ksmith402 Reviews

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Psychologicaly mind bending masterpiece

[10/10 · 26 September 2015]

From David Lynch the director behind Elephant Man, Eraserhead, Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, and Inland Empire comes Mulholland Dr., a thrilling movie that is worth watching more than once.

Naomi Watts gives an emotionally charged performance as Betty who goes to Hollywood in hopes of becoming a star and befriends an amnesiac girl. And when everything seems to be going great their world takes a dark and nightmarish turn for the worst.

The movie has an incredibly immerse world with it's lucid cinematography and surreal atmosphere. This movie is a terrific mix of psychological horror and drama about the dark side of Hollywood and fame. It remains today as David Lynch's best movie to date and I'd like to see him do more movies like this in the future.

Adaptation. (2002)

Absolutely Amazing

[10/10 · 26 September 2015]

Anybody who has ever wanted to become a filmmaker or wrote a screenplay before can probably relate to this movie.

Adaptation is a unique spin on real life events surrounding Charlie Kaufman's psychological struggle to adapt The Orchid Thief into a feature length film and his journey of self discovery to becoming a better screenwriter and his intertwining story with Susan Orlean the author of The Orchid Thief book played terrifically by Meryl Streep, and the Orchid thief himself John Laroche played excellently by Chris Cooper. Nicolas Cage gives his best performance(s) as Charlie Kaufman and his polar opposite twin brother Donald Kaufman.

Adaptation features sharp commentary on the film industry and the struggles that all writers face as they seek new and creative ways to write stories.

Incredibly intelligent writing, sharp comedy, deep characters, and gravitas performances all come together as one in Adaptation, my favorite movie of all time(outside The Dark Knight Saga).

Orange County (2002)

A comedy with heart

[10/10 · 26 September 2015]

I'm not usually a fan of MTV movies(and I absolutely hate the MTV Movie Awards). On the bright side they've managed to make three fantastic movies-Election, School Of Rock, and Orange County.

Colin Hanks the son of Tom Hanks gives a riveting performance as Shuan Braumder who is a character almost all people can relate to as he strives for a better future as he embarks on a mission to get accepted into Stanford University to become an author while dealing with his hilariously dysfunctional family and the angst of teenhood.

Ornage County is emotionally inspiring, hilarious and features great performances from Catherine O'Hara, John Lithgow, Schuyler Fisk, and Jack Black. A near perfect movie that should not be missed.

Remission (I) (2014)

A Must See

[10/10 · 26 September 2015]

Remission is a fascinating and suspenseful drama that also happens to be set in the zombie apocalypse.

I was incredibly impressed by how the movie is less about the zombies and more about the story and characters. Almost every character in the film is damaged and in fear of what lies beyond their shelter and of each other.

Eric Moyer is amazing as the film's protagonist Joseph Barnaby, a preacher seeking to restore his life after losing his family. Derek Cook is fantastic as Crowe who is the leader of the survivor colony, and Chianna is excellent as Crowe's sister Daybreak.

For all indie watchers and fans of horror movies this is a movie you should not miss.

Batman: Gotham Knight (2008 Video)

Excellent tie-in with the Dark Knight series

[10/10 · 4 September 2015]

Batman Gotham Knight is a perfect second chapter in The Dark Knight series as it tells six short stories that chronicle Batman's beginning in his war on crime after the events of Batman Begins and a fascinating exploration of his troubled psyche as a man fighting against injustice.

As an anime it is wildly imaginative and visually stunning with a great score.

Excellent voice performances all around including veteran Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Jim Meskiman as Deadshot.

Batman Gotham Knight is an excellent must watch for all fans of Christopher Nolan's Batman series and Batman movies.

I'm Not There (2007)

A Must-See for all Bob Dylan and music fans

[10/10 · 23 July 2015]

Bob Dylan is one of the most legendary and innovative singers in Folk history and I can't think of any other way that a filmmaker could've done his life justice than this movie.

The movie doesn't follow the conventional biopic formula as it depicts his life through six different characters who represent different areas of Dylan's life. The film does a compelling exploration of the constantly changing music/entertainment industry and society throughout the 1900's in which inspired one of Bob Dylan's best songs "The Times They Are A Changin".

The direction, cinematography and editing are all outstanding along with amazing performances from all six actors playing incarnations of Bob Dylan including Cate Blanchett who should've won an Oscar for her performance and I consider hers to be the best performance of a recording artist in cinematic history so far.

I'm Not There is a great watch for all fans of Bob Dylan and for music and film fans in general.

Rescue Me (2004–2011)

One of FX's best shows

[10/10 · 20 July 2015]

Rescue Me is an amazing show that is a powerful meditation on post 9/11 society and a tribute to the hard work and service that firefighters do every day. It is a bold show that touches on risky topics that TV shows rarely touch on these days(looking at you Disney Chanel). It features some of the best writing and cinematography in modern TV shows. It also perfectly blends fleshed out characters, humour, and great performances including Denis Leary who also created and co-wrote the show exhibits perfect writing skill as well as dramatic and comedic range as Tommy Gavin and he should have won a Golden Globe for his efforts. Rescue Me is a great watch for any mature audience.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

A Perfect Ending

[10/10 · 26 June 2015]

This movie rises above expectations and delivers on all counts. Christopher Nolan outdoes himself again as he brings a monumental conclusion to his epic Dark Knight saga.

The Dark Knight Rises transcends into territory that comic book movies have never explored with allegory to the French Revolution, financial meltdowns, lower class vs upper class, the grey areas of today's justice system, and the physical and mental consequences of being a vigilante as shown with Bruce Wayne after he has retired from superhero duty for 8 years and how that comes back to haunt him when he must take up the mantle again with the arrival of masked terrorist Bane who plans to burn Gotham down one block at a time.

Christain Bale gives his best performance as Batman as he perfectly captures the dark and emotionally tortured side of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Tom Hardy delivers as Bane with physical dominance and on screen presence that no other actor could've done as perfectly. Anne Hathaway is the best Catwoman yet with a charming criminal side that hides a heart of gold. Michael Caine is emotionally riveting as Alfred along with other excellent performances from Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Marion Cotitard.

The Dark Knight Rises stands alongside The Dark Knight, Batman Gotham Knight, and Batman Begins in my opinion the greatest superhero franchise of all time as they go beyond comic book and mainstream movie conventions as masterful works of art that'll be held as examples in cinema for years to come.

The Dark Knight (2008)

A true game changer

[10/10 · 26 June 2015]

The Dark Knight changed cinema forever. It took a kid's Saturday morning cartoon concept and made it into a drama that appeals to not just Batman fans but movie fans in general.

The movie expands on the realistic approach of Batman Begins to show what being a superhero in real life could be like. It doesn't follow the typical sequel formula as it's simultaneously a crime drama and a character study of Bruce Wayne's struggle to make Gotham a better place when arch-villain The Joker steps in to tear Gotham to the ground, how these polar opposites repel each other, and how society is affected by this.

Heath Ledger gives the performance of a lifetime as The Joker. Terrifying, cunning, nihilistic, darkly funny, and many other words can describe the character he brought to life on screen and was perfectly deserving of the Oscar he won posthumously.

Other credits go out to excellent performances from the rest of the cast including Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, the Nolan brothers who wrote this movie, Christopher Nolan's direction, cinematography, practical effects that made the world of this movie feel real, and technical achievements with IMAX cameras.

The Dark Knight is a perfect example of how to take an aging franchise and making it new and fresh for modern audiences.

Batman Begins (2005)

The beginning of a new era

[10/10 · 26 June 2015]

After the failure of Batman and Robin Warner Brothers took a gamble with art house film director Christopher Nolan to revive the franchise to stellar results.

Batman Begins strays away from the cheesiness of other comic book movies as it takes a more realistic approach to the Batman mythology showing Bruce Wayne's journey as he fights against the corruption and decadence of Gotham City after the death of his parents.

Great performances all around from Christain Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Luscious Fox, Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon as well as excellent villain performances from Liam Neeson as Ras al Ghual and Cillian Murphy as Johnathan Crane/Scarecrow.

Christopher Nolan's direction is pitch perfect with great cinematography, combination of practical effects and CGI, and Hans Zimmer's amazing score.

Batman Begins is a great beginning to an excellent franchise as well as a new era for comic book cinema.

Jurassic Park (1993)

One of the greatest

[10/10 · 9 June 2015]

Jurassic Park is one of the greatest if not the greatest science fiction movie(s) of all time. This was the movie that inspired me to get into filmmaking and inspired my love for dinosaurs. The combination of animal-electronics, practical effects, and groundbreaking CGI make the world of Jurassic Park as well as the dinosaurs feel real and one of the greatest technical achievements in cinematic history and still holds up perfectly today. Unlike movies like Avatar that rely on a cookie cutter story to afloat the CGI, Jurassic Park features a thrilling adventure story that captures the excitement of seeing park that has recreated dinosaurs. The movie explores the themes of consequences that happen when mankind plays with nature that is explored perfectly. The cast is excellent in their performances especially Jeff Gouldblum who brings a lot of comedic spark and flare as Malcom. Jurassic Park is one of the finest examples in cinema of how technical achievement and story can coincide as one whole amazing movie and will continue to be held as an example for generations of future filmmakers to come.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Mixed Feelings

[2/10 · 7 February 2015]

I love the first two Star Wars movies of the original trilogy but I'm not a fan of Return Of The Jedi. One of the reasons why Empire Strikes Back is so great was because of how complex and deep with characters and story. Story and characters take a backseat in Return Of The Jedi to action and Ewoks which seem like a heavy handed attempt to capitalize on the younger audience and toy sales. It has some great ideas that are not properly executed. The action and special effects as well as practical effects are very good, and how Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader's story arcs were completed is the best part of the film. But it had potential to be more.