Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Tim Burton's movie adaptation of the musical is pretty decent. It has Burton's regulars Johnny Deep and (the still lovely) Helena Bonham Carter. Generally, I'm not a fan of musicals, but this was pretty good. "At last! My arm is complete again!" ~ Sweeney Todd
Tremors - as I've grown, I'm not sure how to categorize this film. Used to scare me but now I adore it for it's cheese, and guess it's basically a comedy. Fred Ward is outstanding in this flick.
Wolfman, The. Even though I dug the 2010 version with Benecio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins, I have to give it up to the 1941 Lon Chaney, Jr., Bela Lugosi, and Claude Rains version. "The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own, but as the rain enters the soil, the river enters the sea, so tears run to a predestined end. Your suffering is over, Bela my son. Now you will find peace." ~ Melava
Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eight Dimension, The (a.k.a. Buckaroo Banzai). One of my all-time top ten movies, this is the story of Dr. Buckaroo Banzai, physicist, brain surgeon, rock star, martial artist, and advisor to the president, as he breaks dimensional barriers and saves the world from destruction. This is another often overlooked gem with a great cast (Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Clancy Brown, Jeff Goldblum, and Christopher Lloyd), smart writing, and an over-the-top hero. "Hey, hey, hey, hey-now. Don't be mean; we don't have to be mean, cuz, remember, no matter where you go, there you are." ~ Dr. Buckaroo Banzai
El Topo. Jodorowsky makes some weird movies, and this one is no exception. I find the film hard to describe, even though I've owned a copy for years and watched it several times, so I'll let Rotten Tomatoes describe it: A bizarre, ultra-violent, allegorical Western, "El Topo" is set in two halves that have widely been compared to the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. In the first half, Jodorowsky plays a violent, black-clad gunfighter who, accompanied by his naked son, sets off on a murderous mission to challenge four Zen masters of gunfighting, and learns from each of them a Great Lesson before they die. In the second half, El Topo sets out to find personal redemption, secluding himself in a subterranean community to learn the ways of peace, but unfortunately death is never far away. First released as an underground film, it was thanks to John Lennon that the film was acquired by Allen Klein of ABKCO, who bought the rights to "El Topo" and then financed Alejandro Jodorowsky's next film "The Holy Mountain."
Gladiator. Ridley Scott's Roman epic won best picture in 2000, along with a couple of other Oscars. A sequel just received the green light this month, although I don't see how that's going to work. This is a fine tale of betrayal and revenge. "Ancestors, I ask you for your guidance. Blessed mother, come to me with the gods' desire for my future. Blessed father, watch over my wife and son with a ready sword. Whisper to them that I live only to hold them again, for all else is dust and air. Ancestors, I honor you and will try to live with the dignity that you have taught me." ~ Maximus at prayer
John Dies at the End. This was a great cosmic horror/comedy. The book, of course, was much better, but I really liked the movie. "My name is David Wong. I once saw a man's kidney grow tentacles, tear itself out of a ragged hole in his back, and go slapping across my kitchen floor. But that's another story." ~ David Wong
Man from U.N.C.L.E., The. This was pretty fun, light-heated, spy flick, based on the '60's t.v. show. Between this and MI: Fallout, I though Henry Cavill was bucking to be the next James Bond, but it looks like he's going to be Geralt of Rivia instead. Go figure. "For a special agent, you're not having a very special day, are you?" ~ Waverly
Glad to see the thread I started over a year ago still going strong! Back to the game......October Sky
Professionals, The. This western stars Lee Marvin (being a badass, as usual), Burt Lancaster, Woody Strode, Robert Ryan, and the beautiful Claudia Cardinale. Jack Pallance plays a Mexican terrorist/freedom fighter who allegedly kidnaps the wife of a wealthy rancher. The rancher hires Marvin and the others to rescue her. Good acting, a lot of action, and a some plot twists keep the movie entertaining. "I can understand you getting in a crap game and losing $700 you didn't have, but how'd you lose your pants?" ~ Rico "In a ladies bedroom, trying to raise the cash. Almost had it made, too. Do you realize that people are the only animals that make love face to face?" ~ Bill Dolworth
