Top 20 of All Time

1. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
Director: Victor Fleming
Cast: Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havillard, Leslie Howard

2. THE GODFATHER (1972)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall

3. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)
Director: Gene Kelly & Stanley Donan
Cast: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, Jean Hagen

4. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
Director: Victor Fleming
Cast: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Margaret Hamilton

5. ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (2007)
Director: Julie Taymor
Cast: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs

6. ROMEO AND JULIET (1968)
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Cast: Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, Micheal York, Pat Heywood

7. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
Director: Billy Wilder
Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Joe Brown

8. REAR WINDOW (1954)
Director: Alfred Hitchock
Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Berr

9. THE GRADUATE (1967)
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Kathrine Hepburn, William Daniels

10. KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979)
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry, Jane Alexander

11. TOOTSIE (1982)
Director: Sidney Pollack
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Bill Murray, Teri Garr

12. THE DEPARTED (2006)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg

13. THE GODFATHER, PART II (1974)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton

14. MOULIN ROUGE! (2001)
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent, John Leguzamo

15. TITANIC (1997)
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates

16. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
Director: Frank Capra
Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers

17. THE EXORCIST (1973)
Director: William Friedkin
Cast: Ellen Burnstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow

18. PRIDE AND PREJUDIC E (2005)
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Keira Knightly, Mathew Mcacfadyan, Donald Sutherland, Rosemary Pike

19. FORREST GUMP (1994)
Director: Robert Zemickis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Sinise, Sally Field

20. Ordinary People (1980)
Director: Robert Redford
Cast: Timothy Hutton, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton, Judd Hirsch

Movie Review: Meet the Spartans (2008, Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer)

* *

Cast: Sean Maguire, Carmen Electra, Ken Davitian, Kevin Sorbo, Diedrich Bader, Method Man, Jared Dauplaise, Travis Van Winkle, Nicole Parker
Screenplay: Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer
84 minutes / Color

At least it was a stupid movie and they knew it would be stupid. Get me? That’s what I enjoyed about “Meet the Spartans”. Yes, it is a bad, bad movie but when you put it together and realize that it’s a full-length spoof of recent, overrated blockbuster “300”, you’ll entertained. But as a critique, it was not near a great a movie.

Just like last year’s “300”, “Meet the Spartans” is a full length spoof; it brings us on the adventure of the might Spartans (now much less then they were in the original) with their leader Leonidas (Sean Maguire) against the evil Persian Empire.

As they fight for their land Sparta, the Spartans encounter the weirdest enemies while working there way up to beat the unbearable human-god (now completely over-weight): Xerxes (Ken Davitian).

At home, Leonidas’ wife, the porn star-sexy Queen Margo (Carmen Electra) is using all her power to persuade the cities council to send more troops to help her husband and his warriors.

At the end, Leonidas and his men are beaten by Xerxes and his super powers, not to mention his ultimate spy Paris Hilton (Nicole Parker). But in a chance to redeem Sparta and his King Leonidas, wounded Dilio (Jared Dauplaise) gathers more men and beats Xerxes’ army.

In the end “Meet the Spartans” does not compare to such teens spoofs such as the first 2 “Scary Movies”, “Mafia” (1998) and “Not Another Teen Movie” (2001), but goes beyond the terrible mess known as last years “Epic Movie” (2007).

I do however; have to give a few actors some kudos for impersonations. The biggest one would have to be leading man Sean Maguire whose Gerald Butler impersonations and stylings weren’t only a close resemblance but were kind of entertaining.

I can’t lie if I say the movie didn’t entertain me. It actually did, but I also have to be honest and say that some things were just outright stupid. Many jokes were unbearably corny and the impersonations of the real-life celebrities were idiotic. A smile on my face was very rare, but I must admit I did – once in a while.

At the end, “Meet the Spartans” was far from mediocre, but it wasn’t that bad. Definitely not as bad the disgusting “Vantage Point”, to tell the honest to God truth, it’s quite near getting 3 stars from me. Unfortunately, it really doesn’t reach.

I think spoof movies are getting old and I watch them just for the hell of it. Not for bashing believe me; if you read this review carefully you can see that I expected the stupidity from the very beginning. I just hope that one day, “spoof films” will redeem itself and releases something actually worth while. “Not Another Teen Movie” is still my favorite movie of the genre. I do hope something involving spoofing Oscar movies will come out soon; now that would be interesting…

Movie Review: Vantage Point (2008, Pete Travis)

* *

Cast: Dennis Quaid, Mathew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Bruce McGill, Edgar Ramirez, Said Taghmaoui, Ayelet Zurer, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt
Screenplay: Barry Levy
90 minutes / Color

Peter Travis’ political thriller “Vantage Point” was probably the longest 90 minutes of my movie watching life from the part 4 years. Even “Gone with the Wind” rolled faster by. It was not intriguing, boring and not worthy my money. The bad acting and annoying screenplay were the biggest components which lead to “Vantage Point’s” downfall, especially from Oscar winner Forest Whitaker.

The story is simple (being that it repeats itself a billion times), it takes us on an adventure of 8 different people on the day of the assassination of a United States President in Spain. Some of the memorable characters include the New Caster’s Boss (Sigourney Weaver), the President’s ultimate body guard (Dennis Quaid), a American tourist (Forest Whitaker) and off course: our bad guys.

We are taken on the journey numerous times in different eyes. Though it DOES get old, we are put through finding out that the killed president was actually just a body double and the body guard would end up saving the real President from an attempted kidnap, because the killer’s knew they killed a body double. Get it?

I’m sorry, that’s my summary. I found the movie irrelevant and just terrible. I’m kind enough to give it a 2 star rating and I’m just lazy to actually summarize is perfectly. What I don’t understand that why so many good actors didn’t do well in this project.

Let me not forget to mention how predictable the whole feature was. It was so predictable that they turned a great concept into crap. It was extremely flawed, most especially the screenplay. The dialogue was horrible and it affected the acting of many greats.

Let me start with Dennis Quaid, he really needs to start making better movies. I don’t remember him for anything that good and I’m not surprised with his performance here, but I expected better.

Who I was completely annoyed with and surprise with was recent Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, who is fresh from his 2006 winning for “The Last King of Scotland”. He was phenomenal in that movie and that this is on his resume, he can very well know that he might be touched with the “Oscar Curse” (if there really is one). I hope not, he is very good actor.

To conclude all, I just have to say the movie was lame. I love political thrillers, I love difficult ones, but this one, as simple as it was, it was a big misfire – just like the terrorists attempt. I pray for these actors and this director who wasted their time on a bad movie, even though they had so much potential…a wasted budget.

This makes me more excited for Australia (2008)

The movie looks very, very promising. I have faith in Nicole Kidman and Baz Luhrmann after their masterpiece "Moulin Rouge!". But can they do it with Jackman instead of McGregor? I hope they can. But look at that pic: great looking cinematography, costumes and Kidman looks great too. I'm excited!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBRA STREISAND!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABS! And yes, I might have missed her birthday for a day, but don't hurt me - I was buisy. Anyways, even though I did miss it, it still needs to be celebrated, since she is one of the very few last living legends of film. Babs first came on the Hollywood radar with her Oscar winning turn as Fanny Brice in 1968's "Funny Girl", but even though she did win for that movie, I believe she did better in another one. Presenting, My Top 5 Favorite Barbra Streisand performances:

1. As Dolly Levi in "HELLO DOLLY" (1969) - My favorite Babs performance is that of matchmaker, Dolly Levi. Barbra was astonishing and the role fit her perfectly. Streisand made the lavish musical, even more lavish with great vocals and 100% character transformation. Her "loud-mouth" performances full of pride and no-insecurities made Dolly Levi more fun to watch. She delivered a performance superb for a big, glorious musical comedy. She was zestful, exuberant, funny and her vocals are: WOW!!! Not giving Streisand an Oscar nomination for this movie is a damn crime and utter shame...

2. As Fanny Brice in "FUNNY GIRL" (1968) - When she first appears on screen you see a mellow woman and you don't know why. A few minutes later, you see a girl - "who isn't pretty". A few more minutes into it, you see a powerhouse - opening her mouth and making full magic with the song "I'm the Greatest Star". A few hours later, you are blown away with an amazing acting force, combined with brilliantly performed numbers such as "I Rather Be Blue" and "Second Hand Rose" (comic brilliance), "People" (sentimental and lovely) and "Don't Rain on My Parade" (Daymmm). When the final moment comes on screen ("My Man"), everyone knows why Barbra Streisand gave us one of the best female performances in history.

3. As Katie Morosky in "THE WAY WE WERE" (1973) - In an Oscar nominated turn, Streisand's performance in "The Way Were" is the only non-musical performance on the list. Her pairing with leading man Robert Redford is great and they have a lot of chemistry. This movie proves that Barbra can do anything and not sing to be good in a movie. The storyline is perfect - without her, the movie would be half as great...

4. As Esther Hoffman in "A STAR IS BORN" (1976) - Yes, her performance doesn't match Judy Garland's performance in the 1954 version, but if someone would have to be in the remake, they choose the pefect actress for the rock version. The songs and performances are great and hard-knock, while the acting is all-round splendid. Once more, her "love-interest" pairing with Kris Kristopherson was a perfect match.

5. As Daisy Gamble in "ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER" (1970) - Actually, the only good thing about the movie. If she wasn't here, it wouldn't have worked. But with her personality, acting, and voice, the movie was saved from doom and the bashing of ME. Streisand's screentime is golden and irrestistable, making it a performance to remember. The rest of the movie = zughsss.

My New and Improved Top 100!

Check-check-check-check it out! :)

01. Gone with the Wind (1939, Victor Fleming)
02. The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola)
03. Singin’ in the Rain (1952, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donan)
04. The Wizard of Oz (1939, Victor Fleming)
05. Romeo and Juliet (1968, Franco Zeffirelli)
06. Across the Universe (2007, Julie Taymor)
07. Some Like it Hot (1959, Billy Wilder) s
08. Rear Window (1954, Alfred Hitchcock)
09. The Graduate (1967, Mike Nichols)
10. Kramer vs. Kramer (1977, Robert Benton)
11. Tootsie (1982, Sidney Pollack)
12. The Departed (2006, Martin Scorsese)
13. The Godfather, Part II (1974, Francis Ford Coppola)
14. Moulin Rouge! (2001, Baz Luhrmann)
15. Titanic (1997, James Cameron)
16. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946, Frank Capra)
17. The Exorcist (1973, William Friedkin)
18. Pride and Prejudice (2005, Joe Wright)
19. Forrest Gump (1994, Robert Zemickis)
20. Ordinary People (1980, Robert Redford)
21. Giant (1956, George Stevens)
22. The Apartment (1960, Billy Wilder)
23. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, Robert Mulligan)
24. The Sound of Music (1965, Robert Wise)
25. Back to the Future (1985, Robert Zemickis)
26. The Sting (1973, George Roy Hill)
27. Gigi (1958, Vincent Minnelli)
28. Midnight Cowboy (1969, John Schlesinger)
29. Cold Mountain (2003, Anthony Minghella)
30. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958, Richard Brooks)
31. My Fair Lady (1964, George Cuckor)
32. Cabaret (1972, Bob Fosse)
33. Platoon (1986, Oliver Stone)
34. The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme)
35. West Side Story (1961, Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins)
36. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961, Blake Edwards)
37. Rain Man (1988, Barry Levinson)
38. Goodfellas (1990, Martin Scorsese)
39. Shakespeare in Love (1998, John Madden)
40. Amadeus (1984, Milos Forman)
41. The Princess Bride (1987, Rob Reiner)
42. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999, Trey Parker)
43. An American in Paris (1951, Vincent Minnelli)
44. Jaws (1975, Steven Spielberg)
45. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951, Elia Kazan)
46. Grease (1978, Randall Klieser)
47. Catch Me if You Can (2002, Steven Spielberg)
48. Misery (1990, Rob Reiner)
49. Taxi Driver (1976, Martin Scorsese)
50. Easter Parade (1948, Charles Walters)
51. The Little Mermaid (1989, Ron Clements & John Musker)
52. American Beauty (1999, Sam Mendez)
53. Hello, Dolly! (1969, Gene Kelly)
54. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953, Howard Hawks)
55. Requiem for a Dream (2000, Daren Aronofsky)
56. Terms of Endearment (1983, James L. Brooks)
57. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975, Milos Forman)
58. Interview with a Vampire (1994, Neil Jordan)
59. Chicago (2002, Rob Marshall)
60. Into the Wild (2007, Sean Penn)
61. Toy Story (1995, John Lasseter)
62. Pal Joey (1957, George Sidney)
63. All That Jazz (1979, Bob Fosse)
64. The Aviator (2004, Martin Scorsese)
65. Walk the Line (2005, James Mangold)
66. Schindler’s List (1993, Steven Spielberg)
67. Fight Club (1999, David Fincher)
68. Juno (2007, Jason Rietman)
69. To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Taymor (1995, Beeban Kidron)
70. The Great Gatsby (1974, Jack Clayton)
71. Roman Holiday (1953, William Wyler)
72. An Affair to Remember (1957, Leo McCarey)
73. Swing Time (1936, George Stevens)
74. It Happened One Night (1934, Frank Capra)
75. Funny Girl (1968, William Wyler)
76. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, David Lean)
77. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004, Michel Gondry)
78. Annie Hall (1977, Woody Allen)
79. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975, Jim Sharman)
80. As Good As it Gets (1997, James L. Brooks)
81. Sense and Sensibility (1995, Ang Lee) s
82. Jerry Maguire (1996, Cameron Crowe)
83. A Star is Born (1954, George Cuckor)
84. Death Becomes Her (1992, Robert Zemickis)
85. The Sixth Sense (1999, M. Night Shyamalan)
86. The Band Wagon (1953, Vincent Minnelli)
87. The Way We Were (1973, Sidney Pollack)
88. The Shinning (1980, Stanley Kubrick)
89. Elizabeth (1998, Shekhar Kapur)
90. A Beautiful Mind (2001, Rob Howard)
91. Sin City (2005, Robert Rodriquez)
92. Calamity Jane (1953, David Butler)
93. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946, William Wyler)
94. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944, Vincent Minnelli)
95. Dreamgirls (2006, Bill Condon)
96. Top Hat (1935, Mark Sandrich)
97. The Cider House Rules (1999, Lasse Hallstrom)
98. Finding Neverland (2004, Marc Forster)
99. The Last King of Scotland (2006, Kevin McDonald)
100. In the Bedroom (2001, Todd Field)