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Susan's Movie Reviews Page

Films I Like

I present them by themes; the last theme on this page is "my favorite movie."

The Movies

Least Understood Movie by Most People - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory This movie is very deceptive; it is not just a children's movie with simple morality rules thrown in.  I believe most people fail to notice the entire movie is an allegory for Christianity, especially for St. Paul's teachings. Brilliantly done, it gets its message across, and you don't even know you have just been evangelized. Entertaining for adults due to its serious theology. OK for kids, if you want to indoctrinate them into the Church at an early age before they are old enough to reason for themselves. On the other hand, perhaps most people never are old enough.  Read other people's reviews or rent it now online.
Most Heart-Wrenching Musical - Fiddler on the Roof Intensely powerful movie. It is interesting to contrast the parts of this story that revolve around women's choices and their relationship with their family and the culture they were brought up in, with events in the movie Titanic, which covers these same issues in a much different setting.    Read other people's reviews.  Rent it now or buy the VHS standard or widescreen; or DVD
A Good Musical - West Side Story I haven't rented this one in awhile, but I remember that I liked it.  The film's strong points are its song and dance scenes, they are very good. They are so good, and so obviously "staged", that it gives the movie a sort of fantasy air; no one would think these people are real. Escapist entertainment that still "works" though, as its easy to "suspend disbelief". It does have some gripping moments at the end, though, that feel real.   Read other people's reviews.  Rent it now or buy the VHS standard, widescreen, or DVD
Best  "Happy" Musical  - The Sound of Music This 1965 blockbuster movie based on a stage Rogers and Hammerstein musical won five Oscars, including Best Picture. Filmed on location in Austria, I was entranced by the beauty of the architecture and scenery shown. Of course the music in the film has become classic. Julie Andrews was the star and heart of this movie, and she was wonderful! I was mesmerised by her performance, and riveted by the character she portrayed. Unfortunately, there is a definite dividing point in the film. The second half of the film did not impress me, as "historical" events overshadow the initial story about Andrews' character Maria. The scenes begin to look phoney and contrived as the film attempts to tell a story based on Austria's real-life Von Trapp family and their reaction to Nazism. Still, overall an excellent movie.  Read other people's reviews or rent it now online!
Best Use of a Double - Flashdance "When you give up your dream, you die."  A movie I find very special, though it has its flaws. A strong soundtrack and erotic dance scenes help develop the film's messages.  "What a feeling!"  Rated R for brief nudity.  Read other people's reviews at Amazon.com  Not available in DVD; buy it in VHS standard from Amazon.com
Best Cult Film - The Rocky Horror Picture Show "It was great when it all began..." Only, in 1975 when shown in theatres, it was a total flop.  Then a New York theatre booked it as a midnight show, a circle of devotees used it to turn a movie into a party, and a new form of entertainment was born!  This movie since has spawned an international following.  I think it defines the term "cult movie." People discovered that this movie is at its best not being watched like an ordinary film, but rather used as the theme and backdrop for audience participation and public partying. You don't sit and watch Rocky Horror home alone; you gather your friends, you gather your props, you even dress up as a character, then you go to a midnight showing in a public theatre and participate in a mass party! The first time you are a "virgin" but soon you will be wanting to do the "Time Warp" again!  Read other people's reviews at Amazon.com  Currently unavailable in VHS; but you can rent it now in DVD format online.
Best Movie About Classical Music  - Amadeus In a movie supposedly about Mozart, for me it is the minor composer Salieri who steals the show!  If you see this movie, you will know why! The movie was the first to get me excited about classical music.  "Music made by God. Change one note....and there is diminishment."  Read other people's reviews.  Rent it now or buy the VHS standard, VHS widescreen or DVD
Best Science Fiction Ecology Film - Silent Running If you think George Lucas invented cute robots, guess again; while I won't claim he stole from this movie, do take a good look at the robots in this film, made years before Star Wars.  Read other people's reviews at Amazon.com  Rent it now in DVD or buy the VHS standard version.
Greatest Ape in Hollywood - King Kong(1933)  I would not want Kong to have a crush on me.  This special edition has the spider scene included, as well as other scenes that later were censored out.  Read other people's reviews. or buy the VHS special edition
Most Subtle Opening Credits, Hidden Symbolism - Godzilla: King of the Monsters (1956) This movie opens to thundering "booms" - naturally suggesting a fictitious monster, right? But is that all they mean? Consider the Allied bombing campaign that just eleven years prior to the making of this movie, destroyed Tokyo, and  almost every other city in Japan. At the time this movie was made, although Japan was no longer considered occupied, it still had to cope with the American influence. I think this movie was a kind of national catharsis for Japan. I know this may seem far-fetched, but consider that the Japanese in the summer of 1945 had just seen their homes destroyed, for real, by a huge monster that towered over them, impervious to all their weaponry: the massive fleet of B-29's of the US Army Air Corps. The B-29 monster flattened everything, burned everything, and breathed radioactive fire, to boot - destroying Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The parallels to the movie are too close for coincidence. Had I ever been bombed, I don't think I could listen to the opening credits without horrible flashbacks. This first Godzilla film was meant for adults; after this one, the sequels became aimed at kids, devoid of any ulterior themes, and simply commercial in intent.  Read other people's reviews or rent it now in DVD format.
Best Horror Films - Night of the Living Dead and  the sequel, Dawn of the Dead Night of the Living Dead is my idea of  what a scary movie should be like. Dawn of the Dead is an excellent sequel. I don't like "slasher" or "gross" movies; I don't watch many films in the Horror category. This movie and its sequel more than held my interest, though.  Read other people's reviews. Buy or rent them in DVD now.
Favorite Anti-Nuclear Arms Film - Terminator 2: Judgment Day More complex than its predecessor, The Terminator, but not better in my opinion, just different. I liked both. I only saw these movies because they were made by the man responsible for creating Titanic, James Cameron. After Titanic, I will watch anything Cameron is involved with! I do find Arnold quite handsome and charming; as a Valkyrie, I always keep an eye out for heroes. Cameron's messages about men and women, displayed in this film as in other films of his, greatly appeal to me.  Read other people's reviews.  Rent it now or buy the VHS widescreen or DVD Criterion edition
Most Beautiful Nature Scene - Walkabout The bathing scene is perhaps the most beautiful ever done on film. My cat watches this film just to see Jenny Agutter in the nude, I think.  Read other people's reviews.  Rent it now or buy the standard or DVD version
Best Silent Comic Propaganda Film - Modern Times Professional critics prefer Chaplin's other works, like The Gold Rush, but Modern Times is my favorite. One can enjoy it as a hilarious group of silent skits, the kind Chaplin was a master of; but it is pleasing to see a deeper meaning in a work, even if one does not believe in the validity of the doctrine given. Chaplin inserted, very cleverly, an allegory describing the basic theories of communism into the action of the film. The themes of the alienation of the workers, the ever growing squeezing of the workers in the name of profit, the role of the professional revolutionary, even a description of how the workers themselves must be made to suffer so that they will finally revolt; it is all here. Impressive. (No, I am not a Marxist; I just enjoy the way Chaplin did the movie. Chaplin himself was "Red".) Oh - and the movie is very funny, even if you miss all the symbolism.  Read other people's reviews Rent it now or buy the standard VHS . Not available in widescreen VHS or DVD.
Favorite Movie (runner up) - Forrest Gump One of the few films that is far better than the book. I laughed, I cried, and I enjoyed the symbolism and subtle humor. A touching story about a mentally retarded man who most of us wish we could be as smart as. Truth is, we are all "Forrest Gumps;" none of us understands what is really going on in the universe. I empathize with Jenny in the film, too. This is by far my favorite Tom Hanks film; I think it is his best role; it is far harder playing an idiot than a soldier as in Saving Private Ryan.  Read other people's reviews Rent it now or buy the standard VHS or widescreen VHS. Not available in DVD.
My Favorite Film -  James Cameron's Titanic (1997)  This is it! This is "my" movie! Winner of eleven Academy Awards (no movie has had more); most popular film ever, measured in box-office receipts. Film making at its modern finest.  Trust me, if you have not seen this movie, see it. It is worth your video rental money. This film is extremely well made. If you have not seen it because you think it is about a ship, and you already know that it sinks, your motive is mistaken. Things are not as they might appear; this movie is not about RMS Titanic. I would tell you more, but I don't want to ruin it for you.  After long contemplation, I have concluded that this is the best movie ever filmed. For you guys, especially, who balk at this, try seeing it again, alone, at home. Forget your preconceptions. Don't tell yourself it is a special effects movie, because it isn't. Don't tell yourself it is a stupid love story, because that is not entirely what it is about, either. Try to just watch; see if you catch the real theme. I will give you a clue (Thank you, Prowlercat!): notice where the point-of-view in the movie is.  Just who made this film into the blockbuster it was? It wasn't Leonardo DiCaprio that really filled all those theatre seats. The man who did it was James Cameron.  James Cameron wrote, directed, produced, filmed, edited, and even acted in this movie. Good work, James, you made film history! I am not even a film student, and I am studying how you did it. You never graduated from a film school, but I bet they all study you now!  You are king of the world in my book, Mr. Cameron!  Rent it now or buy the standard VHS standard or Spanish or  widescreen or  DVD

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