Movies seen: *first time viewed
Raging Bull*
Eyes Wide Shut
The Hurt Locker
Delicatessen*
In the Mood for Love (Fa yeung nin wa)*
How to Train Your Dragon*
I love movies, I don’t know if that is clear, but when pursuing one’s passion when it is not towards the betterment of human-kind (see what I did there?), how does one justify the time spent? The only answer I can give is that the improvement of one’s self is also to the betterment of everyone. I don’t believe that the expansion of my film knowledge is going to assist anyone, even myself necessarily, but the writing of this blog does help me organize my thoughts, making life seem a little less dizzy everytime.
Raging Bull (1980 Martin Scorcese):
You ever step into a situation without really thinking about the consequences? That intimidation you might feel, that’s what I have now. Raging Bull is required viewing for any film lover, considered one of the best movies of all time by almost any film critic of note. I have been thinking about this all week. See, what I do is at the end of each week of film (my film weeks start on Tuesday) I write up the first part of my blog entry, which is just a list of the movies as you can see above. If I am so inspired, and honestly I am usually too lazy to do this, I take a crack at writing up the first couple of films. Unfortunately, this time around I started off with a show stopper. My ego demands that I do not come off as an idiot when talking about important movies, lest people find out the truth: I am an idiot. Of course, part of me now is saying that this is only my cowardice coming up with an excuse in the case that I do not represent exactly what other people want. This is it! I have to tell that part of my brain only one thing: SHUT UP! So… Raging Bull. It was a mistake watching this movie right after Rocky, which I tried to. The first thing I noticed was how much more choreographed the fight scenes looked in Raging Bull. At this point, I am slapping myself upside the head. The fight scenes in Bull are not about being realistic. It is a representation of the “sweet science” as a ballet, and in that case it is done extremely well. The character study of Jake LaMotta (Robert DeNiro) is brutal in its honesty. This was not a wise man; this was an animal that had to be constantly handled by the people around him. I don’t know how he could have functioned in life without his brother and wife (Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty respectively). I love every piece of dialogue that was uttered in this film scripted or unscripted. Everything was so raw and so potent. The eruptions of violence, of passion, of madness and pain displayed in the film were felt all the way down my spine and back up again. After the movie was done I felt like I had gone 12 rounds with Sugar Ray. This is just my opinion, by I am guessing that Scorcese is some kind of genius. Alright, I’m done talking about the movie like I know anything. I am going to have to buy the film and study it if I ever want to get a true handle on it greatness.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999 Stanley Kubrick):
When it comes to a Kubrick movie, I have yet to be disappointed. Of course, I believe I have only seen two of his movie (this and 2001). Eyes Wide Shut was the first Kubrick directed movie I had seen, sent to me in the mail direct from Washington by a young Sarah, who even at that time had me heart and soul. I can admit freely that although I very much liked the movie at the time, I did not understand it. The sexuality and maturity of the subject matters were beyond me at that time in my life. Now with slightly more wisdom in my years, I believe I have a much firmer grasp on the material. I can imagine the direction of Stanley Kubrick, scene by scene, pain-stakingly slow to the point of madness for the victims (i.e. Cast and crew). That is the price of working with someone with such a clear vision of film. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are amazing in this movie, playing the generic socialite couple who feel that every bit of their life is a blessing, but also WELL deserved. All it took was one drug induced discussion to send Cruise on a night of insanity, where his experiences shake him to the very core. How could they not? His mettle isn’t tested in the film because of the extremely odd situations he finds himself, but more because the man is not sure what he wants (and is at a reckless pace to do something about THAT). Is he motivated by revenge for an affair that did not happen? Or is it the same as in Raging Bull, the Madonna/Whore complex (which I just read about in a review of Raging Bull by Roger Ebert!)? That part makes sense to me, because for any man to even try to walk away from a life, so set on the right side of the tracks that it seems perfect, is someone who doesn’t see the woman he loves as anything but black and white. You are either with me or not. I love the film, in case that hasn’t come through. It is beautifully shot, which is just the way Kubrick works, and scripted very well. Something I am just learning about is editing, and from what I recall this film is almost flawless. A bit of advice, if you ever want to enjoy cheap movies again, do not get into editing.
The Hurt Locker (2009 Katheryn Bigalow):
Perhaps you have heard of this movie now? I heard it won an award or something. Third time I have watched the movie, once again on the big screen in my American films class. Now, why would we watch this movie you might ask (as I did myself)? It was because the topic of that day was stars. The concept of Hollywood stars is a heavy one, and there are quite a few books on the subject that are not just tabloid filth (no offense to tabloid lovers, but you know it’s dirty too!). The stars in this movie, and there are a few, are used for a specific purpose: To disarm the viewer. It is hard when watching a movie that has relatively unknown actors to gain an attachment to any character on screen, at least for the average viewer. Now, when you see someone perfectly recognizable (like say Guy Pierce?), you may feel a certain reassurance that a good actor is going to be in the movie, someone you can trust to deliver the goods a film needs to capture the imagination. And that my friends, is the perfect time to pull the rug from under your feet! When my teacher explained this concept to us, I was astonished at how it had gone right over my head. It seems to me, that this is part of what True Romance tried to do, but The Hurt Locker did it much more effectively for me. This is also a trick that can be over used, so I am hoping that not too many people catch on to it. What’s that? Executive Decision did the same thing with Steven Seagal? How dare you bring that up!
Delicatessen (1991 Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet):
I believe Jean-Pierre Jeunet is the genius behind Amelie. I could verify this by looking it up, but I am feeling especially lazy right now. Delicatessen has the same surreal feel as Amelie, with a lot of morbid thrown in. One of my first reactions to the film was that this is what Tim Burton used to do, and do very well. I have to look back at his classics to be reminded of when he had a Edward Gorey like sense of humor and was not just into making goofy movies with Johnny Depp. Delicatessen was good, but it was not enchanting the same way Amelie was. It was a beautiful film though. Its dark tones were mixed with colorful people, and a spirit in the actors that makes everyone smile. Unless the child in you is dead (I’m talking to you Randy Jordan). I wish I had more to say. Delicatessen is worth a watch for sure. Oh, and although it has a morbid premise (a butcher in a post-apocalyptic world that serves only a certain kind of meat) it is hardly at all violent.
In the Mood for Love (Fa yueng nin wa) (2000 Kar Wai Wong):
In my World Cinema class, I am getting the feeling that my teacher is a fan of this director’s work. We have already watched his film Chungking Express, and now this. I did not get Chungking Express, and I can see why people refer to Wong Kar Wai as an MTV director. In the Mood for Love on the other hand is pretty much the opposite. It is slow paced and beautiful. It takes place in the year 1962, which is funny because while watching the movie it is easy to forget that time period. The lack of computers and other perfectly normal devices that are common place today should have made it obvious for me. Wong has such a way with shots. He emphasizes the colors of objects and the shapes of rooms. He does entire scenes filmed with someone’s head blocking the view, and swings the camera around to capture the same scene in an enlightening view. Long takes are prominent in this movie, and are very beautiful to watch. Chungking was full of cuts and edits and jumps, and I guess my brain had a hard time adapting to that. The best part of Mood for Love is a reliability of its script. The longing felt by the protagonists has been felt by everyone, and while the plot toys with audiences assumptions (did they get it on or not?), there are no tricks in the couple’s relationship. What happens in the film is this: The main characters pretend to be each other’s spouse and act out what might have happened, had there been an affair. And while that may seem weird, it isn’t so far-fetched that one cannot recognize themselves in the characters and their situation. Everyone has had imaginary conversations in their head; these people are just taking it to the next level. It was a wonderful movie, and I would like to own it. I can’t wait to watch more of Wong Kar Wai’s work.
How to Train your Dragon (2010 Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders):
Why didn’t I write up a new movie review for this film? Well, it’s because to my knowledge, America had already decided that this movie was not going to be successful. Now I see that the movie is still making money and that audiences are warming up to it. GOOD! It was a real delight to see in the theaters, and I have been itching to go see it in 3D. Hopefully I won’t have missed my chance when I can afford to go again. How to Train your Dragon was an excellent adventure/comedy, something both children and adults should be able to enjoy. My favorite thing about it? Compared to Shrek, the DreamWorks franchise, there were ZERO pop culture references. Animated movies didn’t used to have to rely on jokes like that just to be funny, BACK IN MY DAY. I think that Dragon will go down as a classic, something that can be shown and loved by every generation. And I doubt it hinges on 3D like some features in the near future undeniably will. I cannot recommend the movie enough.
I was originally going to talk about A Serious Man (2009 Coen Bros) but after trying to remember details about the film, I find that I should probably watch it again. I liked it; it reminded me of the way Barton Fink and Fargo were. I hope you like how this blog entry turned out. I am kind of proud that I was able to write so much. Any questions or comments please send them to JDTMovies@gmail.com or post them on my Facebook page. Thanks for reading.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
April 12 2010. Week relating to 3/30/2010 – 4/5/2010
Movies Seen: *First time viewed
Ghost in the Shell*
Rocky*
True Romance*
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
All the President’s Men*
Henry & June*
Ghost in the Shell (1996 Mamoru Oshii):
I think I missed my window on this one. All I know is, before I was watching any anime at all, people were talking about how bad ass Ghost in the Shell and Ninja Scroll were. I own and love Ninja Scroll, it is just a great little flick. Ghost in the Shell will not be in my collection. I just don’t see what the big deal is. Someone told me that for when it came out, people in this country hadn’t seen animation so cool out of Japan. All I can figure is, a lot of horny teenagers made this movie what it is today. To say it had a few boob shots is to say that a few people love Jesus. I didn’t really dig the voice acting either, but I only had the option of watching it dubbed in English. I am sure it’s better in Japanese, because most anime is. If you are one of those people who love this film, maybe you can fill me in on what I missed. I would be glad to hear about it.
Rocky (1976 John G. Avildsen):
This movie sure pulled a fast one on me. I was trying to take notes, doing my usual ADD thing (which involves stopping the movie every 15 minutes to do some random task), and then suddenly, I was not. The notes stopped, my eyes were glued to the screen. How did this happen? The dialogue is not particularly awesome, and the story is kind of predictable, so where did this movie go so right? My only intuition on this is that the reality of it made me love it. Well, I say reality accepting that heavy weight champions do not fight average Joes, unless they are drunk. Rocky’s plight was the realistic part to me. He was a man that did not have high expectations for himself. He had found a comfortable limit and had decided that was really it. So when the fight fell in his lap, he didn’t want it. The movie is probably most famous for the training scenes, but unless you see Rocky from front to end, you can’t really see the evolution of his character. That is why the movie is so inspiring, not because he was a nobody who became a somebody, but rather I think it’s due to the message, which to me was that your excepted limits are never your actual limits. And that’s why I intend to eat 5 hot dogs this time! I know I can do it! Sorry, off topic there. The music really is great, and the acting is pretty awesome too. I swear I’m not crazy, please tell me I’m not crazy!
True Romance (1993 Tony Scott):
Ok, it’s official, I’m crazy. For those of you who know me, I mean REALLY know me, what I like, what I hate, what I like to sniff, you know I should love True Romance. Written by Tarantino, having stars in it like Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, Michael Rapaport, sounds like the stuff of winners! I hate to say this, and I know many of you are going to go “WHHHHHAAAAA???!!!!” but I didn’t really like it. When I told Sarah this, her reaction was, and I quote “…I don’t know what to say to that.” I love her, have I ever mentioned that? Anyway, I don’t hate the movie or anything; I can certainly see the merit of it. The story is pretty entertaining, and I like Christian Slater in it a lot, which says something because I do not consider myself a Christian Slater fan. There are just something’s I could not get past. The music, I don’t care if you love the music in this movie, in my opinion the music was horrendous. Not just the digital score in the back ground that someone cooked up for the quirky touching parts, but also the actual songs they chose to put in scenes. The only thing tolerable in that soundtrack was the Elvis tunes, and I am not an Elvis fan. Next on my list of beefs (mmm, beef) is Patricia Arquette. Now wait, before you jump all over me for that, I thing she is a fine actress, emphasis on the FINE (!), but that squeaky southern accent she had the whole movie made me want to drive a railroad spike through my ear. Her narration of the beginning and end of the film had me turning the volume down on my speakers. My last little teensy weensy complaint is this: HOW COULD YOU HAVE AN AMAZING CAMEO BY CHRISTOPHER WALKEN AND NEVER HAVE HIM APPEAR AGAIN IN THE MOVIE??!!! Although I did really like James Gandolfini, at the end there were just a bunch of anonymous bad guys. Why did that do that? Tell me why, give me a good reason, and I will buy you a sandwich. I get to choose from where.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004 Michel Gondry):
If I were a smarter man, perhaps I could put my finger on what makes this movie so special. I have watched Eternal Sunshine several times since its initial release in theaters and it has yet to lose its magic for me. I don’t know if it’s the performances, the entire cast is amazing from the minor Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Woods parts, to Kirsten Dunst’s and Tom Wilkinson’s strange duo, to the main characters portrayed by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. I mean, just for instance, who knew that Kate Winslet was capable of that? And don’t you dare say “didn’t you see Titanic?” because I will digitally slap you silly. Perhaps it is the imagination of Michel Gondry that sky rocketed the film to pure greatness. About that I have my doubts, although I do love the man’s music video work, I did not really enjoy the science of sleep. I believe the man needs structure to contain all his creativity, and working within that structure, he is able to make amazing stuff. Perhaps it is the way the musical score blends in so well with the cinematography. I don’t know, at this point I am just throwing out ideas to chew on. What I really need to do is sit down with the movie and take a steady stream of notes. Eternal Sunshine is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I just want to point out that it isn’t because of some sentimental attachment (the main guys name is Joel, just to let you know). I watched this with my new critical eyes and I still did not see any holes. A magnificent movie; that is my opinion.
All the President’s Men (1976 Alan J. Pakula):
Have you seen this movie? It’s actually very good, and it isn’t just because it’s Hoffman and Redford. The representation of what Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein did is fascinating. I am guessing almost anyone over the age of 20 has heard of Watergate, and has an idea of what went on there, but the idea that it almost got completely swept under the rug is amazing. Not that I don’t think that kind of thing has happened before or since, but the uncovering of said event by these two reporters is absolutely astonishing. What I learned from the film is that I will never have the back bone these two men had. Respect. I’d also like to point out some of the great camera work done in the movie. One part that stood out was in the library of congress, which you have to see to understand what was so great about it. The camera move a bit at a time, higher and higher to show the concentric circles of the library. They were so small in such a big world, that world being the US political system.
Henry & June (1990 Philip Kaufman):
So, that stinkaroo I mentioned on the facebook page? Yeah, this is it. Now, it may not be the movie people are thinking of. I do not mean the movie starring Johnny Depp. That movie is called Benny and Joon. This was an erotic piece of garbage, about a French woman named Anais Nin who meets the author Henry James before he became famous, and proceeded to have weird sexual encounters with him, his wife, her own husband, some other chicks I assume. I got through the first hour of the movie, stopped it and looked to see how much longer there was. Another hour and a half, translation, NO FLIPPIN WAY!!! It was all bad acting mixed with crappy story mixed with weird sex. Not my cup of tea. This marks only the second movie since I started the blog that I haven’t been able to finish. Not bad for someone as impatient as I am!
An explanation: I am not an expert. I do not want people to assume that I think what I say is right or wrong, that things are as black and white as that. Just because I did not like a movie, doesn’t mean it isn’t great. When writing out these little summaries, I am simply working out how I feel about the films I watch. I also use it as an exercise for writing in general. Just because we disagree on something (You being the reader, as opposed to me), doesn’t mean I think that your opinion has no merit. On the contrary, I am very glad to hear anyone’s opinion on these films I talk about. You never know, you might convince me. Any questions, comments, or secret information pertaining to the whereabouts of Jimmy Hoffa’s body, please send them to JDTMovies@gmail.com. Or post them on my handy dandy Facebook fan page.
Ghost in the Shell*
Rocky*
True Romance*
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
All the President’s Men*
Henry & June*
Ghost in the Shell (1996 Mamoru Oshii):
I think I missed my window on this one. All I know is, before I was watching any anime at all, people were talking about how bad ass Ghost in the Shell and Ninja Scroll were. I own and love Ninja Scroll, it is just a great little flick. Ghost in the Shell will not be in my collection. I just don’t see what the big deal is. Someone told me that for when it came out, people in this country hadn’t seen animation so cool out of Japan. All I can figure is, a lot of horny teenagers made this movie what it is today. To say it had a few boob shots is to say that a few people love Jesus. I didn’t really dig the voice acting either, but I only had the option of watching it dubbed in English. I am sure it’s better in Japanese, because most anime is. If you are one of those people who love this film, maybe you can fill me in on what I missed. I would be glad to hear about it.
Rocky (1976 John G. Avildsen):
This movie sure pulled a fast one on me. I was trying to take notes, doing my usual ADD thing (which involves stopping the movie every 15 minutes to do some random task), and then suddenly, I was not. The notes stopped, my eyes were glued to the screen. How did this happen? The dialogue is not particularly awesome, and the story is kind of predictable, so where did this movie go so right? My only intuition on this is that the reality of it made me love it. Well, I say reality accepting that heavy weight champions do not fight average Joes, unless they are drunk. Rocky’s plight was the realistic part to me. He was a man that did not have high expectations for himself. He had found a comfortable limit and had decided that was really it. So when the fight fell in his lap, he didn’t want it. The movie is probably most famous for the training scenes, but unless you see Rocky from front to end, you can’t really see the evolution of his character. That is why the movie is so inspiring, not because he was a nobody who became a somebody, but rather I think it’s due to the message, which to me was that your excepted limits are never your actual limits. And that’s why I intend to eat 5 hot dogs this time! I know I can do it! Sorry, off topic there. The music really is great, and the acting is pretty awesome too. I swear I’m not crazy, please tell me I’m not crazy!
True Romance (1993 Tony Scott):
Ok, it’s official, I’m crazy. For those of you who know me, I mean REALLY know me, what I like, what I hate, what I like to sniff, you know I should love True Romance. Written by Tarantino, having stars in it like Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, Michael Rapaport, sounds like the stuff of winners! I hate to say this, and I know many of you are going to go “WHHHHHAAAAA???!!!!” but I didn’t really like it. When I told Sarah this, her reaction was, and I quote “…I don’t know what to say to that.” I love her, have I ever mentioned that? Anyway, I don’t hate the movie or anything; I can certainly see the merit of it. The story is pretty entertaining, and I like Christian Slater in it a lot, which says something because I do not consider myself a Christian Slater fan. There are just something’s I could not get past. The music, I don’t care if you love the music in this movie, in my opinion the music was horrendous. Not just the digital score in the back ground that someone cooked up for the quirky touching parts, but also the actual songs they chose to put in scenes. The only thing tolerable in that soundtrack was the Elvis tunes, and I am not an Elvis fan. Next on my list of beefs (mmm, beef) is Patricia Arquette. Now wait, before you jump all over me for that, I thing she is a fine actress, emphasis on the FINE (!), but that squeaky southern accent she had the whole movie made me want to drive a railroad spike through my ear. Her narration of the beginning and end of the film had me turning the volume down on my speakers. My last little teensy weensy complaint is this: HOW COULD YOU HAVE AN AMAZING CAMEO BY CHRISTOPHER WALKEN AND NEVER HAVE HIM APPEAR AGAIN IN THE MOVIE??!!! Although I did really like James Gandolfini, at the end there were just a bunch of anonymous bad guys. Why did that do that? Tell me why, give me a good reason, and I will buy you a sandwich. I get to choose from where.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004 Michel Gondry):
If I were a smarter man, perhaps I could put my finger on what makes this movie so special. I have watched Eternal Sunshine several times since its initial release in theaters and it has yet to lose its magic for me. I don’t know if it’s the performances, the entire cast is amazing from the minor Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Woods parts, to Kirsten Dunst’s and Tom Wilkinson’s strange duo, to the main characters portrayed by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. I mean, just for instance, who knew that Kate Winslet was capable of that? And don’t you dare say “didn’t you see Titanic?” because I will digitally slap you silly. Perhaps it is the imagination of Michel Gondry that sky rocketed the film to pure greatness. About that I have my doubts, although I do love the man’s music video work, I did not really enjoy the science of sleep. I believe the man needs structure to contain all his creativity, and working within that structure, he is able to make amazing stuff. Perhaps it is the way the musical score blends in so well with the cinematography. I don’t know, at this point I am just throwing out ideas to chew on. What I really need to do is sit down with the movie and take a steady stream of notes. Eternal Sunshine is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I just want to point out that it isn’t because of some sentimental attachment (the main guys name is Joel, just to let you know). I watched this with my new critical eyes and I still did not see any holes. A magnificent movie; that is my opinion.
All the President’s Men (1976 Alan J. Pakula):
Have you seen this movie? It’s actually very good, and it isn’t just because it’s Hoffman and Redford. The representation of what Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein did is fascinating. I am guessing almost anyone over the age of 20 has heard of Watergate, and has an idea of what went on there, but the idea that it almost got completely swept under the rug is amazing. Not that I don’t think that kind of thing has happened before or since, but the uncovering of said event by these two reporters is absolutely astonishing. What I learned from the film is that I will never have the back bone these two men had. Respect. I’d also like to point out some of the great camera work done in the movie. One part that stood out was in the library of congress, which you have to see to understand what was so great about it. The camera move a bit at a time, higher and higher to show the concentric circles of the library. They were so small in such a big world, that world being the US political system.
Henry & June (1990 Philip Kaufman):
So, that stinkaroo I mentioned on the facebook page? Yeah, this is it. Now, it may not be the movie people are thinking of. I do not mean the movie starring Johnny Depp. That movie is called Benny and Joon. This was an erotic piece of garbage, about a French woman named Anais Nin who meets the author Henry James before he became famous, and proceeded to have weird sexual encounters with him, his wife, her own husband, some other chicks I assume. I got through the first hour of the movie, stopped it and looked to see how much longer there was. Another hour and a half, translation, NO FLIPPIN WAY!!! It was all bad acting mixed with crappy story mixed with weird sex. Not my cup of tea. This marks only the second movie since I started the blog that I haven’t been able to finish. Not bad for someone as impatient as I am!
An explanation: I am not an expert. I do not want people to assume that I think what I say is right or wrong, that things are as black and white as that. Just because I did not like a movie, doesn’t mean it isn’t great. When writing out these little summaries, I am simply working out how I feel about the films I watch. I also use it as an exercise for writing in general. Just because we disagree on something (You being the reader, as opposed to me), doesn’t mean I think that your opinion has no merit. On the contrary, I am very glad to hear anyone’s opinion on these films I talk about. You never know, you might convince me. Any questions, comments, or secret information pertaining to the whereabouts of Jimmy Hoffa’s body, please send them to JDTMovies@gmail.com. Or post them on my handy dandy Facebook fan page.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
April 06 2010, Week regarding 3/23/2010 – 3/29/2010
Movies Viewed: *First time seen
Manhattan*
What? That’s it? All I can say about that is having the week off of school (or rather, taking it off) and American TV sucked away my film attention span. Lost season 1 finally got a hold of my soul and refused to let go for even a moment. Not that I missed much I suppose, although I have been sitting on a copy of True Romance for about 3 weeks now. I consider my time off a bit of battery recharging. Or on the other hand, I probably killed off my film brain cells by watching television for the first time in a long while.
Manhattan (1979 Woody Allen):
The movie is about the usual cast of characters in Woody Allen’s movie, including Allen himself as Issac. Smart people in the middle of New York living New York lives. I apologize if that sounds condescending, I really do enjoy Woody Allen movies, but the pattern is unmistakable after a few. While watching this with Sarah, I told her that I thought this movie must be Annie Hall Jr, meaning I thought that Annie Hall was basically a remake of Manhattan. I was wrong; it is actually the other way around. So the way I figure it, and spoilers for both movies, is that Allen took the character Annie Hall and separated her into two different characters for Manhattan; one played by Diane Keaton again, and the other played by Mariel Hemmingway. I even saw a few scenes that looked like they were pulled straight from the other movie, but I am sure it is just that Allen likes to film in certain spots in Manhattan (the city, not the movie). The café scene is the one I am talking about specifically, it seemed almost identical to the one in Annie Hall. I also noticed that Allen is a fan of the stationary camera, by which I mean he leaves the camera in one place and has the actors move around, using onscreen and off-screen space. I personally love this, because it adds a realism that Hollywood mainstream doesn’t usually go for. If you aren’t seeing the action, then how can you know what’s going on? Well, that’s real life isn’t it? It was a good movie, and I may have even liked it better than Annie Hall, probably because it was more serious.
And because I cannot simply ignore the hours I spent watching Lost, here is a list I came up with.
Things I learned from Lost season 1:
-If it’s bleeding, put pressure on it.
-Cardio may help a person survive on an island, then again there’s Hurley.
-Dynamite is dangerous.
-Almost everyone has something to hide.
-Everyone should be an expert at something.
-Never piss off the fisherman.
-If you speak more than one language, please tell everyone else.
-Reading too much is bad for your eyes.
-Sometimes all you really need is some peanut butter.
And that is my lame list! Any questions, comments, or sad tales of life on the open sea, please send them to JDTMovies@gmail.com. Or post them on my Facebook fan page.
Manhattan*
What? That’s it? All I can say about that is having the week off of school (or rather, taking it off) and American TV sucked away my film attention span. Lost season 1 finally got a hold of my soul and refused to let go for even a moment. Not that I missed much I suppose, although I have been sitting on a copy of True Romance for about 3 weeks now. I consider my time off a bit of battery recharging. Or on the other hand, I probably killed off my film brain cells by watching television for the first time in a long while.
Manhattan (1979 Woody Allen):
The movie is about the usual cast of characters in Woody Allen’s movie, including Allen himself as Issac. Smart people in the middle of New York living New York lives. I apologize if that sounds condescending, I really do enjoy Woody Allen movies, but the pattern is unmistakable after a few. While watching this with Sarah, I told her that I thought this movie must be Annie Hall Jr, meaning I thought that Annie Hall was basically a remake of Manhattan. I was wrong; it is actually the other way around. So the way I figure it, and spoilers for both movies, is that Allen took the character Annie Hall and separated her into two different characters for Manhattan; one played by Diane Keaton again, and the other played by Mariel Hemmingway. I even saw a few scenes that looked like they were pulled straight from the other movie, but I am sure it is just that Allen likes to film in certain spots in Manhattan (the city, not the movie). The café scene is the one I am talking about specifically, it seemed almost identical to the one in Annie Hall. I also noticed that Allen is a fan of the stationary camera, by which I mean he leaves the camera in one place and has the actors move around, using onscreen and off-screen space. I personally love this, because it adds a realism that Hollywood mainstream doesn’t usually go for. If you aren’t seeing the action, then how can you know what’s going on? Well, that’s real life isn’t it? It was a good movie, and I may have even liked it better than Annie Hall, probably because it was more serious.
And because I cannot simply ignore the hours I spent watching Lost, here is a list I came up with.
Things I learned from Lost season 1:
-If it’s bleeding, put pressure on it.
-Cardio may help a person survive on an island, then again there’s Hurley.
-Dynamite is dangerous.
-Almost everyone has something to hide.
-Everyone should be an expert at something.
-Never piss off the fisherman.
-If you speak more than one language, please tell everyone else.
-Reading too much is bad for your eyes.
-Sometimes all you really need is some peanut butter.
And that is my lame list! Any questions, comments, or sad tales of life on the open sea, please send them to JDTMovies@gmail.com. Or post them on my Facebook fan page.
Monday, March 29, 2010
March 29th 2010, Week relating to 3/16/2010 – 3/22/2010
Movies Seen: First time viewed*
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure
Sideways
The Jacket*
Mongol*
The Omega Man*
Remember how last week I was talking like the guy from There Will Be Blood? Now I am talking like Charlton Heston, and I CAN’T STOP!
SPOILERS AHOY!!
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985 Tim Burton):
When it comes to Tim Burton movies, I am pretty sure this is my favorite. Or maybe Beetlejuice. Anyway, we watched this in my American Films class, and it was great seeing it projected on a larger screen. The movie gives an excellent sense of joy, goofiness, suspense, and all around fun. Pee-wee is the kind of person who should be annoying, but you cannot help but love. I really do love every bit of this movie. As soon as I see Francis (Mark Holton) on screen I want to yell “It’s Enrice Pellazzo!” but I am afraid the reference will be lost on younger audience members. I guess I don’t have much to say about the movie other than that.
Sideways (2004 Alexander Payne):
Something about this movie. I cannot help but love it all the way through. Miles (Paul Giamatti) is really a detestable person when you consider his actions throughout the movie. I guess you end up feeling sorry for the man. You get a sense of his unreached potential, and how he is acutely aware that his life is pretty crappy. Then on the other side you have Jack (Thomas Hayden Church) who is an overcompensating extrovert, and once again a detestable person. In the end though, I love both of these characters as if I know them myself. This has the male bonding buddy movie feel of a new Hollywood era film. It’s kind of amazing how well scripted and acted the whole movie is. You get such a feel for these characters in the short time you spend with them. As a side note to all the male bonding as well, you get Virginia Madsen, who does such an amazing job. The casting director for the film needs to be working on every movie I have high expectations for from now on. I want to say something nice about Susan Oh too, because I do really like her in this movie, but her character is the least fleshed out of the main four people. Love the scene where she beats the hell out of Jack though, it’s just really brutal. I always wish I knew things about wine after watching this movie, but I just don’t have a taste for them. They all taste like what I imagine dirty feet would taste like. See, I inserted the “what I imagine” part in there because I don’t want people to think I have ever licked someone’s feet. EVER.
The Jacket (2005 John Maybury):
After seeing this movie, I decided to look up what the general consensus was critic wise. It seems most professional critics really didn’t like it. I’ll admit, I can see some general holes in the plot, especially looking at it from a sci-fi angle, but otherwise I thought the movie was a solid psychological thriller. Adrien Brody is great, which is what I have come to expect from the man. Kris Kristofferson and Keira Knightly did just fine for, you know, them. The show stealer by far was Daniel Craig for me. I just did not recognize him! Talk about winning major actor points in my book, that man is a downright hero to me now. That is if it’s possible to be heroic as an actor who takes on roles. So, the story contains time traveling and messed up doctors and older people getting it on with younger people. Sorry, I just had to mention that the whole “going forward in time so it’s ok to sleep with someone I knew when she was a little girl” part was just creepy. It felt incestual to me. Hmm, according to Word, incestual is not an actual word. Oh well, you heard it here first! Or maybe you didn’t, because I am pretty sure I have heard it before. All things considered about The Jacket, I would watch it again, because it has some great performances in it. I recommend it if you are curious.
Mongol (2007 Sergei Bodrov):
When you hear the name Genghis Khan, do you think love story? Well, maybe if you consider how many offspring he had I guess you could stretch it to that, but one man one woman kind of stuff? No, I doubt it unless you are a historian and if you are WHY ARE YOU READING MY LAME LITTLE BLOG?? Just kidding, I love everyone who reads this crap, especially smart people who should know better. So, foreign movie about Genghis Khan, although he is called Temudjin in the film, I expected a lot of violence. I got that, so check. I expected a long arduous journey to the top, to the leader of a large amount of people (damn vocabulary, you have failed me!). I got that, so double check. But…. But… the whole time, all throughout the movie, he was pining away for this woman he met as a child and was determined to be with her, even to the point of betraying the trust of the other khans. I am not a history buff (although I do listen to Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast!), so I was caught totally by surprise by this part of the film. And I know it isn’t a big deal, and it wouldn’t have been, except there was a lot of cheese thrown in to emphasize the love in this movie. A lot of staring into each other’s eyes and promising eternal devotion to one another scenes. Just a lot of cheese. The ending also had that going for it, but it was a different kind of cheese. The kind that should make you want more, but just kind of left me with a bad taste. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know all I have done is complain about the movie, but I still dug it. It was almost 3 hours long, and it kept me pretty enrapt the whole time. The battle scenes were pretty tight. Although they were violent, there wasn’t an emphasis on the actions of violence themselves. It seems to me it was used simply to move the story along, and keep the watcher up to speed. I would watch this movie again, and I give it a little extra pass on the cheese factor because I believe it is part 1 of a trilogy. So I am looking forward to the next film, and I would say this one is worth a watch. Especially for the cute little Eskimo kids! What’s that? Sorry, I know, that was racist. I apologize in advance for my sense of humor.
The Omega Man (1971 Boris Segal):
My adventure into “classic” sci-fi movies continues thanks to the Filmsack podcast. I don’t know if you were aware of this, but this movie is based off of the story I am Legend, just like the Will Smith movie! Now that I have seen this film, I have to say that Will Smith’s version is seriously lacking in the jive talk area. And not enough hairy chests. I haven’t seen that much hair on a man since the third X-Men movie (you know, Beast). When it comes to the sci-fi movies I have seen recently, this is on the lower end of the scale. It had really terrible music, AWFUL dialogue, and awkward sex scenes (well, only one, but still). I did enjoy the irony of Heston sitting down to enjoy the documentary Woodstock, because you know in real life that guy was probably screaming about those damn hippies. Even though the movie was bad, and trust me it was, I think I can still look upon it fondly. You get that 70’s campiness here in a very pure and tasty form. Not much more you can ask for. By the way, why were the albino weirdoes talking about how they don’t use the wheel, and then decided that it was ok later? I must have missed the part where they had a meeting and decided that part.
So, I know I said I was going to talk about Raising Arizona on here too, but when it came time to write up something about it, I felt like I couldn’t remember the things I wanted to. I remember it being really funny, probably the funniest of the Coen brother’s movies I have seen, but not exact details. Maybe next time I shouldn’t ogle Sarah while watching a movie. Plus, we were doing a jigsaw puzzle at the same time. I have ADD, sue me. Any questions, comments, or autopsy reports on famous documentarians, please send them to JDTMovies@gmail.com.
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure
Sideways
The Jacket*
Mongol*
The Omega Man*
Remember how last week I was talking like the guy from There Will Be Blood? Now I am talking like Charlton Heston, and I CAN’T STOP!
SPOILERS AHOY!!
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985 Tim Burton):
When it comes to Tim Burton movies, I am pretty sure this is my favorite. Or maybe Beetlejuice. Anyway, we watched this in my American Films class, and it was great seeing it projected on a larger screen. The movie gives an excellent sense of joy, goofiness, suspense, and all around fun. Pee-wee is the kind of person who should be annoying, but you cannot help but love. I really do love every bit of this movie. As soon as I see Francis (Mark Holton) on screen I want to yell “It’s Enrice Pellazzo!” but I am afraid the reference will be lost on younger audience members. I guess I don’t have much to say about the movie other than that.
Sideways (2004 Alexander Payne):
Something about this movie. I cannot help but love it all the way through. Miles (Paul Giamatti) is really a detestable person when you consider his actions throughout the movie. I guess you end up feeling sorry for the man. You get a sense of his unreached potential, and how he is acutely aware that his life is pretty crappy. Then on the other side you have Jack (Thomas Hayden Church) who is an overcompensating extrovert, and once again a detestable person. In the end though, I love both of these characters as if I know them myself. This has the male bonding buddy movie feel of a new Hollywood era film. It’s kind of amazing how well scripted and acted the whole movie is. You get such a feel for these characters in the short time you spend with them. As a side note to all the male bonding as well, you get Virginia Madsen, who does such an amazing job. The casting director for the film needs to be working on every movie I have high expectations for from now on. I want to say something nice about Susan Oh too, because I do really like her in this movie, but her character is the least fleshed out of the main four people. Love the scene where she beats the hell out of Jack though, it’s just really brutal. I always wish I knew things about wine after watching this movie, but I just don’t have a taste for them. They all taste like what I imagine dirty feet would taste like. See, I inserted the “what I imagine” part in there because I don’t want people to think I have ever licked someone’s feet. EVER.
The Jacket (2005 John Maybury):
After seeing this movie, I decided to look up what the general consensus was critic wise. It seems most professional critics really didn’t like it. I’ll admit, I can see some general holes in the plot, especially looking at it from a sci-fi angle, but otherwise I thought the movie was a solid psychological thriller. Adrien Brody is great, which is what I have come to expect from the man. Kris Kristofferson and Keira Knightly did just fine for, you know, them. The show stealer by far was Daniel Craig for me. I just did not recognize him! Talk about winning major actor points in my book, that man is a downright hero to me now. That is if it’s possible to be heroic as an actor who takes on roles. So, the story contains time traveling and messed up doctors and older people getting it on with younger people. Sorry, I just had to mention that the whole “going forward in time so it’s ok to sleep with someone I knew when she was a little girl” part was just creepy. It felt incestual to me. Hmm, according to Word, incestual is not an actual word. Oh well, you heard it here first! Or maybe you didn’t, because I am pretty sure I have heard it before. All things considered about The Jacket, I would watch it again, because it has some great performances in it. I recommend it if you are curious.
Mongol (2007 Sergei Bodrov):
When you hear the name Genghis Khan, do you think love story? Well, maybe if you consider how many offspring he had I guess you could stretch it to that, but one man one woman kind of stuff? No, I doubt it unless you are a historian and if you are WHY ARE YOU READING MY LAME LITTLE BLOG?? Just kidding, I love everyone who reads this crap, especially smart people who should know better. So, foreign movie about Genghis Khan, although he is called Temudjin in the film, I expected a lot of violence. I got that, so check. I expected a long arduous journey to the top, to the leader of a large amount of people (damn vocabulary, you have failed me!). I got that, so double check. But…. But… the whole time, all throughout the movie, he was pining away for this woman he met as a child and was determined to be with her, even to the point of betraying the trust of the other khans. I am not a history buff (although I do listen to Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast!), so I was caught totally by surprise by this part of the film. And I know it isn’t a big deal, and it wouldn’t have been, except there was a lot of cheese thrown in to emphasize the love in this movie. A lot of staring into each other’s eyes and promising eternal devotion to one another scenes. Just a lot of cheese. The ending also had that going for it, but it was a different kind of cheese. The kind that should make you want more, but just kind of left me with a bad taste. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know all I have done is complain about the movie, but I still dug it. It was almost 3 hours long, and it kept me pretty enrapt the whole time. The battle scenes were pretty tight. Although they were violent, there wasn’t an emphasis on the actions of violence themselves. It seems to me it was used simply to move the story along, and keep the watcher up to speed. I would watch this movie again, and I give it a little extra pass on the cheese factor because I believe it is part 1 of a trilogy. So I am looking forward to the next film, and I would say this one is worth a watch. Especially for the cute little Eskimo kids! What’s that? Sorry, I know, that was racist. I apologize in advance for my sense of humor.
The Omega Man (1971 Boris Segal):
My adventure into “classic” sci-fi movies continues thanks to the Filmsack podcast. I don’t know if you were aware of this, but this movie is based off of the story I am Legend, just like the Will Smith movie! Now that I have seen this film, I have to say that Will Smith’s version is seriously lacking in the jive talk area. And not enough hairy chests. I haven’t seen that much hair on a man since the third X-Men movie (you know, Beast). When it comes to the sci-fi movies I have seen recently, this is on the lower end of the scale. It had really terrible music, AWFUL dialogue, and awkward sex scenes (well, only one, but still). I did enjoy the irony of Heston sitting down to enjoy the documentary Woodstock, because you know in real life that guy was probably screaming about those damn hippies. Even though the movie was bad, and trust me it was, I think I can still look upon it fondly. You get that 70’s campiness here in a very pure and tasty form. Not much more you can ask for. By the way, why were the albino weirdoes talking about how they don’t use the wheel, and then decided that it was ok later? I must have missed the part where they had a meeting and decided that part.
So, I know I said I was going to talk about Raising Arizona on here too, but when it came time to write up something about it, I felt like I couldn’t remember the things I wanted to. I remember it being really funny, probably the funniest of the Coen brother’s movies I have seen, but not exact details. Maybe next time I shouldn’t ogle Sarah while watching a movie. Plus, we were doing a jigsaw puzzle at the same time. I have ADD, sue me. Any questions, comments, or autopsy reports on famous documentarians, please send them to JDTMovies@gmail.com.
Friday, March 19, 2010
March 19th 2010, Week relating to 3/9/2010 – 3/15/2010
Movies Seen: First Time Viewed*
Paprika*
Gentlemen Broncos*
Evil Dead II*
The Will Be Blood*
Melinda and Melinda
Taxi Driver*
Paprika (2007 Satoshi Kon):
Paprika is an animated film I watched in my world cinema class. It is about a therapist (maybe? I don’t think she ever said she was one in the film) who use a newly invented machine to enter her patients dreams and help them work things out. Things get whacky of course and the dreams start mixing with reality and then we are all taught how technology can destroy civilization if we don’t keep it in check. Ok, so that is a really broad and small sighted statement about a whole cultural bias in Japan. You would be afraid of tech too if someone had dropped a couple of nukes on your cities. The movie was a real trip, full of bright colors and dialogue you had to sort of take with a grain of salt. When the dreams start influencing the people who are awake, they all start talking gibberish. I was very glad that I had read a synopsis of the movie’s plot before watching it, because if I hadn’t, I would have been so lost. Paprika goes real crazy real fast, and the plot gets pushed along at a sometimes ridiculous speed. Sometimes people need a little time to let things settle you know? All said, it was a good movie, I recommend it to people who like anime like Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Just, you know, don’t drop acid beforehand. You’ll be in for a bad trip in the end. SPOILER: The fat guy gets the girl.
Gentlemen Broncos (2009 Jared Hess):
From the man who brought you Napoleon Dynamite (which I haven’t seen) and Nacho Libre (which I don’t want to see) comes a new comedy about nerds! See, I should write tag lines for movies, because I’ve got the mad skills needed for such summaries. This movie absolutely panned at the box office and after having watched it I cannot see why. The main character Benjamin (Michael Angarano) is a reclusive nerd who lives with his weirdo mother (Jennifer Coolidge) and writes sci-fi stories as his hobby. Now based on that alone why wouldn’t you want to see this movie? Seriously though, he goes to a writing workshop with a bunch of other mostly weird looking people, including Hector Jimenez who I NEVER WANT TO SEE AGAIN ON FILM!!! His lips and mouth are DISGUSTINGLY huge. Skip all this stuff I said, besides the story line being pretty good, and the movie being pretty funny, Jemaine Clement is the reason to see the film, especially if you have watched any Flight of the Conchords. He plays such a gross human being, someone we have all met before I am sure at one time or another. The kind of person that thinks their crap smells like roses and nothing they do is wrong, but secretly they have a lot to prove to themselves. A lot of the dialogue is just embarrassingly funny and the ending is extremely satisfying. I cannot remember the last time I saw an ending that made me feel good for the characters in the film.
Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn (1987 Sam Raimi):
I maintain the have a deep love for Bruce Campbell. The man is the American dream wrapped in sexy savory bacon. Man crush? How dare you! Anyway, despite my love for the actor, I really have found very few of his horror movies very enjoyable. It has nothing to do with him; I am just not into horror for the most part. I have to say I like Evil Dead part the first for its campiness and cheap but effective effects. Evil Dead II?... Not so much. There were way too many jump scares, which are just cheap I tell you, CHEAP! I wanted to enjoy what was going on onscreen, but I was too busy shying away from the next potential jump. The over abundance of gore was great, Campbell is magnificent of course, and there really was some great camera work. I had to look up the cinematographer I liked it so much (his name is Peter Deming). I always wonder how much of the camera work is actual the cinematographer or the director. I got a heavy sense of Three Stooges from the film, and of course, I was right on. The short documentary that comes on the DVD has Sam Raimi and Bruce acting like a couple of knuckleheads right on film. All you Raimi fans are welcome to give me a big fat DUUUUHHHHHH, it’s alright. Statement; I have Army of Darkness, I am going to watch it, I have no choice. Even with all my problems with the movie, that ending just left me dying to know what happens next. DAMN YOU RAIMI! You’re making me watch movies that scare the poop out of me!
There Will Be Blood (2007 Paul Thomas Anderson):
I am a changed man. Because I have seen this film, I cannot help but start talking like Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) whenever the urge comes about. He is my new Sean Connery, and I love me some Sean Connery. This movie blew my mind away. From the acting, which was amazing all around, to the cinematography, which uses the environments and shadows as if they were actors themselves, to the music, blending from scene to scene adding so much depth it is unspeakable. Has it come across I wonder? I LOVED THIS MOVIE. I loved it so much that I am honestly sorry that No Country for Old Men, another movie I love dearly, won the best picture Oscar over this. I don’t have the words to describe the magic this movie made me feel. Daniel Plainview, as a character, is so charismatic that he could have bought all of my land (not that I have any… I guess he could have bought all my NES games for 5 bucks). The drama of this driven yet conflicted man made me hate him and love him all together at once. Paul Dano did an excellent job as well, playing religious leader/fanatic/town leader Eli Sunday. Their displays of emotion bordered on insanity, certainly on obsession. Now I would like to talk about the amazing music, but I am not very good at describing things like that. The music made the whole atmosphere of the film fascinating to me. It added intensity to scene that otherwise would have come off as filler, moments just meant to take up space in the plot. I am a mild fan of Radiohead, but right now, I would get down on my knees and kiss Jonny Greenwood’s feet. The man obviously has a huge amount of talent. I could keep gushing, but I feel like I will just embarrass myself trying to describe the indescribable. This movie may now be in my top ten all time films. ‘Nuff said.
Melinda and Melinda (2004 Woody Allen):
So, I already stated I am a fan of Woody Allen. It isn’t because I believe I am some pseudo intellectual and believe he speaks for all of us, it’s because he’s funny. That sarcastic self-deprecating bastard makes me laugh every time. Melinda and Melinda has problems. Because it is split into two tales, both about the same situation, one comedy one tragedy, I don’t feel like the stories are fleshed out enough for a proper narrative. Especially at the end of the tragic tale, I want to know what happens with Jonny Lee Miller’s character. It isn’t really important to the story I guess, because the movie is really about two playwrights’ interpretations on life, but I can’t help but feel like I missed something. I don’t have much else to say about the film, but I want to note that this is one of the few movies that I actually enjoy Will Ferrell in. The absence of over the top actions on his part is always an improvement for me.
Taxi Driver (1976 Martin Scorsese):
This movie is nothing like I imagined it would be like. I thought it would be all about this psycho cab driver and I don’t know what else. Not much to go on there. Something in this film drove at least one person to try to assassinate the president at the time. I think I can see why (I swear I’m not crazy!). Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is relatable to anyone who found something special about the novel The Catcher in the Rye. His disgust with the world and people around him, his awkwardness about sex and women, his desire to protect the innocent, sounds like Holden Caulfield to me. Now, I realize that I am not saying anything that hasn’t been said by someone before me, as is the case with almost everything I write in this blog, but I think it is important to point this angle out. I noticed it while watching the movie, and it actually drove me away from really loving the film. Taxi Driver has an amazing narrative, perfect score (that saxophone music is so seedy, it just adds stickiness to the whole movie), and superb acting. I am chased away from it by remembering how much Catcher affected me in high school. I never want to feel that way again. Travis Bickle and I will never be friends, but I don’t mind watching him from a distance. Possibly parked across the street in a cab… NO!
So, this week had a lot of heavy stuff, and not just in the movie category. I cannot help but wonder if the way I was emotionally was truly affected by what I watched this week. I guess I wouldn’t be surprised. Any questions, comments, or swarthy tales of life on the sea, please send them to JDTMovies@gmail.com. Also, I have started a fan page on facebook for my pathetic blog. Please become a fan and feel free to leave any comments you have for me there!
Paprika*
Gentlemen Broncos*
Evil Dead II*
The Will Be Blood*
Melinda and Melinda
Taxi Driver*
Paprika (2007 Satoshi Kon):
Paprika is an animated film I watched in my world cinema class. It is about a therapist (maybe? I don’t think she ever said she was one in the film) who use a newly invented machine to enter her patients dreams and help them work things out. Things get whacky of course and the dreams start mixing with reality and then we are all taught how technology can destroy civilization if we don’t keep it in check. Ok, so that is a really broad and small sighted statement about a whole cultural bias in Japan. You would be afraid of tech too if someone had dropped a couple of nukes on your cities. The movie was a real trip, full of bright colors and dialogue you had to sort of take with a grain of salt. When the dreams start influencing the people who are awake, they all start talking gibberish. I was very glad that I had read a synopsis of the movie’s plot before watching it, because if I hadn’t, I would have been so lost. Paprika goes real crazy real fast, and the plot gets pushed along at a sometimes ridiculous speed. Sometimes people need a little time to let things settle you know? All said, it was a good movie, I recommend it to people who like anime like Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Just, you know, don’t drop acid beforehand. You’ll be in for a bad trip in the end. SPOILER: The fat guy gets the girl.
Gentlemen Broncos (2009 Jared Hess):
From the man who brought you Napoleon Dynamite (which I haven’t seen) and Nacho Libre (which I don’t want to see) comes a new comedy about nerds! See, I should write tag lines for movies, because I’ve got the mad skills needed for such summaries. This movie absolutely panned at the box office and after having watched it I cannot see why. The main character Benjamin (Michael Angarano) is a reclusive nerd who lives with his weirdo mother (Jennifer Coolidge) and writes sci-fi stories as his hobby. Now based on that alone why wouldn’t you want to see this movie? Seriously though, he goes to a writing workshop with a bunch of other mostly weird looking people, including Hector Jimenez who I NEVER WANT TO SEE AGAIN ON FILM!!! His lips and mouth are DISGUSTINGLY huge. Skip all this stuff I said, besides the story line being pretty good, and the movie being pretty funny, Jemaine Clement is the reason to see the film, especially if you have watched any Flight of the Conchords. He plays such a gross human being, someone we have all met before I am sure at one time or another. The kind of person that thinks their crap smells like roses and nothing they do is wrong, but secretly they have a lot to prove to themselves. A lot of the dialogue is just embarrassingly funny and the ending is extremely satisfying. I cannot remember the last time I saw an ending that made me feel good for the characters in the film.
Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn (1987 Sam Raimi):
I maintain the have a deep love for Bruce Campbell. The man is the American dream wrapped in sexy savory bacon. Man crush? How dare you! Anyway, despite my love for the actor, I really have found very few of his horror movies very enjoyable. It has nothing to do with him; I am just not into horror for the most part. I have to say I like Evil Dead part the first for its campiness and cheap but effective effects. Evil Dead II?... Not so much. There were way too many jump scares, which are just cheap I tell you, CHEAP! I wanted to enjoy what was going on onscreen, but I was too busy shying away from the next potential jump. The over abundance of gore was great, Campbell is magnificent of course, and there really was some great camera work. I had to look up the cinematographer I liked it so much (his name is Peter Deming). I always wonder how much of the camera work is actual the cinematographer or the director. I got a heavy sense of Three Stooges from the film, and of course, I was right on. The short documentary that comes on the DVD has Sam Raimi and Bruce acting like a couple of knuckleheads right on film. All you Raimi fans are welcome to give me a big fat DUUUUHHHHHH, it’s alright. Statement; I have Army of Darkness, I am going to watch it, I have no choice. Even with all my problems with the movie, that ending just left me dying to know what happens next. DAMN YOU RAIMI! You’re making me watch movies that scare the poop out of me!
There Will Be Blood (2007 Paul Thomas Anderson):
I am a changed man. Because I have seen this film, I cannot help but start talking like Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) whenever the urge comes about. He is my new Sean Connery, and I love me some Sean Connery. This movie blew my mind away. From the acting, which was amazing all around, to the cinematography, which uses the environments and shadows as if they were actors themselves, to the music, blending from scene to scene adding so much depth it is unspeakable. Has it come across I wonder? I LOVED THIS MOVIE. I loved it so much that I am honestly sorry that No Country for Old Men, another movie I love dearly, won the best picture Oscar over this. I don’t have the words to describe the magic this movie made me feel. Daniel Plainview, as a character, is so charismatic that he could have bought all of my land (not that I have any… I guess he could have bought all my NES games for 5 bucks). The drama of this driven yet conflicted man made me hate him and love him all together at once. Paul Dano did an excellent job as well, playing religious leader/fanatic/town leader Eli Sunday. Their displays of emotion bordered on insanity, certainly on obsession. Now I would like to talk about the amazing music, but I am not very good at describing things like that. The music made the whole atmosphere of the film fascinating to me. It added intensity to scene that otherwise would have come off as filler, moments just meant to take up space in the plot. I am a mild fan of Radiohead, but right now, I would get down on my knees and kiss Jonny Greenwood’s feet. The man obviously has a huge amount of talent. I could keep gushing, but I feel like I will just embarrass myself trying to describe the indescribable. This movie may now be in my top ten all time films. ‘Nuff said.
Melinda and Melinda (2004 Woody Allen):
So, I already stated I am a fan of Woody Allen. It isn’t because I believe I am some pseudo intellectual and believe he speaks for all of us, it’s because he’s funny. That sarcastic self-deprecating bastard makes me laugh every time. Melinda and Melinda has problems. Because it is split into two tales, both about the same situation, one comedy one tragedy, I don’t feel like the stories are fleshed out enough for a proper narrative. Especially at the end of the tragic tale, I want to know what happens with Jonny Lee Miller’s character. It isn’t really important to the story I guess, because the movie is really about two playwrights’ interpretations on life, but I can’t help but feel like I missed something. I don’t have much else to say about the film, but I want to note that this is one of the few movies that I actually enjoy Will Ferrell in. The absence of over the top actions on his part is always an improvement for me.
Taxi Driver (1976 Martin Scorsese):
This movie is nothing like I imagined it would be like. I thought it would be all about this psycho cab driver and I don’t know what else. Not much to go on there. Something in this film drove at least one person to try to assassinate the president at the time. I think I can see why (I swear I’m not crazy!). Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is relatable to anyone who found something special about the novel The Catcher in the Rye. His disgust with the world and people around him, his awkwardness about sex and women, his desire to protect the innocent, sounds like Holden Caulfield to me. Now, I realize that I am not saying anything that hasn’t been said by someone before me, as is the case with almost everything I write in this blog, but I think it is important to point this angle out. I noticed it while watching the movie, and it actually drove me away from really loving the film. Taxi Driver has an amazing narrative, perfect score (that saxophone music is so seedy, it just adds stickiness to the whole movie), and superb acting. I am chased away from it by remembering how much Catcher affected me in high school. I never want to feel that way again. Travis Bickle and I will never be friends, but I don’t mind watching him from a distance. Possibly parked across the street in a cab… NO!
So, this week had a lot of heavy stuff, and not just in the movie category. I cannot help but wonder if the way I was emotionally was truly affected by what I watched this week. I guess I wouldn’t be surprised. Any questions, comments, or swarthy tales of life on the sea, please send them to JDTMovies@gmail.com. Also, I have started a fan page on facebook for my pathetic blog. Please become a fan and feel free to leave any comments you have for me there!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
March 9th 2010, Week regarding 3/2/2010 – 3/8/2010
Movies Seen: First Time Viewed*
The Big Sleep*
Platoon*
Timecrimes*
Jurassic Park
2001: A Space Odyssey*
Planet of the Apes*
Babel*
Sunshine Cleaning*
Son of Ranbow*
Can you say science fiction? I believe I did an excellent job swimming through the universe that is SF film this week. A few classics, a foreign film, and one of my top 25 all time favorites. Big week full of flicks, this is Joel buckling down and killing his brain cells the only way he knows how. Besides drinking and basic cable that is.
The Big Sleep (1946 Howard Hawks):
This is the 3rd Bogart film I have ever seen (that is as far as I can recall). He’s good, I don’t know if you are aware of this. Even though he is certainly cast because he is Bogart and himself a character, every line that slips from his mouth, the subtleness of his actions, these things are full of a grace no one else has had before or since. Or, perhaps I am just hero worshiping. I read Raymond Chandler’s book before watching this movie, and I was actually a bit miffed at the way they had changed things. Naturally because of the time period in movie history the romantic relationship in the film had to be amped up a bit, I understand that. The sense I got from Phillip Marlowe in the book though was of a man who did not expect things to work in his favor, even with the ladies. He did his job, he did it as best he could, and he didn’t get mixed up in any real bad business if he could help himself. So, Bogart ending up with Bacall in the end did not please me. Then again, Marlowe had a very good reason not to end up with Vivian (who is played by Bogart and Bacall in the movie respectively), as in the book she tried to have him killed. So, there isn’t much to be done about it, no reason to over think it. I recommend both the movie and the book. A bit of a warning though, I watched it on Netflix streaming, and even though the dialogue was at a normal level, whenever a gun was fired the sound seemed way too loud. So you know, watch out for that and stuff.
Platoon (1986 Oliver Stone):
Hmm, Oliver Stone. The only other Oliver Stone movie I have seen is Any Given Sunday (1999), so I cannot really comment on the director as an auteur. Platoon was alright. I feel as though I am missing a manly chromosome just for feeling that way. The movie felt like a big soap opera to me. It had an obvious villain, a martyr, a young hero changed forever by the seeds of war, and Dr. Cox. I’m pretty sure after Charlie Sheen goes home from Vietnam, he becomes the Godfather. Ok, not really. There was no dignity in Vietnam, and this movie is as good as any at showing that. Good guys, bad guys, it’s all the same when you are the one being aimed at. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Timecrimes (Los cronocrimenes)(2007 Nacho Vigalondo):
The Slashfilmcast members have been raving about this movie for some time. Those guys seem like nice enough fellows so I decided to give this a shot. I really don’t want to give anything away about this movie. Sufficed to say this is a movie people should see, because it is one really great piece of sci-fi. It’s only an hour and a half long, but that hour and a half is so surprisingly good! I kept thinking, and this a little spoilish so be forewarned, that the movie was way too predictable, and then BAM! I was like WHOA, and then like NO WAY, and then I was like SAY WHAT? Sorry, I just really want other people to check this out. Timecrimes is currently being remade by Hollywood, so do yourself and the makers of the film a favor and check out the original. It is SO FREAKING GOOD! And just in case it wasn’t clear in the title of the movie, it’s about time travel and its consequences. And creepy Spanish dudes.
Jurassic Park:
Sam Neill? Check. Dinosaurs? Check. Children you wish would get eaten? Check. The only this movie is missing is Samuel L. Jackson. What’s that you say? Oh, he’s in it too. I got to see this on the big screen on classic movie nightt with my gf and my pals Aaron, Kempo, Nick, and Kelsey. This is one of my favorite movies of all time, and to tell you the truth, I was a little sad after watching it this time. The dialogue is bad, Jeff Goldblum takes off his shirt and someone thought they should grease him up, and the children survive. Did I mention I hate the children? What was worst for me is that I think I realized I like Jaws better. Jaws had amazing acting in it (well, amazing is a stretch, but it’s better than Jurassic Park) and it was more innovative with the camera (I know, I know, due to the lack of SFX available at the time). Jurassic Park to me now feels like pure blockbuster. Damn you Spielberg! You should have just left the substance out of all your movies! Heh, substance makes me think the ooze from Ninja Turtles.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968 Stanley Kubric):
What. A. Trip. This movie is at the same time absolutely amazing and extremely frustrating. I’ve got the two words that sum it up for me: Space ballet. The amazing effects (for the time) and music are combined to make something that should have Fantasia (1940) fans pissing their pants with glee. Despite how visually stunning the movie is, it has about 30 minutes of actual narrative. 30 minutes of story and the rest is, as I said, ballet pure and simple. I really dig the costumes in the movie. If I could find me a stock of replica costumes based on this movie, guess who would be sporting a different colored space suit each day of the week? I loved this movie, but I can see a lot of people afterwards going, what the HELL was that!!?? Maybe this will come off as crazy, but I got a definite sense of the Italian neo-realism. There was a focus on micro actions all throughout the movie. 2001 is art, something that should be playing in a museum 24/7 while people stand around it drinking coffee and smoking French cigarettes. Even now I can see the image of spacecrafts floating in space while the blue Danube plays in the background, and I feel calmness over my mind. I should mention that the story was of course ruined for me by years of pop culture references, but no one could ever replicate the eloquence of the actual film. Sigh, my heart is a flutter!
Planet of the Apes (1968 Franklin J. Schaffner):
Wow, same year as 2001. These two movies are sci-fi apples and oranges. I really liked Planet of the Apes, and I am surprised about that. Charlton Heston delivers some of the weirdest monologues I have ever heard, the creepy bastard. All around a good time though. Nothing brightens a day like apes on horses that suck at using nets. I’ll tell you what though, Dr. Zaius? He’s a dick. I wish Heston had got him around the neck and gave him the old snickity snap! Of course, I have anger issues, and without Zaius they couldn’t have made 200 sequels. By the way, it’s thanks to the podcast the Filmsack that I even bothered watching the movie. If you like comedy and movies, that podcast is really good. Makes me laugh every time.
Babel (2006 Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu):
Well, that’s the last one for me. Little did I know when I started this movie that it was from the same writer (Guillermo Arriaga) and director of 21 Grams (2003). I was not a fan of that movie. In fact, I am not a fan of most movies that leave you feeling like your grandmother just died. Babel wasn’t as bad as 21, but I still didn’t like it very much. The Brad Pitt parts were weird, the Japanese parts were weird, the Mexico parts… weird. If the goal of the movie was to make me feel bad for people, it succeeded. Even so, I can’t think of anything production wise that really stood out about the movie. It was interesting seeing different cultures, but I could just watch the travel channel. At least then I wouldn’t have to see anyone masturbating. What was the movie about? I still have no clear idea. Something about language barriers and cultural barriers and Clifton Collins Jr.
Sunshine Cleaning (2008 Christine Jeffs):
This movie… this damn movie broke through the ice shield guarding my heart. Ok, that’s a little too much cheese. I just found this film to be very endearing. Something about Amy Adams not being annoying really worked for me. It was a cute story. The writers did an excellent job of going neither too quirky nor too morbid. And once again, we got a visit from Clifton Collins Jr. That man is everywhere now days I tells yah! Nothing really special about the cinematography or anything, the story is what has me really won over. The acting was very solid too. Emily Blunt SHOULD have annoyed the hell out of me, as she reminded me of my little sister, but she didn’t. So kudos to her and the rest of the cast.
Son of Rambow (2007 Garth Jennings):
Let me just say this first: DO NOT let that title throw you off of watching this movie! It is so great! I admit, the title is pretty bad, and it is certainly misleading. Son of Ranbow can only be about one thing right? Well, it’s actually about kids in England during the 80’s who decide to make their own movie. This film, Son of Rambow, is so GOOD! It was laugh out loud funny, and relatable, and just freaking charming. I want to grab a group of you and tie you to chairs and make you watch this movie so you can share the joy with me (he says while polishing his tools)! God, what can I say about this movie? Ah! The children! I didn’t want to strangle the children in the movie! Isn’t that an accomplishment in its own? I certainly think so. There is a great use of animation mixed into the film that makes the imagination receptors in your brain fire up. I feel all warm and tingly just talking about the movie. Please, go watch this movie so I can talk to you about it. And by you I mean the completely anonymous mass that is the internet.
ARGH! I may have seen a bit too many films this week to actually see the substance of some of the movies. But I have learned that you can’t really know a movie until you have seen it a few times, and almost all of these were the first time through. Anybody got any recommendations they want to see me talk about? I would love some feedback about this crap. Any questions, comments, or misguided angry political statements, please send them to JDTMovies@gmail.com. Toodle doo till next week!
The Big Sleep*
Platoon*
Timecrimes*
Jurassic Park
2001: A Space Odyssey*
Planet of the Apes*
Babel*
Sunshine Cleaning*
Son of Ranbow*
Can you say science fiction? I believe I did an excellent job swimming through the universe that is SF film this week. A few classics, a foreign film, and one of my top 25 all time favorites. Big week full of flicks, this is Joel buckling down and killing his brain cells the only way he knows how. Besides drinking and basic cable that is.
The Big Sleep (1946 Howard Hawks):
This is the 3rd Bogart film I have ever seen (that is as far as I can recall). He’s good, I don’t know if you are aware of this. Even though he is certainly cast because he is Bogart and himself a character, every line that slips from his mouth, the subtleness of his actions, these things are full of a grace no one else has had before or since. Or, perhaps I am just hero worshiping. I read Raymond Chandler’s book before watching this movie, and I was actually a bit miffed at the way they had changed things. Naturally because of the time period in movie history the romantic relationship in the film had to be amped up a bit, I understand that. The sense I got from Phillip Marlowe in the book though was of a man who did not expect things to work in his favor, even with the ladies. He did his job, he did it as best he could, and he didn’t get mixed up in any real bad business if he could help himself. So, Bogart ending up with Bacall in the end did not please me. Then again, Marlowe had a very good reason not to end up with Vivian (who is played by Bogart and Bacall in the movie respectively), as in the book she tried to have him killed. So, there isn’t much to be done about it, no reason to over think it. I recommend both the movie and the book. A bit of a warning though, I watched it on Netflix streaming, and even though the dialogue was at a normal level, whenever a gun was fired the sound seemed way too loud. So you know, watch out for that and stuff.
Platoon (1986 Oliver Stone):
Hmm, Oliver Stone. The only other Oliver Stone movie I have seen is Any Given Sunday (1999), so I cannot really comment on the director as an auteur. Platoon was alright. I feel as though I am missing a manly chromosome just for feeling that way. The movie felt like a big soap opera to me. It had an obvious villain, a martyr, a young hero changed forever by the seeds of war, and Dr. Cox. I’m pretty sure after Charlie Sheen goes home from Vietnam, he becomes the Godfather. Ok, not really. There was no dignity in Vietnam, and this movie is as good as any at showing that. Good guys, bad guys, it’s all the same when you are the one being aimed at. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Timecrimes (Los cronocrimenes)(2007 Nacho Vigalondo):
The Slashfilmcast members have been raving about this movie for some time. Those guys seem like nice enough fellows so I decided to give this a shot. I really don’t want to give anything away about this movie. Sufficed to say this is a movie people should see, because it is one really great piece of sci-fi. It’s only an hour and a half long, but that hour and a half is so surprisingly good! I kept thinking, and this a little spoilish so be forewarned, that the movie was way too predictable, and then BAM! I was like WHOA, and then like NO WAY, and then I was like SAY WHAT? Sorry, I just really want other people to check this out. Timecrimes is currently being remade by Hollywood, so do yourself and the makers of the film a favor and check out the original. It is SO FREAKING GOOD! And just in case it wasn’t clear in the title of the movie, it’s about time travel and its consequences. And creepy Spanish dudes.
Jurassic Park:
Sam Neill? Check. Dinosaurs? Check. Children you wish would get eaten? Check. The only this movie is missing is Samuel L. Jackson. What’s that you say? Oh, he’s in it too. I got to see this on the big screen on classic movie nightt with my gf and my pals Aaron, Kempo, Nick, and Kelsey. This is one of my favorite movies of all time, and to tell you the truth, I was a little sad after watching it this time. The dialogue is bad, Jeff Goldblum takes off his shirt and someone thought they should grease him up, and the children survive. Did I mention I hate the children? What was worst for me is that I think I realized I like Jaws better. Jaws had amazing acting in it (well, amazing is a stretch, but it’s better than Jurassic Park) and it was more innovative with the camera (I know, I know, due to the lack of SFX available at the time). Jurassic Park to me now feels like pure blockbuster. Damn you Spielberg! You should have just left the substance out of all your movies! Heh, substance makes me think the ooze from Ninja Turtles.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968 Stanley Kubric):
What. A. Trip. This movie is at the same time absolutely amazing and extremely frustrating. I’ve got the two words that sum it up for me: Space ballet. The amazing effects (for the time) and music are combined to make something that should have Fantasia (1940) fans pissing their pants with glee. Despite how visually stunning the movie is, it has about 30 minutes of actual narrative. 30 minutes of story and the rest is, as I said, ballet pure and simple. I really dig the costumes in the movie. If I could find me a stock of replica costumes based on this movie, guess who would be sporting a different colored space suit each day of the week? I loved this movie, but I can see a lot of people afterwards going, what the HELL was that!!?? Maybe this will come off as crazy, but I got a definite sense of the Italian neo-realism. There was a focus on micro actions all throughout the movie. 2001 is art, something that should be playing in a museum 24/7 while people stand around it drinking coffee and smoking French cigarettes. Even now I can see the image of spacecrafts floating in space while the blue Danube plays in the background, and I feel calmness over my mind. I should mention that the story was of course ruined for me by years of pop culture references, but no one could ever replicate the eloquence of the actual film. Sigh, my heart is a flutter!
Planet of the Apes (1968 Franklin J. Schaffner):
Wow, same year as 2001. These two movies are sci-fi apples and oranges. I really liked Planet of the Apes, and I am surprised about that. Charlton Heston delivers some of the weirdest monologues I have ever heard, the creepy bastard. All around a good time though. Nothing brightens a day like apes on horses that suck at using nets. I’ll tell you what though, Dr. Zaius? He’s a dick. I wish Heston had got him around the neck and gave him the old snickity snap! Of course, I have anger issues, and without Zaius they couldn’t have made 200 sequels. By the way, it’s thanks to the podcast the Filmsack that I even bothered watching the movie. If you like comedy and movies, that podcast is really good. Makes me laugh every time.
Babel (2006 Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu):
Well, that’s the last one for me. Little did I know when I started this movie that it was from the same writer (Guillermo Arriaga) and director of 21 Grams (2003). I was not a fan of that movie. In fact, I am not a fan of most movies that leave you feeling like your grandmother just died. Babel wasn’t as bad as 21, but I still didn’t like it very much. The Brad Pitt parts were weird, the Japanese parts were weird, the Mexico parts… weird. If the goal of the movie was to make me feel bad for people, it succeeded. Even so, I can’t think of anything production wise that really stood out about the movie. It was interesting seeing different cultures, but I could just watch the travel channel. At least then I wouldn’t have to see anyone masturbating. What was the movie about? I still have no clear idea. Something about language barriers and cultural barriers and Clifton Collins Jr.
Sunshine Cleaning (2008 Christine Jeffs):
This movie… this damn movie broke through the ice shield guarding my heart. Ok, that’s a little too much cheese. I just found this film to be very endearing. Something about Amy Adams not being annoying really worked for me. It was a cute story. The writers did an excellent job of going neither too quirky nor too morbid. And once again, we got a visit from Clifton Collins Jr. That man is everywhere now days I tells yah! Nothing really special about the cinematography or anything, the story is what has me really won over. The acting was very solid too. Emily Blunt SHOULD have annoyed the hell out of me, as she reminded me of my little sister, but she didn’t. So kudos to her and the rest of the cast.
Son of Rambow (2007 Garth Jennings):
Let me just say this first: DO NOT let that title throw you off of watching this movie! It is so great! I admit, the title is pretty bad, and it is certainly misleading. Son of Ranbow can only be about one thing right? Well, it’s actually about kids in England during the 80’s who decide to make their own movie. This film, Son of Rambow, is so GOOD! It was laugh out loud funny, and relatable, and just freaking charming. I want to grab a group of you and tie you to chairs and make you watch this movie so you can share the joy with me (he says while polishing his tools)! God, what can I say about this movie? Ah! The children! I didn’t want to strangle the children in the movie! Isn’t that an accomplishment in its own? I certainly think so. There is a great use of animation mixed into the film that makes the imagination receptors in your brain fire up. I feel all warm and tingly just talking about the movie. Please, go watch this movie so I can talk to you about it. And by you I mean the completely anonymous mass that is the internet.
ARGH! I may have seen a bit too many films this week to actually see the substance of some of the movies. But I have learned that you can’t really know a movie until you have seen it a few times, and almost all of these were the first time through. Anybody got any recommendations they want to see me talk about? I would love some feedback about this crap. Any questions, comments, or misguided angry political statements, please send them to JDTMovies@gmail.com. Toodle doo till next week!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
March 3rd 2010. Week regarding 2/23/2010 – 3/1/2010
Movies seen: First time viewed
Jaws*
Fire*
The White Ribbon*
Inside Man*
Gattaca*
The Brothers Bloom
THIS IS THE REMIX! Ok, not really. This is my reboot. I have simply gotten too far behind to try to catch up on all the films I have seen since my last post in February. I have them all written down if anyone is really interested! As for the John Malkovich project, despite not having a job I still found myself overwhelmed. I feel like I was saying the same thing every time I made a post. BUT I may resume the project again, because I don’t like leaving things unfinished, especially pie.
By the way, spoilers.
Jaws (1975, Steven Spielberg):
Two things: 1. Isn’t the words Jaws grammatically incorrect? Is it possible for something to have more than one jaw? And 2. I saw this flick in my American Cinema class and after it was done, some loud mouth girl said it was the worst movie she had ever seen. WTF! Seriously? Because if that was the case, than I can only imagine that she had perhaps only seen the movie we have had to watch in class (Besides Jaws, The Godfather, Midnight Cowboy, and This Film is Not Yet Rated). I might agree with her if that was the case, but I am pretty sure she was just being very shallow in her interpretation of the film. My teacher referred to Jaws as the first blockbuster, and also said that it is essentially a B movie. I cannot deny the history of the film, but I’m not sure I would call it a B movie. I associate B movies with bad acting, and Jaws was severely lacking in that category. Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss were both amazing. Now, I will give that Robert Shaw was sometimes over the top (alright, most of the time), but when he toned down and entered serious mode, his performance draws you in effortlessly. Other things that separate this piece from a B movie in my opinion are the camera and editing choices. Besides having the shark attacks mostly from a first-person point of view (which I read was because the animatronics shark was a POS), the way scenes were edited to leave you looking at just the right thing, the thing that will have your jaw (no pun intended) wide open. The scene I have a fond remembrance of is when Richard Dreyfuss is in the shark cage in the water, and the shark is breaking through the bars to get to him. The camera cuts from the shark to his eyes and back. Horrifying.
Fire (1996 Deepa Mehta):
I’m afraid when it comes to Indian cinema, my exposure is Bend it Like Beckham and Slumdog Millionaire (and I’m not sure the latter really counts…). I learned about Bollywood in class, and what defines a Bollywood film. This movie, Fire, is a big FU to that with some tribute thrown in. The story follows two traditionally married women and their family. The older woman Rahda (Shabana Azmi) is settled into her life, which is traditional and rather lack luster. When Sita (Nandita Das) comes into her life, you can tell almost immediately that she does not want the life Rahda has. “Chaos” ensues, as Sita influences Rahda, making her see life doesn’t have to be what is expected. Major SPOILER: The two women eventually end up in a romantic relationship, find passion and joy in each other’s arms. And that is what I think the love is really about in this movie. It isn’t about gay or straight, although every description I have read screams out the word lesbian. These two women have completely passionless marriages. Rahda’s marriage is especially tragic as she cannot conceive a child, and so her husband has taken a vow of celibacy. In India, as in many countries, the man’s needs are first. Now, all this said, the movie is good, but having very little to compare it to in terms of Indian movies. I felt a little lost. I’d like to watch it again after seeing a few more Bollywood films. It should be noted that the movie is part of a trilogy, Fire, Water, and Earth. These films are all controversial. Look it up, it’s an interesting read.
The White Ribbon (Das weisse Band) (2009 Michael Haneke):
So in Germany some crazy stuff goes down with people dying and stuff and it might be that the kids did it, and it might just be an act of God or something. Listen, I was excited to see this movie. Black and white, in German, original story (well, sort of), sounds good to me. I left the movie feeling let down. It was more than 2 hours long, and I felt like 2 hours had passed, which is not a good thing. I kept expecting the plot to go somewhere, to do something, and it didn’t really happen. What I got was a lot of great imagery, some interesting looks into the character’s lives, and some very awkward scenes with a doctor trying to get off. Oh, didn’t see that coming did you? Me neither. I felt the suspense that the movie was trying to put forth, and I really liked how the darkness was used in scenes to leave you wondering what was going on just around the corner, but I don’t think all the “build up” (I put that in quotes because there isn’t really build up, I just don’t know how else to put it) leads nowhere. Disappointing.
Inside Man (2006 Spike Lee):
Woo doggie! This was one hell of a good heist movie! Now, I have actually seen the movie before, but I list it as first time viewed because I had previously only watched it on cable. There wasn’t too much different, but I thought it deserved a fair evaluation. I have a lot of respect for Spike Lee as a director. There is something about his films that make them each unique pieces of art. Also, love me some Clive Owen. Love me some Denzel (for the most part, he’s a fine actor, he just doesn’t always pick great roles). Inside Man is a very smart, very slick and cool heist movie. I need to buy it. Let’s see, I need to talk about something specific here… well, I loved all the interviews spread throughout the movie, they really added to the mystery behind the real story. Ok, that doesn’t say much really. Ah! The ending is twisted! Er, I mean, it has a twist, and it works really well. Ok, I’ll stop now.
Gattaca (1998 Andrew Niccol):
For some reason, I feel like I have hardly every delved into the sci-fi genre. Sure I have seen Star Wars, and other such films, but I missed out on most of the treasure trove of trash that the 80’s contained. This was due to my mother’s disdain for science fiction. Well, disdain is too harsh a word. She was just not down. So while I watched Flight of the Navigator (Disney recommended, mom approved!) I have never seen Mac and Me (A favorite among many of my friends). Needless to say, sci-fi and I did not waltz into the 90’s together either. Gattaca has the Sarah stamp of approval as a must see, and now having seen it myself, I very much agree. Very cool futuristic look at classes (social, not like in school). I don’t know if the story was supposed to be uplifting or depressing. While one of the messages is not to accept the limitations society puts upon you, the other is that even if you are Jude Law, your life can really blow. Really though, the plot drives this story forward beautifully, never letting you look away. A very great film, another I need to add to my collection.
The Brothers Bloom (2009 Rian Johnson):
As I recently put up as my Facebook status, I heart Rian Johnson. I knew I certainly loved Brick, his first movie. So stylized, an amazing tribute to film noir and still extremely original. The Brothers Bloom, the first time I watched it, I did not get it. I liked the cinematography, I liked the characters (Adrian Brody is especially awesomeness), and for the most part I liked the plot. I think the first time through I was distracted by the quirk of it. Also, I’m pretty sure this is the kind of movie you have to watch more than once to catch everything that is going on. The film uses its sound effects very carefully. Each of the sight gags actually has a purpose. And the dialogue is EXTREMELY important. Everything is said for a reason, and not just to be quirky, as I may have thought the first time through. Rian Johnson is one smart cookie, and I cannot wait for his next film.
And that ladies and germs is that. I’d like to thank my medication for getting me through this time of trials. Also, my awesome girl friend, who is always baking delicious things for me to munch on. If you have any questions, comments, or digital renditions of the last supper feature only Greg Kinnear and a handful of chimpanzees, please send them to jdtmovies@gmail.com. Adios, mes amigos!
Jaws*
Fire*
The White Ribbon*
Inside Man*
Gattaca*
The Brothers Bloom
THIS IS THE REMIX! Ok, not really. This is my reboot. I have simply gotten too far behind to try to catch up on all the films I have seen since my last post in February. I have them all written down if anyone is really interested! As for the John Malkovich project, despite not having a job I still found myself overwhelmed. I feel like I was saying the same thing every time I made a post. BUT I may resume the project again, because I don’t like leaving things unfinished, especially pie.
By the way, spoilers.
Jaws (1975, Steven Spielberg):
Two things: 1. Isn’t the words Jaws grammatically incorrect? Is it possible for something to have more than one jaw? And 2. I saw this flick in my American Cinema class and after it was done, some loud mouth girl said it was the worst movie she had ever seen. WTF! Seriously? Because if that was the case, than I can only imagine that she had perhaps only seen the movie we have had to watch in class (Besides Jaws, The Godfather, Midnight Cowboy, and This Film is Not Yet Rated). I might agree with her if that was the case, but I am pretty sure she was just being very shallow in her interpretation of the film. My teacher referred to Jaws as the first blockbuster, and also said that it is essentially a B movie. I cannot deny the history of the film, but I’m not sure I would call it a B movie. I associate B movies with bad acting, and Jaws was severely lacking in that category. Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss were both amazing. Now, I will give that Robert Shaw was sometimes over the top (alright, most of the time), but when he toned down and entered serious mode, his performance draws you in effortlessly. Other things that separate this piece from a B movie in my opinion are the camera and editing choices. Besides having the shark attacks mostly from a first-person point of view (which I read was because the animatronics shark was a POS), the way scenes were edited to leave you looking at just the right thing, the thing that will have your jaw (no pun intended) wide open. The scene I have a fond remembrance of is when Richard Dreyfuss is in the shark cage in the water, and the shark is breaking through the bars to get to him. The camera cuts from the shark to his eyes and back. Horrifying.
Fire (1996 Deepa Mehta):
I’m afraid when it comes to Indian cinema, my exposure is Bend it Like Beckham and Slumdog Millionaire (and I’m not sure the latter really counts…). I learned about Bollywood in class, and what defines a Bollywood film. This movie, Fire, is a big FU to that with some tribute thrown in. The story follows two traditionally married women and their family. The older woman Rahda (Shabana Azmi) is settled into her life, which is traditional and rather lack luster. When Sita (Nandita Das) comes into her life, you can tell almost immediately that she does not want the life Rahda has. “Chaos” ensues, as Sita influences Rahda, making her see life doesn’t have to be what is expected. Major SPOILER: The two women eventually end up in a romantic relationship, find passion and joy in each other’s arms. And that is what I think the love is really about in this movie. It isn’t about gay or straight, although every description I have read screams out the word lesbian. These two women have completely passionless marriages. Rahda’s marriage is especially tragic as she cannot conceive a child, and so her husband has taken a vow of celibacy. In India, as in many countries, the man’s needs are first. Now, all this said, the movie is good, but having very little to compare it to in terms of Indian movies. I felt a little lost. I’d like to watch it again after seeing a few more Bollywood films. It should be noted that the movie is part of a trilogy, Fire, Water, and Earth. These films are all controversial. Look it up, it’s an interesting read.
The White Ribbon (Das weisse Band) (2009 Michael Haneke):
So in Germany some crazy stuff goes down with people dying and stuff and it might be that the kids did it, and it might just be an act of God or something. Listen, I was excited to see this movie. Black and white, in German, original story (well, sort of), sounds good to me. I left the movie feeling let down. It was more than 2 hours long, and I felt like 2 hours had passed, which is not a good thing. I kept expecting the plot to go somewhere, to do something, and it didn’t really happen. What I got was a lot of great imagery, some interesting looks into the character’s lives, and some very awkward scenes with a doctor trying to get off. Oh, didn’t see that coming did you? Me neither. I felt the suspense that the movie was trying to put forth, and I really liked how the darkness was used in scenes to leave you wondering what was going on just around the corner, but I don’t think all the “build up” (I put that in quotes because there isn’t really build up, I just don’t know how else to put it) leads nowhere. Disappointing.
Inside Man (2006 Spike Lee):
Woo doggie! This was one hell of a good heist movie! Now, I have actually seen the movie before, but I list it as first time viewed because I had previously only watched it on cable. There wasn’t too much different, but I thought it deserved a fair evaluation. I have a lot of respect for Spike Lee as a director. There is something about his films that make them each unique pieces of art. Also, love me some Clive Owen. Love me some Denzel (for the most part, he’s a fine actor, he just doesn’t always pick great roles). Inside Man is a very smart, very slick and cool heist movie. I need to buy it. Let’s see, I need to talk about something specific here… well, I loved all the interviews spread throughout the movie, they really added to the mystery behind the real story. Ok, that doesn’t say much really. Ah! The ending is twisted! Er, I mean, it has a twist, and it works really well. Ok, I’ll stop now.
Gattaca (1998 Andrew Niccol):
For some reason, I feel like I have hardly every delved into the sci-fi genre. Sure I have seen Star Wars, and other such films, but I missed out on most of the treasure trove of trash that the 80’s contained. This was due to my mother’s disdain for science fiction. Well, disdain is too harsh a word. She was just not down. So while I watched Flight of the Navigator (Disney recommended, mom approved!) I have never seen Mac and Me (A favorite among many of my friends). Needless to say, sci-fi and I did not waltz into the 90’s together either. Gattaca has the Sarah stamp of approval as a must see, and now having seen it myself, I very much agree. Very cool futuristic look at classes (social, not like in school). I don’t know if the story was supposed to be uplifting or depressing. While one of the messages is not to accept the limitations society puts upon you, the other is that even if you are Jude Law, your life can really blow. Really though, the plot drives this story forward beautifully, never letting you look away. A very great film, another I need to add to my collection.
The Brothers Bloom (2009 Rian Johnson):
As I recently put up as my Facebook status, I heart Rian Johnson. I knew I certainly loved Brick, his first movie. So stylized, an amazing tribute to film noir and still extremely original. The Brothers Bloom, the first time I watched it, I did not get it. I liked the cinematography, I liked the characters (Adrian Brody is especially awesomeness), and for the most part I liked the plot. I think the first time through I was distracted by the quirk of it. Also, I’m pretty sure this is the kind of movie you have to watch more than once to catch everything that is going on. The film uses its sound effects very carefully. Each of the sight gags actually has a purpose. And the dialogue is EXTREMELY important. Everything is said for a reason, and not just to be quirky, as I may have thought the first time through. Rian Johnson is one smart cookie, and I cannot wait for his next film.
And that ladies and germs is that. I’d like to thank my medication for getting me through this time of trials. Also, my awesome girl friend, who is always baking delicious things for me to munch on. If you have any questions, comments, or digital renditions of the last supper feature only Greg Kinnear and a handful of chimpanzees, please send them to jdtmovies@gmail.com. Adios, mes amigos!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)