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It is impossible for me to decide on what my favorite movie ever is, but Carol Reed's 1949 masterpiece The Third Man is certainly in the conversation. Set in post-World War II Vienna, the film is inherently lathered with dark, deflating themes of exploitation, corruption and unrequited love. This ambience is brilliantly enhanced by its minimalistic score, which is played on a zither and echoes through the empty, rainy streets of what was once the mecca of the classical music world. A great story that begins as a mystery and then becomes something much more dire, The Third Man is immortalized by its unforgettable look. I stick to my opinion that the visuals could not work any other way, and that adding color would be more detrimental to this film than it would be to any other noir I have seen. The shadows, shapes and depth, particularly the scene in sewers, make everything that resembles it seem like a cheap imitation. Make sure you watch director Carol Reed's cut of the film, as it is the version that I would call a noir in the truest of senses.

I found A Dark Place while looking to watch a short movie I had never heard of before. Its premise reeled me in; a dead child is found in a small town, and a loner with a hunch investigates. Andrew Scott plays Donny, a sanitation worker who lives with his mother and has a daughter with a woman who does not love him back. The film gives us clues that Donny likely has high functioning autism due to his need to organize things and his compulsory drive to get to the bottom of the child's death. We thus follow his path down avenues no one else would dare travel. I think of it like Taxi Driver set in rural Pennsylvania, but nowhere near as effective, as I felt myself questioning the intent and morality of Donny's actions more than I had liked. But since A Dark Place deals with very complicated topics such as the death of a child, mental health and personal privacy, perhaps that is the point. If you are intrigued by lesser-known films with challenging premises, A Dark Place is certainly an option. Andrew Scott is really good, too. The film is on his shoulders, and he stays the course. Lastly, if you want to see the influence classic films like Taxi Driver have over the film world, check this film out to see what you pick up on.

I was the dinosaur kid growing up. Books, toys, movies, drawings, my eight year old imagination was often filled with images of meat-eaters, plant eaters, T. rexes and triceratopses. So one could figure that watching Jurassic Park for the first time was a milestone for me. Technically, I did not see the suspenseful opening scene the first time because I was cowering through it. After that, the movie eased up and I was able to take in all of the thrill that the characters, story, music and, yes, the dinosaurs brought to it. The film was everything I had hoped it would be.

A decade and a half later Jurassic Park still holds up as an incredibly rewatchable movie, right up there with big hits like The Dark Knight and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's also super quotable. Instead of covering my eyes in the opening scene I enjoy anticipating each line as it comes, almost like a game. Ian Malcom's character, played by Jeff Goldblum in perhaps his most iconic role, has some classic deliveries. "Dino d-droppings? Droppings?" That line itself is too much fun, and there are dozens of others that stay with you.

Do not think I am all tongue-in-cheek about what makes the film enjoyable, however. Jurassic Park is extremely well made. In addition to the dialogue, the story is very effective. While it can be corny at times, its strength lies in the fact that it does not try to do too much with the dinosaurs and with the carnage people often associate with monster films (which is what JP is at its core). This allows the film to be more concentrated on one location and a small set of characters, and thus make the overall story stronger. It also helps with the suspense! With Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg has mastered the art of the monster film by not revealing too much of the dinosaurs too early. These were techniques he certainly learned while working with B-movies and ones he further cultivated with Jaws as well. But Jurassic Park's effects blow the shark flick's out of the water. Not only does the CGI from Jurassic Park look more realistic than the one from Jurassic World (released more than two decades later!), the crew even created legitimate animatronic dinosaurs that were as close to perfect as anyone has ever attempted. Put that all together and you have a film whose special effects make it timeless.

I haven't even gotten to the music yet! John's Williams' score for the film is tied to its legacy in the same vein as the dinosaurs and Ian Malcolm are. I cannot imagine the film scored any other way. The music will stick with you just as much as the memorable lines.

I may be biased towards Jurassic Park, as it is intrinsically tied to my childhood. But unlike other movies from my early days, I still find myself watching it again and again. The story may not be the deepest, although it does contain an important message about the power of the natural world, but the craft and wonder that is behind the production make you feel transported whenever you watch. It is a special moment when John Hammond steps out onto the field and utters the famous words, "Welcome to Jurassic Park." Even on the twentieth viewing, it still feels as if you have arrived for the first time.