It seems as if every person has a small group of films that they treasure. These are the kinds of movies that are watched over and over again without loss of interest. For some people these films were introduced with the tapes purchased along with their first vcr's. For others, including myself, favorite movies have become well-known companions, for annual viewing.
Not necessarily award-winning material and even offering some raw examples of poor acting at times, my favorite movies vary in plausibility, genre and plot. All of them, however, have encouraged or mirrored emotions in my life. Don't miss out! I advise that you take a look at my reviews and even rent some of these titles that sound appealing to you.
I'm sure I will get a few frowns for having this movie listed as one of my favorites. Many considered it to be the worst of the "Evil Dead" trilogy. Bruce Campbell plays Ash whose battle against evil brings him back in time to an unknown medieval town. He greets the natives and works with them to stop an army of the dead from invading the land. His goal in doing this is to obtain a magical book with the power to send him home. Click here to see a short realvideo clip of Ash fighting a witch in an S-Mart store (953 kb).
Click here to view a poster for "Army of Darkness." This movie put less emphasis on horror and is more openly comic than its prequels. I really enjoyed Bruce Campbell's portrayal of Ash, the movie's anti-hero. Even while acting brave this character displays faults that give him the image of an everyday kind of guy. While this film might not be a good choice if you're in a serious mood, it remains to be one of the most groovy cult classics available.
This 1980's film starring Tim Curry and Christopher Lloyd (cast photo) is a great murder mystery filled with suspense and a strong comic undertone. In the tradition of it's board game, the film tracks a group of dignified guests and their actions at a dinner party gone haywire. From early on in the movie it is revealed that these guests all have motives for murder. Here is a poster advertising "Clue."
Whether casually checking the corpses or finally identifying the delicacy served for dinner, the characters from this movie are in a constant state of hysteria. Blackmail and murder keep them jumpy all evening and they soon find themselves rushing around trying to deduce which of their party is to blame. Click here to see a realvideo clip (1.4 mb) that captures the guests during one such bout of humorous confusion.
Not your average work, this film directed by Tim Burton, stars Johnny Depp as Edward and Winonna Ryder as his unattainable love interest. The story is set in an average no-name suburb where lawns are mowed every weekend and the neighborhood women often flock together to gossip over tea. There is little to be said for individuality between the town's inhabitants. At this point Edward, a foreigner, is introduced to the city. He is a little bit different than the others, having been born with several large scissors in place of his hands. While this is delicately accepted at first, it ends up alienating him from the town and his peers. Here is a poster advertising "Edward Scissorhands."
I enjoyed the way this film demonstrated how the differences we are born with can be both enriching and frustrating at times. For Edward, having scissors for hands meant being skilled at cutting or sculpting things. Click here to see a realvideo clip (656 KB) of Edward shaping a block of ice while Kim dances in the snow. On the downside of having a pair of large scissors in place of hands, Edward has difficulty getting close to anything or anybody without destruction. This severely hampers any potential relationship with Kim, not to mention his chances of becoming an "average" citizen.
The Star Wars Trilogy consists of the following films: "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." George Lucas, creator of the series and director of "Star Wars," orchestrated a cast of Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and James Earl Jones (as the voice of Darth Vader). These characters, along with several others, set the stage for an exciting plot of science fiction, drama and action. The movies follow a young man, Luke Skywalker and his travels as he attempts to rid the universe of an evil government called "The Empire." With the force (the power that "surrounds and binds" all living things) Luke works to undo the oppressive Empire and uncover the mysteries of his past. Click here to view a "Star Wars" poster.
Click here to watch a realvideo scene (546 kb) where Han Solo (Luke's friend) walks into a trap and is captured by Darth Vader, a powerful leader of The Empire. Luke aims to become a Jedi Knight, master the force, and bring about freedom to the galaxy. Darth Vader thinks otherwise and is willing to do just about anything to stop him. This trilogy is a powerful epic of good versus evil told from a unique science-fiction/fantasy perspective.
This early 1980's work was made by Disney at the dawn of the personal computer era. Click here to see a poster advertising "Tron." Jeff Bridges plays Flynn, a bright young computer programmer whose ideas and programs were stolen by a large corporation. He decides to take the credit he deserves by hacking into the corporation's computers for evidence of foul play. While doing this he is abducted by laser into the computer's electronical world where programs are represented by individual people. To escape and return to the real world with the evidence he needs Flynn must destroy his kidnapper; an oppressive operating system known as the MCP. With the help of a program named Tron, his adventure begins.
Click here to watch a small realvideo segment (887 kb) of Tron, Flynn and Ram racing their "light cycles." I enjoyed this film quite a bit. It lacks modern special effects and some of the lines are cheesy but for computer geeks such as myself it's unresistable. Personally, I think "Tron" was quite ahead of it's time, being that the MCP seems to share some eerie similarities with Microsoft's Windows. To sum up, "Tron" is a terrific movie that should definitely be experienced at least once. End of line.
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