“Mars Attacks!” (1996) [PG-13]

     This is positively one of the best campy comedies ever made. It’s full of purposefully awkward acting even by some of the best actors of the time. There are many very odd moments of actions or dialogue where the characters sort of know that they’re in a movie. Comedy fills this film in different forms, and proves to be very hilarious.

     Some movies really do have bad acting from those who play in them, however this is an exception. The acting performances in it aren’t necessarily bad, but they are in a way awkward. The cast features a great deal of incredible actors of that time, including Jack Nicholson, Michael J. Fox, Martin Short, and Glenn Close. Their performances are more than entertaining, and they demonstrate that they are flexible with their abilities in cinema.

     It is also full of scenes that are odd in a funny way. They have things like when an actor or actress says something that’s sort of to an audience that isn’t there, or makes a comment only for the purpose of making a bad joke. This is abundant in scenes when the aliens are trying to figure out the human’s technology, and they break the machine or something of the sort.

     The comedy in this movie is one of a kind, and is arguably the most entertaining of that decade. It’s very campy style comedy, and in a way is surprising its makers were able to get such famous actors for it, however it works out in the end because of the amazing abilities of those actors. With any other cast this film probably would have been a flop, but instead it is one of the funniest movies of the time. There is a chance taken when trying to make campy comedies and it just works with this one.

          My overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

“The Shining” (1980) [R]

     This is possibly director Stanley Kubrick’s best movie, among many other movies he directed that gained much fame in the cinema world. It was one of the first movies that actually scared me in a rational way. Jack Nicholson’s performance was by far at its peak in this film; he can draw the audience in and make them feel as if he really was the character, instead of Jack Nicholson. In addition, this is a great translation from Stephen King’s book of the same name; there were only a few facts in the book which were not in the movie.

     I first watched Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” several years ago, and it was the first movie that really scared me. Sure, there are plenty of so called “scary” movies available, however what most people think of as a frightening movie isn’t what I deem horror. Most people think films about serial killers with literal buckets-of-blood count as something of horror. My idea of a scary tale is one that brings out people’s greatest fears and makes you question all thoughts of truth or reality. “The Shining” does all of this and then some, it pulls out all the stops and holds nothing back for the audience.

     Of all the movies Jack Nicholson has been in and of all of the great performances he’s given, the character he portrays in this film is possibly the most entertaining. The audience can tell that he went through a lot of determination to give only his best abilities at playing his character. Not a moment goes by that the audience thinks he’s someone other than the character. Many people may even forget that he is acting, he’s just that good. Of course, the portrayal of the character is nearly identical to that of the one in the book.

     There have been many stories, especially those of Stephen King’s books, which have been made into movies. Sadly, most of them aren’t anything at all like the original story. “The Shining” is one of the few exceptions, however, for it would seem that the makers of the film actually read the book before bringing it to cinema. There are several portions of dialogue that were taken directly from the book, and many instances of the story that were very nearly like what happened in the book. Of course, there were a few things that they took out of the movie version which I would have preferred to have seen in the film, but the movie was already long enough with all of the other stuff they put in the translation.

          My overall rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Carrie” (1976) [R]

     “Carrie” is still a scary movie, being one of those classics that will hold together through the times. It is a decent adaptation of the Stephen King novel, for there are a few key differences between the two, however it does stand out for itself. It focuses a major part on the characters and their development so that the audience really begins to understand the main character and even begin to feel sympathy for her. It can, to some point, be considered more of a drama than a horror for all the time it spends showing all the torment that Carrie is put through, however the true horror comes out when she finally lashes out at her those who put her through such anxieties.

     At first, the movie is sort of slow, as it puts a lot of focus on character development. Most of them change throughout the movie, especially the protagonist, Carrie. The audience is shown the traits of the characters by their actions. This is a very classic kind of story line, having the better part of the story concentrating on characters and the developments of their personalities and finally bringing on the climax as one big explosion of action or horror. It’s good to know that there are at least some movies that hold true to that style of storytelling, although that is mostly due to the fact that that’s how Stephen King wrote the book.

     From the start of the movie, the audience will begin to understand the situation that Carrie is in, being treated horribly by her classmates, and treated even worse by her over-religious mother. At some point in the film the viewers will start to sympathize with Carrie as well. They will truly feel sorry for her and wish that something would happen to make them feel better about it all. Then as the climax approaches, they get their wish. When Carrie finally lashes out at her tormentors, the audience is completely on her side and hoping she gets the last laugh, so to speak.

     In a way, this film can be considered more of a drama than a horror. It does spend more time on showing how she is treated by the other people at her school and by her mother. The drama almost takes over until she rallies back and takes everything out on everyone around her. That’s when the true horror begins. Just as in King’s book, the climax is more or less when all the horror comes out from hiding, and when it does it is thoroughly shocking. This film is still considered by many to be very scary, which is a feat by itself because of how much the horror genre has changed since this movie originally came out.

          My overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

“The Untouchables” (1987) [R]

     Brian DePalma’s film “The Untouchables” was really quite a break-through for most of its actors, Sean Connery and Robert De Niro being the only actors in it with well-known backgrounds in cinema. It is an incredible period piece, with some of the most exciting drama to be seen to date, and each of the actors gave terrific performances, especially bearing in mind that most of them became famous through this movie. The tale is truly gripping from start to finish, never letting up, and never letting go of the audience.

     The story is that of Eliot Ness’s group of “Untouchables” in the 1930s, whose sole purpose is to catch and incriminate Al Capone. It takes place during the time of Prohibition, and does a great job of showing Chicago during the Prohibition Era. The creators of this movie had sets and appliances on the sets that were around during the ‘30s, such as the styles of cars, guns, house appliances, and many more. This film also has the most mesmerizing drama to date. It rattles and plays with the emotions through the whole tale.

     A majority of the actors in “The Untouchables” weren’t all that well-known before they joined it. However being in this movie was like an instant claim to fame. Sean Connery and Robert De Niro were really the only two actors who had an established background in the industry. Gateways into fame were opened for actors such as Kevin Costner, Andy Garcia, and Charles Martin Smith just because they were in this incredible film and they gave enthralling performances.

     The storyline itself—of Eliot Ness and his fight to put Al Capone behind bars—is a gripping one. It was almost like a legend come to life with the back and forth fights between Ness’s men and Capone’s men. Even with the exciting script, this film wouldn’t be nearly as fascinating without the direction of Brian DePalma. This is one of the best movies of the Crime/Drama genre, and it’s difficult to find anything wrong with any part of this film. The entire production was done beautifully and is a great addition to cinema.

          My overall rating: 4.8 out of 5

This Month's Reviews!

"Untouchables" (1987) [R] (connected by Brian DePalma to...)
"Carrie" (1976) [R] (connected by Stephen King to...)
"The Shining" (1980) [R] (connected by Jack Nicholson to...)
"Mars Attacks!" (1996) [PG-13] (connected by Tim Burton to next month's reviews...)