You didn't ask, but here they are: my favorite films

I’m not a gambling man, but I’ll bet you $50 that I was the only student on campus who spent their mid-semester break updating a list of my top 10 movies (you can pay me later). My top 10, first established in early 2003, has gone through numerous changes over the years, but my particular taste remains firmly entrenched. A few films have survived (namely the top three), but I find that the more movies I see – for every “Chinatown” or “2001: A Space Odyssey” I find – the harder it is to narrow my favorites down to 10.

Please bear in mind that my list is completely subjective, and is not what I necessarily believe to be the greatest or most well-made films of all time. These are simply my favorite movies. I will list five now, and five next week. My list has never been publicly addressed … until now.

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It's a fact: "Aliens" friggin' rocks.
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10) Aliens (James Cameron, 1986): Ridley Scott’s “Alien” was a masterpiece in genre-bending filmmaking, a milestone in both horror and science-fiction cinema. With “Aliens,” James Cameron manages the impossible: he creates an action-oriented sequel that is equal in quality – nay, nearly superior – to Scott’s original groundbreaking film. “Aliens” echoes the numbing terror of its predecessor while intensifying the experience with a delicious dash of crazy action. It’s one of the most purely enjoyable films out there. Just steer clear of the sequels and please, for the love of God, don’t punish yourself with the atrocity that is “Alien vs. Predator.”

The Academy finally gets the jump on Clint Eastwood.
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9) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Sergio Leone, 1966): Followed closely by Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West,” “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is the absolute pinnacle of Spaghetti westerns. It’s a beautifully shot, atmospheric western, the hands-down greatest cowboy flick of all time. Clint Eastwood is at his best as the nameless drifter (the good) who clashes with a bounty hunter (the bad) and a thug (the ugly) in order to attain a fabled treasure, all leading up to one of the most climatic gunfights in the history of cinema.

Whoa ... James Stewart is totally trippin'.
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8) Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958): Though “Psycho,” “North by Northwest,” “Rear Window” and “Rope” are all indisputable masterpieces, Hitchcock’s greatest achievement is 1958’s “Vertigo.” It’s a mind-bending thriller, its plot warped with twists, turns and all manner of mysteries and reveals. Hitchcock regular James Stewart is fantastic as Scottie, a retired police detective with a paralyzing fear of heights, and Kim Novak gives a strong performance as his troubled love interest. Hitchcock’s innovative camera techniques amp up the tension ten-fold, and the result is “Vertigo,” possibly the greatest thriller of all time.

Martin Sheen infiltrates the set of "Two and a Half Men."
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7) Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979): The troubled production of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” is legendary among film fans. Drunk actors, typhoons, suicides, drug use and an immensely overweight Marlon Brando all lent to a hellish 16-month shoot. But the resulting film presents no signs of its distressed creation, or if it does, it only succeeds in creating a deeper, darker, more involving cinematic experience. Set in Cambodia during the Vietnam War and based on Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” “Apocalypse Now” tells the story of a soldier’s (Martin Sheen) mission to kill the renegade Colonel Kurtz (portrayed wonderfully by Marlon Brando). The film is Coppola at his very best, and his use of shadow in the final act is superbly surreal. It’s truly a classic film.

In "Dark City," going to the dentists totally sucks.
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6) Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998): “Dark City” is one of those underrated gems that will someday be rediscovered and recognized for what it is: a masterpiece in modern filmmaking. It’s a criminally underappreciated science-fiction mystery flick with film-noir undertones, a fantastically innovative take on the gumshoe detective story. The story is that of a man who has lost his memory in a city where the sun never rises. The script is solid, the cinematography is remarkable, the performances from the likes of Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland and Jennifer Connelly are just superb. “Dark City” is a significant film for me because it was the first movie that really made me look at cinema as more than simple entertainment, as a valid art form.

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You’ve been allowed a glimpse into my favorite films, but you’ll have to wait a week for the top five. So, stay tuned. Oh, and if you could get me that $50 you owe me by next week, that’d be great.

Greetings from college

First things first: I am deeply, terribly sorry for leaving my precious blog alone and unattended for so long. I've recently started college, and a new job as well, so it really doesn't leave me a ton of time for things like blogging. The free time I do have is spent doing homework ... otherwise hanging out with my friends and family, and even watching the occasional movie.

And, as you no doubt have noticed ... Mattinee has gone through a bit of an overhaul. Please let me know what you think of the re-design! I'm likin' it so far.

Thanks for putting up with my laziness. You guys are the best.

The movies I hate to love: guilty pleasures abound

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson fends off South American rebels in one of the many fantastic fight scenes in "The Rundown"
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They’re embarrassing to reveal, but even the most hardened elitist critic harbors a few of them deep within his shielded psyche. Shunned by society and left to survive in the bargain DVD bin at Wal-Mart, we simply can’t deny our love for them. They’re our guilty pleasures and I’m about to fess up to a few of my own.

The Rundown (Peter Berg, 2003): I’m going to star by dropping a rather large bombshell: I firmly believe that “The Rundown” is one of the best action movies of the new century. There, I said it. It’s innovatively fun and it never commits the cardinal sin of taking itself too seriously. “The Rundown” is criminally underappreciated, despite being rich with all the necessary ingredients for a spectacular action film. The fight scenes are fast and intense without becoming hectic or confusing, the performances are charming and likeable (Christopher Walken is fantastic as the sleazy villain), and it doesn’t rely on gratuitous explosions or boobs to entertain. Action films like “The Rundown” are becoming increasingly harder to find.

The Rock (Michael Bay, 1996): As a staunch, outspoken hater of hack director/producer Michael Bay, it pains me immensely to admit that I really like “The Rock.” Bay’s films are typically ripe with the stink of his grandiose self-importance, but “The Rock” miraculously succeeds as a first-rate action flick. The flimsy premise of the movie is firmly supported by the wonderfully over-the-top performances of Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage and Ed Harris, and the no-holds-barred action sequences supply copious amounts of mindless fun. Though I can’t say the same for any of Bay’s other movies (“Bay Boys II” might be one of the worst films in recent memory), “The Rock” is definitely worth swallowing my pride for.

The romanticized themes and garish dance numbers of "Moulin Rouge" somehow appeal to men as well. Go figure.
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Moulin Rouge (Baz Luhrmann, 2001): I don’t normally go for the whole romantic musical genre (unless we’re talking “Little Shop of Horrors”), but there’s something strangely appealing about “Moulin Rouge,” something that transcends the target audience (chamomile tea drinking, mascara running, bath robed women) and succeeds in entertaining guys as well. There’s a visual flair to the film, something undeniably fun and slick. The numbers aren’t your typical sap fests, but rather mixed n’ matched 80’s and 90’s love songs, spruced up in show tune fashion. It’s funny, charming and endearing. For “Moulin Rouge,” I’m more than willing to admit my undying love.

Cutthroat Island (Renny Harlin, 1995): In “Cutthroat Island,” a film by the director of “Cliffhanger,” Geena Davis and Matthew Modine play swashbuckling pirates on a quest to recover a treasure from the hands of that guy who played Skeletor in the “Masters of the Universe” movie. When taken at face-value, “Cutthroat Island” is an absolute recipe for disaster, and it only takes roughly twenty minutes of Geena Davis wielding cutlasses and firing off flintlock pistols for you to realize that the film is pretty ridiculous. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t dig it. There’s enough chariot chases, high seas battles and greasy pirates kicking the crap out of each other to fill the hold of a Spanish galleon (yup, I went there).

The Matrix Reloaded (Andy & Larry Wachowski, 2003): Universally lambasted by critics and fans alike, many consider “Reloaded” to be the ruin of the trilogy. In a sense, they’re right, but it’s actually only the last 25 minutes of “Reloaded” that kill the franchise. Everything up until that point (with Neo confronting the Architect), is pure action gold. “Reloaded” is abundant with intense, stylized action. The burly brawl, in which Neo fends off dozens of Agent Smiths; the chateau fight, with Neo wielding all manner of bladed weapon; and the freeway chase, possibly the greatest chase sequence since the desert pursuit in Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” It’s a great flick if you simply turn it off before the Architect shows up to bury the franchise under the weight of a thousand unanswered questions (and don’t bother with “Revolutions”).

So, there you have it. It feels good to get those off my chest. Though you may get ridiculed for your guilty pleasures, it’s not right to be ashamed of them. They may not be extraordinary pieces of cinematic genius, but we love ‘em anyway.

Oh, and one more thing: I absolutely love "Mortal Kombat."

Classic films get the star treatment with new DVD releases

In the unaltered versions of the original "Star Wars" trilogy DVDs, Han shoots first -- as it should be.
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In the course of a single weekend, a pair of DVD releases have rectified two of my major home cinema gripes. The new reissue of the original “Star Wars” trilogy includes the unaltered theatrical versions of each film – the same versions seen in theaters in the 70’s and 80’s. Meanwhile, a new “Blade Runner” DVD finally offers sound and picture worthy of the film’s brilliance.

But hold up there, bucko – before you rush and add these DVD’s to your collection, consider this: We’ll be seeing a final cut edition of “Blade Runner” and a deluxe “Star Wars” set come 2007. So, are these current discs worth it?

Greedo shoots first? Not this time.
Since their release in 1977, George Lucas has tampered extensively with the original “Star Wars” films. The first altered reissues were released theatrically in 1997 as “special editions.” These versions of the films (with some further tweaks) were released on DVD in 2004.

Lucas has persisted that the films no longer exist in their original form, but the fans are relentless. Lucasfilm has yielded to the might of nerds and released the “Star Wars” trilogy in its theatrical form.

Granted, the discs are ’93 laserdisc transfers … and the audio mix is only 2.0 surround … and the picture isn’t even anamorphic. But all of that melts away when you see Han blast Greedo before the bounty hunter can get a shot off. Being a “Star Wars” purist at heart, I enjoyed these new DVDs immensely. These are the versions I watched as a kid on our VCR and, technical gripes aside, I still love them today.

These DVDs also include the 2004 special editions as an added bonus. For the casual fan who doesn’t own these flicks yet on DVD (for shame) or the avid collector who absolutely needs every version, this set is a great buy. All three will cost you a relatively measly $60, which is a small price to pay for two versions of the greatest film saga of all time.

However, as I mentioned, Lucasfilm is releasing a deluxe set for the 30th anniversary of the franchise next year. The set will include the original and prequel trilogies, but there’s no sign of the unaltered versions. So, if you feel like you need to own the untainted trilogy, these DVDs are worth it. They’re available until the end of December.

A sci-fi masterpiece gets the DVD it deserves
For years, fans of Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” have dealt with an awful DVD transfer. Released in 1997, the DVD suffered from horrible picture quality and a harsh audio track. But Scott took pity on the suffering fans and provided us with a glimpse of what we can expect from the multi-disc final cut, due out in 2007.

The current release is the director’s cut of the film, an amazingly deep story, rich with imagery and symbolism. This new transfer is fantastic, a visibly vast improvement in both picture and audio quality. The colors are vibrant, the image is clear and sharp. As a longtime appreciator of “Blade Runner,” it’s refreshing to finally own a DVD that serves this masterpiece of a film justice.

With the upcoming final cut DVD and a limited re-release of the film into theaters, it’s a great time to be a “Blade Runner” fan. Coincidentally, it’s also the ideal time for strangers of the movie to check it out – and at only $15, why not pick up this cinematic gem?

Seriously, I don’t understand how you could say no.