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Reviews
Dude Bro Party Massacre III (2015)
Internet culture at its finest (for what that may be worth)
Dudebro is a blatant farce on found footage movies, on straight-to-TV flicks, on horror tropes, etc.
If anyone has seen the shorts made by 5SecondMovies, the company behind this production, they'll know that all the stupid, often terribly executed effects and plot devices are intentional.
It's a chance to revel in the mediocrity of it all, a chance to sit back and laugh at the actors and the genres the film represents as a whole. It's very self aware, and all-the-more moving in it's desire to be nothing more than fun and fancy-free. Something Hollywood should be more willing to capitalize on in an age where cynicism has become a cruise control to cool.
Ben-Hur (1959)
Amazing movie, even without the Bible
As a devout Christian I did appreciate the story taking place adjacent to the life of Christ and the interaction between him and the characters. But beyond the biblical adjacency, this film followed the classic story of a life uprooted by greed and ill-intentions (a-la 'Count of Monte Christo' or most Shakespeare plays) and the pursuit of revenge, and the consequences that follow. The story is bar-none on par with some of Shakespeare's finest and the great literary classics of our time.
The visuals, be they cheap compared to today's standards, are amazing. Sure some of them were miniatures, but many of them were on such a grand scale that seems to be lost in today's modern movies. It wasn't CG, it wasn't completely chock full of real-live locations, and yet it was so believable. This was a Fifty-year-old feast for the senses that hasn't gone bad after all this time. Aged like a fine wine, this film is all the more spectacular the more movies delve into the shock and awe factor of computers and wide shots, as a testament to what people could achieve over half a century ago.
This film, to make a bad joke, is one of Biblical proportions. The acting is spectacular. The visuals, wonderful. The story, excellent. This movie will stand the test of time, as one of the greatest stories ever told on the silver screen.
Hagane no renkinjutsushi (2003)
FMA... best series ever??? maybe not... but Top Ten at least!
While it may be nothing like the Manga in many respects, Full Metal Alchemist is, without a doubt, one of the best anime series out there (at least in the top ten). How it achieves this is by having to-the-point dialogue, excellent storytelling, action that can't really be done anywhere else, amazing voice acting, wonderful symbolism, and a tie-in philosophy that permeates all points of the storyline.
I can't even begin to speak about how aptly played the voices are, or how time is never wasted in weaving a tale of ambitions, hidden sides, and the boundaries and secrets no one must know or cross, lest they be punished.
And the action... Superb! In all the series I've seen (and I've seen a few) there's no other action style that could compare to that which is exemplified in this series. Avatar had element bending, Naruto has jutsus, Bleach has overglorified sword fighting, Dragon Ball has excellent hand to hand combat, and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann has giant robots and explosions... Full metal Alchemist has all that and more! (minus the giant robots) Finally, all the characters are so well done. The Elric brothers are wonderfully delved into more than the relationships between them, but also to their relationships with others. The minor characters (even the villains) quickly become major characters of their own right. All the characters are quirky, yet sophisticated, funny, yet serious.
In a nutshell, Full Metal Alchemist is original action, story, character, and WOW factor all rolled into one. Filled with short jokes (you'll see why), refined storytelling, amazing characters, and a beautiful performance altogether. My only peeve is the cliffhanger at the ending (but the movie afterword cleared it all up, so it's OK). They also recently came out with another FMA series (Brotherhood) that is truer to the original Manga, I suggest watching this series through first before watching Brotherhood, as it really gives you more appreciation for the different storyline, the short jokes, and the different take on the amazing world of alchemy. But besides that, this series is totally worth getting, you won't be sorry.
Ôran kôkô hosutobu (2006)
Yes I'm a guy, and yes... I LOVED IT!
Truth be told, when I first looked it up, I figured it would be another sad teen series. Boy was I wrong. This series was a true comedy of errors, every joke was spot on, every character was well played, every episode a feast for story lovers and comedy lovers everywhere. Haruhi, in my opinion, has to be my favorite character of them all. She's smart, interesting, and a perfectly thought out character when it comes to the situation she's in. I also love seeing her interactions with the 'rich bastards' that are always looking out for her in this strange, yet oh so fun, high school. If you have the chance (even if you're a guy) watch this. It's a great experience that won't fail to satisfy... now if they could only make more episodes, THEN I would be truly happy.