- Shadrach, a about friendship
and civil disobedience. Nice visuals,
strong acting, good flavor of the
old times.
- A Bug's Life, an animated
film which seems to encourage viewers
to quicklime IRS employees. Make
sure to watch the credits closely.
- To Kill a Mockingbird,
the B&W version, has very good actors
and a decent story.
- Mephisto, about the good
Germans. Unfortunately, the
recent VHS version is awfully badly
dubbed, almost impossible to watch.
- All the Mornings of the World,
a complex, superbly acted and filmed
story of talent and all the usual
troubles that go with it. Interesting
music, touching story. For a different,
lighter angle on the world of music,
try Red Violin. Not as cosistently
strong, but beautifully shot and
at times engaging.
- Kolya, a beautifully
filmed, strongly acted Czech film, same director as Dark
Blue World.
Great music, unpredictable story
and splendindly understated message.
- Cabaret, good music,
great acting, very understated historical
commentary about 1930s Germany.
- Once Upon a Time in America,
beautifully produced and finely
acted, this movie gets the spirit
of the times right. Complex editing
and subtle hints make the film worth
watching over and over. Very good
music.
- Cross of Iron, one of
the few films to improve over the
source book. Awesome visuals, great
acting. Invites scary parallels
with workplace politics.
- The Wild Bunch, the Last
Western. Great visuals again, strong
character acting. Well-integrated
soundtrack.
- Edward Scissorhands,
a movie that puts American suberbia
out of its misery.
- Nightmare Before Christmas,
the lighter view of Xmas, complete
with terrific animation.
- Raise the Red Lantern,
a strong visual compliment to Wives
and Concubines. The book fill
in some details that film lacks,
but the film makes the story more
personal.
- Prizoner of the Mountains,
a very understated film about two
Russians taken prisoner during the
recent Chechen War. Based on a book
about the Chechen War of 1830s.
Strong acting, beautiful camera
work, twisty story. Violence is
mostly in the viewer's head, not
shown explicitely. Very accurate
subtitles.
- Robin and Marian. What
happens to heros when they get old?
- Cyrano de Bergerac, a
true to the book adaptation of Rostand's
play. Visually compelling, with
great acting and music. Avoid "American"
re-edited version (severely dumbed-down)
that discount stores sell.
- Terminator, a good action
film, meaning decent special effects
and only slightly wooden acting.
- Taxi Driver, a rare blend
of humor and personable acting in
an action picture.
- Laurence of Arabia, a
grand excuse for the most breathtaking
scenic footage, good music.
- Dangerous Liasons / Valmont.
Between these two films and the
book, you can get the complete sordid
story. Great props in Dangerous
Liasons, better acting and plot
in Valmont.
- The Deer Hunter, a long,
depressing film saved by very strong
acting.
- The Duelists, a pretty
Napoleonic period film.
- Meet the Feebles, the
Muppets with smack, machine guns
and nasty sexual habits. Very funny.
- Leon, goofy but well acted.
- Way of the Gun, complex and multilayered. Good
acting, very realistic small arms handling, twisty plot.
- Michael Collins, a relatively
even-handed story of the Irish civil
war. Strong visually, nice acting,
well-researched.
