182: The Silence of the Lambs

The Silence of the Lambs (R) - 1991 - Runtime: 118 minutes
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Jodi Foster
Director: Jonathan Demme

The only thing I remember about this movie - and it's not really a memory about the movie, but a reference from another one. In the Cable Guy, Jim Carrey and Matthew Brokerick are at the Medieval place and Carrey puts chicken skin over his face and says in a very bad impression of Hannibal Lecter, "Silence....of the Laambs." Ahh, I love that movie, but I never understood the reference until now. I can't believe I missed out on this movie because it's just so good. I don't particularly seek out serial killer thrillers, but this one is almost perfect.

Clarice Starling is an up and coming star FBI agent who's been assigned to find the serial killer known as Buffalo Bill - a man who kills and then skins the women he abducts. The best lead on the case is locked up in glass chamber, deep underground. A known serial killer, cannibal and once renowned psychologist, Hannibal Lecter might be the only link to stopping Buffalo Bill. I was not expecting this movie to be good, but it's better than that. This movie gets under you skin. And I'm not talking about Hannibal Lecter. For some reason, I thought he was mildly humorous and definitely not threatening. Well, at least throughout most of the movie. But he's a villain you're almost glad he's out and about running around, eating people up (with fava beans!). Like he said in the movie, the world's more interesting with him in it. At least, that world, certainly not my own! Not to say that he didn't deserve the Oscar for this role, he most definitely does, but he's not the most horrifying person in the movie. In my opinion, that goes to Buffalo Bill. Namely because he's out in the real world throughout the movie and you don't really see him for most of it, either. Which is terrifying because when you can't put a face to the killer, that makes him more menacing.

Jodi Foster is great, too. She plays the rookie agent well and she has her own horrors to deal with that Lecter exposes. The movie is a great thrill ride and I thought Lecter and Starling's scenes were show-stealing. There is such a tension in the air during those scenes, but they are working together. It's very complex relationship and I think the movie nailed it. I'm glad there wasn't any twists at the end of the movie - it would have been too distracting. Instead, you get completely immersed into Starling's terror.

A great movie and a most perfect thriller. The performances are great and the horror is frighteningly real. I loved the movie and it never got dull or slow. But as a last note, this has to win the award for most bizarre title. It makes sense after you see the movie, but who knew that people would actually go to see this in theaters with such an effed up title? Seriously!

Rating: Rent It!

182: Bull Durham

Bull Durham (R) - 1988 - Runtime: 108 minutes
Starring: Kevin Costner, Susan Surandon, Tim Robbins
Director: Ron Shelton

Maggie and I had went down to Durham for her sister's wedding and we were told by our now brother-in-law that we should see this movie. He said it was a good romance, but not just a chick flick. So of course we had to see this movie and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. I wouldn't say it's a great movie, but it's a fun little flick that works as a good date movie.

Crash Davis comes back to Durham to catch for the Bulls, Durham's own minor league team. But that's not all he's there to do - he's supposed to mentor the hot shot ace pitcher, Ebby LaLoosh (played by the very young and affable Tim Robbins). They soon take the team from the dumps to number one. But there's a love triangle going on between Crash, Ebby and the local superfan, Annie Savoy. Although the story isn't exactly the greatest, the humor and characters are the best part of the movie. I don't really like Surandon in this role. She's all sexed up and I just don't find her attractive at all. I just didn't really "get" her at all - she's obsessed with baseball, but she's also a loose women. She takes it upon herself to sleep with a new player every year - helping them become a better player (or so she says). I definitely enjoyed the relationship between Crash and LaLoosh more than anything else in the movie.

I wasn't expecting the movie to be so funny and rated R. There's some great jokes and I thought Costner was pretty good as Crash. Even better was Robbins as the rookie. He was like a baby duck throughout - all wide-eyed and wondering. It was pretty comical and you do get drawn into their budding relationship and the team's success. But there was definitely a few too many sex scenes involving Surandon that I couldn't stomach.

But Bull Durham has a lot of heart and it's not really a baseball movie, but it's not really a romantic comedy, either. I can't really explain it. I had a lot of fun watching the movie with Maggie, but at times we both thought the movie dragged on a bit. Maggie asked me at the end of the movie "Why is it called Bull Durham?" I had no answer for it - I had always thought that was the actual nick name of Costner's character, but not so! Oh well, maybe that's a question for my brother-in-law to answer.

Rating: Rent It!

182: Green Zone

Green Zone (R) - 2010 - Runtime: 115 minutes
Starring: Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan
Director: Paul GreengraSS

I had been really excited to see this movie when I first heard about it. I really have enjoyed Greengrass's work. I think the last two Bourne movies are just fun action flicks that keep you on the edge of your seat. But I'm glad this isn't just "Bourne in Iraq" because that's what the trailer was pushing. In fact, it's more of a drama than an action movie and it's a good movie that focuses on the beginning of the war in Iraq.

Matt Damon plays Officer Miller, a man charged with finding WMDs in Iraq, but keeps coming up empty handed in his search. Instead of following orders, he decides to figure out on his own, with a little help from the locals, what the hell is going on. What he finds is, of course, a massive conspiracy. I remember a customer coming up to me and asking me if the movie was any good and I said, yeah.

The customer starts to raise his voice, "Well, it's not about that Democrat bullshit that the war was bad, right? I mean, what's with movie makers and their desire to take down Republicans any chance they get? They're so full of it!" That, at least, was the gist of it.

I replied, "Well, the movie does take the viewpoint of the truth that there was no WMDs in Iraq and that the President and his staff all lied about the war." I was so mad I could have said much, much more but sometimes these people are just looking for an argument and are too stubborn to see another point of view. And what's with painting the Republicans as victims in this whole scenario? I was baffled. I don't think anyone in their right mind would say the Republicans are victims of anything. Same goes for the democrats, too. It's just idiotic to think that.

Any who, aside from the rant, I really found this movie to be quite good. It's worth a rental, if you can swallow the massive conspiracy involving the imaginary WMDs. Matt Damon is awesome because he's playing a man on a mission and damn anyone who gets in the way. The movie reminded me a lot of Body of Lies, another decent war movie, but Green Zone is much more simple and straightforward. There aren't that many twists in the plot and it has a very linear structure. The action, when it happens, is fast and satisfying and at the end, the movie gives you a good sense of the frustration and futility involved in the war.

Rating: Rent It!

182: The Lives of Others

The Lives of Others (R) - 2006 - Runtime: 137 minutes
Starring: Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck


I had always wanted to see this movie, but never found the time to check it out when it finally came out on DVD. The plot intrigued me and I'm always up for some Cold War-themed suspense movies. Luckily, this movie is as good as everyone says - the cast is perfect and the plot is full of suspense and romance. It's just a great movie that deserves more than one viewing.


The setting is 1984, East Berlin. An agent of the secret police, Wiesler, has been ordered to spy on Georg Dreyman, a playwright who is in full support of the communist state. But Wiesler discovers that his orders are not necessarily for security reasons and his bosses are abusing their power. It's a tangled web of power and greed and I got completely lost in it. The movie focuses on Wiesler's surveillance and it is through his perspective that the camera is focused, but we also get to see Dreyman's personal life and what he has lost in spite of his great success. Needless to say, there's a build up to the final chapter of the movie where Wiesler has to decide what to do - to follow orders or defy them in order to help a traitor to the state.


The acting, as I've said, is perfect! Ulrich Muhe plays his part wonderfully and it's too bad he passed away shortly after this movie because he is such a strong actor. I loved the rest of the cast, too and they play their parts so genuine. You connect with these people and their tragic lives. I've always found struggles of this nature (censorship, falsely accused, etc.) to be such a great source of suspense and lots of drama. To see how their lives unfold under such enormous pressure, it's astounding. And although I don't think the movie is based on any particular event, it's safe to assume that stuff like this happened all the time during the Cold War.  It's a movie that I think will live on long after the Cold War is but a distant memory (it almost is - I certainly don't remember it, much less anyone thirty or under) but the fear of global terror is still very much real.


I highly recommend this one. Don't let the foreign label persuade you, it's a great story and even though it's about two and a half hours long, it flew by because of the performances and the pacing of the wonderfully plotted film!


Rating: Own It!

182: The African Queen

The African Queen (PG) - 1951 - Runtime: 105 minutes
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn
Director: John Huston

This one took forever to come out on DVD, even though it's considered in the top 50 of AFI's Top 100! Who knew? But it finally came out a few months ago and I had to watch because I love adventures, especially in Africa or South America, they're so mysterious and foreign to me that I'm always quite fascinated. So it was with great pleasure that I sat down to watch The African Queen, hoping for a great adventure. Unfortunately, the movie is not so adventurous, more like a slow death march (quite literally) to the end.

The African Queen is a boat owned by Charlie Allnut, who  trades supplies up and down the river in Africa. He provides local provisions to a missionary run by the Sayers, a brother and sister team who have decided to stay in the village despite the oncoming threat of World War I. Of course, the village is invaded and subsequently burned and Samuel is struck with fever and dies. Rose Sayer enlists the help of Charlie and they embark down the river. But she has plans to attack the Germans rather than just escape. Of course, hijinks ensue and the river hides many dangers. Needless to say, the movie plods along and I really couldn't follow half of it. At one point they were going to make torpedoes and attack a gunboat, but they instead get shot upon by a German outpost along the river and miraculously survive. Other stuff happens, but it's too dull to recount here. And all along the way, the ruff and rugged Charlie begins to shed his cold exterior and falls for the prissy and uptight Rose. I just didn't get it - it all seemed too fragmented. Nothing really flowed or gelled to me. It seemed that they fell in love because that's what people do when they're left alone, fighting for their survival on a boat. Duh! I think the acting was great, just the fun and excitement was not there!

I really don't understand how this movie has earned such accolades. I think there's been better movies that have expanded upon this idea and have perfected it (Indiana Jones comes to mind, where the action is awesome and the romance is more tangible). I don't think this deserves a recommendation, even though the movie seems to have much love from all the critics!

Rating: Not Worth Paying For!

182: The Shining

The Shining (R) - 1980 - Runtime: 142 minutes
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duvall
Director: Stanley Kubrick

It's amazing how little I've seen of such iconic movies as this one. I guess this is one of the main reasons I struck up this project. I've had people shake their heads in bafflement when I tell them I haven't seen this particular movie. But now I have! And while not the greatest horror movie ever made, I did enjoy, even though it has its share of flaws and god damn it is a long movie!

Jack Nicholson stars as Jack Torrence, a writer who recently got hired to look after a hotel/resort in Colorado. The hotel shuts down during the winter months because of its remote location and inaccessibility. Of course, there's more sinister machinations at work that subsequently drives him bonkers enough to go after his family. I have to admit that the slow build up was quite maddening itself. I appreciate the setting up of tensions and slow scares, but I just wanted to get to the insane parts because that's where the fun really is. And it doesn't disappoint! Nicholson is perfect as a maniac, but he's so iconic in this role that it's hard to disattach the movie star from the character. I really don't see Jack Torrence, but just Nicholson himself. It's still very much a powerful performance, but his celebrity status overshadows this role after so many years.

I'm also beginning to appreciate Kubrick as a filmmaker. I truly loved how this movie was shot. From the start of the movie with those beautiful tracking shots alongside the mountains where a minuscule car is seen winding around on the road to the vast openness of the hotel at the beginning and to the last scenes in the claustrophobic hedge maze. One can write a lengthy essay on the visuals in this movie - they're quite powerful and probably the best thing about it. I really loved how Kubrick thought of the space in the movie and the simple geometry of the set. There's a lot of ninety degree angles and corners in the movie. I don't exactly know what it might all mean, but it's a movie worth seeing over again to think about. The tracking shots behind the kid on his tricycle are simple awesome and I loved those parts. There's a lot of tracking shots, in fact, as you follow him around the maze, too.

Aside from Nicholson, Duvall holds her own, although she doesn't quite have the material to really perform. She's simply the straight foil to Jack. But she delivers her own sense of dread quite well, especially as she's climbing backwards up the stairs away from Jack. It's a funny and scary scene all at the same time. I loved it.

My main complaint about the movie, (and with most Stephen King movies and books, really) is that there's never a really solid explanation of how and why things happen. I can get behind supernatural elements at play, but it seemed like in this story particularly that it's too ambiguous at the end to really understand what went wrong. Is it the hotel itself? Or the evil that seems to linger on from the past? Is Jack a reincarnation of a lost soul? These questions never really get answered and I don't mind that, but it's just that there's so many questions, especially because the movie tries to explain a little bit at the end, but it ended up adding more questions than answering them. It was a bit frustrating to have all these ideas in my head floating around, but I wouldn't say I hated the movie for it.

I really would love to see this movie again, but the running time is so long, so it's hard to put yourself in the mood to watch this one. I did really like this one and I think it's something that's worth watching a few times!

Rating: Rent It!

182: Happy Feet

Happy Feet (PG) - 2006 - Runtime: 108 minutes
Voiced by: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman
Director: George Miller, Warren Coleman

I was suggested this movie by one of my old co-workers who absolutely thought this was a must see. I can unequivocally state that this is by far a must avoid. I understand that penguins are cute and dancing penguins are even cuter. But this movie is just plain awful! I can't imagine torturing my eyeballs and ears again if I ever come across this movie again!

The movie starts out insanely weird - that the great mother of the universe has a song to sing and the penguins need to sing their love song or some such nonsense. It's all just an excuse to put in as much music as possible. I don't mind that - I think music and movies go hand in hand, but this movie seemed to reach levels of exploitation of the music. There's at least a new song every five minutes and they start a new one before the last one is even finished. But I digress! Mumble is born with a defect: he can't sing. And that's important in the penguin world because the only way you can get a soul mate is by singing. It's just how it is, so deal, Mumbles! And so Mumbles has to find out about living your way is the best way and in the mean time, he has to save his village from starvation! The plot itself reaches insanity levels when Mumbles gets captured by humans. I was at a loss for words as to why the movie went where it did, but you can't have a movie without conflict and apparently Mumble's own struggles weren't enough.

It's a terrible movie and one that I can't believe people love. The main plot boils down to sex. I mean the first lyrics of the movie open up like this: "You don't have to be beautiful, to turn me on. I just need your body, baby, from dusk 'til dawn. You don't need experience, to turn me on. You just leave it all up to me..." Seriously! I feel like a prude by taking a stand against these lyrics, but it seriously is all about sex. And the movie keeps hammering this theme throughout. I guess I wouldn't have minded if the movie had been fun and entertaining, but it's just not exciting or great. Even the music that they do use is pretty lame - there's a few solid numbers (I Wish), but nothing too exciting or memorable.

The message of the movie is nice and all - staying true to one's self - but it just seems such a half-assed attempt to provide the kids with a lesson. I say if you have to see penguins, you might be better off watching them surf in the movie Surf's Up. Or March of the Penguins, that's a good one. But dear god, stay away from this one, it's toxic!

Rating: Avoid Like the Plague!

182: The Book of Eli

The Book of Eli (R) - 2010 - Runtime: 118 minutes
Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis
Director: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes

I had heard good things about this movie and I am a sucker for these kind of movies, as evidenced by my other reviews. But after a co-worker of mine absolutely hated this movie, I was more hesitant to check it out. Thankfully, I gave it a shot and this was a wonderfully executed, great sci-fi action movie. It's a great set up and the action is swift and satisfying.

Washington plays a man on a mission from God: to deliver a bible, one of the only of its kind in existence after the world went to hell due to wars, etc. to the west. The movie doesn't delve too much into what happened, which is a good thing. Of course, the bible is seen by Gary Oldman, the evil dude who controls a small town, who thinks he can control more and more people if he has the Word of God by his side. It's a bit heavy handed with all the religious allegories and motifs, but it really isn't distracting to what's really important: the action. I have to say the action here is shot brilliantly and really is fun. There's some slow motion effects, but it's not unrelenting and awful. In fact, after seeing the whole movie, it all kind of fits together. I don't want to spoil anything, but I thought the ending was perfect and fitting for the story they were telling. It's very satisfying and worth a second viewing to catch all the subtext.

It's a great sci-fi movie and if you love post-apocalyptic-themed movies, you cannot go wrong with this one!

Rating: Rent It!

182: The Wolfman

The Wolfman (R) - 2010 - Runtime: 103 minutes
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt
Director: Joe Johnston

I really was super psyched to catch this movie because I love movies like this - period pieces that deal with the supernatural (Sleepy Hollow, Sherlock Holmes, etc.). They're just entertaining and The Wolfman is no exception. It's a fun movie and I think I was won over because I didn't expect this to be so good. But it was!

Del Toro plays Lawrence Talbot an actor who reluctantly comes back to London from America after hearing news about his brother's death. But his death isn't normal - there's a beast on the prowl who seems to be taking out all their aggression on the local townsfolk. Talbot suspects something afoul and he eventually encounters the werewolf himself, getting bitten in the process. There's a big reveal that's supposedly a twist but you see this coming from the beginning of the movie. So it's really not about the plot, but the relationships in the movie and the HOLY HELL DECAPITATION! I guess I should have realized this before I popped in the movie but it's rated R. And there's a good reason for that - the violence is utterly astounding and awesome! I guess it took me by surprise because I was expecting a mild PG-13 level of violence, but this movie went to the next level in my opinion and for the better.

Del Toro obviously was meant all his life to play this role and he does it well. Anthony Hopkins is suitable, but he lays on such a thick air of entitlement and serious acting that it ends up being a bit silly. Emily Blunt is okay, but she's more just hey we need a chick in this movie to please the ladies that will be forcibly dragged to go see this! But despite that, I really liked the father-son relationship that evolves throughout the movie and the weird, pseudo-romantic entanglement Del Toro has with Blunt is not great, but sufficient. Like I said, the movie is fun and well worth a rental!

Rating: Rent It!

182: Tremors

Tremors (PG-13) - 1990 - Runtime: 96 minutes
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter
Director: Ron Underwood

Ahh, Kevin Bacon, you seem to never disappoint. Tremors is a fantastically awful B-movie. It's not a bad movie, but it's not great - it holds its head up high and knows that it's just full of cheese and zaniness. I mean, giant man-eating worms attacking small town America? How more 50s-centric sci-fi referencing can you get?

Bacon Bacon's it up in this one, along with Fred Ward as they play two country boys looking to get outta dodge while they can. But of course an out of towner hottie (well, hot by B-movie and 80s standards) college girl has mess things up by discovering giant ass worms. So Bacon and Ward to the rescue to help the rest of the town's population survive and fight back! The plot's barely important in this one - it's all about those giant worms and the hell they unleash. They're pretty fantastic, but they're blind, hence they only hunt through sound. After what seems like a long time in discovering these creatures (it's like half an hour before they really start to attack!), they decide to get on the rooftops to avoid the ground. The movie's barely scary and not really suspenseful at all. And I think that's why I really can't recommend this one - it's just a little too dull and there's not enough action to keep this thing chugging along at a decent pace!

The best part about this movie is the married couple who have been preparing for the apocolypse since they exchanged vows. That's the best part of the movie is when they're trapped in the basement trying to fend a worm off. I just wish the rest of the movie was like this. Except there's too much ho-humming and "Shucks, what do we do now?" dialogging. More action, please!!

So as much as I regret this rating, I feel like I'd being doing a disservice if I recommended this one. As much cheese and cornball this movie is, it's just not a great movie!

Rating: Not Worth Paying For!