emjay’s Film Reviews

186 Films have been rated or reviewed by emjay.

Capitalism - A Love Story (2009): Very enlightening movie
Love and Death (1975): Very enjoyable...clever; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989): Groundbreaking drama….excellent
Traffic (2000): A good drama about people with drug problems; DVD $19.95
Knick, The - Season 1 (TV Series) (2014): A very enjoyable series
Contagion (2011): My fav pandemic movie
Streetcar Named Desire, A (1951): MY favourite Brando film
Great Expectations (1946): One of the best Dickens adaptations; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Dictator, The (2012): Enjoyable but,trashy
Bruno (Brüno) (2009): If you like this kind of humour its hilarious
Borat (Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan) (2006): Very Funny
Late Spring (1949): Most of his movies are great...this one especially
Devils, The (1971): Shocking and disturbing film that has polarised critics for a long time The version to see is director's cut (117 minutes)rnbut is unavailable at the moment.
Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982): Woody Allen loose take on Bergman's "Smiles of a Summer Night. Funny in parts; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Zentropa (Europa) (1991): Really good. One of his best
All About My Mother (1999): One of his best; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Halloween (1978): One of the all time great Horror/Thriller movies
La Strada (The Road) (1955): One of my fav Fellini Movies, along with Nights of Cabiria. Great performance by Fellini's wife, rnGiulietta Masina rn
Flavour Of Green Tea Over Rice, The (Ochazuke no aji) (1952): Very enjoyable movie about 50s life in Tokyo
Tokyo Story (1953): One of Ozu's best movies, and a favourite of numerous critics; DVD ~~$39.95~~ $29.95
Sarah's Key (2010): Very good movie. Scott thomas great
Boys from the Blackstuff (TV Series) (1989): Bernard Hill is unforgettable in this very good drama
American Crime Story: People vs O.J. Simpson, The (TV Series) (2016): Good series about The OJ Simpson case with good performance by Gooding Jr. as OJ
Silence of the Lambs, The (1991): One of my favorite suspense films...excellent.
Along Came a Spider (2000): Quite a good suspenser. Morgan Freeman good, as usual
Out of the Past (1947): One of my favourite noir movies
Atonement (2007): Nice cinematography, but very overrated
Exorcist II - The Heretic (1977): Not a great follow up to the Exorcist
Exorcist III, The (Exorcist 3) (1990): A pretty good scary movie
Deadwood - Season 1 (TV Series) (2004): One the best TV series of this genre I have ever seen
Ida (2013): Good, but very bleak...a bit short too.
Cold War (2018): After watching a trailer for the movie I thought it would be very good, but was disappointed.rnAt 85min, I found this far too short, and a bit disjointed.rnThe story moves to Paris in 1964 too quickly.rnGood cinematography and acting.
Fury (2014): Fairly well done WW2 movie, Pitt and LaBoef deliver ok acting performances.Some good action scenes. It’s all been done before, but this is still well done
In Search of the Trojan War (1985): Very good doco on history and discovery of Troy
Man for All Seasons, A (1966): One of the better historical dramas; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962): Great acting. Campy and creepy .
Grand Hotel (1932): Good oldie, with great acting and memorable scenes
Pandora's Box (1928): Good watch for Brooks fans. Doco feature is very interesting
Diary of a Lost Girl (1929): Great visuals, and and Brooks is very beautiful.rnDated , but an interesting watch for Brooks fans...at 74 min it is a bit short and the story happens a bit fast.
Great Escape, The (1963): Good pow movie with some exciting chase scenes; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Stalag 17 (1952): Pretty good prisoner of war drama
Line of Duty (TV Series) (2012): One of the best police dramas ever made.
Bleak House (Mini-series) (2005): Very enjoyable Dickens, great acting
Duchess of Duke Street, The (TV Series) (1976): Classic TV with some fine performances by main characters
Sawdust and Tinsel (Gycklarnas Afton) (1953): Enjoyable Bergman, good cinematography and fine performance by Harriet Anderson
Camomile Lawn, The (1992): Very enjoyable peroid drama with good acting…interesting for the very early TV performances by Jennifer Ehle and Tara Fitzgerald, who are both good
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005): All music and Dylan fans will love this. Shines much light on the music worlds enigma that is Bob Dylan
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Running Down a Dream (2007): Very good Doco of the Tom and the history of the band. Very long thoughrn
Devil's Whore, The (TV Mini-series) (Devil's Mistress) (2008): Pretty good period drama
Onedin Line, The (TV Series) (1974-1980): very enjoyable series
Stunt Man, The (1980): O’Toole and Railback give good performances….surprisingly good movie
In Cold Blood (1967): Very good adaptation of Capote’s book
Night of the Hunter, The (1955): Beware of cut versions of this movie…good if it the fully restored version. Very good cinematography.
Cape Fear (1962): One of my fav movies…menacing in a subtle way. Mitchum is great as the villian
True Detective - Season 1 (TV Series) (2014): Really good suspencer; Blu-Ray ~~$25~~ $18.75
True Detective - Season 3 (TV Series) (2019): Just as good as the great season one.
Big Little Lies - Season 1 (TV Mini-series) (2017): Some of the scenes are hard to watch…and can be very dark.rnGood performances by all the cast esp. Nicole Kidman as wife who is married to abusive husband
Desperate Housewives (TV Series) - Season 1 (2004): Enjoyable at times, but very soapy
Last Picture Show, The (1971): A five star movie
Wire, The - Season 1 (TV Series) (2002): My fav cop drama of all time
American Beauty (1999): Great movie…kinda disturbing at times esp. the ending
American Pie (1999): Fuuny, crude and good if you like this kind of comedy
40 Year Old Virgin, The (2005): Good, but silly at times
There's Something About Mary (1998)
Mask, The (1994)
She's the One (1996): Good romantic drama.
Sidewalks of New York (2001): Good Ed Burns movie….satisfying
From Hell (2001): Very good version of the Ripper story…the ending is good, but maybe not what happened in real life
Swingers (1996)
Rumble Fish (1983): Ok Coppola movie
Diner (1982): Entertaining enough
Prince and the Pauper (1937): Very enjoyable movie, great acting
Decalogue - Parts 1 - 5 (Dekalog) (1988): Exceptional cinema
Ordet (1955): One of Dreyer’s best
Sharp Objects (TV Mini-series) (2018): DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Ben-Hur (1959): Ben Hur is a classic film that is still great esp. the Chariot race scene ith Charlton Heston
Sunset Boulevard (1950): One of my fav films. Swanson and Holden great, Very good movie
To Catch a Thief (1954): Very enjoyable, light, Hitchcock. Cary Grant very good as the thief.
Rear Window (1954): Classic Hitchcock, with great performances from the two leads
Vertigo (1958): One of Hitchcock's very best
Honourable Woman, The (TV Mini-series) (2014): Great cast . Interesting plot, with Gyllenhaal a stand–out,rnalong with Stephen Rea.
Jailhouse Rock (1957): Probably one of Elvis’ best movie
Crimes of Passion (1984): Kathleen Turner very good in this.
Black Dahlia, The (2006): Nice to look at at, some good acting, but ending bizarre and full of plot holes. Hilary Swank is wasted in this. De Palma goes completely off the rails on his story of who actually carried out the murder. Mia Kirshner is very good as Liz Short.
Lolita (1962): All leads very good in this. James Mason is excellent. Read the book too...its very good.
Dances with Wolves (1990): One of Costner's best. Long but very good story of rogue army officer living and sympathizing with American Indians
3 Days of the Condor (Three Days of the Condor) (1975): Excellent movie about CIA corruption and Redford as survivor who tries to bring this to light.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
No Way Out (1987): Enjoyable suspense movie. Hackman and Costner very good
Classic Albums - The Doors (2008): Interesting documentary on classic debut by the doors
Classic Albums - The Who (Who's Next?) (1997): Good doco about a fab album
Kids Are Alright, The (1979): One of the best music docos ever made
Tommy (1975): Fantastic music, but the whole movie is like a clollection of MTV videos joined together.
Hail, Hail Rock 'n' Roll (1987): Good Chuck Berry performances with many guests invited.rnKeith Richards keeps it all together musically as band leader and also keeps Chuck in check,…no sudden key changes etc..
Gimme Shelter (1970): Historic document of infamous concert at Altamount speedway. I think the Stones and, especially Mick Jagger were glad to finish the concert and quickly get out of the area.
When You're Strange: A Film About the Doors (2009): Always loved the Doors…good movie for fans and others
Cafe Society (2016): Enjoyable enough…minor Allen. K. Stew quite good in this
Panic Room (2002): Enjoyable suspencer
Ghost World (2001): Two female leads wonderful. Steve Bucsemi great as nerdy record clollector. All round excellent movie
Killing, The (1956): One of Kubrick good early films.
Helter Skelter (1976): Steve Railback is fantastic. A good movie of events that unfolded around the Tate/La Bianca murders and the lengthly court.
Californication (TV Series) (2007): Wonderful. David Duchovny as Hank is fab and some of the other characters weird and wacky.Good location shots of Venice and LA
Dexter (TV Series) (2006): Enjoyable and very watchable.M C Hall great as usual
Six Feet Under - Season 1 (TV Series) (2001): A very good tv series.Michael C Hall is fabulous as an uptight undertaker. Some great dark humour.
One from the Heart (1982): Wonderful visual feast and a very good soundtrack. Highly stylized but very enjoyable
Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972): Klaus Kinski gives his all in this visual feast by Herzog
Apocalypto (2006): Intense action movie with a wonderful chase scene and excellent visuals
New World, The (2006): Fabulous visuals.One of Malick’s best; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Barry Lyndon (1975): A beautiful looking movie, wonderful cinematography.rnA classic; DVD ~~$29.95~~ $20
Poldark (TV Series) (1975): Excellent, especially Robin Ellis
Shadow of a Doubt (1943): A good one by Hitchcock. Great acting. Subtle suspencer
Citizen Kane (1941): A masterpiece, but some characters can be a little bit carboard.Welles and Cotten are great and so is the way it is shot and how the story evolves; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Magnificent Ambersons, The (1942): Mostly very good. Great cinematography and would have been masterpiece had the studio not cut the film by 40 min and let Welles finish it. The ending is not whar Welles envisaged, and kind of a let down
Brideshead Revisited (2008): Not a bad remake of Brideshead. Emma Thompso great as usual. Well done
Forsyte Saga, The (TV Series) (1967): One of my all time favourite TV series.Eric Porter and Kenneth More great
Pallisers, The (TV Series) (1974): Solid costume drama.Susan Hampshire is wonderful; DVD ~~$30~~ $22.50
Frenzy (1972): One of Hichcocks best modern thrillers. Suspene galore and great acting
Gaslight (1944): Very good movie
Blue Velvet (1986): My fav Lynch movie.Wonderful
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992): A visual feast and some very strange goings on
Twin Peaks - Season 2 (TV Series) (1991): If you love Lynch you will enjoy this
Twin Peaks (1990): Weird but a good watch
Peyton Place (1957): Excellent, although a bit dated
Postman Always Rings Twice (1946): Very good, a bit dated …I prefer the remake
Humoresque (1946): Enjoyable oldie
A Bout de Souffle (Breathless) (1959): Very cool editing and interesting characters
Asphalt Jungle, The (1950): Very good heist movie
Cool Hand Luke (1967): DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Much Ado About Nothing (1973): Very good
Amadeus (1984): A great and entertaining movie. Tom Hulce is great as Mozart; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Ridicule (1996): Loved this costume drama…some cutting French humour
Dangerous Liaisons (1988): Very good…great performances; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Other Boleyn Girl, The (2008): Loved this
Six Wives of Henry VIII, The (TV Mini-Series) (1970): A very good movie about Henry VIii
Scarlet Pimpernel, The (TV Mini-Series) (1982): An entertaining watch
East of Eden (1955): One of Kazan’s best.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955): Still find this a good watch
Roman Polanski Collection, The (Knife in the Water, Repulsion, Cul-de-Sac) (1962-1966): A great package
Belle De Jour (Beauty of the Day) (1967): A must see!
Viridiana (1961): One of his more accessible movies and one of his very best
JFK (1991): Better to read a good and up to date book about the JFK assasination than watch this.Some facts are interesting but not really totally believable when you research this topic. A bit dated.
Pump Up the Volume (1990): Slater is great as a DJ in this enjoyable teen flick
8mm (1998): Violent and kinda repulsive but works for me as a thriller, even though Nick Cage is bit over the top
Scenes from a Marriage (1973): The best version to watch is the tv series at 281 min. The 168 min version seems disjointed and leaves you feeling that something is missing in this story of marriage breakdown
Cries and Whispers (1972): A masterpiece, with amazing cinematography, but some will find it confronting and hard to watch the harrowing story of slow death and relationships between sisters and caregiver.
Exorcist, The (1973): Some people find film a bit over the top with the effects and make up, but this still has the power to scare the shit out of you, especially if you tend to believe in the supernatural
Virgin Spring, The (1960): Deserved award winner from Bergman.
Smiles of a Summer Night (Sommarnattens Leende) (1955): One of his best.Some genuinely hilarious moments
War and Peace (1966): Wonderful epic
Brothers Mcmullen, The (1995): Enjoyed this story of Catholic brothers growing up in NY. Some good acting and some not so good but the story held my interest throughout
I Vitelloni (1953): Winner of Venice film festival Silver Lion 1953. Very good.rn
Moonstone, The (1972): Very good version of the story.Very enjoyable.
Nights of Cabiria (1957): My personal favourite Fellini film. Masina is great. Deserving of Oscar for best picture.Better than most of his other movies; DVD ~~$29.95~~ $20
Jewel in the Crown, The (TV Mini series) (1984): One of the best tv series about the Raj ever made
House of Eliott, The (TV Series) (1993): Very enjoyable period drama
Brideshead Revisited (Mini-series) (1981): My pick for best TV series of all time. Wonderful and pretty close to the Waugh novel. Irons and Andrews are superb; DVD ~~$49.95~~ $37.45
300 Spartans, The (1962): Not bad film with ok battle scenes. Enjoyed this
Idiot, The (Hakuchi) (1951): Good but kinda ruined by producers cut. Could have been great.
Rashomon (1951): One of Kurosawa’s best
Yojimbo (1961): One of the all time great Samaurai films
Hidden Fortress (1958): One of my favourite Kurosawa films
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956): Really good classic 50s sci–fi with underlying McCarthy message
Borgen - Series 1 (TV Series) (2010): One of the best Danish series I have seen
Killing, The - Series 1 (TV Series) (Forbrydelsen) (2007): Very good crime thriller with good performances by the main characters; DVD ~~$39.95~~ $29.95
Promise, The (TV Series) (2011): Really good series with a good story. Claire Foy is very good
Elizabeth R (TV Series) (1971): Superb series with great acting by Glenda Jackson. One of her best performances
Heathers (1989): One of my favourite teen black comedies
Remains of the Day (1993): A true to the book adaptation. Emma Thompson and Hopkins are superb
Howards End (1992): Very good adaptation of the classic novel
Berlin Station (TV Series) (2016): Very good series from start to finish – good acting, strong characters
Parasite (2019): Very good – full of dark humour; DVD $29.95 | Blu-Ray $34.95
Divided We Fall (2001)
Spartacus (1960): Kirk Douglas very good in this epic. Not really a Kubrick type of movie , but enjoyable.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Kiss the Girls (1997): Not as bad as some critics say – quite suspenseful and the acting is good esp. Morgan Freeman.
Come and See (1985)
Europa, Europa (1991)
Gloomy Sunday (Ein Lied Von Liebe Und Tod) (1999)
Holocaust (TV Mini-series) (1978)
Persona (1966): Great performances by Andersson and Ullmann
Fanny and Alexander (1983): Good movie – Though best to watch the 312 min TV series version. Outstanding
Wild Strawberries (1957): Probably Bergman's best
Seventh Seal, The (1957): One of Bergman's best
Ma Nuit Chez Maud (My Night at Maud's / My Night with Maud) (1969): Overrated. Not one of his better films. Good locations shots – but falls flat in plot
Hi Mom! (1970): One of De Niro's early movies. Very good
Food, Inc. (2008): Shocking and enlightening. A must see to know how food is produced in the US.rnCattle are fed corn, when they have eaten grass for centuries, to speed up the growth of the animal.rnThe part about what Monsanto are up to was rather shocking too.
Lives of Others, The (2006)
Downfall (Der Untergang) (2004): Bruno Ganz is excellent

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emjay’s Film Reviews