Great movies people haven't seen #10

Warrior
Warrior is a sports movie that was released back in 2011 revolving around the sport Mixed Martial Arts. And I'll say this right now, Warrior is the first and only good MMA movie ever released. As a huge fan of the sport it pains me to see all these direct to DVD released MMA movies that are terrible, Warrior is the first movie to do the sport justice. Most movies about MMA brutalize the sport and all the fights happen in illegal underground fight clubs. But Warrior is a feel good movie if there ever was one, it's the type of movie that makes you want to go out and conquer some obstacles after you see it. The movie stars follows two brothers, Tommy (an ex war veteran  and Brendan (a high school teacher). After being gone for years Tommy comes back to town and confronts his abusive alcoholic father who has since changed since they last saw each other and has become a born again christian. After a heated conversation, Tommy goes to a gym the next day and spars with a national ranked MMA fighter and beats the living sh*t out of him. The fight is filmed and goes viral on the internet and Tommy becomes an internet star. Tommy learns about a two day MMA tournament where the winner earns 5 million dollars, so Tommy asks his father to train him (Tommy was a wrestling champ in high school and was trained by his father, this is when most of the abuse happened). At the same time Brendan is having some money problems, he actually competed in the UFC (the largest MMA promotion in the world) at one point and decides to do a couple low profile events to get some money. His wife discovers this and is furious, but the bank is about to take their house and his daughter needs surgery so he doesn't have any other choice. Brendan seeks out his old coach for training, but when one of the coaches fighters is injured at the last minute (who was going to fight in the tournament) Brendan convinces him to get him in the tournament. Now that both brothers are entered we see an emotional roller coaster between them, their father, and all their loved ones. I love this movie, I'd put it in my top 10 personal favorites. To be honest Warrior was a lot better than everyone thought it would be, what really sells this movie was the acting. Everyone who appeared in this movie poured their soul into it. Nick Nolte (the father) is the one that stole the show, he was even nominated for an Oscar for his performance (he should have won). Warrior is is my generation's Rocky, it's one of the greatest sports movies in years and one of those rare movies that inspires you to be greater. It's an entertaining and emotionally intense movie that I recommend wholeheartedly.

Great movies people haven't seen #9

Amadeus
Amadeus is a period drama that was released in 1984 that was met with overwhelming critical acclaim, and in my opinion it's one of the best movies of the 80's. The movie is the true story about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and it's told by rival and jealous composer Antonio Salieri later on in his life. Salieri had always wanted to be a composer, but while he had a first rate music lover he was a third rate composer. He had heard stories of great Mozart for years, and when Mozart made his way into town he couldn't pass up a chance to see him. But he is shocked at what he finds. Instead of the brilliant and proper person he was expecting, he found a goofy and childish disgrace. He had trouble accepting it, he had given his entire life to music and had been a model human being in every way but somehow this idiot was the famous one. He didn't understand, until he heard his music. There's a great scene about a third of the way into the movie where Salieri has a revelation, he learns that Mozart doesn't think about the music but it just happens for him. And he is devastated, he always dreamed of being the greatest composer of all time but he realizes that he can never compete with Mozart. So Salieri decides to sabotage him, he spreads lies about him to the upper class and discourage them from hiring him. Shortly after Mozart starts to have money problems and decides to sell his valuables. But after coming home from a party he learns that his father has died, he then falls into a dark and alcoholic decent. And Salieri is right there to watch it. Amadeus is a masterpiece, I'd probably put it in my top 15 or 20 movies of all time. The movie is so well written and very comedic while still managing to stay serious and on task. Every actor does a top notch job, there is no weak link. The score is made up of dozens of classical pieces from the real life composers and they all work great. The set pieces, the costume design, and just about everything else is perfect. Amadeus is an astonishing movie that I personally hold in the highest regards, and it's a movie everyone should see.

Great movies people haven't seen #8

Dark City
Released in 1998, Dark City is a neo-noir sci-fi movie that was met with mixed critical reception and only made its budget back (almost to the dime). But with home media and the help of critic Roger Ebert (who named it the best picture of the year and helped promote the movie by have analysis screenings), Dark City has become a cult classic. Dark City is one of those movies that is hard to talk about without spoiling it, half the fun of the movie is learning as you go. In the directors cut that was released a few years ago, they actually removed the opening narration that explained to much. The opens up with the lead character John getting out of a bathtub in his hotel room. He has no idea how he got there or even who he is. He receives a phone call telling him to run, he then finds the body of a murdered hooker in his room. After he leaves a group of pale men who seem to have some sort of telepathic powers come looking for him. At the same time the police or also looking for John because they believe he's a serial killer. John goes to an apartment that he has vague memories of and meets his wife who he barely remembers. After meeting her he collects a few things and decides to run again because the police are right on his tail. John then starts asking questions that he shouldn't be. He wants to go to a near by place called Shell Beach, but when he asks people about it they all know it, they know where it is, but no one remembers how to get there. He ask another perplexing question that no one can answer, when was the last time they remember doing something during the day, when was the last time they saw the sun. John realizes something is wrong and will do anything to find out what is happening, even if it kills him. What struck me the most about the film is the setting and the aesthetics. The film is set in a 50's style city, but the introduction of the sci-fi elements adds a new twist. Dark City is like nothing I've ever seen, an unique movie years ahead of its time. Dealing with themes of false perception, what it means to be human, and the need for truth. An ambitious, bold, and underrated film that I can't recommend enough.

5 All Time Greatest Directors

Honorable Mentions: James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, Tim Burton, The Coen Brothers, Ridley Scott, Wood Allen, Stanley Kubrick, Orson Welles, David Lean, Hayao Miyazaki, Quentin Tarantino, Sergio Leone, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, David Lean, Cecil B DeMille
Note: This list is comprised of my personal opinions not just on the greatness of their films but of their impact  and influence on the film industry.

5. Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather, The Godfather Part 2, Apocalypse Now)
Francis Ford Coppola is one of the most accomplished and determined directors of all time. I consider the three movies next to his name to be in the top ten movies of all time. After the release of the first two Godfather movies, Coppola became a house hold name and became one of the most powerful directors in Hollywood. In the early 70's Coppola bought the original script for Apocalypse Now, but because of insufficient funds he wasn't able to make it. Years later he decided he was ready to make it, but his hopes were crushed after no studio wanted to back the project. So Coppola funds the movie almost entirely by himself, that's dedication. A master of his trade and an academy award winner, Coppola will go down as one of the all time greats.
4. Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Jaws, E.T., Indiana Jones Trilogy, Schindler's List)
Arguably the most famous director of all time, Steven Spielberg is one of the most respected people in Hollywood and one of the best active directors. He's also the most successful director of all time. His movies have grossed a combined 8.5 billion dollars. He's had the highest grossing movie of all time with three different movies (Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park), ET was number one for 11 years until Jurassic Park beat it. He has won 3 Oscars himself and all of his movies combined have won over a dozen Oscars. He was the director of the first Summer blockbuster (Jaws), he directed one of the all time greatest trilogies (Indiana Jones), and has backed more movies than I can count. I could keep going, but I think you get the picture.
3. Akira Kurosawa (Yojimbo, Sanjiro, Seven Samurai, Ran, Ikiru, Throne of Blood, Rashomon)
Probably the least known director on this list, but arguably the most important director of world cinema. Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese director who revolutionized the film industry, his movies inspired directors all over the world. One of the most TV aired movies of all time, The Magnificent Seven, was based off his movie Seven Samurai. His movie Yojimbo was the inspiration for Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars which was the first movie in the Dollars Trilogy which lead to one of the greatest movies of all time The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. His movie Rashomon was the first Japanese movie to become a huge success internationally and went on to win the academy award for best foreign movie. One of the most unappreciated directors by non film buffs, Akira Kuraosawa is a legend. But now with the power of the internet his movies are more available and people are starting to recognize his genius.
2. Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, The Departed, Hugo, Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Raging Bull)
If only I had a dollar every time Scorsese was snubbed for an Oscar. Martin is widely considered the greatest director of all time, AFI ranked Raging Bull as the forth greatest movie of all time beating out movies like Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and Lawrence of Arabia. What makes Martin so good is because he really knows how to use his actors. He casts a lot of the same actors for many of his projects, Robert De Niro has been in like five of his movies. He also knows how to work his characters, in Goodfellas all of the major characters are criminals but you root for them. Making you like a bad guy and hoping the succeed is a difficult thing to do, but no one does it better than Scorsese. And unlike many directors, Martin doesn't have a problem changing with the times. He has always made these realistic (yet over the top) gritty stories, but his last movie Hugo he embraced a whole new type of movie. Using new styles, using 3D properly, and making a family friendly movie (which he has certainly never done before). And that is the sign of a great film maker.
1. Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest, The Birds, Rear Window, Rope)
There will probably be a lot of people that disagree with me, but I truly believe that Alfred Hitchcock is undoubtedly the greatest director of all time. Never has a director mastered a genre like Hitchcock. He was the undisputed king of horror, mystery, and suspense  During his career his movies weren't loved by critics but were praised by audiences  Hitchcock became famous for doing things his way, when no studio wanted to support Psycho he put up the money himself. One of his more underrated movies, Rope, became famous for using long shots which were fairly unconventional for that type of dialog heavy scene. He also became famous for having small cameos in his movies. He even had a long running and successful TV show called "Alfred Hitchcock presents." Hitchcock has inspired dozens of directors and his influence is sometimes seen in movies today. There have been a lot of great directors over the years, but none as good as Alfred Hitchcock.

The Impossible Review

In 2004, the world stood still after one of the worst natural disasters in human history devastated the countries surroundings the Indian ocean. A tsunami of unimaginable proportions claimed the lives of a staggering 230 thousand people the day after Christmas. Humans have fought against earthquakes, hurricanes, and just about every thing else mother nature could through at us, but the tsunami was a whole new beast that came in the picture a crushed us. The story of The Impossible is a true one about a family of five on vacation in Thailand who got caught up in the tsunami. While playing in the pool at their hotel, they hear some sort of loud noise. The next thing they know a 15 foot wall of water is shredding through their hotel like it was nothing and heading right for them, once hit the family gets separated. The mother and the oldest son go one way and the father and the two youngest sons go another. After the initial waves pass, the mother and the son regroup. They decide to find a high place to hide out for a while in case more waves come through. They realize that the mother has a severely wounded leg and has a puncture wound in her chest. After being found by some locals, she is taken to a busy and overwhelmed hospital to be treated. While all this is going on you learn that the rest of their family has survived, and the father has to make the hardest decision of his life. Relief workers come to take survivors to the mountain and he decides to send his boys with them while he looks for the rest of his family. And the viewer is taken on an emotional trip in the hopes they find each other. The Impossible is a good movie, and it's a sad movie. It plays at your heart stings in several places. But that leads me to a problem I had with it, it tries to hard to be emotional. You ever see one of those more movies where it tries to be sadder than it is, that's kind of what The Impossible does. Another problem was that it got really slow later on in the movie. You see the tsunami hit after 15 minutes, but the next hour and 45 minutes aren't nearly as interesting. I don't want to say I was bored but the movie lost my full attention after a while. The most impressive part of the movie was the tsunami, not the special effects that made it happen but of the memories it was bringing back up. I remember the tsunami, it was the worst national disaster to happen in my lifetime and I remember that it made me sad. Once we went back to school after winter break my class put together a relief fund where we just donated a couple dollars. We knew it wouldn't help but it was the best we could do. All in all The Impossible is pretty good but I wouldn't say it's worth full price, it's a dollar theater movie. But if you want an emotional movie based on a true story with good acting and good cinematography, The Impossible is worth your time. 3.5/5