Saturday, December 3, 2011

Which of these seven outstanding movies is your personal favorite?

During the month of November, I got the chance to watch more than a few good movies and what follows is a recap of a few of the best.

Around the World in 80 Days (1956): Starring David Niven and Shirley MacLaine, this movie won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Based on the novel by Jules Verne, it’s about an English gentleman who tries to make good on a sizable bet that he can circumnavigate the globe in 80 days.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011): This very cool movie is based on the Marvel Comics character, Captain America and features a number of well known actors, including Chris Evans as Captain America, Tommy Lee Jones and Hugo Weaving. This movie was very entertaining and reminded me of “Hellboy” thanks to the heavy Nazi mad scientist themes throughout.

Drive Angry (2011): Starring Nicolas Cage, this movie caught me by surprise. I was expecting something along the lines of “The Fast and the Furious.” Instead, this movie is more like “Constantine” and “Ghostrider.” This movie bombed at the box office, but I thought it was somewhat entertaining.

Marty (1955): Starring Ernest Borgnine, this movie won an Academy Award for Best Picture. I knew very little about this movie going in, but I can see why it won for Best Picture. It’s about an aging butcher, the only bachelor amongst many married brothers and sisters, who falls for a nice girl in similar straights. This movie was all black and white, and the whole time it felt like I was watching an old episode of “The Twilight Zone.”

On the Waterfront (1954): Starring Marlon Brandon, Rod Steiger and Karl Malden, this film won an Academy Award for Best Picture. In a nutshell, it’s about a former boxer turned longshoreman, who ends up being used as a pawn in a union murder plot. He stands up to the bad guys, his former pals, but ends up taking a beating. Interestingly, the movie was based on a series of articles that were published in the New York Sun.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011): Directed by Rod Marshall and starring Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Geoffrey Rush, this movie was released in May and is the fourth installment in the highly entertaining “Pirates of the Caribbean” series. Little known fact: This movie is loosely based on the 1987 fantasy novel, “On Stranger Tides,” by Tim Powers.

Super 8 (2011): Directed by J.J. Abrams of “LOST” fame, this excellent sci-fi film came out in August. It’s about a bunch of kids that happen to film an Air Force transport train that’s carrying not only an alien, but also parts of his mysterious ship. This movie reminded me of not only “The Goonies” but also “Predator.”

In the end, how many of these movies have you had the chance to see? Which did you like or dislike or why? Which of the above is your personal favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.

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