Stories by @nitrogencake

Buster Keaton: The Great Stone Face.

Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression that earned him the nickname "The Great Stone Face". Working with independent producer Joseph M. Schenck and filmmaker Edward F. Cline, Keaton made a series of successful two-reel comedies in the early 1920s, including One Week (1920), The Playhouse (1921), Cops (1922), and The Electric House (1922). He then moved to feature-length films; several of them, such as Sherlock Jr. (1924), The General (1926), Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928), and The Cameraman (1928), remain highly regarded. The General is viewed as his masterpiece.

Platoon (2006)

Chris Taylor leaves his university studies to enlist in combat duty in Vietnam in 1967. Once he's on the ground in the middle of battle, his idealism fades. Infighting in his unit between Staff Sergeant Barnes, who believes nearby villagers are harboring Viet Cong soldiers, and Sergeant Elias, who has a more sympathetic view of the locals, ends up pitting the soldiers against each other as well as against the enemy.

The World's End (2003)

Gary King is an immature 40-year-old who's dying to take another stab at an epic pub-crawl that he last attempted 20 years earlier. He drags his reluctant buddies back to their hometown and sets out for a night of heavy drinking. As they make their way toward their ultimate destination -- the fabled World's End pub -- Gary and his friends attempt to reconcile the past and present. However, the real struggle is for the future when their journey turns into a battle for mankind.

Hot Fuzz (1997)

Hot-shot police officer Nicholas Angel smells foul play when the residents of a sleepy Somerset village start to die in terrible accidents. Something's afoot and he must work with daft local plod Danny Butterman to find out what.

Shaun of the Dead (1994)

Shaun is a 30-something loser with a dull, easy existence. When he's not working at the electronics store, he lives with his slovenly best friend, Ed, in a small flat on the outskirts of London. The only unpredictable element in his life is his girlfriend, Liz, who wishes desperately for Shaun to grow up and be a man. When the town is inexplicably overrun with zombies, Shaun must rise to the occasion and protect both Liz and his mother.

Scent of a Woman (2022)

Frank is a retired Lt. Col. in the US army. He's blind and impossible to get along with. Charlie is at school and is looking forward to going to college. To help pay for a trip home for Christmas, he agrees to look after Frank over Thanksgiving. Frank's niece says this will be easy money, but she didn't reckon on Frank spending his Thanksgiving in New York.

Billy Elliot (2022)

The life of 11-year-old Billy Elliot, a coal miner's son in Northern England, is forever changed one day when he stumbles upon a ballet class during his weekly boxing lesson. Before long, he finds himself in dance, demonstrating the kind of raw talent seldom seen by the class' exacting instructor, Mrs. Wilkinson. With a tart tongue and a never-ending stream of cigarettes in her hand, Mrs. Wilkinson's zest for teaching is revived when she sees Billy's potential.

Sideways (2022)

Struggling writer and wine enthusiast Miles takes his engaged friend, Jack, on a trip to wine country for a last single-guy bonding experience. While Miles wants to relax and enjoy the wine, Jack is in search of a fling before his wedding. Soon Jack is sleeping with Stephanie, while her friend Maya connects with Miles. When Miles lets slip that Jack is getting married, both women are furious, sending the trip into disarray.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2013)

Capt. Jack Sparrow arrives at Port Royal in the Caribbean without a ship or crew. His timin' be inopportune, howe'er, 'cause later that evenin' the town be besieged by a pirate ship. The pirates kidnap the governor's daughter, Elizabeth, who's in possession o' a valuable piece o' eight that be linked t' a curse that has transformed the pirates into the undead. A gallant blacksmith in love wit' Elizabeth mateys wit' Sparrow in pursuit o' the pirates.

House on Haunted Hill (2019)

Rich oddball Frederick Loren has a proposal for five guests at a possibly haunted mansion: Show up, survive a night filled with scares and receive $10,000 each. The guest of honor is Loren's estranged wife, Annabelle, who, with her secret lover, Dr. Trent, has concocted her own scheme to scare Loren's associate, Nora Manning, into shooting the potentially crazy millionaire. But more spooks and shocks throw a wrench into the plan.

Creepshow (2022)

A compendium of five short but terrifying tales contained within a single full-length feature, this film conjures scares from traditional bogeymen and portents of doom. In one story, a monster escapes from its holding cell. Another focuses on a husband with a creative way of getting back at his cheating wife. Other stories concern a rural man and a visitor from outer space, and a homeowner with huge bug problems and a boozing corpse.

Psycho (1990)

Phoenix secretary Marion Crane, on the lam after stealing $40,000 from her employer in order to run away with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis, is overcome by exhaustion during a heavy rainstorm. Traveling on the back roads to avoid the police, she stops for the night at the ramshackle Bates Motel and meets the polite but highly strung proprietor Norman Bates, a young man with an interest in taxidermy and a difficult relationship with his mother.

The Maltese Falcon (2022)

In this noir classic, detective Sam Spade gets more than he bargained for when he takes a case brought to him by a beautiful but secretive woman. As soon as Miss Wonderly shows up, trouble follows as Sam's partner is murdered and Sam is accosted by a man demanding he locate a valuable statuette. Sam, entangled in a dangerous web of crime and intrigue, soon realizes he must find the one thing they all seem to want: the bejeweled Maltese falcon.

Shampoo (2022)

Against the backdrop of Nixon's election to office, Beverly Hills hairdresser and notorious rake George Roundy runs into trouble when his lascivious habits begin to clash with his more responsible business ambitions. Things get even more complex when Roundy asks his wealthy mistress, Felicia Karpf, for a business loan, unaware that his best friend and ex-girlfriend, Jackie, is sleeping with Karpf's husband, Lester.

Noises Off (2022)

Hired to helm an Americanized take on a British play, director Lloyd Fellowes does his best to control an eccentric group of stage actors. During practice sessions, things run smoothly. However, when Lloyd and his actors begin a series of performances leading up to a Broadway premiere, chaos ensues. Star actress Dotty is quickly passing her prime, male lead Frederick has no confidence, and bit actor Selsdon is rarely sober.

Spaceballs (2022)

In a distant galaxy, planet Spaceball has depleted its air supply, leaving its citizens reliant on a product called "Perri-Air." In desperation, Spaceball's leader President Skroob orders the evil Dark Helmet to kidnap Princess Vespa of oxygen-rich Druidia and hold her hostage in exchange for air. But help arrives for the Princess in the form of renegade space pilot Lone Starr and his half-man, half-dog partner, Barf.

Cape Fear (2021)

When attorney Sam Bowden knowingly withholds evidence that would acquit violent sex offender Max Cady of rape charges, Max spends 14 years in prison. But after Max's release, knowing about Sam's deceit, he devotes his life to stalking and destroying the Bowden family. When practical attempts to stop Max fail, Sam realizes that he must act outside the law to protect his wife and daughter in Martin Scorsese's remake of the classic 1962 thriller.

An Officer and a Gentleman (2022)

Zack Mayo, a new member of the U.S. Navy, has a bad attitude. When he signs up for the Aviation Academy, he is met with the strict leadership of Sgt. Emil Foley, who gives Zack a rude awakening in terms of relating with other people. Through Foley's guidance -- and an unexpected romance with Paula, an outsider who hangs around the naval base -- Zack learns some tough lessons and discovers what he truly wants out of life.

A Night to Remember (2018)

The sinking of the Titanic is presented in a highly realistic fashion in this tense British drama. The disaster is portrayed largely from the perspective of the ocean liner's second officer, Charles Lightolle. Despite numerous warnings about ice, the ship sails on, with Capt. Edward John Smith keeping it going at a steady clip. When the doomed vessel finally hits an iceberg, the crew and passengers discover that they lack enough lifeboats, and tragedy follows.

Mean Streets (2022)

A slice of street life in Little Italy among lower echelon Mafiosos, unbalanced punks, and petty criminals. A small-time hood gets in over his head with a vicious loan shark. In an attempt to free himself from the dangers of his debt, he gets help from a friend who is also involved in criminal activities.