FROM THE SHELF. . .

In order to keep my critical skills honed in case I ever do succeed to the realm of film reviewer, I've decided to keep a once-a-week file of brief reviews of all the films I own. Plus, if you're ever in a funk on the weekend as to which movie to go rent, perhaps you should pick one of these recommendations. Enjoy! I hope to do 5-10 a week, depending on time.

Kill Bill-Vol. 1: I've written so many times about my love for Quentin Tarantino's entire epic of The Bride. . But this is a rush of a movie. This film is the style part of the epic; the substance comes down the road. But man, what a rush. The anime sequence is beautifully done and hypnotic. Uma Thurman has never been better--until volume 2, that is. The musical choices are superbly cut and the scenes with The Bride and Hattori Hanzo have a beauty that makes you forget that he's just making a sword. But, of course, the best part of this film is the bloody, over-the-top climax at the House of Blue Leaves, which I still believe is probably the best fight scene ever filmed.

Chappelle's Show, Season 1: Not for the sensitive or easily offensive, but Chappelle is this generation's Richard Pryor. He has the most brutally honest sense of humor about race relations. I love his sketch about the blind black white supremacist and the "Trading Spouses" idea. Yes, Season 2 is better, with Rick James and Charlie Murphy. But if you haven't caught Chappelle's Show on Comedy Central, you should check it out if just for his take on reparations for slavery.

Meet The Parents: Perhaps one of my favorite comedies and maybe the most infinitely quotable film I've ever seen. Without a doubt, it's my favorite Ben Stiller performance and Robert Deniro's comic timing is superb. So many throw-away lines pack more humor than most regular comedies have and the direction is just so well done that the timing on the jokes hits the mark every time. The dinner table sequence is hilarious and Owen Wilson steals the show halfway through.

Dawn of the Dead (1978): I actually prefer the recent remake to this film simply because I think it packs more stark horror into it. The first five minutes were incredibly intense and there were so many wonderful suspense pieces. But the original is actually quite effective, years later. It's not as fast-paced or terrifying as the newer film and I have to admit that the slower zombies are not my cup of tea. But it's all accepted so matter-of-factly and the film is so quiet in scenes that it achieves an eerieness to it that spills over into dread. The gore in some parts is disgusting to watch. Not a great flick by my standards, but not bad.

The Blues Brothers: This is probably my favorite movie musical. I picked it up on DVD earlier this year and forgot just how energetic of a film it is. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi are great as the brothers, but lets not forget the real reason this movie works: the musical scenes including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and others are dynamic. The car chase that ends the third act is fantastic and I love the subtle humor that Aykroyd brings to the film. The only bad thing about it? It's because of this gem that we had to endure the abysmal Blues Brothers 2000.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day: Any fan of action flicks has to realize that this is probably the biggest, baddest, most thrilling action film ever made. Watching it just before I saw the third last year I was amazed that it still towers above even Michael Bay's excersizes in excess. The reason, of course is James Cameron, who needs to get back to work, pronto! The script is smart and touching. Arnold is bad as ever, but Linda Hamilton gives him a run for his money in the action department. The action never feels ludicrous or out of control, but perfectly in step with the epic nature of the film. It's a pity that the reason some people thought Terminator 3 was a letdown was because a perfectly fine action film had to come in the shadow of one of the biggest and best ever.

Shanghai Noon: Sometime in the late-90s, Hollywood finally found out what to do with Jackie Chan. Rather than make his films cheesy martial arts flicks or just release his old Hong Kong films, they decided to pair him up with American comedians and let loose with some action comedies. While I did enjoy both Rush Hour films, this film is probably my favorite of his, due in large part to Owen Wilson's slacker-cowboy persona. Jackie's uptight shogun and Wilson's hippie bank robber are perfect foils, the action is fun to watch and the story borders far enough on absurd to keep us laughing. The sequel, Shanghai Knights is just as good, but I just don't have it on video yet.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Steven Spielberg will pop up a lot on this list. Of any filmmaker, his films have constantly touched a nerve in me time and again. No one can tell a story like him. And I really am dismayed that people who are my age have either never seen this beautiful film or are not impressed. I love the idea with which Spielberg runs in this. How different would your life be if you did see life beyond ours? What if, instead of danger, we approached it as a learning opportunity. It's a great story of how passion can turn into obsession. Not the whiz-bang popcorn flick of today, but rather an intriguing and well-told story that I hope people rediscover.

Pulp Fiction: My favorite Tarantino flicks are Kill Bill vol 1 and 2. But what kind of movie-lover would I be if I didn't recognize this wild masterpiece? I love how it careens through time and the characters interlap. I love the dialouge. I love Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, and especially Samuel L. Jackson, who all give career-defining roles. This movie is such a rush as it weaves through the stories of different low lives. I love the way it plays with traditional structure. I love the way the music fits every scene so perfectly. Great movie.

Jackass-The Movie: And here we see where my tastes diverge. How can I follow the brilliance of Tarantino's writing with the inane adventures of a bunch of drunken frat boys crashing into walls and giving themselves paper cuts. I can't give you any reason other than that's the way it is on my shelf. This movie is a true guilty pleasure. Nothing redeeming. Nothing artistic. But if you can't laugh when watching a man jump into a cieling fan. . . well, I pity you.

More next week kids!

C-Dubbs