1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Fight Club

#991- Fight Club (1999)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter
Directed by: David Fincher


Plot Summary: An unnamed narrator of the story goes about his daily life, which he finds mundane and has left him with insomnia. Looking for a cure, he goes to numerous support groups and interacts with another visitor, whose presence disturbs the narrator, as he is both drawn to her and wants his distance so he can sleep. Help comes to the narrator in the form of his new friend, soap salesman Tyler Durden, and their development of a club where men fight each other. The narrator soon realizes that Tyler has ulterior motives for the club, leaving the narrator with only one choice, put a stop to Tyler Durden's madness.  


Why is it almost an established rule that every guy must watch Fight Club? That might sound ridiculous, but I've heard it a lot in my lifetime. I've had numerous friends talk about film and point out "You aren't a real man until you watch Fight Club" and even though I've seen the film, I always wondered why. If you haven't seen it, you probably look at the title and figure it must be all centered on fighting, but there is more depth to it than the casual moviegoer might believe. In actuality, the fighting is not the main focus of Fight Club, but it follows more on a theme of changing your life and even being born again. I wondered if I had missed something upon my first viewing, so I decided to re-watch it. Not only did I get a possible answer to my question, but I also was able to experience Fight Club differently than my first viewing.

The main character of the film is an unnamed narrator, played by Edward Norton. The narrator comes off as a bit nervous and shy, which I feel Norton can play incredibly. Norton does a great job of playing a character who is representative of a quiet, mundane life. One thing about the narrator I enjoyed is that because he is nameless, a viewer is able to relate to him and almost become the narrator. I'm not sure if other viewers feel this way, but I felt that it was a lot easier to put myself in his shoes because he has no spoken identity. And, to be honest, I never actually noticed that he was nameless until towards the end of the film. What Norton is able to bring to the character is emotional range, in being able to play someone who is both helpless and in full control, depending on the situation.  

The narrator's life is forever changed when he meets Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt. Durden is personally responsible for altering the narrator's perception on the world by giving his beliefs on life. The audience and the narrator are both introduced to Durden in the same scene, and Pitt's able to play Tyler Durden with a cool and calm demeanor upon introduction. Throughout the film, Pitt's able to play Durden from calm and collected, to mad and psychotic. What's able to make Pitt's changes in emotion believable is Tyler Durden's personal outlook on life. Thanks to what he teaches the narrator about life, Tyler Durden is given a very believable method to his madness. While the narrator is a representation of what many people feel their lives are like, Tyler Durden is a representation of the kind of person they would want to be. Based on his actions, I don't think Tyler Durden can be labeled as a good guy or a bad guy, but thanks to Brad Pitt's performance, Tyler Durden can be labeled as the cool guy.

The narrator meets Marla Singer, played by Helena Bonham Carter, who has a carefree feel to her that leaves quite the impression on the narrator, even if he doesn't want to admit it. Marla has an interesting outlook on life, and a personal appearance that even she and other characters would admit seems like she's looking for attention. She has a scroungy look to her, as she surrounds herself in a world of drugs, sex, and alcohol. If you know anything about Helena Bonham Carter's other movie roles, you know that's not a difficult look for her to accomplish (insert Tim Burton and Johnny Depp jokes). All kidding aside, I found my perception of Marla to be changed immensely after repeated viewing, and realized that she genuinely cares about the narrator, and isn't as crazy as he initially believes her to be. For me, Marla was the character that was altered during my second viewing, as I felt she was given much clearer motivation and development in her relationship with the narrator.

By the end of the movie, I felt like I was able to understand why guys enjoyed the movie so much. It was not just because of the premise of a fight club, but also because of its representation of everyday life and the life men aspire to have. Edward Norton plays the narrator as what many audience members could relate to, and Brad Pitt is able to play Tyler Durden as what many viewers would want to do in life, serving as the dynamic component in their friendship. By bringing in other members to their fight club, Tyler Durden is able to pass along the lessons he's taught the narrator to a wider audience. As we see it transpire on film, it's quite possible that Durden's teaching are impacting the audience members watching a movie, particularly the men, since we see firsthand how many men Durden's teachings impact. It's quite possible that Fight Club has touched a chord in the minds of how many men live their lives, and that's why men watch Fight Club, instead of the violence.

When I saw Fight Club a second time, I couldn't see it the same way as I did when I saw it the first time. Thanks to a now famous twist ending concerning the relationship between the narrator and Tyler Durden, I was able to look at the characters in a much different way upon my second viewing. I was able to see numerous hints in the beginning of the film, and whole scenes and dialogue was altered to me, now that I knew the ending of the film. After I finished watching the movie, I knew that that was director David Fincher's plan, to surprise audiences with their first viewing and create a new film experience with their second viewing. Many moviegoers would probably say they like the first viewing better for the overall reaction at the ending. But I enjoyed Fight Club more the second time around, as it brought around better character development and motivations, and made for an overall more cohesive film experience of a film, that was meant to be seen twice.


Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars.

I'm not going to say that Fight Club was a film that changed my entire outlook on life, but I will say that the philosophies presented are entertaining, and performances by Pitt and Norton are definitely worth checking out the film once. However, because of its twist ending, I recommend seeing the film twice, in order to see it from a different point of view.

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Fight Club and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- A Nightmare on Elm Street

#741- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Starring: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp
Directed by: Wes Craven


Plot Summary: The teenagers of Springwood are haunted in their dreams by a mysterious man named Freddy Krueger. His burnt face, red and green sweater, brown hat and glove with razor sharp knives for fingers have the kids fighting to stay awake because if he kills them in their dreams, they will stay dead and never wake up. Nancy Thompson is Freddy's toughest challenge, as she goes to any length to stay awake, as well as uncover the mystery of why Freddy is haunting Nancy and her friends. With her friends being picked off, and her parents turning a blind eye, Nancy knows that she must confront her fears and fall asleep, to fight Freddy Krueger and win.


As a fan or horror, I have seen my fair share of horror movies throughout numerous decades. From the silent era to the modern era, it's become easy for me to see a horror movie and decide if it will leave a lasting impression or not. A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of those films that has left a long lasting impression on me, in terms of horror and film in general. Freddy Krueger was a face and name that I knew of growing up, but had never seen the movie until my teen years. With numerous sequels and a remake, A Nightmare on Elm Street has proven to be one of horror's most popular franchises, as well as being one of my personal favorite horror movies. After looking at the movie again, I can understand the appeal from most fans, as well as its contributions to horror.

The biggest contribution the film has is the introduction of Freddy Krueger, played by Robert Englund. Freddy was a very special face of terror in the '80s because he was different from other slasher villains. Unlike silent killers in masks like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, Freddy has a voice and face to add personality to his character, that I feel only Robert Englund could have given to Freddy. His appearance is one that has stuck in the minds of viewers for decades, but I like how the original movie tones down his appearance and keeps him in the shadows for a lot of it, adding more mystery to his overall presence. While his humor became over the top in sequels, his humor is more subtle in A Nightmare on Elm Street, making his appearance in the first film his scariest and easiest to secure his spot as one of horror's greatest villains that has fans wanting more.

Freddy's biggest challenge is Nancy Thompson, played by Heather Langenkamp. Nancy is very different from the traditional heroines in other horror movies. Rather than just running to escape, she is a stronger character who knows that she has to fight, both in the dream world and the real world. Nancy has the most connections with the other characters, including her parents, her friends, her boyfriend and, of course, Freddy. Nancy has become a true icon of horror characters because of how different she is from the usual girls in horror movies. Langenkamp plays her to be both vulnerable at the beginning, and stronger and more courageous by the end, and that to me is what's most effective about her, that her development naturally progresses throughout the film.

Nancy's boyfriend, Glen Lantz, is played by none other than Johnny Depp. In his first movie role, Depp is able hold his own with the other teenagers. Normally, I wouldn't mention a character like Glen because he isn't that significant of a character that goes through a massive amount of development. He's your stereotypical boyfriend character in most horror movies, but the difference with Glen is that he's remembered thanks to Depp's career as a leading man.  Also, Glen is featured in one of the greatest horror movie deaths of all time. What happens to him? I'm not even going to bother spoiling it here, it won't do it justice, but let me just say that it is absolutely disgusting and the practical effects for it are amazing.

Director Wes Craven had earlier success with other horror movies, but it was A Nightmare on Elm Street that labeled him as one of Hollywood's best horror directors. He got the original inspiration for the concept through news reports of children trying desperately to stay awake, and when they finally fell asleep, they died. When Craven heard it, he thought that it was too perfect of an idea to not be on film, so he made sure to use it. Many executives didn't believe that the idea was scary enough, that people would know the difference in a dream and could wake themselves up. And while the dream sequences follow a pattern that many dreams would have, it's Freddy who invokes the fear in the dream scenes, because he uses the dream world to his advantage, and you know he's just toying with the victims before he finishes them off.

Overall, A Nightmare on Elm Street should best be remembered for its contributions to the horror genre. It came out at a time where the slasher genre was a very formulaic genre. But Wes Craven's vision helped make the film stand out against other horror films. It had a strong female lead, instead of a damsel in distress. It had a killer with personality, instead of a silent stalker. And most importantly, it added a supernatural element that created new fear in its audience. At a time where horror movies were based solely on an independent market, Freddy Krueger became a household name and A Nightmare on Elm Street became a huge hit in the '80s, even if the audience was afraid to fall asleep after watching it.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Providing twists to the slasher genre, A Nightmare on Elm Street is iconic for providing the face of horror in the '80s. Thanks to the film debut of Freddy Krueger and its innovative horror concept, I recommend that all horror fans check it out at least once.

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A Nightmare on Elm Street and movie images are copyrighted by New Line Cinema

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Forrest Gump

#917- Forrest Gump (1994)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis


Plot Summary: Forrest Gump grew up with mental and physical disabilities. Despite what other people thought of him, Forrest's mother reminded him that he could still do great things in life. Forrest narrates all the great things he was able to do in his life, from playing college football, meeting multiple Presidents, fighting in the Vietnam War, running across the country, and even falling in love. Forrest tells his life story while waiting at a bus stop, in search of his true destiny.  


Forrest Gump is another one of those movies that I never got around to watching and only recently decided to sit down and watch. When I finally sat down and watched it, I was expecting this wonderful movie that would really speak to me. When it was over, I felt like I missed something. I thought the movie was good, but I had trouble seeing why many considered it to be one of the greatest movies of all time. So I re-watched it for this review, and it did grow on me, but I was still left with a handful of issues with the film that I don't hear very many talk about when discussing the film.

Forrest Gump will always be the role that Tom Hanks is best known for. Hanks had experience being a leading man, but playing Forrest Gump really helped him break out and define his career. Hanks was able to become Forrest Gump, making it easy to forget that Hanks is simply playing a part in a film. Hanks is able to make Gump a charming character, but there are times where I felt Gump was becoming a stereotype in and of himself. A lot of his lines seemed repetitious and it seemed like Gump wasn't going to have as strong a development as I would've hoped. As a main character, Gump is suitable to carry a film, but he isn't my favorite character in the movie simply because he stays the same as a person from beginning to end, with little to no impact in terms of development.

Robin Wright plays Forrest's love interest, Jenny Curran. Am I the only one who thinks Jenny kinda sucks? As a character, Jenny is one of the most irritating love interests I've ever seen on film. While Forrest joins the war effort after college, Jenny joins a movement of hippies. Her behavior is very self-destructive and she rarely listens to Forrest as he is trying to help do what's best for her because he loves her. Because of this, I had a very tough time warming up to Jenny, and when she's the love interest, that is a very BIG problem. I don't necessarily blame Robin Wright, but more that Jenny is a product of the time, and that by the end of the film, she does wise up to Forrest. But, there's something with her as a character that, to me, didn't translate very well.

My favorite part of the movie is actually Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan Taylor. Sinise gave, in my opinion, a performance that is often overlooked when people watch the film. But I felt he was the character with the most depth. He is the character that gives Forrest thoughts on his destiny, as well as receiving a lot of development after the Vietnam War. Lieutenant Dan doesn't feel like he'll be a supporting character in a lot of the film, more like a character that is only there when Forrest is in Vietnam, but proves to be important as he becomes an important part of Forrest's life after Vietnam. What's great about Sinise is that he had to play multiple stages and emotions while playing Lieutenant Dan. I think of Lieutenant Dan and I can think of about five different stages of his character development, all that I feel Sinise does tremendously well.

The major problem that kept me from loving Forrest Gump was its repetitive structure. It's mostly Forrest narrating his life from the '50s through the '70s, but his actions seem to have a recurring pattern. He meets three different Presidents, overcame adversity in numerous activities, and ends up having to let 3 different people in his life go by the end of the film. Throughout all of that, I couldn't help but feel like it was getting old. There's a line where Forrest talks about being invited to the White House a third time "So I went. Again. And I met the President of the United States. Again" and I replied with "Yes, he already did that. Can he do something different?" The film is often described as an epic, but I think Forrest's life would have left a larger impact if he had a wider variety of accomplishments portrayed on film.


Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars.

Even if I think the movie gets repetetive, Forrest Gump does give us great performances from Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise. The film does have a unique charm to it, just like Forrest himself, and I recommend everyone should see it at least once to witness one of films most beloved characters.

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Forrest Gump and movie images are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Independence Day

#953- Independence Day (1996)
Starring: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum
Directed by: Roland Emmerich


Plot Summary: An alien spacecraft lands on earth, creating mixed emotions within the population. While many hope that the aliens are peaceful, others are preparing for an alien invasion. The aliens prove to be hostile and attack the world's biggest cities in an attempt of a takeover. Now, on July 4th, the fate of the world lies in the hands of David Levinson, a computer expert working as a cable technician, Captain Steven Hiller, a Marine Corps fighter pilot, and Thomas J. Whitmore, the President of the United States.

When Independence Day came out, it was a BIG deal. The marketing campaign gave us one of the most shocking images to pull us into the movie theater, with an alien spaceship blowing up the White House. When people flocked to see it, the movie became a big blockbuster success, and has since become a pop culture success through the inclusion of big name actors like Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum. With the news of a sequel to Independence Day in the works, and it being the 4th of July, I thought I'd look at Independence Day to see how it fares as a '90s sci-fi movie.

Probably the biggest highlight of Independence Day is Will Smith as Captain Steven Hiller. I feel like Independence Day is the film that launched Will Smith as a leading man in Hollywood. This is one of Smith's ideal roles, as Hiller is able to be serious when he needs to be, but also has Smith's brand of charm and humor. Hiller gets a lot of good one-liners and catchphrases, even when he's talking to himself. These lines could have been disastrous if in the wrong hands, but with Smith, he is able to make the lines sound cool through his natural charisma. There's something very relatable about Hiller because, even though he's a Marine Corps fighter pilot, he's written to represent the every man and what lengths we would go to survive the alien attack.

Bill Pullman plays President Thomas J. Whitmore. Whitmore is one of the most clichéd of movie presidents, but Pullman plays him very straight. Everything that Whitmore says, he believes, which makes the audience very interested in his actions and words. He gives one of the best, and over the top, speeches in film history when he speaks to all the troops preparing to fight the aliens. It's a surprisingly good motivational speech and it is one of my favorite moments in the film. However, Whitmore is responsible for one of the film's goofiest moments when he, the President of the United States, flies with the troops to fight the aliens. While it is definitely cheesy, it is good for his character, because it shows what lengths Whitmore will go to ensure the safety of the planet.

David Levinson is played by Jeff Goldblum. I won't waste anyone's time by ranting about Jeff Goldblum's stereotype acting (I refer you to my review of Jurassic Park to see what I mean by that). I will say that Goldblum does try to add drama to what he says, but he goes a little too high on the dramatic, and it comes off as comedic. Although, based on some of his previous roles, I can believe Goldblum in the role as a quirky computer genius. Levinson doesn't have the biggest string of support in who he is and what he does from his father and ex-wife, but Goldblum plays him with a self-confidence in his skills and very heroic, as he knows what he needs to do to help save the world. What's great about Levinson is that he is a very under-appreciated character among the rest of the film's characters, making his actions towards the end of the film, where he uses his skills to figure out how to stop the aliens from taking over, all the more impressive to everyone else.

My biggest complaint with the movie is that it is a very safe movie. There are no shocking plot twists or interesting character development. Everything that happens is what you would expect to happen, and while that isn't bad, I was hoping for a little more depth. The aliens don't feel like actual characters, but instead, are just there to fill the "we need a race of aliens to invade" spot. The supporting characters are not characters, but are stereotypes instead, most notably a redneck stereotype, a gay stereotype and a Jewish stereotype (no offense intended on my part). I don't know if Roland Emmerich thought that would make them more relatable, but I find it to be very lazy character writing. However, the characters do have their entertaining moments, and I do feel like Independence Day is a fun movie, if you are able to go along with the motions, like the film itself is doing.


Rating:  3 out of 5 stars.

While it isn't groundbreaking in its plot or characters, Independence Day was a pop culture phenomenon and one of the biggest science fiction films of the '90s. Highlighted by entertaining performances from its three main actors, I recommend that everyone should see it at least once, particularly on the 4th of July.

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Independence Day and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox