Garfield: His 9 Lives (TV Special) Review

"Garfield: His 9 Lives" is a movie that suprised me. It was only an hour long, but it left a big impact on me. The comedy is great, the story is extremely clever, the characters are gold, and it combines drama with comedy in an outstanding way. Now, I wouldn't usually be watching movies like this, but a few days ago I was flipping through Teletoon retro, and I saw this. "Why Not?", I asked myself as I sat down on my couch to watch this, and it surpassed my expectations by a landslide. As well, this is the very first movie I watched with multiple stories, not just one. The main purpose of this movie is to show the 9 lives of our favorite cat, Garfield. So, I shall review them all, right here. Enjoy! In the Beginning: This is not one of Garfields nine lives, it's just basically something to get the plot going, and for people to understand the movie itself. It basically shows angels deciding to give cats 9 lives. It's a very surreal scene, filled with a shaky camera and God himself in a distorted form. It's extremely well done and memorable. It's short, but begins our story. 10/10. Cave Cat: This is the first life of Garfield, where it shows the "History" of the cat, from the evolution to taming. It's done well, it has the humor and animation down, but it's not really a stand-out story. I guess that wasn't the intention though. 7/10. King Cat: This is the second life, which focuses more on slapstick comedy. Yet suprisingly, it's done really, REALLY well! It's not perfect, it has flaws, but it was a story that doesn't sound amazing on paper, but really suprises you on how funny and well written it is. Definitely not one to skip. 9/10. In the Garden: Honestly, I want to hate this one. I want to pick out every little flaw it has. However, I do admit, it has one of the BEST jokes in the whole special, near the end. The story itself done very surreal like, with the animation bouncy and shiny. However, it lacks memorable qualities, and it's dumb too. Skip this one, at least until the end. 3/10. Court Musician: This one was pretty good. It's not very memorable, unlike the ones coming up, but it was smart and sophisticated. If you want to skip another story, go for this one, but it's still well done. 6/10. Stunt Cat: This was the shortest one of all. He's a stunt double for "Krazy Kat", and I think you know the ending for this one. It's a simple joke, but pulled off well. Has a bit of atmosphere too, if you care for it. 7/10. Diana's Piano: I honestly love this one. It's the best of the 9 lives. It's all hand painted, and it's where Garfield gained his love of music. It's basically about Sara, a young girl who receives a cat, Diana (The only obvious life of Garfield that's female). It's done extremely well, and the ending is suprisingly sad. It lacks humor, but it's not supposed to have humor. It's just supposed to be a sad end to the love between a girl and her cat. You won't laugh, but you'll probably tear up. 10/10. Lab Animal: A nice and short life of Garfield. Filled with intensity and action, this one you won't wanna miss. 8/10. Garfield: The beginning of the Garfield we know of. It's simple but it has, well, Garfield! It doesn't have many flaws, so it's basically a short you can sit down and enjoy. Most Garfield fans will enjoy this one. 9/10. Space Cat: This is an awesome one. It basically has all the tension from Lab Animal, all the comedy from King Cat, and all the story from Diana's Piano. It's not the best, but it's incredibly entertaining, and since you're knowing this is his last life, you're really hoping he makes it out OK. Definitely another one you should watch. 10/10. Epilogue: This one is just awesome. Garfield and Odie (Odie has 9 lives too? Weird, but oh well) are sent to the distorted God from the beginning. I cannot spoil anything, but it's funny, surreal, and it's not one of the 9 lives, but it's one of the best parts of the special. Don't leave before this one. Trust me. 10/10. So, there you go. Now, just to be nice, I'll order these from best to worst: 1. Diana's Piano 2. Epilogue 3. In the Beginning 4. King Cat 5. Garfield 6. Lab Animal 7. Cave Cat 8. Stunt Cat 9. Court Musician 10. In the Garden So, it's a great special, check it out! 

10/10. 

P.S More reviews to come soon!

Top 10 Lost Films

There are a LOT of lost films in the world, some nobody really cares about, as it doesn't have much cultural significance or even any proof to it's existence, but then you get a select few that everyone goes out of their way to try to find evidence of it. I, for one, have PLENTY of films that I would do anything to bring back. So, today, I'm counting down the Top 10 lost films I want to be found the most. It can be several hours, or even a few minutes, they just got to be lost. So, let's begin.

10. Wasei Kingu Kongu (1933)
 

Wasei Kingu Kongu is a short silent film based off 1933's King Kong. It was released in Japan, and is rumored to be destroyed by the US Atomic Bombing in 1945. Also notable is the 1938 film, King Kong Appears in Edo, which is also lost.


9. Hollywood (1923)

Hollywood is a silent comedy film released in 1923. It's mostly known for more than 30 cameos of famous movie stars, like Charlie Chaplin, Cecil B. Demille, Roscoe Arbuckle, and more!
 

8. Cleopatra (1917)
 

Cleopatra is a black and white silent short starring Theda Bara, who's known for having more than 3/4's of the movies she starred in lost, and this is probably the most sought after. It was destroyed in a fire at Fox Studios.

7. The Gulf Between (1917)
 

The first Technicolor film in history, and the fourth color film in history. Unfortunately, it was not well reviewed when it was first released.


6. The Way of All Flesh (1927)
 

The only film that had "Best Performance" to be lost. Emil Jannings was also the first person to win Best Actor in Oscar history. It is also directed by Victor Fleming.


5. The Fall of a Nation (1916)
 

Fall of a Nation is considered by many as the very first film sequel, which follows up "Birth of a Nation". Unfortunately, it survives with only a few stills.


4. Her Friend the Bandit (1914)
 

The only lost film that Charlie Chaplin was either a star or a director, and in this, he was both. It's about 16 minutes long, and was met with critical acclamation.


3. London After Midnight (1928)
 

Unlike most of the movies on this list, this has a HUGE amount of evidence, so much so that one man made a 45 minute reconstruction of the film using still photographs. It stars Lon Chaney Sr, and is directed by Tod Browning.


2. The Mountain Eagle (1926) 
 

The only feature film by Alfred Hitchcock to be lost, but Hitchcock himself didn't seem to mind that the film was lost. It was named #1 of the most sought after lost British films.


1. The Patriot (1928)
 

The only Best Picture nominated film to be lost, and the second movie on this list to star Emil Jannings. Only a trailer for the film and a few extra stills survive. If I could go back in time and take one film reel with me back to the present, I would take this one.

So what do you think? Is there a film I didn't mention? Leave it in the comments!

Top 8 Star Wars Films

Star Wars is probably the most celebrated and enjoyed film series of all time. It has everything, and the series itself feels not like several movies, but like an experience you've never felt before. Out of all the Star Wars movies out there, I think there are only 8 that are extremely popular with pretty much any fan, from casual the extreme. So, let's not waste any time, here are the Top 8 Star Wars Films:

8. Star Wars: Holiday Special
 


This is honestly one of the worst films I have ever seen. It has little action, no interesting dialogue or character interaction, and nothing important happens throughout. Out of these 8, this is the only one without a theatrical release, but since it is very popular with Star Wars fans due to it's release right after the first movie, and almost every cast member of the first movie being in it one way or another. Still, it's a horrible movie, definitely not recommended.

7. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)


This is the only animated film on the list, and honestly, I never saw the Animated TV series that followed this, I heard it was twice as good as this, but I never got around to it. Anyways, back to this movie, this is supposed to take place between Episode II and III, but it doesn't add much to the story, and it's only real redeeming factors being the action and animation, which are awesome. Oh, and Obi-Wan's voice actor did a good job too.

6. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
 


This movie does well with everything technical, the action, the special effects, the atmosphere, etc, but it lacks in pretty much everything else. Sure, to see some of the characters back story is kinda cool, but nothing much else is offered in this installment. I don't hate it as much as every other Star Wars fan, but it's still not up to par with some of the other films.

5. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
 


This was a horrible movie, really going nowhere, but then the last 40 minutes happened, and they were AWESOME. It actually felt like Star Wars during those last few minutes, with it's fast action, interesting dialogue and character motivations, etc. But everything else in this movie sucked, especially the first hour and a half. Also, I wouldn't very happy that the movie was called Star Wars, and yet you rarely even see anything happen in SPACE. Just a bad movie, but worth watching for the last few minutes.

4. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
 


This movie was pretty good actually. It had good character development, good action, sure, the dialogue could have been better, and it really did lack the spirit of the original 3 movies, but as a whole, a movie that you should watch, even if the first 2 movies in the trilogy weren't all that good.

3. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back


The plot may seem messy at times, and it's unnecessarily complicated a lot, but definitely a great film, with more character development, and a huge twist that rivals Episodes 3 and 4 as the best ending of the whole series. Must watch for any Sci-Fi fan.

2. Star Wars: Episode IV - Return of the Jedi
  

Anakin Skywalker has the best character development in this movie than any other character does in the whole series. Also, the film wraps up quite nicely, nothing amazingly interesting happens at the end, it just ends, but still an outstanding movie with more unique characters and scenarios. Check it out.

1. Star Wars/Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)


The best of the series, it introduces our characters gradually and calmly, which gives viewers time to warm up to their personalities, great action, great story, great dialogue, probably one of the, if not the Best Sci-Fi film of all time.

What do you think? List your favorites down below!

Gone with the Wind Review

Welcome to the fifth movie of my Oscar marathon! Today, I'll be reviewing what many people consider one of the greatest movies of all time: Gone with the Wind. Earlier in this marathon, I reviewed a movie that went against it in the Best Picture race, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and out of the two, as well as Wizard of Oz, this film, Gone with the Wind, managed to take it home. So, today, I shall be reviewing this film, the 1939 color classic, Gone with the Wind:

Gone with the Wind is an epic film with outstanding memorability. When it ended, I felt as if I watched something of great worth, something that could have blown anyone's mind back in 1939, and even now, if shown to a person who doesn't follow movies, they'd probably say it was made in the 90's or even the 2000's! It was awesome back then, and it's awesome now. Some people complain that it's almost 4 hours long, but that's what makes it feel more like an experience than just another film. It's just an excellent film in general, timeless, entertaining, and groundbreaking. The story of this film is that Scarlett O'Hara, played by Vivien Leigh, hears that her casual beau, Ashley Wilkes, played by Leslie Howard (Both males, despite the female names) plans to marry Melanie Hamilton, played by Olivia de Havilland. She meets up with Ashley, and while with him, she is annoyed by another man, Rhett Butler, played by Clark Gable. I won't say any more, as a lot of the movie involves huge twist and turns, and I don't want to ruin a thing. So, as you can tell, I love the plot and all it's surprises, but do I like the characters? Well, it's hard to say. The characters all have developed personalities and are very realistic, but I didn't find a character that I truly liked. Sure, Rhett is cool, and you relate with Scarlett, but they also have annoying parts to them as well. Rhett, while cool and suave, is mean and possibly even sexist, while Scarlett, though you sympathies with her, she whines and complains about EVERYTHING. Sure, that's what makes them more realistic, as nobody's perfect, but I just wish these characters were less annoying. The acting however, was awesome. Clark Gable was outstanding as Rhett, and Vivien Leigh did well as Scarlett. Also, Hattie McDaniel was great, and I really respect the people who helped cast her and the people who wrote her in the script, as this was a time where racism was a big deal, so I really respect her casting. Everyone else in the movie did good to, I didn't see anyone that was not a good actor. Now, it's time for "The Best and Worst of Gone with the Wind". The best of this film is just how... Epic it is. So much happens in it, the characters go through so much, it makes you feel like you know the characters, as you're knowledgeable of how they would react to certain situations. Also, the cinematography and lighting were very well done, and is some of the best of those categories I've seen back then, and of all time. The worst of this film has to be... How seriously it takes itself. I know it sounds like I'm contradicting myself, but hear me out. Whenever a scene involving a step forwards or backwards in romance, the scene immediately goes to a hilltop during a sunset/sunrise where the main character(s) stands, expressing their opinions to either the other person on the hilltop, or to themselves, and sometimes, they just stand there, doing a weird yoga pose of something. I know it's revolutionary for it's time, as no one did it before, but it just seems over-dramatic. However, besides that and a few other minor flaws, this is a great film, and even though, in my opinion, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a better film than this, this film was definitely more revolutionary and even in color, which wouldn't be replicated in a Best Picture winner until 1951! So, overall, it's not perfect, but it's extremely entertaining and very important for film history. You just gotta love it.

4.5/5

Top 10 Movies I Own But Never Watched

I have a couple DVD's and Blu-Rays on my shelf right now, but I usually don't get to watch them, for certain reasons. So today, I will count down the 10 Movies I Own But Never Watched. Don't worry, I'm still doing the Oscar marathon, in fact, a Gone with the Wind review is coming soon, but for now, here's my list:

10. The Goonies (1985)

Rotten Tomatoes: 63%

Director: Richard Donner

Why I Never Watched It: This looks like a very entertaining a fun film, but the thing is, even though I want to watch this film, there are films on Netflix or on TV I want to watch MORE. Who knows, I may watch it soon for fun, but for now, it's sitting in my shelf gathering dust.

9. Hero (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Director: Yimou Zhang

Why I Never Watched It: This also looks like an excellent film to watch, but the thing is, I usually watch films with a lot of accolades and awards to it's name. Sure, this film is the top grossing film ever of China, but it needs more than that to really interest me. So, I hope to watch it, but for now, I think I have more Oscar movies to view.

8. Ghostbusters 2 (1989)

Rotten Tomatoes: 51%

Director: Ivan Reitman

Why I Never Watched It: I watched the first Ghostbusters, and it was a good film, it wasn't brilliant, but it was good. Now, people are saying this one sucks, and that worries me. I put this so high because if I do hate it, it'll make an interesting review.

7. Cold Mountain (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes: 71%

Director: Anthony Minghella 

Why I Never Watched It: It's long, I heard some bad things from it, and, again, I feel I can watch better films.

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Rotten Tomatoes: 54%

Director: Gore Verbenski 

Why I Never Watched It: I received this as a gift, but can't watch it because I NEVER SAW THE FIRST ONE.

5. A Few Good Men (1992)

Rotten Tomatoes: 84%

Director: Rob Reiner

Why I Never Watched It: I only received it recently, so I couldn't plan time to watch it.

4. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Director: Steven Spielberg

Why I Never Watched It: It seems a little childish to me, which holds me back from watching it, but I will get to it eventually.

3. The Departed (2006)

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Director: Martin Scorsese 

Why I Never Watched It: I also received this recently, and due to it's long length, it's hard to watch this movie with time to spare.

2. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Director: Peter Jackson

Why I Never Watched It: Incredibly long, and the fall of quality from the first movie to the second makes me slightly nervous.

1. The Godfather: Part II and III

Rotten Tomatoes: 98%, 68%

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Why I Never Watched It: JUST. SO. LONG.

I hope you enjoyed my list. 

Apollo 13 Review

Welcome to the fourth movie of my Oscar Marathon, which will continue until February 27, 2012. The film I shall be reviewing today is Apollo 13, a film that many people say should have won Best Picture in 1995, but it had lost to "Braveheart". It's a true story starring Tom Hanks about, what else? The Apollo 13 mission. So, without any further ado, here's 1995's Best Picture nominee, Apollo 13:

Apollo 13 is the ultimate subtle film, a film that knows it's a space film, but it doesn't shove it in our faces. It's entertaining, well written, well acted, and just an awesome film in general. Ron Howard really shows us a great film, filled with everything we could ask for, with the side effect of a few minor flaws here and there. Ever since then, plenty of space films tried to copy it's formula, but none of them had the substance and charisma that this film has. It makes the film feel not as "Based on a True Story" but as if you're actually ON Apollo 13 with these characters, feeling the suspense all the way. It's just very memorable and very cool. The story is basically a recreation of the Apollo 13 moon mission, which ended up failing because of technical error. It really doesn't lead to any surprises or uncertainty, but those don't seem as necessarily as, for the most part, this is a calm film, no real action or scares, just some suspense. The characters were... pretty good. The main character, Jim Lovell, played by Tom Hanks, is a great character, and so is his wife, but the two other pilots, although likable, are not focused on much. It's not THAT big a problem, as it's intentions was to follow the main character, the other 2 characters, although also likable, aren't the main focus. However, it would be nice to know more about the other 2 characters, but we do learn a bit about their personalities during the actual mission. The acting was also good. Tom Hanks was not really disguising himself as anyone, he wasn't Forrest Gump or Woody, he was pretty much just being himself, and I actually respect him for that, as he did do a good job in this film. Also, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, and Kathleen Quinlan all did great. Now, usually I don't discuss this in great detail, but I feel I must talk about the special effects, and in my opinion, they were very well done. Sure, some parts, it was completely obvious the special effects were CGI, but for most of the movie, they looked really cool, almost like they were really there. They aren't the best special effects ever, but for the time, they must have looked OUTSTANDING. Now, for my favorite part of the review, "The Best and Worst of Apollo 13". The best part of this movie... Even though I'm tempted to say the cinematography, I'll have to say the atmosphere. Why you ask? Well, let me give an example: When the 3 characters are escaping the earths atmosphere and rocketing into space, you FEEL as if the characters are actually blasting into space, it makes the film seem more like an experience than just a film. The worst thing about this film is probably the other two main characters. Like I said, they're likable and all, but most of the focus seems to be on Hanks, which is OK, but in the end, you barely felt like you got to know the other two, so that got me a little angry, but to tell you the truth, the rest of the movie was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed it for the execution of the story, the effects, and of course, the experience itself. Also, in my opinion, this is one of the best disaster films of all time, even surpassing Titanic! So overall, this is an excellent film, well worthy of a watch.

5/5

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Review

Welcome to the third film of Pop Cultural Opinion's Oscar marathon, continuing until February 27, 2012. Today, I will be reviewing a Best Picture nominated film from 1939, said to be one of the best film years of all time. The film is Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. This film, although directed by Frank Capra, and starring the brilliant James Stewart, it lost Best Picture to the more revolutionary color film "Gone with the Wind". Both films are considered classics by today's standards, and the one that's considered better is debatable, but I think this review shows my personal opinion. So, from 1939, here's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington:

 Some people say Wizard of Oz, others say Gone with the Wind, but in my opinion, the best of the amazing year of 1939 HAS to be Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Excellent direction, awesome acting, and some of the best editing I have ever seen in a film. It deserves every single accolade it received, and more. The story is actually quite complex and interesting. It's about Jefferson Smith, played by James Stewart, who get's nominated for senator after the death of Senator Samuel Foley. Smith was nominated because of his work as the leader of the state's Boy Rangers group. Mr. Smith is a little nervous when he starts out, but he starts to get the hang of it, and tries to introduce some of his ideas, most of them are turned down, so he has to stand up for what he believes in, and by stand up, I really do mean "STAND UP". The story is very well done, even if it seems slightly far-fetched at times. Also, some of the scenes following the story are extremely well done, especially the ending. The characters are very likable and anything but cliches, especially Mr. Smith himself. They feel like real life people, while still being interesting. The acting is outstanding. Every actor, no matter how long they're on screen, leave a big impact. I was even shocked a young African-American boy was in the movie, as this was a time where racism was more widespread. Even still, Gone with the Wind had an African-American woman in a bigger role, so it's not a huge deal, even though it was still a great move by Capra to break the Black/White barrier. Also, James Stewart does completely TREMENDOUS in this film. In my personal opinion, Stewart is the second best actor ever (Behind Chaplin), and this has got to be one of his best roles. He's so intense when he needs to be, but when the movie is calm, so is Stewart. He's actually quite quirky at those parts, but in the climax, he is just powerful with every word. Also, Jean Arthur get's completely lost in her character, and between her and Stewart, it's hard to decide who's better. Now, as every recent review I do does this eventually, it's time for "The Best and Worst of Mr. Smith Goes To Washington". The best, undoubtedly, has to be the last half an hour or so. This is where Mr. Smith talks non-stop, I'm not gonna say what he's talking about, and as time goes by, he get's more and more exhausted, and while he's doing this, his friends try to rally for him, but all attempts fail. The scene is actually depressing, with Mr. Smith talking for hours with no one listening, and his friends failing to rally for him. I won't tell you what happens in the end, but it's a big surprise. The worst of this film... The only huge flaw I can think of is how they portray the government. I know, I know, the government sucked back then like it does now, but it seems to portray the government representatives as snooty, hate-filled, etc, which can get on your nerves at times. Even with that flaw, this is still an awesome, timeless, wonderfully edited, amazingly acted, and tremendously written film, well worthy of a watch for all ages.

5/5