Dead Poets Society

Film set in 1959 (based on screenwriter Schulman's own experiences at academy) about liberal English teacher Williams influencing his students who attend all-boys Welton Academy. Focuses more on the group of boys, but Williams is able to work his off-the-cuff dialogue enough to keep you reminded that it's still him. Absolutely beautiful Northeastern setting, with excellent enough pacing to keep you entertained the entire way through. The boys are surprisingly less dorky than you'd think. The film never takes the easy way out, with Weir and Schulman seeming perfectly content with impending gloom. Kudos also for developing how important teachers can be to their students and vice versa. Williams' character was inspired by Samuel Pickering.

The Wedding Singer

After being ditched at the alter, wedding singer (and aspiring rockstar) Sandler decides to give up love for good and live life as a bachelor, until he falls for coworker Barrymore and ends up helping her plan her wedding to womanizing Glave. The soundtrack is amongst some of the better 1980s playlists out there, and even if you don't care about a retro flashback, this outing is still a charming romantic-comedy. Some of the laughs are more side-jokes than plot related, and Sandler has a few moments of his annoying trademark tirade, but why pry too much when it has the fun, romance and ability to be replayed no different than your favorite '80s record?

Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Reminiscent of his tenure as Batman, Keaton is perfect as a washed-out celebrity famous for the eponymous role whose Broadway play acts as a reflection for his fear of worthlessness. The film is structured to appear like one long take, where we are able to branch off into other characters' stories who reveal a similar fear of being insignificant. One of a kind and never boring. Met with overwhelming acclaim, including the Oscar for Best Picture. Main character's decisions in the third act are a bit too questionable for everyone to be gaga over this outing, but all-around outstanding performance (especially by Norton) will carry any dead weight.

The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden

German and French expatriates relocate to the Galapagos Island of Floreana, where their dreams of solitude take a tragic turn after a series of disappearances. A cast of voice-actors wonderfully narrate the writings of the residents, while current interviews from those who live on the islands paint a vivid picture of what the settlers were searching for and what could've gone wrong. The whole affair is brilliantly pieced together in a cinematic three-act structure, with the majority of the subject's actions being shown through photographs, newspaper clippings and archive footage. Shortening or cutting out an interview or two would've improved the pacing. Meant to shed light, not give answers. If you want a realistic story of trouble in Paradise, look here!

Mission: Impossible

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Impossible Missions Force (IMF) team are assigned to retrieve a non-official cover list (NOC list), but they are ambushed by another spy team and killed one by one. Any survivors are left to take the blame for the murders, learning the original mission was a setup designed to lure out a mole. More confusing than it needs to be, but is eventful and well-acted enough to have major replay value. De Palma's use of foreshadowing might sadly go unappreciated to those willing to watch only once. Fans of the television series will likely be displeased with the lack of mind-games among other things. Those who don't hold the show dearly or have never seen it will find this outing quite satisfying.

National Lampoon's Vacation

Cornball family man Clark Griswold (Chase) takes his family on a road-trip from Chicago to Los Angeles, and they run into plenty of bumps and detours along the way. Sets expectations for being a standard goofy comedy typical of its type, and then suddenly amps the crudeness at all the right spots. Cousin Eddie (Quaid) is underused, but we thankfully see much more of him in Christmas VACATION; however, here, we still get other fun supporting characters like Aunt Edna (Coca) who add just the right amount of zest to make this an outstanding full of great lines, fun locations and non-stop laughs. The Lindsey Buckingham soundtrack is both nostalgic and timeless. Followed by EUROPEAN VACATION.

The Goonies

1980's adventure classic that brings pirate legend into 20th century Astoria, OR. A group of preteens stumble upon clues of a lost treasure nearby and decide to go on one last adventure before their homes are torn down to help expand a country club. Nostalgic but also timeless, offering enough originality to make it memorable while also sticking fairly close to the typical treasure hunt adventure. The character development gives off the feeling like there were so many adventures before and so many more to come… but, behold, only one movie was ever made. Ramsey is always a terrific villainess, while Davi and Pantoliano have the right/intentionally-wrong chemistry as her two convict sons who are more interested in bickering and fighting for their mother's love than following the trail of the Goonies. Then we have the side-story of Chunk (Cohen) and Sloth (Matuszak), a duo that is worthy enough to have their own spin-off. Cyndi Lauper's song is also very fitting.

Rosemary's Baby

Instant horror classic concerning mother-to-be Farrow growing more and more suspicious that those closest to her are plotting some sort of sinister ritual involving the baby once it's born. Brilliantly shot with beautiful sets, smooth establishing shots, and several impressive single-shot scenes. Most of the acting is excellent for the era, with the few bumps getting disguised nicely; and an overall evenly paced conflict leading to a timeless climatic scene. Second installment in Polanski's trilogy of self-contained films about a protagonist's horrific experiences in an apartment setting. Tony Curtis is the voice on the phone and William Castle is the man near the phone booth.

The Green Mile

Unusual but charming blend of crime, drama and fantasy based on the 1996 Stephen King novel of the same name, which follows death row corrections officer Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) during the Great Depression in the United States, and the supernatural events he and his fellow guards witness by gentle and simple-minded prisoner John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), who is accused of child murder and rape. With many charming characters and fun subplots, this epic outing is enjoyable from start to finish. Dabbs Greer's final film, whose character—an elderly Edgecomb—tells the story in a flashback format. A very touching masterpiece.

GoodFellas

Classic gangster flick adapted from co-screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi's 1987 non-fiction book WISEGUY about Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and his friends working their way up through the Lucchese crime family, and the benefits and consequences that await them. After all these years, it's still all around excellent. Truthfully, it breaks the show-don't-tell rule several times, what with iconic scenes and a flawless soundtrack getting drowned out by voice-over way too frequently; but, hey, if someone were to ever reinvent the wheel, it's only right that it'd be Scorsese.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Based on the 1955 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith, the first in the Ripley series or "Ripliad". Damon plays the titular character, who is a master imposter that takes full advantage of the random opportunities that cross his path, and makes full use of people's willingness to assume they're always being told the truth. After playing a gig as a substitute pianist at a cocktail party in New York City, Ripley accepts a generous offer from Herbert Greenleaf (Rebhorn) to go to Italy to track down his son Dickie (Law), who is having the time of his life against his father's approval. When things falls into place for Ripley to scheme his way to the easy life, he finds himself fitting right in with Dickie; but when things start to fall apart, blood is shed. For the viewer seeking a conventional plot structure, the movie does have its slow moments; but others will appreciate the psychological unfolding of the story, with the viewer rooting that the villain gets away with it, while also getting swept up in Law's toxic charm just like the regretful characters. Beautiful settings as well.

Dallas Buyers Club

Most actors try their best with every role they take on, but then there's that rare opportunity that requires a physical transformation into the character, and Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto take on the challenge by taking off nearly 80 pounds between the two of them. The former plays a homophobic rodeo cowboy and electrician, the latter plays a transgender drug-addict; together, they set their differences aside to build and operate an underground pharmaceutical market to treat others livings with AIDS just like them. McConaughey and Leto rightfully took home Oscars for their performances. Garner, O'Hare and Zahn work out nicely in supporting roles. Also won Best Makeup & Hairstyling, and nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst

Groundbreaking HBO miniseries about Robert Durst. Directed by Andrew Jarecki, who previously directed the Durst-inspired ALL GOOD THINGS (2010). The show follows the reclusive real estate scion through three unsolved murders with plenty of history and mystery—all of which Durst himself became a suspect in—as well as taking some time to detail Durst's complex early life that could either explain his eccentricity… or perhaps suggest his ability to commit the crimes in question. The documentary incorporates in-person interviews and phone conversations over the course of many years, all building up to a historical finale.

Foxcatcher

Based loosely on the story of multimillionaire heir John Eleuthère du Pont (Carell) financing 1984 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Mark Schultz (Tatum) for participation in wrestling competitions. Excellent performances all around—Carell definitely transforms, while Ruffalo is also memorable for the very charismatic Dave Schultz (Mark's older brother). The plot slowly heats up to a boiling ending, with its characters spiraling downhill—more of a quiet and intense film of crime and tragedy rather than wrestling. Not fully accurate, but Miller certainly tries to build multiple layers in order to compensate for cut corners. The script took several years to get off the ground, and the film spent almost an entire year in post production… the effort shows.

St. Vincent

Murray (who hasn't lost his comedic touch) plays a fouled-mouthed and drunken Vietnam War veteran who becomes the unlikely mentor of his 12-year-old neighbor (Lieberher) whose mother (McCarthy) works long hours. While a little overdone, Watts adds some extra laughs that go a long way, and O'Dowd underplays his charm as the boy's school teacher. Lieberher makes his theatrical debut, and is very likable, which can be a rarity for child actors who aren't in a family film; however, he is a bit too well-spoken at times, which tests the boundaries of believability. An A+ conclusion, but that's not to imply that the beginning and middle don't hit all the right notes either. Highly recommended.

Heckler

As a 'Top Reviewer' on IMDb, I have written many film reviews in my time; however, almost all of them are capsule reviews that include a plot summary, brief pros/cons, and maybe a quick noteworthy piece of trivia to add an eensy bit of fat. However, none have been more personal than HECKLER. Here is a rare PERSONAL summary:

I first watched HECKLER a couple of years after its release. Nobody likes a heckler, so the generic title was really an eye-catcher for me. Also, being a horror movie fan, I have a soft-spot for Jamie Kennedy who played Randy Meeks in the first three SCREAM films—possibly the horror genre's most underrated supporting character. My first viewing was at a buddy's studio apartment, and he and I both really enjoyed it.

What brought me to replay this movie a few years later:

I had recently discovered that one of my books had gotten a * out of ***** on Amazon.com by a reader. It included something along the lines of "the characters are as flat as the paper they're printed on" and some other harsh words that I don't wish to continue breathing life into. Deep down, I knew I shouldn't have cared; I get reviews and some of them are good, some are mixed and some are bad—this person's review made it pretty clear that they either didn't understand important elements of the story and/or it simply wasn't their cup of tea. On the surface, however, it was difficult not to be hurt.

I actually decided to give HECKLER a replay and it really helped. Not only did it remind me that others receive this on a similar scale, but also that I created something that puts me in the spotlight to get heckled. In a way, whether my work was praised or criticized, I made an accomplishment that put me in a position to get reception from others—and just being able to have myself out there in front of the world like that is quite an achievement, and that fact is what I should be focused on.

Also, Perez Hilton made a commendable comment in a deleted scene, explaining that because he dishes criticism, he has to accept criticism from others in return. While it might be an obvious point, it's an easy one to forget when you're down-in-the-dumps due to a bad review. I have written hundreds of reviews; and, yes, on occasion, I am willing to be blunt. Therefore, I need to move on and not let such a First World problem affect me creatively or emotionally.

HECKLER is an excellent comfort film for anyone who is in a positioned to be heckled or negatively reviewed.

Scrooged

The success and wealth of being a television programming executive has made Frank Cross (Murray) cold-hearted, cruel and cynical… greedy enough to head up a live Christmas Eve broadcast of A Christmas CAROL (referred to as SCROOGE), only to find his life hilariously mirroring the story he's producing. Add this one to the Holiday watch list, because despite its imperfections, it remains hilarious, entertaining and touching throughout the years. However, for a modernization on a timeless classic, you're very aware that you're watching an '80s movie. All four of Murray's brothers appear in the film.

Christmas Vacation

Based on short-story Christmas '59 by Hughes, this third installment in the VACATION series follows the Griswold family as they host a "fun old-fashioned family Christmas" only for laid back and mild mannered father Chase to be pushed beyond his limit of patience. Corny, yes, especially upon first viewing; but the gags remain fresh after several years, making this film a staple during Christmas. Watch closely and you will spot egg nog being sipped out of Wally World mugs! Final film of Mae Questel. The only VACATION movie to not feature the Lindsey Buckingham song "Holiday Road". The Griswold's adventure continues with VEGAS VACATION, while Cousin Eddie (Quaid) and Catherine (Flynn) have their made-for-TV spin-off Christmas VACATION 2: COUNIN EDDIE'S ISLAND ADVENTURE.

Terror at the Mall

Chilling HBO documentary covering the upmarket Westgate shopping mall shooting in Nairobi, Kenya. Mostly pieced together by surveillance footage (and even some cellphone video), leaving the viewer to get as up close and personal as a retelling account can get. The film lets the horror unfold without pulling any punches, an approach that makes this documentary recommended only for the strong stomached viewer. TERROR AT THE MALL is an overall commendable piece for highlighting the bravery of the civilians, and also making its focus on the victims as opposed to the shooters.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Very clever sequel to the 1990 blockbuster, with this McCallister Christmas vacation following Culkin as he wonders the Big Apple after boarding the wrong flight, only to bump into Pesci and Stern, whom have just escaped from prison and are still angry about their foiled plan from the previous year. Aside from a couple of minor characters, pretty much everyone from the first movie reprises their roles. Heard and O'Hara are still great (and still underrated) as the parents; however, it's Curry and Schneider in memorable scenes at the Plaza Hotel that make this outing an hilarious classic. John Williams expands on his score, making the soundtrack by itself worth listening to. But the film is not without its flaws: specifically, the story structure is way too similar to its predecessor, and the traps are far more irresponsible and less funny than the first. Still, if you love the original, this one will find its way onto your Holiday Watch List.