John Carpenter -The Fog
Despite being significantly inferior to Carpenter's previous film "Halloween - The Night of the Witches," "Fog" remains a gem of low-budget horror. A very simple yet interesting premise, a not exceptional screenplay, but excellent direction. With limited resources and plenty of imagination, Carpenter creates an excellent atmosphere, considerable tension, and some memorable scenes. Also noteworthy is the mother-daughter duo (Curtis-Leigh). A nice horror film, a somewhat underrated gem from the great Carpenter. 7 more
John Carpenter -Grosso Guaio A Chinatown
A lively and very entertaining film. Carpenter momentarily sets aside horror to delve into fantasy and the most "rowdy" and fun action possible. Not a masterpiece, not even by Carpenter's own standards, but a great entertainment film, featuring numerous truly amusing and engaging scenes, primarily the martial arts duels. more
Neil Jordan -Intervista Col Vampiro
A decent film, it manages to entertain despite not being anything transcendent. Pitt is just decent, Cruise is more than decent (though he never goes beyond that), while the very young Kristen Dunst is excellent, and Banderas is unnecessary. There are very few memorable scenes, and the film becomes too static as it progresses, but it remains an enjoyable watch. more
Roman Polanski -Cul De Sac
A masterpiece from the Polish director, perhaps among his best, alongside "Repulsion," the finest of the 1960s. Bolstered by Donald Pleasance's outstanding performance, with an intriguing screenplay and Polanski's excellent direction, the film captivates and is highly enjoyable, culminating in a crescendo of situations that lead to the hectic, mad, and desperate ending—perhaps the only possible one in such a "Cul De Sac." more
Làszlò Benedek -Il Selvaggio
Great movie, now become a manifesto and cult film, with the protagonist, excellently portrayed by a legendary Marlon Brando, who during those years became a true youth icon.
Nice film about youth rebellion, it's not a masterpiece, it does feel a bit dated, but it remains one of Benedek's best works. 8 more
Roman Polanski -Carnage
Great film. A masterfully directed Polanski brings out the best in a brilliant Jodie Foster, an excellent Kate Winslet, an outstanding Christopher Waltz, and a convincing Reilly in a film that exposes all the falsehoods and hypocrisies of the two couples, which are often found in bourgeois families (and not only). The ending is superb. more
Mario Monicelli -Un Borghese Piccolo Piccolo
Thanks to an extraordinary, ruthless, bitter, destroyed, incredibly intense Alberto Sordi, Monicelli directs his last great masterpiece, one of his best films. A film that completely shifts into drama after the death of the protagonist's son, featuring a Sordi in top form. A cruel and bitter film, truly one of Mario Monicelli's most compelling works. more
Mario Mattioli -Miseria e Nobiltà
One of Totò's best films, an exceptional comedy, with the prince in splendid form, a truly great mask of comedy. Countless hilarious scenes. Among the most beautiful comedies of all time. more
Sergio Leone -C'era Una Volta Il West (1968)
Among the highest points ever achieved by Leone, perhaps the finest western film of all time, featuring excellent performances (Charles "Bruno Conti" Bronson, the stunning Claudia Cardinale, a cold Henry Fonda), immense direction, and magnificent music. A titanic film (as will be "Giù la Testa" and "C'Era Una Volta in America"), a film that portrays the end of an era, the advance of the modern age marking the end of the wild west. And the opening scene is among the 10 most beautiful scenes ever, for me. more
John Carpenter -Il Signore del Male
Second chapter of what Carpenter defines as the "Apocalypse Trilogy". Slightly inferior to "The Thing," especially due to a final part, that of the concluding duel, which is not completely convincing. However, it remains one of Carpenter's most successful films, due to the unease it manages to transmit, the beautiful apocalyptic atmospheres, the excellent first half, and a pretty good final scene. A nice horror film; with a few fewer flaws, it could have been a great film. 7.5 more
John Schlesinger -Un Uomo da Marciapiede
In a cynical, ruthless, dirty, and hallucinatory New York, the story of two poor souls like many others. Schlesinger directs one of his most successful films, in a realistic portrayal of the streets of New York. Jon Voight delivers his best performance, but Dustin Hoffman, playing Rico, who is crippled and seriously ill, is even more exceptional, and it is here that he establishes himself as one of the greatest actors of all time. A tremendous film, with an ending so bitter, dramatic, and moving that it leaves you speechless. 9 more
Vittorio De Sica -Il giudizio universale
Among the most underrated films of the immense Vittorio De Sica, it is instead an excellent tragicomic comedy, at times hilarious and at times bitter. An exceptional cast, perhaps not fully utilized, with some actors a bit out of their depth, yet providing performances that are more than dignified. Hilarious Gassman, great Stoppa, gigantic Alberto Sordi, in the most successful character of the film, perhaps the most slippery and cynical he has ever portrayed. Truly a great film, absolutely worth rediscovering. more
Michael Mann -ManHunter - Frammenti di un omicidio
Michael Mann's masterpiece, on par with "Heat". Based on Harris's novel "Red Dragon" (the first book of the "Lecter trilogy"). A top-notch thriller masterfully directed by Mann, a master of technique and suspense, featuring a trio of excellent actors (great Cox, the first Hannibal Lecter on the big screen). A grand final showdown set to the tunes of Iron Butterfly. Slightly inferior to "The Silence of the Lambs," but far more beautiful than the remake "Red Dragon." more
Orson Welles -L'orgoglio degli Amberson
Cut, mistreated, distorted, a feel-good ending reshaped by a different director, this second feature film by O. Welles remains an incredibly great film, colossal from a purely technical standpoint, and still excellent overall. However, the doubt lingers about what the film would have been without those barbaric cuts it endured.
Stunning. more
Mel Brooks -Mezzogiorno e Mezzo di Fuoco
Hilarious Brooksian parody of the Western, inferior to the subsequent masterpieces "Frankenstein Jr." and "Silent Movie," still remains among the most successful works of the director. A brilliant ending featuring the massive brawl in the studios and the showdown outside the cinema. Exceptional also: "Fermi tutti, al primo movimento faccio fuori il negro," said by the same Black sheriff. A fun and at times brilliant parody. more