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Sidney Lumet is a director who never ceases to amaze me. He makes movies that seem to have so much thought and attention to detail, but he gets little attention, when compared to his contemporaries from NYC.

This is a movie I didn't expect to love, but it's prescient. I didn't read the book, but the script/adaptation is evocative and gives every character something smart, that their character would actually say.

The plot is basically a heist film with a subplot of a surveillance state, in which every government agency seems to be aware of the heist at every turn, without the characters having any idea. The fact that the main character, played by the inimitable Sean Connery, is released from prison after a 10 year sentence and is then trailed and surveyed at every turn is something I'm sure does not shock those of us who grew up with cell phones in our hands, but it still seems to cross several lines, he did his time.

Next, through multiple tracking shots, with perfect sound editing, Lumet tried to warn us that no matter what we do, we are being watched. The twist here is that even though we are being watched, the watchers are unable to capitalize on the information they've accumulated because it is not legal to survey someone without their knowledge. So how have the watchers adapted? They watch us through the products we are sold; through ads nowadays, through creating paranoia that requires action in the film.

A note: The scene that most stands out in my memory is when Duke comes home to make love to his girl, the camera shows us that they are being recorded through the telephone line. I got chills there.

An Actor's note: Martin Balsam is amazing, and hilarious, in a tremendous side role. He plays a gay man respectably, especially for 1971.

in conclusion, Lumet is one of America's GOATs, and this is my 3rd favorite from him, behind only Network and Dog Day Afternoon, which are other American neo realism films that everyone must see.

The Anderson Files is crisp, meticulous, intelligent, and fun. The characters are great and the score is fire. Lastly, this is Walken's first movie role. He steals every second of screen time that he is given.

9/10, underrated beyond belief.

One of the most notorious horror films ever made, and for good reason. But my eyes and brain allowed me to see so much more upon multiple viewings. The first time, I was horrified and disgusted. After my second viewing, a theme developed: this film is about factory farming, the kill-ables are cattle, and the direction is masterful to convey this double narrative; which is imperative for good horror. A few notes to consider for your consideration:

Note the background noises, use headphones to pick it up, but it's not really a score. The score is intended to resemble the sounds that an animal would hear in a slaughterhouse, which it nails.

Note the focus on the heroine/calf that escaped's eyes, as she is being tortured prior to grandpa's hammer. The eyes of an animal trying to escape, veins popping in darting eyes.

Note the conversation with the hitchhiker at the beginning, the "head cheese" dialogue. Later we figure out that he might be taking about humans, but the script shows little distinction.

Note the search for Jerry and how Franklin calls his name, similar to a howling animal, a scared one.

In conclusion, my theory is that this film is about the dangers of consumption, specifically mass quantities of meat. If we treat animals like this family treats humans, we are no better than madmen with chainsaws.

This is not political, it's just there in the movie.

Number 7 on my top 69.

Initially, this film did not resonate. I wasn't sure what Lamotta was supposed to mean to me. He was hard to relate to. Yet something I live by when it comes to just about anything is that you should always try something twice. So I did.

Raging Bull is one of my favorite American films after several viewings because it truly portrays unbridled masculinity. It's not pretty. It's not morally justifiable. It's just animalistic. The constant drive to wanna be the best, to conquer the competition, to dominate women, all of these things are ugly, but American and masculine. We see a man that never rises, but continues to slowly fall. The fact that he is a good fighter, and that he wins the belt, means nothing because he gets really fat and loses his brothers love. His body and dominance start to leave him as he achieves. The trade-offs and high stakes resonate in waves.

One of the most stunning sequences in cinema history for me is when we see Lamotta at arguably his lowest, in prison. The scene evokes true emotion, as we see a man who has never broken, finally break. He realizes what he is. Who he is. And I cry every time. Not because I love Jake Lamotta, but because I understand what it is like to regret something that is in your nature. You're sorry, but you're not. But you are because you were caught.

Lamotta cannot understand why people start to turn on him, despite his treatment of them. This is personified in the final scene with Joey. His ego never leaves. The constant need for attention and justification becomes Jake's fight. He can't physically dominate people anymore, so he has to use his fragile ego to manipulate people into laughter at his self deprecation.

And so what does it all mean? Is raging bull a technically excellent film? Of course. Is it well directed. Sure. But what it truly is is a mirror. A mirror that men hold up, and see themselves in, like it or not. I certainly did. And that's entertainment.

Bresson is one of the best directors I've ever seen, and he is certainly the most adept with sound.

From the opening, until the end, this film is captivating. You are always wondering what the main character will try next, if he will get caught/how, why can't he shut his door, etc. The first viewing left me on the edge of my seat because of the masterful direction. You observe every minute detail, and may have to rewind a few times to even capture the slight of hand that is demonstrated. Most films do not posses this quality.

As a huge movie nerd/cinephile, this is a film I have seen in many places. Melville, Schrader, and Paul Thomas Anderson have all been massively inspired by Bresson's masterpiece.

Pickpocket sits high on the TiFF list, but more importantly, number 6 on mine. Check this movie out. No real actors, all models, Dostoevsky and perfect sound execution.

Danton is one of the finest period piece powdered wig, revolutionary films. The lead male performances, especially that "Polish actor" as Kubrick once said, are powerhouse displays of thespian-Ism that demand multiple watches.

The musical score is haunting atmospheric. I get chills every time the film opens, and every time it closes, which is rare.

Wadjas direction is technically brilliant, putting the viewer into the period throughout.

I'm a snobby movie watcher. Most of my favorite movies are not in English, or are horror movies. I'm the type of person who watches 2-4 movies a day (my therapist and I think it might be time to trim that down, ya dig?). So when I say I love the Mummy, you can rest assured that my taste does not include QT, Nolan, Cameron, etc, but it does include the Mummy with Brenden Frazier. I've seen the movie 1,000 times since I was 9. The original is a masterwork of monster horror, something that helped inspire Psycho, invasion of the body snatchers, and the Gojira series.

The remake has merit only as much as a Nick Cage movie does as an adult, which amounts to something that can only be art. The hammy performances, 8th grade writing project script and Pg-13 jump scares are so bad they are funny. This is a movie that gets exciting, and then your realize you're caught up in something that you shouldn't like.

This movie is like a trip to McDonald's. You can deny that you like it, or that you even had the experience, but deep down, you know a dopamine rush when it happens. And you want more.

It's one of those things you have to do. You watch a show, binge it, because somebody You love wants to watch it.

I just kept hoping he'd kill me.

The writing is ridiculous and shallow. The hyper millennial internet culture dialogue is nauseating. It's one of those shows that makes women feel attracted to somebody who is dangerous. A Lifetime special that's safe, even for its genre.

This film struck me with lightning after viewing it for the first time in 2020. I assume it had the same impact on me that it did upon release for audiences at the time.

This film challenged me, and made me ask questions that most movies have not:

1. Why did every cop in Brooklyn show up armed and dressed to kill to a small potatoes bank robbery worth less than $1500?

2. Why did Sonny not run when the riot he caused distracted everyone, from rioter to pig, to media camera people?

3. Why did Attica happen? Did it cause the overreaction on this hot August afternoon?

4. Why did the hostages stick around? Was it because they wanted attention, to get their '15 minutes?'

Draw your own conclusions, you can infer from my sneaky premises above and below how I feel.

Dog Day afternoon is the 7th best film I've ever seen, only behind master works of Melville, Kobayashi, Antonioni, and Hitchcock.

If you are less than 30 in 2020, and were a young person during the Ferguson incidents in the early millennials, you'll be brought to tears in watching this, as I was.

A truly relatable film for anyone who has lived in poverty as well.

A line to leave you with: "That guy (cop) there wants to kill me (Sonny) so bad he can taste it!"

There are millions of gangster movies. We've seen all of the tropes used since the 1920s: organized crime, ditzy dames, contract killings, tommy guns, double-crossing the double-crosser, mafia puppetry, and heists.

Branded to Kill bucks all of these traditions. The main character is sexually aroused by the smell of rice, he is the "third" best contract killer in his district, is striving to climb the 'corporate' latter, and carries out his jobs with creativity that borders on spontaneous and inefficient. He ends up being interested in a girl who wants to die, nails dead birds to her rear view mirror, and embodies the goth/punk character before the style was even conceived.

This film is everything that a noir isn't; everything that a gangster/bounty killer film is not. Suzuki is a Funny person, but his sense of humor here is completely unfiltered.

This film was panned, buried, and almost killed off by Japanese studios because they didn't know what to do with what Suzuki brought to them as a final product. That means it was 'dangerous' and uncouth.

All of this amalgamates into a masterpiece. If you can appreciate film noir, with a sense of humor and without restraint, please enjoy don't hesitate to grab this from criterion or rent it.

This is the best one, number 24. Ichi realizes that he is not a hero, is making everyone's lives ultimately more violent and difficult than it would have without his existence. He is physically punished for this and still dispatches 20 dudes without using his hands.

If you don't like mean people, you know, actually effective villains, this one might make your little sensitivities buzz. The moral philosophy Katsu evaluates is artful and considerate. This is a brutal, dark, and ballsy entry.

The creepiest and most perfectly executed Vampire story ever told. I'm a sucker for surrealism, and I'm blown away by some of the sequences that were achieved at this point in time.

Visual and sound quality out does modern horror and the direction is masterful.

I was truly impressed and had a huge smile on my face through the whole picture.

I love Cassavettes. He's a great actor and a wonderful director. He's a unique soul with a lingering camera and he always manages to draw out great performances. All his films feel like a universe that I've never been in before.

This is a film about people who don't feel loved. They seek love from everything and anything that gives them attention, but they can't seem to maintain hold of anything tangible. The house starts out full, and then is lonely again at the end. Love is a stream, but it isn't continuous as much as we may want it to be. Love is dependent. A memorable sequence is the sequence with Sarah trying to make her family laugh. She does everything she can, but they don't budge. She interprets their restraint with desperation and backflips into the pool. A dream sequence, and there are a few here, and it works well. Outside of that, we have a lot of dialogue and some incoherent pontificating.

I prefer Faces, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and shadows. This film is one I don't need to see again.

Don't watch this one with your female significant other unless she's cool.

Misumi plays a law enforcer with a huge "razor" and uses his "razor" to get women to talk. He also beats the living mess out of every person who messes with him. He hates the government and is sticking it to the man.

All the things you don't want to see are in this film: torture, sex, rape, extreme violence, and dick jokes.

This is a hilarious series. If you love black dynamite or Shaft, this movie is in that VEIN.

See what I did there?

This film is deeper than it may seem and so much more depressing and dark than generations seem to have caught on to.

Jimmy Stewart does not end up with A "wonderful life." He owes money, gets upset, disowns his kids, gets some "help" from a plot device Angel, and then is told to suck it with a smile after being shown a thinly veiled sociological interdependency argument. Otherwise, the film tells us that if you have friends and family, you're rich, and not being around has ripple effects on everyone.

Capra is actually showing us that we are all owned and force fed religious and hyper optimistic ideals, so that the rich and war profiteers can own cities at a time.

What a wonderful life.

The triumphant conclusion! What a film. The story, the villains, the stakes, and finally some adversity for Itto.

There are a few sequences in this film that are unique and standout from the others. Perhaps the third director provides some diversity. For instance, the scene in which Itto is trapped from below, no spoilers, builds tension in a rare way for this genre.

A great conclusion. White snow in hell. 6 worthless fleck seed try hards that are utterly obliterated by the Wolf and Cub.

Brilliant. Now watch these 6 in reverse.

This one stands out for its score, pacing, and humor. It gets a bad rap, because of the ugly town and morally corrupt characters, but these elements expand the story and create tension.

Ichi's swordplay is restrained throughout, but well used.

The editing and direction is refreshing, especially the small flashback sequences in sepia.

Check this one out as a fan of the series, or as a standout in the Samurai genre.

This is the best one. My favorite villain. Just check it out.

Hyperbole at its finest, I'm sure, but I challenge anyone to find more chemistry on screen than is portrayed here by two master class actors.

I've watched 1,000s of films, and tend to love the 30s-50s best. Mikey and Nickey feels real. It's not a movie. Its as if you're watching these events with your own two eyes organically, or through the nostalgic lens of vivid life experience.

This film is directed by a female. A woman that understands the psychology of masculine insecurity better than FFC, Scorsese, Walsh, or any of these nerds from film school.

I hold this movie in high esteem maybe because I see people I've met here, exaggerated yes, but nonetheless tangible. I used to recommend this to anyone who loves crime films or Cassavetes.

I now would recommend it to anyone who loves film for reasons that you'll only understand, based on you bring to it.

Funny. Memorable animation. Robin Williams in top form. Stay away from the rehashed nostalgia-inspired live action horror show of 2019. The OG rings true.

There are some terrible acting moments from Cage and Connery here that are as entertaining as a strong Brando moment, so the terrible script can be ignored for the entertainment value.

The direction sucks, the acting is worse, but it's worth a watch for those who love schlock. A fun drinking game is to take a shot every time there's a cringe. You'll be drunk in 20 minutes.

This film is too close to reality for it to have been popular at the time of its release. A movie that portrays children's television as a front for peddling toys and sugary foods to children(and their parents) in a comedic fashion should never be overlooked.

The moral play here is that of a man who is cleancut ultimately becoming nearly corrupted by everyone around him , who are trying to exploit his talent and purity. The mob owns the charities in this film, and even Smoochy struggles to understand that.

If you are a cinefile for great acting performances, there are at least 2 here. However, Robin Williams really comes alive here and is worth multiple watches. Norton dazzles as well.

The direction by Devito, now infamous as Frank Reynolds, is really sharp and the editing is extremely professional. The low ratings on rotten tomatoes and imbd must be that of conspiracy.

Anyone who can laugh at the absurdity of neo realistic critiques of American consumer culture should not miss Smoochy.

Herzog has an ability to document visuals unlike any other director I've encountered. Kaspar Hauser, no exception to this, opens with beautiful scenery and major orchestral accompaniment as if to give the viewer the impression that this story will have an air optimism to it. It accomplishes anything but that, but does unfold so tenderly that Kasper leaves us as a ghostly best friend with whom we will revisit over and over.

Much like, Juliet of the Spirits and Persona, this film stands alone in its country. Watch it.

A beautiful movie. The cinematography and photography are uniquely modern. Bloody Sam's direction is energetic and auteur, some of his best work.

The romance and comedic elements work very well where Most movies tend to meander with these devices, Cable Hogue certainly does not.

I am not a fan of singing in movies. It works here. There is something sinister and simultaneously optimistic about the score that puts the viewer into Cables universe.

I love Sam Peckinpah. Most of his movies have some flaws, but I haven't found any in The Ballad of Cable Hogue. Watch it.

Or maybe the wrong person. All that I know is that there are several scenes that had me rollin fam. These birds attacking kids, mostly ginger kids, is a comedic masterpiece. Hitchcock's obsession with San Fran provides some excellent cinematography, and there's snappy dialogue as always. I recommend for anyone who wants to have a good time, maybe Zoot up to enhance your experience.

The film crawls open with Johnny Greenwood's ominous score , and then never lets up. "There Will Be Blood," brutally exposes the hypocrisies of business and religion, and how their goals are not much different. The film follows Daniel Plainview and his interactions in Southern California that lead to him drilling oil in a small town. The most interesting elements of the film are the interplay between Dano and Day Lewis, and Plainview's relationship with his son. On one hand, we have a ruthless, misanthropic, oil tycoon who wants to drink the town's "milkshake." On the other we have a young, charismatic, aspiring evangelist who wants to take advantage of his town's guest, extorting him for money to build a new church. The oil tycoon wants nothing to do with anyone in the town, he just wants the oil. The priest just wants glory. Their conflict resolution is unexpected, but gratifying.

The character study of Daniel Plainview shows a man who gains power and influence, while simultaneously losing all patience for anyone else who he perceives as a threat or competitor. Plainview's character arc literally starts with him rescuing a baby, and ends with him....well..

"There Will Be Blood" is the 2nd best film that I have ever seen. The musical score, the acting from Daniel Day Lewis, the screenwriting and honesty from PTA, and cinematography make this film more than just a good character study, it's an instant classic.