Top Rated Film Reviews by Readers | Eastern North Carolina Now

Once Upon a Time in the West          1st position

   "Once Upon a Time in the West" is not only one of Sergio Leone's best films, it is inarguably one of the top ten westerns ever made. The story is of the powerful ruthlessly subjugating the powerless, with little resistance until a hero steps forward, is timeless. In this yarn two heroes, however reluctant, take that ... read more

The Godfather         2nd position

    "The Godfather" explained little as to the history of how the Don came to his place of power at the head of the Corleone Crime Syndicate; moreover, it revealed the extent to which he was willing to maintain it.    Read more.

Big Fish           3rd position

    Tim Burton directed his masterpiece and John August adapted the screenplay from the great Daniel Wallace story just so Edward Bloom could recount his larger that life stories to us, the audience, simply so we could gain a sense of the enormity of one man’s life, irrespective of whether we could swallow ... read more.

The Blind Side           4th position

    Similar to that stray cat theory, Leigh Anne discovered every reason to keep Michael in her domicile, but primarily, her greatest purpose for continuing as Michael’s ward was her Christian conscience, and for her growing affection for him.     Read More.

"Vanilla Sky" versus "Open Your Eyes"           5th position

    In “Open Your Eyes,” the acting was competent, but it fell quite short of that of “Vanilla Sky.” In almost every facet of the construction of an outstanding film, the latter was more efficient in conveying a story than the former, and in that I must proclaim “Vanilla Sky” the better film.     Read more.

The Last Waltz          6th position

    The film celebrates the music and the art of the legendary musicians, who performed their farewell concert at the Winterland in San Francisco on Thanksgiving Day, 1976 ... read more.

Band of Brothers           7th position

    Stephen Ambrose employed this Shakespearean oration as an allegorical explanation of the interpersonal relationship between exceptional men whose very lives depended upon the brotherhood of their fellow warriors ... read more.

The Royal Tenenbaums           8th position

    Royal "Died Tragically Rescuing his Family from the Wreckage of a Destroyed Sinking Battleship." This is Royal's epitaph that is the centerpiece, upon the stage, of the last scene of Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums." The enigmatic Royal is dead, of a massive heart attack, and it is left to ... read more.

Inception          9nth position

    After emerging from the dark theater into the glaring midday sun, following a 148 minute descent into Christopher Nolan’s dream sequence, Inception, I’m not embarrassed to say that it took splashing my face with cold water to assure myself that I was really awake. Not as efficient ... .read more.

The Pacific           10nth position

    With the battle of Guadalcanal won and Henderson Field operational, the. Marine Corps 1st Division needed and deserved a fine rest. Australia was the nearest civilized, at least by the Marine Corps standards, haven for these battle weary Marines. The Melbourne, Australia destination offered a good ... read more.

Cadillac Records         11th poistion

    The biopic “Cadillac Records” is a continuation of my personal theme of always considering the music as an integral component of any good picture. This film is about the music of an era that was the fertile breeding grounds for soul (which is basically a blend of rock ‘n’ roll and old Negro gospel) and rock ‘n’ roll. Read more.

Once Upon a Time in America         12th position

    Fortunately, in the previous decade, video on magnetic tape was nearly perfected, so when it came time to its release on VHS and Beta, “Once Upon a Time in America” was rediscovered by a curious public and vindicated as another fine film made by Sergio Leone. Film critics, who razed the film ... read more.

Wyatt Earp           13nth position

    But now he's (Wyatt) going to be a marshal and an outlaw. Best of both worlds, son." These words were spoken by a tubercular Doc Holliday, played by a gaunt 145 pound Dennis Quaid, to Warren Earp, played by a young Jim Caviezel, in the junior classic "Wyatt Earp," which sums up the life of a complex ... read more.

Lost Boys         14nth position

    Just when we thought we had the Friday night routine down, along came "The Lost Boys" to make us want more. With its dark music, punk style, references to drugs and sexy vampires, the whole movie felt like a high school party to which we craved an eternal invitation.    Read more.


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