Whats the Big Deal? (Citizen Kane)

Obviously a mile-stone on the path of film-making, Citizen Kane (1941) rocks the casbah with a plethora of well planned shots, and interesting story line. +50 points for each of these, but -25 points for the over-the-top acting of some (and by some I mean all) of the cast.

Alfred Hitchcock revolutionizes the idea of film with his non-linear story, as it begins and ends at the end. I find that some of his most effective tools for his directing are his very varying type of camera angles, imagery, and subtle humor.
He makes effective and timely use of different shots, using different angles and distances, and subject placement. I find that the name "Citizen Kane", coupled with his over-bearing, almost dominating totalitarian character is like a reference to Soviet dictators. It is similar in a lot of ways to the story of the USSR.. then again so is every story with a prospective beginning and tragic end.
Personally, one of my favorite moments include the scene where he is smashing furniture, and fails to lift the bookshelf, and settles for cracking a table. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Good times.

The Big F***in' Lebowski

A classic film, The Big Lebowski (1998) is like a goldmine of things that aren't gold, except for one of the things in there which is the movie in it's entirity. Instantly noticable when watched is the common-place use of vulgar language, the steady flow of booze and pot, and a thick web of sexual references and themes.

A paper once asked me, "Does TBL deserve a 14A rating? If so, Why?". This is my response.

First let's tend to the language in the movie. Obviously most guardians wouldn't want their teen to be exposed to consistent and common use of foul four letter words. For that reason alone, I think that the film is worthy of a 14A rating.

Sex, Drugs, and Alcohol.. and bowling. Most parents and guardians , again, would probably not want their young teen exposed and admiring the sort of lifestyle that Jeff Lebowski and his homeskillets live. With teen sexual activity and substance abuse beginning at ever-younger ages, it's probably a smart idea to keep this content to teens at least in grade 10.