My Top 5 Classic Films

I'm not only a fan of modern movies but the classics as well. I have watched a few and may I just say that classic films are still relevant. I have chosen 5 classic films that I personally liked and I highly recommend you guys to watch it. We all have our own taste and preferences  so I wouldn't be surprised if you guys have your own top 5 classic films. If you think that there are other classic films that should be included in the list, then feel free to comment it down below. As a matter of fact, comment down your own top 5 classic films and I'll try to watch most of them during the holidays. 

So here are my Top 5 Classic Films:

1. Vertigo (1958) directed by Alfred Hitchcock

John "Scottie" Ferguson is a retired San Francisco police detective who suffers from acrophobia and Madeleine is the lady who leads him to high places. A wealthy shipbuilder who is an acquaintance from college days approaches Scottie and ask him to follow his beautiful wife, Madeleine. He fears she is going insane, maybe even contemplating suicide, because she believes she is possessed by a dead ancestor. Scottie is skeptical, but agrees after he sees the beautiful Madeleine. Written by filmfactsman (IMDb)

2. Citizen Kane (1941) directed by Orson Welles

A group of reporters who are trying to decipher the last word ever spoke by Charles Foster Kane, the millionaire newspaper tycoon: "Rosebud." The film begins with a news reel detailing Kane's life for the masses, and then from there, we are shown flashbacks from Kane's life. As the reporters investigate further, the viewers see a display of a fascinating man's rise to fame, and how he eventually fell off the "top of the world". Written by Zack H. (IMDb)

3. Bicycle Thieves/Ladri di biciclette (1948) directed by Vittorio De Sica

A poor young father in postwar-ravaged Rome who finally finds work putting up Rita Hayworth posters around town, only to have his precious bicycle stolen the first day on the job. Written by alfiehitchie (IMDb)

note: this film is definitely one of the best in my opinion but it requires you to forget all about the technological advancements in films today in order to fully understand it. more of the story, less visuals.


4. Rear Window (1954) directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Professional photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries breaks his leg while getting an action shot at an auto race. Confined to his New York apartment, he spends his time looking out of the rear window observing the neighbors. He begins to suspect that a man across the courtyard may have murdered his(the man) wife. Jeff enlists the help of his high society fashion-consultant girlfriend Lisa Freemont and his visiting nurse Stella to investigate. Written by Col Needham <col@imdb.com>

5. Psycho (1960) directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Phoenix office worker Marion Crane is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam in lunch breaks and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony. One Friday, Marion is trusted to bank $40, 000 by her employer. Seeing he opportunity to take the money and start a new life, Marion leaves town and heads towards Sam's California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into The Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman who seems to be dominated by his mother. Written by Col Needham <col@imdb.com>

Personally, my favorite director is Alfred Hitchcock so I have three of his movies in the list but they are in the list for a reason, because they're awesome!!!

I hope you guys have the time to watch these films and I hope to hear from you your own top 5 classic films.

Rise of the Guardians: Not Enough Magic

So I just watched Rise of the Guardians in 3D earlier and to get straight to the point I was not super satisfied. I liked it no doubt but I guess I expected too much again. I've seen the trailer of the movie last month and I told myself I had to see it because it would be awesome. Well, there was some awe but not much.

Let me break it down to you guys why the movie didn't meet my expectations:

1. Unexplored Story line
We have a protagonist who has a mysterious past and is reluctant to become a hero but turns out to be the only one who could stop the villain. Heard something like that before? Me too, lots and lots of times. Simple in other words. It didn't give me goosebumps which is what I actually look for in animated movies T_T

2. Villain not evil enough
Pitch (the villain's name) is actually scary in some parts but he isn't consistent with what he is showing to the audience. Maybe it was done in purpose but it just didn't work for me.

3. Pacing is a bit complicated
First the movie goes to the conflict quite fast not bothering to build tension and when it does, it (tension) fades away quickly. Not to mention, there's too much going on from one scene to another, but this is a more tolerable criticism.

4. Poor Characterization
I do appreciate how they redesigned the guardians but the movie didn't seem to give it much importance and instead focused on the animation.

But the movie wasn't all bad, as a matter of fact I might even list down a lot more good comments than the bad ones.

1. Great Family Film
Santa, Toothfairy, Easter Bunny, and the Sandman in one movie, how could children not want to watch it?

2.  Impressive Visuals
The effects and the animation were awesome and this can be seen through out the movie especially whenever the guardians make use of their powers.

3. Creative Redesigning of the Guardians
Never would I have thought that Santa is so bad ass, Jack Frost is young and good looking, the Easter Bunny to be surprisingly tall, the Sandman is cute, and the Toothfairy to be super bubbly.

4. Talented Voice Actors and Actresses
Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law and others (no offense to them) all did a good job giving life to their characters.

5. Heartwarming Morals
Believe in yourself, that's the most important moral that I learned watching the movie. There are a lot more but I think the one I mentioned was the most important.

So would I recommend you guys watching it? Of course I do. I'm pretty sure you'll like it. AGAIN the reason why my review is inclined to the negative side is because I EXPECTED TOO MUCH from it so I got disappointed. Nevertheless, it's actually a good movie. Its funny but not too much, I actually found the trailer to be funnier. -_-

So watch it and leave your insights about the movie below in the comments :))

Rating: 3/5

Most Anticipated Films of 2013

2013 is fast approaching and I believe it is my responsibility to give you a list of upcoming movies in 2013 that would be a sure hit (or not)

Breaking Dawn Part 2: Ending The Saga With A Bang!

The best film in the franchise! Finally the saga offered something fresh and alive (despite majority of the characters being dead) First of all let me just say how disappointed I was in the last film, Breaking Dawn Part 1. I just watched it recently for the sake of understanding what would be going on in part 2 and for two hours it bored me to death with its lousy pacing and an anticlimactic story. So as I entered the movie house earlier I expected a lot since this is the last film in the franchise and I am very thankful that it did redeem itself.

The film started off with the opening credits accompanied by awesome video editing and music selection and then it proceeded to where the last film left off. Bella looks better as a vampire to be honest. Although she's still expressionless in some scenes, I have to say it's better compared to the previous films. I have to praise Kristen Stewart in this film because her acting improved quite well and she gave life to the whole vampire wife/mother character. Character development was a crucial key in this movie's success and I think the whole cast did a pretty good job at it.

What I love about the film is that it stayed true to the novel's content despite a few cuts and modifications. I have read the book years back and watching the film reminded me of a few details that I have already forgotten. 

Breaking Dawn Part 2 really improved especially in terms of SFX. There were lots of it as a matter of fact since the film included new characters including more vampires and werewolves. The different powers of the vampires were really astonishing although it could have been further explored throughout the movie. 

What I really loved most in the movie is the fight scene. It was intense, awesome and exhilarating. Technically speaking I know the ending of the movie since it's based on the book which I have read but the fight scene would really leave everyone in the edge of their seats and not even think about the ending. It's an 'in the moment' scene. When you read the book already, it adds more excitement and tension and you will know why once you've watched it. But there's a huge twist by the end of the fight scene and it can either piss you off or amuse you. As for me it pissed me off first and then it amused me.

The movie was great if you compare it to its predecessors but it could have been better in order to compete with other films outside its franchise. But nevertheless, I can say that it wasn't a waste of money. I suggest you watch it even if you're not a fan and comment your thoughts about the movie down below.

Rating: 3/5

Movie Review: Skyfall & Wreck-It-Ralph

 The name's Bond... James Bond

 "Probably the best Bond film yet..."

I just went to the cinemas earlier today and watched Skyfall, and may I just say that I completely love it. The James Bond franchise celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and the film Skyfall is a great gift to all James Bond fans out there.

What I loved about Skyfall is that first of all it's not your typical James Bond movie that people have been seeing for the last 50 years. This time, the movie focused on James Bond's past, his relationship with M and how he grows and develops in the entire duration of the film.

 If I were to ask you "what comes into your mind when you hear James Bond?" You would probably say: "action, women, sex, cars, gadgets" don't get me wrong, Skyfall has all that but the movie took on a more classical approach. It's like a classic film meant to be watched in 2012. The story was well thought of, it had an emotional-undertone to it, then development of the character was given importance, the action scenes were thrilling, the editing and cinematography (especially the last part) was superb.Not to mention the actors, Daniel Craig really fits the James Bond character so well. Only with the span of three films, he made James Bond come to life and made a name for himself as well.

"It's like a classic film meant to be watched in 2012."

What's been always difficult for action movies is that sometimes, the story gets left behind and is overshadowed by the action sequence. But this is definitely not the case for Skyfall. The action scenes had good harmony with the story and none of them overshadowed one another. Another thing I liked in this film is the locations where they shot the movie. One was in Turkey, another was in Shanghai, next was Macau, and the last one was Scotland. Each location had different vibes into it. I liked Shanghai and Macau the most. The film showed how beautiful the two cities are in the night. I also have to give a thumbs-up to Adel for singing the theme song of the movie. It's really good. :)

I'd give Skyfall a rate of 9 out of 10. I really liked it and it's probably the best Bond film yet in my opinion. :) I've been a fan of the franchise since Pierce Brosnan and thanks to HBO last time, I was able to watch some of the older films. :)

                                      "I'm Gonna..."

"I'm bad, and that's good, and that's not bad, there's no one I'd rather be than me"- Wreck-It-Ralph

Another awesome film from Disney. The movie revolves around the life of a "not-so-bad" bad guy of an arcade game. Sick and tired of being bad and always the loser, he goes against the rules and finds himself and his purpose in the process.

This is one great family film and even before the start of the movie, Disney presented a short film entitled Paperman which was quite entertaining as well. The movie Wreck-It-Ralph would definitely bring nostalgia especially to the 90's kid because it surely did bring me one. Seeing those old video game characters all in one movie made me realize how old I am already. So yes, the setting for the movie really worked out well and it's sure to bring lots of audience from different age groups.

The voice actors did a good job in this film.I have to say my favorite is Jane Lynch giving life to Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun, a badass female soldier with an attitude. Of course Ralph also had a great voice actor thanks to John C. Reilly. What I really appreciate in this film is that with the presence of various video games, the voice must be well-coordinated to the character or else it would seem awkward, and Wreck-It-Ralph did a good job in the casting of their actors.

"You don't need a medal to prove your worth"

A few criticisms though, there would be times that it would get a little boring and the world of the arcade is not much explored in the movie. Perhaps a sequel would improve this? It has the tendency to lean into the cliche moment but otherwise it's really good. I recommend everyone to watch this especially children. It would teach you that you don't need a medal to prove your worth. 

Watch Skyfall and Wreck-It-Ralph and share your thoughts about the movie below :)

Skyfall: 4/5

Wreck-It-Ralph: 3.5/5