Roger's Movie Picks

Movies about Flying

Always (1990)

A touching story of romance and aviation, which once got me "this close" to choosing a career solely devoted to airplanes.

Slipstream

Whatever that jet craft was featured in the movie, I want one! The theme in this movie is deeper than the plot, and character development is weak all around, but a movie with ultralights should be seen by any enthusiast.

Warriors of the Wind (1984)

Superb Japanimation, full-length feature. A twisting plot telling the tale of a distant and hostile future; the world is overcome by the toxic forces of an environment tainted by thousands of years of man's ecological destruction. It's up to our heroine to fulfill the prophecy that will restore balance to all. A "must see" if you are a Japanime fan. Written and produced by Hayao Miyazaki. The manga ("Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind") is also excellent and provides a rather different storyline from the movie.

Drama, Historical

Truman Show

Not entirely an original plot but very close. Until this movie I had not been one to appreciate Jim Carrey, but this work has changed my opinion of his talents.

Dead Poets Society

Both gripping and inspiring. We see that Robin Williams can indeed take a serious role (well, we already knew that from Good Morning Vietnam) without having to dominate center stage with endless comedy riffs. A must see. Five Stars. Don't pass this one up.

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

Well scripted and well acted. A fascinating story particularly if you don't already know the life of Bruce Lee.

Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Both soundtrack and scenery are superb, though most of the original story is lost in the transition to make it a movie. One of the few I bought on laser disc. A friend of mine worked on the set during filming in North Carolina; the stories she's told about the intensity of working with that cast and the filming enviroment have left me with shivers. I envy her.

Watership Down (1980)

An animation made over a decade ago, it will be difficult to find in video stores. Read Richard Adams' book too.

Legends of the Fall (1994)

Oh! It was beautiful... it stole my heart. How in the world could the critics have given it such low ratings? Note: don't go see this film if you recently underwent a relationship breakup.

Action / Adventure

The Road Warrior

To me, this is the only "perfect" movie I have ever seen. By perfect I mean that the balance between plot and character development was complete and unquestionable. No plot inconsistencies, a plausible theme, and plenty of gory action.

Fight Fire with Fire (1983?)

This is a video by the rock group Kansas, not a movie. It was made back in the days when music videos were scripted around small stories, unlike today where they're just a bunch of concert recordings pasted together - how boring. You can watch this video several times and still not catch all the story through its intense levels of imagery. Almost no one gets the pun at the end, which serves to lighten the mood.

Knightriders

Chivalry, kingdoms, action, romance, and motorcycles! I really appreciated the character development and plot. This is one of the few movies where I think the casting department was right on target with their choices. Excellent story. Go see it!

Heavy Metal (1981)

I was too young to see this animation in the theatres when it was released because of its "R" rating, and had a very difficult time trying to find it afterwards. I am pleased to see that the legal disputes that ensued after its release over the sound track have been resolved, and both sound track and video are now readily available in stores. Some stories are of the cliche "Twilight Zone" genre, though most are quite original and provide an interesting vision into the future.

Horror/Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Waterworld (1994)

I seem to appreciate movies that have characters with "dark" personalities. Costner's lead role here is nothing less, and I recommend Waterworld to anyone who saw and enjoyed Road Warrior. Conversely, if you liked Waterworld, you should now go now and rent Road Warrior.

Brainstorm

A scary tale of highly advanced science discovered, and then put to terrible uses before it can be understood. An excellent sci-fi drama with well done performances by Natalie Wood and Christopher Walken. But the tale is more about fantastic science and evil government - it's about people too. Whoever wrote the plot really knew how to give a movie depth. This was Wood's last movie, and has been dedicated in her memory.

Comedy

Toy Story 2

Okay, I'm not one to go gaa-gaa over children's films, but this one's got rolling-on-the-floor-laughing humor for all ages. It is an incredible piece of work! Stick around for the ending credits -- the outtakes are just... uproarious. Probably my favourite movie of 1999.

Eric the Viking

Is Eric the only serious character in this movie? It's hard to tell if this is a spoof on the culture or a real story about Eric's plight to save the world from an eternal Ragnarok. Well acted, with appearances by many former Monty Python people.

Mrs. Doubtfire

What can I say? It was terrific, though a bit predictable. "Carpe Dentum" had me rolling on the floor for 5 minutes straight!

Joe vs. The Volcano

One of the most charming movies I've seen. Preposterous, funny, entertaining, and a simple-yet-wonderful plot. Good acting by both Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. There is also some eerie symbolism which I suspect no one will catch (it took me several times), but here's a hint: the "crooked path" shows up four times throughout the movie.

While You Were Sleeping

Charming, engrossing, and refreshingly humorous. This movie gave me the opinion that Sandra Bullock is the real "pretty woman" on the Hollywood scene.