I L L U M I N E D I L L U S I O N S

ILLUMINED ILLUSIONS

Seeing Cinema in a New Light / essays and reviews by Ian C. Bloom

I L L U M I N E D I L L U S I O N S is a digital repository of film criticism.

Essays range from analyses (both brief and in-depth); to digressive musings;

to biographical, theological, and historical reflections

on our world as viewed through the cinematic prism.

Briefer capsule reviews pass judgment while preserving crucial plot points.

Just remember that we only have one chance to see a movie for the first time.

U P D A T E D

JULY 2023

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)

ALADDIN (1992)

AMERICAN BEAUTY ★☆☆☆☆

AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)

AMITYVILLE HORROR, THE (1979)

ARTIST, THE (2011)

AVIATOR, THE (2004)

BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)

BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (1989)

BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III (1990)

BATMAN ★★★☆☆

BATMAN BEGINS (2005)

BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST (1959)

BEVERLY HILLS COP (1984)

BLACK STALLION, THE (1979)

BLUES BROTHERS, THE ★★★★☆

BOB ROBERTS (1992)

BRIDGE OF SPIES (2015)

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)

CARS (2006)

CASINO ROYALE (2006)

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (2002)

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (1958)

CHANGING LANES (2002)

CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981)

CHILDREN OF PARADISE (1946)

CHINATOWN (1974)

CITIZEN KANE (1941)

CITY SLICKERS (1991)

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)

CONVERSATION, THE (1974)

DARK KNIGHT, THE (2008)

DARK KNIGHT RISES, THE (2012)

DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989)

DEATH WISH (1974)

DECLINING MONROE

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)

DIRTY DANCING (1987)

DIRTY HARRY (1971)

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)

DOUBT (2008)

DOWNFALL (2004)

EDGE, THE (1997)

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, THE (1980)

ENDLESS SUMMER, THE (1966)

ENTER THE DRAGON ★★★☆☆

ENTRAPMENT (1999)

E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)

EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (2011)

FAMILY PLOT (1976)

FANTASIA (1940)

FARGO (1996)

FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1991)

THE FECKLESS FAITH OF INDIANA JONES

FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF (1986)

FIRM, THE (1993)

FIRST BLOOD ★★★★☆

FORCE AWAKENS, THE (2015)

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1964)

FUGITIVE, THE (1993)

GODFATHER, THE (1972)

GODFATHER PART II, THE (1974)

GODFATHER PART III, THE (1990)

GODS AND GENERALS (2003)

GOODBYE GIRL, THE (1977)

GOOD SHEPHERD, THE (2006)

GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, THE (1967)

GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)

GRADUATE, THE (1967)

GRAN TORINO (2008)

GREASE (1978)

GREEN CARD (1990)

HEARTS OF DARKNESS (1991)

HE'S GOT YOUR BACK (TO THE FUTURE)

HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951)

HOME ALONE (1990)

HOOSIERS (1986)

HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, THE (1990)

IN THE BEDROOM (2001)

IN THE LINE OF FIRE (1993)

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

JAWS (1975)

JFK (1991)

JOHN RAMBO: INNER RAGE, PRIVATE WARS

JOKER (2019)

KNIFE IN THE WATER (1962)

LADY FROM SHANGHAI, THE (1947)

LADY VANISHES, THE (1938)

LAKEVIEW TERRACE (2008)

LES MISERABLES (1998)

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (2006)

LICENCE TO KILL (1989)

LITTLE WOMEN (1994)

LIVE AND LET DIE ★★★☆☆

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, THE (1960)

MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, THE (1962)

MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, A (1966)

MANHATTAN (1979)

MARNIE (1964)

MARRIAGE STORY (2019)

MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, A (1999)

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 (2000)

MOONSTRUCK (1987)

MUSIC AND LYRICS (2007)

MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING (1997)

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

OBSESSION (1976)

OCEAN'S ELEVEN (2001)

ODD COUPLE, THE (1968)

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969)

ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)

ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980)

OUT OF AFRICA (1985)

OUTSIDERS, THE (1983)

PAJAMA GAME, THE (1957)

PARENT TRAP, THE (1961)

PARRISH (1961)

PATRIOT GAMES (1992)

PATTON (1969)

PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1985)

PHILADELPHIA STORY, THE (1940)

PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES (1987)

POINT BREAK ★★★☆☆

PRESUMED INNOCENT (1990)

PRIMARY COLORS (1998)

PSYCHO (1960)

QUEEN, THE (2006)

RAMBO: LAST BLOOD ★★☆☆☆

RIO BRAVO (1959)

RISE OF SKYWALKER, THE (2019)

ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES (1991)

ROCKY (1976)

THE ROCKY STORY

RUSSIA HOUSE, THE (1990)

SAYONARA (1957)

SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)

SECRET OF NIMH, THE (1982)

SEPARATE TABLES (1958)

SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943)

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE (1994)

THE SHIFTING SANDS OF STAR WARS

SIGNS IS FOR THE BIRDS

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, THE ★★☆☆☆

SILVERADO (1985)

SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (1944)

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)

SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS (1999)

SOUND OF MUSIC, THE (1965)

STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982)

STING, THE (1973)

SUNRISE (1927)

SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)

TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, THE (1999)

TANGLED (2010)

TARGETS (1968)

TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE (1956)

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY ★★★★☆

THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, THE (1968)

THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, THE (1999)

THUNDERBALL (1965)

THX-1138 (1971)

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)

TOOTSIE (1982)

TOP GUN: MAVERICK (2022)

TORA! TORA! TORA! (1970)

TOWERING INFERNO, THE (1974)

TOY STORY TIME

UNTOUCHABLES, THE (1987)

VERTIGO (1958)

WHAT ABOUT BOB? (1991)

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... (1989)

WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, THE (1999)

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