Search
Search results
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Jaws (1975) in Movies
Apr 20, 2022
When you think of classic blockbusters, or classic horror, or classic creature features, Jaws is surely a title that will spring to mind. A true masterpiece of cinema that manages to fit and excel in all of the above categories.
Spielberg completely changed how films were planned and released with what is widely considered to be the first summer blockbuster, and all these years later, it's still an effective rollercoaster ride.
The opening scene is utterly harrowing without a drop of blood to be seen, and sets the tone in a dramatic and iconic manner. After some efficient character introductions, we're straight into one of the most anxiety inducing scenes in cinema history, as Chief Brody sits on a packed beach, scanning the shore for danger. The constant barrage of characters interrupting his line of view and talking at him, over him, over eachother, it's almost unbearable, and is paid off with a truly horrifying moment. It's one of many scenes in Jaws that flaunts some masterful editing.
The second half of the film is essentially the three leads - Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss - all jostling to chew up the scenery. The chemistry between all of them is wonderful, from the thrilling chase of hunting the shark, to them kicking back, trading scar stories and singing shanties, to Quints incredible monologue, to the infamous Ahab-esque climax. It's a joy to watch unfold.
The shark itself has a tendency to look a little goofy by todays standards, but an incredible feat for the time.
Jaws is held in such high regard for a reason. It's a film that truly thrills, scares, and delights its audience in equal measure, and still stands tall almost 50 years later. One of the best of all time.
Spielberg completely changed how films were planned and released with what is widely considered to be the first summer blockbuster, and all these years later, it's still an effective rollercoaster ride.
The opening scene is utterly harrowing without a drop of blood to be seen, and sets the tone in a dramatic and iconic manner. After some efficient character introductions, we're straight into one of the most anxiety inducing scenes in cinema history, as Chief Brody sits on a packed beach, scanning the shore for danger. The constant barrage of characters interrupting his line of view and talking at him, over him, over eachother, it's almost unbearable, and is paid off with a truly horrifying moment. It's one of many scenes in Jaws that flaunts some masterful editing.
The second half of the film is essentially the three leads - Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss - all jostling to chew up the scenery. The chemistry between all of them is wonderful, from the thrilling chase of hunting the shark, to them kicking back, trading scar stories and singing shanties, to Quints incredible monologue, to the infamous Ahab-esque climax. It's a joy to watch unfold.
The shark itself has a tendency to look a little goofy by todays standards, but an incredible feat for the time.
Jaws is held in such high regard for a reason. It's a film that truly thrills, scares, and delights its audience in equal measure, and still stands tall almost 50 years later. One of the best of all time.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Housekeeping: Faber Modern Classics in Books
Sep 7, 2017
Haunting imagery, tremendous classic American literature
There was something deeply unsettling yet moving about this book exploring abandonment, solitude and loss over the span of three generations of women in a family.
Ruth, who is our main narrator, is speaking about her childhood in which her sister Lucille and her were continually abandoned by one family or another. Eventually they end up with their deeply eccentric aunt Sylvie, and she seems completely incapable in many ways of being a responsible parent, but rather a sister instead. She leads a transcient life, having deserted her husband, jumping on trains to get from place to place. She's a spirited wanderer, and sees Ruth as an ally and her own sister, Helen, who killed herself at the start of the book.
Their solitary life of never mixing, but staying in the great outdoors both seems idyllic and claustrophobic. There are images of the lake where the children's mother committed suicide, that seem to draw the women to this area. The metaphors are cold and quiet hence it feels unnerving.
It's a classic American tale about real women, which makes this different to the old books talking only about marriage and fidelity.
Ruth, who is our main narrator, is speaking about her childhood in which her sister Lucille and her were continually abandoned by one family or another. Eventually they end up with their deeply eccentric aunt Sylvie, and she seems completely incapable in many ways of being a responsible parent, but rather a sister instead. She leads a transcient life, having deserted her husband, jumping on trains to get from place to place. She's a spirited wanderer, and sees Ruth as an ally and her own sister, Helen, who killed herself at the start of the book.
Their solitary life of never mixing, but staying in the great outdoors both seems idyllic and claustrophobic. There are images of the lake where the children's mother committed suicide, that seem to draw the women to this area. The metaphors are cold and quiet hence it feels unnerving.
It's a classic American tale about real women, which makes this different to the old books talking only about marriage and fidelity.
rin (6 KP) rated The Catcher in the Rye in Books
Aug 13, 2017
Contains spoilers, click to show
I honestly really enjoyed reading this book in my junior year of high school. My teacher let everyone in my class pick a classic and I decided to read this by chance. At first, I was annoyed with how Holden was acting and was truly confused on how this book became a classic. He basically hires a prostitute to just talk to her? It made no sense to me, he was just in some kind of haze. But then, everything clicked for me and Holden became extremely relatable. In high school, I suffered from depression but didn't realize until much later that that was indeed the reason I was acting so off, much like Holden during the book. He definitely was on a downward spiral and he didn't himself understand why he was the way he was. I think this is a good book for kids to read in school because it's honest and it's interesting. It's one of the only classics I've read that I can get through without yawning! This was always be a book that holds a deep meaning to me!
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Dawn of the Dreadfuls in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
by Jane Austen and Steve Hockensmith
Genre: Re-mixed classic
Rating: 5
Dawn of the Dreadfuls is hilarious! Hockensmith has captured Austen’s original characters and brought them back (from the dead) in a gruesomely wonderful prequel to Pride and Prejudice. This Zombiefied quirky classic will have you snickering and giggling like Lydia and Kitty. (By the way, I’m officially adding Zombiefied to my dictionary. It’s an awesome word.)
The writing was so much like Austen’s that I began to wonder if it really wasn’t by her. It was eloquent and witty and almost audible in that you could hear the accents of the speakers and the narrator.
Content: an occasional dirty word (I think d--- was used like, twice in the whole book?), very few sexual references. But remember that we’re talking about dead brain-eating zombies here, people. It’s not for the faint of heart (or stomach) and it’s not for kids.
Recommendation: 12+ If you love the paranormal, horror, or anything Jane Austen, this one is for you.
Dawn of the Dreadfuls will be published on March 24th 2010.
by Jane Austen and Steve Hockensmith
Genre: Re-mixed classic
Rating: 5
Dawn of the Dreadfuls is hilarious! Hockensmith has captured Austen’s original characters and brought them back (from the dead) in a gruesomely wonderful prequel to Pride and Prejudice. This Zombiefied quirky classic will have you snickering and giggling like Lydia and Kitty. (By the way, I’m officially adding Zombiefied to my dictionary. It’s an awesome word.)
The writing was so much like Austen’s that I began to wonder if it really wasn’t by her. It was eloquent and witty and almost audible in that you could hear the accents of the speakers and the narrator.
Content: an occasional dirty word (I think d--- was used like, twice in the whole book?), very few sexual references. But remember that we’re talking about dead brain-eating zombies here, people. It’s not for the faint of heart (or stomach) and it’s not for kids.
Recommendation: 12+ If you love the paranormal, horror, or anything Jane Austen, this one is for you.
Dawn of the Dreadfuls will be published on March 24th 2010.
Bubblesreview (110 KP) rated The Catcher in the Rye in Books
Mar 13, 2019
Pros:
▪A classic?
Cons:
▪20th century, quite dated
▪No real plot?
Ok I'm sorry to say this but I'm going to disappoint you all with this review. If you've read this and you adore it and are the ones who say "It's a classic" or "It's an essential read" then don't read anymore of this review.
I hated it. To be completely honest, it was the most boring book I've read yet. From the first page to the last page I struggled to get through it. It took me 4 days, for a fast reader thats a long time especially considering its only 220 something pages long. There was nothing exciting going on, there was no story, no beginning, no middle, no end. It was just it. To make things worse it had no synopsis at all so when you're reading it you literally have no idea what to expect. The author liked to repeat some words, a little too much, which really got quite frustrating. Words like "phony", "goddam", "crumby", and "ba**ard". I don't know, maybe it's a likeable book for some, but for me it just didn't do anything.
▪A classic?
Cons:
▪20th century, quite dated
▪No real plot?
Ok I'm sorry to say this but I'm going to disappoint you all with this review. If you've read this and you adore it and are the ones who say "It's a classic" or "It's an essential read" then don't read anymore of this review.
I hated it. To be completely honest, it was the most boring book I've read yet. From the first page to the last page I struggled to get through it. It took me 4 days, for a fast reader thats a long time especially considering its only 220 something pages long. There was nothing exciting going on, there was no story, no beginning, no middle, no end. It was just it. To make things worse it had no synopsis at all so when you're reading it you literally have no idea what to expect. The author liked to repeat some words, a little too much, which really got quite frustrating. Words like "phony", "goddam", "crumby", and "ba**ard". I don't know, maybe it's a likeable book for some, but for me it just didn't do anything.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Dumbo (2019) in Movies
Apr 1, 2019
Once again, a remake that didn't need to be made
Another "live action version" of a Disney classic; another waste of effort. I can't see anyone watching this and thinking it was in any way an improvement over the original. Timothy Mouse is replaced by children, they try to explain why Dumbo needs a feather, the pink elephant scene is a nice attempt at homage but implausible.
I had no idea until the credits rolled that Tim Burton had directed - his touch is completely absent. I suppose in hindsight Micheal Keaton's hairpiece was pure Burton but otherwise any director could have been involved.
There is an odd feel about the scenes in the theme park, as if a Disney film is itself suggesting theme parks are money-grabbing, exploitative tat-mongers.
While there were some nice nods to the original film (DeVito singing Casey Jr's theme, Timothy Mouse's cameo and "baby of mine", the whole plot adaptation just failed.
It may have been a half-decent film in its own right, but as a remake of a classic it has to do it justice and it just plain did not.
I had no idea until the credits rolled that Tim Burton had directed - his touch is completely absent. I suppose in hindsight Micheal Keaton's hairpiece was pure Burton but otherwise any director could have been involved.
There is an odd feel about the scenes in the theme park, as if a Disney film is itself suggesting theme parks are money-grabbing, exploitative tat-mongers.
While there were some nice nods to the original film (DeVito singing Casey Jr's theme, Timothy Mouse's cameo and "baby of mine", the whole plot adaptation just failed.
It may have been a half-decent film in its own right, but as a remake of a classic it has to do it justice and it just plain did not.
Personally I think this should have also counted towards my classic read for the month aswell, but hey, I don’t make the rules . . oh, wait . .
For those of you not in the know The Iliad is Homers epic poem about the Trojan war, this version was translated by EV Rieu.
What can I say about this, without sounding like a complete philistine? It is essentially a Soap Opera based around testosterone fuelled macho men and a bunch of Gods having a hissy fit! I loved it!
Crivens, there’s a lot of people in it though!! It did take me a little while to get into it, and being a little rusty on my Greek mythology I kept forgetting who was on whose side, but I eventually found my stride, and if you can wade through all the different ways that different people were killed (Homer does really like describing how each person died, potentially the Tarantino of his day!) It is a really detailed account of a mythological war that inspired a whole wealth of literature, and I can see why it is a classic.
For those of you not in the know The Iliad is Homers epic poem about the Trojan war, this version was translated by EV Rieu.
What can I say about this, without sounding like a complete philistine? It is essentially a Soap Opera based around testosterone fuelled macho men and a bunch of Gods having a hissy fit! I loved it!
Crivens, there’s a lot of people in it though!! It did take me a little while to get into it, and being a little rusty on my Greek mythology I kept forgetting who was on whose side, but I eventually found my stride, and if you can wade through all the different ways that different people were killed (Homer does really like describing how each person died, potentially the Tarantino of his day!) It is a really detailed account of a mythological war that inspired a whole wealth of literature, and I can see why it is a classic.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Exorcist (1973) in Movies
Oct 30, 2018
Shocking for its time
The Exorcist is one of those classics that for me is perhaps slightly overrated. Don't get me wrong, for something made in the 70s it's very impressive, it's just very difficult to judge an older film when you live in more modern times.
The film itself is a very slow burner, which isn't a bad thing as it at least relies more on subtlety rather than being in your face like a lot of more modern horrors are. For me it was a little too slow in parts and I wouldn't say this was scary in the slightest. The physical effects are very good for its time, and some of the scenes are still fairly shocking even now. There are some brilliant classic lines in this too, and Linda Blair is very good as Regan. What I like the most about this film is the ending, as it isn't quite your bog standard predictable Hollywood ending and the first time I saw this I was hugely surprised (but pleased) at how this played out.
This is definitely a classic and one worth watching, just try not to judge on today's standards!
The film itself is a very slow burner, which isn't a bad thing as it at least relies more on subtlety rather than being in your face like a lot of more modern horrors are. For me it was a little too slow in parts and I wouldn't say this was scary in the slightest. The physical effects are very good for its time, and some of the scenes are still fairly shocking even now. There are some brilliant classic lines in this too, and Linda Blair is very good as Regan. What I like the most about this film is the ending, as it isn't quite your bog standard predictable Hollywood ending and the first time I saw this I was hugely surprised (but pleased) at how this played out.
This is definitely a classic and one worth watching, just try not to judge on today's standards!
Fred (860 KP) rated Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) in Movies
Jan 22, 2019
Almost all of the classic characters are here! (2 more)
Roger is a great new "classic" character
Bob Hoskins & Christopher Lloyd are great!
A masterpiece of American animation
The movie starts with a cartoon that could just about pass as one of our favorite cartoons from the 40s (if not for the computer-hand-drawn objects within) & from there, it's non-stop. We're treated to a noir, but very colorful, detective story filled with American animations best characters. Characters from different studios share the screen for the first time ever. Bugs & Mickey, Donald & Daffy & a scene at the end which has just about everybody. The mixture of live-action with animation is nothing short of remarkable & a great technical achievement. Of course, they would not seem to interact so well if not for the human actors themselves. A lot of times, even today, when actors are working against nothing, they seem to stare to the wrong spot or past the character. But in Roger Rabbit, it's not the case. Hoskins is great at keeping this illusion. I heard there may be a sequel in the works & hope that it's true. Hopefully, they get the rights to Popeye this time.
JT (287 KP) rated Someone to Watch over Me (1987) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
I doubt that many people would realise that this is one of Ridley Scott’s earlier films. From the opening scene you will notice a distinct Ridley Scott feel to it. The sweeping shot of New York’s Chrysler building could mirror a scene from the sci-fi classic Blade Runner.
Someone to Watch Over Me is a thriller in which a woman who witnesses a murder is sent to protective custody, there she falls for her bodyguard detective. It’s a fairly clichéd film in that it takes portions film noir as well as a classic love affair.
Tom Berenger plays the recently promoted detective who must control his desires for the women he is protecting. Claire Gregory played by Mimi Rogers is an innocent, sexy high class aristocrat who wants what she knows she cannot have.
It dips from thriller to love story and has interludes of high tension thrown in as an afterthought. The backdrop of a self obsessed 1980s America works very well and Scott’s direction is astute as it is clinical with great locations and camera shots. An average thriller but enjoyable nonetheless
Someone to Watch Over Me is a thriller in which a woman who witnesses a murder is sent to protective custody, there she falls for her bodyguard detective. It’s a fairly clichéd film in that it takes portions film noir as well as a classic love affair.
Tom Berenger plays the recently promoted detective who must control his desires for the women he is protecting. Claire Gregory played by Mimi Rogers is an innocent, sexy high class aristocrat who wants what she knows she cannot have.
It dips from thriller to love story and has interludes of high tension thrown in as an afterthought. The backdrop of a self obsessed 1980s America works very well and Scott’s direction is astute as it is clinical with great locations and camera shots. An average thriller but enjoyable nonetheless