"School Of Rock" is a surprisingly amusing movie, not only Jack Black fans or rock aficionados are going to enjoy this film, most of the people are going to find something appealing to them in "School Of Rock". The movie is a showcase for Jack Black, who proves with this comedy that he can be a very good lead actor in comedies.

The plot isn't specially original, but the rock soundtrack and the original music in the movie are EXCELLENT, also a lot of jokes and rock references are simply great, for instance, check out the AC/DC guitarist (Angus Young) impersonation, or Peter Townshend's trademark arm swing when a kid plays the guitar, or when Jack Black rolls in the ground while playing a guitar solo, like the master Jimi Hendrix.

The kids actually are real musicians, and even though they are very young, they show an outstanding talent, also Jack Black is a very skilled musician and a charismatic singer as well, both Jack and the children perform their songs masterfully, besides, their tracks are very catchy.

During the movie, we can hear songs by groups that built the foundations of rock music, the music includes rock legends like Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, AC/DC, The Who, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Metallica, among many others, as well as a lot of great references to artists like Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix and Yes (by the way, check out the rock history diagram drawn in a blackboard, it's a great detail).

Rock aficionados will enjoy "School Of Rock", as well as Jack Black fans, but the movie is funny enough to appeal to most of the people, even if you don't like Jack Black.

"Alice Adams" is one of those movies that rarely are made in Hollywood in these days, because the whole movie is carried by the performances and the direction. "Alice Adams" is a very honest and simple movie, its only pretension is to entertain the viewers, and this movie does that.

In "Alice Adams" we can see a very young and charming Katharine Hepburn, she plays the role of Alice, she injected to the character freshness, sympathy and an aura of tenderness and innocence that rarely are seen in these days.

"Alice Adams" is a very amusing movie, specially if you are fan of the great Katharine Hepburn.

"The Court Jester" is one of the most original comedies that one can see: the film combines quick dialogues, physical stunts and tricks, very original jokes, screwball, slapstick and really memorable characters. Without a doubt Danny Kaye was one of the most resourceful comedians in the comedy universe, he sang with style and humor, he performed physical stunts, he said light-speed dialogues and jokes, well, he had the profile of a possible fifth Marx Brother.

"The Court Jester" has characters that can make that the audience feels comfortable, interested and identified with them. Besides, most of the scenes have at least one very funny and imaginative sequence. Danny Kaye really is one of the most underrated comedic actors, and really was a talented guy.

"The Court Jester" is recommendable for those who enjoy classic comedies.

The other one is "Once Upon A Time In The West", also directed by Sergio Leone. As in some of the best Spaghetti Western movies, in "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" there are no heroes, only antiheroes at best, all the characters are capable of anything in order to remain alive.

Ennio Morricone's score is another character in this epic set in a Western, the main theme is one of the most well-known songs in the world of the music from the movies. The photography is flawless, as well as Sergio Leone's direction. The characters are so fascinating that the audiences are interested in them from beginning to end.

"The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" is one of the two best westerns, both this movie and "Once Upon A Time In The West" are essential videos, both films made by Sergio Leone.

Hud Bannon is rebel, arrogant, corky, stubborn, he is a bully, and he is always fighting with his father. Usually a character like this one would be the villain in a movie, so a great actor was required to portray the role of Hud Bannon, and that great actor is Paul Newman. Few actors could have portrayed such a difficult role, only actors like James Dean, Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro and of course, Paul Newman, are capable of portray an antihero, and still are able of winning the sympathy of the audience. And Paul Newman was the right choice to play the role of Hud.

This movie is carried by the performances, the direction and the story. Not only Paul Newman did a great job, the rest of the cast brought an excellent performance as well, actors like Melvyn Douglas as Homer (Hud's father), Patricia Neal as Alma (Hud's love interest) and Brandon de Wilde as Lon Bannon (Hud's nephew) were outstanding in "Hud".

The music and the photography also contributed to make "Hud" a great movie, one of the most underrated classics. "Hud" is a great movie with a great cast and an excellent story.

"Rocky II" is a very entertaining sequel, it has all the elements to make it a very pleasant film, it's not as transcendent as the original movie, but the characters and the plot are good enough to keep the audience interested in the life of Rocky Balboa and his family, friends and enemies.

"Rocky II" is the story of a man that puts his family in first priority, also in second priority and he is the one that counts the least, Rocky prefers to jeopardize his future in order to assure a good life for his wife and his son.

Perhaps the final battle between Rocky and Apollo Creed is even more emotional, exciting and better choreographed than the fight in the original "Rocky", so the fans of the "Rocky" saga won't feel disappointed with this sequel.

The original Woodstock without a doubt is the most important musical event of all time. After Woodstock, many festivals have tried in vain to copy this event, some of them have had a very good quality, but none has been as important as Woodstock. So this outstanding event deserved a high quality documentary, and Michael Wadleigh made the best rockumentary "Woodstock: Three Days of Peace & Music".

One of the best things that can be found on this Rockumentary, is the close attention to the details: we can see how the young people in 1969 were, their ideology, their habits and their way to dress (or undress). Michael Wadleigh also did that all the event details were recorded by his army of camera men: the concert organizers, the portable bathrooms used in the concert, the thoughts and commentaries made by the neighbors and owners of the nearby stores, the mud baths, the use of illegal substances, the rain delay, the nudity, etc.

But the most interesting thing in the Rockumentary without a doubt are the performers in Woodstock: Jimi Hendrix, Santana, The Who, Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, Joe Cocker, among many others. Some performances are amazing, other performances are very eccentric, and in other performances the use of illegal substances is really obvious, but overall most of the performances are very good.

"Woodstock: Three Days of Peace & Music" is the best Rockumentary of all time, and also it's one of the best Documentaries overall. If you are a music fan, this is an essential video.

"Brazil" is the other one. "12 Monkeys" is a perfect example of the creative talent of the director Terry Gilliam, not only he is a gifted comedian, he is also a great science fiction director. In "12 Monkeys" we can see big doses of black humor and social satire. The movie works as some kind of fable with a tragic ending.

The 3 main members of the cast gave one of their finest performances in this movie: Bruce Willis as the enigmatic James Cole, few times he has been as good as he was in "12 Monkeys". Madeleine Stowe as Dr. Kathryn Railly gave balance and subtlety to this dark story. Brad Pitt as the insane Jeffrey Goines gave a touch of black comedy to the movie with his frantic performance.

The soundtrack has very, very good tracks like the beautiful "What A Wonderful World", performed by Louie Armstrong, the melancholic "Sleepwalk", performed by Santo & Johnny, or the mysterious tango rhythm of the main theme in "12 Monkeys". Without a doubt, most of the songs go along with the spirit of the movie.

"12 Monkeys" is one of the best sci-fi films of the 1990s. A very recommendable movie.

"Bringing Up Baby" is a comedy gem in every aspect, because:

- The movie stars two of the finest actors of all time: Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.

- The film was directed by Howard Hawks.

- Every single character is great, likeable and unforgettable.

- The dialogues are fast, furious and flawless.

- The timing in every dialogue and joke is perfect.

- "Bringing Up Baby" is packed with hilarious details, situations and characters from beginning to end.

"Bringing Up Baby" is definitely an essential classic. Few movies are as good as this one.

"Time Bandits" is filled with the signature humor that characterizes Terry Gilliam and his Monty Python's buddies John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin (co-writers of the script along Gilliam). This is not a conventional movie, the main characters are portrayed by charismatic dwarfs and a kid. Even though actors like Sean Connery have the main credits, the real protagonists are the little guys.

"Time Bandits" is a story filled with fantasy and very little seen situations (or even never seen before situations), Terry Gilliam and his Monty Python buddies really are very creative and original people, they have created an unique style that distinguish them from the rest of the comedians.

"Time Bandits" built the foundations for movies like "Brazil" and "12 Monkeys", movies where Terry Gilliam improved his formula that combines social satire, science-fiction and black comedy.