1 – The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Gene Kelly escapes from prison

And finally….   yes i finally made it to film number 1.Yee haa.And it’s the 1994 classic – The Shawshank Redemption. Based on a Stephen King short story from 1982.Couple of good performances from Robbins and Freeman.Shawshank is about a guy called Andy Dufresne who is falsely given two 30 year life sentences when his wife and lover are found dead.But ii gets worse,on the inside there’s a gang of dudes intent on raping him or beating the shite out of him.Andy was a big shot banker and so does the taxes for all the guards working there.The next time the lads bust Andy the guards fuck him up.Sorted.Freeman narrates and his slow soothing voice is pleasing to the ear.There are a few weepy bits there , like when Brooks gets out or when it seems like Andy’s at the end of his rope.The film spans over about 20 years with not one character ageing much.I don’t think after watching it again just now i’d give the highest rating but definitely worth a look.

IMDB RATING      –     9.2
MY RATING     –    8.9
SEEN BEFORE     –     YES
RECOMMEND?     –     YES
OVERALL     –  UNDERDOG TRIUMPHS.PEOPLE LOVE ESCAPE MOVIES.

23 – Se7en (1995)

Heisenberg shows up in police sketch

Se7en is a great film overall.I don’t know who decided on the name but it sounds like an all boy pop band or something.Good acting from all parties;Pitt,Freeman and even Spacey.Yes even Spacey.He looks normal in this one so it must be before the plunger incident.The look of the film is pretty dark with a lot of colour correction to a green tint.They do this in a few films to give it a grimy look.Just look at Fight Club and you’ll see what i mean,green walls with holes all over,paint hanging off and loads of stuff similar to this that the set people would have to do.Paint a wall normal then peel off the paint for this look.Where am i going with this?No where.There’s a Nine Inch Nails music video over the credits,not credited either. Palthrow i don’t usually like but in this she’s okay.There is one scene where she tells Freeman about the baby that her voice drops about 4 octaves. I’m not sure if this is a mic issue or if her balls dropped but it spoiled the scene for me.She sounded like Princess Amadalla from Star Wars.One last thing that was down right retarded was the final scene with the helicopter escort.If you could take a moment and just focus on what they’re saying.Firstly when the car drives off they talk about it being at 10 O’clock and driving away,i think think they would be using north/east/west or whatever,know what i mean?If the helicopter turns a little to the left the directions are useless,but west and east are constant.Secondly they say “stay on the guy in the red”,seriosly,the guy in the red?How about stay on the suspect,the witness or John Doe.Thirdly they say they can’t land but then he says land,and finally as Mills kills the Doe they say some thing like ‘oh shit,get someone, anyone ,oh no,who can we call’.If these were professionals they would know what to do,eh training,and  just radio base and explain the situation.Oh one last this,the credits are run in reverse.Hard to read.Whats it symbolise?

IMDB RATING      –     8.6
MY RATING     –    8.5
SEEN BEFORE     –     YES
RECOMMEND?     –     YES
OVERALL     –  GOOD.THINK ABOUT THIS~IMAGINE THEY SWITCHED SPACEY AND FREEMANS CHARACTERS…

92 – Unforgiven (1992)

Hookers of the old west.Slim pickings indeed.

Unforgiven is another western with horses and guns and all that shit.A hooker is with a john and she laughs because he’s got a small ‘pecker’.He loses the rag and takes out a knife and starts to do a bit of carving on her face.No great loss as she was really plain looking anyway.The scars will add character.The other 4 or 5 hookers decide to put up a bounty of $1000 to get the guy killed and his friend who was with him that night.Roll in Eastwood,he was a cold hearted killer some 11 years ago but his wife got him off the sauce and out of the killing.He’s now a pig farmer.But the wife is long dead and when a kid who idolises him asks him to help with the bounty he reluctantly agrees,more so for the money for his kids.They pick up Freeman to complete the troupe.He seems to be the only good shooter among. The kids blind and Eastwood hasn’t shot a gun in ages.They find the two guys and it pretty much goes to plan except Freeman freezes and decides it’s not for him and heads home.Just when the film was getting good it ends.As soon as Eastwood has a glass of booze he turns into the hard ass he was 11 ago and we learn it was the booze that fucked him over.Moral of the story-don’t drink.

IMDB RATING      –     8.3
MY RATING     –    7
SEEN BEFORE     –     NO
RECOMMEND?     –     NO
OVERALL     –  I WONDERED WHY I FOUND IT BORING AND LONG.THEN I SEEN THE CREDITS PRODUCED & DIRECTED BY EASTWOOD.

171 – Million Dollar Baby (2004)

The IRA,now making pie as well as car bombs

I had a bootleg of this when it first came out and turned it off after an hour.I asked a guy in my class at college how it ended and he told me.I said he was chatting bullshit and never finished watching the film.This was from the same guy who said at the end of Leon the girl starts a big massive dope farm with the potted plant.Trick me once shame on you and all that.Anyways,Million Dollar Baby is an al-right film.Eastwood is good in it.Freeman and his forced raspy voice is bad.And Swank is swanky.The ‘Danger’ guy has this annoying thing where he adds ‘s’ to every word in a sentence.The story of MDB is a 32 year old waitress wants to become a boxer.She hounds an old trainer to trainer her.He does.They bond and she becomes a champ.And then….    i won’t spoil it.

IMDB RATING      –     8.1
MY RATING     –     7.8
SEEN BEFORE     –     YES
RECOMMEND?     –     YES
OVERALL     –  GOOD.STRONG STORY.GOOD CAST.THE GAELIC IS TERRIBLE THOUGH.