1975 Movies
OSCARS Won/Nominated
IMDB Top 250
IMDB Top 250
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter BrotherDir: Gene Wilder
Stars: Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman Perfectly fine comedy from the brain of Gene Wilder. We know he is funny, and we know all these other Brooksian actors are funny. So taking the idea that Sherlock Holmes' less famous brother is trying to solve a case from under him to steal is glory is a good premise. Unfortunately, this funny movie is surrounded by Wilder gems like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, so it seriously pales in comparison. B |
Barry LyndonDir: Stanley Kubrick Stars: Ryan O'Neal I was just having a conversation about how Stanley Kubrick has historically had the ability to hypnotize me. Think about it. 2001, A Clockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Shut, Full Metal Jacket, The Shining...thse are all movies that kind of space you out in a way to get its point across...and they all work beautifully. This film is no exception, even though most people forget about it as one of Kubrick's masterpieces. It has the scope and epicness of any movie ever made. Its cinematography is astounding, the costumes and makeup are flawless, and the art direction is top notch. Into this epically scoped film is as simple a story as one could imagine....and that is sort of the film's brilliance. Amidst the backdrop of some of cinema's all-time greatest beauty...we have a simple man who fell into success and fell out again...and did it without much fanfare. I didn't need any more proof that Kubrick was a master before starting this project...but first Paths of Glory, and now Barry Lyndon has further solidified that fact. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die A DVD |
JawsDir: Steven Spielberg Stars: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss Come on now...it's Jaws, it's legendary. On paper, and it's history, points toward a hokey movie that should never have worked. The result is one of the most effective thrillers of all time, really introducing us to Steven Spielberg and how incredible he was at scaring us and exhibiting his technical expertise. The three lead roles are all different, all necessary, and all top notch performances. There can be arguments about how good particular movies are...but if you were choosing all-time ICONIC movies, Jaws HAS to be on that top 10 list. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die A DVD |
Love & DeathDir: Woody Allen
Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton Allen has some wonderful relationship comedies, and he has some wonderful dramas, but his slapstick-y stuff is sometimes a bit odd. This time around though, he emulates Ingmar Bergman to make a comedy about a Woody Allen-type in Czarist Russia, trying to formulate a plot to assassinate Napoleon. It is full of lunacy an strangely alluring style. It may be a bit dated but it made me laugh a whole lot. A- |
Monty Python and the Holy GrailDir: Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam The Pythons are arguably the funniest people of all time. They are exceedingly funny at sketch comedy, and I don't think they were ever equal. This is their most popular film and as a narrative...it fails. It is a jumbled mess that is simply a shuttle for various sketches. Many of them are hysterical, but it all feels distracting and uneven in the guise of the story. Life of Brian isn't as funny, but a better narrative. Meaning of Life is the best because it embraces the sketch construction. Still...you'll laugh your ass off. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die B DVD |
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestDir: Milos Foreman Stars: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher One of those classics that is a standard among other films in its genre. Every film that has since taken place in a mental institution owes its identity to this film. How good is it? Well, it is one of those rare films that won all top 5 Oscars (Picture, Director, Screenplay, Actor, Actress). The only other 2 movies to achieve that were It Happened One Night and The Silence of the Lambs. Not a bad trio of films. This film is funny, exciting, heartbreaking, and even scary. Most of the success is spending the movie trying to figure out if Jack Nicholson's character is faking it, is actually sick, and whether he is conscious of either scenario. Great film!!!! 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die A DVD |
RollerballDir: Norman Jewison Stars: James Caan, John Houseman Jewison was obviously trying to emulate a bit of A Clockwork Orange, with the stark dystopian design and the classical movie...but man-oh-man is this a failure. First, I have to give props to the direction and the stunt work during the actual Rollerball matches. It is exciting, oriented, and brutal. Everything else is a bore and a waste. The corporate overlords, or something, want their best player to retire, because his popularity is undermining the purpose of the league, to crush individuality. I didn't but it for a second. He refuses to quit, so let's change the rules to make sure he gets killed, along with dozens of other players, instead of just throwing him in the back of a van and shooting him. Ugh...it was stupid. D+ |