DVDs

This is my DVD collection, which contains only the movies which i think are kick-ass. It's still growing, so be patient... I've rated them from 0 to 5 iron crosses; with 5 being the highest. I've also rated their "Cheese Factor", from 0 to 5. If you have any suggestions, please pass them along......

	Leon: The Professional [not rated]
	Starting: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This is by far my favorite movie of all time. If you are confused by the name "Leon: The Professional", is because "The Professional" is US release name. Since the people at the Motion Picture Association of America thought it was too violent and too controversial; they made the director cut over 24 minutes of footage. Of course the unedited Leon is far much better. So I highly recommend picking up the DVD version that has it. I don't really know what to say about it, just watch it and you'll find out why I like it so much.

	Gladiator [R]
	Starting: Russell Crowe
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: I first watched this movie after a party and I was really exhausted; but I couldn't turn it off. It's the movie version of a "page-turner". The especial effects were really great. However, the best part was that they didn't make the movie cheesy, like The Patriot. This movie is actually believable. I specially liked this movie because a year before I sat in front of the Coliseum in Rome wondering how it must have been during those days. I guess this is as close as I'll ever know...

	Dumb and Dumber [PG13]
	Starting: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This is the funniest movie ever. Even though it came out in 1994, I still watch it, and I still laugh my butt off like the first time I watched it. It just never gets old. This movie won't leave you with anything important to think about; but it will surely leave your stomach hurting from laughing so much. If you ever need a laugh, this is your movie. Even my friend from Thailand found it funny and she doesn't speak a lot of English. That should tell you something...

	South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut [R]
	Starting: Trey Parker and Matt Stone (voices)
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: Another one of my favorite comedies. When I first watched it in the movie theater I didn't get a lot of the jokes because people were laughing so hard I couldn't hear them. So I just had to get the DVD to watch it in a more peaceful setting. Even some of my foreign friends have found it funny, although they don't understand some of the jokes because of the lingo. My cousin, Edgar, know every single line by heart. I don't know if that is that great since he was only 13 when it came out. Bottom line: CARTMAN RULES!!!

	The Killing Fields [R]
	Starting: Sam Waterston, Dr. Haing S. Ngor, John Malkovich
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: I remember watching this movie when I was very young, about 7 or 8 and it shocked the hell out of me. I had no idea where Cambodia was or what the Khmer Rouge were. It's a really remarkable story and it's totally different from any other movie. Dith Pran actually came to our high school to give a speech; it was very interesting to say the least. According to TLC his escape from Cambodia is the "most amazing escape" in modern history. Most of the movie was filmed in Puket, Thailand; which is very interesting because I got the chance to visit this year. After watching this movie again, it hit me that I had actually been around there. I highly recommend this movie to every one. It really gets you thinking about how fragile our lives are.

	X-men [R]
	Starting: Ana Paquin, Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry,
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: To be honest I would've never gone to see this movie in a movie theater. Mainly because it looked like it had to much Hollywood cheese. However I finally got the chance when I was stuck on my flight from NYC to Japan. The service really kicked ass, and I barely felt the 14+ hours. We all had our personal TV screens and we had about 14 channels to choose from; of which 3 were movies channels playing the same movies over and over again. This was one of the flicks, and I was amazed how good it was. I thought it was going to be like Batman, with all the crap happening. But it was very well done, and I believe I watched it 3 times. Ana Paquin was amazing, and Hugh Jackman was really cool. The only thing is that they should've replaced Matt Damon, he's just too retarded. Over all it kept me happy throughout my entire flight, so much that I had to buy the DVD.

	KIDS [not rated]
	Starting: Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Chloe Sevigny
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This is a really good movie. It's extremely raw, which is why it makes it so good. I definitely wouldn't recommend this movie for people who have no sense of humor or can't handle movies with "adult content".

	Romper Stomper [not rated]
	Starting: Russell Crowe, Daniel Pollock, Jacqueline McKenzie
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This is the movie that brought Russell Crowe to the main stream. I first watched it back in high school on PPV, and I was mesmerized by it. I recommend this movie to everyone, except for those who do not like violent flicks. The dvd version also comes with really awesome documentary, interviews, and behind the scene stuff. Unfortunately Daniel Pollack committed suicide right after the movie; otherwise he would've really shined in future films.

	Stigmata [R]
	Starting: Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Pryce
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: I highly recommend everybody to watch this movie. Some religious people have bitched about its content. But it parallels my own theories: "The Kingdom of GOD is inside you, and all around you. Not in the buildings of wood and stone. Split a piece of wood, and I'm there. Lift a stone and you will fine me." With that said, just remember that this is only a movie; and I'm not trying to spread an anti-Vatican message. All I'm trying to say is that GOD is everywhere and you should show as much respect and behave well outside the church as you do inside. And never believe that you can be a complete ass for 6 days and then everything will be forgiven on the 7th day. The movie was very well done, and the actors are awesome. This was my first movie ever seeing any of them.

	The Matrix [R]
	Starting: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This is by far the best special effects movie. Other movies have tried, but they can't even get close. The story is kind of confusing and it took me a long time to finally understand it. By then the movie was almost halfway done. The opening fighting scene is off the hook....

	The Ninth Gate [R]
	Starting: Johnny Depp,
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This movie is awesome, it very cleverly deals with human greed. Johnny Depp is mad good in this movie. It deals with Satanism and the desire to achieve immortality.

	Scarface [R]
	Starting: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfiffer
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This movie is a classic, and a must in every collection. If you don't have this, don't even call it a collection. I know this movie pissed off a lot of Cubans, but truth hurts I guess... This movie is about the American dream materializing, and then realizing that it's all crap. The script was great and Al Pacino was off the hook.
	Donnie Brasco [R]
	Starting: Al Pacino, Johnny Depp
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: Man, what a coincidence Al Pacino and Johnny Depp; but this time together. That automatically makes a great film. However the story is even better because it is based on a real story. I like this movie because it's not just another mafia movie. This one is from another perspective and you really get a feeling how the mafia works and why they have been so successful.... till the IRA gets them.

	Saving Private Ryan [R]
	Starting: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: The story here is kind of gay, but the action scenes more than make up for it. You feel as if you are right there in Normandy. The opening scene is the main reason why you won't see me in uniform any time soon... This movie raises a newfound respect for all soldiers, but in my book they are merely brainless sheep.

	Braveheart [R]
	Starting: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: If this movie would cut down on the cheese, it would be up next to Gladiator. Another deference between this movie and Gladiator is that it's more believable to see Russell Crowe knocking heads than Mel Gibson. It's a remarkable story and it's fun to watch. The funny thing is that the movie makes fun of how people exaggerate stories, yet they are guilty of it themselves. Sophie Marceau was excellent in this movie, I would like to see her future films.

	Devil's Advocate [R]
	Starting: Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This movie hits it right in the head with all those scum-sucking lawyers. But I guess if it wasn't for them our justice system wouldn't work quite well. It's very interesting because it also shows how greed and pride can destroy your life.

	Strangeland [not rated]
	Starting: Dee Snider
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This movie gets 3 iron crosses just for the music. With 2 songs by CRISIS even I would've watched Titanic. Although it's a horror movie, there's really not much violence. It's mostly just about an S&M psycho. The movie is really low-budget; so don't expect much in special effects. But over all it's a good movie. CRISIS RULES!!!

	Rage Against the Machine: The Battle of Mexico City
	Starting: Rage
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: What can you say about Rage?!? Their shows are just awesome. To bad this one took place in Mexico City, 'cause most of the people there don't even know the songs and they can't even get a mosh pit going. The lack of crowd enthusiasm also affects the band. Just compare this performance to their Woodstock '99 show. I would much rather see that. But this is better than nothing I guess. I also enjoyed the interviews with Sub-Comandante Marcos, and other information about globalization. Whether I agree with them is another story.

	Rage Against the Machine
	Starting: Rage
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This dvd is cool 'cause it has videos as well as live songs by Rage. It has all of their old songs, which is far better than their new stuff.

	Cannibal Corpse: Live Cannibalism
	Starting: Cannibal Corpse
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: They should've never taped their show in Milwaukee, WI. The place looks so dead. I've seen far better shows in CBGB's, Wetlands or Coney Island High. But it's Cannibal Corpse so it kicks ass. They chose a good variety of songs from their early stuff to their newest cd. Thank GOD it has "Hammer Smashed Face". It also has 2 videos, but they are so low-budget it's not even funny. I can just hear Beavis and Butthead rip them. It also has some short interviews which are ok. I wish they would've put in more info about their records and stuff like that.

	Cast Away [PG13]
	Starting: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: I can just picture myself someway ending up in something like this. I don't know, it would be cool I think. It's very interesting how you adapt to the situation. Another thing is that the airplane crash scene is the most believable I've ever seen. Over all is a very enjoyable movie if you are into adventure and camping deals. Otherwise I've heard some friends bitch that it's just about a guy who talks to himself for hours....

	Vertical Limit [PG13]
	Starting: Bill Paxton, Robin Tunney, Scott Glenn, Chris O'Donnell
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: The main reason why I love this movie is because hopefully one day I'll get to climb K2. It's a good movie, but I would've love to see Johnny Deep or Keanu Reeves instead of Chris O'Donnell. I don't know why, but he makes it seem cheesy. It doesn't seem very real. Besides that it's very well done. The action scenes are great. Another thing is that the extra stuff in the dvd is awesome.

	Apocalypse Now [R]
	Starting: Bill Paxton, Robin Tunney, Scott Glenn, Chris O'Donnell
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This is a really weird movie, which is exactly why I like it. It paints a completely different picture about the Vietnam war. This movie mainly deals with how much war can affect the human psyche. This enforces my belief that every soldier is messed up in a way or another. Anyway, it's a great movie.

	Terminator 2: Judgment Day [R]
	Starting: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: The especial effects of this movie are off the hook. I usually hate sequels, especially sci-fi sequels, but this one is much better than the first one. I really liked the underlining message that if "a terminator can learn the value of life, why can't we?" But the especial effects definitely make the movie.

	Natural Born Killers [R]
	Starting: Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: Love it or hate it, you have to admit this is a great movie. I've heard people say that the psychedelic shots are as close as you get as being high. I don't know about that, I don't have any first hand experience with any of them, but I'll take their word for it. This is another really weird love story. It's kind of like a weird mix between Thelma & Louise, Cheech & Chong, and Sid & Nancy. With that said, you got to check it out.

	Sid & Nancy [R]
	Starting: Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: Another Classic!!! If you love punk, then you'll love this movie too. The characters get a little annoying and loud at times; but if you know any Punks you'll understand. The funny thing is that it is a great love story. Even if you are not a punk fan or a Sex Pistols fan I think you'll like this movie.

	Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (Atame) [not rated]
	Starting: Antonio Banderas, Victoria Abril, Loles Leon
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: First of all any Pedro Almodovar movie rules by default. This is just another example of how good he is. The thing I love the most about his movies is that there's nothing like them and they keep you on your toes the whole time. There's never a dull moment in the movie. If you don't know Spanish then you are really not getting the whole deal, 'cause some of the stuff they say is mad funny. But it loses it in the translation. Check it out either way, 'cause this movie is a must.

	Desperado [R]
	Starting: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This an awesome movie, it's even mentioned in a 7 Notas 7 Colores song. The action is very Hollywood, and the everything is done over the top. But it's not bad at all.

	Bless The Child [R]
	Starting: Kim Basinger,
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: A friend recommended this movie. And as soon as I saw the cover and the title I though it was going to be a weird Satanic flick, kind of like the Exorcist of the 90s or something. However it's far different from that. It's about a cute little girl who has mystical powers, and there's a cult after her trying to get her to "switch sides" sort of speak. It ended up being a good movie, and very interesting to say the least.

	The Watcher [R]
	Starting: Keanu Reeves, Marisa Tomei, James Spader
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: The main reason why I bought this movie is 'cause of the title, 'cause it's a CRISIS song. Yo, that's my jam! But unfortunately in this case the title is far better than the movie itself. Don't get me wrong, the movie is still great, but the title is what got to me. It's a suspense flick, and it's pretty good. Keanu Reeves was good as always.

	Scary Movie [R]
	Starting: Jon Abrahams, Anna Fairs, Kurt Fuller, Carmen Electra...
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This movie I bought in Bangkok, and it's a fake; but you can't even tell the difference. Too bad dvds are not as popular as cd-v over there or I would've bought a ton of them, just like fake playstation games ($0.45/each). Anyhow, it's a mad funny movie. This is excellent to check out with friends and just have a blast. I can't wait to see... or better yet, go back to Bangkok and buy Scary Movie 2.

	Top Gun [PG]
	Starting: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: I first watched this movie in Guatemala back in '86 or so; and I just fell in love with it. I didn't have a clue what it was about, but it was cool. Now in retrospect, is a really good movie and you can't completely blame it for its cheesiness since it's from the 80's.

	Shadow Hours [R]
	Starting: Rebecca Gayheart, Peter Weller, Balthazar Getty
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: Now, nobody has ever heard of this movie; which is the reason why I bought it. I found it in Blockbuster, and it was only like $9.99 as a previewed movie. So I had nothing to lose. As it turns out, it's not a bad movie after all. Yeah, it's low budget and it get kind of cheesy at times, but I have never seen a movie like it. It's weird at times, and sometimes it's funny (whether intentional or not). Over all it's an ok flick to check out.

	Basic Instinct [R]
	Starting: Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: What can I say about this movie other that it's a classic. Sharon Stone rules, and everybody else drools. Besides that it's an awesome suspense flick; even my professor liked it, now that's saying something.

	American History X [R]
	Starting: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This movie was pretty good, but the politically correctness just killed it. First of all, who the hell is going to believe that skinheads play basketball or that they can beat some homies in streetball?!?. I was kind of disappointed when I saw this movie, because I thought I was going to be more like Romper Stomper. But overall it was better than most movies out.
	Apollo 13 [PG]
	Starting: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: This movie was good, but it just dragged too much. The action was not all that thrilling. The only reason why I liked is because I'm interested in space-travel. Tom Hanks was good as usual, and keep this movies in mind when you are playing 6 degrees from Kevin Bacon.
	The Bone Collector [R]
	Starting: Ed O'Neill, Angelina Jolie, Denzel Washington
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: The reason why this movie is on my collection is that Ed O'Neill is on it. He can do no wrong. Everything he does is awesome. I'm not an Angelina fan by any means and I'm definitely not a Denzel fan. As it turned out this mystery movie was pretty good. I keeps you guessing and in suspense the whole time. The only thing I have to say is who the hell is going to believe Denzel is that smart or that a quadriplegic can beat up a healthy man. I mean, can you picture Christopher Reeve beating up anybody now without his cape???
	Streets of Fire [PG]
	Starting: Michael Pare, Diane Lane
	Rating:	Cheese Factor:
	Review: The reason why this movie is my collection is because I watched it when I was like 6, and the name sounds really cool in Spanish "Las Calles de Fuego". So at the time I really loved it. Now that I watch it again, and I finally learned English, I can't believe how cheesy this movie is. I had no idea Kraft also did movies.... The main problem is that the characters try to act and talk way too cool. The story itself is not that bad, but the lingo has to go! I guess you can blame it on the time, after all it was the mid-80s and bands like Poison were popular.