Reviews

Tarantino wrote a screenplay with Roger Avary for one of the greatest films of all time. Amazing shots but an even greater cast brought together by Ronnie Yeskel and Gary M. Zuckerbrod. Each performer brought emotion, hilarity, and a sense of realism to the scenes. One specifically, Uma Thurman's scene as Mia going through an OD, the seriousness within the scene on each character's face and the stillness of Thurman's person and aftershock was scary real. Viewing this from two different age groups (my younger brother saw it with me) we saw the characters had depth and the cast altogether was hand picked to perfection. It's no wonder the box office first weekend alone had brought more than triple the budget! Would greatly recommend to anyone!

Orson Welles breakthrough hit had me in awe of the fantastic job the crew had done in all aspects. The cinematography was beautiful, kudos to Gregg Toland. There was focus on the intricate settings, but also on the emotional expressions of each character, connecting their feelings with the love they have for the deceased Kane. The camera panned, shaped, and angled so that it felt like we were on those stairs when he shouted at Getty's, it felt like we were there when the results of the election came in as well. Another great aspect were the players, introducing stars that became well known to the public after the movie was put on the big screen. There was focus, depth, and a great story that made this film a brilliant success.

Nicholas Musuraca, cinematographer, had worked in detail with director Tourneur for the third and final time together on this beautifully terrifying classic film noir. Greer as the femme fatale in the movie perfectly coerces us to believe her innocence until she becomes triggered into a diabolical dame. The story is a back and forth flashback of multi layers which did confuse me for a bit but also makes you want to pay more attention to not only what the story tells you but what is left out. The film uses lights with brilliance showing Kathie and Jeff's face sometimes cut into the shadows indication his entrapment into her amoral actions. Overall, great film I may have to re-watch to fully capture the tragic message contained.

Male director George Cukor takes on an all female cast in this classic "rumor has it" film of women chasing after men, and then each other's men! Shearer and Crawford made a hit with the on screen chemistry of hatred toward each other although drama was said to have occurred between the stars off stage as well. Although the action of the play turned blockbuster was conducted by the actresses it was the mise en scene that made the film a hit. The cinematography crew once called the directors of photography had beautifully set the stage for an elegant but destructive story of drama being unfolded before us. Through every scene change the women had still kept their attire appropriate (and sometimes inappropriate) of their original character. They even put time into the Technicolor of the fashion show scene which was a delight to see! A classic to watch, will definitely go back one day, the story was brilliant and being an old soul, I love the look of the classic women and times where quarrels were settled with elegance.

Howard Hawks puts out this screwball comedy staring an unconventional divorced couple's tug of war between work and love. Unfortunately for my viewing, none of it worked for me and I certainly did not love it. The story, although originally adapted from Ben Hecht's play "The Front Page," the film didn't vary from the theateresque genre. The whole movie felt like a play set before your eyes. The camera shots were all face to face horizontal as if you were in the conversations each character was having. I was not a fan of the fast past speaking and constant cut offs of character dialogue, it was hard to keep up with the story itself and quite frankly, it was pretty annoying. All in all, it was an interesting and different news reporter driven movie.

Bela Lugosi's famous role and to no surprise in this amazing adaptation from Bram Stroker's famous work. Although this was a film of a non- realistic background, Lugosi has a strong acting persona, one that made the film's verisimilitude even stronger. He is charming, yet brings an intense aura to the screen. You believe you are in this cat and mouse chase for the man named Dracula. One feature that makes this movie effective is its lighting. Each shot was perfectly illuminated to show intensity or to make an impact on the scene or characters involved in a scene. Dracula's eyes were a great example of using lighting perfectly. It made his stare more intense, making you feel as if you are under his spell as well. Great movie!

My brother once read Jules Verne's original book so I had to jump on the opportunity to watch this! Seeing that it was also the first movie to be shot underwater was quite amazing as well. The film was beautifully executed, although lost me at some points because there was no film card for certain dialogue. The under water shots are the best parts in my opinion. The Williamson brothers paved the way for modern filmmakers to experiment and work with different scenery and they made it work perfectly! For a film of it's time it truly made the world of Jules Verne's a one of wonder and excitement. This is one film that actually contained great verisimilitude.

Loved this movie. Howard Hughes takes us into the Chicago gangster era during prohibition in this original adaptation of Scarface. Beautifully created to spread awareness in gang crimes, the story had sent a message directly to the government with this mobster classic. The characters were well rounded with many quirks and attributes and the director had wonderfully played out these roles for everyone making this movie a masterpiece! The camera shots were on point catching every emotion Tony would be feeling. More light on scenes with Poppy, darkness when with Cesca, ultimately foreshadowing both players fate. A wonderful classic to prelude and almost sit beside the 1938 blockbuster as well!