One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Jack Nicholson goes nuts again.

I'd love nothing more than to stir the pot by giving one of the few movies to ever win the Academy Award grand slam, that's best director, screenplay, actor, actress and picture in the same year, a luke-warm review, but that's simply not going to happen. Even a disgruntled, bitter critic like myself can be dazzled on occasion and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is, simply put, one of the greatest film-making achievements in cinema's history. It's an nuanced, touching and powerful look at human nature that's so powerfully acted and beautifully crafted that it demands your attention.

Based on the novel of the same name by renowned counter-culture author Ken Kesey, One Upon the Cuckoo's Nest is the story of R.P. McMurphy, a man who's been in and out of prison for the vast majority of his life, and his grand plan to avoid hard labor by getting committed to an asylum. McMurphy, played by Jack Nicholson, succeeds in getting committed and ends up on a ward with an exceptional number of familiar faces, including Danny DeVito, Brad Dourif and Christopher Lloyd, that is run by his soon to be arch-nemesis, Nurse Ratched, played by Louise Fletcher. Needless to say, McMurphy's plan doesn't really work out the way he planned it and he doesn't take it too well. The film was released to decent, but not remarkable reviews, but it cleaned house come Oscar time by winning all five major awards. Since then, it has become one of the best loved American films ever made, even if Ken Kesey claims to despise it, and it finds itself as an obviously inclusion on the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die list.

Just what makes One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest so good is hard to say, but the performances are clearly the right place to start. Nicholson, Fletcher and Dourif have all received enormous amounts of praise for their performances, all of which is deserved, but the entire ensemble is just so completely bought in that the movie is compelling no matter who is on screen. That said, the movie's success can be almost entirely attributed to Nicholson's captivating performance as R.P. McMurphy. You can debate for hours about whether or not his character is truly mentally disturbed and it's a tribute to the nuance of his performance that this debate persists to this day. Ultimately, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest is, arguably, the best achievement in acting in the history of film. Beyond the performances, Director Milos Forman does a phenomenal job of highlighting the performances by cleanly crafting a movie that is beautiful to watch and doesn't feel overworked.

I could lump praise on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest all day long, but I won't bore you by doing it. The film's reputation speaks for itself. What I can say is that the movie deserves every bit of kudos it receives and by not seeing it, you are doing yourself a disservice. If there is a single film on the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die list that deserves it's spot more than One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, I haven't seen it.

10/10

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

The character that deserves to get laid dies a virgin.

10/10

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Two huge, black shafts versus the world.

10/10

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Nine dudes in the woods playing with jewelry.

10/10

Aliens (1986)

Sigourney Weaver wears the pants yet again.


10/10

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

That's where babies come from?

Few movies are as important to a genre of films as 2001: A Space Odyssey is to science fiction. It represents a leap forward from the movies of the 50's and 60's and the first step towards what we know as science fiction today. It is impossible to overstate the importance of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but being influential is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what the film has to offer. While it moves a little too slowly at times, 2001: A Space Odyssey is an undisputed classic when it comes to science fiction because of it's daring style, obsessive attention to detail and it's unforgettable last half.

2001: A Space Odyssey is part science fiction epic, part complete history of the human race and part space thriller. The film is split into four segments and each has a distinct personality. The first is full of people in monkey suits, the second has normal suits, the third has space suits and the last has a giant space baby. The story, simply, revolves around a giant black cock from space. When modern man finds it on the moon, they send a team into space to try and solve the mystery. They also send the most often spoofed evil computer in movie history along for the ride. The last twenty minutes of the movie are just a Pink Floyd laser show. The movie is directed by the king of all things weird and awesome Stanley Kubrick and is based on several works of famed science fiction writer Arthur C. Clark. While the movie stars no one particularly famous, the trademarks of the director and writer are all over the movie. The film was nominated for a handful of Oscars, winning one for Best Visual Effects, and it widely considered, by critics and moviegoers, to be one of the best films ever made.

The one thing about 2001: A Space Odyssey that can't be debated is how insanely influential it was in the world of movie making. For it's own genre, the film redefines what a science fiction films should look like and it gave the world a whole new look at space. It's influence on movies as a whole is more a result of Kubrick's pacing style and attention to detail. Kubrick's films are always longer than they should be, but he somehow pulls it off. The way he shoots things is hypnotizing and even when a shot has gone on for twice as long as it should, I find myself staring intently at the screen, reveling in every moment. This style of film-making, longer than it should be with beautiful extended shots, has become extremely popular in Hollywood, directors like P.T. Anderson and Terrence Malick for example, and it seems to be gaining even more momentum. Kubrick's fingerprints are all over 2001: A Space Odyssey and it is his singular vision that makes the movie work. Without his obsessive nature, the film would falter. Instead of feeling too long, each extended sequence builds more and more suspense until Kubrick finally unleashes the last chapter of the film on the audience leaving everyone confused, breathless and scared.

While I would say that all four chapters of 2001: A Space Odyssey are good, there is one that truly stands out from the rest. The third chapter of the film, which follows the Jupiter mission astronauts and their super computer HAL, is one of the best segments ever put on film. The segment doesn't stand alone, it benefits greatly from the mystery and suspense that is built over the first chunk of the movie, but this section of the movie gives the audience most of the memorable moments in the film. In the thirty or so minutes that we spend with the astronauts and HAL, we get some of the most thought-provoking material in the entire movie. HAL turns out to be one of the best villains in movie history, his calm, calculated betrayal is utterly terrifying, and the questions that are raised about artificial intelligence are still relevant today. The first time I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey, this was the only section of the film I actually enjoyed. On a second viewing, everything worked a lot better for me, but this thirty minutes of film is probably the single biggest reason the movie succeeds.

While 2001: A Space Odyssey is certainly a modern classic, it isn't for everyone. The pacing of the film is hard for a lot of people to handle and it's certainly not a tune-out and enjoy kind of movie. The film demands that you pay attention, and more importantly, that you think. While not everyone will enjoy 2001: A Space Odyssey, it passes all the tests for a must see movie. It's highly influential, beautifully detailed and one of the defining films for an entire genre. It's a personal favorite because it passes my highest test of all which is that is solicits an emotional reaction out of me. The entire film puts me on edge and, no matter how long it is, I would enjoy every minutes of it.

10/10

Se7en (1995)

Ebony and ivory with serial killers.

The most disturbing thing about Se7en, with all it's excessively sick and twisted themes and images, is that it doesn't feel that far from reality. The things that take place in the film aren't unfathomable in the actual world and that's a terrifying thought. With an all-star cast, a phenomenal script and a top-notch director behind it, Se7en is, easily, one of the best thrillers of the 90's and certainly worth noting as one of the best movies ever in the genre.

Se7en is the story of two, comically mismatched, detectives on the hunt for bible-thumping serial killer in city where it rains everyday, but is surrounded by a desert. Dective Mills, Brad Pitt as the country mouse, and Dectective Somerset, Morgan Freeman as the street-wise city mouse, must put aside their differences and work together to crack the case and bring the mysterious John Doe, originality for the win, to justice. The efforts are hampered by Doe's cautiousness, the constant nagging of Mill's wife, and their deep, heterosexual, man-love for one another. Directed by David Fincher, the movie knocked the socks off critics and movie buffs. It did respectably well at the Box Office and has become a fan favorite mostly because of the charisma of all three of the film's leading men.

There are so many positive things to say about Se7en that it's hard to find a place to begin. Pinpointing who deserves credit for the film is very difficult, but, like so many times before, the director is the leading candidate. David Fincher, who has become known for his gritty realism and dark style, demonstrates a real knack for tension, pacing and creativity with Se7en and it's no surprise that the movie launched him to major success. There is never a dull moment in Se7en and, even though it has some really great plot twists, it doesn't rely on them in the way some movies do. The plot of Se7en is perfectly constructed and it's supported by an all-star cast giving top notch performances. There are few actors in Hollywood that consistently impress in the way that Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey do. Their performances are bolstered by an impressive script here, mostly because it blends in humor at just the right moments, but they breath life into it like few other actors could. A lot of good things have been said about their work here, so I won't bore you with anymore praise.

With so many good things being said about Se7en, you would think the movie would suffer from being overrated. This isn't the case. From top to bottom, Se7en is a fantastically made movie. It's a movie that appeals to the masses and to the cinema buffs and will endure because of it's popularity in almost every circle. A lot of movies have tried to copy Se7en, but all of them have failed for one reason or another. It's sick, twisted, scary and a lot of fun.

10/10

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

All the injuns, orientals and negroes you can handle.

The eternal question with westerns has always been, "Wayne or Eastwood?". I think it's time we reevaluate that question and start to add Sergio Leone's name into the equation. Leone's "spaghetti westerns" from the 1960's are absolute triumphs of film-making, better than the vast majority of westerns made in America by a long-shot, and it's slightly unfair that his movies get lumped in on the Eastwood side when his best western doesn't even have Clint Eastwood in it. Once Upon a Time in the West is, by no small margin, the best western I have ever seen and a movie that has grown on me every time I have seen it. From the beautiful opening scene until the last bullet is fired, which takes a suitably epic three hours, this is a truly special movie.

It's no small feat to condense a three hour film into a brief, appealing summary, but Once Upon a Time in the West is a pretty easy film to summarize. On arrival from New Orleans, newly married Jill McBain, Claudia Cardinale, discovers her new family murdered and herself in the middle of intersecting plots involving three less than savory men. The men, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, and Henry Fonda, all have interests of their own and the resulting hurricane of action revolves around them and Cardinale. Once Upon a Time in the West was Sergio Leone's 4th western, off the heels and success of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and this time he got the budget he deserved. He hired a knock-out cast and built beautiful sets on location to capture the feel of the American west. The film was a huge hit world-wide, but tanked in American theaters critically and financially. Since 1968, the film has been acknowledged as the masterpiece it is, becoming a classic darling in the eyes of critics and film buffs and it commonly tops lists of the best westerns ever made.

Finding a place to start talking about Once Upon a Time in the West is extremely difficult, but I'll start with the one, obvious, complaint almost everyone who sees the film has. It's too long. While I don't disagree that the movie is a little too long, that fact doesn't bother me. The film is just so beautiful to look at, listen to and experience that three hours flies by for me. Everyone raves about Ennio Morricone's score in The Good, The Bad and the Ugly and, while that is an unquestionably classic work, I found the music better here. The visuals here are out of this world as well. The shots, everything from the beautiful views of the scenery to Leone's trademark close-ups, are masterfully chosen and executed. I could watch the opening scene of Once Upon a Time in the West over and over again. Leone does such a brilliant job with sound that you hardly notice the lack of score or dialog. This amazing mixture of score and ambient sound is present for the entire film and of it's most appealing traits. The mastery of technique here is matched by a exceptional knack for storytelling. Once Upon a Time in the West is full of compelling characters. Each one of passionately motivated, deeply involved in the story and really complex and interesting. It's interesting enough just for the casting choices. The movie is famous for putting Henry Fonda, the perpetual good-guy, in the role if despicable villain. He does a marvelous job.

So next time someone asks you "Eastwood or Wayne", you'll know to say neither. Once Upon a Time in the West is as good as westerns get. Every moment of it's epic run-time is a joy for me. There are so many reason to see the film that I can hardly start list them here. If you are a fan of Leone's other "spaghetti westerns" this is a must see. If you haven't seen any yet, you might as well start with the best.

10/10

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

There may be nothing more difficult in Hollywood than making a serious film about drugs. After avoiding the pitfalls of becoming overtly anti-drug, a film-maker must then make sure that they don't glorify substance abuse. It's like walking a tight rope; one step too far on either side, and the entire film falls on it's face. Requiem for a Dream walks that line as well, if not better, than any film ever made. It's a beautifully made film, dripping with style, and also a horrifying glimpse into the world of substance abuse. It's so effective that you might find yourself throwing away your aspirin just to be on the safe side.

Requiem for a Dream is, at it's core, the story of a mother and her son. Both characters struggle with their addictions to substances. Harry Goldfarb, played by Jared Leto, is a heroin addict, and his mother, Ellen Burstyn, becomes addicted to diet pills in attempt to loose weight before she appears on a television show. The film also focuses on Harry's relationship with his girlfriend, Jennifer Connelly, and his best friend, Marlon Wayans. Yes, there is a Wayan's brother in Requiem for a Dream and he does a top-notch job. All this drama, mixed with director Darren Aronofsky's visual and stylistic flair, make for truly stunning movie. It also helps that Requiem for a Dream has one of the best scores in recent memory.

Visually speaking, there isn't anything quite like Requiem for a Dream. Aronofsky goes to great lengths to give the film, especially sequences involving drug use, a special look and feel. The calming, very tranquil, feel of the early heroin sequences are contrasted exceptionally well against the paranoia and terror that Burstyn's diet pills cause. It blends remarkably well and makes for some really interesting moments and segments. All of these stylistic choices play into the fervent pace of the films climax, which is one of the most intense and disturbing sequences of film ever made. Very rarely does everything come together in the way that it does here. If you find yourself sucking your thumb and asking for "mommy", then don't be alarmed. That is a perfectly normal reaction to the end of the Requiem for a Dream. Few movies have ever left me as devastated. There are some moments where the choices are, shall we say, odd though. While some of the surrealistic things that happen to Ellen Goldfarb are extremely powerful and interesting, it goes a little too far at times. I don't think I was the only one who found the cupcakes falling from the ceiling a little silly.

One of the other places that Requiem for a Dream truly sets itself apart is, it's ability to feel honest and uncompromising. Yes, by the end of the film you are going to think drugs are bad, but the film never pounds you over the head with that thought. You come to that conclusion on your own as you see these people's lives crash down around them because of their addictions. For a time, life seems good for everyone. Ellen looses weight, Harry and his friends make good money and seem happy, but it takes so little for this all to fall apart. Seeing the good and the bad together is important because it helps keep these people real. There is so much more to these people than their addictions that, when their addictions finally do get the best of them, it cuts twice as deep. The drug use is, in fact, only a product of these character's true flaws. These flaws come to light as they sink further into addiction and this extra depth keeps the characters from becoming two-dimensional.

The actors involved also deserve credit for keeping the characters interesting. I never thought I would say that about a movie with Marlon Wayans in it, but here I am eating my words. Everyone's commitment and daring here is one of the primary reasons the film succeeds despite some flaws. Without honest, grounded performances, the stylistic choices would overtake the human drama in a heartbeat. While everyone pulls their own weight, the true stand out here is Ellen Burstyn. Word's can't describe how powerful her performance is. How she lost the Academy Award to Julia Roberts, no one will ever know.

I would never describe Requiem for a Dream as a fun movie to watch. It's a gut-wrenching, intense, disturbing and devastating film. That doesn't change the fact that it is also one of the most gripping movies you will ever lay eyes on. These people's lives become train wrecks, and you can't look away. It will leave you absolutely breathless.

10/10

Alien (1979)

There are few movies as universally acclaimed as part of the science fiction pantheon as Alien. It is, without a doubt, one of the most influential films of it's genre. This status is far from undeserved. Alien is a scary, perfectly paced film that redefined what the science fiction genre could be. It's gritty vision of the future was a breath of fresh air in a genre that seemed to only see a pristine, spotless tomorrow for the human race.

When Alien came out in 1979, no one had seen anything like it. The science fiction genre had been reinvigorated from the Star Wars hysteria, but no one was ready for something quite like Ridley Scott's Alien. It shocked audiences world-wide. When the crew of the mining vessel Nostromo, featuring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm and John Hurt, is awakened from their sleep to investigate a distress call of unknown origin, things don't go exactly as planned. When one of the crew members returns to the ship with an alien life-form attached to him, the crew is subjected to a disturbing series of events that lead to the demise of most of them.

Where Alien succeeds most of all, and one of Scott's trademark skills, is the perfect pacing of the film. The movie builds very slowly, but it's unstoppable once it gets rolling. The slow, almost plodding, nature of the movie's first half builds tension masterfully. It's plays like a mystery film. There is so much happening, so many unknowns, so much to discover that it slowly, but surely, sucks you in. Just as your lured into the film, it, just like John Hurt's chest, explodes in a flurry of terrifying action that leaves your breathless until the very end. The plot twists and turns all along still, throwing curve balls every chance it gets. Scott even manages to string you along, calm things down, for just a few minutes before dropping the film's climax on you like a bomb.

It would be remiss to talk about Alien without talking about THE scene. The single scene that makes the movie, the biggest reason why it's remembered and one of the most shocking and disturbing and fantastic scenes ever filmed. The first half of Alien is purely a suspense movie. It's dark, mysterious and haunting. It's the second half of the movie that left it's impact forever in the world of horror. The moment John Hurt's chest explodes in a shower of gore, the world changes. The idea of something living inside you is unsettling enough, but the violence of the alien's birth, is such a twisted and disturbing idea that it never leaves you. Few things have ever been as shocking as that moment and that is likely to remain true for a long time.

Where the films true legacy lies and one of the reasons it endures today, is because it offers a vision of the future that is extremely different from the other science fiction films of the time. While movies like Star Wars or 2001: A Space Odyssey are certainly classics, and great films in their own respects, the future they present feel strange. Where those film-makers saw polished white walls, Scott saw a dirt caked on exposed piping just waiting to be splattered with gore. The future that we see in Alien is a much more harsh and significantly more real feeling place. From the design of the ship to the costumes, to the simple, unpleasantness of life in space, like the lack of quality food, everything in the movie screams of tactile, gritty realism. The Nostromo doesn't feel like a science fiction set, but a place where people might actually be working. The future presented in Alien actually looks and feels like it might be our true future; harsh, violent and unidealized.

To call Alien influential or important doesn't quite do it justice. Every element of the film is masterfully crafted. H.R. Giger's designs, the perfectly pitched performances and the exceptional direction are only the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately, Science fiction is rarely this good. Alien is a masterpiece no matter how you slice it.

10/10

Gladiator (2000)

Gladiator has pretty much everything a movie lover could want. We're not talking about the cinephile; The hopeless soul who insists there is some fundamental difference between movies and "Films", yes capitalized and in quotes, but the straight up lover of modern movies. The average, regular movie goer couldn't ask for anything more than what Gladiator offers.

The story here is pretty familiar. The noblest of men is set for great things, but he is betrayed. Thus begins his quest for vengeance and retribution over insurmountable odds. As always, the sweeping historical epic dangles it's Oscar-bait in front of the Academy and this time it pays off big time for director Ridley Scott and his leading man. This time around, Russel Crowe, who gets the Academy Award for his work, is our hero and ancient Rome is our backdrop. After he is betrayed, and his wife and son are murdered, Maximus, Crowe, is sold into slavery and becomes a gladiator. His long journey leads him back to Rome where he must fight the evil emperor Commodus, Joaquin Pheonix, from the colosseum floor.

To analyze Gladiator from a historical standpoint is to admit that you hate fun. The movie is riddled with minor historical inaccuracies, but most are invisible to the average viewer. You should remind yourself that Gladiator is fiction. Just because it borrows it's setting and a few characters from real history doesn't mean it has to be slavishly bound to historical facts. Forget everything you know and enjoy Scott's larger than life vision of Rome for what it is; a movie that truly deserves to be called an epic.

It's difficult to find fault beyond the historical issues, so it's no surprise that people who dislike the film focus here. The movie is near flawless in all the places that matter most. From the opulent production values to the simple, yet always effective, script, the movie is a remarkable accomplishment. Even a person who knows absolutely nothing about Rome is able to understand the movie without feeling like they're getting a history lesson. The script is paced perfectly and it gives just enough information to make the characters vibrant without bogging the viewer down with too much. Gladiator's script is a case study in effective characterization. Everything we learn about the characters is vitally important and most of it we learn through action rather than unnecessary dialogue. I would also be remiss not to mention Hans Zimmer's score, which is one of my favorite scores of all time.

All of these qualities are dwarfed by Gladiator's true accomplishment though. That accomplishment is the total commitment of every actor in the film. From top to bottom, the performances in Gladiator are exceptional. While Crowe got most of the accolades, he won an Oscar for his work here, it's the supporting cast that really shines. In particular, Joaquin Pheonix, who did receive an Academy Award nomination for his work, is remarkable as Commodus. His constant intensity and commitment to the part is one of the primary reasons the movie succeeds in the ways it does. While his presence isn't quite as overwhelming or powerful as Crowe's, it's equally, if not more important, than the work of the leading man. Without Pheonix's intensity as our antagonist, Gladiator would be a much simpler and less interesting movie. He matches Crowe at every turn and he prevents the movie from becoming a one man show. The same could be said about the rest of the cast, which overachieves to match the work of Gladiator's leading men.

If you ask me, admitting you don't like Gladiator is the same as admitting that you hate to have fun at movies. It's beautiful, violent and all together breathtaking. You can't ask for anything more from a movie. Amazing visuals, constant action, effective characterization, perfect pacing and dynamic performances. It's as good as modern movies get.

10/10