Artist, The (2011)

The Artist is Michel Hazanavicius' homage to the cinema, more specifically silent screen. The film is silent, with several notable exceptions. Jean Dujardin plays George Valentin--a mix between Douglas Fairbanks and John Gilbert with the right touch of lovableness for being an arrogant star--as he falls from grace in a transitioning film industry, and perky young dancer Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) moves into the spotlight. The film lovingly portrays Hollywood in the late 1920s, and is made similar to the films of the time using advanced naturalistic pantomime acting, a melodramatic plot, and mobile camerawork to convey emotion. There were a few moments that felt out of place--for example, the use of the Love Theme from Vertigo during the build to the climax--but ultimately the film was a rewarding experience.

9/10

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)

The fourth entry of the Mission Impossible series does not fail to disappoint. Tom Cruise's team is blamed for blowing up a portion of the Kremlin and disowned by the United States government, which causes the team to go solo to uncover the conspiracy and complete the original objective. The film is absolutely ridiculous, with grand action scenes and very tense moments (Cruise scaling the Dubai skyscraper, among others). The humor is kicked up quite a bit in comparison to the first and second films (haven't seen the third), but it neither enhances nor detracts from the experience. Ultimately, MI: Ghost Protocol is a fun popcorn flick that is worth watching once, and a worthy entry in the MI series.

7/10

Chain Reaction (1996)

Andrew Davis directs a solid action film with Chain Reaction. Keanu Reeves stars as a student researcher who discovers the proper frequency to stabilize a low-cost high-output power alternative powered by hydrogen. Unfortunately, the project is sabotaged and the corrupt powers that be insinuate Keanu as one of the leading suspects. It's up to Keanu to uncover the conspiracy and absolve himself! Cue typical hide-and-seek goose chase film. Keanu's acting is slightly above-par which really isn't saying a lot. What really suffers in the film is the dialogue, which is delivered as if it is witty and clever, but really it is pretty terrible. A fun, polished, and well-directed action film, but nothing near as good as Davis' The Fugitive.

7/10

Sei donne per l'assassino aka Blood and Black Lace (1964)

Beautiful women are serial murdered in this 1964 giallo horror film directed by Mario Bava. The film is highly stylish, with vivid use of color and great cinematography, but unfortunately, the plot isn't that great: A masked madman is killing off beautiful fashion models one by one. The killer and motive are at the heart of the mystery, but I felt like the resolution wasn't very well-executed--perhaps because there really wasn't much there to begin with. The use of color is stylish, but so much so that it becomes garish. Blood and Black Lace is a great example of too much style (I never thought I'd say such a thing!) and too little substance. I would suggest skipping it and watching Black Sunday instead.

6/10

Giorgio Moroder's Metropolis (1927, 1984)

Take a classic sci-fi silent film, add a gooey 80s pop score including the artists Pat Benatar (gross), Bonnie Tyler, Adam Ant, and Freddie Mercury, and you have Giorgio Moroder's Metropolis. Synthesizers pulse, guitars wail, and drum machines fire away (damn you, Pat Benatar!) in this 80s "update" of Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film. Moroder chose a simplified version of Metropolis (~80 minutes) probably because it was the only thing available at the time, but it looks like they made some timing choices for some of the shots are in slow-motion that weren't before. While the cheesy soundtrack and the few dashes of color definitely "80s-ify" Metropolis, I'm not sure I would have survived had it been any longer.

6/10

Black Cat, The (1934)

Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff square off in this minor Universal classic. I say minor because it is a one-off of Universal's iconic monsters films, but the film is really quite excellent. Directed and written by Edgar G Ulmer, the film revolves around newlyweds who get caught in a diabolical game between Bela and Boris on their honeymoon through Europe. For 1934, this film is quite suggestive and violent with torture and undertones of incest trickled in. With great lighting, a fantastic set, atmosphere galore, and a twisted plot "suggested by Edgar Allan Poe," The Black Cat is really a fun little horror film. It's a shame that it is not more readily available on home video.

8/10

Face of Fu Manchu, The (1965)

The first entry of the 1960s Fu Manchu series starring Christopher Lee. It has a stock espionage plot involving the fake-death of Fu Manchu, a secret underground lair, and a devastating poison used to manipulate the Western world however Fu Manchu desires. The characterizations are satisfactory, but nothing to be especially excited about. I was excited to see this one because I'm always interested in different incarnations of Fu Manchu. Both the Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) and the Drums of Fu Manchu serial (1940) were fun, but unfortunately other than Christopher Lee, nothing about this film is particularly noteworthy.

6/10