Reviews by kyleslittlewor

"Scarface" is one of the greatest of all mob movies. It's an epic crime drama done with style and care. Brian De Palma presents a film that ignites the screen with a great screenplay by Oliver Stone and an amazing performance by Al Pacino. For those unfamiliar with the story, Scarface follows the path of Tony Montana, a charismatic Cuban refugee, who arrives in Miami looking for the American dream. Tony's up-front and tough personality makes him go right to the top of the cocaine underworld. However, no one, as they say, stays at the top forever. There are consequences to his success, and as Tony learns, money and power can't give you everything. A special mention should go to Michelle Pfeiffer, who superbly plays Tony's love, in what was her first major film role. This film is not for the faint at heart as directer Brian De Palma 3 times had the film rejected because it had and X-Rated certificate. He literally had to take the people who give the certificates out to court. Although grotesquely brutal this movie could teach kids good lessons that crime does not pay as when he gets to the top of the underworld his life corrupts through cocaine and he ends up killing the ones he loves and watching ones he loves die in crossfire.

The film is famous for it's scenes of violence, including a victim chained to a shower and killed with a chainsaw. Director Brian DePalma, not really known for excess gloriously lavishes in it here and films his movie with style and gusto, "Scarface" is unique because it feels like it was made with real respect for the material. Consider that you have one of Hollywood's future greatest directors writing the script and one of American film's most stylish talents directing and on top of that, an iconic actor in the lead role. Even the moody main theme is composed by none other than Giorgio Moroder. The ending is especially deliciously bloody, as if a normal shoot-out is for sissies. "Scarface" remains a potent movie because it has themes we can all relate to, we all want wealth, power and at least one beautiful woman, "Scarface" asks the question of what extremes would one go to to achieve wealth, and is it worth anything when it is dirty money?

Overall rating: 10 out of 10.

I do have to agree that calling Godfather Part II a sequel is rather insulting. It is one of those rare sequels that almost outdoes the first, and considering how amazing the first Godfather was that says a lot. The Godfather Part II is longer, but in some ways it is also richer. People may say like with the first it is slow and takes a while to unfold. Of course, but I think that was deliberate. Both this and the first Godfather have an elegiac quality to them that makes them even more compelling.

For one thing, the film is very well made. The cinematography is simply gorgeous, whether it is dark or autumnal or picturesque, and the settings are wondrous. The music once again is outstanding, it is haunting and sticks in your head for a very long time. Then there is a brilliantly written screenplay that is intelligent and thoughtful, masterly direction from Francis Ford Coppola and a fabulously constructed story. The film does have some wonderful scenes-: the scenes where Vito flees Sicily has the grandeur of a silent movie, while the scenes in Cuba actually avoid being clumsy and confusing and the climax is extremely chilling. Not to mention the Pop Goes the Weasel scene, which was very funny.

The acting is superb once again. Vito is brilliantly portrayed by Robert DeNiro in one of his better performances. I was also taken with Robert Duvall as loyal Tom, John Cazale and Diane Keaton. But the picture belongs to Al Pacino. He was great carrying the first Godfather movie, but he is even better here. He is simply phenomenal, and to be honest I think he should have won that Oscar. Overall, an amazing film and one of the best sequels ever to be conceived. 10/10 Bethany Cox

It is now past 1 PM and I just finished watching Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather". I should probably go to bed. It's late and tomorrow I have to wake up a bit early. But not early enough to postpone writing these lines. Now that I have seen it three times, the opportunity of sharing my thoughts and refreshed insights are too much of a good offer to sit on. So, bear with me.

This film works so well because it takes place in an underworld in which we are so embedded that we do not even observe it. Coppola puts us straight in the smack-dab center of what is, admittedly, a society made by criminals for criminals. It is also the reason why it's so welcoming. We are surrounded by its inhabitants--cold-blooded murderers, men who see crime like a 9 to 5 job masquerading as honorable men. And I do mean men. From the outside, we would only witness the horrifying, disturbing manifestations of their well-thought out actions.

But it goes even deeper than that. It all revolves around the Corleone family led by Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). He is the most honest of these men, sitting right on the edge. But for people like him, who do not fully embrace this world, it's not easy. He avoids conflict until it is absolutely necessary. He is a man defined by moral principles. There is a scene at the beginning, in which, during his daughter's wedding day, one of his associates, Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) practices his speech that he is going to give to the Don when he meets him. The scene with these two is funny and almost adorable. I could not help but sympathize both of them only to realize that I am feeling warmth for two mobsters. Not to even mention that Lenny Montana was an actual mob hit-man and that he was actually nervous as he said that line.

The more I watched the more I realized just how incredibly complex and ruthless this society is and how it has the power to corrupt anyone to come in contact with it. The best example is Corleone's youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino). He returns home for his sister's wedding as a war hero dressed the part with his long-time girlfriend, Kay Adams (Diane Keaton). At first, he avoids this underworld, but necessity, first-hand exposure and just its sheer devilish appealing nature draws him in. As we get further in the film, the change is shocking and every outsider who ever got close to him is tainted in one way or another. If they survive it, they are drawn in as well as we are as viewers.

Inside, Coppola exposes the family to us fully, with a bold personal approach and we witness every discussion, every methodically calculated choice. Crime is done simply because it is the nature of their business, and we are put on a chair alongside them, so we easily relate. For us, they are the good guys, the rival families are the bad guys. This is the greatest feat this film managed to pull off--set apart good guys and bad guys in a world filled with bad guys.

This is a film of unmatched subtlety. No other movie sustains itself as good. No other film is done with such precision, attention and completeness. There are many layers which I probably missed and maybe will never notice. But I felt them. What director Francis Ford Coppola and his partner in crime (poor choice of words, sorry) Mario Puzo did is nothing short of a timeless piece of reference cinema whose influence is not based on reinventing the wheel, but rather perfecting it to the absolute maximum.

Most masterpieces are remembered for their historical contributions. "Citizen Kane" brought the biggest step-up to the art form, the same things did "Gone With the Wind" or "2001: A Space Odyssey". "The Godfather" is one of the few films that will be remembered simply because they are that good and I cannot possibly imagine a greater achievement.

It is now past 1 PM and I just finished watching Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather". I should probably go to bed. It's late and tomorrow I have to wake up a bit early. But not early enough to postpone writing these lines. Now that I have seen it three times, the opportunity of sharing my thoughts and refreshed insights are too much of a good offer to sit on. So, bear with me.

This film works so well because it takes place in an underworld in which we are so embedded that we do not even observe it. Coppola puts us straight in the smack-dab center of what is, admittedly, a society made by criminals for criminals. It is also the reason why it's so welcoming. We are surrounded by its inhabitants--cold-blooded murderers, men who see crime like a 9 to 5 job masquerading as honorable men. And I do mean men. From the outside, we would only witness the horrifying, disturbing manifestations of their well-thought out actions.

But it goes even deeper than that. It all revolves around the Corleone family led by Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). He is the most honest of these men, sitting right on the edge. But for people like him, who do not fully embrace this world, it's not easy. He avoids conflict until it is absolutely necessary. He is a man defined by moral principles. There is a scene at the beginning, in which, during his daughter's wedding day, one of his associates, Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) practices his speech that he is going to give to the Don when he meets him. The scene with these two is funny and almost adorable. I could not help but sympathize both of them only to realize that I am feeling warmth for two mobsters. Not to even mention that Lenny Montana was an actual mob hit-man and that he was actually nervous as he said that line.

The more I watched the more I realized just how incredibly complex and ruthless this society is and how it has the power to corrupt anyone to come in contact with it. The best example is Corleone's youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino). He returns home for his sister's wedding as a war hero dressed the part with his long-time girlfriend, Kay Adams (Diane Keaton). At first, he avoids this underworld, but necessity, first-hand exposure and just its sheer devilish appealing nature draws him in. As we get further in the film, the change is shocking and every outsider who ever got close to him is tainted in one way or another. If they survive it, they are drawn in as well as we are as viewers.

Inside, Coppola exposes the family to us fully, with a bold personal approach and we witness every discussion, every methodically calculated choice. Crime is done simply because it is the nature of their business, and we are put on a chair alongside them, so we easily relate. For us, they are the good guys, the rival families are the bad guys. This is the greatest feat this film managed to pull off--set apart good guys and bad guys in a world filled with bad guys.

This is a film of unmatched subtlety. No other movie sustains itself as good. No other film is done with such precision, attention and completeness. There are many layers which I probably missed and maybe will never notice. But I felt them. What director Francis Ford Coppola and his partner in crime (poor choice of words, sorry) Mario Puzo did is nothing short of a timeless piece of reference cinema whose influence is not based on reinventing the wheel, but rather perfecting it to the absolute maximum.

Most masterpieces are remembered for their historical contributions. "Citizen Kane" brought the biggest step-up to the art form, the same things did "Gone With the Wind" or "2001: A Space Odyssey". "The Godfather" is one of the few films that will be remembered simply because they are that good and I cannot possibly imagine a greater achievement.

I am a huge fan of Hitchcock, and have really liked all of the movies of his I have seen so far. My top 5 favourites are Vertigo, North By Northwest, Rear Window, Rebecca and this masterpiece. Before I saw this, I considered Vertigo as his masterpiece. After seeing this movie, I think Psycho outshines Vertigo.

Psycho is a film that you see once and never forget, and one of the few movies out there that has left me traumatised. The infamous shower scene is without doubt one of the most terrifying murder scenes in any film. When I first saw that scene on the 100 Greatest American Films, I was so terrified and I admit it I have never recovered. I had a similar experience watching the Disney film Sleeping Beauty with Maleficent enticing Aurora to the spinning wheel, and Mrs Gulch turning into the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz.

The shower scene isn't the only effective or chilling scene in the film- in the events leading up to that scene I was biting my nails. The scene with the old woman in the chair also made me jump out of my skin. The whole of Psycho is terrifying, suspenseful and shocking. Two elements made this so. One was Hitchock's direction. The great director proves how truly great he is by directing Psycho in a masterful way, and manages to deliver the shocks when needed. The other is Bernard Hermann's music. What a creepy score! I loved his score for Vertigo and Miklos Rozsa's for Spellbound, but the high violin motif in the shower scene is the main reason why that scene in particular is so effective. I admit it, when I hear that motif, I start screaming. There is just something about it that makes your blood run cold.

Other pros are a good plot, a well constructed screenplay and beautiful black and white cinematography that is perfect in conveying the creepy mood. And the ending did surprise me. The acting though was exemplary, with Janet Leigh giving one of the deservedly most memorable female performances in a Hitchcock movie, and Vera Miles also giving a stellar performance. Stealing the film is Antony Perkins as Norman Bates, he didn't just play creepy, he WAS creepy, his face, his voice, his mannerisms.. in short it is one of the most chilling performances of all time. All in all, a Hitchcock masterpiece! 10/10 Bethany Cox

I am a huge fan of Hitchcock, and have really liked all of the movies of his I have seen so far. My top 5 favourites are Vertigo, North By Northwest, Rear Window, Rebecca and this masterpiece. Before I saw this, I considered Vertigo as his masterpiece. After seeing this movie, I think Psycho outshines Vertigo.

Psycho is a film that you see once and never forget, and one of the few movies out there that has left me traumatised. The infamous shower scene is without doubt one of the most terrifying murder scenes in any film. When I first saw that scene on the 100 Greatest American Films, I was so terrified and I admit it I have never recovered. I had a similar experience watching the Disney film Sleeping Beauty with Maleficent enticing Aurora to the spinning wheel, and Mrs Gulch turning into the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz.

The shower scene isn't the only effective or chilling scene in the film- in the events leading up to that scene I was biting my nails. The scene with the old woman in the chair also made me jump out of my skin. The whole of Psycho is terrifying, suspenseful and shocking. Two elements made this so. One was Hitchock's direction. The great director proves how truly great he is by directing Psycho in a masterful way, and manages to deliver the shocks when needed. The other is Bernard Hermann's music. What a creepy score! I loved his score for Vertigo and Miklos Rozsa's for Spellbound, but the high violin motif in the shower scene is the main reason why that scene in particular is so effective. I admit it, when I hear that motif, I start screaming. There is just something about it that makes your blood run cold.

Other pros are a good plot, a well constructed screenplay and beautiful black and white cinematography that is perfect in conveying the creepy mood. And the ending did surprise me. The acting though was exemplary, with Janet Leigh giving one of the deservedly most memorable female performances in a Hitchcock movie, and Vera Miles also giving a stellar performance. Stealing the film is Antony Perkins as Norman Bates, he didn't just play creepy, he WAS creepy, his face, his voice, his mannerisms.. in short it is one of the most chilling performances of all time. All in all, a Hitchcock masterpiece! 10/10 Bethany Cox

I decided to watch Star Wars for the first time in March if 2021. I wanted to watch it in timeline order, and watch all the cartoons as well. I am so happy I did. With the exception of Star Wars Resistance, they were great. But out of all the Star Wars I watched, I spent the most time with the clone wars. That is because it is so long, but it made me make a connection with the show, and some of the characters who aren't really in the movies. It is definitely my favorite animated show, and it is also one of my favorite shows all time.

I loved so much about this show. I loved the characters, the writing, the animation, and the acting. Most of the characters in this show are characters from the prequel movies, with the exception of Ahsoka Tano. She made her debut in The Clone Wars movie as a young Padawan to Anakin. She developed over the span of 7 seasons, and 12 years to be some peoples favorite Star Wars character. She isn't my number 1 favorite, but she is definitely up there. She became so popular, she made a live action appearance in The Mandalorian season 2 episode 5, and is getting her own live action show that is a spin-off to The Mandalorian. Of course, characters like Anakin, Obi-Wan, and everyone else from the prequels were also amazing.

I also have to give credit to the show runner, Dave Filoni. He had no experience with CGI animation coming into this show, and did amazing. Not only was the animation great, the writing of the episodes were amazing. The whole show involves the main characters doing crazy missions, and it all takes place in between "Attack of the Clones," and "Revenge of the Sith." Until the final four episodes of this show that takes place during "Revenge of the Sith." A few seasons in, the writers started doing 'series of four.' It is four episodes in a row that are all one story. It is basically one long episode split into four. Some of the 'series of fours' were phenomenal. Especially the finales.

Lastly, the acting in this show was amazing. This show used predominantly voice actors instead of their live action actors, and they were all perfect. Their tones and the way they spoke made it sound like the live action character. I have to give huge credit to the actors of Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Maul. Their performances in this show were phenomenal. Especially Maul. His voice acting in my opinion was better than it was in "The Phantom Menace."

Like I said, this is my favorite animated show, and is one of my favorite shows all time. Everything from the acting to the way the characters developed together was just amazing. The ending of this show also couldn't have been written any better. I definitely recommend watching this show. I am extremely grateful that I did.

The writing and directing is so bad!! It is literally so cringe worthy. Very little feels like Star Wars, but then again, the magic was gone decades ago.

Again, it's like they never watched the original Star Wars films. They basically made Obi-Wan Luke Skywalker in the recent SW films, a recluse that has given up hope.

There are hours worth of plot holes, broken canon rules, severe character flaws. The female villain was so annoyingly horrible to watch. She wasn't scary in the slightly. All the villains were ridiculous.. Yelling and forcing their anger. That's not what made Darth Vader, Bob Fett, Jabba menacing. They were all cool and calm. This is why the direction was just bad, but the even worse writing didn't help this mess.

And why did they make such a big deal out of the light saber. "Go and bury it"? What? He could have just dropped it anywhere. There are SOOO many plot holes.

And the kids playing Luke and Leia were awful. And Benny Safdie was miscast. Another embarrassing attempt to make Star Wars magic.

What can I say? Scream is a wonderful film, a classic of its genre and a real scream from start to finish. The production values are excellent with atmospheric photography and settings, Wes Craven's direction is to date one of his best directing jobs, the music is haunting and the sound effects unsettling. The acting from Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette is top notch, and GhostFace as a character is iconic. What struck me as truly impressive about Scream was its originality, the story is fresh and while there are some funny lines, there are some genuinely scary, jump-out-of-your-seat moments too. Overall, brilliant. 10/10 Bethany Cox

What can I say? Scream is a wonderful film, a classic of its genre and a real scream from start to finish. The production values are excellent with atmospheric photography and settings, Wes Craven's direction is to date one of his best directing jobs, the music is haunting and the sound effects unsettling. The acting from Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette is top notch, and GhostFace as a character is iconic. What struck me as truly impressive about Scream was its originality, the story is fresh and while there are some funny lines, there are some genuinely scary, jump-out-of-your-seat moments too. Overall, brilliant. 10/10 Bethany Cox