Highlander (1986)

 

Highlander (1986)

 When, within the first 5 minutes, this movie paralleled an epic battle in 16th-century Scotland with a wrestling match, I knew I was in for something special. This movie should be on a double bill with the Beastmaster. All in all, a pretty fun dose of schlock. While fairly entertaining all the way through, I thought the second half was somewhat weaker than the first, and Sean Connery could have used some more screentime throughout.

**½/****

Chinatown (1974)

 

Chinatown (1974) 

I'm not sure there's much I can say about this. It totally lived up to expectations (and they were high, after all I'd heard). This is a rare movie that I think I could call just about flawlessly made, including the acting. Every character, down to the most minor, was well defined and well acted. Also, if any movie truly convinced me of Jack Nicholson's talents, it was this (not that he's been bad in what I'd seen him in previously -- far from it). The witty dialogue, acclaimed for a reason, works incredibly well coming out of his mouth, which makes sense because he supposedly improvised and fine-tuned quite a lot of it. The score was also very weird and unique, and I'd say it's deserving of being as famous as it is. This is the first Roman Polanski movie I've seen, and I will not only look forward to rewatching it to pick up on more details, but also to checking out his other stuff. One last thing is that it was interesting to watch just shortly after L.A. Confidential (another neo-noir set in L.A., albeit in the '50s).

****/****

Some Like It Hot (1959)

 

Some Like It Hot (1959) 

I had of course heard for years that this was one of the great American comedies, so my expectations were high. I didn't find it particularly laugh-out-loud funny, except for in a handful of scenes, though it was certainly amusing and the dialogue was very sharp. I enjoyed all the actors - especially the two lead men (Jack Lemmon & Tony Curtis) and the eager yacht owner, Osgood Fielding (Joe E. Brown). I was a little bit surprised by Marilyn Monroe - I expected her main function to be a sex symbol, and while she certainly performed in that regard, she also played her role well for what it was (that being a phenomenally stupid character, like most of the characters in the movie) and had nice comic timing. At any rate, I was entertained all the way through. I also want to say that this movie has one of the best final moments and final lines I've ever seen.

***½/****

Freaks (1932)

 

Freaks (1932)

This wasn't exactly a pleasant movie to watch. Directed by Todd Browning (Dracula), it's known for using real carnival/sideshow performers for the majority of its cast rather than actors wearing makeup. I wouldn't call the movie itself malicious (the "freaks" are all kindhearted, without exception) but the "big people" are, cringingly so. The movie takes place within a travelling circus. The main focus is a dwarf who falls in love with a woman performer (of regular stature) who is only using him when she discovers that he has inherited a great fortune. I can't really figure out the point of this movie - it's called a horror movie, but there's no horror in it, only people with unfortunate deformities. It may well have raised awareness, but certain parts of it definitely felt exploitative, namely the frame story/ending.

**½/****

L.A. Confidential (1997)

 

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Movie has great 50s Hollywood atmosphere and I loved the contrast between the lead policemen: Guy Pearce as the sort of straight-laced, moral cop who would rat out fellow officers in order to do the right thing and rise to the top, Russell Crowe as the cop who doesn't necessarily play by the rules and muscles anyone who gets in his way (and has vendetta against anyone who hurts women) and Kevin Spacey as a "Hollywood cop" with lots of connections and a job on a TV show. Very good acting and tons of interesting plot twists. 

***½/****

The Son of Kong (1933)

The Son of Kong (1933)

This is the definition of a cash-grab sequel: they churned it out less than 10 months after King Kong. Obviously it's not as good as its famous predecessor, but I thought it was a surprisingly fun movie - not nearly as bad as I'd been led to believe. I think I actually liked the character of Carl Denham more this time around. Much more light-hearted than the original (I'd almost call it part comedy), though they threw in a "tragic" ending out of nowhere which I felt was done just because of the original movie's famous ending. Weirdly, the eponymous son of Kong doesn't show up until there is only 26 minutes of the movie's run time left.

**½/****