“The Wizard of Oz” remained a favorite of mine all through my childhood and after so much advancement in special effects, it’s still a marvel to watch. Fleming and Warner’s partnering was a match made in heaven as Fleming took the L. Frank Baum beloved novel and gave us a fantasy epic that’s been mimicked and beloved since its initial release. Years after wearing down my old VHS copy I’ve managed to view the Victor Fleming masterpiece as one of the weirdest films ever made. Watching it from the view of a child differs from when you see it as an adult and watching it on the restored 70th Anniversary edition has brought to mind some images that seemed normal then that are surprisingly surreal today.
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The Warriors (1979)
It was like something out of a Western this film; a gang called “The Warriors” is blamed for the death of the highest gangster of them all and must race to their Coney Island turf before trouble stirs beyond their grasp. It sounds simple enough except every single gang in the city is out for their blood and they must fight their way through colorful delinquents all of whom want to make the small band of rejects pay for the murder. “The Warriors” is a movie I fondly remember being introduced to by my pops who rented this one night and sat us down to bask in the glow of the television and let Walter Hill perform his magic.
Wonder Woman (2009)
Even as a man who hasn’t held much empathy for the character, “Wonder Woman” has been in the top ten movies I’ve been looking forward for a good year now. Though she was never my biggest influence in regards to comic books, DC and Warner have had a great turn out of Straight to DVD movies and this one is no exception. With excellent voice work and top notch production quality, “Wonder Woman” is a movie that will definitely sell itself to people still adamant in their belief that Diana is more a character for little girls to worship. “Wonder Woman” aims for appeal to everyone from the discerning fan boy, the hardcore general comic book population, and of course young girls who want a break from the boys club for a while. Though I wouldn’t suggest this to girls too young; you can thank the sexual overtones for that (Steve: Your daughter has a nice rack), consumers.
Wall-E (Single-disc Edition) (DVD): Widescreen Edition : Disney Eco-friendly Packaging
Before you start in on what the best movie of our year has been so far, I’ll just declare straight that “Wall E” may not only be the best movie of the year, but also one of the finest PIXAR has ever created. Intelligent and bold without alienating its target audience, “Wall E” is that movie that dwarves talking animals flicks blowing away the likes of chimps in space and a kung fu panda. “Wall E” is a magnificent global conscious adventure about the utterly adorable helper robot who doesn’t know that he doesn’t have to clean up what was once considered our home planet.
Wall-E (2008)
“Wall-E” dares to be anything but predictable. It’s quiet, it’s subtle, it’s intelligent, it features barely any dialogue at all, and it asks us to think of a world where garbage has become so cumbersome we’ve been shoved off our planet by our own waste. “Wall-E” is simply a masterpiece. Continue reading
Wanted (2008)
When I tell you that I had zero expectations for “Wanted,” let me emphasize it. I had zero expectations for “Wanted.” None. Nada. Bottom of the barrel, ground zero expectations. So again, let me explain how surprising it was to sit through “Wanted” and realize it is one of the better action movies I’ve seen in years. Is it over the top? Yes, but so was the comic book. Is it absurd? Yes, but so was the comic book. And director Timur Bekmambetov manages to take the source material and turn it in to a slick action thriller that mixes gore and dark comedy with a respective ensemble cast that give absolutely fantastic performances in what could be described as a vicious hybrid of “The Matrix,” and “La Femme Nikita” with a dash of “Fight Club.”
Women in Cages (1971)
Carol Jeffries was just set up by her boyfriend, a drug dealer who makes her take the wrap for a massive drug deal he was involved in during an illegal cock fight. Carol, a vulnerable and innocent woman, has just found herself in a women’s pen in the middle of nowhere with vicious female criminals. And she has nowhere to go but down, baby. She’s forced to endure the tribulations of prison life involving psychotic roommates, horrible living conditions, and a violent matron named Alabama (Ms. Pam Grier, herself) who sleeps with all the prisoners, and punishes them with “The Playpen” when they refuse to abide by her sexual favors. Did I mention the drug dealers on the outside are trying to assassinate Carol to keep her mouth shut?