#241 Spartacus

This was a movie of epic proportions.

Spartacus (Kirk Douglas), a slave of the Roman Republic, leads a rebellion against Rome and builds a massive army of other slaves. As he leads the rebellion he falls in love with another slave, Varinia (Jean Simmons). Of course, there is much bickering and plotting of how to stop the army in the Roman senate.

This movie was a bit long winded, but really an excellent film. The struggle of love between Spartacus and Verinia is believable and the intricacies of the Roman politics trying to bring them down are very well written. The huge battle scenes are amazing to see. The plot really grabbed me more than some other movies have.

I give Spartacus a 7/10. It was a great movie, but be ready to sit down for more than 3 hours.

Up next: Mulholland Drive

#242 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

I certainly was afraid after this movie, just not of Virginia Woolf.

When an argumentative couple, George (Richard Burton) and Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) have company over late at night, things quickly go south. As everyone gets drunker and drunker, George and Martha continue to tear each other apart psychologically at the expense of each other and their young guests, revealing a deep secret by the end.

I really did not like this movie until about the last 15 min when the characters drop a bombshell plot twist. The entire movie is one large, well scripted and wonderfully acted drunken argument. There were times when it got old, but the end made it worth it.

I give Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? a 6.5/10. It could have been much better with some more variety.

#243 Monsters Inc.

Well, it was a Pixar film.

In a world of bizarre monsters that runs off the power of children's screams, the top "scarer," Sulley and his assistant Mike accidentally bring a small girl back into their world and must get back without anyone noticing. Of course that doesn't go smoothly or else there wouldn't be a movie.

While this was a fun movie to watch, as most Pixar films are, there was really nothing that great about it. Sure there were funny parts and very well developed characters but it is not the best movie to come from Pixar. The plot is a bit cheesy and there are many moments where the audience would think, "Wait, why didn't they just do that instead?"

I give Monsters Inc. a 6/10. It was just ok.

#244 Shaun of the Dead

Due to Ikuru being almost unbearable, I have skipped it for now, but I'm slowly working through it. In the meantime, I have moved on.

Shaun of the Dead was a hilarious, entertaining comedy. After Shaun (Simon Pegg), a man who hasn't been able to turn around his boring life, gets dumped by his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield), a zombie uprising begins in their town. Together with their dopey friends, they have to survive and try to escape from the zombies.

This classic and original zombie film was a great one to watch. While there is a serious underlying plot of love, there is enough comedy to keep you laughing the whole way through. The zombie action was great and the side plots were well written. I really have no complaints about the movie. Of course, it was not intended to be some amazing, impacting masterpiece of course.

I give Shaun of the Dead an 8/10 for classic laughs.

#246 My Neighbor Totoro

Do you like haunted dust? How about giant bunny-owl-ghosts? Incredibly excited kids? Then you will love the family anime film, My Neighbor Totoro.

When Satsuki and her younger sister Mei move to a new house in the countryside, they discover that their house is "haunted" by various spirits from the surrounding area. When Mei follows two small creatures into the woods, she discovers an enormous fuzzy thing named Totoro. As several problems arise around the area, Satsuki and Mei find help from their father, neighbors and some more strange spirits.

This movie was very fun to watch and it does have a good message about friendship and the like but honestly it was nothing special. There were many wtf moments although those just might be from the anime genre quirks. The thing that struck me was how good the background scenes were drawn. Many look like they could be framed and sold as art. However, that does not make it a great movie for me.

Although it was fun to watch and had a good story, I give My Neighbor Totoro a 6/10.

#247 Arsenic and Old Lace

Funny to see some of the same actors again so quickly and in a much different setting.

Arsenic and Old Lace is a comedic tale of two, sweet, charming old maids living together... who kill people. Yes, theres the twist. The story begins as the young and lovestruck Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) and Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane) quietly get married. They arrive at the house of Mortimer's dear old aunts, Abby (Josephine Hull) and Martha (Jean Adair). Things pick up when Mortimer discovers a dead body in the house and hears his aunts' perfectly calm explanation. More zany characters, including a man who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt, send the plot into all sorts of twist and turns.

This movie was truly entertaining. The old comedy style was a bit strange at times but still very laughable. The acting quality was fine but what really give this movie its kick is how many things can wrong in such a short time frame. The writers did and excellent job of keeping things moving.

Even old movies can be funny and entertaining. I give Arsenic a 7/10.

Next up: My Neighbor Totoro

#249 and #248

I got two more out of the way last night; The Philadelphia Story and Rain Man. Philly, being from 1940 was a bit tough to get through at times but was never the less a decent movie.

The Philadelphia Story is a story of a woman finding who she really is in an upper-class society. The story takes place as a well-to-do woman, Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) is about to be married to George Kittredge (John Howard). The high class wedding draws the attention of a tabloid magazine who sends out the reporters Macauly Connor (James Stewart) and Elizabeth Imbrie (Ruth Hussey). The only way they can find a way in to attend the wedding is by posing as friends of Tracy's ex-husband, Dexter Haven (Cary Grant). The story continues as the wedding draws closer and the characters all discover who they really are and what they really want in life, with a big plot twist at the end that comes out of nowhere.

As hard as a film from 1940 can be to watch, this was quite entertaining. Hepburn, Stewart, and Grant all had excellent, dramatic performances that really let the audience know whats going on. There were also enough comedic moments delivered by the various quirky characters on the Lord Estate to break up the drama and keep one entertained. However, the older style of the movie did drag on at times and was a bit to get through. It may be easier for others though.

I would give The Philadelphia Story a 6.5/10. It is a good movie with a great story about love and being yourself but you need to be prepared to watch a movie that, well, is 70 years old.

The more recent Rain Man on the other hand was a bit better to watch.

When Charlie Babbitt's (Tom Cruise) rich, estranged father dies he discovers that he is left almost nothing in his father's will besides the car that tore Charlie and his father apart and some symbolic rose bushes. He learns that the 3 million dollar inheritance he was expecting was given to his autistic savant brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), whom he never knew existed. Charlie takes Raymond on a cross country trip, separated from his fiance, Susanna (Valeria Golino), in an attempt to get his share of the inheritance. While on the trip, Charlie begins to understand more about his brother, finding out about his incredible abilities, and the deeply hidden reasons for why he never knew him.

Hoffman does a very convincing act of being the autistic Raymond. His ritualistic habits and inability to communicate himself are well done. Cruise's character goes through a huge change in the movie. He starts out as a selfish, careless, angry young man but Raymond slowly starts changing him. The film was a bit slow in places but it also grips the audience and can really make one connect with how the characters are feeling.

I give Rain Man a 7/10. With some very convincing acting, the audience follows a very dynamic story through excitement and disappointment.