Movies...a bunch of them

Movies we have seen lately:

Mutiny On The Bounty (1962)
Really cool, old-school flick starring a young Marlon Brando. The movie is a must if you're into maritime adventure type sagas, and features some really good acting, both from Brando and also from Trevor Howard, who does an excellent portrayal of Captain Bligh. You can really tell that this movie is way old-school by the fact that it features an over-the top classical score and intermission music. Check this one out if you haven't seen it - not quite Casablanca or Gone With The Wind, but it's up there.

Maniac Cop (1988)
Bruce Campbell has one of the leading roles in this classic thriller/horror/action/whatever movie. I'm a big fan of this series and the Friday the 13th saga - awesome stuff. The plot in Maniac Cop is pretty straightforward - in New York, someone in a cop uniform starts killing people, which causes mass hysteria once suspicions of a serial killer cop is announced to the public. And of course; the killer is a cop, but not the one they suspected. At the very least this movie falls very much in the category "what you see is what you get". There's a cop, and he's a maniac. In other words, the movie is quite unlike some other movies, which for example promises hordes of primates in the title, but only features Bruce Willis in some futuristic get-up. Maniac Cop is where it's at if ya like 80's horror movies.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Matt Damon in an excellent crime/drama/thriller. For whatever reason, we never watched this when it first came out, despite it getting rave reviews and mucho press. I'm really growing to like Matt Damon the actor, as he totally brings the goods, despite having starred in Stuck On You. We totally enjoyed this movie and it's awesome late 50's scenery and jazz. Recommended.

Sleepers (1996)
Another 90's movie I totally missed. Or avoided. The latter is a definite possibility due to Brad Pitt having a significant role in this movie. However, my misgivings turned out to be without merit - it was an excellent flick. A small group of Hells Kitchen, Bronx, NY boys get shipped off to a detention center after a prank has more grievous consequences than anticipated. In this detention center, they are introduced to the guards, who turn out to have an unhealthy interest in young boys. Kevin Bacon is ultracreepy as the top guard on the totem pole. After the boys get released from detention, they take up different career paths - including hitmen and public prosecutor - but their past comes rushing back when two of the crew run into and kill the head guard in a pub many years later. Lots of good performances in this all-star project, featuring among others Robert DeNiro, Brad Pitt and Dustin Hoffman.

Phenomenon (1996)
Travolta movie from the era when he was still red-hot following his triumphant return to major productions and a reputable Hollywood name. We didn't quite know what to expect when we started watching this movie, other than the information that Travolta's character experiences something unusual, and following this event, his IQ skyrockets, and he even develops telekinetic abilities. I figured that any movie in which a high IQ is portrayed as having a superpower has got to be cool in my book. Still; we didn't expect that it would go from entertaining to ultrasad about half-way in. Totally did not see that one coming. Really liked it though, and it's got Forest Whitaker and Robert Duval in major roles, which is always a plus. Not gonna watch it again for a while, though.

Last Action Hero (1993)
Having just watched the ultradowner movie which is Phenomenon, we needed to watch something mindless with lots of action and stuff that blows up. Last Action Hero fits that category perfectly. I don't really understand why this Arnold flick tanked so massively at the box offices; it does not follow a formula whic deviates that much from his other movies. He's big, he kicks ass, dude wields some powerful guns and drives some souped-up cars, has some cool catchphrases and the plot is unrealistic. Oh well - I'm a big fan of Arnold's movies, and this one even features Angry Again by Dave himself on the soundtrack. What's not to like?