Cool Hand Luke (1967):

Starring:

Paul Newman - Luke Jackson

George Kennedy - Dragline

J.D. Cannon - Society Red

Lou Antonio - Koko

Robert Drivas - Loudmouth Steve

Strothers Martin - Captain

Jo Van Fleet - Arletta

Clifton James - Carr

Morgan Woodward - Boss Godfrey

Luk Askew - Boss Paul

Marc Cavell - Rabbitt

Harry Dean Stanton - Tramp

Dennis Hopper - Babalugats

Richard Davalos - Blind Dick

Robert Donner - Boss Shorty

Director:

Stuart Rosenberg (The Amittyville Horror; Brubaker; The Pope Of Greenwich Village)

Synopsis:

Luke Jackson is sentenced to a stretch on a southern chain gang after he's arrested for drunkenly decapitating parking meters. While the avowed ambition of the Captain is for each prisoner to "get their mind right" it soon becomes obvious that Luke is not about to kowtow to anybody.

Review:

PERFECTION! The best movie I have ever seen. Still not my number one favourite movie of all time, I don't think anything will surpass my love of Jurassic Park or Jaws, but based on the criteria that I review movies on, this one will be my VERY FIRST 100%. Paul Newman, amazing. Everything is perfect in this film. Drama, comedy, acting, sets, plot all perfect.

I Don't have budget numbers for it but as of 2012 it has made $111,243,078.07 domestic.

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Flixster: 100%

100%

Lead Acting: 15/15

Supporting Cast: 15/15

Plot: 10/10

Compared To The Genre: 10/10

Cinematography: 20/20

Intrigue: 20/20

Extra: 10/10

Zulu (1964):

Starring:

Stanley Baker - Lt. John Chard R.E.

Jack Hawkins - Ottot Witt

Ulla Jacobsson - Margareta Witt

James Booth - Pvt. Henry Hook

Michael Caine - Lt. Gonville Bromhead

Nigel Green - Colour-Sgt. Bourne

Ivor Emmanuel - Pvt. Owen

Paul Daneman - Sgt. Maxfield

Glynn Edwards - Cpl. Allen

Neil McCarthy - Pvt. Thomas

David Kernan - Pvt. Hitch

Gary Bond - Pvt. Cole

Director: 

Cy Endfield (Hell Drviers; Zulu Dawn)

Synopsis:

Filmed on a grand scale, Zulu is a rousing recreation of the January 22, 1879 siege of Rorke's Drift in Natal, Africa. An Army of 4,000 Zulu warriors have already decimated a huge British garrison; Now they are on their way to the much smaller Rorke's Drift.

Review:

300, but WAY LESS GAY. Perfectly acted, which unfortunately is counteracted by just the worst choreographed fighting scenes I have ever seen. Sure it was the 1960's but there was great movie fight scenes before this so why were these one's so poorly done? Earliest of Michael Caine movie roles. To be completely honest I had never heard of a single other actor in this film until I saw it, assuming Michael Caine was the star/main attraction. Love the story, especially because it was before every other movie involving a similar plot. Holds up quite well when you watch it on Blu-ray.

Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Flixster: 89%

89%

Lead Acting: 14/15

Supporting Cast: 13/15

Plot: 10/10

Compared To The Genre: 10/10

Cinematography: 16/20

Intrigue: 18/20

Extra: 8/10   

The Man Who Would Be King (1975):

Starring:

Sean Connery - Daniel Dravot

Michael Caine - Peachy Carnehan

Christopher Plummer - Rudyard Kipling

Saeed Jaffrey - Billy Fish

Albert Moses - Ghulam

Shakira Caine - Roxanne

Director:

John Huston (The Maltese Falcon; The African Queen)

Synopsis:

Two British soldiers in India decide to resign from the Army and set themselves up as deities in Kafiristan--a land where no white man has set foot since Alexander.

Review:

Michael Caine & Sean Connery are the almost perfect on screen duo. Both men are very underrated for their comedic abilities & they feed perfectly off one another. You add in the wide range of their abilities, several mood changes & a quite epic climax & this has become one of my new favourite movies of all time. Based on a true story, it is essentially a 2 man show because the majority of the other actors are all hired extra's from the country it was filmed in, including the towns high priest. Christopher Plummer is involved but only slightly as he is being told the story by Michael Caine at the beginning & then doesn't appear again until the end. Also stars Michael Caine's wife Shakira as the princess that Dravot plans to make his wife. I have very little bad to say about this film, there are some obvious points like the outrageous fight scene at the end, Connery's last on screen scene & the fake looking blood as most 60's & 70's films had.

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Flixster: 88%

95%

Lead Acting: 15/15

Supporting Cast: 12/15

Plot: 10/10

Compared To The Genre: 10/10

Cinematography: 18/20

Intrigue: 20/20

Extra: 10/10

Papillon (1973):

Starring:

Steve McQueen - Henri "Papillon" Charriere

Dustin Hoffman - Louis Dega

Victor Jory - Indian Chief

Don Gordon - Julot

Anthony Zerbe - Toussaint

Robert Deman - Maturette

Woodrow Parfrey - Clusiot

Bill Mumy - Lariot

William Smithers - Warden Barrot

Val Avery - Pascal

Gregory Sierra - Antonio

Vic Tayback - Sergeant

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner (Planet Of The Apes; Patton; Lionheart)

Synopsis:

A man befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence on a dreadful prison island, which inspires the man to plot his escape.

Review:

Well if there is one thing Steve McQueen taught us, it's that he can escape anything.... except his own personal demons... and Mexican surgery. But in his movie's he could just about get himself out of anything. Sadly this is the only Steve McQueen movie I have ever seen & it's one later into his career, however it is still recognized as one of his better films. Co-starring a young-ish Dustin Hoffman, fresh off the success of The Graduate & Midnight Cowboy, he delivers a very interesting & weird character. A very gritty depiction of third world French occupied work camps & prisons. Great outdoor sets & natural scenery. A whole lot of Steve McQueen alone in a room. I will say even for a 1972 film so pretty dumb looking blood & death scenes. Especially for a bigger budget movie.

Budget: $12,000,000
Box Office: $53,267,000
Profit: $41,267,000

Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Flixster: 87%

91%

Lead Acting: 15/15
Supporting Cast: 14/15
Plot: 9/10
Compared To The Genre: 8/10
Cinematography: 18/20
Intrigue: 18/20
Extra: 9/10    

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962):

Starring:

Peter O'Toole - T.E. Lawrence

Sir Alec Guinness - Prince Feisal

Anthony Quinn - Auda Abu Tayi

Jack Hawkins - General Allenby

Omar Sharif - Sherif Ali

Jose Ferrer - Turkish Bey

Anthony Quayle - Colonel Brighton

Claude Rains - Mr. Dryden

Arthur Kennedy - Jackson Bentley

Donald Wolfit - General Murray

Director:

David Jean (Bridge On The River Kwai; A Passage To India)

Synopsis:

Sweeping epic about the real life adventures of T.E. Lawrence, a British major who unified Arab tribes and led them in the fight for independence from the Ottoman Turks in the 1920s.

Review:

Yes that's right I committed to the entire film in one sitting. Back in the days when their apparently weren't enough actual Arab actors so they just had British old men wearing fake noses. So before watching this movie I knew little to none about the story of T.E. Lawrence. I knew he was a British general who went to the middle east. Apparently it was much more than that. Not at all surprised that this film won 7 Academy Awards but also wasn't surprised to learn that the only thing I knew about it was Family Guy mocking it being shown in original extra wide screen. Because every single wide shot in this movie is shot from 300 feet away & pans across vast amounts of desert back drop. Maybe in 1962 when not as many people had travelled the world & information, video & photos weren't as easily accessible as they are today it was fine to have a 5 minute panorama of the vast Turkish deserts, but in today's modern world, with our attention spans only measurable in minutes... No wonder this movie's run time is 227 minutes. The acting of course is what you would expect from Peter O'Toole, Sir Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn & Omar Sharif. The only thing holding down this film slightly was it's incredible length, which I was able to surpass by fast forwarding all of the scenery shots.

Budget: $15,000,000

Box Office: $70,000,000

Profit: $55,000,000

Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Flixster: 91%

 94%

Lead Acting: 15/15

Supporting Cast: 15/15

Plot: 10/10

Compared To The Genre: 10/10

Cinematography: 18/20

Intrigue: 17/20

Extra: 9/10 

Les Miserables (2012):

Starring:

Hugh Jackman - Jean Valjean

Russell Crowe - Javert

Anne Hathaway - Fantine

Amanda Seyfried - Cosette

Sacha Baron Cohen - Thénardier

Helena Bonham Carter - Madame Thénardier

Eddie Redmayne - Marius

Aaron Tveit - Enjolras

Samantha Banks - Éponine

Daniel Huttlestone - Gavroche

Colm Wilkinson - Bishop

Director:

Tom Hooper (The King's Speech; The Damned United)

Synopsis:

The motion-picture adaptation of the beloved global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe and still breaking box-office records everywhere in its 27th year. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France,the film tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption - a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Ex-prisoner Jean Valjean is hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.  

Review:

This is the only musical that I actually enjoy. It's a movie that has a very specific demographic. If your not a fan of musicals that last 3 hours, then I guarantee you that you shouldn't go see this movie. HOWEVER, if that's what you're looking for in a movie, then this is perfect. I honestly absolutely love the story behind the singing. Nothing greater than a villain who is relentless & unwavering from his pursuit of the man who escaped him many years before. I can do without some of the love stories involved but I understand that it is a major part of the musical. This version of the film however did something that I personally found quite irritating, which was sure there are set songs throughout but in this version they sang everything. Every little line to get you from here to there was sang. Four words that lead to this scene here, all sang. Very odd, very distracting, very annoying. If you can get past that you run into the fact that only certain members of the cast can actually sing. Jack Hughman, sorry Hugh Jackman, wonderfully talented, probably my favourite actor currently, can really sing his ass off. Russell Crowe on the other hand was terrible, which was disappointing because Javert has my favourite song which he was average at. Anne Hathaway, one take, balling her eyes out, just stunning. Then you have the added comedic relief of Borat & Mrs. Tim Burton. Had some very good laughs from both of them which was a nice break from the sadness. Would not at all be surprised if this one pulls out the Best Picture at the Academy Awards, right out from under Argo & Lincoln's noses.

Budget: $61,000,000

Box Office (To Date): $284,825,000

Profit (To Date): $223,825,000

Rotten Tomatoes: 70%

Flixster: 83%

95%

Lead Acting: 15/15

Supporting Cast: 15/15

Plot: 9/10

Compared To The Genre: 10/10

Cinematography: 20/20

Intrigue: 18/20

Extra: 8/10

The Last Stand (2013):

 Starring:

Arnold Schwarzenegger -  Ray Owens

Forest Whitaker - Agent John Bannister

Luis Guzman - Mike Figuerola

Johnny Knoxville - Lewis Dinkum

Peter Stormare - Burrell

Eduardo Noriega - Gabriel Cortez

Genesis Rodriguez - Agent Ellen Richards

Rodrigo Santoro - Frank Martinez

Zach Gilford - Jerry Bailey

Christiana Leucas - Christie

Jaimie Alexander - Sarah Torrance

Director:

Jee-woon Kim (The Good, The Bad, The Weird)

Synopsis:

After leaving his LAPD narcotics post following a bungled operation that left him wracked with remorse and regret, Sheriff Ray Owens moved out of Los Angeles and settled into a life fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction. But that peaceful existence is shattered when Gabriel Cortez, the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a deadly yet spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy. With the help of a fierce band of lawless mercenaries, Cortez begins racing towards the US-Mexico border with a hostage in tow... straight through Summerton Junction. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately rallies his team and takes the matter into his own hands, setting the stage for a classic showdown.

Review:

Everything that you would expect from an Arnold Schwazenegger filmed in 2012 when he is 67 years old. It has everyone of the things that you would expect from a classic Arnold movie. Fist fights, gun shooting, car chases, explosions, cheesy dialogue & OF COURSE!!!!! One liners. I think my favourite part of this was watching an old man beat the shit of a guy, have some funny dialogue the struggle to get back to his feet. Not because the script called for it but because he seriously couldn't get back to his feet any easier than he did. Tons of blood all over the place, awesome shootout scenes & tons of stunts made it easily watchable. Not to mention all of the comedic relief from Johnny Knoxville & Luis Guzman. However to have Johnny Knoxville as the #2 billed person & on the poster for the movie was a little absurd considering his role is very minor & he's only in about half of the film. Forest Whitaker kind of mailed it in, but I'm assuming that when they asked him to be in an Arnold movie he knew what he was getting himself into. Of the three female actors in the film, I found two of them to be just god awful actresses. Genesis Rodrigues was fine & is such a babe. The other two were pretty horrid. Special appearance by Harry Dean Stanton as the old man farmer. Seriously had no idea he was even still alive, but he did as fine as job as any. Overall it was a great watch, had me laughing, kept me interested. Now to wait for the new Stallone vehicle & see how that one turns out.

Budget: $30,000,000 - $45,000,000

Box Office (To Date): $11,150,676

Rotten Tomatoes: 59%

Flixster: 70%

70%

Lead Acting: 7/15

Supporting Cast: 6/15

Plot: 7/10

Compared To The Genre: 6/10

Cinematography: 14/20

Intrigue: 20/20

Extra: 10/10