The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

By Jonathan Goodsell

Whenever anyone hears the word Phantom of the Opera, they immediately think of the daunting organ theme from Andrew Lloyd Weber’s musical. However, long before Weber wrote the classic adaptation, The Phantom of the Opera was a famous old, silent, black and white film. Made in 1925, The Phantom of the Opera starred the famous Lon Chaney as the Phantom himself. For those that have seen the musical, this film had a very similar plot. For those that don’t know the classic story, the Phantom lives in the cellars of the Paris opera house and haunts it. He takes on a young singer as his student and, in his attempt to bring her to stardom, raises chaos like never before at the opera house.

            Now it may be hard to imagine The Phantom of the Opera without any music, because that’s how everyone knows it. But it almost surprisingly made a stunning film to watch without hearing the infamous organ music. The thing that made this film enjoyable was all the body language. Since there was no speaking, the actors had to be able to portray what they were saying without saying it. It was kind of like watching a bunch of professional charade players. Granted at times it would get a little cheesy due to some over expressiveness, but it was all still really enjoyable and easily understandable.

            Though the film was black and white; they did an excellent job with the lighting. I know, that’s probably sounds a little weird, but here’s what I mean. This movie used a lot of shadows throughout the film instead of always showing the characters. For the first half of the film, you only saw the Phantom’s shadow. But even that had a way of making it that much more creepy. I must say that the thing I loved the most of this film was the makeup work though. The job Lon Chaney did to the Phantom was spectacular. He made the Phantom extremely creepy. I can imagine whole theaters in 1925 jumping in fear from his face. 

            For those that have never seen a silent black and white film, this would be great one to start with. It is extremely enjoyable and it’s a story anyone can fall in love with. Even if you’ve seen the musical, this is still a great new look at the beloved story of The Phantom of the Opera.

Gone With The Wind

By Jonathan Goodsell

Through one of the darkest periods in American history comes the most frustratingly beautiful romance story in Hollywood history. Gone with the Wind is the Academy Award winning Civil War chick-flick that won the hearts of a nation and still holds the overall box office record, if adjusted for inflation of course. Starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, Gone with the Wind tells the emotional and romantic life of Scarlett O’Hara (Leigh) and her love affair with Rhett Butler (Gable) as they live through the Civil War and fight for what they believe in and for what they love. As Scarlett O’Hara famously says, “As God is my witness, I will never go hungry again”.

This film had a very unique and almost charismatic screen play. It’s riddled with humorous phrases and remarks that keep the story flowing. My personal favorites are Scarlett’s use of phrases like “fiddle-dee-dee” and “great balls of fire”. The lighting and use of silhouettes was rather well done. The final shot with Scarlett standing silhouetted against the tree at Terra was, in my opinion, the perfect way to end the film has it set this conclusive mood that everything was complete. 

The charismatic Rhett Butler was rather enjoyable to watch. His carefree look upon life even during the war was what made me really love him. But the thing that really drove the movie was the chemistry between Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. Their romantic tension was perfect. Granted you wanted to slap Scarlett for all her blunders and immature actions, it all worked out. The only problem I had was that when the movie ended, it seemed like something was missing. The story appeared to be going one direction and ended going another, and which direction I’ll leave unsaid so as not to spoil it. But I guess that’s how the story goes and that’s how the director chose to do the film, so I can respect it.

            Overall, this was a very enjoyable film. Filled with humor, drama, romance, and even some action, it’s a film anyone can enjoy. It’s a film that, even though the life and time portrayed has gone with the wind, the story will last for generations to come.

The King's Speech

The King's Speech- R

By Jonathan Goodsell

When Inception was beat by The King's Speech for best picture, I knew I was missing out on something good. After seeing it, I see why it won. The King's Speech is the true story King George the VI (Collin Firth) and his struggle to overcome his speech impediment as he is called to become the King of England during World War II. With the help of a very unorthodox speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) and his wife (Helena Bonham Carter), King George works through his fears in order to be able to speak to his country during the time of war.
I wish they made more movies like this. It's simple, thought provoking, and just fun to watch. The main reason I love movies like this is because of the talent that goes into it. The job done by Collin Firth to pull of a stuttering speech impediment was just phenomenal. It was reminiscent of Sean Penn in I Am Sam and Leonardo DiCaprio from What's Eating Gilbert Grape. It was no surprise to me how he won an Academy Award for his job. All the other acting though was fun to watch. It was entertaining to see Helena Bonham Carter play something that wasn't dark and creepy. Tom Hooper did an excellent job of filming the show. It was just amazingly well done and really enjoyable to watch. It flowed almost perfectly and it was mellow in an old fashioned sort of way. There was nothing sophisticated about this movie. There were no special effects to take away from the plot. It was just good, old fashioned, classic story telling. Better yet, it was a story you could fall in love with, and I think that's what made this movie an instant classic.
The thing that bothered me about this movie though was that it easily could have gotten a PG-13 rating, maybe even a PG rating. There isn't any violence, no blood, nor any risque behavior. The only reason it received the R rating is because there is a scene when George's therapist gets him angry and he loses his temper and lets off strings of f-bombs and other strong words for about a minute straight. If you know where this scene is and hit your "mute" button in time, the rest of the movie is perfectly harmless and really amazing to see. So honestly, I'd find someone who's seen it and watch it with them because this really is a movie all will enjoy and love.
I haven't said this yet in this review. I loved this movie. It was just fantastic. It told it's story beautifully and was even humerus at times to watch. I would recommend it to anyone, granted you know where to mute it. So in my reviewer opinion, The King's Speech gets a royal 9.5/10

Schindler's List

Schindler's List- R

By Jonathan Goodsell

In my opinion, this is one of the greatest movie ever made. Starring Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley; Schindler's List tells the story of Oskar Schindler and his attempt to protect the Jews from the cruelty of the German Nazis. Schindler's List was a work of art. Despite the R rating, this is still a movie that all should see at one point in their lives. 

I loved this movie. It's no surprise that it won seven Academy Awards including best picture. It is extremely emotionally draining though. After I watched it, I sat around for probably an hour in a stupor of thought. What makes the movie so horrifying is that it's a true story. All the terrible things that happen in it, really happened. I think that's why it's so hard to watch. It's kind of like Titanic in that way. The acting was just superb. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch Ralph Fiennes the same again, which means it's a good thing I've seen all the Harry Potter all ready. But this was Liam Neeson at his best. I'm not sure if I've ever seen an acting job as good as his. It didn't surprise me that this was a Steven Spielberg film. He seems to be behind all the major hits. But this, this was special. This is by far one of his bests. The whole film was just so amazing and really well laid out. It wasn't complex and hard to understand, it was simple yet so full of detail it was just stunning. It was, simply put, a masterpiece. As good as it was though, I won't be watching it again soon. It's just so emotionally straining to watch, It'll take a while to want to watch it again. But when I do, I know I'll love it as much as I did the first time.
This movie was rated R for a reason, and that's something you need to realize before you watch it. But, there was no way the film could have been filmed and not received an R rating. Leaving out parts to get the lighter rating I believe would have been like telling a lie, it would have been immoral. We can't just pretend it never happened. We tell the story or we don't. There are a lot of bloody and merciless killings of Jews by Nazi soldiers. If the movie wasn't black and white, the blood and gore would have been way to much to handle. You also see plenty of other disturbing hardships the Jews are put through in the camps.You see groups of Jews stripped of their clothing and put through physicals; if they pass they were sent to get their clothes back, if not they were sent to the gas chambers. As graphic and clear as these scenes are, it's not meant to be in an inappropriate way, it's just what happened. There was some strong language, the one factor of the movie I believe they could have toned down. It wasn't exactly necessary to tell the story. I see why it was there to set the mood and try to explain the feelings going around, but for this film I believe it was still a lot more than needed. Most importantly I think you just have to remember that this movie is about the holocaust; it's depressing and almost aggravating to watch. So watch with caution, it's definitely not for your younger generation. But as strong as it is, I personally believe it to be a movie that almost everyone should watch at some point in their life.
As hard as it is to watch, this movie is still amazing. The feeling and emotion put into along with all the talent in and behind it made this movie one to be remembered. It's personally one of my favorites.So in my reviewer opinion, Schindler's List gets a loving and very well deserved 9.5/10

Patch Adams

Patch Adams- PG-13

By Jonathan Goodsell

Patch Adams, starring Robin Williams, is a heart warming tale that all will enjoy. Patch Adams is a man who's come to a dead end. After admitting himself to a psychiatric hospital, Patch realizes his dream and talent of helping people and sets off to do so. Entering medical school, Patch believes he has a new way to treat patients and dreams of starting a free hospital to help everybody.
I went in expecting a comedy from this film, I got so much more. This film had everything: humor, romance, drama, and I guess a little suspense, but not much. Robin Williams once again brought on a stunning performance. Going from a troubled and depressed nobody to the infamous top-of-class med student was quite a transformation. The greatest part about his character was that even though he was now "popular", you could still tell how troubled of an individual he was. I would love to say the whole movie was humerus, but it wasn't. It was emotional and had it's ups and downs. But it's a movie everyone can love. Everything from a battle with squirrels to the death of a friend are what keep you watching. It was just your classic feel good movie.
It wasn't terribly inappropriate either, much better then his earlier comedy Mrs. Doubtfire. During his graduation in the end, there is some brief rear male nudity, but it's just for comic use. It was very reminiscent of A Knights Tale with Paul Bettany and his gambling problems. The language wasn't terrible either. It was brief throughout, but pretty strong when it was there. There show was slightly depressing at times. I mean, almost the whole movie was in a hospital and so you see, or at least are hinted at, some pretty depressing subjects. It's nothing overwhelming though.
I loved this movie, I really did. It had just the right mix of all the different genre's to make it just the perfect feel good movie. I'd recommend it to anyone. Heck, I'd even sit down and watch it again with you. So in my reviewer opinion, Patch Adams gets a hearty 6.5/10

The Prestige

The Prestige- PG-13

By Jonathan Goodsell

Wow, what to say about this movie. It reminds me of The Sixth Sense in the fact that you can't tell much without giving the whole movie away. The Prestige is the story of two friends, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), who become rival magicians. Borden gets the perfect trick, and Angier becomes obsessed with figuring out the secret and making it better. I know it's vague, cause there is so much more to the movie. You'll just have to go see this one for yourself

The whole movie was fantastic. There is nothing bad I can say about it. Christopher Nolan creates another masterpiece that you'll watch time and time again trying to figure it out. It makes you think just like Nolan's later movie Inception does. The acting was all fantastic. The all-star crew of Jackman, Bale, Michael Caine, and Scarlett Johansson are really what made the movie great. I don't think it would have been as good if the cast was different. Wow, I've actually run out of things to say. The movie was just.... stunning. It was, dare I say, perfect; or as perfect as a movie can get. Christopher Nolan really knows how to make a good movie. I'm excited to see more of his work come out in the future.

The whole show was mysterious and a little dark. There are several disturbing scenes. Unlike other reviews, I'm not going to give examples or details cause I can't without ruining the show. There is nothing inappropriate, but several scenes are kind of disturbing. Definitely not a family show,  it's something for your older teens and up.

I just can't express how much I loved this show. It's just so amazing. I feel so bad about such a short review for such an excellent movie, but it really just speaks for itself. I highly encourage everybody to go see it for themselves if you haven't seen it yet. So in my reviewer opinion, The Prestige gets a magical 9/10

Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane- PG

By Jonathan Goodsell

Citizen Kane is considered by many to be the greatest movie ever made.And while I wouldn't say the greatest, it is definitely up very high on the list. Starring and directed by Orson Welles, Citizen Kane is the story of Mr. Kane as he grows a newspaper company into a massive industry. The story is told in flashbacks as a reporter, after the death of Kane, tries to figure out the meaning of Kane's last words.

This film was rather stunning to watch. Orson Welles did an excellent job depicting the conflicted Kane. His direction of the film was also really well done. The plot was thick and really well thought through. It left you wondering what was next and kept you watching throughout. Part of it was kind of confusing though, at parts you wondered where in the world it was taking you, or what it had anything to do with the plot. But in the last ten seconds of film when it all wrapped up, everything came together and it all made sense. Once that happens, you see why it's considered one of the greatest movies of all time. At least that's when the feeling finally hit me. 

This movie was completely clean, no language, no violence, and no inappropriate scenes. It's a little dramatic at parts, but other than that there is no problems with this movie.Though even though it's perfectly clean, it's not a movie that would interest kids, they would get bored in five minutes flat.So if your looking for a good family show, look somewhere else.

It doesn't surprise me that this movie is considered one of the best ever, it is excellently made.It's definitely worth seeing once. So in my reviewer opinion, Citizen Kane gets a classically deserved 9/10

The Bucket List

The Bucket List- PG-13

By Jonathan Goodsell.

What would you do if you knew you only had a couple months left to live? Well that is the problem faced by Edward (Jack Nicholson) and Carter (Morgan Freeman). Edward is a hospital owner and corporate giant. Carter is a humble car mechanic. They are both diagnosed with terminal cancer and only given a few months left to live. After writing a bucket list together, they decide to break out of the hospital and go live their last months having the time of their lives.
Now I don't know about you, but if I had the money that Edward had and a good friend like Carter, I'd do the exact same thing they did. Sky diving, unrestricted race car driving, safari's, and trips to the South of France and the Himalayas are what make this movie so entertaining. I don't know if it's just me, but there was something hilarious about watching two old guys recklessly driving Shelby GT-350 Mustangs. Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson both once again pulled off excellent performances, which I didn't expect anything less looking at the track record. Jack Nicholson has been nominated for the second most Academy Awards (12 nominations, 3 won) lead only by the fabulous Meryl Streep (17 nominations, 3 won). The directing was also obviously well done by Rob Reiner who did some classics including The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, and Ghosts of Mississippi. The script was witty and really enjoyable. The choices of camera shots were also stunning. You got amazing shots of Sahara Africa and the snowy Himalayas. The movie was very emotional and dramatic at parts though as through the whole movie you were waiting for them to die. The probably the most emotional theme was the families trying to cope during this trial. It was really heart wrenching at times, though there was plenty of humor throughout so the drama wasn't over whelming.
The unfortunate part of this film was the amount of language used throughout. I was rather disappointed, because it was a really good movie other wise.Take away the language and it would have easily earned a PG rating. The only other problems with the movie were brief at most. It is implied, though not seen, that Edward gets naughty with a hostess on his jet; mostly played for humor though. In another scene, a women mentions to Carter she has a hotel room and offers for him to join her, but he declines. Because of the cancer, in two scenes you see that Carter and Edward, separate scenes, cough up a little blood. But if you could take out the language, this film would more than appropriate for a family film.
So I absolutely loved this film. It was just the right of humor and drama for my taste. The acting was, as expected, stunning and so was the plot and directing. I enjoyed every minute and detail of the film. So in my reviewer opinion, The Bucket List gets a heart warming 8/10

The Vow

The Vow- PG-13

By Jonathan Goodsell

The Vow is a heartwarming film starring Channing Tatum as Leo and Rachel McAdams as Paige. One night one their way home from the movies, Leo and his wife Paige get in a major car crash and Paige gets thrown from the car. When she wakes from a brief coma, Leo finds that she has amnesia and doesn't remember him. He then has to fight to get her to fall in love with him instead of turning back to life she remembers, a life without him. Based off a true story, this film is down to earth and portrays the feeling of true love and the heartbreak that can come with it.

I really enjoyed this movie. My friends like to mock me because I'm one of those rare guys that actually enjoys chick flicks. But this one was really enjoyable, it had enough humor and other elements so that most guys could enjoy it. Anyways, what I loved most was the story line. It was heartwarming at parts, heart wrenching at others. It kept you watching. But more importantly, it pulled you in and you really felt for the characters. Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams both once again pull of great acting jobs and they both made the movie really enjoyable. A lot of the movie was really fast and it jumped around a little, but it was still fun to watch.

This movie was as appropriate as you could expect from a chick flick. There are some brief inappropriate scenes. The language is mild at most. The only violence is when Leo punches a guy for trying to steal Paige as she's trying to rediscover her life after the crash. Compared to some other chick flicks I've seen, this wasn't that bad.

Girls, if your ever going to get your guy to watch a chick flick with you, it may be this one. So in my reviewer opinion, The Vow earned itself a respectable 6.5/10

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes- PG-13

By Jonathan Goodsell

Fried Green Tomatoes was a perfect feel good movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It stars Academy Award winner Kathy Bates, Mary-Louise Parker, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Jessica Tandy. It's the story of Evelyn Couch (Bates) who, getting ever more discouraged with her life, befriends old Mrs. Threadgoode (Tandy) who tells her the marvelous tales of Ruth Jamison (Parker) and Idgie Threadgoode (Masterson) growing up in old Alabama.

This marvelous tale of growing up is one for all ages. The comedy of the adventures of Ruth and Idgie is incredibly enjoyable and heart warming. Watching the effects of the story on the life Evelyn, who had almost given up, was marvelous and rather funny as she turns her whole life around. The character development was enormous and really made you want to keep watching to find out what would happen to Ruth and Idgie as well as Evelyn and Mrs. Threadgoode. There was nothing I disliked about this movie. The acting was superb, there was even an Academy Award nomination to Jessica Tandy for her marvelous job. The whole story was excellently written and was enjoyable as well as smooth. 

The movie was pretty clean. There was some brief language throughout, and there are a two brief inappropriate jokes made. There is a little bit of violence. For part of the movie, Ruth has an abusive husband who beats her. The is also a short scene where the KKK come and attack Ruth and Idgie's cafe. But the rest of the movie is rather clean. 

I would completely recommend this movie to anyone. It's a classic that will last the wear of time. So in my reviewer opinion, the humerus Fried Green Tomatoes earns an impressive 8.5/10 

Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe- PG-13

By Jonathan Goodsell
Robinson Crusoe is the movie adaption of the classic novel by Daniel Defoe. Starring Pierce Brosnan as Robinson Crusoe and William Takaku as Friday, this is the story of Crusoe fleeing after killing a man for the heart of Mary (Polly Walker) who is the life long love of Robinson Crusoe. While sailing away to escape the law, his boat crashes and he's stranded on a deserted island. He builds a shelter using boat wreckage and learns to live off the land. He eventually meets a native and tames him, giving him the name of Friday as that was the day he found him. The two live together on the island surviving trouble after trouble.
This was a rather enjoyable movie adaptation of the novel. Pierce Brosnan, famous for playing James Bond for years, did a fabulous job of playing the stranded Englishman. The story line wasn't jumpy and flowed rather well. The whole movie though was a little slow, though still enjoyable.
This film could have made a PG rating if it weren't for a brief ten second scene between Crusoe and Mary, a flashback he has while stranded on the island. All the natives wear shabby loin clothes, but they aren't very revealing. There is one brief battle between Crusoe and the natives but it's not extreme or even intense. Even the profanity was mild for a PG-13. This is a movie a family could easily watch. Though the face paint and appearance of the natives may scare very young ones.
This movie was enjoyable and not terribly long so as to loose your attention. So in my reviewer opinion, Robinson Crusoe is getting a respectable 5.5/10

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird- PG

By Jonathan Goodsell

To Kill a Mockingbird is a timeless classic of growing up and depicts a terrible black patch on this countries history. Starring Gregory Peck as the loving and wise lawyer Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of an African American wrongly accused of rape and assault in the depression struck South. Atticus Finch is called to defend the man and is pulled into the racist struggle ever present in the South. He struggles to protect his children, Jim and Scout, from the prejudice attacks on his name for defending the man while trying to bring justice to the innocent. However the show is also about Jim and Scout growing up and their adventures in the town and neighborhood. Their main interest and the ever present mystery in the movie is their neighbor, the hidden Mr. "Boo" Radley. Mr. Radley, brilliantly played by a very young and debut of Robert Duvall., is the item of ghost stories for the kids as he never comes out in the daylight and has never been seen and they only know him from the old stories told by Atticus and the other town members.

So I loved this movie. It was fun and easy to follow. It truthfully depicted the problems of the South and was almost heart wrenching to watch as the trial events play out. Ever playful Jim and Scout were excellently played by one-hit wonders Phillip Alford and Mary Badham; neither of which went on to have big acting careers out of childhood. Their adventures in the neighborhood were entertaining to watch as they continually tried to figure out the mystery behind "Boo" Radley. The directing was excellently done and the emotionalism portrayed by the characters was completely believable and convincing in a way that made you really feel for the characters. I also really enjoyed the silently brilliant appearance of Robert Duvall. His acting, in my opinion, was the best of all in the whole movie.

This movie is one that all ages can love. Their are elements for everyone to enjoy. Language was non-existent except for very brief rude name calling at the African American on trial. During the testimonies of the trial, the accusations of the rape and assault are discussed extensively. A woman talks about how she was beat and taken advantage of and others testify of seeing bruises and struggles etc. Yet the talk isn't explicit or inappropriate and in terms that kids wouldn't understand so the scene remains safe for the whole family to watch. The is a scene near the end where Jim and Scout are attacked  that could be slightly terrifying to younger people. But the movie as a whole is extremely clean and enjoyable to watch. It's a movie that should and will last for generations to come as the morals in it can be used for so many different scenarios. So in my reviewer opinion, this movie was a work of art, a well deserved classic, and it's getting a 9/10