For anyone who is tired of the prefabricated plot lines that dominate today’s movie industry, you know the ones for teeny-boppers and the sequels to movies unfit for original production, Fight Club is a refreshing alternative. The star-studded cast, Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter, provide the perfect chemistry for this deceptively brilliant critique of the modern man. David Fincher, who also collaborated with Pitt in the movie Seven, captures the essence Chuck Palahniuk’s novel with beautiful cinematography.

The junior executive, played by Norton, is struggling to swallow his mundane existence. He suffers from a variety of ailments, from depression to insomnia. Norton’s character, the narrator, whose name is never revealed during the film, an example of the subtle nuances that make this production so appealing, lacks a sense of identity, as is expressed in the following quote: “I’d look through the catalog and think, what kind of furniture defines me as a man?” Palahniuk, very cleverly, illustrates how disillusioned and materialistic society has become. Tyler’s occupation of a soap salesman is yet another example. He sells his luxurious soap, made from lye and the pilfered fat from liposuction clinics, back to the very clients who supplied the materials.

Underneath the comedy, the drama, and, at times, the brutal violence, lays an exceptional social satire. Norton’s character and his partner in crime Tyler Durden, played by Pitt, revolt against the twenty-first century image of man. A prime example of Palanhiuk’s contempt for the feminization of man occurs when the two board a bus. They see a Calvin Klein advertisement of a perfectly groomed young adult male devoid of imperfections and body hair. Tyler asks, “Is that what a man looks like?” They both laugh and express their sympathy for people following the path of superficial self-improvement.

The film broaches some rather controversial social issues, which separate it from most conservative contemporary pieces. Many women, mothers especially, were offended by the line, “We’re a generation of men raised by women; I’m wondering if another woman in my life is really what I need?” I thought that was a goal films; they are supposed to be about eliciting emotion.

This film’s cast and director combined to produce a film that will not be soon forgotten. From the horror of the Norton and Leto fight scene to the compassion and sorrow of support group scenes, Fight Club takes you on an eye-opening voyage through the mind of a man gone mad from banality. If you have not watched Fight Club yet and are tired of the same regurgitated garbage, check it out next time you have a chance.

When Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) is appointed to command the newest and most technologically advanced submarine in the Soviet fleet – the Red October, he orders his crew to do the unthinkable – defect to the United States. Diverting the sub from its designated course, he causes alarm among the ranks of the entire Soviet military establishment. The United States takes notice as well, informed by the Soviet Union that the renegade commander is intent on attacking the United States.

But CIA operative Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) has another theory. Suppose that Ramius was attempting to defect? Would the Soviet Union really inform its greatest enemy of a defection, or would they simply attempt to enlist its services in immediately destroying the sub? Ryan banks on the latter and does everything within his power to convince the top brass that he’s right. Now, the hunt is on between the two largest superpowers in the world. Which one will find the Red October first?

The role of Jack Ryan, so brilliantly portrayed by Alec Baldwin, falls to Harrison Ford for the next two Tom Clancy novels adapted to the big screen – Patriot Games and Clear And Present Danger. Ben Affleck would later star in the role of Ryan for the 2002 film release of Sum Of All Fears. But Baldwin is clearly in command of the character in this initial onscreen depiction of the now famous Jack Ryan.

However, the true star of The Hunt For Red October is Sean Connery, the former James Bond regular, who plays the role of Captain Marko Ramius. Connery is more than believable as the headstrong, renegade commanding officer of the Red October. In addition to its strong casting, The Hunt For Red October is further enhanced by the screenwriter’s decision to stick as close as possible to Tom Clancy’s original work. A surprising #1 best-seller, The Hunt For Red October became a national phenomenon following its less than ambitious initial print-run of 15,000 copes by the Naval Institute Press. Its best-seller status wasn’t the result of luck, as this film will attest. The first in a series of blockbuster Jack Ryan films, The Hunt For Red October is a definite must-see film no one should miss…

Cast

• Sean Connery as Captain 1st Class Marko Ramius, Commanding Officer of the Red October
• Alec Baldwin as Dr. Jack Ryan
• Scott Glenn as Commander Bart Mancuso, Commanding Officer of the USS Dallas
• Sam Neill as Captain 2nd Class Vasily Borodin, Executive Officer of the Red October
• James Earl Jones as Vice Admiral James Greer, CIA
• Joss Ackland as Ambassador Andrei Lysenko
• Richard Jordan as Dr. Jeffrey Pelt, National Security Advisor
• Peter Firth as Senior Lieutenant Ivan Putin, Political Officer of the Red October
• Tim Curry as Senior Lt./Dr. Yevgeniy Petrov, Chief Medical Officer of the Red October
• Ronald Guttman as Senior Lieutenant Melekhin, Chief Engineer of the Red October
• Michael Welden as Captain-Lieutenant Grigoriy Kamarov, Navigator of the Red October
• Boris Krutonog as Senior Lieutenant Victor Slavin, Chief Helmsman of the Red October

Kilmer’s Doc Holliday, in particular, is a load of fun. “I’m your Huckleberry” he taunts Johnny Ringo, and although I have no idea where this saying originated, Kilmer repeats it in this film to entertaining effect. Later on he is asked why he sticks his neck out for Sheriff Earp. “Wyatt Earp is my friend”, he replies simply. The other man scoffs “I’ve got LOTS of friends”. “I don’t” says Doc.

This is the kind of movie that perpetuates the “Legend of Wyatt Earp”, but it’s also the kind of movie that grown men still quote liberally with big smiles on their faces more than a decade after it’s initial release.

Cast

• Kurt Russell - Wyatt Earp
• Val Kilmer - Doc Holliday
• Sam Elliott - Virgil Earp
• Bill Paxton - Morgan Earp
• Powers Boothe - Curly Bill Brocius
• Michael Biehn - Johnny Ringo
• Charlton Heston - Henry Hooker
• Jason Priestley - Billy Breckinridge

Rodat first came up with the film’s story in 1994 when he saw a monument dedicated to eight brothers who died during the American Civil War. Inspired by the story, Rodat decided to write a similar story set in World War II. The script was submitted to producer Mark Gordon, who then handed it to Hanks. It was finally given to Spielberg, who had previously demonstrated his interest in WWII themes with films such as Schindler’s List, and decided to direct Saving Private Ryan after reading the film’s script. The film’s premise is very loosely based on the real-life case of the Niland brothers.

Saving Private Ryan was well received by audiences and garnered considerable critical acclaim, winning several awards for film, cast, and crew as well as earning significant returns at the box office. The film grossed US$480 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of the year. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated the film for eleven Academy Awards; Spielberg won the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on the film. Saving Private Ryan was released on home video in May 1999, earning $44 million from sales.

Cast

• Tom Hanks as Captain John H. Miller
• Tom Sizemore as Technical Sergeant Michael Horvath
• Edward Burns as Private First Class Richard Reiben, a BAR gunner
• Jeremy Davies as Technician Fifth Grade Timothy E. Upham, a cartographer and interpreter
• Barry Pepper as Private Daniel Jackson, a marksman
• Adam Goldberg as Private Stanley Mellish, a rifleman
• Vin Diesel as Private Adrian Caparzo, a rifleman
• Giovanni Ribisi as Technician Fourth Grade Irwin Wade, a medic
• Matt Damon as Private First Class James Francis Ryan, a paratrooper

The film’s title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid-20th century, known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue. Pulp Fiction is self-referential from its opening moments, beginning with a title card that gives two dictionary definitions of “pulp”. The plot, in keeping with most of Tarantino’s other works, is presented out of chronological sequence. The picture’s self-reflexivity, unconventional structure, and extensive use of homage and pastiche have led critics to describe it as a prime example of postmodern film. Pulp Fiction is viewed as the inspiration for many later movies that adopted various elements of its style. The nature of its development, marketing, and distribution and its consequent profitability had a sweeping effect on the field of independent cinema. A cultural watershed, Pulp Fiction’s influence has been felt in several other popular media.

Scorsese originally intended to direct Goodfellas before The Last Temptation of Christ, but when funds materialized to make Last Temptation, he postponed what was then known as Wise Guy. The title of Pileggi’s book had already been used for a TV series and for Brian De Palma’s 1986 comedy Wise Guys, so Pileggi and Scorsese changed the name of their film to Goodfellas.

To prepare for their roles in the film, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta talked often with Pileggi, who shared with the actors research material that had been left over from writing the book. According to Pesci, improvisation and ad-libbing came out of rehearsals where Scorsese gave the actors freedom to do whatever they wanted. The director made transcripts of these sessions, took the lines that the actors came up with that he liked best, and put them into a revised script the cast worked from during principal photography.

Goodfellas performed well at the box office, grossing $46.8 million domestically, well above its $25 million budget; it received mostly strong positive reviews from critics. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards but only won one for Pesci in the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category. Scorsese’s film won three awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and was named best film of the year by the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and the National Society of Film Critics.

Cast

• Ray Liotta - Henry Hill
• Robert De Niro - Jimmy Conway
• Joe Pesci - Tommy DeVito
• Lorraine Bracco - Karen Hill
• Paul Sorvino - Paul Cicero
• Chuck Low - Morrie Kessler
• Frank DiLeo - Tuddy Cicero
• Frank Sivero - Frankie Carbone
• Johnny Williams - Johnny Roastbeef
• Mike Starr - Frenchy
• Frank Vincent - Billy Batts William

The film has become a classic of independent film and a cult hit. It was named “Greatest Independent Film of all Time” by Empire. Reservoir Dogs was generally well received and the cast was praised by many critics. Although it was never given much promotion upon release, the film was a modest success by grossing $2,832,029, which made its budget back. However, it did become a major hit in the United Kingdom; grossing nearly 6.5 million pounds, and it achieved higher popularity after the success of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. It is often criticized for its high degree of violence and profanity, and audience members reportedly walked out during a torture scene.

A soundtrack titled Reservoir Dogs: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released featuring songs used in the film, mostly from the 1970s. In 2006, a video game was released to mediocre reviews. The video game—like the film—caused controversy for its violence.

Cast and characters

• Harvey Keitel as Mr. White: A professional criminal and thief. His real name is revealed to be Lawrence Dimmick. Mr. White is portrayed in the movie as a criminal who does not hesitate to kill but is still human enough to care about innocent bystanders, as is evident by his line, “The choice between doing ten years and killing some stupid motherfucker ain’t no choice at all, but I ain’t no madman either.” He blindly believes in Mr. Orange and takes a bullet for him in the final Mexican standoff. After Mr. Orange reveals his true identity, Mr. White, in a state of rage and grief, shoots him in the head. He is then shot in turn by the police, who had just arrived to the scene.

• Tim Roth as Mr. Orange: An undercover police officer, his real name is revealed to be Freddy Newandyke. Later scenes reveal the story of how he went undercover, including the fake “commode story” he told the robbers to gain status and trust. He is shot in the abdomen by a woman trying to defend herself and spends most of the film bleeding on the warehouse floor. He takes a second bullet during the Mexican standoff and is shot dead by Mr. White after he reveals to him that he is a police officer.

• Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink: The only major character whose real name is never revealed, also the only major character who might still be alive at the end of the film, although faint sound effects could be taken to suggest otherwise. Mr. Pink often reminds the other robbers to be “professionals” and is the only person present to stay out of the Mexican standoff. Off-camera it is suggested he is arrested by the police arriving outside to apprehend the gangsters in the warehouse. Mr. Pink is notable for his anti-tipping monologue from the beginning of the film.

• Michael Madsen as Mr. Blonde: His real name is Victor Vega, also known as Vic or Toothpick Vic. He is a sadistic psychopathic criminal who indiscriminately shot several civilians during the robbery. He also gleefully tortures a policeman for his own pleasure—slashing the young officer’s face, cutting off his ear and dousing him with gasoline—only to be stopped from burning him alive by Mr. Orange, when he shoots Vega several times in the chest, killing him.

• Chris Penn as “Nice Guy” Eddie Cabot: The son of Joe Cabot. Eddie does not take part in the heist; he is also the only one who does not initially believe the heist was a setup. He shoots Mr. White in the Mexican standoff between Eddie, Mr. White, and Joe Cabot, and Mr. White in turn shoots and kills Eddie and his father Joe.

• Lawrence Tierney as Joe Cabot: The mastermind of the heist and father of “Nice Guy” Eddie Cabot, Joe is killed by Mr. White during the final standoff. Mr. Orange, during his meeting with fellow cop Holdaway, compares Joe to The Thing from the Fantastic Four.

• Quentin Tarantino as Mr. Brown: Tarantino plays a small role as he often does in his films; Mr. Brown’s real name is also not revealed. He had the opening lines of the film in Mr. Brown’s insight that “Like a Virgin” is a “metaphor for big dicks”. He is shot in the head and killed by the cops.

• Edward Bunker as Mr. Blue: A small role played by ex-criminal Eddie Bunker. Despite not having much screen time, he is often referenced by the other characters since nobody saw what happened to him after the heist. Near the end of the film, Joe reveals that Mr. Blue was killed by the police.

• Randy Brooks as Holdaway: A police officer and a friend of Mr. Orange. He is shown helping Mr. Orange prepare for his mission and presenting the “commode story” to him.

• Kirk Baltz as Marvin Nash: The police officer who is kidnapped by Mr. Blonde after the heist and tortured during the ear-cutting scene. He is shot to death in a fit of rage by “Nice Guy” Eddie.

• Steven Wright as the voice of K-Billy DJ: The voice of comedian Steven Wright moves in and out of the film as the voice of the DJ of “K-Billy’s Super Sounds of the Seventies”, the radio station referenced several times throughout the film.