[New rant coming soon]

Random movie reviews, some new to me, some repeat viewings.

Lawrence of Arabia - IMDb

Very long movie about T.E. Lawrence, a British soldier with conflicting interests between his home country and Arabia. A great character piece and 'journey' movie, though a tad too long for my tastes. Definitely takes a commitment to watch, but it's worth it in the end.

Rating: 9/10

Chinatown - IMDb

Roman Polanski, Jack Nicholson... instant win? Possibly. A great detective story, with numerous twists and an amazing script. Between this and 'L.A. Confidential,' I think that's all I need to keep my crime/thriller thirst satisfied. Definitely one of the best.

Rating: 10/10

Sunset Blvd. - IMDb

Billy Wilder is simply spectacular. This movie has it all. Basic plot outline: William Holden is a writer in Hollywood who becomes attached to Glorida Swanson, an over-the-hill actress who still thinks she's it. Twists, turns, corruption, love, loss, and for some reason I got the same feeling as from watching Hitchcock's 'Rebecca,' so this movie is a definite winner.

Rating: 9.5/10

The Family Man - IMDb

Straying away from the 'classics,' I rewatched this 'It's a Wonderful Life 2.0' flick the other night. Not a bad performance by Nic Cage, and with Tea Leoni, Don Cheadle, and Jeremy Piven, an overall decent cast. Nothing spectacular or innovative, but an enjoyable movie if you like seeing 'what if' scenarios. Of course nothing will ever touch Frank Capra's classic, but if you don't have a copy of that, this is not a bad substitute.

Rating: 7.5/10