A Bronx Tale

Over the weekend I watched an older film, from the early 90's, called A Bronx Tale. The climax of the film takes place in the late 1960s when racial tensions were at its highest. The main character, Calogero Anello, also known as "C" witneses Sonny, a big shot gangster of the Italian neighborhood he lives in, shoot a man right in front of him. Calogero did not give up Sonny to the police when he was questioned about the murder. After Sonny realizes little Calogero did not betray him, Sonny began to look after and teach C everything there is to know about the streets. With Calogero's disapproving father shadowing his every move, C cannot deny his fascination with Sonny's lifestyle. Sonny begins to love C as if he were his own son and realizes he does not want him to have the same cut-throat lifestyle as he does. Calogero and an African American girl fall in love, but have to hide their relationship from his troublesome friends that would not approve of their interracial relationship. Sonny begins to protect C from his trouble making friends and ends up saving his life; eventhough, C is enraged with anger he comes to find out Sonny was right all along. Calogero is left with the burden of not admitting that his father and Sonny were just trying to look out for what was best for him.



My favorite part of the movie was that even though Sunny was a hardcore gangster and Calogero's father was a honest working man with two totally different lifestyles, they both taught C right from wrong which kept him alive and out of trouble.

I normally don't like that many movies from the 90's, but this turned out to be a great movie. I suggest that if you haven't already seen it that you do so.


-Kristin

Horror Highlights

With Halloween fast approaching, it is only natural that many of us will end up looking for good horror films to watch. The following list is essentially a highlight reel of the best horror films of the decade.

28 Days Later (2002)

 

Image belongs to owner.

28 Days Later was not only one of the best horror films of 2002, it was one of the best films in ANY genre that year. In addition to good acting, great visuals, and a well-conceived plot, the movie completely reinvented the zombie subgenre. The "zombies" in the movie are vicious, extremely fast, and highly contagious (they don't have to bite someone to spread the virus), making for visually exciting and frightening scenes. Any fan of zombie movies or horror in general needs to see this film.

Dawn of the Dead & Shaun of the Dead (2004)

2004 had TWO of the greatest zombie movies of all time. Dawn of the Dead, directed by Zack Snyder (director of 300 and Watchmen), is a visually exciting masterpiece. With a fast-paced story, explosive action sequences, and the occasional dose of dark humor, this is a must-watch for zombie fans. By contrast, Shaun of the Dead (featuring the comedic duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) is a less flashy, but still gory comedy. Even though it is clearly a zombie movie, the film focuses more on the living characters and character-driven humor than the zombies themselves. This is a great watch for both horror and comedy audiences and I would even recommend it to people that hate zombie movies. Images belong to owner.

The Descent (2005)

The Descent is one of my personal favorites. It is shot primarily in a dark, claustrophobic environment and the action scenes are fast-paced and exceptionally brutal. The female cast put on solid performances both as actresses and as pickax-wielding badasses. The action scenes are bloody enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool, and in one infamous scene they basically do just that. On top of all that, the film has some decent psychological elements and a twist ending you'll never see coming.

The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

While not a personal favorite of mine, The Hills Have Eyes is a rather twisted slasher film with an interesting concept and grotesque execution. Though it generally holds less appeal for mainstream audiences, it is simplistic entertainment with plenty of wanton violence and gore. Image belongs to owner.

30 Days of Night & 28 Weeks Later (2007)

If 28 Days Later reinvented zombies, 30 Days of Night did the same for vampires. Based on a comic book mini-series of the same name, 30 Days of Night takes place in Barrow, Alaska. The twist: the town is so far north that once a year, the sun does not rise for 30 days. The vampires take full advantage of the situation and a relentless bloodbath ensues. 28 Weeks Later is the explosive sequel to 28 Days Later. It builds off the same concept as the first, but has far more "zombies", bloodshed, and visual effects. Also, the movie makes the best use of a helicopter that I've ever seen in a zombie movie. Image found on IMDb.

Zombieland (2009)

No list of recent horror movies is complete without Zombieland. Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson are hilarious. The script is great. The movie's visuals are excellent. It is a solid movie all around, and in my opinion it is one of the most enjoyable films of the decade. Image belongs to owner.

The Crazies (2010)

 

While not in the same league as 28 Days Later or Dawn of the Dead, The Crazies is a solid film. Good make-up effects, sparing use of suspense and action sequences, and decent character development make the movie appealing to most audiences, though the ending is a tad over-the-top.

Image from Netflicks.

All photos belong to their respective owners.

2011 was a disappointing year for horror films and 2012 has yet to impress me.

That's a wrap for now. Thanks for reading.

Since I had the pleasure of going to the movies over the weekend, I decided to write my take on a short movie review for the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I hope you enjoy!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a film adaption of a book by Stephen Chbosky. This young adult coming of age film is told from the perspective of the main character Charlie, played by Logan Lerman. In the beginning of the film, Charlie is a social introvert who finds himself mixed into a group of upper classmen who've been friends for a long time.The film focuses on Charlie and this group of friends as they try and discover their respective identity while dealing with drug use, mental illness, and emotional wounds,

I went into this movie with high expectations from the acclaim of the novel and I left the theater a little let down. This is not to say the movie was bad, I just expected more. I felt as if the movie portrayed high school life in a cliche way, or, at least over dramatized the events in the film. Also, it was never made clear what time line the film was supposed to have taken place in. Mix tapes were a prevalent topic throughout, pointing to the film taking place in the late 80's early 90's. The only reason I know for sure that it takes place in the early 90's is because of the book. Little things like that took away from the plot. On a brighter note, the film was cast and acted brilliantly. All in all, the film left me wanting more.

-Sabrina 

Hi World!
This is Kelly, the first poster from Team Tarantino. Today, I'd like to overview the things we're planning on doing on this blog.
 First of all, We are planning a post surrounding horror movies, due to Halloween coming up.
Secondly, There are several of us in Team Tarantino, I will be covering classic movies and musicals.
So let's get started!!
  When people think classic movies, oftentimes (in fact almost all of the time) Audrey Hepburn comes to mind.

I love all of her movies. Her most famous is probably Breakfast at Tiffany's. In which Audrey portrays Holly Golightly, a socialite with a fear of commitment. I've posted the trailer.

Another great Audrey movie is Roman Holiday in which she plays Princess Anne, who takes a holiday causing a bit of mayhem in the process.

Then perhaps my favorite movie ever, Sabrina. This is a classic Cinderella tale about a chauffeurs daughter (played by Audrey of course)who goes to France and transforms into quite the heart-breaker. It has Humphrey Bogart in it too.

The next movie is on my to-watch list, Funny Face. Audrey plays a shopkeeper who is pulled into the fashion world. Here is the trailer.

The last movie I'll cover is perhaps one of the greatest musicals of all time, My Fair Lady. The entire movie can be found on YouTube.

Definitely watch it it you have the time, it has some of the most amazing songs ever heard.
All videos belong to their respective owners.
That's all folks!!
Til next time,
Kelly