Jaws

     

All you need to hear is John Williams' Jaws theme to get goosebumps, you dont even have to see those " lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes." The search for the human flesh eating giant carries on as a second death, one of a young boy, occurs.  I have seen Jaws numerous times and still get chills and scared to death when that shark jumps onto the boat near the end and swallows Quint right up. I think the crazy appeal and sense of horror comes from the fact that you know this movie is about a shark, you don't know how big he is or the markings on his body but you know he's somewhere out there. You already know more than the citizens of Amity do but you still feel uneasy any time the camera shows the ocean. And you won't see him until about 3/4 of the film have passed. 
     Quint is my favorite character in the movie... well, human character.  He is such an anti-hero, he's so  funny and scary at the same time you're not really sure how to size him up until you get to know him during the drunken stupor the three main characters get themselves into while on the boat. 
     Another dazzling aspect of this film is the use of special effects. Some might watch it now and chuckle but I still remain impressed to this day at how they handled the effects. I also appreciate the dedication from the set creators, I read that while filming the scene where they display the shark they thought was Jaws, they used an actual decomposing shark which must have reeked. But you never would have known considering the way the cast hides their disgust.  One other thing that is notable about Jaws is the "shark view" perspective of the camera while underwater. You don't see the shark but sense its ominous presence.
     Overall, Jaws is an extremely impressive film from a then-newbie director. It's so easy to see why this film has become such a classic and believe that it will stand the test of time so that even when we eventually have 4d tv's with 'smellivision', you'll still get goosebumps when you hear those two notes played in the film.
     

500 Days of Summer

     The new girl at work will always attract everyone's attention for the first few days she's there; but for Tom, it was more like the next 500. Summer isn't sure that she believes in love and isn't exactly gung ho for jumping into any kind of relationship. Needless to say, the two meet and begin this cycle of love me/leave me along for the next year and a half.
     Most notable about this film is the linear narrative displayed in a non chronological way. You jump to and from different days in Tom and Summer's relationship and watch it as it rises and falls and eventually settles on a park bench in the middle of the day. To me, the film represents 2 ways to look at love. One, you may be desperate to meet that someone and love everything about them once you snag them. Two, you aren't looking for love and have no expectations for it because it's not important to you. Then bam; Tom meets Summer and you get to watch their relationship struggle to find that equilibrium, to locate common ground.
     I think the music in this film found it's place almost as an accompanying mix tape to the movie. A mix tape needs to put a scene in the listener's ming, produce an emotional response and introduce an amazing new song or two. The indie tunes are a perfect match to the indie vibes of the film.

Dr. Strangelove

"Mein Fuhrer! I can walk!"

     I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this film and I still can't tell if I am satisfied by the ending or baffled about the entire movie.  I considered the fact that it was sort of a parody film but I wasn't sure how I was meant to feel while screening it. I laughed during a few parts, creased my brow during others and just straight up looked around the room baffled at the very end. Stanley Kubrick was genius in this film though, the War Room was an excellent space to film and he did an amazing job capturing the mood of it. Though intimidating, the cast brought a humorous air to the War Room and kept it from ever getting dull on screen. I suppose at the time the film came out it had a different purpose than it does today, it's a satire on war and at the time there was paranoia in the world summoning from the nuclear context.
     Can we talk about Peter Sellers in this film? He was FANTASTIC, tackling three roles in one film and perfecting them all to a tee! I had no prior knowledge of this film before screening it and it actually took me about a third of the film to figure out that he was playing all 3 roles, you really cannot see the actor behind his 3 characters. All very different yet still charming in only a way Sellers could pull off.
      I feel that Kubrick conveyed the parody with a great use of ironic music. Along with the soundtrack was his keen eye and use of imagery. Who can forget the image of Slim Pickens riding a nuclear warhead like a bronco?

Princess Bride

I felt a little embarassed having never seen this movie while it's considered to be such a cult classic. I must say at first I was like... "Really?" but the characters silly jokes and constant banter grew on me and by the end of the movie, I felt exactly like the Grandson hearing the story for the first time.  Not only did every character have such a unique personality, they all had a great sense of humor. I feel like the movie somehow fit all great things about cinema into the hour and a half or so that it ran. Romance, parody, action and adventure seal the deal on this being on the top of best movie lists everywhere.
     One of the first things I thought of after the film finished was that the casting really was spot-on. Robin Wright had that perfect combination of the beautiful princess essence mixed with the fearless warrior inside of her that seeks to be brave and not helpless.
   

"My name is Inigo Montoya... You killed my father. Prepare to die!" He was the most lovable character to me. Passionate about his father's revenge, yet has the kindest heart in the world. He goes on this journey to find the man who killed his father but ends up getting dragged around on this escapade where he proves to only be fiercely goofy and friendly.
     I can't say too much for the special effects in this movie; I did noticed a few continuity errors during the first time I saw it. Nonetheless it is still a charming film that has an enchanted soundtrack and plays the farce fairytale card perfectly.