The 250 Rundown

2009-08-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Pan's Labyrinth//2006//120 Min.//Color//Fantasy

When I originally watched Pan's Labyrinth (this was my second watch), I had heard it was good, but that's about all I had heard. I thought that it was a kid's adventure film, because of the cover and title. I didn't know that it was subtitled (which didn't make a difference). I still thought it was a kid's adventure film until the moment that a guy gets his face bloodily smashed in by a general.

Fantastic movie. The special effects in this film are spectacular. Guillermo Del Toro is one of the premier special effects directors in the business right now. The costume design, the characters, they're all outstanding and should not be missed.

If you haven't seen this movie, do so. It's a great fantasy adventure for adults. It's touching, it's freaky, it's everything that it should be. Recommended.

9/10 (IMDB has it rated as an 8.5)

Strangers On A Train (1951) - IMDB #110

2009-08-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

Strangers On A Train//1951//101 Min.//B&W//Suspense

My theory is that everyone is a potential murderer...

This was a nice surprise. I've seen hundreds of movies, but had never seen an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I figured that I would knock one out of the way before work.

Take note, 21st century directors...this is the way suspense should be handled (I knew there was a reason he was called 'The Master'). The villain, played by Robert Walker, is scary because you actually believe he's as crazy as he is cunning. A charming nutjob with 'mommy and daddy' issues (a recurring theme from Hitchcock movies, I believe)...the scene where he's tailing his 'first victim' is suspense at it's finest. The movie loses a bit of steam in the middle, but then fires right back up for the conclusion, which was great, and must have been 'big budget' at the time.

I'm definitely looking forward to more Hitchcock movies. I would recommend this to anyone looking to see suspense done 'right', as opposed to the movies we see in theaters now (Saw, Hostel, etc.). This is much scarier.

8/10 (IMDB has it rated 8.3 out of 10)

- Kleeberg

Casablanca (1942) - IMDB #11

2009-08-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

Casablanca//1942//102 Min.//B&W//Drama

Casablanca//1942//102 Min.//B&W//Drama

Hell hath no fury like a man scorned...

Casablanca was a nice surprise for me. I wasn't looking forward to it, mostly because I hadn't heard much about it except that it was one of the all time greats. It doesn't stack up as one of my personal all time greats, but it's definitely worth a watch.

Humphrey Bogart's character is the one that really won me over. Someone who had been hurt by a woman long ago and carried the grudge with him throughout his days. He had several lines that were very funny also, which is a change for most older movies for me. The supporting characters were sufficient, although I wasn't real impressed with Bergman's Ilsa, whose acting just didn't seem up to par with everyone else.

The ending was...expected, but the story was very well written. I would recommend this to movie lovers, if only for Bogart's performance as Rick.

7/10 (IMDB has it rated 8.8 out of 10).

- Kleeberg

Platoon (1986) - IMDB #143

2009-07-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

Platoon//1986//120 Min.//Color//War

Dinks & Cheesedicks. This is 'Nam.

I have seen Platoon many, many times, so when Shaun said he wanted to knock it off of the list, I was more than eager to sit through it again. War movies are one of my favorite genres, and Platoon is near the top of the list.

Everything about this movie is stellar. It deserved, and won Best Picture and Best Director at the 1986 Acadamy Awards (with competition from...Children of a Lesser God, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Mission, and A Room With a View?).

It's about a war...not a war with the enemy, but the war within ourselves as human beings. We watch as a 'green' is dropped into the middle of hell on Earth, and is forced to grow up faster in one year than he had his whole life up to the point he got off of the chopper and into the bush. We see a truly scary 'villain' - one who you really believe thinks that what he's doing is just...and if that means killing every single seemingly innocent person in a small village, that's what he'll do. We see all of the other strands, trying to keep the team, and our country, together.

The score is excellent. The cinematography is remarkable, even to today's standards. The story is immaculate. The dialogue is believable. The acting is fantastic. The cast is impeccable - Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Depp in his first role, and Dr. Cox from Scrubs...the list never ends.

If you haven't seen Platoon yet, see it. Easily recommended.

As King says, "Keep your pecker hard and your powder dry, and the world will turn."

10/10 (IMDB rates it an 8.2/10)

- Kleeberg

Platoon (1986) - IMDB #143

2009-07-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

Platoon//1986//120 Min.//Color//War

"Why are these cheese dicks shooting at me!"

Guns, check. Grenades, check. Violence, double check. This film had it all! Seriously, all sorts of things were getting blown off and killed in this 80's film about Vietnam. Stone himself a vietnam vet, seems to have plucked the violence straight from his memory bank and put it right onto film.

What a great story war can make. What a vivid images war can make. What good film good old Oliver can make. This film won best picture, and deservedly so. At no point during this flick did my eyes want to rest. The story was superb. The acting made my penis hard.

And that's all that really needs to be said about this film. Well done Platoon. Well done.

9/10 (IMDB has it rated 8.2/10)

-Shaun

Taxi Driver (1976) - IMDB #38

2009-07-27T21:50:00.001-07:00

Taxi Driver//1976//113 Min.//Color//Drama

Are you talkin' to me, you dangling cherry scented air freshener?

I need that poster in my home theater room.

It's been a while since I've seen Taxi Driver, so I'll just give some bullet points.

* Robert DeNiro was awesome. This sucks for us now, because we know he was one of the greatest actors on the silver screen and now he's doing shitcakes like Righteous Kill (which I actually sat through), the currently filming Little Fockers, and Hide & Seek (this should have been a movie about his talent).

* Jodie Foster instantly brings down any movie that she's in - now. Back then, she was actually not a bad actress.

* Harvey Keitel is badass in...anything.

* Scorsese is one of the all time greatest directors of our time.

* I want Travis Bickle's sunglasses.

This movie is worth watching at least once, because I remember liking it - but it's not one you'll be watching on date night with your broad.

Unless your broad is a teenage prostitute.

7/10 (IMDB has it rated 8.6/10)

Taxi Driver (1976) - IMDB #38

2009-07-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

Taxi Driver//1976//113 Min.//Color//Drama

I've never met a mohawk I didn't like

Okay, so I'm late the party. Fashionably late. Yes, I'm one of the few people in America that hasn't seen Taxi Driver. Well, as the saying goes, better late than never.

I liked this film. The acting was top notch, the story was captivating, the directing, as always with good old Scorsese, brilliant. At times the movies pace was as lethargic as a homeless man looking for work, but I get it. The pace was due to the fact Travis was a brutally lonely guy. Being lonely is lethargic.

As far as DeNiro goes, this movie really showed off his true acting talent. Who else could play a mentally ill, lonely, unsociable? A guy completely lost in anonymity. A guy who posses all of the above character flaws, yet he made this guy enjoyable to watch. Then there is Jodie Foster. It's hard to believe that she actually was a 12 year old when this movie was filmed. She really did capture the essence of her character, which at her young age really is an amazing feat. Although, I did laugh every time that she asked Travis if he wanted to 'make it' with her. I'm bringing that phrase back. Just imagine, "Hey, look at those two dogs 'making-it' over there!"

It's funny how this movie was made over 30 years ago and it still resonates today. Violence, prostitution, 'skum'. It's weird to see how a guy like Travis can seem at times so normal, and others just wildly out of his mind. Good for us, because it made for an enjoyable film. While I did enjoy this film, I wouldn't consider it one of the best films I've ever seen. It's a film I'm glad I saw, but I wouldn't watch it again. One roll in the hay is enough for me. Hey, at least I made it to the party.

7/10 (IMDB has it rated 8.6/10)

-Shaun

Hotel Rwanda (2004) - IMDB #104

2009-07-26T00:28:00.000-07:00

Hotel Rwanda//2004//121 Min.//Color//Drama

A slapstick comedy about a five star hotel...of laughs! (Only if the slapsticks were machetes and laughs were hacked off limbs...)

I get it. Some stories need to be told, and there's a few messages to be learned here. Stand for what you believe, if no one is going to help you, you must help yourself, and if you see something that you don't think is right, you should help to try and stop it. I just don't think it's that entertaining sometimes.

Hotel Rwanda has a good cast - Don Cheadle (this generation's "Sidney Portier", as Shaun says), Joaquin Phoenix, and America's favorite drunkard mugshot poster child Nick Nolte, along with Dubaku from 24 and many other sufficient no names (Cheadle's wife in the film scored an Oscar nomination for best actress in a supporting role). All of the acting is on point and deserves the critical lauding that it received. Cheadle definitely deserved the Oscar nomination for best actor, and should have beat Jamie Foxx's 'Ray' for the award.

Overall, I thought the movie was...okay. Based on a true story, it's a mix of a depression (the movie is literally littered with innocent corpses), and an uplifting tone of hope. It won't leave you with a good feeling about the human race. I probably wouldn't watch it again, but wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to fans of history, dramas, true stories, etc. It's almost like a 'modern day' Schindler's List. Something you should see at least once.

6/10 (IMBD has it rated 8.3/10)

P.S. I wonder if they edited this movie with a machete...

- Kleeberg

Up next: Dr. Strangelove.

Hotel Rwanda (2004) - IMDB #104

2009-07-25T23:58:00.000-07:00

Hotel Rwanda//2004//121 Min.//Color//Drama

This was by no stretch of the imagination a bad movie. Though if I had to write in one word how I felt about this film it would be 'indifferent'.

I really do love dramas. I don't hide the fact that they are my favorite genre of movie. The story of this drama was a good one. One that I think definitely needed to be told. It shows what people can do to each other in the name of an ideology.

The feeling though that I got from this movie, was that although the story was an effective one, the only reason that it made it into the top 250 was the fact that the events of the movie are so important to so many people. The fact that this was a true story tugs at the heart a bit more. But alas, in the end, when I consider a movie to be top 250, I take in more to account than just the subject matter.

The acting was great. Don Cheadle is one of my favorite actors. The guy is great to watch and has extreme talent. The other cast of characters were also very believable and I think this movie nailed them. It's just that with the good story, and the good acting, something just didn't completely win me over with this movie. There was nothing special as to the cinematography, and I'd say the direction of the film was average. To me, a film that makes it into the top 250 of all time must have much more than just a great story and great acting, it must be complete. I cant put my finger on it but this movie was missing something. That missing something does not make this a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination, it makes it a film that is not worthy of the top 250.

Overall though, I would recommend this movie to people like me who have that soft spot in their hearts for dramas. Although this is not a particularly uplifting film, it's not one that you're going to hate.

6/10 (IMDB ranks it 8.3/10)

-Shaun

The Graduate (1967) - IMDB #157

2009-07-25T21:17:00.001-07:00

The Graduate//1967//105 Min.//Color//Drama

K-mart doesn't suck, this movie does

The Graduate was one of those movies that made the short list of films that I have seen and Kleeberg hadn't. I warned him going into this movie that I felt it was over rated. I didn't fill him in on the fact that this was one of the biggest snoozefest flicks I've ever seen.

This movie I remember. And that's not a good thing. My memory is horrible, and the fact that I remembered this movie, should tell you that it impacted me in some sort of way that other films hadn't. It sure did. The pace was slow. The plot was not believable. The acting was okay at best. Just all around not what I had expected.

I really did try to give this movie a chance. I had heard nothing but good things about it and I did a 'blind buy', purchasing this movie with my hard earned cash without seeing it first. I wish I saved the 10 bucks and just went outside to watch grass grow for two hours.

The only redeeming quality about this movie was the great Simon & Garfunkel tracks. I sure do love me some Simon & Garfunk. This is the only reason that this movie gets a rating of:

1/10 (IMDB has it rated 8.2/10)

Do not ever watch this movie.

-Shaun

The Graduate (1967) - IMDB #157

2009-07-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Graduate//1967//105 Min.//Color//Drama

Ms. Robinson...you're trying to seduce me, you ugly broad!

I warn you this...I may piss off a lot of 'film elitists' with this review.

For me, The Graduate lands in exclusive company. I put it up there with The Sweetest Thing, The Happening, A Guy Thing, and any Joel Schumaker movie besides The Lost Boys. I put it with the worst movies that I have ever seen.

Never before have I met an on screen character that annoyed me and aggravated me like Dustin Hoffman's Ben. He's like Napoleon Dynamite without the comedy. He's like an early, unfunny version of Michael Cera. And here's a comment that will gain some groans - I think if they made a remake with Michael Cera, it might actually be watchable. He goes from a lazy, mopey whiner to an unlikable co-dependent, no personality punk to a creepy fucking stalker. He must have graduated with a major in being a douchebag and a minor in being a lazy douchebag. The girl isn't much better. One date (one date that didn't go well at all) and all of a sudden they're in love! How very believable.

"Hey, I fucked your mom."
"That's okay. I might marry you. Maybe."

By the end of the movie, I was rooting against Ben more than I've ever rooted against a character before, although I knew that being an old movie, it would end up with 'the good guy' winning.

I wouldn't ever watch this movie again. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. I wish I didn't waste an hour and a half of my life on it, and I only did so because I had to because of this IMDB 250 goal. I have no idea how this movie 'launched Dustin Hoffman's career'. I really don't. His range in this movie was from wooden board to a piece of shit sitting in a dirty park toilet.

There are two redeeming qualities of this movie. One, Dustin Hoffman's Alfa Romero, and Simon & Garfunkel's soundtrack (although I could have done without hearing the song about spices over and over and over and over and over and over and over and o...)

0/10 (IMBD has it rated 8.2/10)

Fuck this movie.

- Kleeberg

Up next: Hotel Rwanda.

Sin City (2005) - IMDB #98

2009-07-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

Sin City//2005//124 Min.//B&W//Action

Posters don't get much sexier than the Sin City ads...

This is more like an addendum to Shaun's post, as I've seen Sin City numerous times (and I was pretty surprised that he hadn't). I think that Sin City was entertaining and important to cinema, because Robert Rodriguez had done many things on camera that just simply weren't possible up to this point. I remember my reaction when he said he was going to film the entire thing against a green screen (Sky Captain, anyone?). To this day, it still hasn't been replicated (although Frank Miller did try, and supposedly bombed with 'The Spirit'...I have not yet watched the panned flick).

It's violent, it's sexy, it's got a great story, and the visuals are simply amazing. Definitely worthy of being in the top 100. I could watch this movie over and over again and never get bored.

9/10 (IMBD has it rated 8.4/10)

- Kleeberg

Note: As you can see, we went what seems like a bit out of order from what we said was next on the list from the High Noon post. However, those are movies that we have both not yet seen. We are encouraged to knock out movies that the other guy has seen on our own time (hence Raging Bull and Sin City).

Still up next: Hotel Rwanda, Seven Samurai, & Dr. Strangelove. We post what's up next simply so that if you want to watch along with us, we can schedule a day.

Sin City (2005) - IMDB #98

2009-07-25T02:42:00.000-07:00

Sin City//2005//124 Min.//B&W//Action

This movie flat out surprised me. I was expecting a 'comic book' film and that's exactly what I got. Yet, this was no ordinary run of the mill, let's find a comic book, make it into a movie and collect all the fanboys money type of film. I quite literally mean this was a comic book film. The entire movie completely was filmed as if you were reading a comic book. The movie was visually stunning. Probably one of the most visually stunning movies I've seen in a long time.

Now, not only was this films genetic make up different from about any other film out on the market, it had so much more. What so much more do I speak of? Violence. The film was flat out gruesome. I can't count the times that I let out a groan of pleasure while on screen countless body parts were chopped off and strewn about. Early on the thing just reeks of unabashed torture, decapitation, blood, you name it.

Speaking of groans of pleasure, this film also had another thing that piqued my interest early on. I'm not talking about puppy dogs here folks, I'm talking about nudity. The good kind. The nudity in this film was also extreme, but not over the top. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'stunning visuals.'

The over the top violence and nudity, don't make this film, they supplement it. Again, the entire look and feel of the film was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Actually something that I thought could never be translated to film. Maybe it was my mistake for having such low expectations going into this film, but this movie blew every such expectation out of the water. This was one that I extremely enjoyed, and one that I highly recommend!

9/10 (IMDB has it rated 8.4/10)

-Shaun

Raging Bull (1980) - IMDB #72

2009-07-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

Raging Bull//1980//129 Min.//B&W//Drama

It's surprising to me that Raging Bull had slipped through the cracks for me throughout the years, because I love Martin Scorsese movies. Maybe it was that it was shot in black and white. Whatever the reason, the wait wasn't warranted.

This is a hard movie to rate. It's a great character study of an American asshole. A man filled with jealousy, rage, and anger. The main players do a great job with the characters - the acting is top notch - this is probably DeNiro and Pesci's best performances of all time. They take us along a jagged ride from the middle to the bottom...never quite reaching the top. I guess I'll put it this way...Raging Bull is a great movie that I wouldn't have a problem never watching again.

It's hard to recommend this movie if not just for the acting. It's not an uplifting movie by any means and the fact that it is black and white, like it or not, might turn some off.

I'll give it to Scorsese though, the last fight scene that pits LaMotta against Robinson is one of the most brutal scenes I've seen on film.

7/10 (IMDB has it rated 8.4)

- Kleeberg

High Noon (1952) - IMDB #120

2009-07-22T01:33:00.000-07:00

High Noon//1952//85 Min.//B&W

What a misleading poster...no hands going up, and no excitement!

High Noon. I've always heard about High Noon because every Western has one way or another been compared to the emotion and climax of the great American 1950's classic.

Color me unimpressed.

Maybe it was the hype around the ending. You know, when someone builds something up to be so great that it can't possibly live down the expectations (yes, I'm looking at you, Seinfeld finale)? I got done with the movie and I was...indifferent.

I did care about Gary Cooper's character Will, but that was the limit of my emotional connection to this movie. Maybe it was the fact that everyone else in the town was a bunch of vaginas and cowards. Maybe that's the way the movie was meant to feel.

I didn't hate High Noon, it just didn't live up to the expectations the back of the DVD had set for me. And as controversial as the special features claimed it was at the times, obviously times change, because I couldn't see anything controversial at all about it.

5/10 (IMDB has it rated 8.3/10) I cannot recommend this to anyone but Western purists and the biggest Gary Cooper fans.

- Kleeberg

Up Next: Hotel Rwanda, Seven Samurai, & Doctor Strangelove

High Noon (1952) - IMDB #120

2009-07-22T01:19:00.000-07:00

Let it be know that I'm a big Western fan. I've never met a western that didn't put a tingle in my pants. I just love them. That is until the clock struck 12 and High Noon was broadcast on my television.

The pace of this black and white film was adequate, and I thought I could just smell and ending that was supposed to knock my socks right off. Only that ending never happened. Imagine your parents telling you all Christmas season that you were going to get an awesome Jeep Power Wheels, and when Christmas day rolled around you got a set of micro machines. That's about how I felt at the end of this flick. At 84 minutes, the run time of this movie was the best thing about it.

A nice short flick, that in the end, just didn't deliver.

4 out of 10

-Shaun

"Too proud to run, yet too boring to watch..."

The 250 Rundown...an introduction.

2009-07-22T00:38:00.000-07:00

When you think of film historians and the great, well known movie reviewers, many names may come to mind. Leonard Maltin...Roger Ebert...Gene Siskel. Surely, Shaun Aguilar and Jason Kleeberg wouldn't be near the top of that list. In fact, we may be by the bottom. As it is, we're just two best friends who happen to love watching, writing, and critiquing movies. I would consider myself more of a 'Joe Six Pack' of movie watching - I'll get into a deep emotional movie once in a while, but when I go to a movie, I generally want to see two things - lots of kick-ass action, or a big laugh comedy. Shaun is more of a drama/western lover, but of course he's not above some big explosions or a little slap stick once in a while. We definitely disagree on the caliber of many, many movies. That's why the review portion will be pretty interesting.

Here's the back story to this 'contest'. Tonight, we were trying to think of a movie to watch. We went back and forth between movies, and after a lengthy debate of my 'Collateral' vs. his 'High Noon', we settled on 'High Noon'. For our thoughts on High Noon, you'll have to wade through to the next post, but know that we were 'underwhelmed'. We decided two things. One, maybe we were too used to movies made in our lifetime (post 1981), and two...maybe we just didn't hold an appreciation to the 'classics'. After much debate, we decided to issue ourselves a challenge.

Now, by no means is the IMDB's Top 250 Movies list a definitive list of the best movies on the planet, but honestly, it's a good gauge. You can argue many positions on the list, but most of the movies on the Top 250 are highly regarded as rightfully being there. Our challenge is simple. We're going to watch every movie on that list.

This isn't going to be easy, and there are some rules to follow.
1. Every movie must be watched by both of us. For the movies that have been seen by only one person, the other person can watch them on his own. The movies that we have both seen, we do not have to watch again. This leaves 186 movies on the list of 250.
2. Other people are invited and encouraged to watch upcoming movies with us, and we will definitely post your thoughts. However, for the official contest, Shaun and I are the only ones that count.
3. The movie must be watched in it's entirety. No watching for a half hour and quitting. It won't count.
4. There will be no specific order - we will watch what we feel like, when we feel like it.

We will be posting a review on each movie with out thoughts and progress. We will also schedule out the next three movies we will be watching, so if you would like to join in on the action, let us know. Snacks will be provided! Hopefully, even if you're not joining in on the action, you will follow our progress. We think it will be a fun challenge for ourselves, and look forward to the comments from our friends, family, and hopefully some strangers as well.

If you've read this, please leave a comment. We like those.

Happy movie watching.

The List - What We've Seen

2009-07-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

This is the list that will be updated as we see and rate movies.

MOVIES WE'VE BOTH SEEN

The Shawshank Redemption
The Godfather
The Godfather 2
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Pulp Fiction
Schindler's List
The Dark Knight
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars
Goodfellas
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Fight Club
The Usual Suspects
Memento
Se7en
Leon The Professional
American Beauty
American History X
Forrest Gump
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
The Terminator
The Departed
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
L.A. Confidential
Requiem For A Dream
Reservoir Dogs
Slumdog Millionaire
Gran Torino
The Prestige
Back To The Future
The Sting
Batman Begins
Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade
No Country For Old Men
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Unforgiven
Blade Runner
Die Hard
Fargo
There Will Be Blood
Donnie Darko
Heat
Kill Bill Vol. 1
The Bourne Ultimatum
Million Dollar Baby
The Grapes of Wrath
The Big Lebowski
Snatch
The Hangover
Stand By Me
Dog Day Afternoon
The Lion King
Scarface
V For Vendetta
Toy Story
Lock, Stock, & Two Smoking Barrels
Children Of Men
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Casino
Crash
Kill Bill Vol. 2
Good Will Hunting
Little Miss SunshineTo Kill a Mocking Bird
High Noon (07/21/09)
Raging Bull (07/22/09)Sin City (07/24/09)
The Graduate (07/25/09)
Hotel Rwanda (07/26/09)
Taxi Driver (07/27/09)
Platoon (07/29/09)

MOVIES SEEN BY KLEEBERG ONLY

City of God
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Silence of the Lambs
The Matrix
Wall-E
Alien
Aliens
Saving Private Ryan
The Shining
The Pianist
Pan's Labyrinth
Once Upon a Time in America
Full Metal Jacket
Braveheart
On The Waterfront
The Wrestler
The Green Mile
Gladiator
Oldboy
The Wizard of Oz
Annie Hall
The Sixth Sense
Finding Nemo
Trainspotting
The Thing
The Incredibles
Twelve Monkeys
In Bruges
The Exorcist
Big Fish
Magnolia
Mystic River
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Glory
Casablanca
Strangers on a Train

MOVIES SEEN BY SHAUN ONLY

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Once Upon a Time in the West
It's a Wonderful Life
Citizen Kane
Star Trek
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
Gandhi
Rocky