Matthew R. Reis: Film and TV Critic

Film mania Blog exclusive! In this new weekly series I will be highlighting the things I love most and least about cinema. I watch a lot of films and obviously some stand out more than others. I didn't actually rank these numerically, but I tried to do my best by listing the films I liked better first. So without further ado here are my favorite films of all time: "Being John Malkovich" (1999, color) "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (2009, color) "Avatar" (2009, color) "Breathless" (1960, black and white) "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008, color) "True Romance" (1993, color) "The Matrix" (1999, color) "Alien" (1979, color) "There Will Be Blood" (2007, color) "Wall-e" (2009, color) "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964, black and white) "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012, color) "Star Wars Episode V: ...

Seasick to the fourth power (Now on DVD) 4 Stars Blog exclusive! The previous two Pirates sequels, "Dead Man's Chest" and "At World's End," were less than stellar. "On Stranger Tides," producer Jerry Bruckheimer's latest extravaganza get's the series back on track. Returning the tongue-in-cheek humor that made "The Curse of the Black Pearl" so great and combining it with the darker thematic elements of the latter two installments "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" is simply the best Pirates yet. The biggest difference between the last installment "At World's End" and "On Stranger Tides" is the cast and crew. Trading in Keira Knightley for Oscar winning actress Penelope Cruz doesn't hurt the film one bit. In fact it's a substantial upgrade. Both women are extremely beautiful, and have exotic European flair, but Cruz is simply the better actress. While Keira Knightley fit in...

A cat fight in leotards (Now on DVD) 3 Stars As featured in: The Ithacan Director Darren Aronofsky finds comfort in telling cautionary tales. “Black Swan,” Aronofsky’s first film since “The Wrestler” won him widespread praise two years ago is his most foreboding yet. The film takes place in the ultra—competitive world of New York City ballet where constant pressure takes its toll on the nimble performers. Nina Sayers, played by Natalie Portman in an Oscar worthy turn, is an extreme example of what that pressure can do. Sayers is an eager yet self-deprecating talent who wilts when given the chance to become the lead performer in a modern retelling of Swan Lake. A film is only as good as the sum of its parts and “Black Swan” is built from quality ingredients. The screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz covers many topics ranging from self—worth to addiction and weaves them together quite well. Best categorized as a psychological thriller “Black Swan” forces the audience to conti...

A Roger Corman cult classic...gee isn't that vague? (Now on DVD) 2 1/2 Stars Blog exclusive! Imagine that you wake on a private beach with a shoreline of pristine sand. Far off and perched on hill rests a creepy mansion that even Count Dracula would even envy. You are dehydrated, yet completely conscious and you take in the magnificent view. No you are not Fabio playing some romantic lover to a buxom blond, but rather Andre Duvalier (Jack Nicholson), a French soldier separated from his troops. Welcome to "The Terror," it may very well be your worst nightmare... or not. Starring a young Jack Nicholson and veteran horror actor Boris Karloff, "The Terror" is hardly short on terrific performances, yet is very lacking in the shrills department. Legendary Director Roger Corman elicits convincing performances from his leads. The leads play off of each others strengths. Karloff hams it up and Nicholson is captivating because of his signature grin. Karloff of cou...