More change?!

Yes! I will be switching over to a much more simple review system, as I don't have enough time during the school year to type out full fleshed reviews! Also, many of you may have noticed that recently I've rated most of my films five out of five. And that's because I rarley see less than average films and when I do I neglect to review them. So here's how this new thing will work. I've set up an account on flickr, which is a website where you can post pictures and a small caption. I will be writing shorrt one or two sentence reviews with a score, with a picture of the disc of the film I am writing about. I will still be posting here, but not as frequently due to all of the school work I have to do. So, here's where top go: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ejrmoviereviews
If you have any questions or comments shoot me an email at ethan.rosenberg@hotmail.com

Review of Fight Club. I am Jack's movie review.

The biggest and best part about Fight Club, at least for me, was the end. I sat there through the credits just thinking. Many films are given the label,"Thought-Provoking." But the only thoughts I thought during most of those films were how much better the story could have been if not for the misplaced symbolism. No, this isn't a story of misplaced symbolism, nor is it a mindless grunge fest full of fists and blood galore. Well, there are fists. A lot of fists. And a lot of blood. But these fists and that blood had something that all the other gallons upon gallons of corn starch didn't. Meaning. Yes, meaning. It seams as though the Narrator, played gracefully by Edward Norton, was looking for meaning his whole life. Now that's a deep movie. When I start thinking of characters as a whole, and not just ideas sprung off of a piece of paper, then someone is doing their job right. The whole film has amazing symbolism. Some of it more recognizable than others. I would even go as far as to say that Fight Club is a fantastic character study. The conflict between the two leads seems as if it is a very real one, and that's another aspect of the thought-provoking premise. I was given many plot summaries and while I either heard them or read them, I was intrigued. If you can, try to avoid that stray synopsis or plot summary, because the less you know about Fight Club, the better the experience will be. But anyways, I was curious as to how such an interesting idea would transfer to the screen. In comes David Fincher, who is one of the greatest directors ever. Not sure? How's The Game, or Seven? How about Zodiac or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? That should be enough. All of those films are fantastic, but this was his swan song. He put so much effort into making this film. You can tell just by watching it. The grit, the realism, the shots. Oh, the shots. This is, without a doubt, the most beautifully shot film I have ever seen. Bold words, I know. You'll just have to see it for yourself. Brad Pitt provides his greatest performance yet, as the rebel soap salesman Tyler Durden, opposite Norton's Narrator. Speaking of narration, this film also has the best, most razor sharp dialogue I have ever seen in a film. Black humor runs rampant throughout the script, as long as you're willing to catch it.
The Verdict: This film provides everything I've wanted in a movie but never got in one package. Style, grit, urban backdrop, cerebral overtone, black humor, snappy narration, unforgettable dialouge, twisty plot structure, symbolism and meaning, and a dollop of hearty violence. That's my near perfect film. And this is the result. This movie is remarkable. I give Fight Club five bloody knuckles and bruised brains out of five. 5/5

Review of Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Tarantino at the top of his form!

The Kill Bill Saga is many things, but there are two things it is not. Dull, and stupid. Sure, it's not much more than a simple revenge story, but when Quentin Tarantino is behind the camera, it doesn't need to be. In the first volume, story takes a back seat for crazy fighting and intense kung-fu style filmmaking, with a little western thrown in. In the second volume, action takes a back seat for storytelling and the fantastic characters and acting that Tarantino is known for. This time around the Japanese kung-fu steps back for the spaghetti western style, and I loved how Tarantino blended the two styles in both films. Although in the second part the action was less emphasized, what action there was was intense and realistic and gritty. Not as much dismemberment either, sorry to disappoint. If that's your thing. Now with such of the second film being in rooted with westerns of old, I half expected to hear an Ennio Morricone score. Alas, about thirty minutes in, I hear none other than the score for A Fistful of Dollars in the background. Perfect fit. What could have been a mere better than average revenge flick was transformed into an epic of gargantuan porprtion. Tarantino is a literary and cinematic genius, and this is one of his best. I give Kill Bill five flying legs and arms and heads and stomachs out of five. 5/5

Review of Young Frankenstein. Frau Blucher!

Young Frankenstein is the funniest movie I've ever seen. I was laughing out loud the entire time and trust me, I'm a hard man to please when it comes to comedy. Most of the time if I find something even mildly comic, I'll probably just chuckle a bit and move on. Not here. I think this one will be hard to top on my list of favorite comedies. I'm usually more into black humor and if that's more your forte as well, make an exception, because I know almost everyone can appreciate the humor, although it wouldn't hurt to know a little about 70s culture. Also, it can't kill you to watch the original Frankenstein, the one with Boris Karloff. It's a great film and should be checked out anyways and you'll understand the premise a bit more. Starring a fantastic cast, Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, and Cloris Leachman. They all do a fabulous job in their roles, but my favorite was Marty Feldman as Igor, because he's just they funniest guy around. Now while the story is obviously a parody of the original Frankenstien film, it isn't afraid to throw in a little heart every now and again, and I genuinley felt a connection wtih the characters by the end. And that's the best thing about Mel Brooks. He made parodying an art, but he was smart enough to know to not insult the source material, but to embrace it and make it all of his own. This film has to be seen to be believed, and after the film is over, you still won't believe it. Mel Brooks, I salute you!
The Verdict: NOTE TO ALL CURRENT PARODY FILM MAKERS-
MEL BROOKS DID IT FIRST, AND HE DID IT BETTER THAN YOU'LL EVER DO IT. THAT IS ALL. Neigh! Winny! Neigh! 5/5

Review of The Fisher King and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It's official, Terry Gilliam is crazy.

After unintentionally watching two Terry Gilliam films in one day my mind feels a bit warped, but these films proved for a comedic, heartfelt, and psychedelically great time.

The Fisher King- I went into The Fisher King with the expectation that it would be riotously funny and silly. It was, to an extent, but it was quite dismal given the premise. A radio talk show host, played by Jeff Bridges, unintentionally convinces an already crazed man to go on a homicidal rampage killing several people, including the wife of Robin Williams character, who also becomes a bit deranged after his wife's sudden death. Through a twist of fate, the two meet and in order to feel better about himself, Jeff Bridges feels obligated to help him out. Williams really gets into his role here, one of his more zany, but better roles. Bridges does great too, but he seemed a little strained. The biggest drawback for me was the drama. Without a doubt, this film is much more sad than happy. It's a meaningful story, that ends up being one of Gilliam's best, but most realistic directorial endeavors. 4.5/5

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas- Now this is a totally different story. This movie is INSANE. There really isn't much to say, but it looks great and it's a fun joy ride through the underbelly of Vegas. See it. That's all I have to say about that. 5/5

Review of Get Him to the Greek. This year's The Hangover, only better.

Get Him to the Greek is a spiritual sequel to the surprisingly funny and heartfelt comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, with just about all of the original cast and crew in tow. The biggest draw to the film was obviously the two leads, Jonah Hill and Russel Brand. And while Brand plays the same character as he did in the first film, Hill has been swapped to a lowly music producer but still a huge fan of Infant Sorrow, as in the first film. Brand was born to play his role in the film, completely nailing the caricature of a strung out, down on his luck rock star. He makes a great switch from the supporting role to the leading role, keeping the same humor everybody came to love without getting annoying or boring. But Brand wouldn't be able to get by without a little help from his friends. If it weren't for the stylish cinematography or the snappy dialogue, Get Him to the Greek would have been a total flop. I won't spoil too much of the fun for you but rest assured, Get Him to the Greek will be one of the most fun films to be released in the year 2010. I give it four subtle Beatles homages out of five. 4/5

Change?!

Evening all! As you'll obviously see, my blog has been reconstructed in a way. Just about everything is in it's same place, but I thought that since We're nearing the one year anniversary of my reviews, I figured that the black and white was pretty boring. Nothing else is being changed, just the look and feel of the blog has been improved!