Ghost World (2001) - ★★★★

Director: Terry Zwigoff
Writers: Daniel Clowes (Comic Book), Terry Zwigoff
Stars: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas, Bob Balaban, Stacey Travis

I have a lot of mixed feelings about Ghost World. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, it boasts some pretty wicked dialogue and a distinct late-1990s flare. The performances are fantastic, the cinematography is effective, and the score by David Kitay accompanies the scenes beautifully. I found it so hard to like the protagonist, who at first is one of the snobbiest bitches I've ever seen on film. As the story and characters start developing, everything becomes so much more entertaining and interesting. An unorthodox friendship, and a gripping look at the human condition of two major characters, made me enjoy Ghost World immensely. It's a film with edge, a spark that you just don't see in cinema anymore. I can't put my finger on it, but the whole experience was just one big nostalgia trip. I loved it.

Boardwalk Empire: Season One (2010) - ★★★★½

Directors: Martin Scorsese, Timothy Van Patten, Jeremy Podeswa, Alan Taylor, Allen Coulter, Brian Kirk, Brad Anderson, Simon Cellan Jones
Writers: Terence Winter (Creator/Writer), Meg Jackson, Nelson Johnson (Book)
Stars: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Pitt, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham, Michael Stuhlbarg, Aleksa Palladino, Stephen Graham, Vincent Piazza, Paz de la Huerta, Gretchen Mol, Michael K. Williams, Paul Sparks, Dabney Coleman, Jack Huston

Boardwalk Empire is quite simply, one of the greatest TV shows of all time. It's filled with masterful performances, colourful scenes, picturesque cinematography, unforgettable events, and a downright thrilling story. If the Academy Awards gave out Oscars for TV shows, then this would certainly earn awards for Best Series, Cinematography, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Supporting Actor. It's just that magnificent.

Barton Fink (1991) - ★★★½

Director: Joel Coen
Writers: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Stars: John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner, John Mahoney, Tony Shalhoub, Steve Buscemi

"I'll show you the life of the mind!" The last half hour of Barton Fink was pretty darn amazing. Whenever John Goodman was on screen, I found myself enthralled with the film. Barton Fink has a huge cult following... some people call it the greatest movie of all time. While I'm not one of those people, I can see how someone can get swept up in the craziness of it all. I found the film to be really slow and pretty uninteresting whenever John Goodman wasn't present. Not much happens in the first hour alone, and I didn't really laugh during that time either. It's a movie I'll have to see over and over to truly appreciate, but as it stands I found it to be an above-average surreal experience.

Monsters University (2013) - ★★★½

Director: Dan Scanlon
Writers: Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson, Dan Scanlon
Voices: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Helen Mirren, Steve Buscemi, Peter Sohn, Joel Murray, Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Charlie Day, Bonnie Hunt

Monsters University was exactly as I expected it to be. That is exceptionally ordinary. There are plenty of laughs and some pretty cool things here and there, but there's nothing special about it. What was special in Monsters Inc. was the beautiful relationship these two monsters formed with Boo, a human girl. It's not an unnecessary sequel/prequel, because it does show the origin of certain stories (like why Randall hated Mike and Solley in the first movie). In retrospect, I wish I didn't pay money to see it in cinema. I'd rent it on DVD though!

Reservoir Dogs (1992) - ★★★★★

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writers: Quentin Tarantino
Stars: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney, Edward Bunker, Quentin Tarantino

A lot of people may disagree with me, but I believe that Reservoir Dogs is as good, if not better, than Pulp Fiction. This film for me is pure entertainment from start to finish. I could watch this film again and again and never get bored with it. When the film starts with thugs talking about "Madonna's big dick," which then turns into a debate about "why I don't tip waitresses," you know you're in for one hell of a movie.

This is a tale of six thugs who are hired to rob a diamond store by Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney). They are Mr. White (Harvey Keitel), a professional criminal; Mr. Orange (Tim Roth), a young newcomer; Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi), a paranoid neurotic; Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen), a psychopathic killer; Mr. Brown (Quentin Tarantino); and Mr. Blue (Edward Bunker). Chris Penn plays Nice Guy Eddie Cabot, son of Joe and the man who helps organize the job. Of the group of men, only four survive with one being seriously wounded. It is suspected that there is a police informant in the group, but no one is sure who it is. This star-studded ensemble cast was one half of why this is such a great movie. The other half is the magnificent screenplay by Tarantino.

It's hard to pick a standout performance in this film. Every single actor gave 100% and were perfect in the roles they played. Keitel was just magnificent, and to me was the lead. He seemed to be the center of the film. The emotions he portrayed ranged from cool and calm, to panicked and pissed-off. I loved it! Tim Roth was brilliant as Mr. Orange, who got shot in the stomach at the beginning of the film. I can tell you that I've never seen a film show such a bloody and disturbing gun shot wound. It was disturbing because of the pain that Roth projected through his acting, which sucked me right into the film. Michael Madsen was so damned entertaining as Mr. Blonde, who in my opinion was the star of one of the most unforgettable scenes in movie history; the scene where he tortured the cop. Steve Buscemi played his usual weasily, paranoid and weak character, except he was more intelligent than the rest. Chris Penn also gave an absolutely stellar performance. Any one of these men could have won Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars. It's just a shame that they all gave such incredible performances in the same film.

Now to the screenplay. It is done in the same fashion as Pulp Fiction, where the timeline is jumbled and it jumps from past to present to past to present. It did this to display the characters personalities and motives for doing the job, which worked really well, enabling us to get to know the character more. I love how there are tiny intermissions in the film in which a radio announcer plays "Sounds of the Seventies," where really great music is played. I have to say this film has one of the best soundtracks in movie history. Tarantino has the most incredible gift with writing dialogue. He knows what people talk about, and that's existential crap. Existential crap it may be, but it's damned entertaining and relatable.

Reservoir Dogs is a film that makes Tarantino fans salivate. It's just one of those films that are practically perfect and surprise you when you first view them. I didn't think I'd like this film at first glance, but boy was I wrong. It's one of the most enthralling films of all time, and as disturbing as it may be, it's completely unforgettable!