The Deer Hunter (1978)

The U.S. Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of people in a small industrial town in Pennsylvania.

From memory (multiple viewings): Controversial for its biased depiction of the Vietnam War, this masterpiece explores the war's impact on an average American community; stellar performances throughout, excellent cinematography and many meticulously staged, often highly intense and harrowing sequences makes it a thoroughly exhausting cinematic experience.

Halliwell*: "The three-hour running time is taken up with crosscutting of a wedding, a deer hunt and a game of Russian roulette. Presumably the audience has to guess the point, if any; meanwhile it may be repelled by this long and savage if frequently engrossing film."

Maltin****: "Stunning film...Long but not overlong, this sensitive, painful, evocative work packs an emotional wallop."

Basic Instinct (1992)

A violent, suspended police detective investigates a brutal murder, in which a manipulative and seductive woman could be involved.

Over-the-top  sex & crime thriller effectively makes you forget the nonsensical plot and creates an overcharged lurid atmosphere, a bit like Vertigo on acid.

Halliwell*: "Overheated, overlong melodramatic thriller with an implausible plot that requires its audience to accept that Michael Douglas is irresistibly attractive to bisexual women. But the skill and pace of the direction makes one regret that they were not exercised on better material."

Maltin***: "In-your-face sex thriller...Audacious, erotic, and larger-than-life - with an ending that falls short of real satisfaction."