American Hustle

American Hustle
(2013) [Trailer]
Directer: David O. Russell [IMDB]

David O. Russell is a dick. Besides that fight with Lilly, there are also stories of him and Clooney going at it, as well as other actors too. Yet he always seems to have a lot of reoccurring stars up in his films. Maybe he has cooled down now, maybe it was all hype to sell his movies, either way homeboy delivers some quality titles and I was really excited to check out his newest gem... American Hustle.

Synopsis: A small time con man and his side job get tagged by the Feds and coerced into bringing down bigger fish to fry.

About 30 minutes into this film, something felt really off. I was yawning and checking the time.... basically losing my focus. The story wasn't that incredible, which isn't a huge deal, just unleash those characters and sell me on how interesting they are, right? Wrong. No one was great... not that Cooper, Lawrence, Adams, Bale and Renner weren't great (they all had awesome performances), it's just the characters they were portraying were bland. They also bring in Robert De Niro at one point, set him up as some major threat and then nothing... you never see him again.

There were a decent amount of laughs and some moments that pulled you in here and there. The soundtrack was fantastic, I think it blended in perfectly with the overall aesthetic of the film, which was also well crafted.

American Hustle is a slow burn at first and misfires in a lot of places, ultimately leaving me pretty disappointed. I definitely plan on revisiting this at some point to see if it gets better, but for now, I'm kind of bummed out on it.

Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur
(1959) [Trailer]
Director: William Wyler [IMDB]

When I die I hope I'm remembered for something. I don't know, maybe this website and my words written down here will serve as a gateway into the kind of person I was (if the internet is still around then.) Maybe the music I write or the art I make will inspire someone I knew to create something meaningful to them. I just hope this wasn't all for nothing. I don't know what the hell this has to do with Ben-Hur, I just felt like writing, and this is my platform to do so... deal with it.

Synopsis: Charlton Heston plays a Jew who lives under Roman rule in the time of Jesus. He runs into some problems with an old Roman friend and.... what the hell... this movie is long as shit and it's next to impossible to summarize in the normal one to two sentences that I always use... it's an epic, you get the idea.

Ben-Hur is considered a classic masterpiece and in the AFI's top 100. I'm trying to knock out the 25 films I haven't seen in that list... so here you go.

This film is impressive and besides Gone With the Wind, it's the longest film I've ever sat through.  Unlike Gone With the Wind, I didn't love it. It's fine and something I would recommend you watch once in your life... but that's the thing... I don't think I'd ever watch this again.

I loved all the elements surrounding Ben-Hur and his struggle, but found the injection of the story of Jesus to be pointless and I don't think it helped the film. I think the two stories would work well on their own, but in culmination with one another, they felt unharmonious. There are lots of fantastic films about the life of Jesus, why try to marry it with Ben-Hur's story. I'm sure there are tons of people who would disagree, and that's fine, but for me, if they trimmed Ben-Hur up a little you may have found a better movie in there somewhere. Especially towards the end, it takes a huge dive and I really started to lose interest.

One quick note: The film craftsmanship is insane and the efforts it must have taken to make this thing are mind boggling... I can see why it won so many oscars.

I don't think I could ever make something as grandiose as Ben-Hur and reviewing it seems silly, but I have to keep busy... death is ever present and I'm just trying to forget it's on its way. Blog on.

The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Martin Scorsese [IMDB]

Who doesn't love a good Scorsese flick? I'm sure haters are out there, but screw those people. The man is a legend and for good reason. He directed Taxi Driver, which gets him a pass on anything for the rest of his life, good thing he doesn't need it, because he's still cranking out the hits.

Synopsis: TWOWS focuses on Jordan Belfort, a man who came from modest means then rose to become one of the most wealthy men on Wall Street.

The Wolf of Wall Street is a slam dunk and will absolutely make my top ten for the year. If you are a fan of Goodfellas or Casino, you're going to love this installment into the Scorsese universe. It fits in with those titles, but unlike them, delivers way more comedy than I thought I was going to get. Maybe if Goodfellas and After Hours hooked up and made a film baby, you be somewhere near The Wolf.  It's one of the funniest movies I've seen in awhile, but it's also raunchy and messed up as well. When I say messed up... there is lots of nudity, drugs, profanity and things that would bum your folks out... but it felt fitting for the story and the characters.

Speaking of story and characters, those are the main gears that run this film and both are solid. The story is almost unbelievable and the characters within it seem too insane to be real. Whether or not Scorsese embellished on those things doesn't matter, he sells them in a absurd and entertaining way that kept me buckled up for the whole trip. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill gave their best performances of any film I've ever seen them in and there were also a ton of unexpected casting choices that I enjoyed.

The Wolf of Wall Street was a winner in my book and a film I'd love to revisit again. If you're a fan of Scorsese it's a must.

The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Gore Verbinski [IMDB]

I'm not going lie and say I was looking forward to seeing this back in the summer and never got around to it. Fact is, I kind of wanted to see it, but thought it definitely didn't merit the price of admission at the time of its release. I never watched The Lone Ranger as a kid, so this review will be a little unbiased, because who wants to hear some dude bitch about how Disney is ruining the memories of the original.

Synopsis: After his brother is killed, a straight laced lawyer finds his alter ego, The Lone Ranger. He teams up with Tonto, a loner Indian, to set out and find the man responsible for killing his kin.

The Lone Ranger wasn't a bad film, but far from great. I was surprised at how much I actually liked about it, but there were absolutely some elements of the film that didn't work.

I really could have done without the framing device with the old Tonto and kid, I found all of those scenes to be pointless and annoying. The film was extremely long, they could have easily cut out an hour of this thing and still achieved the same result. The action spikes high in the beginning and at the end, but in between there's not a lot of excitement going on.

Tonto, The Lone Ranger and the horse Silver save this film for me. I enjoyed Depp's performance and his banter with The Lone Ranger was interesting and funny at times. Most of the scenes involving Silver got the most laughs from me and the way they utilize him was pretty clever. I also thought Armie made a good Lone Ranger and was a perfect casting choice.

Technically the film is solid... the sets, locations, cinematography, score and costumes were all awesome and Gore Verbinski captured the essence of a great western. I could see myself revisiting this at some point, for me it has some charm that saved it from being completely lame.

Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Peter Jackson [IMDB]

The LOTR/Hobbit films will probably always score a 4 Arnold or higher as long as Peter Jackson is handling them and I will always go out to see them in the theater... why? Because they are awesome, that's why. At this point you're either on board or you are not, so really... it's like preaching to the choir doing this review. Jackson has crafted the art of Hobbit film making and I don't think you can win over anyone who's not already in agreement with me on that.

Synopsis: Bilbo and his posse continue their journey to the Lonely Mountain in order to reclaim Erebor from Smaug... the badass dragon.

This installment is a lot more energetic than An Unexpected Journey (click that link to read my review... do it.) and I found it to be more entertaining. The special effects, especially on Smaug and Sauron were fantastic, some of the best CG work I've ever seen. The action was innovative, including a fight that took place going down a river that was incredible and felt like nothing I'd seen before. Kate from LOST was a new addition to the roster and now I have an elf crush on her... but seriously she was great and perfectly cast. The Lake town of Esgaroth looked insane and to think of the time it must have taken to render that blows my mind.

The film ends on a cliff hanger and it just made me end up wanting more. I can't wait till next year... no... actually I can't wait till 2016, so I can own all of them and have a super Hobbit/LOTR mega marathon.

Before Midnight

Before Midnight
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Richard Linklater [IMDB]

Back in February I watched and reviewed the two precursors to Before Midnight... which are Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, you can read about them HERE. I love Richard Linklater and those of you that read that review could tell I was a huge fan of both of those films. I knew going into Before Midnight, I was in for a treat... could it be the crème de la crème of the trilogy? Could it make my best of the year list? We'll see.

Synopsis: We drop in, once more, on the lives of Jesse and Celine (Ethan Hawke and Julia Delpy) and find out where the last 10 years has taken them.

Everything that makes the first two films work so well is resurrected in Before Midnight. The characters feel so real and comfortable to you which helps immediately settle you into it. I loved watching where they took the story.... now the couple are older and the love you saw in Sunrise has matured. You see what it's like for them to keep their shit together and to fight with one another. Love isn't easy sometimes, some people can make it work, others cannot... and you'll find out what category these two fall into.

Linklater steers Before Midnight in a perfect direction, an honest direction and one that seemed pretty authentic. My wife said "I feel like a lot of the stuff they are telling each other would have already come up and some point in their relationship." While she may be right, maybe she's wrong, either way the dialogue worked for me and I bought what they were selling.

Obviously, watching the other two films in this trilogy is an absolute must... so go get all of them and enjoy the ride.

Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Paul Greengrass [IMDB]

Big fan of Paul Greengrass... big fan! When I heard my man was teaming up with Forrest Gump to make a movie about pirates and the high seas, I was sold. I finally got around to watching Cappy Phil last night and here's what I thought.

Synopsis: Tom Hanks is a shipping boat captain who must keep his shit together when his vessel is overrun by Somali pirates.

Captain Phillips is a quality title, and like all Greengrass films I've seen, It builds up pressure and stress in a harmonious way. I thought Tom Hanks was ok throughout and then at the last 10 minutes he cranks out one hell of an oscar worthy moment. The pirates were all pretty believable and from what I understand, were not actors, which is kinda cool. The hand held aesthetic, that Paul Greengrass is so well known for, seemed fitting here and help sell the realness of the situation... it felt like the perfect story for him to direct.

There weren't too many flaws here, that I can think of, maybe the family man dynamic they tried to work in, it felt a little weak and not built up enough. Overall... I really loved this film and will definitely rewatch at some point.

Chaplin vs Keaton (The General and City Lights)

I am no expert on silent films, I've seen maybe 5 my whole life, but I want to better myself as a person... I want to expand my horizons... I don't want to shelter myself from new (old) things. So I decided to take a stab at two silent film heroes. Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. One of the five silent films I've actually watched was Chaplin's Modern Times, which I liked a lot, you can read about if you want... RIGHT HERE. I had heard Keaton is also awesome, if not better, so I'm going to compare the two and let you know where to start... or if you've been there and done that... you'll be able to sit back and feel accomplished.

The General
(1926)
Directors: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton

Synopsis: A train conductor during the civil war goes behind enemy lines to try and save his love interest after she's stolen by The North.

I was extremely impressed with this film. For a movie from 1926 it holds up and was surprisingly entertaining. Its most obvious strength is its action set pieces. Some of the stunts and ideas Keaton unleashes in The General are incredible for the time they were conceived and you can obviously tell this title had a huge impact on other movies that followed. I don't know why, but I expected Keaton to be very goofy, but he plays it more serious than Chaplin, still you'll get those little funny flourishes throughout the movie, which lightens it up. The General would be a perfect movie for someone looking to start with silent films, it's easy, fun and keeps you at bay throughout its run time... which is short.

City Lights
(1931)
Director: Charlie Chaplin

Synopsis: The Tramp stumbles through a series of ups and downs while trying to win the love of a blind flower girl.

I liked The General more than this, but I still think City Lights is a fine movie. It dragged a little at times and I didn't feel as engaged as I did during The General. Like Modern Times (which I also enjoyed more than City Lights) you get tons of funny moments and you can see why Chaplin was considered the innovator that he is. One thing I think he mastered is how to convey a story in an entertaining way, without sound. It's really fascinating seeing what he did when you think about working with that limitation. At the end of the day, I'd recommend this, but I think Modern Times would be the title to start with first.

Singin' in the Rain

Singin' in the Rain
(1952)
Directors: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen

I was positive (but not certain, so it doesn't count) that I had seen Singin' in the Rain before getting into it tonight, but after watching it, I definitely had not. I'm not a huge musical guy, but I'm open minded and will always give a movie a chance.

Synopsis: A famous silent movie actor has to learn how to adapt to the talkies... what are talkies you ask? Look it up.

Singin' in the Rain fun and light, definitely an engaging musical starring highly competent entertainers. I liked the film over all and thought it was one of the best musicals I have seen (that's not saying much.) The "Make Em Laugh" montage by the sidekick guy was really awkward but the "Gotta Dance/Broadway Rhythm " number was incredibly awesome, especially the lights and stage set ups. Considering the timeframe in which this came to fruition, it's no surprise why it was so influential. Oh yeah... almost forgot... this scene gets the film an extra Arnold... I loved it. 

I Still Like M. NIght Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, and Lady in the Water)

I wrote this review up months ago and forgot about it. I don't know if that means anything, but I guess you could read into it a little. Everyone thinks M. Night sucks now and have wrote him off (kinda like me forgetting this review.) The man has cranked out some hits and I'm about to revisit them.

The Sixth Sense
(1999) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: A doctor starts seeing a child with a secret... he likes jam bands.

1999 was an insane year for movies. There were a tone of rad titles that dropped that year and among all of them, The Sixth Sense was one of my favorites. I think everyone has seen this film, but what I don't know is if everyone has rewatched it. It has a really different vibe once you've seen it and know what to expect. The performances, especially from Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette are great. The story has a Hitchcockian vibe but is still feels original and unfolds at a perfect pace... and there's even a few horror notes in there which work fantastically. Bravo M. Night... bravo!

Unbreakable
(2000) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: A lone survivor of a cataclysmic train wreck learns there might be more to his escape than he thought after he meets a local comic book nerd.

I recall checking this film out in the theaters and loving every minute of it. I honestly couldn't remember a lot of it before this rewatch and was unsure if it would hold up. It's still pretty good, not great, but a lot of fun. I like the concept behind this film and it still feels extremely original and fresh 13 years later. Unbreakable is a unique twist on a super hero flick and one I think would have been cool to see a sequel for. I wasn't a huge fan of how quickly the ending unfolds, I think Shyamalan could have took it in a better direction, but ultimately this film is a winner in my book.

Signs
(2002) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: Are mysterious signs being formed out of corn crops a hoax or a message from aliens? Signs takes a deeper look into this phenomenon.

Signs was pretty thrilling when I first saw it, I remember my arm hairs standing up when they first showed that Alien crossing the street in Central America. After this sitting, it still holds up for the most part I suppose. The cast were great and pulled off the material given to them with ease, but the story seemed a little weak to me. The crop circles are a small part of a grand idea, but I think that idea could have been more localized and contained, instead of trying to make Signs into a full scale invasion movie. I also felt like the ending was extremely abrupt and crisis resolves itself in an really unsatisfying way. I still like the film, I just think M. Night could have produced something better.

Lady in the Water
(2006) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: A modern day fairytale unfolds as the residences of a Philly apartment deal with a mysterious visitor from their swimming pool.

I think this was the film that really started the ball rolling on the M. Night hate express. I know a lot of people loathed it but I still think it's a good film and after my recent viewing I still stand firm on that. It definitely has its flaws but I really appreciate the idea Shyamalan had with it and the execution of that concept is unique. I think the framing device in the intro and the old Korean lady were quasi lazy attempts to move the story along and it seems like there could have been a better way to handle it. Regardless, the story is fun, the characters were interesting, and the setting was incredible.

Dancer in the Dark

Dancer in the Dark
(2000) [Trailer]
Director: Lars Von Trier [IMDB]

I have been a fan of Björk's music since the early days of the Sugarcubes.  She is very different from your typical singer.  If you present me with two singers, one having a pitch perfect classically trained voice and the other an atypical voice, I generally tend to prefer the latter.  Even though Björk falls into that category she has a very powerful voice and an eccentric style I dig.  While I am not a fan of musicals I felt this might be worth watching because it comes very highly rated and has Björk as the driving force behind the musical component.  

Synopsis:  Björk plays Selma Jezkova, an eastern European immigrant living the United States in 1964.  Selma has a genetic defect that is causing her to go blind.  She has come to the United States because her son has the same condition and she is saving her earnings to afford a surgery to correct the defect in her son.  

Lars Von Trier has a significant following based on his filmography and most of those individuals have raved about this film.  My experience with Dancer In the Dark (Dancer) was vastly different.  Dancer was incredibly boring and highly quirky which is not surprising given Björk's creative input.  The tone of the movie is very somber and foreboding.  Yet as soon as the Trier establishes the mood for a specific scene we cut to an all out upbeat quirky musical number which ran counter to theme of the film.  I also found that many of the scenes lacked believability especially those related to how she gets into legal trouble.  Ultimately Selma is placed on trial but the circumstances that created her predicament were less that authentic.

As a musical, Dancer might have worked if the numbers were more inline with the direction of the film.  On the positive side, the acting was genuine and the actors were believable in their roles.  I also found the setting accurately reflected my impression of the time.

While I enjoy Björk's music, I wasn't crazy about Dancer.  If you enjoy musicals then this movie may appeal to you, otherwise I suggest taking a pass on Dancer.

Williams Film Review Top 100 Films of All Time.

We (Stephen and Curtis) decided it would be fun to list our top 100 favorite films of all time. These aren't necessarily the 100 greatest films of all time, just the ones we personally love. Whether or not they are historically important films or Commando... they just spoke to us on some level and made their place into the hallowed halls of the Williams Film Review Top 100. Enjoy.

My list is in no particular order, just throwing them out as they come to me. I've included links to all of them either to IMDB or to my review (if I happened to have written one.)

1. Goodfellas [IMDB] Director: Martin Scorsese (1990)
2. The Big Lebowski [IMDB] Director: The Coen Brothers (1998)
3. Aguirre, The Wrath of God [IMDB] Director: Werner Herzog (1972)
4. Gone With the Wind [WFR] Director: Victor Fleming (1939)
5. The Thing [WFR] Director: John Carpenter (1982)
6. The Shining [WFR] Director: Stanley Kubrick (1980)
7. Wild Strawberries [IMDB] Director: Ingmar Bergman (1957)
8. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back [WFR] Director: Irvin Kershner (1980)
9. Pulp Fiction [WFR] Director: Quentin Tarantino (1994)
10. 12 Angry Men [WFR] Director: Sidney Lumet (1957)
11. The Goonies [WFR] Director: Richard Donner (1985)
12. Halloween [WFR] Director: John Carpenter (1978)
13. Fargo [WFR] torDirec: The Coen Brothers (1996)
14. Rear Window [WFR] Director: Alfred Hitchcock (1954)
15. Jaws [WFR] Director: Steven Spielberg (1975)
16. Seven Samurai [IMDB] Director: Akira Kurosawa (1954)
17. Paris, Texas [WFR] Director: Wim Wenders (1984)
18. Raiders of the Lost Ark [WFR] Director: Steven Spielberg (1981)
19. The Exorcist [WFR] Director: William Friedkin (1970)
20. The Thin Red Line [IMDB] Director: Terrence Malick (1998)
21. The Royal Tenenbaums [IMDB] Director: Wes Anderson (2003) 
22. A Fistful of Dollars [WFR] Director: Sergio Leone (1964) 
23. Commando [WFR] Director: Mark L. Lester (1985)
24. They Live [WFR] Director: John Carpenter (1988)
25. Fitzcarraldo [IMDB] Director: Werner Herzog (1982) 
26. 8½ [IMDB] Director: Federico Fellini (1963)
27. Mulholland Dr [IMDB] Director: David Lynch (2001)
28. The Shawshank Redemption [IMDB] Director: Frank Darabont (1994)
29. The Tree of Life [IMDB] Director: Terrence Malick (2011)
30. Vertigo [WFV] Director: Alfred Hitchcock (1958)
31. Synecdoche, New York [IMDB] Director: Charlie Kaufman (2008)
32. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring [IMDB] Director: Peter Jackson (2001)
33. High and Low [IMDB] Director: Akira Kurosawa (1963)
34. Amour [WFR] Director: Michael Haneke (2012)
35. The French Connection [WFR] Director: William Friedkin (1971)
36. Into the Wild [IMDB] Director: Sean Penn (2007)
37. Magnolia [IMDB] Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (1999)
38. Dazed and Confused [WFR] Director: Richard Linklater (1993)
39. Waking Life [WFR] Director: Richard Linklater (2001)
40. Alien [WFR] Director: Ridley Scott (1979)
41. Aliens [WFR] Director: James Cameron (1986)
42. To Live and Die in L.A. [WFR] Director: William Friedkin (1985)
43. Predator [IMDB] Director: John McTiernan (1987) 
44. My Dinner with Andre [WFR] Director: Louis Malle (1982)
45. Trainspotting [WFR] Director: Danny Boyle (1996)
46. eXistenZ [WFR] Director: David Cronenberg (1999)
47. The Dark Knight [WFR] Director: Christopher Nolan (2008)
48. Dawn of the Dead [IMDB] Director: George A. Romero (1978)
49. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre [WFR] Director: Tobe Hooper (1974)
50. Rambo: First Blood Part II [WFR] Director: George P. Cosmatos (1985)
51. The Seventh Seal [IMDB] Director: Ingmar Bergman (1957)
52. Breathless [IMDB] Director: Jean Luc Godard (1960)
53. Gremlins [WFR] Director: Joe Dante (1984)
54. Casablanca [WFR] Director: Michael Curtiz (1942)
55. The African Queen [WFR] Director: John Huston (1951)
56. Cool Hand Luke [IMDB] Director: Stuart Rosenberd (1967)
57. Fargo [WFR] Director: The Coen Brothers (1996)
58. Danger Diabolik [WFR] Director: Mario Bava (1968)
59. Valhalla Rising [WFR] Director: Nicolas Winding Refn (2009)
60. Robocop [WFR] Director: Paul Verhoeven (1987)
61. Reservoir Dogs [WFR] Director: Quentin Tarantino (1992)
62. Network [IMDB] Director: Sidney Lumet (1976)
63. Lost in Translation [WFR] Director: Sophia Coppola (2003)
64. 2001: A Space Odyssey [IMDB] Director: Stanley Kubrick (1968)
65. United 93 [IMDB] Director: Paul Greengrass (2006)
66. Beetlejuice [WFR] Director: Tim Burton (1988)
67. Poltergeist [IMDB] Director: Tobe Hooper (1982)
68. The Wrestler [IMDB] Director: Darren Aronofsky (2008)
69. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan [WFR] Director: Nicolas Meyer (1982)
70. Taxi Driver [IMDB] Director: Martin Scorsese (1976)
71. Being John Malkovich [IMDB] Director: Spike Jones (1999)
72. Apocalypse Now [IMDB] Director: Francis Ford Coppola (1979)
73. Forrest Gump [IMDB] Director: Robert Zemickis (1994)
74. The Godfather [IMDB] Director: Francis Ford Coppola (1972)
75. Coming to America [IMDB] Director: John Landis (1988)
76. There Will Be Blood [IMDB] Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (2007)
77. Shadows [IMDB] Director: John Cassavetes (1957)
78. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf [WFR] Director: Mike Nichols (1966)
79. Das Boot [IMDB] Director: Wolfgang Petersen (1981) 
80. Braveheart [IMDB] Director: Mel Gibson (1995)
81. Babette's Feast [WFR] Director: Gabriel Axel (1987)
82. Die Hard [WFR] Director: John McTiernan (1988)
83. Evil Dead II [IMDB] Director: Sam Raimi (1987)
84. Down By Law [IMDB] Director: Jim Jarmusch (1986)
85. Traffic [IMDB] Director: Steven Soderbergh (2000)
86. Citizen Kane [IMDB] Director: Orson Wells (1941) 
87. Malcolm X [IMDB] Director: Spike Lee (1992)
88. Patton [WFR] Director: Franklin J. Schaffner (1970) 
89. Lawrence of Arabia [WFR] Director: David Lean (1962)
90. Cruising [WFR] Director: William Friedkin (1980)
91. The Terminator [IMDB] Director: James Cameron (1984)
92. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial [IMDB] Director: Steven Spielberg (1982)
93. A Streetcar Named Desire [IMDB] Director: Elia Kazan (1951)
94. Enter the Dragon [IMDB] Director: Robert Clouse (1973)
95. Psycho [WFR] Director: Alfred Hitchcock (1960)
96. Almost Famous [IMDB] Director: Cameron Crowe (2000)
97. In the Mood for Love [IMDB] Director: Kar Wai Wong (2000)
98. Back to the Future [IMDB] Director: Robert Zemickis (1985)
99. Big Trouble in Little China [IMDB] Director: John Carpenter (1986)
100. El Topo [IMDB] Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky (1970)

This is an almost impossible list to create. I am certain there are movies I am leaving out and movies I have listed that don't belong compared omissions. That said, I tried to rank them as seen below. I've included links to all of them either to IMDB or to a review if we have it on WFR.

1. The Shawshank Redemption [IMDB] Director: Frank Darabont (1994)
2. Braveheart [IMDB] Director: Mel Gibson (1995)
3. Avatar [IMDB] Director: James Cameron (2009)
4. The Matrix [IMDB] Director: Andy and Lana Wachowski (1999)
5. Indiana Jones  and The Raiders of the Lost Ark [WFR] Director: Steven Spielberg (1981)
6. The Terminator [IMDB] Director: James Cameron (1984)
7. Terminator II Judgement Day [IMDB] Director: James Cameron (1991)
8. Aliens [WFR] Director: James Cameron (1986)
9. Die Hard [WFR] Director: John McTiernan (1988)
10. The Bourne Identity [IMDB] Director: Doug Liman (2002)
11. The Bourne Ultimatum [IMDB] Director: Paul Greengrass (2007)
12. The Bourne Supremacy [IMDB] Director: Paul Greengrass (2004)
13. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back [WFR] Director: Irvin Kershner (1980)
14. Good Will Hunting [IMDB] Director: Gus Van Sant (1997)
15. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey [WFR] Director: Peter Jackson (2012)
16. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King [IMDB] Director: Peter Jackson (2004)
17. Rambo: First Blood Part II [WFR] Director: George P. Cosmatos (1985)
18. Forrest Gump [IMDB] Director: Robert Zemickis (1994)
19. Men In Black [IMDB] Director: Barry Sonnenfeld (1997)
20. Taken [IMDB] Director: Pierre Morel (2008)
21. Groundhog Day [IMDB] Director: Harold Ramis (1993)
22. Austin Powers International Man of Mystery [IMDB] Director: Jay Roach (1997)
23. The Social Network [IMDB] Director: David Fincher (2010)
24. Limitless [IMDB] Director: Neil Burger (2011)
25. First Blood "Rambo" [IMDB] Director: Tedd Kotcheff (1982)
26. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom [IMDB] Director: Steven Spielberg (1984)
27. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope [IMDB] Director: George Lucas (1977)
28. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi [IMDB] Director: Richard Marquand (1983)
29. Fast and Furious 6 [WFR] Director: Justin Lin (2013)
30. The Fast and the Furious [IMDB] Director: Rob Cohen (2001)
31. The Original Kings of Comedy [IMDB] Director: Spike Lee (2000)
32. National Lampoons Vacation [IMDB] Director: Harold Ramis (1983)
33. Rocky [IMDB] Director: David Avildsen (1976)
34. The Shining [WFR] Director: Stanley Kubrick (1980)
35. The Goonies [WFR] Director: Richard Donner (1985)
36. Halloween [WFR] Director: John Carpenter (1978)
37. Lethal Weapon [IMDB] Director: Richard Donner (1987)
38. Lethal Weapon II [IMDB] Director: Richard Donner (1989)
39. Predator [IMDB] Director: John McTiernan (1987) 
40. Romancing the Stone [IMDB] Director: Robert Zemeckis (1984)
41. Django Unchained [WFR] Director: Quentin Tarantino (2012)
42. Pulp Fiction [WFR] Director: Quentin Tarantino (1994)
43. Blade Runner [IMDB] Director: Ridley Scott (1982)
44. Jaws [WFR] Director: Steven Spielberg (1975)
45. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring [IMDB] Director: Peter Jackson (2001)
46. The Last King of Scotland [IMDB] Director: Kevin Macdonald (2006)
47. Saving Private Ryan [IMDB] Director: Steven Spielberg (1998)
48. Inception [IMDB] Director: Christopher Nolan (2010)
49. Skyfall [WFR] Director: Sam Mendes (2012)
50. Alien [WFR] Director: Ridley Scott (1979)
51. Slumdog Millionaire [IMDB] Director: Danny Boyle (2008)
52. Rise of the Planet of the Apes [IMDB] Director: Rupert Wyatt
53. 300 [IMDB] Director: Zack Snyder (2006)
54. 2001: A Space Odyssey [IMDB] Director: Stanley Kubrick (1968)
55. The Blindside [IMDB] Director: John Lee Hancock (2009)
56. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan [WFR] Director: Nicolas Meyer (1982)
57. Top Gun [IMDB] Director: Tony Scott (1986)
58. Hotel Rwanda [IMDB] Director: Terry George (2004)
59. Blood Diamond [IMDB] Director: Edward Zwick (2006)
60. The Intouchables [WFR] Director: Olivier Nakache (2011)
61. National Lampoon: Christmas Vacation [IMDB] Director: Jeremiah Chechik (1989)
62. Coming to America [IMDB] Director: John Landis (1988)
63. Seven Years in Tibet [IMDB] Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud (1997)
64. Se7en [IMDB] Director: David Fincher (1995)
65. The Princess Bride [IMDB] Director: Rob Reiner (1997)
66. The Thing [WFR] Director: John Carpenter (1982)
67. Gladiator [IMDB] Director: Ridley Scott (2000)
68. The World's Fastest Indian [IMDB] Director: Roger Donaldson I(2005)
69. Enter the Dragon [IMDB] Director: Robert Clouse (1973)
70. Total Recall [WFR] Director: Len Wiseman (2012)
71. The Avengers [IMDB] Director: Joss Whedon (2012)
72. Jurrasic Park [IMDB] Director: Steven Spielberg (1993)
73. Fast Five [IMDB] Director: Justin Lin (2011)
74. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial [IMDB] Director: Steven Spielberg (1982)
75. Back to the Future [IMDB] Director: Robert Zemickis (1985)
76. The Count of Monte Cristo [IMDB] Director: Kevin Reynolds (2002)
77. The Lion King [IMDB] Directors: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff (1994)
78. Full Metal Jacket [IMDB] Director: Stanley Kubrick (1987)
79. Toy Story [IMDB] Director: John Lasseter (1995)
80. Rocky IV [IMDB] Director: Sylvester Stallone (1982)
81. Rocky III [IMDB] Director: Sylvester Stallone (1982)
82. Casino Royale [IMDB] Director: Martin Campbell (2006)
83. Event Horizon [WFR] Director: Paul W.S. Anderson (1997)
84. Temple Grandin [WFR] Director: Mick Jackson (2010)
85. White Squall [IMDB] Director: Ridley Scott (1996)
86. Defiance [IMDB] Director: Edward Zwick (2008)
87. Argo [WFR] Director: Ben Affleck (2012)
88. Robocop [WFR] Director: Paul Verhoeven (1987)
89. The Way Back [WFR] Director: Peter Weir (2010)
90. Running Scared [IMDB] Director: Peter Hyams (1986)
91. Searching for Bobby Fisher [IMDB] Director: Steven Zaillian (1993)
92. Walk the Line [IMDB] Director: Jame Mangold (2005)
93. Invincible [IMDB] Director: Ericson Core (2006)
94. We are Marshall [IMDB] Director: McG (2006)
95. Machine Gun Preacher [WFR] Director: Marc Forster (2011)
96. True Lies [IMDB] Director: James Cameron (1994)
97. The Constant Gardner [IMDB] Director: Fernando Meirelles (2005)
98. Safe House [WFR] Director: Daniel Espinosa (2012)
99. Into the Wild [IMDB] Director: Sean Penn (2007)
100. Rescue Dawn [IMDB] Director: Werner Herzog (2006)

If you think we are crazy or there is something that was blatantly omitted, leave us a comment!

Friday the 13th - Every Last One of Them... and Yes, I'm Serious.

It's October and Halloween is upon us. Halloween is my favorite holiday (not really, but it helps sell this review), the weather is always nice, evil is in the air and horror movies are abundant. Last Halloween I went through the entire Halloween franchise (which you can read HERE), this year I decided to knock out all 10 of the Friday the 13th films... I think I've made a huge mistake.

This is a special time of year and this is a special review, so I'm including some new shit. I will give this write up the standard Arnold rating, which you have all come to know and love... right? I'm also including two other ratings.

Friday the 13th
(1980)
Director: Sean S. Cunningham

I've seen this a few times now and I still enjoy it... actually I consider it one of the better films in the series. There's no Jason Voorhees in this, which I don't mind since I'll be spending a lot of time with him in all the other ones. There's also a young Kevin Bacon, so all the other people involved, who probably have no acting careers now, can easily win at the game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. All the teen victims are pretty average and the acting is crappy, but it's still fun and plants the seeds for what's to come.

Friday the 13th Part 2
(1981)
Director: Steve Miner

Jason takes the reins in this one and starts his inevitably long journey into killing hundreds of people. I felt like most of the cast were really forgettable in this and the long ass recap in the beginning was pretty annoying. The two best kill scenes in this were lifted from Mario Bava's Bay of Blood... you can watch them and judge for yourself (Bava's machete kill and spear kill and Part II's machete kill and spear kill.) There were a few decent moments here and there but ultimately this film is a little lack luster.

Friday the 13th Part III
(1982)
Director: Steve Miner

Jason is back! This time he finally gets his mask, so I feel like this installment cemented the franchise's lineage. It is also my favorite of all the movies and the one I've seen the most. The cast are memorable and cheesy (in a good way), the gore is at its peak and there is lots of T&A... basically everything that keeps these fine machines oiled.  I really like the 3D angle and think all the scenes shot specifically for it were rad. It's not like Avatar 3D, it's campy drive-in 3D... and it rules. Biker gangs, an annoying fat guy with a fro and a spear gun murder... what more could you ask for?

Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter
(1984)
Director: Joseph Zito

Jason is back! The Final Chapter my ass... there are many more to come. This is probably my second favorite of the Fridays that I've actually watched, we'll see if some of the other unseen "chapters" can persuade me otherwise. Corey Feldman (Tommy) is holding it down in this one and I liked him a lot in Part IV. These films feel like they need a kid you can root for, and he fit that role perfectly. Crispin Glover also dances so awkwardly, it's worth the price of admission alone. Plenty of boobs, plenty of blood, and all the other staples of Friday the 13th. Good times.

Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning
(1985)
Director:Danny Steinmann

Jason is back! Or is he? Money talks I guess and based off the success of Part IV, they decided to relaunch another installment. This film is universally hated amongst fans of the series because... spoiler from 1985... Jason isn't the killer, it's some shitty paramedic dressed up as Jason. But that's not all that sucks here. The redneck neighbors are the worst, the guy from Leprechaun 4: Leprechaun is Space and his girlfriend singing to each other while he takes a shit is really weird, and the new Tommy looks nothing like Corey Feldman. This is watchable but there are certainly many flaws with it.

Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI

(1986)

Director: Tom McLoughlin

Jason is back! The first 10 minutes are excellent. The James Bond intro is really killer, also the look of Jason straight out the grave wins points as well. There is yet another Tommy, he's not great. The sheriff is absurd and completely unreal, it's almost comical. There are no boobs in this one... which is offensive! This is the film where we find out that Jason is evil, but not evil enough to murder little children. Part VI is tame mostly and slow at times, it probably falls somewhere in the middle for me.

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

(1988)

Director: John Carl Buechler

Jason is back! This time I'd say he looks the best he's looked so far. Especially when his mask is off, I thought the effects on that were rad. There's an interesting stand off at the end which results in Jason burning "dead" alive, which was extremely well done. Then you see him moments later and the dude looks exactly the same... missed opportunity to make him even more gnarly. The ending to Part VII is horrible, the psychic girl's dead father comes back to life to save her... he's been dead under water for years and still looks just like he did when he dead... lame. This one is pretty forgettable overall.

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

(1989)

Director: Rob Hedden

Jason is back! This time he's fucking up New York City... well, kind of. This movie should be titled "Jason Takes a Boat" because that's where most of it takes place. Even when he gets to NYC, most of the time it's still on sets or places that aren't really in the city. The boxing scene with Jason scores this film 1 Arnold alone. There are lots of kills and even as bad as Part 8 is, it's still fun to watch. I almost forgot... the girl making her music video is pretty hilarious, the late 80's were some strange times.

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

(1993)

Director: Adam Marcus

Jason's back! Kind of. This is the "final" film of this sweeping epic, sounds familiar right? Guess what, still not the last Friday, they gotta send this bitch to space first. With the title inferring that Jason goes to Hell, one would hope for some insane fights between our masked friend and lots of demon critters from the netherworld. One would be wrong. This film is as much a cocktease as Part VIII. He doesn't even go to hell until the movie is over... lame. Jason gets like 10 minute of screen time, ultimately they decided they'd make his "spirit" hop from one host to the next. It was a bad idea and in the end the film suffers immensely.

Jason X
(2001)
Director: James Isaac

Jason is back... in OUTER SPACE! I love the idea of taking horror franchises to space... I don't know why, but I do. Jason X does a decent job of reinventing Friday the 13th and I thought it was kinda fun. It feels like Aliens, except with Jason... also everyone dresses like they're straight off the set of Firefly/Serenity. The ending is a little wanky and I could have done without the android girl that all the sudden turns into Milla Jovovich from Resident Evil. Still, there wasn't anything too offensive and I enjoyed myself with this one.

Are you still there? Good. If you're not, screw you, I didn't want you reading my review anyways. I figured, I came this far, might as well watch the other two films involving Jason... Freddy vs. Jason and the 2009 remake. Here we go... just hold on a little longer.

Freddy vs. Jason
(2003)
Director: Ronnie Yu

Two horror goliaths pair off against each other in a battle of grandiose proportions. The main issue I have with Freddy vs. Jason is that it feels like a Nightmare on Elm Street movie that had to squeeze Jason Voorhees into it somehow. Jason really feels like an afterthought, up until the last 30 mins. The special effects suck badly, the CG doesn't hold up at all... especially the Freddy centipede... dear lord that thing was hilarious. The characters, their back story, and their performances were all bland and forgetful. This should have been awesome, sadly, it was not. Not even close.

Friday the 13th
(2009)
Director: Marcus Nispel

Jason gets a reboot from Michael Bay's production company, which doesn't bode well for him. If you've seen the film Cabin in the Woods, you'll remember how it spoofed on all the cliches in horror films, well 2009's Friday delivers all those cliches, but it's serious. Michael Bay didn't direct this, but it sure feels like he did. It's so over the top and fake. I wasn't hoping for a lot, and this still fell short of my expectations.