Uggggggg! Wow. Gigli. I know that I have been sitting on this for a while. I do apologize BUT I really don't know what I can say here. I was pretty bad, pret-ty bad.
So. The plot synopsis starts like a bad joke (thank you for that comparison, Doug Osborn): "A hitman, a lesbian and a kid with brain damage walk into a bar..." But seriously, Gigli is an idiot hitman hired to kidnap the brother of a prosecutor (Larry). Ricki is another contractor hired to keep an eye on Gigli... OH! And she is a lesbian. Through the movie, they become friends and then lovers (I know! Lesbian... *sigh*). There are more details, but really... This is all you need to know.
I really do like Affleck. Lopez is usually enjoyable. And the movie actually doesn't start off that bad. All the way through the kidnapping and Ricki's introduction I was starting to think that everyone had it wrong. And then Christopher Walken was on screen. YAY! I LOVE Walken! The scene starts off good. Walken is a police detective investigating the kidnapping. He asks Gigli if he's heard anything about it. Pretty standard, really. But then--- POW! It takes a turn for the strange and THIS happens. Uhhhh... Did Walken just wander on set and they left it in? It was just odd. (Oh. And by the way, this is the only scene he is in.) Al Pacino also has a one scene role. And it is kinda odd too... But not like Walken's. Pacino overacts to the point of pain. Walken just seems insane (well... More so than usual.). I would say that this is a good example of how NOT to use your Walken and Pacino. If you have the good luck to have them in your movie... Well... Use them better!
And then there is the fact that Ricki is a lesbian and ends up falling for Gigli. I really don't have an issue with the concept of this (I liked Chasing Amy). The execution is kinda... well... It's BAD. Not kinda. Just BAD. Gigli comes off as a stupid man's-man closet case (seriously, this is a thing in the movie too, but I thought maybe Gigli was gay and compensating) who can't deal with the fact that Ricki doesn't want nor need a man. Ricki comes off as pretentious and one dimensional Basically, this plot has two characters at it's center that are really not likable, or even relatable. Makes me wonder if the writer has even met a lesbian.... or a man. It's that bad.
I think that the thing that annoys me the most about this movie is that it really SHOULD have worked. It had a good cast. It had good production value. And Larry is ADORABLE. It even has a Walken. But all this does nothing to save this sinking ship. In the hands of a director and writer who knew how to put together a fiasco movie (like Fargo for instance) this would have been a very entertaining movie. But, alas, not the case here...
I guess the lesson of Gigli is that just because you have all the ingredients, doesn't mean it will be a good pie. You also need the skill to make it tasty. Mmmmmmmmmm, pie. in-TERESTED? SURE?
GGC
Friday, September 28, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
It was the best of (movie) times... The French Connection
I am WAY off schedule with this project. I apologize. I have no real excuse, except my lack of motivation. So I will just dive back in and go.
This week, I watched The French Connection. Most people know this movie because of it's BAD ASS car chase scene (and I completely say that with capital letters). But this is a well written police drama centering on partners "Popeye" Doyle and "Cloudy" Russo. Popeye and Cloudy stumble onto a drug smuggling operation running between Marseilles, France and New York. Most of the movie is their investigation of the principles of this scheme. That being said, there are a TON of slow scenes of the partners following various characters through the streets of New York. And one BAD ASS scene with Popeye chasing down a train by driving through the street below. The movie ends with the big bust.
The movie was filmed and written to be as realistic as possible. The characters are flawed. Popeye and Cloudy are upset about the federal agents assigned to the investigation (due to a wire tap). In fact, Popeye comes to blows with the agent. In the final bust, a trigger happy Popeye shoots the agent, but appears unaffected by that. The movie has very little scoring (that I noticed), using it sparingly when tension needs built up. The film work is basic (aside from the chase scene).
Why is such a simple film on the Top 100? I would venture a guess to say that it's BECAUSE it is so realistic. The cast was brilliant (Gene Hackman won an Oscar for his performance as Popeye and Roy Scheider was nominated for his as Cloudy), the screen play was simple and direct (won the Oscar for best Screenplay Adaptation), and the director knew what was needed to bring it to life (Best Director Oscar to William Freidkin). Over all, a really great film and the first of it's kind to achieve what it set out to do.
And Gene Hackman's hat is just amazing.
GGC
This week, I watched The French Connection. Most people know this movie because of it's BAD ASS car chase scene (and I completely say that with capital letters). But this is a well written police drama centering on partners "Popeye" Doyle and "Cloudy" Russo. Popeye and Cloudy stumble onto a drug smuggling operation running between Marseilles, France and New York. Most of the movie is their investigation of the principles of this scheme. That being said, there are a TON of slow scenes of the partners following various characters through the streets of New York. And one BAD ASS scene with Popeye chasing down a train by driving through the street below. The movie ends with the big bust.
The movie was filmed and written to be as realistic as possible. The characters are flawed. Popeye and Cloudy are upset about the federal agents assigned to the investigation (due to a wire tap). In fact, Popeye comes to blows with the agent. In the final bust, a trigger happy Popeye shoots the agent, but appears unaffected by that. The movie has very little scoring (that I noticed), using it sparingly when tension needs built up. The film work is basic (aside from the chase scene).
Why is such a simple film on the Top 100? I would venture a guess to say that it's BECAUSE it is so realistic. The cast was brilliant (Gene Hackman won an Oscar for his performance as Popeye and Roy Scheider was nominated for his as Cloudy), the screen play was simple and direct (won the Oscar for best Screenplay Adaptation), and the director knew what was needed to bring it to life (Best Director Oscar to William Freidkin). Over all, a really great film and the first of it's kind to achieve what it set out to do.
And Gene Hackman's hat is just amazing.
GGC
Sunday, July 29, 2012
It was the worst of (movie) times... Alien from LA
1988.
The Soviet Union started its program of economic reform they called
"perestroika," the Winter Olympics were held in Calgary,
Alberta, Canada, Oliver North is charged with conspiracy to defraud, Nelson
Mandella turns 70 (still imprisoned), George H.W. Bush is elected the 41st
president of the United States. But all this aside, 1988 brings us a
theatrical treat. An interpretation of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth that is sure to endure in the hearts
of millions forever... Ladies and Gentleman, Alien
from LA.
This little movie stars a young Kathy Ireland. Yes, Kathy Ireland. Just a pretty face? Or multitalented? I mean, sure!
She LOOKS good, but can she ACT?
Well… Let’s dig in…
Wanda is a young woman from California . She has just been dumped by her boyfriend
because she isn’t daring enough. And
holy cow! Her voice is squeaky and she
wears thick glasses… SOOOOO unattractive.
How can anyone find her pretty?
After receiving word that her absentee father is dead, she travels to
his most recent residence. IN AFRICA . Wanda goes through his papers and finds many
references to Atlantis. She explores his
last archeological dig site and checks it out.
She falls down a (not so) bottomless pit and finds herself in a
different world. Atlantis, as it turns
out is a crashed spaceship that sank below ground and the inhabitants formed a separate
society there (and became Australian, apparently). Wanda, now convinced that her father is alive
and somewhere in Atlantis, sets off to find him with the help of Gus ( a miner,
from “Down Under.” GET IT???? It’s FUNNY!).
Soon her naivety lands her in the cross hairs of a low life informant
who “sells” her to the highest bidder.
At first this is a criminal named Mambino, but soon General Pykov (a
government agent) wins out. She is
captured, but with Gus’s help and a little assistance from a rogue named
Charmin (every one of these characters commenting on her squeaky voice or her “big
bones.”) Despite the effort, she is
imprisoned in “Government House.” There,
she finds her long lost dad and together, they try to escape. Eventually, the leader of the Atlantian
government just lets them go as long as they never reveal Atlantis’s existence to
the surface world.
Wanda,
having found her sense of adventure, has shed her glasses and struts along the
beach in a bikini. (But OMG! IS that your REAL voice???) Her
ex-boyfriend sees her and tries to worm his way back into her life, but she is
somehow able to resist his charms. Especially when she sees Charmin
riding up on a motorcycle. Apparently the brief scene he shared with her
was enough to follow her to the surface world. They ride off into the
sunset. The end.
In all
seriousness, although I really love the aesthetic they were going for
(cyber punk), this movie is just awful. Kathy Ireland cannot act.
Her voice is annoyingly squeeky and she whines her way through most of
it. Gus's accent is HORRIBLY inconsistent and the addition of
Charmin is tacked on and makes very little sense to the flow of the screenplay.
Not to mention it follows that 80's formula of trying to make the
audience believe that just because a beautiful girl wears glasses and a pony
tail she is unattractive. I am sorry! But Kathy Ireland has
"big bones"? Seriously? And the addition of the love
interest so late in the movie seems like the screenwriters just plain
forgot to add him in and quickly wrote it in after filming. It was tacked
on and just plain weird. The best thing about this movie is that Mystery
Science Theater did one of it's funniest episodes around it.
And that's just about all I CAN
say about that! *DULL
SURPRISE*
GGC
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
It was the best of movie times.... Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction. Be honest. You have all seen it. If not... WHY NOT??? Ok, ok. So, I will summarize for those who haven't seen it, or who haven't seen it for a long time. *deep breath and a good stiff drink*
Pulp Fiction is centered around three major plots. And Tarantino is kind enough to use title cards for each one. SO, I will be summarizing the movie based on these plots.
The movie actually starts with a prologue. A couple ("Honey Bunny" and "Pumpkin") hold up a dinner after discussing how holding up liquor stores is too risky. After that fun intro, we meet Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield. As they are driving, Vincent discusses with Jules the quirks of Europe. Jules and Vincent arrive at their destination, a hit for gangster boss Marsellus Wallace. The establishing framework for Vincent and Jules as hit men being established, we have our first title card:
Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife
This story actually starts with Butch, a middle aged boxer, striking a deal with Marsellus Wallace to throw a fight. Vincent and Jules walk in (wearing athletic shorts and t shirts) and talk about Vincent taking Marsellus's wife out. Vincent cleans up and visits his drug dealer and buys some heroin and shoots up before his "date." Vincent and Mia (Mrs. Wallace) go to have dinner at Jack Rabbit Slim's, a 50's themed restaurant. Over dinner, Mia talks about her acting job in a pilot for a doomed TV series, "Fox Force Five," and has a five dollar shake. They participate in a twist contest and win the trophy. Through the evening, Vincent finds that he really is very attracted to Mia. While Vincent is talking himself down in the bathroom, Mia finds his stash in his coat pocket and snorts a long line of the heroin. When Vincent finds her, she is in a comatose state from overdosing. He rushes her over to his dealer's house to save her (you know, to avoid the questions at the hospital). They save her by injecting her heart with adrenaline. Vincent's "date" with Mia ends with them walking home together and awkwardly saying goodnight.
The next scene is a flash back to the late sixties/ early seventies. Young Butch is watching cartoons when a POW from the same camp that Butch's father died in delivers a gold watch to young Butch. Butch snaps out of this memory in a locker room before his boxing match. He goes off to the fight. This brings us to our second title card:
The Gold Watch
A radio announcer narrates that Butch killed his opponent and Butch runs from the scene. Marsellus starts a huge manhunt for him. Butch returns to his girlfriend and begins following his plan to leave town. That is, until he discovers that his girlfriend has forgotten to pack his father's gold watch. Butch decides to go back and get it. He sneaks into his apartment, grabs his watch, but realizes that something is amiss. He finds a large gun on the kitchen counter and hears the toilet flush. He points the gun at the bathroom door, and comes face to face with Vincent. Butch kills him and then heads back to the hotel. On the trip back, he finds himself behind the wheel of a car and Marsellus Wallace in the crosswalk in front of him. He runs him down. Both of the men recover at about the same time and Marsellus chases Butch on foot into a pawn shop. There they fight on the floor until the owner of the shop takes them captive at gun point. What happens next is a tribute to Deliverance, I am sure. The owner calls his buddy and the two of them take Marsellus into a locked room and leave Butch under the watchful eye of "the Gimp." Butch manages to get himself loose and knocks out the Gimp and runs up the stairs to the pawn shop. He begins to run, but changes his mind. He finds himself a weapon and returns to save Marsellus. After putting the hillbillies in a bad way, Marsellus tells Butch that he no longer has a grudge and Butch should leave town. Butch does just that with quickness, taking Zed's motorcycle (I'm sorry, "chopper").
This leads us to our third and last title card:
The Bonnie Situation
We come back to the apartment from the beginning. But, instead of the main action, we see another young man hiding in the bathroom holding a gun. He is working his courage up to burst out and kill Vincent and Jules. He hears Jules quoting the Bible and then shooting his friend. He then jumps out and shoots at them, completely missing them. Vincent and Jules shoot him dead and take Marvin (the only one left alive) and leave. Jules is shaken up and calls it divine intervention. In the car, Jules keeps discussing the idea that their being alive is a miracle. Vincent turns around and asks Marvin what he thinks, and in a freak accident, shoots him in the face. They get off the road and park the car in Jules's partner's garage. Jimmy is freaked out by this because his wife comes home from work soon and he needs them gone. Jules calls Marsellus for help and he sends them a clean up man named "the Wolf." They get the car cleaned up and take it to a junk yard for disposal.
Jules and Vincent stop and have breakfast at a small dinner, still discussing Jules's belief of divine intervention. Vincent leaves the table, and (you guessed it) this is the diner from the beginning of the movie. The hold up begins. "Honey Bunny" and "Pumpkin" walk around collecting everyone's wallets, including Jules. On the rounds, the man ("Pumpkin" or "Ringo") wants to take Marsellus's case. Jules tells him he can't give him the case because it doesn't belong to him. He gives them all the money from his wallet and tells them that he's going to let them go. But first he breaks down his Bible verse, struggling for what it all means. He lets the couple go, and Vincent and Jules walk away.
And that is the end of our movie.
Now I get to tell you my reaction. I remember watching this in the movie theaters when it came out. I was completely blown away. The non-sequential storytelling and the dialogue of this movie are just out of this world. I know that I linked a lot of scenes in the synopsis, but that was because I wanted to show just how unique the rhythm of the dialogue and the movement of the action really is. Tarantino has his own unique style, you can pick one of his movies out just by listening to it. It's sort of a quicker version of realistic dialogue. And Pulp Fiction is Tarantino's grand masterpiece that really solidified this and delivered it to the public.
The other thing that really marks the style of a Tarantino movie is the soundtrack. All the songs fit a certain theme (mostly). Pulp Fiction's was stylistically surfer music. Really laid back and fun. And completely contrasting the action on the screen most of the time. This adds to the unease that you feel while the really horrific violence happens. The soundtrack to that should be more heavy, not lighthearted and silly. But, in a weird way, the music really punctuates the key points.
I would also try to say something about the casting. This cast is perfect. I cannot see anyone else playing Jules, Vincent, Marsellus, Mia... Well... Any of them. Right down to the minor parts. This movie re-introduced us to John Travolta (for better or worse) and started the trend of Samuel L Jackson being in EVERYTHING. Ving Rhames is just scary as Marsellus. And I can just go on for days about all of this. Everyone just OWNS the dialogue and brings these over the top characters to life in a way that is just iconic in and of itself.
My only real beef with this movie is Tarantino's coffee speech. He seems really uneasy with one word in particular. See if you can pick it out (go ahead, the link is in the synopsis). Well, to be fair, I am uneasy with that same word. And maybe that was the point. It just sticks out to me because everything else is beautifully done.
In closing, I love this movie. I have always loved this movie. If you haven't seen it, I think it's time to do just that. Tarantino is so influential now. His style has been imitated throughout Hollywood and Pulp Fiction has everything that those other writers and directors want to capture.
Now... I think I will enjoy my Royal with Cheese and wash it down with a tasty beverage.
GGC
Sunday, July 1, 2012
power outage
I apologize for the delay in entries. I have been affected by the power outages across Fort Wayne. I will just continue from where I left off when the juice comes back to the house. So much for schedules... which i was behind on anyway. Thank you for your patience!
GGC
GGC
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
It was the worst of (movie) times... Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000of
This one was genuinely hard. Hard to watch, hard to figure out what to say. SO, I'll just do it quick, like removing a Band-Aid.
BattleField Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 (henceforth Battlefield Earth) is set one thousand years after an invasion from the planet Psychlo. Humanity is thrust into a primitive state, fearing technology and the stories of the demons that rule the outside world. One human, Jonnie, leaves his home in the Rockies to find food when he meets up with a few others and wonders into a city. There, the group is taken captive by the Psychlos for enslavement. Jonnie fights back, drawing the attention of the head of security, Terl. Terl "teaches" Jonnie the language and knowledge of the Psychlos in order to use him to train a mining team of humans to mine a vein of gold near a deposit of uranium (the radiation from uranium is toxic to Psychlos). Jonnie instead uses the knowledge to fight back and free humanity from the tyranny of the demons.
Sounds like a great idea, no? I thought so. And the first 20 minutes or so I was really confused about why this was such a despised movie. It wasn't bad. Jonnie was well developed already and his new pals were entertaining. THEN the Psychlos showed up. That is when this movie took a major turn. The culture of Psycho is a corrupt corporate one and Terl is trying to get transferred off Earth, but due to missteps in the past (mainly sleeping with a senator's daughter) he is stationed on Earth for a lifetime. His scheme to use humans to mine gold is a last ditch effort to get himself off planet. All well and good... But most of the time I wonder HOW the Psychlos managed not only knock humanity back to the stone age, but HOLD the Earth when they overlook places like Fort Hood. Yeah... Let's talk plot holes, people.
Plot hole #1:
If you graduated #1 in your class, how did you miss the concept of "knowledge is power"? Terl teaches Jonnie, not just the language, but math and engineering, and how to pilot a Psychlo aircraft. OF COURSE this gives Jonnie the tools he needs to lead a revolt against their captors.
Plot hole #2:
Gold is the most precious resource to the Psychlos. And YET... In 1000 years they have not found Fort Knox and empty it. This gives Jonnie the means to distract Terl until the revolt can be organized. Jonnie goes to Fort Knox (in the aircraft that Terl left him) and takes enough gold to appease Terl and make him think that they are accually working (and smelting the gold into bars...*sigh*) buying Jonnie the time needed to overthrow the Psychlos.
Plot hole #3:
Fort Hood. Period. Everything about this scene and everything that comes from it. The Psychlos aren't just a corporate society, they are a warrior society. WHY was Fort Hood left alone?? All the weapons are still there after 1000 years, in working order apparently. Jonnie raids the stash there, his men learn to fly fighter planes (the fuel is still viable and the planes themselves aren't rusted out), and there is even a nuclear warhead there. THIS is the dumbest thing ever for them, as a nuclear explosion reacts with the atmosphere the Psychlos need to breathe causing a chain reaction of a massive explosion. (In plot hole #1 Jonnie learns this and uses it to defeat not just the Earth stationed Psychlos, but destroy the entire planet of Psychlo.)
Plot hole #4:
Terl allows Jonnie to have access to the Denver Library (Yes, evidently paper in books only looks slightly aged when they sit for 1000 years). This ties into plot hole #1, but is slightly different. It's here that Jonnie actually forms the concrete ideas he used to rebel. We get to see him reading the Declaration of Independence, and looking at maps showing him where things are.
Plot hole #5
Terl leaves Jonnie and his men to mine UNSUPERVISED. Yes, the uranium is toxic, but they show aircraft overhead and establish early on that they have great surveillance technology. WHY did no one notice the aircraft was gone for over a week? Really??
There are so many more... But I will be here all night if I talk about them all. These are the holes that bug me the most.
The other thing that really bugs me is the acting from most of the Psychlos, especially John Travolta. I love Travolta, most of the time. But this role is WAY over the top. He's not even close to seeming like a threat. He just seems funny. The leader on Earth is similarly comical. Pretty much all of them aside from Ker, played by Forest Whitaker. Poor guy. He had a really crappy role. But let me tell you, he acted the HELL out of it!
Also... I believe that someone knocked the camera loose on the tripod because EVERY SINGLE SCENE is tilted. Why? It looks cool. That is the only reason I can come up with. I wonder if humanity evolved to have one leg longer than the other... Hmmm....
I have more rants about this... But I will let Mike Nelson from Rifftrax take it from here... Take it away, Mike! I recommend you don't watch this movie... But if you must, riff it the whole way through. It's the only way to enjoy it!
GGC
BattleField Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 (henceforth Battlefield Earth) is set one thousand years after an invasion from the planet Psychlo. Humanity is thrust into a primitive state, fearing technology and the stories of the demons that rule the outside world. One human, Jonnie, leaves his home in the Rockies to find food when he meets up with a few others and wonders into a city. There, the group is taken captive by the Psychlos for enslavement. Jonnie fights back, drawing the attention of the head of security, Terl. Terl "teaches" Jonnie the language and knowledge of the Psychlos in order to use him to train a mining team of humans to mine a vein of gold near a deposit of uranium (the radiation from uranium is toxic to Psychlos). Jonnie instead uses the knowledge to fight back and free humanity from the tyranny of the demons.
Sounds like a great idea, no? I thought so. And the first 20 minutes or so I was really confused about why this was such a despised movie. It wasn't bad. Jonnie was well developed already and his new pals were entertaining. THEN the Psychlos showed up. That is when this movie took a major turn. The culture of Psycho is a corrupt corporate one and Terl is trying to get transferred off Earth, but due to missteps in the past (mainly sleeping with a senator's daughter) he is stationed on Earth for a lifetime. His scheme to use humans to mine gold is a last ditch effort to get himself off planet. All well and good... But most of the time I wonder HOW the Psychlos managed not only knock humanity back to the stone age, but HOLD the Earth when they overlook places like Fort Hood. Yeah... Let's talk plot holes, people.
Plot hole #1:
If you graduated #1 in your class, how did you miss the concept of "knowledge is power"? Terl teaches Jonnie, not just the language, but math and engineering, and how to pilot a Psychlo aircraft. OF COURSE this gives Jonnie the tools he needs to lead a revolt against their captors.
Plot hole #2:
Gold is the most precious resource to the Psychlos. And YET... In 1000 years they have not found Fort Knox and empty it. This gives Jonnie the means to distract Terl until the revolt can be organized. Jonnie goes to Fort Knox (in the aircraft that Terl left him) and takes enough gold to appease Terl and make him think that they are accually working (and smelting the gold into bars...*sigh*) buying Jonnie the time needed to overthrow the Psychlos.
Plot hole #3:
Fort Hood. Period. Everything about this scene and everything that comes from it. The Psychlos aren't just a corporate society, they are a warrior society. WHY was Fort Hood left alone?? All the weapons are still there after 1000 years, in working order apparently. Jonnie raids the stash there, his men learn to fly fighter planes (the fuel is still viable and the planes themselves aren't rusted out), and there is even a nuclear warhead there. THIS is the dumbest thing ever for them, as a nuclear explosion reacts with the atmosphere the Psychlos need to breathe causing a chain reaction of a massive explosion. (In plot hole #1 Jonnie learns this and uses it to defeat not just the Earth stationed Psychlos, but destroy the entire planet of Psychlo.)
Plot hole #4:
Terl allows Jonnie to have access to the Denver Library (Yes, evidently paper in books only looks slightly aged when they sit for 1000 years). This ties into plot hole #1, but is slightly different. It's here that Jonnie actually forms the concrete ideas he used to rebel. We get to see him reading the Declaration of Independence, and looking at maps showing him where things are.
Plot hole #5
Terl leaves Jonnie and his men to mine UNSUPERVISED. Yes, the uranium is toxic, but they show aircraft overhead and establish early on that they have great surveillance technology. WHY did no one notice the aircraft was gone for over a week? Really??
There are so many more... But I will be here all night if I talk about them all. These are the holes that bug me the most.
The other thing that really bugs me is the acting from most of the Psychlos, especially John Travolta. I love Travolta, most of the time. But this role is WAY over the top. He's not even close to seeming like a threat. He just seems funny. The leader on Earth is similarly comical. Pretty much all of them aside from Ker, played by Forest Whitaker. Poor guy. He had a really crappy role. But let me tell you, he acted the HELL out of it!
Also... I believe that someone knocked the camera loose on the tripod because EVERY SINGLE SCENE is tilted. Why? It looks cool. That is the only reason I can come up with. I wonder if humanity evolved to have one leg longer than the other... Hmmm....
I have more rants about this... But I will let Mike Nelson from Rifftrax take it from here... Take it away, Mike! I recommend you don't watch this movie... But if you must, riff it the whole way through. It's the only way to enjoy it!
GGC
It was the best of (movie)times... The Last Picture Show (pt 2)
The film is in black and white, lending to the feel of decay. In black and white run down houses look even worse. This town is dying, but not with a loud bang. Heck, hardly with a whimper. The town's bleakness and emptiness is present throughout the film in a sort of dusty oppression. It's almost suffocating at times. It's easy to see why Jacy toys with the boys in her life, she is simply bored and needing to entertain herself. (Of course this doesn't make it right... It just explains it.) This feeling builds until Duane and Sonny attend the last movie (Red River, by the way). With the movie house closing, the town has lost it's cultural center thus it's last really bright spot.
What really makes this powerful is not only the town being front and center, but the characters. Especially Sonny, Ruth, and Sam the Lion. Sonny is an impressionable teen who is torn about what to do, but rarely stands up for himself. He usually tries to do the right thing, but seems to fail more often than succeed. He's just a kid and learning the ropes. We've all been there... So he remains sympathetic despite his mistakes.
Ruth is a house wife, ignored by her husband. Which makes it even more heartbreaking when Sonny does the same. I am not condoning extramarital affairs, but Sonny not even explaining things to her is just plain wrong. She has been dealing with abandonment from her husband for years, and now Sonny piles his on top. So, when Sonny returns to her in the end and she starts throwing things, the audience completely understands. We also understand when she comforts him afterward.
Sam the Lion is a force of nature. He seems rough, but he's sentimental and human. He genuinely cares for Billy and Sonny and does the best he can for them. Sam is always giving Duane and Sonny a hard time about the sports teams that always seem to be loosing huge. He gave Billy a job at the pool hall and watches out for him like his own son. He seems to keep the businesses going just to make sure that his employees are taken care of. He's the kind of character that really can bring a movie like this to life.
Basically, this movie is about people and real places. It's about the passing of time. It's about love and jealousy. It's about growing up. I really didn't know how to describe it, or how to express my feelings on it. So, this is the best I could do.... I know that I am ignoring the metophores and symbolism. I am not trying to be academic (well... at least not TOO academic), I am just trying to share my thoughts.
GGC
(Yeah... The Dude is in it! And he looks like a baby.)
It was the best of (movie) times... The Last Picture Show (pt 1)
I know that I am really late with this week's blogs. But... I really wasn't sure how to start this one. (really, both the good and the bad are hard ones this week.) So... I will just try to do this one justice.
The Last Picture Show is set in the early 50's in a small town in western Texas called Anarene. The story focuses on Duane and Sonny, best friends in their senior year of high school. Duane is dating the prettiest girl in the class, Jacy. Sonny breaks up with his girl in one of the first scenes, so he spends most of his year single. I say that the movie focuses on Duane and Sonny, and that is true, but the main character is actually Anarene. The town is dying slowly as young people go away to college and don't return, the money is drying up, the social places are all run by one man (Sam the Lion), everyone has known each other their whole lives. It is dying economically, socially, and (especially at the end) culturally. Sam the Lion is a father figure to the boys, especially Sonny and a "simple boy" named Billy. When he dies after a stroke, he leaves the pool hall to Sonny (who also takes care of Billy), the dinner to Genevieve (the waitress and cook there), and the movie house to Miss Mosey (the attendant there). Without him, the social ties of the town start to ravel.
The PLOT actually follows Duane and Sonny through the tough transition of high school into adulthood. During their growing pains, Sonny ends up having an affair with his coach's wife (yes, one man coaches all teams), Duane ends up getting played by Jacy, Duane moves away after she dumps him, Sonny hooks up with her, and when Duane hears that Sonny and Jacy have hooked up he comes home to confront his best friend. *deep breath* Duane and Sonny fight, resulting in Sonny's eye getting injured with broken glass from a beer bottle. This is when Sonny "breaks it off" with Ruth (the coaches wife) by just ignoring her for months. In that time, he runs the pool hall, working days on a rig and runs off to marry Jacy. The marriage is never consummated, however, and Jacy goes off to college in Dallas. Duane joins the army and is shipped off to Korea. The boys make up and attend the last movie to show at the movie house (the last picture show... Get it?) and Sonny sees his friend off. Minutes after Duane's bus leaves, Billy is sweeping in the street, and is hit by a cattle truck and dies. The men of the town just stand over him talking about how he had no sense and wonder why he was just standing there with a broom. In grief, Sonny pulls Billy's body away to cover him up. Unable to face the pool hall, he drives off as if to leave town, but turns back to see Ruth.
The movie ends with a sweeping shot down an empty Main Street.
This is a really powerful movie, mostly in it's quietness.
The Last Picture Show is set in the early 50's in a small town in western Texas called Anarene. The story focuses on Duane and Sonny, best friends in their senior year of high school. Duane is dating the prettiest girl in the class, Jacy. Sonny breaks up with his girl in one of the first scenes, so he spends most of his year single. I say that the movie focuses on Duane and Sonny, and that is true, but the main character is actually Anarene. The town is dying slowly as young people go away to college and don't return, the money is drying up, the social places are all run by one man (Sam the Lion), everyone has known each other their whole lives. It is dying economically, socially, and (especially at the end) culturally. Sam the Lion is a father figure to the boys, especially Sonny and a "simple boy" named Billy. When he dies after a stroke, he leaves the pool hall to Sonny (who also takes care of Billy), the dinner to Genevieve (the waitress and cook there), and the movie house to Miss Mosey (the attendant there). Without him, the social ties of the town start to ravel.
The PLOT actually follows Duane and Sonny through the tough transition of high school into adulthood. During their growing pains, Sonny ends up having an affair with his coach's wife (yes, one man coaches all teams), Duane ends up getting played by Jacy, Duane moves away after she dumps him, Sonny hooks up with her, and when Duane hears that Sonny and Jacy have hooked up he comes home to confront his best friend. *deep breath* Duane and Sonny fight, resulting in Sonny's eye getting injured with broken glass from a beer bottle. This is when Sonny "breaks it off" with Ruth (the coaches wife) by just ignoring her for months. In that time, he runs the pool hall, working days on a rig and runs off to marry Jacy. The marriage is never consummated, however, and Jacy goes off to college in Dallas. Duane joins the army and is shipped off to Korea. The boys make up and attend the last movie to show at the movie house (the last picture show... Get it?) and Sonny sees his friend off. Minutes after Duane's bus leaves, Billy is sweeping in the street, and is hit by a cattle truck and dies. The men of the town just stand over him talking about how he had no sense and wonder why he was just standing there with a broom. In grief, Sonny pulls Billy's body away to cover him up. Unable to face the pool hall, he drives off as if to leave town, but turns back to see Ruth.
The movie ends with a sweeping shot down an empty Main Street.
This is a really powerful movie, mostly in it's quietness.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
A recap and schedule for upcoming weeks!
Just as a recap, these are the movies DOWN. I have watched them (it was sometimes painful, but I have DONE it!) and blogged about them....
5-13-12---- Ben Hur 5-13-12----Meet the Spartans
5-19-12---- Toy Story 5-21-12----Another 9 1/2 Weeks
5-24-12---- Yankee Doodle Dandy 5-30-12----Phat Girlz
6- 3-12---- Blade Runner 6- 4-12----It's Pat!
6-10-12---- Do the Right Thing 6-11-12----American Ninja V
AND now, these are the movies left that are ranked in the 90's. As I explained before, the IMDb list changes according to votes (I have copied and pasted the list I have been working from, so the movies remain the same, however, I do monitor the list periodically.) And I STILL have been unable to find Addiction, so I have had to improvise. So, here is the schedule through July. (the dates are all Saturdays. and as I have been late with a few blogs, well, expect that on occasion here as well.) All of these are subject to change if a problem happens. I have located all of these movies, so THESE should be watched and reviewed without a hitch... Just needed to remind you all!
Week of
6-16-12---- The Last Picture Show & Battlefield Earth
6-23-12---- Pulp Fiction & Alien From LA
6-30-12---- The French Connection & Time You Change
7- 7-12---- Goodfellas & Troll 2
7-14-12---- Sophie's Choice & Gigli
7-21-12---- Swing Time & The Smokers
I hope you have been enjoying this project as much as I have. I also hope the changing nature of the IMDb's Bottom 100 hasn't been confusing. Just a note, Alien from LA is replacing Addiction for now. Hopefully I will find that *#@$% movie and will throw it in when I can. It is a foreign movie (Finnish to be exact) and so I think that is the problem in my search. As I have quite a few Turkish movies coming up, I hope that I can deal with this hiccup soon!
Enjoy! And thanks for reading!
GGC
5-13-12---- Ben Hur 5-13-12----Meet the Spartans
5-19-12---- Toy Story 5-21-12----Another 9 1/2 Weeks
5-24-12---- Yankee Doodle Dandy 5-30-12----Phat Girlz
6- 3-12---- Blade Runner 6- 4-12----It's Pat!
6-10-12---- Do the Right Thing 6-11-12----American Ninja V
AND now, these are the movies left that are ranked in the 90's. As I explained before, the IMDb list changes according to votes (I have copied and pasted the list I have been working from, so the movies remain the same, however, I do monitor the list periodically.) And I STILL have been unable to find Addiction, so I have had to improvise. So, here is the schedule through July. (the dates are all Saturdays. and as I have been late with a few blogs, well, expect that on occasion here as well.) All of these are subject to change if a problem happens. I have located all of these movies, so THESE should be watched and reviewed without a hitch... Just needed to remind you all!
Week of
6-16-12---- The Last Picture Show & Battlefield Earth
6-23-12---- Pulp Fiction & Alien From LA
6-30-12---- The French Connection & Time You Change
7- 7-12---- Goodfellas & Troll 2
7-14-12---- Sophie's Choice & Gigli
7-21-12---- Swing Time & The Smokers
I hope you have been enjoying this project as much as I have. I also hope the changing nature of the IMDb's Bottom 100 hasn't been confusing. Just a note, Alien from LA is replacing Addiction for now. Hopefully I will find that *#@$% movie and will throw it in when I can. It is a foreign movie (Finnish to be exact) and so I think that is the problem in my search. As I have quite a few Turkish movies coming up, I hope that I can deal with this hiccup soon!
Enjoy! And thanks for reading!
GGC
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
It was the worst of (movie) times... American Ninja V
[Apologies for any misspellings, I was reduced to the age old technique of "sounding it out" on many words here.]
I wasn't looking forward to watching American Ninja V. I haven't seen ANY of the other movies in this series. And if I was going to watch a bad ninja movie, I wanted it to be an old one with bad dubbing. HOWEVER, this movie was fantastically bad. In other words... I have found my first "so bad it's good" movie.
American Ninja V begins with a scientist in his lab. He is excited because he has discovered a pesticide that leaves no harmful residue behind (we all know that this is fiction, right?). HOWEVER, if this chemical is breathed in in large enough concentrations, it is deadly... (Uhhh... Guys? Isn't that harmful? Just askin...)
Our scientist doesn't realize until this point that he is working for the bad guy (Glock, yeah, that's his name... Well, his last name, and that is what he goes by for most of the movie so there ya' go...) until the head henchman brings him a puppy to test on (this is how we know that he is a villain, only a bad guy harms innocent baby animals. The Tick taught us that!). Glock threatens the scientist to continue his testing and we cut away to our hero, Joe Kastle. Who lives on a house boat. He comes home to find that his work order to have the tarnish cleaned from the brass was misread by the maintenance worker (Lisa... also the love interest and damsel in distress later... But I get ahead of myself). She has varnished ALL of the woodwork on the boat, making it impossible to live in for two days. She tells him that he can stay with her (did I mention that this is only about thirty seconds after they meet?) but he balks. So she fast talks him into a date for dinner to make it up to him.
We then cut to Joe in his dojo. (He is THE American Ninja from the title, ya' know!) HIS sensai (Master Tetsu) arrives and reminds him that he agreed to house sit. Master Tetsu then dumps his grand-nephew on him as well and disappears in a puff of smoke to catch his plane. So... Joe and the boy (Hiro) drive off with Joe unhappy with the surprise of babysitting. Hiro, we find out, is the last of Master Tetsu's ninja clan and has been closed off since he lost his parents. (PLOT POINT)
Joe is forced to bring Hiro on his date with Lisa. They have a great time until Lisa is kidnapped by Viper (a mercenary ninja in Glock's employ. And YES he appears in a puff of smoke. Because he's a NINJA, duh!). Joe fights off Vipers mooks. It seems that Viper is just pulling them out of his pockets, but that is ok, because Joe kicks ALL their butts. Well, except for Viper. Viper walks away with Lisa's unconscious body. Joe and Hiro follow some of the goons to an airfield, and hop on the plane, taking them to a South American country... I think. I may have missed something there... But I am pretty sure that they are in South America.
Once there, the unlikely duo break Joe out of jail, fight off many more Ninjas (dressed in purple... Insert your own joke here...), discover that Lisa is the scientist's daughter (yeah, from the beginning. His name is Dr Strobel.), and that Viper killed Hiro's father. Hiro begs Joe to train him, but Joe is reluctant due to events in another movie. (I think his last student was killed.) But they meditate and Master Tetsu appears to both of them telling them to team up, because they need each other to grow. So, in a montage, Joe trains Hiro in the art of ninjitsu. Then our heroes storm the castle as it were.
OF COURSE they win. They defeat Glock's plan of selling the pesticide as a weapon (they even save the puppy! YAY!) and Viper is thrown from a plane. Lisa and Joe live happily ever after, and Hiro is taught the art of the ninja, carrying on the legacy of his family.
Ok. Now, don't get me wrong, this movie is bad. But holy SMOKES is it fun! The fight scenes are goofy, complete with cartoony music and sound effects. The bad guys are REALLY bad. The good guys are REALLY good. This is a movie meant for kids, in the 3 Ninjas sort of line. If you watch it with a sense of humor and low expectations, laughs will abound. And all the ninjas appear and disappear in a puff of smoke. Yeah! Pretty AWESOME!
I wanna learn ninjitsu in a montage. Seems like a much easier much more efficient way than seeking out a master and spending years of learning and training. *shrug* Can any of you direct me where I can do this? Let's make this happen, people!
*ninja vanish*
GGC
I wasn't looking forward to watching American Ninja V. I haven't seen ANY of the other movies in this series. And if I was going to watch a bad ninja movie, I wanted it to be an old one with bad dubbing. HOWEVER, this movie was fantastically bad. In other words... I have found my first "so bad it's good" movie.
American Ninja V begins with a scientist in his lab. He is excited because he has discovered a pesticide that leaves no harmful residue behind (we all know that this is fiction, right?). HOWEVER, if this chemical is breathed in in large enough concentrations, it is deadly... (Uhhh... Guys? Isn't that harmful? Just askin...)
Our scientist doesn't realize until this point that he is working for the bad guy (Glock, yeah, that's his name... Well, his last name, and that is what he goes by for most of the movie so there ya' go...) until the head henchman brings him a puppy to test on (this is how we know that he is a villain, only a bad guy harms innocent baby animals. The Tick taught us that!). Glock threatens the scientist to continue his testing and we cut away to our hero, Joe Kastle. Who lives on a house boat. He comes home to find that his work order to have the tarnish cleaned from the brass was misread by the maintenance worker (Lisa... also the love interest and damsel in distress later... But I get ahead of myself). She has varnished ALL of the woodwork on the boat, making it impossible to live in for two days. She tells him that he can stay with her (did I mention that this is only about thirty seconds after they meet?) but he balks. So she fast talks him into a date for dinner to make it up to him.
We then cut to Joe in his dojo. (He is THE American Ninja from the title, ya' know!) HIS sensai (Master Tetsu) arrives and reminds him that he agreed to house sit. Master Tetsu then dumps his grand-nephew on him as well and disappears in a puff of smoke to catch his plane. So... Joe and the boy (Hiro) drive off with Joe unhappy with the surprise of babysitting. Hiro, we find out, is the last of Master Tetsu's ninja clan and has been closed off since he lost his parents. (PLOT POINT)
Joe is forced to bring Hiro on his date with Lisa. They have a great time until Lisa is kidnapped by Viper (a mercenary ninja in Glock's employ. And YES he appears in a puff of smoke. Because he's a NINJA, duh!). Joe fights off Vipers mooks. It seems that Viper is just pulling them out of his pockets, but that is ok, because Joe kicks ALL their butts. Well, except for Viper. Viper walks away with Lisa's unconscious body. Joe and Hiro follow some of the goons to an airfield, and hop on the plane, taking them to a South American country... I think. I may have missed something there... But I am pretty sure that they are in South America.
Once there, the unlikely duo break Joe out of jail, fight off many more Ninjas (dressed in purple... Insert your own joke here...), discover that Lisa is the scientist's daughter (yeah, from the beginning. His name is Dr Strobel.), and that Viper killed Hiro's father. Hiro begs Joe to train him, but Joe is reluctant due to events in another movie. (I think his last student was killed.) But they meditate and Master Tetsu appears to both of them telling them to team up, because they need each other to grow. So, in a montage, Joe trains Hiro in the art of ninjitsu. Then our heroes storm the castle as it were.
OF COURSE they win. They defeat Glock's plan of selling the pesticide as a weapon (they even save the puppy! YAY!) and Viper is thrown from a plane. Lisa and Joe live happily ever after, and Hiro is taught the art of the ninja, carrying on the legacy of his family.
Ok. Now, don't get me wrong, this movie is bad. But holy SMOKES is it fun! The fight scenes are goofy, complete with cartoony music and sound effects. The bad guys are REALLY bad. The good guys are REALLY good. This is a movie meant for kids, in the 3 Ninjas sort of line. If you watch it with a sense of humor and low expectations, laughs will abound. And all the ninjas appear and disappear in a puff of smoke. Yeah! Pretty AWESOME!
I wanna learn ninjitsu in a montage. Seems like a much easier much more efficient way than seeking out a master and spending years of learning and training. *shrug* Can any of you direct me where I can do this? Let's make this happen, people!
*ninja vanish*
GGC
Sunday, June 10, 2012
It was the best of (movie) times... Do the Right Thing
[NOTE: the second clip is NOT safe for workplaces or children.]
The events of Do the Right Thing take place over one day in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn on the hottest day of the year. The heat causes everyone's hatred to smolder until it explodes at the end of the day. Mostly, the movie follows Mookie, a pizza delivery boy around the area, introducing us to the local population. Notably, Buggin Out (the angry black man), Radio Raheem (a large young man with a boombox continually blasting out Public Enemies "Fight the Power"), Jade (Mookie's younger sister, a pulled together well spoken young lady), Tina (Mookie's girl and mother of his son), Da Mayor (old drunk), Sister Mother (old wise woman), Master Senior Love Daddy (the DJ on the air for 12 hours everyday), Sal (the owner of Sal's Famous Pizzeria and Mookie's boss), Sal's two sons (Vitto and Pino, both also employed at Sal's), and MANY other characters. I normally wouldn't list all these, but I just wanted you to understand the scope of the cast in this story. The main conflict begins when Buggin Out tells Sal to put some pictures of African Americans on his Wall of Fame. As Sal owns the business, he tells him ONLY Italian Americans. Buggin Out, well, bugs out and gets himself booted from the place. He spends most of the rest of the day trying to organize a boycott of Sal's. Later, Radio Raheem walks into the pizzeria with his boombox blaring. When Sal yells at him to turn it off, he is angered as well. Buggin Out and Radio Raheem team up and storm the pizzeria when Sal is kind enough to open his doors to a few kids for last minute slices. Raheem blares his boombox and Buggin Out says that they will stay there until Sal agrees to put the pictures of African Americans on the wall. Sal gets fed up and threatens them with a baseball bat, but instead of roughing the kids up, he uses the bat to "kill" the boombox. Raheem, enraged, attacks Sal, dragging him outside. Even though many try to break it up, it takes the police to finally stop Raheem. HOWEVER, things go completely upside down when one of the police officers kills Raheem in front of the entire neighborhood. Mookie, distraught, throws a trash can through the window of the pizzeria, starting a riot focused on Sal's Famous Pizzeria. The mob ends up burning the place down in front of Sal and his sons. The movie ends the next day, with Mookie going to get his pay from Sal and life moving on.
THAT was just scratching the surface. There are a few more side plots. That was only the main conflict. But lots of conflicts occur all day. For instance, Pino is terribly racist and doesn't bother to hide it. Tina is constantly on Mookie to spend more time with her, even becoming enraged when Mookie has to work. Jade wants Mookie to move out and take care of his responsibilities. There are a trio of older African American men, one of them hates the fact that a family of Koreans opened a grocery, and no African Americans own a business in their neighborhood. Sister Mother doesn't like Da Mayor because he drinks too much. All of this is over seen by Mister Senior Love Daddy, who (in my opinion) is God. Everyone seems to have a bigoted hatred for someone (resulting in an uncomfortably comical moment in the middle of the movie).
Do the Right Thing is really something to look at. There is a red tint to everything and many shots have heat waves rising from the pavement. Everyone is sweaty and on edge. The audience is really dragged into this sweltering day, just from the visuals. Every character has a unique voice and tone, kind of a task as there are so many characters to flesh out. Spike Lee also opts to use so many strange angles and shots, accenting the feel of each scene. The movie is dramatic, comical, and just downright uncomfortable when it needs to be.
This is not my first time watching this movie. In fact I have seen it three times prior to this. It was one of the movies that I had to watch for a film class in college. Our weekly assignment was to answer a question in a one page essay. The question for this movie (and yes, I remember it very clearly) was "Why did Mookie do what he did?" I didn't know after watching it in class. So I rented it, and watched it at home. I still didn't know how to answer. So I watched it with my boyfriend at the time (thinking that HE possibly could have some insight), I STILL didn't know how to answer. I ended up turning in a page of b.s. just so I could complete the assignment. After having watched it again, I think that the question is unfair to require only a page to answer. There is WAY too much going into this one action (Mookie throwing the trash can, just in case I lost you there) to condense it to only a page. Mookie is in a pressure cooker, and the heat wave added the missing ingredient. Raheem was killed and everyone went crazy for a while. Hmmm.... I just sort of did it in a few sentences... I guess I could have done it... But I doubt it. I don't have to support it the way I needed to then.
Do the Right Thing is a well produced movie. A well written movie. A well acted movie. And I really don't think that I want to see it again. It ends on a sort of helpless note. Like a "why???" It's a good movie to show what bigotry over years can do, given a catalyst. But, it isn't designed to make you feel good. It is designed to make you think. To show what a mob of people is capable of. I am not sure what side Spike Lee falls on, even. The end credits have two quotes, one that condemns violence in any form from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and one that justifies SOME violence from Malcom X. So, yeah. I think I need to go think about the state of the world now...
GGC
The events of Do the Right Thing take place over one day in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn on the hottest day of the year. The heat causes everyone's hatred to smolder until it explodes at the end of the day. Mostly, the movie follows Mookie, a pizza delivery boy around the area, introducing us to the local population. Notably, Buggin Out (the angry black man), Radio Raheem (a large young man with a boombox continually blasting out Public Enemies "Fight the Power"), Jade (Mookie's younger sister, a pulled together well spoken young lady), Tina (Mookie's girl and mother of his son), Da Mayor (old drunk), Sister Mother (old wise woman), Master Senior Love Daddy (the DJ on the air for 12 hours everyday), Sal (the owner of Sal's Famous Pizzeria and Mookie's boss), Sal's two sons (Vitto and Pino, both also employed at Sal's), and MANY other characters. I normally wouldn't list all these, but I just wanted you to understand the scope of the cast in this story. The main conflict begins when Buggin Out tells Sal to put some pictures of African Americans on his Wall of Fame. As Sal owns the business, he tells him ONLY Italian Americans. Buggin Out, well, bugs out and gets himself booted from the place. He spends most of the rest of the day trying to organize a boycott of Sal's. Later, Radio Raheem walks into the pizzeria with his boombox blaring. When Sal yells at him to turn it off, he is angered as well. Buggin Out and Radio Raheem team up and storm the pizzeria when Sal is kind enough to open his doors to a few kids for last minute slices. Raheem blares his boombox and Buggin Out says that they will stay there until Sal agrees to put the pictures of African Americans on the wall. Sal gets fed up and threatens them with a baseball bat, but instead of roughing the kids up, he uses the bat to "kill" the boombox. Raheem, enraged, attacks Sal, dragging him outside. Even though many try to break it up, it takes the police to finally stop Raheem. HOWEVER, things go completely upside down when one of the police officers kills Raheem in front of the entire neighborhood. Mookie, distraught, throws a trash can through the window of the pizzeria, starting a riot focused on Sal's Famous Pizzeria. The mob ends up burning the place down in front of Sal and his sons. The movie ends the next day, with Mookie going to get his pay from Sal and life moving on.
THAT was just scratching the surface. There are a few more side plots. That was only the main conflict. But lots of conflicts occur all day. For instance, Pino is terribly racist and doesn't bother to hide it. Tina is constantly on Mookie to spend more time with her, even becoming enraged when Mookie has to work. Jade wants Mookie to move out and take care of his responsibilities. There are a trio of older African American men, one of them hates the fact that a family of Koreans opened a grocery, and no African Americans own a business in their neighborhood. Sister Mother doesn't like Da Mayor because he drinks too much. All of this is over seen by Mister Senior Love Daddy, who (in my opinion) is God. Everyone seems to have a bigoted hatred for someone (resulting in an uncomfortably comical moment in the middle of the movie).
Do the Right Thing is really something to look at. There is a red tint to everything and many shots have heat waves rising from the pavement. Everyone is sweaty and on edge. The audience is really dragged into this sweltering day, just from the visuals. Every character has a unique voice and tone, kind of a task as there are so many characters to flesh out. Spike Lee also opts to use so many strange angles and shots, accenting the feel of each scene. The movie is dramatic, comical, and just downright uncomfortable when it needs to be.
This is not my first time watching this movie. In fact I have seen it three times prior to this. It was one of the movies that I had to watch for a film class in college. Our weekly assignment was to answer a question in a one page essay. The question for this movie (and yes, I remember it very clearly) was "Why did Mookie do what he did?" I didn't know after watching it in class. So I rented it, and watched it at home. I still didn't know how to answer. So I watched it with my boyfriend at the time (thinking that HE possibly could have some insight), I STILL didn't know how to answer. I ended up turning in a page of b.s. just so I could complete the assignment. After having watched it again, I think that the question is unfair to require only a page to answer. There is WAY too much going into this one action (Mookie throwing the trash can, just in case I lost you there) to condense it to only a page. Mookie is in a pressure cooker, and the heat wave added the missing ingredient. Raheem was killed and everyone went crazy for a while. Hmmm.... I just sort of did it in a few sentences... I guess I could have done it... But I doubt it. I don't have to support it the way I needed to then.
Do the Right Thing is a well produced movie. A well written movie. A well acted movie. And I really don't think that I want to see it again. It ends on a sort of helpless note. Like a "why???" It's a good movie to show what bigotry over years can do, given a catalyst. But, it isn't designed to make you feel good. It is designed to make you think. To show what a mob of people is capable of. I am not sure what side Spike Lee falls on, even. The end credits have two quotes, one that condemns violence in any form from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and one that justifies SOME violence from Malcom X. So, yeah. I think I need to go think about the state of the world now...
GGC
Monday, June 4, 2012
It was the worst of (movie) times... It's Pat!
I watched SNL in the late 80's and early 90's. I am not really sure that I missed an episode, because my curfew was early, so I was always back in time. Even when I stayed with friends, we watched it. It was still funny then. (Maybe not Belushi funny... But I still laugh at Carvey's George Bush, Sr. and Dennis Miller's Weekend Update is still outstanding.) The reason that these shows were funny is timing... Or in some cases the small doses we got the character. Which brings me to Pat.
The reason that Pat was funny (and yes, I kinda found Pat funny... I will be calling Pat "her" for clarity in the future) was that the sketch ended in minutes, NOT an hour and seventeen excruciating minutes later. Pat is not a character that a writer should even WANT to make into a feature length(ish) story. She is a one-joke show. Is she a woman or a man? And hour and 17 minutes of that. Oh, and not only that! Pat is unlikable, as in a truly horrible, selfish person.
The plot (as it were) is focused on Pat, an androgynous character living her life. She gets fired from the post office for opening everyone's mail, she barges in on her neighbor, she freaks out the pharmacist, and all this in the first 5 minutes of the movie. Alright, maybe 10. BUT STILL! In her search for a job, Pat goes to a bar, there she meets Chris (I will call Chris "him in the future), also an androgynous character. They date, fall in love and get engaged. All while the script carefully hides both characters respective genders. In the meantime, Pat gets new neighbors, Kyle and Stacy Jacobsen. Through the course of the movie, Kyle forms an extreme obsession on Pat. His wife leaves him because he is in love with Pat. In the meantime, all is not well with Chris and Pat due to Pat's lack of job and misconceptions of what a career actually is. Also what a relationship actually is. Chris leaves her for taking him for granted. Pat also takes her neighbor's job with no remorse (her neighbor is Kathy Griffin playing herself as a radio "love line" advice "doctor"). This really goes nowhere, just another instance to show how Pat is terrible. Kyle then steps in and in a psycho move, kidnaps Pat and tried to make her strip, so he can see whether she is a man or a woman. Not that it matters to him, he just wants to know. Oh! All this while he is dressed as Pat. This results in a chase scene, ending with Kyle arrested and Pat with her pants down dangling above Ween in concert. (Of course, we don't get to find out what she is... what would be the fun in THAT???) With this dose of humility, Pat runs to find Chris, and they get back together and they all live happily ever after, except Kyle who is in jail.
This movie is SO awful!!! Pat is really unlikable. I can't even really find good clips to share. Which is good for you... Bad for me cause I really wanna share my pain! I can only find the longer clips, and even I am not so cruel as to share those and make you watch them. Tempting as it is, I would live in a world of guilt. You are getting off LIGHT!!
So seriously, if you feel nostalgic for SNL, watch Wayne's World, hell, any Chris Farley movie, Blues Brothers, or (better yet) catch an actual SNL rerun. Seriously! Pat came from the time of Toonces the Driving Cat, Deep Thoughts, and Stuart Smalley just to name a few. They were much funnier and most of them (Stuart, Stuart, Stuart... Tsk tsk... You disappoint me.) had the good sense to stay away from a feature length movie. WATCH THEM!
That's the review, and I. Am. OUTTA HERE!
GGC
(Yes, I know that The Blue Brothers was WAY before Pat... But I wanted to include it because it's AWESOME!)
The reason that Pat was funny (and yes, I kinda found Pat funny... I will be calling Pat "her" for clarity in the future) was that the sketch ended in minutes, NOT an hour and seventeen excruciating minutes later. Pat is not a character that a writer should even WANT to make into a feature length(ish) story. She is a one-joke show. Is she a woman or a man? And hour and 17 minutes of that. Oh, and not only that! Pat is unlikable, as in a truly horrible, selfish person.
The plot (as it were) is focused on Pat, an androgynous character living her life. She gets fired from the post office for opening everyone's mail, she barges in on her neighbor, she freaks out the pharmacist, and all this in the first 5 minutes of the movie. Alright, maybe 10. BUT STILL! In her search for a job, Pat goes to a bar, there she meets Chris (I will call Chris "him in the future), also an androgynous character. They date, fall in love and get engaged. All while the script carefully hides both characters respective genders. In the meantime, Pat gets new neighbors, Kyle and Stacy Jacobsen. Through the course of the movie, Kyle forms an extreme obsession on Pat. His wife leaves him because he is in love with Pat. In the meantime, all is not well with Chris and Pat due to Pat's lack of job and misconceptions of what a career actually is. Also what a relationship actually is. Chris leaves her for taking him for granted. Pat also takes her neighbor's job with no remorse (her neighbor is Kathy Griffin playing herself as a radio "love line" advice "doctor"). This really goes nowhere, just another instance to show how Pat is terrible. Kyle then steps in and in a psycho move, kidnaps Pat and tried to make her strip, so he can see whether she is a man or a woman. Not that it matters to him, he just wants to know. Oh! All this while he is dressed as Pat. This results in a chase scene, ending with Kyle arrested and Pat with her pants down dangling above Ween in concert. (Of course, we don't get to find out what she is... what would be the fun in THAT???) With this dose of humility, Pat runs to find Chris, and they get back together and they all live happily ever after, except Kyle who is in jail.
This movie is SO awful!!! Pat is really unlikable. I can't even really find good clips to share. Which is good for you... Bad for me cause I really wanna share my pain! I can only find the longer clips, and even I am not so cruel as to share those and make you watch them. Tempting as it is, I would live in a world of guilt. You are getting off LIGHT!!
So seriously, if you feel nostalgic for SNL, watch Wayne's World, hell, any Chris Farley movie, Blues Brothers, or (better yet) catch an actual SNL rerun. Seriously! Pat came from the time of Toonces the Driving Cat, Deep Thoughts, and Stuart Smalley just to name a few. They were much funnier and most of them (Stuart, Stuart, Stuart... Tsk tsk... You disappoint me.) had the good sense to stay away from a feature length movie. WATCH THEM!
That's the review, and I. Am. OUTTA HERE!
GGC
(Yes, I know that The Blue Brothers was WAY before Pat... But I wanted to include it because it's AWESOME!)
Sunday, June 3, 2012
It was the best of (movie) times... Blade Runner
Wow. This movie is pretty awesome. Let's get started...
Blade Runner is set in the early 21st century (*grin*). In this not too distant future, artificial intelligence has taken a leap to the Nexus 6. The Nexus 6 is a person, only better, and illegal on Earth. They are used as slave labor off planet. A Blade Runner is a police officer who has the distinction of hunting down renegade "replicants" as these AIs are called. Our main character, Rick Deckard, is one of these elite. A group of replicants have escaped and arrived on Earth. Deckard is, of course, called in (from retirement, no less) to hunt them down. Through his investigation, Deckard meets Rachel. Rachel is also a replicant, however, she did not know this before Deckard entered her life. Through her, we get to see that the replicants can form emotions despite not being programmed to have them. As they are designed to be physically powerful and (in some cases) at least as smart as the humans who made them, this emotional life they have can make them quite dangerous. Most have not developed emotions due to their 4 year life span. This group of replicants have come only to gain more life. In their search, they have gone on a killing spree that draws the authority's attention, and it seems to be all for naught, as we find out that the 4 year life span is not a fail safe programmed into them, but simply a consequence of their existence that the Tyrell Company (the company who designed the Nexus 6) was unable to reverse. Deckard hunts them down, and through his relationship with Rachel (also a Nexus 6) seems to start to see them as people. The climax is heart breaking and beautiful in the cinematography. We even, sort of, get a happy ending. Rachel and Deckard leave to be together for however long she has.
The movie sets a mood that is pretty darned cool. It is cyber punk-esque is feel... But not overwelmingly so. It's dark and slightly foreign in technology, but not so much that it alienates the audience. In fact, most of the backgrounds are actually downtown Tokyo. So we get advertisements for Coca-Cola and the like. But, the police force has flying cars. Seriously. This movie takes place in 2019 and they have flying cars. Seven more years, people! Yay, for flying cars!
I really also liked the feel and movement of the script. About halfway through, I realized that it was a Noir homage. And well done, too. Sure, it's futuristic, but all we needed was the voice-over of Deckard's inner monologue and it could have been a Bogie film. Most of the other elements were there, the mysterious woman needing help and the gruff detective who is hesitant to form an attachment to her to name a couple. WHY did it take me so long to see this movie???
Which brings me to my last thoughts, I LOVE sci-fi and cyber punk is one of my favorite asthetics for movies. I am 36 years old, and this is my first viewing of this particular movie. Why? I wish I could answer that. I am so glad that I can now say that I have seen it. And if you know me, I am officially now taking suggestions for future movie viewing in this genre, just so I don't miss another gem.
GGC
Blade Runner is set in the early 21st century (*grin*). In this not too distant future, artificial intelligence has taken a leap to the Nexus 6. The Nexus 6 is a person, only better, and illegal on Earth. They are used as slave labor off planet. A Blade Runner is a police officer who has the distinction of hunting down renegade "replicants" as these AIs are called. Our main character, Rick Deckard, is one of these elite. A group of replicants have escaped and arrived on Earth. Deckard is, of course, called in (from retirement, no less) to hunt them down. Through his investigation, Deckard meets Rachel. Rachel is also a replicant, however, she did not know this before Deckard entered her life. Through her, we get to see that the replicants can form emotions despite not being programmed to have them. As they are designed to be physically powerful and (in some cases) at least as smart as the humans who made them, this emotional life they have can make them quite dangerous. Most have not developed emotions due to their 4 year life span. This group of replicants have come only to gain more life. In their search, they have gone on a killing spree that draws the authority's attention, and it seems to be all for naught, as we find out that the 4 year life span is not a fail safe programmed into them, but simply a consequence of their existence that the Tyrell Company (the company who designed the Nexus 6) was unable to reverse. Deckard hunts them down, and through his relationship with Rachel (also a Nexus 6) seems to start to see them as people. The climax is heart breaking and beautiful in the cinematography. We even, sort of, get a happy ending. Rachel and Deckard leave to be together for however long she has.
The movie sets a mood that is pretty darned cool. It is cyber punk-esque is feel... But not overwelmingly so. It's dark and slightly foreign in technology, but not so much that it alienates the audience. In fact, most of the backgrounds are actually downtown Tokyo. So we get advertisements for Coca-Cola and the like. But, the police force has flying cars. Seriously. This movie takes place in 2019 and they have flying cars. Seven more years, people! Yay, for flying cars!
I really also liked the feel and movement of the script. About halfway through, I realized that it was a Noir homage. And well done, too. Sure, it's futuristic, but all we needed was the voice-over of Deckard's inner monologue and it could have been a Bogie film. Most of the other elements were there, the mysterious woman needing help and the gruff detective who is hesitant to form an attachment to her to name a couple. WHY did it take me so long to see this movie???
Which brings me to my last thoughts, I LOVE sci-fi and cyber punk is one of my favorite asthetics for movies. I am 36 years old, and this is my first viewing of this particular movie. Why? I wish I could answer that. I am so glad that I can now say that I have seen it. And if you know me, I am officially now taking suggestions for future movie viewing in this genre, just so I don't miss another gem.
GGC
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
It was the (worst) of (movie) times... Phat Girlz
I know that the "worst" is in parenthesis. It will become clear as you read this.
Phat Girlz. It's about a heavy young woman named Jazmin, her friend Stacey, and her cousin Mia. Jazmin is an aspiring fashion designer struggling with her self image due to her weight. She wins an all expenses paid trip to Palm Springs where Stacey and her meet the men of their dreams(Tunde and Akimbo). Stacey enjoys the fling for what it is, but Jazmin blows it by accusing Tunde of wanting someone thinner. After arriving home and getting through a deep depression, Jazmin pursues her dreams of fashion design and makes it big. After everything is going well in her life, she has the self confidence to go and be with Tunde.
Simple plot. Not necessarily high art. HOWEVER, this movie does not deserve to be anywhere on this list. These are supposed to be the 100 WORST movies. This is NOT that bad. In fact, I was entertained and even touched a little by this movie. Perhaps its because I do identify with Jazmin. But I really think it's because this movie was actually NOT bad. Why is it on this list? Because it is a user voted list. Evidently, enough users voted for it. I have a hard time believing it was for anything other than the fact that it starred two heavy women in romantic leads. This makes me sad.
I really don't want to go into it TOO much, because I will be on my soap box for a LONG time over this. Like how America is LAME to place so much importance on being thin instead of being healthy (I know, they CAN go hand in hand... But not always). How I am sick of being treated as lesser because I carry a few extra pounds (admittedly, mostly by young men, not those my own age and almost never by the women in my life). And I am REALLY upset that when I see a movie that is funny, and entertaining that has people built like me, it ends up here. LAME! SHAME on you voters, SHAME!
Ok. This movie is not the best movie I have seen. I really could have done without some of the crude humor, for instance. But the message is right. What brings Jazmin out of her funk and puts her on the right path is not something Tunde said or did, but something her grandmother told her when she was small. Only then does she pull herself up and get her life in order. I really like that Jazmin did all this, and THEN goes to Tunde. Not because she desperately needs a man, but because she realizes how sincere he was and needs to make it right. It's a chick flick, and if you like those, it is totally worth a look-see.
One good thing did come out of Phat Girlz being on IMDB's 100 Worst Movies. I never would have seen it otherwise. So maybe I should thank the voters??? Nah! SHAME on you!!! (I needed to say it one more time!)
GGC
Phat Girlz. It's about a heavy young woman named Jazmin, her friend Stacey, and her cousin Mia. Jazmin is an aspiring fashion designer struggling with her self image due to her weight. She wins an all expenses paid trip to Palm Springs where Stacey and her meet the men of their dreams(Tunde and Akimbo). Stacey enjoys the fling for what it is, but Jazmin blows it by accusing Tunde of wanting someone thinner. After arriving home and getting through a deep depression, Jazmin pursues her dreams of fashion design and makes it big. After everything is going well in her life, she has the self confidence to go and be with Tunde.
Simple plot. Not necessarily high art. HOWEVER, this movie does not deserve to be anywhere on this list. These are supposed to be the 100 WORST movies. This is NOT that bad. In fact, I was entertained and even touched a little by this movie. Perhaps its because I do identify with Jazmin. But I really think it's because this movie was actually NOT bad. Why is it on this list? Because it is a user voted list. Evidently, enough users voted for it. I have a hard time believing it was for anything other than the fact that it starred two heavy women in romantic leads. This makes me sad.
I really don't want to go into it TOO much, because I will be on my soap box for a LONG time over this. Like how America is LAME to place so much importance on being thin instead of being healthy (I know, they CAN go hand in hand... But not always). How I am sick of being treated as lesser because I carry a few extra pounds (admittedly, mostly by young men, not those my own age and almost never by the women in my life). And I am REALLY upset that when I see a movie that is funny, and entertaining that has people built like me, it ends up here. LAME! SHAME on you voters, SHAME!
Ok. This movie is not the best movie I have seen. I really could have done without some of the crude humor, for instance. But the message is right. What brings Jazmin out of her funk and puts her on the right path is not something Tunde said or did, but something her grandmother told her when she was small. Only then does she pull herself up and get her life in order. I really like that Jazmin did all this, and THEN goes to Tunde. Not because she desperately needs a man, but because she realizes how sincere he was and needs to make it right. It's a chick flick, and if you like those, it is totally worth a look-see.
One good thing did come out of Phat Girlz being on IMDB's 100 Worst Movies. I never would have seen it otherwise. So maybe I should thank the voters??? Nah! SHAME on you!!! (I needed to say it one more time!)
GGC
Thursday, May 24, 2012
It was the Best of (movie) times... Yankee Doodle Dandy
(Again, I am playing with the format these entries will take. I will focus less on the summary and more on my feelings, and see how that works)
Yankee Doodle Dandy is a musical movie about the life of George M Cohan, considered to be the father of the American musical comedy. The movie opens on George backstage after a performance of I'd Rather Be Right in which he played FDR. A telegram arrives for him and as it is from the president, himself, asking for a meeting, George is nervous. At the meeting, FDR gets George talking about his life. We are shown the entire span of his life to date, from his birth in flash back as he talks with the president. In the end, he apologizes for rambling on and asks what the president wanted with an "old song and dance man" like him. The president awards him the Congressional Gold Metal for keeping moral up during World War I with his rousing music (especially the song Over There). The movie ends with George joining a parade of soldier singing Over There as an anonymous citizen supporting the troops.
I am a bit nostalgic when it comes to this movie. I remember sitting in my grandparents basement watching this on their console TV every year it aired on network TV (I believe right around now because of Memorial Day or July 4 for obvious reasons). I didn't remember many scenes from back then, but this viewing really put me in a happy place. And it's timed just right as Monday is Memorial Day.
This movie has a brilliant musical format, as every musical number is performed on a stage, portraying the performance of a musical that George M Cohan Either wrote or in which he performed (and in most cases, both). I know the main beef many people have with musicals is the random bursting into song the characters do. This format eliminates this problem. Even someone who hates the musical format can enjoy this. It's also very cool to see James Cagney playing a song and dance man.
Speaking of Cagney, it is surreal to see him dancing. He's pretty darn good. I was taken aback because (since I have become an adult) I am more familiar with his work in movies such as Angels With Dirty Faces and Taxi! It is really fascinating to see him dancing in the big production number of Yankee Doodle Dandy. And the stunt that he performs dancing down the stairs in the White house in the finale of the movie just makes me wonder how he didn't break his neck. He also has a fast talking conman charm, best exemplified in the scene where he teams up with his life long partner, Sam Harris. Earlier, Sam meets and is (also) turned down funding from a wealthy investor. George runs into him in a bar where Sam is trying to hook another investor. Poor Sam has no idea what is happening when George completely blindsides him, HOPING that he will play along. George asks Sam if he is talking about their new project (implied nudge and wink). Sam quickly catches up and starts to play along. George continues to tell Sam that he changed the song Yankee Doodle Dandy, to which Harris replies "You shouldn't have done that, it was perfect as it was!" (keeping in mind, of course that Sam only SAW George once, never met him officially). This intrigues the investor who wants to hear the song, and, of course, wants to throw money at the musical after hearing this one song. After a hasty introduction, Sam and George become lifelong partners. I don't know if this story is true, but Cagney really sells it. In fact I am still in stitches watching. Cagney's comedic timing is dead on, his dancing is pretty amazing, and his George M Cohan is cocky, yet likable. I gotta say, Cagney was a much more versatile actor than I ever knew. His performance in this movie won him an Oscar for Best Actor. So, it's defiantly worth a watch for him alone.
George M Cohan's life story is pretty amazing. He is credited with songs numbering over 500. Many of them still standards today (Give My Regards to Broadway, You're a Grand Old Flag, Only 45 Minutes From Broadway, Mary's a Grand Old Name). And he also wrote or collaborated on more than 50 productions on Broadway (starring in many of them). So, his life is the story of a self-made man, climbing from the lowly start with a family vaudeville act (The Four Cohans) to James Cagney winning an Oscar for the portrayal of him in this movie. He really achieved the American Dream. I will stop the history lesson here... I guess I just really like this story!
I really don't have anything bad to say about Yankee Doodle Dandy. Perhaps it's the nostalgia lenses, perhaps it's just a good movie. The story, the performances, the look of it, it's all really entertaining. Maybe it's a tad long, but it held my attention as a kid and still does now. Not many movies can claim that.
Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone!
GGC
Yankee Doodle Dandy is a musical movie about the life of George M Cohan, considered to be the father of the American musical comedy. The movie opens on George backstage after a performance of I'd Rather Be Right in which he played FDR. A telegram arrives for him and as it is from the president, himself, asking for a meeting, George is nervous. At the meeting, FDR gets George talking about his life. We are shown the entire span of his life to date, from his birth in flash back as he talks with the president. In the end, he apologizes for rambling on and asks what the president wanted with an "old song and dance man" like him. The president awards him the Congressional Gold Metal for keeping moral up during World War I with his rousing music (especially the song Over There). The movie ends with George joining a parade of soldier singing Over There as an anonymous citizen supporting the troops.
I am a bit nostalgic when it comes to this movie. I remember sitting in my grandparents basement watching this on their console TV every year it aired on network TV (I believe right around now because of Memorial Day or July 4 for obvious reasons). I didn't remember many scenes from back then, but this viewing really put me in a happy place. And it's timed just right as Monday is Memorial Day.
This movie has a brilliant musical format, as every musical number is performed on a stage, portraying the performance of a musical that George M Cohan Either wrote or in which he performed (and in most cases, both). I know the main beef many people have with musicals is the random bursting into song the characters do. This format eliminates this problem. Even someone who hates the musical format can enjoy this. It's also very cool to see James Cagney playing a song and dance man.
Speaking of Cagney, it is surreal to see him dancing. He's pretty darn good. I was taken aback because (since I have become an adult) I am more familiar with his work in movies such as Angels With Dirty Faces and Taxi! It is really fascinating to see him dancing in the big production number of Yankee Doodle Dandy. And the stunt that he performs dancing down the stairs in the White house in the finale of the movie just makes me wonder how he didn't break his neck. He also has a fast talking conman charm, best exemplified in the scene where he teams up with his life long partner, Sam Harris. Earlier, Sam meets and is (also) turned down funding from a wealthy investor. George runs into him in a bar where Sam is trying to hook another investor. Poor Sam has no idea what is happening when George completely blindsides him, HOPING that he will play along. George asks Sam if he is talking about their new project (implied nudge and wink). Sam quickly catches up and starts to play along. George continues to tell Sam that he changed the song Yankee Doodle Dandy, to which Harris replies "You shouldn't have done that, it was perfect as it was!" (keeping in mind, of course that Sam only SAW George once, never met him officially). This intrigues the investor who wants to hear the song, and, of course, wants to throw money at the musical after hearing this one song. After a hasty introduction, Sam and George become lifelong partners. I don't know if this story is true, but Cagney really sells it. In fact I am still in stitches watching. Cagney's comedic timing is dead on, his dancing is pretty amazing, and his George M Cohan is cocky, yet likable. I gotta say, Cagney was a much more versatile actor than I ever knew. His performance in this movie won him an Oscar for Best Actor. So, it's defiantly worth a watch for him alone.
George M Cohan's life story is pretty amazing. He is credited with songs numbering over 500. Many of them still standards today (Give My Regards to Broadway, You're a Grand Old Flag, Only 45 Minutes From Broadway, Mary's a Grand Old Name). And he also wrote or collaborated on more than 50 productions on Broadway (starring in many of them). So, his life is the story of a self-made man, climbing from the lowly start with a family vaudeville act (The Four Cohans) to James Cagney winning an Oscar for the portrayal of him in this movie. He really achieved the American Dream. I will stop the history lesson here... I guess I just really like this story!
I really don't have anything bad to say about Yankee Doodle Dandy. Perhaps it's the nostalgia lenses, perhaps it's just a good movie. The story, the performances, the look of it, it's all really entertaining. Maybe it's a tad long, but it held my attention as a kid and still does now. Not many movies can claim that.
Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone!
GGC
Monday, May 21, 2012
An apology and some explaination...
I have been thinking about how I approach these blogs about my "movie project" as I have been refering to it. I have been having fun, and I have been learning how to write a blog, baby step by baby step. However, my apology to you is this. I know that this is a self centered doing. I understand that I am writing about how I feel about these things with the implied result of someone giving a shit about what I have to say. But please do understand that I am mainly doing this as an exercise in discipline as well as exercising my brain a little. So, I am sorry for this self centered project of mine. Also, yes, I know that my summaries contain spoilers. I apologize about that too... But I don't think that will change.
Now the explanation. I just realized that the imdb list for BAD movies changes on occasion. Meet the Spartans is no longer #100. Lol! Anyway, I will just be watching the movie that is in the slot for the week I am in (unless I can't find it *shakes fist* Addiction!!! I will hunt you DOWN!). I am also doing this so I have something to think about other than the day to day. I love movies. This seemed logical and balanced. AND eventually I will come to a movie that is so bad it is good. Eventually!
Enjoy. Read up, or don't. Watch some of the movies, or don't. I'm doin it either way! :)
GGC
Now the explanation. I just realized that the imdb list for BAD movies changes on occasion. Meet the Spartans is no longer #100. Lol! Anyway, I will just be watching the movie that is in the slot for the week I am in (unless I can't find it *shakes fist* Addiction!!! I will hunt you DOWN!). I am also doing this so I have something to think about other than the day to day. I love movies. This seemed logical and balanced. AND eventually I will come to a movie that is so bad it is good. Eventually!
Enjoy. Read up, or don't. Watch some of the movies, or don't. I'm doin it either way! :)
GGC
It was the worst of (movie) times... Another 9 1/2 Weeks
Ok. So.... Everyone that I have talked to about this movie has said some variation of "There's a sequel to 9 1/2 Weeks?" Yes. Yes there is. And I watched it. I wish that I could leave it at that. But, I committed to writing about these movies, so, I will suck it up. This entry is gonna be a little different, as I will just editorialize about the movie as I try to summarize, otherwise it will kind of long and messy. Well... It still may be, but indulge me.
This (obviously) is the sequel to 9 1/2 Weeks starring Micky Rourke and Kim Bassinger. Rourke reprises his role as John, a stock trader. Bassinger is not in this movie. I do feel like I should say something about the first one, as this is a sequel. 9 1/2 Weeks is the story of Elizabeth, a painter and recent divorcee struggling with her feelings after the break up. She begins an affair with John, who is a stranger to her. Things get strange as her dependence on him increases, yet she knows nothing about him. He has strange appetites sexually, some bordering on abuse. Elizabeth struggles with the fact that he won't really share himself with her, and finally decides to leave. John does try to tell her about himself at this point, but too late, she walks out. Leaving him saying he loves her, and to please come back by the time he counts to 50. But... She's gone.
Another 9 1/2 Weeks starts after a period of time has elapsed. The movie opens with John in a hotel room with a prostitute. His attention is dragged outside where a horse has fallen, and is apparently really hurt. His encounter with the woman is cut short by his fascination with the drama unfolding below. The prostitute leaves. Confused? Yeah. Thought so. I will say that this is the main reason that this movie fails so badly. I think the writers and director were trying to be deep. However... It's not deep when it makes no sense. If you loose your viewer after only ten minutes (not kidding, that quick) your movie becomes nothing more than a waste of time. Not deep.
Alright. So, John wants to find Elizabeth so the wrongs done by the relationship can be made right... I think. And hunts down an auction of her paintings in Paris, so goes. He buys all of the works by Elizabeth, and in the process meets Lea (a friend of Elizabeth's) and Lea's assistant, Claire. He asks Lea about Elizabeth, but Lea refuses to answer right away. When she finally does tell him, she says that Elizabeth married a nnice man and is in Tangiers. After a few strange scenes at Lea's office (she is a fashion designer), the heat gets turned up between them. Abruptly. No lead up. The first "sexy" scene is at a tourist attraction with a dungeon. The Bastille, maybe? Lea kisses him, and he starts to undress her. However, voices carry through the hall as a group of people are coming. Lea starts saying, then yelling "No, no, stop." Just in time for an American family to "catch" him. (Yeah, the entire family, 2 young-ish kids and Mom and Dad. Thanks for that, movie.) After the family is (i guess?) satisfied that she is alright (I say I guess because they also seem skeptical, but leave anyway) Dad says one of the funniest lines I have heard in a movie in a long time. "You're American! You should know better!" Just let it sink in. Funny, ain't it?
Now is the point of the movie that we are supposed to start forming attachments to these people. I didn't. Mainly because this part is so much more fragmented than the first part. I know. I really am still confused. Claire and John hang out and become friends. At least I think they become friends, he gives her advice while sailing toy boats. There is a discotheque scene in there where John saves Claire from being assaulted by her boyfriend... At least I think it's her boyfriend. I guess it may have just been some guy in the club... There's some introduction to Lea's business partner, Vittorio. He is upset about Lea's blooming relationship with John. I have to be honest here, I feel like the movie set him up to be gay, and them changed it's mind at the last minute. I GUESS what they went with was that he is actually in love with Lea and his upset about John comes from jealousy. Lea and John get closer, and actually form a relationship (the movie didn't SHOW me this, it TOLD me this. A very frustrating thing about this screenplay.)
So this fragmented series of scenes leads up to a fashion show for Lea's line. John attends and after, accompanies Lea to a party. Ummm... This party is at a sex club, strip club, something. Lea and John go to be "by themselves," bringing Claire with them. Lea uses Claire to seduce John, but before it really gets started, John seems to suddenly remember that he is here to find Elizabeth and bolts up and asks what happened to her. Lea maintains that she is in Tangiers. Also reminding him that Elizabeth left him and he should just let it go. John doesn't believe Lea, and Vittorio is suddenly in the room in a really jarring WTF moment. Vittorio FINALLY tells John the truth. Elizabeth is dead.
Evidently, she started using drugs in Paris and died of an overdose (?? I think??). John confronts Lea after an "emotional" scene of him visiting Elizabeth's grave. Lea explains that she didn't "have the heart" to tell him. As he doesn't want to be alone, they spend the weekend together. Lea tells him that she read Elizabeth's journal about their relationship, and expresses that she always wondered what he was like. She continues to try to recreate scenes from the first movie with him, but he is unreceptive, at one point yelling that she "just doesn't get it!"
They return from their weekend. John finds Claire in his room. I guess she broke in. She tells John she didn't know about Elizabeth. Her mini plot with John ends when he hugs her after she tells him her boyfriend hit her. Vittorio talks to anyone who is in his presence that Lea's relationship with John is unacceptable. John sends a hotel key to Lea with a note to meet him.
In the hotel room, John sets up an elaborate scene to show Lea that she really doesn't want what Elizabeth and him had, and then they spend one last night together. This scene is more confusing and upsetting than any that have come before, because it gets rape-y, John is really a bastard to her, and YET Lea STILL makes love to him. *sigh* Anyway... In the morning, John leaves. Lea is left asking HIM to come back by the time she counts to 50.... Ahhhhhhhh full circle and stuff!
Ok. This movie is confusing. REALLY confusing. Plots start, and very hastily end. I think the writer forgot about them, and then decided to try to tie them up before he was done... Like these blog entries. This movie was a direct to video release, and no wonder. Admittedly, I have not seen the first one. Because of that, I did research it so I could at least know where this was starting from. In reading about the first movie, in talking to those who had seen it, I think that maybe this continuation is insulting to what the first one was supposed to be saying. Even though Elizabeth got sucked in to this unhealthy relationship with John, she had the strength to walk away at the end. That looses power when you find out that she fell into drugs and died after. Seriously! Some stories are meant to stand alone. I hate that a drive to milk more money from a movie allows Hollywood to ruin strong statements made. We have seen Disney do it over and over again. I guess Another 9 1/2 Weeks just proves that kids movies aren't the only victims.
Even with all that said, this movie REALLY fails because it was written and filmed in such a way that it comes off as pretentious. But vapidly so, There is nothing there to back ANY of the emotion for anyone in this movie. I mostly feel sorry for that horse at the beginning. Not because he died, but because THAT actor was convincing, I felt for him. I believe that it is time for him to get a new agent.
GGC
This (obviously) is the sequel to 9 1/2 Weeks starring Micky Rourke and Kim Bassinger. Rourke reprises his role as John, a stock trader. Bassinger is not in this movie. I do feel like I should say something about the first one, as this is a sequel. 9 1/2 Weeks is the story of Elizabeth, a painter and recent divorcee struggling with her feelings after the break up. She begins an affair with John, who is a stranger to her. Things get strange as her dependence on him increases, yet she knows nothing about him. He has strange appetites sexually, some bordering on abuse. Elizabeth struggles with the fact that he won't really share himself with her, and finally decides to leave. John does try to tell her about himself at this point, but too late, she walks out. Leaving him saying he loves her, and to please come back by the time he counts to 50. But... She's gone.
Another 9 1/2 Weeks starts after a period of time has elapsed. The movie opens with John in a hotel room with a prostitute. His attention is dragged outside where a horse has fallen, and is apparently really hurt. His encounter with the woman is cut short by his fascination with the drama unfolding below. The prostitute leaves. Confused? Yeah. Thought so. I will say that this is the main reason that this movie fails so badly. I think the writers and director were trying to be deep. However... It's not deep when it makes no sense. If you loose your viewer after only ten minutes (not kidding, that quick) your movie becomes nothing more than a waste of time. Not deep.
Alright. So, John wants to find Elizabeth so the wrongs done by the relationship can be made right... I think. And hunts down an auction of her paintings in Paris, so goes. He buys all of the works by Elizabeth, and in the process meets Lea (a friend of Elizabeth's) and Lea's assistant, Claire. He asks Lea about Elizabeth, but Lea refuses to answer right away. When she finally does tell him, she says that Elizabeth married a nnice man and is in Tangiers. After a few strange scenes at Lea's office (she is a fashion designer), the heat gets turned up between them. Abruptly. No lead up. The first "sexy" scene is at a tourist attraction with a dungeon. The Bastille, maybe? Lea kisses him, and he starts to undress her. However, voices carry through the hall as a group of people are coming. Lea starts saying, then yelling "No, no, stop." Just in time for an American family to "catch" him. (Yeah, the entire family, 2 young-ish kids and Mom and Dad. Thanks for that, movie.) After the family is (i guess?) satisfied that she is alright (I say I guess because they also seem skeptical, but leave anyway) Dad says one of the funniest lines I have heard in a movie in a long time. "You're American! You should know better!" Just let it sink in. Funny, ain't it?
Now is the point of the movie that we are supposed to start forming attachments to these people. I didn't. Mainly because this part is so much more fragmented than the first part. I know. I really am still confused. Claire and John hang out and become friends. At least I think they become friends, he gives her advice while sailing toy boats. There is a discotheque scene in there where John saves Claire from being assaulted by her boyfriend... At least I think it's her boyfriend. I guess it may have just been some guy in the club... There's some introduction to Lea's business partner, Vittorio. He is upset about Lea's blooming relationship with John. I have to be honest here, I feel like the movie set him up to be gay, and them changed it's mind at the last minute. I GUESS what they went with was that he is actually in love with Lea and his upset about John comes from jealousy. Lea and John get closer, and actually form a relationship (the movie didn't SHOW me this, it TOLD me this. A very frustrating thing about this screenplay.)
So this fragmented series of scenes leads up to a fashion show for Lea's line. John attends and after, accompanies Lea to a party. Ummm... This party is at a sex club, strip club, something. Lea and John go to be "by themselves," bringing Claire with them. Lea uses Claire to seduce John, but before it really gets started, John seems to suddenly remember that he is here to find Elizabeth and bolts up and asks what happened to her. Lea maintains that she is in Tangiers. Also reminding him that Elizabeth left him and he should just let it go. John doesn't believe Lea, and Vittorio is suddenly in the room in a really jarring WTF moment. Vittorio FINALLY tells John the truth. Elizabeth is dead.
Evidently, she started using drugs in Paris and died of an overdose (?? I think??). John confronts Lea after an "emotional" scene of him visiting Elizabeth's grave. Lea explains that she didn't "have the heart" to tell him. As he doesn't want to be alone, they spend the weekend together. Lea tells him that she read Elizabeth's journal about their relationship, and expresses that she always wondered what he was like. She continues to try to recreate scenes from the first movie with him, but he is unreceptive, at one point yelling that she "just doesn't get it!"
They return from their weekend. John finds Claire in his room. I guess she broke in. She tells John she didn't know about Elizabeth. Her mini plot with John ends when he hugs her after she tells him her boyfriend hit her. Vittorio talks to anyone who is in his presence that Lea's relationship with John is unacceptable. John sends a hotel key to Lea with a note to meet him.
In the hotel room, John sets up an elaborate scene to show Lea that she really doesn't want what Elizabeth and him had, and then they spend one last night together. This scene is more confusing and upsetting than any that have come before, because it gets rape-y, John is really a bastard to her, and YET Lea STILL makes love to him. *sigh* Anyway... In the morning, John leaves. Lea is left asking HIM to come back by the time she counts to 50.... Ahhhhhhhh full circle and stuff!
Ok. This movie is confusing. REALLY confusing. Plots start, and very hastily end. I think the writer forgot about them, and then decided to try to tie them up before he was done... Like these blog entries. This movie was a direct to video release, and no wonder. Admittedly, I have not seen the first one. Because of that, I did research it so I could at least know where this was starting from. In reading about the first movie, in talking to those who had seen it, I think that maybe this continuation is insulting to what the first one was supposed to be saying. Even though Elizabeth got sucked in to this unhealthy relationship with John, she had the strength to walk away at the end. That looses power when you find out that she fell into drugs and died after. Seriously! Some stories are meant to stand alone. I hate that a drive to milk more money from a movie allows Hollywood to ruin strong statements made. We have seen Disney do it over and over again. I guess Another 9 1/2 Weeks just proves that kids movies aren't the only victims.
Even with all that said, this movie REALLY fails because it was written and filmed in such a way that it comes off as pretentious. But vapidly so, There is nothing there to back ANY of the emotion for anyone in this movie. I mostly feel sorry for that horse at the beginning. Not because he died, but because THAT actor was convincing, I felt for him. I believe that it is time for him to get a new agent.
GGC
Saturday, May 19, 2012
It was the best of (movie) times... Toy Story
Toy story was Pixar's first feature length films and the first feature length film done entirely in CGI. It's inovation paved the way for films such as Finding Nemo, Tangled, Shrek, and Beowolf. The writing was ingenious and funny for both kids and adults and captured what Disney films had lacked in the years since the fairy tale movies... A good story.
The movie opens with a child named Andy playing with his favorite toy, Woody. Woody is a wild west sheriff toy with a pull string voice box. (One of the things he says is "There's a snake in my boot!" Always good for a laugh.) Andy gets called away, and drops Woody on the bed. This is where we see the real world of this movie. When people are away, the toys "wake up." Well... It's more like they pretend to be inatimate when people are around. Whatever. Anyway... The audience is introduced to many interesting characters, but the main ones are Mr Potatohead (self-explanatory), Slinky (a Slinky dog), Rex (a toy Tyrannosaurus Rex), Hamm (a piggy bank) and Bo Peep (I think from a nightlight... Maybe... I don't think they ever really explain why a little boy has a toy Bo Peep, not that there is anything wrong with that). There are a few more, like the soldiers in a Bucket o Soldiers, the Speak and Spell, a wind up set of walking binoculars, and RC, the remote controled car. They are an organized society with Woody at the top because he is Andy's favorite toy.
It's the day of Andy's birthday party ( a surprise bcause Any's mom moved it ahead to accomidate their moving the week of her son's birthday) and the toys are nervous about possibly being replaced. In response to the nervousness, Woody sends the toy soldiers (the kind that don't move, you know, with their feet planted on a piece of plastic terrain the width of their feet) with the receiver from a baby monitor downstairs to report what the presents are. This is set up like a military operation, complete with casualties. The monitor gets set up and the present opening begins. After much nail biting, there are no toys and there is a collective sigh of relief. But WAIT! Mom has a surprise gift. Rex gets over excited and the speaker falls, cutting off the transmission. After some frantic replacement of the batteries, the toys all must resume their position because the sergeant is reporting that Andy is coming. Andy and his friends breeze through and leave Andy's surprise present on the bed, pushing Woody over the side of the bed. The kids run out for cake and the toys all rush to see who is on Andy's bed. They find Buzz Lightyear, a space man action figure, complete with wings.
Woody is (of course) jealous and instantly dislikes Buzz. It doesn't help that Buzz is unaware that he is a toy. The rest of the toys like Buzz and feed into his delusion. They help Buzz repair his ship, ask him what a Space Ranger does, and generally accept him, flaws and all. Well... then Woody consumed with jealousy sets up an elaberate trap to push Buzz under then bed so Andy will choose him for an excursion to a pizza place. Buzz, instead ends up falling out the window and the toys all think that Woody is a murderer. Down at the mini van, Buzz is able to grab on and confront Woody at a filling station. They end up getting left behind, Woody panics until he sees a delivery boy for the pizza place and the two toys ride with him to "Pizza Planet."
When there, we see Andy's neighbor Sid. Sid is a Doctor Frankenstein of toys. A real psychopath. Sid ends up getting Buzz and Woody from a claw machine filled with squeeky alien toys. (I will put a link to this scene later... it's one of my favorites.) Why are they in a claw machine? It is shaped like a space ship, and Buzz needs to get back home, of course! Anyway... Woody and Buzz end up at Sid's house. They meet all the toys "reconstructed" by Sid (a mechanical spider with a dolls head, a set of Barbi doll legs with a fishing pole for a torso/head, and a muscular action figure torso with a duck's head and bouncey bottom are my favorites). Woody tries to get home, but the toys still think that he killed Buzz (proven by Woody having Buzz's disembodied arm), so they are on their own to get home. Buzz sees a commercial for, well, him on tv and has an identity crisis. He just gives up and Sid ties him to a rocket, intending on launching him into space. He "comes to" a little too late, and Woody and Sid's toys have to come to the rescue. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgdI0qsbg2A&feature=related.
(Yes, I know this is a long summary... Again. This is a learning process, people! )
It's moving day, and Woody and Buzz have to catch up with their family in an exciting climax in which Woody and Buzz race down the street using the power of the ignighted rocket (still tied to Buzz's back) and the wheels of RC. Buzz gets to fly (or "fall with style") with Woody in tow. They (of course) catch up and the movie ends with the toys crowding around the baby monitor again on Christmas morning. Woody gets a kiss from Bo Peep, and Buzz and Woody are REALLY nervous as Andy gets a dog. And Randy Newman sings, cue the credits.
OK. *catch breath*
I LOVE this movie. I always have. I love the story. I love the colors, the animation, the pacing. It's all great. I still laugh at scenes. Especially Buzz's introduction to Andy's room, it's the BEST "so there" moment EVER! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCGzemN7Dc8). And the sqeeky alien claw machine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-Esh4W3dfI).
If I was to have any complaint about Toy Story, it would be Randy Newman. I really am not a big fan of his style of music. At all. Well... That is a lie. I really liked the music in The Princess and the Frog. But over all, not a fan. I think that You've Got a Friend in Me sounds like I Love To See You Smile sounds like If I Didn't Have You etc. etc. etc. and so forth. You don't believe me? Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFq_TLy9fvk&feature=related, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt7i-Wpi8sk, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfFepOnARFA. Tell me I'm wrong! It doesn't ruin the movie. It's pretty much my only gripe with Toy Story. And he's my biggest gripe with most Pixar movies. And then there's this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9FH4HIQjvw&feature=related. I know... But the fact is, most songs of his I hear are just about what he sees. Lol!
I think that I am done, for now. I hope to hone this process a little better as I go. Practice makes perfect, right? I have 98 more weeks of this! Another 9 1/2 Weeks is next. (for everyone keeping track, I know that a movie called Addiction was 99 on the bad movies list, but I am having trouble finding it, so I skipped it for now. I will get back to it.). ANYWAY...
Cue Randy Newman, roll credits.
GGC
The movie opens with a child named Andy playing with his favorite toy, Woody. Woody is a wild west sheriff toy with a pull string voice box. (One of the things he says is "There's a snake in my boot!" Always good for a laugh.) Andy gets called away, and drops Woody on the bed. This is where we see the real world of this movie. When people are away, the toys "wake up." Well... It's more like they pretend to be inatimate when people are around. Whatever. Anyway... The audience is introduced to many interesting characters, but the main ones are Mr Potatohead (self-explanatory), Slinky (a Slinky dog), Rex (a toy Tyrannosaurus Rex), Hamm (a piggy bank) and Bo Peep (I think from a nightlight... Maybe... I don't think they ever really explain why a little boy has a toy Bo Peep, not that there is anything wrong with that). There are a few more, like the soldiers in a Bucket o Soldiers, the Speak and Spell, a wind up set of walking binoculars, and RC, the remote controled car. They are an organized society with Woody at the top because he is Andy's favorite toy.
It's the day of Andy's birthday party ( a surprise bcause Any's mom moved it ahead to accomidate their moving the week of her son's birthday) and the toys are nervous about possibly being replaced. In response to the nervousness, Woody sends the toy soldiers (the kind that don't move, you know, with their feet planted on a piece of plastic terrain the width of their feet) with the receiver from a baby monitor downstairs to report what the presents are. This is set up like a military operation, complete with casualties. The monitor gets set up and the present opening begins. After much nail biting, there are no toys and there is a collective sigh of relief. But WAIT! Mom has a surprise gift. Rex gets over excited and the speaker falls, cutting off the transmission. After some frantic replacement of the batteries, the toys all must resume their position because the sergeant is reporting that Andy is coming. Andy and his friends breeze through and leave Andy's surprise present on the bed, pushing Woody over the side of the bed. The kids run out for cake and the toys all rush to see who is on Andy's bed. They find Buzz Lightyear, a space man action figure, complete with wings.
Woody is (of course) jealous and instantly dislikes Buzz. It doesn't help that Buzz is unaware that he is a toy. The rest of the toys like Buzz and feed into his delusion. They help Buzz repair his ship, ask him what a Space Ranger does, and generally accept him, flaws and all. Well... then Woody consumed with jealousy sets up an elaberate trap to push Buzz under then bed so Andy will choose him for an excursion to a pizza place. Buzz, instead ends up falling out the window and the toys all think that Woody is a murderer. Down at the mini van, Buzz is able to grab on and confront Woody at a filling station. They end up getting left behind, Woody panics until he sees a delivery boy for the pizza place and the two toys ride with him to "Pizza Planet."
When there, we see Andy's neighbor Sid. Sid is a Doctor Frankenstein of toys. A real psychopath. Sid ends up getting Buzz and Woody from a claw machine filled with squeeky alien toys. (I will put a link to this scene later... it's one of my favorites.) Why are they in a claw machine? It is shaped like a space ship, and Buzz needs to get back home, of course! Anyway... Woody and Buzz end up at Sid's house. They meet all the toys "reconstructed" by Sid (a mechanical spider with a dolls head, a set of Barbi doll legs with a fishing pole for a torso/head, and a muscular action figure torso with a duck's head and bouncey bottom are my favorites). Woody tries to get home, but the toys still think that he killed Buzz (proven by Woody having Buzz's disembodied arm), so they are on their own to get home. Buzz sees a commercial for, well, him on tv and has an identity crisis. He just gives up and Sid ties him to a rocket, intending on launching him into space. He "comes to" a little too late, and Woody and Sid's toys have to come to the rescue. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgdI0qsbg2A&feature=related.
(Yes, I know this is a long summary... Again. This is a learning process, people! )
It's moving day, and Woody and Buzz have to catch up with their family in an exciting climax in which Woody and Buzz race down the street using the power of the ignighted rocket (still tied to Buzz's back) and the wheels of RC. Buzz gets to fly (or "fall with style") with Woody in tow. They (of course) catch up and the movie ends with the toys crowding around the baby monitor again on Christmas morning. Woody gets a kiss from Bo Peep, and Buzz and Woody are REALLY nervous as Andy gets a dog. And Randy Newman sings, cue the credits.
OK. *catch breath*
I LOVE this movie. I always have. I love the story. I love the colors, the animation, the pacing. It's all great. I still laugh at scenes. Especially Buzz's introduction to Andy's room, it's the BEST "so there" moment EVER! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCGzemN7Dc8). And the sqeeky alien claw machine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-Esh4W3dfI).
If I was to have any complaint about Toy Story, it would be Randy Newman. I really am not a big fan of his style of music. At all. Well... That is a lie. I really liked the music in The Princess and the Frog. But over all, not a fan. I think that You've Got a Friend in Me sounds like I Love To See You Smile sounds like If I Didn't Have You etc. etc. etc. and so forth. You don't believe me? Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFq_TLy9fvk&feature=related, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt7i-Wpi8sk, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfFepOnARFA. Tell me I'm wrong! It doesn't ruin the movie. It's pretty much my only gripe with Toy Story. And he's my biggest gripe with most Pixar movies. And then there's this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9FH4HIQjvw&feature=related. I know... But the fact is, most songs of his I hear are just about what he sees. Lol!
I think that I am done, for now. I hope to hone this process a little better as I go. Practice makes perfect, right? I have 98 more weeks of this! Another 9 1/2 Weeks is next. (for everyone keeping track, I know that a movie called Addiction was 99 on the bad movies list, but I am having trouble finding it, so I skipped it for now. I will get back to it.). ANYWAY...
Cue Randy Newman, roll credits.
GGC
Sunday, May 13, 2012
It was the worst of (movie) times... Meet the Spartans
Oh. My. God. What did I get myself into? Ok. Meet the Spartans.
So... For the plot, just watch 300. I am serious. In Sparta a boy named Leonidas is born, grows up, is put through all the rights of passage, becomes king. A dignitary from the neighboring Persians arrives and tells them his God-king wants the Spartans to bend the knee and Leonidas says no. (Well... In all fairness yells "This is Sparta" and kicks him into a pit. But "no would have worked as well.) The Spartan council says they will not send an army, and so Leonidas leaves his wife, son, and home behind to lead a small group of 300 soldiers to hold off the Persian army. They meet a hunchback who, because Leonidas wouldn't let him figh with them, betrays them to the Persian king. The 300 soldiers fight, and 299 of them die. One was injured and sent back to Sparta to bring a bigger fighting force to beat the Persians. Leonidas' wife does some political stuff, which is pretty awesome in 300... But is completely unfunny in Meet the Spartans, so I won't go into details with it. The End.
*sigh* Do you remember the first time you saw Airplane! ? Well... This movie fails in every way that Airplane! succeeds. I did not even crack a smile at any of the jokes which consisted of a lot of bodily functions, a prolonged homosexual joke, and random pop culture that will in NO way date this humor (yess that last one was sarcasm, they had a Sanjiah look alike. Do you remember Sanjiah? Yeah, me neither). Kevin Sorbo is in it, and all I kept thinking was "NOOO! HERCULES! NOOOO!!!!" This wasn't even a "This is so bad, it's fun" thing. This was a "Did middle schoolers write this? No? Adults did? Really??? How sad" kind of thing. I can write all kinds of stuff here about how it sucked. But I already did a long entry earlier today. So I will just leave you with this thought. Someone had to pay money to make this. Someone had to be away from their family to film this. People actually paid to see this. What a tragedy.
NEXT WEEK:
It was the best of (movie) times- Toy Story
It was the worst of (movie) times- Another 9 1/2 Weeks
GGC
It was the best of (movie) times.... Ben-Hur
Today I watched the epic, Ben-Hur, number 100 on the AFI list for best movies of all time. I have been debating on how to approach these things... and have decided to do a quick summary of the plot followed by my reaction. So... Here goes.
The movie begins with the census of Caesar Augustus, in Bethleham. We follow Joeseph and Mary through the Nativity. We see the wise men arriving at the stable and giving their gifts. Then we jump ahead to twenty-six years later. A young Roman named Messala is ariving in Judea. After a quick meeting with another Roman, he is visited by his childhood friend, Judah Ben-Hur. Judah is a jewish prince who grew up with the young Roman. At first they are happy to see each other again. But that soon turns sour, as Messala has big political dreams and hopes to use Judah as a "snitch" to root out rebels in the area. Judah tells him to shove it and they part ways. Esther is now introduced. Her father and Esther are slaves to the Ben-Hur family and Esther is getting married. Judah grants her permission and her freedom as a wedding present. In the next scene, they find themselves alone and it plays out that they are in love. Judah takes Esther's slave ring and places it on his own finger. He swears not to remove it until he meets the woman he is to marry. They share a kiss and the story moves on.
The new governor of Judea arrives and a parade happens. Judah and his sister watch from the roof of the Ben-Hur estate. By pure bad luck, a tile from the roof falls and spooks the governor's horse, which in turn injures the governor. Judah and his mother and sister are arrested and hauled off. Messala, even though he believed the truth in Judah's claim of the incident being an accident, condemns Judah to the galleys and the women to the dungeons. Judah swears revenge and is hauled off. The Romans have it in for Judah on his long walk to the galleys and at a water stop in Nazareth don't allow Judah to have water. A mystery man gives him water in the face of the aggression of the Roman guards. (of COURSE it's Jesus... I say mystery man because they don't show his face) This stranger's kindness gives Judah the strength to keep living.
Judah survives for three years in the galleys when he meets a Roman named Quintus Arrius. Arrius arrives on Judah's ship in order to lead the fleet in a battle against enemies raiding the Roman fleet. Before the battle, Arrius finds out that Judah has survived three years and is impressed. Arrius owns gladiators and offers to take Judah and put him in his line-up. Judah doesn't answer positively, but then he has to return to his oar, as the battle is upon them. Arrius tells the overseer to unchain Judah before the battle. During the battle, the ship sinks, Judah saves as many people as possible, including Arrius. They end up on a raft together. As Judah saved his life, Arrius takes Judah in. He finds that Judah has a talent with horses and has him drive his team in the Circus.
Arrius is so taken with Judah that he adopts him as his son. But on the evening of than announcement, Judah tells him that he must return to Judea. So, Judah leaves Rome to go home. On the way, Judah meets a Sheikh and Balthazar (yes, the wise man from the Nativity). The Sheikh is a gambler who is having problems finding the right driver for his horses. He tries to tempt Judah by telling him that his revenge could happen in the ring, because Messala races there as well. Judah turns him down after a conversation with Balthazar. Balthazar tells him that he hopes his journey is "not difficult" and to leave revenge fantasies behind. Judah can't, and so he goes home.
When he arrives, he finds that Esther and her father are living in the rundown estate, and she did not in fact marry the merchant her father arranged for her. He is driven to find his mother and sister, who no one has heard from or about. After announcing to Messala that he was back and the adopted son of a Roman citizen, Messala tries to find out what happened to the women. In their long captivity, they have become lepers and are released. They pay a visit to the estate to see if Judah made it back and make Esther promise not to tell Judah what has really become of them.
So... Esther tells Judah that his family is dead. Judah then changes his mind and races the Sheikh's horses in a race against Messala. Messala is fatally wounded, and sends for Judah. When Judah arrives, Messala tells Judah where his mother and sister actually are. He goes to try to see them, but Esther persuades him to allow them to believe that he is in the dark.
Pontious Pilot is now the governor of Judea and sends for Judah and tells him that his father, Arrius, has arranged for Judah to become a Roman citizen. Judah, filled with bitterness, decides to turn this offer down. On the walk back home, Esther and Judah once again meet Balthazar on his way to listen to a rabbi speak. Esther goes with Balthazar but Judah decides that a rabbi talking about forgiveness is not what he needs right now and continues home. When he arrives, we find out that Esther went to hear the Sermon on the Mount and tries to deliver it's message to Judah, who is just too filled with bitterness to listen.
A few weeks later, Esther delivers food to Judah's mother and sister, but the sister is absent. Judah has followed Esther and discovers that his sister is dying and rushes in to see her. Esther insists that if only they could hear this rabbi, everything would be alright, so the four of them walk to Jerusalem. Just in time for Jesus to be walking with his cross through the streets. Judah tells Esther to get his family home while he goes to see. Balthazar is there and explains to Judah that Jesus knew this was why he was here, to die for the world's sins. The storm then moves in.
The women seek shelter during the storm. Both Judah's mother and sister cry out in pain. But as the storm subsides, they discover that they are both cured of their disease. Judah arrives home and tells Esther that he heard Jesus say "Forgive them, they know not what they do." and with that, "His voice took the sword from my hand." Esther hugs him and as they move into the estate, Judah sees his cured family and all is well.
The movie closes on a beautiful shot of three empty crosses on a hill as a shepherd leads his flock to graze.
*deep breath* This was a long one! (three and a half hours, in fact) So, I apologize for the length of the summary. BUT on to what I think.
This movie was BIG. Everything about it was BIG. The cast had to be the size of a small city. I counted thirteen credited parts, and over sixty uncredited parts PLUS the extras (yes, I think that they are different here...). The chariot course was the largest set built to date. And does it get much bigger than Charleton Heston in a religious epic? I was almost overwhelmed by the huge imagery. The big sweeping story. Everything. But, in following Judah through his life, it made it a little more accessible.
I know that many don't like Heston. I admit, I am really used to him as Moses. HOWEVER, Judah is a flawed guy trying to do right by his family and by his people. This makes him more... human, more approachable. I really liked his performance here. He had a great half-smile that flashed across his face. You can see how much he cared for his family and friends. And you even understand his behavior. There are no WTF moments in his motivations. In fact, there aren't really any in anyone else's motivations either (aside from WHY Messala decides that Judah should know his family is sick. Why does he do that?)
This is not to say that there weren't a couple of things that raised my eyebrow. (this movie was released in 1959, so there has to be some eyebrow raising) The first one is when Jesus gives Judah water. The Roman soldier says something but then stops and just looks... lost. I am sure that the idea was that he was awed by Jesus's divinity, but all I kept thinking was that he needed directions. The other scene that sticks out was the scene in the Shiekh's tent. Judah and the Sheikh are talking about wives, the Sheikh tells him he should buy one soon, and then asks Judah to meet them. And the curtain raises... on his horses. I really think that I probably missed a line or transition somewhere, but I really thought that this movie had taken a really dark turn for a second. A really dark turn. I am sure that there are more, but this entry is really long as it is...
If you like epic stories and BIG, Ben-Hur is great. Even if you don't really like the religious movies of that time, it's still a great story. BIG BIG BIG. I can't say it enough. However, should it be on AFI's list? Yeah. Yeah, I really think so. It's well written, well put together, well acted, well costumed (I could go on forever about the costumes!). A beautiful movie all the way around.
This one I am going to cut off a little shorter on the opinion than I would like... I just feel like this is running really long. But worry not! The next one will be heavy on the opinion, I am sure. Feel free to share your opinions on any of these movies with me. I would love to discuss!
*sigh* And now I get to watch Meet the Spartans. Fan-freakin-tastic.
GGC
The movie begins with the census of Caesar Augustus, in Bethleham. We follow Joeseph and Mary through the Nativity. We see the wise men arriving at the stable and giving their gifts. Then we jump ahead to twenty-six years later. A young Roman named Messala is ariving in Judea. After a quick meeting with another Roman, he is visited by his childhood friend, Judah Ben-Hur. Judah is a jewish prince who grew up with the young Roman. At first they are happy to see each other again. But that soon turns sour, as Messala has big political dreams and hopes to use Judah as a "snitch" to root out rebels in the area. Judah tells him to shove it and they part ways. Esther is now introduced. Her father and Esther are slaves to the Ben-Hur family and Esther is getting married. Judah grants her permission and her freedom as a wedding present. In the next scene, they find themselves alone and it plays out that they are in love. Judah takes Esther's slave ring and places it on his own finger. He swears not to remove it until he meets the woman he is to marry. They share a kiss and the story moves on.
The new governor of Judea arrives and a parade happens. Judah and his sister watch from the roof of the Ben-Hur estate. By pure bad luck, a tile from the roof falls and spooks the governor's horse, which in turn injures the governor. Judah and his mother and sister are arrested and hauled off. Messala, even though he believed the truth in Judah's claim of the incident being an accident, condemns Judah to the galleys and the women to the dungeons. Judah swears revenge and is hauled off. The Romans have it in for Judah on his long walk to the galleys and at a water stop in Nazareth don't allow Judah to have water. A mystery man gives him water in the face of the aggression of the Roman guards. (of COURSE it's Jesus... I say mystery man because they don't show his face) This stranger's kindness gives Judah the strength to keep living.
Judah survives for three years in the galleys when he meets a Roman named Quintus Arrius. Arrius arrives on Judah's ship in order to lead the fleet in a battle against enemies raiding the Roman fleet. Before the battle, Arrius finds out that Judah has survived three years and is impressed. Arrius owns gladiators and offers to take Judah and put him in his line-up. Judah doesn't answer positively, but then he has to return to his oar, as the battle is upon them. Arrius tells the overseer to unchain Judah before the battle. During the battle, the ship sinks, Judah saves as many people as possible, including Arrius. They end up on a raft together. As Judah saved his life, Arrius takes Judah in. He finds that Judah has a talent with horses and has him drive his team in the Circus.
Arrius is so taken with Judah that he adopts him as his son. But on the evening of than announcement, Judah tells him that he must return to Judea. So, Judah leaves Rome to go home. On the way, Judah meets a Sheikh and Balthazar (yes, the wise man from the Nativity). The Sheikh is a gambler who is having problems finding the right driver for his horses. He tries to tempt Judah by telling him that his revenge could happen in the ring, because Messala races there as well. Judah turns him down after a conversation with Balthazar. Balthazar tells him that he hopes his journey is "not difficult" and to leave revenge fantasies behind. Judah can't, and so he goes home.
When he arrives, he finds that Esther and her father are living in the rundown estate, and she did not in fact marry the merchant her father arranged for her. He is driven to find his mother and sister, who no one has heard from or about. After announcing to Messala that he was back and the adopted son of a Roman citizen, Messala tries to find out what happened to the women. In their long captivity, they have become lepers and are released. They pay a visit to the estate to see if Judah made it back and make Esther promise not to tell Judah what has really become of them.
So... Esther tells Judah that his family is dead. Judah then changes his mind and races the Sheikh's horses in a race against Messala. Messala is fatally wounded, and sends for Judah. When Judah arrives, Messala tells Judah where his mother and sister actually are. He goes to try to see them, but Esther persuades him to allow them to believe that he is in the dark.
Pontious Pilot is now the governor of Judea and sends for Judah and tells him that his father, Arrius, has arranged for Judah to become a Roman citizen. Judah, filled with bitterness, decides to turn this offer down. On the walk back home, Esther and Judah once again meet Balthazar on his way to listen to a rabbi speak. Esther goes with Balthazar but Judah decides that a rabbi talking about forgiveness is not what he needs right now and continues home. When he arrives, we find out that Esther went to hear the Sermon on the Mount and tries to deliver it's message to Judah, who is just too filled with bitterness to listen.
A few weeks later, Esther delivers food to Judah's mother and sister, but the sister is absent. Judah has followed Esther and discovers that his sister is dying and rushes in to see her. Esther insists that if only they could hear this rabbi, everything would be alright, so the four of them walk to Jerusalem. Just in time for Jesus to be walking with his cross through the streets. Judah tells Esther to get his family home while he goes to see. Balthazar is there and explains to Judah that Jesus knew this was why he was here, to die for the world's sins. The storm then moves in.
The women seek shelter during the storm. Both Judah's mother and sister cry out in pain. But as the storm subsides, they discover that they are both cured of their disease. Judah arrives home and tells Esther that he heard Jesus say "Forgive them, they know not what they do." and with that, "His voice took the sword from my hand." Esther hugs him and as they move into the estate, Judah sees his cured family and all is well.
The movie closes on a beautiful shot of three empty crosses on a hill as a shepherd leads his flock to graze.
*deep breath* This was a long one! (three and a half hours, in fact) So, I apologize for the length of the summary. BUT on to what I think.
This movie was BIG. Everything about it was BIG. The cast had to be the size of a small city. I counted thirteen credited parts, and over sixty uncredited parts PLUS the extras (yes, I think that they are different here...). The chariot course was the largest set built to date. And does it get much bigger than Charleton Heston in a religious epic? I was almost overwhelmed by the huge imagery. The big sweeping story. Everything. But, in following Judah through his life, it made it a little more accessible.
I know that many don't like Heston. I admit, I am really used to him as Moses. HOWEVER, Judah is a flawed guy trying to do right by his family and by his people. This makes him more... human, more approachable. I really liked his performance here. He had a great half-smile that flashed across his face. You can see how much he cared for his family and friends. And you even understand his behavior. There are no WTF moments in his motivations. In fact, there aren't really any in anyone else's motivations either (aside from WHY Messala decides that Judah should know his family is sick. Why does he do that?)
This is not to say that there weren't a couple of things that raised my eyebrow. (this movie was released in 1959, so there has to be some eyebrow raising) The first one is when Jesus gives Judah water. The Roman soldier says something but then stops and just looks... lost. I am sure that the idea was that he was awed by Jesus's divinity, but all I kept thinking was that he needed directions. The other scene that sticks out was the scene in the Shiekh's tent. Judah and the Sheikh are talking about wives, the Sheikh tells him he should buy one soon, and then asks Judah to meet them. And the curtain raises... on his horses. I really think that I probably missed a line or transition somewhere, but I really thought that this movie had taken a really dark turn for a second. A really dark turn. I am sure that there are more, but this entry is really long as it is...
If you like epic stories and BIG, Ben-Hur is great. Even if you don't really like the religious movies of that time, it's still a great story. BIG BIG BIG. I can't say it enough. However, should it be on AFI's list? Yeah. Yeah, I really think so. It's well written, well put together, well acted, well costumed (I could go on forever about the costumes!). A beautiful movie all the way around.
This one I am going to cut off a little shorter on the opinion than I would like... I just feel like this is running really long. But worry not! The next one will be heavy on the opinion, I am sure. Feel free to share your opinions on any of these movies with me. I would love to discuss!
*sigh* And now I get to watch Meet the Spartans. Fan-freakin-tastic.
GGC
Saturday, May 12, 2012
New exciting project
I am not going to rename this blog. I am still Geeky Gamer Chick. I have not been blogging regularly, obviously. I think that is because I didn't know what to say. So this has just sat here dormant for a long time (again... obviously). So, I will be using this space to tell whoever is interested about my journey into movies. Good and bad. In fact... The best and the worst. I will be watching all of the films on The American Film Institute's list of best films as well as all of the films on a list of worst films as I found on IMDB. The lists can be found here http://www.afi.com/100years/movies10.aspx and here http://www.imdb.com/chart/bottom. This week, I will be watching both films in the 100th spot on their respective list, Ben-Hur from the best films, and Meet the Spartans from the worst films. I am not claiming to be an expert. I am claiming to love movies. And if you are reading this, feel free to take this journey with me and share YOUR thoughts with me. I think it makes sense to "count them down" so... Here's to a fun time. I hope...
I also need a name for this adventure. If you have any ideas... feel free to share them with me. I will be shamelessly using your clever idea as the title for this group of blog entries. I will give you credit. (maybe)
GGC
I also need a name for this adventure. If you have any ideas... feel free to share them with me. I will be shamelessly using your clever idea as the title for this group of blog entries. I will give you credit. (maybe)
GGC
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