it. People should not dismiss it as a Goodfellas rip-off. For fans of the gangster genre, this film will not disappoint. One thing must be said however. The violence in this film is very very shocking and disturbing, so if you are planning to watch this with a lady, make sure she has a strong stomach.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Listen to your girlfriend (sometimes)
One of the most interesting aspects of a relationship is the constant battle over which movies to rent. The guy usually wants some gangster or action movie, and the girl usually wants a romantic comedy/sensitive drama type movie. Well, sometimes you should listen to your girlfriend. I did not really want to see this film, especially since I always thought of Di Caprio as a bit of a talentless git. However I gained huge respect for his acting abilities after watching this. He was truly superb in what must have been a very difficult role to act out, that of a mentally retarded boy. It is an interesting film, worth watching if only for Di Caprio's wonderful performance.
Man Without a Star (1955)
A great film
I am not a fan of Westerns. I usually find them quite boring and they seem to consist of alot of random shooting and killing, and not much else. So when this came on the tv I was not overly excited. However I was bored and thought I'd watch it for a few minutes. I was immediately hooked. This film has so much to offer, great acting, funny scenes, action. A lot of thought has gone into this film, and it manages to balance serious issues like the cattle ranch along with more light-hearted scenes. I watched this film some time ago but it has stuck in my mind. To anyone who never watches westerns or is not particularly fond of them, give this one a go and see how good they can be.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
How to enjoy this film
People either are very scared by this film, or they don't find it scary at all. The key to being affected by this film is to allow your imagination to work overtime. You have to want to be scared. You have to imagine that it is you out there in the woods, and forget that it is only a film.
People who are familiar with Freud's theory of the uncanny will understand how the unknown can be more disturbing that what you know or see.
SOME SPOILERS
For example, many people say "what's so scary about a stupid pile of rocks or sticks"? Well this is where the theory of the uncanny comes in. If you had spent the night in a tent in the middle of a forest, only to get out in the morning and find an intricate pile of rocks only inches from your tent, you would be very disturbed. It is clearly not normal. Who in their right mind would be out in a forest like that? You would think that this psycho had been only inches from you, while you were asleep and vulnerable.
Add to this the noises in the middle of the night, which seem to come from all directions, terrifying in the dark, where you can only see with the camera light a few metres in front of you. So to enjoy this film, forget the normal hollywood conventions of horror, deal with the jerky camera movements, and imagine that it is you out there.
Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983)
Horrendous
Deary me. Where do I begin? I usually have no problem watching stupid films. They give you an opportunity to just sit back, relax and enjoy the fun. Except when they are so bad that no matter how hard you try to enjoy it, you still wish there was a noose that you could use to end the misery of it all. The dialogue in this film was unbelievable. Anyone who found it funny is in urgent need of a funnybone transplant. The car chase scenes are endless, and very very lame. I don't think there is much more to say except that this film should be avoided at all costs. It is an insult to humanity, and if I were one of the actors i would quickly immigrate to the north pole and wear a sack over my head in complete and utter shame.
Cast Away (2000)
quite disappointing
(MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS)
I had high hopes for this movie but it did not live up to my expectations for a number of reasons. Firstly, this movie starts off in a quite confusing manner, we are briefly introduced to characters that we don't see again for 3 HOURS. We think they are relevant when actually they are not.
Secondly, the plane crash scene annoyed me also. The plane suddenly takes a dive for no reason, it was not hit by lightning or anything. Just before it crashes we can see from the cockpit window that the plane is diving at quite a steep angle. Into the sea. In a storm. At night. How could anyone survive? Beats me. Not to mention the fact that when Tom Hanks is in the water it is crystal clear, not pitch black, and he doesn't even have a scratch on his body from the impact. These may seem like petty things but it is not hard to make scenes relatively realistic. The fact that it is "only" a film does not mean this should be an excuse to insult the viewer. When Hanks returns to his girlfriend after being rescued, she does not ask him a single question about his ordeal! come on! you think your man is dead, and 4 years later he returns and you don't even ask him how he coped or anything. Finally, that busniness with the unopened package. Why did he not open it? Why did it save his life? What was in it? Why did they not tell us what was in it? These were my main problems with the film. It wasn't all bad. Wilson the volleyball was actually my favourite character. No offence Tom.