Sorcerer (1977)

Quite possibly the worst case of mis-titling in movie history, Sorcerer is a taut suspense thriller that has nothing to do with magic. A remake of the 1953 Henri-Georges Clouzot film Wages of Fear, Sorcerer holds its own. Roy Scheider stars as one of four criminals who, having fled to South America, picks up the highly dangerous job of driving two trucks loaded full of unstable nitroglycerin through the Amazonian jungle. The first hour of the picture sets up backstory, while also establishing the gritty, unrelenting mood of the picture. It's pretty intense on its own, but once the men finally get into their trucks and out on the road, the film really steps it up. Torrential downpours, road blocks, and all around mortifying suspense leave you no room to breathe. Mr Friedkin succeeds again in turning out a film that just doesn't let up. The score by Tangerine Dream is fantastic both in the film (I wanted more!) and as a standalone soundtrack, even though at first glance it might not seem appropriate. Check it out.

8/10

As a final note, the DVD copy of Sorcerer is subpar by modern standards, and I hope someday we can get the proper restoration and widescreen transfer this film deserves.

Exorcist, The (1973)

William Friedkin's horror movie classic holds up well today. Rarely does a picture frighten like The Exorcist does, and it's not because of jump cuts or creepy faces--those are certainly startling, but not terrifying. A jump cut or a creepy face dies after it's played its role. Atmosphere lingers on. The Exorcist has one of the most dread-filled, claustrophobic moods of any horror film I've ever seen. It's a combination of the unknown and the unholy. None of it feels like the hollow, artificially designed atmosphere of your typical horror film. The Exorcist grabs you and doesn't let go, much like the demon possessing Regan. What I love about this movie is that it does not sacrifice character, story, or acting for the sake of cheap thrills or easy scares. The Exorcist works for its scares, and it pays off. The slick direction is aided by some pretty polished production values: Dick Smith's makeup effects are fantastic, but what really stood out was the sound design. A must see.

9/10

Skyfall (2012)

Daniel Craig returns for his third installment in the new Bond series, and the brute's been smoothed out a bit. Humor makes a welcome return to the franchise, and they've toned down the shakiness of the action scenes. The filmmakers strike a balance between the epileptic style of the first two Craig films and the more polished style of the films preceding them. The film is very playful, with some almost Pierce-ian banter and cute nods to past films. At first I was slightly apprehensive about delving into Bond's past, but the execution was tasteful. Javier Bardem's villain was amazing--he really knocked it out of the park. Both Bond girls were attractive, but I didn't think they added much. I'd say the music was the weakest link: John Barry's music is so iconic and distinctive to the franchise, I don't know why the producers don't want to own it. Instead we have a kind of middle ground generic Bond soundtrack with brief homages into Barry-esque sound. Great film. Best of the Daniel Craig films so far. Go see it.

8/10

PS: For God's sake, put the goddamn gunbarrel sequence at the beginning of the film. 

PPS: The title animation was pretty good. I thought Adele's theme was good as well until the chants came in. What is it with chanting in pop music these days?