Psycho (1960) Movie Review

Psycho. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch. Starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, and John Gavin. Rated R with a running time of 109 minutes. Given an 8.6/10 on IMDB.com and 97% Fresh on Rottentomatoes.com 

"A thirty-something secretary steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother."

"Bates Motel" the modern prequel series to Psycho has left me absolutely intriqued. I had heard of Hitchcock's masterpiece but I had never actually seen and with myself being an immense film addict, how could I have possibly missed such a remarkable gem? I'd known the entire plot. Every twist turn and stab. I honestly thought I was capable of understanding exactly what I was going to get here, but boy was I wrong. Thrills beyond belief and spectacular story-telling. 

Alfred Hitchcock is an absolute cinematic genius. Choosing to keep the film in black and white, killing off his protagonist halfway through the film, pushing and pulling the audience in every direction he wants them to be in. His camera angles and overall eye for entertainment has yet to be matched by any modern filmmaker. This man and this film are not only responsible for revolutionizing the horror genre, but showing the world the validity of it. Expect to be mesmermized by this piece.

We are given Anthony Perkins, who doesn't just play the role of Norman Bates, but he becomes him. The character is embodied with such power and perfection that seeing Perkins in any role but this terrifies me beyond belief. Vera Miles and John Gavin team up as Lila Crane and Sam Loomis. Together they weave a team of compassionate and caring people, searching for answers in a mindbending mystery. Miles performs beautifully. She's innocent and loving and just wants to find her sister, but there's this air to her that strikes me, making me wonder how complex Lila is capable of being. If you're able to protray a character to the point that a viewer wishes to know more about that character, I give you the utmost respect. John Gavin as Sam Loomis bored me at the start but soon he became ideal. Loomis and Bates are compared and contrasted in an ironically obvious but eye-opening light. They are both extremely handsome men but Loomis is intimidating, strong, manly. Whereas, Norman Bates is a shy, childish, coward. The scenes where the two actors battle in out in conversation kept me on the edge of my seat. Once again, I have to add that Anthony Perkins is a genius and every motion, reaction, and word that comes from him in this film delivers an unforgettable experience.

My only complant worth noting is the scene in which the psychologist explains Norman and His Mother to the audience. It's a bit drawn out and the psycholigist is delivering shocking and heartbreaking information but there seems to be little reaction from him or anyone in the room. Rather than telling me what happened, I'd have rather seen it for myself, Someting that's easy to do in film. But this scene is nescessary and it won't take a single thing away from this movie.

Overall, Psycho is one of the greatest films I've ever seen. It's a horriying thrill-ride with a twist that noone will ever see coming and what it did for the movie world will never be forgotten. Alfred Hitchcock toys with our wildest emotions and fears and spawns a true work of art. I'll have to ask my mother what she thought of the film because, well, mother knows best. But, I'd say that if you decide that Bates Motel has No Vacany's for you, well Norman and I will both in form you that we have 12 Vacancy's and all 12 should be filled by you.

*****
5/5 Stars

I'll see you at the movies!

~Tyler Skye Gordon

The Great Gatsby (2013) Movie Review

The Great Gatsby. Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 143 Minutes. Given a 7.5/10 on IMDB.com and certified 48% Rotten on Rottentomatoes.com

"A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor."

So I've read "The Great Gatsby" in my current english class and I've found that I thorougly enjoy the story but I don't really like the book or the 1974 movie. However, I attempted to watch this film with an open mind, from the point of view of an average movie goer, with no prior knowledge of Gatsby and here's what I took from the film overall.

Luhrmann delivers as always with a dreamlike beauty on the side of cinemetography. Each scene is beautifully scultped, flashy, and absolutely magnificient. However, the vast amounts of green screen used to create these scenes tends to be too "in your face" for my taste and I eventually got so tired of it to the point that I was getting a headache. I can't imagine the pain that anyone watching in 3D was feeling. That being said, the visuals on this film are definitely worth the $10 I dropped to watch it.

The cast did a fanominal job with their characters. Carey Mulligan who plays Daisy Buchanan gave just enough flair and melacholy to her character to be admired. Tobey Maguire sadly fell short in a role that's absolutely important to the plot but ultimately so simple that anyone could've pulled it off, which is what saddens me considering Maguire is a capable actor but it seems he just missed it on this role. Leonardo Dicaprio's Jay Gatsby is honestly the best part of this film. He truly embodies all of the complexities of Gatsby is a way that's never been done before and I'd argue that this is, if not one of, his greatest performances of his entire career. However, try as they might, the fanominal acting just isn't enough to the film out of the water.

The first half of the film is full of grandeur and tantalizing imagery, but the Kanye West soundtrack and lack of any 'real' plot development left me bored and disappointed. Sadly, I wanted to leave the theater in within the first thirty minutes. About midway, when Daisy and Gatsby meet, the film does get better but at this point it just isn't enough. There's an immense amount of overacting, weird shots, and a level of silliness that just can't be shaken. Nick Carraway's constant narration becomes annoying. I found myself on the edge of my seat as the film spiralled into it's climactic conclusion, spinning a beautiful end, but it was too difficult for me not to laugh at how hard they were trying to pick something up after it had dropped and shattered upon the floor. I had to check my watch multiple times in the cinema and I was relieved by the time the credits finally began to roll.

Overall, The Great Gatsby had entirely too much potential to be absolutely incredible and a spectacular rendition of it's source material, but it fails to capture the true heart and meaning of the book. It weaves a carnival of wonder and I really wanted to love this film. It's not a disaster, but by the time it decides what it's doing, it's already too late. I suggest it's better to "beat on" then to waste your time. Sorry, Old Sport.

* *

2/5 Stars

I'll see you at the movies!

~Tyler Skye Gordon

Long Time No Blog

Lights! Camera! Action! In this scene the sad excuse for a movie critic beats himself up and attempts to apologize to the empty room he calls an audience...

Well there's always that guy :P

On a serious note, I'd like to apologize for making a blog, taking it seriously for a day, and then quitting. I'll spill the beans and tell everyone that I always do this sort of thing. Meaning, I'll start something, be decent at it and although I enjoy it immensely, give it up without even giving the project a chance. I realize that I didn't really have a large audience or any regular viewers to begin with and this particular blog post might in fact just go out to an ostrich, but what I've done with this blog is pathetic.

I left this page but I never left my passion for film or my love of reviewing movies. Truly, I've been inspired. I'm a bit late on the bandwagon, but I recently discovered Roger Ebert (May he rest in peace). To learn about a man who honestly and passionately put everything he had into something that I myself am passionate about was mesmerizing. I was absolutely captivated by his beauty and grace and I just want to take the time to relay to you all how incredibly brilliant and snazzy this man is. The perfect way he

Right. I'll stop before the brown stuff on my nose melts and drips onto the floor, down the stairs, out the door and to the general public where the government will package it and market it and the cops will where football helmets while the entire human race will become radically addicted to it only to discover that it's actually the feces of a great man.

WHAT IS THE SECRET OF SOYLENT POO?!

If anybody can catch that reference you deserve THE HIGHEST OF FIVES!!!

What I'm ultimately getting at here though is today I read a quote by Ebert: 

"One of the gifts a movie lover can give another is the title of a wonderful film they have not yet discovered."

and it really meant something. Yeah it's a fairly simple quote but at the same time it completely reminded me of the exact reason why I wanted to start this blog in the first place. If you look back at my introduction post or my biography you'll see that I said I only started all of this because I was bored but if you also read my earlier posts you'll realize that I was just a self obsessed, pretentious douche canoe. 

In actuality I only wrote that to make myself seem better than I actually am. I was a huge idiot and in my prolonged absence I've done a lot of growing and self discovery and I've had an Epiphany:

I started this blog because I love the feeling I get when I watch a magical film. It makes me feel alive, like I can do anything and if I can somehow share such a positive experience with another human being I intend to do everything in my power to accomplish just that.

So I'd like to ask you to accept my sincerest of apologies. I know I joke around a lot and the things I say can and more than likely will be offensive at some point, but if you stick with me, I guarantee you won't regret it. The humor is going to stay, as it's part of who I am and through laughter I can spread happiness, but I am certainly going to buckle down, take this more seriously and make people glad that they came to my page. I know that This Is Just Another Movie Blog and it's ridiculous for me to feel bad for abandoning a project that didn't take off to begin with, but it's MY movie blog and it's going to make a huge roar one day!

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I know most of you are new viewers and this entire post won't make much sense to you, but still, it's something I had to do, even if I'm making a fool out of myself.

Actually yes

WELCOME TO TIJAMB! TAKE TWO!

~Tyler