The Magnificent Seven

FilmTitle: The Magnificent Seven
Year: 1960
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 128 minutes
Film Genre: Western / Adventure / Drama
Director: John Sturges
Producer: Walter Mirisch
Writers: Williams Roberts (Seven Samurai: Akira Kurosawa)
Players:
Yul Brynner as Chris Adams
Eli Wallach as Clavera
Steve McQueen as Vin
Charles Bronson as Bernardo O'Reilly
Robert Vaughn as Lee
James Coburn as Britt
Plot: A small Mexican village is oppressed by the ruthless bandito Calvera. Fearing the worst the villagers hire seven gunfighters to defend them.
Acting: Some pretty good acting out of some of the most famously rugged men in film history. The actors do a good job of mastering the mannerisms of the characters they are modeled after (Seven Samurai). The actors really add so much to this film, creating characters that you really like and can't wait to see how the movie plays out.
Cinematography Good camera work, the angles and action sequences are well done.
Visual: The set pieces are great and the villages have a classic western feel
Audio: Nothing special
When I watched it last: Last weekend
What to watch for: Good acting, a good story (a western remake of Seven Samurai). some really funny comedic moments
What to watch out for:
IMDB Rating: 7.8 out of 10
Roger Ebert Rating: no review available
The Cinema Standard Overall Score: 8.1 out of 10. A great remake of Seven Samurai set in the West, full of action, adventure and comedy. If you liked Seven Samurai and like westerns this movie is for you. "What's my name?" "Bernardo" "Dang right!"
--Reviewed by Jason

Nochnoy Dozer / Night Watch

Film Title: Nochnoy Dozer (Russian)/ Night Watch (English)
Year: 2004 (Russia) 2006 (America)
MPAA Rating: R
Length: 114 minutes
Film Genre: Action / Fantasy / Horror / Fiction / Foreign
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Producer: Varvara Avdyushko
Writers: Timur Bekmambetov
Players:
Anton Gorodetsky: Konstantin Khabensky
Boris Gesser: Vladimir Menshov
Zavulon: Viktor Verzhbitsky
Svetlana: Mariya Poroshina
Olga, sorceress (owl): Galina Tyunina
Ignat: Gosha Kytsenko
Yegor: Dima Martynov
Larisa: Anna Dubrovskaya
Kostya: Aleksei Chadov
Bear: Aleksander Samojlenko
Plot: The forces of Light and Dark have been waging an eternal war. Known as the Others these two factions create a truce and as part of this truce create policing units called Night watch and Day Watch. The Night Watch is the police unit of the Light and enforce the rules of the truce and make sure that the Balance is held.
Acting:
The acting in this movie is good, nothing spectacular
Cinematography The cinematography is pretty standard nothing too fancy. However, the interlacing of the subtitles into the movie itself is shear brilliance.
Visual: Amazing special effects (over 400 in the movie).
Audio: The audio is about as good as the special effects, it really helps to emerse you in the film.
When I watched it last: Last night
What to watch for: Amazing and unique special effects. Interesting twist on an age old story. Awesome subtitles (you just have to see it for yourself)
What to watch out for: Language. Lots of blood. Slow at times
IMDB Rating: 6.4 out of 10
Roger Ebert Rating: 2 stars
The Cinema Standard Overall Score: 8.0 out of 10. An interesting concept. Special effects are amazing. Subtitle animation is unique. This movie is the 1st in a trilogy, and a good builder movie. Worth buying if you like these sort of movies.
--Reviewed by Jason

The Shining

Film Title: The Shining
Year: 1980

For production credits see Jason's post on this movie:
Cinema Standard - The Shining by Jason Williams

Acting: Jack Nicholson is the perfect person in the role of Jack Torrence. Between The Shining and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest we see the remarkable Nicholson at his finest - in the flawless execution of a mental crackpot.
Cinematography: This film is a milestone in camera work. Kubrik is at his best, as usual. The slow pace of the film is exacerbated by the incredibly slow pans and zooms. The camera work causes unease for the viewer and a tense mood of anticipation for some absolution of action, which always comes just after you have told yourself it will not happen.
Visual: The hotel is strikingly grandiose and immensely cavernous. The interposed snapshot scenes of the tenants visions are masterfully interwoven to cause the leap-out-of-your-seat scare and the anxiety for what is to come.
Audio: Eerie music and sound effects make your skin crawl. One can see and hear Danny Torrence (Danny Lloyd) riding his trike down the long corridors, the modulation of sound between loud and soft as he traverses the hardwood floors and large carpets. Lack of musical action also increases the tension of the movie.
What to watch for: Jack Nicholson and Danny Lloyd, a great onscreen father/son duo.
What to watch out for: One scene of prolonged nudity which then turns pretty gross; some blood and gore.
When I watched it last: A few days ago.
IMDB User Rating: 8.4 out of 10; #64 on the top 250 movies of all time as rated by users.
Roger Ebert Rating: Included in his list of Great Movies (his top honor); "The movie is not about ghosts but about madness..." (rogerebert.suntimes.com)
The Cinema Standard Overall Score: 9.2 out of 10; This is the hallmark of psychological horror.
- - Reveiwed by JB

Shichinin no Samurai / Seven Samurai

Film Title: Shichinin no Samurai / Seven Samurai
Year: 1954
MPAA Rating: None
Length: 3 hours and 27 minutes
Film Genre: Action / Drama
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Producer: Sojiro Motoki
Writers: Akira Kurosawa
Players:
Takashi Shimura as Kambei Shimada
Toshiro Mifune as Kikuchiyo
Yoshio Inaba as Gorobei Katayama
Seiji Miyaguchi as Kyuzo
Minoru Chiaki as Heihachi Hayshida
Daisuke Kato as Shichiroji
Isao KImura as Katsushiro Okamoto
Plot: A village of poor farmers is attacked and plundered each year by bandits. Fed up and scared the villagers recruit seven samurai to defend them.
Acting: The acting is very interesting. As you watch this film you being to love each and everyone of the samurai, the movie is long and allows for the characters to really develop. You also develop a severe dislike for the gutless farmers and their fears. This is the second film that Shimura and Mifune work with Kurosawa, their first being Rashomon.
Cinematography: This is the beginnings of action film making and it really is amazing to look at this film and see how far we have come. The camera work is really cool and Kurosawa uses some techniques that become staples in many modern movies.
Visual: This is a black and white film yet at the same time it does not detract from the movie.
Audio: Good audio nothing special but also remember it was made in 1954
When I watched it last: 3 days ago
What to watch for: Everything, it is a great film any cinema lover should see. Acting is great, story is great, and the humor is hillarious. Watch out for a random farmer who gets smashed when a bandits horse comes riding in....it can't be scripted cause he gets nailed!
What to watch out for: 3 hours long. Slow to build up to the finale. Black and White. Japanese subtitled
IMDB Rating: 8.8 out of 10
Roger Ebert Rating: Great Film (4 stars)
The Cinema Standard Overall Score: 8.8 out of 10. A true classic, this film should be watched at least once by any film enthusist. This movie has inspired countless adaptations and spin offs including the western the Magnificent Seven. Akira Kurosawa is one of the most masterful story creaters and tellers in all of cinema history.
--Reviewed by Jason
Brady's Review of Seven Samurai

The Shining

Film Title: The Shining
Year: 1980
MPAA Rating: R
Length: 2 hours and 22 minutes
Film Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Producer: Robert Fryer
Writers: Stephen King
Players:
Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrence
Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrence
Danny Lloyd as Danny Torrence
Scatman Crothers as Dick Hallorann
Plot: Jack Torrence is a ex school teacher working on a book deal. He agrees to take on the responsibility of winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel high in the Colorado mountains. Isolated with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, the winter begins to draw long and the isolation begins to take its toll. Not to mention the mysterious history and activity that is going on in the hotel.
Acting: Jack Nicholson will freak you out! Nicholson is one crazy actor and in this movie his crazyness really shines. Danny Lloyd plays well against Nicholson as his slightly unhinged son. This movie consists of 5 major characters, Jack, Wendy, Danny, Dick and the Overlook Hotel/the Shining. The acting in this movie is top shelf considering there are only 5 major players, they all give performances that will stun you.
Cinematography Visual: Kubrick is brilliant with the camera, it is unfortunate most of his movies are for the most part completely strange. The camera angles and use of what i'll call the chase view are amazing. In this film the camera follows the actors several paces behind them, giving us the feeling that we are walking right behind them. The angles he uses to shoot close ups and the action really allows for the raw-ness of what is going on to come through. Also the use of colors adds alot to connect characters and set the tone of certain scenes.
Audio: When I watched it last: 2 days ago
What to watch for: Acting is great. The set is amazing (Overlook Hotel and surrounding grounds). The story is crazy and twisted which holds your attention. Watch out for little hints in the dialogue and other little details that make this movie stand out.
What to watch out for: Language, Nudity (really gross nudity, it is in the chapter called Room 237 for those wanting to avoid it altogether) slight gore and violence.
IMDB Rating: 8.4 out of 10
Roger Ebert Rating: Great movie (probably 4 stars)
The Cinema Standard Overall Score: I am in no way a fan of the modern Horror genre for its love of senseless violence and gore. However, with that said this movie is the measuring stick by which all Horror/Thriller movies should be measured. It will mess with your mind, your emotions and your view of reality and it does it all with limited gore and limited violence. 9.0 out of 10. Watch this movie!
--Reviewed by Jason

Cinema Standard - The Shining reviewed by Brady

Cinderella Man

Film Title: Cinderella Man
Year: 2005

For production credits see Jason's post on this movie:
Cinema Standard - Cinderella Man by Jason

Acting: Incredible. Amazing. Awe-inspiring. Need I say more? Well, I'm going to anyway. You can send me to the gallows for saying this, but this is Russell Crowe's best performance. Renee Zellweger is great as the stand-by-her-man wife.
Cinematography: The camera is perfectly placed at all times. The movie is not filmed with some artful eye for "setup scenes" which look "cool". It's a joy to watch.
Visual: The visual team on this movie hit an absolute gold mine with the special effects during the boxing scenes. Watch carefully and notice that the big hits are actually snapshots taken by the reporters in the audience. There's a bright flash and a slight pause in the action...just as if it were someone taking a picture.
Audio: Watch this movie to feel what it must be like to take a hundred punches in a boxing ring. And it's mostly due to the sound. By the end of the fifteenth round, you may be lying on the floor writhing in pain. The punishing blows are gut-wrenching at times.
What to watch for: All around, a great movie. Thank you Ron Howard for letting family be the central core of the movie, when a boxing career could have - - and according to Hollywood - - should have been center stage. "Cinderella Man is as powerful as its hero’s punches" (pluggedinonline.com).
What to watch out for: Ron Howard's demonic protrayal of Max Baer; some language
When I watched it last: A couple of weeks ago
IMDB User Rating: 8.1 out of 10; #170 on the top 250 movies of all time as voted by users
Roger Ebert Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; "Cinderella Man is a terrific boxing picture, but there's no great need for another one. The need it fills is for a full-length portrait of a good man."
The Cinema Standard Overall Score: 8.9 out of 10; This is arguably the best movie about...correction - that includes boxing. This is a film to own.
- - Reveiwed by JB

Cinderella Man

Film Title: Cinderella Man
Year: 2005
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 144 min
Film Genre: Biography / Drama / Sport
Director: Ron Howard
Producer: Brian Grazer
Writers: Cliff Hollingsworth
Players:
Russell Crowe as James J Braddock
Renee Zellweger as Mae Braddock
Paul Giamatti as Joe Gould
Craig Bierko as Max Baer
Plot:
Based on the life and boxing career of Jim Braddock. The movie chronicles his life during the Depression and his second chance as a boxer.
Acting:
Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger give stunning performances as the Braddocks. Both play well against each other and give amazing performances as people from the Depression era. Paul Giamatti also brings alot to the film as Braddock's trainer and manager.
Cinematography Ron Howard does a superb job directing this film. His use of the camera is recognizable. If you look at his work from Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind you can see the similarities in camera movement and framing.
Visual: The use of lighting and special camera capture moments really give a life to the fighting in the ring.
Audio: Once again superb.
When I watched it last: a week ago
What to watch for: Everything, this one is the Best boxing movie I've ever seen.
What to watch out for: some historical inaccuracies
IMDB Rating: 8.1 out of 10
Roger Ebert Rating: 3 1/2 stars
The Cinema Standard Overall Score: 8.8 out of 10. This movie will stir your heart as you watch the struggle of Jim and his family unfold, but oh is the payoff great.
--Reviewed by Jason

Click here to see Brady's post on this movie.