Changeling

When I first heard about this movie, I didn't think it looked that great and the plot didn't seem very interesting. The film was definitely much better than I expected. I've never been a big fan of Angelina Jolie, but she had a fantastic performance in this movie. I also really liked the costumes and the way the film accurately portrayed the 1920s. Another thing I was really happy about was that the trailer doesn't give away any important parts of the story. Unlike most movies that have been opening recently (like Vantage Point), the trailer gives you just the right of information to make the movie seem interesting enough to watch. Although I thought the film was great, I wouldn't recommend it to everyone since many scenes are very sad and disturbing. The movie is also a bit long and I think it could have been a little better if it was shorter. But overall, I enjoyed the movie very much.

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The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

I did not see this movie just because the remake recently came out. I saw it because it's a classic sci-fi film that has been copied by many movies after it. Overall, I enjoyed it very much. Although some parts were a little cheesey, I was still very impressed by the special effects considering what year it was made. And you can definitely see how this movie has influenced so many other science fiction movies. Thought I thought it was great, I wouldn't recommend this film to everyone. It's more of a classic that might only be enjoyable for fans of the sci-fi genre. Also, I'd like to add that I do not plan on seeing the remake because it looks pretty bad.

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Sunset Blvd.

I hadn't heard much about this movie other than that it was good. And it definitely was very good. I'm a big fan of these types of dramas that are a little dark but also a bit offbeat. Gloria Swanson was amazing as Norma Desmond. All the actors gave a great performance. The characters were also very engaging and interesting. Though some were a bit predictable, there were many twists in the plot that made the story entertaining to watch. This movie was made 58 years ago, and it still deserves praise for its excellence. I'd highly recommend this movie to anyone enjoys a good classic or films about the dark side of Hollywood.

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Fargo

I hadn't heard much about this movie before I watched it, and I enjoyed it very much. I usually really like black comedies, and this was no exception. The acting was also really great. I really liked William H. Macy in Air Force One, and I thought he had a really good performance in Fargo too. My only small complaint about this movie is that some parts were just a bit confusing. But overall, it was an excellent movie. I've never really seen any of the Coen brothers' films before. I think I'll definitely plan on seeing some more of their work. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who'd like to see a far from average black comedy

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Slumdog Millionaire

I'd heard some good things about this movie, but I wasn't really expecting anything amazing. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. The story was good, there was some good acting, and it had some interesting scenes and camera angles. Though, after watching the movie, I felt that there was something about it that bothered me and made me not like it. Later, I understood that the reason why I didn't like it is because the movie seems completely fake and unrealistic. Yes, I realize that it's about a very improbable situation, but that doesn't mean the movie has to seem totally phony. I've seen many movies with strange, outragous (in a good way) plots that really make me believe that those situations are possible. Movies like Slumdog Millionaire should make people believe that these uncommon oppurtunities can happen to anyone. So overall, the movie was pretty good, but it was just a bit to phony for me. I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind movies with many unbelievably dramatic scenes.

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Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

I used to watch this movie all the time when I was little. I thought it was great then, and I still really enjoy it today. Thought I'm a fan of Tim Burton, I strongly believe that his version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory cannot even compare to the original with Gene Wilder. It's funny, entertaining, and a bit odd. Yeah, the singing is sometimes off, but it doesn't take away from how good this film is.  It's both whimsical and creepy at the same time. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys witty and weird films.

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Air Force One

Unlike Vantage Point, this was a great action movie about terrorists kidnapping the president. It reminded me of Die Hard which I think is a fantastic action film. Air Force One was very entertaining and exciting. Yes, it was a unrealistic, cheesey, and sometimes lacking good special effects, but I still enjoyed it very much. I've never thought of Harrison Ford as a president sort of character, but he was actually very good. Though I still think that it was weird for the president to have Indiana Jones-like fighting abilities. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who'd like to see a fun and thrilling action movie.

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Vantage Point

I'd heard some good things about this movie and I haven't really seen a new release for a while, so I decided to check this out. Overall, I thought this movie was pretty lousy. The story was kind of messy, most of the characters were boring or weird, and the scenerios were ridiculously unrealistic. The ending was also very disappointing and there was no surprising twist which I was hoping for. The only twist in the movie is halfway through the film and it's even revealed in the trailer (thank goodness I didn't watch it). I found myself laughing multiple times during this film and I'm pretty sure it wasn't supposed to be comedic. The idea of the movie was good, but it was not presented well and this ended up being another bad action/thriller with a bunch of special effects and car chases added just to make it seem decent. I wouldn't recommend it to most people unless all you care about in a movie is action and explosions.

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Hot Fuzz

I was very excited to see this after watching Shaun of the Dead two weeks ago. Although I think I liked Shaun of the Dead more than Hot Fuzz, this was still a great movie. I guess I'm more familiar with the zombie genre than buddy cop films. But I thought this movie was hilarious anyway. The action scenes are really cool and fun too. And like Shaun of the Dead, the way it's shot is really interesting. My only complaint about it would be that it feels a bit long, but the ending is still good. Not many good comedies can be hilarious and still have an engaging and entertaining plot. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys action movies or comedies, and expecially if you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead.

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American Beauty

I'd heard some good things about this movie and I've always thought Kevin Spacey was a good actor, so I decided to see American Beauty. In my opinion, this was an amazing film. It felt both real and dreamlike at the same time. Yes, it was pretty weird, but I usually enjoy movies that are sort of bizzare and offbeat. The story was really interesting and slightly disturbing. All the characters were very compelling and the cast all had fantastic performances. Overall, I thought this movie definitely deserved the title of Best Picture in 2000. The only thing that bothered me about the film was that the ending confused me for a second. But I rewinded it back a minute and then I understood. I'd recommend this film to anyone who likes black comedies or dramas with dysfunctional families.

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Jurassic Park

Surprisingly, I had actually never seen this movie before. Overall, I thought this was a really fun action/adventure film. The concept is really interesting and original and the plot felt like it was made for Spielberg to direct. The special effects were also really great and definitely believable. It certainly made me glad dinosaurs are still extinct. My only complaint about the movie is that the characters aren't very interesting, but it's still a very exciting film. I'd recommend it to any fan of Spielberg or adventure-y sci-fi movies.

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Ed Wood

I saw this movie for the first time a few months ago. At first I thought it was pretty good, but not that great. Then a couple months later I saw Plan 9 From Outer Space which definitely made me appreciate Ed Wood more. So a few blocks from where I live, we have this neat little movie theater that shows some really good movies from all decades. Sometimes, they even have guest appearances. So when I found out that they were playing Ed Wood on Wednesday night and Martin Landau and the writers of the film were going to be there, I was very excited. The movie was great on the big screen and I certainly enjoyed it more a second time. It was funny, and sweet and overall pretty entertaining. It's not your average Hollywood movie, though. All the actors give outstanding performances. Martin Landau IS Bela Lugosi. (By the way, I met him at the theater on Wednesday and he was a very nice guy.) Johnny Depp was also really great. If you compare his role as Ed Wood to any of his other roles, you'll probably see two very different characters. But this movie is really not for everyone. It's a bit odd and is sort of like an aquired taste. I had to see it twice to fully appreciate it.

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Shaun of the Dead

I've been wanting to see this movie after I saw Night of the Living Dead a while ago. Overall, I thought it was a really great movie. It was such a perfect balance of horror and comedy. And it was different from other zombie films because it felt much more real. I also thought all the actors were really great. You could tell that this movie was really well made. There were some really great and interesting shots and it was very well staged. This film definitely deserves to be placed among the best zombie movies out there. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys creepy comedies and doesn't mind gore.

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Whisper of the Heart

I'm a huge fan of Miyazaki's movies so I was very excited when we got to watch one of his films in my Japanese class. We watched the movie in Japanese with English subtitles, which was actually really interesting. The movie was really cute and had that certain charm that all of Miyazaki's movies have. The characters are easy to relate to and the story is very sweet. It felt a bit different from the other Miyazaki films I've seen because it doesn't really fit into the fantasy genre. But it was still a great movie. I'd recommend it to anyone, especially fans of Miyazaki.

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Carrie

I read the book, Carrie, by Stephen King a while ago, and I'd never really had any interest in seeing the movie. But I just decided to see it yesterday. As a movie on it's own, Carrie was pretty good and creepy. Though, I would have to say that the book was better, but that's usually the case for Stephen King's novels since his stories have a certain something you can't quite capture on film. The movie wasn't too radically different from the book as far as I could tell. My only problem was that in the book, Carrie is supposed to be kind of chubby and much less likeable than Sissy Spacek portrayed her to be in the film. But I still thought that Sissy Spacek had a terrific performance as Carrie White. Overall, the movie was an enjoyable horror flick and I'd recommend it to most people who'd like to see something creepy, but not action-packed.

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Donnie Darko

I've been really wanting to see this movie for a few months after someone told me it was very good. I thought it looked kind of interesting and like an evil version of Harvey. I was expecting something pretty good, but after watching it, I thought it was amazing. The actors were great, the characters were compelling, and the plot was gripping. I also thought the ending was perfect. Overall, the movie was really thought provoking and unique. Some might say it's just an overrated cult film, but I really believe it needs a lot more praise than that. It made me laugh, it made me cry. I would definitely recommend this movie to almost anyone, especially if you love films about the supernatural.

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The Rocky Horror Picture Show

No, I did not go out and see this movie at midnight with a bunch of die hard fans. But I still thought it was a really fun movie. There were a lot of really great musical numbers and the whole thing was pretty entertaining. I'm always thought Tim Curry was a great actor and could play any character, and this movie is no exception. I doubt there's any actor out there that could play a better Dr. Frank-N-Furter. This is probably the most well known cult film out there, but that's definitely does not mean that this movie is for everyone. If you're the serious type and/or you don't like movie musicals I'd highly suggest you stay away.

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Crash

We finished watching this movie today in one of my classes. We've just been learning about the L.A. riots, so our teacher decided to show us this movie that focuses on racial tension in L.A. But this film isn't only about racism, it's also about how we affect strangers and how small interactions with other people can leave a greater impression than we expect. Overall, I thought this was a very good film, though it was a bit overrated. It portrays some strong emotions and themes about modern society that are really important to know about. Usually, I'm not a big fan of movies with a bunch of little interwoven storylines because it can get confusing sometimes. And there were some scenes in this film that weren't very clear to me. But it was still very entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys these type of modern intense dramas.

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North by Northwest

I've been planning on re-watching this movie for quite a while since I saw it a few years ago and I had forgotten what happened. I definitely enjoyed it much more watching it a second time. This is certainly a much more exciting and adventurous Hitchcock movie compared to most of his other films. Most of Hitchcock's movies (like Psycho and Rear Window) deal with suspense. This movie is more focused on action (and, of course, some mystery). It's probably considered one of Hitchcock's greatest and most famous films, though I wouldn't say that it's my favorite out of all his work. But I do feel very strongly connected to this movie since I share a first and last name with one of the main characters. Anyway, I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys Hitchcock or mystery/adventure type movies.

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The Breakfast Club

I've kind of been wanting to see this movie for a while since I'd heard it was really good. I ended up really enjoying it. It was a bit different from most teen movies I've seen and I think that's because it feels realistic even though it would probably never happen. The characters are really easy to relate to and most of the actors have great performances. Anthony Michael Hall is always really funny. I definitely think this is one of the best teen movies I've seen, and I would recommend it almost anyone. It's entertaining, hilarious, touching, and it actually has a good message.

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Liar Liar

Today I was on the IMDb homepage and I noticed that they had a small banner that said "Watch free movies and TV shows!" So I decided to check it out. They had almost 40 movies you could watch for free online. I had some free time, so I chose to watch Liar Liar, a movie I've seen once before. This is a really funny and entertaining comedy. I'm not a huge fan of Jim Carrey's stuff, but this is a really fun movie. The plotline is, of course, a little silly, but I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good, goofy comedy. And now, you can even watch it for free on IMDb (with advertisements every 10 minutes or so. Sorry).

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Dial M for Murder

This has been on my list of films to see for a while because I've been waiting for some sort of oppurtunity to see it in 3D. But sadly, I didn't think that would happen any time soon so I decided to see it last night. Although I only watched this movie in two dimensions, it still was an amazingly great Hitchcock film. It definitely feels very similar to most of his other movies. Like Rope, it seems quite a bit like a stage play (since both films were actually adapted from plays) and it has all the suspense and twists you'd expect a Hitchcock film to have. I would definitely recommend this movie to any fan of Hitchcock or any fan of the mystery/thriller genre.

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Bride of Frankenstein

I've been planning on seeing this for a little while after I first saw Frankenstein. It was a very good sequel, and I quite enjoyed it. This is definitely a classic horror film that has influenced many more modern films and T.V. shows. And although, of course, this movie is extremely unrealistic (Dr. Frankenstein recovers from his accident without a limp or a scar) and cheesey (as most films this old are), it was still very fun and entertaining to watch. I would recommend it to any fan of this sort of genre.

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Taxi Driver

I've been interested in seeing this movie for a bit and so I decided to watch it last night. Overall, the movie was really good. Some parts were pretty creepy and it was made to be very realistic so it added to the disturbing factor. But even though Travis, the main character, is completely insane, I still found him to be very likeable and I was very sympathetic for him. Anyway, Robert De Niro and Jody Foster both have fantastic performances in this film (which is no real surprise). The only thing that I didn't really like was that the plot was kind of unclear. It seemed like one of those movies where there's no real apparent climax, it's just a chain of random events that happen to one character. But I still enjoyed it and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in movies that show a dark side of human society.

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Ghost Town

Last night I went out to see this movie in theaters. After seeing the trailer, I didn't have very high expectations. However, I actaully ended up enjoying the movie quite a bit. There were many funny parts, and the acting was really good. It was definitely better than I expected it to be. Althought almost every part of the movie was very predictable, (as most movies of today are) it didn't make the movie any less enjoyable. There were also some very cheesey parts, but overall it was a very sweet and funny movie. If you're looking for a entertaining movie to see in theaters, I'd recommend seeing this.

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Little Miss Sunshine

I just saw this movie today for my third time. When I first saw this movie, I was so surprised by how much I loved it. Not only was it hilarious, the movie also had interesting characters, the actors were fantastic, and the plot was very entertaining. After seeing this film once, I almost immediately added it to my long list of favorite movies. If you have not seen this yet, you should watch it as soon as you can. 

You will (probably) only like this movie if:

you enjoy comedies, and you don't mind movies with some strong language

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The Nightmare Before Christmas

The first time I saw this movie was probably a few Halloween's ago. Since then, I've become a big fan of Burton's work so I decided to see this again. I love almost everything about this movie. The animation is very cool, the mood is dark and fun at the same time, and the characters are so creative and interesting. I think this movie is entertaining for people of all ages.

You will (probably) only like this movie if:

you enjoy Tim Burton's films, and you don't mind movies that are a little silly

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Rosemary's Baby

I am a fan of horror films, so I've been thinking about seeing this movie for a while. It was a pretty creepy movie and I really enjoyed it. There were some confusing parts in the beginning of the film, but most of it was explained at the end. Most of the movie was pretty strange too. I think that this movie definitely had a big influence on The Omen. Both are very good classic horror films that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre.

You will (probably) only like this movie if:

you like movies that are creepy, you don't mind movies with confusing parts, and you don't mind movies that can be very strange

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Groundhog Day

Last night I saw this movie for my second or third time. I really love this movie and I don't know anyone who doesn't love it too. Not only is it funny, but it's also really sweet. The characters are easy to relate to and the entire movie is just very entertaining. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone with a good sense of humor.

You will (probably) only enjoy this movie if:

you don't mind movies with silly plots

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