Justin Meyer

Some spoilers ahead: Damn you Sissy Spacek! Why do you have to be in so many good movies? The story is downright fascinating. The film is loosely based on the real life Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate murders in the 1950's. Kit Carruthers meets Holly Sargis one day after his shift as a garbage collector. They form an instant relationship to the dismay of her father. At 25, Kit is 10 years her senior and "from the wrong side of the tracks." One day Kit decides he wants to be a criminal and he wants Holly to join him. Well, apparently the only way to do that is to go on a murder spree that starts with shooting Holly's father. The pair go on the run living in isolation in the forests of South Dakota before trekking towards the badlands of Montana, shooting people along the way. What makes the movie great are the characters, cinematography, wonderful soundtrack, and the acting. Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek make a cute couple, and even though they commit terrible crimes, there's a small part of you that roots for their love story. Strange love indeed.

I absolutely adore this movie. In another movie review, I had coined that one as the saddest movie I'd ever seen. It still is and always will be. But "The Straight Story" comes in at a close second. Though as sad as it is, it's also beautiful at the same time. My interpretation of the story is that pettiness shouldn't matter if you truly love someone. It's also about forgiveness. We have most likely all have been in arguments with the ones we love, but only to regret the incident altogether after it's over. Alvin Straight is one to be admired. A smart, stubborn man with a heart of gold. Through his long journey on a lawnmower to see a family member, we get to see all of the kind people that helped him along the way. He returns the favor, of course. I also can't help but feel that Richard Farnsworth was weaving his own life into this film. As such, the acting from everyone was incredible. And so remember, if you start something that is important to you, finish it how you intended to.

Mild spoilers ahead. I honestly think 1976's "Carrie" is the saddest movie I've ever seen and will probably ever see. It follows the story of Carrie White who is bullied by her peers and by her religious mother, who hasn't taught her about the outside world. When Carrie is invited to the prom as a good deed by one of the girls who bullied her, she finally gets a moment of happiness, only for it to be all taken away by one of the bullies in a prank at the prom. She then kills everyone at the prom using telekinesis because she had had enough of the bullying and snapped. She then has a confrontation with her mother at home in a final showdown that leaves both of them dead. Even after all of that, Carrie White still loved her mother. This movie is fantastic, but very sad. I seriously cry every time I see it. The dancing scene always gets me. She looks so happy.... Sissy Spacek makes us feel so compassionate for Carrie that you really wish you could be in the movie and hug her. Piper Laurie did an amazing job as her mother. Brian De Palma's use of imagery and elognated camera shots make this movie memorable. Overall, one of my favorite films of all time!