Synopsis:

In 1985, an ambitious young broker, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), is lured into the illegal, lucrative world of corporate espionage. His downfall culminates as a result of his addiction to the seductive enticement of power, status and financial wizardry promised to him by Wall Street legend Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas).

Review:

Janwillem Van De Weterling once said that: “greed is a fat demon with a small mouth, and whatever you feed it is never enough”. Greed is good according to Gordon Gekko. It is the template of society. Without greed, there would be no progression, no desire, no nothing.

Michael Douglas’ portrayal of Gordon Gekko is masterly. The slick and calculating financier who uses and abuses the people around him is perhaps one of the most vile and despicable characters in film history. However, for as much as the audience hates him, they can never take their eyes off of him. He controls the gaze through his manipulation and twisting of the emotional core found within the people he is trying to convince. As he notes to Bud Fox, there are no friends in the business world: “If you want a friend, buy a dog”.

Gekko’s name has clearly been inspired by the lizard that feeds off insects less powerful. Scaly and slithery, the gecko is a creature that is quite innocent from a physical perspective, but is driven by a desire to live and survive in the jungles of the land from all adversaries. Gordon Gekko is exactly the same. He is not content with merely surviving in the jungles of the business world, but rather is determined to destroy all of his competition with a vengeance. He is a greedy, self absorbed mongrel but people attach themselves to him as if they were moths to a flame. Bud Fox fits this analogy to a tee, and is definitely burned by it.

The 1980s were a decade in search of an identity. The 1960s and 1970s had been tumultuous years for America, and great change was thus needed in the 80s in order to instill some sort of defined leadership to appease society. When Ronald Reagan entered the White House in 1980, he demanded alterations in hopes of witnessing the revival of The United States of America. He pushed forward the prospect of individual freedom and the idea that the individual could accomplish anything on the strength of himself, rather than through a reliance on government institutions. In connection with this, Reagan also wanted to reinvigorate the United States economy.  Driven by the idea that dreams could be accomplished through capitalistic practices, America became a self-absorbed culture of excess. Greed was good!

Bud Fox is a man driven by these very needs. A broker who frantically must sell himself to clients all day long finally begins to become disillusioned with his current status. At one point, he notes that he wonders when he will be on the other end of the line. Instead of selling, he wants to be buying. His desire is to be like Gordon Gekko. He is passionate and determined and after 40 days of constant harassment, Gekko finally agrees to see Fox. But he is in over his head from the get go. When he enters Gekko’s luxurious office (which is ten times the size of his apartment on the upper west side ofNew York), he stares in amazed wonderment. Gekko is such an imposing figure that he intimidates the young Fox. Being slightly coy with him, he demands that Bud tell him something worthwhile. He is playing and toying with him the entire time (just setting him up for the kill). That is until Fox surprises him with a tip. Gekko no longer feels the need to kill him off (figuratively) and cast him back out in the harsh world of bureaucratic business. Gekko understands that he can now use him and mold him into someone who can help him become even richer.

Fox is so enamored by the chance to alter his present situation of financial strain that he quickly becomes enveloped into the lecherous world of Gekko.  Immediately, Fox begins to change both externally and internally. His suits become darker, his hair becomes slicker rather then frazzled, his ideals begin to change and arrogance begins to manifest itself from within (which has never been transparent before). In one instance, his desire to become someone has corrupted his ideals, and thus transforms him into the man Gekko wants him to be.

Oliver Stone provides an interesting sub-story at this point of the film. Fox’s father, Carl (Martin Sheen), is an honorable working class man who fixes airplanes. He is a morally centered man. He dreams that his son will make something of his life and desires the best for him. He truly cares for his son whereas Gekko merely uses him. In a sense, Carl Fox and Gordon Gekko are vying for the soul of Bud. He must choose between the ideals emphasized by the character traits of these two men. Bud’s desire has always been to become successful and rich, and he is easily manipulated by the temptation of what Gekko has to offer him. Gekko not only blackens the soul of Bud, but he also becomes a new father figure to him by lavishing gifts and women on him (which Carl never had the ability to do). Bud turns his back on his father because success has tainted him. Money has become his life; his new family (quite reminiscent of an important Biblical story involving God, Jesus, and the temptations by The Devil).

‘Wall Street’ is not a perfect film in any way. In fact, it is not one of Oliver Stone’s masterpieces. But it does capture a time period with magnificent clarity as a result of Stone’s ability to capture greed at its finest. With this being said, there are some elements that detract from the overall impact of the film. For instance, Darryl Hannah’s performance is forgettable, Sean Young’s turn as Gekko’s wife is small and unmentionable (she is barely in the film, although I assume that this is the point-the business world and personal world do not mix, and Gekko has clearly chosen the professional world as his family), the music is typical cheesy 80’s fare, and the self- reflecting dialogue by Fox is sometimes forced and illogical.

Though the story follows a familiar trajectory with rise, fall and redemption elements, there is still something truly intoxicating about the film. As we journey with Fox, we realize what he is becoming. He is no longer in control of his destiny. He has sold his soul to the devil in order to embrace superficial happiness. It is a morality tale that can speak to the likes of everyone. How much is too much? Is financial success the true meaning of happiness? Gekko is happy but he never truly lives in this film. He lives for the money and power but for nothing else. Is this the symbol of what life should be? Only you, the individual, can decide for yourself.

Synopsis:

A six year old child is institutionalized after murdering his sister but escapes fifteen years later. He returns to the scene of the crime where he systematically sets his sights on murdering a group of teenagers who happen to live in the area.

Review:

‘Halloween’ does not intend to disgust, nor does it aim to sicken. What it does instead is to truly frighten the audience like a good old fashioned horror film should. The film is ingenious in its attempt to create a mood through its impeccable restraint in pacing. The film does not rush into violence. It merely waits and waits, causing an unheard of apprehension within the audience, until it finds the right note and then strikes with a vengeance.

‘Halloween’ has been credited by many critics as a film that influenced the slasher film craze that bombarded theatres in the 1980s and 1990s.  Though not the first of its kind, this film did help to usher in an era of cinema that soon became monotonous and obvious. Films such as ‘Friday the 13^th’ (1980), ‘Terror Train’ (1980), ‘Prom Night’ (1980), and ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984) (as well as many others) all owe a tremendous amount of credit to ‘Halloween’. These films are mere exploitations of the success garnered by this film.

Some would say that there would never have been a ‘Halloween’ if it were not for ‘Psycho’ (1960). This is very true. ‘Psycho’ did set the standard of the modern day slasher film, but what ‘Halloween’ was able to do eighteen years later was to reshape and remold the genre into a viable, economically safe entity (‘Halloween’ was made for $325,000, and went on to make $47 million at the box office). The film arrived at a time when the film industry was looking for an easy and cheap way to make a profit. The slasher film provided this opportunity through its relatively unknown casts, cheap generic sets, and low production values. Nobody cared about the acting because it was all about a young beautiful cast being systematically eliminated/slaughtered by a ferocious beast.

As was noted earlier, ‘Halloween’ does not intend to disgust. The film is very deliberate in its pacing, which creates an aura of suspense and dread. Through every death scene we encounter, there is no rush to the finish line. From the first sequence of the film where we move around and about the house, our eyes being the lens of the camera dictated through a P.O.V. shot, we come to understand that this film is in no hurry to achieve an answer to the problems it is creating. During the first scene, the camera (situated outside) focuses on a young woman and a young man becoming intimate on the couch. They soon head upstairs to the bedroom. The camera turns and heads to the backdoor. The camera/character walks into the house and into the kitchen. The camera then pauses and looks at a drawer. A small, child like hand reaches down and pulls out a knife. As the camera/character makes its way to the stairs, it pauses and hides in the living room as the young male exits the house after his illicit affair. The camera then slowly makes its way upstairs and pauses, as we once again see a small hand reach out and pick up a small clown mask. The clown mask is then placed upon the camera and we enter a bedroom where the young, naked girl is combing her hair. As the camera moves closer, the girl becomes aware of the presence and turns. But it is too late. The character pulls out the knife and begins to assault her with it. This is a truly terrifying and unnerving beginning to a film. It is only when the character has exited the house and his mask is removed (this is where the P.O.V. perspective ends) that the audience discovers that it is a young boy in a clown costume. The use of music, lighting, and camera shots all add tension to an already disturbing sequence.

The film is very simple in its structure. A killer is sent away only to escape and return home to continue his onslaught. The theme has become a staple of the horror genre because of its relatively simple explanation as to why there is a killer on the loose. If the technique worked once and made the film a tremendous amount of money, then why not exploit it for future use.

John Carpenter directed this film, and though I do not care for many of his movies (‘Ghosts of Mars’ (2001) anyone?), Carpenter perfectly balances suspense with the mundane. As characters speak, they do so in relatively normal, boring teenage banter. However, Carpenter never allows the audience to forget about this unknown presence that has infiltrated the normality of this city. Carpenter’s framing and camera angles (his use of the foreground and background in many scenes are amazing in their structure, and have been clearly lifted by countless others intending to recreate the same effect for their horror films), are wonderfully exploited, and he achieves a tremendous amount of detail from them. For instance, in one scene where Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) is walking away from the camera down the street, Carpenter positions the camera perfectly to capture the shoulder of the killer (Michael Myers) enter the foreground of the frame and watch her as she walks away. Laurie is unaware of her dangerous predicament, but the audience is now fully alerted to this unknown, unseen presence. We pray that she will just turn around.

John Carpenter also composed the music to this influential horror film, and no review would be complete without mentioning it. To say the least, the music is eerie and terrifying. The amount of emotional attachment the music connotes is remarkable in that it sets the mood of the film from the very beginning. The audience is fully aware that this is not going to be a happy story. It is going to strive to unnerve, disturb, and frighten. The music is highly representative of the power of this picture. Even today, the piece is still one of the most recognizable themes in film history.

For those who have not seen this film, do it. Certain scenes from the film were not discussed for the simple reason that it would alter the experience of witnessing them for the first time. This film has become highly influential, and the character of Michael Myers is now viewed as a truly iconic figure within the horror genre.

See it for many reasons but definitely see it for the pacing of the story and the construction of a truly frightening atmosphere. The use of lighting adds a sense of dreariness and bleakness to the overall understanding and reading of the film. However, the greatest achievement of this film is in it’s refusal to become a blood and gore fest. The film relishes in its role as a suspense picture. In many ways, the film is more of a thriller/suspense then an outright horror flick. It is one of the greatest suspense films ever created, and most likely one of the more important one’s of the past thirty-five years.

It has now been nineteen years since the third and (apparent) final installment of Indiana Jones hit theatres. In 1989, it appeared that Indiana had partaken in his final adventure (in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) as the whip-cracking hero. However, after numerous story ideas and a revolving door of screenwriters, the series has finally struck back with a vengeance in 2008.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the embodiment of what a summer movie should be. Action, adventure, comedy and preposterous plots help to define what a summer movie is, and these categories truly hold meaning for this film. Yet for all the action that is included, there is a limited use of computer generated imagery (CGI) present. In more ways then one, the film relies heavily on old school tactics (stunt man as opposed to computer effects) to not so much create a sense of realism, but as to create a sense of nostalgia.

The film truly embraces its past. Just because technology has advanced does not mean it needs to be exploited for the purpose of creating a greater sense of adventure. Indiana Jones works as a result of the audiences’ previous understanding of this character. He is not perfect and is constantly apprehended. He is an accidental hero improvising the steps. Yet, he is more real as a result, and that is what makes him so relatable.

This being said, the film is more then just mindless entertainment. Starring a now 65 year old Harrison Ford, and directed by veteran Steven Spielberg, the Indiana Jones series has become a reinvigorated and fresh adventure to be embraced by everyone.

The Plot of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones’ (Harrison Ford) newest adventure begins in the desert Southwest in 1957 — the height of the Cold War. Indy and his sidekick Mac (Ray Winstone) have barely escaped a close scrape with nefarious Soviet agents on a remote airfield. Now, Professor Jones has returned home toMarshallCollege– only to find things have gone from bad to worse. His close friend and dean of the college (Jim Broadbent) explains that Indy’s recent activities have made him the object of suspicion, and that the government has put pressure on the university to fire him.

On his way out of town, Indiana meets rebellious young Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), who carries both a grudge and a proposition for the adventurous archaeologist: If he’ll help Mutt on a mission with deeply personal stakes, Indy could very well make one of the most spectacular archaeological finds in history — the Crystal Skull of Akator, a legendary object of fascination, superstition and fear.

That is all that will be mentioned as it in the viewer’s best interest to discover the wonders of this film firsthand. With this being said, the film does magnificently capture the 1950s era through its focus on the threat of Communism, the Cold War, nuclear bombs, Harley Davidson’s and leather jackets, the emergence of rock n’ roll, greasers, and a new found fascination with U.F.O.’s.

For anyone who has seen an Indiana Jones film, the structure of the plot will not deviate from past experiences. There are chases sequences, vile enemies, disgusting creatures, over-the-top wild action and so on. The film follows the previous three films construction to a tee, but yet stands on its own as a wonderful piece of escapism. One truly gets a sense of wonderment as the action and plot unfolds onscreen.

The Characters of Indiana Jones

Whereas most summer films displace characterization with action, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has an intent focus on building character relations in association with creating nail-biting tension. As a result, the characters are wonderfully brought to life through a wide arrange of award winning actors (such as John Hurt).

However, it is Cate Blanchett as Irina Spalko that truly mesmerizes the eyes. She is cold and calculating and dominates every frame she is in. She is perhaps one of the strongest female characters in recent memory on the big screen. Blanchett’s acting range can hardly be compared to anyone else at the present moment, and her turn as a truly vindictive villainous adds yet more range to her already impressive resume.

However the film would not survive ten minutes if it were not for Harrison Ford. Ford is not the greatest or most compelling actor ever, but he is extremely charismatic. He magnetically holds the glance of the audience. Not just because he is Indiana Jones, but rather because of his nonchalant approach to playing this now iconic character. He was born for the role.

It would have been a tremendous shame if the film had not lived up to expectations (though it is not a perfect film). Threatening the iconic status of the series with one final showing may have contaminated what had previously come before it. However, the film is extremely entertaining and, though it may not live up to Raiders of the lost Ark (1981), is still a relevant piece of escapist fare. It deserves to be mentioned alongside the previous trilogy as a worthy ally.