Desperado

Desperado
1995 -- Rated R
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida

This is the second in the Mariachi trilogy of films by Robert Rodriguez and is the best of the three. The violence in this film is so high as to be almost comical, indeed it comes off as a dark comic book and without question Banderas is totally captivating in his role as El Mariachi, a man who played guitar until the gangster Bucho has his henchmen kill El Mariachi's girl then shoot his hands, thus ending his playing days. El Mariachi thus embarks on a killing spree as he attempts to track down Bucho. Also starring Cheech Marin, Desperado is a sexy, violent film that is way over the top. Along with his missle and machine gun guitar case toting compadres, the trio of Mariachi's decidedly destroy the town. The true highlight of this film is the exceptional music assembled for the soundtrack. In particular is the phenomenal opening tune which Banderas himself sings. Banderas and Hayek are smoldering on screen.

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White Christmas

White Christmas
1954 -- Not Rated
Director: Michael Curtiz
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen

Aside from his "On The Road" films with Bob Hope, Bing Crosby is probably best known for his quintessential Christmas movies (Holiday Inn and The Bells of St. Marys being the others). Both White Christmas and Holiday Inn are sometimes hard to tell apart because there is so many similarities. Consider: both films star Bing Crosby, both carry Irving Berlin's name on the musical score, both films are set in New England at Christmas, both feature "White Christmas" as it's central song, both films involve two male dancing partners (Crosby/Astaire and Crosby/Kaye) and two female dancing partners (Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale in "Inn" and Clooney/Vera-Ellen in White Christmas, and it goes on. White Christmas doesn't pretend to be high art as film goes but it is a gem of a movie that succeeds in delivering innocent "warm fuzzies" in a day and time when there are too few "warm fuzzies" to go around.

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The Body

The Body
2001 -- Rated PG13
Director: Jonas McCord
Antonio Banderas, Olivia Williams

This suspense thriller isn't necessarily the best film in the genre that I have ever seen, nor is it Banderas' best work, though he still carries the film on his shoulders quite well. What makes this film one worth watching is the entire premise it is built around - an archeological dig that discovers the skeletal remains that date to the first century and fits perfectly with the description of the crucified Christ. The obvious implication of the physical body of Christ being found would cause the destruction of the worlds greatest religion - Christianity - if proven to be true. Banderas as a priest sent by the Vatican to investigate is wonderful to watch as he unravels the mystery and fights to retain his faith in the face of the mounting evidence. Well worth watching just for the whole concept.

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The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
1966 -- Rated Mature
Director: Sergio Leone
Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef

The last in the Dollars trilogy, GBU is by far the best of the three and while the subsequent film Once Upon A Time In The West is by far a superior film, GBU is quite excellent in its own right. What sets GBU apart from it's predecessors is the haunting Ennio Morricone score. Wallach's turn as the savage Mexican bandit Tuco, complete with a gravelly stereotypical accent, is easily Wallach's best work.

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Once Upon A Time In The West

Once Upon A Time In The West
1968 -- Rated PG
Director: Sergio Leone
Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Claudia Cardinale

Truly Sergio Leone was one of the greatest directors of our time. In his hands silence, emptiness, voids, wide open spaces become integrel characters. Once Upon A Time In The West is in my opinion his greatest work. The opening sequence at the depot with its austere silence, coupled with the extreme closeups sets the tone for this exceptional film. Leone’s use of music in his films obviously sets him apart from his peers. In Once Upon A Time... each of the main characters has thier own musical theme which is set up in layers culminating in a rich full orchestral sound by the films end. Leone’s selection of Fonda (one of the iconic good guys of the American screen) as a villain is pure genious. Robards, Bronson and Cardinale flesh out this film in perfect fashion. A lengthy film Once Upon A Time... is mesmerizing from start to finish. Leone’s best work.

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Open Range

Open Range
2003 -- Rated R
Director: Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Annette Bening

    Good versus bad, the good guys wear the white hats, bad guys wear black. Lost in a quagmire of studio megahits in 2003, this film is a jewel that captures a lost yet enduring era. Costner captures the vast enormity of the west in this beautifully detailed and crafted western epic.
    This film is number three on my list of top ten western movies.

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Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes
1968 -- Rated G
Director: Franklin Schaffner
Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowell, Kim Hunter

Charlton Heston had become famous to another generation as the patriarch Moses and Ben-Hur, but to a more recent generation his fame was born in the 1968 film Planet of the Apes as George Taylor. Though sci-fi fans enjoy the offsprings (including six sequels, a TV series and a cartoon series) of this hit film only the original is considered one of the top sci-fi films of all time. Planet of the Apes is also a strong social commentary using the human / ape allusion to make a statement of the race conflict in our own society at that time (and which in a large way is still ongoing today). One scene which brilliantly captures the commentary of de-humanization is when Heston is brought before a tribunal - naked! Many fans and critics point to the films tagline scene where Heston's character screams at his captors to take their paws off of him "you damn dirty apes!" as one of the best taglines in moviedom. I prefer the point when Heston screams "It's a madhouse!" Truly a gem of a film.

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Hatari!

Hatari
1962 -- Not Rated
Director: Howard Hawks
John Wayne, Red Buttons, Hardy Kruger, Elsa Martinelli

Set in the plains of Africa, John Wayne and ensemble are modern day wranglers only they capture wild African animals to export to zoos around the world. The film on whole is average fare but it is an enjoyable view. Red Buttons as "Pockets" almost steals the movie from the stoic John Wayne. Hatari is probably more notable because of its Henry Mancini soundtrack which features the tune "Baby Elephant Walk." But it is the opening score which is really dynamite. "Sounds of Hatari" is nothing but percussion. It starts out slow and works its way up to a frenzied cacophony of beating drums. On the soundtrack album the tune lasts only six minutes and fortyone seconds though it seems like fifteen (an enjoyable fifteen) and it leaves you breathless.

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Seven

Seven
1995 -- Rated R
Director: David Fincher
Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow

This is easily one of the most frightening films I know of. On the verge of being a Film Noir type of film, Seven keeps you on the edge of your seat, even after the suspect is caught. Kevin Spacey is magnificent as the psychotic genious who has perpetrated the "seven" gruesome murders. Nothing extraordinary stands out about Morgan Freeman or Brad Pitt's performances - and that is exactly why they are so good in thier parts as well as so believable.

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Field of Dreams

Field of Dreams
1989 -- Rated PG
Director: Phil Alden Robinson
Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster

No other baseball film comes close to capturing the essence of the game of baseball. Even though very little baseball is actually played in this movie it manages to impart the knowledge of why baseball is truly the game all Americans identify with. Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster lovingly portray thier characters and the afinity they have for the game. Easily one the two or three all time best sports movies.

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Wind

Wind
1992 -- Rated PG13
Director: Carroll Ballard
Matthew Modine, Jennifer Grey, Stellan Skarsgård

Okay, so I know this film shouldn't be on anyones list of best films - and yet I have to include it on mine for a purely selfish reason - I love sailing. The story line is average, the characters are interesting and the photography... well, when the boats are on the water and racing the photography will please fans of sailing. Other than that there isn't a whole lot to say about this film.

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The Searchers

The Searchers
1956 -- Not Rated
Director: John Ford
John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles

Forever ensconced in the American psyche as the pre-eminent cowboy, John Wayne was also a wonderful actor though he is rarely lauded as such. In The Searchers, the Duke portrays one of the most complex characters of his storied career. The conflicts and emotions that ravage the character on the inside are clearly seen in Waynes eyes. Waynes portrayal may not have been good enough to win an Oscar in 1956 (Yul Brynner won that year) but it was surely good enough to at least be nominated, but he wasn't. A sad testament to the Academy's tastes.

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A Walk In The Clouds

A Walk In The Clouds
1995 -- Rated PG13
Director: Alphono Arau
Keanu Reeves, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Giancarlo Giannini

Though I thoroughly enjoyed Keanu Reeves performance, it pales next to the casting of the other characters and the cinematography. Aitana Sanchez-Gijon as Victoria Aragon and Giancarlo Giannini as her father Alberto are mesmerizing on screen. Aitana fairly well limits her films to European (Italian) movies so appearances to U.S. audiences is very limited and that is a shame. Both her talent and her beautiful looks are duly missed on this side of the ocean.

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Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane
1941 -- Not Rated
Director: Orson Welles
Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, Everette Sloan

No greatest films list should be considered complete without this film being included somewhere near the top. Under Orson Welles direction this critically acclaimed film is considered by many to be the defining example of what a movie should be. Though Welles' performance was exemplary, it is clearly his direction that causes this film to stand out. His use of contrasting lights and darks as well as unusual camera angles all contribute to making this film a first rate classic.

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Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan
1998 -- Rated R
Director: Steven Spielberg
Tom Hanks, Vin Diesel, Tom Sizemore, Ed Burns, Matt Damon

Spielberg is without question the premier director at work today and can easily be among the top five of all time. Once again Spielberg has wreaked havoc with conventional film making and probably for the first time ever an audience can have real empathy with what the soldiers are going through in the heat of battle. I cannot watch this movie and come away without tears in my eyes for being thankful for the sacrifices the boys and men depicted in this film made.

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Blade Runner

Blade Runner
1982 -- Rated R
Director: Ridley Scott
Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, Rutger Hauer

Yet another Harrison Ford vehicle. This time the setting is in a Los Angeles of the future and Ford's character is coerced back into the special unit police force which tracks down and eliminates runaway replicants. A movie that does an excellent job of adding color to what is essentially a film noir piece. Lots of good ethics and morals discussion fodder to be found in this movie.

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Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl

Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl
2003 -- Rated PG13
Director: Gore Verbinski
Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley

Like the Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies, Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl is what movies is all about. Adventure, daring, action, love story, and just plain good old fashioned story-telling at its best. Basically from the opening scenes of Captain Jack Sparrow riding his sinking vessel to the dock to the feel-good ending, Pirates of the Caribbean (POTC) is just plain fun. Johnny Depp’s over-the-top portrayal of Sparrow steals the film. His character is as riveting as it is comical, ironic and full of verbal slapstick. Almost as appealing as Depp’s Sparrow is Geoffrey Rush’s portrayal of the vexed Captain Barbarosa - a performance that is nothing short of perfect. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley not only dress up the screen with thier handsome and beautiful appearance but also add wonderful depth to the story with thier performances. POTC is definately among my top ten favorites of all time - no wonder I saw it several times in the theatre first.

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Indiana Jones & Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indiana Jones & Raiders of the Lost Ark
1981 -- Rated PG
Director: Steven Spielberg
Harrison Ford, Karen Allen

The ultimate action/adventure film of all time. This is story telling at its utmost best. Spielberg weaves a wonderful tale that has something for everyone - romance, action, adventure, comedy. With the 1950's serials as a model, this film keeps the viewer hanging on the edge of their seat and they will often find that they are out of breath from the intense fast pace of the movie. Harrison Ford will likely be better remembered as Indiana Jones rather than Jack Ryan or even Hans Solo.

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