The Grudge
Directed by: Takashi Shimizu.
Actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr.
Released: 2004.
Studio: Sony Pictures.
MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Length: 92 min.
Horror.

Brief outline (no spoilers):
Inside a house in Tokyo lurks a hidden terror, the Grudge. The curse is afflicted upon all that enters the house. Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is a student that agrees to cover for a nurse that does not show up for work. Inside the house of the elderly woman see has to look over she discovers a supernatural horror. The horror escalades and Karen must try to stop it.

Personal opinions:
This is a horror movie, and yes it is a bit scary. At least if you are scared of a crazy looking little Japanese boy and something black wavy whirlwind thingy. The mystic of the oriental may also be adding to the tension. A fragile American girl in this strange and mysterious country that can never end well…

Good
I think a lot of people goes and see this movie just because Sarah Michelle Gellar is in it. And that is probably the main good thing about it.

Bad
It is a bit scary, but that’s it. The movie was released in 2004, but and it do not use any new methods for scaring people, it is noises, and strange mysterious ghost like creatures. It does not have any original plot; it is just a house with something in it that kills everybody. You sit there and wait to get really scared, but all you get is half scared. You never piss your pants.

Rating: 4/10 (where 10 is the best).

The Matrix (1)
Directed by: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski.
Actors: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving.
Released: 1999.
Studio: Warner Studios.
MPAA Rating: Rated R.
Length: 136 min.
Sci-Fi, Action

Brief outline (no spoilers):
Neo (Keanu Reeves) is a computer hacker. He gets contacted by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) that wants him to join his hacker group. Morpheus believes that Neo is the messiah that will free the humans from the tyranny of the machines. When Neo joins Morpheus he gets a mind boggling journey of what is the reality. He soon realizes that he has been living all his life in a computer simulated world. The mission to set the human race free from the enslavers begins.

Personal opinions:
This movie has become a classic, and it created a paradigm shift in action sci-fi movies. It is before and after the Matrix. All the images in the movie is almost art like. A lot of work apparently has gone into that. The look of the world inside the matrix almost looks sterile and polished, and the look in the real world looks very dirty. The story behind the concept of the Matrix is also very original.

Good
The Matrix is mind-boggling in two ways, it is a very philosophical story on what is the reality, and second it follows that up with some unbelievable impressive movie effects. It really sets a new standard for movie effects. The fight scenes are almost like a ballet.

Bad
Reeve’s acting in the movie is probably not in the top of what has been done on the movie screen, but that perhaps do not matter. The movie is a lot about looking good, fighting fast, running fast and shooting fast. It is not all bad acting. Weaving does a good job portraying the slightly psychopathic robot character Agent Smith. It is a very enjoyable movie, and there is not much bad to be said about it.

Rating: 9/10 (where 10 is the best).

Falling Down
Directed by: Joel Schumacher.
Actors: Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall.
Released: 1993.
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox.
MPAA Rating: Rated R.
Length: 113 min.
Drama, Thriller

Brief outline (no spoilers):
William (D-FENS) (Michael Douglas) has been laid off from his job in the defense industry. He is frustrated with the world. Nothing seems to be going his way. It is his daughter’s birthday, and his divorced wife will not let him come visit her. He tries to visit her anyway, and on his way he meets he meets a lot of bizarre obstacles that he has to deal with. His fury and rage increases. Detective Pendergast (Robert Duvall) is a police detective that is retiring on this particular day. Pendergast starts to investigate these episodes that William (D-FENS) is involved in.

Personal opinions:
The movie is really about a person becoming obsolete. The world has no longer any place for for William (D-FENS), the technology and times have changed in a way that there is no longer any use for him or his skills. When you get old it is hard to learn new skills, and nobody wants to hire middle aged persons without the right qualifications. There is obviously a parallel in this movie with William and the deskbound detective Pendergast. Pendergast is also in many ways also obsolete and he is about to retire.

Good
Michael Douglas does an excellent job playing a man on the verge of insanity. But who is it that is really insane, is it the world or is it William (D-FENS)…? He sure has to deal with a lot of people that do not make sense and you get some empathy for what he has to go through.

Bad
The part where William (D-FENS) launches the M-72 rocket down in the underground tunnel and then the rocket turns a little and makes a horizontal flight down underground ending in a huge explosion down the road, it looks totally unbelievable. Take it from someone that has fired a M-72 training rocket.

Rating: 8/10 (where 10 is the best).

As a side thing three actors in Falling Down also appears in Apocalypse Now, Robert Duvall (Falling Down: Detective Prendergast, Apocalypse Now: Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore) , Frederic Forrest (Falling Down: Surplus Store Owner, Apocalypse Now: Jay ‘Chef’ Hicks), James Keane (Falling Down: Detective Keene, Apocalypse Now: Kilgore’s Gunner).

Wall Street.
Directed by: Oliver Stone.
Actors: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Darryl Hannah, Martin Sheen, Sean Young, Hal Holbrook .
Released: 1987.
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox.
MPAA Rating: Rated R.
Length: 125 min.
Drama

Brief outline (no spoilers):
Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is a young stock broker on Wall Street. He is a very perseverant an finally manages to get in contact with Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas). Gecko is a ruthless business man. Bud Fox soon realizes that he has to cross his own ethical borders to do business with Gecko. This results in Fox having to sell out his friends and family to make deals.

Personal opinions:
I must admit that this is one of the all time favorite movies. I also think it is the best film Oliver Stone has made. A lot of people think the movie is fun because of Gordon gecko being so ruthless, and they admire how he conducts business; the take no prisoners attitude. That is just the surface of the movie. I think it is great because it operates on a much deeper level. It is truly a battle of good and evil. Gordon Gecko represents the evil and tempting. Fox’s father is the ordinary and good man. Bud Fox is really tempted by the lifestyle and money that Gecko represents, but that involves trading in all that is good for evil. Bud Fox has to choose a side, because you can not be both good and evil at the same time.

Good
Michael Douglass is a great actor and he does a very good job portraying the evil Gordon Gecko. When Gecko gets angry you are almost waiting for an artery to pop in Michael Douglas’ head. It also has a lot of funny analogies like “we raise the sperm count on the deal”. It is entertaining on the surface, but has also more serious things between the lines, like being good or evil and how money affects you to do bad things. The story is also told in a very good way, ending in a thriller like climax.

Bad
There is not much bad to be said. It is a great business film.

Rating: 10/10 (where 10 is the best).

Some quotes from the movie:
A fool and his money are lucky enough to get together in the first place.
How much is enough? It’s not a question of enough, pal. It’s a zero sum game, somebody wins, and somebody loses. Money itself isn’t lost or made; it’s simply transferred from one perception to another.
The main thing about money, Bud, is that it makes you do things you don’t want to do.
The most valuable commodity I know of is information.
Greed captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.
It’s all about bucks, kid. The rest is conversation.

Serpico.
Directed by: Sidney Lumet.
Actors: Al Pacino, Tony Roberts.
Released: 1973.
Studio: Paramount.
MPAA Rating: Rated R.
Length: 130 min.
Drama

Brief outline (no spoilers):
The film is based on a true story. The film deals with police corruption in NY. Frank Serpico (played by Al Pacino) is a young idealistic police officer doing undercover work. But he finds it increasingly difficult to do his job as police corruptions becomes a problem around him. Serpico is an honest cop and he refuses to take bribes. This puts him in conflict with his colleagues which mostly all of them take bribes. His colleagues find it hard to be able to trust him, and they look upon him as a potential threat. The problem of police corruption goes high in the ranks of the police organization, and even if Serpico tries to inform about the problem, nothing gets done.

Personal opinions:
The movie manages to portray a bit of a depressing reality in a gray and dark New York. This set a good background for the also gloomy story. The movie raises important questions about ethics and moral.
Good
It is fun to see a young Pacino, even if it is early in his acting career you see a lot of his acting hall marks.
Bad
I think it was a bit long, and it got a bit hard to stay excited all the way through. But I guess it is worth seeing if you are a fan of Pacino. It is a classic that has become a part of America’s film history. So I guess you have to see it to know what everybody is talking about.

Rating: 6/10 (where 10 is best).