vincecklorthowe Reviews

Falling Down (1993)

Indescribably beautiful and true to life!!!

[10/10 · 8 January 2006]

This film should be (and hopefully will be) immortalized as a cult classic...if it has not been already! Douglas's performance in this film is outstanding! Excluding Romancing the Stone, I personally feel that Douglas's role as Bill D-Fense is his most outstanding role yet. There are so many great actors and actresses in this film that it blows my mind! From the ever lovely Deedee Pfiefer, the tantalizing maturity of the beautiful Barbara Hershey and the sexiness of Rachel Ticotin as a female "officer-ess" to Frederik Forrest's hilarious, quote-filled performance as a racist, Army/Navy shop owner...this film deserves to be immortalized in all it's elaborate perfection! Filled with great quotes from the very beginning to the last moments this film this movie is by far one of the best, most hilarious and yet most down to earth pieces of art that I have personally come across in a long, long time! Bill D-Fense takes the seemingly absurd, but almost necessary actions of which most Americans only dream despite the fact that he may be a little crazy and in need of some sort of help. This film really hit home for me and through Bill's confusion and psychotic thoughts and actions I can feel his sense of longing and yearning for the only tangible thing which he has ever had in his life...his wife and child.

Pay close attention to this film as it is a lesson in so many things dealing with many simple subjects. I vote 10/10!!!

Truth or Consequences, N.M. (1997)

Terrific movie

[8/10 · 12 December 2005]

***May Contain Spoilers*** I always enjoy Keifer and Gallo's performances in most, if not all, of both of their films...and I must admit that this film introduced to me the true acting performance of Gallo alone and also reinforced the genuine acting capability of Kiefer Sutherland.

The scene where they are trying to sell the suitcase full of cocaine back to the mob boss is brilliant...and both Sutherland and Gallo give both a fine and unexpected twist of theatrics in this part of the movie.

Overall...if you want gun-toting action and non-scareshow thrillers then this is a movie that I highly recommend!!!

The NeverEnding Story (1984)

THE Most Inspirational Film EVER...

[10/10 · 12 December 2005]

***Contains Possible Spoilers*** Young minds need to grow and this movie helped my young mind grow...and also believe.

When I say "believe" I mean that this film helped me (and still helps me) to believe in those "head in the clouds" hopes and dreams that tend to be lost within the process of growing up and taking on the expected and inevitable responsibilities of an adult's lifestyle; the same hopes and dreams that I had forgotten that I had when I was a child.

The conflict in this movie is The Nothing which is an unidentifiable tempest/storm that is consuming the dream world of Fantasia. There is only one person that those who preside over Fantasia feels can do something to stop The Nothing "and his name is Atreyu".

Atreyu being nothing more than a boy, who is asked to leave all his weapons behind and face this quest alone with the company of Artex, his horse, is burdened with the fact that he has to find a way to stop that which no one in all of Fantasia can stop...The Nothing. A clue to this is that he is a boy...remember that while watching the film! The boy that is actually reading the book becomes part of the story, unbeknownst to him at the time he gets the book. Overall...the only thing that keeps Fantasia alive is the fact that Bastian sets aside what he knows as reality and has enough hope to believe that his dreams are real and that nothing is impossible...so long as you have that hope that is so often and tragically lost as we grow older and "have to keep our feet on the ground".

The real breaking point for me is when Atreyu confronts Gmork, a demon-like wolf who happens to be assisting The Nothing in consuming all of Fantasia. Gmork describes exactly what The Nothing is...and he explains it thoroughly to Atreyu. If you listen to the dialogue between Atreyu and Gmork and relate it to your adult life then you will hopefully understand what is being relayed during this scene.

The most significant part of the film is when Atreyu finally talks to The Childlike Empress within her Ivory Tower after all the rest of Fantasia has been consumed by The Nothing. This is when Bastian finally realizes that he IS Atreyu...in the sense that he was reading and experiencing all of the adventures, trials and hardships of Atreyu just as Atreyu was in the world of Fantasia. This part of the film always makes me cry even to this day even though I am almost 26 years old.

When you get wrapped up in a movie or a book and get so totally lost in it then you are taken to another world...a world far, FAR away from here and that is the PRECISE premise behind The NeverEnding Story. The Story is indeed NeverEnding because you ARE the character, the Atreyu, and so long as you still have dreams and hopes and are willing to reach for them and believe in things which people tell you are not tangible and achievable then The Nothing can and will never consume Fantasia!!! Mothers and fathers...I recommend this highly to you and your children. It helped me a great deal and hopefully it will help your children as well.

Buffalo '66 (1998)

Stunning piece by Gallo

[10/10 · 12 December 2005]

After seeing this film for the first time I absolutely loved it! It was only after I purchased it on DVD that I saw in the credits just how much Gallo had to do with this film. He did just about everything major to complete this movie...from the music to the writing credits. Personally, I think that he did a fabulous job and I compliment him highly on this piece of motion picture art.

I tend to take this story on a personal level. I have never been to prison, but I know that I can relate to a lot of what Gallo's character feels about his family. My family life was not too great whilst growing up, but it really put things in perspective for me to see someone who's parents are that oblivious to their son's most basic needs.

Some of the scenes may seem absurd and extreme as far as the obliviousness of the parents, but in a sense I think that is what Gallo was trying to get across to the viewing audience. This factor makes it all the more pertinent as to why Gallo's character is the way he is. To me this film is a reflection of an individual's life who has nothing to lose and yet so much to gain. Everything from the cold and gloomy atmosphere during the first half of the film to Gallo's character's pessimistic demeanor and repetitiveness of phrases only emphasize the aura of his life-long frustration and contempt for the world while revealing his desperate and longing need to find something tangible for once in his life...something that he apparently never had and that he thankfully finds in the confidence of Ricci's character.

I could go on and on and on about how much this film meant to me and how beautifully directed, written and acted out this piece of work is, especially in the end since I have had thoughts and have considered and contemplated such things in the past. I admit that the height of the film's end freaked me out for a few moments, but left me feeling overwhelmed with relief and joy during the final concluding moments.

To sum up: You HAVE TO watch this film. Period.