#473 - Good Will Hunting

Good Will Hunting is a film from the the early 1990s about a mathematical genius who has some deep emotional issues. It was written by the stars, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. It also stars Robin Williams and Stellan Skarsgard. The film has a very good story and the acting by all of the actors is incredible. For once Robin Williams actually seems to fully succeed at a dramatic role that adds some of his brand of humor. Williams should be given more of these roles. Each of the major characters are fully developed and seem to work well with each other and there should have been a few more crossovers between the characters. I give the film 4.5/5 stars for Williams' amazing performance in a dramatic role.

#472 - The Sum of All Fears

The Sum of All Fears is another film that deals with the American version of James Bond, Jack Ryan. In this version Ryan is played by Ben Affleck and he has Morgan Freeman with him along the way. The plot seems kind of forced because this is technically a prequel to all of the other films and you lose some of the plot from those films and it just doesn't feel right. The acting is incredible and the action sequences really work. There are just some things in the film that don't seem to sit well with me and should possibly have been changed. My favorite scene has to be near the end when the bad guy gets in his car and the way in which the car explodes in incredibly unique and I had never seen done before. I give the film 4/5 stars just because Morgan Freeman deserves that number.

#471 - Tokyo Sonata

Tokyo Sonata is a 2008 film from Japan and tells the story of one family who just can't get a break and has problems left and right. Each of the four different stories of this story are told with such ease that it almost seems like a documentary with the way that we follow them almost straight through the day in their life. The film's acting is incredible and you can feel real emotion from each of the actors. The film overall is an amazing look into what it is like to be in the situations that they end up in and also looks deeper into the family routines of the typical Japanese family. I give the film 4/5 stars.

#470 - Broadcast News

Broadcast News is a lesser known film about the network news industry and the reason why is that it is not as much of a drama as say Network. The film does have some memorable scene but does not seem to get away from the love story that is building between William Hurt and Holly Hunter's characters. The acting could use a slight bit of improvement but the film itself tells an interesting story and keeps you interested through the entire 2 hour runtime. Overall the film could have used some serious improvement but was not horrible. I give the film 3/5 stars.

#469 - Kick Ass

Kick-Ass is a film that is based on a comic written about four years ago. At the time the comic was being written the comic writer was actually piecing together the script for the movie at the same time. This being the case this film is probably one of the best adaptations of a comic in recent years because it holds so true to the story. It also does not disappoint at all. The movie does however keep to its name it is KICK ASS. To the acting by Cage as Big Daddy, which a scene involving him made me almost cry, to the always funny McLovin' as the Red Mist. The action sequences even had me impressed. Favorite one though had to be Kick-Ass on a jet pack with double Gatling guns. I give this film 4/5 stars for the small changes I would have made that i will not mention (too spoilerish).

#468 - Stand By Me

Stand By Me is one of the classic coming of age stories and is based of a book by the amazing writer Stephen King. The film stars Corey Feldman and the late River Pheonix. The film centers around a group of boys who at the end of their summer vacation go on a small quest to find a dead body and bring it back to be considered heroes. Throughout their trek they come across many different challenges that test their strength a human beings. The acting by the different kids is okay but not incredibly amazing. The plot is very strong though and if you are at any age can really teach you something about life. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#467 - Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a film about a gay lawyer who ends up getting AIDS. The film stars Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks. The film does a good job of dealing with the topic and kept a nice and relaxed pace throughout. The acting by Hanks and Washington is amazing but with those two actors it is hard to not get a good acting job done. The theme of the film is deeply touching and almost had me, the guy who rarely cries, to tears near the end of the film. I have to say that the film had its very small and rare flaws but overall it is incredible. I give the film 4.5/5 stars.

Film List (One's you must see)

Slowly we are building the list of movies that you must see before you die. Feel free to add to this list in the comments section. We request a valid reason for their addition and it will be added as soon as we see it.

#'s11-14 added by Dr. Richard Falkenstein
#'s15-16 added by Frank Scinta
#17 added by PJ Moskal
#'s 18-21 added by Fr. Tom Colgan
#22 added by Dr. Kevin Hardwick
#23 added by Jamie O'Neil
#24-25 added by Dr. Ed Kisailus
#26-28 added by Dr. John Dahlberg
#29-31 added by Dr. Kathleen Keenan-Takagi
#32-37 added by Dr. John Occhipinti
#38 added by Dr. Susan Putnam

1. Schindler's List
2. Forrest Gump
3. Citizen Kane
4. Jaws
5. Star Wars Eps IV-VI
6. Back to the Future Trilogy
7. Casablanca
8. The Godfather Trilogy
9. The Graduate
10. The Shawshank Redemption
11. The Seventh Seal
12. The Seventh Samurai
13. Vertigo
14. Children of Paradise
15. Angels and Insects
16. Sense and Sensability
17. Katyn
18. Gandhi
19. Alien
20. Aliens
21. Sound of Music
22. Wag the Dog
23. The Blues Brothers
24. Anything with Johnny Depp
25. Anything directed by Quentin Tarantino
26. Anything with Steve MacQueen
27. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
28. The Big Lebowski
29. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
30. The Last Station
31. The Mission
32. Iron Man 2
33. Hook
34. Frost/Nixon
35. Gladiator
36. Forrest Gump
37. Pulp Fiction
38. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

#466 - The Untouchables

The Untouchables is a semi-historical film about the take down of Al Capone. It stars Sean Connery, Kevin Costner, and Robert DeNiro. The film takes a very interesting look at the autobiography of Elliot Ness. There was some predictability in the film but I did not hurt the film entirely. The movie did seem to make some great allusions to prior films that I had never noticed even when I had seen the film being alluded to. The film I am talking about is an early Russian film called Battleship Potemkin. There was not really a central meaning to the film but the fact that the acting in the film was superb by all three of the major actors. I give the film 4/5 stars.

#465 - Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands is a Tim Burton film and stars one of the Tim Burton family's favorite actor, Johnny Depp. The movie is about a man who was created in a lab and his creator died just before putting hands on him. He is then introduced into normal society by an Avon lady who finds him in the man's castle. The film takes a odd look atthe way most society automatically turns on those who are different then everyone else. At first Edward is a fascinating creature to this suburb but as soon as he wastes his usefulness to certain members they turn immediately against him. The acting by the central family that takes Edward in and by Depp as this man who has been stuck in this castle alone for years and his introduction to various items. Overall this movie had a true and deep heart that you don't see much of anymore in cinema. I give the film 4/5 stars.

#464 - The Lives of Others

The Lives of Others is a German espionage film that takes place in the middle of the Cold War. It tells of a specific Stasi agent who is doing some surveillance on a writer who his higher ups believe may be a threat to their national security. It is an interesting film especially as you watch what happens to our Stasi agent. The ending was cool but I would have liked a little detail on the book the writer actually dedicates to the agent. Was it about him or the writer's friend who hung himself? The acting by all of the central actors was incredible and the plot got a little creepy at times. What I mean by this is that at certain points early in the surveillance the writer's girlfriend is sleeping with a high ranking official and the whole 'sex' scene in the car just is bizarre and then when our Stasi man is listening it almost seems like he wants to be them. I give the film 4/5 stars.

#463 - Captain America (1990)

Captain America was made into a film in the 1990s and it is horrible. The film is as the title implies about Captain America's origin and his battle with the Red Skull. The film has countless plot holes and mixes up the various origin stories. For starters they make the Red Skull a little Italian boy before his transformation. Suddenly he becomes German. HOW DOES THAT WORK? Secondly within twenty minutes Captain America has become who he is and frozen. I understand they wanted to set it in today's world but come on you need more time to develop your hero and villain. Thirdly, Steve Roger's disability before his transformation is a limp from polio. WOW! When you have the Red Skull as a blind kid a limp just isn't as comparable. I hope their new rendition of the story is better. I give the film 2/5 stars.

#462 - Magnum Force

Magnum Force is the sequel to Dirty Harry and continues the adventures of everyones favorite badass cop. It is about a new dirty cop who is going and being a vigilante to get rid of all of the major criminals once and for all. The film is not bad but not incredible. The twist at the end did surprise me because of the various other characters they brought up seemed to be better motivated. Eastwood as usual is amazing as Harry and seems to be angry at everyone in the film. Otherwise the film could have been improved upon in the plot but it worked for me. I give the film 3/5 stars for Eastwood's snarl.

#461 - Hook

Hook is basically a sequel to Peter Pan and is directed by Steven Spielberg. it takes place many years after the first film and Peter is now an adult and married to Wendy's granddaughter. The film is a good kids movie but has a few small things that adults will find amazing. The color palate that the kids seem to use is incredible. Even the color of the imaginary food makes it sort of psychedelic but works perfectly for this imaginary world. Dustin Hoffman is amazing in his role and it is nearly impossible to recognize him without his vocal style. Williams is an incredible actor and his style works well for this film. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#460 - The Rock

The Rock is a Michael Bay film starring Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery. It is about a group of terrorists who take over Alcatraz and have a very deadly biological weapon on hand. It is a great film Connery as usual is amazing. The story works for me and actually moves along quite smoothly. As in other Bay works there is a large amount of explosions in the film. He does seem to be a little tamer with them throughout the film but still feels the need to tear up a large amount of San Francisco to feed his hunger for destruction. Overall it could have been worse but I give it 4/5 stars for Connery being the main source of killing throughout the film.

#459 - The Magdalene Sisters

The Magdalene Sisters is a film from the United Kingdom set in Ireland. The centers around three girls who get transfered to a convent that works girls to cleanse their sins. It is a very interesting and educational look at these laundries as the film calls it near the end. The acting is incredible by the three girls and a few of the other girls that appear in the laundry along with the nuns. it was confusing to understand the passage of time in the story and it took some time till we learned how much time had passed. It was nice that they showed what happened to the three main characters at the end of the film it made a very nice wrap up to the story. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#458 - Glengarry GlenRoss

Glengarry GlenRoss is a film about a property sales firm's employees who are struggling to close their sales. It stars Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and Al Pacino. The film is not amazing but it has some of the biggest acronyms that businesses probably use to day. The performances by all six of the major actors are all incredible even to the point that Baldwin is in the film for a very small amount of time and it become like he has been in the film the entire time. The plot is very well done and when we first meet Pacino I was curious why he had appeared until he goes into the office near the last twenty-five minutes of the film. I the film closes at 3.5/5 stars and certainly grabbed my attention.

#457 - Bubba Ho-Tep

Bubba Ho-Tep is a B-film starring everyone's favorite B-movie actor Bruce Campbell. The film revolves around Elvis, or at least that's what he believes in a retirement home after forgetting to switch lives back with an Elvis impersonator. He then has to deal with an evil mummy who is sucking the souls of the old people in his home. the movie is not that amazing but Bruce Campbell brings the same appeal that Elvis had to the stage and even slightly looks the part. I like that "da mayor" from Do the right Thing plays a man who thinks he is Kennedy and also the fact that 'Elvis' seems to hate his own movies. I give the film 3/5 stars for THE CHIN!

#456 - Revenge of the Nerds

Revenge of the Nerds is a cult classic comedy from the 1980s about a group of freshmen who finally decide to rebel against the current system at their college. It is a decently funny movie not laugh out loud hysterical but good. The plot works well and the acting seems to be non-existent. The actors who portray the nerds actually seem to be nerds themselves when you view the film and have probably become type casted in those roles. The film could have been better but I give it 3.5/5 stars for at least trying to be funny.

#455 - Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult

The third Naked Gun, called The Final Insult ends the series with a bang. It is not nearly as funny as number one or two but it had moments that were as ridiculous as the prior films. I thought the bomb plot ended up adding some humorous moments to the film. Leslie Nielsen as usual was his half-brained self and brought a large amount of the physical humor to the film. I give the film 3.5/5 stars for the use of the real James Earl Jones' appearance and joke along with the rest of the actual actors that appeared.

#454 - The In-Laws (1979)

The In-Laws is a film from 1979 starring Alan Arkin and Peter Falk. It was remade a few years ago with Michael Douglass and Albert Brooks. The film tells the story of a man whose daughter is going to be married to a CIA agent's son. The film is not hysterical but is decently funny. The fact that it is a more situational comedy made it funny. Like most comedies the acting is not very important but the plot is pretty good. MY favortie portion has to be stopping the chase by releasing a bunch of bananas. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#453 - Date Night

Date Night is a new comedy starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey. It tells the story of Phil and Claire Foster who get into trouble during a night out. The film is amazing. The acting by Carell and Fey seems almost non-existent. The other acting jobs are also just as good and it seems like that is how they would be in real-life, especially Mark Wahlberg's. The story moves along at a very easy pace and it only begins to rush near the climax, when it should. Being a guy I could not help but notice but a certain points Tina Fey looked drop dead gorgeous and I was also happy to see a small cameo by the b-e-a-utiful Olivia Munn. There was one scene that happened to get into my list of greatest scenes of all time. There is a car chase with one of Wahlberg's cars hooked up to a taxi running from the cops. I give the film 4.5/5 stars.

#452 - Suddenly

Suddenly is a gangster film starring Frank Sinatra. It is the story of a group of gangsters who plot to kill the president in a small town of Suddenly. Throughout the film Frank seems to try and emulate the legend Humphrey Bogart. He comes close but doesn't seem to match the same affect that Humph gives. The plot moves at a nice steady pace but it seems to jump from being rushed to slowly paced. The acting seems decent but isn't the best acting I've ever seen. I give the film 3/5 stars.

#451 - A Time to Kill

A Time to Kill is based off the John Grisham novel of the same name. It tells the story of a capital murder case of a black man who killed two men after raping his daughter. It stars Kevin Spacey, Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, and Samuel L Jackson. This was actually McConaughy's breakthrough role. I have not read the novel but the film seems to keep to a very steady pace and the acting is superb throughout. I am unsure of the actual homes of the actors but their southern accents are very accurate. Overall the story is good. I give the film 4/5 stars.

#450 - The Seventh Seal

The Seventh Seal is directed by legendary Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. I thought that the film kind of went at a very slow pace but is beautifully done. There were certain parts of the movie that did not make much sense to me but most of the film is set in the time after the Crusades, a period I do not know much about. The acting seems decent but is not entirely superb, or it might just be that I do not know based off the language if it would be important. The film was definitely a good choice for my number 450 and I give the film 4/5 stars.

#449 - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a classic movie for young kids and stars Dick van Dyke. As with most of the children movies from the 60s and 70s and ones with Dick van Dyke it is a musical. Before seeing this I had seen parts but I had not seen the entire film. I did not know how many of the songs were actually now used in many different forms. The acting is not superb but it is not expected that the acting is to be the most important thing in this film. I ws also very unaware of the fact that the ending portion was mostly a fantasy sequence from what it seems. I loved this movie. I give it 4.5/5 stars.

TAXES!!!!!

As you all know it is currently income tax season here in the United States. Well I am living in New York State and just found out how much I have to pay them in comparison to the federal government. It is four times as much as the amount I have to pay the federal government. I am just curious why the state needs that much money. The federal government pays the troops, now has health-care, and many more tasks. The state has what? The highways and the power authority. I did not know that it cost more then what the federal government needs to take care of.

#448 - Clash of the Titans (2010)

This year they redid the 1981 film Clash of the Titans, which I just reviewed and can be found in the archives. This one stars Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and Ralph Fiennes as Perseus, Zeus, and Hades respectively. The graphics were amazing but the story seemed weak, I mean why did Hades happen to go straight after the boat after killing some others, and plus why did he attack the people who knocked over Zeus' statue if he was not working with Zeus at the time. There were serious plotholes and there was not much of a resolution in the end. Also there is a major problem when it comes down to the central theme of Perseus' motives. In the original he went on his quest for love and this one he does not seen to care much about Argos. I give this film 3/5 stars for the performances by Fiennes and Neeson.

#447 - I Am Sam

I Am Sam is a very sweet film starring Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer. The film is about a retarded man (Penn) who loses custody of his daughter and wants to regain it. Penn's acting is incredible for this role and works perfectly for the film. He does not do what Robert Downey Jr.'s character says in Tropic Thunder says Ben Stiller's character did in going full retard. Also some of the random actors involved into he film were great. They had Ken Jenkins (Dr. Kelso of Scrubs) and Richard Schiff (Ziegler of The West Wing) and were great even if their parts were rather small. The message of the film is brought out great. I give the film 4.5/5 stars.

#446 - Collateral

Collateral is a film starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. It is the story of a cabbie who is forced to drive around a professional hitman. The story is interesting but the entire film is focused around the action. There are even slight signs near the beginning of the climaxes action. The acting is well done and the cinematography is great for this film. Overall the film was decent but not incredible. I give it 3/5 stars.

#445 - The Chamber

The Chamber is a film based on the novel of the same title by John Grisham. It tells of a lawyer whose grandfather is on death row and he is working the case for him pro bono to get his sentence repealed. It stars Chris O'Connell, Faye Dunaway, and Gene Hackman. O'Connell seems to try and match acting chops with his two co-stars throughout the film but seems to fall short. We never really believe he means what he is saying. Every scene that we see Hackman and Dunaway become focused solely on those two and O'Connell just vanishes from the screen. Finally when it comes to the accuracy of the plot to the novel there does not seem to be any changes in the main plot just some scenes removed for time. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#444 - Beyond the Sea

Beyond the Sea is a story about the life of Bobby Darin. It is told in a very unique and interesting way. The beginning of the film makes the film seem to be Bobby Darin's film about his life but ti is told so amazingly that you soon forget that there was that specific look at the film. The acting by Kevin Spacey is amazing and Kate Bosworth's performance was good but could have been improved upon. The film has a nice and easy pace to it and it never seems to rush on anything. The music is incredible and I like that they synced up parts of the songs to the movements by some of the actors, specifically in the title track. I give the film 4/5 stars.

#443 - The Naked Gun

The Naked Gun is like every other Leslie Nielson comedy. It is filled with slapstick humor and sight gags for an army of comedies. The plot makes perfect sense and Frank Drebbin slowly becomes you hero as the film progresses. When you look at Nielson in this 1988 comedy and realize he has probably been in a movie in the past few years you wonder how old is this guy with grey hair 22 years ago, he's 84 and still kicking with the same force. Anyone know this guy's secret. Overall I give the film 4/5 stars.

#442 - Dragonball: Evolution

Dragonball: Evolution is a film based off the anime series Dragonball Z. The cast is overpowered when it comes to acting by the amazing Chow-Yun Fat. The film takes a decent interpretation but it leaves way to many unanswered questions regarding the plot. It was awesome that Ernie Hudson appeared in the film as a monk whose name I missed so looked it up, Sifu Norris. I was disappointed because out of the three female leads only Jamie Chung looked attractive at all and this is even worse when Emmy Rossum is in the film and looks great normally. I give the film 2.5/5 stars just for Chow-Yun Fat and the beautiful Jamie Chung.

3D???

I know that 3D has become a major trend in the movie industry lately but there has been news of a new 3D film that makes me angry at Hollywood. The film Step Up is apparently getting a 3D release in its third installment. WHY do you persecute us Hollywood with a third installment of this series and WHY must it be in 3D. Here is trailer I have yet to watch it but this should not happen.
http://worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=17239&count=33

#441 - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Talladega Nights is a comedy starring Will Ferrell, Sacha Baron Cohen, and John C Reilly. It tells about a racer named Ricky Bobby whose talent and devotion to his sport are put to the test. The film is not extremely funny but has some funny moments. None of these funny moments happened with Will Ferrell talking but the pit crew, Jane Lynch, and Gary Cole had the funniest moments in the film. Overall, the film had a decent story but the acting could have been better. I give it 3.5/5 stars.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to you all hope you are spending it with family.

#440 - Speed

The movie Speed is a very interesting film. It stars the one-expression actor Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, and the awesome Dennis Hopper. For those who do not know what this movie is about it tells of a bomb placed on a bus and if it goes below 50 MPH it blows up. Dennis Hopper plays a perfect villain in this film. The plot itself seemed very well worked and kept at the same pace throughout the film. I give this film 4/5 stars for Dennis Hopper's awesomeness.

#439 - Clash of the Titans (1981)

With a new version of this film now in theaters I decided to give the original Clash of the Titans a chance. Even though this film had a very A- List cast there seemed to be a lacking in the acting department by these people. I just couldn't believe anything the actors were saying. For an 80s film the effects were done slightly well but could have been better especially being that this was the era of Sci-Fi's big boost. Overall the film seemed enjoyable but I am curious as to how much better the new version is. I give this film 3/5 stars.

#438 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tells the story of a man who ages in reverse. It stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchet. The film moved far to slow for me but had a nice tone to it. The framing of the entire story was well done. I acting by Pitt and Blanchet was amazing. Overall I give this film 3.5/5 stars.

#437 - Clerks 2

Everyone's favorite slacker heroes are at it again in Clerks 2 by director Kevin Smith. I laughed throughout the film even to the point where I spit out my drink in laughter. As with the first Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob have the funniest moments in the film. I have to say the funniest line was "This tastes like piss and flies, doesn't it?" Also as usual Dante and Randall are our moral centers of the film who we want to see develop and grow. This film has far more growth out of them then the previous film and it is done in a nice method. I give this film 4.5/5 stars.

#436 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind

The film Close Encounters of the Third Kind has been reworked by Steven Spielberg three times since its release. I was able to watch the original film without any changes by Mr. Spielberg. I have to agree with him in the way in which he felt a change was needed. He thought that it would be good for a shot of the inside of the mother ship. The movie itself was very good and the effects were amazing for the time. Richard Dreyfuss was incredible as the lead character and he makes you believe that he is actually going inside while filming this. I give this film 4/5 stars.

#435 - To Catch a Thief

To Catch a Thief is a thriller by the master himself Alfred Hitchcock. The film stars the stunning Grace Kelly and the awesome Cary Grant. The film tells the story of a former jewel thief who is being framed for some new crimes by a copycat. It is then up to him to clear his name. The story kept me hanging and even suprised me when they finally revealed who the culprit was. It does have a side you normally see in Hitchcock but is never prominent in the main role, a love story. It seems that throughout the film it fovuses more on Grant's love story with Kelly then with the plot. I give it 3.5/5 stars.

#434 - The Hudsucker Proxy

The Hudsucker Proxy is a film starring Tim Robbins and PAul Newman and is directed by the amazing duo The Coen Brothers. This film is set up as a comedy but has a lot of the elements of a dram near the end of the film. I might be a little biased because i think the Coens are gods in the directing field but I laughed a decent amount through this movie. Paul Newman was great as the film's villain and the ending is very satisfying to anyone. I give this film 3.5/5 stars.

#433 - Live Free or Die Hard

Live Free or Die Hard is the fourth in the Die Hard series starring Bruce Willis. The film deals with a cyber terrorist who is going after America's infrastructure. The film is very strong when it comes to acting but seems to fall very short when you look at the previous Die Hard films. First off, there was no mention at all of the incident in the first Die Hard by the villain or even random people. Secondly, he tosses himself into the situation before giving himself a chance to get out. I can understand if some people might say, "Chuckles but in Die Hard 2 he tossed himself into the problem." Well he does so because he has something at stake in the film and not because it is his civil duty. Overall I give this film a 4/5 because Bruce Willis is awesome and only Kevin Smith should be the Warlock.