The Vault: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Unmistakably the best of the series. A progressive society where good and evil is presented in black and white. Star Wars was a breath of fresh air to moviegoers in the 70's where society was only shades of gray. Taxi Driver presented Travis Bickle as a hero, albeit a demented one. Here, Luke, Han and Leia are all entirely good heroes. So it came as a sucker punch that after the feel-good 'New Hope' its sequel was so dark.

Star Wars ended with so much going for the Rebel Alliance. Luke finished off the Death Star with relative ease, and seemingly the Empire was back on its heels. But alas, this was not the case. Vader now commands the Empire and will cease at nothing to destroy the Rebels. Things are not looking good for underdogs. Hoth, the current base of the Alliance is fending off one attack after another. After escaping certain death Luke and R2-D2 head to the Dagobah system to learn the teachings of Yoda.

The Empire Strikes Back presents the largest challenge for many of the characters because they are in unprecedented territory. Luke has never trained with anyone besides Ben and Han has never had to depend on other people before. Leia is also dealing with allowing people to be close to her after the annihilation of everyone on her home planet. The transition the three have to make is what propels this story above A New Hope and Return of the Jedi.

The films also features the best duel of the series. Initially, Vader only planned on combating until Luke ends up trapped in carbonite. But as tempers flare the battle becomes more vicious. Each slash comes perilously close to ending Luke's life. The other films had a slight problem with the lightsaber duels that Irvin Kershner did not make. Each clash is uninterrupted and captivating.

'Empire' ends with an unrelentingly dark close on the battle against the Evil Empire. Han is frozen in carbonite awaiting Jabba - and presumably his death - on Tatooine. Luke is missing a hand and dealing with the most devastating revelation of his life and Leia has seen herself lose the love she just realized she had. A cold place for sure. But assuredly a classic.

The Best of the Decade

Over the last ten years, the cinema has given us a great deal to be thankful for: a rebirth of the Batman franchise, a series of examinations of what it means to live in this particular decade, and a mass of character studies whether they be animated or popcorn thrillers. As much as I have enjoyed the offerings, a list must be culled together for the end of the year. Except this year is different, this year ten films must be selected from hundreds. Below are some of the best of the aughts. Enjoy! 10) There Will Be Blood Paul Thomas Anderson's magnum opus, a scathing look at extremism in America and the evils of greed and profiteering from religion. It also features the best performance of the decade with Daniel Day-Lewis as oil-man Daniel Plainview. 9) Up A beautiful tale that entrances all ages, Up managed to captivate children and tell a tale that adults cherish as well. 8) The Dark Knight Maybe just a comic book film, but it is the best comic book film

Paprika vs. Inception

Months before Inception hit the theaters forums were alive with rumors that Christopher Nolan either accidentally or intentionally stole some details from another film, the Japanese anime Paprika. The biggest point of comparison for some bloggers and forum runners was the fact that both of the films featured a device that allowed a person, or people, to travel into another’s dreams and delve into their subconscious. Minor points of comparison include scenes in Paprika where the character Paprika breaks through a mirrored wall by holding her hand to it, as well as a scene where a police detective falls his way down a hallway. Claims have been made that Inception abounds with imagery similar to or exactly like the anime movie, but with the recent release of the film on DVD and Blu-Ray, and with Paprika available for several years now, an examination of the two plots can be made more fully. Let us begin with the primary claim— Inception stole the idea of a dream

Armond White or: How I Learned to Stop Caring and Ignore the Troll

Whether it is his glowing review of Norbit , his thrashing of Toy Story 3 , or just his general pompousness, you are aware of Armond White. His dismissal of Toy Story 3 came at a convenient time when the film was sitting pretty with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. "But Toy Story 3 is so besotted with brand names and product-placement that it stops being about the innocent pleasures of imagination—the usefulness of toys—and strictly celebrates consumerism." A claim that could have been taken at face value had he not followed it with this sentiment " Transformers 2 already explored the same plot to greater thrill and opulence." I am sure if one were inclined to interview Michael Bay at his most enlightened he would have never crafted an answer that insightful regarding hidden parables in his Transformers vehicle. White was at his most incensed when forced to sit down and type out his thoughts regarding Precious , but praised Norbit for its reflection o

Never Mind Pop Film

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