American Outlaws (2001)

American Outlaws (2001)

American Outlaws is not historically accurate really at all except for a few small things, but that doesn’t bother me at all, it is still a very fun movie.

The film has a good blend of action, drama and comedy which makes it easy to watch. Its not as good as the remake of 3:10 to Yuma, as far as newer westerns go, but I still think it was well put together. Good western gun fights, and a good western storyline, blended with some funny one liners.

The acting was decent as well. American Outlaws was the first film I saw Colin Farrell in and instantly became a fan, though now this is far from his best work. He does a good accent that would make you never guess he was Irish. The rest of the cast is a little hit and miss in my opinion. No one did terrible but even Kathy Bates didn’t do that great. Timothy Dolton probably gave the best performance of the supporting cast. However, other supporting cast members like Scott Caan and Ali Larter didn’t really give much of a performance at all

I think the film is pretty fairly rated by most, because it’s not great. The acting is ok, the story isn’t that original, and it’s not accurate, but it is fun and I still enjoy it. So overall, I can’t guarantee anyone will like it. If you like westerns or you like Colin Farrell, I think you should at least give this film a try. Just remember it isn’t a history lesson.

7/10

Choke (2008)

Choke (2008)

Being a huge fan of fight club, I was very excited to see Choke. They are both based on books by Chuck Palahnuik and I think they are both good, but very different. Fight Club is much better but I think it would have been interesting to see what Choke could have been with a bigger director or lead actor, and a bigger budget. (I think it might have been given a smaller budget because of it’s slightly risqué topics, which I think is unfair.)

With that aside I’d like to say I still think that Choke is underrated. It’s a great story with a lot of good twists and turns and it best of all, its hilarious. I think it had a lot of potential to be more main stream but something went wrong with that. Clark Gregg isn’t as big as a director as David Fincher (director of Fight Club) so I think it might have lost some momentum there. And with that, Sam Rockwell isn’t a huge name either. Though neither are big names I still think they did a pretty good job and the rest of the cast did as well, mainly Angelica Huston.

From what I’ve heard, if you read the book you are not going to like the film. I haven’t read it so I don’t know if that’s true. However, if you haven’t read the book I think you could really enjoy it. Its very funny, interesting and original. Don’t watch it when you are in the mood for a full blown comedy, it is really funny but more drama driven.

8/10

Crank (2006)

Crank (2006)

Crank is a strange movie to review. Its really a strange movie all together. It seems like the writer and director said “lets make a movie with truly non-stop action,” and in the end that’s what they had.

I can’t really say I think it’s a good movie, because I don’t. However I do enjoy it. Crank is the only movie I’ve seen that really is non-stop action. Right from the beginning the action starts and its tense right to the last second. With the camera angles and movement of the camera even the parts where people are just talking seems tense and almost action like.

I don’t think the film is all that well done in the long run though. It definitely works but it isn’t really good. The story is probably the most ridiculous story ever and the cinematography often times looks pretty armature. The acting is decent from Jason Statham considering what he was doing, but the rest of the cast were pretty lame and didn’t seem to try that hard.

So its hard to give a rating to this film. Do I go with how much I like it or how much it deserves? If you are in the mood for a real hardcore action movie Crank is your best choice, it makes action films like XXX look tame. On the other hand, if you are looking for an action movie that I feel is more of an actual good movie this isn’t the way to go. Bad storyline, acting, writing, dialog, directing, and so on… but somehow… it’s a lot of fun. Even though I bashed the film a bit, it’s still a very original and fun film, and can be enjoyed when you are just looking for a straight up, true action film.

7/10

Ben-Hur (1959)

Ben-Hur (1959)

Often cited as one of the greatest films ever made, and truly it is. Although its not one of my top favorites I do really enjoy it and agree with it being one of the best.

It’s a film that I think couldn’t be as big now days, or at least not as good. They would ruin it with CGI and it wouldn’t look as cool. Hollywood wouldn’t allow so many extras these days in my opinion. Along with this the a lot of the stunts would be faked.

Besides all of the big scenes, like the chariot race, the film is still great. Though the action scenes are probably the most remembered, the drama is what keeps the film together and makes it a classic. Perfectly directed and performed, it will continue to be viewed for years.

Not being a religious person at all, I was worried that the biblical aspects of the film were gonna ruin the film, make it too cheesy and what not. However that doesn’t happen. The bible, in my opinion, has great stories (if you just take them as stories not truth) so all the parts with Jesus are actually pretty cool, because it gives him that superhero like feel. Ben-Hur is called a story of Christ, which is weird, because it is about Jesus but at the same time it’s not about him at all. More of a look at someone who was affected by him. Very interesting.

On of Charlton Heston’s best performances, and one of William Wyler’s best films, it really deserved the Oscar sweep that it did. Winning best picture, actor, supporting actor, cinematography, costume design, art direction, effects, editing, directing, music, sound and of course best picture. I cant see any of these wins going to any other film. Though I personally like Some Like it Hot and Anatomy of a Murder more than Ben-Hur, I feel Ben Hur still deserved the wins.

This film should be watched by everyone. I'm assuming a lot of the younger crowds might get bored by it, but anyone that’s able to sit through a 3 hour film, mostly dialog driven, then please do yourself a favor and watch it. It’s a classic epic for a reason, and will be on the top of most movie lists for a long time.

9/10

The Bone Collector (1999)

The Bone Collector (1999)

5 word summary

Quadriplegic detective helps track killer

The Bone Collector starts off as a great new kind of police thriller. It takes a lot of clichéd ideas but turns them into something original and fresh.

A quadriplegic detective helps a cop track down a killer who is leaving clues to the next victim, victims who have been put in situations that will kill them by a certain time.

A lot of the murders reminded me a little of Saw, a pipe that will blow steam, cuts all over in rat infested areas. The only difference is the police need to save you before you die instead of you saving yourself. it’s creative and disturbing and very entertaining. A lot of very tense moments as people are about to die horrible deaths and the police are close to saving them. It keeps the movie very exciting.

However, the film loses a lot of my respect when the ending comes. It’s a very clichéd, obvious, boring ending and even more so, a disappointing ending. though who the killer is was a bit of a surprise, why he is doing it and what follows after he admits what he’s done is a cop out and frankly, a little stupid. It definitely changed my rating but overall did not ruin the film, just made it not as good as it could have been.

The acting is good by Denzel Washington but not better than usual for him, just an average performance (which isn’t a bad thing.) Angelina Jolie’s performance was better than usual but overall nothing special. The rest of the cast was mediocre at best, no one really stands out.

I would suggest the Bone Collector to anyone who enjoys crime thrillers. For the most part it is great, it was just slightly ruined by the ending. A must for Denzel and Angelina fans.

7/10

100 Favorite Actors

this is my list of my 100 favorite actors

it goes

rank. actor (films of theres ive seen)

favorite performance

second favorite performance

third favorite performance

(*note: favorite performance, not necessarily my favorite movie of theirs)

1. Robert De Niro (38)

1. The Godfather Pt 2

2. Taxi Driver

3, King of Comedy

2. Al Pacino (26)

1. The Godfather Trilogy

2. Dog Day Afternoon

3. Scarface

3. Paul Newman (17)

1. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

2. Road to Perdition

3. Cool Hand Luke

4. James Stewart (20)

1. Harvey

2. The Philidelphia Story

3. Rope

5. Johnny Depp (32)

1. Pirates of the Caribbean

2. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

3. Blow

6. Henry Fonda (14)

1. Once Upon a Time in the West

2. 12 Angry Men

3. The Lady Eve

7. Marlon Brando (10)

1. On The Waterfront

2. A Streetcar Named Desire

3. The Godfather

8. Dustin Hoffman (21)

1. Midnight Cowboy

2. Lenny

3. Rain Man

9. Cary Grant (17)

1. North by Northwest

2. Arsenic and Old Lace

3. The Philadelphia Story

10. Meryl Streep (13)

1. Sophie’s Choice

2. Bridges of Madison County

3. Manhattan

11. Audrey Hepburn (10)

1. My Fair Lady

2. Wait Until Dark

3. Sabrina

12. Sean Penn (8)

1. Mystic River

2. 21 Grams

3. I Am Sam

13. Denzel Washington (18)

1. Training Day

2. American Gangster

3. Remember the Titans

14. William Holden (10)

1. Stalag 17

2. Bridge on the River Kwai

3. Sunset Blvd

15. Jack Nicholson (14)

1. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

2. Five Easy Pieces

3. The Departed

16. Clint Eastwood (18)

1. High Planes Drifter

2. The Good the Bad and the Ugly

3.Million Dollar Baby

17. Brad Pitt (20)

1. Fight Club

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

3. Snatch

18. Robert Redford (9)

1. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

2. Jerimiah Johnson

3. All the Presidents Men

19. Edward Norton (8)

1. American History X

2. Fight Club

3. Red Dragon

20. Morgan Freeman (17)

1. Shawshank Redemption

2. Invictus

3. Million Dollar Baby

21. Leonardo DiCaprio (12)

1. The Aviator

2. Blood Diamond

3. The Departed

22. Jack Lemmon (9)

1. Some Like it Hot

2. The Apartment

3. The Odd Couple

23. Russel Crowe (10)

1. 3:10 to Yuma

2. Gladiator

3. Cinderella Man

24. Michael Caine (10)

1. The Man Who Would Be King

2. Second Hand Lions

3. The Cider House Rules

25. Humphrey Bogart (12)

1. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

2. Casablanca

3. The African Queen

26. Cate Blanchette (12)

1. I’m Not there

2. The Aviator

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

27. John Cazale (5)

1. The Godfather Part 2

2. The Deer Hunter

3. Dog Day Afternoon

28. George Clooney (16)

1. Up In The Air

2. Oceans Eleven

3. Syriana

29. Grace Kelly (8)

1. Dial M for Murder

2. The Country Girl

3. Rear Window

30. John Wayne (16)

1. The Searchers

2. Red River

3. The Man Who Shoot Liberty Valance

31. Alec Guinness (9)

1. Bridge on the River Kwai

2. Star Wars Trilogy

3. The Lavender Hill Gang

32. Frank Sinatra (11)

1. The Man With the Golden Arm

2. Suddenly

3. Manchurian Candidate

33. Peter Sellers (4)

1. Dr Strangelove

2. Being There

3. Lolita

34. Diane Keaton (11)

1. The Godfather Trilogy

2. Annie Hall

3. Manhattan

35. Robert Duvall (18)

1. The Godfather pt 1 & 2

2. Apocalypse Now

3. Secondhand Lions

36. Colin Farrell (14)

1. In Bruges

2. Crazy Heart

3. Tigerland

37. Matt Damon (21)

1. Saving Private Ryan

2. Invictus

3. The Departed

38. Christian Bale (13)

1. 3:10 to Yuma

2. The Machinist

3. The Prestige

39. Benicio Del Toro (7)

1. 21 Grams

2. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

3. Traffic

40. Ingrid Bergman (4)

1. Casablanca

2. Gaslight

3. Notorious

41. Ryan Gossling (6)

1. The Believer

2. Lars and the Real Girl

3. Half Nelson

42. Tom Cruise (17)

1. Collateral

2. A Few Good Men

3. Rain Man

43. Sidney Poiter (6)

1. A Raison in the Sun

2. The Defiant Ones

3. In The Heat of the Night

44. Viggo Mortenson (9)

1. A History of Violence

2. The Road

3. Eastern Promises

45. Charlie Chaplin (7)

1. City Lights

2. The Kid

3. The Great Dictator

46. Montgomery Clift (7)

1. I Confess

2. Red River

3. The Judgment of Nuremberg

47. Clarke Gable (8)

1. It Happened One Night

2. Gone With the Wind

3. Mutiny on the Bounty

48. Don Cheadle (13)

1. Hotel Rwanda

2. Crash

3. Traffic

49. Ralph Fiennes (6)

1. Schindler’s List

2. In Bruges

3. Red Dragon

50. Woody Allen (8)

1. Annie Hall

2. Play it Again Sam

3. Sleeper

51. Anthony Hopkins (12)

1. Silence of the Lambs Trilogy

2. Amistad

3. Fracture

52. Shirley MacLaine (5)

1. The Apartment

2. What a Way to Go

3. Being There

53. Kevin Costner (16)

1. Dances with Wolves

2. Open Range

3. Tin Cup

54. Spencer Tracy (8)

1. Inherit the Wind

2. Adam’s Rib

3. Judgment of Nuremburg

55. Tom Hanks (13)

1. Road to Perdition

2. Saving Private Ryan

3. Philadelphia

56. Billy Bob Thorton (10)

1. Monster’s Ball

2. Slingblade

3. Bad Santa

57. Gene Wilder (5)

1. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

2. Young Frankenstein

3. Blazing Saddles

58. Buster Keaton (3)

1. Sherlock Jr.

2. The General

3. Steamboat Bill Jr.

59. Ben Kingsley (8)

1. Gandhi

2. Schindler’s List

3. Shutter Island

60. James Cagney (8)

1. White Heat

2. Angels With Dirty Faces

3. Yankee Doodle Dandy

61. Tony Curtis (6)

1. Some Like it Hot

2. Defiant Ones

3. The Boston Strangler

62. Vivien Leigh (4)

1. A Streetcar Named Desire

2. Gone With the Wind

3. That Hamilton Woman

63. Gary Cooper (4)

1. High Noon

2. Mr Deeds Goes to Town

3. Sergeant York

64. Will Ferrell (19)

1. Anchorman

2. Elf

3. Stranger than Fiction

65. Robert Downey Jr. (13)

1. Chaplin

2. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

3. A Scanner Darkley

66. Martin Sheen (10)

1. Apocalypse Now

2. The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane

3. Badlands

67. Orson Welles (6)

1. The Third Man

2. Citizen Kane

3. Lady of Shanghai

68. Gene Kelly (8)

1. Singin’ in the Rain

2. An American in Paris

3. What a Way to Go

69. Heath Ledger (10)

1. The Dark Knight

2. The Imaginarium of Doctor PArnasus

3. Brokeback Mountain

70. Peter O’Toole (5)

1. Lawrence of Arabia

2. The Last Emperor

3. How to Steal a Million

71. Bruce Willis (24)

1. The Sixth Sense

2. Whole Nine Yards

3. Die Hard

72. Jon Voight (12)

1. Midnight Cowboy

2. Deliverance

3. Pearl Harbor

73. Gene Hackman (18)

1. Unforgiven

2. Scarecrow

3. Royal Tenenbaums

74. Jude Law (8)

1. Enemy at the Gate

2. Cold Mountain

3. Road to Perdition

75. Gregory Peck (8)

1. To Kill a Mockingbird

2. Roman Holiday

3. Guns of Navarone

76. Elizabeth Taylor (6)

1. Whose Afraid of Virgina Wolfe

2. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

3. A Place in the Sun

77. Gary Oldman (11)

1. Leon: The Professional

2. The Dark Knight

3. Sid and Nancy

78. Joe Peschi (11)

1. Goodfellas

2. Raging Bull

3. My Cousin Vinny

79. Ginger Rogers (4)

1. Top Hat

2. Monkey Business

3. Swing Time

80. Forrest Whitaker (11)

1. The Last King of Scotland

2. Phone Booth

3. Panic Room

81. Jake Gyllenhaal (8)

1. Donnie Darko

2. Brokeback Mountain

3. Rendition

82. John Cusack (15)

1. High Fidelity

2. Grosse Pointe Blank

3. 1408

83. George C. Scott (4)

1. Patton

2. Dr. Strangelove

3. The Hustler

84. Natalie Portman (10)

1. V for Vendetta

2. Garden State

3. Leon: The Professional

85. Marilyn Monroe (6)

1. Some Like it Hot

2. Seven Year Itch

3. The Misfits

86. Djimon Hounsou (4)

1. Blood Diamond

2. Gladiator

3. Amistad

87. Ray Liotta (9)

1. Goodfellas

2. Smokin’ Aces

3. Blow

88. Tim Robbins (10)

1. Shawshank Redemption

2. Jacobs Ladder

3. Mystic River

86.

89. John Malkovich (9)

1. Burn After Reading

2. Of Mice and Men

3. Con Air

90. Cuba Gooding Jr (11)

1. Men of Honor

2. Boys n the Hood

3. As Good as it Gets

91. Kirk Douglas (6)

1. Ace in the Hole

2. Paths of Glory

3. Spartacus

92. Mel Gibson (11)

1. The Patriot

2. We Were Soldiers

3. Maverick

93. James Caan (8)

1. The Godfather

2. Eldorado

3. Elf

93. Roy Schieder (6)

1. Jaws

2. All That Jazz

3. Marathon Man

94. Fred Astaire (5)

1. Top Hat

2. Funny Face

3. Swing Time

95. Casey Affleck (8)

1. The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford

2. Gone Baby Gone

3. Oceans Eleven

96. Harrison Ford (10)

1. Indiana Jones Trilogy

2. Star Wars Trilogy

3. Blade Runner

97. Sean Connery (11)

1. The Man Who Would Be King

2. The Untouchables

3. Dr. No

98. Jean Reno

1. Leon: The Professional

2. Ronin

3. The DaVinci Code

99. Eli Wallach (8)

1. The Good the Bad and the Ugly

2. How to Steal a Million

3. The Magnificent Seven

100. Ed Harris (11)

1. A History of Violence

2. Enemy at the Gates

3. A Beautiful Mind