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I Went To Film School - Reviews and Such

1990 and Before - I Went To Film School

Annie Hall: Cute and Fresh... Back in the 70s

August 19th 2010 15:42
Annie Hall


Annie Hall made me wish for a time machine more than almost any other film that isn't part of the Back to the Future franchise. This isn't because I want to live the types of lives the characters live, that would be terrible, but I really want to know what it is like to experience this movie when it was revolutionary. I know it was original and brilliant for the time, but so many of the charming features have been imitated since then that they are part of the mainstream romantic comedy landscape and harder to appreciate.


Woody Allen and Diane Keaton play their parts perfectly, and brought a genuine feel to the characters. Even though I found neither Annie nor Alvy particularly likable, the dialogue and directorial style was interesting enough to hold my attention. There is something incredibly charming about a romantic comedy where no one is perfect, and for every scene that didn't work for me, another quickly followed that I adored.

Allen's style has become his signature, but for the time he made some incredibly brave choices. The fantasy sequences, breaking the fourth wall, and having characters present their own flashbacks are all elements the average film goer wasn't used to, but he managed to make them digestible for nearly any audience. He might stick to a repetitive formula, but Allen's films still have a truthfulness which is still absent from most comedies today.

While I can sincerely appreciate Annie Hall, it certainly isn't a film for everyone. I always enjoy Woody Allen doing his thing, but if his style hard for you to tolerate then this film is practically unbearable. If you enjoy romantic comedies with a slower pace that are more about conversations than falling down, Annie Hall is a breath of fresh air. The film is actually about the characters and conversations, not just awkward situations they find themselves in. No "vibrating panties at a business meeting" jokes here.


8.5/10
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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


The Grifters: I Feel Cheated

August 4th 2010 20:03
The Grifters


I like noiry-type things. If a movie is about a room of chain-smokers getting screwed over by some dame, chances are I'm a fan. While The Grifters has that old school vibe, hell at times I'd even say it felt like a Hitchcock movie, there was something missing. The film is a little slow, the plot entirely uninteresting, and as much as I love John Cusack, he is terribly miscast this time around.

The film's main issue, apart from showing me characters I can't relate to acting out a story I don't care about, is the utter lack of tonal balance. At times the film feels like it's trying to be "fun" like other con-man movies, but failing terribly. Other times, things get surprisingly dark but still feel out of place. These shifts don't feel like creative departures, rather they feel as if the director couldn't decide what type of movie he was trying to make, and just hoped everything would piece together nicely.

Even the dialogue can't stay on beat, relentlessly alternating between delightfully snarky and needlessly melodramatic. Any time it felt as if they were close to hitting that noir back-and-forth, out comes a line that made me cringe, painfully reminding me how inauthentic the movie was. I wanted to get into it, I wanted to like it, but I just couldn't buy what it was selling.

Even as a fan of John Cusack and Anjelica Huston, I feel this movie had almost no redeeming qualities. If you want a good example of a neo-noir film, watch Chinatown. If you want an interesting movie about con men, there are dozens of better ones to choose from. Sure, I will admit that The Grifters occasionally managed to mimic some of the feel of a noir film, but it never came close to attaining any of the charm.

4.0/10
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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


The Dead Zone: Walken Tall

July 27th 2010 17:03
The Dead Zone


In my mind, there will never be enough movies out there that star Christopher Walken. Every other movie made could feature the guy and I would just ask for more. The Dead Zone did everything to remind me why I love the guy, and even though the premise gets stretched a little far for a feature film (feels like a drawn out episode of The Twilight Zone), this guy brings something to the table that kept me enthralled. The guy is hypnotic or an alien or something, no human should possess that kind of power.

Initially, when I saw David Cronenberg's name during the opening credits I groaned. Studying Film Studies in Canada, I've had a fair share of his work shoved down my throat. I can understand why it's interesting and effective, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. This time around he wasn't particularly heavy-handed in Cronenberg-ness, and not since Eastern Promises have I totally enjoyed one of his films.

The other pleasant surprise The Dead Zone had to offer was a great performance by Martin Sheen. Although he has a great sense of humor about himself, these days the guy seems like a bit of a one-trick pony. This movie totally rebooted my Martin Sheen respect and reminded me just how great this guy is.

The movie isn't a must-see or anything, but if the premise sounds like it would interest you then certainly check it out. Christopher Walken on-screen for over an hour is always worth the time investment.

7.0/10
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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


Rocky: Impressively Touching

June 6th 2010 15:55
Rocky


For quite some time, I've been ashamed that I've never seen Rocky in its entirety. The desire was never really there, plus everyone already knows what happens, so I never really saw the point. After experiencing it for the first time, I can easily admit I was terribly wrong.

People give Stallone a lot of grief, but anyone who doubts his performance here wasn't paying enough attention. To say that he carries the film is a ridiculous understatement, and he deserves a lot of credit for getting the audience to fall in love with a dim-witted boxer/goon.

The film's plot doesn't have too much action for a majority of the middle, but the writing is sharp enough to keep everyone invested. Hell, I knew every single plot point going into the movie and it still managed to hold my attention the whole way through.

Rocky really is the classic underdog tale, and much more then a simple boxing movie. The film is surprisingly touching, inspirational, and has a ton of heart. Do yourself a favor and give it a chance.

9.0/10
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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


TRON: Lightcycles Ahead of its Time

June 4th 2010 16:21
Tron


I'm ashamed that I never got around to watching TRON until now. The visuals are astounding, the plot fun, and the cast was charming. The film might be 28 years old and parodied hundreds of times, but the entire experience still felt fresh and exciting.

I'll admit that it's not perfect, but certainly not the train-wreck I heard it was. Jeff Bridges and David Warner fit the bill perfectly, and the direction was perfect for this type of movie. The premise is utterly insane, but the execution is so spot-on that I never bothered to care.

I don't usually talk about sound in these reviews, mostly because I never really think about it unless it's phenomenal or ridiculous, but this is one case where I feel I have to talk about it. In order for an audience to buy a film like TRON, every single detail needs to feel authentic to the reality of the presented world. The visuals play a major role in this, but for me it was the sound effects that really brought the whole experience home.

If you're even slightly interested in the premise, do yourself a favor and check the movie out. Yes, it's a silly video game movie, but it's THE silly video game movie. The effects are still great today, masterful for their time, and the whole film is a fun experience.

8.0/10
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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


The Thing: Paranoia At Its Best

May 30th 2010 12:46
The Thing


John Carpenter's movies have a certain quality that you really don't find in movies these days: atmosphere. While The Thing may be incredibly slow-paced, this isn't exactly a bad thing. The movie's power is its use of tension, making the audience feel just as paranoid and suspicious as the characters themselves


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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


Superman IV: Quest for Sucking

May 2nd 2010 15:10
Superman 4


Superman IV is a terrible movie. There are plot holes, terrible revealing mistakes, and a nonsensical story. No longer drowning in slapstick nonsense like Superman III, this film happens to be terrible for every other reason. I remember seeing this when I was five and thinking it was terrible, which says a lot considering Weekend at Bernie's was one of my favorite movies at the time


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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


Superman III: This Hell Was Built Off Of Good Intentions

April 29th 2010 15:36
Superman III


Superman III is a film that's composed of good intentions executed terribly


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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


Superman II: Not Worth Kneeling For

April 20th 2010 11:18
Superman II


Superman II should have been a better movie. I'm not familiar with the Richard Donner cut, so I don't feel right assuming it succeeded where this one failed, but it certainly isn't a hard idea to believe. This concept was too good for such a bland result, as Superman has a real fight on his hands for once. Not only is General Zod every bit as powerful as the Man of Steel, but so are his lackeys. The whole movie should have built to a fantastic showdown, but instead took far too long to get where it was going. When it got there, it still didn't deliver


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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


Superman: Yeah, He's A Pretty Swell Guy

April 18th 2010 02:01
Superman


It's been quite some time since I sat down and watched the 1978 Superman movie start-to-finish, and I will admit I expected much of it to age terribly. I was surprised to find out that most of it holds up quite well, even the special effects. Sure, it's not as crisp as the CGI we see today, but a lot of the charm and wonder behind special effects have evaporated with the difficulty


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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


Caddyshack: Bogey at Best

April 6th 2010 17:31
Caddyshack


Watching a “classic” for the first time is always an awkward experience. It has been built up so much over the years, that you are expecting a canonical example of the finest a genre has to offer. The problem is that while they were highly influential a the time, some of them simply don't hold up. Caddyshack is one of those movies


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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


The Godfather Part III: Tragically Unnecessary

April 4th 2010 22:15
Godfather 3


The first time that I saw The Godfather Part III, it was at the end of a marathon of the entire saga. I decided to give the movie another chance recently, and see how the entire experience sat with me in a fresher state. This was ultimately a poor decision, as all this most recent viewing did was confirm my suspicions about the film's shocking lack in quality


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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


Hell Comes to Frogtown: Hop, Don't Walk

April 3rd 2010 14:00
Hell Comes to Frogtown


Hell Comes to Frogtown is one of those movies that knows exactly how silly it is. There are many parts you can catch Rowdy Roddy Piper smirking to himself as he participates in what can only be described as utter madness. The premise is ridiculous, the acting is terrible, the dialogue makes you cringe, but dammit that is exactly what they were going for so you can't really fault them


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Posted By: Julian Runcan - Category: 1990 and Before
   


They Live: Potential Dies

March 31st 2010 21:01
They Live


Everything about They Live is tacky and lame. The acting is wooden at best; the special effects don’t withstand the test of time; and although the science-fiction elements are interesting, they get glossed over far too quickly. The movie does have some fantastic lines and memorable scenes, but the nostalgia is much more fun than sitting through the movie again


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Escape from New York: Definitely Not a Bloodbath

March 20th 2010 01:55


I'll admit I went into Escape from New York a little eager. All I really knew was that the movie was supposed to be extremely badass, and that the video game character Solid Snake was based off of Snake Plissken. I was expecting something similar to Commando, a non-stop conveyor belt of blood and mayhem. Actually, Escape from New York is more similar to The Warriors, or at least what I imagine The Warriors is like since I haven't actually seen it yet, but I don't really have a desire to, which is probably why I found Escape from New York to be a disappointment


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