True Romance (1993)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AIbZDBC8tk&feature=related

This Beautifully written Quinton Terrentino Film about a noir love story is well casted and Engrossing.

The male protagonist clearance(Christian Slater) is just a comic book store worker and Kung fu movie buff when he meets this call girl Alabama(patricia Arquette) and of course they instantly fall madly in love. Clearance goes too Alabama's place and tells her pimp that alabama no longer is a call girl and that he needs her belongings. When confrontation arises Clearance is left on the run and accidently in possession of a large amount of this gangster(Christopher Walkens) Cocaine. A cross country odyssey too california in sues where the couple plans to sling the Cocaine at a discount to leave the country.

"The Energy and Style of this movie is Exhilarating"-Roger Ebert (Sept 10 1993)

7 Samurai (1954)

A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves.

This 1954 Japanese epic film has achieved near mythical status in the movie critic world being quoted as on the greatest japanese movies of all time. Despite its epic length at nearly three and half hours this movie serves as one of the supreme examples of the art of storytelling on film, the story and characters are so engrossing, the time seems to fly by quickly.

The poor 16th century villagers are fed up with bandits raiding there village the village elder tells them of a time long ago when bandits where a problem and the only village who wasn't ravished by bandits was a village that hired samurai. So some of the men from the village go into town to track down some samurai. They have nothing to offer the samurai except food and lodging. So the Samurai they manage to round up are kinda the rag tag bunch or down on their luck Samurai of the time. Yet their flawed diversity is what makes there characters so believable and compelling.

The film is Divided into three sections, the introduction of characters, the preparation of the villagers and village for battle and Battle for the village where the bandits attack in waves.

The Movie for a 1954 Black and white film is beautifully filmed, lots of wide angels and very few close ups or shots of one character at a time. the few Close up shots are usually For a good reason or shot inside

Picture Source: (2003 http://www.lovehkfilm.com/panasia/seven_samurai.htm)

The Grapes of Wrath

Source: http://www.moviegoods.com/Assets/product_images/1010/456995.1010.A.jpg

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032551/

When the dust bowl of the 1930's forces a family off of their land, they can fall apart or come together.

This is one of my all time favourite movies. It shows the resilience of people. The book was quite controversial in its time; the movie was able to avoid much of the controversy while staying true to the novel.


Source: http://www.youtube.com/embed/yer4L1Uhayc


There is so much more to this story than just a family migrating to California; this is a story of the indomitable human spirit: those that try to crush it and those that help it grow.

I first saw this movie when I was a young man living alone in a strange town. I discovered loneliness as I searched for meaning in my life. Eventually I found the things I could believe in and be part of. This movie and its message has always stayed with me and it is a special part of my collection.

On the Waterfront

Would you have the courage to take on corrupt union bosses?


Source: http://www.youtube.com/embed/eeVq1e6JKlw

Terry Malloy(Marlon Brando) is a retired boxer who lives in a world where the rules are simple: You don't hear nothing, you don't say nothing and when the union bosses tell you to borrow money from them you do it so you can continue to get work on the docks and make a meagre living. When he meets the sister of a young man that was lured to his death for talking to the crime commission that is investigating labour corruption on the waterfront, he starts to question if this is what life is really supposed to be about.


Source: http://wfiles.brothersoft.com/o/on_the_waterfront_60331-1280x800.jpg

Brando's academy award winning performance highlights this classic tale of an underdog struggling to come to terms with questions of morality and self-preservation.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047296/

The AFRICAN QUEEN


Starring:

Humphrey Bogart

Katharine Hepburn

Directed by

John Houston


Source: http://content.internetvideoarchive.com/content/photos/6720/28226216_.jpg

This movie provides a solid vehicle for Bogart and Hepburn to shine as individuals while taking advantage of the chemistry they provide. Shot largley on location in Africa, the setting is mostly on a fourty foot boat, named "African Queen", as it makes its way down river to complete a date with destiny.




Source: http://www.youtube.com/embed/GzcRa6n_qoE


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043265/

It still reminds of being a kid and watching the late night movies with my grandma.