"At midnight, I'll turn into a pumpkin and drive away in my glass slipper." "And that will be the end of the fairy tale."

Fairy tales. The stuff of dreams. We all believe that our lives will turn into a fairy tale at some point. That Prince Charming will sweep us off our feet and carry us away into a place called Happily Ever After. Yet, life never seems to happen that way. Most films these days give the false hope that everyone will find their happily ever after in the most extreme and unlikely circumstances. Yet, Audrey Hepburn's romantic comedy Roman Holiday, exemplifies the sweetness of young love and innocence while at the same time writing an ending that seems realistic due to the circumstances. Roman Holiday follows the life of a young princess who goes missing for a day in Rome as she galavants across the city with a handsome reporter (Gregory Peck). The two ultimately fall in love but realize their fate can only be real for one night. Fairy tales. They aren't always what they seem. But in the end, everyone can find their happily ever after.

"Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."

It's a scary world out there. Now, more than ever, it's scary. Criminals of the past are not what they are now. Back then, criminals had motives. They had goals, desires, rage, envy, vengeance to be repaid. Presently, there is a new generation of criminals. Criminals that kill just for the thrill of it. For no apparent reason. Criminals that ram airplanes into towers. Criminals that just want to watch the world burn. Christopher Nolan's movie, The Dark Knight, harnesses the essence of this new criminality and puts it into terms that the general public can understand. He puts Heath Ledger into the role of the Joker, a man who knows no boundaries and just "wants to watch the world burn." It is difficult to try and understand how people could just want to kill for fun. The movie brings about a frustrating thought that people just simply are not born with empathy or compassionate in their bodies and do not care about anything or anyone. And this is a world, that I do not want to be a part of.

"On the day of my judgment, when I stand before God, and He asks me why did I kill one of his true miracles, what am I gonna say? That it was my job? My job?"

Stephen King's greatest novel (and arguably best film) ever made is The Green Mile. In truth, this is one of the most touching and humble films that has ever been created, not because of the cinematography or the fact that Tom Hanks is the lead character, but because of the story. The story that disguises human truths all throughout it. A story about life, death, and the uncertainty of what is right vs. wrong. The story takes place in 1935, in a Georgia prison on what is known as the "Green Mile" or death row. The story incorporates the numerous, and wildly crazy, inmates that live on the mile waiting for their untimely demise. One inmate in particular, John Coffey, parallels a Christ-like figure who can perform miracles and healing powers. However, he has been wrongly accused of raping and murdering two young girls and has been sentenced to death. The course of the story sees the death of multiple men, a mouse, and inevitably, John Coffey. Coffey sacrifices himself because he is so aware of the pain and sensitive to the evils that have come into this world that he decides to take the punishment that is given him and dies in the electric chair. The story chronicles the New Testament and how human truths can disguise what is right and what is wrong. Innocence is the key to a long, yet naive, life.

"Are you really saying that the President can do something illegal?" "I'm saying that when the President does it it's NOT illegal!"

1974 was a big year for the United States. People Magazine publishes its first edition. The FIFA World Cup begins its competition. WTO (World Trade Organization) is established. And Richard Nixon becomes the first president to resign his position as President of the United States of America. This is after the events of the Watergate Scandal that tarnished the image of the president and his affiliates. Yet, Nixon resigned before he could be put on trial for the crimes he allegedly committed and Ford pardoned him before he could be tried in a federal court. So, the American people felt they were cheated justice. Enter David Frost. A British talk show host who felt it was his duty to bring the American people truth that never seemed to be realized. This film (created in 2008) is a sort of documentary that chronicles the trials and tribulations of how David Frost got the confession from Richard Nixon and effectively ending his political career, and making Watergate a legendary dark spot in the history of political corruption. The film is an excellent representation of how both sides perceived the interview process as a war. A debate between David and Goliath. Yet, as in the Biblical tale, David triumphs over Goliath.

"This is either madness...or brilliance." "It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide."

Pirates of the Caribbean. One of the best Disney films made in this generation. Disney has made a dastardly escape from the cutesy animated films that have so fondly filled our childhood memories. And the trilogy has become one of the most successful film trilogies in Disney history, and in American film history altogether. The film bridges the gap between childish and action adventure. It is an accumulation of dramatic history, fantasy references, action fights, and romantic connections (with the occasional humor provided the outlandish Captain Jack Sparrow). The movie, even though was supposed to end with the third film At World's End, has now decided to continue on the quest to find the Fountain of Youth. I am actually quite disappointed with this decision, because I had already mourned the death of this trilogy. It will be interesting to see how the fourth film fairs in the box office, and under the critical eyes of the American public, without the inclusion of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. Can Johnny Depp pull it off all by himself? We'll see May 20th.

"We are Spinal Tap from the UK--you must be the USA!"

Spinal Tap. One of the original and funniest rockumentaries of all time. The film was created by Christopher Guest and his usual crew of funny people to make this exceptional fake documentary of a UK rock group in the 1980s. I had not seen the film until this past weekend when someone suggested it to me. I never realized the similarities of how many films and even television shows these days take on the concept of a mockumentary. The film is meant to be a tribute to "Britain's loudest band" who is on tour in the US trying to hit it big. The film's director constantly praises the foolish band members who don't know their left shoe from their right. The film is hilarious, not due to slap stick comedy, but because of the references made to rock cliches and funny analogies to other rock groups at the time, this classic film has become legendary.

"You thought you could be Mrs. de Winter, live in her house, walk in her steps, take the things that were hers! But she's too strong for you. You can't fight her - no one ever got the better of her. Never, never. She was beaten in the end, but it wasn't a man, it wasn't a woman."

Fear. It is the single, most terrifying concept known to mankind. It is notorious for paralyzing those who seek it, or those who are haunted by it. Yet, fear is not a tangible object. In fact, fear does not have a face or a voice or any physical attributes that can cause real harm to those who seek it. Alfred Hitchcock is the father of fear. Because he takes the essence of fear and harnesses it to its core. In his 1940 film Rebecca, Hitchcock demonstrates the core of fear "you are afraid of what you cannot see." The film surrounds a newly married couple and the haunted memories of the late wife's ghost. However, throughout the entire film, you never see Rebecca. There is not one picture of her, one flashback, or image of the late wife. And she is the ghost to be feared. The sheer memory of her paralyzes the new wife and almost makes her commit suicide. This is why Hitchcock is the master of fear, because he can make the viewer afraid of something that never appears. The sheer anticipation of Rebecca's arrival can make the audience afraid.