Please welcome a very special list of movies, the cult classics that did everything great and defined genres. Enjoy the great movies that stood the test of time, defined generations, and showed what cinema truly is by being an example themselves, both on and beneath the surface.
Please note: There may be movie spoilers, but as you know, these are already classics so I thought they wouldn't be a problem.
I hope you enjoy reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it!
"TOTAL RECALL" (1990 - Directed By Paul Verhoeven)
[Photo Source #1, #2, #3] - What happened to these people?
SCI-FI at its best!
Welcome to the "Rekall" (with a "k")
You already know I'm a Paul Verhoeven fan, and now you're reading about the reason..: "Totall Recall"; a cult Science-Fiction classic inspired from Philip Kindred Dick's short story, "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale". The same Philip Kindred Dick (R.I.P.) who wrote the story of "Blade Runner" (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) along with many other Sci-Fi classics that raise very important questions about us, humans!
-What do you want?
-This is going to be very difficult for you at accept, Mr. Quaid.
-I'm listening.
-I'm afraid you're not really standing here right now.
-You know, Doc, you could have fooled me.
-I'm quite serious. You're not here, and neither am I.
-Amazing. Where are we?
-At Rekall. *Source
The conversation above looks familiar? Do you also remember Dr. Edgemar who was trying to convince Douglas Quaid (Schwarzenegger) to swallow a RED PILL? MATRIX was not the first movie to introduce a Red Pill as the gate of reality. Without a doubt, "Total Recall" served as an inspiration to movies like "Matrix" and "eXistenZ" with its blur between reality and illusion. How do we distinguish the reality from illusion? What is "reality" anyway? Does free will exist? "Total Recall" never stops asking these precious questions, even in the final scene. The observer is never sure whether these events are real or just an illusion, OR, maybe (only maybe) the aim of the movie is to make us doubt ourselves and complicate things more than necessary? OR, it's more complicated than we think? There are clues for the vigilant eye, yet they can still be interpreted subjectively which adds even more to the richness of the story.
[Photo Source #1, #2] - The Red Pill. A gateway to reality. How can you be sure?
Fortunately this is a 1990 movie meaning that it still uses maquettes and models instead of abusing the CGI to the extreme, and that mining colony on the planet Mars looks fantastic. And who can refuse the good old Michael Ironside as the evil antagonist, a sadistic monster. I couldn't think of a better fit for the role.
Douglas Quaid is an "ordinary" man who has the body of an Olympia champion, lives with his wife, Lori (Sharon Stone) and works as a construction worker. He's obsessed with the idea of visiting the planet Mars and finally decides to benefit from the services of a company called "Rekall" which offers "Mars Packages" in the form of memory implantation. Quaid's favorite "Mars Adventure" includes the woman in his dreams and a planet with a blue sky (now, you remember the final scene of the movie? The Martian Blue Sky? Was it real or was it all in Quaid's head?) - During the memory implantation process, things get chaotic, and we finally understand that this was not his first experience with memory implantations.
"Verhoeven style" violence is at its extreme on the surface (remember "RoboCop" and "Starship Troopers") and yet, as always, the movie's subtext is very powerful beneath (a greedy corporation's monopoly of breathable, "clean" air - what does it tell you?). This is by far Arnold's best with "The Terminator", "Predator" and "Conan The Barbarian".
Great movies make you ask questions about serious matters, and even better, a "cult" movie like "Total Recall" never stops doing that. It's the secret of magic. This is a Sci-Fi classic full of unforgettable scenes (and by the way, the famous "three tits" and a "kung-fu Sharon Stone" come as a bonus.)
[VIDEO: EGO-TRIP SCENE] - A KEY SCENE IN THE MOVIE.
"Aaah, let me tantalize you. You're a top operative, back under deep cover on your most important mission. People are trying to kill you left and right. You meet a beautiful, exotic woman... I don't wanna spoil it for you, Doug. Just rest assured, by the time the trip is over, you get the girl, you kill the bad guys, and you save the entire planet."
- "Have you brought any fruits or vegetables on the planet?"
- "Two weeks! Two wee-eeks!" [GIF Source]
"ALIEN" (1979 - Directed By Ridley Scott)
[Photo Source] - Please welcome, the "Space Jockey"! Were these engineers our creators? I really tried to love prequels ("Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant"). Unfortunately, I think they both missed a great opportunity.
"In space no one can hear you scream"
How many directors are there on our tiny blue planet who defined a genre from the ground up? "Alien" and "Blade Runner" alone would be enough to remember Ridley Scott as a genre definer for Sci-Fi movies (and not only that, remember what he did with swords and sandals in "Gladiator").
Even though I like all the movies of the quadrilogy (all by great directors with different styles; James Cameron, David Fincher and Jeanne Pierre Jeunet), 1979 original is my favorite by far and no other movie comes close to its discomfortable atmosphere and cinematography. It's hard to believe that "Prometheus", and especially "Alien: Covenant" were both directed by the same legendary director who directed "Alien", other than their striking visuals. (There are a lot to criticize about the two prequels but it's out of the scope of this post)
Ridley Scott's uncanny and claustrophobic "ALIEN" atmosphere is still as powerful as it was in 1979. Take that Lovecraftian tone, put the "perfect killer" designed by Giger in the mix along with an unforgettable cast and special effects far ahead of their time (as far as the budget allowed).
Introducing the "Xenomorph"...
And the first real female action heroine: Ellen Ripley!
You see an egg? You might be looking into your own death. The egg is sensitive to any movement, and when it detects a good host like Kane (John Hurt), it opens up and reveals the notorious facehugger which attacks to its victims' face with an incredible speed, only to "rape" and impregnate them with a "xenomorph embryo", delivered from its vagina-like organ. Embryo consumes the victim from within, and finally, we arrive to one of the most memorable scenes in Cinema History: The "birth" of the (phallic shaped) xenomorph, as known as, the CHEST-BURSTER scene.
[VIDEO: CHEST-BURSTER SCENE] - Poor John Hurt!
There are tons of analysis on ALIEN'S subtext, especially when it comes to its sexual references. Some even consider it a RAPE movie where most of the victims are males and the only survivor is a female. One of the reasons the "chest-burster" scene is so epic is mainly because the response you see is real! Just have a look at Veronica Cartwright's face: Neither she nor the rest of the crew were aware of the blood effects (and by the way, the blood you see there is REAL!) - "ALIEN" was also introducing one of the most powerful female leads ever, thanks to Sigourney Weaver's iconic character, Ellen Ripley.
[GIF Source] - Please don't do it, dear John Hurt (R.I.P.)
"BLADE RUNNER" (1982 -Directed By Ridley Scott)
[Photo Source] A Unicorn? Yes. But it's also an "answer". (Note: "The Final Cut" is the version you should be watching)
"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" Philip Kindred Dick
Or, a "unicorn" maybe?
Don't you think that it's a great question? It must be so, because we have been arguing about it for a very long time. How many movies you know that cinephiles around the world still argue about the questions they raise?
"Is Deckard a replicant?"
The answer of the question is obvious, but you know, the question itself is more important than the answer, because the same question raises many other serious questions about being a "human being" (AND, also about the RIGHT of NOT being a human being):
- Is human life more valuable than an animal's, or, in this case, a replicant's "life"? Why, because we are superior? Then, what about humans killing humans for the same reason? "We have the right to kill them because we are superior, because we can!" - We've seen enough of that throughout our history, right?
- What it means to be "alive"? Who are we to judge?
- What makes us human?
- Are humans somehow special? Does it mean that the other creatures are "less" special, or not special at all? Why is that? How?
- OR, can being "more special" be an excuse for MURDER? Then, would the same rule apply where a "more special" human being kills or abuses a "less special" human being?
If an android can be made to think it has memories, it has a past, it is human... Then how can we be sure we are human?
The questions are endless but these were the first ones I could think of. If Roy (who is more human than most of the characters I've ever seen on the screen; played by Rutger Hauer) doesn't deserve to live then I don't know who does, which brings another question, is life something to be deserved? As far as I remember, it was a natural RIGHT given by "birth" to all living beings.
[Photo Source: Screenshot from the movie itself] - Another key scene (among others) where Rachael asks a key question.
I prefer the original ("The Final Cut" release), but Denis Villeneuve did a great job too with the sequel, "Blade Runner 2049" which I suggest watching. Of course, people have the right to dislike both movies, after all, it's not a taboo.
But let's make one point crystal clear:
The one who dislikes Blade Runner, dislikes Science-Fiction either.
- "All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain. … Time to die." [GIF Source]
"THE TERMINATOR" (1984 - Directed By James Cameron)
[Photo Source] - Not that I judge by the looks, but It's not friendly.
"You still don't get it, do you? He'll find her! That's what he does! That's ALL he does! You can't stop him! He'll wade through you, reach down her throat and pull her fuckin' heart out!" - Kyle Reese
What could describe a T-800 better than Kyle Reese's "TERMINATOR FOR DUMMIES" class?
1984 was the year we met T-800 and the artificial intelligence behind it, Skynet. It was an unfortunate year for the women named Sarah Connor, and beginning of a nightmare that would last decades.
"The Terminator" was definitely not the first artwork to warn us about the technological threats we create with our very own hands. Mary Shelley had done the same almost 200 years ago with her epic work "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus"... H.G.Wells had written "The Island of Doctor Moreau" a century ago... What about legendary director Kubrick's "H.A.L." (artificial intelligence from "2001: A Space Odyssey"), wasn't it a different version of Skynet?
"The Terminator" was one of those movies that you never forget the first time you saw them. The movie was already giving clues about its darkness from the beginning: War machines crushing hundreds of human skulls under their huge tracks with heart-wrenching sound effects. "Creating the mood" was never a problem for James Cameron.The crystal-clear focus of that machine (T-800) was terrifying! They were shooting at it, crushing it with a truck, even burning it, but T-800 was never giving up, it wasn't in its "nature" (or code, to be more precise). It was still coming after Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) after losing its legs. As Kyle Reeese (Michael Biehn, "Corporal Hicks" of "Aliens") once had said: "It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop... ever, until you are dead!"
[GIF Source] - No, It NEVER stops. It's about only one thing: Pulling Sarah Connor's heart out.
In my own universe, there are only two "Terminator" movies, both directed by James Cameron, and the first one is my favorite because of the atmosphere it creates which I think suits best to "Terminator Universe" ("Terminator 2: Judgment Day" is a masterpiece for sure, both on the surface and beneath the surface..: "Because if a machine, a Terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too"). Post-apocalyptic depiction of 2029's Los Angeles where humans live underground to hide themselves from "the killing machines" was depressing. There was a scene where kids were trying to keep themselves warm with the fire coming out from a TV which was turned into a fire place. T-800 is certainly the most memorable cyborg antagonist of all time (I excluded "Darth Vader" from the contest).
"The Terminator" was also like a 1980s' parade... Walkman's, hairstyles, shoulder pads, polaroid photos, and of course, the famous "Club TechNoir" scene. Oh, and good old Lance Henriksen ("Bishop" of "Aliens") is always a pleasure to watch!
"RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK"
(1981 - Directed By Steven Spielberg)
[Photo Source] - Leave it there, Dr. Jones. It doesn't belong to you! Neither you nor any museum in the world has a right over it! - Indiana Jones is too funny to ignore, if you can ignore the narrative beneath it. But the name of the movie tells the whole story, right? After all, they are all "RAIDERS"!
"Don't bring a sword to a gunfight"
(You know which scene I'm talking about.)
"Raiders Of The Lost Ark" seems obsessively eager to entertain its audience, and no matter what, does the job very well! I still wonder how Indiana Jones made it into that Nazi submarine, but hey, who cares? "Indiana Jones" was never about logic, it was all about fun! If you look closely enough, you can even see your good old friends R2D2 and C3PO (yes, I mean it)!
[Source: The movie itself] - See? A long time ago in Cairo, far, far away! (Just pause the movie at "01:06:14")
The first 10 minutes of the movie feels like a movie on its own, played on fast-forward mode! The Peruvian Amazon, mystery, booby-traps, giant spiders (tarantulas?), the golden idol, booby-traps again, betrayal (by a very young Alfred Molina)... Indiana Jones runs from a massive boulder, confronts indigenous people (who are the real owners of the golden idol) and an old rival, runs from poisonous arrows, swims to the airplane with the accompaniment of John Williams' iconic score and flies to his freedom (by the way, he hates snakes!). Even writing all that down forced me to take a deep breath, and it was only the beginning. Throughout the movie there are a lot of memorable moments, and it's always a crescendo! He then learns that Nazis are after The Ark Of The Covenant to rule the world, here we have our script (as you see, that "first ten minutes" has nothing to do with the script itself; it was just there to introduce an iconic movie character). He goes to Nepal, sees his old love, gets punched in the face, turns her tavern upside down, kills a bunch of Nazis and Nazi collaborators. Without a doubt, Indiana Jones movies have their own way to introduce action. Even though it pushes the limits of logic (to the extreme), "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" still offers some of the most enjoyable action sequences in cinema history, thanks to absurdly well-written action choreography. From Peru to Nepal, Cairo to Aegean Sea; from Peruvian Rainforest to New England, desert to sea and a submarine base, "RAIDERS" is like a never-ending amusement park which has its own style of humor! Who can forget the scene when Toht, the Nazi Officer picks up a weird looking torture tool which turns out to be a dress-hanger? Dr. Jones reached cult status for a reason!
[GIF Source] - Burn baby burn! Don't worry, they'll be fine!
"PREDATOR" (1987 - Directed By John McTiernan)
[Photo Source #1, #2] - What a great cinematography! (Donald McAlpine)
"What the hell are you?"
And Predator replies back to Arnie with the exact same phrase: "What the hell are you?" - As you may already know, "dialogue" was not the brightest bulb on the "Predator Tree" (Schwarzenegger knows how to choose his roles for sure), yet the movie was offering a rare quality of Action and Science-Fiction. I'll dare to say; one of the best ever!
Like "Minotaurs" of "Dragonlance", or Klingons of "Star Trek", Predators too have their own brutal warrior code. It seems it's in their nature to hunt for the sake of hunting (it actually serves a purpose, it's some sort of a ceremony that leads Predators to a higher status within their social hierarchy), and as far as we understand, they have a special interest for Humans and Xenomorphs - They've already been visiting our tiny blue planet for thousands of years and they were the ones who taught us humans how to build ancient pyramids, and even used us as hosts to breed Xenomorphs for their own friday night fun ride (as far as we learn from a movie that shouldn't have been made the way it was) - On the other hand, unlike many humans, these warrior species still have their principles: Children, unarmed adults, pregnant and sick would be spared (unless these people eagerly look for a shortcut to Valhalla).
Whether the movie is packed with pure action, the extraterrestrial's extraordinary ability to adapt itself to the environment is what makes "Predator" even more interesting. Predator is the perfect killer who hunts professional commandos one by one in their home planet, in the most gruesome ways. The violence we see in this movie rarely happens in mainstream cinema: Predator skins its victims, decapitates them, and takes their skulls as trophies.
[Photo Source: The Movie Itself] - Danny Glover in "Predator 2". It wasn't as good as the original but surely delivered some fun. Just pause the movie at 01:33:18 to see the Xenomorph (a.k.a. "ALIEN") skull.
"Alien" and "Predator" are the most charismatic extraterrestrials ever existed on screen, two perfect killing machines. One never cares about technology, the other benefits from it as much as it can. One has no rules other than its instincts, the other has a warrior code. I admit that it would be a pleasure to see new movies about them, but sometimes (I mean, almost always) I wonder why they make all these nonsense sequels (or prequels) for the sake of making them. None of them are close to the quality and "feel" of the originals ("Aliens" of James Cameron is one of the exceptions)
Now, get to the chopper and let's hear some "Long Tall Sally"!
[GIF Source] - "If it bleeds, we can kill it." - Sure, but it bleeds green, not red. It won't be easy.
"ROBOCOP" (1987 - Directed By Paul Verhoeven)
[Photo Source] - See that gun-fire? Guess whose hand it is? No, his name is Murphy.
Verhoeven (Director), Poledouris (Music), And a Powerful Subtext...
A powerful satire on corruption!
Verhoeven movies are always multidimensional, and "RoboCop" is not an exception. It's not just another cyborg movie, and it makes sure you know it from the start.
Movie begins with a TV News where we hear about the threat of nuclear war (humans... same old, same old), a power fail during an important press conference from the "Star Wars Peace Platform" (a species not even capable of organizing a press conference desires to conquer space), and in between we watch a commercial where a so called doctor promotes ARTIFICIAL ORGANS, and guess what? These artificial organs come with a three year warranty! I almost forgot, co-anchors and the "doctor" have a fixed smile on their faces! Isn't that absurd?
Mega Corporation OCP wants to build a new city from the ground up, and thanks to its rich financial sources and strong ties with the government, it gains complete control over the police department. When ED-209, a robot which was supposed to support the police force fails miserably at a demonstration and kills an OCP executive (of course, the word "kill" means Verhoeven style violence), the project "RoboCop" gains momentum. But OCP has a problem: They need a human test subject for the project. OCP does exactly what we would expect from a greedy corporation like it; it deploys officers to high risk areas accross region. Their efforts bring "results", officer Alex Murphy falls victim to a criminal gang's violence and his brain becomes the property of OCP! Once again, a corporation plays "GOD".
RoboCop's directives VERSUS Isaac Asimov's "Three Laws Of Robotics".
RoboCop's "CLASSIFIED" directive might be one of the sharpest criticisms of CORRUPTION on movie screen..: "DIRECTIVE 4: Any attempt to arrest a senior officer of OCP results in shutdown" - So, mega Corporations can do whatever they wish, they can pollute water, pollute air, pollute soil, kill nature, make people sick, kill people, and their executives cannot even be arrested?
Alex Murphy's story is a struggle worth watching, again and again. Call him Murphy. That's his name. He's a human being. He's a man.
Note: Soundtrack of "RoboCop" is amazing, main theme is already a classic! R.I.P. Basil Poledouris, the man behind the magical music of "Conan the Barbarian" and "The Hunt For Red October"
[GIF Source] - Another cult classic from Paul Verhoeven.
"THE FLY" (1986 - Directed By David Cronenberg)
[Photo Source] - I have a bad feeling about this. For BOTH of them.
Cronenberg shows no mercy!
"Be afraid, be very afraid."
It's not as easy as we see in Star Trek. Teleportation is a risky business. There is zero tolerance for even the "smallest" of all mistakes; and in our case, it's a "fly".
It is surely beyond doubt that "The Fly" is the most Kafkaesque metamorphosis story you may ever see on the movie screen and one of the most successful remakes ever (there is a 1958 version of the story) - Take my word for it.
"The Fly" is in the same league with the greatest Sci-Fi movies, it's a horror masterpiece and a heart-wrenching story thanks to "plausibility" of the characters Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis), and the director, David Cronenberg. When it comes to a movie like "The Fly" (are there any other movies LIKE "The Fly"? I don't think so), using a word like "plausibility" may seem contradictory, but when the teleportation experiment goes terribly wrong and things start to get terrifying, the movie successfully convinces the viewer of Seth Brundle's trauma. Geena Davis' performance as "Veronica" is remarkable as she sees the gut-wrenching transformation of Brundle (Goldblum) into a "fly" with her own eyes. On the other hand, I think this is Jeff Goldblum's best performance ever by far!
I don't know how many times I've seen this movie, and without an exception I asked the same question each time: "Why am I doing this to myself again?" - It becomes a valid question especially in the second half of the movie where David Cronenberg and Chris Walas give a great lesson on movie making and special effects which could turn into a disaster in wrong hands (won an Academy Award for best make-up). This is an extremely dark film both psychologically and physically (both for the viewers and the characters of the movie), might be one of the hardest to watch no matter how old you are. "The Fly" is a masterpiece on deterioration, desperation, pangs of love and human ego (combined with a Fly's).
[GIF Source] - How many persons are there?
"THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS"
(1991 - Directed By Jonathan Demme)
[Photo Source] - What a powerful scene... It tells a lot. There is a reason why Starling is surrounded by these men and the camera is shooting from above (and, if you have a vulnerable character in your movie, you should give her a green hooded coat - Because, a RED one would be too obvious). There is a lot going on beneath the surface here. She's the "little red riding hood". She's a female warrior in the jungle. Throughout the movie, Jonathan Demme emphasizes Starling's loneliness in the men's world.
[Photo Source] - Name the 5 most unforgettable movie villains of all time. HANNIBAL LECTER would probably rank first or second according to your relationship with Star Wars' Darth Vader. He appeared for only 15 minutes on the screen yet it was enough for Anthony Hopkins to make Hannibal Lecter immortal.
Cult movies never age! You'll always hear the scream of the lamb!
Serial murders hit their peak during the second half of 1900s and names like Jeffrey Dahmer, Gary Ridgway, Ted Bundy, Ed Gein, David Berkowitz (Son of Sam) and Gary Heidnik became a focus of interest for the mass media. Serial killers became a subject for research, and these notorious psychosomatic personalities had their own place in literature and cinema. Our focus should be mainly on Ed Gein and Ted Bundy, the former followed a similar path as the movie's Buffalo Bill, made clothes from his victims' skin, and the latter used his charm and "broken arm" to commit his atrocities (remember the kidnapping scene in "The Silence Of The Lambs"?) - Writer Thomas Harris ("Black Sunday", "Red Dragon", "The Silence Of The Lambs", "Hannibal", "Hannibal Rising") must have thought that the way these horrible crimes were commited would be a great material for a novel.
VIDEO: THE KIDNAPPING SCENE - Jame Gumb (a.k.a. "Buffalo Bill", played by the talented Ted Levine) was a mix of well-known serial-killers. Ted Bundy was using the same "trick" (a "broken arm") to commit some of his atrocities.
When the movie starts with the distressing (yet moving) music of Howard Shore ("The Lord Of The Rings"), we see a young woman running in the woods, drenched in perspiration, overcomes the challenges of FBI's obstacle course one by one (on a tree, we see the words "HURT", "AGONY", "PAIN", "LOVE IT" with the same order). She still has some sort of a "vulnerable" look, but we can tell that Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is a hard-working, determined person. We already love her from the beginning.
This intro epitomizes the story very well and sets the tone of the film: This vulnerable "Little Red Riding Hood" will transform into the heroine of the forest (a female "Lumberjack") and will be the one who will save the innocent ("lamb") from the big bad WOLF!
We then see Clarice in her chief's room where she examines newspaper clippings on the atrocities of a serial killer, named after Buffalo Bill. We read the same headline with Clarice: "BILL SKINS FIFTH" (like a "lamb", we'll see the same metaphor throughout the movie)... When her chief Crawford (Scott Glenn) assigns her to interview Lecter (whose "thoughts" might be beneficial in the case of Buffalo Bill), he warns her strictly about him before sending her to wolf's lair and adds: "Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head". After the movie introduces the main protagonist (Clarice) and gives a glimpse of the main antagonist (Buffalo Bill) skillfully, then it's Lecter's turn...
In the next few minutes we hear about the terrifying acts of Hannibal Lecter from Dr. Chilton of Baltimore State Hospital (also makes a move on Clarice, and we start to dislike him). He even shows a photograph of a nurse whose tongue was eaten by Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter. Clarice is the only one who sees the photograph, because the director (Jonathan Demme) knows that if the viewer doesn't see it, the impact would be even greater.
After all these preliminary minutes, we see Hannibal Lecter in all his stillness, calmness and kindness: The first thing we hear from him is "good morning". Definitely not to be expected from a "monster" like him after hearing all these horrifying stories about Lecter.
The chess game between "Little Red Riding Hood" and the wolf.
And wolf's gift to Clarice..: A SUICIDE!
Throughout the movie, the "relationship" between Clarice and Dr. Lecter (once a renowned psychiatrist, now a renowned cannibal) evolves through phases: "A psychopath and a trainee who adores him", then "a psychiatrist and a patient", and finally, Clarice even becomes an object of desire in the eyes of Lecter. When Miggs (a prisoner) behaves "rude" to Clarice (if you've watched the movie, you know which scene I'm talking about and why I've just used quotation marks with the word "rude"), Lecter changes his mind and decides to help her. We love Clarice, it seems Lecter loves Clarice, so in return, we start to love Lecter too! (Cautiously, for sure)
Clarice later learns that the same Miggs (who had insulted Clarice in an extremely disgusting way) committed suicide as a result of Lecter's suggestions. In their second meeting with Lecter, Clarice notices that it was actually a "gift" from Lecter. (Jodie Foster's body language, gestures and facial expressions leave no space for confusion) - In these meetings, Lecter helps Clarice to stop Buffalo Bill, but NEVER directly. He gives clues and lets her find her own way like a mentor.
"Meet Mr. Acherontia Styx, Agent Starling", says Roden, the bug guy. "Better known to his friends as the DEATH'S-HEAD MOTH" - Salvador Dali's "IN VOLUPTAS MORS", and the poster of "The Silence Of The Lambs"
"THE BUG": Acherontia Styx, a.k.a. DEATH'S-HEAD MOTH
"The Bug" symbolizes transformation. Main antagonist of the movie (Jame Gumb a.k.a. "Buffalo Bill" ) hates his own identity, and wants to change it, therefore "Acherontia Styx" has its own place in the movie as a powerful metaphor. Jame Gumb envies his victims and wants to be like them, for the same reason he skins them and puts cocoons of DEATH'S-HEAD MOTHs to their throats. Buffalo Bill himself is a cocoon, a cocoon that wants to transform into what he envies.
[GIF Source] - Lecter (Hopkins) finally makes physical contact with Starling (Foster).
"BACK TO THE FUTURE"
(1985 - Directed By Robert Zemeckis)
[Photo Source] - It's 1955... Only three years later, in 1958, Chuck Berry who got his inspiration from Marty's mad guitar playing skills will release "Johnny B. Goode"... SPELLBINDING!
1.21 gigawatts! Great Scott!
I don't know how they did it (thanks to Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale), but I love this movie even more each time I watch it. It's truly fascinating to see how they managed to include such amazing details in this all time classic Sci-Fi... SO MANY DETAILS, stunning script and ageless special effects! I still discover new details, and believe me, I watched it A LOT! Best "time-travel" movie along with The Time Machine (Robert Zemeckis already pays homage to it by showing multiple clocks in the opening scene, like the 1960 movie) and The Final Countdown, yet it's much more than that, it's A TIMELESS CLASSIC! And how can you resist when it comes with gull-wing doors.
It seems, once upon a time, everyone, including our parents were teenagers too! (If there is an exception to that, that must be Mr. Strickland..: "Jesus, didn't that guy ever have hair?") - Now, please admit it: From time to time, you're checking DeLorean Motor Company's home page, right? :)
"Silence, Earthling. My name is Darth Vader. I am an extraterrestrial from the planet Vulcan!"
You know, people may say that kind of weird things to their father when their mother falls in love with them and ends up putting their existance in danger for obvious reasons. Darth Vader, and Planet Vulcan, with the accompaniment of VAN HALEN! If that's not funny and genius, then I don't know what is!
You know, history repeats itself, but that phrase becomes even more interesting when you watch BTTF... In Part I, we are in 1955 and Marty runs from Biff's gang. Marty sees two boys, and borrows their skateboard (of course, after some fine-tunings), then grabs onto the back of a truck... In Part II, we are in 2015, Marty runs from Biff's gang again, and this time he borrows a skateboard (oh sorry, a hoverboard) from two girls, and grabs onto the back of a flying jeep! I think "Back To The Future" is the only TRILOGY that repeats itself and still remains extremely unique.
Whenever something bad happens, Doc yells "Great Scott", and Marty says "this is heavy" (Doc even wonders if that "heaviness" is somehow related to Earth's Gravitational Pull or not) - That tradition changes only when Marty sees his own name on the gravestone in Part III... Marty yells "GREAT SCOTT", and this time it's Doc's turn to say, "I know, this is heavy"...
In Part II, when confronting Biff (Biff is watching "Fistful Of Dollars", in a hot tub), Marty sees Clint Eastwood using a chest-plate to protect himself from bullets, so he does the same in Part III. The TRILOGY is just amazing. When it comes to Biff, his destiny never changes, you know, he always gets what he deserves: Manure!
And we have the great themes of Alan Silvestri along with the great pieces like "Back In Time", "The Power of Love", "Earth Angel" and "Johhny B. Goode" - Oh, and it's the only "western" movie that you may hear (and see) ZZ Top playing. Things like that only happen in "Back To The Future"!
[GIF Source] - Don't try this at home, fellow community members.
Take Marty's example and use your friend's property.
A LIFE LESSON from Doc...
"Your future hasn't been written yet.
No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one."
(From "Back To The Future - Part III")
I hope you enjoyed reading this post
as much as I enjoyed writing it!
"The unknown future rolls toward us. I face it, for the first time, with a sense of hope. Because if a machine, a Terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too" - Terminator II: Judgment Day - [GIF Source]