The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Origin: U.S (Vortex) 1974
Length: 83 minutes
Format: Color
Director: Tobe Hooper
Producer: Tobe Hooper, Lou Peraino
Screenplay: Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper
Photography: Daniel Pearl
Music: Wayne Bell, Tobe Hooper, John Lennon
Cast: Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail, Teri McMinn, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunnar Hansen, John Dugan, Robert Courtin, William Creamer, John Henry Faulk, Jerry Green, Ed Guinn, Joe Bill Hogan
Links: Texas Chain Saw Massacre Trailer, Texas Chain Saw Massacre Wiki, Ed Gein Wiki

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Loosely inspired by the real-life story of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein - as was Psycho(1960) before it and The Silence of The Lambs(1991) after it - Tobe Hooper's ultra-low-budget shock-horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre opened to a firestorm of controversy, and since then has continued to generate heated debate over its aesthetic merits and potentially damaging effects on viewers.

It's been called one of the most frightening movies ever made.
It is one of the most profitable independent films in motion picture history.

The Maltese Falcon (Matt)

I was excited going into this movie. I watched the trailer and it looked mysterious and fun.

I was let down however when we started watching it. The movie started strong, I was into it and really enjoying the mood that the old film created, however by the end I had dozed off several times. This could be due to the fact that I was really full of homemade tamales, but even so if it was interesting enough I would not have been falling asleep.

The characters in the movie were the biggest selling point, and they were the reason for most of the interest that the movie got from me. I loved watching all the characters interact. They all had their own motives, and all of them had somewhat exaggerated personalities.

The story just wasn't interesting enough to keep me entertained. I tried, but I failed. It makes me sad too because I wanted very much to enjoy this movie. Alas I have to face facts though, I just wasn't all that into it. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either.

4 fat men out of 10

The Maltese Falcon(John)

This movie was surprisingly good. The Maltese Falcon came out in that 1940s so I was expecting a campy tale about a woman in distress and the man who was going to take care of it. Instead, I was treated with a very enjoyable story with little to no campy-ness.

The acting was good overall. Humphrey Bogart was definitely the shining star in this film. He gave a stellar performance as Sam Spade. A lot of the things he did in this film reminds me of Batman. Spade always seemed to be planned for any eventuality. The scene where he seems to get mad at the Fatman and storms out only to walk away smiling was really awesome. Peter Lorre was another memorable character to me. A lot of this was from watching Looney Toons as a kid. Lorre has a very unmistakable face and voice.

There were limited set pieces in this movie. I believe there were only a handful of different settings throughout the entire film. Of course, I understand that this movie was made 70 years ago so I wasn't too bothered by it. The combination of black and white film mixed with the Noir story were very enjoyable.

The music was pretty good. I wasn't moved by it but I also didn't hate it. It fit well with the story that was being told and nothing that I heard took me out of the story.

Overall, I'd have to say I was surprised that I liked this one even though I enjoy most noir films that i've seen. The acting was good and the movie kept me entertained throughout. I'll give it a 7 out of 10.

- John Murphy

The Maltese Falcon

Origin: U.S (First National, Warner Bros.) 1941
Length: 101 minutes
Format: Black & White
Director: John Huston
Producer: Henry Blanke, Hal B. Wallis
Screenplay: John Huston, from novel by Dashiell Hammett
Photography: Arthur Edeson
Music: Adolph Deutsch
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Jerome Cowan, Elisha Cook Jr., James Burke, Murray Alper, John Hamilton
Oscar Nominations: Hal B. Wallis(best picture), John Huston(screenplay), Sydney Greenstreet(actor in supporting role)
Links: The Maltese Falcon Trailer, The Maltese Falcon Movie Wiki, The Maltese Falcon Novel Wiki

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By 1941, Dashiell Hammett's great private eye novel had been acceptably filmed twice, under its own title in 1931 with Ricardo Cortez as Sam Spade and as Satan Met A Lady in 1935 with Warren William as the Spade character(and the falcon McGuffin turned into the Horn of Roland). John Huston, having served an apprenticeship as a writer, selected the book from Warner Brothers' catalogue of properties and was so confident in the strength of his material that his script consists essentially of a transcription of Hammett's dialogue. He was fortunate enough to have a letter-perfect cast down to the smallest bit parts, and the restraint not to go over the top. This debut feature has little of the razzle-dazzle of the same year's Citizen Kane, announcing the arrival not of an enfant terrible but of a consummate professional.

Ghostbusters (Matt)

Ok well here we go. Ghostbusters. This movie is one of the reasons that I love movies today. In fact, this was the very first movie that I ever saw in a movie theater (is that weird?). My home town at one time had an old movie theater. It was closed before I was born, however one night when I was somewhere between 3 and 5 years old it opened for a single night to show... Ghostbusters. I vaguely remember screaming in terror at the librarian ghost in the opening scene. Ahh the memories...

So anyway back to the movie. This movie is gold. I love every minute of it. This is one of a very few movies that I never get tired of watching. It's anybody's guess how many times I've seen it and every time I enjoy it. That really says something about the quality of a movie, although to be fair nostalgia most likely has a hand in that.

The comedy/action mix is what keeps me coming back for more. They pace the movie perfectly, giving us plenty of both in ample amounts. Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd and just flawless. The way they carry theirselves on the screen just makes their characters become alive. Try and imagine any other actor as either of these two characters, it just doesn't work. They OWN these characters, and I'm glad they do.

Something else I want to mention is the special effects. These ghost effects still hold up today. That really is amazing. Think about the advancements that the movie industry has had in terms of special effects since that movie was made. The ghosts weren't made with computers, they were done the old fashioned way, and they look spectatular. They still look spectacular. That's pretty neat dang it.

10 scary librarian ghosts out of 10

~Matt

Ghost Busters(John)

I love, love, love this movie. I've seen this movie so many times, I can probably recite the script from beginning to end. Aykroyd and Ramis were geniuses for coming up with the world of the Ghost Busters and I'm hoping for a third film!

The real star of Ghost Busters is Bill Murray. The way he delivers his lines is hilarious. There is one particular scene in the movie when the Ghost Busters first enter the Sedgewick Hotel. Bill Murray gives a certain look to someone of the female persuasion. It's just a look, but it's one of the funniest moments in the movie I think. If Bill Murray hadn't been cast as Peter Venkman, I'm not sure if many people would remember a movie called Ghost Busters. Another big star of the film is New York City. I've said this many times, but Ghost Busters has a charm and a big part of that charm is the movie's references to New York City. We don't just get a movie with small set pieces. We get a movie where the Ghost Busters are on top of an apartment complex watching a giant Mr. Stay Puft trample downtown New York City while the citizens are screaming and running for their lives. The team members of the Ghost Busters love the city and in turn, they are treated with loving respect by the citizens of NY.

Some of the special effects are dated by today's standards. But Mr. Say Puft still looks pretty amazing and the ghosts actually benefit from aged FX in my opinion. The music is awesome. Anybody who hasn't lived under a rock for the past 20 years knows the Ghost Busters theme song. It's an iconic song that I think will be well known for many more years to come.

I can't give this movie any less than a 10 out of 10 simply because I grew up with this movie. But to back it with actual points: the comedy is still fresh, the visuals are not too outdated, Bill Murray is amazing and the story concept(that I know of) hasn't been duplicated by anyone else. Oh, and if you're a big fan, go get Ghost Busters: The Video Game. It's basically the third movie and it's pretty good!

- John Murphy

Ghost Busters

Origin: U.S (Black Rhino, Columbia) 1984
Length: 107 minutes
Format: Metrocolor
Director: Ivan Reitman
Producer: Ivan Reitman
Screenplay: Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis
Photography: Laszlo Kovacs
Music: Tom Bailey, Elmer Bernstein, Alannah Currie, Joe Leeway, Brian O'Neal, Kevin O'Neal, Ray Parker Jr., Diane Warren
Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, William Atherton, Ernie Hudson, David Margulies, Steven Tash, Jennifer Runyon, Slavitza Jovan, Michael Ensign, Alice Drummond, Jordan Charney
Oscar Nominations: Richard Edlund, John Bruno, Mark Vargo, Chuck Gaspar(special visual effects), Ray Parker Jr.(song)
Links: Ghost Busters Trailer, Ghost Busters Wiki

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Big budget special effects and comedy are cleverly interwoven in this fantasy adventure written by two of the movie's stars, Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd. With Bill Murray they play a trio of paranormal "experts" - in reality, they are lazy, wisecracking ex-science professors, kicked off campus for their antics - who set up a ghost-busting business from an abandoned New York City firehouse. Their timing couldn't be better as the city is suddenly bursting with paranormal activity causing ghostly apparitions to run riot, terrorizing visitors to the library, ransacking an upscale hotel and even taking up residence in a skeptical Sigourney Weaver's refrigerator.