The Last House on Dead End Street

Release Year: 1977

Director: Roger Watkins

Review: This is a film which has grown a bit of a cult following and is notorious for being shocking.  Apparently the entire cast and crew blew almost the entire budget on drugs, and were high for most of the filming.  Now, these types of claims are usually more urban legend than truth, but after watching the film I'd be shocked if they could have made this film without being high.  It's a twisted tale of a low-life ex-con who after failing in the porn industry switches to snuff films.  Determined to make his mark he takes this idea to a disturbing new low and actually carries out the killings and mutilation on innocent victims.  Some of the scenes are pretty graphic and horrific.  It's little wonder why the actors used fake names and the director was unknown for over thirty years.  Now, I'm not going to blow it out of proportion.  There is nothing in it that will shock the most depraved of you out there.  My biggest problem is that its just not scary.  Disturbing, yes, but its not something thats going to make you want to switch the lights on.  Once again the downfall was the plot, or lack thereof.  It was hard to get a grasp on what exactly was happening, and in the end it just kind of ran itself into the ground.  Without a solid story trying everything together its just a montage of disturbing imagery, which doesn't make for great cinema.
Rating: 1.5/5

The Spy Who Loved Me

Release Year: 1977

Director: Lewis Gilbert

Review: With Roger Moore in his third role as James Bond, and the famous Jaws villain introduced, 'The Spy Who Loved Me' has all the trappings of a classic Bond.  Unfortunately it fell more into the bland Bond category.  Instead of campy, the action felt cartoonish, and the chauvinistic Bond was more irritating then he was endearing.  The film never veered from the traditional Bond tropes and it felt more like a lazy addition in a television series then a movie.  Ultimately, maybe this is classic Bond, and that is precisely the problem.  When the entire premise bases its effectiveness on the likability of its lead, and you don't buy into that lead, then its not going to work.  I prefer my action movies to be grounded in something at least resembling reality, but here there is none of that.  It's a live action Saturday morning cartoon.  While this has its benefits, they didn't work for me in such a contrived, generic, serial like the Bond films.
Rating: 2.5/5

A Bridge Too Far

Release Year: 1977

Director: Richard Attenborough

Review: I've always had trouble with war epics, and 'A Bridge Too Far' didn't change that.The sprawling scale and bombardment of characters spreads the scope too wide and lessons the impact of the events.  I feel about this film, much as I did with 'Battle of Britain', that a more intimate telling of the operation would have been more effective.  I did enjoy this film more however.  Once the beginning set up was complete they did get to some more personal stories, but ultimately they were too scattered and incoherent. I had a tough time following the flow events and was easily confused trying to piece together what was happening. I admire the effort to create a movie of such a grand scale, but would have liked a simpler, more manageable plot.
Rating: 2.5/5

The Up Series

Release Year: 1964-2005
Review: A documentary following the lives of fourteen children from Britain coming from various walks of life in attempt to measure the impact of social class on their lives. The series starts introducing the kids at the age of seven, and revisits them every seven years for updates on their lives. The series is a fascinating, voyeuristic, view on how average people live, work and age. It is engrossing to be able to watch the lives of these people unfold. Expectations from the childhood are either realized or go tragically awry. The every day struggles that face everyone, such as the struggle to find steady work, marriage problems, and raising a family are all explored in the film simply by taking a look into these people's lives. The 'Up Series' is an important documentary which sheds light on human growth, the impact of class background and a slew of other human behavioral issues. Besides its importance, the documentary is also sheer entertainment. Once you watch one you will want to watch the entire series out of curiosity. The participants are all unique and interesting in their own way, its hard not to have a favorite. This is a monumental documentary and should be required viewing as so much can be learned about life from it.
Rating: 5/5

Annie Hall

Review: The greatest of Woody Allen's works. This cerebral comedy optimizes the post modernism that characterizes a majority of Allen's films. The quick, witty, dialog pops and the chemistry between Allen and Keaton is remarkable. It seems people either adore Allen's whiny, self deprecating humor, or love it and this film is no different. While a romantic comedy at its core, Allen breaks convention at every turn, turning the genre on its head. Stylistically and thematically it refuses to be boxed into a genre stereotype. Annie Hall strives to show that love is necessary, but ultimately a doomed concept. With his sarcastic quips and pessimistic, but brutally honest, outlooks on life, Woody Allen created an all time classic which set the bar for not only the rest of his films, but the genre itself.
Rating: 5/5