After Hours

After Hours
(1985) [Trailer]
Director: Martin Scorsese (IMDB)

Synopsis: A Manhattanite has the night of his life when he travels down to SoHo to meet up with a girl he barely knows anything about.

This is one of Scorsese's lesser known titles but still should not be disregarded. Actually no Scorsese film should be. I actually quite enjoyed this film and thought it was a unique addition to his filmography. It almost plays out like an episode of Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm where one event plays into another and then you get the callbacks later into the story. It stars the guy from American Werewolf in London and he was pretty decent, you also have cameos by Kevin's parents from the classic... HOME ALONE! There's nothing really earth shattering here, just a really solid film that's pretty entertaining.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
(1966) [Trailer]
Director: Mike Nichols (IMDB)

One of my best buds, Terrence David, recommended this film to me. Thanks Terrence... are you out there reading this? I hope so, thanks for recommending this fucked up movie to me you weirdo.

Synopsis: A husband and wife get drunk, say screwed up shit to one another and also invite some friends over to join in the fun.

Terrence you still there? I was kidding... this is a wonderful movie and I loved every last minute of it. It's pretty unconventional and I can't think of anything that's even remotely in the same ball park. Its strengths lay in the writing and acting of everyone involved. What Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton pull off is perfect... seriously, I couldn't see anyone else even coming close to their performance. When you think of a typical couple from the 60's, these two are about as far from that as you can get, but that's what I loved about Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. It's so honest and realistic in it's portrayal of a couple who may or may not be so honest and realistic. I can't recommend this film enough and will definitely be picking up a copy for a rewatch in the near future.

A Tale of Two Sisters

A Tale of Two Sisters
(2003) [Trailer]
Director: Jee-Woon Kim (IMDB)

I think I added this into my Netflix instant queue because I had seen Jee-Woon Kim's I Saw The Devil and really enjoyed it. My wife saw it in the queue and decided to throw it on because she wanted to watch something scary. There were many times during this film that she cowered into my pillow, so I think she made a good pick.

Synopsis: A young girl returns from the nuthouse, her family has to deal with her and also a mysterious apparition.

I am kind of torn on this movie. Part of me liked it, the other part did not.

The execution of the film is next to perfect. Cinematography is about a good as it gets. The score is eerie and the acting is all spot on. Kim was able to create a very creepy vibe throughout and I especially liked how dark everything feels.

The plot is a bit convoluted and left me scratching my head. So much so that both my wife and I had to look up the synopsis on IMDB and see exactly what the fuck just happened. I kinda of understood most of it before looking it up, but there's still a ton of unanswered questions (even after looking it up.) This film as impores the use of a very played out theme in Asian horror, THIS GIRL (illustration by yours truly.)

I don't know, I feel like a rewatch may be in store for the future, until then judge for yourself.

Jaws

Jaws
(1975) [Trailer]
Director: Steven Spielberg (IMDB)

I have made no secret of my love for Steven Spielberg (director) on this blog before. Some of my favorite movies of all time have had him involved and in terms of horror Jaws is definitely one of the best.

Synopsis: Like you don't already know.

This is more of a review of the recently released blu-ray for Jaws. Anyone that wants to know why blu-ray is awesome and why they should get rid of their shit DVD's, watch this. I saw Jaws a few months back through On Demand and the differences between that viewing and this one are night and day. The transfer is immaculate and one of the best that I've seen... it looks like it was filmed yesterday.

I don't think there will ever be a reason to move onto another format after blu-ray. If studios just took the right kind of time to clean up older releases that's all you'd need. There is no way this film could look any better.

Oh yeah... as for the film. It's awesome obviously and definitely holds up. I'm pretty sure everyone out there above the age of 25 has probably seen this, if you haven't, go ahead and treat yourself.

Galaxy Quest

Galaxy Quest
(1999) [Trailer]
Director: Dean Parisot (IMDB)

I've been getting a lot of requests recently, this one comes from my buddy Mark. I was told by him that I would like this... he was wrong.

Synopsis: The cast of a sci-fi show get transported into a real life galactic battle between two alien races... the comedy ensues.

Okay, I didn't hate this but it's not that great either. It's kinda "middle of the road" to me and a little forgetful. One big problem I had was I found myself getting pretty bored with it after awhile. I thought the cast were all ok... Tim Allen was surprisingly a good casting pick as the Captain... Sigourney Weaver looks pretty good as a blond..... and the guy from Harry Potter plays the same exact character except with shit glued to his head. My favorite was Sam Rockwell, he was a funny addition to the crew and probably the best joke of the movie. The effects were spotty at times, but held up nicely for the most part. I wouldn't go out of your way to see this, it'd be a nice movie to watch on cable on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Breakdown

Breakdown
(1997) [Trailer]
Director: John Mostow (IMDB)

One time EFVS blogger and good friend of mine, Michael Friedman, insisted that I see Breakdown. I knew nothing going into it, other than one of my favorite actors, Kurt Russell starred in it.... that's right, Kurt Russell is one of my favorite actors... suck on that internet! Anyways, that was good enough reason to check it out.

Synopsis: Kurt Russell and the lady from the Twight Zone movie are married and breakdown in the middle of nowhere... things go wrong.

This is entertainment. I found Breakdown to be extremely easy to watch and it kept my interest for the whole ride. It starts like something out of Twilight Zone, but then takes an action flick turn towards the middle once the plot starts to unfold. Kurt Russell is awesome as always and the supporting cast are all fine. There's a few nitpicks here and there but really nothing to complain about. If you can find it or download it... do it, Breakdown is good stuff.

Swingers

Swingers
(1996) [Trailer]
Director: Doug Liman (IMDB)

I watched Swingers on the regular in my late teens/early 20's. It was one of my favorite films back then and along with movies like Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn, Bottle Rocket and Fargo, it helped fuel my hunger for cinema through my formidable years. So prepare for a love fest.

Synopsis: Mike recently got dumped. Now his friends do their best to help him get over his ex and get back into the game.

This film works for me on many levels. The dialog is fresh, memorable, and authentic. This movie feels like this movie, if that makes sense? I think Vince Vaughan says the word "baby" over 120 times throughout Swingers' run time, which would seem like it's annoying, but it works for his character in a strange way. I like how this movie pays homage to other films/directors... some are obvious picks like Scorsese, Reservoir Dogs/Tarantino, and the Rat Pack... and others that are more low key like the THX-1138 license plate. This is an absolute must for any fan of independent cinema and good comedies that take a different approach to the genre.